A quick 'need to know' before getting started...

The beginning of this chapter may strike as a bit inaccurate to almost everyone. So allow me to clarify. In this story Ross, Phoebe and Joey have come to drop Rachel off at the Newark Airport, unlike the actual finale. Chandler and Monica are still at the hospital, waiting for their 'baby' to be born. The rest remains the same! Actually no... it doesn't. Well... That's all!

1. Letting Go

'Sometimes things don't happen the way you want them to because you just haven't tried hard enough. Unbeknownst to you, a last push may be all that you need.

Sometimes it's because you keep making the wrong choices, yet choose to blame the circumstances over and over again.

While sometimes... it is life's way of making you realise that it's simply not meant to be. Not now and not ever.'

* * *

Phoebe's cab swerved violently to the side as she performed yet another reckless overtake.

"Slow down, Phoebe!" exclaimed Joey. "We still have a lot of time!"

"But I'm barely crossing 40!" she exclaimed, feigning innocence and pointing a finger at the speedometer which was indeed stuck there.

"That's not been working for ages and you know it!" Joey replied, not at all fooled.

"I don't see Ross panicking! And he chickens out first." she said in defence.

Joey frowned in agreement.

"Yeah, now that you mention it, he is being weird. I mean he has less than an hour to convince her to stay and he's barely even talking to her." he continued, looking somewhat troubled.

Phoebe turned back to look at Ross and Rachel who were indeed gazing out of their windows, not making any apparent eye contact. Though the glass prevented the passage of any soft conversation (Phoebe wanted to spy on them, but Joey convinced her that they deserved some privacy and shut the glass.) it was obvious that they weren't making a sound. Joey is right, she thought. That is weird. For the couple had not objected being cut-off from Phoebe and Joey by the glass.

"Look at the road, for God's sake!" Joey screamed, desperately clinging to the dashboard as the cab yet again lurched threateningly.

"Oh, relax!" Phoebe said, smirking as she took hold of the steering and regained control on her cab.

As they drew closer to the airport, Phoebe couldn't help but get more and more worried about her friends. She had expected that she would be asked to turn around, a request which she would've been only too happy to oblige. What was going on in the back? Why wasn't Ross confessing his love for her? Or he had, and things had taken a turn for the worse? Whatever it was, Phoebe had a feeling that it wasn't right.

* * *

For the first time in his life Ross was indifferent to his fear of high speeds. Normally, he would've had a panic attack by now and would be begging Phoebe to slow down. Not today though. Today, his mind was preoccupied by someone else, the speed barely registering. Memories were flooding his mind. Though they spanned a period of more than two decades, they were about a single person. Rachel Karen Green.

Right from their childhood until the conversation they had that very morning, his mind visualised the best and the worst of everything. He knew he loved her. He had known it all along, but had been blinded by his own thoughts into believing the contrary. And hence today he was determined to confess his eternal love for her, once and for all.

Yet here he was, several hours later, not to mention having spent the last half in the back seat of a cab where it had been just the two of them. Why couldn't he do it? Because when the euphoria of his epiphany had passed, his brain had begun reasoning with his decision. It had been given time to think, and to his dismay he was grudgingly agreeing with the counter-argument it presented.

To begin with, he knew she was prepared to let go of him in order to get her dream job. Her statement of a 'perfect goobye' earlier today couldn't have made it more clearer that they were not in the same place. Plus, he remembered her reaction at the prospect of a job in Paris. The joy on her face, the excitement in her eyes. Would it be fair if he whisked it away from her? Or made her feel guilty about her choice by declaring his love? As if to answer his questions, his mind led him to a specific memory. The memory of Rachel wishing him 'congratulations' before his and Emily's wedding. Her look overflowing with mixed emotions. He got it now. She was hurt because she realised that she had probably lost him forever. Yet, the happiness of seeing him get what he wanted won over. He had always doubted that Rachel had come all the way to London just to wish him congratulations. He was almost sure that there was more to the story. Had she come to confess her love as well?

He had a strong feeling that she had a change of mind. She had let him go because she had seen him being really happy. Should he do the same? Sacrifice his feelings for her happiness? His mind was unable to draw a conclusion and found itself leaving the decision until the last possible moment.

* * *

Casting a sideways glance at Ross, Rachel smiled to herself. They had been silent ever since the cab had set off, only glancing and smiling reassuringly at each other whenever they caught each other's eye, which was often. It was a comfortable silence and though their time together was extremely limited, none felt the need to start a conversation. What would they possibly talk about, when they had had ten years together for saying all they could've to each other? Or may be not. May be there was something very important left unsaid.

"Hey Rach?"

"Yeah?" Rachel asked, a bit startled to be pulled out from her reverie.

"You okay? Your face seems paler." Ross said, looking at her with concern.

Rachel smiled, touched as she always was by how he noticed these little things about her.

