" Oh no, please tell me you didn't!" Phoebe yelled in sheer indignance, upon seeing the state her friend was in. Ross was currently sitting by the sink, with a whole array of tiny liquor bottles littered around him.

" Oh, hey Pheebs, I missed you soooo much!" he blurted out, as he got up and came walking towards her, or that had been the intention at least.

" Okay, easy there tiger, let's get you to the car," the blonde stated, as she caught him in her arms and took away the bottle he was still holding.

" Hey, I wasn't finished with that!" the paleontologist protested, as he watched Phoebe pour the rest of the stuff down the drain.

" Oh, I think you've had quite enough, mister! Now, come on, let's get out of here," she stated sternly, as she began leading him outside.

" The night sky is very pretty, wouldn't you agree?" the paleontologist slurred, once they were fully out in the open air.

" Yeah, yeah, yeah, just keep on walking. We can make plenty of other contemplations about pretty skies later," Phoebe brought out impatiently, struggling to keep him on his feet.

" I love you, you are a great friend, I really don't deserve you, you know… oh god, I can't do this, not now…oooh," Ross whined all of a sudden, seemingly growing more and more sad with every word he uttered.

" Oh… okay, so you go from happy drunk to depressed drunk in one lousy second, huh? So what's next: aggressive drunk?" she asked, once they were both in the cab.

" Oh, you're so mean to me. Why are you being mean? What did I ever do to you?" he managed to get out, right before he started to sob.

" Okay, okay, don't cry, I'm sorry okay, come here," the blonde offered, as she pulled him in for a hug.

" You know, it's worse enough that everyone's leaving me, without you acting all mean," he muttered into her shoulder.

" What are you talking about?! Nobody's leaving you!"

" Yes… yes you all are, Rachel doesn't want me anymore and she took Emma with her to Paris. Chandler and Monica are moving away, with my niece and nephew, Joey's going all the way down to L.A, to really make it as an actor and you're gonna go live with Mike. I… I don't feel at home at Mike's, nor do I feel comfortable in a " family" home in Westchester. I mean, come on: Westchester... what kind of a name is that anyway? I can't… I just can't take it: all these changes," Ross rambled, when he'd finally broken away from his friend.

" Well… I hate to break it to you, Ross, but sometimes things just change and every change feels a bit weird at first, but you'll get used to it. And nobody's gonna leave you, you can visit me and Mike anytime you like and I'm sure the same goes for Monica and Chandler."

" No, no, no, no! I'll tell you how it's gonna go, Pheebs: You're gonna leave me, you're all gonna start up a happy family life and forget all about sad, lonely Ross in the end. Joey's gonna become this big Hollywood celebrity with the busy schedule to go along with it. Rachel's gonna marry some French guy. Mon will only invite me over to her place, because I'm her brother and she pities me. And in ten years, I'll only be known to Jack and Erica, as sad and lonely uncle Ross, who gets really drunk at social gatherings. Lonely…so lonely, I miss Rachel, I want… Rachel, I…I… oh god, this is so hard. Why is this so hard?" the paleontologist brought out, right before bursting out into tears and placing his head down in his hands.

" Oh, oh god, Ross, please don't be like this. Nobody's gonna forget you, I promise, alright? And you'll find someone, not just yet, because you just need to get over this Rachel-business first, but in the end you will," Phoebe cooed into his ear, as she gently started rubbing his back.

" No, I won't, what woman would possibly want me? I'm a big, whiny geek with anger issues, who shows women slides of fossils on first dates," her friend muttered, into the palms of his hands, as he shook his head.

" Yes… yes you are, but hey: someday someone will love you in spite of all that, believe you me," the blonde retorted, almost cruelly honest.

" Oh my god, you're not even denying it, Jesus Christ, I'm an idiot, I'm a big fat, unattractive idiot, who thought he could just win Rachel over, by keeping her off a plane and confessing her his love! His stupid, pathetic, geeky unrequited love!"

" Hey, don't say that! That wasn't stupid, it was very romantic, heck if it were me instead of Rachel back there and a guy would've said all that stuff to me, I'd stay. You are not an idiot, Ross, you can't think like that. If anyone's an idiot: it's Rachel, for not taking the opportunity to be with a guy who truly and sincerely loves her. For not even considering the possibility to build up an awesome future, with a great guy like you," the masseuse tried, now feeling guilty about making him feel badly about himself again.

" Thanks, Pheebs, but I don't need your sympathy, okay? You can quit it, cause everyone knows I'm stupid, stupid and meant to be alone, for all eternity, I fucking hate this!" Ross yelled, angrily bringing his fist down on the steering wheel.

" Oh, so there's Red Ross, I was beginning to fear he wouldn't show up tonight," Phoebe deadpanned, shaking her head at his whole act.

" Ow!" he winced all of a sudden, as he hurriedly retracted his hand and rubbed at his knuckles. Then, he just shrugged, before attacking the wheel with his other hand.

" Oh, come on, stop doing that! Do you really think hurting yourself is magically gonna bring her back?" his friend inquired on an annoyed tone, while attempting to stop him from doing any more damage.

" No… no I guess not," he muttered lifelessly, hurriedly halting his actions.

