It's the next morning, well, nearly the next afternoon. Monica and Sandra are chatting in the comfortably modern living room of Sandra's house. Rachel enters, obviously just having woken up.
"Oh good, sweetie, you're awake. Monica came by to take us to lunch."
"Lunch?"
"Yeah, sleepy head. It's almost noon," says Monica as though she were sixteen, not forty.
"Oh yeah, I was up late, thinking."
"About?"
"Ohh, lots of different things."
Having just been discussing matter with Monica, Sandra asks the question on both of their minds, "and how did things go with you and Ross last night? When he picked Emma up, he said he needed to talk to you later. Sounded pretty serious."
Monica, knowing Ross, Rachel, and, well, Ross and Rachel better than anyone, immediately assumes the worst. "What did you do?"
Rachel, unsurprised by the tone of her best friend's question, replies, "Nothing. Things went great. There are no hard feelings between us. We had a great time. We talked. We laughed. We kissed."
Monica, fears confirmed, snaps, "You kissed him!"
Rachel, still basking in the glow of the recollection, answers, "Actually, I'm not sure who kissed who first. We were out on the porch, just talking. One thing led to another and it just…happened."
Monica, shifting into her well-practiced firm yet loving mother mode, states the obvious, "Things have a really bad habit of just happening with you and Ross. And when they do, you guys usually aren't the only ones who get hurt. You always manage to drag some other unsuspecting person into it."
"Yeah, ok, I admit, in the past, our relationship has been a tad bit messy."
"Just a tad," Monica admonishes with sarcasm her husband would admire.
All girlish dreaminess now gone, Rachel replies with resolution and a touch of sadness, "But, this is different. There is no relationship and there's not going to be. We talked about it and we agreed. He's with Julie and that's how it's going to be. This was just one kiss, nothing more."
"Uh huh, and what happened after this kiss?"
"Ross got a little panicky, said he had to go, and ran off. I'm sure that's what he wants to talk about. He wants to make sure I know that it can't go any further, that it was a mistake."
"And you know it was?" asks Monica, still in Mom mode. Satisfied by Rachel's nod of assent, she continues, "Good, that's very mature of you. And now, how long will it take you to get ready for lunch?"
"You know better than to ask me that. Oh, Mom, is Dad back from that medical conference yet?"
"I think he gets back tomorrow, sweetie, why?"
"Oh, I think I've got a plan and I need to talk to him about it."
Monica, having made the transition from mother back to friend, kids, "Uh oh,
folks, she's got a plan. Are you going to enlighten us?"
"All in good time. All in good time."
Monica and Chandler's house. It's mid-afternoon, but the lights are out and the curtains drawn providing darkness. Monica, Rachel, and Sandra enter the front door.
"Uhh, Mon, I thought we were going out to lunch?"
"We are, but I thought we could do some shopping afterwards, and I wanted you to look through my closet first."
"Uggh. Just make it snappy. I'm starved. And how about some lights?"
In answer to Rachel's question, the lights come on revealing a living room full of people all shouting surprise. Among some unknowns, are Ross, Emma, Chandler, young Jack, Erica, Jack and Judy Geller, Dr. Green, Phoebe and Mike, Carol, Susan, and Ben. To Rachel's pleasantly shocked expression, Monica says, "We didn't feel like we'd had a chance to properly welcome you two."
Ross adds, "and there were a bunch of people who really wanted to see you."
Dr. Green now steps forward and, hugging Rachel, exclaims, "Sweet Pea!"
"Hi Daddy. I'm so glad to see you."
"I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever see you again."
"You could have visited, you know."
"Ahh, you know how I feel about the French. (punctuated by a roll of his eyes) Doesn't matter, you're here now. Course, you could have told the old man you were coming."
"Sorry Daddy, it's…complicated."
"Things always have been with you my dear. Now, guess I should get out of the way and let these other people see you."
"Ok, Daddy, but don't go too far. I really need to talk to you about something."
