Chapter Four

October, 1997

Six months had passed by since the night Ross and Rachel took the 'pause'. On the day that was to be a joyous occasion - their first anniversary, instead of celebrating the milestone like any normal couple, they had sat and reevaluated their relationship, really talked about all the reasons why they came to this.

It wasn't easy for them to open up like that.

They were two people who didn't really love to show others their true feelings – their demons, to begin with. But knowing it very clear that they had a chance to lose what they had if they didn't start doing something about it, they eventually set aside their own egos - laying their secrets, raw and bare for each other to see.

It was sacred, it was intimate.

It took a whole different level of trust none of them had ever achieved in a relationship before.

Since then, Ross and Rachel's relationship was getting more and more stronger than it ever was. They didn't realize how much letting each other know about their secrets – the things they feared most, actually setting them free.

But of course, the short break and the talk they were having that night after their first anniversary weren't an immediate fix to their relationship. It was just the start. From their deep talk they learned a lot about each other, understanding the other's point of views better, voiced how they truly felt, revealing their darkest fears, admitting each of their own flaws, and trying to come up with a solution – to make sure these wouldn't be a problem again in the future.

Breaking up was never an option between the two and that night they came to the realization that if they weren't gonna try to fix this, they were basically driving their relationship into an end. They realized they couldn't turn blind eyes on these problems anymore, they needed to fix it before it was too late. Before slowly these problems turned into an uncontainable deadly fire, destroying everything on its own path, essentially burning down every last bit of their relationship, leaving them nothing but bitterness and hatred.

So, after spending the whole night talking, letting their feelings out in the open for the other to see, Ross and Rachel both made it very clear that they were going to do everything in their power to make this relationship work.

Was it easy?

Hell no.

There were days when it was so hard, they would scream at each other's throats out of frustration. They were both equally strong-headed, but there were few things they learned from that night… They had learned how to compromise, trying to be in each other's shoes to gain more perspective, letting their partner know what frustrated them most with words, and more importantly, they had learned not to put blame on anyone.

It was hard as hell, but they did it.

After their 'pause', Rachel realized that work wasn't everything. She managed her time better now, making sure that she wasn't spending too much time at work more than necessary and that her friends, family, Ross, and herself remained priority. And on some days where she had to stay late at work, she always made sure to let him know, even squeezing time between her breaks to give him calls. Sometimes he'd stop by her office, without bearing any ridiculous gifts, but just a simple lunch or cup of coffee.

Most of the time, he'd leave her after a quick kiss, but these days she had asked him more and more to stay and spend her break with him. She was no longer making a big fuss about it, she didn't care anymore what her co-workers had to say. She was happy. He made her so happy and that was the only thing she cared about.

And she wasn't the only one in this relationship who made an effort to change for the better, Ross had done it too.

He had stopped questioning her faithfulness, slowly believing that Rachel was not his ex-wife. She didn't and wouldn't cheat on him. She didn't lie to his face. She didn't do anything that made him question her loyalty.

Rachel Green was not Carol Willick.

It was something Ross was working hard these past few months with a therapist. He realized that the talk alone wasn't enough and that he needed professional help to handle his issue. He didn't want this to ruin his future with Rachel, he couldn't risk that. So, he went to a therapy, trying to work out his issue to its very core and so far, it had proven to be effective.

He had learned to trust Rachel more. Even if he still had a strong belief that Mark had a crush on his girlfriend, it didn't matter anymore, because he trusted Rachel. If Rachel said not to worry about Mark or any other guy for that matter, and then he'd believed her.

It took a while for him to reach this point and if he was being completely honest, sometimes he still couldn't fight off the jealousy. The difference was this time he knew the boundaries. He drew the clear line between the healthy amount of jealousy and the excessive, destructive kind. His therapist had said that jealousy was actually a sign of a healthy relationship, again, as long as it stayed within the line. So, even though he was still jealous, he trusted Rachel and he didn't feel like he needed to 'pee' all over his territory anymore.

Ross smiled as he watched his girlfriend bustling around his room, getting ready for the day. It was one of those rare mornings where he didn't have to be at work until much later, so he had the privilege to stay in bed and relax.

