CHAPTER 7 – TOW The Strength of Their Friendship

I don't know how long I've been crying when Jill comes in my room. We've know each other for over a week now and I can tell by her face that she isn't sure whether to approach me or just let me be. She also knows me enough to know that she has to choose the former.

"Hey, are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Nothing." I try to smile. "I'm just watching an old video."

She looks at the video and recognizes the people in it through the photo she saw when we first met. "Your parents?"

I just nod.

"Come here." She hugs me. "I don't know what you're going through, but I can see that you're not okay. You're pretty transparent." She chuckles, trying to make the moment lighter. "But whatever it is, you just have to remember that everything happens for a reason. You may not know what it is right now, but eventually, when you've moved on, or you've healed, or you've accepted whatever it was that happened, you'll come to understand the reason for it. Right now, I can see that it's still sad but you know what that means? It ain't over yet. We always have happy endings, Em. It's the only things besides change that's constant in this world."

Chandler and Monica's

Monica was in total disbelief. What Chandler just told her could not be true. It was too impossible to believe. "That's not true." It took Monica a long time before being able to say something. "You're just telling me that so that I won't get mad at them."

"It's true, Monica. I'm sorry." Chandler couldn't look at Monica after saying his sorry. He didn't know whether it was because he couldn't bear to look at the pain in her eyes or if she didn't want her to see the pain in his.

"No. That's... That can't... That's impossible." Monica believed that it was. There was no way Rachel was sick. She was one of the strongest people she knew. Strong people didn't get sick. Rachel didn't. She couldn't. "I swear, Chandler. I won't get mad at them anymore... just... just take that back... Tell me it's not true... Please..."

Monica slowly sat down, crying. Phoebe, who had been trying everything she could to control her emotions, couldn't hold it in anymore so she, too, started crying. Chandler felt like he had to do something. But it was too much to handle so everything he could do was stand where he was, hating himself for not being able to ease his wife and one of his best friends' pain.

"Monica, I wish I could. But there's nothing else we can do now. I'm sorry."

"Does Rachel know that you already know?" asked Phoebe. She wiped her tears away. But they still kept flowing from her eyes. She couldn't remember the last time she cried this hard. Maybe it was because she'd never cried this hard.

"Joey asked me not to tell her yet. It might make her feel bad and that's not good for her."

"I have to see her," said Monica. She wasn't listening to anything Chandler said. Maybe she was and she just didn't care. Either way, she knew that the right thing to do right now was to see her best friend. "Where is she?"

"Monica..."

"I have to, Chandler. She needs me right now. Please..."

"Come on, Chandler. She's right," agreed Phoebe.

Joey and Rachel's

Chandler, Monica and Phoebe all went together. Joey was surprised that Monica already knew. "I'm sorry, Joe. She has to know."

"Joey..." It was Monica. She knew she had to apologize. "I'm so sorry. I thought..."

"Hey, don't apologize, all right? I understand." He hugged her.

"Thank you. I just... I didn't know... I-is Rachel here?" asked Monica. She wanted to see her but somehow she wished that she wasn't there. She didn't know how to face her. Rachel needed her right now and all she wanted was that if she saw her, she could make things better. But she knew she couldn't do that.

As if she heard her name, Rachel suddenly came out of her room. Everyone was a bit surprised especially Rachel. "M-monica?" She looked at everyone. "Chandler? You guys, what's going on?" No one spoke. "Joey?"

Joey shook his head. "I'm sorry, Rach..."

"Wha—"

Everyone was just standing there, waiting for each other to do something. No one seemed to want to do the first move. Chandler looked at Monica and nodded at her. She got what he meant.

"R-Rach..." Monica didn't realize she could move that fast. She was suddenly hugging Rachel like she'd never hugged her before. "Rachel, I'm sorry." All of a sudden, they were both crying. "I didn't know. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm sorry, Mon. I just didn't want you to go through any of this."

