As I already told readers of "We've Had Our Story", ff has been bugging me. I'm sorry about the long delay, but it's been giving me a good time to write, so the chapter after this is done too, yeah..

And I'm very hounered for all the reviewers/readers who tells me that I describe Rachel's feelings and what happened, good. All I can say is that, it's hard putting into words how people feel about that, along with the fact that it's very intimate and personal. But I've been trying my best, so I just wanted to thank you for all the support. You guys are the best readers ever ;p

Disclaimer; I don't own the wonderful characters from Friends. But can I wish that I did?

Picking Up the Pieces

Chapter 23.

"So, is everything set for tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Monica smiled, "Everything is planned and taken care of."

"What are we having then?" Ross asked.

"Pancakes." Monica answered, "I'll just make some pancakes. We're not gonna be that many people anyway."

"Yeah, Ross, who's coming?" Phoebe asked.

"Hmm, you are," Ross said, "I am and the rest of the gang too. Ben, Carol and Susan are coming. My mom and dad. Rachel's parents, and of course Ashley. We kinda need her, you know, her being the birthday girl and all."

"What did you get her?" Phoebe asked, "She only had one wish, so I bought her her birthstone."

"Well, Rach and I bought her a laptop. Mostly me though, since Rachel is not making that many money."

"That sounds good." Monica smiled, "She'll be so happy… Now, where is Rach?"

"She's having a meeting of some sort." Ross said, "I don't really know what it's all about, but it's very secrecy."

"Okay then."

--

"Hi everybody." Rachel smiled, "Welcome. And thanks for coming."

"Pleasure." Tania smiled.

"Good." Rachel said, "We'll just tell each other who we are, and stuff. We'll just go around in a circle. I'll begin: Hi, my name is Rachel Green. You all know my story, because you came to my lecture, and I'm not in an abusive marriage anymore, but I want to help other people who are. That's why I invited all of you here today."

"And thank you for that." a woman smiled, "I think we all just need one thing. A friend, someone to talk to."

"And we'll get that." Rachel said, "I think we could maybe get together once a week or something. And just talk. None of you work do you?"

They all shook their heads,

"Well, I do, but I'll pick a day and then we can get together, okay?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, sure." Tania said, speaking for all of them, "I mean, we appreciate all the advices we can get. It sounds weird to have a group, but we all need to get some of it out, I think. We can make new friends, and have fun. Maybe some of us will somehow get the courage to turn in our husbands?"

She laughed.

"That's great Tania." Rachel said, "But I've made some coffee. Do some of you want some?"

"Yeah," another one said, "I baked cookies." she pulled out a back, and some of the other women smiled.

Rachel could feel that this was gonna be great.

--

"Mom, I just don't understand…" Ashley said, walking slowly behind Rachel towards Monica and Chandler's apartment, "You promised me that we could go to the movies today, because of my birthday."

"Yeah, but I had to change our plans." Rachel said, smiling secretly, "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, I know." Ashley said, "You did what you thought was best."

"I actually did."

"What are we doing here then?" Ashley asked, pointing at the door into apartment 20.

"Monica needed some help with something, I'm not quite sure yet." Rachel answered.

"Okay then." Ashley said. She opened the door, but the minute she stepped in, everyone jumped up screaming.

"SURPRISE!"

"Oh my God!" Ashley squealed, "I've never had a surprise party before! Mommy, thank you!"

Rachel and Ashley hugged, and then Ashley ran into Ross' open arms.

"Happy birthday, Ash." Ross laughed, hugging her real good.

"Thank you." Ashley smiled, "This is amazing!"

"Well, you haven't got the best yet." Ross smiled.

"What…" Ashley trailed of, "What could possibly be better than this? Everyone I love?"

"This!" Ross said, pointing at the kitchen table, where a laptop was; with a screensaver saying: ´Happy birthday Ashley, we love you´.

"Oh my God!" Ashley screamed, tears forming in her eyes. She ran to the table and looked at the computer. She couldn't control her emotions.

"Thank you so much, Ross!" she cried, "I love you!"

"I love you too, Ash." Ross smiled.

"Well then," Monica told everyone, "There's food over here, and just enjoy! Have fun!"

People broke away from the little family which was standing together in front of the laptop.

Ashley was bend forward, checking out what the machine was capable of doing. She was amazed. She was so happy, she couldn't believe it. She had gotten a computer for a present, and the apartment was full of people who had come because of her.

She looked up when Ben touched her shoulder.

"Congratulations with your 10 years, Ashley."

"Thanks," Ashley smiled, hugging him. "I can't believe your dad and my mom bought me this. Isn't it great?"

"Yeah," Ben smiled, handing her a present, "It's from me and my mommies."

"Thank you." Ashley said, shaking the gift, "Is it clothes?"

"It's just something, no biggie." Ben laughed.

Ashley opened the gift and found a cute little shirt in it.

"You like it?" Susan asked, coming up to them.

"I love it." Ashley smiled, "Thank you so much."

She gave Susan a hug, and left to find Carol too.

Ross approached Rachel with a huge smile on his face; "I think she was happy."

"Me too." Rachel laughed, "But thank you for doing all that for her. It means a lot to me."

"Of course I will." Ross said, "I'm gonna be… kinda like her father, y'know? I'm supposed to take care of her."

"That is right." Rachel wondered, "You are kinda like her father… Hmm," she looked at him with big open eyes, "That feels good to say, doesn't it? You're her father…"

"Ah, I love you, Rach." Ross smiled.

"I love you too." Rachel giggled, and then she leaned in and kissed him good.

But then he broke it, "I have someone who would like to talk to you." he said.

"Who?"

"My parents." Ross said, taking her hand, "C'mon!"

Shit, his parents…

Rachel shot him a smile and followed him. She didn't want to do this. She didn't want to meet his parents. The old Rachel – the Rachel who spent practically her entire childhood at their house – was long gone, and she was so sure they wouldn't like this new Rachel. She was sure that they would look down at her, for her marriage with Barry. She was sure it was gonna be horrible to talk to them.

However, when the first thing Jack Geller did was pull her into her hug, her mind changed.

It wasn't gonna be horrible at all.

It was gonna be so great to talk to two people she had always loved.

--

Rachel turned off the lamp beside Ashley's bed and looked at her daughter. "Did you have fun today?"

"Yes." Ashley smiled, hugging her pillow, "It was the best birthday ever. It really was… No screaming and no yelling. No fight."

Rachel smiled and kissed Ashley's hair, "Yeah, it was pretty great, eh?"

"Hmm-mm." Ashley sighed and looked at her mom, "Thank you for giving me all this, mom. Not just for today, and for the laptop, but for making my life better. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Rachel kissed her hair again, and went for the door, "Sweet dreams, Ash."

"Sweet dreams."

Rachel went into the bedroom where she was spending the night next to Ross this night. She felt like it.

"So, is she sleeping?" Ross asked.

"Nah, but she will soon." Rachel said, laying herself beneath the covers next to him, "It's sad isn't it?"

"What's sad?"

"That our kids are so old now. Ashley is 10 and Ben is 11. It wont be long till they don't need us anymore." Rachel said.

"Oh…" Ross trailed off, considering sharing his thoughts. He decided to do it, "But y'know… Do you think that it's a possibility… There could be more kids in our future? Kids together?"

"You never know." Rachel said, not really admitting how much she actually wanted more kids, but she wasn't ready yet, "There could be, but we're talking way ahead in the future."

"Really? More kids?"

"Yeah… We just have to take it a bit slow now… But sometime, yeah." Rachel smiled, "Definitely."

Okay, mainly fluffy chapter, but leave me a review anyway. Thanks, Stessa.