Hi everybody, here's to a crappy new year!I'm kidding, I hope you all started this 2019 in the best possible way.
I'm providing you with this new update because the next one won't be available probably until the very end of February, but as I already told you, these chapters will be about the wedding, and I'm excited about all the ideas I have in my mind.
I hope you all appreciate this chapter, I sure had fun while writing it. Once again I wanted a few little moments between my four favorite chararacters, and I felt I needed to point out a few things about the relationships between Ross and Monica and Ross and Chandler.
There will be references to "Joey", if you never watched it, I suggest you to do it, because I consider it to be canon and it's a huge part of our fandom. This part of my fanfiction is probably located around the beginning of Joey Season 2.
Rossella
HONOLULU – TWO DAYS BEFORE THE WEDDING
10.00 a.m.
"We are here! We are really here!" Monica screamed in excitement.
"Geez, relax Mon! One would say YOU are the one getting married in two days!" Ross replied.
"I can't help it; this is so amazing! It reminds me of when we all went to London for your wedd…"
As soon as Ross and Rachel glared at her, Monica stopped talking. Chandler smiled at his wife and took her hand in his, "Maybe I should relax." She concurred.
"Yeah." Chandler agreed.
The four of them had landed in Honolulu an hour before, now the taxi had finally brought them to the hotel that would accommodate all the wedding guests.
Ross and Rachel had decided to travel with Chandler and Monica sooner than the rest of the family to be sure to take care of all the wedding preparations.
Needless to say, when they had proposed their schedule to Monica, she had been thrilled.
Jack and Erica had been left home with the Gellers, Emma was staying with Sandra.
Phoebe and Mike would reach them with the rest of the guests because they were in charge of escorting the musicians with the same flight that almost all the rest of the family, friends and colleagues would leave with.
This was one of the main reasons they had chosen Honolulu as the final location of the wedding: everybody could arrive there with a direct flight, so it was the easiest city to reach in Hawaii from all over the States.
Monica had every reason to be excited. Two days yet, and Ross and Rachel wouldn't be boyfriend and girlfriend anymore. They would become husband and wife.
And even if they were trying to keep a low profile, they were looking forward for that moment to arrive.
"Rach, are you okay, sweetie?" Ross asked her.
Since they had found out that she was pregnant, Ross had been excessively attentive. But he couldn't help it, her pregnancy had started so roughly, that he was still scared that something could happen to her.
"I'm fine honey, just a little tired for the long flight."
"Here, let me take this for you." He offered to take her hand luggage.
"Ross, it's just a bag!" Rachel retorted.
"But…"
"Ross…" Rachel took his face into her hands, "You need to calm down, ok? I'm feeling great, and Dr. Long said that I'm doing well and that everything will be fine. I don't even have morning sickness; this pregnancy is going even better than Emma's one!"
"I know, but…"
"No buts, Ross! Just relax, and breath…"
Ross nodded fast and did what she said. He breathed slowly and tried to calm down.
"The baby and I are fine. And we will be even better when we will check in and we can have a long hot shower, ok?"
"Oh, yes, check-in!"
Chandler and Monica looked with incredulity as Ross ran towards the desk to speak with the receptionist.
"How did you do it?" Chandler asked her.
"After eleven years, I know how to deal with a hyperactive over caring Ross just as much as you can deal with Monica in OCD modality. You just have to give him a new task." Rachel smiled, adoringly.
"I don't have an OCD modality!" Monica shouted.
"Oh really?" Rachel asked. "Oh, look! There's a delivery man wearing an unbuttoned uniform!"
"Where?" she screamed.
Rachel grinned as Monica looked almost everywhere to find her target.
"Ok…ok…Maybe I'm a little over the edge because I want things to be cleaned and tidy and organized. But I don't have an OCD modality."
"I'm not complaining. You are here because we need you to use your amazing skills and check that everything is ready for our wedding, Monica!" Rachel soothed her, stroking her arm.
Monica smiled lovingly, "Oh, stop it!"
"Don't let her manipulate you like that! The last time you did, you cooked a Thanksgiving meal and everyone showed up late!" Chandler tried to shake Monica.
