Hello everybody!

Here's a new chapter for you all.

I've always felt like the moment when Ross says "Fine, we'll call the next one Ella" is very underrated. So, this ficlet is set during "The One Where Rachel's Sister Babysits" and it explores Ross and Rachel's thoughts during the whole Amy-babysitting-affair.

AND…THREE DAYS TO THE BIG REUNION, AH-HA!

Enjoy!

Episode: The One Where Rachel's Sister Babysits (10x05)

Ross was exhausted and had no more energy to fight with Amy's logic.

"What do I know? I just sell Middle Eastern food from a cart!" he replied to her.

"Hey, your English is getting better!" Amy stupidly returned.

As soon as she was out of view, Ross turned himself to Joey, "Oh my God."

"I know; she may be the hottest girl I've ever hated."

While Ross helped Joey with his letter and taught him how to use a Thesaurus, Rachel was having her own issues in trying to keep her sister out of trouble.

"Oh... sit down, sit down. Oh, honey, you know, I once also almost married somebody that I didn't love. Do you remember Barry?"

"Humpf, remember him? God, we used to make out all the time after you went to sleep."

Even if she was disgusted and stunned by that revelation, Rachel tried and bite the bullet. "Sometimes just nodding is ok."

Ross wanted to say hello to Emma; knowing that she was in Rachel's room, he walked towards her bedroom door.

"…prepossessing…Home Sapiens – ah, homo!" Joey laughed to himself. "With…full sized…aortic pumps!" he shouted, grinning with delight.

Ross didn't know what his friend was trying to express, he simply pretended not to be affected by whatever crazy nonsense Joey would write on his letter.

He stopped in front of Rachel's door after noticing that she was having what looked like a very serious conversation with Amy.

After a brief desistance, Rachel continued, "Uhm, so but anyway, listen, not marrying Barry was the best decision that I ever, ever made. Honey, you deserve true love."

She tried to use the best words to make her sister understand how important finding the right man to be with was. As in flash, suddenly her mind brought up memories of the pleasant days she'd spent with Ross when they were still a couple.

"Your soulmate is out there, somewhere. Someone that is your age, that is smart, that is fun and that you care about!"

Every time Rachel mentioned one of these peculiarities, her brain immediately linked them to wonderful moments spent with Ross. He was definitely her age, even if two years older. He was the smartest guy she'd ever met. He was a lot of fun, especially when he found himself in embarrassing situations. And damn, she still cared about him.

Even if Ross didn't want to, he found himself eavesdropping everything Rachel had just said. And as soon as she was over, he was permeated by a terrible feeling, a painful mix of regret and hope. He wondered if Rachel was considering him, when she had enunciated those wonderful statements. Maybe just a little bit.

No, that was not possible.

Rachel couldn't possibly still think about him that way.

Then, suddenly, Ross remembered that he had a girlfriend. An intelligent, funny, hot girlfriend named Charlie. And he felt guilty, because he shouldn't have pondered Rachel's words. He shouldn't have felt like that, at all.

Yet, he knew this was something he simply couldn't do anything about. Rachel was still a very important part of his life, presumably the most important woman to him.

Amy reflected for a couple of seconds, "You're right, you're right! I'm gonna do it!"

"Ok." Rachel said, glad that her sister would follow her advice.

"I'm gonna marry Myron and keep looking for Mr. Right!"

Rachel's intolerant reaction matched Ross's one. Amy could be really naïve, at times.

"Ok, let's keep talking." Rachel invited her sister to sit again.

Ross chose that moment to knock.

"Hey." He announced himself.

"Hi." Rachel greeted him, a bit surprised to see him materialize in front of her after that personal conversation with her sister.

"Can Emma and I go to Monica's?"

"Yes, please." Rachel answered, glad to have some alone time to spend with her sister.

"I just had the worst anniversary ever." Phoebe declared, feeling awful.

"I doubt that! Tell her about us last year." Chandler returned.

"Oh, well, I bought Chandler a five-hundred-dollar watch and he wrote me a rap song."

The guys knew about Chandler's lack of seriousness about anniversaries; still, this tale sounded too farfetched, even for him.

"Seriously?" Ross asked, incredulous.

"Word!" Chandler promised.

Ross knew that this was just the umpteenth example of how well Chandler and his sister worked together. Their relationship was solid like a rock, because whenever he did silly things such this, Monica was always ready to laugh about it and let it go (after a harmless fight, of course).

Rachel and Ross both didn't like this topic. There were much worse things than writing a rap song, when it came to spoil anniversaries. They were living proof of that.

After a few minutes spent talking with Phoebe about the proposal-issue, Monica had an idea, "Maybe you don't need him to propose to you, maybe you can propose to him!"

"Oh, I don't know, I don't know, isn't that a little desperate?"

"I proposed to Chandler!"

Phoebe stopped herself from laughing, but Monica sensed her attitude.