"Stop staring at me like that," she suddenly said, not even bothering to spare a glance at him as she skillfully applied her makeup.

It was like she had sixth sense when it comes to things like this.

Ross' smile grew wider, "Staring at you like what?"

"Like you want me naked," she mumbled, now turning around to face him – giving him a stern glare that was meant to be what? Scare him? Making him stop staring?

Yeah, right. That was never going to happen.

"-but I do want you naked," he almost whined. "If you must know, I think clothes are overrated."

"Well, I surely hope not, or else I'll be jobless," she snorted, taking a glance at the clock before adding, "I have to leave in ten minutes, I have a meeting this morning."

Ross got off from his bed, making his way to her and he laughed when he saw that she was biting her lower lips now, clearly thinking about kissing him as her eyes drifted from his eyes to his lips.

"I'm going to be so late," she sighed, although instead of backing away, she circled her arms around his neck, letting him pull her closer - essentially contradicting her earlier statement.

He kissed her then, and couldn't help himself anymore. He smiled through the kiss as he felt she kissed him back with the same amount of passion. To her surprise, it was Ross who pulled away first. He beamed at her, stealing another kiss to her nose before releasing his grip on her.

"Have a good day, sweetie," Ross said. "I'll see you tonight?"

"You're coming tonight?"

She had a work party she needed to attend after work and it would be the first one he'd be attending. He had been really careful not to show up unannounced at work and he had never repeated that same mistake he did earlier this year. He respected her, respected her career. These last six months had shown her how much he really meant that.

So last week, when her boss asked if she's bringing a plus one to the party, Rachel had been very eager to say 'yes'. She wanted to officially introduce Ross to her colleagues, making sure they knew he was the man responsible for making her so happy. He was more than elated when she asked him to go and she couldn't be happier to have his full support.

"Of course, I promise you, didn't I?"

Her smile widened, "I'll meet you at the lobby at six, then. Do you still remember the dress code?"

"Of course, you only reminded me for like a hundred times last week," he said only half-jokingly.

She playfully slapped his chest, "I was not that bad."

Ross grinned, "Oh, you are. But don't worry, I still love you."

"Oh, hush, you. If it wasn't for me, your wardrobe would be a total disaster by now. Do you know how much people paid for this kind of a service?"

"You threw away my favorite suits," Ross pouted.

"I didn't throw them away, I donated them. Besides, they were hideous, Ross," Rachel rolled her eyes. "You looked like Colonel Sanders wearing that thing and it's not like you wear it often enough."

She raised her eyebrow at that last statement, knowing that Ross hadn't worn that suit except for that one time for his cousin's wedding.

"But I like it," he mumbled.

"-and now your clothes are going to help less fortunate people," she said slowly, almost like she was talking to a small child. "Now, I have to get going," she kissed his pouty lips before making her way toward the door. "Bye!"

Ross and Rachel arrived at the party a little bit late and as soon as they arrived, they were immediately greeted by a lot of people. True to her words, she introduced him to some of her closest coworkers and even her boss. He beamed with so much pride when someone from her department complimented his outfit and Rachel had to hide her smirk knowing she was the one responsible for his look. Some time during the party though, she noticed that he was starting to get bored with the conversation. She knew he had zero interest in the fashion industry and honestly, she was pretty amazed that he'd make it this far without a single complaint.

So, she excused herself from her friends and then she grabbed him by his elbow and dragged him toward the balcony. It was less chaotic there and there were only a handful of people outside.

"What are you doing? Aren't we supposed to be inside, you know, mingle with your co-workers?"

She smiled, circling her arms on his neck, "I want to dance with my boyfriend. Is that a problem?" She cocked her eyebrow.

"Nope," he grinned, bringing his own hands to her waist and pulled her closer. "Of course, not."

She sighed contently, placing her head on his chest as they swayed with the faint sound of music in the background.

"Thank you," she whispered softly.

"For what?"

"For being here with me, for supporting me," she said softly. "I know you hate this kind of social event and I know you're bored to death. So, thank you for being here for me."

"Anytime, Rach," he kissed the top of her head. "It's what I'm here for. I know I sucked at showing it sometimes, but I do care about your career. I want to support you in any way I can."

