Chapter 9
Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with friends.
The sun was beginning to rise as the bus alighted at Glasgow. It came to a crashing halt at the station and people began to get up and collect their belongings. A few people were still asleep, so the driver began to walk the aisles and wake them gently. "Come on folks, that's us at the end of the line" He reached over and placed his hand on the back of a young woman who was deep in sleep. "That's us in Scotland" he softly shook her. She jumped up looking terrified. "Get your hands off me" she screamed, before realising where she was. "Oh im sorry, I just" "No need to explain, I get it all the time" the driver smiled. "Need any help with your bags? "No thank you, I think I got them" She stood up, using all her might to pick up the heavy suitcase that was by her side. "Ok, well if you need any help just shout. My name's Joe." She dropped the suitcase, and then quickly bent down to pick it up again. "Hey you look as if you just saw a ghost, everything ok?" the driver looked half bemused and half concerned. "Em, yes im fine, just tried." "What's your name?" the driver asked. "I'm Phoebe." She tried to get passed him as quickly as she could, his hand was extended for her to shake it, but she ignored it. He seemed to be hitting on her and it was the last thing she wanted. "Well Phoebe it's been nice to have met you" "You too J. Joe" she stammered his name, not wanting to say it, but knowing she had too. She practically ran to the front of the bus and down the stairs. She sat her bags down next to a plastic partition and looked around her, taking in her surroundings.
He station was busy although it was still only 5:30am. Phoebe had no idea what she was going to do now, but finding a hotel was top priority, she didn't want to be walking about the streets of strange city on her own. She saw a large group of tourists exit a bus to her left and began to follow them towards the stations entrance. The group departed and once again she was left standing on her own. It had been so long since she was last left to her own devices, with no one to ask for help or someone to give opinions. She was going to have to be self sufficient for the first time in 11 years. The sadness grew in the pit of her stomach, making her feel sick and extremely nervous. Could she cope on her own again? There was only one way to find out.
She hauled her rucksack onto her back, lifted her purse and grabbed hold of her suitcase. It was an amazing sight to see her tiny frame carry the weight of her belongings. She didn't realise she had packed so much; it was usually Rachel who took her whole wardrobe with her. The weight of the bags dragged Phoebe down, leaving her wishing she had one of the guys here to help her. Joey had carried her bags to and from the airport, so she didn't have to strain herself. If only he was here now.
She carried on walking, getting slower and slower as the weight took its toll on her. She stopped for a moment and looked up at the building in front of her. It was the tourist information office. She sighed with relief and dropped her bags. "Ill just wait here until it opens" she said to herself, while taking a seat on the buildings steps.
She observed the people passing her on the street, most dressed in business suits, obviously heading to work. No one noticed her, no one cared she was there. It was as though she was invisible to everyone. She dreamed someone would stop and talk to her so she could get the burden of her past off her chest. She would be able to tell a stranger everything, because if they judged her she wouldn't care. The only people she cared about hating her were her 5 best friends, whom she had left in London. She felt so much guilt as she thought about the situation. She wished she had been able to say a proper goodbye, hugged them, kissed them, remembered their smell, the way they looked. But she still had her memories. Chandlers huge smile that beamed every time she walked into the room, her arguments with Ross over the evolution of the planet. Rachel's excitement over finding a bargain at Saks, Monica's constant cleaning and cooking, and finally Joey. Her happy memories faded. She didn't want to think of the good times with Joey as it was killing her to be away from him. The thought of never seeing any of them again, especially Joey terrified her to her very soul. She closed her eyes and thought back to two nights before when Joey had declared his love for her.
~*~
"Its things like that that make me love you" he blurted out quickly before he realised what he had just said. Phoebe looked visibly shocked. "You love me?" There was so going back now, he had to tell her everything.
"Phoebe, I've loved you from the minute I set eyes on you in Central Perk. I told Chandler you had a fabulous ass, and a great rack. But in reality all I could see was you beautiful face and your golden hair, which floated around you, like a halo. Since that day I haven't been able to tear my eyes away from you. You're the first person I look for when I come into a room, and the only woman I want to make love to." He looked down embarrassed by what he had just said. He didn't look up as he resumed talking.
