Disclaimer: I don't own Friends.

A/N: I feel so productive. I've cranked out three different chapters for three different stories, all in one weekend-ish. Go me.

This story is really coming to a close, which saddens me. After this, there's only one chapter left, the sort-of 'epilogue'. The real epilogue would be going to read my post-finale fic, but that's another whole chaptered story to get through.

Thanks for the reviews. And thank you all for being so patient; I wanted this to be good, so I watched the episode again.

Takes place during "The One Where Rachel Has A Baby", after the gang has seen the baby and Monica let Rachel take the name Emma, but before Janice has shown up to scare Rachel into saying yes to Joey (which I still grumble about today, mind you).

XXX

Emma.

My little baby girl is finally here. Our little baby girl is finally here.

It's amazing how you can fall in love with something so small and new so quickly. Of course, I've been falling since the moment I found out I was pregnant nine months ago, but it's still an incredible feeling all the same.

Baby Emma.

She's perfect. She's better than I could have ever imagined. When her bright blue eyes blinked up at Ross and I for the first time, I actually felt my heart constrict with emotions I'd never felt before. I just knew, in that second, that she was going to be the brightest thing in my life. I owe Monica so much for letting me take the name she'd been planning on giving to any little girl she had in the future.

They all just left my room to give me a few minutes of peace. It's been such a hectic and crazy and painful twenty-four hours, but right now, as I watch my little girl, I know it was all definitely worth it.

Her nickname will be Em.

My little girl. My baby girl. It's such an odd thing to say, and I have to repeat it out loud to the silence of my hospital room, just to hear the words. I might not believe it otherwise. I might think this is all an incredibly life-like dream. That the last nine months never actually happened.

They did, though. And right now I'm thanking God, because Emma is absolutely perfect. I can already tell that her mouth is going to be exactly like her daddy's.

Ross. That man never ceases to surprise me.

His kisses never cease to surprise me, either. Just like the one we shared right before we left the apartment. There was so much feeling in it, I had momentarily considered if we actually had time to fool around a little before we went to the hospital.

And then the kiss right after Emma was born, just a few hours ago. That kiss was full of happiness, of promise, of care, of protectiveness, of hope. Of a future. A future with Ross and Emma sounds like perfection right now.

Of course, my hormones are wackier at this moment than when I was pregnant, so I can't honestly be sure if these feelings for Ross are truly real. I'd like to think they are, though.

It means so much to me that my friends stayed here during this long labor. I couldn't ask for better people to be there for me. I love them all.

But now, I think I love something even more than my best friends. Even more than Ross.

Emma.

She's bundled up in her little pink blanket. The card displayed on the front of her plastic, see-through bassinett declares her name as, "Emma Gellar-Green".

If Ross and I got married, I think we'd change it to Green-Gellar.

I need to sit down. My back, my legs; everything is killing me at this moment. God, how long was I in that labor room? Twenty-one hours? There were five women who went before me. Five! I can still hardly believe that! What made their kids come out faster than mine?

Oh, I can't dwell upon that right now. Just a few feet away from me is my own precious child.

Judging by the way Monica, Chandler, Joey, and Phoebe acted around Emma, I think that little girl is going to be surrounded by so much love that she won't know what to do with us. I'd have it no other way.

Ross is calling his parents, and my parents, right now. I can't wait to show off my beautiful child to her grandparents. My parents will be thrilled; this is their first grandchild.

Jill and Amy reproducing. Now there's a scary thought.

The future keeps assaulting me at the most random of times. Like, take right now for example. Thinking of the future of my sisters made me suddenly wonder about my own.

While I was pregnant, I dreamt of the future all the time, wishing and praying for it to come as quickly as possible. But now that Emma is finally here, I just want it all to stay away, just leave me right here in 2002 with my brand new baby, and my (growing?) relationship with Ross, and the best friends a woman could ask for.

But no, that isn't logical thinking. I should look forward to watching Emma grow up, and seeing where Ross and I go from here.

