Chapter 19
Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with friends. Zzzzzzz
~*~
Phoebes mind whirled as she sprinted down the busy Paris street, running faster than her legs would carry her. She could hardly believe what or rather who she had seen only moments before. Was it really Rachel? What was she doing in France? It had to have been her, but how?
Phoebe narrowly missed falling over a little boy who had let go of his mothers' hand. She decided she had better slow down; she couldn't risk hurting herself, and the stress wasn't doing her any good either.
She paused for a moment and looked behind her. There was no sign of Rachel or anyone else she recognised. She let the breath go back into her lungs and walked at a steady pace back to her apartment, stopping occasional to check she wasn't being followed.
It took her another 20-minute walk until she was home safe. Or at least so she thought. She barely had her key in the door when a hand touched her on the shoulder. She spun around and this time it was her that fainted.
~*~
Monica paced the floor of her kitchen, desperately fumbling in her cupboards in search of food she could use to cook for the meal on Saturday night.
"This is useless!" She slammed the fridge door shut. "I have nothing! I need this to be special!" She grabbed her purse from the couch and set off to do some grocery shopping.
Just as she exited the door she heard another door open and Joey appeared.
"Hi Joe, how you doing? Did Chandler tell you about Saturday night?"
Joey looked down at his shoes uncomfortably.
"Yeah, he mentioned it, but I don't think im going to make it." He shifted around in the same spot, not wanting to meet Monica's eye.
"Aw, why?" Monica looked genuinely disappointed.
"Im seeing -" Joey went to say another name and stopped himself. "Gemma,"
Monica didn't notice his near mistake.
"I told Chandler to tell you to bring her!" She was practically begging Joey now.
"Um, I don't know? I don't think she's ready to meet all my friends yet. She's shy." Joey tried to come up with a better excuse but that was all he could think of to say. There was no way he could bring "Gemma" to Monica's. It would take too much explaining!
"Joey please? Im trying to get everyone back together! I really want this to be a special night, and it wont be special without you." Monica pleaded as best she could.
"Ok Mon, if it means that much to you, but I don't think Gemma will be there." Joey finally gave in.
"As long as you are there, that's all that matters." Monica's face lit up, happy that her powers of persuasion hadn't let her down.
Monica and Joey descended the stairway and walked out into the quiet street in silence. As they parted ways Monica noticed Joey wasn't his normal self. Something was on his mind and she wanted to know what it was. She knew from speaking to Ross that Joey had been seeing a councillor because of his break down 5 months ago, but as far as everyone was concerned he was much better and coping better than he had back then. Was he still depressed? Or was he hiding something?
~*~
Ross watched that afternoon's episode of Oprah. He was getting to be quite the expert on woman's issues.
"I could give that Dr Phil a run for his money!" he screeched at the TV.
Watching television was all Ross seemed to do with his day ever since he had taken a break from work. It wasn't fulfilling him to spend his time like this, but what else did he have? In his eyes he had nothing.
Monica had helped him so much since Rachel left. He was positive if it hadn't been for her he would have ended up like Joey with a nervous collapse.
Every day got a little better for him, but there was still such a big part of his heart missing it stopped a full recovery. But maybe one day that would heal?
Ross' attention was drawn away from the TV as a loud knock came from his front door. He removed the blanket covering him and went to answer it. Monica stood in front him, laden down with shopping bags.
"Don't just stand there, give me a hand!" Monica felt like her arms were being ripped from the sockets as Ross desperately tried to relieve her of the weight.
He sat the bags down on the floor and shut the door over. Monica shook her hands back and forth trying to get the circulation working again in her swollen fingers. She took a seat where Ross had previously been and sighed with relief.
"I think I bought the whole damn store then!" Ross gave a sarcastic grunt to Monica's statement. "You think?"
Monica ignored him and started a different subject.
"So did you get my message about dinner on Saturday?"
"Yeah, I think it's a great idea. It will be just liked old times." The minute he said it he wished he hadn't. It wasn't going to be like old times at all. Phoebe and Rachel wouldn't be there, so how could it be anywhere near similar? Monica picked up on Ross' faux pas and again chose to ignore him.
"So are you coming then?
"Of course. I wouldn't miss it for the world!" Ross seemed enthusiastic.
"Ok then, good. Right, help me over to the apartment with the shopping!" Monica stood back up and lifted a few backs, leaving the rest for Ross.
Saturday was going to be a great night. At least for a while!
~*~
Phoebe picked herself up from the hall floor and rested her hand on the doorknob to steady her. She looked the person standing in front of her up and down, taking in everything. "Rachel?" She sobbed, half sad and half relieved.
Rachel looked mad but her face changed when she saw Phoebe's tears.
"I missed you so much!" Rachel pulled her best friend into a tight embrace; scared she would run again.
"I've missed you too, more than you will ever know!" Phoebe continued to howl uncontrollably. It was like a sudden release of emotions she had been bottling up for months, maybe even years.
The two separated and studied each other intently. Rachel held Phoebes hands and pulled back to get a better look at her. As her eyes drifted southwards she gasped and shrieked.
"Phoebe! You're pregnant! How? When?"
This was the moment Phoebe had been most dreading. That's why she had run from Rachel's office. She could have handled seeing her friend again and explaining her disappearance, but this would take a whole lot more than explaining.
