– AIRPORT ARRIVAL – JFK
INT. JFK AIRPORT – ARRIVALS – DAY
The gang walks through the terminal. Ross looks like a wreck. Rachel is silent. Joey’s carrying way too much duty-free candy. Ronnie and Jake trail behind, fingers almost touching but not quite.
"Okay, quick poll — who thinks this counts as the worst vacation ever?" Chandler asked
(cheerfully)
"I had a great time. I saw Buckingham Palace, ate five kinds of pie, and got a phone number from a girl named “Esmeralda."said joey
Monica (to Ross)
"How are you doing?" She asked him
Ross (flat)
"My wife is somewhere in England, refusing to speak to me. I’m great." He said
Rachel (to no one)
"This is why you don’t chase your ex across the ocean."
Awkward silence. Jake glances at Ronnie, who squeezes his hand for a second before letting go.
---
– MONICA’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
INT. MONICA’S APARTMENT – EVENING
Everyone’s dropped off their bags. Monica’s unpacking snacks. Chandler is pacing.
"So… I kissed Monica in London." Chandler confessed
"Wait, what?!" Joey said
Monica (blushing)
"He did. And we… kinda kept kissing." Said
Joey (shocked)
"You two hooked up?! In LONDON?! What is happening to this group?" He said
Phoebe (via speakerphone)
"You’re all falling apart without me. And I have pregnancy ankles. I win." She said
Jake and Ronnie sit on the floor quietly sharing chips. They aren’t looking at each other much. Something’s shifted.
---
– RONNIE'S ROOM – LATER THAT NIGHT
INT. MONICA’S GUEST ROOM – NIGHT
Ronnie is alone, lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Jake gently knocks and enters. He closes the door behind him. She sits up slowly.
"I can’t sleep." She told him
"Me neither." He said
He sits at the edge of the bed. A long silence.
"Are we… different now?" He asked her
Ronnie (quiet)
"Yeah. But I don’t know if that’s good or bad." She said
"I keep replaying it. Not in a weird way — just in a… “did that really happen” way."he told her
"It did. And it mattered. But now I don’t know how to be with you. Everyone’s watching." She told him
"We don’t need to tell them anything. I just care about how you feel."he said to her
She slides closer. Their foreheads touch. No kiss — just a quiet connection.
"I feel... safe. Still. Just nervous. Like… the second people know, they’ll ruin it." She told him
"Then let’s not let them." He told her gently
---
– CENTRAL PERK – NEXT DAY
INT. CENTRAL PERK – MORNING
The gang’s scattered on couches. Ross is sulking. Gunther is watching Rachel dreamily. Ronnie and Jake enter, sitting close but not touching. Monica and Chandler are weirdly giggly.
"Sooo… anyone else make life-changing decisions while in London?" Rachel asked
"I bought four hats." Joey said
Chandler (casually)
"Oh, and Monica and I are seeing where things go." He said
"You two AGAIN?! What is IN that English tea?" Joey said
"Okay, can we focus on Ross for a second? He said the wrong name at his wedding."Monica said
Ross (groaning)
"Let’s not. Please."
Phoebe (on phone)
"Still counts as the most dramatic moment in our group history." She said
Jake (softly, to Ronnie)
"Not even close."he told her
Ronnie hides a smile. Under the table, she links her pinky with his. Just for a second.
---
RONNIE’S JOURNAL ENTRY – THAT NIGHT
> “London changed everything. Not just between us, but inside me.”
“I keep waiting to feel guilty. But all I feel is… sure.”
“He was kind. He was patient. And he still is.”
“The world is loud right now. So we’re going to be quiet. Ourselves. And together — when no one’s watching.”
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
