Chapter 6 Courtney and the Proposal

It was two hours after Phoebe had had her baby Courtney and Ross and Rachel were sitanding next to each other. The two of them had made back up to each other after he had returned from the honeymoon with Phoebe and Ross now understood what Rachel really wanted. He was planning to propose to Rachel in the hospital before Phoebe would be leaving that night.

"Hi, Pheebs!" Rachel called thorough the door. "Can we come in?"

"Yes," Phoebe said.

Joey was leaning over Phoebe and the two of them were looking at their baby. "I'm so glad that we had this baby," Joey whispered to Phoebe before anyone else could hear.

"She's so cute!" Monica found herself squealing. "May I hold her?"

"Sure," Phoebe said, handing Monica, Courtney. "Her name is Courtney. Joey and I decided on it together."

"I love her," Monica said. "George should be giving me one of those."

George looked up. "Except I'd like to be married first."

"Okay," Monica agreed.

"I can't wait till I have one," Ross sighed.

"Well I'm not going to give you one unless you marry me," Rachel said, but her voice was more gentle than it had been in a long time. "I want one too, but that isn't going to happen unless we end up getting together in a marriage way."

"Of course I'll marry you," Ross whispered. "I just don't think that it's the right time. Our relationship hasn't been as strong lately and... yeah."

"I know what you mean," Rachel said. "And it's okay. I just want to have a baby someday."

"Can I be the godmother?" Monica asked. "I know that I can't call godmother, but I love these babies so much and Ross, I'm your sister."

Monica handed Courtney to Chandler and Chandler looked into her eyes. "You're the most beautiful thing ever. I know that I can't get one, because I'm not together with Janice anymore. I'm glad that I'm not with her, but I'm not even close to a marriage now."

"I'm sure that we'll make you godfather, Chandler," George said affectionately. "Monica and you are good friends."

"Eh em?" Ross demanded. "I'm the brother and if I'm making Monica the godmother of my baby that is not fair."

"I don't mind, but I know that I don't want to die alone," Chandler said.

"You're not going to die alone!" Joey said. "You may just die unmarried, but we'll all be there for you. I know what you mean, but I don't think that you'll actually die alone. I wouldn't expect for you to die alone."

"You're a caring, loving man and I'm sure that someone will fall for you someday," Rachel said gently. "I know that I always wanted to be with Ross and once I found out that he actually loved me I didn't want to be with anyone else. I think that you'll feel that way for someone else."

"I'm sure that you're right," Chandler sighed handing Courtney to Rachel.

"Oh!" Rachel squealed. "Aren't you a darling?"

Courtney began to cry and Rachel gently began to rock her. "Don't cry, sweetie. Don't cry. Rachel loves you and she's always going to be there for you so you shouldn't be crying. Sh!"

"You're really meant to be a mother," Phoebe sighed. "I wish that I was as good as you."

"You're going to be fine," Rachel assured Phoebe. "I guess that this is just what I'm meant to be. Except I know that if I wanted it things could be so much better."

"I know," Phoebe agreed. "Except the world could be so much different than it is. I could be married... Courtney could still be an egg..." Everyone looked at Phoebe with shock and Phoebe looked around. "Did I just say that?"

"Yeah," Ross said. "Rach, I want to hold her now. My turn."

Rachel carefully handed Ross Courtney and he cooed over her. "Okay, I can have her back now," Phoebe said. "Joey and I have also decided on the godparents."

"Oh goody! Who is it?" Monica asked. "I want to know."

"Well, we decided that it isn't fair to choose," Joey said. "But we thought that if we made Monica godparent-"

"Oh yay!" Monica interrupted with excitement. "Hah to you Rach!"

"She wasn't done yet," Rachel said firmly. "She said 'if we made Monica godparent.'"

"Sorry," Monica apologized. "Continue."

"Then it wouldn't be fair unless we made George godparent, because they're together so we kind of decided against you," Joey admitted.

"What?" Monica was shocked. "That's not fair."

"We're not even as close to George," Phoebe pointed out. "So we decided to ask Ross and Rachel to be the godparents of our children."

"What about me?" Chandler demanded looking over himself. "Am I not good enough? Joe, I took you into my apartment to be my roommate."

"Sorry, except it's true. Ross and Rachel do deserve it." Joey let out a long sigh and Rachel gasped.

"This is an honor," Rachel said.

"We'll treasure Courtney as if she's our own," Ross added. "I wish that this baby was our own."

Rachel glared at Ross. "Now you're talking about having a baby and you haven't even proposed yet?"

Well I'm planning on proposing tonight, Ross thought to himself. No need to rush the night to come.

"Of course I'm talking, Rach," Ross assured Rachel. "I told you that I was going to start thinking at one point and I have. Except I'm not quite ready yet. Alright?"

"Okay," Rachel sighed. "Just remember that I'm ready now and I'll be ready whenever you are. Just keep that in mind."

"I will," Ross promised.

The doctor entered suddenly and said, "We just want the family in here now. Phoebe needs to rest and the rest of you need to go. You may come back and visit later."

