Rachel sighed as she closed the door to her apartment. The gang was inside watching Pete in another of his ultimate fighting championship matches. He wasn't doing very well from the looks of it. Monica cringed every time he hit the mat.
"Thats gonna leave a mark." Ross said as he turned. He saw Rachel in the doorway. The others turned to see what he was looking at.
"Hey, how was your day?" Monica said, eager to talk about anything except the match on tv.
"It was alright." She said quietly. "I could be getting a raise!" She burst excitingly.
"Thats great, Rachel." Phoebe said coming over to hug her.
"Yeah." Chandler said. "Now you can get those Dick Bupkis glasses you wanted to."
Rachel smiled at Chandlers remark. "Oh, did I get any calls today?" she handed Chandler an object. "I had taken your cell phone by mistake. And a girl named Lisa kept calling me."
"Lisa?" Joey said. "Then actually you have my cell phone."
"Okay." Rachel said and reliquished the phone over to Joey.
"You did get a message. From your parents."
"Yeah, what did they want?" Rachel said as she sat down and took her shoes off. She could feel Ross watching her, but when she looked he was back watching tv.
"Oh, they're gonna come over tonight." Joey grimaced. "Whoah. I was supposed to forget to tell you that. The visit is a surprise."
"Oh my god." Rachel said as she looked at the gang. "How long ago did I last talk to them?"
"At your birthday party last year." Monica said. "But a lot of things changed since then. For instance..."
"We're not together anymore." Ross looking at Rachel.
"Oh no." Rachel said. "They don't know we're not together anymore."
A beeping sound rang off in the room. Chandler and Ross checked their beepers.
"I'm needed at the museum." Ross said.
"But Ross, what am I gonna do about my parents?"
"I don't know. If we together we would not have this problem."
"And if you haven't slept with someone else we would still be together." Rachel said.
"And if Diane stayed at Cheers..." Chandler started. "Nevermind."
Ross left and Rachel got herself a drink.
"What am I supposed to do? My parents loved Ross more than they loved each other. And thats a lot." Rachel said.
"Well if you want to take my advice...all you got to do is pretend you didn't break up." Joey said.
"What?" Rachel said."
"Do you even know what you are saying?" Monica said. "Ross would never do this, neither would Rachel."
"I'll do it." Rachel said.
"Rachel!" Monica said. "What are you thinking?"
"I'm not sure. But I know its better than telling my parents about the break up." Rachel put her glass on the table. Monica pratically sprinted over to pick the glass up off the table. She then put it in the sink and wiped down the table. Rachel didn't say a word during the whole thing. "All I gotta do is ask Ross to do this with me."
"Do what?" She heard and turned around.
"You're back. So soon?" Rachel asked.
"Do what?" Ross asked again.
"I figure there are two things I can do when my parents come." Rachel said. "One, tell the truth and hear a lecture about how I can't stay with one guy or two, don't tell them we broke up."
"How do you supposed we're gonna do that?" Ross asked while everyone else crept by Rachel.
"Where are you going?" Rachel asked.
"We wanted to give you some privacy." Phoebe said.
"Okay." Rachel said as Phoebe closed the door. "Well all we gotta do is like sit together or hold hands once in a while."
"Are you sure its gonna work?" Ross asked. Rachel noted that he seemed all too eager to take part in the charade.
"Its Joeys idea." Rachel said.
"We're in trouble." Ross said.
"Look all you gotta do is come at 6 o'clock. I know my parents don't show up anywhere before seven. Dad never misses the news."
"Then what?" Ross said as Rachel slinked into the kitchen.
"I guess we play it by ear. Monica will help me when she comes home from the cafe. So we'll be allright."
"I gotta run." Ross said as his beeper went off again.
"Okay. This is gonna be fine." Rachel said as he closed the door. "I hope it does." She said as soon as Ross was out of earshot.

