Chapter 10

"Superhero"

The entire room was filled with moans as she laid down beneath him both completely naked with their lips locked with each other in a fiery kiss. Tonight was one of those rare nights where the couple was able to spend their intimate time with just the two of them without interruptions of any kind.

This weekend - like a few weekends before that, they sent their children to visit their grandparents and this week was Ross' parents' turn. So tonight they would have the entire apartment for themselves and they were making sure to enjoy every second of it.

"God. You're so beautiful." Ross looked at her straight in her eyes with a dreamy look on his face.

Having to carry their daughter, birthed her, and nurtured her had changed Rachel's body in a way it felt like a new unfamiliar territory for him to explore. Since their first encounter a few months ago during their first date, he had been trying to re-learn every part of her body - every curve, and even every small change like faint stretch marks she now got around her belly. All those changes within her only made her look more beautiful to him. It reminded him how much sacrifice she had to endure for them to be able to meet their daughter. Not a single day goes by without him feeling extremely grateful for her because she gave him the greatest gift he could ever ask for. Their daughter.

Though she felt self-conscious about how her body looked after giving birth to Emma, the way he made her feel every time they were together melted her heart. He was being sincere and she could tell only by the look on his eyes.

This was what differentiate Ross most from any other men she ever dated. He was sincere with every word he said. He meant every single compliment that came out from his mouth. He wasn't saying sweet things to her just to get inside her pants, but because he truly felt that way.

He made her feel great about herself and it was one of many reasons that made him so special.

She grazed her fingers against his cheeks before resting them on his face. Instead of saying anything to him, she grabbed him by his face and pulled him closer toward her. They once again engaged in a kiss full of hunger and with one last look, he guided himself inside of her.

They made love at a slow pace that night, wanting to enjoy every moment of it. As soon as they were done, he collapsed next to her with them left completely breathless from the amazing time they've just shared.

He pulled her closer by her waist and she laid her back against his chest. His right arm entangled with hers as he absent-mindedly rubbed her belly with his thumb. She then pulled the bed sheet over them as they continued to cuddle.

Cuddling there, having him securely placed his arms around her, brought up a lot of good memories from when they were first dating many years ago.

Back then, they had no responsibilities but to themselves. Those times were much easier and she had to admit, she sometimes missed it. She missed those times when all they did was nothing but lay in their bed all day long. All they did was having a sex marathon, had something to eat- again in their bed, had some talk, watch some trashy movies, and repeated.

"Don't you miss it sometimes?" She suddenly asked.

He raised his head slightly to look at her, not understanding quite a bit what she was referring to. "About what?"

"Us." She began. "I mean the old us. Back when we were in our 20s. No responsibilities, just the two of us. Spending our entire day in bed, not even a single care of the world."

He knew what she meant. It wasn't that they regretted having Emma, because of course they didn't. She was the best thing that happened between them and it was their silent agreement. It also didn't mean she wasn't happy right now, because she did and she wouldn't have it any other way. Their daughter was everything for them. They'd literally trade their life just to save her if that was necessary. Emma was their happiness.

What she was talking about were times like this. Nowadays, it was hard for them to spend quality time together. Not only did they still have to hide things from Ben, they also didn't share the same room, which limited their privacy, especially with an eight years old and a baby living together with them.

Being in the beginning of their rekindled relationship, they wanted to spend as much time as they possibly could on each other's arms. But being a parent made it impossible for them to do so. They were lucky enough whenever Ben would sleep early at night so that they could sometimes be together alone. But again, they had to be extra careful and be responsible at the same time.

The last thing they wanted was to have Ben caught them in one of their steamy acts. That was just irresponsible. Thus, times like tonight were extra special for them.

He stroked her hand that was laid on top of his. "Yeah, sometimes." He admitted it. As if he could read her mind, he added. "But I wouldn't have it another way. What we have now is so much better."

She smiled and turned her body to face him. She looked up and searched his face. "I know." She said softly. "I wouldn't have it any other way too."

Now that she was thinking about it, this was everything she wanted during her 30th birthday. A family. A child and a marriage. Well, not quite there yet, but it headed that way anyway, she could already feel it.

"Let's get some sleep." Ross said as he turned the lights off. "We have to pick Ben and Emma up early in the morning."

At the mention of their children's names, her eyes beamed in happiness.

No matter how great their young and carefree relationship was, never could have compared to how happy she was at the moment.

"Okay." She snuggled closer to him and he smiled whilst encircling his arms around her middle securely.

He didn't need to do his 'hug-and-roll' trick any longer these days. It was something he missed after their break up and now he wasn't going to take it for granted again. What was important for him now was how lucky he was for being able to do this with her and it was enough.

"Good night, Rach." He kissed her forehead and she smiled.

"Good night, Ross." She tightened her grip around him and soon they both drifted away into their slumber and stayed in the same position until morning.

