More than Just Friends

Chapter 17

Ok, plane tickets... check! Hotel reservations... check! Passports... check! We're all good to go!" Monica zipped up her bag and threw it over her shoulder with a smile.

"So, we all ready for our honeymoon?" Chandler asked, coming up behind his new wife.

"Yup! We're all packed up. The only thing I couldn't find was your Speedo but I'm sure we can buy a new one in the Bahamas."

Chandler's eyes widened and he turned to the rest of the friends who were there to send them off, pulling at his collar nervously. "Hehe... Speedo? I don't... I don't own a Speedo. Just a... uh, regular... long, bathing suit."

Monica rolled her eyes. "Of course you don't honey." She quietly turned ot the group, shaking her head as she mouthed a large 'no'.

"You guys excited? Honeymoon in the Bahamas? You guys are so lucky," Phoebe said.

"I know! A week in the nice, tropical weather? I couldn't ask for anything better," Monica answered, hugging Chandler around the torso. "Well, of course, it is better because I'm going with this guy."

"Aww shucks," he joked, earning a light slap on the stomach.

"God, I wish I could go to Bermuda," Rachel said, sighing. "With everything that's been happening, I sure could use a vacation to take my mind off things."

"Hold on, did you say you're going to Bermuda?" Joey jumped in. "Damn it, you guys are lucky! I wish I could go see some aliens."

Everyone looked at him with a puzzled look while Chandler face-palmed. "Joe, we're not going to the Bermuda Triangle. We're just going to the Bahamas, which is around the Bermuda area."

"What? Really? Then what's the point of going on this trip in the first place?"

Nobody bothered answering his question as they all just groaned. Just then the front door swung open and Ross strolled in, haven been the only member of the group not with them. Rachel spotted him and looked away, avoiding eye-contact as she still wasn't quite sure how to act around him.

"Hey!" Monica greeted when she saw her brother enter.

"Oh hey, you guys are still here? I thought you'd be leaving by now," he mentioned, giving his sister a hug.

"We're just about to. What are you doing here though? I thought you said you had a bunch of classes to teach."

"I do, but I wanted to send you guys off first. Have a great honeymoon!"

"Aww, you're so sweet. Thank you," Monica gushed, giving her brother another hug. He and Chandler also embraced as Rachel watched from the side, unable to keep her eyes of him. He's always been so caring of the people in his life and this sweet gesture only further proved that point. His sweet and kind-hearted attitude is one of the many things she fell in love with, and truthfully, one of the biggest things she's missed in this past month.

After breaking their embrace, Ross quickly checked his watch. "Crap, well that's all the time I have. I've got another lesson in ten minutes. I'll see you guys later."

Choruses of "bye"s and "see ya's" echoed through the room as everyone watched him leave, though no one's eyes were more attentive than Rachel's who watched him leave almost sadly.

"Bye..." she whispered, practically inaudibly, and this didn't go unnoticed by Monica.

For a moment, all was silent as the rest of the group reconvened while Monica carefully studied her body language. Her eyes were still on the door and she seemed to be almost slouched over, a position she had seen far too many times in the past month.