TOW Ross finds out what happened to Emily

Emily Waltham disappeared off the end of a phone line leaving a loose end in Friends. She deserves better than that...

Ross Geller is at a conference in New York where he has hooked up with another paleontologist, Charles. Charles has just introduced him to his English friend James who is escaping from another conference being held at the same hotel.

After saying hello, James had to answer a call on his mobile from his wife and Charles briefly explained that James had been a friend who had been doing a PhD at Harvard at the same time Charles was there.

But then he went straight back home, and I haven't seen him since, it's great to bump into him.'

You are wicked,' they heard James say into the phone with amusement.

I've never met his wife,' Charles said, I wonder what she's saying?'

Wicked? What do you think she's done?' Ross asked, feeling a little confused. And why is he looking so pleased about it?'

Wicked when you say it like that doesn't mean bad' or evil' in Brit speak. It means good.'

Oh like bad.'' They looked at James who was laughing.

Like salacious the way he's saying it,' Charles smiled

''Night darling, sleep tight,' James said and disconnected. He looked at the others, 'Sorry about that but I always take calls from my wife, nice to meet you, Ross.' Ross remembered the time difference between England and New York and said,

'It must be two in the morning over there, your wife's up late.' The three men moved to the lounge area of the conference hall to some newly vacated seats.

'She likes to know where I am,' James said, sitting on one side of Ross. Charles, who was large, sat on Ross' other side, making Ross wish he hadn't sat on the sofa. Would it be making too much of a issue of it by taking another chair? Charles was touchy about his weight but just as Ross was deciding, the last empty armchair was taken by someone else.

Why didn't she come with you?' Charles asked.

'Travel's a bit hard with two kids. They're still very small and it would have been a real hassle to bring them over just for a weekend. And she hates New York anyway. I forced her to come here once but I don't think I could do it again.'

'Hey why? It's a great place!' Ross exclaimed provoked. What kind of nut was she? Forced to come to New York? Anyone in their right minds was queuing up.

'It's not New York that's the problem, more the people - or a particular person. She married some complete bastard - bastard or halfwit it's not entirely clear - from this city and it was a complete disaster,' James said.

'Married?' Charles queried.

'First husband though he doesn't really count because it was annulled. She's had a downer on New York and on Americans ever since. Although she has got a friend from California so she hasn't written you all off,' James laughed. It's just one of her few character flaws.' A pretty big one in Ross' opinion. He would never write off a whole group of people on some petty prejudice, not like those stupid Brits.

'What did he do to her that was so terrible?' Ross asked.

'Would you believe, when it came to the vows the idiot said his ex-girlfriend's name instead of hers? Unbelievable,' James said in disgust.

'Gee that's some mistake,' Ross said in shock. That sounded too close for comfort.

'He'd actually invited that ex-girlfriend to the wedding. I mean you leave your baggage behind don't you?' James said.

'Asking for trouble,' Charles agreed. This is couldn't be about anyone but Emily, Ross realised. How in the world could this be happening. Curiosity prodded him on.

'But your wife married him anyway? I mean when she wasn't your wife but the - er - other guy's wife.'

'She was in shock, up there in front of all her friends and relatives, but she couldn't handle the reception and she ran away,' James said.

'So they got it annulled,' Charles assumed.

'Yes, but not right away, it gets worse. He - this first husband of hers - told her father that he was really sorry and all the rest of it, and that he would be waiting for her, at the airport for the honeymoon so she should be sure to be there. So she went, and guess what she saw? Her husband and his ex-girlfriend about to leave on her honeymoon.' Ross had heard more than enough but the question was how to stop it. If only he could catch Rachel's eye and pretend she wanted him, but Rachel was out of sight. He'd told her to enjoy her self and circulate and she was.

'The complete bastard,' Charles said with feeling. James looked across Ross at Charles.

'Either that or he's certifiably insane.' He turned to Ross and asked, 'You don't happen to know who we're talking about do you? He's probably at this conference. She never told me his name. My father in law just refers to him 'That Yank' - if he's feeling polite.' James started looking around the room.

'What does he say when he's not feeling polite?' Charles asked.

'It's unmentionable!' James laughed.

'Ever heard of him Ross?' Charles asked, Someone like that must be pretty stupid.'

'No,' Ross said. Did he even sound normal?

'Most of these guys look normal but you can never tell,' James said, finishing his survey of the room.

