Author's Note: This week's chapter is extra long! I probably won't be posting next week, though.

"Answer me honestly, Monica," said Rachel as she sat down on the armchair in Central Perk. "Am I just the stupidest person in the whole wide world?"

Monica was sitting on the couch, sipping coffee and eating a muffin. She set down her mug and leaned toward Rachel. "Of course not, sweetie," she said, rubbing Rachel's knee. "Why would you say that?"

Rachel sighed. "A few days ago, I was so convinced I was doing the right thing. I thought I had to tell Ross I loved him before the wedding. And then after he still went through with it, I thought it would be a good thing if I pushed him away from Emily. I just didn't think she was right for him. I'm right for him, you know? I thought he would realize that, and that he'd forgive me, and that he'd say 'Oh, Rachel, you were so right, we should be together, and we weren't on a break.'"

Monica raised her eyebrows skeptically.

"Oh, okay, maybe that last part is pushing it," said Rachel, "but… was it totally crazy of me to think we would get back together? Am I just so dumb?"

"Well, maybe your actions were a little dumb," Monica said frankly. "You shouldn't have done any of that stuff. But you're dealing with a broken heart, and all of us can be a little stupid when it comes to that."

Rachel leaned back in the armchair. "I might have ruined everything with him," she moaned. "He won't talk to me anymore. I saw him here the other day and he totally brushed me off."

"Ross is going through some heartbreak right now, too," said Monica. "It might take some time for him to forgive you."

"If he ever does," said Rachel.

"He will," said Monica. "You two have gotten through fights before. I'm sure you'll do it again."

"Do you really think so?"

"Of course," Monica assured her. "And in the meantime, I think you should start trying to get over him. See someone else."

"I don't know, Mon. I'm not sure if I'm ready for that. Besides, we've already established that I make bad decisions. Maybe I just shouldn't date anymore."

"You made some bad decisions, but that doesn't mean you should give up on dating altogether."

"Oh, easy for you to say! You have a boyfriend." Rachel paused, then sat up in her chair, an idea occurring to her. "You know what? You should make all my decisions for me."

"What?"

"Yeah, I mean it!" said Rachel. "You're competent at relationships. I'm clearly not. So you should just direct me in all aspects of dating."

Most people would consider this crazy, but Rachel knew Monica was not most people.

"Okay!" Monica exclaimed, a wide smile on her face.

"Okay, then it's settled. You are in charge of my love life from now on."

The door to Central Perk opened and Chandler came running inside. "Guys, you are not going to believe this," he panted as he leapt over the side of the couch to sit next to Monica.

He gave Monica a quick kiss, and Rachel couldn't help feeling a twinge of jealousy. Monica now had with Chandler what she had lost with Ross. She wasn't sure she would ever have that again. All the same, she gave them a small smile as she took a sip of her coffee. If she couldn't have her happy ending, she was glad that Monica could.

"What's going on?" Monica asked Chandler.

"Well, I was talking with Joey, and he told me–"

"You were talking with Joey?" Monica asked. "You're right. I don't believe it."

"He's still mad at me, but things are a little better," explained Chandler. "We don't really hang out anymore, but at least he'll talk to me. Which is good–I was really worried about how the separation was impacting the chick and the duck. I just don't want them to see us fighting, you know? They don't deserve that."

"But that's not what you came running in here to tell us, is it?" Rachel asked.

"Oh, right. Joey told me that he, Ross, and Phoebe are taking a trip to Atlantic City!"

"What!" exclaimed Monica. "How could they not invite us?"

"I know," said Chandler. "I can't believe they'd do this. We're supposed to be a group! A unit! I hate being excluded!"

"Me too," muttered Monica.

"This has never happened to me before," said Rachel. "In high school, I was always the person who excluded other people."

Chandler folded his arms and pouted, "They're going to be having fun in Atlantic City and we're just going to be sitting here in the stupid coffee house!"

From behind the counter, Gunther looked up and raised a challenging eyebrow.

"This stupid coffee house that we love," Chandler amended with a guilty smile.

Gunther gave an accepting nod and went back to work.

"No," said Monica, sitting up. "We are not going to lose to those three."

