Hi everybody! Here is chapter two, I hope you like it. My dumb computer was acting up and not letting me do italics for some reason so the song is not in italics, it is in these thingys: '....' I hope it's not too confusing and I'm sorry. :) Chapter three should be up soon. Any ideas or comments welcome. Oh, and the other friends will appear in the next chapter. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the friends or the song 'Have yourself a merry little Christmas. If I did, I wouldn't have to sit here writing stories about them...
"So Ross, what's your story?"
"What do you mean?" he asked.
She smiled. "If you haven't noticed, we're the only people here and alone on Christmas Eve."
"Well, it's kind of hard to explain," he replied.
"I'm all ears."
~*Flashback*~ Five years ago, Mercyville, Penn.
"Mom, I'm leaving," cried out Ross Geller from his bedroom.
Today was the day he would move away from home and start a life out on his own. His lifelong dream of becoming a palentoligist was about to be fufilled. His flight to Sedona, Arizona left in one hour. His parents were in tears, especially his mother Judy. His father Jack was sad to see his son leave home, yet was too proud to display his emotions publicly.
His younger sister Monica approached him. "Ross?"
He looked up. "Yeah, Mon?"
"Why do you have to leave me here with them?"
"I'm sorry Mon, I'm moving. It was bound to happen sometime."
"But they hate me! When you leave, my life will become a living Hell!"
"Come on Monica, it's not that bad. They love you and you know it."
"I'm not saying that they don't love me, but with you gone, they'll have no reason to put on a show and pretend to treat us equally."
He glanced at his watch. "Look, Mon. I gotta go. I'll call you when I get to Sedona."
When he looked up, he noticed that she was in tears. "I just can't believe you're leaving," she said through tears. "You've always been there for me. You're my only brother! Even though it may not seem like it sometimes I-I lo-love you."
"Aw, Mon." He hugged her with his free arm, as his other arm was carrying his weather worn suitcase.
Her tears were falling harder and much freer now. "The minute I finish high school, I'm outta here! I'm so sick of living in this boring town it's not even funny! I just want out, Ross. It's like a prison here. A prison with no escape..."
Ross chuckled at how dramatic his baby sister could be sometimes. "Alright. Now I really have to go now. I'll see you on Christmas."
Slowly, he walked away leaving her behind. It was the last time he would see his sister.
~*Present Day*~
"So what, she died?" asked Rachel.
He shook his head. "No. Well, we hope not. Like she promised, she moved to New York. After a big falling out with my parents, she lost touch with me also. So every Christmas, I come back to old Mercyville, and she stays in New York, I guess. Every time I try to get in contact with her, she never returns my calls. Three years ago, I just gave up. So now every Christmas it's just me and my parents."
"That's so sad," she said. "It's just terrible how families fall apart and lose touch. Especially around the holidays. You should call her one day."
"Yeah, maybe I will." He glanced at his left wrist where his expensive gold watch rested. "But right now, it's nine-o-clock in Mercyville, and my parents are both asleep. There's nothing to do in this Godforsaken town, so I came here. I didn't expect to run into such a charming stranger."
The corners of Rachel's mouth twitched up. "Thanks. And in all fairness, I must say that you are equally charming."
He smiled. "So, where are you from Rachel-I don't think I caught your last name..."
"Green. Rachel Green. And I don't believe you told me yours either."
"Geller. Ross Geller. Do you realize that we have the same initials?"
"That's interesting," she remarked. "I'm from San Diego. I'm actually on my way to New York. I'm moving there. I want to work in fashion."
"San Diego, huh? Don't get much snow there do you?"
"No, not really. It's amazing, though. The snow, I mean. It's so beautiful."
"As are you," Ross said flirtasiously.
She blushed a deep magenta. "Thank you, that's very sweet."
'What am I doing?', thought Ross. 'I'm pouring my heart out to this stranger, all the while flirting with her. This is so unlike me!'
'Oh my God!', thought Rachel. 'This guy is such a flirt!'
But as she looked deep into his puppy-dog like eyes, she had to admit that she really didn't mind.
They continued to talk for hours. They talked and talked, until the dark blanket that engulfed the sky at night started to give way to a brilliant sunrise. Solitary rays shined through the few wispy clouds resting high in the morning sky. Pinks and oranges and the occasional blues graced the sky with their presence on Christmas morning. In the distance, the sound of bells could be heard, marking the fact that this was a special, magical day. It was the one day of the year in which anything was possible and miracles occured.
The light shined through the window of the coffee house, revealing a sleeping Ross and Rachel. Through the hours, their chairs had somehow moved closer together, until they were joined as one. They had fallen into a deep slumber.
Her head was resting on his shoulder, and his arms rested on her stomach and legs. Their breathing was in perfect unison. They both breathed in and out at the same speed. They were in the type of sleep that it is almost impossible to be roused from.
