Ross looked at the picture of Rachel and Emma he kept by his bed. It had been so long since he had seen Rachel. He loved her so much. She had given him his daughter, but it was more than that. Rachel was everything to him. She was the one Ross found after he got divorced, and he'd never stopped loving her. He'd been able to sidetrack himself at times, with Emily, and Elizabeth... and Chloe. He regretted her so much.
"If I hadn't done that, would we still be together?" Ross wondered.
He knew they would be. Ross never should have done it. He had just been so unsure of himself at the time. Rachel was just so beautiful. He knew someone else would want her, just as much as he did. Ross had been in love with her from the start. In high school, maybe it had just been a crush, but now Ross loved her for what a beautiful person she was.
Mark. Ross blamed the whole thing on Mark and himself. If it weren't for Mark, they never would have fought in the first place, and they would have never gone "on a break." Ross still couldn't stand those words. And if it weren't for Mark, Rachel never would have gotten the job in Paris. He hated him.
He checked his calendar, though he knew Emma was coming to visit him the next weekend. He wished Rachel would come with her. Everyone missed Rachel; Monica and Chandler, and Phoebe, and though he hadn't talked to Joey in a while, Ross knew he would miss Rachel too.
Ross checked his watch, it was time to leave. He had a date that night. A friend at work had been setting him up on dates, and Ross felt bad declining. He kissed their picture good-bye and then left.
Monica picked up the phone and dialed Rachel's number. She knew Rachel still loved Ross, and that Ross loved Rachel. She hated seeing them apart, when they would be so good together. The phone rang three times before Rachel picked up.
"Bonjour, c'est Rachel Greene," she answered.
"Rach, it's Monica," she said.
"Oh my goodness, Mon, I've been wanting to call you but I figured you would be busy what with Erica and Jack and the new house," Rachel rushed. "How are you?"
"I'm fine, but I'm calling about you, Rach. We all miss you, and Emma deserves to see her mother and father both at one time. And I want you to see Erica and Jack, and they want to see their Aunt Rachel. Couldn't you come with her, just this once?" Monica pleaded with her.
Rachel hesitated and then slowly said, "No, I can't, I have way too much work to do. The new designers are coming in around that time, and I have to be at a meeting. I won't be able to get out of anything for a while. Maybe I'll be able to make it back for Emma's birthday."
"But that's not for months, honey. Jack and Erica are about to have their first birthday, and I want you to be there," Monica told her.
"Well, I'll think about it. It's not that I don't want to, but I have so much to do. I have to go sweetie," Rachel said.
"Okay, Monica replied sadly. She knew Rachel would never come. Why did she have to run away from this? And Ross was running from it, too. Monica just wished they could realize it for themselves. "Bye. Call me soon."
Rachel hung up the phone. She wanted to go back more than anything, but she couldn't do it. She couldn't face Ross, not after what had happened before she left. And yet she wanted to.
"I miss Mon, and Chandler, and Phoebe's having a baby, I want to see her. And Jack and Erica are probably so big now. And Ross, I haven't even spoken to him since I got here," Rachel thought.
"I'll ask if I can have next weekend off," she told herself.
This is probably going to be my last chapter, but I'm going to start another Ross and Rachel story that's similar, but it'll just be better. Please review and tell me what you think.