The next day there was a phone call. The phone rang at the Monkees place. Chea and Micky woke grumbling from sleeping in Peters hammock. They had fallen asleep there last night after a brisk swim in the ocean. Chea and Micky walked sluggishly into the house.
"Who could be calling us?" Micky moaned as Chea answered it.
"Unless the guys have discovered how to use a telephone over different worlds, it wont be them." Chea said. "Hello?" She said.
"Hi, this is the ice cream place?" The voice on the other end said. The voice sounded male.
"Oh yes." Chea said. "We weren’t due till Friday. It's only Thursday."
"I know but we are gonna be absolutely swamped for the holiday weekend. The last month of business is starting, and we are gonna need some help." The man continued.
"Whets up?" Micky asked now fully awake.
"This is work." Chea said. "The place that Brianna, Karen and I were gonna work at tomorrow. You know, for extra cash?"
Micky nodded remembering this.
"Are you free today?" The man said.
"Just me?" Chea asked. "What about my friends?"
"They'll come in tomorrow." He said. "I just need one more person, and I can't seem to get them on the phone."
"Hey." Chea said. "I have an idea." She waved to Micky.
"Do you want a job?" She asked Micky.
"Does a bear go in the woods?" He asked.
"Sorry."
"Yes or no?" Chea asked.
"Yeah, why?" Micky asked.
"Wait for it." Chea said and went back to the phone. "I have a friend here who knows ice cream up and down and inside out."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Heck if they know what a scoop is and know how to use it, they are already on my good side. Can you be here in ten minutes?" The man asked.
"Sure." Chea said giving a thumbs up sign to Micky. "What do we wear?"
"We'll provide the uniform." The man said. "See you in a few."
"Good bye." Chea said and hung up the phone. "We got a job!"
"Great." Micky said. "As much I as love the beach, and you in it, its about time for a change of scenery."
"Right." Chea said. "And since the time gadget is gone with the guys we're trapped in our own time." She joked.
"Let's go. We want to make a good first impression on our first real job in a long time."
1972
Brianna hugged Karen and Mike as they reunited in the alley.
"Hey what are you guys doing here?" Brianna asked them.
"Yeah, we thought you were gonna stay and convince Petah to come home with us." Davy said.
"Well, we decided on something different." Mike said.
"I came up with the idea of letting Peter stay in New York, and get him when we finish the hunt." Karen said.
"Great idea." Brianna said.
"How far have you guys gotten?" Mike asked.
"We got the tambourine from the little girl." Davy said.
"Anything interesting happen?" Karen asked.
Brianna and Davy looked at each other. Should they mention the almost romantic triangle between Brianna, Davy and a certain older Partridge?
"Nothing worth writing home about." Brianna said. Davy took a deep breath.
"Okay." Mike said. "Where are we now?"
"We are in New York." Karen reported.
"Again?" Mike asked.
"Different borough. Different time." Karen said. "Let me see the list." She said to Brianna.
"We don't have it." Brianna said.
"What?" Karen and Mike said.
"It might have gotten thrown away." Brianna said. Karen sighed. "But I remember all the names of the shows on the lists. And the objects."
"Great." Karen said.
"We're sorry." Brianna said.
"That’s ok. Its not the end of the world. From what I remember there are about five more places to visit, am I right?" Mike asked Karen. She nodded. "Right. Where are we now?"
"New York."
"I know that. What show?" Mike said.
"I'll tell you in a minute. First we got to go to 704 Hauser." Karen said. "Its right over here."
"Who lives there?" Davy asked as Karen and Mike walked off. Brianna made a I don't know noise. They soon followed. The street name sounded familiar to Brianna, but she couldn’t put her finger on why.
1967 - Slurp Shoppe
Chea and Micky arrived for their new jobs two minutes early. The place was located in a lush surburb further inland. The houses all looked the same, no one seemed to notice however except Chea and Micky.
"Congrats Chea, we're in status symbol land." Micky deadpanned as they walked to the restaurant.
"And I thought it was only a song. Who knew?" She replied as they passed a woman who was absolutely in love with her roses.
The Slurp Shoppe was easy to find. It was the only building that looked different from all the others.
Micky and Chea walked inside. The inside was made up like a 50's malt shop.
"Too retro!" Chea commented.
"Why thank you." A man behind the counter said. "Hi, I'm Lance Timberlake. I own this place."
"Micky and Chea." Micky said. "Your recruits for the day."
