Part 3 Chandler's discovery

Monica berated herself for losing Emily but there had been nothing she could do about it. She was gone and Monica would never find her again, unless luck was on her side. Luck! How could it be on her side, she wondered. The fact that Emily was around at all told her that luck was not on her side.

She felt so unsettled that even though she stopped for a coffee and tried to relax, she couldn't, so she ended up going home. Spending time with the twins helped and she was almost able to push the Emily problem to the back of her mind.

In the evening, Chandler rushed in saying,

I've seen her again.'

'Emily?'

'Yes. What's more I think she saw me. She doesn't want to be seen,' Chandler said. Doesn't want to be seen? Maybe Emily had caught a glimpse of Monica too. Perhaps it wasn't just bad luck that Monica had lost Emily. Had she been avoiding her too?

I saw her too. I was looking for some new kitchen knives and she passed me on the street,' Monica said. She was thinking of replacements for the restaurant and was considering a change of brand. That job had been abandoned for the day and she realised that she would have to attend to it soon. 'I tried to follow her but she got away. Where were you when you saw her?'

In a delicatessen near where I work. I saw her buying marmalade,' Chandler said.

Marmalade?'

'Yes.'

'What were you doing in a delicatessen?' Monica asked. She took care of all the food and Chandler had no need to go into one.

It was my turn to buy the pastries,' Chandler explained.

You bought pastries?' Monica said, temporarily distracted. What was her husband doing eating someone else's pastries? Or any pastries at all? Much as she loved him she did not more of him round the middle.

You've got better things to do than make pastries for everyone at work,' Chandler said. If they want your pastries they can pay for them. They're nowhere near as good as anything you can make but if I bring anything from work they'll just get jealous.' But Chandler could see that Monica had returned to their problem.

What's she up to?' Monica fretted.

She might not be up to anything,' Chandler said. She might just be visiting relatives or something. Doesn't she have some here? I seem to remember an uncle.'

But why avoid you if that's all she's here for?' Monica asked. 'If she's just here to see an uncle, why would she care who sees her?'

Maybe she just doesn't want to see any of us,' Chandler said. They could pretty well bet that she wanted to see them as much as they wanted to see her but Monica just couldn't imagine her going out of the way to avoid them.

Do you think she's planning to see Ross?' Monica asked. She had had no hint from Ross or Rachel that either was aware that Emily was around. She was pretty sure they'd tell her if they knew. Emily was holding off for some reason and whatever it was, Monica didn't like it. It was bound to mean trouble.

Why hasn't she seen him already?' Chandler asked. He's not hard to find. She only has to ring him at work. Or even visit him there.'

How would she know where he was? When she knew him he was working at the Museum.' He hadn't kept that job because of her, although she wouldn't have known that. When Emily had told him she was engaged again, Ross developed an anger management problem which had resulted in him being 'let go' from the Museum. He hadn't been sacked exactly, but he hadn't been encouraged to stay. That had been a blessing in disguise because then he'd got his teaching job, which had been so much better for him, but Emily wasn't having any of the credit for that.

I guess someone might tell her if she really wanted to know,' Chandler said. Monica doubted it. Who could Emily possibly ask that would know?

I don't know about that. Maybe she's planning something. I don't like it. She was really down on Rachel, I think she wants to do something. After all Ross and Rachel have been through the last thing they need is more trouble.' They both knew that. Ross and Rachel loved each other but Monica was afraid that this wasn't enough to stop them splitting apart under pressure. There had been so many splits in the past and so many splits for stupid reasons.

Well I did find out something interesting,' Chandler said. She goes to that delicatessen every day – she's been there every day this week. So you can ask her what she's up to.'

Next instalment: Monica and Phoebe talk to Emily. What has she got to say for herself?