A/N: Thank you for the reviews! I really appreciate them. And thank you for catching my dumb mistake... I don't know what I was thinking! Momentary brain lapse...

Disclaimer: The Friends do not belong to me, but are the creations of Marta Kauffman and Kevin Bright, the most brilliant writers in the history of everything!

CHAPTER 2

Chandler Bing

It's okay, Chandler thought to himself as his friends talked. They don't know. They don't know anything. There is no reason to freak out. They're not all staring at you. But it seemed like they were. Rachel kept watching him, like she was expecting him to do something crazy. Well, if Rachel knew, that was expected. Rachel had the picture perfect life - a husband, two wonderful children, a beach house.

And then there was Monica. She kept glancing over at him, catching his eye for a moment, then looking away. What was she thinking about? Was she remembering - no, better not go there, Chandler thought. That was the thought that had thrown him over the edge so many times.

His AA leader had told him what do in this situation. "Seeing old friends and family is sometimes a struggle, but it is something you have to do. If, after seeing them once, you think it is going to be a problem, you should leave." But Chandler didn't want to leave. He wanted to hang out with everybody again. Go back to his old life, when he had something to live for, something to care about.

Rachel stood up. "Anybody want a drink?"

"That sounds great," Joey said. The rest nodded, except Chandler. He felt his stomach clench up as Rachel pulled out a six-pack of good beer and what looked like scotch. A drink. A drink would make this so much easier. Chandler could imagine the burn as it went down his throat, then the warm comfort as the alcohol spread from his stomach throughout his body.

When you drink, you create problems, not solutions, he remembered. That's what they always said. Problems, not solutions. But a drink would make his friends so much easier to face.

"You want anything, Chandler?" Rachel asked politely.

Problems, not solutions... sober for 88 days... the cool oblivion, the tingly feeling...

"No," he said. "No thank you." There, he thought triumphantly. That wasn't so tough. Nobody pressed you for answers. Nobody forced it down your throat.

Afternoon gave way to evening, and the last rays of sun shone through the windows.

"Oh!" Rachel exclaimed. "The sunset is so beautiful if you go down to the water. Come on, let's go."

It was beautiful. The six friends stood together, watching the sun slowly go down into the horizon. Just before it disappeared completely, Ross, who'd had his arm around his sister, picked Monica up, and, with Joey's help, carried her toward the water.

"No!" Monica shrieked, laughing. "No, it's too cold! Ahh, Ross, stop it!" They all laughed as Monica childishly beat her older brother's arm. "Chandler, save me!" Chandler's smile froze.

"Ready?" Joey said. "One... two... three!" Together they tossed Monica out into the water, where she was surrounded by a big splash. Rachel and Phoebe, pulling up their skirt and pants respectively, waded out to wear Joey and Ross were.

Chandler rushed in after them, forgetting his pants for a moment. Suddenly, he tripped and fell... right onto Monica. Their arms and legs her tangled together as waves crashed over them. Chandler could feel the cold, salty water on his arms and legs and back... could feel Monica's toes on his legs, her warm arms around his neck. He could barely hear Joey, Ross, Phoebe and Rachel in the background, laughing so hard they were holding their stomachs.

Now where have I been in this position before? Chandler thought wittily. Slowly, he moved away from Monica and stood up, then offered his hand down to her. She took it and he pulled her up.

"I'm gonna get you, Ross!" she cried, running over to splash him, kicking up water on the way. Rachel started screaming, but before long, they were all soaking wet and shivering under the moonlight, feeling like children and loving it.

"Wow," Rachel said breathlessly as they waded onto the beach. "I haven't had this much fun since... well, since we were all in New York. It's like we're back home again." She gazed wistfully at her friends.

Chandler stared at the sand, and when he looked up, he saw Monica staring at him. "What?" he asked quietly. His heart began to race, and chills that he knew weren't from the frigid water ran up his spine. God, her eyes were so blue. She reached up toward his head.

"You've got seaweed in your hair," she whispered, pulling it out. Chandler blushed, and the others laughed.

So much for getting her back, Chandler thought. God, I need a drink. As they walked back to the house, Chandler kicked himself. No! You will not let Monica force you to drink. Nothing will make you drink. Nothing is so important as to make you drink...

Ross Geller

Ross listened to Joey's steady breathing in the bed across the room. It had been so long since he'd been sleeping in a room with someone, and not have to worry about... well, anything. Hanging out here with his old friends and his sister was just what he needed... a vacation from cold, rainy London, from work, from Emily.

