After a week of discussion Ross and Rachel decided that they could relocate to London. There were London based fashion houses that Rachel could get work with and Ross's qualifications would be recognised in English universities. Emma wouldn't notice the difference.
It was true that losing contact with their friends would be hard. It had been hard enough with Monica and Chandler going to the suburbs and then Joey leaving. Inevitably they'd seen less of Phoebe as well. The friendship between them was as strong, but it had changed and being in another country would change it even more. Ross and Rachel had concluded that it would just have to be, if that meant that they would be able to connect with his children.
The only person that needed to be considered was Ben.
'It would be a great adventure for him,' Rachel said, but she was hesistant to push her point of view too hard. She was careful not to overstep her boundaries. Ben had a mother. She was just there to support Ross.
'Yes,' Ross said nervously, 'It could be, y'know, a great opportunity. I'll talk to Carol.'
'No way,' Carol said firmly. 'The arrangements are staying the same,' she said. 'Ben lives in New York and that's all there is to it. Susan's had to pass up opportunities so that Ben could stay here in contact with you and I don't think it's right that you think you can just take him away from us just because you want to move overseas to be near your other ex wife.'
'But Emily won't come to New York,' Ross said. 'I'll never get to see my daughters.'
'I don't care where Emily and her children go,' Carol said, 'But Ben is staying here, where he belongs.'
'I can't manage with them all living in separate countries.'
'I'm afraid that's your problem. You should have been more careful,' Carol said.
'It's not my fault,' Ross said, feeling under attack. Carol snorted.
'It takes two, Ross. You didn't say no to sex, you're just as blameworthy as she is, you male chauvinist pig. Anyway, if the two of you were getting married, why should she have been worried about contraception? It's not unreasonable for a woman to have a baby when she gets married.'
'How am I going to manage?' he appealed.
'This is a mess you made,' she said unsympathetically. 'You deal with it. I'm not going to be made to pay for your mistakes and neither is Susan. Have you thought about Ben? What about his schooling? What about his friends? What about his sport? What about his other relatives, his grandparents and cousins and everyone? Do you think it's right to rip him away from all of that?' And then she added. 'What makes you think that Ben would want to go with you? Have you even asked him?'
'No,' Ross admitted, 'I thought I'd do the right thing and tell you first.'
'Thanks. I appreciate that. I promise I won't say anything to him before you do. But he's not going to want to go,' Carol said confidently. Of course he would, Ross thought, Ben was his son. It would be a big adventure.
When Ross talked to Ben he said,
'I'd miss you Dad, but if you have to go I'd understand. I'm not so little any more.' Since when had Ben ever thought of himself as little?
'I don't want to leave you behind,' Ross said, 'But your mother won't let me take you.' He didn't normally imply to Ben that there was anything wrong with his mother's decision making, even on the occasions he disagreed with her. He and Carol worked together, and he believed that this was the best thing for Ben, but this time he could not be in solidarity with her.
'I don't want to leave Mom behind,' Ben said. But he was happy to let Ross go.
'Did she talk to you about this already?' Ross asked suspiciously. Had Carol gone back on her word and coached him?
'No Dad,' Ben said, and showing that he saw through him said, 'I can make up my own mind. You go, if you need to. I'll understand.' Emily's expression of 'part time father' came back to him. His life had not been without its costs.
'So,' he said later when they were all at Monica's. 'I can go over there, try to get visitation rights on the weekends and see my son only a couple of times a year, which he doesn't seem to mind, or stay here and never see my daughters at all.'
'Can you get a job over there?' Chandler asked.
'Yeah, that's no problem, although I found out they won't call me professor over there.'
He shrugged, that was something he'd sacrifice if need be. The others looked at Rachel.
'I have some references,' Rachel said, 'I could get work in London if I needed it,' she said. It would be a hard thing to do but she'd do it. 'We've talked all this over. The only problem is with the children.'
'What do you want to do?' Monica asked. Ross looked at the floor and Rachel said.
'I want to do what Ross wants. I love Ben but then there are these little girls…'
'I don't know but it seems that I can see all of the children if I go to London,' Ross said.
'Well why don't you see what your chances are before you make major changes to your life?' Chandler said. 'Moving overseas is a big thing. See if the lawyers over there think you've got a chance of visitation right first.'
'Yes, you should do that,' Monica urged.
'But they will say that won't they?' Rachel said. That was a question none of them could answer.