(Quietly slinks in, puts story on the table, leaves)

Yeah, okay, I know I kinda forgot about this story, I'm sorry, but yay for update! This chapter...well, it really isn't much, just a bit of character development, you could say, but it has some fun stuff in it! So please read and review, hope you guys haven't forgotten about it, and I hope to update soon! Ciao!

I do not own friends/actors/characters, but it is my intent to one day own the world! (Insert evil laughter here)

"Are you sure you want this colour?" Monica asked with a wrinkle of the nose. "Rach?"

"Huh?" Rachel blinked at Monica, who simply smiled and rolled her eyes ever so slightly.

"The nail polish. Are you sure you want yellow?"

"Oh yeah, yellow is very in right now," Rachel said, almost dismissively. Monica glanced down at the yellow nail polish, then back up at Rachel.

"Blacks in. Blacks always in."

"Then you wear the black, I'm sticking with the yellow."

Monica let out a small sigh, which forced itself into a tiny smile as she began to paint the nail of Rachel's big toe. "Fashion is weird."

"Hey, I'm not arguing with you, but isn't it fun?"

"Yep. So, what's up? You were spacing a bit."

Rachel nodded after a moment. "Yeah, I guess I was."

"Thinking about Ross?"

"I haven't stopped thinking about Ross." Rachel groaned slightly, the mere mention of her ex boyfriends name sending her thoughts a-running, but she shook her head. "But I was actually thinking about Chandler."

"Well, if you really want to go down that road…"

"What? No! It's Chandler, Mon! I wouldn't sleep with Chandler!"

"What's wrong with Chandler?" Monica exclaimed, stopping the painting to stare at Rachel. Rachel stared back.

"I think you want to sleep with Chandler."

"I do not!"

"You seemed pretty defensive just there!"

"No, I didn't! I was just curious as to what was so wrong with Chandler that you would never sleep with him."

"He's, I dunno, like my brother. It would be weird."

"Yeah, well that's what I would have said as well." Monica cleared her throat, looking back down at Rachel's feet. "So, what about him?"

Rachel followed Monica's gaze, a small frown marring her face. "Oh, yellow is gross!"

"Do you want to try another colour?"

"No…yellow is in, like shoulder pads once were. We just have to grin and bear it."

"So, Chandler?"

"He's still coughing up his lungs."

"He has a cold, Rach, sometimes they hang around for more than two days," Monica said in the condescending tone that Rachel knew she loved to use.

"I've seen Chandler with a cold. He can usually get out of bed."

"Okay, so it's the flu."

"Yeah." Rachel fell into silence, watching Monica. "He's been sick a lot recently."

"It's been pretty cold."

"And I know that it seems like a 'don't talk about it' subject, but have you seen how much weight he's dropped? I saw him without his shirt on the other day and he has less waist than you!"

"It could be stress, Rach, you know it's pretty stressful feeding Joey."

"Why are you making all these excuses?"

"Why are you so fixated on this?"

"I'm not fixat-"

"Rachel, I know that things have been hard, but there are other ways of keeping your mind busy than creating health problems for Chandler."

Rachel pouted slightly, looking at her hands. Monica watched her for a moment, then continued. "And why Chandler? Why not Ross? I'm sure you'd much rather Ross suffer at the moment."

"Because Chandler is the one that's sick and skinny," Rachel grumbled. Monica cocked her head.

"Good point."

"Okay, now you're agreeing with me? Totally confused here, Mon."

"I know…why would yellow be fashionable?"

"Because it's springy and fun and if Chandler gets worse, he's going to the doctor."

"Fair enough and okay, Miss. Paranoid." Monica smiled a secret smile as she went back to painting, while Rachel worried her lip thoughtfully.

The door opened behind them and Rachel just knew who it was without looking.

"Hey."

"Hey Ross," Monica greeted her brother, glancing at Rachel warily. Ross walked over to the couch, looking down at the two girls.

"Yellow?"

"It's in right now," Rachel explained listlessly, to which Ross simply nodded, accepted and sat down, taking his jacket off. "How are you?"

"I'm great," Ross said with a hint of surprise in his voice, and Rachel knew he hadn't been expecting her to ask. "Spent the day with Ben, which was fun until I took him back to Carol's and she wasn't there, so I had to act all nice with Susan because I think Ben is realising that her other mommy isn't all that."

Rachel and Monica exchanged glances. "'Isn't all that?' What are you, seventeen?"

"Hey, I'm not the one wearing fluorescent yellow nail polish here," Ross shot back with a smile on his face. Rachel shook her head, hiding her own smile.

"Yellow is in! It really is!"

"Yeah, for women trying to regain their youth."

"I'm done here," Monica piped up, screwing the nail polish shut as she admired her work. Rachel did the same, a small grimace on her face. "You know, it's still pretty cold so I doubt you'll be wearing anything that shows off…this."

