AN: Hello everyone. I just wanted to respond to a review I received, but it might be something on other people's mind too:

I am deeply sorry, but I can only update once a week. I am a perfectionist so these things take me a while and, at the moment, I really don't have much spare time. For the time being, it is not possible for me to update more. I hope you all understand.

But please enjoy the new chapter and don't forget to review. Please enjoy. :)

Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.

Rachel woke up and rubbed the dried up tears that sat on her cheeks. New tears filled her eyes as she remembered what she had happened the previous night. Rachel shook the thoughts from her mind and decided to go skiing.

She quickly dressed and hurried down the stairs. The cabin was quiet; she figured everyone was most likely asleep still.

Rachel scribbled a quick note and stuck it on the kitchen table for her family, explaining where she had gone. She grabbed a pair of skis and poles from the front hall closet and walked out the door to begin her trek through the snow, towards the slopes.

Rachel needed some time alone to think and just clear her mind after the night she had had.

Rachel walked down a winding footpath that snaked through the forest. The sun was shining through the snow covered trees casting shadows across her path. Rachel's ski boots crunched through the glistening snow. Rachel breathed in the fresh pine scent and exhaled seeing her breath swirl through winter air.

She eventually reached the ski lift and hopped on to ride it to the top of the towering peak. She hopped off at the topmost point and soon began her descent. She skied back and forth, her skis crunching and carving the snowy ground. She felt the frigid wind against her face as she went faster and faster.

Skiing always gave Rachel time to think about all of her troubles. This time, she thought about her decision to leave Barry. A thousand unanswered questions rattled through her mind. Where would she go? How would her parents feel about her choice? What would Barry say?

Rachel reached the bottom of the hill and immediately headed back to the lift. She repeated this cycle over and over, but she got nowhere near answering her questions. She had found the courage to face her fears, but she was completely alerted by the fear that she didn't think everything through before opening her mouth.

Rachel felt like she needed more time to decide how to handle this situation. She didn't know how to go any further. She was almost certain it was a bad idea to tell Mindy about wanting a divorce without knowing what to do about it.

She felt lost.

Then she remembered the email she had sent to her friend the night before. She desperately wanted to know what he thought, maybe he could help her. She took her skis off and almost ran back towards the cabin.

…..

Rachel walked inside and took off all of her outdoor clothing. She put her skis away before walking further inside. She noticed it was still quiet in the house; her family was probably out skiing.

Rachel longed for a drink of water, so she made her way to the kitchen. Rachel wandered over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. She twisted off the cap and began drinking when a voice from behind her made her jump.

"Rachel, can I talk to you for a minute?" Leonard asked, his irate voice breaking the silence. Rachel almost chocked on her water, half from shock and half from his tone. She knew she was in trouble. Rachel twisted the cap back on her water and turned around to timidly face her father.

The look on his face, alone, sent shivers down her spine. He sat at the kitchen table, with his arms crossed. Rachel hadn't even noticed he was there.

"S-sure. What's wrong?" Rachel asked, trying to keep her nerves under control.

"Sit down Rachel," Leonard commanded, intensely. Rachel did what her father said and quickly took a seat across from him.

"Why would you ever even consider leaving Barry?" Leonard questioned as he cocked his head and stared at Rachel through his glasses. Rachel couldn't breathe for a few seconds. How did her father find out?

"W-what?" Was all Rachel could stammer.

"Do you not appreciate the life we have set you up in?" Leonard spat, leaning across the table.

"Of course I do Daddy," Rachel responded hastily, her heart pounding faster with anticipation.

"Then how could you even thinkabout divorcing Barry? Does he not give you everything you could ever want? Do you know what divorcing him would do to our family's image?" Leonard ranted.

"Yes, but-" was all Rachel could utter before her father interrupted her.

"Barry is better suited for you than Ross Geller will ever be!" Leonard shouted. Rachel couldn't believe the words that had just come out of her father's mouth. How did he know about that? Did he hear her conversation with Mindy? Rachel didn't know what to say.

"Ross Geller is-" Rachel was about to argue back, when suddenly they heard the front door open.

"Hello? Is anyone home?" Barry's voice echoed through the cabin. He had the worst timing. Rachel closed her mouth losing her nerve, to argue with her father while her husband was there. Leonard immediately pushed away from the table and stood up.

