Author's Note

I have written several fanfics but this is the first one I have uploaded. I will try to update fairly often , but please read and review because I want to know what you all think. Anyway, thanks for reading. Enjoy!

You Were Mine

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The characters featured in this story do not belong to me, but to Bright, Kaufmann and Crane.

This story begins just after Rachel has given birth to Emma at the end of Season Eight. The whole Joey and Rachel thing never happened and Joey didn't inadvertently propose to Rachel.

Rachel lay back in the hospital bed. She was exhausted but happy, happier than she could ever have imagined being. She looked down at her daughter sleeping in the crib by her side and thought how wonderful life was at that very moment. There was a knock on the door and then Ross entered. He smiled at her then handed her a bunch of beautiful white lilies, her favourite flowers. She put her finger to her lips to warn Ross to be quiet.

"Isn't she beautiful?" Rachel whispered.

"Yeah, and it's all down to you Rach," replied Ross "How are you feeling now?" "Oh I'm okay, tired but okay, have the others gone home?" She asked

"Yeah, um Rach there was something I wanted to er ask you." Ross said "The thing is over these past few months, we've been getting along great, just like old times and well I've realised that I want more."

"Really, well yeah I guess I've kinda been having similar thoughts," Rachel confessed, "and when you kissed me, it just brought all the old feelings rushing back to the surface."

"Are you sure? You're not just saying that?" Ross questioned

"No I'm sure. I guess it's just meant to be with us."

"Well then, Rachel Karen Greene, would you do me the honour of becoming my wife…again!" he added as an afterthought.

"I'd love to." She replied happily as he slid the beautiful diamond engagement ring onto her finger.

Ross and Rachel kissed deeply and passionately as they looked forward together to their new life as a family with their baby daughter, and they both felt that somehow they had eventually reached their destiny. A place they were meant to be together. There had been many tears and heartache along the way, but now all that was forgotten and forgiven.

Nine months later on a beautiful sunny but cold December morning Ross and Rachel were married. They had a small ceremony with Phoebe and Monica as maids of honour and Chandler and Joey as best men. Monica carried baby Emma in her arms and Ben walked by the side of his aunt as they followed Rachel down the aisle. Their closest family and friends looked on and smiled as Ross and Rachel took their vows and made their promises to each other. Ross and Rachel smiled at each other as the vicar pronounced them man and wife and each saw in the others eyes their love for each other.

The reception was held in the function room of a large hotel and as Rachel sat with her new husband at the head of the table she looked round her and thought that from now on life would be perfect. Rachel glanced at Chandler and at Monica sitting beside him. She had confided in Rachel and Phoebe just before the wedding that she was pregnant and Rachel recognised the happy glow that seemed to emanate from her friend. She knew a child was the one thing that would complete her friend's happiness. When Emma was born, Rachel knew that Monica had been overjoyed for her, but there had been a sadness in her eyes that gave away her own longing for a child. As she looked around her, Rachel realised that all her friends lives were coming together and she realised with a jolt that they were all growing up.

Joey's acting career was going from strength to strength and after his performance in the world war one movie he had been in demand for television and films. He had eventually taken up the offer of returning to Days Of Our Lives as the long lost brother of Doctor Drake Ramoray, Carl. He had boosted the show's ratings overnight and was becoming more and more successful. He still didn't have a regular girlfriend, but Rachel concluded, maybe he just wasn't that type of guy.

Likewise Phoebe seemed happier than ever, she had become involved with a man called Steve and they were even considering moving in together. Steve was really great and he had quickly become an accepted member of their tight knit group. Rachel thought that he was good for Phoebe, he gave her roots, something she had never had and like her he had had a hard life from an early age after his father had been killed in a car crash when he was just nine. His mother had just fallen apart and began drinking until Steve had ended up taking care of her as well as going to school and looking after his younger brother. For all his problems however, Steve was a well rounded and friendly person just like Phoebe. As Rachel mused on this she glanced round at Phoebe and Steve sitting side by side apparently whispering to each other. He was a good looking guy too. He had blondish hair and sparkling blue eyes and was quite tall.

