The Musical
Written by: Gabe
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me, but to Bright, Kaufman and Crane Productions and Warner Bros. Their use is not intended for profit, only for entertainment.
Chapter 2
Phoebe once again found herself walking down that familiar road towards Central Perk. She had left Ross' only a few minutes ago, while he was sleeping. She had to be at the coffeehouse at five o'clock to take over for Rachel. She was supposed to continue interviewing potential managers until seven, when Rachel was scheduled to return and close out the night.
As she stepped through the familiar doors of Central Perk, she took note of how crowded it was. She smiled, knowing that their business was doing well, and enjoying the fact that at least one thing was going good in her life. When she walked behind the counter, she found Rachel slouching on a stool, the look on her face told Phoebe just how bad her day had been.
"Thank god you're here," Rachel managed to mumble out between clinched teeth. "I am going home, and taking a nice, long, relaxing bath, before I have to come back here, and deal with these high school morons again!" Rachel gave Phoebe no time to respond, she simply picked up her jacket, walked passed her, and out the door.
Judging by Rachel's mood, Phoebe could tell that most of the people she was going to meet, she wasn't going to like. She slid her jacket off and hung it on the employee's rack in the corner. She made herself some coffee and scanned the crowd of mostly young men who were busy filling out applications. She sighed, anticipating the long two hours ahead of her. She turned to take a look at the clock on the wall, and heard the door to the establishment open again.
"Great," she mumbled under her breath, "another idiot to join the party." When she turned to see what exactly the competition's newest idiot looked like, she saw someone she thought she would never see again.
Staring right back at her, only a few feet away, was the man she fell in love with so long ago…David.
************
"Monica, open the door. Please? Your flight leaves in two hours and I don't want you to go while we're still fighting." Chandler had been trying to get her out of their locked room for hours, and she wasn't budging. She hadn't said anything to him in awhile, and he was beginning to wonder if she was still alive in there. "Ok…if you don't want to talk to me…alright, I'll accept that. But at least say something so that I know you're still alive in there."
"Go away, Chandler." Not the response, he wanted to hear, but at least it was something. Those were the first words she had said to him since she slammed the door on him so many hours ago. He put his head in his hands…he didn't even know what the fight was about. All he knew was that she was mad at him, and that he wanted to fix it.
"Alright Mon, I'm gonna get in the shower and get cleaned up before I take you to the airport…maybe you'll wanna talk when I get out." He waited a moment to see if she would respond, and when she didn't, he headed towards the bathroom to take his shower. He hoped they could work this out before she left for her convention in Connecticut. It was going to be their longest time apart since they got married, and he didn't want to have spent it angry.
Monica was lying down on their bed, trying her hardest to ignore everything that Chandler said. She wrote him a letter…but it didn't make much sense to her, so how could it to him?
She couldn't figure out what was wrong…but something was definitely wrong. Things had changed between them. It wasn't that Chandler had turned into a bad husband, or that she still didn't love him…but they weren't connecting anymore. Everything seemed so…plain.
She couldn't remember the last time they really fought…and that bothered her. Everything about them was good and happy. But good and happy all the time is always boring.
They weren't moving forward, and they weren't moving backward. They were doing the absolute worst thing people can do…they were standing still, and Monica was quickly growing tired of it. She sighed and glanced around their room...their own personal haven. It felt odd to be lying in their bed alone.
She spent the next several minutes trying to pinpoint her problem…and then, for the second time that day…she heard music.
We never talk about the future.
We never talk about the past anymore.
We never ask ourselves the questions to the answers,
That nobody even wants to know.
I guess the honeymoon is over,
So much for the afterglow.
Slowly, she pulled herself off their bed, and walked to their door. She opened it just wide enough to stick her head through, and look around for Chandler, when she didn't see him, she walked to the table and sat the letter she had written for him down. She walked into the living room and slung both of her bags over her shoulders, then picked her plane ticket up off the table. Slowly, she started towards the door. Singing lightly enough so that Chandler couldn't hear her from the bathroom.
I remember we could talk about anything.
I remember when we used to want to hangout.
She glanced back into the apartment one last time, and sighed.
So much for the afterglow.
***********
It seemed like they spent hours just staring at each other, not a single word spoken. She couldn't believe it was him, she couldn't believe he was here, and she couldn't believe that all she could think was, 'What is Ross gonna say?'
