The One With All
The Rehearsing
This is my first fanfic, so
I’m really interested in any feedback.
This episode takes places after Episode 508, The One
With All The Thanksgivings. If you
remember, at the end of that episode, Chandler blurted out to Monica that he
loved her (while she was wearing a Thanksgiving turkey on her head.) It always bothered me that that was an
important thing in their relationship, but the writers never pursued it any
further. So I decided to write my own
version of what happened next.
Opening Scene
Chandler and Joey’s
apartment, very early in the morning
There is a crash from the bathroom. Joey enters, obviously having just been
woken up.
JOEY: Hey, what’s going on?
Chandler, fully dressed,
sticks his head out the bathroom door.
CHAN: I’m sorry, I was brushing my teeth and accidentally bumped your
bottle of Jean Paul Gautier after shave.
I’ll get you another one.
JOEY: No big deal. (pause) Hey, it’s 6:30. In the morning. And it’s
Saturday. What are you doing up so early?
CHAN: Well, I’ve got to get out of here before Monica tries to find
me.
JOEY: Huh? How come? You guys are like a couple or
something. Youd think youd want
JOEY: Ooh, she’s thinking about marriage, huh?
CHAN: No!
JOEY: Is she pregnant?
CHAN: Oh My God, no! (pause) Listen, when you see her, just make up
some excuse to explain why I’m not here, OK?
JOEY: Sure. (thinking) I know
what, I’ll tell her you’re out shopping for a present for her.
CHAN: No, don’t tell her that.
JOEY: How come?
CHAN: Because then I’ll have to go out and shop for a present for
her.
JOEY: OK, I got you.
(pause) I’ll just tell her
you’re shopping for a present for ME!
Chandler glares.
Scene 2:
Monica and
Rachel’s apartment, later that morning.
Joey is at the kitchen table, reading.
Ross is getting something from the refrigerator. Phoebe is in the living room.
ROSS: So, Joe, what are you reading?
JOEY: This. Oh, I’ve got an
audition Sunday afternoon for a part in a new play. I’m just going over the script.
ROSS: Really? Great! What’s
the part?
JOEY: Well, it’s about these two guys and their love lives. One of the guys is brilliant, but confused. And then there’s his roommate, who’s always giving him advice on stuff.
ROSS: Which part are you trying out for?
JOEY: Well, I was going to try out for the brilliant guy, “Charles”,
but my agent said that it might be too much of a stretch for me.
ROSS: (sarcastic) I can’t
imagine why she would say that.
JOEY: I know. Geez, I’m an
actor. I can play smart if I have to.
ROSS: So, you’re trying out for the other guy.
JOEY: Yeah, I’m going to be “Robert”, the roomie who always advising
“Charles”. I figure I can handle
that. I’m always full of good ideas.
ROSS: (doubtful) Really.
JOEY: Sure. Like, look at Phoebe. See how great she looks today. (calling) Hey, Pheebs. You look really great today.
PHOE: (to herself) Of course I do.
(to Joey, flirty) Oh, thank you.
JOEY: Pheebs, if you want my advice, wear your hair down today.
You’ll look so good, I bet some guy will ask you out.
PHOE: Wow! You think so?
JOEY: Trust me. I know about
these things.
PHOE: OK. (takes down hair)
JOEY: (turns to Ross) See. I can be good at this advice stuff.
ROSS: OK then, “Robert”.
What do you advise me to do today?
Wear my hair down, too? (laughing)
JOEY: Ross, my advice to you is NEVER bring up the subject of your
hair.
Ross stops
laughing, and gives Joey a look. Rachel
enters room from bathroom.
RACH: OK, Pheebs, I’m almost ready.
Just let me get my earrings. So,
where did you want to go shopping?
PHOE: (whispering) I didn’t really want to go shipping. That was just a pretense. I thought it would be a great time to try to
find out who Monica’s secret boyfriend is.
RACH: Ohhhh, that would be fun!
Where should we start?
PHOE: Well, I thought we’d ask around at the places she usually goes…
you know, the coffeehouse, Chandler and Joey’s apartment… here.
