AN: It's been a good ride.

I can honestly say I loved writing this story for you all.
In fact, I can say that the greatest thing to ever happen to me was because of this story.

Anyway, enjoy, and thanks.

As each wave crashed among the rocks below, the earth shook.

As in passing, the thumping heart made its call.

The sun had set behind the clouds above them, and the ocean made its peace. The purple and orange tint of the skies above set the mood for their two weeks of pure love; in the end, they would embark upon the most epic journey. It would be the beginning of the rest of their lives.

The beginning of forever.

So, when the angelic and flaxen auburn hair fluttered in the breeze, each second passed as an hour of complete and total bliss; again and again, it reminded her of the euphoria of the life she was about to begin.

They would kiss; every day, every hour, and every minute.

In but an hour, they would make love for the first time in matrimony, and it would be the greatest moment of their lives. A true seal to the bond that they now shared as husband and wife, as the ultimate creation of the soil and the heavens. The blue waters beyond would splash and rip the earth asunder, and yet, they would never come close to the thunder in their hearts as they became one.

The very thought made Rachel grateful to be alive.

And, as her chin sat in her hand, she felt the coolness of her wedding ring against her tender skin. It felt right, in every way, to be this committed to someone she loved more than anything in this world. Every morning, she woke up, and knew that she had someone who loved her, and would protect her at any cost. Rachel felt like she mattered, for once.

It was a wonderful feeling.

Even though the sun could no longer peer through the clouds, Rachel could feel the warmth that came from it.

When Ross had kissed her that day, everything that she had known up to that point had been rendered moot. This was the greatest day of her life, and she knew that nothing else could ever surpass it, not until she had given birth to their first child. However, she would always recall to the moment where Ross had confessed his love for her in the most immaculate way possible; the words that rang in her head as he proposed to her came back as a crystal clear edict when their lips met under the arch.

Rachel understood it, too; when Ross had kissed her that night, she knew that she had fallen for him - hard.

Even when he had made the list about her, she still loved him. In retrospect, Rachel did overreact about the entire thing; Ross was simply trying to do the right thing, but he ended up losing both her and Julie.

Upon remembering, Rachel closed her eyes. She didn't want to summon the past; not the bad parts, anyway. She wanted to cherish the moments they shared together. She wanted to look towards the future, cupped in her tiny, frail hands, which in turn were held by Ross's.

So, as her eyes opened, Rachel was greeted by the ocean once more. She could smell the aroma of the salty sea, and the life it held within its murky depths. The waters laid still, as if they were waiting to be parted. The sun now disappeared beyond the horizon, leaving only the rays of light that peeked over the vista. It seemed so peaceful; if Rachel could paint, she would paint the very scene before her.

She settled for a picture, instead.

The sound of running water made its way out of the bathroom as Rachel took a disposable camera from her bag. Ross was preparing the most extravagant evening for her; he wanted to be squeaky clean when they consummated their relationship.

It was not until she came back out of the honeymoon suite did Rachel notice the chilling draft of the New Year. It was cold, but not cold enough for her to retreat. For some reason, she kept out on the balcony, ready to watch the night fall upon the first day of their eternal pilgrimage.

Rachel wanted to feel everything. She wanted to relive all of the emotions that had surfaced since she met Ross, and the heat that came from them, which warmed her faster than Everclear. She wanted to go back to that night, and make him stay. She wanted to tell him over and over that he was the only man she ever loved, and that whatever happens between them, they could work it out.

However, another thought reached out to her.

If it had been different, would they be where they were now? Would they be newlyweds, or would they still be recovering from their broken relationship? Would Monica and Chandler be together, at all? The questions seemed to fly by her, and the ones she could catch proved to be difficult to answer.

Rachel didn't even want to think about it. Instead, she sighed, and looked out towards the bay once more. Gulls fluttered over her, mewing as if they'd found an entire nest of eggs to prey on. Rachel wished that she could have wings, like Ross did, in her dreams. She would fly everywhere, and do everything, and bring Ross to the very place where he brought her every day since that day - Paradise. It was a magical thought in its own right, and she was sure that Ross would agree.

Locked in her deep thought, Rachel did not hear the bathroom door open.

Instead, what she heard was the same sound she had heard earlier that day, as the two of them walked from the cliff to the chapel to the hotel: Wedding bells. Granted, they only existed in the fabrication of her own mind, but this was the only time she would hear it in her life; and they were crystal clear.

