F*R*I*E*N*D*S: The Next Generation

 This one's been rattling around in my brain for quite a while.  I will thank anyone who disapproves of sequels/spinoffs/reboots to just go sit over there and hush.  I already heard everything you're gonna complain about.  

I do not own any copyrights to the characters, the dolls portraying the characters, etc, etc.... this is just for fun.  Please do not sue me if you are one of the copyright holders.  Also, please have a passing knowledge of the show before reading... I don't wanna have to do a giant info dump!

The cast

Tris (Erika Bing), Polly (Tedra Hannigan), Ben (Ben Geller)

Finnick (Jack Bing), PJ (Emma Geller-Green)

Jack: Meat's on the grill.  I hope Ben gets here soon.

Emma: He left the lawyer's office a while ago.  He should be here any minute. 

Ben (joining them): Guess what?  I inherited a house from my grandmother.  No idea what kind of shape it's in or even how big it is, but it's actual real estate.  I have to meet with the executor of the estate Tuesday for the keys.

Jack:  Is it in the city?  You can rent it to me and Erika.  The commute is killing us. Not to mention still living with the parents.  They're great, but they're still parents. 

   

Ben: Has Emma told you her news yet?  She claims she's going to wait until it's official, but we all know that's not going to happen.  Dad will blab if she doesn't.

Emma: Thanks a lot, big mouth.  I don't want everyone getting excited for me until -- 

Ben: Ross Jr over here is going to be a doctor of paleontology.  

Emma (glaring at Ben):  I submitted my dissertation and I have not heard anything yet.  

Tedra: We've known that since we were kids.  Broke Rachel's heart when you didn't get into fashion.

Emma:  I just felt a calling to follow in Dad's footsteps.  Mom should understand that, with her history. At least I didn't climb out a church window and run to the Village in a wedding gown.

Erika: I think she does.  She's just... dramatic.  

****

Tuesday

Executor: Nice to meet you Mr. Geller. I have all the information on the house including a floor plan.   

Ben (looking at the floor plan):  This place is huge. 

Executor: You stand to make quite a bit of money if you sell. If you were to rent, I'd recommend dividing it into apartments.  Most people who can afford a home this size just buy one. 

Ben: I've got a few potential housemates in mind.  

****

Also Tuesday 

Mystery Man: Oh, I got some DNA matches.  Tribbiani?    

Doll Dramatics: Shirley Jackson's "Charles"

 This story is the property of the Shirley Jackson estate.  I am doing this as a homage to one of my favorite writers and making no money from it. 

Charles was first published in 1948.  I've updated certain details and altered it to fit this format.  

Mother: Do you think kindergarten is upsetting Laurie?  All this tough act, bad grammar, and this Charles boy sounds like such a bad influence.

Father:  He does.  Cussing, hitting the teacher, bouncing a seesaw off someone's head, disrupting lessons, and throwing chalk.  But it will be all right.  Bound to be people like Charles in the world.    Might as well meet them now as later.

Laurie: Charles yelled.  The teacher from first grade sent a boy to tell the teacher to keep quiet and Charles had to stay in at recess.  

Laurie:  Teacher had a friend come to see her at school today.  It was a man who came and he made us do exercises, we had to touch our toes.  Charles didn't even do exercises.

Father (coming in): Didn't Charles want to do exercises?

Laurie: Hi Pop, ya ole dust mop.  Charles wasn't allowed to do exercises because he kicked the teacher's friend. 

Mother: I want to go to the PTA meeting but the baby and I are sick.  I wonder what they're going to do about Charles. 

Laurie: Throw him out of school, I guess.

Father: What else has Charles gotten up to? 

Laurie: He yelled during story time and hit another boy in the stomach.  

Laurie: Charles was so good today the teacher gave him an apple.  

Mother: Really?  Charles?

Laurie: He gave out the crayons and collected the books and Teacher said he was a helper.  

Laurie: Yesterday, Charles told a girl to say a bad word and she said it! Charles told her to say it twice and she did. She had to sit in Time Out.  

Father: What about Charles?  

Laurie: Nothing.  He was passing out crayons.  Then, today he said it a few times and threw chalk.  

Mother:  I'm definitely going to the PTA meeting, cold or no cold.  

Mother looks for Charles's mother at the meeting, but no one looks haggard enough.  No one stands up to apologize for the way her son was acting.  No one mentions Charles.  After the meeting, she seeks out the kindergarten teacher.

Mother:  I've been so anxious to meet you.  I'm Laurie's mother.

Teacher: We're all so interested in Laurie.

Mother: He certainly likes kindergarten.  He talks about it all the time. 

Teacher: We had a little trouble adjusting, the first week or so, but now he's a fine little helper.  With occasional lapses, of course. 

Mother: Laurie usually adjusts very quickly.  I suppose this time it's Charles's influence.  You must have your hands full in this kindergarten, with Charles.

Teacher: Charles?  We don't have any Charles in the kindergarten. 

