Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!! This will be my last update for a while because I'm going on holiday for 2 weeks tomorrow but don't worry it will give me plenty of time to think up more stories! :D

Please review and let me know what you think of this.

Without Him-- Joey Tribbiani

…."We see more of your friends…" Tony told him, pointing the remote again, "Who do you wanna see now…?"

"Whoever…" Chandler mumbled, his mind still on what he just saw. Everything he felt that night in the bar came rushing back. It was the first time he realised his feeling for his best friends, before it was just thought he found her attractive but after that game of pool he developed different feelings. He had gotten so good at bottling it all up so he never told her but now he wished he had, now it was too late to do anything about it; he was dead.

"Alright then…lets see Joey…" Tony said, knowing exactly what Chandler was thinking.

Chandler shook his head, trying to stop himself from thinking of Monica. He turned his attention to the TV screen again. He frowned when he saw Joey appear.

"Wow! What a good looking guy!" Tony stated, watching the scene. "No wonder you hardly got any dates with him around!"

"Yeah, thanks!" Chandler replied sarcastically. For some reason, he had convinced himself that Joey would be a big movie star or something. He never expected to see what he saw.

"Hello, welcome to Rooster's….how may I help you?" Joey asked the family that stood him front him.

"We'd like the family chicken meal, please!" The man replied, almost rudely.

"Excellent choice…" Joey said in fake cheerfulness. "Anything else with that?"

"I would have said the first time, wouldn't I?!" The man snapped.

"Okkayyyyy then your food would be right with you…" Joey told him. "If you take a sit I'll bring it over to you."

"Make it fast…"

"Hey, there is no need to rude!" Joey had, had enough of the man. "I'm only doing my job!"

The guy simply rolled his eyes and guided his family over to a table. Joey shook his head, he hated his job. He had only took it because he had no money… he hadn't had an audition in ages, partly because he didn't have an agent anymore. He decided he would only work there until he had enough money to get by and until he finally had his shot. Recently he was having doubts he would make it and consider take his Dad up on his offer to join the family business and give up on acting.

"Joey's working in a fast food restaurant?!" Chandler looked shocked at Tony.

"Yeah, well… he hasn't had any auditions lately…."

"He hardly never has auditions but he's always stuck by acting!"

"That's because you was always there to help out with money and stuff…I mean he hardly ever paid rent when he lived with you…also you and the others kept his sprites up by telling he will make and stuff…"

Chandler sunk back in his chair, deep in thoughts. Never before had he thought about how much of an impacted he made on his friends lives…he always assumed that they would be no different if he wasn't there. He started to wonder what his life would have been like if he never met Ross in college, he would never have met any of the others. Would be all-alone? Would be happier?

When he looked back at the screen, he noticed that they weren't at the chicken place anymore. It showed Joey walking into a small house that was vaguely familiar to Chandler.

"Hello…anyone in?" Joey called out. "Ma? Dad?!"

"Hey Joey!" His youngest sister Dina appeared, smiling innocently at him.

"What are you after?" Joey sighed.

"Nothing! Just wanna say hi to my big brother….my big brother who is still living at home…at the age of 26...who works in at chicken joint…"

"Why don't you go and play with some cars on the highway!" Joey responded irritated.

"Why don't you find your own place to live!" Dina quickly replied.

"Why don't you?!"

"Because I'm 16, you dork!" Dina pushed past him and walked up stairs.

Joey sighed loudly and threw his bag down before heading towards his room.

This wasn't how his life was meant to turn out, he wasn't suppose to be living in his parents basement, having all his sister constantly taking the mick out of him. Joey collapsed on his bed….life sucked!

"Wow…Joey's living with his parents?!" Chandler stated.

"Yeps! He tried living in an apartment but he couldn't afford rent so he moved back with his family."

"Poor Joey…" Chandler commented.

"Now do you believe me when I say you were a good influence on them all?" Tony asked.

"Eh…" Chandler shrugged.

"Oh my god! I thought this was going to be an easy task…I mean, you're meant to be an intelligent guy! Why can't you get this?!"

"Maybe because I'm a 27 year old, who went to have a simple operation to remove my tonsils and then you turn up and tell me I'm dead!"

