Whatever Will Be...Will Be
Written by: Juana
Story summary: With Felicity and Eli over, will Ben be the new man in Felicity’s life? In a panicked moment Felicity tells Ben that Eli is gone for good. But is she ready to take on Ben again or will she only break his heart?
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in my story. They belong to the brilliant writers and creators of the hit WB show.
FELICITY: ( Voice over: recording to Sally) Dear Sally…the simplest things can change us. Seems like a simple enough concept…right? But really never one I’d fully understood until yesterday. Let me start from the top. First Eli exited my life…sad to say…but really it’s the other turn of events that have changed me and how I now view even the most seemingly innocent words or actions.
PREVIOUS DAY: INT. FELICITY’S ROOM.
BEN IS STANDING AT FELICITY’S DOOR.
BEN: I’ll bet you're surprised to see me.
FELICITY: That would be a huge understatement.
BEN: I…um…I need to talk to you. Have you got a minute?
FELICITY: Are you sure you’re here to see me and not Megan?
BEN: It’s kind of…well it’s about that…and this morning.
FELICITY: Yes.
BEN: Do you want to do this where everyone can hear? Or can I maybe…I don’t know…come in?
FELICITY: Fine…come in.
BEN ENTERS FELICITY’S ROOM AND SHE CLOSES THE DOOR. BEN WALKS OVER AND SITS DOWN ON FELICITY’S BED.
BEN: I know you’re mad at me.
FELICITY: I didn’t say that.
BEN: You didn’t have to. I can tell.
FELICITY: So what…you’re reading my mind now?
BEN: More like your body language.
FELICITY: My body language?
BEN: Yeah. It’s definitely saying…I hate you Ben Covington.
FELICITY: I don’t hate you.
BEN: Well I hate myself.
FELICITY: Why?
BEN: (get uncomfortable) Forget it. I really just came here to see how you were.
FELICITY: God…I hate it when you do that.
BEN: Do what?
FELICITY: Pretend like you’re going to open up…but then you just shut me out.
BEN: What do you expect me to say?
FELICITY: How about a little honesty?
BEN: About what exactly?
FELICITY: Why did you sleep with my roommate?
BEN: Why do you care?
FELICITY: Stop avoiding the question… I have a right to know Ben.
BEN: You do? Care to explain that one?
FELICITY: I want to know if you did it to hurt me.
BEN: To hurt you? You think that’s what happened?
FELICITY: Well…isn’t it? Or are you honestly attracted to Megan?
BEN: This just isn’t your business Felicity.
FELICITY: How can you say that? I care about you Ben.
BEN: Touching…really. Come on Felicity. Now who’s being less than honest?
FELICITY: I’m being completely honest…you just don’t happen to want to hear it.
BEN: You know I came over here to see if I could make things better…but maybe things are just better left the way they are.
BEN GETS UP OFF BED AND EXITS TOWARDS THE DOOR.
BEN: Good bye Felicity.
FELICITY: (Voice over recording to Sally) I could have just left it that way…maybe I should have. But Sally it’s never been easy for me to just let things lie.
AS BEN EXITS AND CLOSES DOOR. FELICITY SITS DOWN ON HER BED AND STARTS CRYING. SUDDENLY IN AN IMPULSIVE FELICITY LIKE MOVE SHE JUMPS OFF THE BED AND RUNS TO BEN WHO IS WAITING FOR THE ELEVATOR.
FELICITY: Please…don’t go.
BEN: It’s just better this way.
FELICITY: I disagree.
BEN: Exactly. Everything between us lately has been my opinion Vs yours.
FELICITY: Please…can we not do this here?
BEN: I have a better idea…
ELEVATOR DOOR OPENS AND BEN STEPS INSIDE.
BEN: Let’s not do this at all.
AS ELEVATOR DOOR STARTS TO CLOSE FELICITY YELLS OUT.
FELICITY: Eli and I broke up!