Maybe, when he comes back from calling the new grandparents, he'll ask me if I want to start things up again. Maybe he'll say that he's been dying to ask me ever since he and Mona broke up, and that now seems like the perfect time. Maybe he'll see if I want to move into his bedroom with him when we go home, and we can use the other for when Emma gets older. Maybe he'll declare he can't live without me, and me having his child just proves the point even further. Maybe he'll tell me that if we get back together, that this is it, that he never wants to lose me again. We're a family, period.

My response to any one of those would be a resounding 'yes!', followed by laying one on him so hard that he forgets to even think.

That would just be the icing on the cake.

Emma is moving a little. I stand up quickly, wince, but rush towards her anway so I can watch her adjust her position. Her little fingers tighten into fists, and I gently caress her soft, chubby arm.

I'm a goner.

The door opens and I look up. It's Ross.

"Hey," he grins, and walks over towards me and his new daughter. He looks down at her with shining eyes, and I wonder if maybe he's going to cry again. I feel like I'm on the verge of tears, myself.

"Hi," I say softly, becoming mesmerized by Emma again.

We're quiet, and I only look up when I realize Ross isn't watching our little girl, but me instead. "What?" I ask, blushing.

"You're amazing," he tells me with a smile.

I try to play it off. "Yeah, well," I say with a small wave of my hand. The comment has my heart beat quickening.

"No, really, Rach. You're just…," he trails off, not even able to finish his sentence with a good enough word.

I'm so flattered my breath catches in my throat, and the tears are beginning to steam down my face. "You're not so bad yourself."

"She's lucky to have you for a mother," he says kindly.

"She's lucky to have you as a father," I shoot back easily, and we share a smile.

Ross studies our daughter as the girl blinks sleepily. "She has your eyes."

"I think she has your mouth," I say, and Ross grins.

"That may be true," he states, "but other than that, I think she's going to look just like you. I'm gonna have to beat the guys off with a stick."

The hidden compliment does not go unnoticed by me. I hide my pleased look and clear my throat to try and ease the moment, because the things I'm feeling are beginning to get out of control, and I might just walk over to him, grab his face, and kiss him for all it's worth if I'm not careful.

Our little girl falls back asleep quickly, the pink blanket rising and falling at a slower rate. She looks so peaceful for someone who just entered this big, scary world.

"So, uh, you want anything?" Ross questions.

I consider. "I could really go for some soda," I reply.

He nods the affirmitive. "I'll go get it now."

"Alright. Thanks."

He shoots me one more smile before he leaves, and I nearly melt.

Emma wakens again (man, she's a really light sleeper!), and looks up at me with eyes that I normally see only when I look in a mirror. I can't resist it; I lift her up into my arms. She doesn't cry, or fuss, or even jiggle as I position her carefully in my safe grip. She just keeps watching me.

"So, Emma, what do you think of the world so far?" I ask quietly. "Do you think you'll like science, or cheerleading? Shopping, or museums?" She blinks. "You have time to decide, baby girl."

I rock on my feet a little, and the motion makes Emma's eyes slowly close again. She's perfect; I can't say it- or think it- enough. The love I have for her that has developed only within the last few hours almost hurts; but I gladly welcome the pain.

"You know, Em, pretty soon, your daddy and I might get back together. You know what that would mean?" Her breathing is slowing again. "It'd mean that we'd get to be a real family. You deserve that, sweetie."

She's nearly fallen asleep, so I begin setting her back down to nap.

A family. The Gellars. Ross, Rachel, and Emma Gellar.

It has such a nice ring to it.

"Yoo-hoo!" a voice calls, and I look up to see Janice entering.

Oh, boy.

The last nine months have been amazing, life-changing, and such a learning experience I never thought I'd get to take part in. After this, who knows what's going to happen? I guess I just have to be patient, and wait and see.

I think that as long as Janice's son does not become my son-in-law, I'll be the happiest person on earth.

XXX