Beyond Friends Episode Forty Six "I'm Sorry"


Special Guests
Matt LeBlanc as Joey
Cameron Diaz as Naomi

Caroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton - Papa and Mama
Salma Hayek - Janet -speaks Spanish
Scott Wolf Michael - Janets translator and fiancee'
Matthew McConahey Greg - Brother

"I Got Work To Do"

Rachel had settled down to do her daily job, underlining Joeys scripts when he came up to her. He watched her a for a few minutes as she underlined his lines for the episode they were filming today. Todays script was long. Joeys character, Mark Gallup, was having a very dramatic and emotional argument scene with his fiancee'. It would stretch every one of his acting muscles to its limit, if there was any. He had just found out that she was having an affair, with her best friend! "This is a Jerry Springer show in the making." thought Rachel as she finished one page.
Joey cleared his throat to catch her attention.
"Oh hi Joey!" Rachel said brightly, looking up from her handi-work. "I will be done in about five minutes."
"Thats what I have to talk to you about." Joey said pulling up a chair next to her school desk. She looked at him curiously. "I have some bad news for you Rachel."
"What?" Rachel said.
"I'm going to have to let you go?" Joey said. "The show is not doing as well as it used to."
"It never really was a big hit, you know." Rachel pointed out.
"Budget cuts are forcing us to lay off any non essential employees. Which means...."
"You have to let me go." Rachel said. She stared for a second. "I could keep doing this and not get paid."
"I'd never ask you to do that." Joey smiled.
"Okay," Rachel said. "I guess I can go now?" She said jumping up.
"I didn't think you would take it this well." Joey said unhappily.
"Well I heard uh rumors. Yeah rumors. I heard this may happen so I guess I was prepared for it."
"Really?" Joey asked. "Who?"
"Oh it just floated around. I don't really know who started it."
"Ah, Ok." Joey smiled. "So I will see you later?"
"Sure." Rachel said as she hugged him. "See you later." She then walked out the door. Rachel looked around for a second. When she realized that no one was looking she did a little victory dance.

NYPD

Chandler took the steps two at a time, as he entered the police station. At the fron desk he was directed to the Homicide department. They could help him there.
Chandler had taken it upon himself to solve Naomis murder so her soul could finally rest in peace. He knew what the consequences could be if was in fact able to solve the year old crime. But he was ready, he felt for anything that came his way.
Except, however, he was not ready to deal with the head of Homicide, a woman they called the Iron Maiden DeCelle.
"Hi." He said as DeCelle approached. "I was wondering if it was possible I could look at the case file for the murders at the night gallery?"
"I don't think so bub." Came her quick but curt answer. "Trying to play Hardy Boys, minus one eh?"
"This is very important for me to look at." Chandler said. "I need to look at the file including any information you have on Naomi Baker."
"I don't think so."
"I think Mr Lincoln could change your mind." Chandler said holding out an obvious bribe.
"Nah." DeCelle said. "Though I would be interested in talking to Mr Hamilton." She said, obviously wanting a 20 instead of a 5.
"I think he can see you." Chandler said handing the bill to the burly woman.
"I'll be back." She said turning to go into a darkened room. She was back within five minutes with the file."We expect this file back." She said.
"No problem."
"I mean it. I know how to kill a man with only my thumb." She said showing the allegedly deadly digit.
"Yes ma'am." Chandler said. He turned, then walked out of the station. As he reached his apartment, he sighed a loud sigh of relief. Finally, he can get on his way to solving the murder.

