Disclaimer: The TV Show 'Friends', some original scripts I borrowed, and all the characters inside it don't belong to me.

Sunrise

Chapter One

Rachel had never felt this exhausted in her life before. Every muscle, every single inch of her body ached and the lack of sleep just made everything worse. She could've sworn if she closed her eyes even for just a few seconds, the exhaustion would definitely take over and she would easily fall asleep. But she also knew she wouldn't want to even if she could have. She still wanted to stay awake - basking in these amazing feelings a little bit longer as she watched her newborn daughter sleeping peacefully in the hospital bassinet.

Her baby girl.

She couldn't believe it.

She had a daughter.

She's a mom now.

She had more than forty weeks to prepare her for today, but nothing could've prepared her for the way she was feeling right now. It was merely hours after she officially became a mother, but she could already tell that this was the best thing that could've happened to her. She could not believe how someone so small – someone so tiny, could capture her heart in an amazing way like this. She had never known what it felt like to love someone this strong - this unconditionally, until her daughter was born.

Don't get her wrong, Rachel had loved her that very moment when she found out she was pregnant – when her baby was still as small as a tiny bean, she couldn't even recognize her through the ultrasound images.

Gosh, those days already felt like a lifetime ago.

She'd watched her unborn baby daughter grow through appointments after appointments, learning together with Ross every single development their unborn baby made each week. She even vividly remembered crying happily as she heard their baby's heartbeat for the first time, when the baby was strong enough so that she could feel her kick for the first time in the middle of the night, or that time when they found out they were having a girl and she swore that she'd do anything to protect her daughter.

But still, nothing felt quite like this…

Nothing compared to the feelings she felt as she heard her baby's cries for the first time… as she held her newborn daughter in her arms for the first time… as she looked up to find the same amazement, love, and even tears in his eyes… and when he looked up, their gazes met, and they shared a kiss – a very emotional kiss she knew she would never forget even if she tried to…

Rachel was going to be completely honest; this was hands down the best day of her life.

That same love she felt when she first found out she had a little tiny human being growing inside of her had multiplied to a million times stronger today.

She had never felt this happy before.

Everything was just so… perfect.

Well... she thought it was perfect until Janice came and ruined it for her.

Now she was scared. Still unbelievably happy – the feeling was not going to go away anytime soon, but she was also completely and utterly petrified.

How could she not?

The second she knew she was pregnant, she believed with all of her heart that Ross would be there for her and their baby throughout everything. She knew him really well; she probably knew him better than anyone else in this world. He knew Ross loved being a father and that he always wanted to have more kids. So, that time she found out she was pregnant with Ross' baby, it didn't seem so scary, because she subconsciously knew he'd always be there and not just for the baby, but for her as well.

She knew she wasn't going to raise this baby alone.

But now… Her hormones were all over the place right now, taking control of her rational thought. She had been feeling emotionally overwhelmed and she couldn't think clearly. She didn't even know what to believe.

Was Janice right?

Was she that naïve to think that he'd be there for her no matter what?

But then there was also the kiss…

Scratch that.

There were two kisses.

Two amazing kisses that had felt so magical, so perfect, so right, and more importantly it brought back these familiar tingles on her stomach she hadn't been feeling in a while.

The first one was that one kiss right after her water broke and they stood in front of his apartment door as the realization finally dawned upon them that they were going to be parents. That kiss was… she couldn't put a word to it. It was as meaningful as their first kiss at the coffee house, but there was something in there that made it different. There was this overwhelming amount of joy filling their hearts mixed with anticipation and also a tiny bit of uneasiness – mainly on her side. They were caught in this bubble where everything finally became real… they were going to have a baby... together.

And as their lips touched for the first time in months, she realized that there was something else about that kiss. It wasn't just a symbol to celebrate their beginning as parents, but there was something more to it. It was something that had been building up months prior to today. Perhaps even something that they had been fighting off for years. Something that - if she wanted to be perfectly honest – she didn't know how or whether or not they should pursue it.

She had been feeling something for Ross throughout the whole pregnancy, right after she found out she was pregnant with his baby. It was so strong this time around and she almost caved in that one time around Ross' parents' anniversary, but something was holding her back.

She was scared.

