"Central Perk?" Emma asked. "Its this coffee house your mom and I hung out at a long time ago," Ross got onto the next lane. "Rach, I have a surprise for you," he looked to the backseat. "Third gear?" Rachel rolled her eyes and giggled to herself. Emma caught on and eyed her brother. Seconds later, the three of them laughed hysterically. "Ha ha. Very funny." Ross said, sarcasm evident in his tone. "When little Bruce grows up, he will appreciate my driving." "Yeah, you said that with Brian and Emma," Rachel laughed. She covered Bruce with a blanket while he slept peacefully in the car seat. "Mom can I drive? I'd go slower than dad. Please?" Emma looked back. "Hunny. No one is slower than this. And no, we're almost there anyway."
Ross pulled up outside the coffee house. "Your destination is on the left," Ross said in a robot voice. Brian laughed at his dad. He always loved the robot voice. "Well," Rachel sighed as she held Bruce, "Here we are," she smiled at Ross. He pecked her forehead. They walked across the street and into the coffee house. "It can't be," Rachel whispered to herself. "Rachel," Phoebe stood from her seat and hugged the other blonde. "Emma. Look at you," Joey smirked. "Hey," Ross warned him. "I mean that she's grown," Joey hugged Ross and Rachel. "Oh. Surprise," Ross said, be was supposed to say it when she walked in but got distracted by the people around him. "Look, I've got to run. Pheebs can fill you guys in. I'm on a tight schedule," Joey hurried out. "Director stuff. Blah blah. Tell me about you. How was Paris? How old are you now?" Phoebe started questioning Rachel but then turned to Emma and Brian. "I'm 20. Brian's-" Emma started but Brian cut her off, "9," he smirked. "Have you spoken to Monica since the divorce?" Rachel asked. Phoebe shook her head, "I didn't want to impose on her," "I'm going up to her in a few days if you want to come? It'll be like a reunion," Ross offered. Before Phoebe could answer, in stepped Mike.
Emma got bored pretty quickly. She wandered to the cash register and ordered a coffee. Emma opened her bag to get out cash to pay when she realised she left her purse in the car. "I'll get that," a tall handsome guy, who looked like he walked out a movie, smiled at her. He opened his wallet. "No no, it's fine. Emma, I've got this," Ross quickly stood between them. He paid the barista and stood by Emma's side until the boy got uncomfortable and eventually left. "Dad that really wasn't necessary," Emma rolled her eyes. "What? Was paying for my daughters coffee not the right thing for me to do as your father?" He feigned offense. "Ross," Rachel called out, witnessing the interaction.
That weekend
"There he is, New Yorks most eligible bachelor," Brian announced as Joey pulled up at Monica's. "Sweety do you know what any of those words mean?" "Yeah. It means that uncle Joey is gonna give me fifty bucks for saying it everytime I see him," "Hmm." Monica pondered for a while and then proceeded to open the door for Joey. "Mon," Joey embraced Monica. "I'm so sorry to hear about your parents," He handed her a bunch of flowers. "Thanks, Mr. Bachelor." "Chandler," Joey yelled out when he saw his best friend. They hugged and walked into the living room but not before Joey winked at Brian and gave him his money.
"Guys don't be so bummed out," Monica said. "At least they can see other people without having to sneak around." "But Mon, they're mom and dad. We can't just sit around pretending it's okay," Ross said. He took a sip of his beer. "Erica, why don't you and Em take the kids out back? Show them the guest house?" Monica asked her daughter. Erica nodded. Emma took her brother from her mom and Erica carried Phoebe's 3 year old while quickly asking the rest of the kids to follow them. "How do I end up babysitting every time?" Erica asked. "Oh my gosh. You too?," Emma laughed. "Let's assign a kid to each of us. Ben and Jack, get your butts here." Emma announced. "Erica. You're with Andrew. I've got Bruce. Ben, get Mia. Jack, Ava." Emma said. "Did you think of this on the ride up here?" Jack huffed. "Nope," she grinned. "Why did our parents have so many kids?" Ben groaned. He wasn't wrong. There was a lot a of them.
He looked at each kid. He knew every one of them but they didn't know much about him. Ben didn't spend much time with his dads friends kids or even his cousins. He spent most of his time with his moms, Carol and Susan. Even though they didn't know about him, he took the time to try, for the sake of his father, to be a part of their lives.
First was Emma, his half sister.He noticed how grown up she looked since the last time he saw her. Her hair was blonde, longer now. She wasn't short or even tall. She was a "medium" height, as he would put it.
Then, his half brothers, Brian and Bruce. 9 and 1. They looked a bit like him, but they had brown hair.
Erica and Jack. His cousins. Both 19. With their also adopted siblings, Liam (12) and Mia (4).
Phoebe and Mike's children, Aria (14), Ava (4)and Andrew (3). Aria is their biological child as well and Andrew. Ava, however, isn't. Ursula fell pregnant and wanted to give her up but Phoebe and Mike stepped up and took her in.
"Did you respond?" Erica's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "Respond to what?" Ben asked. He sat next to Emma. "While you were in a daze, we were having a conversation," Erica looked at him. "Emma met a cutie at the coffee house the other day. He sent her a message on Instagram," she explained. "No, I wouldn't dare to speak to him again." "Why not?" Jack asked. "Well," she looked at Ben, "Dad cut into his chivalry and made him uncomfortable." "First, if he actually took the time to find you, you should respond. Dad can be a bit intimidating at times, any guy who can see that and still try to be friends with you, is probably a good guy," Ben shrugged.