When You Thought You Saw It All...


Joey stood there in shock, the door to the apartment still open behind him.

His mouth now gaped open, not sure of what else to say.

Chandler was the first one to come to his senses. "Okay, I know this looks bad..." As he spoke, he gently slid Rachel's leg off of his, trying to regain some of his composure as he'd lost most of it just a few moments before...and it was hard for him to think clearly with her body pressed up against his in such a distracting manner.

He stood up and made his way to the center of the room and continued to explain.

"...But Joey, it was innocent." One hand slid into his front pocket, and he continued to speak, gesturing with the other. "Besides," he said, shifting slightly as he spoke, "It was voluntary on both of our parts."

Joey's eyes snapped over to where Rachel still sat on the couch. "Is this true?" He still sounded incredulous.

She glanced over at Chandler and then back to Joey. She nodded, not willing to trust her vocal chords at the moment, afraid that her voice would crack.

Joey just shook his head in disbelief, and he began to pace, still trying to take in what he'd just seen.

Chandler was at a loss for a moment, but he knew that he had to do something. What had just happened between him and Rachel had been intense...and he'd felt something happen. It wasn't anything that he could really explain, it was just a feeling...a feeling of rightness to what had just happened, to her lips against his own.

To her body against his own.

He shook his head, trying to focus on what was important.

"Okay...so Rachel and I kissed. She's not with anyone, I'm not with anyone..." He kept on racking his brain as to how what they were doing was wrong in any way, because Joey was certainly acting as though it was.

That was when he realized...there was no reason why they shouldn't.

His eyes snapped up to Joey's. Joey recognized the look in his friend's eyes and he rolled his head to one side, upset that he'd figured it out. "Oh, why'd you have to go and think, Chandler, huh? Why?"

Chandler raised a hand, his finger pointed at his friend, and at the same time, Rachel got up from the couch, wringing her hands in front of her. Chandler continued to point as he spoke. "You think it's wrong because, because you want us to be with other people! You never even thought that we'd like each other!"

Joey's eyes dropped, and his voice was defeated as he spoke. "Well...can you blame me? I mean, Ross and Rachel, sure! You and Monica...maybe, maybe not..."

His voice drifted slightly as he thought about that, but then he spoke back up one more time. "But you and Rachel? C'mon! You're killin' me here!"

At that point, Chandler and Rachel both looked confused.

Rachel was the first to respond to this outburst. "Huh?"

Joey quickly explained. "Look, they say that opposites attract, right?" They nodded, following. He continued, first talking to Rachel. "Well, let's say if you and Ross got together, okay? Uhhh...he's obsessed with dinosaurs, and you're not! Uhhh, you're all about fashion and he has no fashion sense whatsoever!"

He gave them a look as if to say, "See what I mean?" and they tried not to grin.

"Oh, oh, and Chandler and Monica! Monica is obsessed with cleaning, and you're a total slob!"

Rachel happened to glance over at Chandler. There seemed to be an unspoken question in her eyes. Chandler shrugged. "Eh, it depends on my mood, mostly."

Joey continued on in his speech. "Oh, and another thing! You hate to play competitive sports, and Monica loves them! See? Opposites attract!"

Chandler tried not to grin as he spoke up. "Uhm, Joey...I will admit, there is the saying that opposites attract, but how are Rachel and I alike in any way?" Joey looked at him as if he was stupid. "Seriously? You don't know?" Chandler shook his head, and Rachel joined him, as she, too, did not see how she and Chandler were not opposites.

Joey thought for a moment.

"Oh, okay, I got it. Chandler, you say you don't read, but secretly your favorite book is Little Women! You hide it under your mattress!"

Rachel looked up in surprise, and then gave Chandler a look while Chandler tried to hide his blush. Joey continued on. "Uhhh...and Rachel! Your favorite men's cologne is Timberline, and that's the only cologne that Chandler wears because it's the only one he can afford!"

She looked up at him in surprise again, while at the same time he looked at her in surprise.

Joey appeared to be thinking once more.

"Oh, oh, oh! Chandler always says that he likes pizza the most, but his favorite foods are Chinese food and sushi! And Rachel sneaks Chinese food and sushi for her dinner on the nights that Monica's working late!" This time Rachel looked over at Joey in surprise, wondering how he knew that.

Joey responded before she even had the breath to ask. "I usually eat your leftovers the morning after, before you wake up, that's how I know!"

He then looked at the two of them, a desperate look on his face.

"C'mon, you two...you're too much alike to like each other! Don't ruin the natural laws of relationships!"

At that point, Rachel spoke up. "Uh, Joey, sweetie...it is possible for two people to like each other because they have so much in common."

He glanced at Rachel, an incredulous look on his face, not quite believing what she was saying. He backed up slightly, casting a glance to Chandler as he did so. He shook his head, a grin appearing on his face. "Oh I see...you two are trying to mess with me, aren't you? Make Joey out to be a fool... Well I got news for you! No one messes with a Tribbiani that way!"

With those words, he bolted out of the apartment, running down the hall.

Rachel and Chandler exchanged a confused look.

A few seconds later, Joey reappeared in the hallway in front of the other apartment door, a sheepish look on his face. "Of course, the party's in this apartment..."

With that, he went in, closing the door behind him, while Rachel and Chandler stood there, completely unsure of what to do.


Part 3/?