"I know," she whispered. "You're doing great at showing it, Ross. I know how much you care about my career, that's why before I decide anything, I want to ask for your opinion."

Ross stopped his movement, pulling back slightly to look at her face, confusion in his features.

"Earlier tonight, remember the guy I was talking with when you went to grab a drink for us?"

Ross furrowed his brows, "Yeah, what is it about? Who is he anyway?"

"Apparently he's a headhunter and he offered me an interview with Ralph Lauren."

"Rachel!" Ross beamed with so much pride, it made her heart swell with love, "That's so great! What did you tell him? You say yes, right?"

"I told him; I'll think about it."

"What do you mean, you'll think about it?" he gasped. "It's Ralph Lauren, Rach. Aren't they famous or something?"

Rachel laughed, god, he was so clueless yet so adorable at the same time.

"They're famous, alright. That's not why I have to think about it," she explained, taking a small pause before she eventually asked, "Do you even know what it might means for us if I took that job?"

Ross' face fell at that statement, clearly misunderstanding her as he asked, "Why? The job isn't in New York? Because if it isn't in New York, it doesn't mean that you can't take it. We can always-"

"No," Rachel stopped him before he could go on.

Did he just basically say he'd support her too even if the job isn't in New York?

"The job is in New York."

"Then what are you talking about?"

"The long hours, Ross," she emphasized as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Do you not remember the long hours I had the first time I took this job?"

He understood now, he understood her hesitance, "Oh, Rach. It's not the same. You were trying to prove yourself then."

"-But I'm still gonna have to prove myself if I take that job, Ross."

He sighed, taking her hands in his, giving a squeeze as a sign of comfort.

"You do and I will understand if you have to stay late some nights so that you can do just that, but be honest with me, do you think you're going to push me away in the process?"

"No," she answered almost immediately, feeling sure of herself. "I won't push you away. I won't make the same mistake."

His eyes twinkled at that, "That's settled then, you don't have to worry about the hours, Rach. We'll make it work. We promised each other, didn't we?"

Her eyes immediately fell to her fingers, to the ring he gave to her a month after their first anniversary. A ring they bought together as a sign of their promises to each other, that this was it.

This is it.

"I'll give him a call first thing in the morning," she promised. "But now, I want to go home with my boyfriend. So come on, take me home, Ross."

Oh, Ross' heart soared with so much joy, so much love as he gently grabbed her hand, leading her back home…

It was shortly after eleven when Ross and Rachel finally got back from the party. Ross kept his eyes trained on his girlfriend as she moved across his bedroom, this time, getting ready for bed.

Ross frowned, it seemed off to call this room his bedroom because the traces of Rachel were there in almost every inch of this room, you couldn't miss it. Not to mention, lately, she had been spending more and more time here than in her own apartment, he was pretty sure her furniture was starting to collect dust.

At first, it started off with one drawer for her to keep her change of clothes and then it became three, because apparently her stuff couldn't fit in just one drawer – silly him. Months went by and suddenly half of his closet (most likely more) were now filled with Rachel's clothes. Her makeup and skin care products were sitting nicely at this new dressing table they had just got last month.

Yep, they even bought new furniture to accommodate her belongings.

And yet, she still had some stuff in her own apartment and on very rare occasions, she'd sometimes spent her night in her own apartment she shared with his sister. But it rarely happened, maybe only like two or three times in the past six months. She spent so much time here in his apartment, she had stuff all over here too, she might as well move in officially.

This place was as much as hers than it was his.

He wasn't complaining though, he really loved that she spent so much time here, he wouldn't have it other way.

His heart could literally burst with so much happiness knowing that she was the one who first greeted him in the morning and the one that he said goodnight to every night before he closed his eyes to sleep. He'd steal glances and his lips would curve into a biggest smile when their gazes met through the bathroom mirror as they're getting ready in the morning, together in his cramped master bathroom. Or even something as simple as finding her curled up in his sofa after a long day at work - sleeping, would instantly turn his bad day into a better one.

He could barely remember his life before they were together, it sounded cheesy – he was well aware of that, but nonetheless, it was the truth. He was so used to having her around, that on the rare nights she wasn't here, his other side of his bed (her side) felt cold and he would find himself harder to fall asleep.

