CHAPTER 17 – TOW What's Really Going On

"You killed me?" Rachel burst into Monica and Chandler's place which almost shocked everyone. She was talking to Chandler who didn't seem surprised at all.

"If I did, then how on earth are you still here?" His sarcasm has not faded. He of course knew what she was talking about. And it only meant one thing.

"I cannot believe that you killed me in your book. It could be Phoebe! Or Monica. Or you should've just killed you! It's your book, you should've been the one who suffers. But me! It's unfair." She slumped in their couch like a child.

Chandler smiled. "So, you're finished with it, huh? Like it?" Chandler was now a renowned writer known almost by everyone in the whole America. It all started when Ross told him how terrible a writer he was. He knew he was joking but he still wanted to prove him wrong. He tried to write a short novel, which was made easier by the fact that he had written the story based on his and the whole gang's life, and had it published. He wasn't expecting anything about it but his first novel was accepted really well. He wrote another one, and another one after that, and another one after that, all of which were still based on his life.

The first novel he wrote was about two best friends who were so different with each other but through some silly game played by someone called "Cupid" fell in-love with each other, started a life together, and created a family together. His second one was about a struggling actor who made it big after having done almost everything he could to be successful. The third one was about three guys' life in a city and how they managed to go through it all, together. This time, he made Rachel and Ross the center of his novel but gave it a bit of a twist. He thought Rachel would like it, but with her reaction, it seemed like he was wrong.

"You didn't?"

Rachel sighed. "I did." She paused. "But I died!"

Chandler and Monica looked at each other then chuckled. Rachel was 42 but she still was that same Rachel everyone knew. Sometimes child-like. Sometimes annoyingly self-centered. But always the friend who's sweet and adorable and charming and painfully beautiful who'll be there for you when you need one.

"Honey, that's okay." Monica, who was at that time cleaning the dining table for like the thousandth time now, chimed in. "At least you weren't some freaking bitch who jumps into conclusions just because of one single thing she hears."

Chandler sighed. "There's another complaint." Monica was also still the same Monica he knew and loved. Yes, a bit high-maintenance but for sure would never let you down. She could put herself in a fight just for a friend and she'd do anything NOT to lose. And hey, maybe that was a good thing. If you were at her side, that is. "Is there anything likeable about what I wrote?"

Rachel and Monica both answered at the same time. "None."

"Wow, that's sweet. Could you BE any more supportive?"

Rachel and Monica laughed. Of course, they were kidding. It amazed them how Chandler could get a reader so much. Maybe because it was them who he was writing about and writing for but still. He was good. And it was something they never thought of before because the Chandler they knew was all about jokes and sarcasm and all that. Well, he was still all that. But on a very much different angle now. And somehow it was better.

"I wonder what Phoebe thinks," said Rachel. She got up and opened Monica's fridge. It was the house she and Chandler bought and it was still like the apartment they used to have. All their friends went in there and did things as if it were their own.

"Of what?" No one even heard her come in. It was Phoebe.

"Monica, honey, I think you should start changing the locks. It's starting to feel like this place is open to anyone," Chandler commented. But of course, it was another joke but Phoebe still hit his arm, anyway. "Aww! What is wrong with you?"

"What were you talking about me for?" Like Rachel did, she, too, opened the fridge and got something to eat.

Monica looked at Chandler. "And probably the fridge, too. Do you kknow how we can lock that? Chandler chuckled and then Monica looked at Phoebe. "About Chandler's latest book."

"Oh yeah, I've read that." She answered like it wasn't a big deal. It bothered Chandler.

"Wh-why do you seem like you don't care?"

"Because I didn't have much role in it. I mean, I'm still waiting for the book which I'll be the lead, you know. Oh! You know what I think? You should have its setting in like the 20's and then I probably should be a zombie or something. That's what's in now, you know. Or! A vampire! That'd be so much cooler. You should entitle it, Buffay, The Vampire Slayer." She seemed really excited.

Of course, if the others didn't change, how would someone expect Phoebe to do otherwise? She was still the weird Phoebe everyone loved and didn't understand sometime. But she was still so much fun and that's all that mattered.

"You do realize that that was the title of the porn film your twin was in before, don't you?" Monica said, finally joining the gang in the living room.

"I heard porn, what are we watching?" You guessed it right. Joey.

