Monica smiled as she smoothed down the beautiful wedding dress. There was a light tap at the door before Chandler slid into the room.
"Everything's ready. Are you?" the bride stared at herself in the mirror, the reflection of the dress was the embodiment of everything she wanted, or thought she wanted, or had wanted. She wasn't sure now whether it was past or present but she knew that the wedding was now. She was going to walk down that aisle and she would become someone's wife. The other half, someone's life partner. She grabbed the hands of her two best friends. She smiled at them. She stepped into the aisle as the music began she walked. Joey smiled at Phoebe, she looked beautiful. He could hardly believe it, a wedding. It seemed like only yesterday he and Rachel had been together and now look at where they were, apart. Joey couldn't help but watch, memorized, as the beautiful bride glided down the aisle towards him. She stood there and looked no where but at him.
"Dearly beloved we are gathered here today to celebrate the joyous union of Rachel and Ross." As the priest spoke those words they pierced Joey's heart. He turned again towards Phoebe, his girlfriend. He could have laughed out loud at that word, he and Phoebe could never be truly an item in that sense. He realised that she loved him, but there was where it ended. Rachel had taught him to love, she had also taken all the love he had to offer. Standing here, as Ross' best man, again, as he married the one woman Joey could ever love. Chandler leaned backwards slightly.
"Beautiful isn't she?" Joey couldn't speak a word, merely nodded his head. Chandler continued, though Joey surmised it was more to himself than to him. "She never bloomed like this when she was carrying Ross' ba…" His mouth closed and he stood up bolt straight. But Joey knew what the rest of the sentence was. If only he'd known before this moment, if only he'd had chance to talk to her about it before now. But he hadn't, it was too late, she was marrying Ross knowing she wasn't having Ross' baby but his!
"And if anyone here knows of some reason why these two should not be joined let them speak now or forever hold their peace." The priest paused and Joey considered declaring his love for Rachel, but then he saw Phoebe. Wonderful Phoebe who had been his best friend, who had in times gone by been the only one who understood him who laughed with him and not at him, who saw things the way he did and didn't always understand the smarter ones of the group. Amazing Phoebe who he surely would have gone under without after Rachel's departure, and she was staring at him, mouthing the words of the vows which were to come and he knew she was doing it to him, in her mind it was them up at the altar in a ceremony to entwine their lives forever. And he couldn't do it to her, so he smiled at her instead and she smiled back.
Monica caught Chandler's eye, she didn't know whether he had told Joey or not, she had no clue whether Joey would say something so she knew she had to, against the warnings clearly held in Chandler's eyes she opened her mouth to say it, to say she objected but before she could the priest continued.
"Repeat after me, I, Ross take thee Rachel."
"I, Ross, take thee Rachel."
"To be my lawful wedded wife, to love, honour and to cherish, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health until death do us part."
"To be my lawful wedded wife, to love, honour and to…"
"STOP!" the priest's mouth hung open, as did Ross' waiting to continue, on his fourth marriage. All eyes swung to the person who had called the ceremony to a halt, including Rachel's. "You can't do this, it's wrong." Ross' face clouded with confusion.
"Why is it?"
"Because it's not your baby!" A gasp rippled through the assembled crowd and Rachel's mom grasped her sister's arm in shock. Dr Green sprang to his feet as did the Gellars. Rachel stared wide eyed unable to believe her own ears. "She doesn't love you either, she's in love with the baby's father, and even though he hasn't told her he loves her too."
"Joey what are you talking about? Don't be so stupid." Joey's face was a mask of pain.
"I'm not being stupid, and the reason I know all that is because, I love Rachel and I am the father of her baby." Joey paused and then turned towards the white faced Rachel. "Rach I love you, I don't care about the past or how much this gonna hurt people, the group of us, I can't imagine spending another day without you and I can't watch you marry someone else." All eyes in the room swung to Rachel. She looked between Joey and Ross, she looked round at all her friends and family, and Ross' family. Her eyes settled first on her children, while one hand rested on her unborn child, then on Phoebe, her friend stood still, her face was deathly pale and though she did not cry tears prickled at her eyes. The irony of this decision struck her and she chuckled to herself, but she knew she couldn't run, she had thought 5 years ago that she could run from this decision, but she couldn't. She had to make a choice, she had to either choose Ross and lose Joey, or risk everything on him. She cleared her throat, about to speak. She felt a warm hand on her back and knew it was Monica's, she saw Chandler's reassuring smile and she knew.
"Ross, I love you, you're the father of my little girl. You're the first person I ever truly loved and we had something so special. But that was over for us both years ago and Joey's right this is wrong, because we don't love each other. And he's also right that the baby I am carrying is his." Ross stared at her, his princess of Lincoln High, and then he realised, she wasn't that girl anymore. She was Rachel and he didn't know if he loved Rachel, he didn't know Rachel, he knew and loved the Lincoln High Prom Queen. But he did love his daughter, just like he knew Joey did. Joey loved both mother and child. He nodded his head, not saying a word, nor betraying a feeling. Rachel turned to Joey. "Joey, god when I left, hell when I came back I never imagined being stood here in this position, but I guess love is unexpected, all I know is that I can't be without you another day either. And I'm sorry if it hurts people, but being away from you, kills me. I love you Joey." Tears slipped down her cheeks and Joey stepped forward and smoothed them away with his thumb, he stared into her eyes and he kissed her.
Short Chapter I know but I didn't know whether I should continue this, how their lives are affected and what happens or just leave it at this. Plz let me know.