Undefined
I started writing this fanfic about 3 years ago but only completed the first two chapters on paper, the second of which I have lost but I have got a pretty good idea of how it went but after that I'm not quite sure how its going to evolve but I can say that it is mainly going to be about Rachel.
Disclaimer- I don't own Friends, the characters or anything associated with it.
Background info: Its 2007, everything up until TOW Joey speaks French happened as on the show, however some other things are different. Rachel never got fired and therefore was never offered a job in Paris and still works at Ralph Lauren. She and Emma who is almost 5 live in a new apartment not far from where they all used to live. About 6 months ago Rachel split up with her boyfriend Steve who she had been dating for about 8 months, he is the only person she has had any kind of serious relationship with, usually things never last more than a couple of dates. Ross got his tenure as on the show and still works at NYU but he also does some work at the Museum. He has had a couple of girlfriends but nothing that has really lasted more than a couple of months. Monica and Chandler adopted Jack and Erica who just turned 3 and moved to Westchester, Chandler was promoted to Senior Copywriter at the advertising agency and Monica still works at Javu but went part time so only works 3 days a week so she can be at home with the twins. Phoebe and Mike moved to the same neighbourhood as Chandler and Monica about 7 months ago with their son Nick who is 2 and Phoebe is 4 months pregnant. Joey didn't go to L.A and is still working on Days of our Lives and lives with his fiancée Lisa, a hair and make-up artist from the show in an apartment similar to the one he moved into in season 2.
Chapter 1"Mommy, when am I going to Daddy's?"
Rachel heard Emma's shout from her room as she was packing a small bag of Emma's things in the lounge. "As soon as you bring me your sunhat and have brushed your teeth." She replied with a bittersweet smile.
Rachel loved the fact Emma enjoyed going to Ross's so much but hated her going there. Not because she and Ross were on bad terms, but because without Emma around Rachel found herself with very little to do. Not long after Monica and Chandler moved out of the city Rachel decided it was time she got her own apartment and her and Ross developed a routine where Emma would live with each of them for four days at a time before going back to live with the other. It was a routine that had developed mainly out of Ross's fear that he would miss out on things because he wasn't living with her and it was a routine that worked well because it meant that they both had the chance to take her and collect her from school and both could enjoy full days out with her at the weekends. However, for Rachel the four days that Emma spent with Ross always seemed to last a lot longer than the four days she spent with her, especially when Ross's days fell over the weekend and she didn't have to work, like today.
Ever since the rest of the gang had begun to move away and start their families Rachel had started to become lonely and felt that everyone was moving forward except her, when she had been dating Steve it hadn't been so bad but once again it was a relationship that didn't last and in the six months since they had broken up Rachel's fears and feelings seemed to have increased ten-fold. Talking to Monica and Phoebe about her worries had become difficult as neither of them shared her worries as they once had. They had their own families to be concerned about and their husbands to share their worries with while Rachel was still worrying about finding a husband!
Rachel was broken out of her reverie by Emma bounding out of her bedroom carrying a sunhat for Rachel in one hand and carrying her favourite stuffed bunny by the ears in the other. "There you go Mommy, I'm ready now."
"Let me check your teeth." Rachel said, knowing that her daughter hadn't brushed them yet.
Emma gave a dramatic sigh, "you're nearly as bad as Daddy, he checks them after I've brushed them too!"
"Good! At least we know they won't all turn black and fall out by the time your 8" laughed Rachel as she ushered her daughter towards the bathroom.
Rachel and Emma arrived at Ross's twenty minutes later and found him in the kitchen making sandwiches with Ben. Hellos where swapped as Emma gave both her Daddy and big brother hugs.
"Hey Emma come in the lounge, I've remembered another trick to teach you."
"Cool!" Emma giggled in awe of her big brother as they left Ross and Rachel in the kitchen.
"I bet your regretting teaching Ben all those practical jokes now aren't you?" Ross laughed.
"Oh yeah! Last week I ended up with salt on my cereal because Emma had swapped it with the sugar." Rachel replied.
"Nasty!"
"Yeah it was… so what's with all the food?" enquired Rachel.
"Oh just making a picnic to take to the zoo with us, its what Ben wanted to do today." Ross said as he turned back to the sandwiches he and Ben had been preparing when Rachel and Emma arrived.
"Sounds like fun, although the way those two are laughing I'd say that you're going to have your work cut out for you trying to control them." Rachel stated as she heard a renewed bout of laughter from the lounge.
Ross smiled, "probably but I love having both of them at the same time, it makes the exhaustion worth it. So what are you planning to do with your Emma free weekend?"
"Oh big plans… you know? Cleaning and doing laundry!" Rachel replied with fake enthusiasm.
Ross looked at her in mild surprise, "what no plans with Monica and Phoebe or any hot dates lined up?"
Rachel sighed, "No. I… its kinda hard to make plans with the girls now I'm the only one in the city. When Phoebe was still here we used to go to Monica's quite often with the kids or the three of us would have a girlie day shopping but now…its not that easy, they always seem to have other plans."
Ross looked her in sympathy, missed having all the gang so close by too but at least he still had Joey in the city who still hung out with quite often. "Its weird not being able to just drop in after work to say hi isn't it? I know Mon and Chandler moved ages ago but now with Mike and Phoebe gone to and Joey engaged it seems worse somehow. But hey, at least we've still got each other."
Rachel smiled a little, "yeah… Anyway I should get going, let the three of you enjoy your day together." She said as she made her way out of the kitchen. "Emma honey, I'm going now so come give me a hug."
Emma wandered over to Rachel with Ben by her side but instead of hugging Rachel she elbowed Ben and whispered "you ask."
"Ask me what sweetie?" Rachel replied while sharing a bewildered look with Ross.
However it was Ben that answered. "Aunt Rachel will you come to the zoo with us?"
"I'm sorry but I can't …" Rachel started to say before Emma interrupted her.
"Please Mommy! It's gonna be sooooo much fun!"
Rachel felt her heart melt as she looked at the matching pleading faces Emma and Ben were pulling, complete with the puppy-dog eye look that they had both inherited from Ross. "It's not really up to me, you need to ask your Dad if it's okay with him."
Ben and Emma both turned to Ross "Please Dad!!"
Ross smiled "it's fine with me, besides it's the first proper weekend that we have had really nice weather this year you don't want to miss it doing laundry do you?"
"Looks like I'm coming then" laughed Rachel as Emma and Ben began jumping up and down, cheering.