[MONICA & RACHEL’S APARTMENT – THANKSGIVING MORNING]
The apartment is in full Thanksgiving prep mode. MONICA is cooking obsessively. CHANDLER is avoiding everything. RONNIE is sitting at the kitchen counter, peeling potatoes terribly.
"Ronnie, you’re not supposed to stab the potatoes." Monica said to her
"I’m tenderizing them. Emotionally." Ronnie said
"She gets it from me." Chandler said
"Oh good, another thing I can blame you for." Monica said
Door buzzes. Chandler opens it. Jake steps in, holding a very... crispy-looking pie in a foil tray.
"I brought pie. I think." Jake said as he looked at the pie
(eyes lighting up)
"You didn’t say you were coming!" Ronnie said in excitement
"You said Thanksgiving sucked, so I figured we could suck together." He said to her
"Aww. That’s so weirdly sweet." Her brother said as he looked at them
---
[ON THE ROOFTOP – AFTERNOON]
The gang has gone to the roof to see the Underdog balloon. RONNIE and JAKE are a few steps behind, wrapped in scarves and jackets.
"Ever feel like... holidays are just reminders of who isn’t there?" Jake asks her
"All the time. I mean, this is fun, but it’s not... normal. None of this is normal." She said to him
"Yeah, but... maybe “normal” is overrated." Jake said
They both look up. Chandler suddenly yells from the front.
"OH MY GOD. UNDERDOG HAS GOTTEN AWAY!"he yells
Everyone cheers. They rush back downstairs. Ronnie and Jake follow — only to find the door to Monica’s apartment…
LOCKED.
"Let me guess. No key?" Ronnie asked
(from hallway)
"We’re locked out. The turkey... is doomed." Chandler said to her
---
[MONICA & RACHEL’S APARTMENT – EVENING]
After a locksmith, chaos, and burned food, they’re all eating grilled cheese and snacks. MONICA is sulking. JOEY is scratching his fake VD poster off the wall.
Ronnie and Jake sit on the floor, sharing a Funyun bag.
"You know... this is kinda the best Thanksgiving I’ve ever had." Ronnie said
"Same. I mean, we didn’t set your house on fire, so we’re doing great." Jake said to her
Chandler sits next to them with a soda and a rare serious tone.
"Hey. For what it’s worth... Thanksgiving sucked for me too, for a long time. My parents divorced on Thanksgiving when I was your age. Turkey became the enemy." Her brother explained
"That explains... a lot." She said to him
"But you know what I figured out? You get to make your own version of it. Pick your own weird people. Your own snacks. And if it ends in a kitchen fire or a burnt pie, even better." He said
"Especially the burnt pie. That was a masterpiece." Jake said
Everyone laughs. The camera slowly pans to the weird dinner table — grilled cheese, chips, burned pie, and lots of smiles.
---
[LATER THAT NIGHT]
Ronnie and Jake sit by the window, watching the city lights.
"Thanks for showing up today." Ronnie said to Jake
"Anytime. You're kinda my favorite part of the holiday now." He said to her
She looks at him, soft smile. He gently rests his head against hers. They sit there, quiet, peaceful.
---
INT. CHANDLER & JOEY’S APARTMENT – NIGHT]
Ronnie and Jake are sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the TV, whispering and laughing at something in her sketchbook. Joey is on the couch, flipping through a magazine. Chandler is nearby, sipping coffee way too loudly.
(suspiciously)
"So. You two are just gonna... sit there? Quietly? No suspicious activities? No hands being held?" Chandler said to them
Without looking up
"We’re drawing cartoons. Not plotting a heist." Ronnie said to her brother
(smiling awkwardly)
"Unless... that would make you leave?" Jake asked them
"Nice try. Still here." Chandler said
(chipping in)
"Hey, if they are planning a heist, can I be on the lookout? I’ve got the binoculars from when we watched that woman in the building across the—" joey didn't get to finish
"Joey." Chandler said
"Right. Boundaries." He remember
---
Later. Joey has left for a date. Chandler is “asleep” on the recliner but clearly listening. Ronnie and Jake sit closer now. Ronnie's voice drops a little.
"So... my mom called earlier." She told him
(softly)
"Yeah?" He asked
"She wanted to know if I still liked ballet. I haven’t danced since I was ten. It’s like... she only calls to pretend she remembers me." She said
Jake watches her, serious now. Then he pulls something from his backpack — a folded paper swan again, but this one has glitter on the wings.
"I made this one with glitter glue. It’s technically a craft felony." He told her
(grinning through it)
"Dork." She said laughing
(quietly)
"You matter, Ronnie. You’re unforgettable to people who actually pay attention."he told her
They look at each other for a long time. Her smile fades a little. She leans over and gently bumps his shoulder.
"You’re, like, really... good at this." She said
"What?"
"Making me feel seen. And safe."
They're so close now. For a moment, it looks like something more will happen — until—
(loudly fake-snoring)
"SNNNNRRKKK “NOT UNDER MY ROOF!”Chandler said
Ronnie jumps. Jake grabs a pillow and throws it at him.
(sits up, fake-innocent)
"Oh! Sorry! Must’ve been dreaming about... boundaries." He said to them
(frustrated but smirking)
"You are the worst older brother." She told him
"And yet... the best security system." He said to her
---
[INT. RONNIE’S ROOM – LATER THAT NIGHT]
Ronnie sits on her bed, the glitter-swan on her nightstand. She writes something in a small notebook. Over her shoulder, we see what it says:
"Today someone showed up for me.
Jake always shows up." 💙
She smiles, closes it, and turns off the light.
YOU ARE READING
After The Silence
Fanfiction(season 1-10) --- Ronnie Bing was never supposed to be noticed. But after a breakdown, an overdose, and a silent goodbye, she's learning what it means to stay alive. This is her story - the quiet kind of survival. Mature contact s6-7-8-9-10
