A/N: I know it took a while for this chapter, but I wasn't really sure where I was going to go with the whole Rachel/Joey thing. I had originally made Ross married to use in his pep talk to Chandler, and had thought there were R/J fans out there. I finally got one review that said they wanted R/J together. I didn't write too much, as I know there are R/R fans out there, so please still read it anyway. And remember our deal! Finish this story and Ross and Rachel will be a couple in my next one.
Joey returned a few days earlier than he had planned. He had originally planned on staying in Chicago for a week or so after finishing on the set, but after about a day of walking aimlessly around the streets of down town Chicago he had had enough. Joey had promptly gone to his hotel room, got his stuff and got on the first plane home. He had arrived home mid morning to find no one around. He saw no one in the coffee house as he passed it on his way up and he had knocked on Chandler's door: no answer. Joey shrugged and began unlocking the door, he was surprised to find it unlocked. He didn't normally lock it, but he did if he went out of town.
"Hello," Joey called cautiously as he pushed the door open and peered inside, not sure what to expect. It appeared to be empty so he stepped inside and closed the door. He was surprised to find food in the fridge and dishes in the sink. Joey was confused. Was someone living in his apartment? Was this his apartment? Joey rushed over to his room, making sure it really was his room. He had been gone a very long time; maybe he had walked back into the wrong apartment. It had been a very long flight, he was really tired.
Everything in his room seemed to be the same as when he left: the clothes he had pulled out of his suitcase because they didn't fit still lay in a heap on the floor, Hugsy still sat on his pillow, and the framed picture of the 'gang' still lay on his bed side table. Well, not the current gang, the old gang. The one that used to be, before the trip, before …
Joey shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. Even after all these years he couldn't get the thoughts out of his head: the 'what ifs.' They haunted him. Not long after the trip, Joey had gotten his big break, and a very successful career followed. But even with all the fame, and fortune, he couldn't get his mind off of the past. He had millions in the bank, and still lived in the small apartment he had lived in as a struggling actor. He dated so rarely that the tabloids had gone as far as to claim he was gay.
Joey sighed and walked back trough his living room. He would go find the gang and they would have answers. He reached the door and paused, turning around to stare at his apartment. Even though he had so many mixed emotions going through his head, it was good to be home. Deep in thought, he didn't hear the door open. He didn't even notice a new presence in the room until someone walked into him.
"Oh, God, I'm sorry," he heard a very familiar female voice say. "I…oh…Joey. It's you."
Joey knew he knew that voice. He spun around and froze. It couldn't be. "R-rachel?" He asked, more of a statement than a question. "Is that really you?"
Rachel nodded gently, a concerned and cautious look on her face.
"Oh my God," he said softly. "I…why?…what…"
Rachel gave him a small smile. "It's a long story…"
Monica couldn't seem to get the smile off of her face. For the first time in a long time she actually allowed herself to feel happy. Both Alyssa and Samantha were in bed asleep. After two weeks, Samantha had decided she was ready to sleep alone for the whole night, leaving Monica in a slightly awkward position. Although things had been going great between her and Chandler, they hadn't talked about where she would sleep when Samantha was ready to sleep alone. Monica had been too nervous to bring up the subject, and was surprised when Chandler did. She didn't know how Chandler was going to react to her, physically. Emotionally they had gotten very close, but she knew her body was much different than it used to be. She was bony and scarred. She wasn't sure how comfortable she was doing anything physical. It had been a long time, and she had had a lot of bad experiences with men over the years.
But Chandler had seemed to understand this, without her saying anything. He had assured her nothing had to happen until she was ready, that he would sleep on the couch and she could have the bed. He had been so sweet to her, so understanding and caring. She had missed having him in her life. She had missed having someone in her life who was like that, someone she could be so close to. She had shyly asked him if he could sleep with her; just not do anything, not yet. She just yearned to sleep soundly one night, wrapped in his arms. She had dreamed about it for five and a half years.
And here she was, lying awake in bed, Chandler behind her, his arms wrapped protectively around her small frame. Although she was tired, she was content to lie awake, listening to Chandler's deep regular breaths. It was comforting to her. She didn't know how late it was when she finally closed her eyes and allowed sleep to overtake her.
Monica awoke late the next morning, sunlight shining brightly through the window. She sighed and rolled over, glancing at the clock. It was later than she thought. She sighed again, happily, and sat up, rubbing her eyes sleepily. She rolled out of bed and made her way into the living room. She found Alyssa and Samantha playing on the floor by the couch and Chandler was sitting at the table reading the paper. It was almost like they were a real family. Monica smiled at the thought. One day they really would be, she was sure of it.
"Hi girls," Monica said as she walked through the living room.
"Hi Mommy," Samantha said brightly.
"Hi…Mom," Alyssa said some what hesitantly. Although she was glad to finally have a mom, it was a lot to get used to.
"Hey," Chandler said quietly as she walked into the kitchen. "How was your sleep?"
"Good," Monica answered. "But why did you let me sleep so long?"
Chandler shrugged. "You looked so peaceful. I didn't have the heart to wake you."
Monica smiled shyly.
"Do you want some breakfast, we saved you some?"
"Sure, thanks."
Chandler smiled and got up. He pulled a plate of food out of the oven, where it was keeping warm. There were eggs, bacon, and toast. He set the plate down and pulled out a chair for her. She sat and he pushed her in, leaving his hand to linger on her shoulder for a few seconds. She smiled and took a bite.
"Wow!" She exclaimed. "This is really good."
"You don't have to act so surprised," Chandler said, faking hurt.
"I'm sorry, but the last time you cooked for me, well, it didn't go so well."
They both laughed at the memory. Years ago, Monica had attempted to teach Chandler how to cook. She had thought he would be able to handle something as simple as a small cake, but she had been very wrong. The whole thing had been one big catastrophe right from the start. Ingredients and measurements had gotten mixed up and he had the oven temperature too high. In the end, they ended up with a very hard, very weird tasting cake. Some of the ingredients, especially the sugar, hadn't gotten completely mixed in and there were patches of it throughout the cake.
"Well I've learned more since then," Chandler said, finally. "Without you, we were starving."
Monica smiled slightly, feeling a tear come to her eyes. She hated how emotional she was lately. Chandler didn't hesitate before he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close. She allowed herself to just cry and cry until she couldn't anymore. Chandler just patiently waited for her to calm down. He rubbed her back soothingly and kept reassuring her. She buried her face in his chest and sobbed. So much had happened in the last two weeks, it was almost too much for her to handle. Eventually she began to calm down and felt Chandler kiss her gently on the forehead. She tilted her head up and captured his lips with her own. He seemed surprised by this, but didn't object. He allowed her to deepen the kiss, full of emotion. Eventually she pulled away, but only a little and he rested his forehead against hers, brushing her lips with his thumb. No words needed to be said and both seemed to know exactly what the other was thinking. They were going to be okay. They really were.
A/N: Well, it was short, but I need to know how many people are still interested in this story. I have been considering ending it soon, but I could continue if there is demand for it. Please tell me if you are still reading and what you want to see happen. I'll try to incorporate it. Okay? Kay. J