A/N Ok so it was a while before update again but in my defence I had a
Spanish exam. Massive thanks to David who made me continue this chapter and
proofed it –flumps-
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, in fact I don't own anything. Oh except Em, cos she's my little Pippin spiff
"What?" Monica gasped. "How can you be sure?"
"I recognised her voice," Rachel said, visibly shaking as Monica handed her a glass of water.
"Here sweetie," she said, sitting next to her. "How... how come you didn't recognise before?"
"I don't know... I'd never really spoken to her that much, but she was sort of speaking really quietly and it just clicked... I can't believe I've been living across the hall from her, oh my god."
A nervous pause hung in the air, before Rachel spoke again.
"We've got to tell Chandler."
"Will he believe us? He... he loves her. What if he thinks we're lying? He might not believe us..."
"He has to." Rachel sighed. "He just has to."
***
The light filtered into her mind, as she woke slowly, the covers pulled up around her neck, enveloping her in the warmth. But as her eyes flickered open once again, she saw his face, so peaceful as he slept, a small smile on his face, and she knew that she would never feel cold again.
Reluctantly she climbed out, opening the blinds to let in the pleasant spring sunshine, wrapping his dressing gown round her shoulders. She inhaled his scent, feeling at home.
She padded into the living room, where the window was open, letting a small breeze flutter though the apartment. As she poured herself a glass of orange juice, she let out a contended sigh, looking round the apartment.
She had never dreamed she could be here.
Her mind faded back to her nights on the streets, her tears gliding down her numb face, leaving streaks of moonlight across her face, desperately trying to remain hopeful, but years of bleakness can bury the spring of anyone's happiness.
She had never imagined that she would find someone to love her, love her in a way she had never felt before.
Love her because of who she was.
"Morning beautiful," Chandler smiled as he saw Phoebe, her blonde hair cascading over her shoulders, deep in thought.
She looked up, a smile breaking over her face.
"Morning," she said.
"Sleep well?" he asked, and Phoebe paused, thinking of the hours she had lain awake just reliving that evening in her head.
Eventually she spoke,
"Perfectly."
***
He pushed open the door casually, to see his five friends chatting animatedly on the couch.
"Hi guys," he said, joining them, and they froze.
"Um... hi." Ross said after a pause, sending Rachel a meaningful look. It lasted just a second but Rachel's eyes flashed with fear.
"What's going on?" Chandler questioned, and again the silence fell over the group, all of them looking at each other expectantly.
"How's Phoebe?" Joey asked, leaning forward, the sun from outside catching the side of his face, exposing the worried look, which seemed so out of place across Joey's features.
"Fine... great. Guys... is something wrong?"
"Rach..." Monica said softly.
"Not now," came the hushed reply.
"You've got to..." Monica began, but was abruptly interrupted by Rachel standing up.
"I said not now," Rachel hissed, in a firm voice, before walking out the door.
Chandler didn't let ten seconds pass before jumping up and following her. He had to know. Ross went to go with him, but Monica laid a hand on his arm.
"Leave them," she said.
***
"Rach?" Chandler walked into apartment 20, scanning quickly around.
"Yeah?" her voice echoed out from her bedroom, as she walked into the apartment.
"What was that about?"
"What was what...?" Rachel said feigning innocence, as her heart pounded in her chest.
Chandler paused, staring at his friend; she gave a quick smile, which faltered as he continued to look at her.
"Rach," he said. "Please?"
"Promise you'll let me finish," she said quietly, sitting down on the couch. "Promise you'll believe me."
"Well I don't know what it..."
"Promise me," Rachel said, a tone of finality in her voice, her eyes avoiding his as they focused on the coffee table.
"Okay," Chandler said slowly, noticing for the first time that Rachel's hand was quivering with nervousness.
"Um... it's Phoebe... I mean... it was Phoebe..." Rachel stammered. "She mugged me."
Her eyes rose from the table to meet Chandler's. A blue mix of emotions. She waited for a response. Eventually he stood up.
"You're lying!" he said, sounding more upset than angry. "Why would you say that?"
"Because it's the truth," Rachel said, before lowering her voice to a whisper. "You promised you'd believe me."
"She wouldn't do that... she's not like that."
"Why would I lie?" Rachel's voice raised, her eyes filling with tears. "What would I gain?"
