The Pact, Part Eight
"The Art of Marriage"
"Hey," Chandler said, noticing Monica and Rachel for the first time since they had entered the shop.
"Hey," Rachel smiled, "You guys ready?"
Chandler signed something to Elaina, and she looked up at the women, and nodded.
"Okay," Chandler said, as he picked up the mess that Elaina had created, "Let's go."
Chandler, Monica, Rachel and Elaina met the others outside of the toy shop. The group headed back to Greenwich Village, and settled at Central Perk.
"Mike and the kids are gonna swing by, and we were thinking that maybe we could all go to the zoo or something," Pheobe said.
"Oh, that sounds good," Monica said.
"Okay, yeah," the others agreed quickly.
They chatted for another 20 minutes, and for a while, it felt like old times. The tension between Ross and Rachel seemed to be less noticable, something that Monica silently attributed to Emily's absence. The tension between Chandler and Joey seemed to be
gone and forgotten, and everyone seemed to be having a great time. They were still missing their old, tight-knit dynamic though, and that saddened Monica. She knew that it would take a lot longer than one day to right the wrongs of the past, but she really hoped that this time, the physical miles that seperated her friends wouldn't push them so far away from each other in mind and spirit.
Monica's thoughts were interrupted when Mike and the kids entered, and the group stood up and headed out. Elaina jumped off of Chandler's lap and took Monica's hand as they walked out, a gesture that brought tears to her eyes. She swallowed hard to force the lump back down her throat, as they walked out onto the street. She had always wanted children, and the fact that she had none left her heartbroken. The connection that she had made with Chandler's daughter filled her with an unexpected euphoria. Her distant smile faded when she realized that eventually, Chandler and Elaina would fly back to Philadelphia, and she would once again be alone.
She sighed heavily, and shook her head. Her stubborn mind helped force her to enjoy the time that she had with the little girl, and her father.
The zoo was relatively empty, and once inside the park, the group realized that logistically, there was no way that they could all stay together. They all agreed to meet at the food court at one o'clock to eat lunch together. Joey, Phoebe, Mike and the kids took off toward the lion's den, and Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler and Elaina headed to the acquarium. About halfway there, Ross grabbed Rachel's arm, and pulled her back, allowing some distance to form between them and the other three.
"Ross, what the hell are you doing?"
"I wanted to talk to you."
"Why?"
"I just...I didn't want you to think I was blaming you or anything for my fight with Emily."
"Why the hell would I think that?"
"I dunno, I guess..."
"Ross, what you and your little British tart do on your own time is frankly not my concern," Rachel hissed.
"Hey! look, YOU left me, okay? Why are you so mad? I was trying to make peace!"
"By blaming me for your fight!"
"I was telling you that I DON'T blame you!"
"Right." Rachel and Ross had stopped walking, and were now facing each other. Chandler and Monica were so engrossed in their own conversation, that they hadn't even noticed that Ross and Rachel were gone.
"Rach," Ross said, "I just didn't want your feelings to be hurt, that's all."
"Then maybe you shouldn't have slept with the copy girl," Rachel seethed.
**
Joey and Mark were standing over the lion's den, both eagerly awaiting the scheduled "feeding time".
"Do you think they will just let a deer run around in there?" Mark asked innocently.
"Hmm, I dunno," Joey replied.
"Sweetie, this isn't like the Discovery Channel. They aren't going to feed them a live animal," Pheobe said, shooting Joey a look.
"Aw, man!" Joey said, winking at Pheobe.
"You are my Mom's friend?" Mark asked Joey.
"Yeah, me and your mom go waaay back," Joey said.
"Were you her boyfriend?"
"No, no. Just good friends. Best friends," Joey sighed.
"I saw you on tv," Mark said, changing the subject suddenly, as children often do.
"Really? How was I?" Joey smiled.
"You were funny," Mark laughed.
"Really? Cool!"
Phoebe smiled, as she watched Joey bond with her step son. She was happy that he was back, but sad that he would soon be on his way back to California. Although she loved Mike with all her heart, no one in the world understood her like Joey.
**
Chandler and Monica sat on a small bench inside the acquarium, watching Elaina as she pressed her nose up against the glass, trying to get a closer look at the sea life that filled the tank. Chandler smiled. Anytime a fish would swim past Elaina, she would squeal, and giggle with delight.
