Safe Place
by Tina Chaves

Over the next few weeks, things started to slowly return to normal. Well, their new normal. On the first few times they spoke, Rachel was on mom-mode again, but quickly they fell back into their comfortable intimacy. Each day they inched a bit closer to each other.

One day, all six friends were hanging out together at Central Perk. Rachel had Emma on her lap, stroking her soft hair while Ross was patting her little belly.

"Mmmm...this cake is amazing!" Monica said. She was eating chocolate cake and sounded like she was maybe getting a little too much pleasure out of it.

Rachel exchanged looks with Ross and quipped.

"My God, get a room."

"I would get a room with this cake. I could show this cake a good time!"

"If you had to, what would you give up? Food or sex?" Phoebe asked Monica.

"Sex." She answered quickly, without missing a beat. Chandler looked unimpressed.

"Seriously, answer faster."

"I'm sorry! When she said sex, I wasn't thinking about sex with you."

"It's like a giant hug."

"Ross, how about you? Which would you give up? Sex or food?"

He didn't need time to think about it either.

"Food!"

He couldn't help but exchange another quick look with Rachel, who was smiling.

"How about sex or dinosaurs?" Phoebe pressed him.

He paused for a second. However, the recollection of the other night had been playing in his mind very vividly these days, more often than he liked to admit. With things getting better with Rachel, he got this urgent feeling whenever he saw her, and it was growing stronger and stronger each day. Their eyes met wickedly again and there was no way he could answer it any differently.

"Dinosaurs."

Rachel smiled wider.

"Wow." She said, in a way that only he could hear. "That's a mighty statement coming from you, Dr. Geller."

"I guess it is."

They looked at each other coyly, their daughter between them. This was really nice, they couldn't look away.

The others noticed, of course, but gave them space. They continued their discussion, stating their personal preferences and trying not to intrude in their private little moment. Ross hadn't told anyone about the other night, but he had a feeling Rachel had told the girls, who in turn told the other guys.

"Sex or dinosaws?" Emma blabbed inadvertently, causing Rachel to erupt in laughter and Ross to raise his eyebrows.

"O-kay, I think she's getting too perceptive to be listening in on our conversations." He said, while Emma giggled at her parents' reaction. He tickled her and she laughed harder. "You're just a little troublemaker, aren't you?"

"Stop, daddy!" She said between giggles.

He could feel her eyes on him.

"Hey, Ross?"

He looked at her.

"Yeah?"

She took a moment before going on.

"Do you wanna go out to dinner with me one day?" She paused and smiled. "Like on a date?"

He smiled. This was so pure. After everything they'd been through, she was asking him out on a date.

But it felt right. Right and so exciting.

"Yes. I would like that."

"OK. Tomorrow night." She said assertively.

"Tomorrow night." He agreed, holding her hand. They looked at each other and then down at their intertwined fingers. "Ross Geller is going on a date with Rachel Green." He said casually.

She laughed.

"Who knows, he might even make it into her room again."

He looked back at her again quickly. Damn, Rachel Green.

I understand this last scene happened on "The one where Chandler gets caught", way before "The one where Joey speaks French". But just ignore that little detail, OK?

I'll see you soon in "Consequences", if you're following that story. Next chapter is almost done :)

Thank you for your time and your kind words! Hope you're all safe.