"Ah yes, welcome." He said hugging them both. "Let me show you around." He said with a smile.
"He’s friendly enough." Micky said.
"Yeah, but so are most mass murderers." Chea said. "They always say, he was so normal and so quiet too."
"I believe the 50's should never die." Lance said. "The music, its piped in. Primo dance material, nothing like what for kids have as music nowadays."
"I'm in a band." Micky said. "We're the Monkees." He said.
"Ah classic wordplay, very Beatle-esque." He said. "Everyone here wears the clothes from the era in here." He said. "Come, let me show you to your uniforms."
"Gee cant wait." Micky smirked.
"Come on Mick." Chea said. "Smile."
"Right. A job is a job and a blob is a blob." Micky said as they passed a large woman.
"I beg your pardon???" She demanded.
"I didn't mean you," Micky said. "Hey what’s that?"
"Where?" She said looking.
Micky lifted Chea and ran after Lance.
Minutes later Chea came out of the back room. She had changed there while Micky pulled on his uniform in the owners office.
"This isn’t so bad." Chea said looking at her outfit. She was wearing a classic poodle skirt, minus the poodle, a pink blouse and had her hair up in a pony-tail bob. "I could get used to this."
"I don't know." Micky said.
"Come on." Chea said. "Can't be that bad."
"You have to see it to believe it." Micky replied.
"Let's see." Chea said.
"Ok, but if you laugh, I'm never coming back over to your place for burritos."
"I promise." Chea vowed. Micky came out of the managers office. He was wearing khakis, a white shirt that was covered by a full sleeve white letterman sweater with red trim. There was a huge letter M over his left pocket.
"Ahhhh." Chea said.
"Remember what you promised!" He said. "How appropriate." He said referring to the large letter.
"I know. I swear I'm not laughing." Chea said.
"Let's get to work people!" Lance said. "Okay. I'll introduce you around. This is Chea and Micky."
"Hi." There were three other girls working. One was blonde. One was tall, and the other had brunette hair and seemed shorter than Davy would be."
"This is Theresa, but we call her Tippy." Lance said.
"Why Tippy?" Micky asked.
"She doesn’t like to wear her glasses." The blonde said. "Therefore she tips over alot."
"That is Stacy." Lance referred to the one who just talked. "She gets to clean up Tippy mess's. And this is Desmond. She doesn’t talk a lot."
"Hi." The brunette said. A weird bass voice came out of her mouth. Chea and Micky stepped back.
"Off to work my little friends." Lance said. The others went to work the tables.
"Oh this will be fun." Chea smiled.
"Yeah, great." Micky said. They went up to the counter.
"Hi, I'm Chea, would you like to try our super chilli chocolate parfait special?" She said to the first man in line.
"What?" He said. "No thank you. That’s a heart attack waiting to happen. Just give me a scoop of vanilla."
"Would you like any special toppings?" Micky asked with a fake looking plastic smile on his face. "Our hot chocolate is slightly above room temp."
"No thanks." The man said. "Scoop of vanilla."
"Would you like a waffle cone?" Chea asked.
"Sure, what the hey." He said.
"Okay." Chea said as they went to the ice cream cooler. "Scoop of vanilla."
"Okay, plan-o on a cone-o coming right up." Micky said scooping a scoop of vanilla. He dropped it on the cone. It slipped and went on her hand.
"Mick!" She said feeling the cold food roll off her hand.
"Sorry." He said. “I’ll try again." He did with the same results.
"I swear to god you are doing that on purpose." Chea said.
"No swearing. Its unattractive in a pretty lady." Micky said.
"Let me do it." Chea said tossing a scoop at him. He ducked.
"Hey, now that was on purpose!" He said. He picked up a glob of raspberry and tossed it back. Chea ducked and the errant glob hit Theresa in the kneecap. She hurtled forward and dumped a try of sundaes. The sundaes flew all over a family of customers in a booth table. They rose so fast they knocked the table over. The napkin holder flew across the room, propelled by the rising table, and hit smack into what was sure to have been a authentic 1950's jukebox. The top shattered. The metal from the napkin holder hit something inside and the 45's inside flew loose. They were thrown all over the place. Some lodged in the ceiling. Some got lodged in some of the waitresses poufy hair, including Chea. Seconds later the bedlam ended. Lance came up from behind him, covered in cherry sauce.
"Eh, ooops." Chea smiled uneasily.
"You're fired!!!!" Lance roared. Chea and Micky recoiled. "Get out of here."
