Disclaimer: I do not own any of the 'Friends' (though I do wish I
did, but don't we all?), or any of the other characters that appear on the
TV show.
Author's Note: This story takes place six years after Emma is born. Ross and Rachel have been married for three years, and besides Emma, they have a four-year-old son, Jamie, and they live in Ross's apartment, but it has one more bedroom, for Jamie. Monica and Chandler have twin four-year- old boys, Jordan and Tyler, and a 10-month-old baby, Gabriella. They live in Monica's old apartment, which also has another bedroom, and it's a nursery. Phoebe and Joey are married (I just had to have everyone pair up, it's only right, you know?), and they have a three-year-old son, Chris, and Phoebe is two months pregnant. They live in Joey and Chandler's old apartment, and (did you guess?) it also has an extra room.
*We start in Ross and Rachel's apartment*
"Ross! How can you blame this on me?! I'm not the one that works until eight o'clock. I'm not the one who hasn't said anything to his kids in days, because he leaves before they're up and comes home after they're in bed! I'm-"
"Rach, stop! Okay, fine, I get the picture, I'm a horrible father, and it's all my fault, but if you were working as hard as me, you wouldn't want to come home to a mad wife and sleeping kids everyday, would you? Oh wait, you can't answer that, because you don't know how that feels!"
"What?! Are you saying that I don't work as hard as you?! Ross, in case you haven't noticed, I work almost everyday, all day! And just because I also manage to come home and take care of my kids ALSO, doesn't mean I don't work hard enough."
"You hardly work all day, Rachel. You stop at three in the afternoon."
"That's just so our kids don't have to go to a babysitter everyday after school, and so they can actually SEE me. I don't want someone else raising my kids, Ross, which is why I only work from eight-thirty to three. However, I get more done in that time than half of the people in my building get done in a whole day, so I don't really think that's a problem!"
"Fine. Your a better parent than me, your have a better job, your do more, fine. That's just fine, Damnit! But that doesn't mean you have to yell at me everyday when I get home about not being there to tuck the kids in, or not being there to have dinner with them, or-"
Rachel set the plate that she was washing back into the sink, dried her hands off, and glared at her husband, who was sitting rigidly on the couch. "What makes me mad, Ross, is that you don't even seem to care that you miss all of those things. You used to seem like you would do anything for them, but now... now I don't know what you think."
Ross was softening a bit, she could tell, but he was to damn stubborn to ever completely admit he was wrong. "Come on, Rachel, you know I love you and the kids more than anything." His voice had an almost pleading note to it, as if he wanted to be assured that that was, in fact, how he felt.
"That's what I used to think, Ross, but now I'm just not sure. If you really love us all that much, then come home earlier, and ... and just be around more often. I fell like I never see you anymore."
"I know sweetie, and I'm sorry. I just got a bit caught up in work, I guess. Now come here." Ross held out his arms, and Rachel smiled softly and went over to him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and looked into her eyes. "God, Rach, your so beautiful, why did you ever marry me?"
She smiled and reached up to trace his jaw line. "Because I loved you. And Monica was on a mission to keep us together, no matter how stupid we were acting." She laughed at the mock angry face he made.
"You mean it had nothing to do with ME?"
She laughed again and added, "I said I loved you, what more do you want?"
Ross smiled, and leaned forward to kiss her gently, "nothing at all."
"Good. Now go tell your kids goodnight."
Ross carefully got up, with Rachel still in his arms, kissed her one more time, and went into Jamie's room. Still smiling, Rachel went into the kitchen and flipped off the light switch, but not before glancing at the unfinished dishes. oh well, those can wait for the morning, she thought. After flipping off the living room light, she made her way to the bedroom.
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SO??!!! How did you like it??? This was my first fic, so don't be tooooo mean, but I do like any idea's on how to make it better. And don't worry, Monica, Chandler, Phoebe, and Joey, and everyone else will be in the next chapter.
~Hannah
Author's Note: This story takes place six years after Emma is born. Ross and Rachel have been married for three years, and besides Emma, they have a four-year-old son, Jamie, and they live in Ross's apartment, but it has one more bedroom, for Jamie. Monica and Chandler have twin four-year- old boys, Jordan and Tyler, and a 10-month-old baby, Gabriella. They live in Monica's old apartment, which also has another bedroom, and it's a nursery. Phoebe and Joey are married (I just had to have everyone pair up, it's only right, you know?), and they have a three-year-old son, Chris, and Phoebe is two months pregnant. They live in Joey and Chandler's old apartment, and (did you guess?) it also has an extra room.
*We start in Ross and Rachel's apartment*
"Ross! How can you blame this on me?! I'm not the one that works until eight o'clock. I'm not the one who hasn't said anything to his kids in days, because he leaves before they're up and comes home after they're in bed! I'm-"
"Rach, stop! Okay, fine, I get the picture, I'm a horrible father, and it's all my fault, but if you were working as hard as me, you wouldn't want to come home to a mad wife and sleeping kids everyday, would you? Oh wait, you can't answer that, because you don't know how that feels!"
"What?! Are you saying that I don't work as hard as you?! Ross, in case you haven't noticed, I work almost everyday, all day! And just because I also manage to come home and take care of my kids ALSO, doesn't mean I don't work hard enough."
"You hardly work all day, Rachel. You stop at three in the afternoon."
"That's just so our kids don't have to go to a babysitter everyday after school, and so they can actually SEE me. I don't want someone else raising my kids, Ross, which is why I only work from eight-thirty to three. However, I get more done in that time than half of the people in my building get done in a whole day, so I don't really think that's a problem!"
"Fine. Your a better parent than me, your have a better job, your do more, fine. That's just fine, Damnit! But that doesn't mean you have to yell at me everyday when I get home about not being there to tuck the kids in, or not being there to have dinner with them, or-"
Rachel set the plate that she was washing back into the sink, dried her hands off, and glared at her husband, who was sitting rigidly on the couch. "What makes me mad, Ross, is that you don't even seem to care that you miss all of those things. You used to seem like you would do anything for them, but now... now I don't know what you think."
Ross was softening a bit, she could tell, but he was to damn stubborn to ever completely admit he was wrong. "Come on, Rachel, you know I love you and the kids more than anything." His voice had an almost pleading note to it, as if he wanted to be assured that that was, in fact, how he felt.
"That's what I used to think, Ross, but now I'm just not sure. If you really love us all that much, then come home earlier, and ... and just be around more often. I fell like I never see you anymore."
"I know sweetie, and I'm sorry. I just got a bit caught up in work, I guess. Now come here." Ross held out his arms, and Rachel smiled softly and went over to him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and looked into her eyes. "God, Rach, your so beautiful, why did you ever marry me?"
She smiled and reached up to trace his jaw line. "Because I loved you. And Monica was on a mission to keep us together, no matter how stupid we were acting." She laughed at the mock angry face he made.
"You mean it had nothing to do with ME?"
She laughed again and added, "I said I loved you, what more do you want?"
Ross smiled, and leaned forward to kiss her gently, "nothing at all."
"Good. Now go tell your kids goodnight."
Ross carefully got up, with Rachel still in his arms, kissed her one more time, and went into Jamie's room. Still smiling, Rachel went into the kitchen and flipped off the light switch, but not before glancing at the unfinished dishes. oh well, those can wait for the morning, she thought. After flipping off the living room light, she made her way to the bedroom.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SO??!!! How did you like it??? This was my first fic, so don't be tooooo mean, but I do like any idea's on how to make it better. And don't worry, Monica, Chandler, Phoebe, and Joey, and everyone else will be in the next chapter.
~Hannah