"Just nervous, you know. I mean it's Paris! I'm finally going to the city of my dreams... " she trailed off, while Ross just smiled at her, understanding.

Yet, she said to herself. Yet she wasn't sure whether she wanted it. The situation reminded her of a similar phase in her life more than 7 years ago. When she had to make a choice between giving time to her career and her relationship with Ross. She had chosen her career. And she had been successful. Very much so. Yet not a day had passed by without her thinking what if she had chosen giving more time to Ross? Could they have been a happy family by now? She shook her head as a million 'What if's' crossed her mind.

Sighing, she thought of the current cross road she was on. Career or the chance of having a family? Yet again, she was choosing her career. Was she making the right call?

Both Ross and Rachel were violently jolted into the present as Phoebe brought the cab to an abrupt halt at the Kiss and fly parking lot. Joey had grabbed his seat in anticipation and hence was minimally shaken. Getting out, they realised they had 15 minutes to say their goodbyes one last time. 15 minutes. And Ross was still undecided.

Though there had been a goodbye party yesterday, it was suddenly feeling much more real now. They could only look at each other, half smiling and half crying as they did so.

"Goodbye you guys, I'm gonna miss you so much!" said Rachel, hugging all three of them into one large group hug. They stayed like that for what seemed like ages, words seemingly unnecessary. Phoebe and Joey kept stealing glances at Ross, who had eyes for nobody else but Rachel.

"Well... I guess I should get going you know... Don't wanna miss the flight!" Rachel said after a while, failing miserably in exuding humour in her words. "And hey! Let me know as soon as Monica and Chandler have their baby, okay? Text me if I'm still on board. I want all the details as soon as I land! "

"Sure thing, Rach." Joey said, eyes still partly towards Ross.

Even then, Rachel still found herself unable to move. Finally Phoebe spoke, looking conspirationaly at Joey before doing so.

"And you be sure to let us know as soon as you get to your apartment and everything's settled, Rach."

Joey stared wide-eyed at Phoebe, unable to believe his ears. Wasn't stopping her from going a part of their plan? Phoebe studiously ignored him and swiftly stole a look at Ross, gauging his reaction at her words. Rachel missed the exchange as Phoebe's words had been enough to bring back the spark of enthusiasm in her eyes.

"Definitely. Oh, I'm going to have my own place! In Paris!" she said, excitement obvious on her face.

"Good for you, Rach! " Joey joined in, finally getting her cue. No reaction came from Ross's side, who suddenly seemed to find the floor very interesting.

Small talk grew even more difficult as they knew only too well that these were the last few moments they were going to share for a long time. Soon, they were being ordered to take the cab out of the lot.

"I think I should go." said Rachel, forcing herself to turn around after taking a deep breath. She had just walked a few steps when Phoebe suddenly shouted, in desperation.

"Ross, don't you want to tell something to her? " she asked, her eyes looking beseechingly at him.

" What is it, Ross?" Rachel asked turning back, her look expectant, hopeful even.

Ross, who had been looking at the floor for the past few minutes forced himself to look into her eyes .

And that was when he realised what he had to do. He had to be strong and put his foot down. He had to let her have a chance at being happy without him. May be this was how it was meant to be. And if not... then may be she would say 'Ross' at the altar. He chuckled inwardly at the thought, but instantly sobered when he realised his mind actually was hoping for something like that. A sign that she was still 'in love' with him. Because that was what was more important. He couldn't make her stay in New York just because of him. Or guilt her by into so because of how he felt. Little did he know how wrong he was on both fronts.

"Ross?"

Few seconds had passed by in the meanwhile and Rachel still stood there, her face a mixture of fondness and confusion, the latter steadily increasing with each passing moment.

"Best of luck Rach. " he said, forcing himself to smile. His eyes met her gaze even more intensely, refusing to look away.

" Thank you!" She replied, hugging him one last time. Though she was smiling outwardly, she seemed a bit let down. Had she expected something else? Something more?

Ross continued looking at her as she passed through the glass doors and grew smaller in the distance. Phoebe and Joey were speechless. They didn't understand what had just happened or why. A final look backward, a wave of her hand and she was gone.

Eventually the trio got back in the car, shoulders slumped. Phoebe and Joey looked sad, but Ross's face was devoid of any expression whatsoever.

"Why didn't you tell her, Ross?" Phoebe asked as she put her cab into gear.

It was a while before Ross answered, as he was not really paying attention to anything around him. Finally he let out a sigh and said,

"I... I let her go."

I know that there are a lot of stories out there with the Paris scenario, yet I couldn't help writing my own version. Ross might appear as a bit out of character, but that's on purpose. I've always liked it when Ross did something selfless (and mostly for Rachel) so I couldn't help but wonder that this could've been possible. Not to mention that Rachel wishing Ross congratulations was a very painful yet perhaps one of the sweetest RR moment of the show.