Chapter 20
Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with friends.
~*~
Phoebe stared at Rachel, lost for words. Rachel wanted answers and she didn't know where to begin.
"Why don't you come in and ill tell you everything." Phoebe cautiously let Rachel into her apartment and showed her to the couch. Rachel removed her jacket and settled down to get comfortable.
Phoebe pulled a chair over to where Rachel was sitting so she could look her in the eye while she told her everything.
There was silence as Phoebe went over the story in her head. She took a deep breath and began.
"It all started after Joey took me back to the hotel.."
~*~
Joey redialled the number. Why wasn't she answering? That was the second day he had tried to get in contact with her and she hadn't been home. Was she screening her calls and didn't want to talk to him? No, that couldn't be the reason. She said she loved him. Why would she ignore him? She must just be busy.
Joey placed the phone back down and sighed dejectedly. "I'll try again later" He told himself and walked out of the apartment to go visit Monica.
"Hey Mon how's the plans for Saturday going?" Monica stopped what she was doing and went to take a seat with her friend.
"Yeah pretty good, ive got the shopping in so that's half the battle." Joey just nodded.
"What's wrong Joe?" Monica looked concerned about him; he wasn't acting like his normal self.
"Huh? Oh right, no, nothing, hmm, just, im fine." Joey didn't know if he should tell Monica what was on his mind, but he knew it probably wasn't the best thing to do.
"You know the girl im seeing? Well I can't get a hold of her.. I'm kinda worried about her, but I just think she's avoiding me."
"Awww, I'm sure she's just been busy, I wouldn't worry about it until you know all the facts. Give her a couple of days and then confront her, but don't do anything hasty until then!" Monica felt sorry for Joey; she knew how it felt to be rejected by someone you loved.
"Thanks Mon, I appreciate the advice," Joey smiled and got up to leave. He was going to try and call her again, he just hoped she answered this time and put his mind at rest. But she didn't..
~*~
"I can't believe you slept with Joey! You're having his baby! Oh my God this is like too much to take in. Phoebe honey why did you not go back to the states when you found out? Joey has a right to know he has a child growing inside of you!"
Phoebe had thought about that over and over, the guilt crushing her, but hearing it from Rachel made her feel even worse about herself.
"Rachel I have no money! I can't even afford to eat never mind get a $2000 flight!" Phoebe burst into tears, half feeling sorry for herself and half in remorse for everything she had done.
"I'm such a bad person. Ive hurt my best friends, ive taken Joeys baby away from him and im hurting our baby because im not able to give it what it needs. I would be better off not here." Her sobbing sounded painful.
"Phoebe Buffay don't you dare speak like that! Ok so everything you have done isn't great, but hey we all make mistakes. Ive forgiven you! And I know the others will! Phoebe please come home with me?"
Phoebe looked up at Rachel unable to take in what she had just said.
"What? Why? Why do you want to go home?" She sounded scared at the prospect of Rachel trying to persuade her to go back to New York.
"I'm not happy here. I miss my friends and I miss America. I don't care about work anymore. I made a mistake by taking this job, I just wish I had realised that friends mean more than anything else in the world before I left." Rachel felt so guilty too, and miserable into the bargain, but she was wary not to let herself break down. Phoebe needed her right now and she was going to give her all the support she could, she had to be strong.
"Rachel I can't go. How can I go back to my friends when they hate me? I have nothing in America anymore. I have to stay here and make a life for myself" Phoebe clearly wasn't thinking things through.
"How can you be so stupid? Phoebe no one is going to hate you! Trust me on that. They are going to be so relieved you are safe they wont care what you've done. And Joey has to know he's going to be a dad. You owe it to everyone to do this!"
"Its ok for you, everyone likes you!" Phoebe snapped back, unaware of Rachel's own situation.
"Are you kidding? I haven't spoken to anyone in nearly 6 months! Im the one they hate!"
Phoebe couldn't understand what Rachel meant. She hadn't asked her why she was in France yet, but by she knew from she had just said she couldn't have left on good terms either.
"6 Months? What the hell happened?" Phoebe was dumbfounded.