'So that was it,' Charles said, ready to continue with the story. James shook his head.

'Oh no. He tried to get back with her, not that he tried that hard. He wouldn't come and live with her in London, he insisted she had to come to New York.' This was going too far and Ross said without thinking,

'Maybe they planned to live in New York anyway.' As the other two looked at him he bit off the next remark. It wasn't fair, she'd portrayed him as a bad person. How could he have left Ben behind? And if you have two people from different countries you had to live in one of them, why not the US?

'Maybe, but his ex-girlfriend was living there so that would have changed things. She gave in on that, but she made him promise not to see that ex-girlfriend any more.'

'Bet that was successful,' said Charles sceptically.

'He decided he couldn't keep that promise. I suppose you have to give him a bit of credit for telling her that he couldn't instead of lying to her, but can you believe he told her that she had to trust him? After all he'd put her through?'

'Some people have a nerve,' Charles said, and turning to Ross he added, 'Can you believe that?'

'Unbelievable,' Ross answered longing to escape.

'She'd have been lucky not to come home and find them decorating the bedroom together,' James added. 'I wonder how he'd have explained that one. So she called it off. But he'd really messed her up. She'd given up her flat and her job for him and it took ages for her to get it all together.' She wasn't the only one to lose her home, Ross thought, although at least his work hadn't suffered. She said yes to the next proposal of marriage she got, which was only a month or so later.

'That was kind of quick.' Insultingly quick, but he was in the middle of a big Emily love fest and dissent was going to cause trouble. Escape was still difficult.

'She's a little impulsive and I suppose she thought she had a point to prove.' Which was why she'd felt it necessary to tell me, Ross supposed. He'd just thought it meant that she didn't care - not that any of it mattered any more.

'She must be cute to get all these proposals,' Charles said.

'She is,' James smiled. He opened his wallet and pulled out a picture, passing it along. Ross glanced at it. She looked like she'd had been in the happy New York days, before everything went wrong. It disturbed him a little and he passed it along quickly to Charles who said,

'Oh I'll pay that. So she got married again.'

'No. She got cold feet the night before the wedding and called it off, thankfully,' So she hadn't gone through with it after all. How did you start a marriage having called your ex the night before to ask if - well he didn't know what exactly - but to ask something you shouldn't. So she hadn't. James continued, 'but then that made her feel guilty for calling it off. Although at least she didn't humiliate him in front of everyone he knew.'

'Third time lucky with you?' Charles asked lightly.

'That's what her bloody stepmother said,' James said.

'Nothing went wrong with your wedding?' Charles asked him.

'The hard bit was getting her to agree, after everything she'd been through,' James said. 'I had to ask her four times and it wasn't until she was pregnant that she said yes. The wedding itself went off without a hitch. Her stepmother had alcoholic liver poisoning so she couldn't come. Would you believe that woman - ah, no mother in law jokes tonight.'

'But your wife's keeping tabs on you,' James said, 'so she still thinks something's going to go wrong.'

'She can't help it,' James said, 'Besides,' he added with a grin, 'She's the one who has to be awake at 2am in the morning. I wonder who that guy was though. Someone did tell me his name once but I can't remember it.'

'What would you do if you met him?' Charles asked.

'Teach him a lesson he'll never forget.' Ross was suddenly aware that although James was not quite as tall as he was, he was a good deal more muscular. He remembered being mauled by English rubgy players and remembered that this time there was no-one to tell him what their weaknesses were.

'Maybe it worked out for the best,' Ross said, hoping for a change of subject.

'True, because I've got her, but he still deserves a good thumping,' James said. Suddenly his mobile phone went off, and James glanced at the message.

'Your wife again?' Charles asked. To Ross it was as though she was right behind him and all he wanted to do was to get away.

'Yes,' James said, trying not to laugh. 'Sorry it's a private joke, you'll find out about those Charles when you get married.' He tapped something into the keypad and Ross did another search of the room.

At last, Rachel came into view and they exchanged a smile.

'I'd better go,' Ross said pretending a regret he did not feel.

'You're another one tied to the apron strings,' Charles said, 'What's wrong with you guys? He's just as dippy about Rachel as you are about - '

'Emily.'

'Yeah,' Charles said. James looked at Ross.

'That's because we both know we've got it good, isn't that right Ross?' With Rachel within metres Ross couldn't help smiling. It had taken a while but it had been worth it.

'Yeah.' He said his goodbyes with relief.