Chapter 13

"Wish Upon a Star"

"So, are you guys gonna tell Ben today?" Monica asked as she and Rachel were sitting in the coffee house with Emma in her stroller.

Rachel sipped her tea before answering her friend's question. "Uh-huh. We're planning on telling him tonight." She began. "Gosh." She sighed exasperatedly. "I just hope he'll take it well."

Monica gave her best friend a reassuring smile. "He's going to be happy about it." Rachel smiled thankfully. "Don't worry."

"What are you guys talking about?" Phoebe joined them after ordering her drink. Before any of them could answer her question, she suddenly gasped. "Are you and Ross getting married?" She asked loudly and ecstatically, causing the whole customer of the coffee house to turn their eyes on them.

"Phoebe!" Rachel scolded her. "First of all, no one is getting married! Well at least, not that I know of." She trailed off. "... and secondly, keep your voice down! I don't want people to listen and misunderstand."

Yes, they did talk about marriages in their latest deep conversation about their future, but it didn't mean that they'd do it right away. Ross hadn't even proposed yet and the last thing she wanted was for him to feel like she was giving him the pressure, because she didn't.

She didn't want to rush their relationship just because they already had kids together or because it was what most people expected them to do after getting back together, including their parents. She wanted to take things slow this time, just to make sure they were both ready for the next big step. A marriage.

But she wasn't going to lie, if Ross proposed to her right now, right at this moment, she'd probably have said yes. She wanted to marry him and she was sure of that. But she still thought it would be better for them and their kids if they waited. They had just gotten back together for a few months. They hadn't even told Rachel's dad and Ben yet about their relationship.

They were doing things step by step this time. Not wanting to rush things up and ending up ruining what they already had.

"Well, alright." Phoebe said. "Then what are you guys talking about?"

"Ross and Rachel are going to tell Ben about their relationship." Monica answered on behalf of Rachel.

"What for?" Phoebe asked innocently.

"What do you mean by 'what for'?" Rachel asked, obviously confused by Phoebe's question. "Ben is Ross' son, of course he deserves to know that we're dating."

"Not that." Phoebe said. "I mean, I'm pretty sure Ben already knew about you guys. You two aren't best at hiding your relationship. If you know what I mean." Phoebe gave Rachel a wink and smiled.

Rachel blushed, mortified by the recent event where Phoebe caught them on their steamy making out session on Monica's couch just a couple days ago. They were alone that time and Emma was sleeping in Monica's guest room, so as they were caught in the heat, they forgot to lock the door and the fact that their friends never knocked on any of their doors before coming in.

Rachel cleared her throat. "Well, I'm pretty sure Ben didn't know." Rachel said but Phoebe was left unconvinced. Phoebe was sure Ben knew about Ross and Rachel's relationship. "Anyway, we're thinking about having a short family trip next weekend after telling Ben about us. Do you guys have any suggestions?"

"My parents had a beach house in Southampton. Why don't you ask them about it? I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you guys borrow it for a couple of days." Monica suggested.

Rachel took Monica's suggestion into consideration. She began to imagine their little family playing by the beach, building sandcastles, making a firepit and sitting around it, waking up by the fresh sea air instead of the hustle and bustle of New York. She could already feel the breeze and the smell of the ocean just by thinking about it.

"That sounds like a great idea." Rachel said with a smile. "I'll talk to Ross about it."

Just in a cue, Ross entered the coffee house. After ordering his drink, he gave Emma a kiss and then propped himself next to Rachel and gave her a quick peck.

"I thought you had a seminar to attend today." Rachel said as Ross took a seat next to her.

"Yeah, it got canceled." Ross said as he played with her hands and rested it on his lap. "But, I'm not going to complain, since I get to spend more time with you." He touched her nose playfully and she smiled. I missed you." He said sweetly.

"Aww.. You choose me over some boring dinosaur talk." She teased him and he gave her an unpleasant look. "I missed you a lot too today." She looked up and smiled at him as they shared another kiss.

Monica watched their interaction and she had to roll her eyes. Though she was happy that her brother and her best friend got back together, she almost forgot how clingy and cheesy Ross and Rachel could be when they were together.

When they were apart, they were like cats and dogs, always mocked or arguing with each other at every chance they got. But when they were back together, they were like this, pretty much inseparable and so in love with each other just like a teenage couple.

"Go get a room." Phoebe said as she sipped her drink.

Rachel and Ross shared a knowing look, but chose to brush it off.

"What were you guys talking about earlier?" Ross asked. "You looked so happy when I came in."

Rachel smiled brightly as she thought about her plan for their weekend getaway. She explained to him about Monica's suggestion and he eventually agreed to give his parents a call the next day, asking for their permission. The four of them and Emma spent their evening at the coffee house, just hanging out and talking like they usually did before coming back home.

Seven months ago

Ben couldn't sleep that night, feeling restless for some reason - maybe because he just sent to a principal's office a few days ago or just because he lately missed her mom so much, but too afraid to tell anyone about it. Either way, today he found himself wide awake in the middle of the night.

