CHAPTER 3 – TOW The Friends to the Rescue

"How dare they do that to my brother? What the hell were they thinking?"

It was the next day. Monica was having lunch with Chandler and Phoebe at a restaurant. She was more furious than she thought she ever could. Rachel's her best friend. They'd been through a lot together. But she didn't think she could ever forgive her for what she did to Ross. Thinking about how mad she was at him when he slept with someone else years ago, she never thought that Rachel would do this to her brother.

"I mean, they have kids! And Ross loves her so much. I thought she felt the same way. Turns out she's still that bitch she was when we were just in high school."

"Monica," interjected Phoebe. "I don't think that's fair."

"Fair? This is not unfair, Phoebe! They're the ones who are unfair! You didn't see Ross. You didn't see how miserable he looked. You think it's easy for me to see my brother that way?"

"I know and I understand where your anger's coming from. But Monica, we don't know what's really going on here. It's not right to immediately jump to conclusions and let your anger blur your judgment."

"Rachel admitted to Ross that's she's having an affair. She told him that it's with Joey. What else do we still need to hear from her?"

"I don't know. It's just..." Phoebe paused for a bit, looking for the right word to use for what she was thinking. "It seems unreal. I don't think Rachel and Joey would do something like this."

"But they already are!"

"No, look. Remember the first time when Joey fell in-love with Rachel? How he didn't want to do anything about it because of Ross? Because he was thinking about what he might feel? Now, why would he do that same thing he didn't want to do before, now that Ross and Rachel are already married, now that they already have a family? And Rachel... she gave up a lot of her dreams to be with Ross. Why would she waste all that by ruining her family now?"

Monica didn't speak. She knew Phoebe had a point. But it was still not enough to convince her that something else was going on. That Rachel and Joey weren't betraying her brother. "People change, Phoebe... even the best ones."

Chandler was just listening to both of them. He decided not to say anything because he wanted to agree with Phoebe. He knew Joey too much and he knew that he would never ever do something like this. He cared about his friends and the last thing he would want to do is to hurt them. But he didn't want to pick up a fight with Monica. He knew her enough to know that he better shut up.

Joey's

Joey came out of his room and saw a note that Rachel left. "Goin' out for a bit. I'll see you later." He was starting to get worried about her because clearly, she wasn't fine. He could see how much she missed her kids, her old life. But he knew that she needed to choose this life because it was for the better. It was for everyone else's sake. He loved Rachel so much and the last thing he wanted her to feel was this. And it hurt him that he couldn't do anything to ease her pain.

Suddenly, there was a knock. He opened the door. It was Chandler. "May I come in?"

Joey didn't answer. He knew why he was there. Chandler probably knew it by now.

Chandler was just looking at him for quite a few seconds before speaking. "Please tell me that nothing about what I know is true."

"I know you're all probably mad at Rachel and me right now. And I understand. But if you're here to ask for my apology, you won't get it. Because I'm not sorry, okay?"

"How about Ross? And their kids? For chrissakes Joey! Do you know what you're doing? I know how much you love Rachel. I know that she's the reason why you never got married... but that is not enough reason for you to do this!"

"Look, you don't understand. There's a lot you don't know. I don't want you to hate me but I'm doing this for Rachel."

"Joey, Ross is miserable..."

"I know, and I feel terrible! But there is nothing I can do now."

"End this!"

"I can't. I love Rachel more than anybody in the world, Chandler..."

Chandler kept shaking his head. This is not Joey. It was never like him to put his feelings before others. Obviously, he was now. "I just hope you don't regret your decision, Joe."

"I won't."

"You know before I came here... I was so sure that you'll prove me right... that I know you too well to know that you wouldn't ever do something like this. But I was wrong..."

When Chandler left, Joey took a deep breath and let out a sigh. If only they understood, it would be a whole lot easier.

Back to present time...

"Promise me you'll take care of yourself." It's probably the millionth time Dad said that to me. Usually, I would be annoyed, but this time I find it really sweet. As much as I hate to admit it, I know I'm gonna miss him so much.

"I promise, dad. Don't worry about me. I'm tougher than you think." I had to kiss him to let him know I've gotta get moving. "I better go. I'm gonna miss you."

"We'll miss you, too."

I hug my sister and brother who're supportive enough to be there before I leave. I get in my car and give them one last look before driving off to college... and go back to remembering those days I've been wanting to forget since it started.

Ross's

Emma was inside her room, staring at nothing when her phone rang. "Hello?"

"Emma?"

The voice Emma heard made her heart jump. She wasn't expecting this. She'd been wanting to see her mom for a really long time now and this phone call was enough to make her feel better.

"Mom! Hey, where are you? I miss you so much... please come home..." Rachel didn't talk but Emma could sense that she was crying. "Mom? Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine, honey... I just... I miss you, too. Will you come see me?"

Emma immediately went to where Rachel told her she was. When she saw her, she went and hugged her so tight. After their hug, she didn't fail to notice that her Mom looked worse than she ever saw her.