"I don't know!" Fury pumped through Chandler's veins. "Maybe you're jealous."
"Oh, of what?" Rachel spat. "Why don't you listen to what I'm saying? It was her."
"Shut up!" Chandler shouted, and the door burst open, as Chandler and Rachel stood, barely a foot apart.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Ross said, pushing Chandler away, and standing in front of Rachel protectively.
"I'm sorry Chandler," Rachel sobbed, and Ross wrapped his arms around her.
As the 5 of them stood there in silence, broken only by the sobs from Rachel, none of the noticed her at the door.
Her heart broke as she saw the scene before her. The shouts having attracted her attention, she saw Chandler breathing deeply, rubbing his arm; Monica and Joey looking on in amazement as Ross comforted Rachel.
This is what she'd done. She'd been part of their lives for a few weeks and already she'd torn them apart.
She stared intently at Chandler's face, the anger slowly being taken over by sadness, regret. He looked away from Rachel shamefully, and Phoebe caught his eye.
"Phoebe," he said softly, and suddenly all eyes were on her, and she turned to go. "No... wait." He ran to the door, holding her shoulder gently, he turned to Rachel. "I'm sorry Rachel... I didn't... I can't..."
She nodded sadly, and he took Phoebe by the hand, closing the door behind them. Closing the door on his friends.
"What was that about?" Phoebe said, knowing the answer all to well.
"A lie," Chandler said, the bitterness drowning his words, and Phoebe closed her eyes, and the image flashed across her face.
It was Rachel. Scared, fearful and alone.
It was Rachel. She'd tried so hard to block it from her mind, but she couldn't deny it anymore.
It was Rachel, who had been walking along the street that night, Rachel who had seen the moonlight glint on the metal in her hand.
She opened her eyes, to see Chandler looking at her worriedly. He'd left his friends for her. She knew she had to tell him the truth. That it was her; that Rachel wasn't lying.
But she sighed, remembering how happy she had felt that morning. She hadn't felt happiness in so long. Rachel had Ross, she had Monica and Joey.
Phoebe needed Chandler. Chandler had her.
She took one last look at the door before finally whispering, "Oh."
She couldn't tell him. She couldn't lose him. He was all she had.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, in fact I don't own anything. Oh except Em, cos she's my little Pippin spiff
"What?" Monica gasped. "How can you be sure?"
"I recognised her voice," Rachel said, visibly shaking as Monica handed her a glass of water.
"Here sweetie," she said, sitting next to her. "How... how come you didn't recognise before?"
"I don't know... I'd never really spoken to her that much, but she was sort of speaking really quietly and it just clicked... I can't believe I've been living across the hall from her, oh my god."
A nervous pause hung in the air, before Rachel spoke again.
"We've got to tell Chandler."
"Will he believe us? He... he loves her. What if he thinks we're lying? He might not believe us..."
"He has to." Rachel sighed. "He just has to."
***
The light filtered into her mind, as she woke slowly, the covers pulled up around her neck, enveloping her in the warmth. But as her eyes flickered open once again, she saw his face, so peaceful as he slept, a small smile on his face, and she knew that she would never feel cold again.
Reluctantly she climbed out, opening the blinds to let in the pleasant spring sunshine, wrapping his dressing gown round her shoulders. She inhaled his scent, feeling at home.
She padded into the living room, where the window was open, letting a small breeze flutter though the apartment. As she poured herself a glass of orange juice, she let out a contended sigh, looking round the apartment.
She had never dreamed she could be here.
Her mind faded back to her nights on the streets, her tears gliding down her numb face, leaving streaks of moonlight across her face, desperately trying to remain hopeful, but years of bleakness can bury the spring of anyone's happiness.
She had never imagined that she would find someone to love her, love her in a way she had never felt before.
Love her because of who she was.
"Morning beautiful," Chandler smiled as he saw Phoebe, her blonde hair cascading over her shoulders, deep in thought.
She looked up, a smile breaking over her face.
"Morning," she said.
"Sleep well?" he asked, and Phoebe paused, thinking of the hours she had lain awake just reliving that evening in her head.
Eventually she spoke,
"Perfectly."
***
He pushed open the door casually, to see his five friends chatting animatedly on the couch.
"Hi guys," he said, joining them, and they froze.
