The sequel to TOW Rachel & Chandler at Ross' Apartment

I do not own these wonderful characters, I just like playing with them like puppets.

I made a conscious decision at first to adhere to canon but I think I may just forget that!

Please feel free to r&r.

Later that day the morning after the night before...you get the picture...

Chandler had, quite literally, dragged himself to the office that day. He grunted Hello at Helen, who, with an innate and motherly appreciation of his needs that Chandler always took for granted, immediately swept to the coffee maker and filled a mug for him.

At times like this Chandler really did feel he was a fake in the executive world. He should be messing around in the mailroom not crunching numbers with a fantastic view of Manhattan.

When the phone rang he groaned inwardly.
"Chandler, there's a young lady on the line," Helen's clipped tones signalled disapproval.
"Put her on hold a minute would you, Helen?" Chandler thought that if he had to talk to an irked Kathy he should sip some coffee first. Before the mug reached his lips the phone flashed again.
"Yes?"
Helen ."There's another young lady for you on Line 2."
Crap. He presumed it was Rachel. Or Kathy. Maybe Rachel was on line 1.
Which was on which line? And why after years of female drought and,well, Janice, do two of them arrive at once ?

"Helen, tell them both I am in a meeting."

Outside, he knew Helen was tutting, she knew he was going to be In A Meeting all morning.
Coward, he said to himself, and banged his head on the desk in frustration - only in a gentle fashion, because he had a hangover, and not enough sleep.

He would phone the girls later. In his heart he knew that there were things to say, if only he could muster the courage.

When your lonely heart has learned its lesson,
You'd be his, if only he'd call;
In the wee small hours of the morning -
That's the time you miss him most of all.

Rachel was slumped on the table. This irritated Monica, mostly because it was just, well, so untidy. Not to mention the germs. Monica suspected - no knew - that Rachel hadn't showered yet this morning and goodness only knows what kind of bacteria she had been subjected to, first at the sports game and then at the boys' apartment last night.
Rachel had crashed home at around 7am having, by her own admission, passed out across the hall in the small hours and woken in a panic. And now there she was, groaning and clutching the phone, and asking for coffee.
"Are you calling in sick? " Monica's tone was sharp.
"Bbllllfffghhhhhh."
"Rachel. Wake up."
"Bbbbbllffghhhhhh!"
"Not good enough, Green!"
Rachel jumped up, alarmed at Monica's shrillness.
"I'm calling in sick, okay. I can have a Personal Day, right ?"
"Bloomingdales offer those ?"
Rachel looked quizzical. "Yes. Of course. I think. Maybe not. What the heck. Old Mrs Huffnagel can reschedule." pause. "Mon, I'm taking the phone to my room, bring some English muffins in ?"

She pretended to ignore Mon's rolling eyes ...

Rachel stared at the handset and then at her address book and then at the handset again, willing it to ring before she decided to dial. They always called.
But then he never said he would call, he didn't need to, it wasn't a date was it ? And she'd see him in the coffee shop as ever. But it had been a crazy kind of night and she felt there was a conversation to be had about it.

She tapped hard and took a deep cleansing breath and spluttered out her words as Helen answered "Chandler Bing's office".

"HitherecanIspeaktoChandlerplease."
"I'm sorry?"
"CanIspeaktoChandlerplease?"
Helen put her on hold and Rachel drummed her fingers while she waited - rather too long she felt- to be connected to Chandlerplease.
Finally. "I'm sorry, he's in a meeting, may I take a message?"
"Tell him Rachel called."

Well, that was done, and she lay back on her bed and closed her eyes, partly to daydream and partly because her head hurt. What's happening here? she asked herself. Her ordinary world was suddenly looking different, and the ball of confused emotions that was knotting in her stomach didn't help her dehydrated mind.

Chandler looked at his messages. Among the "Bing, where's your WENIS evaluation?" and "Don't forget to clear up the ANUS" stuff there was-
Rachel called.
and
Kathy says you can pick up the tickets in the theatre lobby, they're expecting you.
He loved Kathy, he honestly did, he had been more passionate about winning her than any other girl he had ever known; but now he had spent quality time with Rachel he wondered if the thrill was all in the chase after all. Was that why Joey never stood still when it came to girls ?

If I call Rachel, what do I say? What does she want me to say? What is she thinking ? Exactly what did happen last night ?

Back in her bedroom when the phone trilled at her Rachel grabbed it nervously.
"Rache?"
"Hey! how's your head?"
"Sore. You called?"
"I did."
Pregnant pause.
"Want lunch?" she said, finally.
"Tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow."

Chandler:
We're going to Beefsteak Charlie's.
Me and her, we've always been ... you know ...
I am meeting her for lunch. I feel like crap.
I really want to see her.

Rachel:
He's sad, I am sad.
We're meeting for lunch.

Why do I feel like I am a very bad girl ? I haven't done anything...yet. Yet? Rachel green, what's wrong with you ?

I can't wait.