Has I promised you yesterday here's the new chapter.... I still have other two ones done and being working in the other two for a while now.... I'll probably post them next week, since tonight is new years ever and I won't be home for this weeked.... PLEASE REVIEW, and remember this chapter takes place after the Chapter 1

~~~Overcoming the lonelyness – Chapter 3 (Nowdays)~~~


"She's uhm... she's comig to stay?" asked Ross, taken back by Monica's news "now is a bit late, don't you think?"
"It's because of her workd... she doens't want to be here... you know that"
"Oh yeah" replied sarcasticly Ross "I sure do"
"Come on Ross... it's been 4 years since the last time she came.."
"I know that.... I still remember it... it was the day Ben was born" Ross looked down feeling how his hear was filling with memories of his last conversation with Rachel. Both had said horrible things to each other, and he was sure none of them meant any of those words, at least he knew he didn't.
"She's still my friend Ross... and I'm not gonna stop seeing her just because you don't feel like it. For all I know, you were the one who was an as$ back then"
"Hey! I was willing to give her everything!, she was the one who left, she was the one who didn't want to take it, she was the one who leave me. That wasn't my fault"
"Her father had just died... and also... well... there was so much going on in her life... she needed to clear her mind... I can't talk to you about the whole Rachel thing... I can't... I'm just caught in the middle... I was just letting you know she's comming so you can be prepared when you see her again"
"If I see her again" corrected Ross
"Well... I'm sorry, but you'll have to see her... it's the only way you can finally turn around that page of your life"
Ross sighed and remained silent for a couple of minutes. "You are probably right... When is she arriving?"
"In two weeks" replied Monica "Ross, why don't you try to put the past aside... you've been married since it all happened. It's time to move on, she probably already did. Maybe you guys can be friends again"
"We never were friends Monica. We were always more than that"
"Then you'll have to try to be friend with her. She's really important for me... and she once was really important to you too... please, give it a try"
"Ok... I'll try.... but I can't promise you anything"
"Thank you, that's all I'm asking"

*~*

"So who's this Rachel chick?" asked Joey sitted on the arm chair at the Central Perk
"She's a friend of mine. We met like 10 years ago in a plane when Ross and I were coming back from England. She used to come here every summer. We always had a great time togheter" explained very chreered Monica "well, not as a great time as she used to have with Ross but anyway" she winked at Phoebe and Joey, who had never met Rachel.
"Shut up Monica" said Ross pissed. Ever since his sister found out Rachel was coming the conversations about her increased and he was already sick of so many memories.
"Is she hot?" asked Joey interested
"She's... good.... good looking... yeah.... you can say that" replied Chandler, not wanting to get troubles with Monica or Ross
"But you can't date her honey. She was Ross' girlfriend" said Monica rubbing Joey's had
Suddenly Ross stood up, he was sick of the whole Rachel thing "She wasn't my girlfriend, she never wanted to be. And yes Joey, she's really hot, and you can date her. I couldn't care less" he said before storming out from the coffee house.

"What's up with him?" asked Phoebe confused by Ross' reaction
"We shouldn't had talked so much about Rachel in front of him" replied Monica, feeling guilty "their story didn't end up really good"
"It actually didn't end" added Chandler "they never had any closure about it"
"Yeah... that's true... Ross has always been in love with her, even when he was with Carol. He broke up with her once or twice because of Rachel"
"Really?... but he seemed to be so in love with Carol" said Phoebe
"Well... after everything was kind of over with Rachel, he forced himself to fall for Carol... that's why this whole Carol thing has been so hard for him. Been with her helped him not to think about Rachel"
"Was it really that bad?" asked Phoebe
"Yeah, both of them felt so many things for each other. At one point that scared them and it was easier to make mistakes. And they made huge ones. Those two hurt each other more than anyone else, really deep and horrible wounds"
"That sounds horrible" commented Joey "But I still can date her, right?".
The rest of the gang just rolled their eyes at him "didn't you listen the story?" asked Chandler

*~*

Ross arrived to his apartment on his own. Ben was at his parents and he was thankful about it. At least for that day he wasn't feeling able to be around his little son, he wasn't feeling able to be around anyone actually. He just wanted to be on his own. Alone with his memories, alone with his pain.
He was almost sure he would never see Rachel again, she was out of his life and had it been for a long time now. But just the idea of having her back, made him wonder. Sure they had been really young when they were together, but he always knew there was something special about the way he felt about her. It had been different, maybe it had been too much too soon and none of them were ready to handle all the things they were feeling. He had loved her like he never thought he would be capable of and like he never loved again. Carol had been his wife ad he had loved her, but that love never was even the shadow of his love for Rachel. He knew it and Carol had known it. And inspite of all the time that had been through, all the things said and the many other left unsaid, all the lies and betrayals, she was still in his heart, even though he had tried to ripped her off so many times.

