Disclaimer: I don't own Friends.

A/N: I'm not sure how long I'm gonna keep this story going. I was thinking of finishing this one a little after R and R's wedding, and then maybe making a sequel-type story that starts up a few months after. But then again, I may not. This story may just last...forever!

Your reviews are going to give me a big head, guys. Not that I want them to stop or anything...hehe. amelia: Yup, I'm a MA girl.

XXX

Rachel rubbed her hands together to warm them up as she entered Ross's part of the building at NYU. It was Valentine's Day, and she had been planning to surprise him for days. Of course, she hadn't considered the almost-below freezing temperature when she had chosen the black strapless dress she was now wearing.

She could hardly believe how well it was going with she and Ross. It felt as if they had started over when they had finally gotten back together for good, and now here they were, celebrating Valentine's Day together again. Rachel was comforted even more by the fact that she knew it definitely wouldn't be their last.

Pulling her coat around herself even tighter, Rachel stood outside of Ross's classroom door. He had stayed late to correct papers, and was unsuspecting to her surprise visit. Seeing the wooden doors open, Rachel grinned automatically. She felt like she was always smiling these days.

Ross stopped in his tracks when he caught site of Rachel, and before he could say anything, she took a few slow steps closer to him. "So? I got a new dress, just for tonight, because this is our first Valentine's Day together in eight years, and I want this one to end perfectly, so we can forget about all our other horrible, past Valentine's Day experiences." Ross looked as if he wanted to add something, but Rachel kept going, this time more seductively, "My mom has Emma for the weekend, so it's just you and me celebrating for three days by ourselves."

"Well, that was very kind of her," Ross finally said as Rachel stood just inches from him. "And may I say how happy I am that Valentine's Day is falling on a Friday this year? And how good that dress looks on you."

Rachel accepted the compliment by way of a long kiss, and before she knew it, the two of them were becoming swept up in the moment, until someone clearing their throat broke them apart.

Glancing at Ross, Rachel blushed at being seen by the older man who had been passing them by.

"Uh, Professor Pont, how nice to see you," Ross nodded. "This is, uh, my fiancée, Rachel."

Rachel gave a small wave. "Hi."

The professor looked stern, but also amused. "Yes, hello. Professor Gellar, I'm hoping you two are going to be taking... this, outside?"

Now beyond embarrassment, Rachel nodded along when she saw Ross doing the same. "Oh, yeah, we were just leaving."

Rachel flashed a smile at Pont, then followed Ross quickly out of the building, back into the chilly night, except now, she didn't care. She started giggling.

Ross looked at her, confused, and also annoyed. "What? What, you think that was funny? I was just caught making out with you in there by a colleague of mine!"

This made Rachel giggle louder, until it turned into a loud laugh. She didn't know why she was so giddy.

Finally Ross began chuckling and shaking his head. "We just got caught making out like two teenagers in the place of my work."

Composing herself as best as she could, Rachel sighed. "Well, that's one way to start our Valentine's Day date."

Ross nodded, still smiling, and the two began walking down the street. Rachel brightened when she felt Ross's hand find hers, and couldn't imagine a better man for herself.

"So, do you have anything else up your sleeve?" Ross asked.

"Hey, you're the one with the sleeves, mister," Rachel told him. "It's your turn."

"Well, you're in luck, because I made us reservations for a place at 8:30."

"Oooh, where?" Rachel glanced at him, curious.

Ross just shrugged indifferently. "It's a surprise."

They kept walking, and every time they bumped against each other, Rachel felt her heart beat a little faster.

She had somehow forgotten in all those years how incredible Ross Gellar made her feel.

XXX

Rachel tripped into the apartment behind Ross a little after midnight, feeling amazing, albeit a bit tipsy. She tried to straighten herself up, and placed her purse on the coffee table in front of the couch. It took Rachel a moment to remember that Emma was with her mother for two more days, for she had almost gone to check in her daughter's room. Ross was still chuckling over a joke he had made right before they had entered the apartment.