She knew her and Ross weren't anything…yet. But she felt as if they were in the realm of possibility. Sometimes she thought that they were as close as right around the corner. Finally, David spoke. "Phoebe…do you wanna take a walk?"
Phoebe nodded and told one of the waitresses, Ally, to watch over the place for awhile. Silently, they both exited Central Perk, and began to walk around the neighborhood.
Once again, David took the initiative in breaking the uncomfortable silence that lied between them. "So where should we start?"
"I don't know…" she laughed a little, "Well, you haven't said hello yet…"
"Hello…oh yes, hello…I almost forgot…Well I did forget…" He looked at Phoebe, and sighed.
Hello my friend we meet again
It's been a while where should we begin…feels like forever…
Within my heart are memories
Of perfect love that you gave to me
I remember…
Phoebe stared at David in shock…she hadn't expected the blessing to affect him too. She watched in awe as he continued…
When you are with me
I'm free…I'm careless…I believe
Above all the others we'll fly
This brings tears to my eyes
My sacrifice
David opened his mouth as if to continue…but Phoebe pressed her finger to his lips to silence him. Instead, she began to sing.
We've seen our share of ups and downs
Oh how quickly life can turn around, in an instant
It feels so good to reunite
Within yourself and within your mind
Let's find peace there
When you are with me
I'm free…I'm careless…I believe
Above all the others we'll fly
This brings tears to my eyes
My sacrifice
They had somehow done a full circle, and now found themselves right back in front of Central Perk again. Singing together while an audience of people gathered around them…
When you are with me
I'm free…I'm careless…I believe
Above all the others we'll fly
This brings tears to my eyes
My sacrifice
And then, their lips were together. During the kiss, only one word was floating around in Phoebe's head, 'Ross…"
But, everything was balanced. Because in Ross' head, he was only thinking one thing too, 'Phoebe…'
As he stood there in the crowd, watching them kiss.
*******
Rachel pushed open the door to Monica and Chandler's, her intentions being to say goodbye to Monica before she left, and then head home for a relaxing bubble bath. But the instant her eyes took in Chandler, she knew her bubble bath plans were out of the question. He was sitting at the kitchen table, his head in his hands, looking as if his world had just ended. Rachel slowly closed the door behind her and walked closer to Chandler.
"Chandler, honey, what's wrong?" she knelt down beside him, trying to get a look at his face.
"I wish I knew."
"Where's Monica? Don't you have to leave for the airport soon?"
"She's gone already. She left," he mumbled, still not looking up.
"Did you guys have a fight?" This time Chandler didn't answer with words, only with the slow nod of his head. "What was the fight about?"
"I don't know," he laughed a little, but still didn't raise his head. "And niether does she."
"Chandler…what's going on?" She was confused. Nothing he said made much sense to her, yet the suffering inside of him was painfully obvious.
"Read that," he said, finally taking his head out of his hands, and throwing the letter he found from Monica in front of her.
Dear Chandler,
Before you read any farther, please know that this letter is not about me leaving you, or not loving you anymore. Because I won't, and I will forever.
I know your confused right now. But so am I. I'm not sure what's wrong, but I am sure that something is. Things aren't the same between me and you…something is missing. I don't feel like we're Monica and Chandler anymore…I feel like we're some combination of the two, not even individuals anymore, just a husband and wife who have one way or another been bonded into one thinking, loving…and I'm sorry to say, boring, machine.
Don't tell me that you haven't noticed it too, because I know you have. I feel like I've changed you. And at first I thought it was for the better but now I fear that it wasn't. You're not the same anymore. You're not the free spirit, you don't have that lovable pessimistic quality that drew people to you…and I really don't think your as happy as you used to be.
Anyway, I'm going to go ahead with my convention in Connecticut, but I'll be back in four days.
And I will be back.
Maybe this time apart will re-spark something, or help us each to find that something that we seem to be missing. Sometimes, time apart is healthy, and sometimes it's just painful. But either way, please know that I'll be back to you when it's over…and with any luck…this problem will be fixed…Even if we're not sure what the problem is.
The chances of you understanding this letter are slim, I know. But you shouldn't understand it…and you won't understand it…and I don't think your supposed to understand it…
I'm sorry.
Please, wait for me.
All my love, Monica
After she read the letter, she took a minute to digest what she had just read. She couldn't believe Monica and Chandler were having problems. They always seemed so happy, so in love, so perfect…but then again, maybe that was the problem. "I…I, uh, I don't get it…what's this about Chandler?"