RACH: Pheebs, I don’t think that will work. I mean, we already spend all our time at those places and we
haven’t found out anything yet.
PHOE: Oh, I guess you’re right.
Well, what do you think?
RACH: Well, she told me one time she was seeing that waiter at her
restaurant… you know, the non-threatening Ray Liotta guy. But I think she just said that to throw me
off the track, because I never heard her mention him again.
PHOE: Hey! Maybe she was trying to throw you off the track by not
mentioning him, realizing that if she never mentioned him, you would think that
it wasn’t him but knowing all the time that it could have been him, but it
really wasn’t!
RACH: (confused) OK,
maybe. So does that mean that you think
it IS him, or you think it’s NOT him?
PHOE: Oh, I don’t know. But
let’s go to her restaurant and see. I
like their ice cream.
As Rachel and Phoebe leave,
Monica enters.
MNCA: Hey! Where are you guys
off to?
(pause, then Rachel &
Phoebe in unison)
RACH: To do laundry.
PHOE: To a movie.
(pause, then unison again)
RACH: To a movie.
PHOE: To do laundry.
(pause)
PHOE: To see a movie about doing laundry.
MNCA: (slowly) OK. Well, can I go? It doesn’t seem like I’m going to have much to do around here.
(glancing wistfully in the direction of the guy’s apartment)
RACH: NO! I mean…
PHOE: What Rachel means is that it’s an R rated Italian movie about
doing laundry. You know, lots of tomato
paste stains and dingy tablecloths.
(Monica grimaces) Dirty
floors. Grime and filth. (Monica makes face of disgust) You couldn’t handle it.
MNCA: You’re right. Sounds
awful.
PHOE: OK, bye!
Rachel and Phoebe hurriedly
leave.
MNCA: (pause) Well I guess I
can always clean the bathroom.
Monica goes into bathroom.
ROSS: Well, I’m picking up Ben in a little while and I have the whole
day planned. We’re going to start by
going on a long nature walk the museum is planning, then see the new
prehistoric birds of prey exhibit, then finally stop at the library for some
anthropological research.
JOEY: (under his breath, sarcastic) Sounds fun. (to Ross)
Hey, Ross, how old is Ben, 38?
He’s a kid. Do some kid things
with him.
ROSS: Huh. Like what?
JOEY: Go to the amusement park.
Go swimming. Eat hot dogs and
cotton candy. Play in the park. My advice is, go out and have some fun.
ROSS: You know, you’re right.
That’s what we’ll do. We’ll just
make a day of it, and do anything Ben wants to do. (leaving) Thanks, Joe. Thanks a lot.
Ross leaves.
JOEY: (to himself) You want advice? I’ll give you advice.
(smiling, self satisfied) Yeah, I got that part in that play all wrapped
up.
Scene 3:
Chandler and Joey’s apartment. Joey is standing at the kitchen counter
reading his script. Chandler comes
running in, out of breath, slamming the door behind him
CHAN: Made it! Great. I don’t think she saw me.
JOEY: So. Still avoiding Monica.
CHAN: Yeah. You know, I think
I’m starting to get pretty good at dodging her
(Monica cracks the door and peeks in, unseen by Chandler). At this rate, I might be able to avoid that
conversation for another couple of days at least.
MNCA: (coming in, with yellow latex gloves on her hands, obviously
from cleaning) And what conversation is that?
(Chandler reacts.)
CHAN: Oh, hi, honey. (picks
up Joey’s open script and fumbles around with it)
MNCA: (sarcastic) So. You really exist. I was beginning to think I
just imagined you.
CHAN: (flustered) Well, you know, I’ve been busy lately.
MNCA: (irritated) And you don’t think I’ve been busy? What do you think I’ve been doing the last
few days?
CHAN: (meekly, looking at gloves) Cleaning?
MNCA: (getting mad) Trying to talk to you!
Ross enters open door unseen
by anyone and stands listening.
CHAN: I’m sorry, sweetheart.
There’s just been a lot going on in the past few days and I’ve needed
some time to myself…
MNCA: But it’s important that we talk. We’ve had so much go on between us lately that I just don’t want
to feel like I’m losing you.
