Written by: The Teenage Friends Freak
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me, but to Bright, Kauffman and Crane Productions and Warner Bros. Their use is not intended for profit, only for entertainment.
Note: This is just an idea I had. I have no idea how it will turn out, but
I think it's safe to say you'll either love it or hate it :) If you cry, then it's a
pretty good indication that you liked it. And please, please, tell me what you think! Even
if you hate it, I want to know! Oh yeah, and, although this starts out like a C&M fic,
it's R&R. Believe me.
OK, enjoy!
Scene: Outside a high school. We see Katie, (who is 14 today, meaning she skipped a grade) getting out of a car. Chandler and Monica are in it.
Monica: You sure you're gonna be OK, sweetie?
Katie: Yes, for the last time, I'm sure!
Chandler: OK.
Katie: (turning towards the school) See ya!
Chandler & Monica: Bye!
Chandler: Have a good first day!
Monica: And a nice birthday!
Katie: (waves without looking at them) OK, thanks!
[they drive off. Katie looks at the school, takes a deep breath, and enters]
Scene: The school cafeteria, later. Katie is sitting alone, picking at her food. A guy, David, comes up.
David: Anyone sitting here?
Katie: Huh? Oh, no.
David: (sitting down) Hi, I'm David.
Katie: Katie.
David: Happy birthday, by the way.
Katie: How did you know that?
David: I overheard you talking to your parents.
Katie: What?
David: When they dropped you off.
Katie: Oh! No, they're not my parents, they're my aunt and uncle. My parents are dead.
David: Oh, I'm sorry!
Katie: That's OK. It happened a long time ago.
David: How long?
Katie: Fourteen years ago today, the day I was born.
David: Really? How did that happen?
Katie: I don't know.
David: (confused) Why not?
Katie: I dunno, really. Chandler and Monica never talk about it.
David: Don't you want to know?
Katie: I-
[the bell rings]
David: Oh, sorry, I have to go. See you round?
Katie: Yeah, OK.
[David rushes off. Katie follows more slowly, thinking]
Scene: Chandler and Monica's house. It's your normal suburban house really, nothing special. Anyway, Chandler, Monica, and their two kids, John (11), and Sarah (9) are there. Chandler's just in the background playing scrabble with them. Katie comes in.
Katie: Hi!
Monica: Hey sweetie! I've made your cake, so we can eat as soon as we get back. Oh yeah, Joey and Phoebe are coming for dinner. Ben can't make it, though.
Katie: (disappointed) Oh. Well, I guess it's pretty hard to get here from LA if you're just a college student. At least Phoebe and Joey are coming, I haven't seen them in ages! How soon are we leaving?
Monica: Whenever you want.
Katie: OK, I'll just put my bag in my room and then we can go. (goes to her room)
Monica: (shouting to Chandler and the kids) We're going!
Chandler: OK!
[Katie comes back out with a bunch of carefully wrapped flowers in her hand]
Katie: Everyone ready?
Monica: Yeah.
Katie: OK, let's go then.
Scene: A graveyard. Everyone from the scene before is standing in front of a big tombstone. There are some flowers there (the ones that Chandler and Monica bought). They stay there for a few seconds.
Monica: Do you think we should be heading back?
Katie: (still holding her bunch of flowers) Yeah, just give me a minute alone.
Monica: OK.
[they back away, leaving Katie alone]
Katie: (kneeling down in front of the tombstone) So, uh, here I am again. I brought you some flowers, I even grew them myself in the garden... (puts the flowers down in front of her. We now see the tombstone):
HERE LIES ROSS GELLER
1969-2000
AND HIS BELOVED WIFE
RACHEL KAREN GREEN-GELLER
1970-2000
MAY THEY REST IN PEACE
Katie: I don't know why it's always so hard to talk to you on this day. I mean, I usually talk to you all the time, y'know, hoping you'll hear me, wherever you are. I guess it's kinda weird, but sometimes I just need to talk to my parents. Yeah, Chandler and Monica are great, but they can never be you. Even though I never knew you, I feel like I did, from the stories they tell me, from the pictures. But today someone made me realize that they've never told me the one story I want to hear the most. I want to know what happened! I want to know why it had to happen, and on my birthday! I know it shouldn't really matter, but it does. (thinks for a while) Mom, Monica says I look more like you every day. Dad, Chandler says I have your intelligence. They both say you'd be proud of me. Well, I hope you are. That would mean a lot to me. I just wish I could see you, talk to you properly, just once! But there's no chance of that happening. So, I guess I'd better go now. Joey and Phoebe are coming round, and you never know what Joey might do when he's impatient! So, bye. I'll be back soon, like I always am. (kisses her fingers and then puts them on the tombstone, starting to cry. Then she goes over to Chandler and Monica, trying to brush away the tears)
Monica: You OK?