He headed to his room in the darkness of his apartment. He wasn't feeling like turning on the lights, it would be too different compared to the way he was feeling. Ross opened the last drawer of his desk after looking for the key, they one key he hadn't used in a while. When he saw what was inside, memories of a happier time came across his mind. It was filled with pictures, movie tickets, restaurant bills, letters and a lot of other stuff from all of the summers he had shared with Rachel more than 5 years ago.
He took a bottle of shampoo Rachel has left on his apartment the day she left. He smelled it, remembering the perfume of her hair. He had always loved it. It used to drive him crazy, just like everything she did and she knew it. She always took advantage of the power she had over him, getting away with everything she wanted. But it had been ok, Ross used to love to spoil her, he had been willing to give her the moon if she wanted to.

Ross tried to remember when everything got so messed up. He had made a lot of mistakes, he knew it. But always helding the hope she would forgive him, and it wasn't like she had never made a bad move. When he asked her to stay with him, to move into his apartment she had replied it would be too much for her and she wasn't ready, specially not now. He never understood why, she never explained to him. The next morning he woke up and found a note saying she needed some time for herself, that she wasn't feeling able to carry on with their relationship because she would never be able to give him the one thing he wanted the most. Ross felt how his heart broke that morning, the one woman he had love more than anything in the world had left him with no explanation. After giving up on the hope of having her back in his life he promised himself he would move on and never looked back. 5 years later he still wasn't able to do so.

*~*

Rachel came down the plane feeling as nervous as the first time she came back to NY 9 years ago. Back then she didn't know how Ross and Monica would recive her, specially Ross. Now it was the exact same thing. She walked through the lobby of the airport looking everywhere to see if she could spot Monica or Chandler. That place brought her so many memories, so many farewell and welcome kisses with Ross, so many tears shared, so many promises and so many illusions, that had ended just like that, illusions.
She looked around and saw so many people arriving and leaving. People filled with dreams like she once was the first time she came to New York to see her daddy. That one trip changed her life forever, it had caused her so much happyness and yet so much pain. The first time she arrived thinking this was her long lost home and ended up running away from the pain this place caused her.
And now here she was again, back to everything had started, back to the one place she thought she'd never return, scared of reliving everything all over again.

"Rach!!" heard Rachel from behind. She had been so much into her thoughts, she had lost track of what was happening around "Rachel!!"
"Stop the yelling, I'm here... I'm not in England!" joked Rachel turning around to hug Monica. The only thing she missed about New York was her friend, she was the one thing that made her feel happy of been back
"Don't I get a hug too?" said Chandler as he watched the two friends hugging locked on an unbreakable hug "I swear Joey would be in heaven seeing you two like that"
"Shut up Chandler" replied Monica wipping her tears, she was so happy to have Rachel back again
"Come here funny man" said Rachel before hugging Chandler. She had met him 9 years ago, during one of the most unforgetable summers of her life. She had always thought he was a little too sarcastic for her liking, but Monica always had a thing for him. Rachel was so happy for her friend now, although she hadn't been there when they started their relationship, she knew every single detail. That's why her phone bill was so huge every month.

"Where will be you staying?" asked Monica once they were walking to the car
"In an appartment the company rented for me"
"Wow... that sounds fancy" said Chandler
"Well... not much... I mean... I could pick any apartment in any place I wanted... but I chose one in 'the village' to be near you guys"
"Aaaaww... you did?" Monica's eyes started to water again
"Of course honey. Although there wasn't any apartment available in your building. But I'll be in the building across the street from yours.... you know.... where the ugly naked guy used to live"
"That's great!! You are gonna love that building!! Is great!!"
"Really?... great then"

Chandler, looking really worried, pull Monica aside so Rachel wouldn't hear what he was about to say
"What?" said Monica
"You do realize Rachel will be living in Ross' building?"
"What?... Oh my God"
"Exactly"
"Well... there's nothing we can do, right?"
"No... not much... just hope they don't run into each other in a hallway and rip their eyes out in public"

"What's wrong?" asked Rachel aproaching to them, noticing the worried look on their faces
"Nothing... uhm... we were just... uhm... worried about.... uhm... how are we supposed to put all your bags in the car..." lied Monica
"Yeah... did you bring your entire closet or something?"
"Hey... I like having options ok... and I guess we can hire a cab or two... you don't have to worry so much about it"
"Oh... I think we do" said Chandler to Monica before crossing the main door

To be continue...