Ben returns to the office the next day and decides that he needs to follow Amy's advice and tell Adrian the truth about how he really feels about her. He takes out his journal and wraps it in a small package, and then asks Clementine to order 10 red roses. One for each year he was away, and to commemorate the anniversary of their wedding, and Mercy's passing. As he sits in his office, contemplating whether or not what he is about to do is a good idea, Ricky barges into his office angrier than anything he has ever been.
Ricky: So how does it feel Ben to ruin a marriage that has been through hell, and is almost ten years old. Does it finally make you feel good to know that you ruined my life the way I ruined yours. (angry, crying, and wearing a wrinkled gray suit.)
Ben: Ricky! What the hell are you talking about, and why the fuck are you in my office? (angry, and shocked to see Ricky like this, and naive to what Ricky is complaining about.)
Ricky: You know exactly why I'm here Ben. You slept with my wife last night. I saw you two together, and don't you dare deny it! (mad, and upset)
Clementine: (Rushes In worried about both Ben and Ricky) Ricky, what are you doing in here you should leave before I have to call security.
Ricky: Not until this asshole admits that he fucked Amy, like the jerk he is. Did it feel nice Ben to finally fuck her. I know that's what you always wanted to do. You didn't stop until you fucked Adrian and got her pregnant, did you get Amy pregnant too? (screaming, and angry. face turning red)
Clementine: Ricky what are you talking about, Ben would never do that. Would you Ben? (turns to look at Ben who seems to be annoyed yet looks guilty at what Ricky has said. Then he gets up from his desk and looks at Ricky with a face that resembled the old Ricky)
Ben: If I did Ricky, then its no worse than anything you have done. We just did to you what you have been doing to everyone else for years. But even if I did that's none of your business is it.
Ricky: How the hell can you say that to me? That's my wife you arrogant son of bitch! (makes a lunge at Ben, but Clementine gets between him.)
Clementine: (Looks shocked at Ben wondering would he really sleep with Amy just to hurt Ricky. She knew he was still angry at Ricky, Amy, and all of his former friends, but would he really do such a horrific thing and destroy a family. She couldn't believe it.) Ben please tell me you're lying...
Ben: Clementine stay out of this. Ricky and I are having a private discussion. Please take an early lunch and lock the door to my office, and the elevator on your way out. Also inform security to disregard all that is being said and done.
Clementine: Ben what are you talking about? We should all calm down and talk this out, before something is said, or done that we'll all regret. (Very worried about the looks she see's on both Ben's face and Ricky's. She is worried that if she doesn't calm matters they will kill one another.)
Ben: Clementine, I'm done with regrets. The only thing I regret was ever meeting this little orphan bastard in front of me. Its time I settled this once and for all.
Ricky: (Pushes Clementine away) The only thing I regret is not beating this spoiled little rich boy when I had the chance.
Clementine: Guys come on you don't mean this. You two used to be friends, and you work together, lets just stay calm. (Still trying to stop this situation before it gets out of hand, but its long too late for that)
Ben: Clementine, Ricky and I have been a lot of things to each other, but we were never friends. (Looks more angry and determined than he ever has before.)
Ricky: Couldn't have said it better myself.
Clementine: Fine, if you two want to act like kids on the play ground fighting over a girl, then I'm out. (Leaves and follows Ben's instructions)
Ricky: I have always hated you. Always acting like you're so much better than me, when you're just a punk ass kid trying to be like your dad. (takes a swing at Ben.)
Ben: (Quickly moves from Ricky's arm range, grabs his arm turns around behind Ricky and elbows him to the lower back. Then turns to face Ricky before kneeing him in the stomach.) You sorry ass whiny womanizing asshole. You were never anything, but a lazy bastard who used people.
Ricky: (Falls to the ground stunned that Ben could fight so well. He is out of breath, he hasn't sparred with Jack at the gym in months and was shocked at Ben's fighting ability.) Don't get jealous that I could get the women you wanted. I was just a man who knew how to play the game, while you were just a kid who didn't even know the rules. (Gets, up takes off his jacket and throws it at Ben, who is shocked and blinded. Ricky then runs and tackles Ben to the ground and begins pummeling him with punches, until Ben knees him in the side and rolls him off.)
Ben: (Takes off his now torn jacket, and tie. Then awaits in Thai Chi fighting stance, that he learned from Eli & Marcus who were both Championship martial artist from ages 14 to 18 which is how they got their scholarship.) Game, is that all any of this was to you a fucking... Game. People aren't a game Ricky. But, then again I guess that's what we are to you. I mean look at you. You have Amy, John, and a new child, and yet you still like to play. Grow up. (Kicks Ricky in the shin before elbowing him in the face. Then puts Ricky in a headlock and pulls him sharply to the ground.)