"Um... hi." Ross said after a pause, sending Rachel a meaningful look. It lasted just a second but Rachel's eyes flashed with fear.
"What's going on?" Chandler questioned, and again the silence fell over the group, all of them looking at each other expectantly.
"How's Phoebe?" Joey asked, leaning forward, the sun from outside catching the side of his face, exposing the worried look, which seemed so out of place across Joey's features.
"Fine... great. Guys... is something wrong?"
"Rach..." Monica said softly.
"Not now," came the hushed reply.
"You've got to..." Monica began, but was abruptly interrupted by Rachel standing up.
"I said not now," Rachel hissed, in a firm voice, before walking out the door.
Chandler didn't let ten seconds pass before jumping up and following her. He had to know. Ross went to go with him, but Monica laid a hand on his arm.
"Leave them," she said.
***
"Rach?" Chandler walked into apartment 20, scanning quickly around.
"Yeah?" her voice echoed out from her bedroom, as she walked into the apartment.
"What was that about?"
"What was what...?" Rachel said feigning innocence, as her heart pounded in her chest.
Chandler paused, staring at his friend; she gave a quick smile, which faltered as he continued to look at her.
"Rach," he said. "Please?"
"Promise you'll let me finish," she said quietly, sitting down on the couch. "Promise you'll believe me."
"Well I don't know what it..."
"Promise me," Rachel said, a tone of finality in her voice, her eyes avoiding his as they focused on the coffee table.
"Okay," Chandler said slowly, noticing for the first time that Rachel's hand was quivering with nervousness.
"Um... it's Phoebe... I mean... it was Phoebe..." Rachel stammered. "She mugged me."
Her eyes rose from the table to meet Chandler's. A blue mix of emotions. She waited for a response. Eventually he stood up.
"You're lying!" he said, sounding more upset than angry. "Why would you say that?"
"Because it's the truth," Rachel said, before lowering her voice to a whisper. "You promised you'd believe me."
"She wouldn't do that... she's not like that."
"Why would I lie?" Rachel's voice raised, her eyes filling with tears. "What would I gain?"
"I don't know!" Fury pumped through Chandler's veins. "Maybe you're jealous."
"Oh, of what?" Rachel spat. "Why don't you listen to what I'm saying? It was her."
"Shut up!" Chandler shouted, and the door burst open, as Chandler and Rachel stood, barely a foot apart.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Ross said, pushing Chandler away, and standing in front of Rachel protectively.
"I'm sorry Chandler," Rachel sobbed, and Ross wrapped his arms around her.
As the 5 of them stood there in silence, broken only by the sobs from Rachel, none of the noticed her at the door.
Her heart broke as she saw the scene before her. The shouts having attracted her attention, she saw Chandler breathing deeply, rubbing his arm; Monica and Joey looking on in amazement as Ross comforted Rachel.
This is what she'd done. She'd been part of their lives for a few weeks and already she'd torn them apart.
She stared intently at Chandler's face, the anger slowly being taken over by sadness, regret. He looked away from Rachel shamefully, and Phoebe caught his eye.
"Phoebe," he said softly, and suddenly all eyes were on her, and she turned to go. "No... wait." He ran to the door, holding her shoulder gently, he turned to Rachel. "I'm sorry Rachel... I didn't... I can't..."
She nodded sadly, and he took Phoebe by the hand, closing the door behind them. Closing the door on his friends.
"What was that about?" Phoebe said, knowing the answer all to well.
"A lie," Chandler said, the bitterness drowning his words, and Phoebe closed her eyes, and the image flashed across her face.
It was Rachel. Scared, fearful and alone.
It was Rachel. She'd tried so hard to block it from her mind, but she couldn't deny it anymore.
It was Rachel, who had been walking along the street that night, Rachel who had seen the moonlight glint on the metal in her hand.
She opened her eyes, to see Chandler looking at her worriedly. He'd left his friends for her. She knew she had to tell him the truth. That it was her; that Rachel wasn't lying.
But she sighed, remembering how happy she had felt that morning. She hadn't felt happiness in so long. Rachel had Ross, she had Monica and Joey.
Phoebe needed Chandler. Chandler had her.
She took one last look at the door before finally whispering, "Oh."
She couldn't tell him. She couldn't lose him. He was all she had.