AT LAST MINUTE BEN PUTS HIS HAND IN THE DOOR TO STOP IT FROM CLOSING. AND STEPS OUT OF THE ELEVATOR.
BEN: What did you just say?
FELICITY: Eli and I are not together anymore.
BEN: Since when?
FELICITY: Since this morning.
BEN: What happened?
FELICITY: (Voice over recording to Sally) What happened? Should I tell him the truth? Eli dumped me. Somehow that seemed like the wrong thing to say in that tension filled moment. And Sal…I was afraid that if he knew the truth that he would leave…maybe for good.
CUT TO INT. NOEL’S ROOM-DAY
NOEL AND ELENA ARE INSIDE HIS ROOM MAKING OUT ON HIS BED. NOEL STOPS AND LOOKS AT ELENA.
NOEL: Are you all right with this?
ELENA: Fine…
NOEL: Cause if you don’t want to do this…
ELENA: Are you trying to talk me out of sleeping with you?
NOEL: No…definitely not. It’s just I thought things were sort of…not right between us.
ELENA: We definitely have our issues.
NOEL: And if your doing this because of what is happening in my life with my family right now…well it’s not necessary.
ELENA: You think this is a pity screw?
NOEL: Is it?
ELENA: (gets off bed in a huff) I can’t believe I was about to forgive you and just let bygones be bygones.
ELENA IS SEARCHING AROUND FOR HER SHIRT.
ELENA: Where’s my damn shirt?
NOEL: Okay…obviously I’ve said the wrong thing…I’m sorry.
ELENA: That’s pretty much sums it up…you're sorry.
NOEL: (grabs Elena’s arm) Please…sometimes my mouth just runs before it actually connects with my brain.
ELENA: You expect me to buy that?
NOEL: Yeah…I was kinda hoping you would.
NOEL SMILES AT ELENA WHO KEEPS TRYING TO KEEP AN ANGRY FACE BUT EVENTUALLY GIVES IN AND SMILES BACK AT NOEL.
ELENA: All right. That was a gimme. Next time you’re gonna have to work for my forgiveness.
NOEL PULLS ELENA DOWN NEXT TO HIM ON THE BED AND STARTS TO NUZZLE HER NECK.
NOEL: I’m perfectly willing to work for it now. (turns Elena’s face towards his and starts kissing her)
CUT TO TATES DORM ROOM-DAY
ELI IS SITTING IN A CHAIR. JULIE IS SITTING IN TATE’S ARM ON HIS BED.
JULIE: I can’t believe you two broke up.
ELI: Really…I would have thought you would be elated.
JULIE: I never said I wanted you to break up with her.
ELI: No…but you pretty much made me feel like it was just a matter of time before it happened.
JULIE: I’m sorry. So…was it because of Ben?
TATE: Julie!
ELI: No it’s okay. Yeah…inadvertently.
TATE: I don’t understand.
ELI: No…I guess you don’t. I broke up with her because she’s not over Ben…not even close.
TATE: How do you know that?
ELI: Because she can’t stop talking about him and his evil mission to hurt her.
JULIE: I’m sorry…his what?
ELI: She found out that he slept with Megan.
JULIE: (shocked) Megan? Her roommate Megan?
ELI: Yes. She’s convinced he did it just to get to her.
JULIE: She’s probably right.
ELI: Okay…not helping.
JULIE: You’re right…sorry.
TATE: So then…that’s it? No fighting for her?
ELI: Who would I fight? It’s not like she and Ben are together…or even speaking to each other.
TATE: Let me get this straight…you left her because of what you think might happen with her and Ben in the way distant future…or maybe not at all?
ELI: Sounds kind of goofy when you say it.
TATE: That’s because it is goofy. Eli man…don’t submarine yourself…go tell her that you're sorry.
ELI: You think I should?
JULIE: I’m not too sure about that.
TATE: Don’t listen to her…just go.