Now it was Rachel's turn to explain everything.
"My boss had heard about the managing director job at Prada and thought I would be great for it, but at that time it was based in Manhattan so she persuaded me to apply. It totally went out of my head until I got a call before we left for London. It was the head of Prada America and she told me the position in New York was no longer required, but she wanted me for Paris. I was so shocked I told her I would take it, but that was before I realised what I would be sacrificing. I didn't honestly think I would go through with it, but it was actually all down to you I did."
"Me? Why?" Phoebe was baffled.
"What you told me about your past in London shook me beyond belief. It made me sit up and think about things. You came through so much and survived! It made me realise that life is so short and you have to grab at every opportunity that you get. I couldn't pass up on an offer like that so here I am."
"Ok, but why aren't the rest speaking to you now?"
"Because I was a jackass about it all," Rachel shook her head remorsefully, thinking over that day at the airport.
"I didn't tell anyone about it, thinking I had a week or two to break it to everyone. But Marie my boss called to say I had to leave immediately, which put a stop on my plans. I basically left 5 minutes after I told everyone. Monica stormed off, Ross proposed and Chandler looked at me in disgust for hurting his two best friends. I didn't have the guts to call anyone when I got here, and no one called me, so that's where the story ends." Rachel felt just as bad as Phoebe did. She knew she hadn't been a good friend, and she wanted to rectify the situation, she just didn't know how.
"I can't believe Ross proposed!" Phoebe had stopped crying now and just looked flabbergasted
"Neither could I. But you know what? I wish I had accepted. I love him Pheebs, I always have." A small tear fell from her eye as she realised what she had lost.
Phoebe moved to the couch and cuddled Rachel securely. She knew exactly how she was feeling inside, both in need comfort.
The two hugged each other, both crying for what they had lost. They relished in the comfort for what seemed like ever, until Phoebe broke the embrace and spoke.
"I'm going home with you."
~*~
Im sorry this chapter was dragging on but it had to be done. Now it's down to the good stuff ;o)
I will try my best to get chapter 21 up in a few hours, so look out for it :o)
Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with friends.
~*~
Phoebe stared at Rachel, lost for words. Rachel wanted answers and she didn't know where to begin.
"Why don't you come in and ill tell you everything." Phoebe cautiously let Rachel into her apartment and showed her to the couch. Rachel removed her jacket and settled down to get comfortable.
Phoebe pulled a chair over to where Rachel was sitting so she could look her in the eye while she told her everything.
There was silence as Phoebe went over the story in her head. She took a deep breath and began.
"It all started after Joey took me back to the hotel.."
~*~
Joey redialled the number. Why wasn't she answering? That was the second day he had tried to get in contact with her and she hadn't been home. Was she screening her calls and didn't want to talk to him? No, that couldn't be the reason. She said she loved him. Why would she ignore him? She must just be busy.
Joey placed the phone back down and sighed dejectedly. "I'll try again later" He told himself and walked out of the apartment to go visit Monica.
"Hey Mon how's the plans for Saturday going?" Monica stopped what she was doing and went to take a seat with her friend.
"Yeah pretty good, ive got the shopping in so that's half the battle." Joey just nodded.
"What's wrong Joe?" Monica looked concerned about him; he wasn't acting like his normal self.
"Huh? Oh right, no, nothing, hmm, just, im fine." Joey didn't know if he should tell Monica what was on his mind, but he knew it probably wasn't the best thing to do.
"You know the girl im seeing? Well I can't get a hold of her.. I'm kinda worried about her, but I just think she's avoiding me."
"Awww, I'm sure she's just been busy, I wouldn't worry about it until you know all the facts. Give her a couple of days and then confront her, but don't do anything hasty until then!" Monica felt sorry for Joey; she knew how it felt to be rejected by someone you loved.
"Thanks Mon, I appreciate the advice," Joey smiled and got up to leave. He was going to try and call her again, he just hoped she answered this time and put his mind at rest. But she didn't..
~*~
"I can't believe you slept with Joey! You're having his baby! Oh my God this is like too much to take in. Phoebe honey why did you not go back to the states when you found out? Joey has a right to know he has a child growing inside of you!"