Katie: (nodding) I will be.
[Monica smiles and puts an arm around her while Chandler tells the kids, who are playing tag, that they're going home]
Scene: Chandler and Monica's house, late evening. John and Sarah are in bed, Chandler, Monica and Katie are saying good night to Joey and Phoebe, who are just leaving.
Monica: Night! (closes the door)
[Katie sits on the couch. Monica goes to sit next to her while Chandler clears away the dishes]
Monica: So, did you have a good day?
Katie: Yeah, thanks. I just wish my birthday wasn't the same day my parents died.
Monica: I know, so do I. But there's nothing we can do about it.
Katie: I know...
[pause]
Katie: Aunt Monica, what happened to them?
Monica: Something bad, honey, something bad.
Katie: What, exactly? Please, I need to know.
Monica: (looking at her seriously) You sure?
[Katie nods]
Monica: Well, I guess I'd better start at the beginning...
[Katie gets comfortable on the couch]
Monica: Your parents had been married about a year. They'd finally decided to give their relationship another shot after your dad almost married someone else. Your mom was eight and a half months pregnant...
Flashback: The year 2000. A bank. The whole gang enters.
Ross: So, we're going to the Chinese place?
All: Yeah, OK.
Ross: You guys wanna go on ahead?
Monica: No, that's OK.
Ross: OK, won't be a moment.
[Ross starts to walk over the counter. As he does so, a guy at the counter (let's call him Steve), gets a gun out and points it at the cashier]
Steve: Money, now. And no alarm.
[the cashier looks around, unsure. We see that there's another guy with a gun (Phil) standing by the door]
Cashier: (stuttering) I-I, I...
Steve: I said now!
Phil: The rest of you, sit up against that wall (gestures with his gun)
[the people look nervous, not sure whether to comply or not]
Phil: Do you see this gun? What do you think I'll use it for if you're not up against that wall in 30 seconds?
[everyone moves towards the wall. The gang ends up sitting in this order: Ross, Rachel (who is huge), Monica, Chandler, and then Phoebe and Joey a bit further away]
Rachel: Oh, God...
Ross: Shh, it's OK...
[Rachel looks at him, scared. He puts an arm around her and holds her hand with his other one. She bites her lip]
Steve: (to the cashier) Get on with it, will you?
Phil: (looking out of a window in the door) Um, Steve...?
Steve: (irritated) What?
Phil: I think she called the cops on us.
Steve: No...(goes to look out the window himself and sees that Phil's right) Damn! What do we do now?
Phil: Well, we've got a bank full of hostages...
Steve: Hmm. (turns to faces the hostages) OK, slight change of plan, people, we're holding you hostage until we get out.
[a collective gasp. The people huddle closer together]
Rachel: Ross...
Ross: I'm here. (holds her tighter)
Monica: (trying to comfort Rachel even though she's obviously scared herself) I'm sure we'll be fine.
Chandler: Haven't you ever seen any bank robber movies? Nothing is ever fine in this kind of situation.
Monica: Chandler!
Chandler: Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood with a little movie trivia...
Monica: Ignore him, this is what he's like when he's scared.
Chandler: Gee, you noticed.
[Monica looks at him like she's gonna say something, then thinks better of it and just holds him tighter]
[pause]
Rachel: Y'know what else happens in that kind of movie? If there's a pregnant woman she's sure to go into labor.
