So this chapter is a little happier. I'm glad you all don't hate me for doing what I did to Rachel. Hope you enjoy!

"Is there something fundamentally unattractive about me?" Chandler asked the group. They were all at Monica's apartment, and he had just returned from a party. Rachel was still depressed at times, but today seemed to be a better day as she was hanging out with them and not crying.

"I don't think so," Monica said, eyeing him up and down. Chandler felt strange in the pit of his stomach as she did so.

"I always feel unattractive when I've put weight on," Phoebe said absently. She was flipping through a magazine.

"Wait, what?" Chandler asked. "Are you saying I'm fat?"

"No, no," Phoebe said. "Just saying you've added some insulation to your body."

"In other words, fat," Chandler said. He fell down onto the chair. "That's just great."

"I can help," Monica said. "I don't have a job and am in desperate need of a project."

"I'm not sure I want to be your 'project,'" Chandler said, using air quotes. "It sounds like a lot of work. Plus, it cuts into my 'lying on the couch' schedule."

"Come on," Monica begged. "You won't be sorry."

"Just let her, man," Joey said. The others nodded in unison.

"All right, but if I put on spandex and my knockers are bigger than yours, I'm out," Chandler said. Monica hid her smirk behind her hand. She was just glad he had agreed.

"Your tushi will look fabulous," Phoebe chimed in. "Spandex always shows off your stuff."

"I don't want people to see my stuff," Chandler said to Monica.

"Then don't wear spandex," she suggested. "You'll be doing my eyes a favor."

"Oh ha ha," Chandler said sarcastically. "I still have feelings you know."

"Deep, deep down," Joey sniggered.

"My feelings are not buried under fat," Chandler said, outraged. "I'm taking my ball and going home." He stood up and left. The others called after him to come back, that they didn't mean it, but he didn't stop.

"I better go see if princess is okay," Monica said. She went across the hall and into his apartment. She found him facedown on the couch.

"Chandler?" she asked.

"Come to insult me some more?" he challenged.

"Not at all. I don't think you're that fat," Monica said. "I've been there remember? Big fat goalie?"

"Right," Chandler said, sitting up. She was standing there with her arms crossed. She was so smokin' hot. He couldn't picture her fat.

"Tomorrow morning?" she suggested. "We can go for a run."

"All right," he agreed. She smiled and turned to go.

"Hey, Mon?" he called after her. She turned to face him. "Thanks."

"Anytime," she said, waving. Then she was gone. Chandler sat there wondering if she was going to be wearing spandex and just what that might look like.

The Next Morning

Monica came out her apartment to see Chandler jogging on the spot in tight little shorts. She snorted in laughter.

"Aaand we're gonna change," he said, heading back inside his apartment.

"Hurry up! We got calories to burn!" she called through the door. He came back in regular shorts. They set off together. After the first block, Chandler started to lag behind. Exhausted, he hailed a cab and sailed past her. She called after him, running faster. She got back to her apartment gasping for breath. Chandler was standing at her doorway all calm and sweatless.

"That's cheating," she huffed. She let him in. "Situps, now." She pointed to the ground fiercely, so he obliged. He did two before collapsing onto his back.

"Five more, come on!" she shouted.

"Can't," he said weakly.

"Five more and I'll flash you," she offered. Chandler's brain went into overdrive. He managed two and a half.

"Maybe just one?" he suggested. "For my effort?"

"Not a chance," she said. "All right that's enough for a little bit, Bing. Racquetball in an hour and a half." She got up and went to shower. Chandler struggled to his feet. Every muscle in his body was screaming at him. After changing and cleaning up, he went down to the cafe. Joey was already there. Rachel was finally back at work, so she was there as well.

"Here you go," she said, handing him a coffee.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow," he said, taking it and bringing it to his lips. Then he had to put it back on the table. "Ow, ow, ow, ow."

"Geez, Chandler," Joey said, noticing his pain. "Tell her you want to quit already."

"Can't do that," he shook his head. "I'm all she's got for work. I don't think we can afford to buy her her own restaurant."

"You're right," Joey agreed. Phoebe came in just then. She had attempted to move on from Joey by dating someone, but this someone was not putting out for her, and it was frustrating her.

"How'd it go?" Joey asked.

"Not good. Still won't do it," she said, collapsing into her chair. "I don't get it."

"Maybe he's...gay?" Joey suggested.

"No. When we were dancing the other night, I felt it. You can't fake that," she told him. Joey made the "ah" face at her.

"Hey, Bing!" Monica called. "Racquetball in 20."

"Hey, Geller," he said. "Bite me."

"Oh come on!" she cried. "We got this!"

"No, you got this," Chandler said. "You got this but good. I can't even move."

"That just means we're making progress," she explained. "When you can't feel anything at all, then we're doing really well."

"Yea, I'll pass," he snorted.

"Oh no," Phoebe said, seeing Julie and Ross outside. Rachel followed her gaze.

"No worries. I have a date today," she said. "I've moved on."

