Disclaimer; I don't own Friends, but I do own Ashley, and I'm damn proud of having made her! I think she's such a wonderful person.
Picking Up the Pieces
Chapter 15.
A couple of months later.
"Rach, can you pass me the milk?" Monica asked, looking up from her bowl with paste.
Rachel took it, handing it to Monica, "Here you go."
"Thanks." Monica smiled, "I'm so glad you would help me out with this."
"Well, it is for Ashley, now isn't it?" Rachel pointed out.
"Yeah, but…" Monica trailed off.
"I know." Rachel smiled, "You want to take care of us."
--
"Will you stop looking at her!" Chandler exclaimed.
"What?" Ross said, snapping out of it.
"Could you want her more!?" Chandler said.
"I do not want her." Ross said, "I was looking at Monica."
"Ew, your sister, dude." Chandler said, "Look, I don't understand why it's such a big deal anyway. If you want her, you should ask her out. I know she may have a little extra baggage with abusing and all, but… Maybe she's ready to trust men. She slept with Joey for God's sake!"
"Yeah, and that's the point!" Ross said.
"How's that the point!?"
"She slept with Joey, Chandler… Don't you get it?" Ross asked, "It's like… He's the God. He's the best… How can she want a guy like me after sleeping with him? And you saw Joey, he was totally hung up on her. He'll kill me if I ask her out."
"Ross calm down." Chandler said, "This is not a court room drama! Yes, Rachel did sleep with Joey, but she also told him that she wanted to be only friends. And Joey did like her a lot, but it's been a long time now. He's dating tons of women again. He's himself, and he loves you, man. If he thinks going out with Rachel will make you happy, he'll let you."
"You really think so?"
"Of course, buddy!" Chandler said, "Get your act together. Ask her out."
"Maybe I will." Ross wondered, "I'll just talk to him first."
--
"Rach, do you think you're ready for this?" Monica asked, squeezing her hand.
"Yeah, I've got to do it sometime." Rachel said, looking at the door before her.
"Okay then." Monica smiled, "Let's go in."
Rachel inserted the key in the lock and two seconds later her hand was on the on the knob, ready to open up.
"Here we go…" she sighed, letting them in.
Nothing had happened in the apartment since she left that night.
Barry, apparently, hadn't been there.
When Rachel and Ashley had moved in with Monica and Chandler, Joey had been by, picking up some of their clothes, but he hadn't touched anything.
Rachel wandered into the living room and the first thing her eyes caught was the big blood mark on their carpet.
"Oh." she said, covering her eyes with her hands.
"Don't look at it." Monica said, dragging her away. She was also trying herself not to look too much. But it was like her eyes just went there, she couldn't do anything. "Where's your bedroom?"
"That way." Rachel said, pointing. She uncovered her eyes and leaded Monica the way.
"Wow." Monica exclaimed, "What a beautiful bedroom."
"Thank you." Rachel smiled, "Barry and I decorated it ourselves."
Monica's eyes caught something on the bedside table, "Is that your wedding picture?"
Rachel followed her gaze, "Yeah," she said, "It is. You should just throw it out."
"Really?"
"Do I wanna be reminded? No I don't think so."
--
"Joe, I need to talk to you." Ross said, sitting down next to him with his coffee.
"What about Ross?"
"Look," Ross began, "I'll just say it, okay? I want to know if you still like Rachel, or if it would be alright for me to ask her out?"
"What!?" Joey exclaimed, "You wanna ask her out!?"
"Is that so hard to believe?" Ross asked.
"Yes!" Joey said, "She's really not your type."
"Oh, isn't she?" Ross said, "Well, I was in love with her practically my entire childhood if you must know."
"You were?"
"Hmm." Ross sipped his coffee, "So I just wanted to know if you were okay about it?"
"Rach and I are just friends, Ross. I love her very much, and if you will make her happy, I think you should go ahead and do it."
"Wow, Joe." Ross said, "You're sounding so grown up."
"Yeah, it doesn't sound like me, does it?" he leaned closer to Ross, "It's Chandler talking."
--
"Do you have it all?" Monica asked.
"Yes." Rachel smiled, padding the three full backs which were sitting at the floor, "All Ashley's books. A couple of things she needed and the most of her clothes. And a lot of mine too."
"Great." Monica said, "We'll have to go back after more though."
"Yeah, but I figured we'd wait with that until Ash and I've got an apartment." Rachel said, "Then we'll move all we want from here over there, and then try to sell this."
"But isn't this gonna cost you a lot in rent?"
"No." Rachel said, "All the taxes and bills goes right through Barry's bank account. They fix everything, so he'll be paying."
"Clever."
"But what I really need to do," Rachel paused, "Is find a job."
--
"How are you gonna like, handle it?" Phoebe asked Rachel, when they were watching TV.
"I don't know." Rachel honestly replied, "It's gonna be tough, but I'll have to do it."
"I can help you if you want." Phoebe said, "Going through all your stuff will be hard. I can help you."
"Yeah." Rachel said, "But we wont have to worry about that for about a half a year. I have a lot to do first."
"Will you have to find work and an apartment?"
"Yes, I think I'll ask Gunther at Central Perk if I can have a job there to begin with and then work my way up. I'm not picky, I just need to find something to support my child. Do you maybe know someone who's selling their place?"
"I might know someone." Phoebe smiled, "Let me just make some calls in the next few days, and then give you an answer."
--
Rachel was sitting on a bench in the park, and Ross was walking towards her.
They'd agreed to take a walk together, after Ross had told her he needed to talk to her.
She had a feeling she knew what it was about. The way Ross had put the whole ´pick a guy you already know´-talk, hinted that he was trying to make her pick him.
She was really not sure it was a good idea. Maybe she would know by the end of the night.
She was looking at a flower, when someone touched her shoulder.
"Hello beautiful."
The voice was hoarse and Rachel turned around to come face to face with Barry.
She screamed.
She opened her mouth and screamed higher than she'd thought she was able to.
When Ross saw her, his wonderments got lost in his mind, and he knew that if he didn't do something, Rachel might get very unlucky.
He ran all he could, and when he approached them, Barry was holding Rachel in a tight grab.
Ross just jumped on him and started throwing punches.
But Barry was so much stronger than him, and he knocked him off himself pretty fast. After that, he threw Rachel a look which could kill, and started to run away.
Rachel just stood there, shocked and scared to her very core. She broke down, crying.
Ross stood up and embraced her in a tight hug.
He held her for a long time, she needed the comfort. And he could feel her body tremble, but slowly becoming more and more loose, as she grew comfortable in his arms. They stood there, truly a long time, and just held each other.
"Thank you Ross." she whispered, "I was so scared."
"It's nothing Rach." Ross whispered, kissing her forehead, "It's nothing. I'll do anything for you."
Rachel looked at him, tears in her grey eyes.
Suddenly realizing that he'd do anything for her.
Then slowly, and she didn't know exactly why, she leaned in a kissed his lips. Short, but sweet.
She pulled away. A little imbarresed.
Ross however, pulled her back again, and the second kiss grew much deeper.
Well here you go, guys, Lobster love like I promised. But believe me, this story is far from over! And it wont be a love story from now on, I can't just change the theme, right? Oh really, it'll just be a little about love, but not really much. Leave me a review, thanks. Stessa.