Title: The One Where Rachel Realizes She Was Wrong (The Last One Done Right)
Author: molly22
Summary: Rachel wakes up after sleeping with Ross and realizes she doesn't love him. There's only one problem–he's realized he's madly in love with her. My version of how the last episode should have gone.
Disclaimer: I don't own Friends. Don't sue me. For entertainment (and the relieving of frustration at my disappointment of the last episode) only.
------------------------------------------
"Good morning, sweetie," a bleary-eyed Ross Geller whispered to the lump beside him that was Rachel Green. Her body face were hidden mostly under the covers, but the top of her dark blonde head stuck out, her hair tangled. Even the top of her head seemed beautiful to him.
Rachel rolled over and peeked at her ex-boyfriend, ex-husband, and the father of her child, through slitted eyes. How had she ended up in bed with him? Then she remembered. His goodbye, or lack therof, and her confession had led to this. As he smiled happily at her, she felt the bile rise up in the back of her throat. 'It's because you mean more to me. It's because you mean more to me. It's because you mean more to me.' Her own words echoed in her ears. How could she have said that?
Ross curled up closer to her and cupped her hand in his. "Last night was...amazing." He took a deep breath and looked into her eyes. "It was perfect."
She forced a grin. "Yeah," she managed to say. "I've, uh, I've got to go."
"Oh," Ross said, and she couldn't help but notice his disappointment. However, she remained silent.
Once she finished buttoning her pants and making sure her shirt was on right, she turned to face him. "I'll-I'll talk to you later, okay?" Jokingly, she added, "I won't leave for Paris without saying goodbye. I've learned my lesson." And she left.
---------------------------------
Curled up in her bed, Rachel cried. She cried for everything she'd done. She cried because she'd screwed everything up. She cried because Ross thought she loved him, that she was in love with him.
She wasn't.
She wanted to be. It would be easier that way, she knew. They were Ross and Rachel. They were meant to be together. But she couldn't force herself to be in love with him, much as she tried. She used to be able to love him. She did love him, years before. But now...
Now everything was different. Everything was all changed up and switched around, and she didn't know who she loved. Or if she loved anyone. She loved her friends, but it wasn't the same kind of love. And she loved her daughter. And she was taking that job in Paris.
No matter what.
--------------------------------------------
Joey looked up from the baby chick and the baby duck to see Ross entering the apartment. "Hey," he greeted quickly. "How'd it go with Rachel last night?"
"We, uh, we worked things out," Ross answered vaguely.
Phoebe quirked an eyebrow and said, "What's with the huge smile? Did something happen between you two?"
"Well," Ross said, indeed grinning like a madman. "I'm not one to kiss and tell." A pause. "But I'm also not one to have sex and shut up. We totally did it!"
-------------------------------------
In the next room, Rachel fumed. He was just telling all of them? Was that really Joey and Phoebe's business? She buried her head under a pillow. She didn't want to hear any more.
---------------------------------------------
"Are you two getting back together?" Joey wondered.
"I don't know," Ross said. "We didn't have a chance to talk. But...I want to. I do. Last night, it just felt so...right, you know."
"Well, you are Ross and Rachel," said Phoebe pointedly. "It always feels right between you two."
Ross glowed. "We are right together. We're perfect together."
Phoebe said, "Is she still going to Paris?"
"I don't know. She made a joke about it, but I don't know if she really is going. Is she here?"
"She's asleep," said Joey.
"Oh, okay." Ross sighed. "I'll just...go then. Bye."
"Bye," Joey and Phoebe said at the same time. Phoebe turned to him and said, "I got to go, too. Brunch with Mike, my husband."
"I know he's your husband."
Phoebe smiled happily over her shoulder as she left. "I just like saying it. My husband. Yay for me!"
Joey laughed at his friend, then looked back at the poultry in the box in front of him. "Hey, little guys. Monica and Chandler are gonna love you!" His eyes widened suddenly, and he grabbed the phone and dialed. The answering machine went off. "It's me. I forgot to tell you earlier..."
-------------------------------------------
"...You're an almost adopted uncle! Erica went into labor last night. Mon and Chandler are at the hospital now. They're gonna call later. Bye."
Ross hit the delete button on his answering machine. It was the best day ever. Monica and Chandler were getting their baby, and he and Rachel were back together.
Weren't they?
He honestly didn't know. He hoped so. He prayed that they were. He loved her so much, and he knew it. And he had to keep her from going to Paris.
---------------------------------------
Joey knocked hesitantly on Rachel's bedroom door . He didn't want to wake her, but he couldn't wait to talk to her about Ross. She really was his best friend, other than Chandler, and he wanted to know what everyone wanted to know–Were she and Ross getting back together?
