So here it is :-D
Rachel's shift was next, but Ross could see that she was exceptionally tired. He gave her a quick squeeze before taking her turn.
"Hey, guys. Rachel's sleeping, so I'm filling in," he informed them as he entered the room.
"Nine centimeters," Monica panted at him, having just gotten through a contraction.
"Whoa, you're almost there!"
Ross noticed Chandler, who was being curiously silent. He was looking at Monica in complete amazement- how was she doing that? How could someone physically take that pain and be in the mental state to let it continue? He had a newfound respect for his wife.
"You're doing amazing, sweetie," he said, planting a reassuring kiss on the top of her head.
She yelped in pain, somehow getting a grateful intonation into the yell.
She fell back onto the bed as the contraction ended. Her body was covered with sweat, her chest heaving from the exhaustion of it all. This kid had better be worth it . . .
Small talk took up the next few moments, until an unexpected contraction inturrupted it.
"She's at ten centimeters, this is it!", the doctor yelled. "Everyone but the father, out!!"
Ross gave his sister's hand a reassuring squeeze as he left to the waiting room.
"This is it, sweetie," Chandler whispered gently into his wife's ear.
She managed to smile at him through the pain, grasping his hand harder with each passing second.
"The head's beginning to crown!", yelled one of the attending nurses.
Chandler shot Monica a look. "Go ahead," she beckoned.
Chandler retreated to the bottom of the bed. "Oh my God . . ." His face showed slight disgust, but also shock. "How the hell are you doing that??"
She shot him an angry look, but continued the exhausting work.
"Oh my God, the head . . . Oh my God, the arms!"
"CHANDLER, would you shut up?!" His head snapped up to see his wife, getting quite annoyed by his observations.
"Sorry!" He returned to his spot beside her, holding her hand as the labor continued. It took a few more minutes before Monica collapsed in a heap onto her pillow.
"You guys have a new baby girl!", the nurse exclaimed.
"Oh, wow . . ." Monica stared at the little child as the nurses took her to get washed. Chandler could do nothing but gaze in pure amazement, his mouth agape. They had made a person. They had made this little baby.
"Here she is," the doctor said, as she handed the baby over to the mother.
"Oh my God," whispered Chandler. Monica held the baby in her arms, staring at her with the utmost adoration. She had stopped crying, and seemed to be peacefully nestled in her blanket.
"Hey, Erica. I'm your mommy," Monica managed to get out inbetween her happy tears.
"And I'm your daddy," Chandler said with a huge smile. He sat down on the bed carefully, and wrapped an arm around Monica. His love, his wife, the mother of his baby. "I can't believe we made her, hon."
"I know." She smiled at Chandler, and they shared a soft kiss.
"Do you guys mind?"
Ross, Rachel, Phoebe, and Joey all stood at the door, waiting for the okay to come in.
"Come right in," the proud new mommy told them.
"Oh my God, she's beautiful." The always emotional Rachel got tears in her eyes.
"Hey little girl," Ross said softly to the baby. "I'm your Uncle Ross. Now, the crying woman over there isn't crazy, its just your Aunt Rachel." Rachel swatted him playfully on the arm. "Who I love very much," he added.
"Damn right," she replied. The other two crowded around the bed as well.
"And I'm Aunt Phoebe."
"And I'm your Uncle Joey!" Joey proudly exclaimed.
The six friends stared in wonder at this little bundle of life. The four stood back to stare at Monica and Chandler, so completely immersed in this child already. Monica stroked her head lovingly, as Chandler bent down to kiss both foreheads. It was, literally, a breathtaking scene.
"You guys are so amazing," Phoebe said. "That baby's gonna be loved so much."
"She already is," Chandler replied.
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Ross and Rachel had returned home about an hour later. She was ready for a night of sleep- or something "else"- but Ross had other thoughts on his mind.
'Ask her already!', Phoebe had whispered to him upon their leaving.
When they got in the front door of their apartment, Rachel sat back on the couch. Despite the sleep she'd gotten in the waiting room, she continued to be incredibly exhausted.
Ross sat down carefully next to her, and took her hands, playing with her fingers. "Do you ever think about, uh, us having a baby?"
She looked at him very seriously. "What?"
"I don't know," he continued, becoming suddenly shy. "Do you ever think we'll have one?"
She chuckled at his childishness. "Well, honey, I'd like to be married before I think about that . . ."
"Really?", he asked excitedly, his eyes lighting up. He took one of his hands away from hers, and slid it into his pocket. He felt the velvet of the box brush against his fingers, his heart racing like mad. This was it. "Then do it," he said, taking the box out of his pocket now, and holding it open for her to see.
