Right Place; Wrong Time

                “Is everything alright with that bracelet of yours?” she inquired.

                “No, not really,” he groaned. “I think I fried it.”

                “Fried it?” she echoed.

                “Yeah. I jumped one too many timelines at once. I must’ve overused the time boost. It needs recharging per use as it takes up a lot of power jumping from one timeline to the next,” he explained.

                Eliza’s head was still swimming trying to wrap her mind around the fact that she was standing with an actual time traveler from some time in the distant future. How distant in the future she doesn’t know since he was pretty vague when he told her from when he came from, but she got the gist that whenever in the future Ethan came from time travelling was made possible.

                “There you are! What are you doing just standing there? Greta’s about ready to throw a fit because we can’t start without you,” Janice, Eliza’s other half-sister, stalked towards her. She didn’t notice Ethan until she yanked Eliza towards the church and she received resistance.

                Eliza remained rooted where she stood. She couldn’t just leave Ethan out here.

                “What now?” Janice demanded.

                “I can’t leave Ethan out here by himself,” Eliza answered.

                “Ethan?” Janice echoed then followed Eliza’s finger pointing at the tall, dark haired man smiling at them. He looked very out of place and his outfit was clearly not from this time. “Are you an actor?” she asked.

                “I beg your pardon?” Ethan frowned.

                “An actor,” Janice repeated then gestured at his attire. “You’re dressed up in some period piece. I know there’s a big movie production company filming a period piece in the area. Are you an extra in the movie?”

                Ethan and Eliza exchanged incredulous looks then burst out laughing. Janice gave them a queer look and stepped back.

                “What did I say?” she asked.

                Ethan and Eliza paused, looked at the bemused Janice, then burst out laughing again. Janice glared at the duo for laughing at her. She grabbed both by the wrist and dragged them into the church. That stopped them from laughing and Eliza actually started to protest, but it was too late.

                “Oh thank God you’re here,” Greta, the frantic bride-to-be, appeared relieved to see her two bridesmaids.

                “What’s wrong?” Eliza asked.

                “Your partner, Ken, dropped out at the last minute. Some family emergency so he’s taking the red-eye out tonight,” she explained.

                “So you’re short a groomsman,” Janice pointed out.

                “Yes!” Greta half-screamed and half-groaned.

                “Don’t you guys have any backup?” Eliza asked.

                “Ken was the backup.”

                “No one else is available?” Eliza frowned.

                “No one that we like is available,” Greta confessed.

                Yikes. That indeed was a dilemma.

                “Who are you?” Greta just noticed Ethan’s presence. She looked at both her sisters for answers.

                “Ask Eliza,” Janice took a step aside and left Eliza to handle the introductions.

                “His name’s Ethan and—”

                “And you’re perfect!” Greta exclaimed. “I didn’t think Eliza would be bringing her new beau with her to tonight’s rehearsal, but I’m glad she did. You’re a life saver!” Greta giggled and threw herself at Ethan, hugging the surprised Scotsman before pulling herself away and ran back inside to tell her fiancé that she found a replacement for Ken.

                Ethan gave Eliza a questioning look.

                “I guess you’re Ken’s replacement,” was all Eliza could say.

                Janice left the two of them alone by then. She followed Greta inside to get ready.

                “But I can’t stay.”

                “I know. But didn’t you say you fried your time jumping device?”

                “Yeah, so?”

                “So, while you let your device rest and de-fry, why not take a break from your time-jumping escapades and stick around for a day or two,” she invited.

                Ethan thought about her suggestion for a bit. He worked out the odds of him being found by those in pursuit of him here. He figured he had a good two to three days head-start from his pursuers, so yeah he can stick around here until after the wedding ceremony. Besides, he also needed some time to fix his device so it won’t overload the next time he tries to jump more than just one timeline.