Rick: (Punches Ben in the stomach, and stands up to kick Ben in his side.) What, I should grow up. You ran away from home for nearly ten years, and only come back after your father dies. You ran off like some child to cry, because you couldn't be a man.
Ben: (Grabs Ricky's leg, and sweeps him to the ground, and places him in an arm leg lock around the neck) I need to man up. Where were you for Amy and John when she was pregnant. I was the one who took all the ridicule, all the name calling, all the rumors so they would be okay where were you. You were trying to fuck Grace, fucking up Adrian in every form of the word, and using your abuse as an excuse.
Ricky: (punches Ben in the leg until he lets go. Catches his breath for a second before grabbing Ben in a headlock and squeezing.) Yes Ben I was abused, and I was scared. Scared that I would do the same thing to my son, and Amy that my dad did to me, and my mom. But, I changed so fuck you.
Ben: (Elbows, Ricky in the stomach, and breaks free. Then punches Ricky who falls backward over a table, and bumps his head against the sofa in Ben's office dazed.) Don't give me that shit Ricky. I was scared just like you, and I still did whatever I could to help you, Amy, John...Adrian, and everyone and it scared the shit out of me, but I was still there. You weren't scared you were just a coward, just like your father.
Ricky: (Gets up, and charges Ben angry for that comment. Slams Ben against the wall stunning him, and pummels his side careful not to hit him in the stomach again.) I am nothing like my father, I was scared, but I tried and you know that. But, what was your excuse. I warned you so why didn't you back off.
Ben: Slams his elbow into Ricky's back careful not to do spinal damage) I stayed because I cared, and they needed me, because that is what I was supposed to do.
Ricky: Why!? Why were you supposed to do anything, Amy, me, Adrian you didn't owe any of us anything so why? (grabs Ben and rolls on the floor tussling with him.
Ben: Because I could help them, and I could save them, when I couldn't save my mom...(This breaks up the fight)
Ben: (crying) Do you know what its like to watch someone you love slowly die, and know there is nothing you can do about it. I was a child, and I know there was nothing I could do to save my mom, but that still didn't make if feel any better for losing her. I saw Amy was just like that, and I could do something to help her so I tried, and when she didn't need me I left. But, I still needed something.
Ricky: What!
Ben: I needed to feel needed Ricky. To feel that everything I did was worth something, that she just didn't use me, and I know that is what she did. (drops to his knees.)
Ricky: She didn't use you Ben, I did. I used you because, I was broken, and I felt that my son and Amy deserved someone better than me (Crying) You were smart, kind, and good person better than me. I knew she needed that so I forced her to be with you, because I felt I owed her that much, that I owed my son that much...(Collapses bruised, hurt, and exhausted from their fight)
Ben: So why didn't you let me keep them?
Ricky: Because they were mine, and I'm selfish. Because of what my son's first word was when he was only seven months old? BEN!
Ben: What, John's first word was mom at ten months, Ben knew that because that is what Amy told him just weeks before their break up on a phone call from Palm Springs).
Ricky: No, its the first time he spoke to her. His first word was Ben. Remember that day I took him to stay at my apartment, right before she left.
Ben: Yeah, a few months after Robbie was born.
Ricky: You stopped by to bring me some things I had left, and played with him. When you walked out the door. He waved and said "Ben". I thought it was a fluke, so I picked him up and started to play with him. Then I started to ask him can you say Daddy? He looks at me, looks to the door, points and says "BEN". That is the day I truly started to hate you. You were the man that Amy needed, the man Adrian wanted me to be, and then you were the man "MY SON WANTED AS A FATHER" (sneers at that memory & at Ben.)
Ben: Please Ricky, everyone wanted you. If they didn't I wouldn't be the man I am now. John saying my name was just that a fluke.
Ricky: Really, if I was the one any of them wanted then why didn't they take me as I was. Why did they have to change me into this. (points at his attire.) I don't like wearing suits, Ben. I never wanted to work in a corporation, I was happy just working in the butcher shop, and living with Amy. I never wanted all of this. They did. Amy wanted this, Adrian wanted this, my parent's wanted this. Your dad wanted this for me. I didn't.
Ben: Then why didn't you tell them, Ricky? They would have understood.
