Disclaimer: I don't own Friends.

A/N: Sorry for like, the month delay; I know, I suck for it. I've been wicked busy, but I've been trying to also get ahead on my writing for this story and another WIP I'm doing.

Yeah, I totally got the eighth season on DVD this morning, and it only just came out yesterday. Call me crazy, but whatever, I've already watched like, nine episodes.

XXX

Everything was perfect right now, Ross decided as he snuggled closer to Rachel on the couch in their apartment. Christmas was only a week and a half away, snow was falling outside in the dark winter night, and he was with the woman he was planning on spending the rest of his life with. He had two wonderful children who he loved more than anything, and the best friends a person could ask for.

Things had been going so smoothly that Ross was afraid he might jinx it somehow. The wedding had, obviously, been the main focus of almost any conversation he had with one of his friends, his younger sister especially. Everyone seemed thrilled that on-again off-again Ross and Rachel were finally making it official.

Rachel shifted slightly and let out a content sigh. "So I got our pictures developed, and the one we want to use for the holiday card came out nicely."

Ross shook his head. "Every time I hear 'holiday card', I can't help but think of the one Mona wanted to send out."

"Poor girl. She had no idea what she was getting in the middle of."

Didn't Ross know it. He had taken an interest in Mona at Monica and Chandler's wedding, not knowing that Rachel was pregnant. Yet even after he knew, he still began dating her. Now, he couldn't tell you what made him go out with her when he was having a baby with a woman he had unconsciously been in love with for what seemed an eternity. He agreed with Rachel: Mona could never have understood what she had gotten in the middle of.

"Hey, this is our first Christmas and Hanukkah together as an actual family," Ross said, realizing.

"Yeah," Rachel agreed, "And it's also your last Christmas and Hanukkah in this apartment."

"That's right," Ross replied, having not thought of it like that. "So I guess this year I've got to get a tree," he considered, thinking of his 2-year-old daughter who was currently sleeping soundly in her room.

"I think Emma would like one." Rachel waited a beat, then glanced up at him from her position resting on his chest. "Wait, you never got a tree? Not even a tiny little one?"

She made it sound as if it were something weird. "No, 'cause Monica would put one up in her apartment." Though the Gellar family was Jewish, they still celebrated Christmas with the traditional tree and presents.

"Oh, don't I know it," Rachel groaned, obviously remembering the many Christmases she was forced into helping set up a tree and decorate it in apartment number twenty.

"Yup," Ross said after a pause, "this time next year we'll be snuggled up by a fire in our own house." Though this was beyond nice, this thought made Ross want to grin in anticipation.

"Speaking of moving..."

"What?" Ross asked, sitting up straighter as Rachel lifted her head of Ross's chest. "Are you having second thoughts?"

Rachel shook her head vehemently. "No, not at all, I was just thinking about my job. I mean, what are we gonna do about Emma every day when I go to the office and you go to your classes?"

Ross considered. He and Rachel had been working their schedules so one of them had their daughter when the other couldn't; and if not, Monica took Emma for a few hours, since she had been cutting back on her hours at the restaurant to take care of the twins, at least until they were older and she felt comfortable enough to send them to daycare. Knowing Monica, she'd never feel that comfortable.

"We could always send her to daycare," Ross concluded.

"Okay, now I know this may sound weird," Rachel began, and Ross waited to hear it, "but I think I'm gonna quit Ralph Lauren." She paused. "For good this time."

For a moment, Ross was shocked. "Wha- what?" Was all the managed to get out. She wanted to leave Ralph Lauren for good this time?

She sat up straighter, setting her hands on Ross's leg as she made her point. "Yeah, you know, I've been thinking about it, and I realized I was happier when I was home with Emma before I got my job back, than I am now that I'm working again." Ross still stared at her. "You don't think this is stupid, do you?"

"Well, uh..."

"Because if you do think it's stupid, then I won't quit. Oh, I can't leave that place, how will we pay for things like the house and car?" She burst out, now rambling, "But then I was thinking I could do something part-time somewhere. No, that's a bad idea. Just forget I even said anything." As if to complete her thought, she folded her hands in her lap and glanced towards the television.

Now, I can either be an ass, or an extremely supportive fiancé, Ross thought. It wasn't that he objected to this idea of Rachel's. He just didn't understand how she could go from desperately wanting her job back, to wanting to quit again.

Finally deciding to be supportive, Ross turned her head gently so she was facing him again. "Rach, if you want to quit your job, then do it. It's fine with me either way. I've got it on pretty good authority that I'm not getting fired anytime soon, so if you want some more time to find something else, then it's okay. We've both got money saved up, we can still afford a house." There, that's good. And the great thing was, Ross actually felt this way.