Ross: Honey, don't think like that, this isn't a movie and you're not due for another two weeks.
Rachel: And the woman is never anywhere near her due date yet! Oh my God, what if I do go into labor?!
Ross: OK, OK, just calm down Rach...
[she tries to do as he says]
Ross: You're not gonna go into labor. Especially not if you stay calm. OK?
Rachel: OK, OK, I'm calming down, I'm completely calm...
Ross: OK. Now we just sit tight and everything will be fine.
Rachel: (still scared) OK...
[they stay quiet for a while]
Rachel: Y'know what, I can't just sit here and pretend everything's gonna be all right. It doesn't work.
Ross: OK, OK, say we talk about something, something normal.
Rachel: Like what?
Ross: Um, um, hey, what did you think of that movie last night, guys?
Monica: What, Scream 3? It was OK.
Chandler: Hey, don't you guys agree that Monica looks like Gale Weathers?
Ross: Yeah, kinda...
Rachel: Yeah, apart from the fact that she's always afraid for her life. Oops, wait, so are we.
[pause]
Ross: OK, um, bad idea...
[pause]
Chandler: So, Mon, did you post the wedding invites?
Monica: Yeah, most of them.
Chandler: Which ones didn't you post?
Monica: The ones I didn't have enough money for.
Chandler: Oh.
[pause]
Monica: You guys thought of a name for your baby yet?
Ross: No, we haven't.
Monica: OK, can we talk about that?
Rachel: (quietly) If you like...
Chandler: OK, um, how's about Chandler?
Ross: I don't think so. (smiles)
Chandler: OK, just a suggestion.
Ross: Anyway, we're having a girl.
Monica: Frank and Alice have a girl called Chandler.
Ross: Yeah, but that's just cos for some weird reason they risked letting Phoebe name her.
Monica: OK, fine. Monica?
Rachel: I think it would be too confusing having two Monicas.
Monica: Yeah, I suppose. So you don't want to name her after someone you know?
Ross: Nah, all our other friends would be jealous.
Rachel: Got any other suggestions?
Chandler: Lily.
Monica: Hannah.
Chandler: Melanie.
Monica: Sarah.
Ross: Kathryn.
Rachel: Kathryn?
Ross: Yeah, I think it's a nice name. Especially if you spell it with a K and a Y.
Rachel: Yeah, yeah, I like Kathryn...
Monica: Me too.
Chandler: So that's what you're gonna call her?
Rachel: (looks at Ross, who nods) Yeah, I like it.
Ross: (puts his hand on Rachel's bump) Hi Kathryn...
Rachel: (puts her hand on his and looks at him) I love you.
Ross: I love you too.
[they kiss softly. We cut to Steve and Phil. The police are talking to them. Or shouting, rather]
Steve: (shouting to the cops) If we don't get a car in ten minutes, I'm going to have to kill someone!
Cop: (trying to sound calm) OK, we believe you.
Steve: You what?! You don't believe me, if you did you wouldn't have said that! (walks towards the hostages, angrily)
[Phil follows him. Steve turns around and looks at him]
Steve: He doesn't believe me! Why not?!
Phil: C'mon Steve, you've never killed anyone before.
Steve: You don't believe me either, do you?! Why does no-one ever believe me?!
Phil: I-
Steve: Y'know what, I am gonna prove you wrong!
Phil: Steve!
Steve: (stands over Ross) You, get up.
[Ross, gets up slowly. Rachel looks up at him, panicking. He squeezes her hand and looks straight ahead]
Steve: You don't believe me? Well now you will!
[Steve shoots Ross in the head. Ross collapses, dying instantly. Chandler and Monica stare, shocked, not believing their eyes. Rachel screams as his blood splats on her. She looks at him, breathing heavily. Her eyes fix on Steve, who is looking at Ross's body, shocked at what he's done. Then she launches herself at him]
Monica: Rachel!