"But it is true! We need Monica more than ever! She is our wedding planner; we need her to be sure that everything goes according to plan!" Rachel reinforced her speech.
Monica was distracted, looking at a painting that seemed to be hanging crooked.
"And what will YOU do in the meantime?" Chandler asked in a whisper so that only Rachel could hear.
"I'll enjoy these two days until the rehearsal dinner of tomorrow night!" Rachel explained.
Chandler thought about it for a couple of seconds, "Can I join you?"
Rachel was laughing when Ross came back from the reception, "Everything's done. Here's our magnetic cards, we all have near bedrooms as I asked when I booked. God, we practically have a whole floor for the wedding!" Ross commented.
"Complaining about the money? You are the one who proposed Hawaii at sunset, honey."
"No, I'm just very grateful that your father is paying for the flights and the hotel." Ross commented. "Oh, Mon, they want your IDs for the identification, you should leave them now."
"Ok." Monica said.
"Honey, I'm getting upstairs to get that shower and some sleep, would you mind catch up on the details of the wedding with Monica while I rest?"
"Of course, sweetie!" Ross gave her a kiss on the temple. "I'll think about everything with her and Chandler."
Rachel shared a knowing look with Chandler, who coughed, "Actually, I was thinking about…getting in our room too, honey. I'm a bit tired, you know with the jetlag and everything…"
"Oh…ok, honey…" Monica smiled at her husband. "We'll catch up later for dinner?"
"Yeah, we'll probably be by the pool…uhm…in our rooms!"
Ross and Monica waved their goodbyes while Rachel and Chandler looked at them grinning like two idiots.
"I'm going to pay for this if she finds out."
"Oh, come on, let the two of them think about everything just for today! Ross told me that we've got a free drink agreement with the hotel bar…"
"But you can't drink alcohol!" Chandler reminded her.
"But I can have soft drinks with little umbrellas while I sunbathe by the pool. Let's go!"
"Oh My God, Ross…This place is going to be wonderful!"
"You think so?" Ross asked his sister.
"I know you don't like to hear about it, but this is going to be ten times better than London!"
Monica had tears at the corner of her eyes. She was visiting the location on the beach where Ross and Rachel would get married two days from then.
"It's like a fairytale. I can't believe Rachel isn't here to see this. Just imagine all the lilies over the carpet, and the wreaths on the columns of the gazebo, the decorated altar, the white benches and the stage for the musicians…"
"Well, during the ceremony they are going to sing to accompany the bridesmaids and then Rachel walking down the aisle…well…not really the aisle, but..."
Ross mimicked the steps of the bride over the carpet, Monica nodded.
"And during Joey's speech and the I take thee part, the guitarist will play some lovely tunes as a background."
"Why did you decided for the I take thee instead of the I dos, by the way?"
"I wanted to show the whole world that I CAN say the right name." Ross smiled.
Monica chuckled, "What songs did you ask for?"
"Sam, the singer, is a huge fan of Pearl Jam just like Rachel and I, so I asked him to play some acoustic version of their songs."
"Wow, that's very sophisticated. What about U2?"
"I think they'll put on With or Without You when we cut the cake and we also want Wicked Games for our first dance. But since we've hired this band the whole wedding dinner is going to be very different than what we had imagined before."
"Chandler told me that the band is amazing. He said the girls are so good that they are even better than the Swing Kings."
Ross nodded, "They really are, you'll see. Mom and dad will be thrilled. I think that Nana would have loved them too."
Monica thought about her grandmother for a couple of seconds and she started to cry, "Oh Ross, how can you still do this?"
Ross chuckled and held his sister in a warm embrace.
LOS ANGELES – TWO DAYS BEFORE THE WEDDING
2.00 p.m.
"Gina, would you stop putting clothes inside Michael's suitcase? We are not leaving for a week, it's just a two days' trip!" Joey scolded his sister.
"I know, but I don't want my son to make a fool of himself in front of your best friends. It's a very important wedding, and you are going to be the minister. Again!" she exclaimed.
"I know, and I'm so excited about it! Ross and Rachel have been dancing around each other for ten years, I'm so grateful that they are finally doing this!"
