A/N: Here is the next chapter... finally! Sorry it took so long, but I'm trying to figure a few more things out.

Rachel

Rachel took a deep breath as she stepped out of the taxi. She was going home. No - this house had never been home. It was just a house. Joshua's coldness had never made it a home.

Why was she standing out here thinking about the house? Because you don't want to go in, he subconscious reminded her. But she had to. Tonight she would pack. Tomorrow she would take her kids and leave this house, take her children and drive to her parents' house in Scarsdale and leave Joshua.

With a resigned breath, Rachel pulled her key out of her pocket and entered the house. It was quiet and dark, and she set her suitcase down in the living room. Then she picked it up again. Joshua would get mad if he saw it there, would yell because he might trip over it. Rachel felt tears threatening her as she caught herself. The constant worries, the constant fear. Her life had turned into a game of cat and mouse. But no more.

Rachel followed the only source of sound, which was coming from the den. She opened the glass doors to see the big-screen TV on. Joshua was here.

"Hi," she whispered, afraid her might be asleep. She took a few steps forward to look at him. The first thing she noticed was the three beer bottles lined up on the side table, and then the half-empty one in his hand.

Joshua barely looked at her before turning back to the TV. "You're back."

"Yes. Where are the kids?" A pang of terror hit Rachel - was Joshua so drunk that he'd forgotten the children?

"Asleep."

"Oh. Good." She took an awkward step towards him. "Did everything go all right? How's Callista's cold? Did Jamie behave?"

"What is with the third degree?" Joshua barked, swiveling to face her. She caught a whiff of his breath, which stank of alcohol. "Dammit, Rachel. Gimme a break."

"My God, Josh, how much did you drink?" Rachel asked, wrinkling her nose.

"Are you trying to lecture me?" Joshua said, his voice slurred. He stood on unsteady feet. He took a step toward her.

"No," she said softly. "Get away from me."

"You are the one who left me for the weekend to go running off with your stupid childhood friends at our beach house. You are the one who makes all the mistakes. I can't believe you would even dare to speak to me that way." Rachel felt like she was small child again and her father was angry with her. But her father had never hit her. She braced herself for the slap. Where will it be this time? she wondered. The face? No, probably not - not when he's got the dinner with his boss on Wednesday. How many times has he had to explain about his clumsy wife, always bumping into things?

Before she had time to consider anything else, he hit her. But she had been wrong - he'd hit her face, open-handed at least. The sting was sharp and biting, and she'd have a bruise. She bent over, sobbing and covering her cheek.

"That'll teach you to talk to me like that," Joshua said calmly, sitting back down. "Now go upstairs and clean yourself up. You smell like airplane food and your mascara is running."

Rachel quickly ran from the room, incredulous that Joshua was telling her make-up was ruined when he'd just slapped her. No, that's how Josh was - especially when he was drunk. Rachel went upstairs and looked in the bathroom mirror, tears of hurt and terror still running down her face. There was a red hand mark on her left cheek, and she could already see a tint of blue appearing.

That's it. She was leaving Joshua - tonight. Quickly, she threw a few clothes and some toiletries into her bag. Then she ran into Callista's room and packed a diaper bag, and to Jamie's to pack some clothes and his favorite toys. She did this quietly, as to not wake the children or alert her husband what she was doing.

Then she woke Jamie up. "Jamie, honey, wake up."

"Hi, Mommy," Jamie said, smiling.

"Hi, sweetheart. Listen, we're going for a drive, okay?"

"But it's nighttime."

"That's right, but this is very important. Let's put your clothes on." She quickly dressed her son and brought him into Callista's room, where she gently picked up the baby. Callista began to fuss, but Rachel stuck a bottle in her mouth and she quieted.

Rachel picked up the bags and looked one more time around her bedroom. Joshua's bedroom. The scene of so many fights, of tears. Where her daughter had been conceived just 18 months ago. Rachel got a funny taste in her mouth and left quickly, with Jamie trailing behind her silently. Rachel thanked God that her five-year-old seemed to understand how important this was. They snuck out the back door and around the house to her SUV. Rachel gently set her sleeping baby in her car seat and strapped Jamie into his seat. Then she went back in to grab the bags.

"Rachel," Joshua said. Rachel slowly stood up, the bags in her hands, and knew Joshua was behind her. She had been so close. "What are you doing?"

Before answering, Rachel took several slow steps backwards. "Rachel!" he yelled.

"I'm leaving you, Joshua. Good-bye." And she ran.

"Rachel! Rachel! You can't take my children!" But Joshua was drunk, and slow, and Rachel had adrenaline running through her veins. She bolted into the car, and drove away. She was crying and shouting in joy at the same time. She'd done it. She'd left him.

Holding Cassie by one hand and a suitcase in the other - their stuff wouldn't be here until tomorrow - Monica took three deep, calming breaths. The weight of Cassie, who was leaning against her, exhausted from hobbling around on crutches and a two-hour plane ride, was comforting. She kissed Cassie on the top of the head, then knocked on the door.

Chandler opened it in seconds, and for a moment they simply stared at each other. Then Chandler hugged her, pulling her into the warm, gentle embrace that she had craved for so long. The hug of someone who loved her.

"Hi," she finally whispered into his shoulder.