A few days later, Ben came home from his school feeling extremely sick, luckily his dad was there to pick him up early today. Aside from fever, he also had a throbbing headache and an awful feeling on his stomach.

As soon as they reached home, he laid down on the couch in the living room, not bothering to change his clothes or anything at all.

"I'm gonna make some soup for you and bring something to make you feel better." Ross said as he covered his son with a blanket. "Just get some rest."

Ben nodded weakly. "Okay."

Ben fell asleep as soon as he closed his eyes and when he woke up a couple hours later, he found his Aunt Rachel sitting in front of him with a thermometer in her hand instead of his dad.

"Hey.." Rachel smiled as he brushed Ben's hair gently. "How are you feeling?"

"Not good." Ben replied weakly.

She smiled weakly. "I'll go get your soup ready. Wait a minute, okay?"

"Where's my dad?"

"He went out to a pharmacy. He will be here soon."

Not long after, Rachel came back with a bowl of warm soup in her hands. After she was sure to cool down the soup for a bit, she helped Ben to sit and began to feed him.

Every time Ben was sick, he'd become extremely clingy and spoiled. Usually it was Carol and Susan who he would find his comfort in, but today it was Rachel. She was the closest thing he had to a mother figure in his life and he was comfortable around her.

Rachel fed him slowly and carefully whilst wiped his mouth with a napkin every now and then. After he ate most of his soup, Ross came back home with a bag of medicine for Ben.

"Hey, you're up." Ross said as he hung his coat. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Uh-huh. A little bit."

"That's great." Ross smiled and gave Ben the medicine he had bought. "Here, take this. It will make you feel a lot better."

"Okay." Ben complied and drank the syrup.

Rachel smiled and handed Ben a glass of water. "There you go."

"Alright, let's get you changed and get some real sleep." Ross said as he helped Ben to stand up.

Rachel joined Ross as he tucked the boy in after changing his pajamas. The boy looked so sick, Rachel didn't have the heart to leave his side.

"Good night, son." Ross gave Ben a kiss on his forehead. "Sleep tight."

Ben smiled in return. "Night, dad."

Rachel came closer and sat at the edge of Ben's bed before giving the boy a kiss on his forehead, just like Ross did. "Good night, sweetie. Get well soon." She smiled, brushing his hair ever so slightly. She was about to stand up when a pair of hands stopped her, grabbing her by her wrist.

"Can you please stay with me tonight?" Ben asked hopefully.

Rachel's heart was broken into a million pieces just by the look on his face. She was feeling sorry for him. How couldn't she? Even when she was this old, whenever she was sick, she wanted her mom to be on her side. It gave her a sense of comfort and it certainly made her feel better. Her heart ached for the boy as she realized how Ben must've felt right now. He must've been missing his mommies now more than ever.

"Look, Ben." Ross began, not wanting to make Rachel feel burdened by Ben's request. "I don't think it's a good-"

Before he could finish his words, Rachel grabbed his wrist and shook her head whilst smiling at him.

"It's okay." She mouthed and Ross nodded.

"Okay." Rachel smiled at Ben as she rubbed Ben's hands affectionately. "I'll stay with you tonight. Now get some rest."

Ben let out a big smile which quickly triggered Ross' smile immediately. Times like this were excruciating for him not being able to be the mother figure Ben needed in his life, but at the same time he also felt thankful for having Rachel to somewhat fill the void Carol and Susan had left.

"Good night." Ben whispered before he slowly closed his eyes and gave in to his slumber.

They both stared at the boy sleeping soundly under his blanket, watching him falling asleep.

After making sure Ben was asleep, Ross tapped Rachel's shoulder gently which caused her to turn her full attention at him.

"You should go to your room. I'll stay with him tonight." Ross said, knowing that Ben probably was going to sleep through the night due to the medication he gave him earlier.

Rachel smiled and shook her head. She wasn't ready to leave Ben alone in this condition. Maybe it was her motherly instinct kicking in or because she loved the boy dearly, she felt like she needed to fulfill her promise to him and be by his side the whole night just like she had promised.

"It's okay." She whispered softly, not wanting to wake Ben up. "I can stay here and you can stay with Emma for the night."

"Are you sure?" Ross had to ask because attending to a sick kid could be tiring sometimes. They needed to check Ben's body temperature once every few hours to make sure his fever didn't get any worse.

"Uh-hmm." She nodded and smiled. "I'll take care of him. Don't worry."

Ross smiled thankfully. He never would've thought it was possible for him to love her even more, but tonight he proved himself wrong. Every time she was being so kind and attentive around Ben, his love for her grew even bigger.

"Thank you so much." Ross leaned in and gave her a kiss. "Good night." He said after he kissed the top of her head. "Love you."

"Good night." She smiled back. "Love you too."

