(A/N) Well, well... the day has come! It's bittersweet to be finishing this story, really. One the one hand, I'm so stoked to be done (something about finishing something just always makes me happy!)... but on the other hand, I'm going to have to say goodbye to this beloved project (there's something personal between us. haha, jk)! I'm not sure how happy I am with the ending, so heads up - there is a possibility that I may be editing/rewriting/adding to this chapter for a while after today... maybe as inspiration strikes? Yeah, NGL, inspiration was sparse, seeing as it's my first week of spring semester back at school! lol. But I hope it is still to your liking!

Thank you's go out to (firstly): friendsfan101, BluEyes, MorganlovesFriends, urbanamore, jayley, and friendsfan! Thank you for the kind words and reviews. I really love reading everything you guys have to say! Really, you should see my face when I see reviews in my inbox in the morning, haha. But seriously, thank yous to all the readers and reviewers that have left me kind words and inspiration throughout the course of this story... you all have no idea how much your words meant to me. And special thank yous to those who have stuck with me (I still have no idea how you put up with me, lolol) since the very first chapter - you guys are truly something special! :) LOVE YOU ALL! and I will miss having you guys along for this ride.

Notes/disclaimers: November 2000 is from TOW The Nap Partners, and February 2004 is from TOW Phoebe's Wedding.

Here goes nothing!...

November 2000

"Why does it matter so much to you?" Plus, I'm the one who's known Monica since we were six, Rachel wanted to add, but didn't.

"Because this one is now!" Phoebe retorted. "And, you know, it's two of our best friends! Who knows what you're going to marry."

Rachel's mouth dropped into an indignant 'O'. Ouch. "What if I marry Ross?" She smirked as she realized the better thing to say. "Or Joey?"

"You wouldn't."

Rachel shrugged noncommittally. Probably not.

But Phoebe remained relentless. "I've never been maid of honor to anyone before! And I know you've done it at least twice. Please, oh please? Let me be Monica's."

There was a brief silence as Rachel pursed her lips in contemplation. Fuck. What kind of friend– no, person – would she be to deny the once homeless, motherless girl a chance to be a maid of honor? Damn my outstanding moral character.

"Okay." Rachel exhaled deeply and attempted a smile. "Fine. Since you've never done it before… you can be Monica's maid of honor."

"Oh! Thank you so much!"

"Mm."

The two girls sighed simultaneously and took a sip of their coffee.

"I'm gonna marry someone good, you know." Rachel's words tumbled out as if she'd been waiting a long time to say them.

"Oh, I know."

"Better than Chandler."

"Psh. Of course."

November 2000

"I met Monica when we were just a couple of 6 year olds."

Ross and Joey offered Rachel encouraging smiles from behind the counter.

"And I became friends with Chandler when he was 25… although he seemed like a 6 year old."

Laughter.

"I've known them separately, and I've known them together."

Pause.

"And to know them as a couple is to know that you are truly in the presence of love." Rachel finished her practice bridesmaid speech and lifted her cup to her lips. Yeah. I'd drink to that.

February 2004

Ross swung open the door to Rachel's room, fake smile plastered on his face. "My God, you're breathtaking."

Rachel was sitting on the bed, still in her pre-shower robe, hair uncombed and face unmade. She felt the farthest thing from breathtaking. She narrowed her eyes at him. "What do you want?"

"You haven't by any chance made a decision about who would be Mike's groomsman yet, have you?"

"Ugh. Come on, Ross, don't make this harder than it already is."

"I'm not. I'm making it easier. Pick me."

Rachel threw up her hands in frustration. It's not always about you. "Well, Chandler said it's really important to him too."

At this, Ross sputtered in disbelief. He stammered sarcastically, "Oh, I'm- I'm sorry. Did you and Chandler go out? Do you and Chandler have a huge history? Do you and Chandler have a, have a child together?"

Rachel narrowed her eyes even more as she considered his questions. "If I say yes, that would really freak you out, wouldn't it?"

x

"So…I think I'm gonna pick Ross."

Chandler deflated just a bit at this. Then he shrugged. "Eh, I figured. Given your history…and you used to love him…and you guys have a baby… blah, blah, blah." He pulled a face with each 'blah'.

Rachel watched Chandler, head cocked, with that squinty amused expression that seemed to make an appearance most often around him.

"What?"

"Oh, sweetie. The only thing he has on you is the baby," she smirked slightly, patting his shoulder twice before leaving the room.

September 1994

Monica Geller walked into the coffeehouse and plopped onto her usual spot in the middle of the couch. She looked like she'd been gritting her teeth for a very long time – tense, annoyed (moreso than usual, at least).

"I'm just going to venture a guess and ask – is something on your mind?" Chandler quipped, looking up from his newspaper.

"Ugh." Monica folded her arms. "It's just – Rachel."

"So is she staying?" asked Phoebe. "For good, I mean?"

Monica raised her eyebrows and threw up her arms. "I guess she's established that."

"That's going to be kind of weird, don't you think?" Joey asked.

"What do you mean?"

He elaborated, "I mean, it's kind of been the five of us for so long, you know? Now there's this new girl? And it means one more girl in New York that I can't sleep with? What good is she going to be?" He looked legitimately concerned.

"I don't know," Ross added hesitantly. "I mean, I think it'll be all right to have a new friend around…"

"Oh, you would say that, Ross," Monica cut him off, narrowing her eyes. "You're practically giddy about having your childhood crush around."

Ross balked, pulling a childish face at his sister.

"No, no, Ross is right," Chandler started, thoughtfully. "Think about what wonders it would do for our reputations to finally be seen hanging out with a girl like Rachel. I'll finally get to be friends with a pretty girl!… it's really like the high school experience I never had."

But Chandler's happy revelation was short-lived, as Monica and Phoebe both took turns smacking him on the shoulder.

November 2010

It was a beautiful, clear-skied fall day in Washington Square Park, New York City, New York, between 4th Street and Waverly Place. Leaves were falling and a slight breeze was blowing, billowing through the ends of scarves and hems of trench coats and hair around faces.

There was a couple kissing underneath the Washington Square Arch.

After a while, the groom opened his eyes and smiled. His hand rubbed the small of his new wife's back, in comforting circles. The bride, with her long blond hair iridescent against her draped white dress, smiled back.

"How was it?" she asked, unable to stop grinning.

"Every bit as wonderful as the first one," he responded, wrapping his arms around her waist as if he never wanted to let go.

December 2007

Rachel Green was standing alone in the middle of a bustling Charles de Gaulle, waiting for a plane to land, for a friend to land. A part of her almost didn't want to see him again, knowing that the last time she had was under much unhappier circumstances. Seeing him again would undoubtedly bring back those memories – make them real again. Rachel fiddled with the thin gold bracelets along her wrist. But the other part of her really, really, wanted to see him. A semblance of her old life, the life she constantly missed.

Then she saw him – a glimpse of spiked brown hair and distinctly Greenwich rimmed glasses in a sea of classy French businessmen. Chandler stood out like a sore thumb. But that soreness filled Rachel to the brim with warm nostalgia, comforting familiarity that pushed outward from within her throat and almost brought happy tears to her eyes.

She waved her arms ecstatically in his direction.

"Chandler! Over here!"

Chandler looked slightly taken aback for a split second. Then he broke into a huge, genuine grin.

Rachel watched with anticipation as he fought through the throng of people and finally stopped directly in front of her. Chandler dropped his heavy duffel bags and exhaled deeply, saying nothing; simply smiling and letting it all sink in.

She was here. He was here – and had handled his charm with time exceptionally well, it looked like.

He smiled. She smiled. The noisy airport rushed on.