Hey, sorry for the wait! This chapter is kind of short (and bad), so I apologize for that as well. Just review and tell me how I can make it better! Thank you!
Chapter 2
"Now," the judge said crisply, staring down at all of them. "What are the grounds for this divorce?"
The woman's lawyer, Mark Robinson, stood. "Your Honor, my client feels that the marriage was a mistake. She and Mr. Geller are unable to get along."
The judge frowned. "Is this true, Mrs. Geller?"
Mrs. Geller fidgeted nervously. "Well, yes, I guess so. I mean, we do fight a lot, and we sometimes have trouble making the marriage work, but I wouldn't call it a mistake."
Mr. Geller's lawyer, Sarah Francis, jumped up. "Your Honor, my client feels that this marriage should end now. He insists that he and his wife made an error and need to now correct it."
"Um, that's not completely true," Mr. Geller said. "We are ending it, but I don't see any huge errors in our past."
"Very well," the judge sighed. "In that case, Mrs. Francis, you may call up your first witness."
"Thank you," she smiled. "I call Miss Phoebe Buffay to the stand."
The woman sitting behind Mr. Geller stood up and made her way to the front of the room. She wore a long skirt and had long, pale hair. A free spirit, the judge thought. His favorite type of person.
"Miss Buffay, do you swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"
"Yeah, sure, but can I ask you something? Why God? Why not, I don't know, Satan. Or Zeus?"
"Have a seat, Miss Buffay." Shrugging, she sat.
"Now, Miss Buffay," began Francis.
"Yeah, could you please call me Phoebe? I don't like going by my last name. It reminds me of my father, and how he abandoned me when I was a kid, leaving me with a suicidal moth-"
"Certainly, Phoebe," interrupted Francis. "Now, Phoebe, how long have you known Ross and Rachel Geller?"
"Oh, a long, long time," Phoebe answered. "I've known Ross since Monica moved in, like, twenty years ago, and I've known Rachel for almost as long as that."
"And you have observed their relationship through these years?"
"Oh, don't even get me started on that," laughed Phoebe. "It's way complicated, the breakups, marriages, divorces, all that crap."
"And you have witnessed the fact that they have indeed been unhappy?"
"Actually, no," Phoebe admitted. "I'm probably not the best witness for this case, because they always seemed perfectly happy to me. Most of the time." She laughed. "There was one time I remember…"
FLASHBACK, 5 YEARS AGO
Phoebe (voiceover) – Ross gave Rachel this surprise birthday party. She was so happy…then, they went off alone, and he talked to her…
Ross and Rachel ran across the street to Central Park, laughing their heads off. "Ross, wait up! I can't run in heels!"
"Come on! We're going to miss it!" he called back, laughing.
"Miss what," she called.
"Look." He stopped suddenly, staring at a fireworks show that had began above them.
"Oh, Ross!" Rachel looked delighted. "They're beautiful! Thank you!" She hugged him, and they began to laugh again.
"Look up," Ross murmured into her hair.
"Why?" Rachel looked up. There, written in fireworks, were the words, I LOVE YOU, RACHEL. "Ross! I don't believe you!" She hugged him tighter, unable to stop smiling. "I can't remember when I've ever been this happy."
PRESENT
"They told us the story later," Phoebe explained. "It was so sweet. Ross was always doing things like that, and Rachel loved it."
Mr. and Mrs. Geller looked across the aisle and locked eyes for a brief moment. Both looked away quickly, but you could see them remembering.
"No further questions, Your Honor," stated Francis, looking upset. After all, she hadn't been able to get anything helpful out of Phoebe.
"Thank you. Mr. Robinson, you may proceed."
"Thank you, Your Honor. Miss Buffay-"
"PHOEBE. Lawyers never listen, do they?"
"Sorry. Phoebe. You stated previously that Mr. Geller always did extravagant things for Mrs. Geller, correct?"
"Yeah, I said that. See? Never listen."
"And these things cost a considerable amount of money, correct?"
"I guess they must have. Ross didn't care, though. Rachel was that important to him."
"So you might say Mr. Geller tried to buy the marriage?"
Phoebe stared at him. "What are you talking about?"
"You don't think that Mr. Geller kept Mrs. Geller in an unhappy marriage by buying her things and performing stunts such as the one you described?"
"OBJECTION!" yelled Ross and Rachel at the same time.
The judge looked at them, surprised. "Mr. Geller, I am surprised at your outburst."
"How dare he suggest that!" Ross was clearly furious. "I would never do a thing like that! If Rachel didn't want the marriage, I would have never forced her into it!"
"And Mrs. Geller? It isn't possible to object to your own lawyer."
"Even if I don't agree with what he's saying?" Rachel snapped. "I wanted this marriage as much as Ross did. To say that Ross might have tried to push me into it – it's not true!"
The judge shrugged calmly. "Fine. Objection sustained. Mr. Robinson, please continue."
"Yes Your Honor." Robinson paced back and forth. Unable to think of anything to say, he lamely continued, "So, in your opinion, Mr. and Mrs. Geller were always perfectly happy."
"Yeah. Like I said," Phoebe replied. "You should really work on those listening skills."
Robinson sighed. "No further questions, Your Honor."
"Thank you. Miss- er, Phoebe. You may step down."
"Lobsters," Phoebe mumbled as she stepped out of the box.
"Pardon?" the judge questioned, startled.
"Ross and Rachel. Lobsters. This whole divorce thing is a big mistake." She glared at the Gellers and walked back to her seat. Mr. Geller looked at his hands. Mrs. Geller shut her eyes tightly.
"Very well. Next witness is…" The judge examined the papers before him and laughed. "I'm sorry, it's just- oh. Chandler Bing."
Mr. Bing stepped forward. ""Ha-ha. Very funny, Richie."
TBC
Sorry if this Chapter fell a little flat, I wrote it in kind of a hurry. My birthday was a few days ago, and I wanted to get this up really quickly, so…yeah. If the court talk is messed up, sorry. All I know about is what I've seen in movies. PLEASE REVIEW!! Thank you all!