"I bet you wouldn't be so glad if you two actually managed to have sex together that night, would you?" Michael asked, coming from the living room.
Joey glared at his nephew and Gina laughed at her brother.
"Rachel and I weren't just meant to be, Michael. She's always been in love with Ross and I doubt that we would have lasted in the long run, even if we'd slept together."
"Wow…that's the first time I hear you doubting your sexual skills." Gina smiled.
Joey grinned ironically, "There's a first time for everything. And…you can't imagine how many times those two had sex together."
"And…I think I really don't want to know." Michael replied.
Joey and Gina walked down the stairs towards the kitchen.
"Anyway, thanks for helping Rachel and accepting to be her hairstylist for the wedding."
"Oh, no problem! It'll be fun to go back and do my old job for such a big event!"
"I'm sure Rachel is going to love you." Joey assured her.
Gina looked at him with curiosity, "Is she the spoiled brat?"
Joey thought about it, "No! No, no, no, no! She works in fashion, she's a little into her looks…but she's not a spoiled brat." Joey tried to convince her.
Gina crossed her arms, "Who's paying to bring all the guests to Honolulu?"
"…Her father."
"And who's paying the hotel for the guests?"
"…Her father."
Gina smiled, "Spoiled brat."
Joey waved his hands. "Ok, she might be a little bit spoiled, but Ross and Rachel are paying for the rest of the wedding, I swear."
"And you are the minister?"
"Yep."
"Who bought the rings?"
"That was Chandler's gift as the best man."
"Who bought the wedding dress?"
"Rachel's mother insisted to buy it as a present to Rachel."
"And what gift did they ask you?"
Joey smiled, proud of himself, "I surprised them by paying for their honeymoon in Europe."
"And…Who's doing Rachel's hair and makeup?"
"You are."
Gina moved her hands to see if Joey was getting there.
"She still IS a spoiled brat!" Joey shouted.
"Yes." Gina patted her brother.
At that moment, Alex entered from the courtyard.
"Hi guys!"
"Hey, Alex! I'm glad you are here! So, have you packed your bags yet?"
"Uhm…Not really…"
"What? Why?"
"I was thinking that maybe…I shouldn't be going with you…"
Sensing that they needed some privacy, Gina walked away, "I'll go upstairs to help Michael finish packing."
Joey moved from the kitchen to stand in front of Alex, who was wearing a pink shirt and a pair of white trousers.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know; I just don't feel this is a good idea."
Joey knew that Alex had been behaving weirdly since the night they had spent together, but he was hoping that everything would be fine between them. He loved her and he really wanted her to go with them.
"Alex, Ross and Chandler already met you, but I really want Rachel, Monica and Phoebe to see you, too."
"Why?"
"Because…they aren't only friends to me, they are my family. But now…you became like family too, you are a very important part of my life."
Alex gazed at him with sparkles in her eyes, "Really?"
"Of course. You are one of my best friends. And I need you there with me, I want my two worlds to merge for once, and I'm sure my friends are going to love you."
"You think so? Even if I am a lawyer?"
"Hey, Phoebe's husband was a lawyer, you can always speak with him! Besides, I don't have a girlfriend at the moment and I hate going to weddings without a date."
Alex laughed, flattered by his proposal. Maybe this could be her chance to show Joey how much great it could be if they were together. A chance to tell him how she really felt about him.
"So? Are you coming?"
"Ok…"
"Great!" Joey kissed her cheek. "Now, let's go pack, tonight we're going out all together to eat something, my treat, ok?"
"All right."
Alex walked past the door to her apartment with the biggest smile on her face.
Now she couldn't wait to leave for Honolulu.
HONOLULU – TWO DAYS BEFORE THE WEDDING
7.00 p.m.
"I still can't believe that everything is actually ready. We still have one day and nothing seems to be going wrong." Ross told Monica, who was walking under his arm. She was so happy that she wasn't even tired for all the rides and walks they had done that day.
"I know. And as a chef, I can't wait for the rehearsal dinner tomorrow night to taste the menu. But until now, everything looks perfect. This is nothing like London."
