By morning, the blackout had ended, and Ross got up to look for the rest of the gang. When he found the four of them lying in Monica's bed together, his eyes widened.
"Hello?"
They all woke up and looked at him wearily. Chandler pulled back from Joey, whom he'd been holding onto under the covers.
Ross joked, "What happened last night? An orgy?"
"No!" Monica answered. "We just wanted to keep warm."
Phoebe nodded and started to take off a few layers of sweaters, which were unnecessary now that he heat was working. "Yeah, and you guys already took the guest bed."
Monica glanced at Phoebe and looked disoriented. "Hey, did somebody move here?"
Phoebe pointed at the guys. "Those two had to get up to go to the bathroom. It was cold, so I moved over."
"Oh." Monica started to remove her extra layers of clothes too.
Ross smiled and shrugged. "Well, I just came to tell you that the power's back. After the streets are clear, me and Rachel will go back home."
"Not so fast," Monica said. "We might all be sick here because Joey and Chandler went out on the balcony last night."
"When it was snowing? Why?"
Monica put a tissue to her stuffy nose. "Joey wants to move to L.A."
"Oh, no! Not because of us?"
Joey didn't want to talk about it. He started to get up from the bed, but found himself sneezing and feeling nauseous. He and Chandler really had stayed outside too long.
Joey had to lie down again, and Phoebe tested out her voice to know whether she had her sexy phlegm back. Chandler wasn't sure how he felt yet, but he lay close to Joey and wished they could be alone again.
Ross looked appraisingly at them all. "You guys look awful. How about I make you some breakfast and we'll talk about this L.A. thing?"
"Thank you," Monica said. For once, she didn't care about being sick. She'd been suffering through morning sickness for a while, and could use some pampering. But then she got worried. "Wait! If I'm sick, is my baby going to be all right? I heard a story that something like this can make you have a miscarriage."
The others looked at her with concern.
Ross's eyes widened. "Um, that's not true. At least, I don't think so--hey, don't worry, I'll just get Dr. Gettleman on the phone and ask him. If we need to, we'll quarantine you from the rest of them, Monica." He then left hurriedly and went to warn Rachel about the others being sick, and the need for Emma to stay with her grandparents to avoid her catching anything from the others.
Chandler felt guilty. Maybe Joey was right. Monica needed him now, and it was best to forget their kisses, no matter how much he was tempted to explore the feelings they might have for each other. He tried to hug Monica, but she pulled away because she wasn't sure yet how sick he was, nor how sick she would become.
***
After a hurried breakfast, and Rachel leaving Emma with the nanny for now, Ross took Monica over to the hospital to be thoroughly checked out. Thankfully, the doctor assured her that she wasn't that sick, and her baby was in no danger.
"Are you the father?"
"No, um, I'm her brother," Ross explained. "Monica's husband couldn't come, because he's sick at home, and didn't want to affect her."
So the doctor advised Monica about what would be safe for her to take as she recovered from her cold, and how much contact she should have with Chandler or anyone who was sick as a result of that night.
When they returned to Monica's apartment, Phoebe had already gone home to her boyfriend, which still left three sick people. Some were sicker than others, and Monica wanted to be quarantined just in case, so they had to disinfect the master bed and decide who got what bedroom. Also, would it be more convenient for Joey to stay on the couch at Monica and Chandler's, or go back to his own apartment across the hall?
Monica would normally be the mother hen to anyone who was ill, but in this case, Ross and Rachel worked out a schedule to take care of their friends. It was fairly easy, since they all had nice lengthy Christmas vacations, and they felt like spending time together after the recent awkwardness with Ross, Rachel, and Joey.
Everyone soon recovered from their colds, but in all the excitement, most of the six friends forgot about Joey's plans to move to Los Angeles. Joey didn't forget, however, and a few days later, Joey reminded everyone that he was going to leave soon.
"What?" They were confused.
Chandler looked sad and disappointed. "You're really going to L.A.?"
