July 20, 2004
"That's the last of it," Ross announced as he walked into the new Geller home. He put the last box down beside the stairs and looked over at Rachel. He had prohibited her from lifting anything heavy, although she was convinced that she could lift heavier things than Ross could. But anyway, Ross didn't want her to exert herself or the twins.
When Ross looked at Rachel, he saw that she had fallen asleep on the couch that had already been placed in the den. Emma was sleeping in her play pen, so Ross sat down beside the couch and moved a strand of hair out of Rachel's eyes. She was so beautiful, even when she slept. She had this peaceful glow about her that made Ross feel very good.
A knock came to the front door and Ross walked over to answer it. Monica was standing there with two-month-olds Jack and Erica in her arms.
"Mon? What's going on?" Ross asked as his younger sister walked into the house. She had tears in her eyes, and Ross could see that she had a suitcase packed out in the car.
"I'm leaving Chandler!"
"What?!" Monica found Emma's play pen and put the sleeping twins down inside of it with Emma. Rachel woke up and sat up quickly.
"What's going on?" the tired woman asked.
"I'm leaving chandler."
"What?!"
"That's what I said," Ross muttered.
"Let's go talk about this in the kitchen," Rachel suggested. The three walked out of the room, taking a baby monitor with them. They sat down at the kitchen table, and Ross put on a kettle of tea.
"Okay, do you want to talk about it?" Monica stared at her older brother as if he had asked the dumbest question in the world. But he was her big brother, and he was looking out for her. Her angry glance turned soft and she put her hand over his.
"Chandler doesn't know how to handle this."
"Honey, you can't leave him for that," Rachel reminded.
"Look, I've had to quit my job because Chandler is never home. I have to take care of the children by myself. I have to feed them, clothe them, diaper them, and put them to bed. It's not easy alone."
"If you leave Chandler, it'll be even harder."
"I'll manage."
"Don't you love him?"
"Of course I do, Rach! I love him so much. I'll never stop loving him. He just needs to grow up and realize that he has a family that needs him. We love him, but he is afraid to be around."
"He's just scared that he's going to screw it up," Ross explained. "Monica, you've spent years pointing out Chandler's mistakes. You correct him when he's wrong and you even yell at him for things. You need to stop being so critical of him."
"Oh right, Ross, I guess this is all my fault now!" Monica yelled.
"Well, Ross has a point. Chandler doesn't like to be reprimanded. He doesn't want to be treated like a child because he's not. He has his own children now. Monica, you guys are parents together. You need to learn how to do this together."
"I know," Monica responded quietly. "I just hate doing this alone."
"So don't do it alone. I'll talk to him. If he doesn't straighten up, he'll get that ass-kicking I talked to him about before your wedding." Ross left the room and grabbed his keys to go search for Chandler. When the girls were alone, Rachel sighed heavily.
"You're so lucky, Rachel," Monica said with the same heavy sigh.
"So are you," Rachel replied.
"But I envy you."
"I envy you too." The girls both laughed.
"Are you happy with my brother?"
"Yeah. Of course I am. I love Ross so much, you know? He's a wonderful father and husband. He knows exactly the right things to do this time around."
"I'm glad my brother has grown up. The poor guy has been through a lot."
"So has Chandler. He had to go from having the attitude of a horny fourteen-year-old to being a husband and then being a father of twins. The guy is probably in shock."
"Yeah, that's probably true," Monica said with a laugh. "I don't know why I panicked. I guess I'll go talk to him when Ross is done." Rachel leaned over to hug her friend. "Thank you for being supportive of me during my freak out."
"Don't worry. That's what friends are for."
A bit later that afternoon, Ross walked back into his home. He had already talked to Chandler and warned to kick his ass again. Monica had arrived at the house with the twins just as Ross was leaving, and she had talked with Chandler. Ross hoped that everything would work out.
When he walked into the kitchen, Ross saw Rachel sitting on the counter with a bowl of ice cream in her hands.
"Hey sweetie," he said with a smile. "Where's Emma."
"She was so tired that I took her up to bed for the night."
"Alright. You feeling okay?"
"Yeah. Hey, did Monica and the twins get home?"
"Yeah," Ross said with a sigh, "and I had my talk with Chandler." Rachel laughed a little.
"You need to stop being so over-protective. Monica is a big girl. She can take care of herself, you know?"
"I know. I just feel like I need to look out for her."
"Well, just don't focus on her and Chandler so much. Just let them be a family and be parents together."
"I think I can do that."
"Good. Now, do you want to unpack tonight or call it quits until tomorrow?"
"Well, we haven't exactly broken the house in yet," Ross said with a suggestive wink. Rachel laughed and took Ross' hands. They headed upstairs, but before they retired in their bedroom for the night, they checked on Emma, who was sleeping soundly in her room. There were boxes scattered everywhere, and Emma was sleeping in her bed.
Ross put his arms around Rachel's waist and rested his hands on her belly as she leaned against his chest. They stood that way for the longest time just watching their daughter sleep.
"She looks so beautiful," Rachel whispered.
"That's because she looks like you." Rachel turned in Ross' arms and kissed him lovingly. Soon, they retired to their bedroom to 'break in' their new home.