He shook his head unknowingly. He was still having trouble getting a grasp on everything that was going on. He ran his hands through his hair, and looked up at Rachel.
Had a bad day again.
She said I would not understand.
She left a note and said I'm sorry I…
I had a bad day again.
Maybe she spilled her coffee or broke her shoelace,
Or smeared the lipstick on her face.
But she slammed the door and said I'm sorry I…
I had a bad day again.
And she swears there's nothing wrong,
I hear her playing that same old song.
She puts me off and puts me on.
I had a bad day again.
Chandler got up, grabbed a beer from the fridge, and silently headed out towards the balcony. Rachel could only look on with sympathy, her heart breaking for her friend. "Are you going to be ok Chandler?"
Before he climbed through the window to get outside, he glanced back at her. "Yeah…I'll be fine…I just…I…" He took a deep breath.
I had a bad day again.
********
Rachel walked the short distance across the hall into her own apartment. When she entered, she found the mood to be much lighter than the one across the hall. Joey was parked in the chair, a beer in one hand, the remote in the other, and a cartoon on the TV. It was his own personal heaven.
She just stared at him for a moment, taking him in. Everything was so simple for him…things never got complicated unless he wanted them to be. The simplicity. That lovable simplicity kept drawing her back to him.
Finally, she just shook her head and greeted him, "Hey Joey. How's it going?"
He turned his chair around to see where she stood in the kitchen. "It couldn't get much better." He smiled, and sensed the stress that seemed to surround her. "Are you ok Rach? You seem tense."
She sighed, "Yeah, it's just been a b…" She was about to say bad day, but for some reason, decided that after Chandler's day, she didn't have the right to call her's bad. "it was a long day…and I have to go back soon to close out for the night."
He could tell how upset she was about it, and decided that, in typical Joey fashion, he would come to her rescue. "I'll tell you what. Why don't you stay here, relax, enjoy this stress-free zone, and I'll go downstairs and finish interviewing people."
She smiled, Joey was always trying to help her. It was habit she was sure would never break. "Oh come on Joey I can't let you do that, it's not your turn."
"Rach, shh. Just shh. Quiet. I'm going downstairs to do this for you, and you are going to put some bubbles in our tub, and make yourself feel better. Okay?" Before she could respond he started walking towards the door.
"But Joey…"
"No buts Rach. Now go." He smiled, and motioned towards the bathroom. "I'll be back later."
She sighed, defeated. "I can't believe you would do this for me." She could only return his smile as he closed the door behind him.
*********
He closed the door behind him, and then quickly leaned back against it. His eyes closed, and he sighed. Things were not getting any easier, and he knew she could tell he was still in love with her.
He thought about what she said, 'I can't believe you would do this for me.' He laughed to himself, if she only knew all the things he would do for her.
When the rain is blowing in your face,
And the whole world is on your case,
I would offer you a warm embrace,
To make you feel my love.
When evening shadows and the stars appear,
And there is no one there to dry your tears,
I could hold you for a million years,
To make you feel my love.
Joey began walking away from the door, and towards the stairs that led down. The song's melody still swimming in his head.
I know you haven't made your mind up yet,
But I would never do you wrong.
I've known it from the moment that we met,
No doubt in my mind where you belong.
I'd go hungry, I'd go blind for you.
I'd go crawling down across the avenue.
No, there's nothing I wouldn't do,
To make you feel my love.
Joey stopped halfway down the flight of stairs, and debated going back upstairs. Everything inside of him was screaming for him to run back and tell her again, how he feels. But there was that small part of his mind, that part that had already been rejected twice, that told him to keep walking.
And that small part won the argument. Joey sighed and kept walking.
The storms are raging on the rolling sea,
Down the highway of regret.
The winds of change are blowing wild and free,
You ain't seen nothing like me yet.
There is nothing that I wouldn't do,
Go to the ends of the earth for you,
I'd make you happy, make your dreams come true…
Joey stepped out of his building and looked around at all the busy citizens of the world's greatest city, New York.
To make you feel my love.
He was about to turn and head towards the coffee shop, when he spotted Ross across the street. He was sitting on the steps of his apartment building, looking as if evolution had just been proven false.
**********
Rachel found herself staring at the door that Joey walked out of for longer than she really should have. She wanted to deny her feelings, she wanted them to go away…but they weren't. And now she found herself head over heels in love with a man who she would never allow herself to have.