ROSS: (interrupting) What’s going on?
Chandler,
Monica and Joey freeze. Complete
silence for a few seconds, then…
CHAN: Uhh… we were… we were just…
MNCA: Yeah, we… that is…
JOEY: (jumping in) We were just rehearsing my new play!
Chandler and Monica visibly
relax.
JOEY: Yeah, that’s it.
Chandler and Monica were just going over some lines with me.
CHAN: (laughing) That’s right.
(waves script) We’re rehearsing… acting …I’m playing…
JOEY: …uhhh, Charles, the brilliant roommate.
MNCA: And I’m …
JOEY: … ummm, Marsha, his bitchy girlfriend. (Monica glares at Joey)
ROSS: OK. But Joey, how come
you don’t have any lines?
JOEY: Oh. (thinks) Oh, they’re just warming me up for my big
entrance. You know, where I come in and
solve all their problems with my advice.
ROSS: (slowly) Oh. OK. Well,
Monica, I just stopped in to see if you still had that Frisbee we used a couple
of weeks ago.
CHAN: (jumping in) I know where it is! I took it down to Central Perk and left it in the bathroom
closet.
ROSS: Why would you do that?
CHAN: (pushing Ross out the door) Who cares? Let’s go get it. See ya!
Ross and Chandler leave.
JOEY: Man! WHAT are you two guys so upset about?
MNCA: Ohh, I’m just so mad at Chandler.
JOEY: Why? Did you find out
about his new Playboy subscription?
MNCA: Huh?
JOEY: Oh, guess not.
MNCA: Look, Chandler’s avoiding me.
It’s been like this since Thursday.
He said something to me and I want to talk about it and he doesn’t, and
it’s really bothering me.
JOEY: Must be bothering him too, if he actually gets up early on a
Saturday to avoid you. So, what did he
say?
MNCA: Well, it’s kind of personal.
JOEY: Jeez, like I don’t know anything personal between you two. (Monica gives him a look.) No, c’mon tell me. Maybe I can help.
MNCA: Well, remember on Thanksgiving Day when he found out that I
accidentally cut off his toe because he called me fat, and he got mad? And I went to cheer him up with the turkey
on my head?
JOEY: Oh, yeah, I remember that!
You scared the stuffing out of me.
(Pause) Stuffing… get it…stuffing? (Monica glares again) OK, and…
MNCA: Well, right before you came in, Chandler told me he loved me.
JOEY: No! Dude!
MNCA: But as soon as he said it, you could tell he wished he hadn’t, and he tried to make me think that he hadn’t, and since then he been avoiding me.
JOEY: Man. That’s big stuff!
MNCA: I KNOW! But now I don’t
know what to think. I’ve been trying to
get him to discuss it, but he hasn’t said three words to me since then. Every time I find him, he’s out the door
with some excuse. “Gotta take my
sweater vests to the cleaners.” “Gotta
make sure the duck isn’t pissing off the chicken again.” What am I going to do? I have to talk to him about this!
JOEY: Whoa, whoa, Monica, think about this a minute. You don’t want to put too much pressure on
him. Remember, this is Chandler you’re
talking about. He’s the one who flew to
Yemick…. uhh, Yemay…. another country just to avoid Janice.
MNCA: (pauses, thinking) Yeah, you’re right. I forgot about that.
JOEY: You know, men can’t handle a lot of pressure from women.
Remember what happened with Richard when you told him that you wanted kids.
MNCA: Oh, my gosh, you’re right!
I can’t push him on this. I
don’t want to lose him.
JOEY: My advice to you is, you’re just going to have to back off.
MNCA: Yeah. (thinking) You know what? From now on, he’ll have to make the moves. I’m just going to play it cool. I’m going to
be so blasé about this that he can just forget it ever happened.
JOEY: (obviously not understanding the word) Okay, I guess that’s a good idea.
MNCA: Yeah. That’s just what
I’ll be. Blasé about it.
JOEY: Well, just make sure you’re really, really…. whatever.