"It's not really a competition, honey," said Chandler, putting his feet up on the table. "But if it were… well, we would be losing."

"Not for long," said Monica. "The three of us should take a trip!"

"That could be fun," Rachel admitted. "I could use a distraction from Ross right about now."

"Okay, great!" said Monica.

"Where should we go?" asked Chandler. "It would be weird if we also went to Atlantic City."

"Yeah," said Rachel, "and wherever it is should be cheap. I'm still trying to pay back my London tickets. So if we could go somewhere that costs approximately zero dollars, that would be great."

"Oh, you know what?" said Chandler. "I was recently reading an article about a great place where you don't have to spend any money!"

"Really?" said Rachel. "Where's that?"

"It's called home!"

Rachel rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair.

"Wait," said Monica, "we actually might be able to take a pretty cheap trip. My parents have a beach house, and they said Ross and I can use it whenever we want."

"Your parents bought a beach house?" Rachel asked in disbelief. "Where did they get the money for that?"

"No idea!" said Monica. "I bet we could use it this weekend, though! I'll go call them and ask."

"Can you get me a coffee while you're up?" Chandler asked.

"Sure," said Monica. She stood up and headed to the back to use the pay phone.

Rachel watched Chandler watch her walk away.

"So," she said playfully, "are you nervous?"

"Nervous about what?" Chandler asked, reaching to the table to steal a bit of Monica's muffin.

"Y'know," said Rachel. "Taking a trip with Monica."

"Nope," said Chandler, tossing the chunk of muffin into his mouth. "I'm totally cool with that. Not freaked out at all."

"Really?" asked Rachel, surprised. "This seems like the kind of thing that would normally send you into a tailspin."

"Well, it's not," said Chandler confidently. "Just call me Chill Chandler."

"Okay then, 'Chill Chandler,'" Rachel responded.

Gunther brought her a coffee, although she hadn't ordered anything yet; he knew what she liked. She sipped her coffee in silence and Chandler turned his attention to the newspaper. She was pleasantly surprised with his confidence. He and Monica had only been dating for a little over a week, which wasn't very long to be together before taking their first trip. Then again, it wasn't like they had just met. They had known each other for nearly ten years. Besides, a week seemed like an eternity in comparison to Ross and Emily, who went to Vermont together on the very same day they met.

It wasn't like it would be their first trip together, either. They had been other places together platonically. This would just be the first time they went as a couple, without the rest of their friends. Except, of course, Rachel.

She thought back to their conversation at breakfast a couple days ago. Was she encroaching too much on their romantic time? Would Monica and Chandler both be wishing she wasn't with them at the beach house? Just tolerating their sad friend Rachel? Maybe she shouldn't go.

"Look," said Rachel, "I know I've kind of been getting in the way of your couple time, and I really appreciate you two including me, but if you need some just you time, I don't have to come to–"

"Yes you do!" Chandler interrupted urgently, scrambling to lean toward Rachel. "You have to come with."

"Uh, okay?" said Rachel with a nervous chuckle. "Can I ask why?"

"Because," said Chandler, "if Monica and I go on our own, then it's like a big relationship thing. We've only been together for a week! That's too soon to be taking trips! But if you're there, then it's just like a trip with friends and my girlfriend happens to be there. It's way less pressure."

"What happened to Chill Chandler?" asked Rachel. "Just a minute ago, you said you were fine with all this!"

"Yeah!" said Chandler. "That's when I thought you were coming with us!"

"Okay, okay, I'll go!" Rachel said, relieved that he had declined her offer. She really did want to go to the beach.

Chandler breathed a sigh of relief and laid down on the couch with his head on the arm of the chair. Rachel went back to her coffee while Chandler continued to lay there, looking absently around the coffee shop. Then Chandler sat up.

"Rachel," he whispered. "Three o'clock."

"What?" said Rachel, confused.

"There's a cute guy who's totally checking you out at three o'clock!" he whispered back urgently, jerking his head to his left.

Rachel turned to her right to see that Chandler was right. There was an attractive man sitting by himself at one of the smaller tables by the window. He looked familiar somehow. He was certainly Rachel's type, and he flashed her a smile when she looked over.

"He is pretty cute, isn't he?" Rachel gushed to Chandler.

