F.R.I.E.N.D.S. TWO “Day of our Lives – Flashback”

EPILOGUE

Rachel finally gets off the plane, and comes back to Ross. They never parted their ways again, though every now and then they get into heated altercations about being on a BREAK.

Monica and Chandler bring home the twins, and eventually name them Jack Bing and Erica Bing. They not once regret the decisions of adopting both the children and the second thoughts they faced back in the labour room have all faded away.

Phoebe and Mike are so full of happiness and love, they can barely exclaim. They come over to welcome the twins.

Joey unaware of the birth of twins is astonished at first moment, and is lighted up with surprise, at the second. Joey got to keep Chick Jr. and Duck Jr.

They end their day by getting a picture of this beautiful new family clicked.

 

A DECADE LATER…

Episode one: “Day of our Lives – Flashback”

[Ben, just before leaving for college in the morning and finally pursuing his big dream of being in Princeton, turns to give a final goodbye to the place that has been his home for the last eighteen years. He glances at the pictures from almost a decade ago, when his aunt Monica and uncle Chandler brought Jack and Erica home, and his Dad had finally reconciled with the one and only love of his life, Rachel. He recalls his sixteenth birthday party, when aunt Phoebe decided to explain to him the theory of his Mum and Dad being each other’s “lobsters”, after his repeated requests.]

Ben: (on phone) Yes Mum, I’ll be fine. Don’t you worry. No, no Mom I won’t do drugs. Now you and Carol enjoy your trip to Hawaii. I’ll keep in touch. Bye.

Ross: Benny, big day’s here! All set for your first day?

Rachel: Ross, where did you put my new bag?! It was a gift from Ralph Lauren on my birthday. It was pretty damn expensive one.

Emma: Um, mum?

Rachel: Later, honey. Mummy can’t find her bag!

Emma: Yes, this is about your bag.

Rachel: What??! What about it! *frowns* Emma?

Emma: Um, you remember I went to Agatha’s birthday party yesterday?

Rachel: Oh my god, Emma! Why are we discussing the lousy birthday party, anyway?!

Emma: Because I gifted that bag to her as a birthday present.

(Ross and Rachel in chorus): WHAT??!

Rachel: Emma, I got that bag very expensive! Have you completely lost it?! Why did you do that?!

Emma: Agatha’s my best friend! The other day she came over, she told me how she loved your collection of things and how she wished someone could gift her even one of those gorgeous bags. Would there be a better way to surprise her?

[Rachel frowns, while Ross and Ben blankly stare at the mother-daughter duo. Girls!]

Emma: I couldn’t gift her just anything! She’s the most popular chick of us lot. And besides, she has promised to convince Mark to go with me to the junior prom. Junior prom! It’s every girl’s dream!

[Rachel makes her face into a strange nostalgic expression. Ben looks at her with an expression of utter confusion. Emma knows she’s worked her charm fair. Ross frowns because he very well knows what Rachel is about to delve into. Flashbacks and Rachel just cannot seem to survive without each other.]

 ——————————-

[Rachel travels back to middle school days…]

Rhodney: Rach! I found you a date!

Rachel: (giggling and then girlishly crossing her fingers) Please let it be Stuart! Please! Please!

Rhodney: Well, there’s nothing Rhodney can’t do!

Rachel:  Oh my god, Rhodney! (jumps and dances around) Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Monica: Um, Rach? You coming for class?

Rhodney: HERE COMES FAT-ASS MONICA! HERE COMES FAT-ASS MONICA (indicates Rachel to join in, and Rachel can’t refuse, so she does) HERE COMES FAT-ASS MONICA! HERE COMES FAT-ASS MONICA!

[Monica, highly astonished and disappointed at what Rachel does to her, takes another big bite of the donut in her hand and rushes to the rest room, with tears taking over her entire face.

Rachel, who feels guilty for doing what she just did, approaches to be there for Monica. However, Rhodney ‘s hand on her shoulder at that moment reminds her that she isn’t supposed to go. Or she would lose her golden ticket to the prom with Stuart.]

———————————

Ross:  Rach? You there? It’s his first day of college.

Ben: What was that all about?!

Rachel: Oh. Oh, I’m sorry. Let’s go! Emma, go get ready!

Ben gives Ross an amusing glance, and Ross sighs back. He then mouths to him, “Flashback”, upon which Ben bursts into a roar of laughter, which pauses as Monica enters with Chandler.

Monica: Where’s our big boy, Ben?

Ross: Oh hey, Mon. Here he is. Where are Jack and Erica?

Chandler: Oh, we just came from dropping them to school. It’s our Benny’s big day, huh?

[Ben smiles at them in his usual adorable way]

Monica: Here! We got you a present!

Ben: Well thank you, Aunt Monica!

Chandler: (grinning) Well, open it, big boy!

[Ben opens the present in a slight hurry. From under the wrappers, emerge a watch with a clown’s face beaming on it, followed by a book that reads, “Keeping myself ‘clean’ – a guide for college lads!!”

Ben fails to control his laughter. He hugs Chandler tight and whispers “Why that book?” in his ears.]

Chandler: (whispering) You thank your stars, it’s just a book. We recently had to go to a party Jacob had thrown for his son for being accepted at Harvard. Monica took the responsibility to getting a present. My biggest mistake was to trust her on that. And my, was the kid excited that day, exhilarated with joy that night, though I think it was mostly because of the champagne. He decided to open all the presents in front of everyone. Trust me, that decision of his wasn’t very good one. He called out our name loud, “Mr. and Mrs. Bing” and Monica waved her hand like she just won the Miss Universe title. And there emerged a beautiful, brown broom, the lovely gift your aunt bought for him.

