This is a one-shot story on my interpretation of episode 10.02 "TOW Ross is Fine".
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They belong to Bright, Kaufman and Crane.
Story Title: TOW Ross is Fine.
Ross climbed the stairs of the apartment building. He was returning a piece of Rachel's luggage that she had neglected to retrieve from the airport. For the past few weeks she had been somewhat distant and snappy. Their conversations were brief and she was often short with him, even when he made suggestions concerning their year-old daughter Emma. For a reason, he could not comprehend; he felt she was either angry with him or had some sort of unresolved problem. Ross opened the door to Joey and Rachel's apartment. He stood there, silent, just staring in disbelief. Joey and Rachel were in the middle of a passionate kiss.
Joey and Rachel noticing it was Ross quickly broke away from their passionate kiss. "Okay, Ross, I realize you didn't expect to walk in and see us kissing, but…let me explain, okay? Joey somewhat nervously replied.
"We weren't doing anything!" Rachel suddenly feeling embarrassed at being caught in the act.
"Rachel, he just saw us. Ross, what you saw was the extent of it. One kiss", Joey by now was feeling embarrassed that he had he not previously informed Ross of their situation?
"Joey, you know that's not true. Have you forgotten Barbados?" Rachel put her hand over her mouth in embarrassment…she had just opened a can of worms.
"Rachel, cool it", Joey informed her, trying to gain some control of the situation.
"Ross, okay, we also kissed in Barbados, but we didn't plan it, okay? And the only reason that that happened was because I saw you kissing Charlie", Joey nervously began pacing back and forth.
"Yeah, you started it! I've got to chill", Rachel replied, glancing over at Joey for a backup.
"Look, we probably should have talked to you about this before it ever happened, but..", Joey was beginning to work up a sweat.
"We feel awful about this, Ross", Rachel compassionately replied.
Ross stood there still looking shocked. How could this be happening? His best friend and Rachel; it was all too much to comprehend at once.
"Ross, say something", Rachel replied, trying to break the silence between them.
"So you two are..?" Ross trying to question how far the relationship had progressed.
"Yes we are. It started in Barbados. Ross, Rachel and I did not want you to find out like this. You have every right to go nuts", Joey knew he would have been going nuts.
"Have you two...is it only physical?" Ross inquired, still pursuing for answers.
"No we have not been together and yes, it's only physical", Joey quickly looked up, stunned by her answer. Rachel, realizing her reply, quickly reversed it to, "We are both really attracted to each other."
"If I would have not walked in here, would you?" Ross felt like he was glued to the floor, but he needed to know.
Joey continued, "Probably. No, No!"
Joey turned to Ross "Listen, if it were me, I would be going nuts with this."
"I'm not going nuts. Do you see me going nuts?" Ross hung his head still in disbelief of the situation he had innocently walked into. His best friend and Rachel, the Mother of his child, how could this be?
"Ross, Joey and I want to know that you are fine with this", Rachel began nervously fidgeting with her fingers.
"Hey... If you two are happy, then I'm happy for you", Ross answered in a somewhat squeaky voice. "I'm fine!"
"Really?" Joey questioned, knowing full well he was not FINE.
"Absolutely, I'm fine", Ross answered in a higher squeaky voice. "I'm fine, totally fine. I was somewhat surprised to see you guys kissing. I mean, at first I was like…but now that I've had time to absorb it, I am absolutely loving it."
"Ross, are you sure?" Joey, looking directly at him, questioned.
"Sure, it's all working out! I just hooked up with Charlie, and now you two. You know what we should do?" Ross proposed. Let's have dinner together…the four of us. Wouldn't that be nice? I'll cook. What do you say?" Ross replied getting louder and squeakier with each word.
Joey asked, "The four of us together. Don't you think that will feel a little weird?"
Weird? What's weird? The only thing weird would be if someone didn't like Mexican food. I'm making fajitas!" Ross replied as he stormed out of the apartment closing the door behind him. Ross closed his eyes and leaned back against the apartment door. He was in shock. Within a few minutes, the shock began to dissipate. Ross began walking down the apartment building's stairs. He could not feel his legs moving.
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Rachel looked at the alarm clock. It was close to 1:00 am, she was still wide-awake. She softly laid her head back on the pillow. The scene between the three of them kept running through her mind like a rehearsal scene repeating itself over and over. Ross's actions when he caught them kissing, proved that he was not fine with her and Joey hooking up as a couple. Rachel questioned her feelings for Joey. She knew she had a physical crush on Joey, but at present did not seem to feel anything more. Joey evidently was still in love with her. Perhaps with time she could develop those same feelings towards him. A gut sensation deep inside of her advised her otherwise.
At the apartment building across the street Ross lay wide-awake. All of his past shared memories with Rachel kept creeping up in his mind. To erase the pain of the earlier situation with Joey and Rachel, he kept reminding himself that he had just begun a new relationship with his counterpart Charlie Wheeler. Logically, Charlie encompassed all the qualities he wanted and desired in a woman. She was beautiful, intelligent and they shared the same a lot of the same passions. The one question that buried that philosophy was…if it was so right, why was he still so upset over Rachel and Joey?
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Joey and Rachel stood in the hallway of Ross's apartment. "May I just say I know we're doing this for Ross, but if it was up to me, this is not what how we would be spending our first date", Joey softly informed Rachel.
Rachel leaning back against the wall curiously asked, "Well, what would we be doing?"