The Date

 Based on a true story. 

Him: You should have ordered a salad, dear.  You could stand to lose a few pounds.

Her: I had salad for lunch. 

Him: I suggest you color your hair.  Maybe the auburn of the young lady sitting behind you?  It's a vibrant and youthful look.  Between that and the age spots, you look like a grandma.

Her: Well, I do have five grandchildren.  

Him: Don't wear anything low-cut when you aren't with me.  

After, he sees her to the door.

Him:  I've had a wonderful time tonight.  When can we have our second date? 

Her: Thank you for a lovely evening, but I don't think this is going to work.  

The End

 Federal Agent Carol Danvers meets with Maisie Barnes. 

Carol:  Are you going to deny any of this?  Your family, their possible ties to organized crime?  I know the incident at the dam is not related to any of this, but I find it alarming that you've moved into town and cozied up to the mayor. 

Maisie:  I have nothing to do with my birth family.  I don't even know how my mother keeps getting my phone number to harass me every time she gets in trouble.  I suspect she was involved with the fire back in the day, but beyond that I know nothing about that place or those people.  And as for cozying up to the mayor, I've known Rose-Grace since I was a kid.  I'm only here because I promised Dionne I'd help with Helena House and I'll be gone as soon as my husband is stationed stateside.  You don't need to worry about me.  

Carol:  Just know you're cleared on this dam business, but I'm going to be watching you.

*****  

After Maisie leaves, Carol meets with a motley crew.  

Hank:  I don't believe we've met.  I'm Hank Higgins, realtor.

Gage: I'm a private investigator.  I hope this meeting has something to do with my job because I just keep hitting dead ends.  

Gage:  Good afternoon, Mrs. Smith.  I hope your presence means Agent Danvers is going to help me find your father.  

Pocahontas:  I wish you'd just leave that deadbeat lost.  We're all better off without him.

Hank:  What is she doing here?  All this time, you've been riding me to avoid her, and now you call us into the same meeting?  

  

Gage:  Why would she tell you that?  Why are you answering to a federal agent about anything?

Pocahontas: You had no problem not-avoiding me when you sold me and John our house.  

Carol: Cash Nedakh entered the Witness Protection Program.  As part of the deal, he insisted on being put in Barbieville.  You remember receiving flowers at your office for a while?  It was him, unaware that your mother had passed away.  He hoped to reunite with her.

Pocahontas: After leaving us for damn near twenty years?  Not a chance.  Me and Nakoma both would've fought that idea.  We saw what she went through after he took anything that wasn't nailed down.  (She realizes.)  Wait a minute... are you saying what I think you're saying?

Carol:  Hank Higgins is Cash Nedakh.  Not for much longer, though.  Turns out the dam was sabotaged by the very people we were hiding him from.  (To Hank)  You're being moved.  

Hank: You can't do that.  You need my testimony for -- 

Pocahontas:  (Redacted for language.  This is a PG13 blog.)  

Carol:  Losing your testimony might hurt the case, but you have proven such a liability that the program is ready to drop you.  This is your last chance.  (She turns to the PI)  Unfortunately, your client is one of the people we're hiding him from.  They followed you here. 

Gage:  Oops?

Once she's seen Pocahontas and Gage out, Carol fills Hank in on his new life.  A life far from Barbieville.

Hank:  It's just as well.  There's nothing here for me, with Kida gone. 

This concludes my "soap opera".  Maisie (and Charlotte Jackson) will continue their own stories at Our Toy Story on Facebook.  Maisie in "The Sons" and Charlotte in "Nearly Famous".  

Please see my previous post titled Changing Things Up.  I've already begun reorganizing and rearranging my doll area, which I'll continue to refer to as Barbieville even though that show's been cancelled.  Stay tuned!

Meetings

 KAP  (Kin As Parents) has its first meeting since the disaster, welcoming new members.

Ken:  We don't know what we're going to do.  Peeta's dad pays his tuition, but with Mom and Bonnie gone and having the care of Tommy as well as Ox, I may have to drop out of college. 

Pocahontas: I'm always hiring, but during the off season... 

Tony:  What's your business?   

Pocahontas:  My sister and I own Witch's Cove.  She graduated with Ken and his husband.  I also have custody of a brother the same age as his Tommy and your Marty.  How is Marty?  Any news about his father?

Tony:  Rayshawn might be one of the John Does found, but they aren't ready for identification.  Marty's doing about as well we should expect.  His mother's flying in tomorrow.  

Nova:  How are you and Luna holding up? 

Gwen:  We're a mess.  Neither of us has even gone into Rallee's room, not even to get her work things for the new superintendent.  Guinness is starting the job without a lot of vital paperwork because I can't...  I don't even know if I should be here.  

Midge:  If you need us, you should be here.  I was totally lost when Kamala fell into my lap. 

Gwen:  Yeah, but I've been as good as her parent Luna's whole life.  That part isn't a big transition for me.  I thought about grief counseling instead of this, but I know you people.  That makes it better somehow. 

