The One Where The Lines Get Kinda Blurry

The One With The Elephant In The Room

Season Ten...... wow! If you had told any of the cast members at the very start, that ten years later they would still be sat round the same table reading scripts by the same writers for the same show, they would probably have firstly laughed, and secondly bitten your hands off with glee. What a journey it had been from that first encounter to where they were now; global superstars, the highest earners in television history, and a show that had become iconic to an entire generation. People had laughed with them, cried with them, and rooted for them to be lucky in love, or unlucky in certain cases like Chandler and Janice or more recently, Rachel and Joey, a storyline that had been received as badly with the audience as it had with the cast.

Before they knew it, it was August and they were back on set again, reading the first week's script together and already feeling a pang of nostalgia due to the first one of the many 'lasts' they were going to encounter over the next few months together. They were all aware of a sense of sadness that tinged the air just ever so slightly, knowing that this really was it, the end was within touching distance, and they quickly realised that they needed to make the most of every last second they got to be together this season.

With that in mind, it hadn't taken long before Jen had tapped on David's dressing room door, asking permission with a raise of her eyebrow before slipping inside and quietly closing the door behind her.

"Hey you, how are you? How was your break?" she'd asked, a little unsure if she should even be in here, and not feeling comfortable enough to sit herself down unless he invited her to. She needn't have worried.

"Hey, I'm doing good thanks. I've missed everyone this summer but it was busy and I got through a lot of jobs I had been meaning to do forever so it was productive too." David had noticed her slight awkwardness, "you can sit down you know; I won't bite" he'd added with a wide grin. "Look I'm glad you came to see me, because I was going to come and see you if you hadn't. I have done a lot, and I mean a lot of thinking about our........ uhhhhhhhmm...... our 'situation' over the past few months, and although on the face of it nothing has changed, in reality everything has changed. This is the last year we are going to have the pleasure of working together and being together like this and I want to do my best to appreciate it. Now I don't know about you, but I did not enjoy the back end of last season at all and that was partly because of my split from Mili, but in bigger part, the distance we created between each other. I'd love to see if we can get back to something a bit more like our normal this season, obviously respectfully normal, I am well aware that you're married, but I've missed you as one of my best friends and I'd like to have you back if you'll have me."

"Oh honey, of course I'll have you! You have just put into words pretty much everything I have been feeling too. I want to be able to squeeze every last drop of happiness from the time we have left together and I am so glad you feel the same way." She had moved across the room and invited him into a long, comfortable hug. "I've missed this so much" she'd breathed as he'd buried his nose in her hair and planted a small kiss on the top of her head.

And just like that, things seemed to click back into place. The place they had previously found that existed somewhere between friends and more than friends; not lovers, not partners in the obvious sense, but their connection was definitely more than purely platonic. Neither of them seeking anything from the other except that close and seemingly unbreakable bond that they had formed so many years ago. Their morning coffee routine was quickly fired up again, they felt comfortable sharing each other's spaces once more and they were tactile. Not too tactile as David especially was still healing and didn't want to open that can of worms too widely again, but they were respectfully physical with each other in a way that they wouldn't dream of being with any of the other four.