She was scared of the rejection – of him not feeling the same way as she did. She was scared of the risk knowing that the stakes were so much higher now with their baby on the way. She was scared of the ghost of their past, scared of having to relive the same nightmare all over again if this didn't work out the way she wanted it. Those fears stopped her from telling him the truth and she ultimately decided to keep it all bottled up inside, naïvely thinking that those feelings would go away in time.

But boy… How wrong was she?

Instead of going away, those feelings suddenly became stronger after the kiss and if she had the slightest doubts about it before, after the second kiss in the delivery room, she was now one hundred percent sure.

She had fallen for him.

Again.

Or perhaps she never fell out of love.

She wasn't entirely sure about that one, but she was sure that this – the thing she had been feeling for him these past few months… It was indeed love.

She was in love with Ross Geller and it was so strong, she had no idea how to keep them inside anymore.

"Hey… I brought your soda," the subject of her musing announced his presence and Rachel instinctively looked up to find him standing by the doorway and as their gazes met, her heart almost skipped a beat. "Sorry it took me so long, they ran out of diet coke on this floor so I had to ask around and finally I found one near the lobby," Ross came in with a smile on his face and a diet coke on his hand per her request.

She smiled back, accepting the already opened can of soda, "Thank you and don't worry, you're not missing much...She's been sleeping the whole time."

"That's good," Ross flashed her another smile before averting his full attention toward their bundle of joy.

Their daughter.

Nameless daughter.

"We really should name her," Ross murmured, fixing the baby's blanket – tucking her in.

"I know," Rachel sighed, sitting at the hospital bed near the bassinet, reaching one of her hands to stroke the baby gently.

As she stared at their baby daughter, Rachel couldn't help but to think about Janice's words again and suddenly tears started streaming down to her cheeks.

Damn it, she really hated feeling like this.

"Hey," Ross, who had noticed this, placed a hand on her shoulder. "Everything alright?"

Rachel shook her head, still not trusting herself to speak at the moment.

She was completely overwhelmed by all these feelings that were attacking her right now. Meanwhile, on the other hand, Ross didn't have a clue as to the reason for her sudden change of mood. But he did know how to comfort her best. So, he enveloped her into a hug, letting her head fall into his chest as she sobbed silently.

"Oh, Rach…" he murmured, holding her tighter in his arms. "Everything is going to be okay… I know it feels so real and overwhelming right now, but it's all going to be okay. We're ready. We can do this. We are going to be okay…"

"N-no," Rachel shook her head, pulling away from him and as he looked at her, the fears in her eyes startled him. "-maybe we'll be okay now, but it won't last that long."

"What do you mean?" Ross frowned. "Why do you even say that? Of course, we'll be okay."

"We won't," she shook her head adamantly, looking anywhere but his eyes because for some reason she couldn't look straight into his eyes right now.

Ross was well aware that pregnancy and labor did things to women that he could never understand. She was exhausted and her hormones were going overdrive, he knew that. What he didn't understand was the real reason why she kept saying they wouldn't be okay in the future.

Was he missing something here?

Did he say something wrong?

Or did she change her mind and she didn't want him to be a part of their baby's life anymore?

Ross' heart dropped at that last thought. He had been there before, trying to fight his way so that he could be involved in his son's life, so the last one scared the crap out of him.

"Rach," Ross sighed, feeling a bit frustrated right now and frankly, terrified. But he was also determined to get to the bottom of this and just prayed his worst nightmare wouldn't be true. "Stop saying we won't be okay. Y-you can't say that. Why do you keep saying that?"

Rachel finally looked up and right then she saw the distress in his face.

"-because it's the truth!"

"It is not!"

"It is!" she yelled adamantly, but eventually silenced her voice after she noticed her daughter was starting to fuss in her sleep. She immediately brought her hand to the baby's tummy, stroking it in soothing motions to lull the baby back to sleep.

Ross waited patiently and finally when he noticed that his daughter had once again fallen into sleep, he demanded an explanation.

"Y-you don't understand," Rachel murmured, still avoiding his eyes at all cost.

"Then make me," he said softly. "Hey," he placed his finger to her chin, begging her to look at him. "What is this about? I can't fix it if you won't tell me what's going on."

She bit her lower lips, slowly raised her head to meet his eyes and when she spoke again, her voice sounded broken, "One day y-you're going to find someone and move on. You'll get married, start your own family, and you're not going to want us again…"

Ross didn't know what to say.

