Rachel Green, I had an outline of this story all written up…and lets just say you seem to be right on track with where Im going.
Imaginewhatif, I couldn't let out Dr. Green of course =)
Thanks for reviewing!! And please review this as well, it means a lot to me. Im thinking I*ll have about 2-3 more chapters before I wrap all of this up.
Ross and Rachel were out shopping for the day, they had just finished grabbing lunch when Rachel wanted to stop in a baby store on the way home. She was now just over 5 months along and she and Ross had been together for a couple weeks now. Things were going great, better than expected, Rachel often had to stop and remind herself that this was actually real.
It had actually all been a lot easier than she had expected. They had stuck to their promise and only brought up the good memories of the past and left the complications behind. It was harder at first, they didn't exactly know how they should react to one another, and how the other should be treated. But after a few days of awkwardness the two could now comfortably kiss each other whenever they felt the need or hold hands just because. They feel back into their loving gazes and sweet talk, to a stranger it would have seemed like nothing sour had ever occurred between the two.
With all of this though Rachel still couldn't help having her mind wander to what like shed to refer to the downfall of their relationship, but it was getting easier with each passing day to put it aside. Sure she still thought about it from time to time. She had wondered where he life would have been if they hadn't lost those months. She had also worked hard to find a place in her head where she could see Ross's side of things, and how he didn't intentionally hurt her. She knew that, it didn't make it hurt any less at the time, but she took comfort in knowing that during all that he was hurting too.
Once inside the store the couple began walking through the isles hand in hand, every once in a while stopping to look at a cute outfit…or make fun of some of the really awful ones.
They felt like a real couple. They were a real couple again, Rachel reminded herself. She couldn't believe how this was all coming together. For the first time in her pregnancy she was now feeling okay with everything. She was scared, but she had Ross by her said, and that made everything a whole lot easier.
Rachel was shaken from her thoughts when she heard a woman call Ross's name.
"Ross!" a short attractive girl yelled from across the store "Hey dino guy!"
"Oh my god" he replied slowly. He felt his life flash before his eyes.
Rachel could feel the tension raise in the air as she felt Ross's grip tighten around her hand.
"What?" Rachel asked confused
"Promise you wont hate me Rach" Ross said before closing his eyes. This was like some sort of sick train wreck. Everything had been going so good…and then she had to show up.
"What?! Why?" Rachel exclaimed getting more and more confused by the minute.
Ross looked down, "I think we*ll find out soon enough"
Chloe made her way in front of them.
"Hey I havent seen you in a long time now, whats up?" she said joyfully as she placed her hand on Ross's arm.
"Oh you know…just pretty much nothing in particular" Ross stammered. Avoiding her eyes.
Ross noted she had a couple baby items in her hands, his eyes grew large "Are you-"
She laughed "Oh no! Its just a friends"
Ross sighed relieved , glad that his worst nightmare was not a reality.
"But hey who's this" Chloe asked, gesturing to Rachel.
"Uhm" he cleared his throat "This is Rachel, my uh, girlfriend"
Chloe smiled "Oh!! THE Rachel" she extended her hand "Hi, Im Chloe"
"Hi" Rachel replied in a friendly manner as she shook the womans hand, . …'Wait a minute..' She felt herself turn red as she made the connection "Ch-chloe" she stumbled out.
Sensing Rachel's discomfort Ross put his hand on the small of her back and began to rub it lovingly. He leaned over and lightly kissed the top of her head.
She couldn't move. She had wanted to run away, but she felt as if she was physically glued to the ground.
"Looks like someones been busy!" Chloe exclaimed as she nudged Ross before placing a hand on Rachel stomach.
Rachel could feel herself wincing. 'don't cause a scene in the childrens store' she kept telling herself.
"Sure have" Ross joked uncomfortably, as he put his arm around Rachels shoulder, pulling her close to his body. This caused Chloe to remove her hand from Rachel. He felt Rachel pinch his side hard, and he had a feeling it was no accident.
"Well that sounds like fun!" She replied
"I bet youd know all about that" Rachel spat out sarcastically to herself.
"Well uh, hm, Rachel and I have to get going…sorry Chloe" He backed away from her uneasily "Cya.."
"Nice seeing you, Congratulations" Chloe yelled cheerfully after the couple who was quickly exiting the store.
"I don't want to talk to you right now" Rachel commanded as the couple entered her apartment.
"Rach Im really sorry" Ross said sympathetically to his girlfriend, who was now throwing her coat and purse on the kitchen table, not caring what Monica would say. "I thought we agreed we wouldn't talk about this ever again, let the past be the past remember"
"Yeah well not when the past is staring right in front of me like nothing happened" She replied in a snippy manner.
"Rachel I didn't know she would be there" he pleaded with her.
"God, and she was touching me…she actually put her hand on me" Rachel let out exasperated bringing her hand to her stomach, where chloes had just been mere minutes before. "I have to wash her off of me" she spat out before turning to head into her room.
Ross grabbed her arm stopping her from going in "Rach, please Im sorry"
She looked at him and let out a sigh. His eyes were pleading with her, and she knew that this run in wasn't his fault. Still, it didn't make things any easier. "I know you are" she said simply before enveloping him in a hug, her head resting on his strong chest. "I just hate that this is reality" she said quietly.