Emily. Ross sighed. Every thought went back to her. That's how Emily wanted it, right? That was why they'd ended it mutually. She wanted him to be at her beck and call, always knowing where he was at every moment. That's how it had been since that one time he'd accidentally called her Rachel. A total slip of the tongue had ruined his life.

Rachel... now there was another touchy subject. God, he'd missed Rachel. The laughing, the talking... the sex, he thought guiltily. But now, they were back in the same house, just one thin wall apart. How he wished he could get up and go to her... but that would never work. He was married, she was married, it was altogether absurd. And what would their friends think? They would think that he was so pathetic he was trying to light the flame of a nine year old relationship by rubbing two rocks together. And Rachel had moved on to... a battery-operated lantern named Joshua. It would just blow up in his face.

Instead, he would concentrate on the good parts of this little beach excursion. Getting to hang out with all his old friends. Seeing his sister, whom he'd been worried about - Monica hadn't been the same since she'd left New York. Enjoying himself, for once.

But Ross still couldn't sleep. He got up and bumped out of the room, not wanting to turn on a light to wake Joey. He felt his way along the wall toward the bathroom. He cupped his hands under the faucet and drank the cool, fresh water. Then he wiped his mouth on the back of his hand, turned the bathroom light off, and left.

Bam! He slammed into a small figure and jumped back. The person let out a cry.

It was Rachel. "Omigod, Ross, you scared me!" Rachel breathed, clutching her heart.

"Sorry. What are you doing up?"

"I - I couldn't sleep," she replied lamely.

"Me either," Ross said.

"You wanna come down and... get some tea or something?" Rachel asked hesitantly.

"Um. Okay." The walked downstairs into the kitchen, where Rachel turned on the light and started to boil some water while Ross sat at the bar. "So, you've gotten a little more proficient in the cooking area lately," Ross said, remembering the casserole they'd had for dinner.

"Yeah, I guess that comes with being a wife and mother," she said, and Ross heard a note of resentment in her voice. Rachel let out a laugh that sounded more like a bark. "Joshua always needs his home-cooked food - no take-out or fast food for my husband and his wonderful children." Rachel paused, clasping her hands together and leaning against the cabinet.

"Whoa, Rach, what's the matter?" Ross asked, jumping up and going over to Rachel. He tentatively put a hand on her shoulder.

"It's nothing, really," Rachel said, wiping her eyes and smiling. "I'm, just -Joshua and I have been having some problems. That's all. Nothing big."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"You wouldn't understand,'' Rachel said, and Ross laughed.

"I wouldn't understand? A divorce and a half over here. Look, come sit down."

Rachel obliged, and the two of them sat together at the bar. "Now, what's the problem?"

"I don't really know. I just feel like - sometimes I feel like something's missing. With Joshua, and also - with my life. I mean, I love Josh, and I love my babies, but I sort of wish I were more - independent. On my own again, you know? Everything's so monotonous, so boring, being a mother. There's no excitement. And Joshua treats me like I'm not good enough for him, not a good enough mother for Jamie and Callista. Like, okay, when Jamie was two, he ran out into the street to chase a ball, and almost got hit by a car, and Joshua - Joshua was so mad at me. And a couple of weeks ago, the baby was holding on to the coffee table and standing up, and she fell and hit her head on the chair. She just got a little bump, but Joshua said I was a terrible mother for leaving her alone for five seconds. He said that he doesn't want to leave his children home with me. That's how he says it. His children. Not ours." Rachel paused, and swallowed hard.

"But Rach, you're a great mom! I've seen you with the kids - you're fantastic with them! Don't listen to Joshua."

"I mean, I'm not the best mother, but I try so hard!" Rachel cried. "I cook and I clean and I buy the kids educational toys and work on Jamie's homework with him - I'm really trying! And Joshua - he never wants to spend alone time with me anymore. We never talk, he never buys me things, we never... you know, that often. Why aren't I good enough for him?"

"Because he's an idiot," Ross said passionately. "He doesn't understand what a wonderful, beautiful, smart woman he has." Ross took both of her hands. "Anybody would be lucky to have a woman like you, Rach."

"Thank you," she whispered, reaching up to brush her hair out of her face. When she did so, her pajama top lifted up, and Ross saw a large bruise on her stomach. He stared at it until Rachel hurriedly pulled her shirt down.

"Rach, did he...?" Ross asked worriedly, looking up at his friend.

"Thank you for talking to me," Rachel said quickly, standing up and walking away. "Good night."

I hope you liked this chapter! Good reviews really make my day, and if you have any suggestions I'd like to hear those too.