Over the next few days, Rachel hid her feelings from Joey, hoping that they would go away, but they only grew stronger. She also avoided being around Ross whenever he came to visit Emma, but whether she saw Ross or not, he was always on her mind. She feared that she might be falling out of love with Joey and back in love with Ross.

Joey asked her what was wrong, and Rachel couldn't give him an answer. "Is it 'cause my family kept talking about us getting married? Don't worry. I know you want to focus on your career right now. I mean, so do I. I'm finally getting enough movie roles that I might not even need my Days of Our Lives gig anymore."

"Yeah, honey, it's really wonderful. What's the next movie you're auditioning for?" Thus she changed the subject to his film career.

Still, Rachel couldn't hide from her emotions forever. She compared Joey and Ross in her head, trying to figure out whom she truly wanted to be with. Just like Ross's choice between Julie and Rachel, Rachel suddenly realized that Joey simply wasn't Ross. Despite how great he was, and how comfortable Rachel was with him, Joey just wasn't Ross.

Rachel decided that she needed to know what Ross felt about her, so she sat him down for a long talk. On the pretext of becoming closer friends and parents, she got them discussing their whole history--everything from the high school crush to Ross's insane jealousy, to the marriage in Vegas, to Emma. All of it was laid bare and finally resolved. They admitted to their faults, took equal responsibility for their breakups, and agreed to forgive each other about the past.

Encouraged by this unprecedented progress, Rachel suddenly kissed Ross, passionately. The spark come back, as if it were their first kiss all over again. Ross broke it off and felt terrible about betraying Joey, but Rachel insisted that they'd never have a chance like this again; they had to take it now.

So that night, Rachel broke up with Joey, and she and Emma moved back in with Ross. Heartbroken, Joey went across the hall to tell the others the news.

"Oh no!"

"You poor thing!"

With various sympathetic murmurs, Phoebe, Monica, and Chandler surrounded Joey in a group hug.

"Aw, honey!" Phoebe spoke tenderly. "We're so sorry it didn't work out."

Monica asked, "You wanna cry, Joey? Or eat some ice cream?"

Phoebe suggested, "We could make you some pancakes."

"Or do you wanna get drunk and go to the strip clubs with Chandler?"

"No, no! That's Phase 2," Phoebe corrected her. "Joey, you want me to get my guitar and sing you some songs to cheer you up?"

Joey shook his head at all these offers and broke away from their embrace. He just lay down on the couch and pulled some blankets over his head.

Chandler finally spoke, sitting close and touching Joey's shoulder. "You wanna stay in our guest room tonight?"

Joey nodded and whimpered, "Yeah, can I?" He didn't want to go back to that empty apartment just now.

"Sure. You stay with us as long as you want, Joe."

Monica didn't object, but looked a bit annoyed that Chandler had offered the room without consulting her. (Monica had planned to start converting the guest room into a nursery.) Maybe Chandler had just forgot.

Chandler asked, "Phoebe, can you go get Hugsy?"

"Okay." She went across the hall, then came back with Hugsy, which Joey clutched close to him.

Monica got a box of tissues and offered them to Joey.

Chandler pushed the box away and asked Joey, "You want to go to the other room, and not cry in front of the girls?"

Joey nodded, so Chandler put his arm around him and took him into the guest room.

Phoebe and Monica sat on the couch and felt a bit useless, but they shrugged and figured that Chandler knew what Joey needed. They hung around and discussed whether either of them should go talk to Ross and Rachel about their long-awaited reunion.

In the guest room, Joey crawled into the bed and already found himself breaking down into sobs. He tried to hide under the blankets, but Chandler sat on the bed and reached for him. "Come on, I'm the wimpiest guy you know. You don't have to be embarrassed."

So Joey hugged Chandler close and cried miserably against his shoulder. "What did I do? I thought we were doing great. I thought--"

Chandler shushed him and brushed his fingers through Joey's hair. "It's not your fault. She never deserved you, Joe. She never appreciated you."

Joey didn't really believe him, but clung to him anyway. It had been two months since Chandler spent any time with him, because he stubbornly made it clear that he didn't like seeing Joey and Rachel together. Despite this recent estrangement, Joey really needed his comfort right now.

Chandler stayed with Joey for most of the night, even when Monica knocked on the door and peeked her head into the room.

"Is he--?"

Chandler waved at her to go away.

"But--"

Chandler shushed her, and just turned back to Joey, who self-consciously hid under the blankets again.

So Monica left and closed the door, wondering why Chandler wasn't exhausted and in need of a break after all these hours. Surely she could take over for a while, or at least make them a midnight snack? Bewildered, Monica shrugged and retired to bed.

Joey and Chandler wearily fell asleep together on the bed, with Hugsy nearby. Joey woke up at around 3:30 in the morning and found Chandler lying beside him.

"Chandler?" he whispered, gently shaking him.

Chandler woke up and looked at Joey with sleepy eyes.

"I'm sorry," Joey said. "You shouldn't have stayed so long."

Chandler caressed Joey's cheek. "You needed me." It was good to feel needed again.

Joey shrugged. "You can head back to Monica now. I'll be okay."

"I could stay--"

Joey insisted, "No, no, go ahead. I've got Hugsy, you know?"

Chandler reluctantly left and went to the master bedroom. He crawled into the bed with Monica and turned his back to her, just staring at the wall.

Monica woke up and looked at the clock. "Wow. That was a long night. This breakup with Rachel must be the worst thing he's ever been through."

Chandler said nothing.

Monica sat up to make sure he was still awake. "You okay, honey? You want me to rub your shoulders?"

He pulled away from her touch. "No."

Monica frowned and was worried by his bad mood, but then she remembered that she gave the worst massages, so that must be why he refused. So instead she tried to just hug and kiss him, but he resisted and pushed her off again.

"Don't touch me."

Surprised by his fierceness, Monica joked lightly, "What, did sleeping with Joey turn you off women?"

He didn't smile.

"Okay, so you don't want to joke about it."

Chandler sulked. "You want a joke? We made out and had hot, sweaty sex."

Not laughing, Monica withdrew to her side of the bed and turned away. If she hadn't been just a wall away from the guest room all night, she wouldn't have been sure that he was only joking.

Chandler sighed and wished that he wasn't joking.