Feels Like Tonight

A/N: This is it, folks :-P Epilogue time. I was actually pretty surprised that I wrote this last night. Its not very long, but I got in this random writing mood out of nowhere. Well, its mostly cause I already have a very solid idea for my next fic and I'm pretty excited to start it hehe. That and the fact that I kept rereading the last chapter to "Bed Of Roses" by Tina Chaves (if you havent read it, wtf? go do so now!) and I dunno, it got me in a real good RnR mood hehe. I've actually had this exact ending planned for weeks, I made it up in my head when I was on my floor watching a movie in my bedroom. I thought "Gee, how could this be better if I had Ross here?" LOL. But yeah, this is an end to a story that I actually really like. I know, you're like "Wtf, you've written 3 long(ish) stories only" lol. I actually wrote another one, it was around like 15 chapters I think, but I only posted it at Friends Cafe. It was a fic that I was pretty unhappy with by the end so I never loaded it here. But anyways, lol

Oh, and I have like a huge favor to ask haha. I always, when I know a fic is winding down, set myself a goal for how many reviews I'd like to get (lol). My goal of 80 for "Your Ad Here" didn't get met, so you guys gotta help me out here :-P My goal is 50. Hehe. Really, guys, I just love reviews. This fic hasn't been one where I've gotten a great deal, which is probably why it got a bit hard to write for a few weeks. I love hearing what you had to say! So even if the review just says "I read this", I'd love to hear from you haha.

So I hope everyone enjoyed this story :-)

1 Year, 6 Months Later...

Rachel shifted a bit as she readjusted the pillow under her head and pulled the knit blanket more tightly around her. She was propped up on her side, fervently watching a movie on the television. Somehow, she could block out the discomfort of the bare floor beneath her. She simply couldn't get herself to complain about it, not in the position she was on. So instead, she shifted her attention to the film and the man who's chest laid against her back and who's arm slung protectively around her waist as he, too, was on his side behind her.

"Hey, stop hogging the blanket," he teased, pulling it almost off her to cover himself.

"Ross, come on, it's freezing in here!"

After a few more minutes of bickering, both settled down with a quick kiss to focus on the ending of the movie. They shifted so Ross could rest his back against the couch, still covered in plastic from moving day the day before. Rachel then moved to sit between his legs, her back again to his chest and his arms hugging her around her waist. She looked around, breathed in the air. The clean air in her new apartment, recently bought after she found herself with a fianceé. She gazed down at her left hand, resting on top of Ross's arm. She still found herself losing her breath everytime she stared at the diamond.

"Looking forward to it?", he whispered quietly, watching her stare at the ring.

"As long as you don't do anything stupid before next month, than yes," she joked. He punched her lightly in the arm, then pulled her closer as they once again returned their attention to the film.

-----

To say the last two years were easy would be very generous. People always found themselves in awe when they heard the story of Ross and Rachel's hectic and rocky history with each other. There were always a million questions- why did she come back? What got her to forgive him? Why, exactly, did he do it in the first place?

These were always things they liked to keep to themselves. It was barely a discussed subject between even themselves. Why bother, when everything was forgiven and forgotten? They were here, now, and to them, that was all that mattered. Everything was implicit. They'd moved on.

Rachel, only, knew exactly what had brought her back. She always knew she loved Ross. As much as she hadn't wanted to admit it back then, she knew he was different than the other guys of her past. He didn't cheat on her for the hell of it, like Chip, or because their relationship was lacking, like Barry, or because . . . he was hot and Italian and evidently could, like Barry. He had been deeply hurt by what he thought was their "break". But that alone wasn't enough for her to overlook the tremendous pain he'd caused her, because since he did love her, it only intensified the hurt. The wounds cut deeper.

So she kept her distance. For an entire month, Rachel didn't see, hear, or speak of Ross. It was hard at first, but every day she felt herself get stronger. There were nights where she'd cry herself to sleep, feeling lonely in her empty bed with her heavy heart. There were mornings where she'd wake up, wondering what she did to deserve this. There were days where she hated his memory and days where she'd do anything to get it back. But the scars left her with a renewed sense of self-confidence- she was getting through this in relatively one piece.

She hadn't even planned on running into him. A little over a month after the initial fight, she made her regular pit stop at Central Perk. While none of the gang ever told her, she figured that Ross was avoiding what he knew to be her normal time. But that day, when she made her way up to the glass doors, she saw him on the couch, between Monica and Joey, as Phoebe chatted brightly from the armchair. She almost turned around, until she caught a quick glance at his face. He was just turning around to ask Gunther for a refill, but she could see it. The bags under his eyes from lack of sleep, the absence of the normal twinkle she always saw deep in his eyes. Everything that made him Ross just wasn't there.

With a deep sigh, her feet had somehow led her into the coffee house. Phoebe, Joey, and Monica panicked slightly, wondering if they'd be witnessing the show-down of the year or a possible reunion. They were disappointed either way. Rachel, to them, seemed unaware of Ross's presense at all. As she got up to go back to work, however, her eyes locked onto his briefly. It only lasted a split second before she turned and was gone.