A movement from another side of his bed caught his attention. Still having his eyes closed, he felt his dad was giving him a kiss on his forehead before he disappeared from the room.

After a couple of minutes, slowly and silently, he followed his dad outside the room and found him sitting alone on the sofa in the living room with no lights on and nursing what Ben suspected as a bottle of alcohol in his hand.

His dad kept his head down after gulping down the alcohol straight from the bottle. Seeing his dad like this broke Ben's heart. The boy felt like it was him who caused his own dad such sorrow that he needed a bottle of alcohol in the middle of the night.

The feeling of guilt creeping through the boy's heart. It was rare for him lately to see his dad smile. His dad used to be a cheerful and funny man, even sometimes Ben found his dad funnier than his Uncle Chandler. But these days, his cheerful and funny dad has turned into a sad and sorrowful man. Though Ross had done his best to keep his smile in front of Ben, the boy could tell the differences easily between a forceful smile and a genuine one.

And Ben knew the reason why his dad had changed. It was all because of him, he thought. He even made it worse by causing trouble at school that eventually got him suspended for a week just a few days ago.

Ben's reverie was cut short by the sound of someone's cries.

Still hiding behind the wall that separated the living room and the hallway, Ben peeked his head out and saw the person who was crying his heart out in the living room.

It was no other than his dad.

Ben never saw his dad cry before. Not even once. So, this was the whole new side of his dad for him to witness.

Seeing his dad cry himself out, tears started to stream from Ben's eyes too.

He just wanted one thing lately. He didn't need brand new toys like all his friends had. He didn't need a brand new bike. He didn't need a playstation.

What he needed was for his dad to be happy. That was all he wanted.

"Wish upon a star and your wish will come true." His mom once said to him.

Ben slowly and silently entered the bedroom and then he kneeled in front of his bed, facing the window.

Looking at the stars upon the sky, Ben made his wish. "I want my dad to be happy again." The boy said wholeheartedly.

Present time

Ben had just done his homework that night when his dad and his aunt asked him to come to the living room and have a talk with them. At first he thought he was in trouble. The boy racked his brain, thinking what mistakes or troubles he had caused recently.

One thing crossed into his mind.

He did break his dad's fossil replica a few weeks ago, but he hid it well, his dad didn't even notice it was missing yet. Did he finally notice that it was missing? Was that why they wanted to have a talk with him today? To give him an earful for breaking things and then didn't come clean after? The boy's mind was filled with fears and a bunch of scenarios.

Ben sat on the couch whilst his dad and his aunt sat in front of them on the apothecary table. His legs were shaking vigorously, afraid of what was waiting for him. As a few beads of sweat appeared in his forehead, he feared the worst. His dad rarely got mad, but when he did, he was terrifying. Only one look from his dad when he was angry enough to make the boy petrified and wished there was a hole that could help him escape from the situation.

Ben wiped his own sweats with his hand and braced for the worst.

Ross and Rachel held their hands together which confused Ben a bit. But, what made the boy more bewildered than he already was, was that both adults had huge smiles plastered on their faces.

They somehow looked so... Happy.

A smile was a good sign, right? Did that mean they weren't here to give him an earful about his recent behavior? Ben asked himself that question.

Ben saw his Aunt Rachel give his dad a nod before his dad began the conversation.

"Ben." He started softly. "Do you remember when I once told you that Rachel was my girlfriend when you were little?"

Ben's heart filled with relief. Phew, they weren't talking about the broken fossil much to his delight.

"Uh-hmm." Ben nodded. "But not anymore, because you guys were on a break."

Though the boy didn't know exactly what it meant by 'on a break', since his dad talked about it over and over again in the past, it somehow engraved in his mind.

"We were NOT on a break!" Rachel protested almost immediately and then she gave Ross an unpleasant look and took her hands away from his grip.

"O-okay, let's not talk about that right now." Ross answered nervously. He really needed to tell Ben not to say it out loud in front of her anymore. Ross then averted his attention to Rachel and then he leaned into her ears. "We need to tell Ben about us getting back together not otherwise." Ross whispered to Rachel softly.

Still sulking, but choosing to let go of this 'misunderstanding', Rachel complied and nodded. "Okay, I'll pretend not to hear that this time." She said. "But I can't guarantee what will happen if I ever hear those words again." She warned him.

Maybe it was time for them to stop debating whether they were or they were not on a break. It wasn't like Ben understood what they were talking about anyway.

He took her hand back into his and tapped it gently a couple times. "Okay, I'll talk to him later." Ross began. "Now, can we continue?"

She sighed and nodded. "Okay."

The adults averted their attention back to the boy who was left clueless for a moment from their short bickering.

Ben didn't understand a bit what they meant by taking a break. Why was that even necessary? Ben wondered.

Ross and Rachel smiled at the boy, feeling a bit embarrassed for fighting in front of an eight years old, especially when they were here to announce their relationship.

Rachel gave Ross one last reassuring smile before he began to speak. "What we were trying to say is that lately Rachel and I have been seeing each other for a while." Ross took a deep breath. "We're dating again. She's my girlfriend." He explained a bit more, wanting for the boy to understand him completely.

