Author's Note: Another update after many months. This story might end up incomplete, but I do know what I want to happen. That won't be for a long time from now. Meanwhile, I want to explore the group dynamic without Rachel and Chandler. I do have to include a cautionary warning for this chapter. When Monica and Ross are eating dinner with their parents, Judy Geller uses a slur that was socially appropriate to use back in the 1990s but not appropriate to use today. Thank you newreader81 for helping me out with that.
Getting that divorce from Carol Willick was something Ross Geller never imagined would happen. When the two first met during their sophomore year at NYU, Ross knew Carol was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. It was all thanks to her that Ross rediscovered himself, figured out his purpose in life, and was finally able to move past certain heartbreaks.
Ross was able to turn his focus back on his academics and, of course, Carol.
She had been a recent transfer from a college in Connecticut and had no clue about the so-called 'tragedy' that Ross practically broadcast from the school's radio the year before. It took Ross months to move on past that and then Carol came along. Despite the negativity and gossip that surrounded him, Carol and Ross hit it off nearly instantaneously. Ross brought her home that Thanksgiving and his family fell in love with her as quickly as he had.
They were married the summer after they graduated from college, though they'd already been living together for a few years by then. Knowing that Carol was no longer in love with him was devastating to Ross. As he spent time trying to figure out the what, when, why, and how of Carol being a lesbian; Ross was able to look back on the clues that went unnoticed by him over the past six years.
One of the things that stuck out to him was that Carol always had something to say about other women, and it was never done maliciously. She would speak in awe of their figure or fashion sense. She would ask Monica, Phoebe, and Ross for their input. Carol also enjoyed sports, having joined some of the women's team at NYU that her conservative family frowned upon.
Ross was grateful for his friends, all of whom expressed concern for him over the past few weeks. He decided to turn his focus to work because he had no idea what kind of downward spiral he'd take if he spent too much time alone with his thoughts. He took on a couple new projects at the Museum of Natural History, one of which was preparing a new exhibit; however, it was challenging to work with his fellow curator, Marsha.
"What's wrong with how I put them now, Geller?" Marsha barked. They'd been working on a Paleolithic-era exhibit featuring prehistoric humans in Northern America.
"No, Marsha, it's good. It's good. It's just that… doesn't she seem a bit angry?"
Marsha snorted in a rude manner.
"No shit! She has issues, so what's the problem?"
"Does she, though?"
"Hell, her partner is out banging other women over the head with a club while she sits at home trying to get mastodon piss off the carpet. I'd be a bit angry too. Typical men."
Ross looked at Marsha carefully, not quite understanding where the aggression was coming from. If he had done something to upset her, he'd like to know. As far as he could tell, they had a cordial working relationship. They were by no means ever going to be best friends and go see a hockey game together; but Ross thought he was on good terms with her to say the very least.
He understood that he hadn't been his best self in the past few weeks, but he'd done such a good job at hiding the anguish and pain while he was at work. He would go straight to his sister's apartment or to Joey's afterwards, allowing himself some time to decompress with his friends before going to spend the night alone in his own apartment.
"Marsha," Ross began slowly. "These are cave people, all right? They have issues like, I don't know… 'gee, that glacier's getting kind of close,' see?"
"Right… and speaking of issues, isn't that your ex-wife?" Marsha pointed towards the glass.
Ross glanced quickly behind him and looked away.
Damn it.
He couldn't be anywhere near Carol right now, not while the wound was still raw, and the pain was still fresh. What the hell was she doing here? Was she really trying to torture him? Hadn't she already put him through enough in the past year? Why was she here, why now? Unless… Was she coming to tell him that she made a mistake and had broken up with Susan? Maybe they did have another chance together, after all.
"Nope. No, it- it isn't." Ross shot a warning glare at Marsha, but she ignored it.
"Yeah, it is. Hey, Carol!"
Ross sighed in defeat.
"All right, why don't you go ahead and try not to mess anything else up. I'll be with you in a couple minutes while I speak to my ex."
Marsha scowled at him before walking away. Ross turned and left the exhibit, meeting Carol in the main hall of the museum. He could feel the claws of despair tearing at the wounds that had just begun to heal. Carol looked as gorgeous as ever, with her long blond hair over her shoulder, her brilliant blue eyes looking at him adoringly, and she was practically glowing.
God, she's beautiful. Ross had to fight the urge to say that out loud.
