I know someone else has used this title but that story hasn't been updated for ages - will it ever?
Just One Problem
Ross was tired. He'd get used to living up town, but the travel was taking its toll on him. Of course he was going home to Emily so at least it wasn't as bad as it had been three weeks before, when she still hadn't arrived and he was arriving to an empty apartment. He'd been so afraid that she wouldn't come after all, that somehow she'd slip away forever. She'd wanted continual reassurance about Rachel and he dreaded her finding something else she wanted to change. He couldn't imagine what else she could change but he knew he just wouldn't be able to handle it.
If only he had thought before opening his mouth and focussed on the here and now. And to be caught leaving with Rachel, that was even worse — thank God he could prove that he hadn't boarded that plane with her. That had been such a stupid thing to do — but he'd been upset and Rachel was his friend. He knew that this may not have been quite how Rachel saw their relationship. He remembered Rachel's declaration of love — but that was how Rachel felt, that wasn't how he felt, but Emily was having a hard time believing that. If he hadn't been able to prove he hadn't taken the flight with Rachel, Emily would never have spoken to him again, not that he had had an easy time getting her to talk to him as it was.
He had expected a show of temper in response to his messing up the vows — she was quite capable of it. He knew what to do with temper — he had one of his own — and a row between them to clear the air would have been just what they needed. She'd started on a row, before she shut herself in the bathroom. She was supposed to be still in the bathroom ready to continue when he came to get her out. Her response of running away and hiding had surprised and perplexed him. He wasn't used to people who did that, and it was the last thing he had expected her to do. He supposed he had a lot to learn about her still. They hardly knew each other.
Had they married too soon? He just hadn't seen any other way out of the problem of not being able to see her as often as he wanted. If she was just a girlfriend, living in London, she could leave him at any time. He had never imagined that the circumstances would be such that she might leave him anyway.
The first two weeks with Emily had been great. It had been, apart from the fact that he had had to work, almost like the honeymoon they'd missed. He'd taken her back to Vermont again for the weekend which had made them both happy and also made him happy to see her happy. In some ways, the early times in Vermont had been their honeymoon.
Wouldn't it be lovely if we could live here,' she had enthused. But that was clearly impossible, and she had run up to him, taking his arm with a sigh, finishing, At least it's always going to be here, for us to come back to.'
'We'll always come back,' he'd said.
There had been a family dinner and apart from a few jokes about people forgetting their lines and women who played hard to get, it had gone well. His father in the interests of helping them reconcile had generously avoided jokes about wine cellars and non jokes about how expensive the whole business was. He saved those for Ross when he was on his own.
Monica had been there, friendly, but in Ross's opinion a little reserved. She was still annoyed with him for agreeing to stop seeing Rachel — and for the fact that he hadn't tackled Emily on the subject yet. She had told him that once Emily settled in, calmed down, she should be made to reconsider the whole issue. It was one thing to do it to get her to come to New York, it was another to keep on agreeing.
When she's with you she won't feel so insecure and she should be able to relax about Rachel, as long as you make her feel she's got your love.'
'I do,' Ross protested. But he hadn't dared bring it up with Emily in case she left him in those first days. Emily, who didn't know Monica very well, didn't seem to notice her reserve, but maybe that was because she was focussed on his parents.
On the whole, he was happy but there was one thing wrong. He wanted to share his happiness with his friends but it was so hard to see them. He'd caught up with Chandler, as well as with Monica but he hadn't been able to drop in at Central Perk.
You're not living in this part of town anyway,' Monica had said. Rachel lives around here so she should be able to drop in any time she wants without checking with you first. You're the one who has to stay away, not here.' Well that was fair, sort of.
That meant organising to meet, but it was hard to organise something with everyone but Rachel and it didn't feel right anyway. The great thing about Central Perk was that everyone was able to drop in whenever they felt like it. No-one had to make appointments. He had just failed to organise a dinner.
I'm organising one myself that night,' Monica said, But Rachel will be there so you're not invited.' He was being excluded from everything. And suddenly he wondered, supposing Rachel had gone out of town for some reason, whether the others would refuse to meet with him anyway.