"Yes, in here!" Leonard called. Rachel sat there watching, her anger just swirling in her head. Barry walked into the kitchen and as soon as Leonard saw him he pulled him into a hug. When they stopped he talked to Barry as if everything were normal.

…..

Ross sat at his desk in his bedroom. He tapped his fingers on the table, impatiently, as he waited for his email to load. When he saw he had a new message from his friend a smile spread across his face.

Ross opened the email and read it to himself.

I need you to be completely honest with me. Is my life strange? I've been talking to you for quite some time now about this life where I have to live up to everyone else's standards. I'm in a loveless marriage and I'm too much of a coward to get out of it. I just can't imagine why you talk to me, but I need you now more than ever.

I just can't do this anymore. Why am I doing this to myself? I can't live like this any longer. I don't fit in to this lifestyle my parents have given me. I think I have finally decided to leave Barry. I just don't know how.

Ross read the message once, twice, three times before he thought of how to respond.

Her words held so much pain and helplessness. When he noticed she had sent it at 2:26am in the morning he knew she desperately needed his help. He answered her back the best he could.

Honestly, your life isn't strange. Sure it's different than most people, but it's not strange. I think no matter what kind of life you live sometimes you don't feel like you fit in.

I've been waiting so long for you to finally realize these things you're telling me. I've tried so hard to make you understand that being with Barry is not right for you, and it pains me to know how unhappy you are with him.

I know you can do this. I know you can leave him and make a better life for yourself, even if you don't know where you're going. Right now you have no fear pushing you to find a life that makes you happy, which is why you need to leave.

You gave me the advice to leave Carol. Now I want you to take my advice, you won't regret it. I'm proud of you and I'm so glad you're doing this. I'm here for you. Don't look back, don't second guess yourself. You can be whoever you want to be.

At that moment Ross heard Ben's whimpers from the next room, he had him for the weekend again. Ross quickly skimmed back over the message before he hit send, hoping he was at least the slightest bit helpful towards his friend.

Ross got up from his desk to comfort his son. He walked into Ben's bedroom and saw him standing up with tears streaming down his face. Ben pouted as Ross picked him up out of his crib. He hugged him close and then sat him on his hip.

"Do you want to go visit Aunt Monica?" Ross asked as he rubbed Ben's back to comfort nodded his head and sniffled softly.

…..

Ross pushed Ben's stroller across the street to Monica's apartment. Luckily it was Monica's day off of work, and Ross knew how much she loved spending time with her nephew.

"Hi Ben!" Monica greeted looking down at her nephew. Ben smiled at her and raised his arms for her to pick him up. Monica unbuckled him and picked him up out of the stroller. "How are you Ben? It's been a long time since I last saw you, hasn't it?" Monica said to Ben in a sweet voice.

Monica gave Ross a smile before she carried Ben into the apartment. Ross followed and parked the stroller against one of the purple walls. Monica placed Ben on the floor so he could play with his toys. A few silent minutes passed.

"You've been quiet," Monica stated as she turned to Ross who was just watching Ben play on the carpet. "Ross?" Monica asked when Ross didn't look at her. He was blankly staring into space.

"Oh, um what?" Ross responded as he broke free of his trance and looked at his sister.

"Is something wrong?" Monica asked.

"Nothing's wrong," Ross denied, trying to sound convincing. Ross had so much clouding his mind. He thought of his friend he had emailed. He hoped she would take his advice.

"Why are you acting so strange?" Monica asked she watched her brother distractedly look at Ben again. Ross considered telling her about the person he'd been emailing, but thought of a less complicated story to share with her. He faced Monica again, who now had her hands on her hips.

"Actually I've been meaning to tell you that I ran into Rachel the other day," Ross explained. Monica furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"Rachel who? Rachel Green?" Monica questioned. Ross smiled at her and nodded.

"Yeah, Rachel Green, well actually now she's Rachel Farber," Ross clarified. His smile disappeared as he mentioned that.

"That's incredible!" Monica all but shouted. Ross nodded and then let out a sigh.

"I told her to call you," Ross admitted, Monica's smile faded as she realized that since she hadn't gotten a call Rachel probably didn't want to see her again.