Ben: (shouting) Oh, come on! A broom!

Monica: Hey, hey! He sent me an email saying that my present was very helpful.

[Joey and Pheobe enter]

Joey: Useful? I bet there was alcohol involved.

[Everyone bursts into a heartily laugh together]

Phoebe: Hey, peeps! See when what I got you Ben! A lucky charms bracelet.

Rachel: Aww, Pheebs! You look lovely! (hugs Phoebe)

Ross: We’re gonna be late! Let’s go, guys!

Ben: Yup.

Rachel: Just a second, I’ll just put on my lipstick. Emma, could you please go and get me the lipstick which was in my bag. You kept the stuff, didn’t you?

Emma:  Umm….

Ross: Emma!

Chandler: (with a sarcastic smile) She did not!

Monica: Wait. What’s going on?

[Ben briefs them about the incident. Joey chuckles and enquires if the bag was a U-N-I SEX one.]

Rachel: (breathes in and out): Okay. I’ll deal with the make-up crisis later.

Ross: Calm down, Rach. We could go shopping today.

Ben: Mum, today is your lucky day (smirks)

[All of them walk to Ross’s car to wave a final goodbye to Ben. Suddenly, a blonde girl wearing a faded blue dress approaches. The bag dangling on her hand looks familiar to Rachel.]

Emma: Agatha? Hi!

Agatha: Oh, snap out of it, Emma! (takes her to a side) You couldn’t even gimme a proper birthday present! This lipstick? (bringing out the lipstick) It sucks. My date with Mark just got ruined because of this! He told me my choice of sucks! I hate you for doing this to me.

Emma: Wait. But I like Mark! I thought you knew that!

Agatha: Oh, of course, I did. And how desperately you wanted him to be your partner at the junior prom. But all thanks to your stupid gift, he is never coming back to me!

Emma: Oh, no no no. You did not just say that. You can’t do that to me! You’re supposed to be my best friend!

Agatha: Ha ha ha. Since when, girl?

[Agatha walks away, leaving Emma in a bizarre situation. Emma returns, and Rachel figures there’s something wrong. On asking, Emma tells Monica and her mum everything that happened. After a minute of comforting her, Rachel apologizes to Monica out of the blues, and Monica hugs her, telling her it was a long time ago. Everyone looks confusingly at each other.

Another flashback. Rachel and Monica recall how Rhodney did something similar to Rachel, and how Stuart walked away to dance with Rhodney after kissing Rachel. Monica was the only one who left her own date waiting so that she could be there for Rachel. Monica had been a true friend for like, forever now.]

Joey: Oh crap! Wait guys, I am not yet done with my gift.

Phoebe: (puzzled) But you don’t have anything in your hand?

Joey: Well my gift is a special one, you guys see.

Chandler: (sarcastically)We certainly don’t!

Joey: Come on guys, turn away. Let me have my time with my boy. (He continues after waiting for everyone to turns around) Since, it is your first day in college, you’ll meet a lot of young girls. Now today. I’m going to tell you how to impress any girl in your college. Just one line, and they’ll be all red. Just go near them, and say, “How you doin’ ?” It works every damn time.

Ben: (trying to imitate uncle Joey) How you doin’ ?

Joey: (blushing and giggling) Oh, come on…

Ben: (laughing) I think it works on lads too, I believe.

Ben: (shouting) We’re running outta time! Don’t you all think so?

[Rachel hurries to the car with Emma, and everyone says goodbye to Ben. Everybody is extremely proud of him, and he’s glad he can see it in their eyes.]

[Emma does not speak throughout their ride to Princeton. Ross and Rachel, as responsible parents, keep reminding Ben of important things for his life in college.

They finally reach Princeton, their final stop. All of them get out of the car.]

Ross: Okay Benny, bye son! Take good care of yourself and work hard, okay?

Ben: (hugging Ross) Yes, dad.

Rachel: And, and you date the right girls, okay?

Ben: (chuckles) Yes, mum.

Emma: ­B-bye Benny! Have fun in college ‘with girls’!

Ben: Bye, Em!

[As Ben walks away to college, and they see him go, Rachel and Ross smile at how much Ben has grown up and what an amazing child he had been, all through.

When he finds his way in, they get back into the car, and start to their way back home.]

Ross: Aww, Rach. Our Benny’s doing good, isn’t he?

Rachel: He’ll do us proud, Ross. (She rests her head on his shoulder as he drives, smiling at the sunshine and looking at the roads ahead)

Emma: You know, you can do this later, I’m still in the car.

[Ross and Rachel smile at each other, and chuckle a little. They see the love still new and pure for each other as it had been from the beginning. They see how hopelessly happy they were, in the life they had chosen, together.]

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P.S. F.R.I.E.N.D.S. is one of our favourite shows and we never could get enough of it. The jokes are making a whole new generation of fans laugh. All of us could relate to at least one of the characters. While they all may look perfect, they are flawed, with weaknesses, and that makes them even more likeable. When the series ended for us we both were heart-broken. All we wished was to see this character reprising their role on television once again. So this was our try to it. We sincerely hope you liked our work. If you did please don’t forget to like, comment and share it with all your friends who have ever watched it.

P.S.S. It our co-authors birthday today so please leave in your wishes down below.  It’ll make her happy.

Special Thanks to Radhika Sharma for her idea and help in writing this piece!