Apologies for the previous - I did preview it and it looked all right there

Some things will have to change

Ross sat by Emily's side in hospital. She'd probably only need to stay one or two nights and she could finish the course of antibiotics at home. He had arranged to take a few days off work to look after her when she returned to the apartment.

He wondered what was going to happen now. If the effect of the drug or whatever it was wearing off put them where they were when she came, they still had things to talk about. Right now, he couldn't stick up for Rachel. After what she'd done that would be impossible. In any case, he wasn't in the mood to fight for Rachel, who had just caused him more problems. Some friend she was.

But if Emily remembered, there were even worse problems. He could only hope that Emily had registered that he hadn't wanted to kiss Rachel. He'd sought none of it. He could only hope that she was aware of the passage of time, but not what had occurred during it.

'Are you all right sweetie?' Ross asked, seeing that she was awake. She had been dozing off and on since the operation, so the nurses had said.

'I've been better,' she smiled. 'I've been worse too. My head feels a lot clearer. Thank goodness I can think.' Ross told her the theory about the crazy man. She nodded in comprehension. 'I met him at the airport. I told him he should have had a bath,' she said. 'I remember him, he was filthy. I felt something jab into my arm and then I remember thinking that it didn't matter. Very odd.'

'What else do you remember?' Ross asked, hoping her memory for recent events was clouded.

'Oh everything,' she said.

'Oh,' Ross said. Here comes trouble.

'It was very strange. I just felt as though I had to behave like a fifties housewife - or at least some idea of a fifties housewife. I can't believe I spent all day cooking. If I'd have had an apron I would have worn one. I wonder why I didn't buy one. I seem to have bought everything else.' Ross knew that - a lot of it from Victoria's Secret.

'Well I guess that will change,' Ross said.

'I'm afraid it will,' Emily admitted, 'I found all that cooking and housework very boring.'

'That's all right. I prefer simple things, you know that. And I'll make my own lunch and iron my own shirts.'

'I can still do those things until I get a job here,' Emily said. 'I don't expect to sit in the apartment doing nothing. I'm just saying I don't find it very interesting, that's all and I'm not doing more than necessary.'

'That's okay, I don't want to fall into bad habits,' Ross said.

'And I'm afraid I can't watch any more episodes of that awful program you watched the other night.'

'I'll tape it,' Ross said.

'No, you like it - you watch it, but don't make me watch it with you,' Emily said.

'Okay.'

'Not everything will change,' Emily said with a sexy smile.

'That's good,' Ross said.

'Although I'll need to get over this first,' she said, gesturing at the intravenous drip. 'I still feel very sleepy.'

'You were wearing me out there,' Ross said, 'Not that I'm complaining, but I need a break.'

'I have to admit I'm feeling a bit sore too,' Emily said. 'And you know something else?'

'What?'

'I hope you won't be too upset - but I don't think you've realised, we haven't been using any condoms.' Well they hadn't been planning to anyway, since they'd already had their health checks and she was on the pill but when he said that, she said, 'I haven't been taking any pills.'

'What?' This was something they'd had very specific discussions about before they got married. They would settle into their marriage first - that had come so quickly - before they thought about children.

'I'm afraid it's a bit like the Cordon Bleu cooking,' Emily said. 'It was something I did - or didn't do, because I felt I had to. Oh dear, what I mean is, a good wife is supposed to want children so I - I didn't do anything to stop them.'

'Oh.' So it wasn't obedience all the way then - if obedience was the right word for honouring the agreement they'd made. But maybe that was to do with that mad man's idea of what a marriage should be about, although he was truly mad if he thought that encouraging women to engage in threesomes would help a marriage.

'But if something does happen...' Emily looked uncertain. 'I don't...'

'It will be fine. It would just be sooner than I expected,' Ross said. He didn't want her to have an abortion if she turned out to be pregnant. The only problem with a pregnancy would be the timing.

'Sooner than I expected too,' Emily said. Well they'd have to wait and see if anything happened. But there was one more thing and he had to deal with it now.

'About my friends,' Ross said.

'Nothing will change there either,' Emily said.

'You mean you'll let me see Rachel?' Ross asked. 'After I've forgiven her for the stunt she pulled yesterday that is. I can't believe she did that, that was totally unexpected.' Maybe he'd have to stay away from her voluntarily until she calmed down. 'After you've forgiven her too,' he added as an afterthought. He had gotten into bad habits. He'd have to start thinking more about Emily's feelings.

'I won't stop you seeing her. I'm not sure if I want to see her, but we'll sort that out between ourselves. You didn't want to kiss her did you?' Emily asked.

'No.'

'I trust you Ross,' she said softly. He looked at her, feeling a surge of love towards her. It was the nicest thing she had ever said to him and he could be sure that she really meant it now.

'You don't know how happy you've made me,' he said.

'Genuinely happy, not creepy happy?' she asked.

'Oh genuinely.' But why was she being so accommodating? Unasked, she gave her answer.

'I've learned a lot about you. I know I can trust you not just because you didn't kiss Rachel but because of the way you treated me. You never once took advantage of me. You never once treated me like a doormat just because I behaved like one. You always offered to help. You never asked me to do anything you knew I wouldn't like just because I was saying yes all the time. And I love you so much because you wanted the real me even though the real me will argue with you and do things you don't like. Not all the time of course.'

'You're all I want,' Ross told her.

'Even when we argue?'

'Especially when we argue - as long as it's face to face.'

An epilogue taking in Rachel and Joey will follow - I just need to fine tune it.