Mike, Karen and Peter landed in the back alley of a large city. Traffic whirred by them. They looked around for a minute trying to orient themselves. Karen blinked. She walked out the other, non-busy end of the alley. The minute she was there a huge smile crossed her lips.
"Oh my god!" She said. "We're in Friends!"
"Friends??" Mike said. "I shoulda guessed that Chea would pick this show."
"Well its only natural. Its one of my favorites. She wouldn’t just have us go to her fave show worlds." Karen said.
"She’s right Mike." Peter said.
"What do you think we're here for?" Mike asked.
"Let's check the list." Karen said. They were given a list with specific items to get. The first had been Johnny Bravos comb. Now there was Friends. "A coffee cup from Central Perk. Easy enough."
"Why a coffee cup?" Peter asked.
"Oh when the show was first popular they sold everything, including a copy of the mugs they drank their coffee out of." Karen explained.
"Ok, let's go." Peter said. He left the alley and crossed the street heading for the coffee shop.
"Wait." Mike shouted. Peter didn’t hear him.
"Whets wrong Mike?" Karen asked.
"I just had a funny feeling. Remember the last time?" Mike asked.
"The last time what?" Karen asked. Then she thought about it for a few minutes. She nodded. "Phoebe Buffay."
"Right." Mike said. "What if something happens there?"
"I don't think it will. Its been a long time since the band contest that brought her to Peter. I wonder if she would ever remember him. Maybe we'll be lucky and she's not even there."
"He's almost there." Mike said. He grabbed her hand and ran across the street. He took off his hat so he would look a little more inconspicuous.
"Peter!" Karen said grabbing his arm.
"Oh hi guys." He said. "Are you ready to get the cup?"
"Yeah." Mike said. They walked into the coffee shop. It was exactly the same it was when Karen was last here with Chandler. She looked around. None of the main characters was there, which was pretty unusual for the middle of the day. Phoebe wasn’t there either.
"What do we do for a coffee cup?" Mike asked while tucking his hat into his pocket. He quickly brushed his hair with his hand to make it look like a more modern hairstyle. It didn't work.
"Cute." Karen said. "But I appreciate the gesture." She smiled at him.
"Who’s gonna get the cup?" Peter asked.
"We'll play rock paper scissors." Mike said. They grouped together.
"Okay, one two three shoot!" Mike won. "One two three shoot!" Karen won. Last time. "One two three shoot!" Karen won.
"Oh yay." Karen said sticking out her tongue. "It's better off that it be me anyway. If we want a coffee cup we have to get it out of Gunther." She pointed to a man with short blonde hair at the counter. He was polishing it. Gunther was a recurring character on the series and he as Rachels boss when she worked with him.
"Wish me luck." Karen said.
"Good luck!" Peter said while browsing through an old book.
"Wish it." She whispered loudly. She walked over to Gunther. He looked up at her. She tossed her hair playfully over her head. She had a seductive look on her face. Gunther swallowed hard. It had the desired affect. Mike was only watching from the back, but he felt it too.
"Hi." Karen said. She used a "fake" voice. She had Veronica Lake in mind but probably ended up with Veronica Lodge.
"Uh hi....uh." Gunther stammered. "Can I get you something?"
"Yes." Karen said. "A low fat, double tall cafe with a cinnamon dash." She said.
"Right away." Gunther said. He nearly tripped over his own feet and knocked over a pretty, but dumb looking waitress in his path. He moved fast to fill this mysterious looking womans order. Karen turned and winked at Mike.
"I wonder what she’s thinking." Peter mused.
"I don't." Mike said with a straight face.
Gunther brought her order. Karen paid him. He stood there and watched her while she drank it. Karen wanted to quickly drink it but Gunther had gotten it so fast it was still hot. She finally finished it and set down the cup with a sigh. She smiled.
"I needed that." She said.
Gunther moved to take the cup.
"Can I keep it?" Karen asked.
"Ah uh keep it?" Gunther asked while once again being transfixed by her gaze.
"A memento." She answered.
"Sure." Gunther said under her spell. "Do you want a creamer too? It looks like a cow." He sputtered.
"That would be so groovy for the loft." Peter said.
"Pete!" Mike said.
"Well I like it." Peter said.
"Ok." Karen said. "For you, I will take it."
The microphone at the front of the stage suddenly turned on. Some feedback echoed in the room. Peter and Mike moved from the back. Karen turned and looked with her cup and cow creamer.
Phoebe Buffay sat up on her stool with her guitar case. Apparently her and her friends had come in while the whole coffee cup drama unfolded. Phoebe smiled and took the mike.
"This song is for a guy." She said simply and began playing.
"Through your eyes of glass
I see your love of me pass
Is it true that you can never go back
for lost love, you never know what to pack
My emotional suitcase
it has no place
I have never needed it more
than ever before
I see skylines of gray
Lots of birds fly away
but nothing is new since the day
That you went away."
Phoebes playing was much improved since the band contest. She must have carried her ability with her in the last time trip. Peter walked toward her as she was strumming an instrumental in the song. Without a word he touched her hand. She stopped cold in her tracks and looked up at him.
"Peter." She said.
Her friends in the back row in the big red sofa gasped.
Peter then kissed her on the lips. He pulled away from her.
"Hi." He said with a smile. It was a smile so bright it could outlast the sun. She smiled back at him.
"Ok is this good or bad for us?" Mike said.
"I guess we have to see." Karen said. "What could it hurt?"
"Hmm, de ja vu." Mike mused.
"What?"
"Nothing." Mike said.
1967
Chea was sitting with Micky watching TV. She felt a shiver come over her body. She shook it off.
"What?" Micky asked.
"Just got a funny feeling." Chea said. "Can't explain it."
"It's just getting cold." He said. "I'll close the window."
"Okay." Chea said. Micky got up and closed the windows and the doors. But somehow Chea knew it wasn’t the weather was bothering her.
"Something’s awry in tv land. It's too bad we can't see it." Chea thought. "Oh well, if something’s wrong, I'm sure we'll be the first to know."