Joey nodded. "Yeah, I gotta finish making some arrangements, but then I'm leaving the day after my birthday." (Joey's birthday was in early January, not long after New Year's.)
The gang tried to talk him out of it, but he remained firm in his decision. His eyes only wavered when he glanced at Chandler and remembered their intense kisses. If only they had shared those kisses years ago, how different might things be now? Would Joey and Chandler have become a couple? Would they have lasted this long? Would Monica have married someone else and be having his baby?
Joey just went to pack his stuff and stubbornly pushed the what-ifs from his mind. It was too late, and Joey was not going to be a home wrecker again.
***
The gang made Joey's birthday party into a going away party. Everyone was sad, but they wished him luck with his movie career and hoped that he would keep in touch.
Monica said, "I wish you'd at least stay until my baby's born. Or until Phoebe gets married."
Joey shook his head. "I can't stay that long. I'm sorry."
Chandler moped on the couch and tried to keep from crying. What would Monica think? What would anybody? But then again, no one was suspicious when Joey was so upset about Chandler going to Tulsa all the time.
Joey had kept telling Chandler in private, "Even if you and me tried to start something, you'd just realize later that you belong with Monica, and you'd go back to her anyway. Just like Ross and Rachel. It's better this way."
Chandler tried to believe that Joey was right, that his feelings for Joey would fade away, but for now, he could only feel a horrible sense of loss.
"Come on, one last picture!" Phoebe said, gesturing for everybody to gather for a group photo. She set the timer and hurriedly joined the group.
Joey ended up next to Chandler as usual, and put his arm around Chandler's shoulders, trying not to resent the fact that Monica was holding onto Chandler's hand. Chandler belonged to his wife, after all. She had every right to touch him; Joey had none.
After the photo, they all got up to hug and kiss Joey affectionately. Chandler hesitated for a moment, then embraced Joey one last time. He wished it could last forever.
Pulling away and averting his eyes, Joey thanked everyone for the party, then went to pack his presents for the trip. After a lonely, restless night, he left in the morning for the airport and flew to L.A.
"Hello?"
They all woke up and looked at him wearily. Chandler pulled back from Joey, whom he'd been holding onto under the covers.
Ross joked, "What happened last night? An orgy?"
"No!" Monica answered. "We just wanted to keep warm."
Phoebe nodded and started to take off a few layers of sweaters, which were unnecessary now that he heat was working. "Yeah, and you guys already took the guest bed."
Monica glanced at Phoebe and looked disoriented. "Hey, did somebody move here?"
Phoebe pointed at the guys. "Those two had to get up to go to the bathroom. It was cold, so I moved over."
"Oh." Monica started to remove her extra layers of clothes too.
Ross smiled and shrugged. "Well, I just came to tell you that the power's back. After the streets are clear, me and Rachel will go back home."
"Not so fast," Monica said. "We might all be sick here because Joey and Chandler went out on the balcony last night."
"When it was snowing? Why?"
Monica put a tissue to her stuffy nose. "Joey wants to move to L.A."
"Oh, no! Not because of us?"
Joey didn't want to talk about it. He started to get up from the bed, but found himself sneezing and feeling nauseous. He and Chandler really had stayed outside too long.
Joey had to lie down again, and Phoebe tested out her voice to know whether she had her sexy phlegm back. Chandler wasn't sure how he felt yet, but he lay close to Joey and wished they could be alone again.
Ross looked appraisingly at them all. "You guys look awful. How about I make you some breakfast and we'll talk about this L.A. thing?"
"Thank you," Monica said. For once, she didn't care about being sick. She'd been suffering through morning sickness for a while, and could use some pampering. But then she got worried. "Wait! If I'm sick, is my baby going to be all right? I heard a story that something like this can make you have a miscarriage."
The others looked at her with concern.