"By, Pheebs!" They all called as Ross handed Courtney back to Phoebe.

George hugged Monica once they were out of the room. "Sorry that you aren't godmother. I should be closer to Phoebe and Joey."

"That's not your fault," Monica said, but then she began to whine. "It's not fair! Why do you, Ross, and you, Rachel, get to be godparents and I don't. Not that I'm not happy for you, but I want my turn."

"I know that you do," George said, "but maybe if Rachel gets pregnant she'll make you the godparents."

"Maybe," Monica sighed. "Except I want to be godparent now."

"It's not like you're the grandmother or something and then all of a sudden they were shunning you and you weren't allowed to be the grandmother," Chandler pointed out. "I wasn't even acknowledged at all. At least you were."

"I know, but you aren't even in a relationship!" Monica complained.

"Maybe I'll make you godmother if you will stop whining!" Rachel gasped with exasperation.

"Okay, okay, sorry," Monica sighed. "Except I was so close to getting my turn, but they thought that it would be better if it was a couple."

"It's like that a lot," Ross said. "I'd make you godmother Monica. Don't worry."

"Fine." Monica pouted and sat down in a waiting room chair. "Nothing's fair."

"Nothing's ever fair, Mon," George said.

"Yes, nothing's ever fair," Monica said. "Nothing."

"You have a nice house, you have a nice house for the job that you have. Chefs don't usually earn that much," Rachel said trying to be helpful, but instead Monica glared at her.

"That's a nice thing to say to me, Rach. Nice thing."

"Sorry."

That Night

"Hey, Rach. Will you come here for a second?" Ross asked suddenly.

Rachel looked up from the magazine that she was reading. "What is it?"

"I want you to just... no, I'll come over to you." Ross stood up and walked over and everyone's heads turned up in an instant.

"What's going on, Ross?" Chandler asked. "You usually tell us stuff like this first."

"What are you talking about?" Ross asked. "Nothing funny is going on. I'm just going to sit next to Rachel. It's not like I hate her."

"Yeah, except when we were little I heard that you told Monica that you thought that Rachel, meaning 'female sheep' meant that I had a sheep tail down in my private parts."

"You heard that rumor?"

"Everyone heard it," Monica jumped in. "Even George heard that rumor in his school and he was so far away. It seems like the whole world heard it."

"It was in the newspaper for God's sake," George cried out. "It was in small letter, 'Rumor has been told that Rachel Green of Long Island has a sheep tail down her private parts by Ross Geller. Who starts rumors like that, because it's obviously not true?' Everyone heard it and almost everyone read that article."

"No one told me," Rachel pointed out. "I just heard it."

"That's not important," Ross interrupted. "There's something that I actually have to ask you."

Chandler raised his eyebrows and Ross flashed him a glance and they went down. Monica and George were leaning forward in their seats as Ross revealed a little box and she let out a gasp as he got down on one knee.

"Rachel, I have always loved you and I've wanted to marry you forever. I never found it right, but I feel like I've been wanting this forever and I know that you want it too. Rachel Green... will you marry me?" Ross opened up the box to reveal a beautiful ring and Rachel's eyes were brimming with tears of joy.

"Yes," she whispered quietly. "I will marry you."

"Aw, Rachel... you're getting married!" Monica squealed with excitement. "This is great."

"Thanks," Rachel cried out. "I'm engaged!"

"Without a ring on your finger," Chandler added. "Let Ross put it on."

Ross gently stuck the ring on Rachel's finger and she hugged Ross and kissed him. "We're going to be spending our lives together now. We're going to be happy." Ross spoke sweetly and Rachel was smiling happily.

"Together forever," George commented. "Can't wait till Monica and I are there."

"You have to go and tell Phoebe and Joey!" Monica told Rachel. "Come on, Rach. You go and do it."

Rachel jumped up and knocked on the door and Joey called out, "Come in."

"Hi," Rachel squealed with excitement. "How are you?"

"We're fine," Phoebe said. "Courtney is so good and she rarely cries. I mean, she cried around you, Rach, but she stops crying quickly."

"We're engaged!" Ross cried out before Rachel could get to tell them.

"That's great!" Phoebe cried out and they call began to hug.

"We're going to be spending our lives together," Ross sighed.

Hope you liked it. The next chapter is called "Breaking Up." Here's an excerpt from it:

Monica was screaming at George her nose flaring. "You slept with another woman? What's wrong with you, George?"

"I got drunk," George admitted, "Mon, I'm really sorry and I know that I will never do it again."

"I can't forgive you!" Monica snapped. "It's a month till Rachel and Ross's wedding and you were supposed to be one of the Best Mans and now what? Is that going to go away? Ross admired you so much that she made you best man instead of... instead of Joey, but what's going to happen now?"

"I don't... I don't know," George stammered.

"I do!" Monica yelled. "This is over George. I never want to see your face again. Go and never come back!"

"Monica..." George began.

"Go!"

Sorry, but I just had to put an excerpt from the next chapter. I don't know why. Hope you enjoyed.