"Hey, I'm your best friend. You know that, right? You can tell me everything... especially this..." Again, they hugged.

"Hey, may I join in there?" Phoebe was crying, too. She went to the other girls and hugged them both.

Rachel looked at Chandler. "Hey, you..."

"Hey..." Rachel hugged him, too. "You're gonna be okay, all right? We're here for you. No one's leaving you..."

While Rachel was talking to Monica and Chandler, Phoebe noticed that Joey suddenly went out of his house. She slowly followed him so that the others wouldn't notice. When she was outside, she saw Joey sitting down on his porch, with his head bowed and hands together, which made him seem like he was praying. "Joe?" Joey looked at her. "Any place for me in there?" Joey made room. Phoebe sat down. "Why'd you go out?"

Joey shook his head. "I just... I didn't know how to be there without ruining the mood. I've never seen Rachel that happy since she found out about... you know." He couldn't even bring himself to say what Rachel was going through right now. Joey looked away, thinking about the way things were before this. That was a whole lot better. He hated why this had to happen.

"Joey, we all feel the same thing about this, okay? It's hard to look at Rachel and not think about what's gonna happen in a few months." Phoebe paused. It was hard for her to say these words but she had to. Joey needed them right now. She breathed deeply before speaking again. "I'm sorry, Joe. I'm sorry that this had to happen. I'm sorry because I know how much you love her... And I'm sorry because I know that it's not just as a friend." Joey was surprised by this. No one else knew but Chandler. "I know. Come on, it's me. I feel these kinds of things." Phoebe smiled. "It's going to be okay, honey."

Ross's

Ross was lying on his bed, just staring at the ceiling. He had no class today. He wanted to visit Monica and Chandler or Phoebe but they weren't home and he couldn't reach any of them. They were probably with Rachel and Joey.

Remembering his wife and his best friend, an intense pain immediately shot through him. He missed Rachel. And the thought of her not thinking about him because she's already with somebody else, somebody else he knew, was excruciating. But he promised himself and his kids that this was not what it's supposed to be. This was not what he wanted. It was painful, all right. It was hard to bare. But Rachel's not only his wife. She was also one of his best friends. And Joey, too. He knew that he didn't want this to be, in any way, the reason for the end of that friendship.

So he stood up, fixed himself and decided to do one thing today... one that would probably change his life forever... one that would make it harder, but somehow better. He went downstairs. His kids were all there again.

"You know what, I don't remember the last time I didn't see you three all together." But he liked what he saw. There were a lot going on in his mind right now but seeing his kids closer than ever made him feel so much better.

"Don't you like it, Dad? We're bonding," said Emma.

Ross nodded then he smiled. "No. That's actually... great. You should keep that up."

"Yeah, we will. Since in about a few days, Ben will be leaving for LA." Ella looked at Ben. She knew Ben had no intentions of saying this to their father yet but she just couldn't keep herself. "I'm sorry."

Ross looked at Ben. "Is that true?"

"Yeah. Gotta get back to work. A man's gotta eat, Dad." Ross just nodded. Ben knew what his father was feeling but he really had to leave. He'd been postponing this for quite a few days now because of what just happened and his bosses at work are already getting ready to kill him anytime soon. "So, going somewhere?"

"Uh yeah."

"Where?" It was Ella.

He actually didn't want to tell them where he was going but he thought that maybe it was better if they all knew. "I'm going to see your Mom."

Joey and Rachel's

The five of them wanted to make this day a lot easier than it really was. So Monica cooked a meal and presented it the best possible way she could. They were all having fun and seemed to forget what was really going on for a few moments.

Rachel looked at her four friends and it made her feel a lot better. But she was very aware that the four most important people in her life are not with her right now. She wanted all of them to be together. But she's done being that selfish spoiled princess she was before. She had to think about them and the best she could do for them was not to tell them the truth.

Suddenly, someone rang the doorbell. Joey stood up and opened his door. He was so surprised because the visitor was the last person he expected to see. It was Ross.