Here is the next part. I know it took a little longer but I gave my best. ;-) Thanks again for the nice reviews. I love them.

This part concentrates a little on Ross and Rachel, so you won't know if Chandler and Monica come back together. I have to keep you hanging a little. lol. Now have fun reading and please tell me how you think about it.

DISCLAIMER: The characters are not mine. (Almost forgot this little thing. *g*)

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It was the first week in the new year and Chandler was once again sitting on a plane with New York City as the destination. It was more than six weeks ago that his divorce got finalized. It had made Victor a very happy man. But what else could you expect from a lawyer. Chandler on the other hand wasn't happy at all. He still had to process all the events started by kiss four and a half month ago.

So much had happened in such a short time that Chandler hadn't really had a chance to sort through his feelings. He had just ignored them and now it was much harder to overcome his fears of being hurt again. So he just stayed at home, where he knew he would be safe. Well, his new home anyway. Because how many bad memories about New York he may have now, he still considered it his real home. He realized, especially during the last holiday season, he missed New York. With its surprising blizzards, power blackouts and grumpy people shoving along the sidewalks. As nice as Las Vegas was with all the happy people and the constantly good weather, it wasn't the right thing for Chandler.

That didn't mean that Chandler was happy about going on this trip. But his publisher wouldn't take no for an answer. His book was published a month ago. Just in time for the Christmas rush. And it went good so far. The critics loved it and Chandler was celebrated as the most promising new author on the market. And they wanted him to participate in a book signing during the opening of a big bookstore in New York.

So now he was on his way back to the city where he lost the one great love and all of his friends. The one good thing about that trip was that Chandler could get his father off his back. Charles was always trying to get his son out of the house. Not in a bad way though. He just wanted his son to meet new people. Chandler remembered a discussion he and his father had had at New Years Eve.

~*~

New Years Eve

"Chandler, why don't you come with me on the strip? A little partying would do you good. You have to leave this house some time and meet new people."

"Why? Why do I have to meet new people?" Chandler asked feeling defensive. "I'm completely happy with my life the way it is."

"Don't think I'm stupid. I know you are not happy." Charles replied calmly. "I know that you got hurt pretty bad from your old friends. But that doesn't mean that everyone out there whom you will get to know will hurt you."

Charles knew that he had hit the right point when he saw Chandler's face harden. But he didn't let his son say anything in return. He continued right as Chandler opened his mouth.

"And I'm not asking you to find new friends right now or to open up to some strangers. All I want is that you go out every now and then. And that you at least give the people who want to get to know you a chance. And all I asked before was if you want to welcome the new year with me." Charles finished.

"Ok. I will think about going out more often. But I'm not promising anything." Chandler added quickly when he saw his fathers face brighten. "And I don't want to start today. I'm just not in the mood to celebrate the end of this year. It wasn't a very pleasant one. And I'm not sure if the next one will be much better."

"Aww, you are just a big old pessimist." Charles joked to lighten the glum atmosphere. "But I won't bother you anymore today. All I wanted from you was that you consider going out again and I accomplished that. So I'm off now. The time is running fast and I don't want to miss the start of the new year." With that Charles turned around and left.

~*~

Chandler had thought about the things his father had said. He knew Charles had been right. He was afraid to meet new people because he was sure they would just hurt him sooner or later.

"Who needs friends anyway?" He mumbled.

"Excuse me?" The old lady sitting next to him asked.

"Oh, I was just talking to myself. I said 'Who needs friends anyway'." The lady looked shocked at this. "No, not that I think to have friends is a bad thing. Just…just, if your so-called friends are some backstabbing people who don't really care about you…" Chandler was getting louder with each word, but stopped when he saw that the woman now seemed really terrified. "Sorry." He said sheepishly. "I didn't mean to scare you. I'm just a little nervous about going to New York." When the woman just kept staring at him Chandler turned away from her and concentrated himself on the little screen showing a movie in front of him.

~*~

Rachel was walking down a street, trying not to bump into the other passer-bys. She was coming from a doctor's appointment. She was now 8 and a half month pregnant and slowly getting nervous about giving birth to her daughter.

She was still living with her mom. Not that she couldn't take an apartment by herself. Her job at Ralph Lauren's was paid quite nicely. But she didn't want to be alone to raise her baby. At least not in the first few months.

She knew it was wishful thinking but she caught herself often daydreaming about her life. She would be living together with Ross, maybe even being in a relationship with him. They would live near their friends, well her ex-friends, and everyone would be happy and together. But the reality was so much different. One hundred eighty degrees different.

She had no friends. At least no close friends. She wasn't living with Ross. Up to last week she was hardly seeing him or really talking with him. Or more correctly Ross wasn't speaking with her. Every time the two of them would meet to discuss the baby and the birth there was an awkward air around them. Ross was still unbelievably mad for what Rachel had done but didn't want to punish their unborn child for Rachel's mistakes.

He would talk about the baby and nothing else. Every time Rachel tried to ask about the others he closed up and changed the topic. At one occasion he said she wouldn't deserve to know anything about the others. That had really hurt Rachel. Maybe because she knew that it was true.

She had asked herself many times why. Why did she lie? She knew why she had kissed Chandler. He was a wonderful man and a great friend. And in a second filled with pregnancy hormones and strong but misinterpreted feelings for her friend she destroyed so many lives.

She had realized short after the chaos and lying ended that she had panicked and hadn't thought clearly. She should have told the truth from the beginning. She should have apologized and hoped for the best. And even if Monica hadn't have forgiven her and she had lost her best friend, it would have been a thousand times better than to live with the guilt and the knowledge that she destroyed a good marriage and the group of friends. She had told Ross all this on more than one occasion. But he didn't want to hear her reasons. He had said that he could understand her motives to an instant. But that didn't change a thing. He had to stand on his sister's side in this matter. And after that Rachel had given up on trying to explain herself anymore. Since Rachel moved upstate the two of them tried to get together once a week.

