Well hello there. Here is the next chapter. And thank you for the reviews, I love them :D
Disclaimer; I don't own Friends.
Picking Up the Pieces
Chapter 17.
"Do you like it, Ash?" Rachel asked.
"Yeah, a lot." Ashley said, chewing her beef.
"You, Ross?" Rachel then asked.
"Yes, it's very good." Ross said, "I've never really thought that you would cook."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Rachel asked.
"Well, prom queen Rachel Green cooking?" Ross laughed, "That's something fun. You didn't like doing that stuff in high school."
"Nah, but things change." Rachel said.
"Yeah," Ross wondered, "They really do."
--
"So, you want to do anything?" Ross asked, when Ashley was asleep in her and Rachel's bedroom.
"We can't, really," Rachel said, "Ashley is asleep in there."
"There's always Monica's room?" Ross tried.
Rachel looked at it, and a smile crept up on her face, "I'll hold you on that!"
With those words, Ross grabbed her hand and they hurried into Monica and Chandler's room.
--
Around a month later.
"So Rach, did you and Ross have fun last night?"
"Yeah." Rachel said, "We had plenty of fun, we really didn't do anything. Just went to the movies."
"Nah," Monica said, "But it's good that you guys get along."
"Hmm-mm." Rachel said, remembering last night. She was pretty sure that her and Ross weren't good friends after that one.
"It was a good movie." Rachel smiled, "Thank you for paying.""Well, your job isn't the most well paid one." Ross laughed, "Will you come back to my place?"
"Hmm, I don't know." Rachel said, "Ashley will probably wonder where I am."
"Just a quick step by?" Ross pouted.
Rachel couldn't really resist him, she was feeling more for him than good was.
They stood in front of his building, when he suddenly turned to her and said, "I love you, Rachel. So much."
"What?" Rachel exclaimed, "You love me?"
"Yeah…" Ross trailed off, "Don't you feel it too…" Now he was worried that he'd said too much.
"No!" Rachel said, "It's a fling Ross… It's just a fling… Did you think we were gonna get married and be together?"
"Maybe." Ross said, "We're good together."
"I'm not divorced yet!" Rachel said, "They can't find my fucking husband. I'm not ready to trust men!"
"Are you seriously standing there comparing me to Barry?" Ross yelled.
"Yes!" Rachel whined, "All men are the same. Cheating, beating, lying husbands! All men!"
"No, I'm not!" Ross said, "How can you think that?"
"You're guy Ross…" Rachel said, backing away, "All guys are like that."
"But I love you." Ross said, trying to get her to stay there with him to finish their argument.
"But I don't love you…"
"Rachel are you listening to me?" Monica exclaimed.
"No, sorry." Rachel said, "I don't feel well, I'm going to bed."
She stood up and grabbed the cordless phone, "Just if I need anything." she explained.
Monica looked after her, she didn't understand what had just happened.
--
"Do you think this will look good on me?" Monica asked, showing Phoebe a red shirt.
"Hmm, it'll match your hair." Phoebe concluded.
"Thank you."
"Where are you going anyway?"
"At this restaurant with Chandler tonight." Monica smiled, "Uh, I should probably call about a table!"
She picked up the phone, but she didn't get to do much, 'cause apparently, Rachel was talking.
"But Ross, I'm sorry. I don't understand how you can get such a wrong impression!"
"I thought it was two-sided, and not just me!" Ross anwered.
"Phoebe, will you listen to this?" Monica said, placing the phone between them, for both of them to listen.
"But Ross, it was just a fling! I though it was what you wanted."
"No, I want you! I love you!"
"But Ross… I can't be with anyone."
"But I love you."
Phoebe hit the bottom. Shit, Monica had found out.
"Oh my God!" Monica exclaimed, "Ross and Rachel?"
"Shh, Monica!" Phoebe whispered, "Not here, come on."
She dragged Monica in to her bedroom and pushed her on the bed.
"Monica, will you calm down, now!" Phoebe said.
"But… I mean, Ross and Rachel? Can you believe it!?"
"NO!" Phoebe said playing her ´I-didn't-know-it´-card. The card that she'd played so many times, but unfortunately, she wasn't very good at it.
"You already knew, didn't you?" Monica asked.
"A little bit." Phoebe said, biting her lip, "Actually a lot."
"Wow," Monica said, "What do you know?"
"Hmm, it's been going on for about a month, and eh… They did it on your bed."
"Ew!" Monica said, standing up, "Why didn't they do it on Rachel's bed?"
"Because Ashley was asleep in there, would be my guess." Phoebe said.
"But, are they like… In love?"
"Well you just heard them." Phoebe said, "And then you can figure out that from Ross' side it's much more than a fling, but it ain't from Rachel's."
"Oh, I feel so bad for him." Monica said.
"Yeah, well..." Phoebe smiled, "Anyway, you and Chandler tonight? Funny, Joey and I are having one of those night where we discuss the rest of you."
"Then Rachel will have a night alone again." Monica smiled.
"Yeah, indeed she will."
--
"Are you tired, Ash?" Rachel asked, "Or do you want to watch some more TV?"
"Yeah, but I'll just go and put on my pyjamas." Ashley said, getting up.
"Fine." Rachel smiled.
Ashley kissed her on the cheek and went into their room.
Two seconds later, there was a knock on the door.
Rachel, who believed it was Ross, because he was also home, went up to open.
"Ross, I told you, I'm sorry, but I can't change-" Rachel stared at the person in the hall.
"Hello Rachel." Barry said, "Remember me?"
Well there you go, Barry's entered again, just like you guys guessed he would. Leave me a review, folks. Thanks, Stessa.