Thanks for all the reviews! I got past 100! grins This is the penultimate part and I hope you all like it, so tell me what you think!

Nina

Happy New Year!

While You Were Sleeping

Part 21

Ross stared at the paper in his hands. The headline screamed out at him, taunting him with their words.

Monica Geller Innocent

The one result he had dreaded. No … not dreaded … just secretly dreaded. Monica was his sister, she always would be, but somehow her being a murderer had been easier for him to deal with than her being innocent. He could blame somebody for everything if she was guilty. He could yell, scream and cut her from his life. Place her and everything to do with the past twelve months in a little box and throw away the key. But she was innocent, or at least that's what the jury believed.

He scanned the page, searching for another name, the name of the new killer. He froze when he eventually found it, accompanied by a recent picture. A Gunter Tuler, manager of Central Perk. Ross stared down at the familiar face and wondered what had driven him to it. They'd never really spoken to Gunther, never known his last name, his hobbies or interests. Why would he want to murder them all?

Reading on the answer was given to him.

"Tuler, obsessed for many years with Miss Green, finally snapped and launched his attack after Miss Green became pregnant with another mans baby"

Him. This was all because of him. Because he loved Rachel. It was somehow easier to accept Monica as the killer than it was to try and comprehend that Gunther had done it. It made no sense, he knew that, but it was the truth …

"Ross?" he heard someone ask as he continued to stare at the paper, gripped in his white hands. "You've heard then?", he didn't even have the strength to nod anymore. Rachel simply continued speaking, "She'll need somewhere to stay you know … "

He woke up them, realised the reality of it all. Monica was being released.

Today.

Soon.

Now.

And she needed somewhere to stay. He knew she couldn't stay here, knew Monica wouldn't want to stay here, the way he'd treated her. Suddenly, deep in his mind, he realised how to be a brother again. Picking up the phone he dialled the number as fast as his fingers would allow.

"Hello?" he asked as soon as he heard sound on the other end, "When's your next flight to Texas? … And are there any seats on that? … No, just the one please … Geller, my details should be in your system … Yes, I'll pick them up before boarding. Thank you" Hanging up he couldn't help smiling to himself. He knew this wouldn't make up for the past few months but it was a start. It was definitely a start.

"Ross" Rachel stated when he had hung up, "What the hell do you think you're doing?! Monica needs out support now, she doesn't need you throwing her as far away as you can get her! You could have at least waited a day … "

Ross didn't even speak, he simply held her close, softly stroking her hair and prayed that she, and Monica, would understand.

--------------------

Monica walked out of the grey building and felt the wind kiss her cheeks. For the first time in her life she felt free, free of anything and everything. The Jury had believed her, she was free, innocent. And she was never going back there, of that she was sure. Wrapping her arms around herself she smiled as the sun touched her skin and the birds began to sing. She wondered briefly if there would be any taxi's outside, she knew no one she knew would be there to meet her. They'd all made their feelings perfectly clear.

She noticed the couple at the edge of the parking lot and wondered what it felt like to be loved. To have someone there who actually cared that you'd been released, instead of a long and lonely taxi ride to a hotel. It was only when she got closer that Ross' gelled hair caught her eye.

"Ross … " she whispered, not even daring to believe it. She stood there, frozen as Rachel embraced her briefly. Ross stood there, and odd sort of smile on his face as he handed an envelope to her.

"Here are your tickets. Your plane leaves in about three hours"

Monica looked down at the plane tickets she was now holding. Monica couldn't even move, the tears she so desperately wished she could cry refused to come. She noticed an address scrawled hastily on the envelope and suddenly everything made sense. Ross was telling her to leave, now. Trying his best to make her exit as pain free as possible. She knew the house must have cost him, but she didn't care. She hadn't expected fanfare when she was released but never, never in all her life had she ever thought he could be so heartless.

Stepping into a cab, her hands still clasped around the tickets Monica couldn't find the strength to say goodbye. At least she knew what she really meant to him now, she told herself as she speed towards the airport, but in the darkness of the taxi those words were of no comfort to her.