The (I-Can't-Believe-This-Is-Finally-Finished-After-A-Year-And-A-Half) Author's Note:

Well, here we are. The end of my first story, a year and a half later. I fast-forwarded time a little, because it just felt more natural to end the chapter this way. I've left the door open for more, as you can see, so it isn't really the end of a story, per se. Enjoy! (Oh yes and just for those of you confused I did change my username. This is JustThinkHappyThoughts, but I now go by Trypanophobic Little Squirt!)

Disclaimer; Nope, still don't own Friends!

Chapter 21 - Things Can Only Get Better

"I need more hairclips!" Andrea called urgently as she held the perfect quiff in place.

"Coming!" Isabella called as she quickly slid a few through her sister's brown locks.

"I think I'm going to die from too much hairspray inhalation." Emma sighed dramatically. Andrea playfully slapped her on the back of the head.

"You ready?" Alyssa called as she peeked in at the final bridesmaid to be ready.

"Almost!" Andrea replied as she re-adjusted Emma's sling. Emma was dismayed that her arm hadn't healed in time for the wedding, but thankful that it at least wasn't painful anymore.

Things had improved immensely in the last two weeks. Erica had apologised to Emma a few days after the 'incident' and things had slowly gone back to normal. The four housemates had spent Christmas together again with no ill feelings toward each other, and an engagement to celebrate. Erica's new boyfriend (the Piano man and his beautiful stranger were now certainly an item) had even joined them later in the day. Emma had told her parents about her engagement, and they were only too thrilled.

"My daughter marrying a doctor!" her mother said proudly as she hugged Luke, "I always dreamed of marrying a doctor..."

Her father cleared his throat loudly before commenting, "And you did."

"Ross, how many times do I have to tell you? A PhD in dinosaurs and a medical license? Not the same thing."

Her parents had apologised for their reaction to the Delilah situation, especially once they caught sight of Emma's arm. Emma had been deliberately sketchy on the details with them when explaining what had happened, not mentioning the fact that the 'out of control drunk' was their niece.

"Is my big cousin ready to take a trip up the aisle with me?" Jack Bing asked as he slid into the room.

"Ready when you are!" Emma replied with a grin. She awkwardly picked up her bouquet of blue hyacinths with her good arm.

"How's the battle wound?" Jack asked with a grin. He knew quite well how Emma got the wound. When he had some colourful comments about it Christmas day, Erica had blurted out whose doing it was.

"Should be fully healed in a few days. Thank God." Emma answered.

"How did you find your life as one of us left-handed folk?"

"Never. Again."

Hannah peaked around the door. "Come on Geller-Green. Let's get this show on the road!"

Emma grinned as she linked arms with her cousin and still managed to hold her bouquet in her arms. They exited the car that had become their changing room/beauty salon and headed in towards the church. Mia was already there, her beautiful auburn hair in ringlets. She was clinging to her father, who was giving her away. She looked quite nervous. Alyssa put a hand on her shoulder.

"You ready for this?" the Maid of Honour asked, smiling.

"I think so!" the bride replied, taking a deep breath.

"Come on my minions, watch me lead you down the aisle!" she grinned as she turned on her heels. The door opened, and Alyssa led the procession with the best man. Hannah followed, with Emma and Jack walking just ahead of the bride. They entered the church and a few steps up the aisle, Jack chuckled. Emma turned to him with a murderous look.

"Not the time for your dirty mind, Jack Bing." Emma hissed.

"Not a dirty thought." he replied promptly.

There was a slight pause before Emma came out with, "Ok. Now I'm curious. What is it?"

"It's nothing... I just thought that the next time you, Emma Geller-Green will walk down the aisle, you will be becoming Emma Swann."

Emma couldn't help but smile at her cousin's sentimentality. He was right. Next summer, she and Luke had decided, would be when they were to become man and wife. The plans were already in motion. The smile remained on her face for the rest of the ceremony.