"Have you really?" Chandler asked. "How can you just move on like that after having such a serious crush?" He gave Phoebe a pointed look to show he was talking about her too. She tightened her lips and scrunched her nose in return to tell him to shut up.

"Date enough other guys and it can happen," Rachel said. "Besides, I've been really down about losing my baby, and I just thought getting back out there might cheer me up."

"That's true," Monica agreed. "You have been awfully down recently. I think it's a good thing."

"You're just justifying it cos it's the guy you set her up with, right?" Joey asked.

"Not at all," she said, scratching the back of her neck and looking away.

"Look, it's fine," Rachel said, interrupting. "Time to start fresh with someone new and maybe find some happiness."

"Okay," Chandler agreed, thinking it was a terrible idea.

"Hey guys," Ross said. He was holding Julie's hand. "Mon, do you have Fluffy's old cat toys? I'm going to swing by and grab them."

"Who's toys?" Monica asked, making her meaning clear. He sighed.

"Fluffy Meowington's toys," Ross said.

"Why yes, Ross, I do," she smirked.

"Why do you need cat toys?" Phoebe asked. "Things dull in the sack already?"

"No, no," Ross said, holding his hand up. "And ew, no. We're getting a cat together."

"She'll live with me half the time and with Ross the other half," Julie chimed in. Rachel felt a suckerpunch to the gut. So he was going to own something with Julie, was he? That was just great. She saw Chandler looking at her, so she acted all uncaring.

"Hey, look at that," Rachel said, looking at he watch. "I gotta date. With a man. See y'all later!" She took off her apron and went out the door. Monica shared a worried look with Chandler. They both knew she was so not over Ross.

Later

Rachel had a horrible headache. She barely remembered anything from her date last night. The only thing she did recall was Michael did not have a good time. She imagined she unleashed her woes about the baby and Ross onto him. No guy could take that on a first date.

"Hey," Ross said, coming in. The noise was deafening. She clutched her ears, moaning. "Bad date?" he asked.

"No idea," she said. She popped a painkiller into her mouth and swished it down with water.

"Do you know where the cat toy is?" he asked her, searching. She shook her head. There was something she was forgetting.

"Did we talk last night?" she asked.

"No," he replied. "I stayed at Julie's. Oh, that reminds me, can I check my messages?"

"Yea sure," Rachel said, heading to her room. Then it hit her like a ton of bricks. The wine, the talk about closure, the message...ohhh crap.

"There's one from you," Ross said, smiling.

"No! No, no, no!" she yelped, charging across the room. She hurled herself off the back of the couch and onto his back, grabbing for the phone. Ross hung up, stunned.

"You're over me?" he asked. She slid off his back.

"Uh huh," she answered warily.

"When were you...under me?" he asked. This was all so confusing.

"Since China," she answered truthfully.

"Ch-China?" he stuttered. "Since China?! Oh my God, Rachel..."

"It's fine! You had Julie," she started. The buzzer went.

"Julie! Oh shit, Julie," he said, answering it.

"Hi honey, I'm waiting," Julie's voice said.

"Coming!" he said with a fake, chipper voice. He turned to Rachel. "I have to go get a cat now. A cat, you hear me? With Julie, the woman I love."

"Got it," Rachel said. "I'm over you, remember?" Ross gave her a wounded look before heading out the door. His brain was whirling. Rachel had feelings for him. Rachel. His Rachel. This was very bad. Bad, bad, bad.

Across the hall

"Well, I took your advice," Phoebe said, coming into Joey's apartment. "It finally happened. Why are you watching this?" Joey was staring at the screen with a rabbi playing an electric guitar.

"Can't find remote," he said, transfixed. Phoebe snapped the TV off for him. "Thank you."

"Did you hear me?" she asked. She wasn't sure why she was even telling him about Scott. Maybe she hoped it would somehow make him realize he wanted her and get jealous.

"I heard you. So what happened?" he asked. She explained it all to him. He was thinking carefully.

"Well?" she prodded.

"So he got you to beg to sleep with him, say he never has to call you back, and he made you think it was a good idea?"

"Um...yea," Phoebe said, finally getting it. "Damn it."

"It's all right, Phoebs," Joey said. "He doesn't deserve you anyway. You need a guy that worships you in every way."

"Aww, Joey," she said. "That's so sweet." They sat there looking at each other until Chandler burst in.

"No, no, no!" he said as Monica followed him. "I'm done. I'm out! You can't make me."

"Three more pounds!" she called after him as he slammed his bedroom door. "Come ooooon!"

"No!" he shouted through his door.

"Wuss," she muttered, heading back out of the apartment. Joey and Phoebe started laughing as soon as she was gone.

"Hey, Rach," Monica said, entering her apartment.

"Monica, I've done a terrible thing," Rachel said.

"You didn't rearrange the mugs again did you? I told you I like them the way they are!" Monica shrilled.

"I didn't touch your damn mugs!" Rachel cried. "Ross knows I care about him!"

"What?! Oh my God. How? When?"