[Rachel and Steve struggle. Phil watches them for a second, then swears and fires his gun. He hits Steve. Steve and Rachel go down. They don't move for a few seconds. Phil approaches them, keeping his gun trained on them. Suddenly Rachel stands up, pointing Steve's gun at him. They look at each other. Everything around them is completely silent. The we hear the police, who obviously heard the gunshots, trying to force open the door. Phil looks at the door, then back at Rachel. Finally, he takes a deep breath, and shoots. He hits her in the chest. She stumbles backwards, almost falls, then catches her balance, looking Phil straight in the eyes. She pulls the trigger, and he goes down. Rachel drops the gun. She stands there for a few seconds, breathing heavily. Then, slowly, she sinks to the ground. Everything is silent for a few seconds, then the people slowly get up, most of them running for the door. Chandler, Monica, Phoebe and Joey rush over to Rachel. Monica has tears in her eyes. They kneel down next to her, calling her name. Some paramedics enter. We see Chandler holding a hysterical Monica back so they can do their work as the scene fades to black]
Scene: A hospital waiting room. Chandler, Monica, Joey and Phoebe are sitting there, comforting each other. A doctor enters. They look up at him.
Doctor: Are you with Mrs. Geller?
[they nod]
Doctor: I'm afraid there's nothing we can do for her. She's awake now, but she's only got a few hours left at the most.
[they're silent, not knowing what to say. Phoebe looks up]
Phoebe: And the baby?
Doctor: (smiles in a bittersweet kind of way) We did the caesarian just in time. The baby's fine.
[they all kinda almost smile]
Doctor: If you like you can see them now.
[they get up and he leads them to a hospital room. Rachel is in a bed, and she's doesn't look well. She's holding the baby, but in a way that doesn't need any strength. Basically, the baby's just lying on her arm. She smiles when the others enter. The doctor leaves them alone. Chandler and Monica stand on one side of the bed, Joey and Phoebe on the other]
Rachel: (very weakly) Hi.
All: (softly) Hey...
[pause]
Monica: (with tears in her eyes) Oh, Rach...
Rachel: (smiles) It's OK.
Monica: How can it be OK?
Rachel: (weak laugh) OK, it's not OK. But Mon, there's nothing anyone can do about it.
Monica: I know, I know...
Rachel: At least Katie's OK.
Monica: Yeah, I guess...
[pause]
Rachel: Promise you guys will look after her?
Monica: (crying) Of course we will Rach, of course we will...
Rachel: Thanks.
[pause]
Rachel: Mon, could you do something else for me?
Monica: Anything, sweetie.
Rachel: You see that paper and pen over there? If I dictate a letter to Katie, will you write it down for me?
Monica: Of course. (gets the pen and paper) You ready?
Rachel: OK. (pause) Dear Katie...
[Monica proceeds to write down everything Rachel says]
Rachel: OK, now give it here so I can sign it.
[Monica gives Rachel the pen and holds the pad of paper so she can write on it]
Rachel: It's not very neat, but never mind.
[Monica smiles and takes the pen back]
Rachel: Thank you.
Monica: (smiles) Least I could do.
Rachel: I love you guys, you know that, right?
Phoebe: We love you too, Rach.
Joey: Yeah.
Rachel: (smiles at them, then looks down at Katie) And I love you too, don't you ever forget that. (looks back up) I'm feeling kinda tired.
Chandler: It's OK Rach, just go to sleep...
[Rachel smiles. She takes one last look around, then leans her head back on the pillow]
Rachel: (closing her eyes) Night...
[after a few seconds, the heart monitoring machine does that long beep which means someone's heart's stopped. Chandler and Monica hug, crying. Phoebe and Joey join them. The camera slowly zooms out as it fades to black]
End of Flashback
Scene: Chandler and Monica's house. Monica's just finished telling Katie the story.
Katie: She wrote me a letter?
Monica: (smiles) Yes.
Katie: Can I read it?