Rachel was very nervous about Ben's reaction to the news. She had confided in Ross about her worries, but Ross was sure Ben would accept them well. But, after a long reassurance speech from Ross, she was still worried and feared for the worst.

Ben's opinion was very important for both Ross and Rachel. After all, if things went smoothly between the couple, Rachel would be Ben's step mother one day. A step mother was often perceived badly in the eyes of the public because of the stereotyping the movie industry often pictured them as. They often pictured a step mother figure as a villain in the story, like the stepmother in 'Cinderella' for example. The fact that Ben probably already saw that movie petrified her even more.

What if Ben didn't like the idea of her as his dad's girlfriend or his step mother one day? It would crush her, she was sure of that. But more importantly, what did it mean for them? Did they have to break up?

After the talk they had about their future just last week, all they wanted was for them to finally stop hiding their relationship from the boy. They wanted to take a step forward into their relationship. As they decided to let Ben know about them, they also decided that it was best for them and their kids that Ben and Rachel would switch rooms, so that the couple would share a room together, allowing them some privacy.

She had to admit, she was counting down to days when she would share a room with him again. She missed having him by her side the whole night. And so did he.

Although Ross was confident that Ben would take the news well, he was still waiting for Ben's answer nervously. He wanted them to become a real family one day and in order for that to happen, he needed Ben to accept and be happy about their relationship. His son's opinion and happiness was his priority at the moment.

Much to Ross and Rachel's surprise, Ben's answer was simple and very short.

"Okay." Ben simply said.

What mattered for Ben was the fact that his dad was happy and it was enough from him. Though deep down the boy had to admit that he was so happy at the fact that it was his Aunt Rachel who made his dad this happy. Not only that he might finally be able to have her as his mom as he always wished, he was sure that both the adults were happiest with each other.

Well, it wasn't like Ben didn't know about them. He saw them kissed on Christmas Eve. Remember?

So, this was old news for the boy.

Ross and Rachel shared a bewildered look. They both were left perplexed by Ben's simple and, they had to say, very subtle reaction.

"Uh, are you okay with this?" Ross had to ask.

"Uh-huh." Ben nodded. "I saw you guys on Christmas Eve."

The couple shared a horror look.

When did Ben see them?

That night was one of the nights they weren't proud of. Caught in a hot and passionate act, they ended up having a steamy making out session under the tree with each of them half-naked.

Did Ben see that?

"I saw you guys kissing in the living room." Ben nonchalantly added. "You're Santa, right, dad?"

"You saw us kissing?" Rachel quickly asked, wanting to know how much the boy actually saw that night. "Is that it?"

"Yup." Ben answered.

Ross and Rachel could finally breathe in relief. They made a mental note to themselves to be more careful in the future. It was fortunate that Ben didn't catch them a few minutes later. The thought of it was enough to make them cringed.

What people said was true. It was indeed hard to make a relationship stay hot and steamy with kids in between them. They couldn't just do it whenever or wherever they wanted to anymore. They had responsibilities to fulfill as parents now.

"Wait." Ross suddenly said. "How did you know that I was Santa?"

Oh, about that. Ben forgot that he was supposed to pretend he still believed in Santa knowing how much his dad was making an effort just to cheer him up. Truth to be told, during last year's Christmas, Ben accidentally overheard one of his classmates saying that Santa wasn't real. Ben confronted his moms about it and Carol explained to him everything that night. He figured that his dad didn't know about that fact and since he didn't have the heart to ruin his dad's perfect plan, he stayed quiet.

Ben scratched his head nervously. "About that.." He started. "Last year, Kevin told the entire class that Santa isn't real and then mommy told me everything."

Ross was shocked by his son's revelation. Though he felt dumb and stupid, he also felt relieved that it wasn't him who had to break the news to the boy that Santa didn't exist.

A loud scream followed by cries coming from the baby monitor caught their attention. Rachel quickly stood up and said, "Emma must be awake. I'll go check on her."

With that, Rachel left the father and his son alone in the living room.

Ross sat next to Ben. "So, are you really okay with this?" He had to ask once more, making sure Ben wasn't just being nice because Rachel was around. He really wanted his son to be happy about his relationship with Rachel.

"Uh-huh." Ben smiled. "Are you happy, daddy?"

Ross was left speechless for a moment. Why would Ben ask him if he was happy? Did he not look happy before? He wondered.

Ross let out a smile anyway, somehow felt the warmth in Ben's question. "I am."

Ben's smile grew wider and he jumped into Ross, giving him a huge hug. "Then I'm also happy." The boy added.

Wish upon a star and your wish will come true.

Though some people didn't believe that saying, somehow it did work out for the boy.

His wish did come true.

A/N

I heard you guys, I'm going to continue the story as most of you requested. I'm so sorry for the delay. I had a hard time writing this chapter, especially on how Ross and Rachel told Ben about their relationship.

Anyway, I hope you guys still enjoy it. Comments and votes are very much appreciated! Thanks! :)