"Hey." They broke apart, and Cassie stared up at Chandler with wide eyes. Chandler looked at her, and in that moment, something changed in him. Monica could see it - he already loved this little girl.

"Cassie, this is Mommy's friend, Uncle Chandler," Monica said awkwardly. They'd already decided that it would be bad to overwhelm her, that it wouldn't be good to explain immediately that Chandler was her real father. They would get to know each other first, then, maybe when she was a little older, they would explain it.

"Hi," Cassie said, shyly clutching her mother's hand tightly. Chandler got down on his knees to be eye level with her.

"Hi, Cassie. I'm so happy to finally meet you."

Rachel

Rachel swallowed hard. Today was her day in court, literally. Today, she would fight to get complete legal custody of her children. Today she would stand up against her husband and tell the world what a horrible person he was. Because she had realized, with the help of Ross and the shrink she'd just started seeing, none of what Joshua had done to her was her fault. And she deserved better than him.

Ross saw her begin to nervously twiddle her hands, and he took one of them and squeezed it. Rachel looked at him and felt warmness spread from her hands to her face, throughout her body. Ross. He had been her lifesaver through all of this. The past had been one of the most difficult in her life. At first, it was just staying away from Joshua, making sure he couldn't track her down. Then she had to find an apartment, a temporary place for her and the kids to stay. Ross had loaned her a generous amount of money, and also insisted on paying for the divorce lawyer.

But most of all, he'd been there when she felt like she just couldn't handle it any more. She'd gone through spurts of anger, sadness, confusion, and regret. He'd let her yell, held her when she cried, assured her everything would be fine. And now she thought it really might.

Only one thing was off, and it had to do with Ross. He wanted more, more than this casual friendship they'd acquired. She could see it in his eyes, in the tender way he held her, how he touched her, even if he'd never admit it. The love they'd had years ago had never really disappeared - it was more just dormant, shoved under the rug amidst husbands and wives and children. Something they could ignore as long as they were thousands of miles apart. And, Rachel had to admit, she wanted more too.

But she was becoming stronger every day. She was her own woman now. Before, she'd never left Joshua because she was afraid she'd lose the children, afraid to be alone again. But now she wasn't.

I am woman, hear me roar, she thought grimly.

"Rachel Clark versus Joshua Clark," the attendant called, and Rachel stood up nervously. She and Ross mutely walked into the courtroom, where a sobbing woman was being led from her seat. "Joanie," the woman kept crying out, and Rachel looked over to see a girl about Jamie's age being carried away. Rachel felt sick to her stomach. What if she lost her case? What if the children got taken away?

"Don't worry," Ross whispered, reading her mind. "They can't take them from you. I won't let them." He kissed her gently on the cheek.

The case went well. Rachel's lawyer said Joshua would get drunk and angry, and yell at Rachel - and beat her. Finally, Rachel was called to the stand where her lawyer began to question her.

"Is it true, Mrs. Clark, that your husband hit you?"

"Yes," Rachel replied.

"How many times, would you say?"

"Many, many times."

"An estimation?"

"Twenty, probably, in the last two years." Rachel saw Joshua glaring at her, and she stared right back.

"And many times these slaps left a bruise?"

"Yes."

"Thank you," the lawyer said returning to her seat. The other lawyer rose.

"I just have a few questions, Mrs. Clark. Why did you never report your husband?"

"I just... I didn't want to hurt the kids."

"So you remained in a house with an abusive man? Weren't you scared for your life, for the life of your children?"

"I was. But Joshua never hit the kids." The moment she said it, Rachel knew she shouldn't have.

"So Mr. Clark never hit or even threatened to hit your children?"

"No."

"I see. Mrs. Clark, do you have a job?"

"No, I don't."

"So how are you supporting yourself and your children at this point?"

"I - a friend is helping me."

"A Mr. Ross Geller, is that correct?"

"Yes." Rachel looked at Ross, both of them knowing what was next. Silently, Rachel begged Ross to forgive her.

"And is it also true that Mr. Geller is a former boyfriend of yours?"

"Objection!" her lawyer cried, standing up. "Your honor, the status of Mrs. Clark's former or present love life is not up for debate at this time and has no relevance to this case."

"That is correct. The objection is sustained. Mr. Front, please refrain from questioning about Mrs. Clark's past."

"I have no further questions."

"Mrs. Clark, you may step down." Rachel walked shakily back to her seat and almost fell into it. Ross took her hand again.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"It's fine. You did fine. We're going to win."

The next day, they were called back to court.

"I am hereby granting Mrs. Rachel Clark complete custody of James and Callista Clark, with supervised visitation for Mr. Clark on one weekend a month and one holidays per year. I am also granting Mrs. Clark half of Mr. Clark's yearly salary, along with alimony until Mrs. Clark is on her feet, and child support for the next seventeen years. This court is adjourned."

Rachel had won. Her old life was over, and a new one had begun. As she stood up on shaky legs, a grin spread across her face. Ross took her in his arms and kissed her, hard, and she cried happily into his shirt. A new life. With Ross.

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A/N: There are two possibilities right now - a) I end it with one more chapter, or b) the story changes slightly and it goes on for a couple more. I would like your input! Thanks.