Joey is staring at his plate, pushing around his potatoes, blocking out the sounds of those around him. Across the table Rachel is doing the same, avoiding his eyes at all costs.

Rachel…Joey smiles on the inside but doesn’t dare crack one on the outside. They almost kissed just a moment ago. He hadn’t really been aware of what he was doing until it was too late. Leaning in to her, pushing her against the counter top. Damn the fact that Ross had to walk in at that one moment or Joey was pretty sure he would have kissed her. And more importantly, he’s pretty sure she would have kissed him back.

And even though he hadn’t even thought of the possibility earlier, now he couldn’t get the thought of kissing Rachel out of his mind.

They had been so close.

Joey snaps back to reality when he hears Monica beside him say: Joey kissed Rachel.

"I didn’t kiss Rachel!" Joey shouts, making all other conversation at the table stop. Rachel shuts her eyes and slaps her hand to her forehead.

"What?" Monica frowns. "No Joey I wanted you to PASS this to Rachel." Monica hands him the salt shaker.

"Oh, eh, right," Joey says and tosses the salt at Rachel who catches it and slams it down on the table, making Joey wince.

"Joey can I speak with you for a moment?" Rachel asks. Monica and Phoebe exchange quizzical glances and Joey gulps.

"Eh, sure," Joey says and gets up from the table and follows Rachel. She practically pushes him into Monica and Chandler’s spare bedroom and he tumbles in.

"Rach is everything okay?" Ross asks.

"Oh yeah fine, I just have to do Joey…" Rachel pauses, realizing her err. "Uh…I mean do something WITH Joey…well not so much with as…talk…uh…right."

Rachel turns away from her confused looking friends and slams the door. Joey is standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, swaying from side to side, unsure what to do.

"Uh hey," Joey says nonchalantly.

Rachel just glares for a moment before sighing. "Joey, Joey, we have to DO something!"

"About what?" Joey asks.

"About this!" Rachel gestures radically to the space between her and Joey. "I mean ever since we almost ki—

"Ah don’t say it!" Joey shouts.

"Okay," Rachel says quickly. "Ever since BEFORE, we can’t even eat at the same table together! I mean what happened!"

"I dunno, I mean once second I was standing there thinking ‘Oh God Monica and Phoebe told her I love her’ and then…" Joey pauses. "I kick myself for saying that OUT LOUD."

Rachel gasps. "Oh my god!"

"You mean you didn’t figure it out after the Mayo remark?" Joey asks, surprised.

"No, I did…but you just said it," Rachel fumbles her words. "Okay…okay…I have a plan."

"A plan," Joey says.

"Yeah maybe, maybe your feelings for me and my attraction for you when we almost—

"AH!"

"NOT saying it!"

"Okay."

"Anyway…maybe it’s just one of those momentary physical things we just need to get out of our system," Rachel suggests.

"Maybe," Joey frowns. "But trust me Rach, I’ve tried everything!"

"Well…not everything," she whispers.

Joey looks at her, eyebrows raised. She looks at him and his eyes go wide as he catches on.

"You want to have sex?!"

"JOEY! NO!" Rachel shouts, backing away slightly. "But you know…kiss." Joey’s eyes go wide again. "Yeah…I think we should just get it over with and out of our systems and just…kiss. Just once…to get it out."

"You sure?" Joey frowns.

"Yeah, well, it couldn’t hurt to try," Rachel shrugs. "And you’ve kissed me before, like on new years so it’s no big deal." She says this more to assure herself. Because if it isn’t such a big deal why is she shaking so much?

"Just once, just one kiss," Joey repeats.

"Right," Rachel nods.

"And then maybe this will all be out?"

"Right."

Joey takes a deep breath and ponders it over for a moment before nodding. "Yeah okay."

"Okay? Really?" Rachel asks, her voice straining.

"Yeah," Joey says, his voice firm. "Let’s kiss."

"O-okay," Rachel stammers. They both stand there for a moment, reviewing how best to approach this. Usually kissing isn’t forced under such circumstances and neither of them are really comfortable at the moment.

"Well…maybe, I can just…" Joey mutters to himself. He takes a deep breath and starts walking toward her. Rachel instinctively starts to back up and once again finds herself pinned against a wall.

"Why WHY do I keep doing that?" she asks herself loudly.

"Hey wait is the door locked?" Joey asks.

"I dunno." Rachel ducks past him and turns the doorknob twice, making sure it’s locked. "Yeah I’m pretty sure…" She turns swiftly to find he’s standing very close again, more accidental this time. She leans forward a bit and their noses touch briefly.