"Every time you came into Monica's with stories of your new boyfriends I felt like my heart was being ripped from my chest, feeling sick while you spoke about the sex. I longed for it to be me. Me who you wanted, me who took care of you, me who got to hold you in bed at night and me who got to wake up with you. I've lost count of the times I've waited for everyone to leave the apartment so I could scream with frustration, in so much pain that you had left me once again to go home. I always felt invisible around you, like you saw me as Joey, your dumb friend, who you ran to when you broke up with one of the crazy guys you dated." His voice was full of emotion, trying hard not to break down.
"Phoebe you are the most special woman in the world to me, I thank God daily that he brought you into my life, even if it had been for one second, I would have know it was worth it"
Phoebe listened intently to what Joey had to say for an hour. She didn't once interrupt him; he was too deep in his thoughts. She couldn't wait for him to finish.she wanted him; she needed him. Too often she had lay awake, fantasizing about him. Sometimes it was just sexual, but more often than not it was about her and Joey having a house in the city, kids running around the living room as Joey chased them.
Joey was in mid sentence when Phoebe got up from her chair and walked away from Joey's sight. His stomach dropped. The only person he had ever loved had just rejected him in the cruellest way possible. He hung his head in shame at being as stupid to think she would want him. He sat, inches away from crying when he heard her voice. He turned around slowly to see her sitting on the bed, staring straight at him. "Phoebe, I'm." "Shh" she said as she motioned him over to her He got up and walked towards the bed not knowing what to think. He stopped in front her. He looked down to see her reach for the top of the towel. She gently unhooked it and let it slip around her, never taking her eyes from Joey. She wanted to savour his reaction, never to forget it.
Phoebe never opened her eyes, she wanted to replay that last moment with Joey in hear head forever. He sobbing was uncontrollable; she prayed the world would end there and then, her pain ending with it. Suddenly she heard a voice, which jolted her from her thoughts. "Miss, are you ok? Phoebe glanced up and saw a familiar face. "Phoebe!" the woman was visibly shocked at the sight of the person she saw in front of her. "Come with me, you look like you need a strong coffee and a heat!" Phoebe followed the woman to her office just a few doors along. Phoebe was happy to see her, but at the same time she was scared. What if she contacted someone and told them where she was?" I'll stay for one coffee and then I have to go" Phoebe exclaimed. "I can't take the risk," she told herself as she took a seat in the bare office. This was going to take a lot of explaining!
~*~
Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with friends.
The sun was beginning to rise as the bus alighted at Glasgow. It came to a crashing halt at the station and people began to get up and collect their belongings. A few people were still asleep, so the driver began to walk the aisles and wake them gently. "Come on folks, that's us at the end of the line" He reached over and placed his hand on the back of a young woman who was deep in sleep. "That's us in Scotland" he softly shook her. She jumped up looking terrified. "Get your hands off me" she screamed, before realising where she was. "Oh im sorry, I just" "No need to explain, I get it all the time" the driver smiled. "Need any help with your bags? "No thank you, I think I got them" She stood up, using all her might to pick up the heavy suitcase that was by her side. "Ok, well if you need any help just shout. My name's Joe." She dropped the suitcase, and then quickly bent down to pick it up again. "Hey you look as if you just saw a ghost, everything ok?" the driver looked half bemused and half concerned. "Em, yes im fine, just tried." "What's your name?" the driver asked. "I'm Phoebe." She tried to get passed him as quickly as she could, his hand was extended for her to shake it, but she ignored it. He seemed to be hitting on her and it was the last thing she wanted. "Well Phoebe it's been nice to have met you" "You too J. Joe" she stammered his name, not wanting to say it, but knowing she had too. She practically ran to the front of the bus and down the stairs. She sat her bags down next to a plastic partition and looked around her, taking in her surroundings.
He station was busy although it was still only 5:30am. Phoebe had no idea what she was going to do now, but finding a hotel was top priority, she didn't want to be walking about the streets of strange city on her own. She saw a large group of tourists exit a bus to her left and began to follow them towards the stations entrance. The group departed and once again she was left standing on her own. It had been so long since she was last left to her own devices, with no one to ask for help or someone to give opinions. She was going to have to be self sufficient for the first time in 11 years. The sadness grew in the pit of her stomach, making her feel sick and extremely nervous. Could she cope on her own again? There was only one way to find out.
She hauled her rucksack onto her back, lifted her purse and grabbed hold of her suitcase. It was an amazing sight to see her tiny frame carry the weight of her belongings. She didn't realise she had packed so much; it was usually Rachel who took her whole wardrobe with her. The weight of the bags dragged Phoebe down, leaving her wishing she had one of the guys here to help her. Joey had carried her bags to and from the airport, so she didn't have to strain herself. If only he was here now.
