F•A•N
F•I•C•T•I•O•N
The Time Capsule
[The gangs goes out and buries a time capsule. They’ve each written down how they felt on C+M’s wedding day and they put it in there. When someone digs it up years later, a lot of things are revealed...]
[Scene: Central Park, 2001. The whole gang is there, standing in front of a newly dug hole, which is about 3 feet deep.]
MONICA: I don’t know...are you sure it’ll work?
ROSS: I’m not sure, but don’t you like the idea of people, a hundred years from now, reading about your thoughts and feelings? That way, you can be remembered when you’re dead and --
ALL: Ross!!
ROSS: Ok, alright, fine!
JOEY: How much did we have to write? Cause I only wrote 2 pages.
RACHEL: That’s fine. It’s not a school assignment!
MONICA: Ok, well, why don’t we start putting them in? Here’s mine. [puts in a partially filled notebook.]
CHANDLER: And mine. [He puts in some typed up papers. Phoebe puts in a lot of notebook papers, Joey puts in his two pages, Ross puts in something in a report cover and Rachel puts in a stack of stationary.]
ROSS: Well, I guess that’s it.
[Chandler tightly seals the time capsule and puts it into the pit. Joey helps him cover it back up with dirt.]
MONICA: I hope someone does find it.
RACHEL: I’m sure someone will.
PHOEBE: Yeah, but they‘d better find it before aliens come and destroy the earth...
~Fade out~
[Scene: Central Park, 2047. It looks pretty much the same as it does today. A twenty something woman, Ashleigh, is sitting on a park bench working on something with her computer. It’s a headset thing, with a tiny screen sticking out of the side. She decides to take a break and removes it. Then she sees something sticking out of the ground in front of her and she walks over to investigate it.]
ASHLEIGH: Strange... [She tries to dig it out with her hands. A young man, Parker, walks up to her.]
PARKER: Hey, Ashleigh...what is that?
ASHLEIGH: I don’t know.
[Parker helps her dig it up.]
ASHLEIGH: If this turns out to be junk, it’s soooo not worth it.
PARKER: Or, you might have dug up an underground electric thing. [mimics being electrocuted]
ASHLEIGH: [stops digging] That’s not funny!!
PARKER: Well, it could happen.
ASHLEIGH: Why don’t you shut up and just dig?
[They continue digging until most of the time capsule is exposed. They tug it out.]
ASHLEIGH: [disappointed] It’s just some dumb old box.
PARKER: I don’t think a dumb old box would have "Time Capsule" painted on the side.
ASHLEIGH: [not believing him] Where?
PARKER: On the side.
[Only the letters T ME APSUL are visible because it is caked with dirt. Parker brushes away some before wrenching the capsule open. They look inside. The papers in it are a little yellow, but still in good condition. Ashleigh carelessly wipes her hands on her clothes before reaching in to take out the first thing: Rachel’s stack of stationary. She walks over to the bench with Parker following her, carrying the contents of the time capsule. They both sit down and begin to read....]
RACHEL: [voice over] It was Monica’s wedding day today and I wanted it to be really special for her. So I had to do something when it almost got ruined...
[Flashback to 2001. Scene: Monica and Chandler’s apartment. Phoebe, Monica and Rachel are there. There is a bunch of a flowers in a huge vase on the coffee table. They are trying to decide which should go in the bouquet. The phone rings.]
MONICA: I’ll get it. [answers] Hello? [listens] Yes, this is she. [listens] What?! [listens] Ok... [hangs up] The bakery called to say that they can’t deliver the cake.
RACHEL: Oh no!!
PHOEBE: Oh my God!
MONICA: [upset] I have to bake the cake...but the wedding’s in 3 hours!!! [freaking out] We have to get our hair done in 30 minutes!!! Oh, this is the worst thing that could possibly happen!!
RACHEL: No, honey, calm down. Look, why don’t you and Phoebe go to the hair appointment and I’ll fix this. I can do my hair real fast before the wedding.
MONICA: But --
RACHEL: No, it’s ok. I’ve got things under control.
MONICA: Alright, then.
[Phoebe and Monica leave.]
[Cut to a little while later, Rachel is putting the icing on the cake. Ross comes in.]
ROSS: Hey, Rach. Where’s everybody else?