MNCA: OK, I’m going now.
Thanks, Joey. (kisses his cheek)
You’re a godsend.
JOEY: Sure. Anytime.
Monica leaves.
Joey rushes to find a dictionary, picks it up and pages through it
looking for the word.
JOEY: Geez, how can you find out what it means when you can’t spell
it?
Scene 4:
Rachel and
Phoebe are seated in the fancy restaurant where Monica works as a chef. A waitress (WAIT) approaches the table.
RACH: Oh, hi. Yes, we’ve
been out and about, and thought we’d come check out the chef… I mean the chef’s
specials.
PHOE: Yeah.
WAIT: OK, well, today we are featuring the Escargots Bourguignonne as
an appetizer, with Jarret D'Agneau à la Provencal as an entrée, or Coquelles
St. Jacques à la Provencal if you’re in the mood for seafood. And we recommend topping it off with Gâteau au Chocolat with Crème Anglaise for dessert.
PHOE: You know what. I think
I’ll just have a salad
RACH: Me, too
PHOE: (to Waitress) So, tell us about the waiter Monica told us
about. The one who looks like a
non-threatening Ray Liotta. Is he here?
WAIT: You mean Ray?
RACH: Yeah, I guess so. Have
you seen him hanging around much with anyone we know? (giggles)
WAIT: No, not lately
PHOE: Really?
WAIT: Yeah, mainly because he hasn’t worked here in months.
RACH: What! What happened?
PHOE: Where is he?
WAIT: Oh, he went through a major lifestyle change. He decided he no longer needed the modern
conveniences of life. You know, shoes…
soap….. deodorant…. stuff like that.
RACH & PHOE: Ewwwww
WAIT: Yeah, Monica fired him months ago. He was drawing flies. You
know how she likes things clean.
RACH: Do I? I’m her roomie,
remember? I’m the one who helps wash
her “Day of the Week” sheet sets.
WAIT: But you know, speaking of guys, I have seen a guy coming to
get her after work every now and then.
PHOE: Really! That must be
him!
RACH: What’s he like?
WAIT: Well, he’s good looking, nice dresser, …very clean.
PHOE: That must be him.
WAIT: No, I don’t think so.
(whispers) I think he’s gay.
RACH: Really?
WAIT: Yeah, you can always tell.
He’s just got that quality. And
the way he dresses. Lots of sweater
vests.
RACH: Oh, that’s Chandler.
He and Monica are just good friends.
WAIT: Well, it’s nice to have a gay friend. You know, closeness without any threat of wanting more.
PHOE: Yeah, that’s one of the things I like best about him. (WAIT leaves)
RACH: Phoebe, Chandler’s not gay.
PHOE: (pause) Oh, yeah, I forgot.
RACH: Well, I guess this means we have to look elsewhere for the
secret boyfriend
PHOE: Oh, don’t worry, Rach.
I mean, we’ve got another clue.
RACH: What do you mean?
PHOE: Well, now we know he’s got to be clean. That eliminates a lot of guys. After all, this is New York.
WAIT reappears, hands note
to Phoebe.
WAIT: (whispers) Hi. See the guy at the table in the corner?
Phoebe turns to see an incredibly handsome man, dining
alone, smiling at them and raising his glass.
WAIT: (whispers to Phoebe) He told me to give you his phone
number. And he said that you’re the
most beautiful girl he’s seen in months.
PHOE: Oh!
WAIT: And he said you have the most beautiful long flowing blond hair
he has ever seen.
PHOE: Oh, wow! Thanks. (turns, smiles and waves paper at handsome
man.)
WAIT leaves.
RACH: Wow, Pheebs. You have
to go talk to him.
PHOE: Oh, I am. And you, go
find a phone and call Joey and tell him that I love him!
Scene 5:
Chandler and Joey’s apartment. Chandler enters. Joey is in the apartment, holding up a roll of printed toilet
paper, reading each square and then rolling it to the next one. He is surrounded by paper that has already
been read through.
CHAN: No, no, I’m not going there!
JOEY: (embarrassed) Oh, this.
