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Disclaimer: Okay, so I'm running out of cute catchy things to say, so they're not mine. Never were, never will be.

"Give it back!" Rachel woke up to screaming throughout the house. She rubbed her eyes and glanced at the clock. It was nine in the morning. "Give it back now! Mom!" It took her a moment to remember where she was.

"Jamie! Give your sister back her toy."

"No." More yelling from Juliana, more stomping. A baby began to cry.

"Now," Monica's voice was now more menacing and Rachel could hear Jamie's audible sigh. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and threw on the robe that Monica had set out for her. She loved the warmth that the robe provided. The safety in that terrycloth robe was overwhelming. It smelled like her best friend, and she took a deep breath and then walked down to the kitchen. Eva was sitting with the Bing kids swinging her legs and eating the breakfast that Monica had prepared.

"Morning Mommy," Evie said smiling up at her mother. Monica turned from her position from the stove and Chandler lowered the paper he had been reading.

"Morning sweetheart," she said coming over and placing a kiss on the top of Evie's head.

"Mrs. Bing made breakfast," Evie said.

"I told you already to call me Monica," Monica chimed in.

"Monica," Evie repeated and grinned. They were the first adults to let her call them by their first names.

"I have to go," Chandler said folding the paper and standing up. He walked to where his wife was standing and gave her a kiss.

"Ew," Juliana groaned. Chandler ignored her and dipped Monica and then turned and grinned at his oldest daughter. "That's gross Daddy."

"I know," he said and gave Monica one more kiss before letting go and walking towards the closet where he pulled out his coat and slid his arms into the holes. He came back into the kitchen and picked Maddie up out of her highchair. He gave her a kiss and then placed her gently back in and then opened his arms and Jamie first jumped into them.

"Have fun at work Daddy," his little voice instructed.

"Will do," Chandler winked at his son. Rachel watched and couldn't move. This was the way it was supposed to be. This was how her life should for all intents and purposes have gone. She glanced at her daughter who watched the entire scene with wide eyes. So she knew too, she knew that they had gotten the bum end of the deal. Her father had never done this with her. He had been up and out of the house before she was awake and carrying on extramarital affairs after work so he rarely came home before she was in bed. Rachel felt hot tears sting her eyes.

"Bye Daddy," This time Juliana was the one to launch herself onto her father.

"Bye Princess," he said. He gave one more wink to his wife, and was gone. Eva was still solemnly watching the family.

"Rachel?" Rachel was surprised to see that Monica was talking to her.

"Yes?"

"Would you like some breakfast?"

"Sure. That would be great," Rachel said taking a seat. When was the last time anyone had made anything for her? Monica. Monica had been the last person to make her anything. It was that morning. The morning that she announced her intentions.

5 years before:

"Hey Rachel," Monica smiled at her as she walked into the apartment. Juliana sat in her high chair and banged her cup against the top.

"Hi Mon. Hi Juliana," she tickled the infant, who giggled in response.

"Want some breakfast?"

"Sure," she grabbed a seat. Although, she wasn't hungry. A huge weight sat on her shoulders and made her stomach hurt and not be in the mood for food.

"Mon?" They heard Chandler from the bedroom.

"Yes?"

"Did you see my tie?"

"What tie? Chandler, you have like thousands of ties."

"Not true."

"Sure it is."

"That's not true, I don't have thousands." Monica moaned in frustration.

"It was an exaggeration Chandler. You're turning into Joey."

"That's not fair," he came out and Rachel could see that he was smiling. He was enjoying torturing his wife. Rachel bit back her grin as she grabbed a piece of toast. Monica groaned again.

"Chandler." She threw a towel at him which he expertly caught.

"Monica." He stopped and looked under the cushion of the couch. "Seriously, have you seen my tie?"

"Seriously, what tie?"

"The yellow one."

"Yellow doesn't match that."

"Sure it does."

"Sure it doesn't."

"Rachel?" Chandler turned to Rachel for her opinion.

"It doesn't match."

"Are you sure?"

"It definitely doesn't match."

"Damn it."

"Don't swear in front of the baby," Monica scolded, but her eyes gave her away as they sparkled with amusement. "And I told you. It doesn't match."

"I can't....fine. Which tie does match?" Monica began to wipe off her hands when the baby began to cry.

"I'll go and help him, Monica," Rachel offered and went into the bedroom to help Chandler pick a tie that matched.

"What about this one?" He held up a hideous pink tie.

"You are hopeless," Rachel said digging through the closet. Monica's organization skills are amazing, she thought to herself as she searched the ties. She came up triumphant and trust it at Chandler.

"Here."

"Thanks Rachel."

"Hey, um...can we all meet for dinner?" She bit her lip nervously. Chandler was in too much of a hurry and barely noticed that she was nervous.

"Sure, I'll check with Monica first and get a babysitter."

"Thanks." She left the room and went back to her breakfast. She was suddenly starving and began inhaling food.

"Geez, Rach," Monica said. "Slow down. You're acting like I did when I was pregnant." Her eyes got wide. "Are you pregnant?" Rachel froze for a moment. Chandler came in. Thank God for small miracles, she thought to herself.

"I'm off." Monica gave Rachel one last look before giving Chandler a kiss goodbye. He gave another kiss to Juliana and then waved at Rachel, grabbed a piece of toast, and left the apartment. Maybe she forgot, Rachel tried to convince herself. She forgot that it was Monica that they were talking about. The woman had the memory of an elephant.

