Beyond Friend Episode Fifty Seven "Islands In The Stream"

Friends Star-
Matt LeBlanc - Joey
David Schwimmer - Ross
Courteney Cox - Monica

"Almost Paradise"

Rachel looked out the window of the airplane as it was about to land. She wiped some moisture off of it as she remembered that fateful wedding night not more than a day ago

After the beam mysteriously fell from the ceiling, Rachel bolted outside and wandered for a little while, getting some fresh air to clear her head. She sat down on a bench right outside the churchs main doorway. She looked up when she heard the patter of feet coming in her direction.
"Hey, if you're either Chandler or Ross, right now I don't want to talk to anyone." Rachel said not looking up. She rubbed her forehead and groaned.
"Well how about talking to good old Joey?" Joey said sitting down next to her.
"Sure, ok." Rachel said.
"That must have been really confusing in there." Joey said.
"Yep, and it still is. Fifteen minutes later I still don't know why Chandler stood up and stopped the wedding. Ultimately I guess, he saved mine and Ross's lives. But theres still the question of why. Why now and why couldn't he have told me before now."
"You and Ross looked so happy." Joey reasoned.
"So, wha? He waited till the wedding day itself to tell me? I dunno. That mans always been weird."
"Tell me about it. I lived with him for years." Joey shrugged off. "Listen, if you need my help with anything, anything at all. You know where to find me." Joey got up. A lightbulb lit in Rachels mind. She stood up and her eyes opened wide.
"Joey." Rachel said. "Do you still have that small cabana in Sau Paolo that you bought when you got the part on the soap?" She asked, her mind was racing.
"Sure, I do." Joey asked. "I thought you and Ross had settled on Niagra Falls for a honeymoon." Joey stopped, there wasnt gonna be a honeymoon anyway.
"Thats what I need. I need to get away for a while. Away from anything to do with Ross and Rachel or Rachel and Chandler." Rachel said. "I'll fly out tomorrow. Joey please say you will let me use your place."
"Sure." Joey said. "Come by my apartment in the morning and I'll give you everything you need for the trip."
"Oh Joey!" She hugged him. "I could kiss you."
"Thanks but I'll settle for the hug." He looked at the door. "Chandler and Ross are looking for you. If you want to go to the island without them knowing, I'd leave now. Theres a hotel across the street from my apartment. I'll come see you in the morning."
"Thanks Joey." Rachel said. She caught a cab.
"Hey, Merry Christmas!" Joey said.
"You too." Rachel said.

Rachel hummed as she thought of the memory. She had flown out on the early flight. She has slept most of the way to the island and was only awakened by the thud of the planes landing gear on the runway. She was finally here. But what was awaiting for her in Sau Paolo? She undid her seatbelt and picked up her carry on plane. She knew she wouldn't find out what was out there for her unless she got off the plane.

Home

Chandler put down the phone again. He had just called Rachels mom and new husband. He had been looking for her for about a day now. And there still was no sign of her. It was totally unlike her to disappear like this. Though it was unsurprising, Rachel had mysteriously vanished from her first wedding, he was still worried where he went. Joey was no help. He swore that Joey knew something that he didn't, and that would be a first all by itself. He picked up the phone again as he heard a pounding on the door. He rose to get it.
"I'm coming! Jeez those Jehovah Witnesses are getting brutal!" Chandler said as he crossed the floor.
He opened the door. It was Ross.
"Any luck?" Chandler asked the exhausted Ross. He was still in his wedding tuxedo. He slumped in and crashed at the sofa.
"None, absolutely no clue of where she could have gone too. I considered looking in Area 51 but I don't even know where that is." Ross said. "Are you sure you haven't seen her? You don't have her stashed somewhere do you?" Ross asked half seriously.
"Oh sure, I have her stuffed in the garbage disposal." Chandler said. "You know as much as I do."
"Great." Ross set his head on a big fluffy fringy pillow. "I need to rest my eyes."
"Isn't there a place where she would go to think?" Chandler asked.
"Not really." Ross said half awake. "To be safe I called the Niagra Falls area, the hotel we reserved for this weekend, and she didn't show up."
"Poor girl, you think she would be patient enough to wait till the end of the ceremony to start the honeymoon." Chandler said. He looked at Ross. He had fallen fast asleep. Chandler pulled a blanket up onto his friend and Ross grabbed it, startling him.
"Get some sleep, old pal, things will look better after some good rest." Chandler said before crashing onto his own bed.