She found herself acting like a schoolgirl with a crush.
She laughed out loud…she couldn't believe she was acting the way she was.
She sat down in the chair he has been sitting in and turned back towards the TV. She smiled at the cartoon on the screen…this whole area just screamed at her, 'Joey was here!'
She grabbed the remote control and turned off the TV. And when the room should have been filled with silence, it was instead filled with music.
You know, everything that I'm afraid of.
You do, everything I wish I did.
Everybody wants you, everybody loves you.
She got out of the chair, and started to walk around their apartment.
I know, I should tell you how I feel.
I wish, everyone would disappear.
Every time you call me, I'm too scared to be me
And I'm too scared to say
She peaked into his bedroom, and saw Hugsy on his bed. She could only smile.
Ooh, I got a crush on you.
I know you feel the way that I do.
I get a rush, when I'm with you.
Ooh, I've got a crush on you,
A crush on you.
She danced around the living room, and soon found herself in the kitchen. She grabbed the broom, and began to dance around their apartment with it.
You know, I'm the one that you can talk to.
Sometimes, you tell me thing that I don't want to know.
I just want to hold you.
You say, exactly how you feel about me.
I wonder, do you know that I feel this way?
Ooh, I got a crush on you.
I know you feel the way that I do.
I get a rush, when I'm with you.
Ooh, I've got a crush on you,
A crush on you.
She was laughing out loud. Half laughing at herself, and half laughing at how much fun she was having. She hopped onto their couch and looked out their window.
Ooh, I wish I could tell somebody,
But there's no one to talk to, nobody knows.
I've got a crush on you,
A crush on you, I got a crush…
You say everything that no one says,
But I feel everything that you're afraid to feel,
I will always want you, I will always love you.
I've got a crush...
She smiled as she saw him come out of the door at the front of their apartment building.
I've got a crush on you.
She picked herself up off the couch, and headed towards the bathroom. Crush or not, she needed a bath.
*********
Joey ran across the street to see what was wrong with his friend. Ross looked horrible, a strange trend that Joey was seeing among his friends today. "Hey Ross, what's wrong buddy?"
Ross looked up at him, "I blew it man. Somehow, someway, I blew it."
"Blew what?" Joey was unsure of what he meant. He felt bad for asking, but he had been so wrapped up in his own problems lately everyone else's had kind of gone away.
"With Phoebe, I blew it."
Phoebe. Now Joey remembered. He knew the two of them had been going around in circles for awhile now, and he guessed something had put a stop to all the games. "Why? What happened?"
Ross sighed, "David is back. The love of her life, Mr. Russian Scientist, I'll always wait for you David, is back. And now, anything that I might have had with Phoebe is gone."
"Come on Ross, you don't know that. Just because he's back doesn't mean they're going to get back together."
"I saw them kissing…quite passionately in front of the coffeehouse today. Trust me, they are most definitely, back together."
Joey took a seat on the step next to his friend, letting everything he just heard sink in. "Ross…sometimes, these things happen. And you have absolutely no control over them, which makes them even harder to deal with…but you do deal with them. There's just nothing you could have done…sometimes things just don't work out the right way…and you have to move on. Chalk it down to learning and move on. It's not your fault, it's not her fault, and it's not David's fault…Maybe it was just fate."
Ross shook his head. "No. It was my fault. I could have stopped this. I could have told her."
"Told her what Ross?"
"That I loved her." Ross didn't blink, he looked Joey square in the eyes. He loved Phoebe. And right now, he didn't care who knew it, because it didn't seem to matter anymore.
"So why didn't you tell her sooner?"
"Because I didn't know it for sure until now…You know? Like, you don't know what you have until you've lost it."
"Yeah…I do." He didn't know what to say to him…thinking about someone else's problems just wasn't something Joey was capable of at that moment.
Finally, Ross turned away from Joey and stared across the street at the coffeehouse.
The bluest of blue, that's what her eyes are,
That's what I am today.
And if I had it all to do, all over again.
I wouldn't have waited so long, to say,
I can't live without you,
Don't want nobody else,
Baby listen very closely…
I love you.
He turned to face Joey, the tears swelling in his eyes.
I couldn't lie, she couldn't wait.
I love you came too late.
I'd give my life, for yesterday.
I love you came too late.
He turned away, not wanting anyone to see the pain he was in.