"So, are you?" She asked bluntly. Rachel stalled thinking of a good answer. She was going to tell her that night. So what was the problem if she told her now? No. She couldn't tell her now. She would just give a vague answer. The problem was thinking of a vague answer.

"Um..."

"You are." Monica placed her hands on her hips. Well, there went that plan. Um is obviously not a vague answer. "With who? The new boyfriend? The one we met a few times?" Monica leaned forward to delight in the gossip.

"Yes, Chris."

"I'm so happy for you!" Monica cried throwing her arms around her best friend's neck. "I mean, I can be happy, right?" Rachel nodded, afraid that her trembling lip would give her away. She wanted to cry. She wanted to curl into a ball and sob her heart out. This was not how this was supposed to be. It was supposed to happen like it did with Monica. She was supposed to get married and then have the baby. Not the other way around. She couldn't control the tears and they began to pour out.

" Oh Monica," she said and tightened her grip on her best friend. "So much has happened." She pulled away slightly to wipe the tears that freely flowed.

"Besides the pregnancy?"

"Yes. I've known I was pregnant for awhile. And that's not the half of it."

"What else happened sweetie?"

"He wants me to marry him."

"That's fantastic!" She stopped when she saw Rachel's face. "It's fantastic isn't it?"

"No!"

"Why not honey?"

"He....oh God...he wants me to move to Chicago with him." That's where Monica stepped back from Rachel.

"Chicago?"

"Yes."

"As in Illinois? As in another state? Another time zone?"

"Yes!"

"Are you going?"

"I think so." Monica's eyes watered, but she remained calm.

"Okay. Okay. Then we write and visit and if you have a little girl, her and Juliana can be the best of friends. She can stay with us in the summer, or Jules can stay with you. Or at least when they're old enough..." She trailed off when she saw Rachel shaking her head.

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"I said no. That can't happen if I go with him."

"Why not?"

"He....he told me...that....I have to choose."

"Choose between what honey?"

"You guys or him." Monica gasped.

"Why?" Rachel shrugged. She didn't want to tell Monica the truth. That Chris had hated them. That he had told Rachel in no uncertain terms that she had to pick. In fact, his exact words had been: You can't have both Rachel.

You can't have both.

But she wanted both. She wanted him and her friends. How was she supposed to choose? How was that fair? How could he ask her to choose?

"Why?" Monica asked again. "There has to be a reason."

"Does it matter?" Rachel asked.

"Yes. It does. It matters to me."

"Monica."

"What?"

"Please understand."

"You've already chosen." Monica shook her head as tears fell down her cheeks. "You already chose him."

"I have to!"

"Why? If he forces you to give up your friends, then he's a jerk, Rachel. He's a jerk. And doesn't deserve you."

"Oh what the hell would you know?" Rachel's temper reached it's breaking point and she felt all her anger swell up inside her. She was sick of Monica's condescending attitude. She didn't consider for a moment that she might be jealous, that it might be just her overreacting. At the time she had felt perfectly justified in her attack on Monica. She felt that she was right. That Monica was being condescending, because she had a husband and a daughter and her career was on the fast track, with the option of buying her own restaurant. That little voice, though, was in the back of her mind. Jealous, it taunted her. You're nothing but jealous. You thought that you would be the one with the perfect life. Jealous, jealous, jealous. And the words spilled out. She kept going well past the line where she should have stopped. Monica's face turned red and she stared at Rachel.

"Excuse me?"

"You sit there with your perfect husband and daughter and perfect life and judge me? You act so superior. What if Chandler asked you to choose? Are you telling me we wouldn't be left out in the cold?"

"Chandler would never ask me to choose."

"No, of course not. Because just like you, he's perfect." Rachel gave a bitter laugh. "You know, since you've gotten married, you've become a real bitch. I wonder how Chandler puts up with you. If I were him I would have run screaming by now." Monica's hand reached up and slapped her. Rachel knew that she had gone too far. She knew that she had crossed that invisible line. She wasn't sure exactly where the line was, but she was pretty sure it was insulting your best friend and calling her names.

"Get out."

"Mon."

"I can't look at you right now, get out of my apartment." Monica turned her back on Rachel and picked her daughter up and walked out of the room.

"Can we talk about this later?" Rachel called after. The anger dissolved and she was suddenly aware of what she had done.

"Maybe, just leave," Monica said, and Rachel was so concerned with herself that she didn't hear her friend's voice shake as she walked out and closed the door.

Present:

Monica set the plate in front of Rachel. She studied her former friend's face.

"Are you okay?" Rachel could plainly see concern on her friend's face. Something that she hadn't seen from Monica, or anyone for that matter, in a long time.

"Yes. I'm fine."

"Okay," Monica turned and cut up Jamie's pancakes for him.

"Monica?" Monica turned around again.

"Yes?"

"For what it's worth. I didn't mean any of it." Monica looked down and for a brief second, Rachel saw a tear trickle down her face. She turned her head away and wiped it and then returned her attention to cutting Jamie's pancakes.

"I know."

"You do?"

"I always knew. That doesn't change the fact that it hurt."

"I know." And they both sat in silence once more.

~* Okay, one more chapter and then I'm done. But I need to know if it's still worth continuing. Anyway, drop me a note and tell me what you think. Since school is back and I have a serious case of Senioritis (Seriously, I really do. I have a countdown to how many more days until I graduate) I need all the pick-me-ups I can get. ~*