"Hi," Ross started awkwardly. He wanted to take her into his arms and hold her, to remind her of what they used to have, to let her know how he was still very much in love with her.
"So," Carol chewed on her lips. "I haven't been here in a while."
Ross smiled as a fond memory flooded his thoughts. It'd been three years earlier; he had recently begun to volunteer at the museum; he and Carol had just gotten married and were newlyweds very much in love, the ones that couldn't keep their hands off one another.
They missed their dinner reservation one February night and found their way to the museum instead, where Ross found a pair of juice boxes and a bag of chips. They laid down in the IMAX theater, had their juice and chips, made love under the stars, and fell asleep.
Was she trying to kill him?
"You look amazing, Carol. I hate that." Ross couldn't hold his words back, as much as he had tried to. Carol blushed, looking away for a moment before returning her gaze to him.
"I'm sorry," she laughed gently. That laugh, so musical.
"You look good too, Ross."
"So, how are things? Are you still…" Ross trailed off, hoping she would say she'd take him back.
"A lesbian? Kind of… I mean, I learnt a new term; it's called bisexual. I guess that's what I am."
Ross' heart began thudding in his chest. Bisexual.
"So, bi- bisexual means…"
"That I like both men and women."
Ross could feel the blood pounding in his head. So, there was still a very small chance.
"Marty's still totally paranoid, given my conservative family and all that. Oh, and–,"
"Carol," Ross interrupted her. Once Carol began to ramble, she could go on for hours. He couldn't bear that, not today; not when he had to get this exhibit set up by the third of November. Carol was his siren in the storm, and he needed her to get to the point immediately.
"I'm pregnant," Carol said without much preamble.
"Pregnant?" Ross could feel the vast museum walls closing in on him. "You're pregnant?"
"Yes. I'm keeping this baby. I'll raise it with Susan. You can be as involved as you want to be."
'I'll raise it with Susan.' Well, there goes all hopes of him ever getting back together with her.
'You can be as involved as you want to be.'
Monica was stressed out to the max; her parents suddenly decided to pay a visit that evening, giving her less than a day's notice to prepare mentally and emotionally. Phoebe and Joey were watching Three's Company reruns without paying her much attention, or acknowledging just how stressed out she was. There was a nearly-empty glass of water sitting on the coffee table without a coaster, and a couple pieces of candy wrappers bunched up on the couch.
This was all Joey's doing and normally, Monica wouldn't mind because Joey cleaned up after himself – well, most of the time – but today was an exception. Today, everything in her apartment had to be clean from top to bottom for when her parents came to visit. There could be no smudges on the window, there could be no speck of dirt on the floor, no crumbs remaining on the countertops, and the pillows had to be– oh, the pillows! Karate chop method.
"Are you through with that?" Monica grabbed the now-empty glass out of Joey's hand as he was in the middle of taking a sip, causing some water to dribble on his t-shirt. Monica hurriedly placed the glass in the sink before turning her attention on the pillows.
"Yeah, sorry, the swallowing slowed me down for a minute," Joey snarked. Monica didn't care. She could not stand to listen to any more of her mother's criticism with the way she kept her apartment. It wasn't as if she lived in a dump; but nothing would ever be good enough for Judy Geller, especially when it came to her only daughter.
Monica shakes out the pillows and does the trademark karate chop in the middle to make them look neat. She hears the TV being muted, but she doesn't pay any attention to it. Phoebe places a hand on Monica's wrist, and she jumps in shock, breathing still erratic.
"Monica, you're really freaking us out here."
"I'm sorry, you guys." Monica sighed, but she didn't stop moving around. She moved from the pillow to see whether the couch and loveseat were perfectly aligned to the coffee table, the rug it sat on, and the television set. "I can't give them another excuse to criticize me. They've done enough of it in the past twenty-five years, so everything has to be perfect."
"But seriously, Monica. You've really gotta calm down. You don't see Ross getting like this."
Monica shook her head, if only Phoebe and Joey really knew.
"That's because as far as my parents are concerned, Ross can never do anything wrong. You see, he's the prince and they had some big ceremony before I was born." Monica snarked, finishing with an eye roll. She walked away before Phoebe and Joey could say anything.
Monica quickly checks on the lasagna to make sure it was cooking correctly. God forbid her mother criticize her cooking, despite Monica having cooked in a professional setting for the past five years. Nothing will ever be good enough for Judith Mariam Geller.
