Monica slipped through the door into the churchyard and made her way over to Ross.
"How are you holding up?"
"I'm okay." He turned towards her. "When I was hearing about her lying to me about the baby all my brain kept saying was that Rachel would never do this and that's the problem I'm not in love with Rachel, I'm in love with the Prom Queen and they aren't the same person anymore, and in truth I'm not the person I was then either. When we got engaged we were both settling, but now she has the chance to not settle to have exactly what she really wants I'm not gonna get mad or stand in the way. I'm not gonna make the same mistake twice. I wish I'd realised how much they truly loved each other then and saved us all the pain of what has happened, save myself the pain of being separated from my little girl. But I was blind, I was too focused on what I wanted and not what was best I couldn't see that I was actually hurting everyone including Emma."
"Maybe you should tell them that and finally fix your friendship with them, especially Joey."
"I will but I think that right now they need to be alone and sort things out themselves. But I will go and see them, now in fact. Where are they?"
"In the vicar's chamber." Ross nodded and walked past his little sister, he grabbed her hand and squeezed for a second before disappearing. The door opened and closed and Monica turned and looked out across the churchyard. She heard the door open again and then felt arms snake round her waist. "He's really ok with this, he's not even angry."
"He's finally grown up. He's finally realised." She turned round to look at him while he spoke.
"How's Phoebe?" Chandler drew in breath and looked away from Monica. "That bad?"
"She really does love him. Didn't you see her in there, in her head she saw the two of them at the altar in a few years time and then…"
"I should go and see her." Chandler shook his head before he replied.
"No, give her a little space."
* * *
Joey and Rachel were sat side by side. The room was filled with an uncomfortable silence. Both jumped at the knock on the door, though they welcomed it.
"Come in." the door opened and Ross came in. Joey jumped to his feet and put a protective hand on Rachel's shoulder. Rachel's own hand reached up and covered his.
"What is it Ross?"
"Joey and I need to talk." Rachel looked up and Joey and his eyes found hers. A silent message was sent to her telling her it would be ok, he wouldn't lose her again. "Joe, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I let our friendship suffer because I was too selfish to see that you and Rachel were made for each other. Rachel I'm sorry about so many things. I was a fool. I only hope you can both forgive me." Rachel smiled at him and Joey pulled him into a hug, which Ross returned. "To show that I want you to be together I thought I'd offer to take Emma, and Aaron for a few nights and days until you're all sorted." Rachel stood up and she took Joey's hand.
"Thank you Ross. It means a lot to us, to both of us and I'm sorry that things happened like they did between us. I wish it hadn't." Ross smiled.
"I'll just go and get the kids. Let me know when everything is done." Ross left the room and the two turned to each other.
"Home?" Rachel nodded and they slipped away together.
* * *
Phoebe had been in her bed, their bed for days maybe even weeks. He hadn't come home, not once and she knew he was with her. In the home they'd shared, building their lives with their son her daughter and the child they had on the way. She had hoped she and Ross could find a way to get things right again, but even when she had reminded him he and Rachel were lobsters and their pact when they were younger about turning forty he had merely replied he'd already done enough to ruin things for them, now all he wished the couple was his happiness. She hated Rachel, she who had once been her friend. She had been the one who had convinced her to come back, she had never once thought Joey still loved her, she had never imagined that all the time they were together Joey could have been imagined she was Rachel. She wanted him back so badly, at the wedding she had been imagining them, months down the line in the same place, she had no clue he was actually thinking of how to stop the wedding so he could be with the bride. She had thought they were happy, she knew they had been but Rachel gave him something she obviously didn't, what was it about Rachel that made everyone like her and forgive her. She had Joey and she had Chandler, her boyfriend and their best friend. She had Monica, her best friend and she had her good friend Ross, the father of her first born. She had them all. Phoebe was obviously just replaceable. If she had done the things Rachel had done she'd never have been accepted back into the group again not like Rachel had. The phone rang, disturbing her thoughts. She reached across and grabbed it.
"Hello?" her voice sounded hollow and empty even to her.
"Ms Buffay?"
"Yes."
"Hello my name is Doctor Stein I'm calling in regards to a Miss Ursula Buffay, your sister?"
"Yes."
"She was brought into the hospital last night, Miss Buffay could you please come down here."
"She's asking for me!?!?!?!"
"Please Miss Buffay."
"Sure." Phoebe hung up and managed to pull herself from her bed, throw on some clothes and leave, just before exiting the apartment she caught sight of herself in the mirror, she was gaunt and looked ill enough to be admitted to hospital herself. She shuddered at her own appearance before stepping through the doorway. She arrived at the hospital within 20 minutes and went in, after being directed into the family room she was joined by a doctor moments later.
"Miss Buffay I'm Doctor Stein." Phoebe stood up and took the hand offered to her to shake. She felt almost like she was running on autopilot. She even imagined herself as a character on DOOL, one that Dr Ramoray would fall hopelessly in love with. "I'm sorry to tell you that your sister passed away this morning. Her injuries were just too extensive. But your niece is healing, would you like to see her? I must warn you we haven't told her about her mother yet."
"My what?" The doctor looked at her strangely.
"Your niece, Jennifer."
"No my sister doesn't have children. Does she?"