Ben:  Maybe we shouldn't tell them.  Seems mean. 

Becky:  Yeah, we should wait.

*****  

At the mayor's office, Rose-Grace discusses the dam sabotage with federal agent Carol Danvers.

Rose-Grace:  What do you mean, this might not be related to Hank Higgins?  You have other people in my town in Witness Protection?  And that PI is snooping around about Cash.

Carol:  To the best of my knowledge, Hank was the only person here with ties to organized crime.  But then I found out about Maisie Barnes's birth family.  What do you know about them? 

Rose-Grace:  Maisie?  Dionne's friend?  She has no contact with her birth family.  Hates all their guts.

Carol:  Possibly with good reason.  I have an even thicker file on them than I do on Hank-used-to-be-Cash.  Maisie isn't even her birth name, she legally changed it when she got married.  Presumably to dodge them and any of their associates. 

Rose-Grace:  Well, if you're investigating her, you shouldn't talk to me about it.  Conflict of interest - Maisie's been practically family since junior high.  

Carol: We'll move on to the seismologist that tipped off the saboteurs. 

Rebuilding Begins

 The Barbieville Business Owners Association is focusing on the members impacted worst by the flood.  Mei Chang has lost home, cafe, and husband.  Four Eaton his grandfather/business partner.  Iris Patrick her tailoring business. Whitney Darling's father owned WDLC, was lost in the flood, and she inherited.  

Rose-Grace: This may be weird, but we've never been a normal town, have we?  Sulu suggested this meeting and has offered campsites on his property to anyone lost their home.  Most of the losses were homes, some residents are being housed in motels by insurance, but many are not.  If you know of anyone in need, please send them his way. 

Dionne:  I can't pay near what you were making from the cafe, but Helena House needs kitchen staff.  Do you think you're up for supervising a bunch of kids as they learn basic cooking skills?  We can also offer room and board. 

Mei: You can board all four of us?  We would only need two rooms - one for we girls and a smaller one for Qi - until I find a house. We won't need boarding permanently.  

Dionne: Of course.  Now, let's talk about wages and benefits. 

Pocahontas:  I was discussing you and Dawn with Tierra, my entertainment head.  We could use you for wardrobe on shows.  Tierra's got a lot of ideas.

Iris: It would just be me.  Dawn's moved on.  

Pocahontas: Really?  Well, that's fine.  I really didn't know if I'd have enough work for both of you. We'll order the costumes premade and you'd just have to make alterations and mending.  Doesn't pay much, though. 

Iris: Coby makes more than enough to support us.  My shop was more of a hobby.  

Four:  I don't know if I can make it without Bapo.  I'm still so new at tattooing professionally.  

Whitney:  At least you're trained.  What do I know about running a TV station? 

Okoye: I can help you there, Miss Darling.  I'd like to buy you out.  

Whitney: Who are you?

Four:  That's Okoye, the media mogul.  You just got your butt saved, my friend.  

A man comes in while everyone is conferring. 

Tony:  I'm Anthony Lucas, Rayshawn's brother.  I'll be handling matters for his family for now.  (To Rose-Grace) My brother speaks highly of this town and of the lovely mayor.  I just stopped in to introduce myself and let anyone who might be concerned know that Marty is in good hands.  

After the meeting, Rose-Grace finds Agent Danvers in the parking lot. 

Carol: We need to talk, ASAP, in a secure location.  The sabotage at the dam is way bigger than I thought.  

Rose-Grace: Come to my office in the morning.  

Sulu notices lights on in the greenhouse shop and investigates.

Sulu:  Mattie?!  What are you doing here?!  

Mattie: I came home.  My place is here with my family. 

Sulu: Umm... okay.  Can we talk about that hair? 

Aftermath

 A few days after the earthquake and subsequent flood, Mayor Rose-Grace Pike holds a press conference at the school.

Rose-Grace:  Barbieville is still reeling from our losses.  Everything on the north side of Main Street was destroyed, as well as some structures on the Witch's Cove inlet.  Witch's Cove Amusement Park lost the Overlook event venue and possibly some rides.  The Warehouse district, Lakeshore Townhouses, and Shore Thing cafe are gone.  Many of our families have lost a loved one.  Some of them have lost more than one.

Rose-Grace:  Among the missing or dead are Django Cooper and Kevin Eaton,

  

Rose-Grace: Dorene and Bonnie Carson, 

Rose-Grace: Anna and Elsa North,

Rose-Grace:  Seven Lucas, Genghis Chang, Lara Russo, William Darling, and Rallee Jones.  Owner of The Point, Rayshawn Lucas is missing.  Family friend Tierra Parker has temporarily taken in Marty Lucas, as others all over town have taken in friends and family. 

 

After the press conference, Rose-Grace returns to her crisis post in the mayor's office.  The last thing she needs is more problems. 

Carol (coming in):  We've got a problem.  The dam should have withstood the quake - it was tampered with.