He felt sick to his stomach and his chest actually hurt from her words.

And he felt somewhat… betrayed.

"Is that what you think of me?" Ross murmured, hurt written all over his face. "You really think I'm capable of doing that? Abandoning my own child? Abandoning you?"

It was this moment when Rachel finally realized her mistake, when he was looking at her with so much hurt. And Rachel wished she could take back anything she just said because now she had seen everything clearly.

Ross wouldn't do that.

Deep down she knew he wouldn't leave them.

He wasn't that kind of a guy.

And her fears were completely irrational.

"Ross…" she tried to reach out, but he backed away. Rachel bit her lips, trying hard not to cry over her stupid mistake. "Of course not, I-I didn't really think you're capable of that. I just-"

"-but you said it," Ross interjected, shaking his head in disbelief. "I can't believe you actually think I'm going to leave you and our daughter…"

"That's not how I think of you! Ugh! It's the stupid hormones talking and it's Janice's fault!" Rachel threw her hands in the air out of frustration. "She said these stupid things and I know.. of course I know you'd never do that to us, but somehow it got into my stupid head and… it's just…"

"Janice?" Ross asked. "What she have to do with this?"

"She came to see me, right before you came in," Rachel started to explain "-and I know this is not an excuse. I'm sorry for what I said, I really…really didn't mean it. You have to believe me. It's just everything is so overwhelming right now and I-I don't know why I chose to believe her words instead of what I know, instead of you…"

"What exactly did she say?"

"She said there's no way you're gonna stick around," Rachel started to whimper. "She said it's just me and baby from now and that once you find someone else, you're going to forget about us…" she glanced at their baby before she looked up to search his eyes again and this time he didn't miss the real fear in her blue eyes.

His heart sank.

"-and I'm so freaking scared, Ross," she sobbed. "It just never occurred to me that I'd be doing this alone. I'm so terrified."

She was crying openly at this point and even though Ross still felt hurt by her words, he couldn't help but feel for her too. Slowly, he walked over to her and embraced her into a tight hug.

"Hey... listen to me… You'll never be alone, Rach…" he promised. "I won't go anywhere, okay?"

"-b-but what if you find someone?"

"From the moment my son was born until now… Do you see me walk away from his life?"

"No," she hiccupped and he couldn't resist not to wipe her tears away with his thumbs. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."

"I know," he said softly. "-and I can't begin to imagine how overwhelming this must be for you. But you have to understand, I will never, ever walk away from you two. You and our baby are my family, Rach. I will never walk away from my family. Alright?"

Rachel nodded.

"I mean it, Rach," Ross said, glancing toward the sleeping baby and slightly marveled how she seemed to be unbothered by their little outbursts. "I-I love her so much. She's my daughter and together with Ben, they're my everything. My whole world. There's nothing in this world that could change that."

"I know," she said softly as she looked at their sleeping daughter. "I know," she repeated, this time reaching out to squeeze his hand and instead of pulling away, he squeezed her hand back and at that same moment, their gazes met.

Exhaustion finally won and no matter how much she wanted to be awake, she finally caved in. After pouring her fears out to Ross, their friends and family came to visit. They talked briefly, no one dared to ask why her eyes were red and puffy, maybe because they thought it was nothing but her hormones. Shortly after they left, she ended up falling asleep moments later – wrapped securely around his arms as he again promised that he wouldn't go anywhere.

And the next time Rachel opened her eyes, she felt slightly disoriented. To her dismay, her body was still aching and the exhaustion was still there. Although she couldn't deny it either, she already felt slightly better now thanks to the needed rest.

"Mmphhh…" she moaned, blinking her eyes a few times to adjust to the light before sitting up to look around the room, looking for her baby.

And instead of her daughter, she was immediately welcomed with a smile.

"Hey, you're awake," he immediately sat up and offered her a glass of water. "Water?"

"Thanks," she smiled, accepting his offer gratefully. "W-where's Emma?"

Emma Geller-Green.

Ross and Rachel finally found the perfect name for their baby daughter. It was all thanks to Monica who had insisted for them to take the name after seeing the reaction from Rachel as she heard the name for the first time.

"They're taking her back to the nursery, but don't worry, they'll bring her back soon," he assured her. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I just got hit by a truck," Rachel moaned, trying to get into a comfier sitting position and watching that, Ross immediately took a pillow and helped her get more comfortable. "Thanks," she murmured. "How long have I been asleep?"

