A/N - I was wrecked after seeing the reunion and finding out about Jen and David's off-screen connection. I know this scenario has been done before, but I had to get out all of the thoughts swirling in my head about it. I think it's pretty different than the other stuff out there. I tried to stay true to as many facts as I could, but I obviously don't know the real truth or all the details of every timeline, so this is how I see it. I tried to reference quite a bit of interviews and behind the scenes moments that have been broadcast. I own nothing except my thoughts! Anyway, this was a bit out of my comfort zone and was incredibly difficult to write but also really fun! I hope you enjoy! Please review! :)
{ Present }
David turned off the TV and finished the last swig of his bourbon as the movie credits began to roll. As he rose from the couch in his NYC townhouse his phone buzzed, signaling a text message.
Schwimmer! I'll be in NYC for my premiere next week. Let's get together! XO Jen
A grin spread across his face. He had only seen Jen sporadically in the past seventeen years, but since filming the reunion they made a pact to stay in touch more often. Living on opposite sides of the country didn't make it easy. He had his theater company, his tv projects, his daughter. He enjoyed living in NYC. The spotlight felt much dimmer here. In 1994, he had no idea how fast and how far he would catapult into the limelight. He came back to NYC to attempt a somewhat 'normal life'. But Jen always seemed to handle the fame just fine. He had followed her life in LA over the years and marveled at her many successes. She always had one too many projects going on - that was Jen though. He knew the day of their very first table read that she was in another league entirely of her own. She was gorgeous, she was funny, and she had an amazing heart. "A triple threat", he thought to himself with a chuckle as he remembered those words of his being plastered all over the media so many years ago. It was the truth. She had it all. And she was damn good at it. She once confided in him that staying busy was the best way for her to stay sane and escape the pressures of fame. He could certainly relate to that sentiment. There was always a soft spot in his heart for Jen that he knew was reciprocated on her side as well. They shared a special bond that very few people could understand, and no time or distance could ever break. He always looked forward to seeing her, even though lately their time together consisted mostly of zoom calls and infrequent text messages.
Sounds great! Let me know when you're free. We can meet for drinks. Can't wait!
After hitting 'send', he subconsciously checked his calendar on his phone to see what evenings he had free the following week before turning off the lights and going to bed.
Jen smiled to herself on the balcony of her Bel Air home as she read the text message that came across her phone. She knew her trip to NYC would be busy with press, interviews, and meetings, but she promised herself she would make it a point to see David. She always looked forward to her time with him, even though it wasn't as frequent as she wished it would be. When they were together it was like no time had passed and nothing had changed at all. She loved that about him, because since he moved away, the truth was that everything had changed. She had grown older, and with that, she had of course become a bit more jaded as well. She had certainly developed some scars. Dealing with the pressure of her career had at some point caused pain in nearly every facet of her life. She knew David understood this because they used to talk about it frequently back in the day and had always supported each other through it all. David cared about her and she trusted that he would always be there for her when she needed him. She looked forward to their time together. He had the special ability to miraculously transport her back to those carefree days on the set, full of laughter and some of the sweetest moments of her life. He made her feel young again. He made her feel different - different than any other man ever had. She had always struggled to articulate the details of the bond she and David shared. "It was the greatest love that never was." She had affectionately referred to it as such for more years than she could remember now. Her thoughts were interrupted by her assistant calling to brief her about the shoot scheduled for the next day. She spent the next few hours working on some plans for work before retiring to bed.
{ One Week Later in NYC }
Jen slid her now empty suitcase into the closet after having finished putting her clothes away into the closet of her NYC hotel suite. She had just spent the day with her co-stars and team doing press for the release of the upcoming season premiere. Once she was finally alone, it hit her how tired she was. Having to be 'on' is so draining. She loved having the time to herself to unwind on her own terms. All of a sudden her phone buzzed. It was her assistant calling to brief her on her interviews for the following day. She could do an interview in her sleep by this point. She knew how to turn on the charm and she knew all of the right things to say. Granted, it hadn't always been that way. Back in the day, her castmates made fun of them because if she was being interviewed with David, or was asked about David, she always became as giddy as a school girl. She would always give the world something to latch on to. And with him, it wasn't so much in his words, but with his smile. She thought of the endless compilations of herself and David she had seen tagged on her social media page that had exposed this very thing. She ignored nearly all of them but every once and a while one would catch her eye. An interview quote where one of them exposed a little too much...a touch that was never meant to be captured by a camera lens...or a smile that couldn't be masked. It was Jen and David...not Ross and Rachel. The world was obsessed with them being together. The number of theories out there about a current relationship, a past relationship, infidelity - you name it - it was out there. But the truth was that yeah, she did love him. She would always love him. What they shared together was different, and unquestioningly a little unconventional, but they embraced it because they had been through something nobody else had - and they were bonded forever because of it. Her heart would always have a special place in it for David that could never be filled by anyone else. Perhaps that was bound to happen when you spend ten years of your life creating a couple that so beautifully depicts 'the one that always got away'. The years of anticipation had created a longing for resolve, and the mirrored situation off-screen only furthered the pull between them. She laughed as she thought back to this very sentiment shared amongst her closest friends so many years ago.