Sau Paolo

Rachel got her baggage at the luggage claim. She brought enough for five days, which meant bringing five bags. Monica had always said that Rachel was ready for anyhting clothes-wise on a trip. She was right. She had two different bathing suits and a back up one in case something happened to the other two. She knew how unlikely this was, yet she brought it anyway. It was one of many habits she picked up from her best friend when she lived with Monica.

She arrived at the cabana around noon. It was still "New York" Time for her so she was still a little sleepy. She dumped her luggage in a heap by the door. Rachel went over by the phone. She picked up the small brochure that came with it. As she started to read there was a little red light blinking rapidly on her phone. She frowned as she picked it up.
"How could I have messages? Theres only one other person who knows I'm here." She said raising the phone to her ear.
An electronic buzz beeped in her ear. She put the phone down startled. "What the hell was that?" She asked stepping back from the computer. She thought for a second. "Wait, I once heard that on the phone on Bloomingdales. The one thats hooked up to the online computer, it makes that buzz if you pick it up when the computer was on the internet.
"Funny." Rachel mused looking around. "Joey never said anything about a computer." She picked up the brochure she had dropped on the floor. "Here we go. One laptop computer in every room. Hooked up to Seashell net.com. Wow. You get to an island and they want you to stay inside. I see a big problem with that already!" Rachel said once again discarding the dog eared brochure. But she had to admit, a computer intrigued her. She opened up a drawer in a desk next to a picture window, and finally found the computer in question. She opened it up and it immediately clicked and whirred. Within two minutes of turning it on, she was online at Seashell net.com.
"I got mail?" She questioned as a small red mailbox opened and closed. She clicked the mouse on "open"

Dear Rachel,

Sorry about forgetting to tell you about the coolest things there! The trip was very last minute, as you know. Anyway, Chandler and Ross know nothing about this so you can stay there as long as you want to. Don't worry about the bill.

"Thats nice to know." Rachel quipped out loud.

Anyway the coolest thing is this computer and they have an extensive Baywatch collection with scenes never shown on American tv...

"Why would I care about Baywatch?" Rachel read.

...but then you're not interested in that. Hope you have fun. See you when you get back!

Your Friend
Joey

Rachel deleted the email after reading it. It was so nice of him to send her a message after letting her use his cabana. she smiled. Then an icon popped up on the screen.

"Choose a nickname?" Rachel shook her head. "I can't think of a nick name, I have zero creativity." She tapped her finger for a second. "Might as well go for the obvious." She muttered. She typed in her name. "And thus Bloomychic214 is born." She said dramatically. She went into a chat room. It was completely empty.
"That was a raging success." She said turning the laptop off. "Joey did say I would be here in the off season. Looks like the hotels plan to keep me in here with the computer is going to bust. I'm going swimming."
She got out of her chair and got her bathing suit. "After all, its not like anyone else is coming."

Ross knocked on Joeys door. Joey came to open it with a big piece of prime steak in his hand.
"Hey Ross." Joey said putting his steak on a plate. "Whats up?"
"Joey, didn't you have a place in the islands? Sau Paolo?" Ross asked. Joeys face sunk."Yeah."
"I was wondering. It seems like Rachel has gone her own way, maybe its time I get out of Dodge for a while." Ross explained.
"Sure." Joey said. "Heres the key. And a plane ticket." Joey said handing him an envelope.
"You knew I was coming?" Ross said.
"Not really. I was gonna use the cabana for my new squeeze but Donald Trump proposed to her. So you know."
"I know, I hate it when that happens." Ross said dryly. "Thanks Joey. I'll see you in a week or so."
"You bet." Joey said as Ross left. Joey closed the door.
"Is he gone?" A voice from the bedroom called.
"You can come out Monica." Joey said. "He totally fell for it."
"It's a good thing you own two cabanas in Sau Paolo. Otherwise Operation Ross and Rachel would have crashed and burned." Monica said.
"We have them on the island." Joey said. "All we have to do now is wait for them to find their way to each to other again."
"How long will that take?" Monica asked.
"Knowing them? Two days." Joey said.