Title: Just Friends?

Author: Alexz Recoro

Summury: Joey and Rachel are becoming closer and closer by the day. But are they in love, or just friends? And how will Ross take it if they are in love?

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Friends characters.








Rachel was sitting with Joey on the couch, crying her eyes out. Joey simply put an arm around her shoulders and let her cry into his chest. They were watching some 'chick flick' on TV, and Rachel was crying over how cute it had ended. Joey wanted to crack some joke, but fear of Rachel's mood swings kept his mouth shut.

"Wasn't that the cutest thing you've ever seen?" Rachel asked, turning her tear stained face up to look at Joey. He didn't answer, not trusting himself not to laugh. Instead he just made a sound of agreement and held her tighter. She snuggled into him, turned almost on her side, laying practically on top of him, her face buried in his chest. She lifted her head and rested her chin on his chest, looking up at him.

He couldn't resist anymore. He leaned down and kissed her. She stiffened a little, then relaxed into it. Joey realized what he was doing and went to pull away. But Rachel reached up and cupped the back of his neck, pulling him back to her. . .









Joey sat up with a start. His breath came fast and he blinked wildly until he realized he was laying in bed, in the dark. He let out a loud groan and fell back on his pillows. The light snapped on. Joey covered his eyes. Then he heard Rachels voice.
"Joey, hon, are you all right?"

He opened his eyes and squinted at her.
"Hey Rach. Yeah, I'm fine. Just had a nightmare." Joey felt bad about lying to Rachel, but what was he supposed to say? 'I just had the most wonderful dream about the most wonderful woman in the world? One who would never like me in that way? One who's pregnat with my best friends baby?' Yeah right.
Rachel came over and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Oh, sweetie." She said. She bounded up from the bed. "Wait here."

Rachel came back a minute later with a glass of milk. "Here you go."
"What's that for?" Joey asked.
"Whenever I had a nightmare, a glass of milk would help me sleep. Here." Rachel handed it to Joey then sat back down on the edge of the bed while he drank it. Then he handed the glass back to her.

"Better?" She asked.
"Yeah. Thanks Rach."
"Your welcome sweetie." She said, brushing his hair back from his forehead and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. She got up to go. Just before she switch off the light, Joey called her name.

"Hey Rach?"
"What?"
"Your going to make that little baby of yours a great mom." Joey said sincerly. Rachel beamed at him.
"Thank you Joey." She said. She turned off the light, put the glass in the sink, then went to her room.









Rachel lay back down in her bed and thought about what Joey had said. For some reason, it meant more coming from her Joey then it did from anyone else, even her babies father, Ross. Wait a minute, her Joey? HER Joey? When did he become her Joey?

Rachel racked her brain, but she couldn't remember exatly when she had begun to think of Joey as 'hers' . He was just, Joey. The Joey that watched sappy movies with her, and let her cry on his chest. The Joey who held her when they were watching a horror movie together. The Joey who took her out to dinner and dancing when she was feeling blue.

Rachel turned over on her side and stared at the wall. Thinking about Joey, she fell asleep.









"Hey sweetie." Rachel said the next morning as she came out of her bedroom. Joey looked at her sleepily from where he was sitting eating a bowl of cereal and yawned.
"Morning Rach." He said sleepily, blinking owlishly at her. Rachel found that extremely adorable. "So what are your plans for Vanitines Day?"
"Umm, sit here with ice cream and a sappy movie. You?"
"Room for two on the couch with the ice cream?" He asked with a crooked, hopeful grin.
"Are you telling me that the great Joey Tribbiani doesn't have a date on Vanetines Day."
"Nope. I have a date."

Rachel raised her eyebrow. But Joey just grinned that infuriating cute smile and refused to say anymore.