"I guess she has never seen fish before," Chandler said, laughing as a large fish swam right past Elaina, causing her to jump up and down.
"Really?"
"We don't really get out much," Chandler replied sadly.
"Do you think Rebecca will ever come back?" Monica was hesitant about broaching the subject, but her curiosity got the better of her.
Chandler looked at Monica, and blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected such a blunt question. He sighed, and recovered from the mild shock.
"I used to think she would. That she might come to her senses and see that she has a family who cares about her."
"You don't think that anymore?"
"I don't know," Chandler sighed. "I am not really sure I want her to come back. I mean, I think that Elaina definitely needs a mother, but I am not so sure that Rebecca would...I don't know," Chandler shook his head. He hated thinking about all of this, it made him so sad. He felt like, although he was doing his best to raise Elaina, it wasn't enough. She needed a female role model. She needed a mother. Chandler looked at Monica, who was staring at her feet.
"I guess I am fooling myself, by wearing my wedding band. I wear it because I feel like I should, but it holds no meaning to me anymore." Chandler looked at the band, and turned it on his finger. "I'm about as married as Joey is," he laughed.
"Or I am," Monica said softly.
"Yeah," Chandler said, pulling Monica into a hug.
Suddenly, a Tiger shark swooped past Elaina, causing her to scream, and run from the tank. She ran toward Monica and Chandler, tears streaming down her face. She ran into Chandler's arms, and he hugged her, then set her down, and spoke silently to her for a moment. She seemed to calm down, and once she was settled, she looked up at Monica, and reached out to her. Monica grinned and picked the little girl up, as she and Chandler made their way out of the acquarium.
**
An elderly couple walked briskly past the small patch of bushes and trees that stood next to an empty bird cage in the arboritum. The bushes were rustling wildly, and the couple was sure that a wild animal had escaped from it's cage, and was ready to pounce.
Behind the thick bushes, Rachel pulled herself off of Ross, and tried to catch her breath. She wasn't quite sure what had just happened. One minute she was screaming at Ross, and the next she was making out with him in the dirt. She adjusted her blouse and blew her hair out of her face.
"Whoa," Ross said, as he sat upright, "What happened?"
"I'm not sure, but I know Emily isn't going to like it," Rachel said quietly.
teehee.
"The Art of Marriage"
"Hey," Chandler said, noticing Monica and Rachel for the first time since they had entered the shop.
"Hey," Rachel smiled, "You guys ready?"
Chandler signed something to Elaina, and she looked up at the women, and nodded.
"Okay," Chandler said, as he picked up the mess that Elaina had created, "Let's go."
Chandler, Monica, Rachel and Elaina met the others outside of the toy shop. The group headed back to Greenwich Village, and settled at Central Perk.
"Mike and the kids are gonna swing by, and we were thinking that maybe we could all go to the zoo or something," Pheobe said.
"Oh, that sounds good," Monica said.
"Okay, yeah," the others agreed quickly.
They chatted for another 20 minutes, and for a while, it felt like old times. The tension between Ross and Rachel seemed to be less noticable, something that Monica silently attributed to Emily's absence. The tension between Chandler and Joey seemed to be
gone and forgotten, and everyone seemed to be having a great time. They were still missing their old, tight-knit dynamic though, and that saddened Monica. She knew that it would take a lot longer than one day to right the wrongs of the past, but she really hoped that this time, the physical miles that seperated her friends wouldn't push them so far away from each other in mind and spirit.
Monica's thoughts were interrupted when Mike and the kids entered, and the group stood up and headed out. Elaina jumped off of Chandler's lap and took Monica's hand as they walked out, a gesture that brought tears to her eyes. She swallowed hard to force the lump back down her throat, as they walked out onto the street. She had always wanted children, and the fact that she had none left her heartbroken. The connection that she had made with Chandler's daughter filled her with an unexpected euphoria. Her distant smile faded when she realized that eventually, Chandler and Elaina would fly back to Philadelphia, and she would once again be alone.
She sighed heavily, and shook her head. Her stubborn mind helped force her to enjoy the time that she had with the little girl, and her father.
The zoo was relatively empty, and once inside the park, the group realized that logistically, there was no way that they could all stay together. They all agreed to meet at the food court at one o'clock to eat lunch together. Joey, Phoebe, Mike and the kids took off toward the lion's den, and Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler and Elaina headed to the acquarium. About halfway there, Ross grabbed Rachel's arm, and pulled her back, allowing some distance to form between them and the other three.