"So, are you going to go talk to him?" Chandler prompted, bouncing a little in his seat.

"Oh, I don't know," sighed Rachel. "I'm not sure if I'm ready for that after the whole Ross thing…"

"Good news!" Monica appeared with a latte in hand and sat down next to Chandler. "The beach house is totally open for us to use this weekend!"

"That's great!" exclaimed Chandler, taking the oversized mug from her.

"I figure we can head out right after work on Friday; hopefully we can all get off a little early. Then we can–what are you two looking at?" asked Monica, following Rachel and Chandler's gaze toward the windows.

"There's a cute guy over there who was checking Rachel out!" Chandler whispered excitedly.

Monica raised her eyebrows. "Really? Which one?"

"The one with the dark hair at the table by himself," said Rachel.

Monica looked over at him, then nodded approvingly. "He is cute." She paused. "Isn't that the guy you were flirting with at the counter last week?"

Rachel considered this. He had looked familiar. That's right–he had yielded the last blueberry muffin to her and they had a few minutes of pleasant conversation.

"Oh yeah." Rachel nodded in recognition. "I think his name was Dave."

"You should go talk to him," said Monica.

"That's what I said!" Chandler put in.

Rachel shook her head. "I don't think so. I'm still not over Ross, and I don't think I'm ready to–"

"Rachel," Monica interrupted. "You put me in charge of your love life, remember? I think you should talk to him. It will help you get over Ross."

Rachel frowned. "You think so?"

"I know so," Monica insisted. "You should ask him out. You're free tonight, aren't you?"

"Yeah," said Rachel begrudgingly. "Yeah, alright. I guess you know what's best."

"Of course I do," said Monica, leaning over to pick up her coffee. She turned to Chandler with an accusatory look. "Did you eat part of my muffin?"

This will be good for me, she told herself. I need to get over Ross… right?

When Carol left him, Ross had found himself coming to Monica for comfort on the nights he really needed it. She'd sit him on the couch, make him a cup of tea and a plate of cookies, and let him talk through his feelings. She was a good sister in that way.

But she was still mad at him for his reaction to the news of her and Chandler. If he came to her now with his sadness over Emily, he doubted he'd get the same warm reception he'd gotten five years ago.

So instead, Ross found himself at Joey's apartment, curled under a blanket on a Barcalounger. Joey was happy to take him in, but his comfort style was notably different from Monica's. Instead of tea and cookies, Ross had pizza and a beer. Instead of talking through his feelings, he was watching Joey play Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. On the floor next to him sat a large cardboard box full of shredded red roses.

"Damn it, I hit the Nitro again!" Joey complained, throwing down his controller. "This level is impossible." He turned to Ross, who was now running his hands through the sad, wilting rose petals. "Are you sure you don't want a turn, man?"

"She said she'd think things over," Ross moaned. "I really thought she'd call."

Joey sighed and paused the game. "Maybe she still will," he said encouragingly.

"Does this look like a package from someone who's going to call?" Ross asked, sprinkling chopped rose particles over the pizza box between them.

"Look, you've done all you can," Joey told him. "Maybe now you just need to give her time."

"You think?" asked Ross.

"Sure," said Joey. "Give her a little space. In the meantime, you need to cheer up. Grab another beer. Play a little PlayStation. Forget about Emily!"

Ross let out a small whimper.

"...at least until tomorrow," Joey amended quickly.

"Maybe you're right," said Ross, taking another sip of his drink. "I guess wallowing in my misery isn't really helping."

"There you go!" Joey said with an encouraging nod. He tossed the controller to Ross, who fumbled to catch it with his left hand as he set the beer down on the side table. "Now see if you can escape this rampaging polar bear better than I can."

Before Ross could give it a go, the door opened. To his surprise, Rachel walked in.

"I–sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," she said, looking at Ross. He turned away and started the game. Crash Bandicoot started running. "I was just, um–is Monica here?"

"No," said Joey, a bit tersely. "I thought she was with Chandler at your place."

"I thought so too, but she's not there," said Rachel. "I really need to talk to her."

Crash leaped over a pit.

"What about?" asked Joey.

"Uh, it's just this thing…"

Crash slid under an electric barrier.

"What thing?" asked Joey. "Can we help?"

