The usual patrons of Central Perk were having their coffee, unaware of what was going on. Carrie strolled in with her Louis Vuitton carry all on her shoulder.
"Gunther, can I have a latte?" Carrie asked as she took out her wallet. Gunther stared at this new friend of the group on the orange sofa. She was very stylish. He was finally going to have someone gorgeous to look at it besides Rachel. After all , she was a lost cause. He still couldn't understand what she saw in that nerd, but they were engaged now and she was happy.
"Here you go." Gunther smiled as he handed Carrie her coffee. "I used non fat milk in it." He bragged as he propped his arms on the counter and stared into her eyes. Carrie sipped her coffee and then walked over to the couch. Her cell rang the special rang. "Hello?" she smiled.
"Hey beautiful." Big smiled as he walked into a building and then pushed the elevator . Waiting for it, he decided to call Carrie. "So how did the column go?" Big and Carrie agreed that each other's work was an important part of them , so it would be part of their relationship.
"It is going to be great. I am meeting the couple in a little bit. Honey, you will love them. She works for Ralph Lauren and he is a professor at NYU, and they have the most adorable little girl. Her name is Rachel and his name is Ross. My editor loves the series and there is even book talk." Carrie decided that she wouldn't tell of the near tragedy of the column to Big. "So how goes the trip?" she asked always eager to share in the life of her husband to be.
"Well I think we are going to end up with this company, so the trip wasn't completely wasted. However, I have been missing a certain person in my bed." He cooed. "But I should be home in another couple days." Big said as the elevator door opened. "But kiddo, I have to go now, so I will call you later. " then he hung up . Carrie didn't have to hear the words all the time. She had heard him say them when they counted. Plus at that moment, Ross and Rachel opened the door and Emma ran over to the counter. "Hi Mr. Gunturr, can I have a cup of hot chocolate?" she asked nicely. Gunther went to get the cocoa happily, after all it was Rachel's daughter. "Thank you." She said politely and then Gunther handed it to her mother since it was hot. I t also gave him and excuse to stare at Rachel. . "Why don't I get us some coffee while you meet Carrie over there?" Ross said as he slipped his arm around her neck and then kissed her very publically.
"Dad, do you guys mind? That's gross." The young boy scowled.
"Ben , why don't you go over with Aunt Rachel and Emma?" Ross said as he headed toward the counter. "Sweetie, what do you want?" he yelled to the couch.
"A double latte with low fat milk." Rachel said as she herded the two children over to where Carrie sat. "Hey girl, " she said as she hugged Carrie. "I am so glad that you are doing the article after all." Carrie said as she smiled. "Now who is this?" Carrie asked as she looked at the young boy.
"This is Ross' son from his first marriage , Ben, And Emma, say hi to Carrie." Rachel was so proud of how well behaved her children were. Maybe she was a good mother after all.
"Hey," said Ben. Rachel scowled at him. "Is that anyway to introduce yourself when you meet someone ? Now do it right." She commanded. Ben put out of his hand. "Hello I am Ben." He said obediently. Carrie smiled at him. "Hello Ben, I am Carrie."
Ross came back over and handed Rachel her coffee. He indicated whether Carrie wanted some. She indicated to the cup in front of her and Ross handed Ben a cup with cocoa like Emma's.
"I want coffee." He said like an adult. "I'm not a kid anymore." Ben was now twelve years old and was tired of everyone treating him like his half sister. The only person who treated him like he was a mature adult was his Aunt Phoebe. His mothers still saw him as their little boy, as well as his father. He was more mature than his Uncle Joey who was thirty five years old. And his Aunt Monica coddled him. He did like to spend time with his Uncle Chandler, he was always so much fun. And sometimes he would even put a zinger on his old dad that would make him laugh. "I don't know Ben, you might not like the taste of it." Ross said as he cautiously let Ben take a sip of his own. "Gaaaa." Said Ben as he spit it out. "A few more years , kid." Ben hated that , he was not a kid. He looked over at his aunt Rachel , well she wasn't going to be that much longer. She was finally going to be his stepmom. She loved Ben like he was one of her own children. Ben sometimes would watch her, god she was hot, well his dad thought so. Actually so did Ben and then his visits with his father had gotten more frequent.
"So guys, now it's your turn. When did you first realize that you loved each other?" Carrie took out her tape recorder, so she would not get into trouble this time. Ross cleared his throat and then started."Well I guess that would be me." He said. "I still remember the very first time I saw her…… then a memory faded back into his mind.. he was fifteen and Rachel was only thirteen. For years she had come to his house and they had played together then she and Monica would go off to her room and talk about the kind of things that little girls talk about.Ross would go off somewhere and play with his dinosaurs and think nothing at all of it. Playing and learning….
Ross was now in the ninth grade. He decided to take a typing class , since he knew he would be headed to college. It was the first day of school and the teacher was seating the students according to their names. She was going in alphabetical order. "Gasconi, Geller, and Green." The teacher said. Ross looked over and saw this vision in a red sweater . Her hair seemed to glisten a little bit more than he remembered. There was just something about her that was different. She looked over and was glad to see a familiar face on her first day of junior high. "Hi Ross." She smiled. Suddenly he was seeing this whole different person. She wasn't just his sister's best friend, but a very desirable and sexy girl. The sweater hugged her budding breasts and molded every curve in just the right places. He was in love….. then as he started to type it was obvious… he just kept typing her name over and over again.
