Joey and Phoebe were unsure of what to do with themselves since their four best friends had left for their respective lives. The two of them met every day at Central Perk but with just two of them, despite being the best of friends, some of the spark had gone out of it.

Then Joey packed up and moved to LA for his acting career. He came to Phoebe's apartment the night before and they ordered Chinese food and some straight-to-DVD TV shows of Mac & C.H.E.E.S.E. Then he kissed her goodbye.

Phoebe suddenly clung to him, unable to let this last piece of her past go. Who did she have without her friends? Yes, she loved her brother Frank and the kids she'd carried but she never felt truly comfortable around their family. She knew his wife Alice thought of her as a rival for the children's affection and one day when Phoebe mentioned in passing that she'd birthed them Alice had taken her aside and told her quite firmly that they had no plans to tell them of their birth right for the foreseeable future.

Joey kissed her back and they stayed like that for a while, bonded. But they'd been here before. Love each other as they did there was no lust there. It was like…well, like kissing her best friend.

So she broke away. 'Don't forget me when you're famous, show-stopper.'

He grinned his lopsided grin. 'I'll send for you. We'll get married and live in a palace. And everyone will bow and scrape to you and do whatever you say.'

'That does sound perfect,' Phoebe admitted. 'I'm gonna hold you to that.'

'I know.'

They looked into each other's eyes and Phoebe's heart tripped up a little. Damn but she was going to miss him.

'Get out of here,' she smiled, blinking back tears. 'You're gonna miss your flight.'

His serious expression slipped into terror as he glanced at the clock. 'Holy crap you're right! Bye Phoebe, remember to call the zoo and check up on the chick and the duck!'

Phoebe smiled fondly after him as he ran out. No-one had had the heart to tell him that Monica had choked the chicken, stuffed it in a pot and cooked it up for Thanksgiving. As for the duck, they had slipped him into the pond in Central Park one day. God knew where he was now.

Phoebe settled back onto the sofa, hands over her stomach. Nearly thirty-three and she was already getting middle-age spread. Gym tomorrow. Definitely. There were some cute guys down there, one of whom had most certainly been eying her up in the café. Phoebe tossed her head with pleasure at the thought. As long as there were guys to snare and customers to massage and, of course, chocolate ice-cream, she was going to be alright.

Joey was missing Phoebe unbearably before he set foot on his flight. She was the only person who could put up with him and his idiocy; how the Hell was he going to survive without her?

'Oh my God it's Dr. Drake Ramoray!'

Automatically, Joey flashed his charming smile at the attractive girl in the other queue. 'He sure is, and he wants to know how you're doing.'

She squealed – but after the initial adrenaline rush that comes from seeing a minor character on your favourite show her interest waned and she turned back to her friends. Joey was left standing there stupidly, smile frozen on his recently fake-tanned face.

'Hey buddy, the queue's moving.'

He jumped and was moving even before he looked back and apologised.

Joey sometimes felt like he didn't fit in the world. He was always a beat behind everyone else, even his best friend Chandler, who with an IQ of 102 seemed to Joey to be supernaturally intelligent.

Phoebe was the only exception. If she'd wanted to she could have steamed ahead at 60 miles an hour…but she always gave him time to catch up, the rare times they snatched one-on-one conversations. Their relationship was pure and platonic – but his heart still ached as he the farther he flew away from his Phoebe.

'Something to drink, sir?'

So suddenly had he been jerked from his reverie that he was rendered utterly insensible and after a few minutes of mindless stuttering as he tried to ask for his favourite beer, the sweet-faced blonde girl smiled beatifically and said 'I'll just come back to you.'

Joey waited. He waited all the way through the five hour flight. Another stewardess tossed a sandwich on his lap halfway through, but the sweet-faced blonde one never came back.