"H-hi," she stammers.

"Hey," he smiles, walking closer. He’s against the door now and she thanks God he thought about the lock. Her arms seem to be moving on their own as the reach up and rest again his shoulders. His arms encircle her waist, and in circumstances like these it’s impossible to ignore the bulge in her abdomen that is her baby.

Rachel’s one hand drifts down to rest on Joey’s chest and she smiles slowly, making her own observations.

"You’re heart’s pounding," she murmurs.

"I know," Joey says. "Scary huh?" Scary that she has this affect on him, scary that they are so close to implementing the kissing plan.

Rachel grows serious again and Joey takes a deep ragged breath. If he doesn’t act now, something may happen and he may never get his chance again.

So, quickly, he eliminates whatever distance remains between the two of them. Their lips meet and Rachel shudders, melting against him. Her arms immediately wrap around his neck and they hold each other tighter as what started out as timid and awkward quickly evolves into something deep and passionate.

Suddenly Rachel realizes this has gone further then either of them expected and pulls back, pushing Joey gently away.

"Woah, Woah…WOAH," Rachel says slowly yet emphatically. "That went…I mean…I felt definite tongue there Joey."

"Well so did I Rach," Joey points out and Rachel flushes. "Rach come on, that was NOT according to plan."

"No, no, tongue was not in the plan," Rachel agrees.

"Okay get off the tongue," Joey rolls his eyes. "Rach that was…that kiss was…"

"Yeah I know," Rachel mutters.

"So what does this mean?" he sighs, running a hand through his hair.

"I-I don’t…" Rachel sighs. "I have to think about this Joey."

Joey nods, but the look on his face breaks Rachel’s heart.

"Yeah, okay, no, I understand," Joey nods, walking past her and opening the door. "After all there’s so much to think about." He was tired of all the thinking and all the drama, he had gone over I five hundred times by himself over the past week. He was just sick of it.

He storms across the living room, past where Phoebe, Ross, Chandler and Monica are still eating, and out the door with a slam.

Rachel comes running out a moment later.

"Joey," she murmurs.

Everyone at the table is looking at her, awaiting some kind of explanation.

"I’m going home," Rachel says instead and grabs her coat, leaving the apartment as quickly as she can.

At home, Rachel is sitting down on the couch in her new apartment she shares with Ross. Ross, the father of her baby. But her mind is on Joey.

Joey, one of her best friend, and everything they did together. Everything that ever happened. How could she know, that just across the alley Joey is thinking the same? He’s sitting in his chair, his stuffed penguin loyally at his side as he too remembers everything that happened.

Joey: What am I going to do? Y’know, I keep, I keep trying to get rid of these feelings. Like, last night, I stayed up all night making a list of all the things I don’t like about her. Wanna hear it?

Phoebe: Yeah.

(He gets it out of a drawer.)

Joey: "She made me switch to Light Mayo." That’s it! (crumbles up the paper) That’s all I got! And you know what? It tastes the same and my pants fit better.

Rachel: Joey. Joey.

Joey: What? What?

Rachel: Joey, come here. Feel my belly.

Joey: Uhh...

Rachel: The baby’s kicking for the first time. Will you please come and feel this?

Joey: Really?

Rachel: Yes.

(Joey gets up.)

Joey: Uh, you know what? (wraps the sheets around himself) Maybe you, maybe you should come to me. I, I’m not wearing any bottoms. (Rachel does and he places his hand on her belly) Oh my, oh my God!

Rachel: Oh! Oh, it’s unbelievable! Oh, she is kicking so much! Oh, she’s like, um, who’s that, uh, annoying girl soccer player?

Joey: Mia Hamm.

Rachel: ...Mia Hamm. Ooh...

Joey: It’s so amazing...

Rachel: Whoa! One hand on the sheet cover!

Joey: Whoops! (grabs the sheet) Sorry!

Rachel: Joey, Joey, something feels weird and not good-weird. Whoa!

Joey: Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, do not worry. When my sisters were pregnant, they got every weird feeling in the book. It’s nothing.

Rachel: Really?

Joey: Absolutely. But we’re going to stop at the hospital just to make sure, ok? I’ll call Ross on the way.

Rachel: Oh God. (he helps her up) Ow!

Joey: Rach, Rach, look at me. Everything’s going to be fine. Trust me. Come on. Take my hand. (she gets up) There you go. Ow! Crushing bones! Oh good thing we’re going to a hospital!

Chandler: So, how’s the hideously inappropriate crush on Rachel going?

