At the airport, Phoebe and Mike were having a dispute.

"I just don't see why he had to spend the night with us," Mike said irritably. "If he had to ruin any couple's night, why couldn't it have been Monica and Chandler, or Joey and Charlie? That was a couple that didn't need any more sex."

Phoebe was exasperated. "Chandler was the one who convinced him to propose, and Monica was the one who called you. David certainly didn't need reminders of that. As for Joey and Charlie, Joey doesn't have the self-restraint to keep his hands off a pretty woman in his bed, no matter who's nearby. Just ask Chandler, who slept in the next bedroom for years. Besides, I was really worried about David. Just because I'm not in love with him doesn't mean I stopped caring about him. He's the sweetest, gentlest guy you'd ever meet. Like Ross, only not boring."

Mike sighed. "I still think your excuse about him not staying with Ross was silly. Ross could have comforted him, then got some sleep. I mean, those two get along so well, they could be buddies or brothers. They could be the next Joey and Chandler."

Phoebe shrugged. "Well, they could still be friends now, especially with Ross helping David out with his career. Would that make you jealous, him still hanging around with Ross, and having the chance to run into me?"

"I would think he'd want to avoid being around you, so he can get over you."

"You're probably right." Phoebe frowned with regret. "If only Ursula was nicer. I'd fix David up with her and hope that he could be happy."

Mike raised an eyebrow and glanced at Phoebe, but said nothing.

Phoebe continued speculating. "Oh, maybe Bonnie! She liked Ross, and now she's growing out her hair again."

***

The gang arrived in New York, and Joey volunteered to comfort and hang out with David for a while, since Kate wasn't expected for a week. Ross made arrangements to introduce David around NYU as promised, and helped him take back the engagement ring.

Then Phoebe and Mike came home as well, parting with a kiss to their separate apartments. After unpacking from the trip, Phoebe dropped by Ross's apartment to say hi and ask a question. "Hey, do you think you'll have time this weekend to help Mike move in with me?"

Ross looked up from changing Emma's diaper. "Oh, you're doing that again?"

"Yeah. We're not getting engaged yet, you know, so we're just going to live together and see how much closer that gets us to marriage." She crossed her fingers for good luck.

Ross nodded. "Well, that--that sounds like a plan." He cleared his throat. "Um, but are you sure about it this time, Phoebe? Because we don't want to lug his couch up the stairs only to have you guys changing your minds again."

She laughed. "Yeah, I know. No, we're really sure this time. No backing out."

Ross hid his disappointment and shrugged. "Okay. Well, actually we'll need your help too. Rachel and Emma are moving back in here. I know it's only across the street, but with the way Rachel packs..."

Phoebe smiled and nodded. "I know!"

"So any help would be appreciated." Ross then changed the subject. "There's, uh, something else I wanted to ask, Pheebs. You don't mind if I spend some time with David, do you? It's just, we have so much in common, you know."

"I know," Phoebe said. "No, it doesn't bother me. I mean, it's not like we broke up because he was cheating or shooting birds or something. In fact, I meant to thank you for helping David at NYU."

"Oh, that's no problem at all," Ross answered. "Even if the physics department don't like him, he can always talk about his time in Minsk with the Russian professors. Or see Charlie."

Phoebe blinked. "Charlie?"

Ross watched her reaction carefully. "Yeah, Charlie got to talking with him on the flight home, and they decided to start dating."

"Dating?" Phoebe swallowed. "So soon?"

Ross nodded. "Of course, it will probably be a rebound fling for both of them, but Charlie could at least make him more confident and get him to see that there are other women besides you." He smiled innocently. "We're trying to get him over you as soon as possible, so you won't have to worry about him."

"Oh." Phoebe frowned. "I, um, I appreciate that."

"You're welcome." Ross chuckled, "Anyway, you better leave now, because he's coming over soon. I'm gonna show him my Science Boy comic, which I think will cheer him up, as long as I don't mention how you mugged me for it."

"Right. I'll--I'll go, I guess." Phoebe walked out, in a daze.

Ross picked up Emma and remarked to her, "I think David has a shot after all. That was definitely jealousy, and I'm certainly the expert on that emotion."

Rachel got back, carrying a box of her stuff. "Hey, sweetie! I tell you, I am getting so good at packing, I bet it will only take me a couple of days to move this time!"

Ross laughed and came to kiss her. "I can't wait to have you back here."

"Me too!"

***

Phoebe went to Central Perk and sat down at the counter, wondering why she was so jealous about David dating so soon. She'd been talking about setting him up with somebody too. Why should it matter if it was Charlie?

*Because she isn't blonde,* Phoebe realized. *Because she isn't like me.*

Gunther saw Phoebe's blank stare and asked, "You all right?"

Phoebe blinked. "Huh? Yeah. I was just, um, thinking up a new song."

"Oh," Gunther said. "You really should sing here again, Phoebe. Mike's long gone, and now you have that David guy, and I know he loves to hear you sing."

(When Phoebe dated Mike, she started singing a lot at his piano bar. After the break up, she was too depressed to sing, until she started performing outside Monica's restaurant a couple of months later.)

Phoebe frowned and corrected him. "I, um, I got back together with Mike."

"You did?" Gunther was confused.

Phoebe nodded. "Yeah, on the Barbados trip, Mike came back to stop David from proposing to me."

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"It's okay. So how--how do you know that David loves to hear me sing?"

"Well, that's how he met you. You were singing about your mom's suicide and he was at that table with his friend Max."

"You remember that?"

"Only because he kept telling the story to me over and over when he came back here a couple of years ago. You know, when he showed up after New Year's and wasn't sure if he should intrude on your life. He kept asking me if you were seeing anybody and if you were happy and if you still sang here, because he wanted to be here when you came. I wasn't sure what I should tell him, in case he was some kind of stalker."

Phoebe shook her head. "No, he's more like a sweet, shy, hopeless romantic. Like you with Rachel."

Gunther blushed. "You know about that?"

She nodded. "I'm not blind. She is, though. Rachel's too used to every guy falling for her, so she can pick and choose who to ignore and who not to."

"Yeah," Gunther frowned and felt pathetic. "I know I should have moved on a long time ago. It's just, I bought her cat and Ross's old furniture. I thought she'd come to visit."

"Gunther, you wanna meet a friend of mine named Bonnie? She's fun and she can really help you to come out of your shell."

"No, I don't really--"

"Oh, and I'm sure she'd love that hairless cat. Might even buy it from you."

"Really?" Gunther started to look interested. The cat hissed "Rachel" a lot, but it was scratching the hell out of his apartment.

Phoebe wrote down Bonnie's number for Gunther, then headed upstairs to ask Monica, Chandler, and Joey to help with the move.

Then she returned to her apartment, trying to just concentrate on her relationship with Mike and forget about David.