She looked at those watching this union. Specifically the groom's side. Carol and Susan were watching proudly, next to Ross and Rachel. Isabella was smiling at her boyfriend, Delilah was even smiling. Something Emma hadn't seen her youngest sister do in a long time.

As Ben declared, 'I do', Emma swore that she could see a few of the grown men cry (her parent's old friend, famed actor Joey Tribbiani among them, as well as Ben's cop friends). At that moment she caught Luke's eye and smiled. He than mouthed something at her that made her smile broaden.

'Our turn next.'

--

Erica sat at the table somewhat quietly, at least for her. She quietly sipped at her nibbled at her lemon cheesecake, as the conversations around her boomed.

There were eight at her table. Delilah with her guest, her best friend Helen, Isabella, her boyfriend Spencer, Luke, Andrea - who had come as Jack's guest to Erica's surprise, Erica and her guest. Her Piano Man.

Aaron was in an animated conversation with Luke and Andrea, completely fascinated by the life of the two doctors.

"So have you guys responded to real life emergencies? Stat? All that jazz?" he asked excitedly.

The interns exchanged a glance.

"Trust me," Erica interrupted, "I've had enough of hearing these two discussing how it is so not what it is like on TV. I've heard it isn't all it's cracked up to be."

The two interns chuckled.

"But Andrea has had to stitch someone's arm from wrist to elbow," Luke input, grinning.

Erica shot him an evil look for that.

Things had somewhat improved since the day Aaron had finally convinced Erica to forgive her family. She had started off slow, with her brother. He had filled her in on all he knew about their mother, which was slightly limited. She had died in a car accident when they were young, so their parents had decided to spare them the truth until they felt they were ready. But they had never felt ready for it. Erica only than realised how difficult things had been on her parents, and they had been next to be visited. They apologised, Erica apologised. They cried, Erica cried. Than they exchanged Christmas gifts.

Emma had been last on the list. Erica had been mortified when Emma answered the door with a sling on her right arm. She had cheered up a bit when Emma forgave her quickly. She was a little suspicious at the quick forgiveness at first, until Emma and Luke explained they were engaged. So Emma had been in an extremely good mood almost all week.

Erica had continued her passion, singing in the bar with Aaron accompanying her. Only her family were now going to see her do what she loved.

She even introduced her parents to Aaron. Her father's eyes had widened when he heard his last name. After a long pause, he asked a strange question.

"Is you mother named... Janice?" he asked, shocked.

Aaron nodded. Erica's parents both looked at each other in shock.

"Oh. My. God." They said in unison.

Aaron chuckled, obviously getting a joke that Erica was missing out on.

"Tell her, that her Bing-a-ling was looking for her." her father beamed.

Her parents were currently seated at a table not far from her. Her father managed to catch her eye and wink at her.

Things were slowly becoming normal again.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Aaron asked quietly, and the two discreetly left the table.

"Yes?" Erica asked when they were in a more secluded area.

"I just wanted to say..." he paused, obviously trying to figure out what exactly was best to say.

"Yes?" Erica repeated.

"I'm proud of you." he admitted.

"Proud of me?" Erica asked, incredulously.

"Yeah. You pulled yourself out of the hole you were in without any major damage. I'm... proud of you." he gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

"Is that all I get?" Erica asked, with a grin. They locked lips once again.

"You want to...?"

"We'll miss the speeches!" Erica giggled.

"You want to wait until..." Aaron suggested.

"I've heard the stories of how they met thousands of times!" Erica grinned as she led the way to her hotel room.

--

Karaoke was the best addition anyone could possibly add to their wedding.

"When you get married, there better be karaoke at your wedding!" Andrea giggled as Emma smiled widely. They were currently watching Erica and her mother belt out 'I'm So Excited'. Andrea had already sang 'Groove Is in the Heart' with Delilah, Emma had sang 'Baby Got Back' with her Dad, Isabella had rapped 'It's Tricky' with her mother.

"Erica puts us to shame, I think," Mia laughed, as the others agreed. She dragged her new father-in-law to the dance floor to dance with her, leaving Emma and Andrea to gossip alone.

