BASTILLE DAY ISN'T CHRISTMAS.........by Coralynn

It is, not surprisingly, in the middle of the night when Eleanor touches down in the middle of Paris. The battle noises have subsided, and she can see dead bodies lying everywhere. Drawing a deep breath to keep from gagging, she looks about for a place where hopefully she'll find Elizabeth and her three new best friends.
Most of the buildings are dark and shuttered, but she sees some light coming from a Saloon across the street. Picking her way through the dead bodies, she reaches it and goes inside.
A bartender is cleaning up the counter and tables, while only a few hardcore drinkers are left sprawled on the barstools and chairs.
She approaches the bar-tender and asks, "Did you see four women tonight dressed similarly to the way I'm dressed?"
"Well," he leans on the bar, "I did see three dressed like you, and the fourth woman in some wild looking yellow thing."
"That's them! Do you know where they are now?"
"They got up on stage and danced, then this really loud one told some jokes and they left."
"You didn't by any chance see which direction they went in, did you?"
"No."
"Thanks," Eleanor says and goes back outside.
OK, she thinks, if I were them, where would I go? It must have gotten late and they probably looked for a place to sleep. Some place that doesn't require any money. I'd better start walking.
She walks south out of Paris for quite a ways and sees nothing that she thinks the four women could use for a resting place, so she returns to the center of town and walks north. Before too long she spies a house with a barn. Bingo! she thinks, knowing them that's where they are.
She walks to the barn and peers in. Still too dark to see anything, so she slides open the door and steps inside. The sound of snoring is the first thing she notices and smiles to herself, 'What'd'ya want to bet that's WandaSue?' she thinks.
Following the snoring, she soon finds the four women huddled on hay, sleeping like the dead.
"PARDON ME, ladies!" she says loudly, "But the ship is departing for the 21st Century, so if you want to get aboard, do it now!"
They all wake up and when they see Eleanor, leap up eagerly. "Get me out of this place!" Elizabeth begs.
"That was my plan," Eleanor replies, "Take my hands or just hold on to my arm or whatever, and we'll ditch this place. OK, now, here we go: Sycamore Street, Sally's house, Dec. 25, 2003, NOW!"

They find themselves standing in Sally's living room. Sally, Penelope and WandaSue immediately go to the fridge for beer.
"You aren't going to thank me?!" Eleanor says crossly.
"No. You were vile to have taken us there in the first place. Now take this scum-bucket you call Lizzie back to your house. She's a loser!" WandaSue proclaims.
Eleanor almost laughs and thinks, So they don't want her either, do they? Looks like Elizabeth is a misfit no matter how lowdown the company she keeps.
Penelope adds, "If she thinks she's getting John back, I suggest you commit her to a mental institution! Now get her out of here!"
Elizabeth stands there mute, then follows Eleanor outdoors.
When the cold air hits her she demands, "Where's your car? The least you could have done is bring your car! I'm freezing!"
"Oh yeah, sure, Liz, time travel with my car. Uhh-huh. Now we're going to walk and if you walk fast enough your blood won't freeze solid."
"Those women are hateful!" Eliz says bitterly as she tries to keep up with Eleanor's brisk pace.
"That's the first true thing I've heard come out of your mouth yet, Liz. Here's the situation, though. Bess noticed you were missing and someone phoned the Police, who are at the house as we speak. They think you were kidnapped. Celeste suggested you might have gone out for a walk, and that's the story you're going to tell. You went out for a walk and got disoriented and lost until I came out and found you. Got it?"
"Why should I lie like that?"
Eleanor stopped walking and looked at her sternly, "If you tell any other story, Liz, you will be taken back to 1640 Southold and left there forever. It's a step up from the French Revolution and you know how to exist there, but you don't have the opportunity to try to wrest John from Rose from back there and then. What's it going to be? Are you going to tell the story about the late night walk, or do you want to be sent back?"
No comment.
"OK, then, let's up the antie. I'll take you to another unpleasant place, and I'll tell no one, not even Celeste or Marilyn. Hmmmmmm, let's see, what unpleasant place might be good? Ahhhhhh, I know, prehistoric times, back in the stone age or better yet, the Ice Age. And you without a thick winter coat. So, what's it going to be?"
"Alright, you win," Elizabeth says in a pitiful little voice, hoping to arouse some sympathy in the other woman.
Eleanor feels no sympathy, just an overpowering urge to rid them all of this miserable trouble-maker.