As they dinged in her head, flooding her mind with fresh memories, Rachel didn't feel the familiar hands that she had caressed every night wrap around her lithe waist. While she subtly responded to Ross's warmth with nothing but raw instinct, she could not address him properly, at the moment. Her eyes kept to the ocean, and her hands kept to the deck. Still, Ross chose to help enlighten whatever it was that was bothering her, as he ran his hands up and down her arms, shielding them from the nippy zephyr.

In the nine months following the proposal, Ross had become a second skin to Rachel. When they weren't at work, they were together, in each other's arms. They were like a couple of teenagers, madly in love. It was like looking into the past and seeing the future. They never let go.

As Rachel felt her lover's chin rest on her shoulder, she leaned back into his waiting chest. She loved how he could always, without fail, turn her mind away from whatever she was thinking about, and bring it to the moment. When Ross kissed her cheek, she smiled, and wrapped her arms around his neck from behind.

When Ross peered over her and saw the ocean, he was brought back to that day; the day where his life changed forever. The ceremony, the surprises after it, came screaming back to him, and soon, he became lost in the day.

He remembered sitting in his hotel room, Joey and Chandler at his side.

Crying. That was all he did that morning. Ross wept for over an hour that morning. Not because he was scared, or was ready to walk out on everyone, but because he was happy. His fantasy was coming true, unraveling before his very eyes. Ross knew that it wasn't an illusion, anymore; it was all real.

He was going to marry Rachel Green, the woman of his dreams. The woman that made him complete; the woman he had been in love with since he was fourteen.

Ross couldn't even begin to fathom it. In only a few hours, he would slip a white-gold engraved wedding ring onto her satin finger, and take her hand in marriage. As the idea popped into his head, a deluge of memories did, as well. The moment they had gotten together seemed as if it never really happened; Ross felt as though he had transformed from fourteen to twenty-nine, and suddenly, he was marrying Rachel. It was strange, and he couldn't believe it, no matter how true it was.

As Ross persisted his bawling, Chandler quietly left, after giving his best friend a reassuring pat on the back. He needed to find Monica and help put the final touches of the ceremony together, or else he wouldn't get his reward from her later that night.

Their relationship had evolved and matured faster than anybody had expected; in the nine months Chandler and Monica had been together, they almost never fought. When they did, it was nothing more than petty squabble which usually ended up in a good laugh between the two. The bond they had sought was already there; they just couldn't see it, yet.

They made an excellent progeny; this made Ross cry even harder.

At the same time, Joey just sat next to him, awkwardly trying to console him, even though nothing was actually wrong. He did little more than just pat his knees in anticipation that Ross would let him leave; this proved to be futile, so Joey simply waited for the storm of tears to pass.

After an hour, when the wailing stopped, they exchanged shirts.

The vows that they had carefully and thoughtfully written themselves, only a month earlier, did no justice to the meaning behind them. Words on parchment could never fully express the love between any two people, let alone Ross and Rachel. They were eagles, flying with the wings of a dove.

Still, they read them proudly, and with vigor. They knew the impact such words could have on each other and the ones they loved. Ross feared that he would cry again, but apparently, he was completely and utterly drained. As he watched Rachel tell him how much she loved him, in so many words, his heart nearly melted. The most beautiful sound wisped out of Rachel lips every time she spoke; the voice of angel was all that Ross heard.

And, when they kissed, their hearts stopped. Every second of their lives had been brought into the forefront of their minds, and they saw the light that pierced the heavens in each other's soul. Their first kiss as husband and wife emulated their kiss as but two friends who had feelings for one another. However, it was intensified. It was stronger. They had seen through the very fabric of reality, and forever passed in a second as their lips locked together in a subtle passion.

They had taken the first steps on their journey, as they headed through this world and the next. The canals of Venice, to the beaches of Malibu. They found peace in their hearts, and with every year that passed, Ross and Rachel knew that happiness laid around every corner, waiting to catch them and bring them joy. It was beautiful; in fact, it was the most beautiful thing in the world. They didn't think, as usual; instead, they simply absorbed the rush that came from the eruption of serenity that enveloped them.