"I left him a message last night on my date saying I was over him," Rachel moaned.

"Rachel!" Monica shouted.

"I know! I know, I know, I know," Rachel chanted. "This is so bad. He's off getting a cat with Julie. I should have never interfered. Mon, I gotta get out of here."

"Wait...what do you mean?" Monica asked.

"I have to leave," Rachel said, running to her room. "I'm going back home. This has all been way too much for me! First the baby, then Ross...I can't do this anymore."

"Rach! You can't just bail on us," Monica called, rushing after her. Rachel was throwing clothing into her bags. Monica reached in and pulled them back out.

"Stop it!" Rachel yelled at her. "Mon! I have to go. I can't ruin his life. You can't stop me!" Monica stopped and stared in shock.

"Y-you can't leave," Monica whimpered. "We're roomies. We stick together."

"I'm sorry," Rachel said, crying. "I'm so sorry. I'll keep in touch I promise."

"No you won't," Monica said. She turned and fled. Rachel kept packing with a vengeance and crying. This was so not how it was supposed to end.

Early Evening

"Where's Rachel?" Ross asked, barging into Monica's apartment. He had given up on the whole cat thing. He needed to talk to her, and she wasn't at Central Perk.

"She left," Monica said hoarsely. She had been crying ever since Rachel went out the door.

"Left?" Ross asked.

"She said she didn't want to disrupt your life with Julie. She went home," Monica told him.

"She left. I don't believe this," Ross said. He turned to go.

"Where are you going?" Monica called.

"To bring her back," Ross answered over his shoulder.

Chandler & Phoebe

"What are you doing?" Chandler asked.

"What do you mean?"

"With Scott. What are you doing?" he asked again.

"I don't know. I...I just thought I could try to forget Joey," Phoebe admitted. It had been a mistake. The whole time she was with Scott she compared him to Joey. If this was what it was going to be like forever, then she had no idea what she was going to do.

"Is it working?" Chandler asked.

"No. It's not. What am I going to do?" Phoebe sighed, echoing her thoughts.

"You could stay hopelessly in love forever and keep it from him like I am with Monica," Chandler suggested.

"Yea what is with you showing off your tush for her like that?" Phoebe challenged. "I thought you said you weren't going to tell her?"

"I'm not, I didn't!" he argued. "We're really good friends."

"Oh sure," Phoebe said.

"Monica deserves someone who can give her what he wants: marriage and babies," he went on. "Those two things make me want to hurl myself out of an airplane without a parachute."

"What is the matter with you?" Phoebe asked.

"You see! That's what I'm talking about," Chandler said. "I can't give that to her, so I'm automatically out."

"And you can never change yourself?" Phoebe demanded.

"Well...no," Chandler said, shaking his head. He didn't think he could. That would be impossible. She let it go. They were sitting there each pondering what to do when Monica burst in.

"Rachel's gone!" she cried.

"What?!" they both asked at the same time.

"She accidentally told Ross about her feelings, and now she's gone and Ross is going after her," Monica said, out of breath.

"Oh wow," Phoebe said. "That is so...romantic."

"I know!" Monica said, grinning. "I just hope he catches her."

Rachel

She was sitting on the train waiting for it to leave the station. She tried not to think about what her parents were going to say when she showed up at their door. A year and a half's worth of work to be independent thrown right out the window. Maybe it was meant to be. She never truly belonged here anyway. She rested her head back onto the headrest and closed her eyes. The last few weeks had just been way too hard. She was doing the right thing. She knew she was. She felt the train jolt into movement. She opened her eyes to see the last of the city when she heard his shouting.

"RACHEL!"

Everyone turned to see who Rachel was. She looked out the window to see Ross chasing after the train.

"Oh my God," she muttered to herself. He sprinted hard until he reached the doorway and leaped on just before the door closed. She felt heat rushing to her face when he pushed his way past people to reach her.

"Rachel," he said, stopping in front of her.

"Where's Julie?" Rachel asked.

"It's over," Ross replied. "I couldn't commit to a damn cat. I had to tell her the truth. Rach, it's you. It's always been you. I let the baby and my own stupidity get in the way of telling you before, and I need to tell you now that I love you. Rachel, I love you. Please don't go."

"Ross..." Rachel trailed off. She looked around at the moving train and everyone staring at them. "It's kind of late for that."

"It's not too late," Ross begged. "Rachel, I'm right here. I'm telling you I want to be with you."

"No, Ross," Rachel said. "I meant it's too late to stop the train. We're kind of stuck here until it stops again." She looked at him with a smile. He started to laugh, getting what she was saying.

"So, you want to try? You want to be an us?" he asked.

"Yes, yes I do," she replied. She stood up and he pulled her into his arms, kissing her with all his might. It was everything he had dreamed of and more. People were applauding and cheering, which made Rachel blush.

"So now what?" Ross asked, sitting down beside her.

"We wait until it stops and then turn around," she answered. She rested her head onto his shoulder. It was what she wanted. She finally felt happy again.