Ross walked into Central Perk and went straight to Gunther.

" Can I get a coffee to go?"

" Sure."

" Thanks."

" Ross." He turned and saw Rachel sitting on the couch. He avoided her for a while. How was he gonna get out of this one?

" Oh hi, I didn't see you. I was just getting coffee to go. So…" He said looking at the door.

" Ross come talk to me for a minute. I don't want things to be weird between us. Please say you're not mad at me."

" I'm not angry with you."

" Then what is it? Why do you avoid me?"

" Your paranoid."

" Ross, here's your coffee."

" Thanks Gunther." He turns back to Rachel. " Well I'm gonna head off, so…"

" Wait. We're not done. Not until you tell me what's going on."

" Nothing!" He paused and spoke again in a softer tone. " Nothing is going on. Okay?"

" No! Not okay Ross! Do you want me to get our psychic friend Phoebe? Maybe she'll tell me." He stiffened.

" No need for that. It's just that after all we've been through, especially after our 'we were on a break' faze, I just… find it hard to believe that you were…with, one of my friends. We have a history, ya know?"

" Yeah but it was one night and-,"

" I know that but still. It's weird and that's not even including Monica."

" Come again?"

" I mean its worse that my little sister had to get hurt but that's something she has to deal with on her own. Besides, if I had slept with Phoebe, what would you do?"

" I don't…really…know."

" See."

" Yeah but Ross, it shouldn't feel that weird if your not in love with me. And you're not right?" Rachel expected him to just quickly reply no but Ross found it difficult to lie to her. He looked down at his cup which makes Rachel suspect something. He then looked back at her.

" I should really get going…" He started to get up.

" Ross, are you in love with me?" He took a deep breath and sat back down.

" Yes, Rachel. Yes, I love you."

" Oh… wow. This is totally unexpected."

" I figured it would be."

" Phoebe started saying stuff the other day about you-about us but, wow."

" So, umm, what do you say?"

" I-I don't know. Can you just give me sometime?" He nodded.

" Sure. I'm gonna head off. So, see ya around." He jumped up and left before Rachel could say anything.

******

The next day…

" So Mon, how are you?" Phoebe asked, looking really concerned. She and Joey were eating sandwiches at the table while Monica washed some dishes.

" I'm fine."

" How's the restaurant?"

" Fine."

" And your parents?" She stopped cleaning.

" Why do you want to know about my parents?"

" Just asking." Joey shrugged.

" Okay… they're fine." She continued cleaning.

" Is their a word besides fine in your vocabulary?"

" How about 'bite me'." She said jokingly.

" Oh touchy." Joey said before taking another huge bite out of his sandwich.

" Ah, but that's two words." Phoebe quipped back.

" True. Thanks for clearing that up for me"

" Joey, don't forget to chew."

" Sorry. It's just that Monica's sandwiches are sooo good."

" Aw, you don't have to suck up. I'll make you another one."

" Yes!" He got up to take a soda from the fridge. " Oh yeah, I talked to Chandler."

" Wha-what did he say?"

" Umm nothing really. Just that he got a job transfer."

" Why didn't he tell anyone?"

" Uhh he didn't really say."

" What did he say?"

" Basically that you should move on and find someone new because he has." Joey lied.

" What?" Phoebe asked.

" He has?" She questioned, looking really surprised.

" Yeah. Hey where are we on that sandwich?" She didn't answer.

" Mon?"

" Yeah?"

" The sandwich?"

" Right. Okay." She moved to get the ingredients out of the fridge.

" How could he move on so fast?" Phoebe leaned in and whispered so that Monica wouldn't hear but she did. A single tear rolled down her already flushed cheek. She quickly wiped it off. Joey saw this and instantly regretted lying to her. He thought it would help if he said that so she would move on but he was wrong. The door started to open and they all glanced towards it, expecting to see Ross but it wasn't him.

*****

" Hello?"

" Hello darling, its Estelle. Is Joey there?"

" Umm…" This was the phone call Joey's been waiting for all day. She had to get him… didn't she? But he was over at Monica's, and she couldn't go over there. " Yes hold on," Rachel took in a huge breath and acted brave. She picked up the phone but when she opened Monica's door, all her confidence washed away when she saw Phoebe, Joey and Monica's eyes fixed on her. It then hit her how long it's been since she's been in that apartment.

" Joey, umm its Estelle." She pointed the phone to him.

" Great! Okay, thanks." He took it and cleared his throat. " Hello…Yeah…Okay…I don't know about that…" He chatted away, walked out and into his own apartment. This left the three girls there, glancing awkwardly at each other.

" Pheebs, I'm gonna get going. I'll see ya later."

" Good. Don't hit your head on your way out." Monica quipped.

" Your unbelievable." Rachel mumbled but Monica heard.

" Excuse me?" She sighed and looked Monica in the eye for the first time since their first fight.

" I said you're unbelievable."

" How so?"

" Come on, can you cut me some slack? You're being so unreasonable. I don't know how to approach you; you're like a block of ice! You could at least act civil. You don't even let me in your house! "

" I am civil. Besides I only let friends come over. You are not my friend! At least you don't act like it."

" You know, I've never known you to be so stubborn and cruel!" Rachel yelled. Monica stared at her and replied.

" Well people can change when they're stabbed in their back."

" Monica, how many times do I have to tell you that I made a mistake! Chandler made a mistake too and you're not mad at him! You're just heartbroken and stuff because you broke up. But I have not heard you say anything bad about him in a lon-,"

" Don't you dare bring what happen between Chandler and me into this! The bottom line is that you betrayed me. You, the same person that was supposed to be my best friend!"

" I know you're hurt but might I remind you that you're the one who kept calling me a whore!"

" Yeah that's the same Rach," She said sarcastically. " Someone I loved did something terrible to me but you get called a whore once and all of a sudden I should be sympathetic to you."

" That's not what I-,"

" That is so typical of you. 'I'm little princess Rachel. I can do whatever I want and don't care about anyone else's feelings.' " She said in a mocking tone. They continued to argue back and forth.

" Alright that's enough!" Phoebe yelled which quieted them both. Why was she always the mediator whenever they fought? " You guys have to stop this! Joey and I, well Ross too I guess, can't stand anymore of your fighting. Okay so an unfortunate incident occurred and it did some damage on your friendship. Time to move on because you can't keep like 'this'. Just do me, us, this favor and find it in each other's hearts to forgive and forget. Well not forget but to grow and learn from this. I've known, well, not actually known but I've seen people who have gone through worse situations than this and still remain close. Why can't you do the same? Now I'm tired of being the voice of reason, that's Monica's job. So make up your minds and do something so that we all can still hang out together." Phoebe got up and left. Monica and Rachel stood silently, digesting what Phoebe said.

" She's right." Rachel said looking to Monica to see her reaction.

" Yeah, she is." She sighed and sat on the couch. " I guess I punished you enough." Rachel moved next to her and put her hand on top of Monica's.

" I know I've said this a million times but I am really and truly sorry."

" I know you are."

" You have every right to be mad at me."

" I think I was blaming you for more that just that night but for my own problems and I'm sorry for that." Rachel nodded in response to Monica's apology. " I want to forgive you and be best friends again but its just going to take me a little time to trust you again, ya know, I mean fully trust you."

" I know. But at least now you won't kick me out of your apartment anymore." She said with a smile. She leaned in and gave Monica a hug. Monica returned it by wrapping her arms around her, happy to have her best friend back.

Mon and Rach are friends again! Okay, I think the next chapter would be the last. Finally! Lol. Okay, write some reviews.