Chapter 1 – Hey all. I'm back... Wow, just realised that the title has two meanings! Interesting! Anyhow, please read and review. PLEEASE!
"Too late, I'm leaving."
Emma frantically grabbed at the fallen contents of her bag trying to catch up with her mother. They were moving back to New York after five years away, and Emma knew why they were finally returning home. Her dad.
Her mom and dad's relationship had always been on and off, and their last fling was no exception. They'd managed a full two years together before an argument about how to cook mushrooms escalated and they were back apart. Her mom, Rachel, was left devastated. Now, five years later, Ross (whom Emma still didn't forgive for constantly breaking her mom's heart, but still loved because he was her father) had called up and asked to get back together. Rachel knew that she was ready to move back to her home in New York because she had refused.
Emma stuffed the last tissue – despite the fact it had already had been used – back into its corner in her bag and stood up to say goodbye to her room.
"Come on, honey! The moving truck is leaving... Now!!" Rachel stormed up the stairs to find her daughter with a tear on her cheek. "Oh, honey."
"I'm sorry, I just... I lived here for five years, and I'm supposed to just get up and go with a day's notice." Emma resisted her mom's hug and folded her arms. "Why can't we just stay?"
"Sweetie, there's more opportunity for me in the city. I had an amazing job that I absolutely loved and now I have a chance to get it back." Rachel stood in the doorway, holding herself up with her arms positioned on the doorframe.
"Yeah," Emma took one last look of her room and stormed off down the hall, "Whatever."
"Your room in New York is bigger..." Rachel called out, hoping that this would clear her name.
Before she could finish her sentence, Emma was back, standing next to her. "How much bigger?"
"Ah," Rachel sighed as she entered Central Perk, "I'm back."
Emma followed her shortly and felt left out, so she whined, "Me, too!"
They sat on the stools next to the coffee bar and ordered a latte each, before looking around and thinking up some fond memories.
As she reminisced, Emma caught sight of a teenager sitting on the sofas that were always the favourite area for them when they lived there. He had bouncy blond hair with bright blue eyes and a gorgeous face. She practically drooled as she looked at his lightly muscular figure that was only just covered by his loose top and baggy jeans.
Nudging her mom, she pointed at him and fanned herself to signify how hot she thought he was. Rachel looked at him and looked impressed.
"I have taught you well, young one," Rachel nodded, and then added, "He looks a lot like..."
Before she could finish, a voice called from the doorway to this very boy, "Ben!"
"Crap!" Emma was the one to react. "Ben? My half-brother? Ben?" She shuddered. "I was salivating over Ben!"
"I know." Rachel giggled as though she were the one who was fourteen.
"Shut up. You thought he was hot as well! And your, like, older than his mother!" Emma threw a plastic spoon at her and took another sip of her latte.
When Rachel continued to laugh, she simply snorted, which got the attention of the person who was in the doorway.
"Rach...?" It was Ross. Rachel didn't know if she could handle this.
He had a depressed tone in his voice, but quickly hid this by saying, "How are you?" and running up to her.
Rachel rolled her eyes and got up as well. "I'm fine! I'm finally back, though..."
"Mon and Chandler are just outside... I'll go get them." Ross ran out and turned the corner so that he was out of sight.
At this point, Rachel was genuinely excited. "I haven't seen them in years! Do I look ok?"
Emma nodded, and then motioned to the door where Ross stood, with Monica and Chandler short in tow.
"You guys!" Rachel ran over and grabbed each of them and clutched them in a strong bear hug.
"Wow, you look amazing... and is that Emma? That hot little piece of ass over there?" Chandler smiled.
Emma stood up. Though she hadn't seen them for five years, she still remembered them perfectly. Chandler; the funny one. Monica; the neat one. Joey; the hot one. Ross; the... dad one. Phoebe; the mad but completely loveable one. Mike; the smart one. Kayte; the kind one.
"Hey!" She hugged each of them, and came to her dad. Much to his surprise, she held out a hand to shake.
"So..." They laughed in happiness.
"Ben!" Rachel sat down next to him and planted an awkward kiss on his cheek.
"Hey, Rachel!" His voice had broken since she'd last seen him.
Emma stood nervously behind all the adults, but pushed her way forward when her mother showed signs of telling the embarrassing story that nearly ended up with her hitting on her step-brother.
It had been years since Ben had seen Emma, and he soon could tell. Her hair had become slightly blond, now, and he could see her face had been developing. She was lucky not to have Rachel's natural nose (He'd been told it was giant!) but otherwise she was just like her. Beautiful.
Her legs dangled from beneath her skirt, shaped perfectly, and her breasts had certainly developed. She was, all in all, becoming a woman.
Ben smiled as she sat down.
"Hey, Ben." She lent in for a squeeze more than a hug. "How have you been... bro?"
They'd built up a great relationship over the years they'd spent together, and each had missed the other hugely. The 'squeeze' soon became a tight hug.
"I missed you! We need to spend time together to, you know, get to know each other... again." Emma felt a tear come to her eye. She had been reluctant to come back home at first, but she was now very pleased she had. Not that she had any choice in the matter.
"We should! There's a lot that's changed!" Ben grinned, and Emma couldn't resist hugging him. Apart from the moment she didn't recognise him, he'd always be the brother who poured ketchup down her neck.
"Like what? You started to shave?" Emma lay back in her seat.
"Um..." Ben nodded towards the door where a girl with blond hair and dazzling blue eyes, which Emma could see from where she sat, was struggling to push a stroller into the coffee house.
"What?" Emma took a moment to realise what he was pointing out. "You have a baby?"
"Y'up!" Ben yelled proudly. "A little girl – Chloe."
"Argh! I'm an aunt!" Emma smiled.
Rachel, upon hearing this, dashed over to the pair and butted in.
"What?" she begged.
"I'm a dad." Ben acted unenthusiastic, but it wasn't hard to tell he wanted to shout it from the rooftops.
Rachel laughed, added a quick congratulation, and turned to Ross. "You're a grandfather!"
Simultaneously, Ben and Emma rolled their eyes, knowing that these jabs and minor arguments would soon become one huge battle in which they would be stuck.
Did you like it? Did you not like it? Either way, please review. It makes me so happy, I don't think that I'd cry myself to sleep... sob. Not really, but it does make me happy... WARNING! I MAY HAVE BEEN HYPER AND TIRED AT THE SAME TIME AS WRITING ALL THIS, SO PLEASE FORGIVE ME IF I DID ANYTHING WRONG. WE ALL KNOW THE AFFECTS OF HYPERNESS. Hiccup.