Phoebe and Joey resume watching Three's Company and Monica works silently in the kitchen until the door swung open a few minutes later. Ross stood in the doorway with a forlorn look on his face, not taking a step into the apartment.
"Hi." His voice was filled with desolation.
Monica hurried to her brother, while Phoebe and Joey stood close by.
"That's not a happy hi! What's going on, Ross?"
"Carol-," Ross began and then sighed. "Carol's pregnant."
"Wh- what? She's pregnant? How? Is it yours?"
Ross nodded, stepping into the apartment.
"Yeah, we- we, uh… had one last, uh–, in August." Ross admitted, taking a seat. Monica made a mental note to speak to her brother about this later. He and Carol separated ten months ago, and he had sex with her after their divorce was finalized? Did Susan know about this?
"So, what's going to happen now?" Phoebe asked.
"Well, you know, Carol said she and Susan are going to raise this baby. I can be involved if I want to be." Ross shook his head. Monica, Phoebe, and Joey took seats around the table.
"What does she mean by 'involved'?" Monica still wasn't clear on how this could've happened. Carol was supposed to be a lesbian, she loved women. That was the whole reason why she and Ross separated; Carol was no longer in love with him and felt a stronger connection with Susan.
"I don't know. This is a whole new realm for me; for us. We didn't expect to get pregnant. Carol and I said we wanted one last night together, a bonus night, the day our divorce was finalized."
"Okay, we're going to talk about the cheating another time. But what's going to happen now?"
"Well, tomorrow, they want me to join them for the sonogram." Ross told them.
"What are you going to do? You'll be involved, right?" There was a slight edge, a warning tone, in Phoebe's voice. Monica knew Phoebe's father had abandoned her and her twin sister when they were just babies, leaving their mentally ill mother to raise them; but Monica didn't think her brother would abandon this child.
"I have no idea. I mean, I'm going to be a father and I'm still trying to come to terms with that. I really do want to be there for my child, don't worry Pheebs; but what if Carol and Susan change their mind later on? What if I grow attached to my son or daughter, and then they decide they don't want me involved anymore?"
"What the hell?" Joey cried. "They can't do that!"
Ross shrugged helplessly, looking at his friends and sister for guidance.
Monica had none for him, and neither did Phoebe and Joey.
There was a dull ache in Monica's chest as she watched her mother pick through the appetizers that she had prepared. Her father was sitting on the couch with a glass of brandy in his hand, looking appreciatively at the attractive news lady on television.
"Oh, Monica, dear." Judy Geller began, turning her focus on Monica. "Esther Levin's daughter will be calling you soon."
Judy paused to take a bite of one of the delicacies on her plate.
"Oh!" Monica could sense the judgment in her mother's surprised voice. Here we go. The evening had been going smoothly with no nit-picking so far. The topic of Ross and Carol's separation and the subsequent pregnancy hadn't been brought up… yet. Monica knew her brother would need to break the news to her parents. No more daughter-in-law, but surprise: you'll have a grandchild born out of wedlock! Oh, Mom will have a field day with that one.
"What is that curry taste?" Judy's nose wrinkled in displeasure.
"Curry." Monica replied simply as she reached for a bottle of wine from the fridge.
"Ross, you remember the Levins, don't you? That big one had a thing for you, didn't she?" Jack Geller had pried his eyes away from the attractive brunette on the television long enough to throw a glance at his wife.
"They all had a thing for him." Judy said with a mischievous grin.
"So tell me again, why is Esther Levin's daughter going to call me?" Monica handed a glass of wine to her mother.
"Oh, Sarah just graduated, and she wants to look for something. Let's see, I think it has to do with food… Anyways, I told her that you had a restaurant and–,"
"No, Mom," Monica interrupted. "I don't have a restaurant. I work in a restaurant."
"Well, they don't have to know that. Do they?" Judy shook her head and tutted as she began to adjust the same pillows Monica fixed hours earlier.
"Ross," Monica began sharply. "Could you come and help me get the lasagna ready?"
"Yeah, of course."
"Ohh, we're having lasagna." Once again, there was that judgmental tone in her mother's voice. It infuriated Monica; why couldn't her mother just accept that Monica had done a good thing. Especially because it was so last-minute, she really didn't have a lot of time to prepare anything more elaborate. At least they weren't eating food found at a street vendor.
"I know this is going to sound selfish Ross, but were you ever planning on bringing up the whole Carol being a lesbian and surprise baby thing? Because I think that's going to take some of the heat off from me for a bit, y'know?"