I should've seen the signs, paid her more attention,
But I pushed her love, away.
So she found someone to give her what she needed.
Somebody else not afraid, to say,
I can't live without you,
Don't want nobody else,
Baby listen very closely…
I love you.
Ross stood up, ready to go back inside his apartment building. He took one long, last stare at the coffeehouse across the street, where Phoebe and David were probably inside, falling deeper and deeper back in love by the second.
I couldn't lie, she couldn't wait.
I love you came too late.
I'd give my life, for yesterday.
I love you came too late.
Ross walked back inside his apartment building, and up towards his home without even saying goodbye to Joey.
Joey just sat on the porch a few more minutes. He couldn't believe everything that was happening with everybody. He sighed with a little relief, thinking Monica and Chandler were still ok, still unaware of the screaming, the note, and the bad day.
**********
What Ross and Joey didn't know was that Phoebe and David had left the coffeehouse long ago. They were now back at Phoebe's place, lying in each other's arms, remembering exactly how it felt the first time they had done so.
It would have been a perfect moment, it Phoebe could have just shaken the thought of Ross from her head.
"Phoebe…I need to talk to you about something." David looked down at where her head rested on his chest.
"Ok, what is it?" She looked up at him, wondering what else he could have forgotten to say.
"I lied about something." He paused, "I do have to go back to Russia."
Phoebe waited to see if he was kidding, and when it became painfully clear that he wasn't, she jumped straight out of the bed. "Why?! Why would you get my hopes like that?! Why would you make all those promises that you knew you couldn't keep?!"
"Because…I thought if you knew I was going back, you wouldn't let yourself get close to me again…And I wanted you to get close to me…"
"So that's what this is about?! That's what we are about?! I'm just sex to you?!"
"No Phoebe! God no…It's just, I wanted you to remember how we were…That way you would be more likely to say yes when I asked you the question that I'm going to."
Phoebe immediately froze. She thought she knew what the question might be.
"Phoebe…I want you to come back with me…to Russia."
Not the question she was expecting, but a hard one to answer none the less.
********
Joey had been interviewing guys for the position all night, and he was tired. None of them would work. Not a single one of them seemed capable enough of running Central Perk.
Joey glanced at the last application, it was from someone named Nic Maxwell. He called him into the back office and waited for him to come through the door. Joey could usually tell just by their look whether or not they could handle the job. Joey waited for the next final slob to walk through the door, and was absolutely stunned.
Long legs, long blonde hair, a shirt that was almost too tight to wear, a skirt that barely covered her from the world, and the sexiest pair of shoes Joey had ever seen.
Nic smiled at him, "Hi I'm Nic. That's short for Nicole."
Joey could only smile back.
********
So there they were, standing in front of the long passageway that led to the plane.
And only one of them had a bag.
They kissed, and hugged, and held each other, until the final boarding call. David looked into her eyes, silently telling her he had to go. She only nodded, knowing her voice probably wouldn't work. As he slipped out of her grasp, she handed him a note. He nodded, and slowly turned to walk down the passage, taking the first steps of his journey back to Russia.
Phoebe walked to the large window, and looked out at his plane as it made it's way to the runway.
Meanwhile, inside the plane, David began to read the note that Phoebe had give him.
As Phoebe watched his plane lift its way into the clouds, she could only sing along with the heartbreaking words she had written to him.
I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,
You get your fill to eat, But always keep that hunger.
May you never take a single breath for granted,
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed.
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens.
Promise me, that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice, to sit it out or dance.
I hope you dance.
I hope you dance.
I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,
Never settle for the path of least resistance.
Living might mean taking chances, but they are worth taking.
Loving might be a mistake, but it's worth making,
Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter,
When you come close to selling out, reconsider.
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
I hope you dance.
I hope you dance.
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens.
Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
I hope you dance.
I hope you dance.
Phoebe turned from the window, and started her way home. It had been a long day, and something told her that tomorrow wasn't going to be any easier.
TO BE CONTINUED….FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS GOOD AND HOLY, REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Feedback is always appreciated.
Featured in Chapter 2 were the following songs;
So Much For the Afterglow - Everclear
My Sacrifice - Creed
Bad Day - Fuel
To Make You Feel My Love - Garth Brooks
Crush - Mandy Moore
I Love You Came Too Late - Joey McIntyre
I Hope You Dance - Leanne Womack