ELI: You're right. I let my insecurity get the best of me. So I was a little jealous…so what.
CUT TO FELICITY’S ROOM-INT.
FELICITY AND BEN ARE INSIDE SITTING ON HER BED.
BEN: So are you gonna tell me what happened or not?
FELICITY: Can’t we just leave it at…it’s over.
BEN: So is this a permanent situation or one of those temporary…we’ll come to our senses break-ups.
FELICITY: It’s permanent. We are just going to be friends.
BEN: Like you and me?
FELICITY: Are we friends?
BEN: Not so much lately…I’ve had kind of a hard time dealing with things between us.
FELICITY: I know.
BEN: So what does this turn of events mean for us?
FELICITY: For us? Um…I’m not sure.
BEN: What?
FELICITY: I know that’s not what you wanted to hear.
BEN: I’m a little confused here…why did you come after me then?
FELICITY: I didn’t want you to leave.
BEN: Why? What difference would it have made?
FELICITY: Plenty. You would have gone back to your old lifestyle.
BEN: So that’s what this is about. Your sanctimonious mission to save me.
FELICITY: It’s not that.
BEN: Then what. Cause you certainly didn’t run after me to profess your undying love.
FELICITY: I just wasn’t ready to let you go.
BEN: Just exactly how fair do you think this is to me?
FELICITY: Ben…I…
BEN: Well? Answer me Felicity. Do you think this game your playing is fair to me?
FELICITY: I’m not playing a game.
BEN: Yes you are and I think it’s about time we gave it a name. Let’s call it Ben on a string.
FELICITY: I don’t think that’s very funny.
BEN: (visibly upset) Neither do I. So I quit. I’m officially not playing anymore.
FELICITY: What are you saying?
BEN: It’s over…I’m through. We’re not fixing anything here…so let’s just cut our losses and move on.
FELICITY: (starting to panic) Over?
BEN: Yes.
FELICITY: (Voice over recording to Sally) It didn’t seem possible Sally, but for the second time in one day I was being excused from someone’s life. Only this time it was Ben…my Ben. I panicked and you know me in panic situations…never a good thing.
FELICITY: You can’t do this Ben.
BEN: It’s done.
FELICITY: So you just plan to shut me out of your life?
BEN: Yes.
FELICITY: I won’t let you.
BEN: You can’t stop this…it’s not your decision.
FELICITY: I know this isn’t what you want.
BEN: I never got the impression that what I wanted was important to you.
FELICITY: Remember Palo Alto Ben? You said you would wait for me.
BEN: And if I remember correctly…you told me not to. So really I’m just taking your advice…finally.
FELICITY: My advice? Don’t blame your decision to leave on me…this is all you.
BEN: It was inevitable Felicity…I see that now.
FELICITY: What’s happened to us Ben? A few months ago we were so sure our futures were destined to be together and now…well now you can’t wait to get away.
BEN: Things change.
FELICITY: Is it really that simple? Do you think it was simple for your grandparents?
BEN: My grandparents? What are you talking about?
FELICITY: I’m talking about the story you told me about your grandparents in Palo Alto. How your grandfather waited two years for your grandmother to come to him.
BEN STAYS SILENT.
FELICITY: I’m not asking you to wait two years…that would be cruel…but please before you decide that whatever we have is over…try and remember how you use to feel.
FELICITY WALKS OVER TO HER DRESSER AND TAKES A BOX OUT OF IT AND WALKS BACK OVER TO BEN.
FELICITY: (Opening ring box) Remember how you felt…when you gave me this.
BEN: My grandmother’s ring.
FELICITY: Yes. I want you to take it back.
BEN: What?
FELICITY CLOSES BOX AND HANDS IT TO BEN WHO PUSHES IT BACK.
BEN: I gave it to you.
FELICITY: (hands box to Ben) Yes…and I will be forever grateful that you did. It meant a lot to me.
BEN: (angry) And now it doesn’t.