Rachel greeted Chandler at the door. He was carrying a file folder about half and inch thick.
"You're home early." Chandler remarked as he put the file on the kitchen table. He pulled out a chair, then sat down.
"I been fired." Rachel said flatly.
"What?" Chandler said in disbelief. "How?"
"Joey said that the show is experiencing budget cuts. Anyone not vital to the shows survival was fired today. That included me." She said getting a cola out of the fridge. "I'm not upset. It was boring having only one thing to do everyday." She popped her cola opened and took a healthy swig. "What you got here?"
"The case file for the night gallery murders." He responsed.
"How did you manage to get that?" She asked flipping the dig eared folder open with her pinky."NYPD is usually tight lipped about any of their cases."
"I bribed them." He said. "It wasnt hard to do. I feel like Columbo now."
"How are you going to solve this? This is only forensic information. And you are far from being Peter Falk as far as I can see."
"I think they missed something. Maybe this was an inside job." Chandler said pointing to some pictures of the crime scene. "See how carefully it was orchestrated? This is my one theory I can run with right now." He stopped when he flipped over a report and saw a picture of Naomi. That beautiful smile on that wonderfully sculpted face. What a waste of such beauty. He sighed feeling a slight pain in his heart.
Rachel rubbed his back. He looked up and sighed. He looked down again.
"Naomi has a family." He said looking at a personal information box underneath Naomis picture.
"Maybe you should talk to them." Rachel offered. "Sometimes family know a lot more about you than any report can tell you."
"Thats a great idea." Chandler said grabbing the phone. He dialed the number on the pad.
"Hello? Baker residence." A gruff voice said loudly.
"Hi, I am interested in speaking to you about your daughter Naomi." Chandler said.
"I have no daughter Naomi, shes dead." The father said about to hang up.
"Please sir, its important that we talk." Chandler said hurriedly. "I may have a break in her murder. I really need to talk to you."
The man hesistated. Then he sighed.
"I'm sorry." He said. "Eh, come over tonight. The whole family will be here tonight for the weekly dinner. They can tell you whatever you need to know about our little potato sprout."
"Ok." Chandler said as Naomis father gave him the address and hung up. "He asked me to come over to dinner. He referred to Naomi as their little potato sprout." He said. Chandler grabbed his coat. "If I go now, I can be over on Long Island in time for dinner.
"Potato sprout, I'd love to hear the story behind that one." Rachel observed as Chandler bounded for the door.
"I think I will hear it before you do." Chandler said. He opened the door and Joey was about to knock. "Hi Joey, bye Joey. I'll tell you all about it someday." Chandler said quickly as he ran by him.
"Whats with him?" Joey asked.
"Don't get me started. We'll be here all night." Rachel said.
"You left before I could tell you the good news." Joey said. "I am still your agent. And I have worked a miracle."
"Miracle?" Rachel asked squinting.
"After what happened with the Estee' Lauder thing, I thought you would never get a job again. I was wrong." Joey said handing Rachel a sheet of paper. "This is a temporary contract you have to sign. For two weeks you will be working on the same set as me again." Joey said excitedly. "I have a tv role for you. You are Coma Patient Unknown. My character runs you over after leaving my fiancee'."
"Fascinating." Rachel said.
"It may be longer than two weeks." Joey said. "The writers have not decided whether you live or not."
"Ok." Rachel said. "What do I have to do?"
"You know how to lay down, and go to sleep?" Joey asked.
"Yes." Rachel said as Joey started to leave.
"Then we have it made."

