The One Where Rachel Says Yes

Chapter 1

"Hey you" Rachel said as she opened her eyes.

Ross was lying beside her gazing at her with an adorable sleepy smile.

"Hi sweetie," he kissed her softly. "I love watching you sleep. Not in a creepy stalker way, you know." Rachel laughed and rolled her eyes. "You're just.. so beautiful. I can't get enough of you. I'm the luckiest guy in the world to be able to wake up next to you."

Those words permeated through her body. She marveled at how they had become so natural together, so easily comfortable with one another over the past year, yet when she heard those words, it still felt like she was hearing them for the very first time. Rachel leaned into Ross's body and rested her head on his chest as his arms wrapped around her.

"I'm the lucky one. Last night was amazing" she said. As Rachel felt the warmth of Ross's smile, she repositioned herself and kissed him again. Her thoughts traveled back to the night they had just shared. The two of them together were inexplicable. She had made love to Ross hundreds of times. But this time.. this time it was different. "Of course he's the one", she thought to herself. "This is where I want to be".

It was just a regular Saturday morning in early summer. Ross and Rachel both had the day off and they embraced the time to enjoy each other's company in the early morning hours before their bed was further occupied by their sweet 3 year old daughter, Emma.

Ross had been waiting for this day for a while now. He couldn't look at Rachel without smiling. The past year had been the best year of his life. He thought back to that moment last May when Rachel appeared in his doorway.

"I got off the plane".

The memory of Rachel saying those words never left him. He had loved Rachel since the ninth grade but throughout the past year, their relationship grew into something better than either of them had imagined. It wasn't easy. They had to work at it everyday. But it was so worth it. Now, as he laid next to her in the bed they shared, in the apartment they had now shared for a year, Ross knew this was exactly where he wanted to be. They smiled at each other as their fingers intertwined and they sank into each other.

"Mommy! Daddy!" A small voice clamored from down the hall. Before they knew it, Emma had jumped into their bed and nestled herself between her parents.

"Good morning, sweetheart." Ross said as he kissed his daughter's forehead.

"Good morning, Em! Come cuddle up with mommy and daddy!" said Rachel.

As she watched Emma bury into her daddy's arms as he tickled her and she laughed uncontrollably, Rachel couldn't help but smile. Her whole world was right in front of her. She thought back over the past year. She passed on the job of a lifetime in Paris to stay with Ross in New York. She hadn't questioned it for a minute. She loved him so much. She couldn't believe all of the years they wasted because they were too afraid to say anything to each other. Back and forth...up and down...their relationship had been a roller coaster. So many things constantly got in the way. She was so glad that Ross finally had the nerve to do what she had wanted to do for so long. She thought back to that day in the airport.

"Don't go."

"What?"

"Please, please stay with me. I am so in love with you. Please, don't go."

"Oh my God."

"I know, I know. I shouldn't have waited 'till now to say it, but I'm.. That was stupid, okay? I'm sorry, but I'm telling you now. I love you. Do not get on this plane."

While Rachel wishes she had handled that exact moment differently, she's so thankful that everything turned out the way it did. Quickly, Ross's voice brought her back to her reality.

"Hey Em, what do you want to do today?" Ross asked.

"Let's go see the dinosaurs, daddy!" Emma exclaimed with her excited little voice.

Rachel laughed and she narrowed her glance towards Ross. "What have you done to our daughter?" Rachel secretly loved the fact that Emma had her daddy's intelligence.

"I haven't done anything, Rach! I mean, when we were at the store and she saw dinosaur stuffed animals.. and dinosaur books..and dinosaur toys.." his voice trailed off. "She chose all of those things!!" He said vehemently.

"I love dinosaurs! Blue and pink ones!" exclaimed Emma.

Ross beamed as he listened to his daughter babble on about pink dinosaurs. He was so glad that Emma had Rachel's eyes. She was so beautiful.

"How about we go to the museum to see the dinosaurs today? Uncle Chandler and Aunt Monica, and also your cousins, can come too!" Ross suggested.

Emma screamed with excitement! "Yay! Jack and Ericka!" She loves her cousins. Luckily Westchester isn't too far away and they still see Chandler, Monica, and the twins often.

"Can Uncle Joey and Aunt Phoebe come too??" Emma asked excitedly.

Rachel smiled, "Sure honey! I'll give them a call".

Rachel wasn't terribly thrilled about the idea of spending the day at the museum. But it made her so fulfilled to see her family happy. Ross was such an amazing father. Plus, it would be fun to hang out with everyone today. The six of them haven't been able to spend as much time together recently, as everyone is busy with work and their own families. She thought back to the countless hours spent together at the coffee shop and Monica and Chandler's apartment. She was so grateful for that time in her life. Her friends had helped her grow into an independent strong woman with a (mostly) successful fashion career. She could never have done it without them. But now their days all together were limited. Mike and Phoebe are pregnant with their first child and are hoping to move to Connecticut soon. Joey's acting career is really taking off as his second movie just premiered. She wonders how much longer it will be until he moves to LA.

"Daddy's going to make us some pancakes for breakfast. Then after we eat we can go see the dinosaurs", Ross said to Emma as he smiled at Rachel.

"With chocolate chips Daddy!!" Said Emma.

"Of course with chocolate chips!" Ross answered excitedly as his tickles elicited a shrill scream.

He already knew they would all be going to the museum today, as did Chandler, Monica, Phoebe, and Joey. He hoped they could keep their poker faces.