A/N: This is a fusion with Stephen King's novel Cell. It does not include characters in the Joey spin-off.

Disclaimer: I don't own Friends or any of the characters mentioned in this story.

May 2004

"Hey, you know what I just realized?" Phoebe said after she and the gang got their drinks and settled down in their usual seats at Central Perk. "This moment, right here… Kind of a huge deal! I mean, we're probably not gonna be together like this in a while, right? This could very well be our last time here together, all six of us."

The others thought about that for a moment, then, almost as one, said, "Nah."

"Don't worry about it, Pheebs," Chandler said. "We'll come back for all of you."

"So will we," Ross said, leaning over to kiss Rachel.

"That's still a little weird to watch, by the way," Monica pointed out.

"Well, I'm not worried about you two," Joey said, gesturing to Ross and Rachel, then to Monica and Chandler. "It's them who'll probably go away forever."

"What, so now that we have everything figured out and our futures are secure, that means we're gonna forget where we came from?" Chandler asked. "We may be smug and self-assured now, but we'll still be your smug and self-assured friends."

"Y'know, Joey does have a point," Rachel said. "I mean, we really are very happy for you two, but what with the twins and the new house and everything, who knows when we'll ever see you again?"

"Come on, have a little more faith in us," Monica said. "I'll tell you what: we will come back every other Saturday to spend some time with all of you. Promise."

Chandler nodded. "Yeah, I mean, it's not like we're moving to Yemen. And the kids have been great so far." He reached over and put his hand on the stroller. "Okay? We'll be here as much as we —"

Just then, Jack and Erica both woke up and started crying.

"See ya!" Chandler said as he and Monica jumped up and ushered the kids outside, leaving their coffee mugs still full to the brim.

"And so it begins," Rachel said as she leaned her head back onto Ross's shoulder. "Looks like it'll just be the four of us from now on, huh?"

"Oh my God, Mike!" Phoebe said, getting up even before she'd gotten halfway through her own drink. "I told him I was coming home early tonight because, well…" She started staring off into space, clearly thinking dirty thoughts. "You know."

After she left, Joey shifted around a little in his seat, glancing over at the recently re-reunited couple. "Yeah," he said awkwardly. "I should, uh, go check on the birds. Make sure they didn't get stuck in the entertainment unit, or something. Later." Soon enough, he was gone too.

"Hm," Rachel said, smiling as she intertwined her fingers with Ross's. "That makes it just the two of us. But I'm not going anywhere. Are you?"

"Nope," Ross said, kissing the top of her head. A second later, his face fell. "Uh, actually..."

"What? What is it?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I've just gotta go to the bathroom." He wriggled out from under her and stood up with a rejuvenated, bouncing sort of energy. "I'll be right back," he promised. "Stay right there, okay?"

"Okay," Rachel said, laughing out of sheer relief, and he beat a hasty retreat toward the back of the shop.

Gunther came over and, to his credit, didn't mention anything about having professed his love for Rachel earlier that day. Instead, he appraised all of the full coffee cups on the table and said, "Where'd everyone go?"

"Oh, don't worry," Rachel told him. "They'll be back. Don't start handing out that 'reserved' sign yet."

He gave her a curious look. "Weren't you supposed to go to Paris?"

"Yeah, yeah I was," Rachel said as he started picking up the drinks and putting them on his tray. "But I think, you know, it's best if I stay here. I still get to see my family, my friends… And, most importantly, Ross and I are finally going to work things out."

"You chose him over Paris?" Gunther muttered as he carried the cups away.

Rachel heard him and thought, Oh, what does he know? I did make the right choice. I did.

... Did I?