"Because this time it's meant to be."
"It better is, I'm starting to get tired to plan all of these weddings."
Ross looked at her, "Really?"
"No!" Monica screamed, smiling, "This should be my second job!"
Ross laughed and squeezed her under his arm, "And you planned all of this from New York, how could you possibly do this? You are amazing, Mon…"
"You know, I already loved planning Phoebe's wedding, but…you are my brother and Rachel is my best friend. I've been dreaming for you two to get married for years, you know?"
"I'm sure you were very disappointed when we broke up back then…" Ross joked.
Monica stopped walking and Ross sensed her sudden change of attitude.
"I'm…I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."
Monica shook her head, "When you and Rachel broke up…I never stopped rooting for you two to get back together, you know that."
Ross nodded, captivated by her words.
"But when you met Emily…I was the one who pushed you to start a serious relationship with her."
"Monica…"
"No, it's true Ross! I suggested you to follow Emily to the airport, I convinced you that you were in love with her…maybe if I hadn't insisted on scrutinize your feelings, you wouldn't have ended up getting married in London…Oh my God, that was all my fault! Maybe you and Rachel would have reconciled before! You would be married and you would be the ones living in the suburbs with two kids and a house!"
Ross took Monica's hands in his, "But without London, maybe there wouldn't be a Monica and Chandler." Ross interrupted her. "And what about Jack and Erica?"
Monica stared at Ross silently.
"Or maybe you would have gotten together much later…But we can't live our lives on ifs and buts, Mon. It's all in the past, now."
"But I feel terrible if I think about how excited I was for your wedding with Emily. I knew that Rachel was suffering, and yet I wanted you to get married with a woman you barely knew because I thought you were living my fantasy."
"Mon, you thought I loved Emily because I thought I loved her."
"But you didn't."
"You can't be in love with someone when your heart has already been claimed by somebody else."
"Yet, I can't help but feel responsible."
"We're all responsible for London. You shouldn't have challenged me to run after a woman I hardly knew and who lived abroad, I shouldn't have proposed to Emily in such a hurry, Rachel should have told me that she was feeling weird because I was getting married, Emily shouldn't have pretended to anticipate the wedding. But most of all, I should have stopped the wedding after saying the wrong name at the altar."
Monica smiled, "Noooo, what makes you think that? Wasn't it better to finish it and then getting a divorce?"
"So please, don't ever think that I blame you for any reason. I would never do that. At least London gave me one of the best things that ever happened in my life. My best friend and my sister getting together."
"Yeah?" Monica asked with teary eyes.
"Of course. I love you, you are my family, and your happiness will always be a priority to me. I will always be your older brother."
Monica looked at him with admiration, "The best brother a sister could ask for."
Ross smiled and kissed her temple. He took her again under his arm and they started walking again. "And think about this, who knows if Emma would be Emma if Rachel and I had got back together before London…I know it's weird, but…"
Monica was grinning, "You and Rachel really ARE meant for each other."
"Why?" he asked.
"Because you just said something that may seem weird to the rest of the world but that apparently makes much sense to both of you, because I've heard her say it before."
Ross smiled unconsciously and sighed.
"I'm looking forward to see Emma, I miss her so much."
They had just reached their hotel and were walking outside, there was still light and it was a very hot day.
Monica nodded, "I also miss the kids. But just a few hours and…hey!"
"What?"
Monica let go of her brother's held when she noticed something around the pool.
"Look!" she screamed, pointing at Rachel and Chandler, who were lying comfortably on a beach chair with sunglasses and bathing suits.
"I can't believe those two!" Ross cried out. "Here we are, running to put together a wedding, and they have fun without us?"
Monica scoffed, "Oh, I'm gonna make them pay!"
"How?" Ross asked, intrigued and amused at the same time.
Monica started to whisper something in his ear.
"Do you think we should head to our rooms?" Chandler asked.
"What time is it?" Rachel asked.
"It's seven."
Rachel sighed, "They'll probably be back soon, maybe we should…"
"Attention please" the speaker intervened after a crackle "Miss Rachel Green and Miss Chanandler Bong are required to meet their friends to the other side of the pool. Thank you."
