(It is before rachel joining the group)
Interior – Central Perk – Afternoon.
CHANDLER is mid-sentence, sprawled in the corner couch, a coffee mug in hand. MONICA, JOEY, and ROSS are gathered around,
Interior – Central Perk – Afternoon.
CHANDLER is mid-sentence, sprawled in the corner couch, a coffee mug in hand. MONICA, JOEY, and ROSS are gathered around, listening with varying degrees of amusement. PHOEBE is perched on the armrest, humming quietly, half-tuned in.
CHANDLER : (gesturing dramatically)So then, I tell the penguin, "You can't file taxes if you're not a resident!" And it just looks at me like I'm the crazy one.
JOEY: Wait… penguins pay taxes now?
MONICA: Joey, it was a dream.
JOEY: Well maybe in his dream, they live in, like, Canada or something.
ROSS: Penguins aren't even native to—never mind.
PHOEBE: (confused but sincere)Wait, was the penguin wearing a little suit? Because that's actually a sign of spiritual rebirth.
The bell above the door jingles as Roy enters, a little older, calmer, Handsome. He doesn't look around at first. He walks straight up to the counter, placing a hand on it like someone remembering something tactile.
ROY: :Still smells the same. Coffee and… existential dread.
GUNTHER: (still expressionless)We added a cinnamon bun diffuser.
ROY: (chuckling)Well, that explains the warm dread.
He turns around, finally taking in the room. His eyes land on phoebe. She's already staring at him, head tilted, fingers frozen over invisible guitar strings.
PHOEBE:(softly)...Roy?
The conversation dies mid-sentence. Everyone looks up. Silence stretches like dough.
ROY:(awkward smile)Hey, Phoebe.
She stands slowly, like she's not sure if he's real. Then she walks up to him and punches him lightly in the arm.
PHOEBE: You disappeared.
ROY: Yeah… I did.
PHOEBE:
For years. I thought you went to some monastery in Tibet and forgot language.
ROY:(laughs)Close. My adoptive dad got transferred to another country. Military liaison work. We left almost overnight. Letters didn't exactly work from where we were. But he's retired now. We're back in the city. He wanted to "be near jazz and bagels."
PHOEBE: You could've sent a psychic pigeon or something.
ROY: Fair. I probably do owe you one of those too.
PHOEBE:(suddenly serious, smiling faintly)Okay, come on. You need to meet—or re-meet—everyone.
She grabs his arm and steers him toward the group.
PHOEBE: Guys, this is Roy. Roy, these are my friends.
(points as she introduces)
This is Chandler—he'll insult you within five minutes, but somehow you'll miss him when he's gone.
CHANDLER: Aww, so you do talk about me behind my back!.
PHOEBE: Monica—do not get in a cooking competition with her. You will cry.
MONICA: Only if you cheat. Or breathe too loudly.
PHOEBE: Ross—he'll talk about dinosaurs, fossils, and how no one understood his first marriage.
ROSS: Hey, my second marriage was the weird one.
PHOEBE: And Joey—he's sweet, he's loyal, and he once tried to microwave a frozen turkey… while it was still in the box.
JOEY: It said "ready in minutes!" Not my fault the box lied.
ROY:(grinning)Sounds like I missed some quality years.
CHANDLER: And how.
PHOEBE: "Okay, everybody, this is Roy! We used to roam the streets together—kind of like urban raccoons, but with more emotional baggage. He once traded a harmonica for a sandwich and a hug. He's back from the mysterious beyond, so be nice or he'll disappear again ."
MONICA: Sit down, Roy. We've got time, and coffee, and so many stories.
Roy glances once more at Phoebe, who gives him a quick wink, then slides back onto her spot on the armrest like nothing had changed.
ROY: Alright. Let's rewind and start from wherever it all went sideways.
JOEY: Oh! That would be Ross's third date with Carol.
ROSS: We're not starting there.
The group bursts into overlapping laughter as Roy sinks into a chair—right where he belongs.
GAME NIGHT
JOEY: So—Rangers vs. Cowboys. Charity game. Ice. Fights. Nachos. You in?
ROY: Wait—Cowboys? As in Dallas Cowboys? The football team?
CHANDLER: Yeah. Don't ask why. It's New York. We do things aggressively weird.
ROSS: It's an exhibition thing. Cowboys on ice. Like a tragic ballet but with concussions.
JOEY: You ever been to a live hockey game?
ROY: Once. In the Philippines. It was goats with cardboard helmets.
CHANDLER: So... no?
ROY: No.
CHANDLER: Then you're coming with us. Mandatory.
JOEY: It's like a ritual. Our version of male bonding. You know, yelling, spilled soda, thinly-veiled emotional support.
JOEY: Plus, you get to see Chandler scream when the puck gets too close.
CHANDLER: That happened once! It was very fast and shiny, okay?
ROY: (chuckling)Alright. I'm in. I could use a little weird.
CHANDLER: Good. Because this group is basically 98% weird, 2% rent complaints.
ROSS: Meet us at the Garden tomorrow. 6 PM. Bring your sarcasm and your scarf.
JOEY: And leave your dignity at home. This is hockey.
ROY: (nods)Looking forward to it. Might be the most normal thing I've done in years.
CHANDLER: Then clearly you've never seen Joey try to explain icing.
JOEY: Hey! I almost got it right last time!
CHANDLER: You said it was when a player "gets too cold and stops playing."
Rangers vs. Cowboys Hockey Game Night
Crowds pour in, jerseys everywhere. The boys—CHANDLER, JOEY, ROSS, and ROY—are weaving through the crowd with hot dogs and soda in hand.
CHANDLER: Okay, just once, I want the guy with the trumpet to play something other than the same three notes. Just once.