"What do you want?" Rachel's muffled voice asked him.
He pushed the door open and saw her laying on her bed, her head buried in the covers. "Ross came over to see you," he began cautiously, sensing she wasn't in a good mood.
"Oh god," she groaned as she rolled over to face him. "Joey, what am I going to do? He thinks...I think he thinks I'm in love with him."
He sat on the edge of her bed. "Are you?"
"No," she said. "No! No! No!" She took a deep breath. "GODDAMN IT! I DO NOT LOVE ROSS!"
"Okay," he said. "So...you don't love Ross. Why did you guys...you know, last night?"
"I don't know." She shrugged. "I...may have told him that he meant more to me than you guys, and that's why I didn't say goodbye. And at that time, I really thought he did mean more. But I woke up this morning knowing. Knowing I loved him, but not like that. Knowing I used to love him like that, but I don't anymore."
"You have to tell him," Joey said. "You can't let him think...what he thinks. He doesn't deserve that."
"I know. I know. He doesn't. But he's the father of my child. I don't want to alienate him."
Joey frowned at her. "I don't think that you tell him you don't love him is going to get him abducted."
"No," Rachel said. "What I mean is--" She glanced at him. "Oh, never mind."
"You have to tell him, and that's that. But, if you want to make it easier, why don't you try rehearsing it on me. I know that when I get a script, it makes it easier to do the scene if we rehearse it." Rachel stared at him, a look seeming to say "Duh." But she nodded in agreement, and he said, "Good. Go."
She took a deep breath. "Ross, I...I know that last night I told you that you meant more to me than everyone else. And I really thought you did. But, here's the thing–you don't. You still mean so much to me, don't get me wrong. I still love you, like I love, say, Chandler. I'm just not in love with you."
Joey smiled. "See, that wasn't so hard."
"But you're Joey and not Ross, so it doesn't affect you like it does him."
"He won't get mad," Joey said, "if he does love you. He'll understand because he loves you. He'll want you to be happy because he loves you."
Rachel sighed. The sigh was full of despair, sadness, regret, and something else. Relief. Relief that soon it would all be over.
-----------------------------------
End of chapter.
---------------------------------------
A/N: So, what do you think?? Good or bad, I'd like to know. In fact, if it is bad, I'd REALLY like to know.
Author: molly22
Summary: Rachel wakes up after sleeping with Ross and realizes she doesn't love him. There's only one problem–he's realized he's madly in love with her. My version of how the last episode should have gone.
Disclaimer: I don't own Friends. Don't sue me. For entertainment (and the relieving of frustration at my disappointment of the last episode) only.
------------------------------------------
"Good morning, sweetie," a bleary-eyed Ross Geller whispered to the lump beside him that was Rachel Green. Her body face were hidden mostly under the covers, but the top of her dark blonde head stuck out, her hair tangled. Even the top of her head seemed beautiful to him.
Rachel rolled over and peeked at her ex-boyfriend, ex-husband, and the father of her child, through slitted eyes. How had she ended up in bed with him? Then she remembered. His goodbye, or lack therof, and her confession had led to this. As he smiled happily at her, she felt the bile rise up in the back of her throat. 'It's because you mean more to me. It's because you mean more to me. It's because you mean more to me.' Her own words echoed in her ears. How could she have said that?
Ross curled up closer to her and cupped her hand in his. "Last night was...amazing." He took a deep breath and looked into her eyes. "It was perfect."
She forced a grin. "Yeah," she managed to say. "I've, uh, I've got to go."
"Oh," Ross said, and she couldn't help but notice his disappointment. However, she remained silent.
Once she finished buttoning her pants and making sure her shirt was on right, she turned to face him. "I'll-I'll talk to you later, okay?" Jokingly, she added, "I won't leave for Paris without saying goodbye. I've learned my lesson." And she left.
---------------------------------
Curled up in her bed, Rachel cried. She cried for everything she'd done. She cried because she'd screwed everything up. She cried because Ross thought she loved him, that she was in love with him.
She wasn't.
She wanted to be. It would be easier that way, she knew. They were Ross and Rachel. They were meant to be together. But she couldn't force herself to be in love with him, much as she tried. She used to be able to love him. She did love him, years before. But now...
Now everything was different. Everything was all changed up and switched around, and she didn't know who she loved. Or if she loved anyone. She loved her friends, but it wasn't the same kind of love. And she loved her daughter. And she was taking that job in Paris.
No matter what.
--------------------------------------------
Joey looked up from the baby chick and the baby duck to see Ross entering the apartment. "Hey," he greeted quickly. "How'd it go with Rachel last night?"