"Oh, um, I just need to ask her whether or not I should invite my date inside."

Crash fell in a hole.

"You're–you're on a date?" asked Ross, turning back around to face Rachel.

"Well, yeah," said Rachel. She crossed her arms. "I assumed that's fine, since, you know, you're married."

Ross gave a humorless chuckle. "I'm just confused. See, it's only been two weeks since you were so in love with me that you thought it was appropriate to crash my wedding. Seems pretty quick to move on, but you know, whatever."

"Oh, you're the one to talk!" said Rachel. "You got engaged after knowing Emily for six weeks!"

Ross rolled his eyes.

"Besides," she continued, "since you're so insistent that things are over between us, you should want me to move on."

Ross fiddled wordlessly with the controller in his hand. She was right. He really had no reason to be upset about her going on a date. She should be moving on. That's what he wanted–despite the gnawing feeling in his stomach.

"Unless, of course, you're ready to admit that you do still have feelings for me?" she asked.

"I'm fine!" spat Ross. "In fact I'm very happy for you."

It's normal to feel upset when your ex starts seeing someone else, he thought, taking another swig of beer. It doesn't mean I still have feelings for her. I'm clearly in love with Rachel–EMILY. Damn it! He couldn't even keep the names straight in his head.

"Good," Rachel sniffed.

"Good," said Ross.

"Okay then…" said Joey a bit awkwardly. "So… we're all good."

"Yep," said Rachel.

"Mmm-hmm," said Ross.

Joey looked between the two of them uncertainly. "I guess we'll just go back to playing video games then."

"Great," said Rachel.

To both Ross and Joey's surprise, she marched over to the living room and perched herself on the arm of Ross's chair. She plucked the controller from his hands.

"So what are we playing?" she asked.

Joey looked at Ross in bewilderment.

"Um, actually, just Joey and I were going to play," said Ross.

"Why can't I play?" demanded Rachel. "If you're over me and I'm getting over you, no reason we can't all sit together and play a game, right?"

"Rachel, you don't even like video games," Ross pointed out.

"Sure I do!" exclaimed Rachel. "I love video games. In fact, this one's my favorite."

"You just asked what it was," said Ross.

"Yeah, I know," she replied quickly. "I just didn't recognize it at first. It's clearly… my favorite one."

The door to the apartment opened again and Monica entered with a laundry basket in her arms.

"Rachel, Dave said you were looking for–" she broke off as she took in the scene. "What's going on here?"

"Just three friends playing some video games," said Rachel casually.

"Um, okay," said Monica, an edge to her voice. "Perhaps you've forgotten that you left Dave standing out in the hall?"

"Did… did I forget to invite him in?" Rachel said, putting a finger to her chin.

"Get over here!" Monica demanded.

"Okay, okay!" Rachel grumbled as she scurried over to the door.

Joey and Ross exchanged a look as the two women left the apartment.

"I might be way off," said Joey, "but I'm getting the impression things aren't actually good between you two."

"Pheebs!" Ross and Joey greeted their friend as she entered Central Perk.

"Hi," Phoebe responded, plopping down next to Joey on the couch.

"Okay, Pheebs," said Joey, "you know how the other day we were talking about how you didn't get to go to London and you were kind of feeling left out?"

"Yeah," she said. Don't remind me, she added silently.

"Well," Joey continued. "We felt really bad about that, so we decided we should take a little trip together!" He flashed her a double thumbs up.

"Oh, wow!" Phoebe exclaimed. "Where are we going?"

"We're going to Atlantic City!" said Ross. "All weekend! We can leave this afternoon right after I'm done with work."

"This is so great!" Phoebe's face was starting to hurt from how big she was smiling. "That'll be so fun! And it's been so long since all six of us were together!"

Joey and Ross's faces fell and they exchanged a look.

"Oh, no," said Phoebe. "I don't like that look. What's that look?"

"Um, actually," said Ross, "it's just going to be the three of us."

"What? Why aren't the others coming?"

"Um, well," Joey explained quickly, "you know how things have been kind of tense with… well, everything. We thought the trip might be less…"-he mimed an explosion with his hands–"if it were just the three of us."