Ricky: Because like you said Ben, I'm a coward. I didn't want to disappoint them. They liked me because I modeled this version of myself after you, they were happy but I haven't been happy in a very long time.
Ben: Adrian didn't want that for you. She would have loved you the way you were.
Ricky: Please, Adrian was driving herself insane with the olde me. I hated the old me. She wanted you, and she hated that you never wanted her, or that I wanted her. But, we both know that's a pile of shit.
Ben: What do you mean?
Ricky: We know each other too well Ben. I know that you wanted Adrian more than you even wanted Amy. You were just to full of self pity to admit it, just like I was too cowardly to admit I was jealous of you two.
Ben: Jealous of what? Adrian and I broke up, after our daughter died, because we could never get past that.
Ricky: Do you think you're past it now. You ran away for ten years Ben, but you come back every year to celebrate her birthday, and Adrian has only been to her grave once, and that was to be with you.
Ben: How did you know that? (Shocked at Ricky's observance of his life.)
Ricky: Because I visit your daughter too. I go there and I pray for forgiveness, for her dying, and not being there to help you and Adrian when you needed me. You think that I didn't care that she died, but I did. I cared that she lived, I cared about both you, and Adrian Ben. I owe my son's life, and my life to both you and Adrian. She taught me to be a better man, and to believe that I was worthy of being loved. You helped my son, and loved him when he wasn't even yours. (crying) You taught me how to love others, and how to be a better man with everything you did for me, Amy, John, and Adrian. You may not realize this, but I didn't want to be like your Dad, I wanted to be like you.
Ben: What a loser, who couldn't even keep the woman he loved from leaving him, or be the son my father wanted, so I left.
Ricky: Ben, you left because we asked too much of you, and you had nothing left to give. You cut out pieces of your soul for Amy, John, Me, Leo, Henry, Alice, Adrian, and your daughter. We were all just to stupid to appreciate it. I never blamed you for leaving, I would have left too, I have left. But we blamed our selves for making you not want to come back. I tried to fill your shoes, but I couldn't. I thought that I wanted to be like you Ben, but I never really understood until you left, that there was something about you that's different. That makes you special.
Ben: What ever that was I don't have it anymore. I don't think I ever did, I just pretended. I thought I could climb so high, and wasn't prepared when I fell so low. I have fallen so many times I don't feel like picking myself up. I understood you after I left. I saw how easy it is to just let your cares go away in one night of lurid sexual bliss, but it only lasts for so long before all those cares come back. I used to hate how you did women, making them fall for you then casting them away. I have done it on more than one occasion, you can love someone else, but the other person never really leaves you. Its better to leave that person when they are still strong enough to get over you, that way they can still keep going. I have had lots of women that I could have fallen in love with, but I never felt that I could love them because...
Ricky: Because of that one girl whose face you saw every time you slept with them. Because of every time you touched, kissed them, or when you said I love you to one of those girls, you were imagining her... I know.
Ben: No, I never let those words come out of my mouth unless I meant them. Which is why I haven't said them since Adrian and I broke up.
Ricky: I don't blame you for sleeping with Amy, Ben. You have been covering for me, since the day I met you. I haven't done one thing worthy of being your friend. All I have ever done was let your life fall apart, and used the pieces to build my own. You deserve to be with Amy.
Ben: I don't love Amy Ricky, I don't think I ever really loved her. I also didn't sleep with her either.
Ricky: But, the kiss?
Ben: It meant nothing. I just wanted to see if it would, and once we kissed I knew not even sleeping with Amy could erase Adrian from my mind. I have too much love for your son to destroy his family like that.
Ricky: Like I said you were always the better man. What am I going do?
Ben: That's on you. I'm done cleaning your messes up Ricky. I'm going to clean my own now.
Ricky: Why did we do all of this, if you never slept with Amy?
Ben: Because, I wanted to end this hostility, RIVALRY, or whatever it is once and for all. I'm tired of hating you, and myself Ricky. I'm tired of hating period. I have seen in my articles what hate does to people, and takes from people, and I was tired of it taking from me. Now excuse me. I have to go.
Ricky: Am I fired. Because I know how some people get fired for filing bad paper work. I just beat the shit out of my boss.
Ben: You never beat the shit out of me, and know I think you deserve a raise for taking that ass whipping I gave to you.
(Both men grab the other hand and pull the other up from the floor and do what they need to do...)
THE FINALE WILL BE UP LATER EXPECT AN EXCERPT I FOUND OF THJS CONVERSATION FROM THE ORIGINAL VERSION.