Finally, Rachel looked at her new husband whose hand was clasped in her own. He looked so handsome in his tux and as she watched him he looked round and smiled at her, that special smile that she loved so much, his deep brown puppy dog eyes looked at her longingly and she grinned. Emma sat on his lap apparently absorbed in playing with his bow tie which was rapidly becoming worse for wear. She was growing so fast Rachel mused but she looked so cute in her little frilly dress, it was a wonder she hadn't got it messy yet.

As Chandler got up to make his speech the room fell silent. Chandler had been Ross's best man at his weddings to both Carol and Emily and everyone wondered what he would say this time around. He cleared his throat. "Well, er welcome everyone to Ross's wedding 2002, it's becoming quite a regular event and I'd just like to say hi to old friends and regular attendees and welcome to new members of the Ross's wedding club." He glanced at Ross, who just looked at him silently before continuing. "Well all joking apart and for once I am deadly serious now I'd just like to say congratulations to Ross and Rachel and thank goodness you finally realised this was what you wanted, I don't think any of us could have coped with much more of the Ross and Rachel rollercoaster. It's so great that two of my best friends have got together again and I'd just like to wish you all the luck in the world and I can't say anything more than I hope you are as happy as Monica and I are. Speaking of Monica, I believe there's something she and I would like to tell you all." He pulled Monica to her feet and put his arm around her as she began to speak. "Well I'd just like to add my congratulations to Ross and Rachel on their long awaited wedding and wish them good luck, but we've also got some news that might please you all. I'm pregnant." There were gasps of amazement around the room and then cheers and cries of congratulations went up around the room.

Rachel looked happily at her friend, she knew she had been bursting to tell everyone her wonderful news and she didn't mind her doing it at her wedding. The friends were suddenly surrounded by people hugging each other but when some semblance of order had been returned to the room, Joey got up and everyone hushed up to hear what he had to say. "Well I don't quite know how I'm gonna follow that fantastic news especially when Chandler's already said pretty much what I was gonna say, but here goes." He glanced down at a piece of paper in his hand. "Rachel when I first saw you that day in Central Perk in that wedding dress, I thought wow, she's hot and I still think that to this day, but I've also realised there is much more to you than that. You are funny, clever, care passionately about your friends, your daughter, your job and you always want the best for everyone. I know that you deserve to be happy and I know you will be with Ross, because when I first met Ross I thought he was kinda geeky, well I still think that, but over the years I have learned that he is a true friend, he is so intelligent and will forget more over his lifetime than I will ever know and he has a total and complete love for Rachel. So I know that my two great friends will be happy together forever. Good luck."

Everyone clapped as Joey took a bow and sat down. Rachel leaned across to him, "Aww, Joey that's so sweet, thank you." He smiled at his friend and saw genuine happiness in her eyes, and realised that his long held dream would now never be realised. The truth was that Joey had loved Rachel for years. As he had said when he first clapped eyes on her that day he had realised how beautiful she was, and over the years those feelings had grown. He had never felt that way about any other woman and now believed that he never would. However, he had made up his mind many years ago never to reveal the secret he kept in his heart unless one day Rachel felt the same way about him. He truthfully wanted her to be happy and if she was happy with Ross that was good enough for him.

Finally Phoebe got up to speak, she was unsure of what to say especially after Joey's uncharacteristically emotional speech. "As the last person to speak, and I do like to have the last word as Ross will testify from our many arguments over gravity, evolution and my mother being in a cat all I want to say is that I hope you will both be truly happy together forever and if you ever need your auras cleaning you know where to come. You guys are like the real family I never had and I hope that even though we are all growing up and moving on with our lives that we can stay like that tight knit family we are, and as we grow and welcome new members like little Emma, Chandler and Monica's baby and Steve we can only grow stronger. So good luck to everyone for the future."

There was more clapping as Phoebe finished her speech and the music began to play. Couples got up from their tables to dance and finally only the original six were left sitting as Steve had gone off to fetch drinks and had stopped to talk to people on the way. The friends looked round at each other and at that moment they felt closer than they had ever been. They realised that they didn't need speeches to show each other how much they loved each other. Just being there was good enough.