"I'm still going to know its there. Oh, this is as bad as shoulder pads!"

"What's wrong with shoulder pads?" Ross asked. The two girls merely looked at him. "I mean, shoulder pads? Yuk! Uh…how's, how's Chandler?"

"Nice save," Monica muttered as she stood up, walking towards the kitchen.

"You haven't been to see him?"

"Uh, I believe you were the one to tell me to leave him alone," Ross said shortly.

"That was yesterday, Ross."

"Oh, I wasn't aware the rules had silently changed overnight."

"Okay, okay!" Monica held up her hands, walking back over. "Is this really playing nice?"

"He was asleep when I checked on him, that was an hour ago," Rachel said after a beat.

"Man, I hope I don't get it, I really can't afford to be sick right-"

"Oh, right, that's great Ross."

"What?"

"I hope I don't get it," Rachel mimicked. "No, poor Chandler, no 'man, maybe I should go bring him some chicken soup', or-"

"The chicken soup thing is Phoebe's job, it always has been when one of us is sick!"

"Phoebe doesn't eat chicken!"

"Oh my god! You two, I feel like I'm going crazy!" Monica exclaimed, flopping down on the couch. "Will you please, go back to the civilized conversation? The 'yellow is in right now' kinda stuff. That, I can take! That does not make me want to cut you two up into little pieces and bake you in a pie!"

"Okay, entering serial killer mode there, Mon," Rachel said with a small laugh. Monica stared at her, wide eyed.

"I know!"

"Yeah, I'm gonna go and hang out with Joey," Rachel said a moment later, standing up.

"Rach, your toes!"

"Crap!" Rachel looked down at her toes, assessed the damage, then let out a small sigh. "It's okay, they were dry…damnit, why didn't they get messed up? Then I would have a reason to get rid of the yellow!"

"I am so glad I'm not a woman," Ross said, leaning back in his chair. Rachel gave him a dirty look then turned and left the apartment, muttering to herself as she crossed the hallway.

"Stupid Ross, stupid nail polish…hey, Joey!" she exclaimed after opening the door. Joey looked up from his position at the counter, smiled, then put a finger to his lips. "Sorry."

"Chandler's asleep," he explained as she pulled open the fridge door.

"Still?"

"I know, he sleeps more than I do."

"Now, see, I just don't think that's possible."

Joey rolled his eyes, then bit into his sandwich as Rachel closed the fridge, a bottle of Yoo-Hoo in her hand. "So, what's up?" he asked through a mouthful of pastrami and bread. Rachel shrugged.

"Ross was annoying me so I bailed."

"Hey, at least you two are talking now!"

"Yeah, but most of the time it's just us yelling at each other."

"It's still talking. You're still using your mouths!"

"As opposed to using our asses to communicate." Joey gave Rachel a blank look and she sighed, then took a sip of her drink. "I guess you're right, I just wish it was easier, you know? Or I just wish he hadn't slept with the stupid copier girl. Yeah, that is probably the better option."

"But he did," Joey said simply. Rachel nodded.

"Yeah."

"Look, Rach, it will get better. Trust me."

"What if it doesn't?"

"Then we're all gonna go nuts."

"Oh…yeah, it will get better," Rachel agreed, setting her drink down. "So, what you up to?"

"Eatin'."

"Other than that."

"I dunno, I'm pretty bored."

"I thought you always found ways to amuse yourself," Rachel asked in surprise. Joey shrugged.

"Chan and I usually hang out."

"What do you do while he's at work?"

"Amuse myself until he gets home."

"Wow…how, um, exciting." Rachel raised her eyebrows, taking another sip.

"Hey, don't knock my lifestyle."

"I wasn't…okay, why don't we go see a movie or something? Huh? Something with lots of explosions."

Joey's eyes lit up. "Really? An action movie? Not some Hugh Grant type thing?"

"No, we'll go see one of your movies."

"Awesome! Okay, wait a sec." Joey began to wolf down his sandwich at light speed, while Rachel watched in disgust. She put her hand up a second later.

"You take your time, honey. Seriously. I'm just gonna go check on Chandler."

Shaking her head in amusement, she walked past Joey to Chandler's room, pushing open the two parts of the door quietly. "Chandler? You awake?" There was no response, so Rachel walked up to his bedside, glancing down at him warily. His cheeks were incredibly flushed, she noted, and there was sweat glistening off his skin. Sighing, she went to pull up his forgotten covers, and her hand accidentally brushed his arm. Her eyes widened, and she flattened her hand against his skin, then moved it up to his forehead. He was burning up.

"Chandler? Chandler, wake up, honey, come on…Chandler!" She shook him slightly, received no response, not even a whimper. "Chandler?" she tried one more time, then turned towards the door. "Joey! Joey!"