A/N: So I haven't introduced myself before. This is my first R&R fanfic. I've loved them since the day I started watching Friends back in the 90's and still love them to this day. Not only Friends have always been my comfort tv show, but Ross and Rachel have always been my comfort characters as well. And after watching the Reunion they have become even more so than they already were.
So, without any further ado, I hope you enjoy chapter 2.
Rachel had the biggest smile on her face when she put the phone down. She couldn't wait to see him, it's been so long, the longest three months of her entire life she would say. Every now and then she would have to stop herself from dropping everything and going back to the States, to her friends, to her family and who was she kidding, to him.
After a couple of months she thought that the feeling of being home would have settled in but there was still something missing, like an actual piece of her was missing. And she knew it was true, her heart was all the way back in New York.
During those first painful weeks upon her arrival, every time he called her she would hold her breath waiting for him to say something, any kind of hint, that he wanted her to come back, that he needed her to get on a plane and go back to him. And every time they hung up the phone without any trace of him doing that her heart would hurt a bit more thinking of all the chances they have missed and would still miss.
Do you think this was a mistake? She had asked him during their first conversation being in different continents. She couldn't help but feel like it was a huge, colossal mistake and every time he reassured her that it wasn't, she couldn't help but feel goosebumps running through her body because of his soft and tender voice. Hey, don't do that. Now it's not the time to doubt yourself. You are doing what you felt was best.
Ever since she got pregnant she noticed the little differences in his behaviour from when they dated. Sure, he was still anal about some stuff, but he had matured so much and they hardly ever fought when she was living with him. She even thought they were on the pursuit of something more when that stupid kiss with Gavin ruined everything. There was this one night, a few weeks before she was set to go back to work that her mind wouldn't stop worrying about going back to Ralph Lauren and losing the bond she had created with Emma. She was sitting on the couch in the middle of the night and was taken out of her thoughts when Ross touched her arm asking if she was ok.
Rach, what are you doing up? It's 3 in the morning. She had been sitting in complete darkness so it took some time for her eyes to adjust and see his worrying face. After telling him what was bugging her, his simple reply meant the world to her. There's no way of that happening, you wanna know why? Because you are the best mother to our daughter and what you and her have no job will ever take that away. It took all the strength she had not to lean forward and thank him for the kind words in the way that she really wanted. She only managed a simple Thank you, Ross.
Come here, he had said to her. To then gently put her head on his lap and slowly stroke her hair, luring her into a deep sleep like she hadn't been worrying only a few minutes before. She woke up the next day on her bed with an empty mind and a full heart.
All of those little moments they had shared while being roommates were shattered when she went back to living with Joey. She loved sharing an apartment with her dear friend but it was not the same. It didn't feel like they were family, it didn't feel like she belonged there. Not even when they had briefly mistaken attraction for something more, at least that's what she felt happening to her. She knew that for him it was more than that, but you can't control your heart and you can't control who you love.
And after that last night she shared with Ross before coming to Paris, she realized that she was still in love with him. At first, the realization hit her like a truck but then she recognized that the feeling had always been there, this whole time, she was just masking it afraid that if she let it show she was going to, once again, get clobbered, like she did many years ago. But it was there, and she couldn't help and think if it was enough to give up everything and stay put in New York. She knew that love was not enough in a relationship, she had learned that in the hardest way. It needed so much more than that and now they had more than themselves to think about, they had a child to consider and protect.
And after all this time without him saying anything she was not sure he felt the same for her. Was it worth it to tell him and throw away the relationship they had built after Emma was born? Even through the ups and downs, moving in and moving out, relationships and what not, they still managed to put Emma and their difunctional little family first. Because even though they didn't live together anymore and were not in a relationship, it still felt like they were a family. Right now, part of her family was missing but soon they were going to be reunited and that's all that mattered. She couldn't wait to see her little girls' face when she saw her daddy.
It took her a little while to go back to sleep, hearing his voice always made adrenaline rush through her body so she got up and went to the kitchen to get some water. On the way there she stopped by her daughter's room to check on her and noticed she had a little smile on her face. She might have her mommy's eyes and hair, but her smile was all her daddy.
She had more than his smile. Even though they did not live together, Emma still managed to take after her father, she was smart like him, had the same tenderness and puppy-dog eyes that made it hard for her to say no to. I'm sorry I took her away from you. She remembered the conversation they had a few nights before and she felt so bad and so guilty for forcing them to live so far away from each other.
Ross was a wonderful father and it must have been killing him to not witness his daughter's achievements. When they were going out she saw how much it had hurt him when the same happened with Ben and now she was doing it to him too. She felt the urge of calling him back, but instead picked up the phone to call Monica. Her best friend had been so busy with the twins that they barely had time to talk to one another nowadays. But she was wide awake and it was 8pm in New York, maybe Monica had put the kids down by now. So she picked up her phone and dialed her friend's number.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Mon, it's Rachel."
"Rach! OMG I feel like it's been forever. How are you, sweetie?"
She got all teary just by hearing her friend's voice.
"I'm way better now."
"Are you ok? You sound like you're crying"
"I just miss you guys so much, that's all."
"Oh, we miss you too. Wait, isn't it like the middle of the night over there?"
"Yeah, I woke up with Ross calling me and now I can't sleep."
"He is so excited for this trip you have no idea."
"I do, I feel the same way. Can't wait for him to get here. Emma has been asking for him non stop."
"How is she?"
"Oh, she's been an angel. She starts daycare next week and I'm sure I'm way more nervous than she is."
"Well, I bet it's because she has no idea she's going to be away from you."
"I know, I'm just really anxious about it. The nanny they hired for me has been really good with her but I feel like she needs to be with other kids her age you know."
"Yeah, I feel anxious now just thinking about sending the twins to daycare"
"Look, I've been thinking of visiting during Thanksgiving. Are you guys doing something or do you think you'll be overwhelmed with Jack and Erica?"
"That's great to hear, honey. You should totally come and there's no way I'm not cooking on my kids' first Thanksgiving."
"That's great then. I'll call you when I have more information."
"Ok. Oh, Erica just woke up, I've gotta go, Rach. I'm so glad you called."
"Me too, Mon. I'll try and call again this week. I love you and I miss you. Send my love to Chandler and the children."
"Will do, bye honey!"
As she ended the call she started making plans and a to do list in her head. Her priority was asking the General Manager for a few days, after all they had said they were going to do everything in their power to help her with the transition. Then she would talk to Ross and see if she and Emma could spend those days with him, she thought about staying at Monica's but it wouldn't be unfair to him and to their daughter.
As she went back to bed to try and finally get some sleep, she couldn't help but smile and feel overwhelmed by all the possibilities. She couldn't wait to spend some days with her friends even if there were still two months to go. And even more so, she couldn't wait to spend some days with him. She went to sleep knowing that in a few hours they were going to be reunited.