" Right and I really think one dumb thing a night is enough, boozy, so grow a pair, get it together and stop crying over things you can't change, cause it's only going to make you more miserable! When are you gonna realize that the past is the past, Ross? Yes, what you and Rachel had was great and yes last night the two of you had a great time, but she rejected you! I know that sounds cruel and harsh, but you have to face facts, Ross! You have to, in order to put all of this behind you. Look, here's my take: you are a wonderful, sweet, funny, smart… and yes even… handsome guy and if that isn't enough for her to return, then she's not very bright. If she's willing to forget all about your past and leave you behind, to start up a career in a different country, she's not in her right mind, because you… you are one of the single most caring, most amazing guys I have ever met."

" You… you really mean that? When you say I'm amazing and all that stuff?" Ross inquired uncertainly, now in desperate need of some confirmation that he wasn't a total loser, after she'd left him.

" Yeah… heck yeah! And you know I believe all that stuff, because I told you once before, remember, when you got cold feet about starting things up with Charlie the science girl?" Phoebe reminded him.

" Yeah, yes I do remember…" Then, he let out a soft chuckle, when something else came back to him.

" What, what's funny?"

" Well… you know, actually you told me that twice before, remember… remember that night in the bar?"

" What… no, no, I don't think…"

" Oh come on, the pool table, we were attempting to take it to the next level, but my foot got stuck in the pocket," he reminded her, knowing she'd recall it, with that little hint.

" Oh, oh yes, I remember now, of course, yeah, oh my god! Wow, that was… like a lifetime ago. I haven't… I haven't thought about that in years," the blonde exclaimed, smiling, when she thought of everything that went wrong that night: him hitting his head against the lamp, twice, the balls getting in the way, which had made for quite an hilarious pun…

" That was so weird, actually… what the hell were we thinking?" she went on, as she kept laughing at the antics of that memorable night. Still not believing the others could've been as gullible, to believe they were really talking about how the surface of the pool table resembled grass.

" Yeah… I don't really know, I was quite drunk and you… you just pitied me, I guess," Ross stated, a bright smile now playing on his lips.

" Hey, you know what I just realized?"

" What?" the paleontologist inquired, while turning his head to face her.

" You're drunk right now and I… I pity you, a little bit. We're in the exact same situation, well… almost at least. Wouldn't want to reenact the last scene of that evening…" Phoebe smiled. It really did feel like they'd gone back in time: him crying over some other woman and her being there to offer him a shoulder to cry on.

" Nooo," he affirmed, chuckling loudly. " That… that would be absurd, you're like… all married and everything now."

" Yeah, married… I'm married to Mike," she agreed, as she held up her hand and showed Ross her wedding ring.

There was a slight pause in the conversation, as both of them pondered over the happenings of that special evening once again. Then, Ross suddenly broke the silence, when he said: " Hey, Phoebe?"

" Yeah?"

" Just between you and me, can I confess something?"

" Sure go ahead, I've got no one better to listen to, anyway."

" Okay… so this may sound stupid, totally inappropriate even, but… after we… you know… had that little… encounter on that table, I did wonder… what it would be…" Ross began in an almost squeaky voice, stopping for a second to swallow the large lump in his throat.

" what it would be like, to… you know… actually do that… with you," he continued, keeping his gaze firmly fixed on his knees, too embarrassed to make eye-contact with her, while admitting to his little fantasies, in which she'd been playing a lead role.

" You did, huh? Well, that's not stupid, a little inappropriate yeah, but not stupid, cause you know: I'm a very attractive and sexual human being."

" That's right," he muttered in a more confident tone, only too glad that she hadn't started yelling or something, at his little revelation.

" I thought about you back then too, you know. You sexy, little dinosaur-guy, you," the blonde suddenly threw back, in a playful, flirtatious fashion, as she poked him in the stomach.

" You… you did, huh?" he asked, a sly grin now gracing his features, while he moved his head up to face her.

" Oh, hell yeah. It was a real shame we never got to finish that actually… Who knows how good it could've been? I mean I know I'm good… and I always assumed you to be quite talented, from the stories Rachel told me."

Ross only nodded, then declared: " Yeah, you know, I think it would've been good, I think it would've been something, but I guess we'll never really know…"

" No, we'll never know," Phoebe whispered, while looking at his face… his handsome face.

" And that… that's just fine," her friend suddenly stated, rather hurriedly, seemingly noticing the odd shift in the atmosphere.

" Yeah, totally fine!" she agreed, as she tried to look anywhere, but at him.

" Totally, totally fine," Ross proclaimed strongly, suddenly having trouble with the mere fact of seeing Phoebe as his friend again. In the past five minutes, it was almost like she'd become this… alluring, unattainable object. A forbidden fruit that he couldn't have, but at the same time: a piece of fruit that he couldn't wait to taste. ' No Ross, what the hell are you thinking? Jesus Christ, she's married, you weirdo and you're in love with Rachel, RACHEL! The MOTHER of YOUR CHILD! You're just confused, as a result of all the booze you drank!' he inwardly scolded himself, clenching his eyes shut in the process.

" What are YOU thinking about?" the blonde inquired, slightly amused when she saw the weird face he was pulling. Ross said nothing for a while, then slowly flipped around to gaze into her eyes, hazel meeting green, as if for the first time.

" You," he finally admitted softly, the simple word warming Phoebe to her very core.

Seeing that captivating look in her eyes, he couldn't help but gulp, before he asked: " What… uh… wh…wha..what were you thinking about?"His friend only smiled in response, then slowly moved her lips to utter one single word, that really said it all.

" You," she whispered, before they both shot forward, lips meeting in a drunken haze of sheer lust and desire.