"That's the last of it," Ross announced as he walked into the new Geller home. He put the last box down beside the stairs and looked over at Rachel. He had prohibited her from lifting anything heavy, although she was convinced that she could lift heavier things than Ross could. But anyway, Ross didn't want her to exert herself or the twins.
When Ross looked at Rachel, he saw that she had fallen asleep on the couch that had already been placed in the den. Emma was sleeping in her play pen, so Ross sat down beside the couch and moved a strand of hair out of Rachel's eyes. She was so beautiful, even when she slept. She had this peaceful glow about her that made Ross feel very good.
A knock came to the front door and Ross walked over to answer it. Monica was standing there with two-month-olds Jack and Erica in her arms.
"Mon? What's going on?" Ross asked as his younger sister walked into the house. She had tears in her eyes, and Ross could see that she had a suitcase packed out in the car.
"I'm leaving Chandler!"
"What?!" Monica found Emma's play pen and put the sleeping twins down inside of it with Emma. Rachel woke up and sat up quickly.
"What's going on?" the tired woman asked.
"I'm leaving chandler."
"What?!"
"That's what I said," Ross muttered.
"Let's go talk about this in the kitchen," Rachel suggested. The three walked out of the room, taking a baby monitor with them. They sat down at the kitchen table, and Ross put on a kettle of tea.
"Okay, do you want to talk about it?" Monica stared at her older brother as if he had asked the dumbest question in the world. But he was her big brother, and he was looking out for her. Her angry glance turned soft and she put her hand over his.
"Chandler doesn't know how to handle this."
"Honey, you can't leave him for that," Rachel reminded.
"Look, I've had to quit my job because Chandler is never home. I have to take care of the children by myself. I have to feed them, clothe them, diaper them, and put them to bed. It's not easy alone."
"If you leave Chandler, it'll be even harder."
"I'll manage."
"Don't you love him?"
"Of course I do, Rach! I love him so much. I'll never stop loving him. He just needs to grow up and realize that he has a family that needs him. We love him, but he is afraid to be around."
"He's just scared that he's going to screw it up," Ross explained. "Monica, you've spent years pointing out Chandler's mistakes. You correct him when he's wrong and you even yell at him for things. You need to stop being so critical of him."
"Oh right, Ross, I guess this is all my fault now!" Monica yelled.
"Well, Ross has a point. Chandler doesn't like to be reprimanded. He doesn't want to be treated like a child because he's not. He has his own children now. Monica, you guys are parents together. You need to learn how to do this together."
"I know," Monica responded quietly. "I just hate doing this alone."
"So don't do it alone. I'll talk to him. If he doesn't straighten up, he'll get that ass-kicking I talked to him about before your wedding." Ross left the room and grabbed his keys to go search for Chandler. When the girls were alone, Rachel sighed heavily.
"You're so lucky, Rachel," Monica said with the same heavy sigh.
"So are you," Rachel replied.
"But I envy you."
"I envy you too." The girls both laughed.
"Are you happy with my brother?"
"Yeah. Of course I am. I love Ross so much, you know? He's a wonderful father and husband. He knows exactly the right things to do this time around."
"I'm glad my brother has grown up. The poor guy has been through a lot."
"So has Chandler. He had to go from having the attitude of a horny fourteen-year-old to being a husband and then being a father of twins. The guy is probably in shock."
"Yeah, that's probably true," Monica said with a laugh. "I don't know why I panicked. I guess I'll go talk to him when Ross is done." Rachel leaned over to hug her friend. "Thank you for being supportive of me during my freak out."
"Don't worry. That's what friends are for."
A bit later that afternoon, Ross walked back into his home. He had already talked to Chandler and warned to kick his ass again. Monica had arrived at the house with the twins just as Ross was leaving, and she had talked with Chandler. Ross hoped that everything would work out.
When he walked into the kitchen, Ross saw Rachel sitting on the counter with a bowl of ice cream in her hands.
"Hey sweetie," he said with a smile. "Where's Emma."
"She was so tired that I took her up to bed for the night."
"Alright. You feeling okay?"
"Yeah. Hey, did Monica and the twins get home?"
"Yeah," Ross said with a sigh, "and I had my talk with Chandler." Rachel laughed a little.
"You need to stop being so over-protective. Monica is a big girl. She can take care of herself, you know?"
"I know. I just feel like I need to look out for her."
"Well, just don't focus on her and Chandler so much. Just let them be a family and be parents together."
"I think I can do that."
"Good. Now, do you want to unpack tonight or call it quits until tomorrow?"
"Well, we haven't exactly broken the house in yet," Ross said with a suggestive wink. Rachel laughed and took Ross' hands. They headed upstairs, but before they retired in their bedroom for the night, they checked on Emma, who was sleeping soundly in her room. There were boxes scattered everywhere, and Emma was sleeping in her bed.
Ross put his arms around Rachel's waist and rested his hands on her belly as she leaned against his chest. They stood that way for the longest time just watching their daughter sleep.
"She looks so beautiful," Rachel whispered.
"That's because she looks like you." Rachel turned in Ross' arms and kissed him lovingly. Soon, they retired to their bedroom to 'break in' their new home.