RACHEL: Well, Monica was freaking out because they couldn’t deliver the cake. She and Phoebe went to get their hair done. Joey and Chandler are at the museum getting the stuff set up. And I’m stuck here, baking the cake.
ROSS: Oh. Do you need any help with that?
RACHEL: No, I’m fine. I’m almost done.
ROSS: Alright, then. I guess I will get started on writing that time capsule thing. I have no idea what I’m going to write.
RACHEL: Me neither.
ROSS: [trying to be funny] You certainly didn’t have any trouble writing me that letter - 18 pages, front and back.
RACHEL: Ross!! That’s not funny!!
ROSS: [getting mad] You said all the problems in our relationship were my fault. And you said it over and over for 18 pages!!
RACHEL: [mad also] Well, it was!! You were so jealous of Mark...And sending me all that crap at work - who wouldn’t want a break?!
ROSS: Right - we were on a break!!!!
RACHEL: You can say that for the rest of your life, but it still won’t mean it was ok for you to sleep with that Chloe person!!!!!
ROSS: You were with Mark!!
RACHEL: He came over to comfort me! I didn’t sleep with him!!
[There is a long silence.]
RACHEL: Why are we having this argument all over again? It’s just useless....
ROSS: [voice over] At that moment, all my stupidity just hit me in the face. Rachel was right, I had been the jealous one...I shouldn’t have gone to that bar...
ROSS: Rach...Rach, I’m sorry. About this. And that. About everything. You’re right and you’ve been right for 4 years. I had no right to be jealous and I should have realized that then. It would certainly have saved us all this...
RACHEL: Ross... I’M sorry. About that letter. Why don’t we just forgive and forget? Please?
ROSS: Alright...But there’s one thing I can’t forget...
RACHEL: Ross, why don’t we just stop arguing and...Ross, I...
BOTH AT THE SAME TIME: I love you.
[They are very shocked and very happy.]
ROSS: Oh my God.
RACHEL: [crying] Forgive and forget...Agreed.
ROSS: Right.
[They kiss passionately.]
~Fade out~
[Scene: The museum hall, where the wedding will take place. Phoebe is putting pink ribbons on the chairs by the aisle. Joey is making last minute revisions on his speech.]
JOEY: [voice over] So, Chandler and Monica were getting hitched. I hoped this wedding would be better than Ross’s wedding. The London one, I mean...Nah! It couldn’t be better. This time I probably won’t get to have sex with one of the bridesmaids.
JOEY: Hey, Pheebs, how does this sound? "We are here today to celebrate Chandler and Monica’s love, which started 3 years ago in London when Monica got really drunk and she and Chandler --"
PHOEBE: No. I don’t think you should say that.
JOEY: Why not?
PHOEBE: Monica will be real mad at you. Plus, it wasn’t 3 years ago - it was 4 years ago.
JOEY: Ok... What about this part? "And now this happy couple can continue to give, have, share, and receive their love forever."
PHOEBE: Oh, that sounds great!
JOEY: Yeah, but Chandler keeps trying to make me take it out. I mean, what’s up with that?!
PHOEBE: Yeah.
JOEY: Y’know what? Now that Monica’s getting married, it means I don’t ever have a chance to hit on her again! When she was just going out with Chandler, it was like, well, ok, they’re dating, but it’s Chandler, we’re talking about her! They’re gonna break up! But they didn’t so... [pause, and then in his Joey voice,] How you doin’?
PHOEBE: [voice over] Joey’s been my closest friend forever, but then all of a sudden it was all different...
[Suddenly, Phoebe kisses Joey.]
JOEY: [voice over] Well, I guess I was wrong. This one was way better!!
PHOEBE: Joey, I...I love you. Y’know how we always understand each other and stuff...I don’t know...I just realized we should be together. If that sounds weird to you, then just forget it.
JOEY: No! No! It doesn’t! I think we should be together too.
PHOEBE: You’re not just saying that because you’re Joey, right?
JOEY: No...Well, yeah, but, BUT!!! I also love you. Really, I do.
PHOEBE: Ok, then.
[They kiss again.]
~Fade out~
[Scene: The same. It is an hour later and everybody has arrived for the wedding. Joey is standing in the front with Chandler, who is obviously very nervous.]
