"Really?!" Rachel said with a burst of excitement that was hard to describe.
"What?!" Joey said, with as much gusto and much less enthusiasm. "Whatta mean we're gonna switch the apartments back?!"
"I think…I just think it would be nice since, ya know, Ross abandoned Rachel on a plane to Greece," Chandler said, gesturing with his hands. "I mean, hasn't she suffered enough? She shouldn't have to live in that apartment anymore."
"Yes, yes I have suffered," she said dramatically, nodding to Joey.
"No!" Joey said, bouncing up from his chair and pointing to Chandler. "You said it yourself, we won this apartment fair and square and Monica…"
"She's not here!" Chandler shouted, making Joey step back just a bit and taking Rachel by surprise.
Chandler blinked rapidly a few times, fighting for control. He put his hands on his hips.
"She's not here and…and Rachel shouldn't have to…to live there. It wasn't her idea…it was Mon…Monica's and…she's gone!" he said quickly, knowing his voice was more full of emotion than the situation warranted. "She left us…all…here so we can do whatever in the hell we want and I want to move back across the hall!"
He was breathing heavily now. He turned and looked out the window, crossing his arms in front of him.
He had to get out of there - he just had to get out of her apartment as fast as possible.
"OK," Joey said quietly, tentatively patting his best friend on the shoulder. "OK, we'll move back."
"When?" Chandler shot back quickly.
"I don't know…soon?"
"Tonight," he countered. "Let's just…tonight."
"Chandler…" Joey said, completely at a loss to explain his now-frequently moody friend's latest outburst.
Rachel just stared at Chandler - it really wasn't at all like him to show a temper like this.
"Joey," Rachel said, clearing her throat. "Don't you have a date?"
"Um…yeah," he said, looking at the clock and backing away from Chandler. "Is…is tomorrow OK, man?"
Chandler's shoulders slumped.
"Yeah," he said, turning to his friends and trying to smile a little. "Of course. Yeah, I just…I'm just…over the purple walls."
Joey and Rachel grinned at his attempt at a joke.
"I'm sorry," he sighed, looking down and shuffling his feet.
Joey patted him on the back and shot a worried glance at Rachel. She nodded and Joey turned to leave.
Rachel placed a hand on Chandler's shoulder.
"We can start moving stuff whenever you want," she said softly.
"Yeah?" Chandler's eyes lit up. "That'd be…that'd be good."
She nodded.
"But, can I ask you one question?"
He looked at her, uneasy.
"Yyy…yes."
"Why?"
He stepped away from her and walked over to remove a wall hanging.
"I told you why…"
"No, you gave me a reason, but you didn't tell me 'why'…"
Chandler shrugged.
"It's just time," he said. "It's just time to move on…or have…have everything back the way it was. I…I don't know."
He took down the wall hanging and went for another.
Rachel didn't say anything as she walked to the kitchen and started pulling clean towels out of a drawer and moving items from the shelves, setting everything on the counters.
They worked quietly for a long time, Rachel's mind working overtime.
Something happened in London.
She didn't know what happened, but something had. Monica had acted all weird when she asked her about it, too.
And now Chandler couldn't seem to get out of Monica's apartment fast enough - and it sounded like he was angry with her.
She wondered if they'd gotten into a fight.
"Did you see anything besides the resort in Greece?"
Rachel had been so deep in thought she didn't even see Chandler come into the kitchen as he set some VCR tapes on the foosball table.
"Ha, no," she said, shaking her head. "Their honeymoon suite and the airport. I saw the Parthenon from the plane."
"Ugh," he grimaced, shaking his head.
"Eh, at least the ticket was free," she said, with a wave of her hand.
He chuckled at that.
Rachel grinned.
"So, um, did you see much of London while you were there?" she said carefully, placing silverware in a paper bag. "I only saw the church, the airport of course and, ya know, the Waltham house."
She paused, then added. "I could write a travel guide for these places, huh?"
When she didn't hear the sarcastic comeback she half expected to, she looked up.
Chandler's face had clouded over.
Good God, what had happened in London?!
"Ahhh…no," he said, clearing his throat. "No, not much. I didn't see much…"
Rachel eyed him suspiciously.
"Yeah, I mean, Big Ben, ah…the Globe Theatre," he said, not meeting her eyes. "Ya know, the usual stuff."
"With Monica?"
Chandler froze.
He looked at Rachel and swallowed hard.
