I added a filler chapter (Chapter 14). I forgot to upload it! The whole story will make more sense with it:)
Epilogue
"Fin?" A girl aged thirteen with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes, looking just like Rachel, bolted up from her bed and shot her mom a look.
"Ems, you know what happened after we arrived Paris." Rachel said in reply to her daughter's French query of the story's end. Yawning and stretching her arms, Rachel stood up from the bed, "Bonne Nuit."
"Non!" she protested. "Mais," Emma tried to wanted her mother to continue.
"But?" Rachel repeated, raising her eyebrows.
Emma sighed, defeated. "Fine, good night mom."
"Je ne sais pas!" A teeny complaint from a six-year-old girl who also looked similar to Rachel, except for her darker hair, suddenly butted in. She emerged from the bed next to Emma's.
"You don't know?" Rachel said in a funny voice as she approached her.
"Oui. Je ne sais pas!" The child repeated as she started squealing and hid under her blanket; but Rachel was still able to tickle her.
"Arretez!" she yelped with both laughter and exasperation, "Arretez s'il vous plait!"
Rachel continued to tickle her despite the child's plea to stop.
"Mommy! Arretez!" she repeated, "Sto-o-o-o-op please!"
She finally stopped and collapsed on the bed. She turned her head to the little girl and shot her a look, "Isabella, I thought you were already asleep!"
Isabella sheepishly smiled and shook her head, "I want to hear the rest of your story."
"You know the story." Rachel said, deadpanned.
"I don't…" Isabella grinned.
Rachel glanced at the purple clock that matched the purple room and checked the time. It was nearly eleven and she was exhausted… "Bella-"
"S'il vous plait?" she begged.
"Yeah, continue it please?" Emma added from the other bed.
Rachel sighed, "Okay… okay…" she sat up on Isabella's bed and continued…
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock…
The sound of the clock almost made Ross flip as he impatiently waited for Catherine to enter their apartment. They had moved in since Rachel and Emma went back to Paris a month ago. She finally told him about her illness and that she had considered undergoing chemotherapy to lengthen her life, even just for a few months. He then urged her to move in with him so he could take proper care of her.
It had been a depressing month for Ross. His true happiness was thousands of miles away… why else would the passing days matter. He developed a ritual. Every morning, he would get up from bed, take a shower, make breakfast for him and Catherine, give her a morning kiss on the cheek and leave for work. Then he would bury himself with work all throughout the afternoon, hoping the time would never come for him to go home. Since he and Catherine hardly cooked, he usually passed by some take-out restaurant before going home; then he'd eat dinner with her, exchange a few words about their day, freshen up, and then finally go to bed. The only exception in that cycle would be the occasional sex they had whenever he felt like it.
Though that afternoon was different… he felt an overwhelming sensation of anger in his system. A week ago, he hated himself for doubting his girlfriend's illness because he found a few boxes of pregnancy tests hidden under the sink. Ross asked himself, 'Why would a woman, sick with cancer and undergoing chemotherapy, still keep EPTs when she knows her body no longer can handle a pregnancy?' But then again, maybe she stored those before everything else. Or could it be that she was making it up all along to drive Rachel away because he was about to leave her? He badly wanted her to let him free… and thoughts of death and deceit, no matter how bad they were, often plagued his mind.
His week-long doubt was answered when he found a negative pregnancy test wrapped with tissue in his trash can, along with Catherine's foul behavior that morning, which she claimed to be the effect of her medication.
Ross anxiously tapped his fingers and held a glass of scotch on the other hand… no way was that day ending without answers.
The rattling sound of keys and the twisting of the doorknob made Ross clutch the glass tighter. He glanced at the clock; it was six o'clock and she was right on time.
Catherine entered the apartment, burnt out with exhaustion. "Hi baby," she greeted Ross before hanging her coat on the rack.
His burning eyes remained fixated on the blank TV screen. He tried to stay calm, tried his best not to throw the glass at her when she came near.
"What's wrong?" she asked with an upbeat tone, sitting down on the coffee table across him, after being rejected with a 'honey, I'm home' kiss.
"I'm gonna ask you one question… and you better have an honest answer." He spoke so emotionless, Catherine started to worry.
She felt his coldness send chills down her spine, and for some reason she was afraid. "Ross-"
His eyes finally went to her. "Are you really sick?"
"What?" Catherine gasped, hurtfully looking at him.
"Do you have cancer?" he sternly asked.
"How dare you ask me that!" Catherine stood up, "What the hell do you think of me?"
He didn't move… instead, he repeated it one last time. "Do you have cancer?"
She broke down, "Fuck you, Ross. I won't make up something like this… I'm not stupid or desperate."
Ross nervously chuckled and threw the pregnancy test on the table.