And as Ross now staring at his girlfriend, he couldn't think of another reason why they weren't officially living together.

When that thought hit him, Ross opened his mouth and suddenly this question rolled off his tongue naturally, "Move in with me?"

Hearing his question, Rachel stopped moving around, turning her head into his direction with her wide eyes, "What?"

"Move in with me," Ross said, now standing up and making his way toward her so that they were now standing right in front of each other. "Just hear me out, ok? You've been spending so much time here and not that I'm complaining. It's the exact opposite. Do you know how happy I am to come home to you every day? How many times have I glanced at the clock at work because I couldn't wait to come home and spend the rest of my day with you? Or that when I had a bad day at work and the moment I saw you, I felt so much better about everything…"

"Me too," she muttered softly, her cheeks slightly pink. "Every single thing you said to me, I feel that way too. But do you really think we're ready? We're not rushing into this?"

Ross smiled at that and he answered without missing a beat, "Yes, I really think that we're ready. It's been a really great six months since our anniversary and a year and a half since we first dated, so I think we're not rushing into anything. But I know it's a decision we have to make together… So, the question is, are you ready? You know I'm not going to push you if you aren't ready."

She contemplated her answer and slowly, her lips curved into a smile, "I think I am..."

Rachel let out a high-pitched squeal when suddenly Ross lifted her in the air and kissed her. She wrapped her legs on his waist and then she kissed him back with equal passions. When they finally broke apart, he could see how her blue eyes were now glassy with tears, he kissed the tips of her nose one last time before dropping her gently off the floor.

"We're really doing this, huh?" she murmured softly, circling her arms around his neck.

"We are," Ross said, pushing strands of her hair back. "-and maybe this weekend we can start packing your stuff?"

"Okay," she agreed, her eyes sparked with excitement of moving in with him. "-and you need to clear out more space to make room for my stuff and is it possible to fit another wardrobe here? Because there's no way all of my clothes and stuff are going to fit in there."

"Seriously?" Ross asked, a bit taken aback at how much clothes she actually owned.

He wasn't kidding when he thought that most of her stuff was already here.

Rachel raised her eyebrow, "Why? Are you regretting it now?"

Ross shook his head, kissing the tip of her nose, "Never."

She could all have all the space for all he cared for. He was just so excited for her to move in with him, but the problem was… his apartment – especially his bedroom, was already cramped as it was and adding Rachel's mountain of clothes was just going to make it worse.

Rachel smiled satisfied, "Don't worry, honey. I'm planning to get rid of some of my stuff."

Compromise, Rachel thought.

This was one of the things they learned to do together these past six months.

"Oh, thank god," he blurted out loud and she giggled.

"You better get used to this, Geller," she poked his chest playfully. "-because I'm not going anywhere."

"Mmm... I'm not complaining..." he sighed, leaning in closer to plant a kiss on her temple. "You're stuck with me."

Rachel smiled.

"-but you know what? I think I have a better idea," Ross suddenly said as a wonderful idea popped into his mind.

"What?"

"How about we look for a new apartment together?"

"-but you like this apartment, it's close to work," Rachel pointed out.

To be completely honest, Rachel loved the idea of getting a new apartment together. A place that they picked together, not a bachelor pad he got in a rush after his divorce from his first wife. But she also knew that he loved it here. It was close to work and it was located strategically in the area where both Carol and Monica lived.

"True, but I think we need a bigger place," Ross suggested. "-and maybe we can look for a place somewhere close to our work, not just mine. A place that can be our home."

"Our home..." Rachel tested the words out loud and immediately a smile took form on her lips. "Hmm... Our home… Somewhere with both our names signed on the lease?"

"Yep," Ross chuckled, brushing another strand of hair that had fallen on her face. "So… What do you think?"

"I never have my name sign on the lease," she whispered, her eyes sparked with excitement.

Ross grinned, "So, is that a yes?"

She gave him the biggest grin, "It's a thousand times yes!"

A/N

Did someone order some R&R fluff?

I hope you like it! ;)

Ps. One more chapter and then an epilogue…