Throughout his short speech, Rachel had grown teary-eyed. "Really, Ross?" she asked quietly.

Ross nodded. "Whatever makes you happy, sweetie."

Before he could even accept her first thank-you, Rachel had flung herself on Ross, and he fell back against the couch at her sudden attack. "Oh, you're just the best!" She kissed him, and Ross decided that he had definitely made the correct decision on what to say to her.

They sat there for a moment, just gazing into each other's eyes, with Rachel half on top of Ross, both leaning back against the couch.

"Why did it take us so long to get to this point?" Rachel questioned with a low chuckle, voicing Ross's thoughts. Though, they were pretty far back in his mind, considering the position he was in.

"Well, it was-," he began, trying to be cute.

"Don't ruin the moment," Rachel cut him off, still laughing softly.

"Okay," he agreed, capturing her lips again.

XXX

"15...14...13...12..."

The countdown was being shouted by the people who had gathered at Monica and Chandler's for a New Years Eve party. Ross said the numbers aloud with the others, his arm around Rachel. He unconsciously checked his pocket for the paper that he didn't want to forget.

"5...4...3...2...1...Happy new year!" everyone yelled simultaneously, and Ross kissed his fiancée tenderly.

As they pulled apart slowly, Rachel grinned. "Happy new year."

"You know, I think it will be a happy new year. And, uh, to start the year off on a good note..." Ross handed her the paper he had taken from his pocket, "here."

Rachel glanced at him with a quizzical smile, before beginning to read the official-looking document. Ross prayed she'd be pleased as her eyes grew wide.

"Happy new year!" he said excitedly as she read.

"Ross...this says you bought a house." She looked at him, then back at the paper. "The house we were looking at." Another moment, and she kept reading the paper. "You bought a house?!" she said as she laid her eyes back on him.

Ross's heart sank. "You don't like the fact that I bought the house? I mean, I know it's a little pricey, but we'll get a mortgage, and Monica said you'd think this was great. Of course, it is Monica I asked, and she thinks everything is great. It's just, when we were looking at it before Christmas, you said you loved it, and I want to give you the things you love. So I called the owners and put in a price, and they accepted. But there's still time to back out." He became disappointed. "I should've asked you first. I just thought you had really liked it. Sorry."

"Ross?" Rachel asked, and he lifted his head back up to look into her bright eyes.

"Yeah?"

He was surprised when she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm so happy. Thank you."

Ross's face broke into a broad grin. "Really?" At her nod, he kissed her quickly. "Well, it's no Scarsdale."

This got a laugh out of Rachel, and she kissed him hard, both seeming to forget that other people were around them.

"Wow, Ross," Phoebe said, making her way past them slowly at seven months pregnant, "You must've done something really good to get Rachel to kiss you like that."

The couple pulled away from each other, and Ross let his arm slide down to rest along Rachel's waist. "Actually, uh, we've bought a house."

"Oh, wow!" Phoebe exclaimed. "Where is it?"

"Westchester," Rachel answered, cuddling closer to Ross.

"Oh, you guys are in the same town as Monica and Chandler! How ironic!"

Ross blinked. "We kind of planned it like that, Pheebs. And it isn't too far from the city, so it won't be hard for me to get to classes."

As he finished the sentence, Monica and Chandler popped over. "So, are you guys gonna move?!" Monica asked excitedly.

"Yeah!" Rachel said, and the two friends hugged.

"Man, we just can't get rid of you guys," Chandler stated in all seriousness, and Monica hit him on the chest as she moved on to embrace her brother.

"I think this is great," she said. "When are you gonna move in?"

"There are still papers and forms and deals we need to work out, but they said they wouldn't mind waiting until after the wedding for us to move in," Ross informed the small group.

"Then you guys only have like, four more months in the apartment," Phoebe said as Mike appeared beside her. "Maybe we should move..."

"Let's just do one thing at a time," Mike said, putting a hand on his wife's bulging stomach.

"Aw, I wish Joey was here," Rachel declared.

Ross glanced at the group, knowing what she meant; how it felt like a big part of them was missing. "We can call him tomorrow."

Rachel looked up at him with her big, beautiful eyes that he could never refuse, and he shrugged. "Eh, it is tomorrow, let's call now."

His fiancée clapped and went to retrieve the house phone with Monica in tow. Chandler moved closer to Ross, and put a hand on his shoulder. "So, back to being neighbors, huh?"

"Looks like," Ross replied, grinning from ear to ear.

XXX