Dr. Green nods on his way to the bar. Carol and Susan come up and hug her. Ben, now taller than Rachel, stands shyly away.
"Welcome back, Rachel," says Carol.
"It's good to see you," adds Susan.
"Aww, thanks you guys. Say, where's Ben?"
"I'm right here."
"You couldn't be Ben. He's just a little guy," Rachel kids. On seeing the hurt look on his face, she shifts gears, "Just kidding. Look at you, all grown up and handsome. You'd better get over here and give me a hug." He hugs her with an expression only a teenage boy could muster. Total embarrassment mixed with the realization that his "Aunt" Rachel feels so very nice to hold. "Man, I barely recognized you. You just can't be fourteen, or taller than me. It's just not right."
"Tell me about it," sighs Carol with a roll of her eyes. "Doesn't seem right that Emma's six, either."
"You're telling me," says Rachel in similar fashion.
Caught up in discussing the apples of their mutual eyes with Carol, Rachel doesn't notice the middle aged yet oddly childlike Italian guy behind her. Until, that is, he exclaims, while grabbing her in a bear hug which lifts her off the floor, "RACHEL!"
"JOEY…Put me down!"
"Oh, sorry."
He puts her down. She turns and pulls him into a less extreme hug.
"God, Rach, it's so good to see you."
"It's great to see you too, you big movie star. Glad you could make time for me."
"Are you kidding? I'd have been here a lot sooner if someone had told me she was coming."
"Yeah, well…"
"It's cool, I understand. Must have been some shock to find out he's getting married, and to Julie of all people."
"It was a shock. Course, it was more of a shock finding out you were getting married period."
"Oh yeah. Hey, you've got to meet Allison. Hey Al," he calls to a woman who approaches them. She's very pretty, in that girl next door way. However, you can tell there's a lot more to her than the average Joey girl.
"Rach, I'd like you to meet my fiancé, Allison. Al, this is Rachel."
"Pleasure to finally meet you Rachel. I've heard so much about you."
Just like old times, Rachel shoots Joey a questioning glare and receives the pure innocence act in return.
"Well, it's good to meet you too. I'm sorry to say I haven't heard much about you at all. But, if Joey likes you, I bet I will too."
From across the room, Ross watches the exchange with an oddly familiar look on his face. Chandler notices and walks up to him, teasing with the love of a brother, "Uh oh."
"What?"
"You've got that old look in your eye again, man."
"What look is that?" asks Ross acting innocent, though he knows too well what look Chandler is referring to.
"Oh, you know, the that's Rachel. She's so beautiful, and smart, and funny, and I love her so much look."
"You're crazy."
"Am I?"
"Well…"
All kidding aside now, "Listen man, you're not thinking about going down that road again, are you? I mean, breaking up with Julie to go after Rachel, again?"
"No…I mean…(firmly) no. I'm with Julie. I love Julie. (less sure) But Rachel's so great. I mean, last night, being with her again was so…comfortable. Laughing, talking, kissing."
"Oh god, you kissed her?"
"Well, I don't know if I kissed her, or she kissed me. It just kind of happened."
Chandler looks down and replies with relief, "Uh, no. Ok, good."
"Huh?"
"I was just making sure I wasn't wearing a sweater vest because I've got some serious Déjà vu going on."
"Chandler"
"Alright man, listen, you know I love you like a brother, and I'll stand behind whatever you decide, we all will. But, I've got three pieces of advice for you. First, think carefully about you and Rachel's past. I mean, I've always wanted you two together again, but your track record is…not good. Is it worth breaking Julie's heart again just to take another ride on the Rachel Coaster?" Ross looks to say something, but Chandler stops him. "Let me finish. Second, if there is any doubt in your mind, do not walk down that aisle. We do not want a repeat of Emily. Third, this is all the advice I have to give you, so leave me out of it from here on. I don't want to be responsible for another list fiasco. Alright?"
"Alright, I know. I've got to figure it out, and fast."