A few more awkward encounters later, the gang found Rachel becoming more and more comfortable. She could say hi to Ross. They would ask generic "How are you"s and answer simply. But it was progress. And everyone knew that the secret glances the two always cast at each other weren't so secret.

Eventually, Rachel found herself functioning normally without Ross as her boyfriend. She was accomplishing things on her own. But at the same time, how fulfilling was a success if you didn't have that one special person to share it with? So, even though she could live without him, she increasingly found herself not wanting to. She'd experienced life without Ross. Now, she was ready to give another chance at life with him.

Ross found himself in a similar situation. To his own surprise, his guilt and his pain didn't kill him. He got through the days. He would have given anything to know she'd forgiven him, he would have sold his own soul to take back his actions. But God knows he tried as hard as he could to be patient. If anything, he owed her that. He just hoped things would come together with time.

And, five months after the commotion, he found himself opening the door to his own redemption. To his renewal. She was his salvation.

No one knew for sure what happened that night. But whatever had gone on, it was the saving grace for both of them. They had been temporarily lost, but somehow found their way through all the shit, all the scars, all the mess . . . to each other.

One year later, they were engaged. Two months later, she moved her things out of Monica's apartment and into the only other place worthy of the name "home"- Ross's apartment. The wedding was set to go in another five months after that, which gave them some time to find a bigger place. A home they could create together- to make the life she should have gotten before worth all the wait. Of course, they could have lived in the streets and been happy. They had each other.

-----

So here they found themselves, in what used to be Ugly Naked Guy's apartment, eager to embark in this new chapter of their lives. Every building point in their relationship reaffirmed Rachel of her decision. Every little step closer to an inevitable lifetime together healed Ross's remaining regrets. They learned to appreciate the past, because it brought to the light just how much they meant to each other. They were in it for the long run.

Rachel yawned widely as the movie ended, the credits scrolling down the screen. Ross grabbed the remote sitting a few feet away on the floor and shut off the tv, blanketing the room in black darkness. The only light came from the large window that faced Monica's apartment, letting in the soft glow from the moon and streetlights. Neither moved from their comfortable position.

Eventually, Rachel felt Ross's hands rub her arms, then work their way down to squeeze her thighs. She let her head roll to the side as he began kissing her neck, sucking and biting until she let out a soft moan.

"Ross," she protested, "I'm so tired, sweetie. Tomorrow night, I-" she yawned again, further proving her point,"- promise."

Hardly one to force Rachel into anything she didn't want to do, Ross ended his ministrations.

"Tired, huh?", he asked, and surprised her by standing up, and taking her into his arms. Being careful not to stumble on anything, he carried her through the dark, to the short hallway in the back of the apartment that led to the bedrooms. Two, to be exact. Theirs was the last one, but something caused Ross to pause for a moment, overlooking the empty room that was full of nothing but unpacked boxes.

"What do you see in here? You know, for later?", he asked her curiously, even as he felt her head rest against his chest in exhaustion. But she didn't buy it- she knew his intentions underneath the seemingly innocent question.

"Why, do you see a bassinet in the corner?", she teased. She had to admit, the thought did bring a smile to her face.

"Maybe," he admitted, looking down at her with a goofy grin. They looked at each other for a few suspended moments, before she reached up and lightly kissed him on the lips.

"Me too," she whispered, leaning her forehead against his.

Satisfied with her reaction, Ross then proceeded to carry her to their bedroom. They had gotten into their pajamas prior to turning the movie on, so he simply plopped her down on her side of the bed, before circling around and getting in his. He pulled back the covers, patting the space beside him to beckon her to join him under the sheets. She conceded, burrowing into his side as he wrapped his arms around her. As she laid her head on his chest, she let out a warning.

"Hug-and-roll-and-be-single."

He chuckled, both of them knowing he was way past his old immaturity. He was happy to sleep with her in his arms, now, since everything that had happened. He'd rather be a "cuddly sleeper" than to not have her at all any day. So he only tightened his grip on her, intertwining their legs and letting his head fall back against the down pillow.

"Sweetie?", he heard her whisper.

"What?", he mumbled, already half-way to dream land.

"I love you."

It was the quietest little voice that she always said this in, especially at night. Ross loved it- it made him feel like it was something only for his ears. No one else had to know about it, it was just between them. He shifted to his side a bit, causing her to slide off his chest. He cupped her face in one of his hands, bringing her closer for one last kiss before they went to sleep.

Of course, "one last kiss" usually turned into a few minutes.

As he pulled away, he looked straight into her eyes. "I love you, too."

She smiled, and they reassumed their previous position. Both let out a relieved sigh, one they would probably let out every night for quite some time. Life, somehow, had just worked out. They knew they'd have a battle before them, because every couple does. But they just knew that there were more important things.

"If you weren't so tired, we could get a jumpstart on filling that room right now," Ross joked through the stillness of the room.

Without opening an eye or lifting her head, Rachel grabbed the pillow on her side of the bed, and smacked him in the face with it.

"Ow!"

"Goodnight, honey," she said, before returning the pillow to it's spot, and rolling over to her side so her back was to him. He whimpered in protest, throwing an arm around her waist to bring her closer, spooning her from behind.

And she wouldn't have it any other way.