"Ross, what the hell are you doing?"
"I wanted to talk to you."
"Why?"
"I just...I didn't want you to think I was blaming you or anything for my fight with Emily."
"Why the hell would I think that?"
"I dunno, I guess..."
"Ross, what you and your little British tart do on your own time is frankly not my concern," Rachel hissed.
"Hey! look, YOU left me, okay? Why are you so mad? I was trying to make peace!"
"By blaming me for your fight!"
"I was telling you that I DON'T blame you!"
"Right." Rachel and Ross had stopped walking, and were now facing each other. Chandler and Monica were so engrossed in their own conversation, that they hadn't even noticed that Ross and Rachel were gone.
"Rach," Ross said, "I just didn't want your feelings to be hurt, that's all."
"Then maybe you shouldn't have slept with the copy girl," Rachel seethed.
**
Joey and Mark were standing over the lion's den, both eagerly awaiting the scheduled "feeding time".
"Do you think they will just let a deer run around in there?" Mark asked innocently.
"Hmm, I dunno," Joey replied.
"Sweetie, this isn't like the Discovery Channel. They aren't going to feed them a live animal," Pheobe said, shooting Joey a look.
"Aw, man!" Joey said, winking at Pheobe.
"You are my Mom's friend?" Mark asked Joey.
"Yeah, me and your mom go waaay back," Joey said.
"Were you her boyfriend?"
"No, no. Just good friends. Best friends," Joey sighed.
"I saw you on tv," Mark said, changing the subject suddenly, as children often do.
"Really? How was I?" Joey smiled.
"You were funny," Mark laughed.
"Really? Cool!"
Phoebe smiled, as she watched Joey bond with her step son. She was happy that he was back, but sad that he would soon be on his way back to California. Although she loved Mike with all her heart, no one in the world understood her like Joey.
**
Chandler and Monica sat on a small bench inside the acquarium, watching Elaina as she pressed her nose up against the glass, trying to get a closer look at the sea life that filled the tank. Chandler smiled. Anytime a fish would swim past Elaina, she would squeal, and giggle with delight.
"I guess she has never seen fish before," Chandler said, laughing as a large fish swam right past Elaina, causing her to jump up and down.
"Really?"
"We don't really get out much," Chandler replied sadly.
"Do you think Rebecca will ever come back?" Monica was hesitant about broaching the subject, but her curiosity got the better of her.
Chandler looked at Monica, and blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected such a blunt question. He sighed, and recovered from the mild shock.
"I used to think she would. That she might come to her senses and see that she has a family who cares about her."
"You don't think that anymore?"
"I don't know," Chandler sighed. "I am not really sure I want her to come back. I mean, I think that Elaina definitely needs a mother, but I am not so sure that Rebecca would...I don't know," Chandler shook his head. He hated thinking about all of this, it made him so sad. He felt like, although he was doing his best to raise Elaina, it wasn't enough. She needed a female role model. She needed a mother. Chandler looked at Monica, who was staring at her feet.
"I guess I am fooling myself, by wearing my wedding band. I wear it because I feel like I should, but it holds no meaning to me anymore." Chandler looked at the band, and turned it on his finger. "I'm about as married as Joey is," he laughed.
"Or I am," Monica said softly.
"Yeah," Chandler said, pulling Monica into a hug.
Suddenly, a Tiger shark swooped past Elaina, causing her to scream, and run from the tank. She ran toward Monica and Chandler, tears streaming down her face. She ran into Chandler's arms, and he hugged her, then set her down, and spoke silently to her for a moment. She seemed to calm down, and once she was settled, she looked up at Monica, and reached out to her. Monica grinned and picked the little girl up, as she and Chandler made their way out of the acquarium.
**
An elderly couple walked briskly past the small patch of bushes and trees that stood next to an empty bird cage in the arboritum. The bushes were rustling wildly, and the couple was sure that a wild animal had escaped from it's cage, and was ready to pounce.
Behind the thick bushes, Rachel pulled herself off of Ross, and tried to catch her breath. She wasn't quite sure what had just happened. One minute she was screaming at Ross, and the next she was making out with him in the dirt. She adjusted her blouse and blew her hair out of her face.
"Whoa," Ross said, as he sat upright, "What happened?"
"I'm not sure, but I know Emily isn't going to like it," Rachel said quietly.
teehee.