The bartender approached the sleeping twosome. He growled. "You two, it's time to get up! You've been here all night. Go home!"
With that, he pulled both of them out of their chairs and ushered them towards the door. "Bye now!" And then he shut the door and put up the wooden sign that read 'Closed'.
Once outside, Ross and Rachel started laughing uncontrollably.
"Can you believe that we were thrown out of a coffee house?" laughed Rachel. "I can honestly say that I never expected to have this much fun. I just expected to drive on through this town without a second thought. I never realized that I would have a good time. Thank you, Ross."
"You're welcome. Listen, do you have to start driving again yet? It's Christmas and..." Ross's voice trailed off.
She grinned. "Of course I'll stay. Just let me get changed into something else."
"Now why would you do that?" he asked. "You look gorgeous! Here, I have an idea. Follow me."
Ross reached for Rachel's hand, and led her across the road. On the other side, stood a wide clearing, frosted with a thick layer of snow, much like icing on a birthday cake. The tiny crystals glittered like millions of diamonds in the sun.
Ross looked into Rachel's eyes.
"Where are we?" she asked. "What are we doing?"
With a smile he said, "Let me show you..."
'Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Let your heart be light…'
"Let's make a snowman," he said.
She giggled. "A snowman!?"
"Why not?"
She couldn't think of a reason, so with a smile, she bent down and began to pack snow tightly between her gloved hands.
'From now on, our troubles
will be out of sight....'
He stooped down to help her, his hand closing over hers as he helped her make the snowman's head.
'Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Make the Yule-tide gay,
From now on, our troubles will be miles away...'
Snow had begun to fall again. The flakes came down in soft sprinkles at first. One white snowflake in particular sat atop the tip of Rachel's nose. There it rested in all its perfectness. Ross saw this and smiled.
"Come here," he said.
He took his thumb and gently brushed the snowflake away. She looked up into his deep brown eyes. Her blue ones sparkled for the first time in a long time.
'Here we are as in olden days,
Happy Golden days of Yore.
Faithful friends who are dear to us
gather near to us
once more...'
Snow came down in heavier flakes now. Winds were picking up, yet they didn't seem to mind.
As they stood back to admire their snowman, Ross felt something hit him in the back of his head. As he felt the back of his head, wondering what he had been hit with, he heard a small chuckle from behind.
Trying to supress her giggles, Rachel said, "I'm sorry, but I couldn't resist. You were standing there with this look of pride on your face at the snowman. You just looked so silly!"
Ross pretended to be mad. "Well, then I guess you won't mind when I do this!" He threw a snowball at her chest.
She pretended right back. "Did you just throw a snowball at me?"
"I believe I did. Why? Does that make you angry?"
"A little bit," she said with a mischevious grin.
He turned away and pretended to leave. In the few seconds that his back was turned, Rachel ran towards him and playfully tackled him from behind.
"I got you!" she cried gleefully.
He rolled her over on her back and started tickling her.
"Hey! No fair!" she screamed out. "You're so much bigger than me. I should be the one tickling you! Roll over, Buddy!"
He let her roll him over. Ross was lying on top of a blanket of snow. On top of him rested Rachel. She seemed to have forgotten her task: tickling. The world fell silent and it felt like they were the only two people on Earth.
She moved her head in closer to his and placed her lips upon his. Their first kiss was like magic. Snow swirled around them as they lay in the snow together.
'Through the years we all will be together
if the Fates allow.
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.
And have yourself a merry little Christmas now...'
They broke apart long enough to breathe.
"Merry Christmas, Ross Geller," whispered Rachel.
"Merry Christmas, Rachel Green."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The day after Christmas, Rachel found herself waking up in an unfamilar hotel room.
'Oh my God,' she thought. 'I slept with him! I don't even know if what we had even qualifies as a date!'
She slowly eased herself out of the bed.
'Oh, please don't wake up. Please don't wake up...'
She grabbed her clothes off the floor and recalled the night before. It had been wonderful, she remembered. So why was she leaving without saying goodbye?
'It was rushed. Just a one night fling. It was fun, but it's time to move one. Rachel, you need to get to New York before the new year. Just leave. So what if you never see him again?'
Yet she knew she didn't mean that. She glanced over at him sleeping so peacefully. His arm was draped over the empty spot where Rachel had layed seconds before.
She had always been a big believer in fate. It it was meant to be, it was meant to be and there was no stopping it. He just lived too far away, and nothing added up.
'Maybe it's just not meant to be,' she thought sadly. 'If it is meant to be, I will see him again. And if I see this man again, then it will be a miracle.'
With one last glance at him, she put on her clothes and quietly tiptoed out the door into the clear morning light and out of Ross's life.
TBC...