"What the…?" Chandler stood up immediately, removing his sunglasses "Is that supposed to be funny?"
"Oh God, they saw us!" Rachel took off the sunglasses and her hat and put them on the chair.
They both started to look around, but didn't see no one.
"Let's do what they asked." Rachel murmured, standing up.
The two started to walk near the side of the swimming pool.
"This is bad…oh, they are going to be angry!"
"I told you this was a bad idea!" Chandler shouted.
"But why would they want us to go to the other side of the pool?" Rachel asked.
"To do this!" Monica's voice screamed behind them.
Before Chandler and Rachel could utter a word, Ross and Monica pushed them into the pool.
Chandler resurfaced at once and coughed, glaring at his wife, "This was totally your idea!"
"I know!" she smiled, giving a high five to her brother.
"Oh, I hate you Gellers when you gang up against us! Ross I can't believe you did this to your pregnant wife!" Rachel screamed, moving her hair from her face.
"Oh, come on, you were the one to ask me to relax. So I did!"
Monica bent over to reach Chandler, "Say you are sorry for lying!" Monica asked.
"Okay…" he nodded. "But first…"
Taking advantage of a moment of distraction, Chandler dragged Monica inside the pool with him.
"Chandler!" she screamed. "You, idiot, I was dressed!"
"I haven't noticed. I'm sorry!" He answered.
Monica laughed and kissed him.
Rachel gazed at Ross with a tempting look in her eyes, but he just said, "No way!"
"Come on, you wuss…" she implored him.
"You are not going to convince me…" Ross bent over on the border of the pool and Rachel approached him, putting her arms out on the cement.
"I bet I am." she murmured.
"How?"
"You know, there is still one kind of kiss that we've never tried all these years."
Ross was intrigued. After a few seconds he realized that they'd never kissed underwater.
"Rach, we'll have tomorrow and the day after the wedding to do it properly…in the sea…by ourselves…" Ross whispered.
Monica and Chandler were by now in the middle of the pool, holding each other and laughing tenderly.
"But now I have a craving. And I need to try it immediately."
Ross looked at her with suspicion, "This is just a way to convince me to get in there, isn't it?"
Rachel squeezed her eyes, "A little bit, yes. But it wouldn't be fun if you didn't get inside with us."
Ross bent a little bit more, "Ok, but as soon as I get in, we start a water battle against Monica and Chandler."
"Deal."
They kissed and Ross caressed her cheeks. Then he stood up, took a couple of steps behind and ran to jump inside the pool with a scream and a splash that lifted a huge amount of water against Rachel's face.
When he didn't emerge from beneath the surface, she took a breath and reached him below it, just in time to feel Ross's hands taking hers to drag her closer. Rachel almost smiled when she felt his lips touching hers and they both struggled to stay under the water as their bodies were pulled to float on the surface.
Ross ended the kiss and stood up in the pool, then he took Rachel in his arms and she put her legs around his waist. They both emerged on the surface smiling at each other.
"Wasn't it worth it?" she asked.
"Every second. And have I already mentioned how beautiful you are today?"
"Not yet, but thank you, honey."
"Hey, lovebirds, are you coming or what?" Monica asked.
Ross looked at Rachel, who nodded in approbation. Five seconds later they started an epic water battle against Monica and Chandler.
Needless to say, Monica decided that she was the winner.
HONOLULU – TWO DAYS BEFORE THE WEDDING
10.00 p.m.
Chandler put his mobile phone in his pocket.
"Well, Joey said everything's ready, they're leaving tomorrow morning."
"Is Alex coming?"
Chandler smiled, "Yep."
Ross grinned, "I can't believe Joey still can't realize that woman is in love with him."
"Who knows, they say many people find their soulmates at other people's weddings!"
"You surely did!"
"And I owe you one!"
Ross chuckled. Rachel and Monica have decided to go out for a walk because Monica wanted to show the location of the wedding to Rachel.
So Chandler and Ross were out on their own, walking on the seashore with many other people who were enjoying the night parties on the beach.
