The Choices We Make; The Roads We Take
MoshPit
A/N: In order to fully understand this fic, you must have seen "TOW all the Kips", since the incident this revolves around is mentioned and forgotten in this one episode. If the title is unfamiliar, it's the episode where this exchange happens:
Rachel: You gotta come with me.
Phoebe: Come where?
Rachel: Where ever I go. Come on, you and me. We'll – we'll start a new group. We're the best ones!
Phoebe: Okay, but try and get Joey, too
Some people say that for every choice you make, a separate universe is created, where everything is altered based on that one choice. Why not take a look at what may have been, in another time.
~(*)(*)(*)~
12:00 a.m.-
A doorway squeaks open, and a figure creeps out into his darkened apartment. The room is silent, the peace broken only by the lights and sounds of the city below. The figure makes his way across the room. A thud, followed by a light curse, is heard, as the figure bangs his knee against the kitchen counter.
Hastily, he scribbles a message on the magna-doodle.
"I've got my cell. Call me."
Without a look back, he leaves his life behind.
12:05 a.m.-
A single tear, one of many, traces the trail of the tear before it down her face. It ends where the others before it all have; on a picture of her and her friends. Shadows of fear and doubt had been lurking in her mind all day. Was this for the best? How could she just leave? Could they ever forgive her? Would they forget her?
She quietly and carefully places the picture back on the table where it came from. She crosses the floor, leaving a note near the phone. Taking deep breaths, she opens the door. He's there, waiting for her, bag over his shoulder and goofy smile on his face. He takes her hand in his, and they leave their world forever.
12:10 a.m.-
They sit together on the sidewalk in front of what used to be their building. They are silent as they sit side by side, hand in hand. Headlights are seen as a taxi approaches. It slows to a stop in front of them.
A blond sticks her head out of the driver's window. "Going my way?" she asks, winking at them knowingly. The two enter the vehicle.
An engine revs; taillights fading in the distance; three friends are lost forever.
7:15 a.m.-
Monica poked her head out of her bedroom. Someone was pounding frantically on her door. Tying her bathrobe, she made her way to the door. There stood Chandler, still in his pajamas with a worried look on his face.
"Chandler! What are you doing? You'll wake up Rachel."
"Joey's gone." Monica eyed him curiously.
"Gone?"
"Gone! Left! Vamoosed! Disappeared! Not here!" He crossed to Rachel's room and banged on her door. No answer. Chandler raised and eyebrow and tried again. He looked to Monica for guidance. She timidly rapped on the door before entering. She quickly rushed out, hands over her mouth.
"Rachel's gone, too."
"Well, what do we do?"
"I – I – I don't know," she started, heading for the phone. "We call Ross, or Phoebe, or – or – or… oh." She stopped, picking up a piece of paper lying by the phone. Her hand flew to her mouth. Chandler rushed to her side.
"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" Monica handed him the tear-stained paper.
Dear Chandler, and Ross, and Mon,
I am so so sorry. I know I should be the bigger person here, and never see Ross again, or find some way to deal with Emily, but I can't. I just can't, and I'm sorry. So I'm leaving. Joey and Phoebe are coming with me, for moral support.
Don't think I'm leaving because I hate you guys. I love you three more than I love my own sisters. I love you, and I am going to miss you all so much. Please don't be angry.
Love,
Rachel K. Green