JOEY: What else do trumpets play? That's the classic "we're about to punch someone" song.
ROY: I still can't get over the Cowboys playing hockey. Aren't they a football team?
ROSS: It's a charity match. Apparently, ice plus confusion equals donations.
CHANDLER: Also known as Joey's approach to dating.
JOEY: Hey, that confusion is part of my charm.
GAME STARTS
JOEY: You ever been to a hockey game before, Roy? (A/N: its joey )
ROY: Not like this. Overseas we had—uh—goat racing. It was a vibe.
CHANDLER: Goat racing. And to think I wasted my childhood watching synchronized swimming.
ANNOUNCER (V.O.)Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for your New York Rangers!
(The crowd erupts. Music blares. Players slam into each other in warm-up. Roy's eyes light up.)
ROY: Okay, I get it now. This is awesome.
ROSS: Hockey is therapy with sharp objects.
CHANDLER: Much like Ross's marriages.
ROSS: You know what? I'm actually doing great—
Joey is yelling like he's personally coaching the team. Chandler's eating nachos one layer too deep into the cheese. Roy leans forward, genuinely into it.
ROY: So wait, do fights actually happen or is that just TV?
CHANDLER: Oh, buddy, just wait.
JOEY: One time a guy lost a tooth and still got MVP.
ROSS: (quietly)I once lost a marriage and didn't even get the TV.
The guys pause.
CHANDLER: (to Roy, stage whisper)Aaand we've reached the "Ross spirals" portion of the evening.
ROSS: (ignoring them, sipping soda)I'm just here for the sports. And the human connection.
CHANDLER: Said no divorced paleontologist ever.
ROY: Wait, you're divorced?
ROSS: ( sighs)Yeah. My wife... Carol. We were college sweethearts. Got married young.
CHANDLER: And then she realized she liked women. Like, a lot.
JOEY: She left Ross for a woman.
ROY: That's rough, man.
CHANDLER: The only thing straighter than Carol's new girlfriend? Ross's heartbreak.
ROSS: You know what's ironic? I supported her feminist book club.
CHANDLER: And now they support each other. Emotionally. And physically.
Everyone but Ross laughs.
ROSS: Glad we're bonding over my romantic failures.
CHANDLER: C'mon, it's tradition. If you didn't crash and burn romantically, we'd have nothing to talk about between periods.
The crowd erupts as the Rangers score.
JOEY: YES! THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT!
ROY: Okay, this is officially the best night I've had in years.
CHANDLER: Then you clearly haven't seen Ross cry in a Barnes & Noble.
ROSS: It was next to the parenting section! It was triggering!
They all laugh. The camera lingers on Roy, smiling wide, eyes flicking across his new friends—his old world slowly stitching itself together in ways he never expected.
Later – Game in Full Swing
The RANGERS score. The arena erupts. Roy cheers along with the others, caught up in the energy.
JOEY: Yeah!! That's what I'm talking about!
ROY: Okay, okay—I'm officially a fan. I get it now.
CHANDLER: That's how they get you. First it's hockey. Next thing you know, you're buying a jersey and naming your goldfish "Zamboni."
ROSS: Mine's named "Puck." Not a goldfish though. Just… a metaphor for my life.
ROY: Well, I guess coming back to New York was the right move.
CHANDLER: It's like a sitcom, Roy. You disappear for a few seasons, and then boom—you're back just in time for ratings week.
ROY: (laughs)Thanks for having me, guys.
JOEY: Anytime. And hey—if you ever need help navigating the mess of life, just follow Ross. You'll feel better about your own.
ROSS: ( chugging soda)It's not a mess, it's a journey!
CHANDLER: Sure. A sad, soggy, subway-rerouted journey with no bathroom breaks.
They all burst into laughter as the camera pans out to the game below—Rangers skating hard, crowd roaring, and four guys who've just found their rhythm again, even if life's still dropping the puck on them every other day.
Late Night, Central Park
Roy and Phoebe sit on a bench, sipping cheap coffee from paper cups, jackets pulled tight against the breeze.
PHOEBE: You remember when we used to sleep on that bench?(points at a crooked old bench near the trees)You said it had the best view of the sky. I said it had the least bird poop
ROY(smiles)You were right. I was trying to be poetic, but yeah… that bench was a total mess
They both chuckle. A silence settles—not awkward, just full.
PHOEBESo… are you really staying this time?
ROYI think so. My dad—well, adoptive dad—he retired. We're back for good.Feels weird, though. Like I'm walking into a life I left in the middle of a sentence.
PHOEBEYou didn't leave. Life just got loud. Happens to all of us.You were still my friend, even when you weren't here.
ROYYou were mine, too.(pause)You always made the hard parts feel… lighter. Even when we had nothing, you had something to give.
PHOEBEPfft. Like what?
ROYHope. Music. Half a granola bar.(teasing)Terrible advice. Great hugs.
PHOEBEThose were excellent hugs. And the advice was… creative.
They both laugh again, but it fades into something softer. Phoebe leans back, staring at the stars.
PHOEBEI'm glad you're back, Roy. The gang's cool, but… they don't know what it's like. You and me—we remember the cold nights.
ROYYeah. And the weird sandwiches.(pause)I missed this. Missed you.
Phoebe gives a small smile, one that says she missed him too, but doesn't need to say it.
PHOEBEWell, I'm still here. Same old me. Slightly more bath bombs.
ROY(laughs)That's reassuring.
They sit in silence again, the wind rustling the trees. No need to say much more.
A/N: Phoebe is still somewhat close to Roy, kind of like how Monica stayed close with Rachel, even though they drifted apart for a while.