"So how did you know I've been dying to go to George's since it opened?" Rachel asked once she had composed herself enough to think straight. Or, at least, as straight as she was going to get at the moment.

"Monica said you had been talking about it," Ross answered, laying his jacket over the desk chair.

Rachel gave him a half-smile when he turned back to face her, and closed the few steps between them to kiss him. She felt like if she didn't, she'd be breaking some unwritten law.

When they parted, Ross was grinning like an idiot. "What was that for?"

"For giving me the perfect Valentine's Day," Rachel replied, letting her hand that had been on his cheek slide down to rest on his chest.

"It's not over yet." Ross waggled his eyebrows, then suddenly grabbed Rachel and lifted her into the air, newlyweds-style.

Caught off-guard, she let out a loud, girlish squeal. "Ross, what are you doing?!"

"Practicing. The real thing is only two months away."Ross sobered up, losing the suave attitude, "and I-I just want tonight to be special."

"Why?" Rachel felt her voice becoming softer.

"Because I want to show you that I love you, and nothing is going to change that; not work, not friends, not family."

Rachel knew the alcohol was wearing off when she began speaking, "I understand that, Ross. And I love you too." She looked into his deep eyes, seeing how much he wanted to please her. "It's not like however-many years ago anymore. We know now that we were just stupid and not ready to be... us. But over the years, we've just become us, without even being together. And in two months we're making it official."

Ross didn't reply, and Rachel didn't expect him to. They just stayed in the same position: Ross holding her up in his arms, both never tearing their eyes away from the other. Rachel wondered if you really could get lost in someone's gaze.

"Rach?" Ross shattered her musings.

"Yeah?" She still sounded dreamy.

"Uh, I'm gonna have to put you down, 'cause it's starting to hurt..."

"Oh!"

She jumped out of his arms and once balanced on the floor, looked at him with a laugh. Her laugh was silenced quickly, though, as Ross's lips met hers and she was officially a goner.

XXX

"Ross, can you get that?" Rachel yelled sleepily from the bedroom as the phone rang continuously. A glance at the digital clock on her nightstand told her it was almost noon; she had slept later than normal, figuring that Ross was taking care of getting Emma up and dressed.

However, when Rachel went to turn over, she felt a small lump cuddling up to her side and lifted the blankets to find her daughter napping beside her. At Rachel's movement, Emma opened her bright blue eyes slowly, and once catching sight of her mother, sat up quickly. "Mommy awake!"

Rachel felt the urge to hug her daughter close. "Yeah, sweetie, I'm awake." The phone was still ringing. "Now why isn't daddy picking up the phone?" she asked.

Emma looked at her and shrugged.

Ringing ceased, but started up again in another minute. Rachel hauled herself out of bed, lifting Emma and walking into the living room. For some reason, the telephones were never in the right places.

Setting Emma down on the couch, Rachel spotted a note Ross had left under the newspaper. "Of course he can't get the phone if he left half an hour ago to post grades outside his classroom...," she said aloud.

"Man, this thing rings forever," Rachel declared to no one in particular when she located the phone. "Hello?"

"Hello?" someone asked on the other end, sounding rushed.

Rachel tried to place the male voice. "Mike?"

"Rachel?

"Yeah. What's going-"

He interrupted her before she could finish. "We just got to the hospital. Phoebe's water broke, and so we left, and now we're here, and it's early for the baby to be born, and-"

"Okay, Mike, take a deep breath," she instructed. "I'm sure it's all going to be fine. I'll call Ross on my way there, and we'll be at the hospital soon."

"Okay. See you soon."

Mike hung up abruptly, and for a moment Rachel stared at the phone. That had probably been the quickest conversation she had ever had.

Once snapping back, she began scrambling around the apartment, trying to change as fast as she could. Finding her purse was difficult, but she still exited the apartment in good time.

She made it as far as almost locking the door when she realized she'd forgotten the most important thing.

Two minutes later, Emma in her arms, Rachel headed out to the hospital, already phoning Ross. She hoped for Phoebe's sake it wouldn't take as long as having Emma did.

XXX