Monica watched as Ross walked away from where they were standing to go grab a drink from the fridge. When he returned to where she stood, he opened the bottle of juice and took a sip.

Monica began to think of Rachel. They were best friends in high school and a little in college, but then something changed. Rachel stopped hanging out with her as often, and soon they drifted apart.

Ross avoided her eyes. She remembered how her brother felt about Rachel in high school. He had a huge crush on her back then, he had always tried to hide it from her but she had found out.

"You still love her, don't you?" Monica burst out. Ross swallowed his drink, scrunching his face in protest.

"Wh-what? No," Ross sputtered, shaking his head. Monica saw right through him.

"Yes you do," Monica said with a genuine smile.

Ross reflected about Rachel. She was his first real crush; he loved her since the ninth grade. She was always so beautiful, and although she was shallow on the outside, Ross knew that she had a big heart on the inside. Rachel had convinced him that when she stayed friends with Monica through high school, even if Monica wasn't as cool or as popular as she was.

Lately Ross had been thinking about her a lot. He reminisced about the last time he saw her. There was something about her that just captivated him. Her smile, her laugh, her voice, he couldn't get her off his mind.

"I don't know, I guess I do still like her," Ross said with an embarrassed smile. "But it doesn't matter how I feel, she's married," Ross explained, frustrated, as he realized the truth behind this fact. He could never be with her, even if he did see her again.

"Have you been dating at all since you left Carol?" Monica inquired. Ross shook his head.

"No but I have been talking to this girl over the internet," Ross admitted.

"Ross that's dangerous," Monica commented.

"How exactly?" Ross questioned, he took another sip of his drink.

"You don't know who this person is. They're a stranger," Monica said loudly, trying to come up with a valid point.

"But I do know her. I know she's in a horrible marriage and living a horrible lifestyle. I know she needs someone to talk to, and that she's lovely and kind. She gave me the push to divorce Carol, and I want to do the same for her. She deserves someone better than who she's with. She deserves to feel happy with her life. She's helped me so much, and I want to return the favour," Ross explained. Monica noticed the look on his face.

"I think you like her too," Monica said. Ross had never really thought of it like that before. This person had always been just a friend. Someone he could trust with his secrets, someone to talk to. Then again he knew this person so well, and she was so nice.

"I guess I could. But, again, she's married," Ross sighed.

"You did say that she's in a horrible marriage. Maybe when she divorces the guy she'll want to meet you," Monica reasoned. In her head she was practically planning out the perfect way for them to get together.

Ross thought about it for a moment. He could be the shoulder for her to cry on. Then he immediately changed his mind. He needed to be a friend for her to trust and rely on for help, not a guy to hit on her when she divorced her husband. Ross couldn't do that to her.

"I couldn't do that to her," Ross explained. "Why is it that I keep falling for the women I can't have? I keep looking for love in all of the wrong places," Ross wined. "I have just been feeling so lonely," Ross wined, once again.

"Why don't you stay with me? Isn't it strange that we both live by ourselves across the street from each other? Why don't you move here, that way you'll be with me," Monica suggested.

"I couldn't do that to you Mon. Plus I don't need to be pitied. I just need to find something to cheer me up," Ross explained.

"Well, just know that I'm here for you. And I know the right girl for you will come along," Monica said sweetly. Ross gave her a smile and pulled her into a hug. Maybe things would work out in time.

…..

Rachel went to bed extremely early that night. She just couldn't deal with her father any longer. All evening he had been showing her how great Barry was. Rachel just needed to get away from it all.

She went up the wooden staircase to her bedroom, all alone. She climbed under the blankets and soon dozed off exhausted from her mind which was still buzzing with thoughts and what ifs.

Rachel soon woke up, or had she really fallen asleep? She happened to see that the space beside her was empty. Where was Barry anyways?

Rachel got up out of bed to search for him. She crept down the hallway, passed Jill's room and the bathroom. Then Rachel heard a noise coming from the next room. She knew it was Amy and she wanted to ask her if she had seen Barry.

Rachel knocked gently on the door before walking into Amy's bedroom. There was one side table lamp illuminating the room. Rachel had to squint to see after coming from the dark hallway.

When her eyes adjusted to the brightness, Rachel gasped at the sight before her eyes. She had found Barry.

"Rachel!" Barry said surprized as he hastily broke his kiss with Amy.