AN: Like always, thank you all very much for the reviews. Your reward is an update less than a month later. How about that? Enjoy!

"Are you going to be ok?" Judy asked when they broke the hug.

"Yeah, I think so." Monica answered, trying to wipe her tears away.

"Ok, then I'll go and search your father." Judy said. "It's time for us to get back home."

"Ok. I think I'll go visit Rachel. It's long overdue." Monica straightened her shoulders in an effort to find the courage to face her former friend. Now that she was at the hospital she had the urge to go talk to Rachel.

"That's good to hear." Judy lauded her daughter. "You two were such good friends for so long. I hope you can work out a few things."

"Yeah, you are right. I think it's at least time to make the first step and then see where it goes." Monica said and went to go to Rachel's room. Judy observed her daughter with a hint of proud on her expression. She always knew her children grew up to be great people. But that day had been the first day that she had let Monica know how much she really meant to her.

Monica entered the half-dark room carefully.

"Rachel? Rachel, are you awake?"

Monica froze in her spot when she heard Rachel mumble a name.

"Chandler?"

Monica was sure she had heard right but she couldn't think of a reason why Rachel would say Chandler's name. She took a deep calming breath and decided to wake Rachel. So she could ask her right away what the mention of her ex-husband's name indicated.

Just as she wanted to lie her hand on Rachel's shoulder the door opened and Ross entered the room.

"Is she still asleep?" He asked.

"Yeah, but I'm going to wake her up." Monica explained.

"What? Why would you do that?" Ross wanted to know. But before Monica could give him an answer he went on. "I think it's best if you'll let her sleep. She went through a lot today."

"She only gave birth." Monica was getting irritated. "A lot of women do that every day. I don't think she's too exhausted. And I have to ask her an important question." Monica turned back around to Rachel when Ross' next question stopped her.

"Don't you know?"

"Know what?" Monica queried not sure what to make from Ross' tone.

"Ok, come out into the hallway and I'll tell you…everything." Ross said and led Monica out of the room.

"Ok, Ross. What is so important?" Monica demanded to know when they joined Phoebe and Joey out in the hallway. So Ross told her everything Chandler had told them before. But he didn't mention Chandler himself.

"Oh my god, that's terrible." Monica mumbled from under the hand covering her mouth in a shocked gesture. "But…she wasn't alone? That man stayed with her? Even during the c-section?" she asked once she composed herself a little.

"Yeah, he was always a great friend." Phoebe whispered to Joey still not able to believe that Chandler had stayed with Rachel during such a bloody situation without bolting or passing out.

"What?" Monica asked having heard what Phoebe said. "Who was always a great friend? Do you know the man that helped Rachel?" she wanted to know.

The other three looked at each other not knowing what to tell Monica. Finally Ross decided that Monica deserved to know the truth.

"It was Chandler." He simply said.

"Wha…? What? How…?" Monica was speechless. She didn't know if she should believe Ross. It sounded weird that Chandler of all people should've been with Rachel. But then a few things came back to her mind. "Oh…That's why Rachel said his name just a few minutes ago. And that's why Joey asked for Chandler before in the waiting room." Monica pondered. "But where is he now? Is he still here? Where is he?!" Monica was getting worked up again over the possibility of meeting Chandler there.

"We don't know." Phoebe said softly. "The last time we saw him he wanted to call a friend."

"Do you think he'll come back?" Monica asked. "Do you think he'll want to see me here?" Monica added unsure but not being able to suppress the hope in her voice.

After a long silence Joey answered her. "We don't know."

A few days later Monica had lost all hope that Chandler would visit Rachel again or anyone else for that matter. She sat on her couch after cleaning her apartment for the fifth time that week. After a few minutes of relaxing she got up to take a shower. She wanted to visit Rachel at the hospital again. After that eventful day four days ago that ended with a long talk between the two estranged friends Monica tried to see Rachel as often as possible. They managed to put all bad feelings behind them and started to work on their still fragile new friendship.

When Monica stepped through the door two hours later entering Rachel's hospital room she knew something was wrong. It wasn't anything visible just a feeling she got as soon as she saw Joey, Rachel and Phoebe. And the fact that the three stopped whispering as soon as they became aware of her presence didn't help.

"What's going on?" Monica asked eying them suspiciously.

"Oh, nothing." Phoebe answered a little too rushed for Monica to believe it. "We were just…eh…talking about Rachel getting out of the hospital tomorrow." She added.

"Yes, that's right." Rachel nodded.

"And I have to go now." Joey announced. "Big audition." He added before leaving the hospital room.

"Uhm…where are you going to live? You are not staying with your mother, are you?" Monica asked deciding to ignore her friends' weird behavior for now.

"Well, I thought if it's ok with you I would move a little more close again?" Rachel questioned unsure if it was too soon to act like all was good again between them.

"Oh, that would be great!" Phoebe screamed enthusiastically. "Wouldn't it be great?" She asked Monica. Rachel looked at Monica trying to appraise her real feelings about the subject.

Monica only needed to think about it for a few seconds. "Of course, that would be really great." She finally said. "What about Ross? Why don't you move in with him?" Monica suggested.

"Yeah, I already thought of that but I don't think it would be a good idea right now." Rachel told them. "Joey offered me to move into his spare room. But I'm not sure if that isn't a little too close already."

Monica looked at Rachel for a few moments and she could feel that Rachel would really like to move in with Joey but was afraid what Monica would think about that. Monica contemplated the idea but couldn't think of a reason speaking against it. Quite the contrary she found that solution better the longer she thought about it.

"I think you should do it." Monica said making Rachel and Phoebe look up at her with shock written over their faces. "No, really. I think it's a great idea. That way you'd be close to the group, I could see my niece all the time and, well, I would really love to have you around again." Monica explained her decision.

Rachel was so happy about how easy Monica made it all for her that tears started to pool in her eyes. Phoebe saw this and quickly handed her a tissue. Then she took two more tissues out of the box. One for Monica who joined Rachel in her crying and one for herself because she knew she wouldn't be able to hold her own tears back long while her two friends cried out of happiness, practically sealing their new friendship with tears. Phoebe knew that now their friendship would last forever. Sure, it would still take time to build the lost trust back to the way it was before but they all learned their lesson. Nothing is worth betraying your friends for.

The End

Oh no, wait. That's not the end. There's still one little thing to solve. Did Joey get the part he auditioned for? Find out in the next part. ;)

TBC...

Here is the part where I ask you to review so you can ask me to keep writing. So please don't break down the system and hit the little button down there. I know you want to.