This is the Word a Day paper you gave me a while back.
CHAN: (slowly) OK.
JOEY: Well, I’m a little behind.
I thought I’d catch up
CHAN: (slowly) OK.
JOEY: So, are you and Monica speaking yet?
CHAN: No, I haven’t seen her all day. I’ve just been walking around trying to figure out what to do
about this.
JOEY: Listen, dude, if you want my advice…
CHAN: … which I’m not so sure I do.
JOEY: Hey. You’d better
figure out something. How do you think
she feels when the guy she’s sleeping with is avoiding her?
CHAN: “The guy she’s sleeping with”?
Man, that sounds so cold.
JOEY: Maybe she thinks that’s all you two have. Sex, sex and more sex. (to himself) Wow, sounds great!
CHAN: But it’s so much more than that… I mean, she’s really special
to me.
JOEY: Well, my advice to you is … tell her that. Tell her how you really feel.
CHAN: (pause) You’re right.
You’re right. That’s what I’ll
do. Hey, man, thanks for the
advice.
Chandler leaves.
JOEY: (smirking, to himself) Just call me Mr. Advice. (picks through discarded toilet paper) Mr. Recommendation. (looks at another piece)
Mr. Solution.
Scene 6:
Central Perk
Phoebe and Rachel are
sitting on the couch drinking coffee.
PHOE: (thoughtful) You know, it’s great of Chandler to walk Monica
home from the restaurant. That’s so
sweet.
RACH: Yeah. They’ve been
doing laundry together a lot lately, too.
PHOE: Oh, and trips to the grocery store. But they never seem to have much stuff with them when they get
back.
(silence, then Phoebe’s eyes
get very wide)
PHOE: Chandler!
RACH: Chandler?
PHOE: CHANDLER!
RACH: (eyes wide, too) Chandler!
Ohhh! You’re right! Monica and
Chandler are together all the time.
(pause) I bet Chandler knows who
it is!
PHOE: No!!! CHANDLER!!!!
CHANDLER!!!!
RACH: (finally getting it) No!!!!
PHOE: Yes!!!!!!
RACH: It can’t be!!!!!
PHOE: But who else??
RACH: Chandler? No!!!!!
PHOE: It’s the only possibility.
RACH: No!!! (pause) Wait a minute. She said that her secret boyfriend was the best sex she ever had. How could that be Chandler?
(pause)
PHOE: Ewww, let’s not think about that.
RACH: Ewww, OK.
(Gunther (GUNR) walks behind
the couch in the background.)
PHOE: Oh, but, you know… I’ve heard sometimes the neediest guys are
the best lovers. You know, they’re so
grateful that they can’t help but show their appreciation.
RACH: You mean the more needy the guy, the better the sex?
PHOE: Maybe so!
(Gunther, overhearing
Rachel, trips and falls, dropping a tray with coffee)
GUNR: (head popping out from behind the couch, to Phoebe and Rachel) Refill, anyone?
Scene 7:
Monica and Rachel’s
apartment, that evening.
Joey is getting something out of the refrigerator when
Monica, looking gorgeous in a long evening gown, comes into the living room.
JOEY: Wow! You look … really
… so blasé!
MNCA: Joey. What are you
talking about?
JOEY: OK. OK. I don’t know what that word means. But, man, you look great. Have you and Chandler got a date?
MNCA: No, he’s still not speaking to me. But I’m going to pretend that I’m going out somewhere so that I
can at least spark his interest.
JOEY: I’d think if he’s sees you in that dress, he’ll be
interested.
Ross and Chandler come into the kitchen. Chandler sees Monica in the living room and
forgets that he’s supposed to be avoiding her, or that Ross is even there.
CHAN: Wow, you look … amazing.
MNCA: (lightly) Gosh, you’re speaking to me.
JOEY: Hey, look, they’re rehearsing the play again.
ROSS: Without you?
JOEY: They’re really dedicated to my career.
Chandler goes
into the living room. He and Monica are
focused only on each other.
CHAN: I know what this is all about.
It’s about what I said last Thursday.
I said it, and then I’ve avoided you ever since.