CHANDLER: [voice over] Well, it was my wedding day. Too late for me to get scared of commitment! But it wasn’t too late to be nervous.
CHANDLER: [whispering to Joey] How do I look? Is my tie straight?
JOEY: You look fine!! Stop worrying about that and start worrying about what you’re gonna say!
CHANDLER: [even more nervous] Oh my God, what if I say something wrong?
JOEY: What could you possibly say wrong? You’re not Ross!!
CHANDLER: You have a point. [trying to convince himself] I have nothing to worry about.
[The string quartet starts playing Pachelbel’s Theme From Canon. Ross and Rachel walk down the aisle, followed by Phoebe. They take their places. Ben the ring bearer comes down the aisle. Behind him are the duck and the chick. They both have a basket of flowers in their beaks. The baskets have holes in the bottom so that they leave a trail of flowers on the floor. Then Monica walks down the aisle. She looks very beautiful in her wedding dress. Chandler has this weird look on his face.]
CHANDLER: Oh my God.
MONICA: [voice over] My wedding - the best day of my life. I have the greatest friends who made it that way. And I have Chandler...
[Monica gets up to the "altar" and Chandler holds her hand. They both have huge smiles on their faces.]
JOEY: We are here today to celebrate Chandler and Monica’s everlasting love. I remember when they were going out and I knew they were very happy together. Now they will be happier still... Is there anybody here who doesn’t want them to be married? Speak now or forever hold your peace and all that stuff. [no one objects] Ok. Chandler, do you take Monica as your wife for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, ‘til death do you part?
CHANDLER: I do.
JOEY: Monica, do you take Chandler as your husband for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, ‘til death do you part?
MONICA: [crying] I do.
[Ross takes the rings from Ben and hands them to Joey.]
JOEY: Monica, put the ring on his finger and repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed.
MONICA: [does so] With this ring, I thee wed.
JOEY: Chandler, put the ring on her finger and repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed.
CHANDLER: [does so] With this ring, I thee wed.
JOEY: I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.
[Chandler and Monica kiss. It’s one of those long romantic movie kisses.]
JOEY: Ni-ice!!
MONICA: [voice over] It ended way better than I thought it would...Joey didn’t even mess up once! I’m about to spend the rest of my life with the man I love. I guess I was wrong before when I said that my wedding day was the best day of my life. It was one of many happy days to come. Everyday from now on will be just as great, because of Chandler...
~Fade out~
[Scene: The reception. Monica is about to toss the bouquet. Rachel, Phoebe and some other single women are gathered in the middle of the hall.]
MONICA: Ready? [she tosses it]
RACHEL/PHOEBE: Ooh! Mine! Mine!
[Rachel catches it.]
RACHEL: Yay!!! I’m gonna get married next!
[She kisses Ross. Joey and Phoebe stare at them.]
PHOEBE: Oh, are you?
RACHEL: Yep.
JOEY: Permanently?
ROSS/RACHEL: Joey!!
JOEY: Well...
RACHEL: Yes, Joey, we’re hoping it’s permanent.
[Chandler and Monica walk up behind them.]
MONICA: What’s permanent?
ROSS: Rachel and I are together again. [to Joey] For good!
CHANDLER: Oh, that’s great!
JOEY: Speaking of being together --
PHOEBE: We are too.
[Everyone is more surprised.]
RACHEL: Wow...
MONICA: I really don’t have words for this...Isn’t this just the greatest day? For all of us?
[They nod in agreement.]
~Fade out~
[Scene: Central Park, 2047. Ashleigh and Parker have finished reading everything.]
ASHLEIGH: Is that all? Wow. I wonder what happened to them...Did Ross and Rachel ever get married? What about Joey and Phoebe? I really have to find out what happened.
PARKER: But first, I think we should show this to the others.
ASHLEIGH: Yeah, Amber likes stuff like this.
[They collect the papers and start walking off.]
[Cut to an old man and an old woman *guess who!* sitting on a bench nearby. They have been watching the whole thing.]
MONICA: Well, someone did find it. Rachel was right.
CHANDLER: And I owe Joey $20!
MONICA: On what?
CHANDLER: On...um...nothing.
~END~
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