She carried on walking, getting slower and slower as the weight took its toll on her. She stopped for a moment and looked up at the building in front of her. It was the tourist information office. She sighed with relief and dropped her bags. "Ill just wait here until it opens" she said to herself, while taking a seat on the buildings steps.
She observed the people passing her on the street, most dressed in business suits, obviously heading to work. No one noticed her, no one cared she was there. It was as though she was invisible to everyone. She dreamed someone would stop and talk to her so she could get the burden of her past off her chest. She would be able to tell a stranger everything, because if they judged her she wouldn't care. The only people she cared about hating her were her 5 best friends, whom she had left in London. She felt so much guilt as she thought about the situation. She wished she had been able to say a proper goodbye, hugged them, kissed them, remembered their smell, the way they looked. But she still had her memories. Chandlers huge smile that beamed every time she walked into the room, her arguments with Ross over the evolution of the planet. Rachel's excitement over finding a bargain at Saks, Monica's constant cleaning and cooking, and finally Joey. Her happy memories faded. She didn't want to think of the good times with Joey as it was killing her to be away from him. The thought of never seeing any of them again, especially Joey terrified her to her very soul. She closed her eyes and thought back to two nights before when Joey had declared his love for her.
~*~
"Its things like that that make me love you" he blurted out quickly before he realised what he had just said. Phoebe looked visibly shocked. "You love me?" There was so going back now, he had to tell her everything.
"Phoebe, I've loved you from the minute I set eyes on you in Central Perk. I told Chandler you had a fabulous ass, and a great rack. But in reality all I could see was you beautiful face and your golden hair, which floated around you, like a halo. Since that day I haven't been able to tear my eyes away from you. You're the first person I look for when I come into a room, and the only woman I want to make love to." He looked down embarrassed by what he had just said. He didn't look up as he resumed talking.
"Every time you came into Monica's with stories of your new boyfriends I felt like my heart was being ripped from my chest, feeling sick while you spoke about the sex. I longed for it to be me. Me who you wanted, me who took care of you, me who got to hold you in bed at night and me who got to wake up with you. I've lost count of the times I've waited for everyone to leave the apartment so I could scream with frustration, in so much pain that you had left me once again to go home. I always felt invisible around you, like you saw me as Joey, your dumb friend, who you ran to when you broke up with one of the crazy guys you dated." His voice was full of emotion, trying hard not to break down.
"Phoebe you are the most special woman in the world to me, I thank God daily that he brought you into my life, even if it had been for one second, I would have know it was worth it"
Phoebe listened intently to what Joey had to say for an hour. She didn't once interrupt him; he was too deep in his thoughts. She couldn't wait for him to finish.she wanted him; she needed him. Too often she had lay awake, fantasizing about him. Sometimes it was just sexual, but more often than not it was about her and Joey having a house in the city, kids running around the living room as Joey chased them.
Joey was in mid sentence when Phoebe got up from her chair and walked away from Joey's sight. His stomach dropped. The only person he had ever loved had just rejected him in the cruellest way possible. He hung his head in shame at being as stupid to think she would want him. He sat, inches away from crying when he heard her voice. He turned around slowly to see her sitting on the bed, staring straight at him. "Phoebe, I'm." "Shh" she said as she motioned him over to her He got up and walked towards the bed not knowing what to think. He stopped in front her. He looked down to see her reach for the top of the towel. She gently unhooked it and let it slip around her, never taking her eyes from Joey. She wanted to savour his reaction, never to forget it.
Phoebe never opened her eyes, she wanted to replay that last moment with Joey in hear head forever. He sobbing was uncontrollable; she prayed the world would end there and then, her pain ending with it. Suddenly she heard a voice, which jolted her from her thoughts. "Miss, are you ok? Phoebe glanced up and saw a familiar face. "Phoebe!" the woman was visibly shocked at the sight of the person she saw in front of her. "Come with me, you look like you need a strong coffee and a heat!" Phoebe followed the woman to her office just a few doors along. Phoebe was happy to see her, but at the same time she was scared. What if she contacted someone and told them where she was?" I'll stay for one coffee and then I have to go" Phoebe exclaimed. "I can't take the risk," she told herself as she took a seat in the bare office. This was going to take a lot of explaining!
~*~