MNCA: (softly) I know. It hurt me a little.
Phoebe and Rachel burst in, running to Ross and Joey in
the kitchen.
RACH: Joey! Joey! Guess what?
JOEY and ROSS: Shhhhhh!
Rachel and Phoebe see Chandler and Monica
together. They quietly move to the
kitchen to stand with Ross and Joey.
ROSS: (whispering to Rachel and Phoebe) They’re rehearsing a play.
CHAN: On Thursday, when you had the turkey on your head and I said I
love you, I didn’t know what I was thinking.
ROSS: (confused) Turkey? Huh?
JOEY: (whispering) It’s a romantic comedy.
MNCA: You didn’t know what you were thinking? How should that make me feel?
CHAN: No, I didn’t mean… I
mean….
MNCA: Well, what do you mean?
CHAN: What I’m trying to say is, I didn’t mean to blurt it out that
way. I meant…
MNCA: Are you trying to tell me is that you didn’t mean it?
CHAN: Honey, just listen to me.
ROSS: (whispering to Rachel) Wow, they’re really good actors. They’re not even using a script! (pause)
This must be killing Joey.
RACH: Shhhhh!
Chandler takes Monica into
his arms.
CHAN: I always thought that when I finally told you I love you, it
would be really great. Because it is
really great to me. You’re the most
incredible woman I’ve ever known and I can’t imagine being without you. I didn’t want to tell all that to a turkey…
head. It just came out.
MNCA: Ohhhh.
CHAN: I’d thought about it a lot and I wanted it to be special when I
told you that I love you. Because I
do. Love you.
MNCA: Ohhhh
CHAN: I love you, Monica
ROSS: (stage whisper to Chandler) Marsha!
MNCA: I love you, too, Chandler
ROSS: (stage whisper to Monica) Charles!
Chander and Monica share a
long, deep kiss.
ROSS: (yelling) WHOA! I think
you guys are taking this acting business too far!
RACH: Ross, I don’t think they’re acting.
ROSS: What? What? Joey?
JOEY: (big grin) Huh? Oh, no, they’re not acting.
ROSS: But what? How? What happened to Charles and Marsha????!!!
JOEY: (putting his arm around Ross) Ross, it’s a long story. A kind of a love story. If you want my advice, I’d just sit back,
relax and go with the flow.
Chandler and Monica are still kissing. Ross sits stunned while everyone else stands
with dopey faces watching Chandler and Monica
Closing Scene:
Central Perk, the next day.
Phoebe is at the left table, then Joey, Monica and
Chandler on the couch. Rachel is in the
right hand chair. Chandler has his arm
around Monica.
PHOE: I just can’t believe you two are a couple.
MNCA: I know. But it’s so nice
to finally come out of the closet, and not have to sneak around.
CHAN: Yeah, just think. I can sit here with all my friends and my arm around my girl at the same time. How nice is that?
MNCA: Oh, how sweet! (kisses
his cheek)
RACH: You know, I think about the time when Ross and I were together,
and sometimes I miss that kind of closeness.
ROSS: JOEY! WHERE’S JOEY?
RACH: And then sometimes I don’t.
JOEY: Hey, Ross. What’s up?
ROSS: You. You and all that
crappy advice you gave me! I did
everything you suggested with Ben. We
went swimming. He got a terrible
sunburn. We went to the amusement
park. He got lost, and I had to look
for him for almost two hours. We ate
hot dogs, which he threw up all over the babysitter last night. I had to stay home from the annual
Anthropology Soirée. (whining) I was
really looking forward to that, too.
JOEY: (whispering) Soirée?
MNCA: (whispering) Party.
CHAN: (whispering, to Joey) Bet
you wish you had that toilet paper now.
ROSS: Joey, I will never listen to your advice again.
JOEY: You know, Ross, that’s probably not a bad idea, because I had
my audition today and I didn’t get the part.
Guess I should’ve tried out for the part of the really smart guy.
Chandler opens his mouth to
comment, but Monica interrupts.
MNCA: (to Chandler) Don’t say it!
Joey gives Chandler a look.