"I'd take you out for a romantic night. Offer you some champagne, a fancy dinner, feel you up on the carriage ride home", Joey sexily replied as he leaned over to kiss her.
Rachel stopping him asked, "Feel me up?"
Joey replied as he again leaned over to kiss her, "Sure, we'll be in a carriage!" After the kiss was over, Rachel shrugged. Her feelings for Joey were still purely physical.
Charlie Wheeler suddenly appeared in the hall.
"Hi, Charlie!" Joey, feeling slightly embarrassed for him and Rachel that his ex-girlfriend suddenly caught them kissing.
"Hey", Rachel answered as politely as she could.
"Hey. Are the two of you dreading this as much as me?" Charlie inquired, feeling somewhat nervous on how the evening would progress.
"You know it" Rachel quipped as she turned to open Ross's apartment door. She looked into the apartment. A few months ago she was here, living with Ross and sharing in the responsibilities of raising their daughter Emma. If the relationship had progressed to the romantic stage, she would not be standing here with Joey.
Ross, somewhat hyper, greeted them "I thought I heard voices in the hall! Hi Charlie!" Ross leaned over and kissed her.
"Hi Joey; Hey, is this your new girlfriend, you must introduce me. Ross was laughing…I'm just kidding, I know Rachel (Ross squeezed her hand) I know. Come in…please come in.
"We brought you some wine", Rachel replied while handing over the bottle to Ross.
"You guys, that is so thoughtful. By the way she's a keeper", Ross replied while looking directly at Rachel.
"Charlie, you brought me something also?" Ross questioned noticing the small bag she was carrying.
"Ross, this is some of Joey's things that I was returning to him."
"Great, we are all moving on, right? I hooked up with you and Joey with Rachel…I'm fine" Ross answered in a high squeaky voice.
"Ross, you seem a little..."
"What? Fine? Because I am! Aren't you? Aren't you? You see? Who else is fine?"
Listen, hey, Ross. Why don't you try to relax? Have a drink", Joey, seeing he was not fine, pursued to calm him down.
"Good Idea. You know what? I'm going to make a pitcher of Margaritas", Ross did a Mexican dance before going into the kitchen.
"The first batch of margaritas was not so great, but the second batch is so gooooood", Ross replied. He was slowly getting wasted.
"Isn't this fun? You know? Just the four of us hanging out together", Ross replied as the oven timer dinged in the kitchen. Ross hearing the dinger got up and began to stagger into the kitchen.
Ross leaned over the stove. He felt numb. The Margaritas did not repress the fact that he was dealing with a nightmare. The alcohol relaxed Ross enough for him to face a realization. He still loved Rachel.
"Ross, are you okay? And when are the fajitas going to be ready?" Joey hollered from the front room.
Ross hearing the request suddenly straightened up into reality. "I'm fine! Hey, I'm great! I'm just.. I'm just proud of us. There's no weirdness, no tension. Ross transferred the fajitas onto a dish and picked them up without any mitts. He felt nothing.
Ross entered the living room carrying the dish of Fajitas without any mitts! "Be careful, very hot plate, very hot plate!"
"Ross, you don't even have oven mitts on!" Rachel instinctively jumped up to help him.
Ross began laughing, "Whoa, this will definitely begin to hurt tomorrow!"
Ross raised his glass, "Everyone? I would like to make a toast to Rachel and Joey."
"L-O-V-E, love. Remember the love we shared Rachel? Ross replied while looking over at her compassionately.
Joey was slowly coming back into reality. The dream of Rachel as his girlfriend was dying a slow death.
"Ross, are you okay?" Joey inquired.
"Why does everyone keep asking that; I'm fine."
Rachel seeing that he was not fine inquired, "Ross, you don't seem to be okay." Rachel by now realized that Ross would never be fine with her and Joey hooking up as a couple. Somehow that was a comforting feeling, realizing he cared and evidently still loved her. She also was aware that Joey would never love her that intensely.
"I'm fine, it must be the pressure of entertaining all of you."
Charlie, beginning to feel uncomfortable informed Ross, "Ross. I - I have to take off."
"No! The fun is just beginning. Please stay, have another drink."
"I have a really early class in the morning, but this has been a lovely time."
"Really? I thought it would be awkward with Joey and that you never really cared for Rachel.
"You're wasted! I'll call you in the morning, okay? Charlie walked over and kissed him on the cheek.
"Go, leave me, see if I care", Ross replied as he staggered back into the kitchen.
"Rachel, what Ross just said that is just so.."
"Don't worry about it Charlie, girls tend to not like me."
"Great! Bye for now" Charlie turned and left the apartment. As she closed the door, she breathed a sigh of relief. She was glad to be free of that emotional mess. No one in the room could deny that Ross was still deeply in love with Rachel.
"Ross, I think I will be taking off also. Joey, I will see you at back at the apartment", Rachel needed to emotionally separate herself the two of them.
"Rachel? We've got plenty of margaritas. The oven timer pinged. "I don't even know what that is for", Ross replied as he again staggered into the kitchen.
"I think I'm going to stick around, make sure he's okay with all of this. I'll catch up with you in the morning" Joey informed Rachel.
Joey and Rachel kissed each other on the cheek. By now, they both knew the inevitable.
Rachel stood motionless in the hallway outside of Ross's apartment. Every emotion she had shared with Ross began to envelop her. He was not fine and neither was she.
Rachel instinctively turned and re-entered the apartment. "Joey, I need you to leave" Rachel demanded. "Why? Joey inquisitively inquired, knowing full well their relationship was over.
"He still needs me."
The End