"We, uh, we worked things out," Ross answered vaguely.
Phoebe quirked an eyebrow and said, "What's with the huge smile? Did something happen between you two?"
"Well," Ross said, indeed grinning like a madman. "I'm not one to kiss and tell." A pause. "But I'm also not one to have sex and shut up. We totally did it!"
-------------------------------------
In the next room, Rachel fumed. He was just telling all of them? Was that really Joey and Phoebe's business? She buried her head under a pillow. She didn't want to hear any more.
---------------------------------------------
"Are you two getting back together?" Joey wondered.
"I don't know," Ross said. "We didn't have a chance to talk. But...I want to. I do. Last night, it just felt so...right, you know."
"Well, you are Ross and Rachel," said Phoebe pointedly. "It always feels right between you two."
Ross glowed. "We are right together. We're perfect together."
Phoebe said, "Is she still going to Paris?"
"I don't know. She made a joke about it, but I don't know if she really is going. Is she here?"
"She's asleep," said Joey.
"Oh, okay." Ross sighed. "I'll just...go then. Bye."
"Bye," Joey and Phoebe said at the same time. Phoebe turned to him and said, "I got to go, too. Brunch with Mike, my husband."
"I know he's your husband."
Phoebe smiled happily over her shoulder as she left. "I just like saying it. My husband. Yay for me!"
Joey laughed at his friend, then looked back at the poultry in the box in front of him. "Hey, little guys. Monica and Chandler are gonna love you!" His eyes widened suddenly, and he grabbed the phone and dialed. The answering machine went off. "It's me. I forgot to tell you earlier..."
-------------------------------------------
"...You're an almost adopted uncle! Erica went into labor last night. Mon and Chandler are at the hospital now. They're gonna call later. Bye."
Ross hit the delete button on his answering machine. It was the best day ever. Monica and Chandler were getting their baby, and he and Rachel were back together.
Weren't they?
He honestly didn't know. He hoped so. He prayed that they were. He loved her so much, and he knew it. And he had to keep her from going to Paris.
---------------------------------------
Joey knocked hesitantly on Rachel's bedroom door . He didn't want to wake her, but he couldn't wait to talk to her about Ross. She really was his best friend, other than Chandler, and he wanted to know what everyone wanted to know–Were she and Ross getting back together?
"What do you want?" Rachel's muffled voice asked him.
He pushed the door open and saw her laying on her bed, her head buried in the covers. "Ross came over to see you," he began cautiously, sensing she wasn't in a good mood.
"Oh god," she groaned as she rolled over to face him. "Joey, what am I going to do? He thinks...I think he thinks I'm in love with him."
He sat on the edge of her bed. "Are you?"
"No," she said. "No! No! No!" She took a deep breath. "GODDAMN IT! I DO NOT LOVE ROSS!"
"Okay," he said. "So...you don't love Ross. Why did you guys...you know, last night?"
"I don't know." She shrugged. "I...may have told him that he meant more to me than you guys, and that's why I didn't say goodbye. And at that time, I really thought he did mean more. But I woke up this morning knowing. Knowing I loved him, but not like that. Knowing I used to love him like that, but I don't anymore."
"You have to tell him," Joey said. "You can't let him think...what he thinks. He doesn't deserve that."
"I know. I know. He doesn't. But he's the father of my child. I don't want to alienate him."
Joey frowned at her. "I don't think that you tell him you don't love him is going to get him abducted."
"No," Rachel said. "What I mean is--" She glanced at him. "Oh, never mind."
"You have to tell him, and that's that. But, if you want to make it easier, why don't you try rehearsing it on me. I know that when I get a script, it makes it easier to do the scene if we rehearse it." Rachel stared at him, a look seeming to say "Duh." But she nodded in agreement, and he said, "Good. Go."
She took a deep breath. "Ross, I...I know that last night I told you that you meant more to me than everyone else. And I really thought you did. But, here's the thing–you don't. You still mean so much to me, don't get me wrong. I still love you, like I love, say, Chandler. I'm just not in love with you."
Joey smiled. "See, that wasn't so hard."
"But you're Joey and not Ross, so it doesn't affect you like it does him."
"He won't get mad," Joey said, "if he does love you. He'll understand because he loves you. He'll want you to be happy because he loves you."
Rachel sighed. The sigh was full of despair, sadness, regret, and something else. Relief. Relief that soon it would all be over.
-----------------------------------
End of chapter.
---------------------------------------
A/N: So, what do you think?? Good or bad, I'd like to know. In fact, if it is bad, I'd REALLY like to know.