Phoebe had thought about that over and over, the guilt crushing her, but hearing it from Rachel made her feel even worse about herself.
"Rachel I have no money! I can't even afford to eat never mind get a $2000 flight!" Phoebe burst into tears, half feeling sorry for herself and half in remorse for everything she had done.
"I'm such a bad person. Ive hurt my best friends, ive taken Joeys baby away from him and im hurting our baby because im not able to give it what it needs. I would be better off not here." Her sobbing sounded painful.
"Phoebe Buffay don't you dare speak like that! Ok so everything you have done isn't great, but hey we all make mistakes. Ive forgiven you! And I know the others will! Phoebe please come home with me?"
Phoebe looked up at Rachel unable to take in what she had just said.
"What? Why? Why do you want to go home?" She sounded scared at the prospect of Rachel trying to persuade her to go back to New York.
"I'm not happy here. I miss my friends and I miss America. I don't care about work anymore. I made a mistake by taking this job, I just wish I had realised that friends mean more than anything else in the world before I left." Rachel felt so guilty too, and miserable into the bargain, but she was wary not to let herself break down. Phoebe needed her right now and she was going to give her all the support she could, she had to be strong.
"Rachel I can't go. How can I go back to my friends when they hate me? I have nothing in America anymore. I have to stay here and make a life for myself" Phoebe clearly wasn't thinking things through.
"How can you be so stupid? Phoebe no one is going to hate you! Trust me on that. They are going to be so relieved you are safe they wont care what you've done. And Joey has to know he's going to be a dad. You owe it to everyone to do this!"
"Its ok for you, everyone likes you!" Phoebe snapped back, unaware of Rachel's own situation.
"Are you kidding? I haven't spoken to anyone in nearly 6 months! Im the one they hate!"
Phoebe couldn't understand what Rachel meant. She hadn't asked her why she was in France yet, but by she knew from she had just said she couldn't have left on good terms either.
"6 Months? What the hell happened?" Phoebe was dumbfounded.
Now it was Rachel's turn to explain everything.
"My boss had heard about the managing director job at Prada and thought I would be great for it, but at that time it was based in Manhattan so she persuaded me to apply. It totally went out of my head until I got a call before we left for London. It was the head of Prada America and she told me the position in New York was no longer required, but she wanted me for Paris. I was so shocked I told her I would take it, but that was before I realised what I would be sacrificing. I didn't honestly think I would go through with it, but it was actually all down to you I did."
"Me? Why?" Phoebe was baffled.
"What you told me about your past in London shook me beyond belief. It made me sit up and think about things. You came through so much and survived! It made me realise that life is so short and you have to grab at every opportunity that you get. I couldn't pass up on an offer like that so here I am."
"Ok, but why aren't the rest speaking to you now?"
"Because I was a jackass about it all," Rachel shook her head remorsefully, thinking over that day at the airport.
"I didn't tell anyone about it, thinking I had a week or two to break it to everyone. But Marie my boss called to say I had to leave immediately, which put a stop on my plans. I basically left 5 minutes after I told everyone. Monica stormed off, Ross proposed and Chandler looked at me in disgust for hurting his two best friends. I didn't have the guts to call anyone when I got here, and no one called me, so that's where the story ends." Rachel felt just as bad as Phoebe did. She knew she hadn't been a good friend, and she wanted to rectify the situation, she just didn't know how.
"I can't believe Ross proposed!" Phoebe had stopped crying now and just looked flabbergasted
"Neither could I. But you know what? I wish I had accepted. I love him Pheebs, I always have." A small tear fell from her eye as she realised what she had lost.
Phoebe moved to the couch and cuddled Rachel securely. She knew exactly how she was feeling inside, both in need comfort.
The two hugged each other, both crying for what they had lost. They relished in the comfort for what seemed like ever, until Phoebe broke the embrace and spoke.
"I'm going home with you."
~*~
Im sorry this chapter was dragging on but it had to be done. Now it's down to the good stuff ;o)
I will try my best to get chapter 21 up in a few hours, so look out for it :o)