"Did you do it yet?" Emma asked Andrea quietly.

"I can't!" Andrea replied, "I don't think Erica would be pleased."

"I don't think she'd mind. Come on, Jack has had a huge crush on you for as long as he's known you." Emma whispered, looking at her cousin as she spoke.

"I don't know..."

"Trust me, he likes you. Plus, there's one big bonus if you guys ever got together."

"And what's that, Geller-Green?" Andrea asked sceptically.

"You'd be a part of the Geller/Bing family tree of course!" Emma quipped, before patting the blonde on the shoulder and walking away grinning.

Andrea looked at Jack Bing, once again from a distance. Considering the option. Should she...?

--

Ben Geller surprised himself by being up extremely early the morning after the wedding. He had the urge to investigate. The women had taken so long to prepare yesterday that he wanted to see how exactly this was. He crept down towards the hotel room the women had used as a dressing room, and as he was turning the handle, a familiar voice called from behind him, "Going somewhere?"

Ben turned to find his father chuckling at him.

"I was a little curious!" was Ben's defence.

"I know," his father replied, "Why do you think I'm here?"

"Good point." Ben laughed as he slid in the door. The room was covered with clothes, makeup, hair products and every inch of the floor was covered.

"This explains why women take so long to get ready," Ben chuckled. He walked through the hotel room, taking it all in and curiously decided to investigate the bathroom too.

Once there, his eyes glazed over to the bin in the corner of the bathroom, and something caught his eye.

Someone had tipped over the bin, and the contents were all over the floor.

"Dad," he said, ushering his father in. He had noticed one particular item of interest. Not wanting to touch it with his bare hands, he wrapped his right arm with tissue and picked up the item as his father walked in.

"Wow," his father replied, "It's like history repeating itself."

"What do you mean?" Ben asked.

"At your Aunt Monica's wedding there was one found too... although it was found in her apartment before the wedding..." his father drifted away in thought.

Ben was captivated by the information the little stick held. "Whose do you think it is?"

"Who knows?" his father answered, "It could be anyone from your wife, your little sisters, your cousin or any of the bridesmaids."

"Unless someone else has been here..." Ben mused. He paused for a moment, before remembering what exactly he was holding.

"Eww! Someone peed on this either way!" Ben cried, as he threw the discarded pregnancy test back in the trash and following his father out the door.

A Parting Note:

And there we have it guys; one set of chapters closed. I will more than likely continue this story one day, but for now, I'll leave you guys to speculate among yourselves what you think will happen in the future. The door is open for more, but for now, I might try doing something a little different.

Of course, I could never finish a story without thanking every single one of my reviewers. I never took any of your reviews for granted, and as you guys saw I was always willing to take any advice on board. This story was completely un-beta'd, as well as my first, so feedback was always seriously appreciated. Nothing made me happier than opening my email account and seeing I had reviews! Thanks to the following: AilenNinja, laraandkurtisfan97, Splotdog, xXStrawberryBethXx, coco-flavoured-tiktaks, MadKillerSheeperflyRabbitXD, JimblefluffMalfoy, erikavilez, Boris Yeltsin, Lottie888, dmtennis1, OC Reader, Alianne Potter-Black, dancer288, Eveliuxx, WolfxAngel, iLuvNathanKrEeS, GilmorexXxGirlxXx23 and MrsJacobBlackTaylorLautner. Especially thanks to AilenNinja, who joined me in Chapter 7 and has reviewed every chapter since, even giving me suggestions of her own. To xXStrawberryBethXx who joined in chapter eight, and even messaged me when she felt I should update as I'd left it too long! Thanks also to laraandkurtisfan97, another loyal reviewer! All my reviewers are great, but these are the guys I feel really stood out to me!

So there it is. The end of my very first story. Thanks to all you guys again, and I look forward to any thoughts you think should happen in future stories. Think of this as only the end of a season, not a story. But I think I'll pre-write it a small bit next time, so I don't keep you guys waiting eight months for a chapter!

The writer formally known, as JTHT. x