"Do you want the outfits back?" Micky asked.
"Out!" He shouted at him. Chea and Micky got around the Slurp Shoppe the best they could with all the ice cream and slippery sauce on the floor. The minute they hit the door, they ran for home.
"I guess we learned something there." Chea laughed as they rounded the corner.
"Yea, stay out of the food industry." Micky replied.
1972
"704 Hauser Street." Brianna said as they walked down Hauser. "All in the family. I should have known better."
"What would Chea want from Archie Bunker?" Karen wondered.
"Beats me." Brianna said.
"There aren’t any guys in this household are there?" Davy asked. Brianna laughed.
"Okay, there’s Michael Stivic." Brianna said. "And you don't have to worry about me falling for Meathead. He's married to Archies daughter."
"She's right." Karen said.
"If anything, we have to worry bout you falling for the daughter." Mike laughed.
"HA ha, very funny." Davy said. "It's cause I'm short, I know."
"Wait." Brianna said. "Who goes in? It would look weird all four of us."
"Right. The Bunkers wouldn’t let us in for no reason." Karen agreed.
"Charity workers." Mike said. "We'll say we are from uh Unicef."
"We don't look like charity workers." Davy said.
"Okay." Karen said. "We are taking pledges for a walkathon or a fun run." She took a notepad from her purse. She handed it to Brianna who had a pen.
"Perfect." Brianna said. "I feel like I been in one all day."
Brianna and Karen went up to the front door. They had a rough game of rock paper scissors with the guys before they won the right to the be the spokespeople.
"Are you ready?" Brianna said. Karen brushed her hair.
"Ready." Karen said.
They knocked on the door. There was a minute before someone answered. A nice older lady answered the door.
"Edith." Karen hissed to Brianna before she could catch it
"Did you sneeze, dear?" Edith said.
"I'm sorry, allergies." Karen said.
"Oh, I see. I hate allergies. My Archie gets a lot of them. Come on in." Edith said. "I have something for that!"
Karen and Brianna walked in. It was almost like visiting the twilight zone. All in the family was the first new show since Johnny Bravo that Karen had been in.
"Here, take this. Its wonderful for allergies." Edith said giving Karen a pill and a glass of water.
"You're very nice Mrs..." Karen said moving to sit down.
"Edith Bunker." She said. "Ooooh don't sit there. That’s Archies chair!"
"I'm sorry Mrs. Bunker." Karen said sitting in the chair next to it.
"We're here because we are collecting pledges for the fun run." Brianna said.
"Oh how nice." Edith said going to her. "What do you do?"
"You sign your name here. The pledge is ten cents a mile. The fun run is five miles long." Brianna said. "It goes to a really good cause."
"How nice!" Edith said. "I'll sign."
"Great." Karen said. She spotted one of Archies cigars. She stowed it in her bra. She felt extremely weird.
"Ohh! I bet my daughter Gloria would like to take part in this." Edith said. She ran upstairs. "Gloria, come meet the nice charity workers!"
"Okay!" They heard another female voice upstairs.
"This is great. We get the daughters sig, then we can take off without seeing Archie. Or him seeing us." Karen said.
The door swung open. Karen rose quickly. Brianna spun in her seat. The face was familiar.
"Archie." Karen thought.
Archie took off his coat and hat. He put them on the coat rack. "What are you people doing here?"
"Uh taking pledges for a fun run." Brianna said. "Ten cents a mile."
"Wanna sign up?" Karen offered.
"Ten cents?" He roared. "Geez what these kids are doing nowadays."
Edith and Gloria came back down the stairs.
"Ohh welcome home Archie." Edith said.
"Hi dad." Gloria said. "Where is this thing? I'll sign up."
"Oh no, no daughter of mine is signing up to be a pledge for a fun run." Archie said.
"But daddy its for charity! Only ten cents." Gloria said.
"Little girl, ten cents is a lot of money. We are not going to waste it on a stupid walk thing." He said.
"Daddy!" Gloria said.
"Hey, no problem." Karen took the pad. "See, we erased it. No more name."
"Good. Now unless you got something else to do..." Archie said.
"We're gone!" Brianna said.
"You didn't have to tell me twice!" Karen said as they ran out the front door. They grabbed the guys and ran down the street.
"Hippies." Archie scruffily said as they ran. He closed the door.
They finally stopped in back of the bar they started at.
"Next stop?" Karen asked Mike.
"Programmed and ready to go." Mike said. He pressed the button. They were gone in an instant.