Ross's eyes widened. "Um, that's not true. At least, I don't think so--hey, don't worry, I'll just get Dr. Gettleman on the phone and ask him. If we need to, we'll quarantine you from the rest of them, Monica." He then left hurriedly and went to warn Rachel about the others being sick, and the need for Emma to stay with her grandparents to avoid her catching anything from the others.
Chandler felt guilty. Maybe Joey was right. Monica needed him now, and it was best to forget their kisses, no matter how much he was tempted to explore the feelings they might have for each other. He tried to hug Monica, but she pulled away because she wasn't sure yet how sick he was, nor how sick she would become.
***
After a hurried breakfast, and Rachel leaving Emma with the nanny for now, Ross took Monica over to the hospital to be thoroughly checked out. Thankfully, the doctor assured her that she wasn't that sick, and her baby was in no danger.
"Are you the father?"
"No, um, I'm her brother," Ross explained. "Monica's husband couldn't come, because he's sick at home, and didn't want to affect her."
So the doctor advised Monica about what would be safe for her to take as she recovered from her cold, and how much contact she should have with Chandler or anyone who was sick as a result of that night.
When they returned to Monica's apartment, Phoebe had already gone home to her boyfriend, which still left three sick people. Some were sicker than others, and Monica wanted to be quarantined just in case, so they had to disinfect the master bed and decide who got what bedroom. Also, would it be more convenient for Joey to stay on the couch at Monica and Chandler's, or go back to his own apartment across the hall?
Monica would normally be the mother hen to anyone who was ill, but in this case, Ross and Rachel worked out a schedule to take care of their friends. It was fairly easy, since they all had nice lengthy Christmas vacations, and they felt like spending time together after the recent awkwardness with Ross, Rachel, and Joey.
Everyone soon recovered from their colds, but in all the excitement, most of the six friends forgot about Joey's plans to move to Los Angeles. Joey didn't forget, however, and a few days later, Joey reminded everyone that he was going to leave soon.
"What?" They were confused.
Chandler looked sad and disappointed. "You're really going to L.A.?"
Joey nodded. "Yeah, I gotta finish making some arrangements, but then I'm leaving the day after my birthday." (Joey's birthday was in early January, not long after New Year's.)
The gang tried to talk him out of it, but he remained firm in his decision. His eyes only wavered when he glanced at Chandler and remembered their intense kisses. If only they had shared those kisses years ago, how different might things be now? Would Joey and Chandler have become a couple? Would they have lasted this long? Would Monica have married someone else and be having his baby?
Joey just went to pack his stuff and stubbornly pushed the what-ifs from his mind. It was too late, and Joey was not going to be a home wrecker again.
***
The gang made Joey's birthday party into a going away party. Everyone was sad, but they wished him luck with his movie career and hoped that he would keep in touch.
Monica said, "I wish you'd at least stay until my baby's born. Or until Phoebe gets married."
Joey shook his head. "I can't stay that long. I'm sorry."
Chandler moped on the couch and tried to keep from crying. What would Monica think? What would anybody? But then again, no one was suspicious when Joey was so upset about Chandler going to Tulsa all the time.
Joey had kept telling Chandler in private, "Even if you and me tried to start something, you'd just realize later that you belong with Monica, and you'd go back to her anyway. Just like Ross and Rachel. It's better this way."
Chandler tried to believe that Joey was right, that his feelings for Joey would fade away, but for now, he could only feel a horrible sense of loss.
"Come on, one last picture!" Phoebe said, gesturing for everybody to gather for a group photo. She set the timer and hurriedly joined the group.
Joey ended up next to Chandler as usual, and put his arm around Chandler's shoulders, trying not to resent the fact that Monica was holding onto Chandler's hand. Chandler belonged to his wife, after all. She had every right to touch him; Joey had none.
After the photo, they all got up to hug and kiss Joey affectionately. Chandler hesitated for a moment, then embraced Joey one last time. He wished it could last forever.
Pulling away and averting his eyes, Joey thanked everyone for the party, then went to pack his presents for the trip. After a lonely, restless night, he left in the morning for the airport and flew to L.A.