FELICITY: No…it still does. But like you said Ben…things change. And when I took that ring…well I believed we had a chance.
BEN: And now you don’t?
FELICITY: The problem here Ben is…you don’t.
FELICITY: (Voice over recording to Sally) So that’s what I mean by the simplest things. Giving that ring back to Ben…Sally I just know it was the right thing to do…but my question now was how would it change things. That ring symbolized so much to me…it symbolized my future. Which now seemed so uncertain.
CUT TO BEN’S LOFT. –NIGHT
BEN IS SITTING ON HIS BED LOOKING AT HIS GRANDMOTHER’S RING. REMEMBERING BACK TO WHEN HE GAVE IT TO HIS ONE TRUE LOVE…FELICITY. BEN PICKS UP THE PHONE AND DIALS.
CUT TO FELICITY STANDING IN FRONT OF NOEL’S DOOR. ELI COMES WALKING OUT OF THE ELEVATOR.
ELI: Felicity…hey. I was hoping you would be home.
FELICITY: Hey.
ELI: So are you going to talk to Noel?
FELICITY: Yeah…I was.
ELI: What’s with the long face?
FELICITY: It’s nothing…just having a bad day.
ELI: About earlier…
FELICITY: You’ve already apologize Eli…it’s not necessary to do it again.
ELI: So then you're okay with our break up?
FELICITY: Yeah…I’m fine.
ELI: (disappointed) Oh.
FELICITY: Don’t get me wrong…I had a really good time being with you…but you were probably right…I still have some feelings to work out where Ben is concerned.
ELI: (trying to mask his disappointment) Yeah…maybe when you’ve done that we can pick up where we left off.
FELICITY: Yeah…maybe.
FELICITY HUGS ELI AND GIVES HIM A KISS ON THE CHEEK.
ELI: Well…I should probably be going.
FELICITY: Okay…thanks for coming by.
ELI: So you’re sure there’s nothing you want to talk about?
FELICITY: No…I can handle it…thanks.
ELI WALKS OFF AND ENTERS THE ELEVATOR. FELICITY TURNS THE KNOB ON NOEL’S DOOR AND ENTERS TO GET SOME FRIENDLY ADVICE. AS FELICITY ENTERS ELENA DUCKS UNDER THE COVERS OF NOEL’S BED.
NOEL: Don’t you knock?
FELICITY: Oh my god. I’m so sorry. I’ll just go now…I’m so sorry.
NOEL: (Concerned) Wait. (under covers Elena pinches him) Ow. (reaches under and pinches her) Is everything okay?
FELICITY: No…but really Noel…we can talk about this some other…less naked time.
NOEL: Okay.
FELICITY: (mouths to Noel) Who’s under there?
NOEL: It’s…um…it’s…no one.
HEARING THESE WORDS ELENA THROWS COVERS BACK OFF HER HEAD AND TURNS TO NOEL.
ELENA: (angry) NO ONE! So that’s who I am to you no one!
FELICITY: (completely shocked) Elena?
NOEL: I mean…Elena. (to Elena) forgive the no one comment I panic in embarrassing situations.
FELICITY: Speaking of embarrassed…I really should be going.
FELICITY EXITS NOELS ROOM.
CUT TO BEN’S LOFT.
INT. BEN’S ROOM.
BEN: (into phone) Hi grandma…it’s Ben. I’ve been good. Yeah…I called because…well…I really need some advice.
SALLY: (Voice over recording to Felicity) Dear Felicity…time brings change…but change isn’t necessarily bad. I know the thought of rebounding back into Ben’s arms is frightening to you…especially when you view him as your future. The future is always scary because it’s unknown. But as unpredictable as it is you should always look forward because if you live in the past you might miss a promising future. Remember when you were little and all you wanted was to be considered a grown up and not a child? This is the time to strap on your grown up status that you’ve worked so hard for and let whatever happens happen.