"Look, I know this is strange but I thought you might have some kind of faith…I mean you hung out with that Phoebe chick for years… she's always talking about this stuff!"

"I'm just finding it quite hard to believe that just because I never tried to hit on Rachel in a bar 3 years ago meant she actually went through her marriage and never saw any of the gang again. Or if Joey never lived with me means he would have had a crappy life as a failed actor!"

"Joey thinks a lot of you, you know…"

"Course I know! He's my best friend!"

"Exactly! So you had a pretty huge effect on his life…"

Chandler sighed and rubbed his eyes… he thought that when you died, you would be peaceful and would be able to relax.

"Look, watch this…" Tony said softly, turning the TV back on, showing the day that Joey moved in and when he first introduced Chandler to Baywatch.

"So ah, whatcha watching?" Chandler asked as he walked out of his bedroom to see Joey sat in front of the TV

"Baywatch…."

"What's it about?" Chandler asked, glancing at the TV quickly.

"Lifeguards…." Joey looked up at him quickly.

"Well, it sounds kinda stupid…" He started until he saw the woman on the screen. "Who's she?"

"Nicole Eggert. We like her…."

"Wow! Look at them run…."

"They do that a lot…" Joey told him grinned. "Hey, you want a beer?"

"Yeah, I'll go get one…."

"No, no, no, don't get up, I got a cooler right here…." Joey reached down the side of the sofa and then handed him a bottle.

"I'm so glad I let you move in!" Chandler stated, opening his drinking, taking a swig.

Joey looked at him and held up his own bottle. "Cheers!"

"Cheers!" Chandler repeated, clinking the bottle together. They both settled back to watching the show, occasionally talking.

"We're out of beers!" Joey told him.

"Oh, hey, we'll just go next door and get some!" Chandler said, standing up. "Monica won't mind!"

"Erm, maybe I should stay here…" Joey said, remembering the lemonade incident.

Chandler stopped. "Why? What did you do?"

"Nothing…" He looked down embarrassed.

"Okkayyyyy…" Chandler said, confused. "By the way…don't try anything on with Monica…"

"Oh are you two…y'know?" Joey asked, hoping he hadn't hit on his roommate's girlfriend after only 5 minutes of moving.

"No, no, no…" Chandler said quickly. "She's my best friend…I look out for her!"

"Okay, no problem…" Joey flashed him a smile, wishing that Chandler never found out what had happened before.

"Okay, I'll be right back.." Chandler said, walking out towards apartment 20.

Joey sighed and leaned back against the couch. He liked his new apartment and his new roommate, who he could see becoming a good friend. The telephone ringing interrupted his thoughts.

"Hello?"

"Joey? How's it going? You missing us yet?" He recognised his mom's voice straight away.

"Nah, not really…" Joey said bluntly.

"Oh…so how's that guy you're living with? Is he treating you all right? Didn't you say he was gay? He's not hitting on you is he?" His Mom rambled question after question.

"Ma, ma! Everything's fine! Chandler's a really cool guy and his not gay…." Joey told her.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah…I think he's got something going on with a neighbour anyway…."

"Oh? Why are they like anyway?" She asked.

"They seem nice…" Joey said, even though he had only met Monica. "Look, Ma, I better go…Chandler will be back soon…"

"Ah, okay…you sure you'll be okay?"

"Positive!" Joey replied. "I'll see you soon…"

A few minute after he set down the phone Chandler walked back through the door, beer in hand.

"Hey! You got some then?" Joey grinned.

"Yeps…" Chandler handed him one. "Hey you fancy going for a drink, later? Met everyone else."

"Will Monica be there?"

"Yeah…why?" Chandler looked at him curiously. "I told you not to try anything…"

"No, no…I'm not going to… don't worry, forget it… course I'll go…"

"Okay, great!" Chandler smiled and turned his attention back to the TV.

"Why did everyone think me and Mon were together?" Chandler asked once it had ended.

"I do I have to show you everyone's before you realise that the two of you acted like a couple!?"

"Quite possibly…"

Tony groaned in frustration. "It's going to be a long night…"

TBC

Please review and let me know what you think!!