"And that was when I knew I loved her." Ross said as he reached over and kissed her again. Ben made another face and Emma clapped. She never knew what a big part she played in getting together her mommy and daddy.
"How about you Rachel , when was it for you?" Carrie asked .
There were quite a few times that feelings started to show for Rachel , but one stood out in her mind. Of all the guys that she went out with , none really made her feel very special., well not until she realized how special….
Rachel had a particularly exasperating day, she had met this really great guy. He loved to do the one thing that Rachel loved to do , and that was skiing. He was handsome , he was charming, and then Ross proceeded to wreck the conversation. He still had it in his mind that she was meant to be with him. He had one more person in his little conspiracy and that was Phoebe. She kept insisting he was her lobster, and that they belonged together. Rachel was tired of these little games, she started to have feelings for him in China, he found Julie. She kissed him and then found out he made a list between her and Julie , it hurt her to find out he thought she was spoiled , a little too concerned with her looks., and was just a waitress. She turned to him and then said that they would never be a couple and then told him to accept that. Heartbroken , he went to his sister's , where everyone was watching a video of when Monica and Rachel were getting ready for the prom. Rachel was crushed because it looked like her date was standing her up. Ross ' mom saw how heartbroken she was and then made the suggestion that since it was her big night, he should put on his father's tuxedo and take Rachel . Rachel didn't know this happened as the sad Ross stood and watched Rachel leave with Chip, Rachel started to think. She looked over at him after she had been so mean to him today. Wow, he really liked me even back then. She slowly crossed the room with the other four watching her, then she took his face in her hands and began to kiss him.
"So you had no idea at all?" Carrie asked. "Nope not until China." Rachel said. "And now , you guys broke up for a while. When did that happen?"
Both Rachel and Ross had a very sad look as they remembered the night of the fight. They remembered crying and holding each other, Rachel remembered her broken heart and Ross remembered how he had managed to hurt the one person he never wanted to hurt.
"I had been working at Bloomingdales for a short time. Before that , I had been unhappy working as a waitress. I went to school for fashion and that is why I wanted to work in it. I had a temporary job at another company, and then this really sweet guy named Mark, said he had a job at Bloomingdales that they were hiring for." Rachel started the story.
"But I didn't like this guy Mark and thought he only wanted to take away my girlfriend. Then Rachel started to work so hard and spend all her time at the store. I felt like I was losing her. I was convinced that Mark was going to take her away from me, so I started to do some really stupid things, like sending her a love bug and a barber shop quartet. Then came the night of our one year anniversary and I had something special planned. She couldn't make it , so I went down to her office ."
"I was swamped because Mark had just quit , which meant I was the new purchasing assistant. Someone had messed up a major order, I had to take care of it. Ross came down and made a total mess of things. I was so stressed and he was crowding me so much. I said, and boy have these words come back to bite me in my ass. Why don't we take a break.?"
"Carrie , what do you interpret as a break? Doesn't that mean that you are broken up?" Ross asked looking at Carrie for confirmation for the great riddle of their relationship.
"It means that Rachel wanted some space and that you were suffocating her." Carrie wondered as she uttered those words if that might have been the reason Big originally went to Paris or even to Napa.
"Ross seemed to think that meant to go out with his buddies, get drunk , and then sleep with the first girl that noticed him." Rachel said accusingly. Ross turned to her. "Hey, I thought this was all settled and I was forgiven?" "If Carrie wants our history, she has to have all of it. Including that fatal mistake you made in London." Rachel said.
"Which was ?" Carrie asked curiously. She had heard the story before, but now was going to hear it first hand. Ross mumbled it. "My marriage to another woman, who by the way, you fixed me up with." He said turning to Rachel.
"I asked you to take her to the opera. Not to Vermont to have sex with her on the first date." Rachel said angrily.
"So you could go after a guy who had NO interest in you." Ross countered. "And then Carrie, she came to London to stop my wedding to Emily."
So tell me why you said my name?" Rachel screamed. "And don't give me that crap about because you just saw me."
This was starting to get interesting. Carrie took a sip and watched these two passionate people show the passion in their past. "You said whose name?" she asked curiously.
"Instead of saying I Ross take thee Emily, I said I Ross take thee Rachel." Ross admitted. "And it was probably the best thing I ever said." He said smiling at Rachel. Carrie knew what these two were feeling., she was feeling it too.
Hey everyone just an authors note. I am so glad that everyone is loving my story. I love Sex and the City and I love Friends, so I thought I would write this really cute story for valentines day. We also never got to see the Sex girls after their finale either so I thought I would give them a continuation. I started a Sex and the City one before , but I love this story… thanks a lot to Oliver , my favorite critic, blebo 92, and Jen… also my fellow Everlasting Love fanatics especially Barb Pand to woodworth as well.. thanks hon….
More reminiscing and Big comes home ….