Chapter 18
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Friday 22nd of April - From that day everything changed. Nothing and no one would ever be the same again.
Monica and Chandler could hardly bring themselves to speak to each other, and when they did it was so uncomfortable they usually didn't continue past hellos and goodbyes.

Joey turned into a bigger slut than he was before in a feeble attempt to get over Phoebe. He had tried to follow up Emily's call to Phoebe's apartment, but when he called her London house he was told she had since moved. It must have been a big understanding? His heart broke for months before he would allow himself to look at another woman, let alone touch one. But that all changed after Gemma came on the scene.

Monica took a new job at a hip happening new restaurant called Javu pretty soon after she got back to the states. But it was no compensation for losing three of her best friends. She was lonely and depressed. She longed for the day Chandler and her would talk like they used to. Would that day ever come?

Chandler had been on succession of dates with hot women in the last 5 months, but since they were all ex's of Joeys it wasn't surprising none of them ever got passed the second date. It saddened him to think Monica would never be the one he would marry and settle down with like the way he imagined it so many times. But he couldn't let it get him down; Monica had betrayed him and he didn't think he could find it in himself to forgive her. Or could he?

Ross was an emotional wreck! Rachel's rejection had almost killed him inside, leaving him feeling numb and unlovable. He had called in sick to work on the Monday he was due back and hadn't returned since. He was too depressed; dinosaurs were the last things in the world he cared about. Without Rachel nothing else mattered. He discarded every single thing that reminded him of Rachel, photos, clothes, and gifts. Everything that was, apart from one picture that was taken in central perk. It was when they had just started dating, she was sitting on his knee and they looked so happy. He never let that photograph out of his sight; he kept it close to him always and forever.

Rachel spent nearly every waking hour she had locked in her office, trapped with a mountain of work to complete, and it never seemed to clear, always getting bigger by the day. The job turned out to be nothing like she expected. There was very little fashion involved, her day was spent in meeting and conferences. Giving presentations and sorting accounts. None of which she was remotely interested in. She knew the money was fabulous and she had a penthouse apartment overlooking the seine river but somehow she was still miserable. She had no new friends, no one to talk to outside of work. She wanted so badly to go home, but it wasn't that simple.

Phoebe took the Drs news with complete shock. How was she ever going to cope? She tried with all her might to find a good paying job to support herself and her medical bills, but the language barrier and lack of references proved to be a huge problem. No one would employ her, and she couldn't really blame them. She hadn't eaten properly in weeks, just bits of bread and cheese when she could get it. She knew it wasn't good for her or her health, but she had no other option, other than going home, and that was never going to happen as far as she was concerned. She would just have to keep going for interviews until she found something.
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Rachel sat in her office staring glumly at the huge pile of paperwork that her assistant had just dumped on her desk. She desperately wanted to cry in frustration but knew that wouldn't get the work cleared. On top of it all she had to find a replacement for her secretary today. Amanda was going on maternity leave for 6 months, so a temp had to be brought in to cover her work. Rachel wasn't looking forward to the whole interview process, but she expected it would be more fun than adding up September's accounts.

She walked to her office door and called out to Amanda. "Is my 1230 appointment here yet?" Rachel enquired.

"Yes, she just filing out the application form. She didn't have a pen at home to do it." The secretary screwed up her face and whispered to Rachel "What kind of person can't afford a pen?"

"Maybe she does have a pen, it could have ran out of ink!" Rachel jumped to the strangers defence before closing her door back over.

"This is going to be a very long day!" She sighed.
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Monica took a deep breath and raised her hand to chap the door to the apartment across from hers. The door opened within seconds and an amazed Chandler recoiled backwards.

"Monica?" He had no idea why she was here. It had been the first time in months she had came to see him.

"Hi Chandler, listen im arranging a meal for everyone on Saturday night. I thought it would be nice for us to get together again. I miss being hostess." A little smile spread over her face.

"I can definitely make it, and ill ask Joey if he can too when gets back from Gemma's."

"Those two are still going strong huh?" Monica was surprised she was still able to keep taking to Chandler. and it didn't feel at all scary.

"Yeah, its amazing. I think he really likes her. But with Joey who knows?"

"Have you met her yet?" Monica was curious to find it all the info' about Joeys new Girlfriend.

"No, Joey doesn't talk about her much either so I don't know what she's like."

"Ask him to invite her to dinner then." Monica sounded too over enthusiastic.

"Ok, I will do. Well it was nice to talk to you again Mon. I'll look forward to Saturday" And with that he closed the door over. He stood with his back to it and smiled. He surprised himself at how happy he felt. Maybe after this things could return to normal? He hoped so.

Monica managed to get into the house before she burst into tears. She had denied her feelings for 5 months, but it was finally time she was honest with herself. She missed him, she loved him, and she wanted him. That kiss had clearly been a mistake, after all Chandler hadn't been in contact with his Cousin or his wife since they returned. At least that she knew of. Maybe she still had a chance? She would try and find out where she stood with him on Saturday.
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"Come in!" Rachel tried to shout loud enough for the person on the other end of the door to hear her. The door swung open and a very pregnant Amanda entered Rachel's office.

"Rachel your interviewee has finished her application. Would you like me to send her in?"

Rachel placed down her pen and shut over a brown paper folder that she was writing in.

"Give me a few minutes to tidy my desk then send her in. Thanks Mandy"

Rachel waited until she had left and began chucking every un-needed item from her desk into any spare drawer or filing cabinet she could find. Her office was in disarray and the last thing she wanted was to cause a bad impression to someone who could possibly become her new assistant. If she got the job she would have 6 months to learn about her messiness, but first she had to clean.

She tossed the last folder into the drawer and slammed it tightly shut, glad that that part of cleaning was finished. She was just about to rearrange her stationary when her door opened Rachel stood to feet and pushed her chair back.

"Ms Greene, this is your 12:30."

Amanda moved to the right and a familiar face emerged behind her causing Rachel's legs to buckle. She felt her back hit her black leather chair on the way down as her world went black.

Phoebe ran from the office, while Amanda ran to aide of her boss. Rachel regained consciousness quickly but her confusion remained.

"Whe-where is that woman?" Rachel looked around her empty room trying to see where Phoebe had gone, wondering if she had imagined it all.

"She ran away when you fainted" Amanda looked puzzled but was frightened to probe Rachel on the goings-on. Rachel jumped to a standing position and ignored the pains aching in her body from the fall. "You have to help me find her!"
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