AN: Thank you for all of your extensive feedback on this story. I realize that some folks think that this story has been dragged on too long, but it is going to take me a few more chapters to write myself out of the whole I've dug here. Please be patient!
One note—time wise, this chapter starts around the same time the last chapter started, and ends around the time the last chapter ended. Confused? Me too.
Oh, and just in case you were wondering, I don't own any of the original show characters. I know you were wondering.
The Age of Aquarius
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Echoes of the Past, Part II
She looked up at the clock again, and ran a nervous hand through her hair.
She'd never been so nervous…anxious…terrified, in all her life.
Somehow, some way, Ross had been able to convince her to marry him, so that he could get out of his sticky situation with the Vietnamese government and get his son back.
Now all she had to do was tell Joey.
The clock continued to tick, and she felt a wave of nausea course through her. He wasn't going to understand—she already knew that.
He was still so fragile, and so insecure. She didn't want to destroy what they had…to destroy him.
But she and Ross had a history…and she felt a connection with him that she did not have with anyone else. She needed to ensure that he would be okay, whether she was with him or not.
She sighed, and began pacing the room, her nervous energy making her tremble and sweat. She suddenly felt dizzy; so she leaned against the wall, and closed her eyes.
The apartment door opened slowly. She kept her eyes closed, but she could hear the distinctive squeak of Joey's wheelchair. Slowly, she opened her eyes, and forced herself to smile.
"Hey, Rach, what are you doing here?" Joey asked cheerfully, his eyes lighting up as he wheeled across the apartment.
"I, um…I wanted to talk to you," Rachel struggled to keep her voice steady and even, but a rebellious tear spilled from her eye and onto her cheek, shattering the façade.
"Wh-what's wrong?" Joey's voice was filled with concern, and Rachel felt a dagger of guilt course through her. Why did he have to be so damned concerned about her well being? Why did he have to be so sweet?
"It's about Ross," Rachel managed to sputter, her voice now shaky and small.
"What about him?" Joey's eyes narrowed slightly, and his voice took on a decidedly hostile tone.
"He…his son…is stuck in Vietnam. R-Ross…he needs to be married in order to get him out…"
"Wow, that's…awful. Who's he going to marry?" Joey asked, though the look in his eyes told Rachel that he already knew the answer.
"I made him swear that as soon as the adoption goes through, he and I were to get an annulment. I have no intention of staying married to him, Joey, I swear," Rachel spoke quickly, trying to rattle off as much information as she could.
"W-well, why does he have to marry you? What about…other people?" Joey asked, his anger rising.
"Joey, I'm his friend…and I'm just helping him out. He has no one else."
"But he's in love with you," Joey said, tears forming in his eyes, "He loves you so much."
"But I love you," Rachel whispered, and lowered herself into Joey's lap slowly. She ran her hand down Joey's face, "I love you, and I will be back," she whispered.
Joey said nothing. He took a shaky breath, then nodded slowly, before gently pushing Rachel off of his lap.
"I can't…see you, while you're married to him," he stated flatly, and turned away from Rachel.
"I swear to you…it won't be long…as soon as Ross has his son—"
"I know," Joey interrupted harshly, then wheeled into his bedroom, "call me when it's over," he said, then closed the door.
Rachel stood in the center of the living room, her head reeling. Doubts were beginning to mount inside of her, and she suddenly felt completely isolated. She wanted nothing more, than to make Joey understand—to make him see that she loved him, more than she'd loved anyone.
But then there was Ross, and all that she had been through with him. The pain and longing she'd felt the day he'd left was still very much real for her—and though she'd managed her own closure with him when she'd heard he was dead, she knew that she would again need to find closure with him, now that he was home again. She knew that he still loved her, and it hurt her to know that he was in pain.
She loved Joey.
And Ross would have to accept that.
*
Six Months Later
Ross laid his slumbering son down into his crib slowly, careful not to wake him. He watched him for several minutes, his tiny hands curled into fists, his full red lips rounded and slightly parted, as he snored softly.
It amazed him how he could fall in love with someone in an instant—but he had.
As soon as they brought his son off of the plane, and set him in his arms, Ross knew that this little person would be his entire world.
He'd named the baby Jonathan…simply because he felt that it suited him.
Ross ran his finger over Jonathan's cheek softly, then sighed contently, and made his way into the living room.
Rachel was leaned up against the living room window, staring out into the night sky. The moonlight touched her face softly, giving her an ethereal glow that made her appear dreamlike.
And he supposed, in a way, that's what she was—a dream—just out of reach.
She had made it clear that she would only stay until all of the paperwork had gone through. But Ross wasn't ready to let her go…to let her walk out of his life.
Having her here made everything in his life feel complete, and Ross was not prepared to give that up.
He wanted her to remember what they once were…he needed her to love him again.
In his own mind, he felt justified in not telling Rachel the truth—that the paperwork had all gone through, and that Jonathan was officially his.
All he needed was a few more weeks…Rachel had to see…had to feel the love she'd held for him in the past.
She looked up at him, and he smiled warmly.
"How is he?" she asked.
"He's asleep," Ross nodded, and Rachel smiled.
"He's such a good baby…you're a very lucky daddy."
"Well, I don't think I would have gotten through all of this without you," Ross replied softly.
Rachel smiled, and approached Ross slowly. Ross felt his heart begin to race.
"I think you'll be fine on your own," Rachel said, "and I will always be around to help, I swear."
"Thanks, Rach," Ross smiled, and pulled Rachel into an embrace. He held her for a moment, more, until she pulled away slightly, to look up at him.
"I'm really proud of you, sweetie," Rachel whispered.
Ross nodded slightly, then leaned toward Rachel slowly. When she didn't pull away, he leaned closer, his lips softly grazing hers.
The phone rang, jerking them from the moment. Rachel pulled away, and picked up the phone.
"Hello? Monica? Wh-what happened? What? When? Okay, we'll be right there."
Ross pushed his disappointment aside, and looked at Rachel, concerned.
"What is it?"
"It's Joey. He took a bunch of pills," Rachel's voice was shaky and filled with grief, "They're at the hospital—we have to go."
Ross stood rooted to his spot, as Rachel rushed around the apartment, gathering her jacket, purse and keys.
"I—I should wait until Jonathan wakes up…you should go…I'll meet you there."
Rachel nodded wordlessly, her mind barely registering what Ross had said. She rushed out the door, and Ross sunk to the sofa, his head spinning.
He could feel guilt creep into him, as he ran every scenario through his head—each of them, laced with the hope that Rachel would stay by his side.
The thoughts that consumed him made him sick, as he began to realize, that no matter what happened to Joey, he would have to tell Rachel the truth.
He would have to let her go.