At dawn, Ross was woken up by a soft wailing coming up from Emma's crib. He quickly got up from his bed and picked Emma up. He gave Emma a bottle of milk as he rocked her back to sleep. He watched Emma as she started to close her eyes slowly. He couldn't believe it sometimes that she was already this big. It felt like just yesterday Emma was born and now she was already crawling and even learning how to stand with her two tiny feet the other day.

After making sure Emma was fast asleep, he put her back in her crib gently. Taking his side of the baby monitors with him, he went to his room next door. He opened the door slowly, not wanting to wake them up and he stopped in his tracks as soon as he saw the scene unfold before him.

Rachel was hugging Ben in her sleep as they cuddled in the bed. Ben looked so peaceful sleeping in her arms, it melted his heart. How could he repay everything she had done for Ben and for him? He didn't know.

She was just so perfect with Ben.

He then made his way toward his bed and carefully checked Ben's body temperature with his hand. It seemed like his fever was gone.

Thank God, Ross thought.

Seeing their children get sick was every parent's worst nightmare. He hated seeing his son like this, so weak and seemed so helpless.

He gave his son a kiss, but apparently his movement woke the other occupant of the bed instead.

She slowly opened her eyes and found him staring at her with a warm smile on his face.

"Good morning." She whispered and smiled back.

Ross gave her a kiss on her forehead. "Good morning."

Rachel then looked down at Ben who was still peacefully sleeping in her arms. She brushed Ben's hair gently with her free arm. "His fever is down and he slept through the night." She began to explain. "I found him sleeping beside me just a while ago."

Ross smiled as they both watched Ben's steady breathing. "Yeah, he looks so much better than yesterday." He then averted his attention to her. Opposite to Ben, she looked extremely tired. "Do you even have some sleep?" He asked as he noticed her swollen eye bag. "You look tired."

"Well, I can't really sleep." She confessed. "But I'm going to be okay after drinking some coffee." She smiled reassuringly. She didn't need him to worry about her when he was supposed to worry about his son.

Wanting to make sure Ben was alright, last night she barely had a sleep. She was keeping an eye on Ben closely and making sure Ben's fever didn't get any worse. She even placed a cool, damp washcloth over Ben's forehead to make him feel better throughout the night. Only around dawn when his fever was gone that she was finally able to get some sleep.

But again, Ross didn't need to know about the details. It would only make him feel guilty and she just didn't want him to feel that way.

"How's Emma?" She changed the topic.

"I just gave her a bottle of milk. She's sleeping now." Ross began to explain. Last night was his first night that he actually got to spend alone with Emma now that he realized it. Usually she always slept with Rachel throughout the night. "You know. I just realized this as I held her in my arms earlier. She's getting so big."

Rachel sighed and nodded. She hated seeing her baby growing up so fast, but again felt so excited whenever Emma learnt something new. She was having a dilemma about it.

"Yeah, we need new clothes for her. She outgrown most of it." She said in a sad tone. "She's growing up too fast."

Just then their conversation was disturbed by Ben who was stirring in his sleep and slowly opened his eyes.

"Good morning." Ross sweetly greeted his son as soon as he opened his eyes. "Feeling better?"

"Uh-hmm." Ben smiled and yawned. "I'm starving, dad."

Ben's sudden confession made both Ross and Rachel let out a chuckle. He was definitely getting better now that his appetite was back.

"Alright then." Ross began clasping his hands. "Let's fix that, shall we?"

"Okay." Ben got up from his bed.

"Go brush your teeth, we'll be out in a minute." Ross told Ben.

"Kay." Ben did what he was told and went toward the bathroom.

Rachel sat up on the bed and Ross joined her, sitting in front of her.

He gave her a soft kiss on her lips. "Thank you so much for taking care of him." He said as he brushed a few strands of her hair that were covering her face. "I bet he thinks of you as his superman now." Ross joked, referring to Ben's favorite superhero, superman.

Rachel let out a chuckle and shook her head. "Well, that's just great. Now I'm just a hunky male with a horrible taste in fashion dressed in colorful spandex and underwear."

He let out a chuckle. "God. You're just the best. You know that?"

"Well, then you should start treating me more nicely. Will you?"

He smiled and gave her a lingering kiss on her lips. "Like this?"

She smiled widely. "Uh-hmm." She leaned in for another kiss. "Exactly like this."

How could he be this lucky to have this amazing woman in his life, he never would've known.

Rachel was Ross' superhero that gave him another chance at love and gave them their beautiful daughter, Emma. For Ben, she was his superhero that took care of him whenever he was upset, stood up for him, and understood him when it seemed like no one else could. And for little Emma, she was her superhero that gave her life and all the love she needed.

She was their superhero.

A/N

I heard you guys, that's why I'm going to keep posting updates to this story like you guys wanted it. And this is my gift to you. A fluffy, light, and short chapter before I'll try to add some spices into the story. Anyway, I hope you all like it and as usual, feel free to leave a review and tell me what you think :)