He ripped his gaze away from her to the clock and then said, "Uhm, I'm not sure… about three to four hours? The nurse came to take Emma an hour after you fell asleep."

"-and you've been awake the whole time?"

"Not really, I managed to squeeze a little sleep in between but you know, the hospital chair isn't exactly comfortable," he shrugged. "But hey, it's not a big deal, I'll get a cup of coffee or something," he then decided to add after noticing the worries in her face.

Rachel chewed her lower lips, looking at the chair and then at Ross. He had eyebags under his eyes, his eyes bloodshot, his dark hair disheveled, and there was also a hint of stubble on his chin which she realized was there as she watched him rubbing them with his hand. He looked exhausted, maybe not like her, but still… she knew he needed the sleep as much as she did.

"Here," she tapped the side of her bed, scooting a little as she did so. "There's barely any room here, but I bet it's better than the chair."

Ross eyed the empty space next to Rachel and then glanced at her, contemplating his choice.

Rachel did amazing in the delivery room. Emma was born breached so Rachel had to push harder. Whatever he was feeling during the pregnancy, watching her grow their daughter healthily inside her belly couldn't compare to these feelings he had as he watched her do everything she could in order for their baby to be born.

He was in total awe with her.

And remember those feelings he felt during the whole pregnancy? Yep, they became a million times stronger today.

He didn't know how he could keep these overwhelming feelings any longer, but at the same time, he was not ready for the consequences. The stakes were so much higher this time around. They were no longer two carefree young adults anymore, they had a child to think about now and Ross didn't want to risk hurting their baby in the process. Emma was his whole world, he had to protect her at all cost even when it meant he had to let go of his dreams… of her…

"I think I'm gonna head down to the cafeteria real quick, grab a coffee and something to eat if it's okay with you," Ross ultimately said, not wanting to cause a misunderstanding in between them.

He had to do this. He had to keep his feelings inside and he couldn't afford to give in – no matter how tempting it was to lay down next to her. He couldn't. The kisses were a spur of the moment kind of thing, it couldn't happen again.

They couldn't cross that line again.

"Oh," Rachel was upset to say the least, but in order to maintain her dignity, she did her best to hide her emotions away. "Yeah, of course that's okay... You go... and maybe while you're there , grab me another can of diet coke?"

"Sure," Ross nodded. "Need anything else?"

"No, just that," Rachel smiled. "Thanks."

"Sure."

"Oh, and Ross?"

"Yeah?"

"About earlier…" Rachel began rather apprehensively. "We're okay, right?"

His face softened and he smiled genuinely, "We're okay."

"Th-that's good…" She breathed in relief, although she still felt really guilty about it.

Sensing her inner struggles, Ross called her name, "Rach?"

"Mmmhh?" She looked up and their eyes met.

Ross' breath hitched in his throat as his gazes met her blue one and for a moment, he wondered what it felt like if they were just some regular couple, pretty much in love, who had just welcomed their first born.

"What?" Rachel eventually asked when he didn't say anything.

"Uhm, j-just don't worry about it and get some rest, alright?"

"I'll try," she smiled weakly.

"Good," Ross placed a kiss on her forehead before grabbing his jacket and went downstairs toward the cafeteria.

What he didn't know was that when he grabbed his jacket, he dropped something that would eventually catch Rachel's attention.

The tiny velvet box.

A/N

Hi, I hope you're all doing well! I'm back with a new story and this one was something I've always wanted to write. These episodes where Rachel gave birth to Emma were one of my favorites (minus the whole fake proposal fiasco ofc), and I've been wanting to explore a little bit more around it. That's when I thought it would be fun if instead of Joey, it was Ross who 'proposed' to Rachel and I think it could be interesting knowing that they had grown so much closer during her last trimester. And as some of you might've noticed, I changed a few things including the one where Ross flirted (?) with the nurse. I just thought it wasn't like something he'd do, especially on the day his daughter was born and after everything he had said merely a week before.

This was supposed to be a one-shot, but yeah… I got carried away (again lol) I guess it isn't surprising by now, huh? That being said, I haven't decided how many chapters I'm planning to write, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see…

Hope you all enjoy it! Let me know what you think! and lastly, Happy Mother's Day to all the amazing moms here!