"Alright, moving on..." she tried and change subject.

"Oh, I don't think it was desperate, I think it was amazing!" Chandler smiled reassuringly, stroking her hair.

"Thank you." came Monica's response.

Ross observed the exchange between them with a loving smile plastered on his face.

Maybe he was Three-Divorces-Man, but knowing that his sister and brother-in-law were in such a blissful marriage made him the happiest man in the world. Even if he was still alone.

Even if he didn't have her.

Rachel couldn't help but notice Ross's expression, she knew that he was proud of his sister and how much he cared about her. Monica's happiness was definitely a priority to Ross, even if, at times, he didn't show.

Phoebe addressed herself to Rachel and Ross, "Well, do you think I should propose?"

"I think it could be kind of great!" Rachel admitted.

"Absolutely! You'll love the feeling! There's nothing like it!" Ross stated, almost unconsciously.

All the other friends stared at him.

"Well, I can do it." Amy interjected them.

"Well, actually…"

Ross immediately stopped Rachel from reasoning, interrupting and dragging her by her arm to the other side of the room. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Yeah."

Ross tried to keep a low voice, "Um, I do not want her baby-sitting our child."

"Why not?" Rachel was genuinely disappointed.

"Well, for one thing, she keeps calling her Ella!"

Rachel tried to defend her sister, "Wha...well, Ella's a nice name!"

Ross couldn't take it and suddenly blurted out, "Fine, we'll call the next one Ella!"

Rachel was shocked but tried not to appear too surprised by that statement, "Wha... the next one?"

Did Ross actually still think about them that way? Like they could still be a couple in a possible future?

Sensing that he had said the stupidest thing ever, a confused Ross tried and change subject again, "Okay, um... I don't want her watching our baby."

Rachel knew that he was right in not trusting Amy, but she was her sister. She really wanted Amy to feel helpful.

"I am trying to help her become a better person. This is a huge breakthrough for her! She just offered to do something for another human being!"

Ross wasn't sure yet, "I…I don't know."

"Ross, I'm telling you, she's giving up getting her eyebrows shaped to do this, alright?" she pointed at her own to emphasize what she was saying. "Do you understand how important that is in our world?"

Amy approached them from behind, "Um... listen, I couldn't help but overhear... 'cause I was trying to..."

Ross felt again a pain in his chest, like he did every time this woman said something completely out of place.

"Listen, let me do this alright? I really wanna help you guys out, and plus Rachel's been so wonderful to me..."

When Ross realized that both Amy and Rachel were looking at him pleadingly, he silently agreed with his former girlfriend. He couldn't deny her anything, when she implored him like that.

"Absolutely." Rachel said to Amy.

Amy looked excited, "Oh! Great! So how much does it pay?"

That was Ross's cue to give up and leave them behind.

LATER THAT NIGHT

Ross had come home with Emma after watching Rachel and Amy leave Central Perk.

Knowing Rachel like he did, she was probably making a scene, supported by Joey. He wouldn't be surprised to find out that Amy had gone back home, by now.

Looking at his little baby, he still couldn't believe that her ears were now pierced. That was a scar she would keep for the rest of her life.

And yet, if he had to admit it, Emma looked wonderful. She was smiling in her sleep, lovely and peaceful as always.

A sudden knock at his door startled him. He didn't have time to say anything, because Rachel had already gotten inside the apartment.

"Hey." He simply greeted her, trying to keep a straight face.

"Is she okay?"

"Sleeps like an angel." Ross nodded.

Rachel lost herself in the moment for a bit, stroking her baby's hair. Ross wasn't sure if he wanted to keep his eyes on the marvel that lied in the crib or move them over the masterpiece that stood above her.

"Ross, I'm so sorry about what happened." Rachel managed to apologize again for her sister's behavior. "But look at her, she's fine!"

Rachel tried to smile, but Ross was still mad. "Rachel, our daughter will have her ears pierced for the rest of her life! Don't you think this kind of decision was up to us, and not to your crazy sister?"

Rachel couldn't blame him, this time. Ross was absolutely right about this accident.

"Ok, you're right. But consider this as a kind gesture, you know? Amy felt she was getting me a present for letting her stay with me."

Ross scoffed, still unconvinced.

"By the way, she looks so good in them." Rachel noted.

Ross eventually gave up, "All right, all right. Let's not talk about this anymore. If Emma grows up to be a Mini-Rachel, she will be glad to wear earrings. And…she does look good, just like her mother."

Rachel flashed him a delighted grin, "Thank you."

"Hey, remember those earrings I got you for your 26th birthday?"

"Of course I do" she lied. "They were gorgeous!"

Ross looked at her in askance, "How long did it take for you to exchange them?"

Rachel giggled, "As I recall, I went to the jewelry the very next day."

Ross and Rachel laughed together, knowing her everlasting bad habit to exchange gifts for something that she liked more, even credit.

