Thank you for the reviews! Keep them coming, they're my source of motivation :) Anyway, here's the 2nd chapter!

Chapter 2

"Hi Rach!" Ross greeted as he entered Rachel's apartment carrying a sleeping Emma.

"Oh hey!" greeting in return, looking up from the box she was unpacking in the living room. "You know what? Not having Chan and Mon across is really hard to get used to!"

Ross smiled at that cause he knew it was true.

Rachel was lucky enough that Joey hadn't sublet his apartment yet. Until he got a permanent job in L.A., he's been going back and forth across the states, and Rachel's transfer came just in time before he could sell it. Although the bad part is, the apartment was a mess. She definitely had to remodel the whole thing, even the carpet! It seems that the old spaghetti stains were excessively unhygienic for Rachel to live with.

Rachel offered her arms to Ross, motioning him to hand Emma to her. Instead, Ross shook his head and headed towards Joey's old room.

She watched him walk by her, damn he smelled good- like always. His grey shirt told the story of how his day with Emma went by. On the lower left of his torso, there was a chocolate smudge which indicated that he and Emma could've bought ice cream right after eating hotdogs, which was signified by the mustard stain right beside the brown spot. It seems that they also watched a movie together because Ross' chest had cheese powder, and Rachel was sure it was The Polar Express.

Rachel realized that Ross was quizzically looking at her for she was staring at his chest. "So how was the Polar Express?"

"How did you know?" Ross asked.

"She's been wanting to watch that since Paris, but I told her you'd take her." she paused, "and there's cheese powder all over your shirt."

Ross looked down, saw his chest and began laughing. "The movie was fine, I never knew cartoons would actually seem real one day. Oh Rach! Emma asked me this afternoon if you and I had- um.. you and I had se- sex to have her…?" he nervously asked, "what- what was that?" and uncomfortably chuckled.

Rachel felt her heart skip a beat; she thought her daughter had forgotten the talk they had the night before. "That was- well, you see… Hmmm…" beads of perspiration started forming on her forehead. "Yesterday she came home from school and asked me what sex was because apparently, her new friends were talking about it."

"She asked you what sex was. But she's five-years old!" Ross commented in shock.

"I know Ross, but I still had to explain it to her because she thought sex was about two people kissing. I simply told her that sex is something done by two people who loved each other and decided to have a baby." That last line took her by surprise… did she just say 'two people who loved each other?' She hoped he didn't notice that line- or that word even.

It was a Freudian slip.

Her thoughts were killing her, how stupid was she to forget that the last time she had sex was with him- in his house- on his bed covered with his sheets.

Rachel looked baffled, and Ross just laughed at her. "Okay so now my daughter knows about sex, but believes in Santa as well. That's- odd! Anyway, I gotta go. I still have to pass by Catherine's house and…"

Rachel smiled at him and said, "Sure. Thanks for taking Emma out today, fixing this whole apartment's harder than I thought! I was looking forward to spend time with her before work starts."

"Actually, I should the one to thank you. I haven't been with her for the longest time, and I believe now's the chance for me to spend time with her. I just missed her SO much!" he sheepishly smiled.

Rachel missed him, she missed those puppy eyes. Before she left New York three years ago, Ross looked at her the same and told her that she didn't have to leave. But she did, and now... now her life wasn't how she once dreamed it would be.

As soon as Rachel finished unpacking after Ross left that Saturday night, she sulked with her bottle of wine and bowl of popcorn. She was watching TV, but not really paying attention. Her mind wandered, and in the end, she found herself thinking about Ross-again.

Catherine, as he mentioned earlier, was the girl he began dating almost a year ago. He talked about her with Rach on his last visit to Paris, but she didn't bother pondering on it. It just struck her when he brought her name up.

He was taken.

She didn't know they were still together, and how stupid she felt for thinking that things were still the same when she came home.

It was too late.

He was with someone now, and damn, wasn't he always with someone when this happens?

First it was Julie in China, then Bonnie who balded herself, then Emily in London, and then Mona, then finally Charlie… it wouldn't be fair anymore, and Ross was happy. She, on the other hand, felt complicated. Coming home to New York meant she had to deal with herself and her feelings- and she hasn't done that for quite a while. It was always about Emma or work, never about her.

And now, without Monica a few steps away, life seemed even harder.

Chapter 3 soon