Chapter 3
It's been almost 9 months since Ross and Rachel started dating and everyone knew about them except his ex-wife and her partner. And work wise, Ross was being headhunted by the Fortune 500 companies and Rachel's was going on good. Meanwhile, Jessica was trying to find new ways to get Emma's custody. After the call with his lawyer was done, he was lost in his own thoughts and was thinking about how to solve this problem. Just then, his intercom started to ring on his table, thereby interrupting his thoughts
"Hello?" Ross asked into it
"Hello Mr Geller, I have a person to meet you." The receptionist responded.
"Sure, let them in." Ross granted permission without even asking who the visitor was.
"Sure sir." The receptionist cuts the phone and Ross started having some thoughts of his own
Just then, someone enters his cabin. It was none other than Rachel.
"Hey you." Rachel greeted him cheerfully. Seeing her face made him feel a bit energetic.
"Hey you." Ross hugged her.
"You look a bit weary Ross. Are you okay?" Rachel could sense some concern for him
"Yeah, I'm good Rach. " Ross tried to convince her. But he failed to do.
"I don't think so. Is something bothering you?" Rachel asked him rhetorically
"Nothing."Ross tried to reason." Okay fine, I just spoke with my lawyer and he informed that Jessica re-opened Emma's custody case and I'm just not understanding what to do next." Ross explained and she tried processing the latest information she received.
"Oh honey." Rachel hugged him ."I'm always there for you honey. I love you."
"I love you too." Ross hugged her and smelled her hair.
"We'll figure out something." Rachel squeezed his shoulder and assured him.
"I hope we will. I mean Jessica left me for a Barry when I lost my job due to recession and now I'm doing good and out of nowhere, she just slaps me a custody notice." Ross rambled.
"I'll never leave you Ross." Rachel choked." I will always be there for you." Rachel assured you
"Please don't let Monica or Chandler or Emma know about it. The hearing is a few days after their wedding." Ross asks her
"Okay sure. I'll not let anyone know about it." Rachel reassured him.
...
Meanwhile, Chandler and Monica have been planning their wedding which was almost in next three weeks. Their wedding planning was in full swing and they were looking for places to have their wedding. Chandler was going through all the finances of the wedding.
"Gosh Mon, is this band necessary along with this ice sculpture?" Chandler asked her
"It is." Monica cried.
"The band is too expensive." Chandler advised
"Okay fine, we'll search for a new band."
Just then, Ross comes into the apartment and notices them working on something.
"What are you guys doing?" Ross casually asked.
"Going over some finances of our wedding." Chandler replied.
"What is the budget?" Ross asked casually.
" We are way over budget Ross." Chandler replied worriedly
"By how much?" Ross asked
"7500 dollars." Chandler replied.
"Don't worry,you got it covered. Besides its my sister who is getting married to my best friend. I would want her to have the best wedding." Ross tells Monica. Rachel looked at her boyfriend with awe. Monica was lucky to have Ross as brother.
"Thanks big bro." Monica hugs her brother.
"Anything for you Mon." Ross tells his sister."All I want you to be is happy and you deserve your dream wedding."
"Seriously, how much you earn?" Joey was surprised.
"You can see me in magazines and newspapers." Ross chuckled."I believe that finances should always be private."
"That's funny." Joey chuckled
"Ross, if you don't mind, would Emma be fine to be a flower girl at our wedding?" Monica asked him
"Sure. She would love to." Ross tells her
...
A few days later, Monica and Rachel agreed to go out on a lunch even though they worked in the same office.
"Monica, I have to tell you something. Promise me that you won't tell Joey or Phoebe or Chandler about it." Rachel tells her
"Sure, what is it?" Monica asked her
"Jessica sent a custody notice to Ross for Emma's custody." Rachel replied somberly
"What? This is serious. I mean it's like a DEFCON 1 situation." Monica was aghast with this revelation.
"I know Mon. I've been observing Ross the whole time and with Emma, he is acting normal and when Emma is not around, it's bothering him so bad." Rachel tells her situation.
"I know how hard its been on him. Before even when you re-entered into his life, he gave up dating solely to focus on raising Emma as she left him and that girl when she was 6 months old and those bad situations transformed him into a emotionless person. But, when it comes to Emma, he raised her like a princess and bought the best out of him. He loved that little kid with all of his heart and never let her hurt." Monica explained the gravity of the situation.
"Hell, I know he is a good father." Rachel replied.
"I know sweetie. When is the court hearing?" Monica asked
"Few days after your wedding." Rachel replied.
"This is even serious than I thought." Monica replied.
"I know Mon. I hope Ross gets the permanent custody for Emma." Rachel hoped.
"I hope so." Monica replied.
...
A few weeks later, it was Monica and Chandler's wedding day. The rehearsal dinner went good without any fuss except for Chandler's parents and the food was great. Rachel was at Monica's place while Chandler and Joey spent their night across the hall and Ross was with Emma in his apartment across the street. Ross wanted to check on Chandler and how he felt. Just then, he knocked on Monica's apartment door.
"Hey Rach, could you mind babysitting Emma for a while, I saw this message from Chandler." Ross opened his phone
"This is so not good." Rachel was worried when she saw the text from Ross's phone.
"I know. And I need to find him." Ross replied. What is Monica upto?" Ross asked her
"She is busy steaming her dress. " Rachel replied.
"What happened?" Phoebe asked him.
"Chandler took off. Ross got a cryptic message from him." Rachel told her
"This is so not good. "Phoebe replied
"I'll search for him. And Rach, could you please take care of Emma and try to stall Monica." Ross asked her
"Sure Ross.I'd love to have her with me. And find him." Rachel encouraged him.
Ross handed Emma over to Rachel. She went to sit on the couch playing with her toys. She observed Emma and was very ecstatic. She treated her like her own daughter. Since past few weeks, she was feeling a bit nauseated and her breasts were swollen. She took a pregnancy test before the rehearsal dinner and saw those two prominent red lines. She and Ross were going to have a baby. She loved the fact that she was going to enter motherhood entirely while she didn't have the honor to be the biological mother to Emma, she treated her like her own biological daughter and the feeling between them was mutual. Emma entirely loved her. She was having thoughts in her head. When this baby is born, would she ignore Emma? Would she reassure Emma that no matter what, she would support her step daughter and be there for her?. Just then, a notification sound rang on her phone. It was from Ross.
Ross: Found him. I'll help him out.
Rachel: Thank god. I hope you help him out.
Ross: Sure. What's Monica up to?
Rachel: She is busy with her makeup and all.
Ross: See you at the wedding. Chandler is having last minute jitters. I guess he should fine now after I give the talk.
Rachel: Phew, that was a close call. Great job by the way :)
Ross: Thanks ;)
Rachel: I need to tell you something.