He nodded and briefly closed his eyes.
"With Monica…" he said quietly.
Rachel studied his face. She hadn't seen that look on his face since he broke up with Kathy…
Oh my God!
Chandler and Monica?
Chandler and Monica!
Joey had told her that Chandler and Monica had walked around the city the night before the wedding, and that he found Chandler in Monica's hotel room the next morning, but only because Joey was "busy" in their room.
It didn't seem that strange at the time, but now…
Was it possible that Monica and Chandler had hooked up in London?!
Rachel sat down, her gossip-loving mind slowly wrapping around that new thought.
Chandler shot her a bemused look.
"Done enough work already?" he smirked.
"Chandler, talk to me," she said, tugging on his hand.
He pulled it back, the humor leaving his face.
"Wha…what do you want to talk about?"
"Chandler…"
"Look, Rach, there's nothing to talk about OK? Nothing! We saw Big Ben, a palace, the Thames, I mean, that's it," he said in a rush.
"But…"
"No!" he said, his voice raised again. Then he said in a quieter tone. "There is no 'but.' That's it."
He turned then and walked back to the other side of the living room.
Rachel gave his back a frustrated look and sighed.
"'That's it' my ass," she mumbled to herself, randomly throwing spoons into a bag.
###
"Wow, that was fast!" said a very pregnant Phoebe when she stepped into the old Joey and Chandler apartment two days later.
"Yep!" Chandler said, smiling.
"Singing guy is still there!" Joey said excitedly, coming out of his bedroom and heading for the bathroom. All-in-all he was happy to be back home.
Chandler smiled to himself. It felt like normal again.
It felt like normal again…
It felt like normal again…
Maybe if he said it enough it would come true, he thought. Maybe the pit in his stomach would go away.
It had to eventually.
It had to.
"So," Phoebe said, carefully lowering herself on a kitchen stool. "Are you seeing Marjorie again?"
"Yeah," he said with a clap. "Yep. Sure am. Tonight…"
"Oh, that's good!" Phoebe said. "You haven't seen her since you came home, have you?"
"Nope," he said, picking up his briefcase.
"Well, good for you - and do you see a future with her?"
His heart slammed against his chest and he shuddered.
"We've been on, like, six dates," he said, annoyed. "What's with the third degree?"
"Geez," she said, putting her hands up. "I was just asking. Six dates is a lot for you…"
"Thanks, Pheebs…"
"I'm teasing," she said, eyeing him closely. "I'm sure she's a fine woman."
Fine. Yeah, Marjorie was…eh.
"Yeah, fine," he shrugged, stuffing one hand in his pocket, avoiding her gaze.
"Has she stopped screaming in bed, I mean when she's not supposed to," Phoebe said, with a wink.
Chandler winced and shook his head.
"Sounds like true love to me," Phoebe said, rolling her eyes.
Chandler shot her a look.
"As much as I would love to stay here and have you pick apart my love life…"
"Just living vicariously…"
He waved his hand.
"I gotta get to work," he said, picking up his briefcase and heading for the door.
He almost ran into Rachel as he left.
"Hey, Chandler."
"Happy to be back with the purple walls?" he teased.
"Oh, so happy!" she said, as she hugged him. "It's good to be home again!"
He gave her a smile as she brushed past him and into his apartment to check on Phoebe.
She'd left the door open to hers.
He glanced in and saw the French poster above the TV, the green ottoman at the corner of the area rug, the arm of the white couch…
It looked just like it did when Monica still lived there.
He shook his head and smacked his forehead with his hand, cursing himself for thinking changing apartments would make the ache go away.
"Rach," he called, walking over to close her door. "You shouldn't leave the door wide open when you're not there."
"Oh, but I…"
"Just…close it," he demanded and slammed it shut with a bang.
Taking a deep breath he turned toward the landing, leaving Phoebe, Rachel and Joey looking at one another.
Before he started down the stairs he heard a collective gasp and Rachel squeal, "Phoebe!"
He hurried back into the apartment.
"What's wrong?"
Joey squished up his face in disgust as Rachel helped their pregnant friend off the wet stool.
Phoebe was soaked.
"I'm pretty sure my water just broke," she said.
NOTE: They'll be another little break now for a few days. I know I sound like a broken record but thank you so much for your reviews. They mean so much to me. And, yes, I know we still have a long way to go, but the cocky little writer in me is pretty sure you'll think it's worth it in the end. ;) Thank you!