~*~
I'm sorry for leaving it here but I need to, to make the next bit tie in :o) I love all the reviews so far, keep it up hehe Vixie your like a mini detective, I love it lol All I will say is your on the right track ;o)
Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with friends. Zzzzzzz
~*~
Phoebes mind whirled as she sprinted down the busy Paris street, running faster than her legs would carry her. She could hardly believe what or rather who she had seen only moments before. Was it really Rachel? What was she doing in France? It had to have been her, but how?
Phoebe narrowly missed falling over a little boy who had let go of his mothers' hand. She decided she had better slow down; she couldn't risk hurting herself, and the stress wasn't doing her any good either.
She paused for a moment and looked behind her. There was no sign of Rachel or anyone else she recognised. She let the breath go back into her lungs and walked at a steady pace back to her apartment, stopping occasional to check she wasn't being followed.
It took her another 20-minute walk until she was home safe. Or at least so she thought. She barely had her key in the door when a hand touched her on the shoulder. She spun around and this time it was her that fainted.
~*~
Monica paced the floor of her kitchen, desperately fumbling in her cupboards in search of food she could use to cook for the meal on Saturday night.
"This is useless!" She slammed the fridge door shut. "I have nothing! I need this to be special!" She grabbed her purse from the couch and set off to do some grocery shopping.
Just as she exited the door she heard another door open and Joey appeared.
"Hi Joe, how you doing? Did Chandler tell you about Saturday night?"
Joey looked down at his shoes uncomfortably.
"Yeah, he mentioned it, but I don't think im going to make it." He shifted around in the same spot, not wanting to meet Monica's eye.
"Aw, why?" Monica looked genuinely disappointed.
"Im seeing -" Joey went to say another name and stopped himself. "Gemma,"
Monica didn't notice his near mistake.
"I told Chandler to tell you to bring her!" She was practically begging Joey now.
"Um, I don't know? I don't think she's ready to meet all my friends yet. She's shy." Joey tried to come up with a better excuse but that was all he could think of to say. There was no way he could bring "Gemma" to Monica's. It would take too much explaining!
"Joey please? Im trying to get everyone back together! I really want this to be a special night, and it wont be special without you." Monica pleaded as best she could.
"Ok Mon, if it means that much to you, but I don't think Gemma will be there." Joey finally gave in.
"As long as you are there, that's all that matters." Monica's face lit up, happy that her powers of persuasion hadn't let her down.
Monica and Joey descended the stairway and walked out into the quiet street in silence. As they parted ways Monica noticed Joey wasn't his normal self. Something was on his mind and she wanted to know what it was. She knew from speaking to Ross that Joey had been seeing a councillor because of his break down 5 months ago, but as far as everyone was concerned he was much better and coping better than he had back then. Was he still depressed? Or was he hiding something?
~*~
Ross watched that afternoon's episode of Oprah. He was getting to be quite the expert on woman's issues.
"I could give that Dr Phil a run for his money!" he screeched at the TV.
Watching television was all Ross seemed to do with his day ever since he had taken a break from work. It wasn't fulfilling him to spend his time like this, but what else did he have? In his eyes he had nothing.
Monica had helped him so much since Rachel left. He was positive if it hadn't been for her he would have ended up like Joey with a nervous collapse.
Every day got a little better for him, but there was still such a big part of his heart missing it stopped a full recovery. But maybe one day that would heal?
Ross' attention was drawn away from the TV as a loud knock came from his front door. He removed the blanket covering him and went to answer it. Monica stood in front him, laden down with shopping bags.
"Don't just stand there, give me a hand!" Monica felt like her arms were being ripped from the sockets as Ross desperately tried to relieve her of the weight.
He sat the bags down on the floor and shut the door over. Monica shook her hands back and forth trying to get the circulation working again in her swollen fingers. She took a seat where Ross had previously been and sighed with relief.
"I think I bought the whole damn store then!" Ross gave a sarcastic grunt to Monica's statement. "You think?"
Monica ignored him and started a different subject.
"So did you get my message about dinner on Saturday?"
"Yeah, I think it's a great idea. It will be just liked old times." The minute he said it he wished he hadn't. It wasn't going to be like old times at all. Phoebe and Rachel wouldn't be there, so how could it be anywhere near similar? Monica picked up on Ross' faux pas and again chose to ignore him.
"So are you coming then?
"Of course. I wouldn't miss it for the world!" Ross seemed enthusiastic.
"Ok then, good. Right, help me over to the apartment with the shopping!" Monica stood back up and lifted a few backs, leaving the rest for Ross.
Saturday was going to be a great night. At least for a while!
~*~
Phoebe picked herself up from the hall floor and rested her hand on the doorknob to steady her. She looked the person standing in front of her up and down, taking in everything. "Rachel?" She sobbed, half sad and half relieved.
Rachel looked mad but her face changed when she saw Phoebe's tears.
"I missed you so much!" Rachel pulled her best friend into a tight embrace; scared she would run again.
"I've missed you too, more than you will ever know!" Phoebe continued to howl uncontrollably. It was like a sudden release of emotions she had been bottling up for months, maybe even years.
The two separated and studied each other intently. Rachel held Phoebes hands and pulled back to get a better look at her. As her eyes drifted southwards she gasped and shrieked.
"Phoebe! You're pregnant! How? When?"
This was the moment Phoebe had been most dreading. That's why she had run from Rachel's office. She could have handled seeing her friend again and explaining her disappearance, but this would take a whole lot more than explaining.
~*~
I'm sorry for leaving it here but I need to, to make the next bit tie in :o) I love all the reviews so far, keep it up hehe Vixie your like a mini detective, I love it lol All I will say is your on the right track ;o)