5:30

Monica came home from Central Perk at around 5:30 and started to cook dinner. Rachel tried to help but was repeatedly ordered to stay out of "her" kitchen. Ross came a few minutes later. He was wearing a very spiffy suit. but with no tie.
"Did you forget something?" Rachel noted.
"Its not that formal a dinner is it?" Ross said. "I just got home and I was tired so I just threw this on."
"Its all right." Monica said as she chopped some onions. "He looks fine. You are all gonna be fine as long as everyone remembers their parts."
"What parts?" Ross asked.
"Well at one point Chandler and Joey are supposed to come in and say how much in love we're in. Then Phoebe will come in and say there is a very romantic vibe between us. and Monica is cooking." Rachel said.
"So much for playing it at ear." Ross said as he closed the door.
Then there was a sudden knock at the door.
"I wonder who that could be." Rachel said as she opened it.
It was her parents.
"Hi honey!" Mom said as she hugged Rachel.
"Mom!" She said as Ross came to the door. "Ross, they're here early."
"Aw shucks." Ross said. "Just when we getting comfortable." Ross said and grabbed Rachel and planted a kiss on her forehead.
"They're so much in love." Rachels mom sighed. "Its so cute!" She said and pinched Ross on the cheek.
"Are you gonna let us in?" Rachels dad said.
"Sure!" Rachels said as they left them in. "Monicas almost done with dinner. But she made a few appetizers for you while you wait." Rachel grabbed a random plate and gave it to them as Ross brought her near the window.
"I thought they were coming by seven." Ross said as he looked over at Rachels parents who were watching intently.
"I must have been wrong." She said smiling and she put her arm around him. "Thats a first."
"Not really." Ross said to himself.
"What?"
"I said thats nice." Ross said as he brought Rachel back to the sofa.
"Well you guys have been going out almost two years now." Rachels dad said.
"It'll be two next year." Mom said.
"Oh right," Dad said.
"Dinners almost ready." Monica said.
There was a knock at the door.
"I wonder who that could be." Rachel said. Talk about de ja vu she said that once this evening already.
It was Joey and Chandler. Chandler was still in his buisness suit from work.
"Wow, we must have forgotten about that dinner tonight." Joey said. "And this is so great."
"It is." Chandler said.
"And Rachel has almost completely forgotten about that girl at the xerox place." Joey blurted out.
"What?" Mom said.
Rachel shoved them out of the room."Oh Joey is getting helped with a role for a new soap opera. Its called Shut up." Rachel explained.
"I dont know." Dad said.
"What?" Rachel asked.
"I dont think hes gonna make it past the audition."
"Well he tries hard." Ross said.
Rachel went into the kitchen. "Is dinner almost ready Monica?" She said loudly. Then she whispered. "Oh god he almost blew it."
"It'll be five more minutes." Monica said following Rachels lead. "Don't worry, we only have Phoebe, and she won't forget whats happening here."
Phoebe came through the door. "Hey is it safe to say that Ross and Rachel are broken up now?" She said not even looking at the couch. "Uh oh."
"Whats going on here?" Dad said. "Why is everyone saying you broke up?"
Rachel groaned.
"We have a right to know the truth." Mom said.
"You can't handle the truth!" Phoebe burst. "No one can, its a horrible maze of..stuff." Phoebe ran of out steam. Everyone stared at her. "Bye." She left.
Rachel sat down. "Mom,dad. Over things that happened that we couldnt control Ross and I broke up over a month ago."
"Why?" Dad said.
"Ross slept with another woman."
"We were on a break!!!" Ross protested near the window.
"How can you do that?" Dad said. "How can you guys pretend to be still together when you're not. Never mind the cause."
"I didn't want to hurt you." Rachel said.
"Rachel, honey we would have been fine!" Mom said. "After your dad and I broke up, everything seems small potatoes now."
"Thats great," Rachel said. "Do you still want dinner?"
"Well,Monica went through the trouble of making it."
"It was my plesasure. Really." Monica said.
"All right." Dad said as they all went to the table."

Later on after they left, Ross was getting his coat and hat.
"Well thanks. It was good while it lasted." Rachel said.
"Yeah, I get to visit Ben tonight so I gotta run."
"Thanks for doing this, again. You really did a good acting job." Rachel said. "You know the kiss and everything."
"Who said it was an act?" Ross muttered.
"What?" Rachel asked.
"Nothing." Ross said and closed the door. Rachel stared at it and wondered. What had he meant to say? She'll never know now.

THE END