Feeling that they were behaving at their best, speaking casually and in an easy mood, Ross took his chance to say something that he'd been pondering about since the previous day.

"Uhm, Rach…I happened to overhear your conversation with Amy, yesterday…"

"About what?" she wondered, oblivious.

"That whole thing about finding her soul mate…"

Rachel felt like naked in front of him. She sat on the couch. She wasn't expecting that question, at all. "I was just trying to talk her out of the worst wedding ever, Ross. Something I should have done with you, on occasion."

She made a shrewd smile, but Ross ignored her tone.

"I didn't want her to wind up with that Myron guy."

"Myron?!" Ross inquired in disbelief, "When was he born, in 1890?"

Rachel chuckled along with him.

"Well, I was just curious…I heard you say those things, and…I kind of wanted to know where all that stuff came up from."

"Why is that?" Rachel questioned him.

Ross felt backed into a corner, then he remembered being the one that have risen the subject in the first place.

"It hit me, you know, listening to you talking like that. After Barry, and us, and our divorce…you still believe in the possibility to have a happy marriage?"

Rachel smiled, "Of course." She was glad that she could be honest, for once. "Our divorce was a mistake, but I don't consider it as a failed marriage. I think you should start doing the same."

Ross smiled, "I'm relieved that you see it like that."

Rachel reinforced her message, "By the way, I'm still not accustomed to the idea of being an ex-Mrs. Geller."

Ross nodded almost solemnly. He knew too much well what she was talking about.

"You know, with my divorce and all these failed relationships… I struggle to believe that my soul mate is still out there."

Rachel shook her head, "Ross, I'm not that young anymore. I'm a single mother. And Emma's happiness will always come first. Maybe I don't have a boyfriend right now, but it's not like I did not have someone in my mind, when I spoke to Amy."

"What do you mean?" Ross asked her, full of hope.

Rachel almost gave up to her desire to tell Ross the truth. Her mouth opened, as if she was going to speak. But how could she?

How could she tell Ross that when she thought about the words "soul mate" she instantly connected them to the word "lobster"?

How could she reveal that when she was thinking about "someone that is fun" she kept having flashes of the moments spent with Ross in Las Vegas?

How could she confess that when she thought about "someone that is your age" she was obviously considering Ross, who was just two years older than her, a man she'd known for years, since they were kids?

How could she tell Ross that he was the smartest guy she'd ever met, even if she kept making fun of his job?

How could she admit that Ross was still the one person she cared the most about?

Rachel shook her head, knowing that she simply couldn't.

She chose to bail, as usual.

"I was thinking about Johnny Depp, of course."

Ross and Rachel shared a good laugh, but they also exchange a long and deep knowing look. He nodded slowly, sensing that Rachel had a different answer ready in her mind, but he didn't want to dig deeper. Especially when he thought of Charlie again.

Before losing that mood, Rachel had one more thing to ask, though.

"Listen, you say you don't believe in marriage anymore. But I've seen your eyes almost shining when Phoebe was talking about her proposal."

Ross shook his head, feeling like a fool, "It's just that I'm so happy for Pheebs, you know? After all she's been through, the disappointment, her mother's death, her father's disappearance…I think she deserves all the happiness in this world. I'm glad she's found Mike, he's a good guy."

Rachel wasn't satisfied by his answer, "Yeah, but I was thinking more about Monica and Chandler. I've seen the way you looked at them when they were remembering their own proposal. You still have that look when someone talks about weddings."

Ross sighed, Rachel had nailed it.

"Are you sure you don't believe in marriage anymore? Even if the right person showed up?"

Ross stared at her seriously, wishing that he could tell Rachel the truth.

But how could he tell her that he had found the right person and he had lost her because of the greatest mistake of his life?

How could he admit that he still hoped that person would forgive him?

"Well, I guess this is something that only time will tell. Because just like you, I have just one person in my mind, when I think about marriage."

Rachel tried and ease the tension, "So, Charlie could really be the one?"

"Rach…it's pathetically obvious that I'm talking about someone else. And I also happen to know that you're not a Johnny-Depp-kind-of-girl."

"Touché." She wound up that conversation.

And then they just looked at each other. One of those infamous Ross and Rachel stares that could lead to anything and to nothing.

Sensing that all her feelings were growing out of control, Rachel decided to leave.

"I'd better get off, now. I'm coming back tomorrow morning for Emma."

"All right."

Rachel walked towards the doors, "Tell Charlie I say hi." She mentioned before getting out.

"Uhm?" Ross questioned her, still a little distracted.

Rachel secretly smiled to herself.

"Oh, right, Charlie."

A beaming Rachel closed the door behind her and sighed, leaning her head over it. Her heart was pounding like it hadn't in a while.

She recognized that fast heartbeat. She used to feel like that whenever her feelings for Ross came back to the surface. When she couldn't keep them at bay anymore.

Perhaps, in a little while, it would be time to give Charlie some advice about her haircut.