"Carol's bisexual." Ross corrected her.
"And a cheater. Tell them, Ross!" Monica shot him a dangerous glare. "Get the lasagna ready."
Dinner started off peacefully, with Monica looking at her brother throughout the course of the meal. Ross, however, was enjoying the lasagna as if he didn't have a care in the world; as if he didn't have an affair with his ex-wife, who was in a committed relationship with another person; as if the consequences of that one night didn't result in said lesbian ex-wife getting pregnant; as if he wasn't going to be another father in another seven and half months.
"Oh, Monica," Judy started as she took a momentary break from dinner. Monica knew that tone, the tone that indicated something juicy was about to be shared, and it somehow always ended up being a critical judgment towards her.
"Guess who got married last weekend."
Monica felt her insides go cold. She knew exactly who got married last weekend, but Ross didn't. She kept the news a secret from her brother; as far as Monica could tell, Ross was completely unaware when it came to the upcoming nuptials. He'd already been dealing with enough.
"Rachel Green–," a clink of the fork to her right. "Married that guy. Gosh, I am not sure what she sees in him, what with his mother being a pornographer and his father being a transvestite."
"Excuse me for a moment." Ross stood from the table and went to the bathroom.
"While I don't think it's the most compatible of marriages," Judy went on, oblivious to her only son's leaving the table. "Sandy and Leo are happy; and if they're happy, then so are we. Monica, there are plenty of guys out there for you to pursue, even guys like Chandler Bing."
Monica scowled, remembering exactly what Chandler had called her that Thanksgiving night.
"Sweetie, it's time to quit playing around in the city. You're almost twenty-six years old. You only have so many years that you're considered suitable for marriage and, not only that, for motherhood. I think it's time you come back to Long Island and see what's available for you. I know city life works for some people, but I don't think it's right for you."
"Don't listen to your mother, Monica." Jack Geller argued as he wiped up marinara sauce with a piece of garlic bread. "You're independent, and you always have been. There's nothing wrong with that, and nothing wrong with being in a city. Remember when you were a kid, you were all chubby and had no friends. You'd read alone in your room and do your puzzles."
"Excuse me." Monica stood and walked towards the bathroom.
"Monica, what are you doing? It's rude to walk away from the dinner table!"
She took a couple deep breaths before turning to her parents. Monica knew her brother would certainly be in no place to tell their parents about the divorce and unexpected pregnancy; not after the news he'd just received. While she knew it'd been a long time coming, Monica had been hoping that it'd just fade into oblivion. That they'd fade into oblivion because they lived in Manhattan, and it was a whole world away from Long Island.
"Ross and Carol separated almost a year ago, and their divorce was finalized in August. Carol is a lesbian and is living with a woman named Susan. Ross and Carol decided to have one last night together and now Carol is pregnant with his child."
Jack and Judy Geller remained silent for a moment as they seemed to process this information.
"And you knew about this?" Judy cried, her tone accusatory. Monica threw her hands up in frustration and, instead of giving her mother any sort of explanation, she walked into her bedroom and slammed the door shut behind her.
Ross wasn't sure what he was supposed to do now, mainly when it came to his ex-wife and their unborn child. He did know that he wanted to offer Carol support, even if Susan wasn't too terribly fond of him. The appointment was supposed to begin in another ten minutes and Ross was still trying to find items to rearrange in the exhibit he'd been working on yesterday. Sighing in defeat as he realized there was nothing else to do at the museum, he made his way to the hospital.
"Sorry I'm late." Ross stepped into the examination room fifteen minutes later.
"There was an issue with one of the exhibits and I had to take care of it." He lied. He didn't want to admit to his ex-wife that he was taking the divorce hard, and learning of her pregnancy made it even harder. "Did I miss anything?"
Carol smiled and shook her head.
"No, we're still waiting for the doctor."
"Here's your water, babe." Susan stepped into the room, heading straight for her partner without giving as much of a glance towards Ross.
"Thanks, love." The couple exchanged a quick kiss, which made Ross uncomfortable because he was supposed to be the one kissing Carol. He was supposed to be the one standing by her bedside; it was only supposed to be him and her, with no other 'her' in the picture.
"You remember Ross, don't you?"
Susan turned to Ross, her face unreadable.
"Yes, I remember." Susan's tone was cool and crisp. "The father of my girlfriend's baby."
"Susan, we are so–," Ross began, but Susan cut him off.