Joey: "Look, the rule is when two actors are actually doing it off-stage then all the sexual tension between them is gone! When the heat is gone… that's when you're in trouble!"
All of a sudden her phone started to buzz again. Damn it, she thought. What now? She reached for her phone, planning to send the call to voicemail until she saw who it was.
"Schwimmy Schwimster! What do you know?" She asked with a playful tone. She heard a laugh coming from the other end of the line. That nickname was one of the many inside jokes shared between them. She was one of the very few people that could get away with calling him that.
"Hey! I wasn't sure if I'd catch you or not. What's going on? How's premiere week going?"
"It's good, it's good! Just trying to keep my head straight, but I'm really excited about it. What are you up to?"
"Oh, just setting down for the evening. I got back from Chicago on Saturday. I had to do some work at the theater. Cleo has been with me the past couple of days, but she just went back to her mom's for the week." he explained with a hint of remorse in his voice.
Jen felt a twinge of sympathy for him. She knew that his daughter was his entire world and she admired him endlessly for that. It pained her that he had been through that rough divorce a few years ago. He waited so long to settle down because he wanted to be sure that he was truly ready to balance his work with his personal life. This quality alone was rare in many celebrities. She was thrilled for him when he finally found it. She always knew he would make an incredible husband and father. Fortunately, he and his ex were on good terms and worked hard at co-parenting their daughter the best they could. But she knew David still regretted the fact that they couldn't make it work. Marriage is difficult regardless, but as a celebrity, it can be almost impossible. The familiar pain reminding her of her own failed marriages swept over her, which further cemented the truth of her previous thought.
"So what does your week look like?" he asked. "You owe me some drinks!" His playfulness elicited a hearty laugh on the other line.
"Well, I guess I can pencil you in." she said slyly. "I'll have my people call your people".
"Oh, is that all I am to you? I see how it is!" David replied, with a joking angst in his voice.
"Oh shut up. I'm booked tomorrow but how about Thursday evening... 8 o'clock?"
"Sure, that works for me. Come by the house" he offered. He knew going out in public was out of the question since the craze of the reunion had not yet begun to settle. After they spilled the beans about their nearly 30-year old crushes on each other, the world went nuts. Speculation is already everywhere, but being seen together in NYC would definitely give some unnecessary leverage to the media. His thoughts traveled back to the interview at the reunion show from a few months back.
James asked if there were ever any off-screen romances among the cast and Jen was fairly quick to speak up. David knew Jen so well that even after all this time, the look on her face was enough to know what she was thinking. She deferred to him to provide the answer, which was something she often did in the past that he always loved. In that moment, he couldn't help but smile as old emotions emerged. Enough time had passed - it would be fine to mention an innocent crush. He chose his words very carefully as he was trained to do. He didn't want to speak for Jen and he definitely didn't want to lead to any speculation about infidelity in any of their respective past relationships. As he spoke about his 'major crush' on Jen during the first season, he was comforted to hear her interject that the feelings were reciprocated. He carefully mentioned that the timing was never right because one of them was always in a relationship. He further explained that they didn't want to risk their professional relationship out of respect for each other and their castmates. Jen jumped in saying that instead of acting on it, they channeled all of their love and adoration for each other into Ross and Rachel. He knew the world would gush over that statement. She always had a way with words. Inside, he felt a familiar warmth and he had to fight to conceal the smile on his face. He could slowly feel the ever-present spark between them start to light up again.
"Sounds great! I'll see you then. 'Night, Schwim," she said endearingly.
"Bye Jenny", he answered as a grin swept over his face.