This one is from season 5. Yeah, I know what you're thinking now: Season 5 doesn't fit in this series. I think it kinda does though. Give it a try please and then tell me what you think. :)

Questions

"I'm only eating the skin, so the chicken's up for grabs," Joey says and offers the bucket to everyone. Ross and Rachel turn away disgusted, but Phoebe's mind is still on something else. She cannot believe the whole story about Monica having sex with Joey. She actually had the feeling that Monica had sex in London, she even asked her when they all came back. But with Joey? That's something Phoebe can't get in her head. But she doesn't know what's going on there. Not yet.

"It's unbelievable," she mumbles as she walks into apartment 20 with Ross and Rachel.

"I know! I can't believe that Monica slept with Joey! Monica! With Joey! It's something I can't … believe!" Rachel yells.

"No, I meant Chandler. He didn't really react the way I expected him to react. He just found out that his two best friends slept together and he didn't even say something."

Phoebe sits down on the couch and Rachel joins her after grabbing something to drink. "Yes, that is true," she says.

"I expected him to … well, freak out, at least a little bit. But he … he even comforted her and put his arm around her."

"I can't believe Joey had sex with my little sister," Ross says and sits down in the armchair. "If I wouldn't be so relaxed right now, I'd go over there and kick his ass!"

Relaxed, Phoebe giggles. More like high from the pills his shrink gave him.

"And you could totally do that," Rachel says, her voice dripping of sarcasm, but Ross doesn't seem to realize that.

"I could," Ross says and nods with a serious look on his face.

Rachel and Phoebe look at each other and laugh.

"See," Phoebe says. "That is the exact reaction I would have expected from Chandler, too! He knows how Joey is with women and Monica is … well, I think Monica means a lot more to him than he admits. I would have thought he'd be angry with Joey or a little disgusted or … at least want an explanation. But nothing. He hugged her."

"To be honest," Rachel says "I don't think Monica could ever do anything that would drive Chandler away from her."

Phoebe thinks about that for a while. Rachel's totally right. There have been plenty of moments in the past where Monica drove Chandler crazy. But he didn't leave. At the end of the day he was always there for her, no matter what. She can't think of a time when the two of them went to sleep still being angry with each other. They always talked to each other before they went to bed and the next day they were them again.

"You're right, Rach, I didn't realize that before. But they always seem to put their argument aside right away. Remember a few weeks ago, at Thanksgiving? Chandler learnt that Monica didn't cut off his toe by accident and he was really pissed. But she went and talked to him and … they were fine again."

"Yeah, it's … they have a really special bond. It was like that from the very beginning after they really got to know each other. They have that connection everybody kinda wants to find."

"By the way, how did the two of them become friends? I assume it was sometime after the toe incident," Phoebe wants to know. Monica never told her. When she moved in with Monica, she only told her that her neighbor is also her very good friend. But she never got to hear the story how their friendship began.

"I don't really know," Rachel says, frowning and trying to remember the story. "Yes, it was after the toe incident. A few weeks after that she visited Ross for the weekend and when she came back, she was different. You know, even though she lost all that weight and she was really proud of herself, she was still insecure. She didn't really know how to talk to people, because … well, you know, before she lost the weight no one ever wanted to have something to do with her. But when she came back after the weekend with Ross she seemed more confident about herself."

"And she told you that it was because of Chandler?"

"No, first I assumed she must have lost her virginity. I asked her, but she blushed and shook her head vehemently. It was also then when she started to talk on the phone for hours. And she visited Ross much more than before. I still thought that one of Ross' friends must be her boyfriend, but eventually she told me that she finally found a friend who completely understands her. But we were already kind of drifting apart and lost contact soon after that. Back then I didn't know that it was Chandler."

"And you know now?"

"She never told me, but I'm pretty sure now. When I met Chandler the day I left Barry I was surprised to see him again, but thought it is because he was Ross' roommate. But then I saw Monica and Chandler together and knew it: I remembered that smile she has on her lips whenever she's around him. It is the same she had when she was talking to her new friend on the phone."

"Wow", Phoebe doesn't really know what to say. She looks around the apartment and her eyes fall on Ross. He's asleep in the armchair, his pill probably making him sleepy.

"There is still one thing I don't understand though," Phoebe suddenly says after a few minutes of silence. "Why didn't Chandler say anything? He was behaving really weird."

"He always is," Rachel shrugs. "He's Chandler."

"But why Joey? Why did Monica sleep with Joey? I mean, I'm sure it was great. But it doesn't look like Monica to do something like that."

"She was probably sad because her brother was getting married."

"But I would have expected her to go to Chandler. He's always the one she turns to."

"I think it's easy: she wouldn't risk her friendship with Chandler. Ever. She knew that it wouldn't be weird afterwards with Joey. And even if it would have ruined her friendship with Joey it wouldn't be as bad. It may sound mean but we all know how much more she cares about Chandler."

Phoebe nods. That actually makes sense. It doesn't explain Chandler's reaction earlier, but it does explain why Monica picked Joey. Monica could never have just a fling with Chandler. They already mean so much to each other, it wouldn't be possible. But it would certainly be possible with Joey. Phoebe still thinks that there is more to the story than she knows right now though. But she's sure she'll find out about it soon.

Suddenly Phoebe giggles. "Do you know what I just realized, Rach? Just imagine if Monica would have found Chandler instead of Joey in London. They would definitely be dating now, right?"