She hated that it happened in the first place, that there was even a Chloe for them to be having this fight about.
Rachel took a long shower to think about the instances that occurred that night. Why did she have to show up now? Couldn't she had just…died or something? Rachel felt that deep down somewhere she would always be reminded of Chloe, realistically it was never something that was just going to disappear.
For a time she had thought that it would be easier just to hate Ross forever, and cut off all ties. She had tried to live without him and get on with life, but her heart wouldn't allow her to do that. So it was like she was living in some sick form of limbo, caught in-between what she wanted to forget, and her perfect life.
She couldn't think about it like that though, she couldn't let it get to her. Rachel thought about Ross, and what he had done today. He had reacted in just the way that she would have wanted him too. He protected her, and kept his arm around her at all times, and he got them out of there as soon as he could. He loved her, not Chloe, and she knew that…that was never even a question. He love for her was strong and undeniable. He had even shown this when they weren't together. He took care of her instead of being on the discovery channel…and he gave us Bonnie and didn't bail out of her when she found out that she was pregnant.
The truth was as much as she tried to fight it months ago, she wanted to be with Ross. Ross was home. She just hated all of the skeletons that were in this homes closet.
Maybe running into her today would be good for them…like a sense of closure. She chuckled to herself at that word, closure.
She knew that she could face her, the biggest demon in her closet. She knew how the man that she loved would react when put in that situation, how he would hold her close and protect her.
It would all be okay.
Ross was laying in her bed writing on some tablet paper, and Rachel returned to the room and slid under the sheets next to him. Rachel eyed the paper and then brought her glance up to him.
"Whatcha doin honey?" she said sweetly.
"Writing out a lesson plan for class tomorrow morning" Ross began, he was shocked at how nice she was being..something must be up. "You know, I just don't think these kids appreciate what I bring to the table."
"Hm, Ross, I need to ask you one question" Rachel replied ignoring his dinosaur talk.
"About what sweetie?" Ross asked skeptically.
"Chloe" she replied flatly.
"Oh" replied Ross deadpan. He figured he wouldn't get off that easy, this was Chloe they ran into. "…okay, if you get a question, then I get a question" he offered
Rachel thought about this for a few moments before nodding her head in agreement.
"How was she?" She asked simply. She needed to know, and she needed an honest answer…she couldn't exactly explain why she wanted to know…but she just did. It wasn't the same feeling, or sarcastic question she had asked all those months ago. This had a different meaning. Something about someone being with the man who you love, just brings out the curiosity in them.
"Rachel weve been through this" Ross brought up, recalling the painful night of their breakup…
"Ross" Rachel glared at him.
"I told you, she was different" Ross replied simply, it was obvious that Rachel wasn't giving up that easily.
She let out an aggravated sigh…"Was she good"
Her phrases and questions from that horrid evening seemed to be repeating themselves. "Honestly Rachel, I was too drunk to tell, and I was thinking of you the whole time." He began
She gave him a look and rolled her eyes. Typical man response
Ross reached out and grabbed her hand "Sweetie, I really was." he paused "And I was seriously talking about you the whole time too… that's why she knew your name and everything today" he paused before blushing "…I may have even yelled your name. My turn?" He asked
"Okay", she sighed. She wasn't completely satisfied with Ross's answer…but at least it was something, and she had a feeling that was all she was getting out of him before it turned into a fight.
Ross too had a question that had been on his mind forever "Did you kiss Mark?"
Rachel gave him an uneasy look "Yes " she replied quietly
"Did you guys…" Ross began
"No!" Rachel exclaimed cutting him off. "He wanted to..but I told him no, I only even kissed him that once…I felt like it would hurt you too much, and I just wasn't in that place yet."
Ross smirked "I was right though, he did want you"
Rachel cleared her throat "Hm, honey, you do want us to be together right?" she said lightly
Ross blushed. He then looked at Rachel who was sitting in bed in a pair of his boxers and an oversized tshirt to cover her bump. She was adorable to him. He then leaned over and began kissing her neck and worked his way up to her ear. "youre amazing" Ross whispered to her, causing Rachel to smile widely, she reached her hand back to his cheek and began to rub it absent mindedly. He then brought his trail of kisses down to her chest.
"I love you so much, and I never want to lose you ever again" he had stopped his loving kisses long enough to add this, before he brought his lips up to her ear, sucking on it passionately.
She let out a small moan and closed her eyes as she felt Ross's hand drift up her shirt, while he continued on her ear. She had to stop this now
"Sweetie" she said while sitting up in the bed
"Hm" Ross let out
"Im really tired, and I uh, I don't feel so well, so do you mind if we just go to bed" Rachel lied, fighting with everything she had
.
Ross looked at her dumbfounded, this of course wasn't the first time something like this had happened. "Oh yeah, sure, you okay?" he asked concerned.
Rachel nodded her head as she slipped under the sheets "Oh yeah, I just, you know, the whole pregnant thing" she said as she snuggled into the space in-between Ross's neck and chest before drifting off to sleep.