"But that defeats the whole purpose!" Phoebe protested. "I was sad about London because you were all there without me! I want to go on a trip with all of you!"

"I know it's not the ideal situation," said Ross sympathetically.

"Not the ideal situation?" Phoebe repeated. "It sucks!"

"Okay, Pheebs, look at it this way," Joey suggested. "In the London trip, you were left out and there were inside jokes you weren't a part of. But after this trip, you'll have inside jokes that the others aren't a part of."

"Yeah," agreed Ross halfheartedly. "That'll be… fun, I guess."

Phoebe frowned. "There's really no way all of us can go?"

"I really don't think it would be a good idea," Ross said solemnly.

"Alright," grumbled Phoebe. "Then I guess this is better than nothing."

Chandler scooped up an armful of his shirts from his suitcase and tossed them into an open drawer. Monica watched him, her lips pursed, her own perfectly folded shirts in a neat stack in her arms.

"When I unpack things," she said hesitantly, "I like to make sure everything stays neatly folded so they don't get wrinkles. And-and I usually use that drawer for socks and underwear, not shirts."

"If we unpack your way, it'll take us forever," Chandler protested, dumping his socks into the next drawer. "I don't even see why we have to unpack at all. Don't you want to get to the beach?"

"Yeah," said Monica, chewing on her lip. "I'd just feel better about going to the beach if I knew all the clothes were nice and organized in their drawers."

Chandler sighed. He knew if he didn't unpack the way she wanted, she'd just reorganize all his clothes as soon as he left the room. They'd both get to the beach faster if they just did things her way.

"Alright," he conceded. "Show me how you would do it."

Monica grinned widely. "Thank you!" she started pulling his clothes out of the drawer. Grabbing one for herself and one for Chandler, she began to instruct him on the best way to fold a collared shirt.

There was a knock at the door. Rachel poked her head in. She was wearing a bikini, sunglasses, and her giant floppy sunhat.

"You're still unpacking?" she asked. "I finished ages ago. Aren't you ready to go to the beach yet?"

"We're unpacking the Monica way," Chandler explained as he struggled to fold his shirt in a way that would be acceptable to his girlfriend.

"Ah," said Rachel with a knowing nod. "Need any help?"

"Yes, please," said Chandler, tossing her his shirt. Monica quickly handed him a new one.

They heard the phone ring from the other room.

"Who would be calling us here?" asked Rachel. "I didn't give anyone this number."

"Neither did I," said Chandler.

"It must be my parents," Monica surmised. "I'll go get it. You two keep packing."

Chandler continued to attempt to fold his shirt. The button downs were so hard. It was much easier when he could just hang them in his closet.

"You're going to have to get better at that," Rachel commented, "otherwise we'll never get to the beach."

"Do you think she'd notice if I just put a couple of nice folded shirts on top of a pile of unfolded ones?" Chandler asked desperately.

Rachel gave him a look. Of course Monica would notice. He unfolded the shirt, shook it out, and started to try again.

He had only folded one sleeve when Monica ran back into the room. "We have to go," she said breathlessly.

"Yes!" exclaimed Chandler, tossing the shirt he had been folding onto the floor. "Beach time!"

"No," Monica said, "I mean we have to go home."

"What?" said Rachel. "We just got here!"

"That was Ross on the phone," Monica explained. "Phoebe's in labor!"

"Oh my god!" Chandler exclaimed.

"We have to get to the hospital!" Monica continued urgently. "I'll pack everything back up. Rachel, you go get changed. Chandler, you call a cab."

Rachel nodded and rushed out of the room.

"You know, things might go a little faster if I pack and you call the cab," Chandler suggested mildly.

"Maybe," Monica said anxiously. "It's just… well, I really want to do it."

"If you insist," said Chandler as he left the room to go find a phone book.

Author's Note:

Just like in the show, the trip is interrupted by Phoebe giving birth! So no trip in this fanfic, unfortunately. But, if the Friends going on vacation is something you're interested in reading, please keep an eye out for the next multi-chapter fanfic I'm working on as a collaboration with JukeboxJulia, which follows ten years of Geller family trips.

PS: If you're not familiar with Crash Bandicoot, this is what Ross and Joey were playing: watch?v=5_Y7-kVkK7k