Without a doubt, it was the greatest kiss either of them ever had. A true semblance of their love contained within just a touch of their lips. They didn't know that it would feel this amazing, but they were glad it did. Every single day, they would wake up, and remember this day; the day that made them complete, in every single way possible.

It was perfect.

The sounds of clapping and cheer strolled through their minds, as they barely heard it over the sound of their own hearts beating. They thumped with enough power to rip out of their chests. It felt so strong, but so tender at the same time.

They didn't want it to end.

However, it had to. Their eyes opened up with a flair of longing, and reluctantly, they pulled away from each other. Still, the sounds of the roaring applause were drowned out as their gaze met for the first time in the throes of wedlock. Their eyes looked different, somehow, as if someone had polished them like the gems they were. They glittered under the high sun, and seemed to brighten, if even a little bit.

With their hands held between them, Rachel smiled at Ross again, knowing that she had found her soulmate; the one person that she would love, until the end of time.

That afternoon, they danced. It was no grand affair; they were alone, and had the soft jazz tunes in the background as their solace. Ross's hands clutched Rachel's sides, while her arms rested upon his shoulders. It felt as warm as it ever did, and, even though their eyes looked toward the ground, they knew that they could see right into each other.

They didn't dance, so much as take an occasional step; most of the time, they didn't move at all. The two of them just stood there, wantonly. Rachel could feel Ross's face buried into her shoulder; she could also feel the tears he cried soak through her gown. She knew that he was just as happy, if not more, than her. Indeed, it was the happiest day of her life; but moreso in Ross's case.

As they pulled apart from each other, they saw not only themselves, but their friends, cheering them on.

With that, Ross took Rachel away, to their hotel.

So, he watched the light fall, next to his beloved. Her arm was still thrown around his neck, and his hands still sat on her shapely hips. They sat there, thinking of their friends, and the sacrifices they made for their happiness, and vice versa. It took a lot of courage for them to move past this, and they were more than grateful for having each other to help along the way.

However, Ross still had a couple of secrets; one, in particular, still blew his mind.

Earlier, when he walked into Joey's room to get his shirt back, he found it on the floor; Joey, was on the bed, with the bridesmaid. Rachel only had two bridesmaids, and the one he was with certainly wasn't Monica.

The image of Joey's naked back almost blinded Ross, but, he managed to get out of there just long enough to hear Phoebe scream bloody murder.

He winced a bit, which Rachel felt; immediately, Ross felt her hand grip his shoulder, which calmed his nerves. The day was starting to affect them in a negative way, and they were both fatigued, but they were still happy.

As the sky turned black, Ross had let go of his lover, and retreated to the bed. His thoughts still sat on the day, and his friends, of whom he was very proud of. He wanted to make the night special, as special as he possibly could, but that seemed improbable now. All he wanted was to cuddle with Rachel, to hold her, and make her his.

So, she complied. Rachel crawled into their marital bed, and felt their skin warm against each other's. Their thoughts drifted from themselves, to their friends, and to the experiences they had gone through, just to find that the only thing they ever needed was each other. The future was brighter than it ever was, before. The next wedding they would attend would be Chandler and Monica's, and so forth, even Joey and Phoebe's.

They were one, big, happy family.

And now, 1998 would be their year. The first day of January, where they became one, would be the first day in the beginning of their lives.

When Rachel's eyes met his, she found him, just as she did that morning, where she thought he had come back to her. He looked so boyish, so innocent, like he did before he had fallen in love with her. The minute they had spent kissing, on that night, still echoed through the depths of her mind. Ross was like her own little blanket; she could snuggle up and be safe forever.

Ross would always protect her; he would gladly die for her, and all of their friends, as well. He didn't know why he was so confident now, but he liked it. He liked knowing that if the situation arose, he would become a human shield, and become a hero. Even if the glory had gone to his head, the idea seemed fantastic. Besides, better him than Joey, or Chandler. Their lives mattered more to him than his own.

Lost in their reveries, their stared at each other again, and found salvation. Their love still sat like fairy on a pendulum, casually swinging from left to right, as their hearts mimicked the soft and elegant movement in it's own beats.

Soon, their minds filled with the thoughts of their friends; they had sought so much, and had been to Hell and back, looking, waiting, wanting the nightmare to end. The dream that followed came as a chapter in which they could learn from the past the greatest lesson of all.

In the end, through the darkness, the six of them found each other.

Through each other, they found hope.