AN: I'm going to take my time with this one, although I know where it's going and what's going to happen, so do not worry that it won't get finished. Suggestions comments are welcome except don't bother if all you want to say is that you want RR because it is not going that way – if that's the case, I remind you that you were warned in the Summary, so you had better get used to it or read something else.
Scene 1 Arrival
Emily walked out of airport security fuming. She couldn't believe that she'd been strip searched again. What was it with these people? Did drug couriers really dress like her? Were the butterfly clips in her hair some kind of signal that they used? Was there just something about her that made them want to rip her clothes off?
The search had made her feel dirty and she had avoided looking at their faces while they touched her. Emily could just bet they didn't wash their hands in between touching people. What if they had touched a real drug addict before touching her? Or someone with a disease. She felt revolted at the thought.
Emily would have a shower as soon as she got home, her new home. She wondered what it would be like. One thing she did know and like was that it was far far away from Rachel. Rachel wouldn't be popping in all the time to see Ross, and he wouldn't be running into her on the way to the corner shop. He wouldn't be dropping into Central Perk and sitting for hours with her, drinking coffee. There would be no accidental meetings that they could pretend were innocent but really weren't. Ross would be safely all hers and they could get on with their lives together.
Emily felt annoyed again when she headed for the taxi rank and saw the queue. Ross should have been here, waiting for her. She shouldn't have to fight her way out of the airport, carrying her own things, all on her own. What kind of a new beginning was this? He was at work, and that was why he couldn't come, but she wondered how hard he'd really tried to get out of it, just for today.
It wasn't every day your new wife came home. She felt fearful when she thought that it might mean that he didn't really care. What a cruel thing to do to her, drag her across an ocean, if he didn't really care. Emily almost burst into tears then and there but she dashed back of her hand over her eyes and over her mouth to control her breathing. She wouldn't cry here in front of all these strangers. She had done enough crying since the wedding.
Emily thought of their last conversation. When they had last spoken on the phone, when he was at Monica's and had admitted that Rachel was there, having dinner with him, he had apologised and said it was the last time. She had told him it had better be the last time. She had said that the first hint she got that anything like that was going on, she'd be on the first plane home.
You won't have to do that,' he had told her. Give it a chance Emily, this is our marriage. Just come, everything will be fine.' How would she know? He had already broken a promise to her. He'd seen Rachel and he had said he wouldn't.
The others had probably set him up – they liked Rachel a lot better than her, she was sure of it. That was only natural, she conceded reluctantly. They had all known each other a lot longer than any of them had known her. She was a stranger in their midst, maybe they didn't want her there. They had seemed to be nice to her before but who could tell what they really thought.
Another thing that had bothered her was that although Monica had been her bridesmaid she hadn't made the slightest effort to find out how Emily was feeling. Monica was good friends with Rachel – she would clearly prefer it if Rachel was the chosen one.
Emily shook her head. Ross had to take responsibility for what he did. He was the one who owed her loyalty, not his friends. Emily wasn't sure she should have given him a second chance. Or a fourth chance if you counted the wedding vows, and then the airport. She'd have stand firm this time.
Ross had sounded like he had really meant it, although was so hard to tell how things were going in a relationship over the phone. Thank goodness she was here and could see for herself. She would know instantly if he was doing the wrong thing. When he came home, as soon as he came home, she was going to have to make herself very clear about how things were going to be from now on.
The queue was seemingly endless. Emily was so tired that all she wanted to do was to get home and when a man pushed in front of her at the queue for the taxis, she exclaimed,
Excuse me, I was here before you, get to the back of the queue.' Behind her in the queue, there were a few calls of,
Yeah get to the back of the line.' The man ignored them and turned a dirty face to her.
You can shut your trap woman.'
I beg your pardon?' she exclaimed, outraged. She hadn't been quite sure she'd understood him. She didn't always catch the accent right but she was pretty sure she was right to feel offended. Her wedding ring, still new and glinting on her left hand seemed to catch his attention.
Beg pardon from your husband for your insubordination!' he roared, making her step back as his stinking breath blasted her. This man was a total stranger to toothbrushes.
Get away from me you madman,' she said. There was a background murmuring about security but the madman was focussed only on her.
You need to learn how to behave,' he railed.
And you need a bath!' He pushed past her, no longer seeming to want a taxi. She felt a scratch on her arm as he passed. How could that be through the layers of clothes she was wearing