"You're gross. Don't you realize you're too old for that now?" Monica commented. "Oh by the way, the fridge is not locked if you want to eat.

"What?" Joey didn't get that if it was a joke or what. But he still opened the fridge, anyway. He was the king of that, right? "Well, who said age matters when it comes to porn?"

"Joey! We weren't talking about porn, okay? We were talking about Chandler's latest book." It was Rachel. "And how we all feel about our characters."

"Ohhh, well. First of all, I don't think my wife would've liked that you didn't put her in there. Secondly, you made me quite a hero so it doesn't matter."

"Have you finished the book yet? You married Jenna at the end and you two had three kids just like you have now," answered Chandler, still defending his book.

"Oh." He chuckled. "I was too busy reading my script for my new film, I'm sorry. I'll finish it later tonight. I promise." Right. Joey was a famous film actor now. But none has changed. He was still this sweet friend to all of them. The one who held them all together. "Where's Ross by the way?"

"He probably drove the kids to Jill's. They're gonna sleep over. He should be here any minute now. But you know how Ross drives," answered Rachel. As if on cue, Ross had arrived. "Oh, there you are. They're already at Jill's?"

"No, change of plans. They're not sleeping over now."

"Why not?"

"I don't know. Some emergency with their friends. They didn't really tell me. They acted weird. So what's going on?" And they told him what they were talking about. "Oh that. I can't believe you killed my wife in your book, man."

"There's my husband. I love you, honey." And they kissed.

"Oh, get a room," joked Phoebe.

Like the others, Ross was an older version of what he was years ago, romantic, obsessed with dinosaurs, a good brother, father, husband and friend. Everyone was the same, except of course for their age which was an additional eighteen years since they've all started as friends.

They all kept talking as if it was the first time they've all seen each other even though not a day has passed that they didn't. It was still so much fun and their friendship has even become stronger. Everything Chandler wrote on his book about their friendship was all true. Even though the story focused on Rachel and her sickness, he still wanted to show the world one of the things he's really, really proud of. Their friendship. Which was the epitome of what a real friendship is and of what a family should be.

CENTRAL PERK

"Okay, what's the emergency we were told to cancel this sleepover for?" It was Emma, who grew up to be as fashionable as her Mom was. Every day, she was looking more and more like her and Rachel couldn't be any prouder of what she's become.

"Yeah, this better be good enough reason. I've been waiting a really long time to get back to Aunt Jill's." Ella, on the other hand, grew up to be just like her dad. The smart one. And the center of all the dinosaur jokes.

"It's almost September 22! You both know what that means." Erika Bing, who didn't surprise anyone by growing up to be exactly like her Mom, a neat-freak, the most competitive of them all, the mother-hen of the group.

"Oh relax Mom. Your veins might pop out if you don't," joked Jack Bing, the second generation of the sarcastic and funny Chandler. He was the perfect guy to introduce himself as someone who makes jokes when he's uncomfortable.

Michael, Jr., who was Phoebe and Mike's first child, stopped playing with his guitar to face the group. "It's Mom and the whole group's 19th year together. We should do something. I should play, okay? No one reacts violently." And no one would. Because he' so much better at this than her Mom. Something Phoebe always bragged about, by the way.

The heartthrob of the group, a younger version of Joey, Melissa, had it all planned out of course. "And I already have the best plan. I swear none of you would disagree." She then looked at everyone and asked. "So do you trust me and are you all up for this?"

Emma, Ella, Jack, Erika, Michael and Melissa. Six friends. If you all looked at them you'd think that you were looking back to Rachel, Ross, Monica, Chandler, Phoebe and Joey's younger years. And maybe you were right. Because they all were. They were the next generation to the friendship that stood the test of time. They were the younger version of a friendship that has been existing for so long and no signs of ever dying down. They had the best role models in the world and it was a good proof that this friendship would be the same, too.

Everyone looked at each other and they all knew that they had one thing in mind. The six people who had brought them to this world and the six people who had brought them all together deserved a day to remember where it all began, the day when this family was born. And what other way to do it than to party?

-o-o-o-

A/N:

Thank you to everyone who have followed this story, and also for the wonderful reviews. Friends will always have a special place in my heart and I know that no matter how many television series I watch, no one can still beat the awesome show Friends was (and is.) Thank you!