Joey: Good. Really good. I should be ready to kill myself any day now. (Chandler hands him the pin) Wow, you sure found that quick. (messes with the lock) I just wish I didn’t feel this way about Rachel. Ok? I wish things could go back to normal. I love living with her and oh my god, helping with the baby is just amazing. Now I think, I think, Ross feels left out. Ok, when I had to take Rachel to the hospital, the doctor thought I was the father. You should’ve seen the look on Ross’s face. By the way, I have no idea what I’m doing here. For all I know, I’m just locking it more.

Joey: Well, the reason I think Monica and Chandler are so great is because they were friends first. Y'know? So I asked myself, "Who are my friends?" You and Phoebe, and I saw you first. So…
Rachel: (laughing) What are you saying?
Joey: I'm saying maybe you and I crank it up a notch.
Rachel: Y'know honey, umm, as uh, as flattered as I am that uh, you saw me first, uhh, I just, I-I don't think we should be cranking anything up.
Joey: I'll treat you real nice. (Pulls out a chair for her.)
Rachel: (laughs and pushes the chair back in) Yeah, well, y'know umm… No honey, listen I think it's a great idea to become friends with someone before you date them, but I think the way you do it is y'know you meet someone, become their friend, build a foundation, then you ask them out on a date. Don't hit on your existing friends!

An empty glass, the lady sings
Eyes swollen like a bee sting
Blinded you lost your way
Through the side streets and the alleyway

Rachel: All right, y’know what? I-I’m sorry. I will try to tone it down and uh stop yelling.
Joey: You won’t boss me around anymore?
Rachel: I won’t boss you around.
Joey: And you’ll be nice?
Rachel: And, I’ll be nice.
Joey: And you’ll be topless?
Rachel: And...Joey!
Joey: Do you want me to learn?!

Like a star exploding in the night
Falling to the city in broad daylight
An angel in Devil's shoes
Salvation in the blues

Rachel: Well, y’know I was thinking of moving the couch over here.
Joey: (laughs) Why would you want to do that?
Rachel: So that there will be a decent place for me to sit.
Joey: Rach, there is a decent place to...
Rachel: And your lap does not count! Okay? Come on help me move this.

You never looked like an angel
Yeah yeah...Angel of Harlem

Joey: (to Rachel) This is it! This is my category.
Rachel: I know! My God! Do you have your speech?
Joey: Yeah, I got my speech!
Rachel: Do you got your gracious loser face?
Joey: Yeah. (Does it.)
Rachel: Now Joey remember, if you win you have to hug me! You hug me!
Joey: Okay. Can I squeeze your ass?
Rachel: On TV?! Yeah!
Joey: ‘Kay!

Angel of Harlem…

Rachel looks out the window at the rain pouring steadily down. A shiver runs up and down her spine as she thinks of what to do.

There’s only one thing to do, and not so much to think about anymore.

She bolts to the closet and grabs her coat.

Joey’s staring at the TV, Hugsy beside him. He doesn’t seem to care that the TV isn’t currently on, because it is in reality the last thing on his mind.

The sound of pounding on his door snaps him back to reality and he sighs. He gets up from his chair and trudges over to open the door.

"Hey," he says when it’s opened to reveal Chandler standing in front of him.

"Hey," Chandler mutters. "Listen Monica wanted me to tell you if you want to come over she bought ice cream."

"Nah, no thanks," Joey shakes his head and returns to his chair.

"Okay," Chandler says, deciding now was one of those rare times Joey was not to be pushed. "But it’s still on the table—

"Thanks," Joey cuts him off.

"Okay," Chandler nods and leaves slowly, shutting the door behind him.

Joey closes his eyes and leans back into his chair. He’s just about to give sleep a chance when another knock comes at his door.

"Chandler," Joey moans, getting up from the chair. "I don’t care if it IS death by chocolate I don’t WANT Ice—

He opens the door and his voice trails off as he sees not Chandler, but rather Rachel standing before him.

"Hi Joey," she whispers, her coat dripping wet from the rain.

"Hi," Joey murmurs.

"I don’t have anything to think about anymore," Rachel sniffs, smiling. "Really…I should have known in the beginning."

Joey just looks at her, unsure what she means. Rachel walks in, slams the door behind her, and pulls him to her, kissing him long and hard on the mouth.

When she releases him Joey stumbles back slightly, surprised.

Rachel stands in front of him, smiling angelically.

"Sometimes it can be simple Joey Tribbiani," she whispers.

Joey smiles when he realizes the full implication of what she’s saying. He practically runs to her again, lifting her off the ground as he kisses her.

TBC…