"I'll take you to her." Phoebe felt dazed as she followed the doctor through the various corridors of the hospital until they arrived on the children's ward. He pointed her at the bed in the corner. "She is well enough to be told about her mother, but we felt it was best for you to do it." The doctor disappeared leaving her with the little girl. She walked over the girl turned to look at her.
"Told you he was too smashed to drive."
"Jennifer?"
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Phoebe sat down on the small, hard plastic chair.
"I'm Phoebe."
"Concussion, amnesia which is it?"
"I'm your mom's twin, Ursula never mentioned me?"
"Oh, yeah she did. You're the lucky one who got everything right."
"I was living on the streets when I was 14 until I was about 20. I have a record. If that's your definition of lucky."
"No that's what my mom did, you got sent to live with your grandmother. You didn't my mom she existed."
"No that's what your mom did." The girl in the bed seemed to accept what she said, not even bothering to question. "Who was too drunk to drive?"
"The guy my mom was taking home. Where is she?" Phoebe glanced down at her hands before looking at her again. "She's dead isn't she?" Phoebe nodded.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry, she never loved me. I stopped loving her when I realised that fact. Anyway I'll be okay, I'm only 2 years younger than you when you started living on the streets."
"I was living on the streets because I had no where else to go. You do."
"Where?"
"You have me and also my brother Frank and his wife Alice. But they have triplets so you might be more comfortable with me. And also there's your grandmother."
"I actually have a family?" Nice of her to tell me."
"This is so weird, I can't believe Ursula has got a 12 year old kid and we never knew. Where's your dad?"
"I never knew him, mom said he didn't want anything to do with us. All she told me was he was just some Italian actor, that you introduced her to, knowing he'd take advantage."
"She broke his heart, and never told him about you. We used to be best friends."
"Why aren't you now?"
"Things change."
* * *
Rachel opened the door of their apartment to find Phoebe stood there with a girl beside her.
"Phoebe? I'm so glad you're here. Sweetie I'm sorry I never meant to hurt you." Phoebe stared pointedly at the bulge of her stomach.
"I need to see Joey." Rachel opened the door wider to let Phoebe through. The girl followed her quietly and stood close to her.
"Joey!" Rachel shouted him and he emerged from the room that had once been just Rachel's bed room with Emma holding his hand and his son in his arms.
"Phoebe…" Phoebe cut him off before he could even start.
"Joey let's make this quick. The apartment it's yours, when do you want me to move out?"
"Phoebe can we please talk?"
"I thought that's what we were doing. I asked you a question could you please answer it."
"Stay, we'd rather be here." Phoebe nodded her head. Inside she was thankful she didn't have to leave, she wasn't really ready to wrench herself away from the home they'd shared, especially if she had to live with the knowledge they were making their home there.
"I'll contact a solicitor about renting or even buying the place from you. I'll use Ursula's in fact, Jenny you know who she used right?" The girl nodded her head, slightly overwhelmed by the tension and discomfort of the people in the room. "Oh by the way, Rachel Joey this is Jennifer. Jennifer this is Rachel and Joey. That is Emma and the little boy is Aaron, your half brother. I'll be in touch, let's go Jenny." Phoebe spun on her heel and grabbed Jenny's hand dragging her out the door. She hadn't told Jenny who they were going to see, she had said her ex and his new girlfriend, she'd never said her ex was her father. Jenny pulled Phoebe to a stop.
"That was the Italian actor! Why didn't you tell that's who he was? Oh I get it, your revenge was the way you told him. Don't use me like that!"
"Jenny I'm sorry I should have said something, I didn't deal with it well." Joey appeared round the corner before Jenny could reply.
"Explain." Phoebe looked down.
"Joey this is Jennifer, my niece. Ursula's daughter. I don't, her birth certificate doesn't exactly say your name but the dates tie in and from what Ursula said. I think you're her father."
* * *
Phoebe was shown into the grand office and was amazed by everything in it. The man behind the desk stood up and offered his hand to her.
"Hello Miss Buffay I'm your sister's attorney Mike Hannigan." Phoebe smiled at him, it was her first genuine smile since she had been left by Joey, it seemed like only yesterday some days, but days like today it seemed like light years ago, it truth it was almost 5 months. It had been 2 since her sisters' death. He motioned to the chair and she sat, he sat down again and leaned forward across his desk. "Firstly I'd like to apologise for leaving you floundering your way through things with my junior this past month but I've been on vacation, desperately needed I'm afraid."
"That's ok, my mind hasn't exactly been in the place to do this anyway. Now you're back and I'm focused so we should get somewhere."
"Yes we should." Phoebe smiled again and felt the first ray of light pierce her heart since she and Joey had broken up. "Well it's all pretty straight forward. Your sister didn't have much but everything is to go to her next of kin, her daughter and you'll be trustee until she becomes of age. Anything you'd like to ask?"
"Well I have to rush off and collect Jenny from school but, I do have a question about something."
"We could discuss it over dinner."
"I'm free."
A/N: For the person who said about Rachel using contraception, it's just a case of the rubber tore.
A/N2: I know it's weird to introduce Jenny but it was the only way I could think of for Phoebe to meet Mike without it being an actual date.