This is a story about where the 'Friends' are now – they're moving on and growing up.
Pairings: Usual pairings as in Phoebe (and Mike – but he's not there), Rachel/Ross, Mondler (my favourite, Monica/Chandler.) and Joey.
"Hello, children!" Chandler strolled into his living room where three of the six were sitting, Joey, Phoebe and Ross.
"Hey, can you help me with something?" Joey stroked his stubble that they have come to make fun of.
"Don't I always?"
Joey bobbed his head, "Well, for my new girlfriend I need a 'gift', blah de blah, anyway – should I get her this, or this?" Joey held up a two boxes.
"How long have you been dating her?" Chandler looked at the two boxes quizzically – neither of them looking particularly special. Joey put them down, "two years."
"And you're gonna get her – what's this – a stationery set or a…book, 'Learn to speak Swedish in 30 days', do you think she's going to appreciate that?"
"I guess not," Joey reached into his pocket, "Is this one okay then?"
Chandler saw the small navy blue box in his hand and immediately grabbed it, before popping it open, "Dude!" Chandler stared and a beautiful silver ring, encrusted with a small diamond, "You like her, huh?"
A wide smile formed above Joey's' stubble, "Is that all right?"
"Wow – everyone is getting married or married, this is great Jo!" Ross spoke up from the substitute parker lounger that he was on before pointing into the kitchen where Monica and his fiancé, Rachel, were.
"So Joey," Phoebe rested her hand on his shoulder, "If you're just giving her the ring can I have Swedish book?"
"Err, sure!"
In the kitchen
"So, 'to be sister-in-law'?" Rachel nudged Monica who was doing the dishes.
"Eh! I nearly dropped that," Monica looked round to see Rachel, "Oh, hi Hun."
"I was thinking, will Erica be my bridesmaid and Jack be my page boy – please!" Rachel held her hand together but knowing that Monica would agree.
"What! Well sure, but how come you haven't invited me to be maid of honor or anything?" Monica whimpered, splashing basin water everywhere.
"Well, Phoebe and I had an agreement with your wedding and I plan to stick with it!" Rachel said firmly.
" 'Sticking with it' not really your thing Rachel, what about being 'best friends' or whatever," Monica moped, putting the bunny ears around best friends.
"You know I love you, just your – a bit controlling…"
"But I'm STILL your best friend!" Monica interrupted.
"Phoebe's my best friend too," Rachel argued.
Monica pulled off her washing up gloves and threw her hands in the air with dismay, "Sure!"
"Sure?" Rachel folded her arms suggestively, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Remember, last week? To quote you, 'get that bitch out of my way I'm trying to concentrate you idiot!'" Monica whined, imitating Rachel by fluffing her hair and prancing around.
"I SO do not do that and plus, I was talking to the driver in front of me," Rachel retorted.
"Okay," Monica said sarcastically, "You couldn't even see if there was a car in front – Phoebe was trying to rescue the fly by leaning across you and reaching to open the window."
"FINE! You can be my maid of honor – you both can," Rachel slumped into the chair, defeated.
"Ah Ha!"
"What?" Rachel jumped back.
"I made you make me maid of honor – I am sooo good!" Monica laughed; pointing at her friend before three young children came running in.
Two appeared to both be around the same height, the male taller than his sister. They both had the same blonde hair and smooth skin and petit figures. The other child was only inches taller than the girl but around the same height as the boy. She had light brown/blonde hair, slightly bleached from the sun.
"Mum?" The two twins ran up to Monica, "Pah-lease can we have a cookie?"
Monica looked over at her freshly baked cookies, before she would not have allowed such sugary foods to be eaten in fear that her own children might get fat, but she had perfected her own healthy recipe so willingly obliged to their wishes, "Offer one to Emma too – and Aunt Rachel. If you like you can go and offer them round where Dad is?"
Rachel took a cookie off the tray and the three children proceeded into the living room, "Would you like one Daddy?"
Emma offered one to Ross, who didn't take a cookie but scooped Emma into his arms. Chandler did the same to Jack and Phoebe held Erica. Joey seemed to take over the cookie tray – some things never change.
"Oh, and Jack," Chandler whispered into his son's ear, "Tell your mother and your Aunt that you might me getting another Auntie – Uncle Joey's proposing to Alex."
Jack jumped up excitedly and ran into the kitchen, only moments later Monica, Rachel and Jack fled the kitchen into the living room, "Congratulations," the two adults chimed together as they ran over excitedly to Joey.
"So this is…Alex Garrett?" Monica teased.
"Come on, Mon – you like her don't you?" Joey asked, worriedly.
"Of course," they all said together before Phoebe said, "And I get a Swedish book!"
The friends looked quizzically at Phoebe, only Joey broke off the short awkward silence when he cried, "Make way – I think I'm gonna puke!"
"What," Monica cried, "Not in my house – why?"
Joey held his mouth, "What do you put in those cookies?"
Monica shrugged, "They're healthy…"
"That would be the problem," Joey uttered before vomiting in the bathroom.
"I like them, mommy," Erica said, sweetly.
"That's my little girl," Monica came over and lifted Erica from Phoebe's lap and planted a kiss on her fair forehead, "now let's get some sleep – we have tidy-our-bedrooms-day tomorrow!"
"Okay."
"And you need to give Mommy time to finish tidy-the-kitchen-day today!" Monica smiled, happy at her children's enthusiasm with cleaning that obviously would end at teenage years.
I know – rubbish ending, if an ending at all. Just a sneak peak into what I think their lives would be like nowish or maybe a bit before now.
BTW: Alex Garrett is a character from 'Joey'.