~*~

A week ago

Ross made his way up the drive way of Rachel's mother's house. He came over to talk to Rachel again. He had finished changing his guest room into a nursery just a week ago. On most trips to the baby shop he was joined by Monica. Although it was hard for her to buy baby stuff now that her hopes for a baby were shattered she insisted on helping him.

Ross and Rachel had after many long arguments decided that they would share custody equally. So each of them would have the baby every other week. Ross wasn't happy about this solution. Not that he didn't want his daughter for a whole week or that he didn't want Rachel to have her. He just wished she could be raised in a more stable environment. But he really didn't want to move in together with Rachel. He didn't feel at ease enough around her and it would put a strain on his relationship with his friends and his sister.

"Oh. Hello, Ross." Sandra greeted the soon-to-be father of her first grandchild after she opened the door. "Come in and make yourself comfortable." She said as she ushered Ross in the direction of the living room. "Did you have a good Christmas?" She asked him.

"Yes, it was very nice." Ross lied. The truth was that because of the grief among his remaining friends the Christmas had been the opposite of nice. Too many good memories were bound to that specific holiday.

"I'll go and tell Rachel that you are here." With that she left the room to get Rachel. A few minutes later Rachel entered the room.

"Hey, Ross. I didn't know you wanted to come today." Rachel said and sat down on the couch. She sat down on the opposite end to where Ross was sitting. Because she knew from past meetings that Ross didn't want to be very near to her.

"Yeah, well…you are now in your thirty-third week and we still don't have a name for our baby." Ross explained. "And I'm getting a little restless."

"Right. I know what you're talking about." Rachel nodded. "So, let's get started. I know it's a little different but I really like the name James for a girl." Rachel suggested, holding her breath, waiting for Ross' reaction. She knew it was unlikely that he would go along with that name. But she genuinely liked it.

"James? For a girl?" Ross asked, a frown appearing on his face. "I don't think that's a fitting name for a girl."

"Fine." Rachel breathed defeated. "Why don't you tell me your ideas first?"

"Ok, I have a few that I like." Ross said and pulled a neatly folded sheet of paper out of his pants pocket. He scanned the list before he continued. "Hmm, I think my favorite name for our daughter would be Emma." Ross looked up at Rachel when he saw her head snap toward him. "What? Don't you like that name?"

"Isn't that the name Monica chose for her daughter when we were younger?" Rachel asked, pretty sure that she was right.

"Yes." Ross replied. "It was actually her suggestion."

"What? Why would she want us to use that name? Did she change her mind and find another one for her future child?"

"No, she said she won't need it any longer." Ross responded distractedly, still scanning his list. He didn't see how Rachel lost all color in her face.

"But why…why won't she need it?" Rachel almost whispered. But the dull feeling in her stomach told her that she already knew the answer to that question.

Ross looked up from his task of deciding what name to propose next when he heard Rachel's question.

"I don't think that it's any of your business. But she gave up on her plan of having children." Ross retorted. His implication was clear to Rachel. That was just another thing she was indirectly responsible for. Rachel hung her head in shame and Ross couldn't help but notice the pain shown on her face. "Look, Rachel, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so harsh. And it's really not the point of this meeting."

"It's alright Ross. I know I deserve that. But I don't think we can use the name. As beautiful as it is." Rachel said.

"You're right. We can't use it." Ross mused. "Because if we would name our child Emma, every time when Monica would hear the name it would remind her that it's the name she wanted to give her daughter."

They sat in silence for a while. Ross lost in the pain his sister was still going through and Rachel lost in the guilt she carried. Both of them hoping things would get better in the unknown time lying ahead.

"Christina." Ross said suddenly into the quietness.

"What?" Rachel jumped a little, startled out of her gloomy thoughts.

"For a name. I think it's a great name. And it goes really well with Geller-Green." Ross explained his abrupt outburst.

"Oh. Christina Geller-Green." Rachel tried the name. "Sounds good. And I like it." Rachel paused. "I think we got our daughter a name." She smiled at Ross.

"You really like it?" Ross asked quite surprised and couldn't help to smile back at Rachel. "That was easy. Almost too easy." He joked. "Are you sure you like it? I don't want to have to think of a new name in the delivery room."

"No, it's perfect." Rachel smiled woeful. "I can't believe it's almost over." She edged nearer to Ross as her eyes began to water.

Ross closed the rest of the gap and pulled Rachel in his arms.

"It's going to be OK. I mean, it is probably going to be hard to share our daughter. But the important thing is that we'll both love her so much. And it's just the end of the pregnancy now. But at the same time it's the start of a new, amazing chapter of our lives."

"Oh Ross. I'm so sorry." Rachel sobbed and let out all of her pent up feelings. The pain of losing the five most significant people in all her life. The guilt of being the one who ruined it all. And the fear of raising a child all alone. She cried on Ross' shoulder for over an hour and he just held her and tried to calm her down.

~*~

After that day her relationship with Ross went from cold and awkward to almost the way it had been in the beginning of her pregnancy. And now she was less worried about the time after the birth. She wasn't afraid anymore that Ross and she would ague all the time. Or that they would fight over the visitation schedule. All in all, the situation was a lot calmer. They talked more about things other than their daughter. And they started to rebuild a friendship. They still had a long way to go and Rachel knew that Ross wouldn't trust her unconditionally again. But it was a promising start.

TBC...

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Ok, that's all for now. I try to write the next part sooner than this one. But as always: I can't promise anything. ;-) Please review this chapter. It means a lot to me.