So that was chapter two. Will Ross and Rachel ever meet up again? It was hard for me to pull them apart like that but hey, I couldn't exactly let them be happy now could I? That's just too much trouble! ;) Please review!
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the friends or the song 'Have yourself a merry little Christmas. If I did, I wouldn't have to sit here writing stories about them...
"So Ross, what's your story?"
"What do you mean?" he asked.
She smiled. "If you haven't noticed, we're the only people here and alone on Christmas Eve."
"Well, it's kind of hard to explain," he replied.
"I'm all ears."
~*Flashback*~ Five years ago, Mercyville, Penn.
"Mom, I'm leaving," cried out Ross Geller from his bedroom.
Today was the day he would move away from home and start a life out on his own. His lifelong dream of becoming a palentoligist was about to be fufilled. His flight to Sedona, Arizona left in one hour. His parents were in tears, especially his mother Judy. His father Jack was sad to see his son leave home, yet was too proud to display his emotions publicly.
His younger sister Monica approached him. "Ross?"
He looked up. "Yeah, Mon?"
"Why do you have to leave me here with them?"
"I'm sorry Mon, I'm moving. It was bound to happen sometime."
"But they hate me! When you leave, my life will become a living Hell!"
"Come on Monica, it's not that bad. They love you and you know it."
"I'm not saying that they don't love me, but with you gone, they'll have no reason to put on a show and pretend to treat us equally."
He glanced at his watch. "Look, Mon. I gotta go. I'll call you when I get to Sedona."
When he looked up, he noticed that she was in tears. "I just can't believe you're leaving," she said through tears. "You've always been there for me. You're my only brother! Even though it may not seem like it sometimes I-I lo-love you."
"Aw, Mon." He hugged her with his free arm, as his other arm was carrying his weather worn suitcase.
Her tears were falling harder and much freer now. "The minute I finish high school, I'm outta here! I'm so sick of living in this boring town it's not even funny! I just want out, Ross. It's like a prison here. A prison with no escape..."
Ross chuckled at how dramatic his baby sister could be sometimes. "Alright. Now I really have to go now. I'll see you on Christmas."
Slowly, he walked away leaving her behind. It was the last time he would see his sister.
~*Present Day*~
"So what, she died?" asked Rachel.
He shook his head. "No. Well, we hope not. Like she promised, she moved to New York. After a big falling out with my parents, she lost touch with me also. So every Christmas, I come back to old Mercyville, and she stays in New York, I guess. Every time I try to get in contact with her, she never returns my calls. Three years ago, I just gave up. So now every Christmas it's just me and my parents."
"That's so sad," she said. "It's just terrible how families fall apart and lose touch. Especially around the holidays. You should call her one day."
"Yeah, maybe I will." He glanced at his left wrist where his expensive gold watch rested. "But right now, it's nine-o-clock in Mercyville, and my parents are both asleep. There's nothing to do in this Godforsaken town, so I came here. I didn't expect to run into such a charming stranger."
The corners of Rachel's mouth twitched up. "Thanks. And in all fairness, I must say that you are equally charming."
He smiled. "So, where are you from Rachel-I don't think I caught your last name..."
"Green. Rachel Green. And I don't believe you told me yours either."
"Geller. Ross Geller. Do you realize that we have the same initials?"
"That's interesting," she remarked. "I'm from San Diego. I'm actually on my way to New York. I'm moving there. I want to work in fashion."
"San Diego, huh? Don't get much snow there do you?"
"No, not really. It's amazing, though. The snow, I mean. It's so beautiful."
"As are you," Ross said flirtasiously.
She blushed a deep magenta. "Thank you, that's very sweet."
'What am I doing?', thought Ross. 'I'm pouring my heart out to this stranger, all the while flirting with her. This is so unlike me!'
'Oh my God!', thought Rachel. 'This guy is such a flirt!'
But as she looked deep into his puppy-dog like eyes, she had to admit that she really didn't mind.
They continued to talk for hours. They talked and talked, until the dark blanket that engulfed the sky at night started to give way to a brilliant sunrise. Solitary rays shined through the few wispy clouds resting high in the morning sky. Pinks and oranges and the occasional blues graced the sky with their presence on Christmas morning. In the distance, the sound of bells could be heard, marking the fact that this was a special, magical day. It was the one day of the year in which anything was possible and miracles occured.
The light shined through the window of the coffee house, revealing a sleeping Ross and Rachel. Through the hours, their chairs had somehow moved closer together, until they were joined as one. They had fallen into a deep slumber.
Her head was resting on his shoulder, and his arms rested on her stomach and legs. Their breathing was in perfect unison. They both breathed in and out at the same speed. They were in the type of sleep that it is almost impossible to be roused from.
The bartender approached the sleeping twosome. He growled. "You two, it's time to get up! You've been here all night. Go home!"