"Wanna know something? Don't get me wrong. I'm glad that Joey is not alone in Los Angeles. But with Michael, Gina, Alex and Zach…don't you feel like he's almost…I don't know, kind of…forgetting about us?" Chandler asked.
Ross nodded in understanding, "I know that you miss him, Chandler. But I think that even if Joey had stayed in New York, things wouldn't be much different."
"Why?"
"Because you moved…because now you have two kids to think about. It's like when I had Ben and you started to bond with Joey because you lived together. I knew that we were still best friends, but what you shared with Joey was always more special to you."
Chandler felt suddenly guilty for how he had behaved towards the only real friend he'd had during the college years, before meeting Joey. Ross was the reason he'd decided to move to Apartment 19 and, most importantly, the reason Monica was in his life.
He never gave him enough credit for that.
"Ross, I'm sorry if sometimes you felt left out…"
"Oh, come on Chandler, you guys invited me, most of the times!" Ross chuckled.
Chandler chuckled too, "Not to our naked Thursdays!"
"Believe me, I'm only glad I missed those!" Ross replied.
"The fact is, Joey and I were so in tune with each other, we loved doing stupid things together and have fun… I still cared about you, it's just that I had a new best bud to go nuts with."
"Of course, of course…"
They both kept walking, trying to ignore the screams coming from the girls and boys who were running after each other on the beach.
"Besides… Since Joey left it's the two of us again and…it's not so bad, you know? Like when we were in college. Two geeks, staying home, watching Star Trek while the kids are sleeping and the girls are out having fun with the crazy friends…"
"You mean Pheebs?"
"Yeah."
"Well…I'm sorry if my friendship with Joey hurt you in some way or if you ever felt neglected."
"Chandler, don't worry…I know that you and Joey are close and I've never resented you two for that, really. And I was the one who wanted to live by myself, remember? I got married so soon, it's just how things were supposed to be. Now that Joey is gone I miss him because we are supposed to be a trio, but I must admit that I like spending time only the two of us."
"Yeah…it's nice. At least until there aren't bullies or gyms memberships involved." Chandler quipped.
Ross chuckled, "Or tacos and space mountains."
"Eww!"
Ross laughed, but became serious almost immediately. "Chandler, I think I already mentioned how much special to me was the fact that you and Monica got married."
"Mmm…yeah, during your speech at the rehearsal dinner, I guess…"
"Yes, but…I've never told you that Monica could have never found a better guy."
"You think so? Not even Richard?" Chandler asked, seriously.
Ross shook his head, "Hey, I like Richard, he's my father's best friend, I grew up with him. He made her really happy when they were together, but as a brother I've never seen her as…fitting…as she's always been with you. I mean, you complement each other perfectly. I'm really proud of the fact that my little sister ended up with my best friend!"
"Why are you saying this to me now?" Chandler asked, grinning in satisfaction and touched by Ross's words.
"Because I'm getting married, and for the last time, hopefully…"
Chandler chuckled.
"Rachel and I look at you and Monica and we are...inspired by you two. You never had uncertainties, troubles, worries. You are so strong together. I wish we could be more and more like you in the future."
"Wow, thank you, man. I can't believe we became better than Roschel!"
Ross glared at him.
"Oh, come on, you invented Mondler, I can't come out with a nickname for you two?"
"Fair enough."
Ross and Chandler were now back to the beach in front of the hotel, where a group of friends were playing the guitar in front of the ocean. They were singing Wake Me Up Before You Go Go by the Wham!, and the two friends couldn't help but smile.
"Well, I think I should thank you for being my friend during the most difficult years of my life. You know, when I didn't talk with my father and my relationship with my mother was so tough."
"Well, you were there for me too, Chan."
"And again, thank you for introducing me to the most important thing in my life."
They didn't need to specify whom they were talking about, but they both smiled.
This was the nice thing about their friendship. They could talk about serious things without feeling weird.
With Joey and Chandler, whenever a deep conversation happened, they felt the urge to do some masculine activity to change topic. But Ross and Chandler were used to confide secrets to each other since they were young, they had spent nights talking about girls and dreams for their future in their common room at the college. Nothing had changed, they could still express their emotions without feeling too sensitive.