"Save it, Ross. I already spoke to Carol, and I've forgiven her. She made a mistake; but you? You went and slept with your ex-wife, who you knew was in a loving relationship. Not only that, but you had the audacity to not use a condom. Shame on you, Ross. But you know what? I'm ready to embrace my lover's unborn child as if it were my own whether or not you're in the picture."
Ross' jaw fell. She was pissed at him?
Ross knew he should've used a condom; but Carol was the one that cheated on her partner. How has Susan forgiven her, but not him? He had a hard time processing where this woman was coming from; and he really did not need to deal with her brunt verbal beating today.
"You know what, Susan–," Ross began but was interrupted when the door opened.
"Hello, how are we doing today?" The gynecologist immediately sensed the tension in the room.
"Am I interrupting something?" She looked at the three people with concern.
Carol sighed in response, shaking her head.
"Just some baby daddy issue," Susan sniped.
"Susan," Carol warned. "Dr. Obermann, you've met Susan. This is my ex-husband, Ross Geller. He's the 'baby daddy' as Susan said. He can be involved as much or as little as he wants to be."
"Hi Ross, nice to meet you." Dr. Obermann smiled, shaking Ross' hand before turning to Carol.
"How are you feeling today, Carol?" The doctor asked as she put on examination gloves.
"A bit dizzy, nervous, feeling like I could vomit." Carol laughed nervously as Dr. Obermann prepared to examine her.
"All perfectly natural. This will feel a bit cool on your belly."
Carol nodded silently and breathed. Ross watched Susan look lovingly at Carol and at the monitor that had yet to show Carol's uterus.
"You're doing great." Susan whispered, brushing a stray blonde hair back.
"All right, here we go!" Dr. Obermann announced, and an image appeared on the screen.
Ross couldn't see much, it was grainy. It reminded him of those early Hollywood films.
"Can you see that?" The gynecologist asked the three.
Ross saw something shift in the image, a barely visible dot that seemed to be pulsating.
"Yes, I see that." Carol laughed, a tear falling down her cheek.
"Our baby." Susan squeezed her partner's hand. Carol reached her free hand out towards Ross.
Ross looked at Carol and Susan, the latter nodding in encouragement. This was not the time to be angry or resentful; this was a pivotal moment in his and Carol's life – the milestone where they got to see their baby for the first time ever, even if the image was grainy.
He reached out and wrapped his hand around Carol's, giving it a kiss before returning his attention to the screen. A moment passed in mesmerized silence before Dr. Obermann spoke.
"Would you like to hear your baby's heartbeat?"
"Yes, please." The three of them said simultaneously.
A steady thrumming rang throughout the room, and Ross felt tears stinging behind his eyelids.
"Oh, my God." He was at a loss for words. He glanced at Carol, who was crying silently.
"Look at that." Susan whispered, not taking her eyes off the screen. "That's our baby."
"I know." Carol looked at Ross and they exchanged a watery smile. He knew that whatever happened next, he was going to be a part of it. He was going to support his ex-wife with everything, as much as she was willing to allow him. Ross hoped that someday, he and Susan could get past their animosity and become friends. He and Carol never meant for this to happen; but he had absolutely zero regrets about the baby they created that night.
After he made sure Carol and Susan were secured in the taxi, Ross turned in the other direction towards his sister's apartment. Twenty minutes later, he had the picture of the sonogram passed around between Monica, Phoebe, and Joey. Monica was fighting back tears, Phoebe was in awe, and Joey was confused.
"Isn't that amazing?" Ross couldn't wipe the smile off his face. While he hated that he couldn't share his joy with Carol, he was appreciative of the three people in front of him.
"What are we supposed to be looking at here? I thought you said there was a baby."
"You know, if you rotate it this way and relax your eyes, it looks a bit like an old potato."
"Then don't do it, all right?" Ross snapped, but he wasn't angry. He was far from it.
"Fine!"
"Monica?" Ross noticed his sister was silent, and now it was his turn to worry about her.
"Mm-hmm, I'm fine." Monica choked out. She suddenly stood and wrapped her arms around Ross, sobbing into his sweater. "I can't believe I'm going to be an aunt."
Author's Note 2: I don't really care if you don't like the content of this story. It's not really my problem, that's a you problem. Just keep quiet and move along. There's absolutely no need to get nasty. My mental health is fragile and fandoms have kept me safe for two decades. I will not let canon elitists ruin that for me. Again, just move along!