"Mom, what's going on? Why aren't you home?"

They sat down before Rachel answered. "Honey, I know that things have been hard for you and your sister and brother, and I'm really, really sorry."

"Mom, you don't have to worry about us, okay? We're the ones who are so worried about you and dad. Dad's been drinking every day since you left. He looks like a mess. And honestly, you look awful, too." Emma noticed that Rachel looked away as she mentioned Ross. "Mom?" Rachel looked at her looking like she already knew what she's about to ask. "Are you and Dad getting a divorce?"

It took Rachel a little while before answering. "Yes." Emma bowed as she said the word. "Emma, look at me." When she did, Rachel saw that she was already crying. It hurt her because Emma rarely did this in front of her. Emma's a lot tougher than she was when she was her age and to see her this vulnerable was one of those things she never wanted to happen. She started to cry, too. "You know that whatever's happening with your dad and me, we still love you very much, right?"

Tears just kept rolling from Emma's eyes as she tried to gather herself. "But, you guys... I mean, why? Nothing's even going on with you two!"

"Honey, there's a lot you don't see. And it's not your Dad's fault, okay? I've been thinking about this for a really long time now. It just... doesn't feel right anymore..."

"How can this not feel right? Mom, you loved each other so much..."

"And we still do... very much... But sometimes, love is not the only thing that makes a marriage work, Emma."

"Mom, love is the only thing that can make YOUR marriage work. You and Dad have been best friends for a really long time now. You've gone through a lot to make things work for you, why give up now?" Emma was starting to cry again.

Rachel didn't want this conversation to reach this point but she thought it was the only way she could convince Emma that it's really not going to work with Ross anymore. She knew that her daughter would hate her for this but she had no other choice.

"I'm seeing someone else, Em..." Emma just stared at Rachel for what she said. Rachel's tears kept rolling from her eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to happen. To hurt your Dad was the last thing I wanted to do..."

Emma didn't talk for a while to let what her mom just told her sink in her mind. She couldn't believe it. She then started to talk without actually thinking about what she was saying. "With whom?" After taking in what her Mom just told her, Emma couldn't bring herself to look at her anymore.

"That doesn't matter anymo—"

"It does!" Emma saw that her Mom was startled for her sudden raise of voice but she didn't care. She realized she had never been this mad. All her life, she looked up to her Mom more than anyone else in the world. She thought she was so strong for starting her life all over again, alone, after everything she got used to when she was young. She never saw her Mom as someone who would ever screw things up. She never saw this coming and it hurt her that she saw wrongly. "Who are you with now?" Emma couldn't even call Rachel 'Mom' anymore.

Rachel tried all she could to hold back her tears but she just couldn't. "Emma, you have to underst—"

"Understand? You want me to understand? If you're divorcing Dad because you have problems that you can't solve anymore, fine! Maybe I'll try to understand! But this?" Both remained silent for a few seconds. "Who?"

Rachel decided that Emma wasn't going to let this go. "It's Joey." Rachel had never felt this pain her entire life. That look on her daughter's face, like she regretted having her as her mother was more painful than anything she had ever felt. "I'm so—"

But Emma didn't give her any chance to finish her apology. She stood up, left, and never looked back.

Joey's

Rachel had been gone for hours and Joey was starting to get worried. Even though this was already happening every day since she moved in, her being gone and not getting back for like a million hours, Joey still hadn't gotten himself to get used to it. He was starting to dial his phone to call her when there was a sudden doorbell. He went up to get the door. It was Phoebe.

"Hi."

Joey just let her in and didn't say anything because he knew why she was there. She was going to question him again for what was happening, just like what Chandler did.

"How're you doing?" asked Phoebe.

"I'm fine."

"Where's Rachel?"

"She went somewhere." Joey was not in the mood to fight over this stuff right now so he thought that it would be better if he just said his side and let Phoebe go. "Look, I know why you're here, all right? I appreciate you coming but I'm just so tired of defending ourselves to people who will never understand why we're doing this."

"Can you stop for a while?" Joey did. "I don't know what went on here before I came but I'm not here to 'question' you or whatever you think I'm going to do, okay?"

"What?"

"Look, I don't know what's going on aside from the fact that everything and everyone seems to be all messed up. But Joey, we have been friends for a really, really long time now. The six of us have been through a lot. I know you and Rachel. And I know that you wouldn't do something like this."

"Something like this? What are you—"

"This affair thing... I just can't picture it. I can't. I'm sorry, but I know how much Ross loves Rachel. She cannot and will not ever do this to him. And you, too! Something's not right and I want to help. What's really going on, Joe?"

"Phoebe, everything you've heard is true."

"I don't believe you."

It took Joey a really long time before deciding to speak. He knew that this is not what Rachel told and wanted him to do. But he knew Phoebe too well. She's not letting this go. And he needed this for himself, too. It was killing him and he didn't know any other way to continue holding on.