Beyond Friends Episode Ninety Four Break Up


The Usual Suspects
David Schwimmer as Ross
Courteney Cox as Monica
Matt Leblanc as Joey
Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe

Scattered Ashes

"So what are you gonna do?" Monica asked Rachel as she sat in the front seat of the limo. Phoebe concentrate on her client in the back area.
"I don't know. Our lives have turned so soap opery." Rachel confessed. "I want to but i dont want to do anything I'm unsure of and hurt him even more. And I didn't even know that was possible!"
"You have a couple of weeks right? Think about it. Maybe make a list. On second thought don't. Remember what happened with Ross's list?"
Rachel made a quick turn to avoid a bump.
"Hey watch it!" Phoebe said from the back. "It's not every day you have Donald Trump in here you know."
"I'm not Donald Trump..." The man with Phoebe said.
"Well you're one of those guys right?" Phoebe said.
"Right." The guy grumbled.
"How are you guys doing?" Monica said in a low whisper.
"Well, the last guy has promised not to sue. Thats good isnt it?" Rachel smiled.
Monica nodded.

Rachel saw a familiar sight sitting on the curb. It was Chandler.
"Hey, lets give this loser a ride." She said to Phoebe who was meditating. "Pheebs?"
She didn't respond. She had really been keeping in touch with her inner self a lot. Rachel hoped she didn't get lost in there. She pulled the limo over and honked the horn.
"Hey!" Rachel waved. Chandler folded the Wall Street Journal she was reading and hopped in.
"Whats up?" She asked pulling into the street.
"Not the stocks." He said dryly. "Hows the limo-ssage biz?"
"So so." Rachel said. "Some people got a thing about being completely still while being worked on. So I had to find a parking place to do that a few times. Once a cop poked around in here to make sure nothing funny was going on. I had to drop Monica off cause she got a little paranoid about the cop."
"Wow." Chandler said amazed. "So where we going?"
"Nowhere in particular." Rachel said. She pointed back to Phoebe. "Phoebe left a long time ago."
"Mmm Hmm." Chandler said waving his hand in front of her face. "Hello?"
"Hey does this place look familiar?" Rachel asked.
"What? Sure this is the old apartment house." Chandler said. "It's been so long since we been here."
Rachel pulled over and stopped the engine.
"Why did we ever leave?" She said as they both got out.
"I'm not sure I remember anymore." Chandler said. "Will Phoebe be all right in there?"
"Sure." Rachel said. They looked at the building. Chandler put his arm around her, she hardly seemed to notice. She was lost in her thoughts.

A few years ago

It was stupid really. The fire was started by a iron that was left on by somoene in the building. They never found out who, though Monica continually said it wasnt her. Her friends believed her, Monica would never leave an iron out. It wasnt in her character. Kathy was still dating Chandler at that time. She later confessed to leaving it out that night.

"I'm sorry." Kathy had said while they talked outside the building as the fireman tried to put out the last of the flames. The fire had spread quickly through th ebuilding. It was lucky everyone got out alive. The chick and the duck werent as lucky. Joey was still inside looking for them.
"I can't find them." He said as they came out.
"It's ok." Chandler said patting him on the back. "I'm sure they are at a better place in that farmyard in the sky." He looked at Kathy. She sighed and looked down. Chadnler then went over to Rachel. "How are you?"
"Most of my good things are...were in there." She said looking at Ross. "Most of the things I saved. But luckily I still have that account at Macys. I can get you guys stuff to wear till we get back on our feet.
"You can stay with me Rachel." Ross volunteered.
"Really?" Rachel asked. "What about Monica, your sister? If both of us stayed there, there would not be any room for when Ben visits."
"Don't worry about me." Monica said. "What about you Chandler?"
"Kathy still has her place." Chandler said. "I'm gonna stay with her for a while."
"Yeah." Kathy said, obviously deciding not to contest Chandler on that fact. After all she had burned down their home. She should at least do something for him in return. "What about Joey?"
They looked around. "I'll be allright. I called my mom already. Shes cool with me staying for a week or two."
"Great." Chandler said. "See, its getting better already."


After that, somehow they all scattered into the wind like ashes. They were all in once place, then they could see each other all the time. But now that they were all over the city, it was a lot harder to hang out together. It just went downhill from there, untill about two years ago when Chandler saw Rachel on that city street. Now that he thought about it himself, he thought how funny it was that he saw her that day. It was like if it was the first time he had really seen her. Maybe it was true and absence did make the heart grow fonder. He looked at Rachel now with the wind blowing through her hair. Maybe it was fate that the fire happened. Thank god for Kathy and her stupid mistake.

"Are you two all right?" Phoebe from behind the two.
"I'm fine." Rachel said brushing her hair from her face.
"Me too." Chandler said. "What about you? You were a million miles away in the back of the limo."
"Was I?" Phoebe said. "I gotta get home, and let the babysitter off."
"You can go ahead." Rachel said. "I need the walk."
"But its over 25 blocks to your home and 30 to his." Phoebe said. "In opposite directions!"
"I'll walk you home. It's getting dark." Chandler said getting his paper out of the limo.
"See you guys later. Don't do anything I wouldnt do."
"Ha ha ha." Rachel fake laughed.
Phoebe drove away leaving Chandler and Rachel to walk.
"Wow, that was so long ago." Chandler said.
"I know. So much has happened to us. Do you ever wonder what would happen if we had still lived here?" Rachel said. "We might have never been together. Me and Ross could be married. Who knows, maybe you would still be with Monica."
"I know." Chandler said.
"Chandler I have something to tell you." Rachel said stopping.
"What?" Chandler asked.
"Uh..." Rachel said.
A car pulled up to the curb. Ross got out.
"Hey. Did you forget we had that thing tonight?" Ross asked smiling at Rachel.
"Thing? Oh yeah the paleotolgy summit. Can hardly wait." She said.
"We gotta get you home and out of your work clothes." Ross said. "Hey Chandler." He said.
"Hey." Chandler said. He couldn't really tell from Ross's face how he felt about him right then.
"Hows work?" He asked.
"Pretty good." Chandler said still unsure. Was he actually back to being the same old Ross?
"Anyway we got to go. You need a ride?" He asked.
"I'll get a taxi." Chandler said. Ross raise an eyebrow his way. "Yeah I'm sure. Go on you wild and crazy kids. Those bones won't wait forever."
Ross and Rachel hopped into his car and they left. Chandler stood on the street. He looked at the old apaprtment building and thought of all the things that could have happened. To them. The questions that could never be answered, they always seemed to ask one thing.
What might have been?