With that, he pulled both of them out of their chairs and ushered them towards the door. "Bye now!" And then he shut the door and put up the wooden sign that read 'Closed'.
Once outside, Ross and Rachel started laughing uncontrollably.
"Can you believe that we were thrown out of a coffee house?" laughed Rachel. "I can honestly say that I never expected to have this much fun. I just expected to drive on through this town without a second thought. I never realized that I would have a good time. Thank you, Ross."
"You're welcome. Listen, do you have to start driving again yet? It's Christmas and..." Ross's voice trailed off.
She grinned. "Of course I'll stay. Just let me get changed into something else."
"Now why would you do that?" he asked. "You look gorgeous! Here, I have an idea. Follow me."
Ross reached for Rachel's hand, and led her across the road. On the other side, stood a wide clearing, frosted with a thick layer of snow, much like icing on a birthday cake. The tiny crystals glittered like millions of diamonds in the sun.
Ross looked into Rachel's eyes.
"Where are we?" she asked. "What are we doing?"
With a smile he said, "Let me show you..."
'Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Let your heart be light…'
"Let's make a snowman," he said.
She giggled. "A snowman!?"
"Why not?"
She couldn't think of a reason, so with a smile, she bent down and began to pack snow tightly between her gloved hands.
'From now on, our troubles
will be out of sight....'
He stooped down to help her, his hand closing over hers as he helped her make the snowman's head.
'Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Make the Yule-tide gay,
From now on, our troubles will be miles away...'
Snow had begun to fall again. The flakes came down in soft sprinkles at first. One white snowflake in particular sat atop the tip of Rachel's nose. There it rested in all its perfectness. Ross saw this and smiled.
"Come here," he said.
He took his thumb and gently brushed the snowflake away. She looked up into his deep brown eyes. Her blue ones sparkled for the first time in a long time.
'Here we are as in olden days,
Happy Golden days of Yore.
Faithful friends who are dear to us
gather near to us
once more...'
Snow came down in heavier flakes now. Winds were picking up, yet they didn't seem to mind.
As they stood back to admire their snowman, Ross felt something hit him in the back of his head. As he felt the back of his head, wondering what he had been hit with, he heard a small chuckle from behind.
Trying to supress her giggles, Rachel said, "I'm sorry, but I couldn't resist. You were standing there with this look of pride on your face at the snowman. You just looked so silly!"
Ross pretended to be mad. "Well, then I guess you won't mind when I do this!" He threw a snowball at her chest.
She pretended right back. "Did you just throw a snowball at me?"
"I believe I did. Why? Does that make you angry?"
"A little bit," she said with a mischevious grin.
He turned away and pretended to leave. In the few seconds that his back was turned, Rachel ran towards him and playfully tackled him from behind.
"I got you!" she cried gleefully.
He rolled her over on her back and started tickling her.
"Hey! No fair!" she screamed out. "You're so much bigger than me. I should be the one tickling you! Roll over, Buddy!"
He let her roll him over. Ross was lying on top of a blanket of snow. On top of him rested Rachel. She seemed to have forgotten her task: tickling. The world fell silent and it felt like they were the only two people on Earth.
She moved her head in closer to his and placed her lips upon his. Their first kiss was like magic. Snow swirled around them as they lay in the snow together.
'Through the years we all will be together
if the Fates allow.
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.
And have yourself a merry little Christmas now...'
They broke apart long enough to breathe.
"Merry Christmas, Ross Geller," whispered Rachel.
"Merry Christmas, Rachel Green."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The day after Christmas, Rachel found herself waking up in an unfamilar hotel room.
'Oh my God,' she thought. 'I slept with him! I don't even know if what we had even qualifies as a date!'
She slowly eased herself out of the bed.
'Oh, please don't wake up. Please don't wake up...'
She grabbed her clothes off the floor and recalled the night before. It had been wonderful, she remembered. So why was she leaving without saying goodbye?
'It was rushed. Just a one night fling. It was fun, but it's time to move one. Rachel, you need to get to New York before the new year. Just leave. So what if you never see him again?'
Yet she knew she didn't mean that. She glanced over at him sleeping so peacefully. His arm was draped over the empty spot where Rachel had layed seconds before.
She had always been a big believer in fate. It it was meant to be, it was meant to be and there was no stopping it. He just lived too far away, and nothing added up.
'Maybe it's just not meant to be,' she thought sadly. 'If it is meant to be, I will see him again. And if I see this man again, then it will be a miracle.'
With one last glance at him, she put on her clothes and quietly tiptoed out the door into the clear morning light and out of Ross's life.
TBC...
So that was chapter two. Will Ross and Rachel ever meet up again? It was hard for me to pull them apart like that but hey, I couldn't exactly let them be happy now could I? That's just too much trouble! ;) Please review!