Monica: Well, I was gonna save it until you were 18, but since you asked... (gets a box out of a drawer and goes back to sit on the couch with Katie) I put it in here, along with some other stuff... (gives the box to Katie)
[Katie opens the box and carefully takes out the contents. First, a newspaper clipping. The headline reads "COUPLE KILLED IN BANK ROBBERY". There's a picture of Ross and Rachel next to the text. Katie looks at it for a second, then takes out the next item, a gold necklace with a locket. She opens the locket. It's got a photo of Ross and Rachel in it. They're outside somewhere. She looks at it]
Monica: That was your mom's... I took that picture one time when we were having a picnic in Central Park.
[Katie looks at the picture for a few more seconds, then puts it down on the table
carefully, next to the clipping. She takes out the last thing, the letter. She looks at
Monica, who smiles. She starts to read it (not out loud)]
Dear Katie
I'm so sorry I can't tell you this in person. Or rather, I am telling you this in person, but you won't remember it. I just want to give you something to keep forever, since you won't have any memories of me and your dad. I want to tell you that I love you, and so does your father, and we'll always be there for you, if not in body, then in spirit. I'm sure you'll grow up to be a wonderful person, especially with Chandler and Monica taking care of you. I wish I could be with you, but I can't. God, there are so many things I want to say, but I can't seem to find a way to express them. I know your dad could, if he was here, he's so good with words... OK, one of the things I want to tell you is not to feel sorry for us. We're fine. We had a good life together, and we'll still be together and love each other, and you, after death. Your dad showed me that I could do whatever I wanted with my life if I tried. That's a piece of his wisdom I'd like to pass on to you, you can do anything if you put your mind to it. I know it's cliché, but it's true. I also want to tell you that true love does exist, even if it doesn't feel like it sometimes. You'll find the right person eventually. I don't know how old you'll be when you read this, but I guess it doesn't really matter. On a related subject, remember that there's always a rainbow after a storm, meaning that good things always follow the bad ones. Just remember that if you're ever feeling down. And remember above all else that we love you, very, very much.
Take care,
lots and lots of love,
your mom,
Rachel Geller
[Katie finishes reading the letter with tears in her eyes. She puts it down on the table with the other things. Monica puts an arm around her. Katie hugs her. They stay like that for a few seconds]
Katie: (breaking away and wiping the tears from her eyes) I'd better be going to bed, or I'll be late for school tomorrow morning.
Monica: (smiling) OK.
[Katie puts the things back in the box]
Katie: (picking the box up) Can I keep this in my room?
Monica: Of course.
Katie: Thanks. Good night then. (goes to her room)
Monica: Night...
[Monica looks at the picture of Ross and Rachel on one of the shelves, smiling bittersweetly. Chandler comes up behind her]
Chandler: You coming to bed?
Monica: Yeah.
[they leave, hand in hand]
Scene: The graveyard. Katie is kneeling in front of Ross and Rachel's grave again. She's wearing the locket.
Katie: So, Monica told me yesterday how you...well, y'know. Mom, I read your letter. Thanks for writing it, I'll keep it forever. OK, I've gotta go. I kinda have a date. (smiles) And don't worry, Chandler and Monica are getting really good at the overprotective bit. (pause) I love you.
[Katie stands up. She takes the locket off, opens it, and looks at the picture. David comes up behind her]
David: Those you parents?
Katie: Yeah. (pause) So, what are we going to see?
David: Whatever you want.
[David offers her his arm. She takes it, grinning. As they walk off, we zoom in on Katie's hand, on the picture in the open locket. We hear a clicking sound, like a camera. The pic moves and zooms out so we can see Monica with the camera]
Monica: OK, I'm gonna go stop Joey from eating all the sandwiches.
Rachel: OK.
[Ross and Rachel are left alone]
Rachel: Beautiful day.
Ross: (smiling) Not half as beautiful as you.
Rachel: (smiles and puts her arms around him) Have I told you lately that I love you?
Ross: (puts his arms around her) Hmm, no, not since yesterday.
[Rachel smiles]
Ross: I love you too.
Rachel: Now how did I know you were gonna say that?
[Ross smiles. They kiss. Then they walk towards the others, smiling]
[fade, not to black, but to white]
The End
Well, what did you think? Love it? Hate it? Tell me! It was too short, I know. Most of
my fanfics are. Well, um, yeah... I hope you liked it!