"Remember how nerd we were back then? Twenty years do change a man!"
"I remember vividly that you kept talking about Rachel and dinosaurs."
Ross stopped walking and chuckled nervously, "So, nothing really changed, uh?"
"Well, we hadn't played in a band anymore…until now!"
They both started to laugh as they made the typical lame cool guy handshake.
"I'm so happy to have the chance to play at the wedding, thank you for doing this with me. I just hope Rachel is going to like it…"
"I'm pretty sure she's going to throw her bouquet at you" Chandler disagreed, "But I think your odds are good. I'm just sorry I didn't have the same idea for my wedding."
They shared a knowing look.
"Yeah, Monica, wouldn't have allowed it." Chandler agreed with Ross.
10.30 p.m.
Rachel and Monica were standing right under the gazebo, trying to imagine all the wedding in front of them.
"And then Joey is going to forget about the rings."
"Come on, he promised me that he would study this time!" Rachel reproached Monica.
"Wanna bet?"
"Let's say 50 bucks?"
"Deal." Monica shook her hand.
Rachel inspired deeply and smiled with her eyes closed.
"You are so happy." Monica told her.
Rachel nodded. "You know…when I was marrying Barry…I felt awful. I kept thinking, What am I doing? Why am I doing this? Is it for me or for someone else? Is it me or Barry looks exactly like Mr. Potato Head?"
Monica chuckled as she watched her friend walking on the same carpet over which she would walk again dressed as a bride in just two days.
"But now…I am not scared, at all. I thought I might panic as soon as I got here, but…nothing."
"It's because this time it's real, honey."
"But it was real even when you got married with Chandler, and yet you were a bit anxious. And he was too, he even disappeared for a couple of hours!"
"Yes…but that was just some…misunderstanding…this time it's you and Ross…I know that you've been together again for only one year, but with all your history it's almost like you two never actually split up." She caressed her hair.
"I know that this doesn't change anything, we already live together, we have Emma and another baby coming but…I can't wait for Saturday…"
"It's your big day, Rachel. You guys deserve this so much…after all you've been through."
Listening to those words, Rachel had a sudden epiphany and remembered the night of her going away party.
"Mon…You think I would have made it in Paris, on my own?"
Monica smiled, "I think you would have been great out there. You would have been a very successful woman, and maybe you would have found someone to share your life with."
"But?" she asked.
"I think you wouldn't have been really happy. Without New York, without Ross, Phoebe, Chandler and Joey."
"Without you, Mon."
Monica smiled lovingly at her best friend.
"I know that Phoebe is my official maid of honor, even if you are both going to be there. I wanted to tell you why I picked her."
"That was our plan since I got married, Rach." Monica explained.
"I know, the system where we trade off being maid of honor for each other."
"Am I a genius or what?" Monica smiled.
"Yeah, you are, but…What I mean is that I asked Phoebe to be my maid of honor anyway and I didn't do it only because of the system, but also because she's the one who's always believed that Ross and I were meant for each other. She wanted so much for us to get back together, even when we didn't see it."
"I know…" Monica murmured.
"You know that when Ross was hiding that we were still married and he hadn't asked for the annulment, Phoebe was trying to make him realize that he was doing it because he was still in love with me? And when Emma was born she's the one who convinced Ross to ask me to start dating again."
"And don't forget about the ride to the airport…"
"Well, if it wasn't for her phalange, maybe we wouldn't be here today." Rachel grinned.
"I know honey, and you don't have to excuse yourself."
"But I do! Because you are more like a sister to me than anybody else. You should be my official maid of honor."
"You let me plan the wedding, and I'm the second bridesmaid. And if you let me be your second child's godmother, I call it even."
Rachel hugged her, "You don't even have to ask about it, Mon."
"I can't wait for Phoebe to arrive tomorrow. I kind of miss her craziness!" Monica noticed.
"Yeah, me too. And I'm so glad that this time she won't miss the wedding. She would have killed me if she couldn't have flown to Hawaii because of the pregnancy!"
"I think she would have come swimming." Monica claimed without doubt.
Reviews are very appreciated, and please, forgive my language, as usual.