Her eyes seemed permadently glued open as she stared at the beautiful diamond. "Oh . . .my . . .what??", she exclaimed.
"Marry me," he said, becoming more confident. She just sat there, her mouth agape as Ross got down from the couch and assumed a kneeling position in front of her.
Before continuing, he took her hands in his once again. "Rachel, no one knows better than us how perfect we are for each other. I know that on the outside, we seem so different, but it just fits! Everything about you- about us- just fits!"
Rachel tried to hold in a sob, but failed. He continued. "I could never, in a million years, imagine myself with someone else. Since I was fourteen years old, you're all there has been. You were it. And you still are." She somehow managed a smile through the tears that streamed down her face.
"So, Rach, please don't break my heart again," he pleaded, referring to those four years apart. "Marry me."
She seemed to forget how to talk. She forgot how to move, she forgot how to do anything but stare into those big brown eyes. Those puppy eyes that would be hers, forever. If she could only get herself to say . . .
"Yes!"
Somehow, amidst all the tears and the sobs, she exclaimed the one word that she knew would change their lives forever.
Ross began to get teary-eyed himself, as he slid that rock on her finger. He expected the always fashion-forward Rachel to inspect it, making sure it was the perfect one, but she surprised him. She pulled him up into a standing position, and threw her arms around her neck, giving him the deepest, most passionate kiss he'd ever recieved. And he'd had a lot.
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Monica had fallen fast asleep in her hospital bed. The day was so draining, emotionally and physically. Yet so rewarding.
Chandler sat in a chair right next to the bed. He'd somehow talked the doctors into letting Erica stay longer than was usually allowed. He held her in his arms as he gently rocked her back and forth. She had been sleeping the entire time, and hadn't even opened her eyes for her new parents. Just like daddy, he thought with a grin.
Daddy. He was a father. The past nine months had been flooded with different emotions. At times, it was worry. Was he ready to be a father? Could he take care of another life when his wife still seemed to be taking care of him? At other times, it was excited. He would have a new baby, a child to raise with Monica, to watch grow up and learn and become a whole person.
A small bead of doubt had grown in him since seeing Erica be born. It really was a human being in his care now- was he prepared?
Almost on cue, Erica suddenly woke up in his arms. Her little eyes opened sleepily as she gave the tiniest yawn Chandler had ever seen or heard. She looked up at her father with amazingly piercing blue eyes, inherited from both her parents.
All of a sudden, Chandler was the most confident father in the world. This baby was gonna love him just as much as he loved her.
"Mr. Bing, it's time for her to go," the nurse whispered in the room. She had to go sleep in the hospital tonight, and they could take her home tomorrow.
He didn't want her to leave, but knew he had to turn her over to the nurse. "Bye, Erica," he whispered at her, and waved as she was carried out.
"You are the most amazing father already," Monica said softly from the bed. He smiled at her, and sat back down in the chair.
They were parents.
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I'm marrying Rachel . . .
Ross had reminded himself this about twenty times that night. He still couldn't believe it, even though it was now four hours later. His high school dream had come true.
Hell, his life dream had come true.
He stroked her bare sides as she slept cuddled against his chest, the sheets in a disheveled mess on top of them. He had been sleeping, but had woken up a half hour ago, wide awake. As much as he'd love to wake Rachel to keep up the longevity of the evening, the moment was too serene. He didn't want to disturb it.
Although it wouldn't make her angry. They often woke each other up late at night, sometimes to talk for hours and hours about nothing, sometimes to do more. But it was so peaceful right now, and Ross knew he'd be able to fall back asleep soon anyway.
He looked at her hand, resting on his shoulder, bearing the only thing she was now wearing- the engagement ring.
I'm marrying Rachel!
So many changes since the years ago. He used to be the geek in school, the science kid with the fat sister who hung out with the guy with the Flock Of Seagulls haircut, who was known for lusting after the head cheerleader that he could never get.
Now sister and best friend were married, they were parents. He was an uncle.
And he got the cheerleader.
It may have taken almost six full years to work out, but every second was worth it All he had to do to assure himself was look at the woman sleeping soundly on top of him.
He, Ross Geller, dinosaur enthusiast, got Rachel Green, the fashion major.
No ones' feelings were secret anymore. And that was all it took to let everything fall into place.
I wish I'd known that sooner, he thought, as he fell into a deep sleep, full of happy dreams about the new journey they were all embarking on.
Thanks to everyone who followed this fic :-) I'd love it if everyone posted a review just even to say hi! Haha I want to break 100 reviews... though I only need 3 more for that haha. You guys have been awesome and thanks for following the story and any reviews and support you've given me :-) My next fic will be starting in a few days, it's called "Your Ad Here", be sure to read it:-P haha Thankss a ton everyone 33