Bakers Residence

Chandler had rode the subway all the way to the nice suburban area where the Bakers lived. He took a bus to the front door. As soon as he disembarked he headed straight for the front door. He stood their a second hesitating to knock. He then sighed, then did a moderately loud knock on the door.
It was not long before it was answered. A petite, exotic looking woman answered the door. She then turned to look in back of her.
"Papa! L'investigateur est ici! Papa!" She said in fluent Spanish.
Spanish? Naomis dad didnt sound like that on the phone. This family was getting more interesting by the minute. He entered the room. Her father was sitting in a well used easy chair.
"Slow down, little girl. What did you say again?"
"She said the investigator is here." Another man said. He turned to Chandler. "Hi. Don't mind Janet. She just got back from Spain. She took a language course that required her to be totally immersed in it. Shes still getting used to being home."
"Ah." Chandler said.
"Oh! I am her fiancee' Michael. I am also her translator."
"Satisfice a Michael mientras que todavía intentaba hablar a español. Él era maravilloso, él me enseñó todo. " Janet said to Chandler smiling and growling into her fiancee's ear.
"She just said she met me while still learning the language. I taught her a lot of things..." Michael said.
"Hey, hey , hey." The father said. "He doesn't want to know your personal stuff. Ok?"
"I'm Chandler Bing." Chandler shook Michaels hand.
"Niza para satisfacerle bing del chandler." Janet said smiling.
"Its a pleasure to meet you.This is papa." Michael said. "And this is her big brother Greg." He pointed over to the couch."
"Yo, Bing. You like Hockey?" He asked. Chandler nodded. "Then we ought to get along well."
"Mama está en la cocina." Janet poked him.
"Mama is in the kitchen." Michael said.
"Dinner is ready." Mama said coming out. She repeated the same thing to Janet in spanish. "This must be the charming man who wants to talk to us about our Naomi. Our little potato sprout. We call her that because she grew like one. A fast one, she was."
"Its nice to meet you Mama Baker." Chandler said.
"Go on and sit down. We have plenty of room since that rotten Julia Roberts don't come here anymore." Papa said pointing.
"Greg was engaged to her. But she left him for Jason Patric. Janet was not a fan of hers." Michael said.
"Una mujer apenas horrible, horrible, ese Julia." Janet nodded.
"See? And she said horrible twice so it means something." Greg pointed out.
"What do you want to know?" Papa asked. "If anyone can solve the case, I say let em do it. The hell with rules."
"La derecha! El infierno con reglas!!" Janet concurred.
"Sweetie, we have guests. Tone the language down." Mama said.
"I was just wondering what she was like. Why she was in the worng place at the wrong time."
"No one would have any legitamate reason to hurt her." Papa said. "Let me tell you a story or two."
Chandler smiled. "I'd love to hear one or two."
"El Oh, con Naomi, allí es siempre más de una historia a decir. Isnt que poppa derecho?" Janet said rolling her eyes.
"Ok, we don't need to hear that." Papa said. "Give the man a drink, mama. He will be here a while."

After hearing so many wonderful stories and so much laughter and tears, Chandler found it hard to leave. On his way out he felt a presence.
"Naomi?" He asked.
"Chandler what are you doing here?" Naomi said.
"I wanted to know more about you. I am going to solve your murder case." He said.
"I don't want you to. If you do, it means I'll go away and never come back." She said. "Do you want that?"
"I want you to be at peace." He said.
"Do what you want." She said sadly. "I am no longer on this mortal coil. What am I to tell you what to do?" She looked up. "My sister Janet is right behind you."
"Janet?" He turned. "What can I do for you?"
"I'll translate for you." Naomi said in his ear.
"Chandler, puedo hablar con usted por un momento?" Janet said looking at him. "Usted no puede entenderme, pero tengo que decir esto."
"She wants to speak to you, you may not understand, but it has to be said." Naomi said softly.
"Ok." Chandler nodded.
"Amé a mi hermana mucho. Pondrá a mi corazón, y a la familia en la facilidad para saber quién hizo esto a nuestro Naomi. Haga por favor el mejor que usted puede. Creemos en usted a chandler." Janet said emphatically, then turned and walked away.
"What did she say?" Chandler said softly.
"That she loved me very much. She wants you to solve this murder." Naomi said. "She wants the same thing for me that you do. For my spirit to rest." Naomi looked into his eyes. "Ok Chandler. Please do the best you can. Its a lot of pressure, can you handle it?"
"Well Handle is part of my name." Chandler smiled. "I will."
"Thank you." Naomi reached for him. Her hand flitted over his face, then she was gone.
"I will do anything so you can have peace." Chandler said softly. It started to rain. He hailed a cab and started the long journey home.