"What's that?" Catherine looked at the tissue-wrapped object.
"I don't know, you tell me."
She did, she took it in her hand and removed the tissue. Nervously, she looked at him "Ross-" and his eyes slowly glared up to her. "This isn't mine!" she chuckled.
He deeply sighed and stood up to leave, but she grabbed his arm. "Okay, okay…" she paused. She was cornered…
"Ross-"
"Say it," he was close to yelling.
"I'm not sick." Catherine began to sob.
Silence filled the room. Only their hearts pounding in anger and nervousness could be heard.
"I only lied because I can't lose you, Ross."
He scoffed.
"You- you're the only one for me, and I know that. I will make you happy." As if she was trying to prove to him her innocence, Catherine continued to reason out. "And Rachel? Ross, She doesn't love you as much as I do because she let you go."
He softly spoke, "Stop it."
"I love you Ross, and you love me…"
"Catherine-"
"Rachel's just some distraction, some frustration you have because you know she never loved you as much as you did-"
"STOP IT!" Ross was finally fed up with angst. He pulled his arm out of her grip. "Are you blind? Can't you see how unhappy I am with you? How each passing day, you make my life worthless? Meaningless?"
"Ross, please…?"
Driven with anger, he pushed her away form him, "You know what? You are sick." He tried to move away but she hugged him.
Sobbing, she pleaded, "Ross, you can't do this!"
He felt so stupid believing in a lie. Ross tried his best to maintain composure. "Leave," he simply said, backing away from her.
Catherine knelt down and begged him, "Ross, don't-"
"I thought I could love you," he coldly responded.
"You can!" she convinced him. "I love you, Ross….and no one could ever love you like I do."
Sarcasm began to settle in. He chuckled with disdain, stepping further away from her.
"How dare you do this to me! You fooled me, you cheated on me… I only said that I was sick because I knew you were gonna leave me. I knew I'd be one of the women you left for her, whose heart you shattered into pieces."
Guilt rushed over him.
"I had to drive Rachel away from here, Ross. Since she arrived, she and her daughter drifted us apart!
But anger had more power… Ross felt the need to shove her out of his apartment. Her daughter? He thought, remembering Emma's cries and pleas for him to stay with him… everything just fell into place in his mind. He knew he had fault in the whole situation, making Catherine believe that she had a future with him. But in the end, she was a lunatic that made Ross, Rachel and Emma suffer because of a statement that had no truth. "Get out."
"Ross," she pleaded, almost kissing his feet.
He stepped back once more, avoiding her sight. "Get out," he repeated. "Get out of my home."
Catherine took one last look at him, sobbing like a child.
"I'm sorry," he indifferently said, "There is no us. I can't be with you." He headed to his room, hoping she would disappear forever.
"And then?" a wide-eyed Isabella shook asked her mom.
"And then sadly, you came." Emma teased.
Rachel let out a loud sigh at them both... not so long ago, she and her sisters behaved the same way.
"Mooooom!" Isabella whined.
She smiled at her, cupping her face and giving her a kiss on the nose. "Okay you two, time for bed! Bonne nuit!" she bid her goodnight and stood up.
"No," Isabella whined once more, pulling her mom's arm. "Don't leave yet!"
"Sweetie," Rachel yawned, "Please make mommy sleep."
Isabella pouted and let her mom go.
"I'll tell you the rest some other night," she promised.
"Alright! Bonne nuit."
Rachel gave her one more kiss before she went underneath her blanket, "Love you."
"Love you too mommy."
Rachel went to Emma and kissed her forehead, "Goodnight sweetie, I love you."
"'Night mom!"
Rachel smiled at them both before closing the lamp shade on the table that separated both beds.
She exited to a hall with four doors. Walking around their fairly sized modern yet simplistic apartment and making sure that the doors were locked, she heard a soft chattering noise from the living room and followed it. There she found a four-year-old boy watching television with his eyes half-opened.
"Ryan!" she said with a warning tone, tapping her shoe with her arms folded.
Ryan's eyes widened and shifted from the TV to Rachel with a mischievous grin. "Allo!" he shyly greeted, being busted… again. His cheeks were burning red; then he squinted his nose and looked at her with his big brown eyes.
The cute gesture made Rachel smile… she knew she couldn't even pretend to be mad at him for long.
Ryan instantly hugged her as she sat down next to him.
"Why are you here? Didn't daddy put you to bed?" she stroked his brown hair.
"I want you to put me to bed." He looked up at her and grinned even wider.
Rachel knew what her little critter did. He often went out of bed after his parents tucked him in to watch cartoons. She glanced at the TV and saw Batman's ending credits rolling up. She carried him and stood up. Turning the TV off, she whispered to his ear, "Time to sleep, sweetie," and he laid his head on her shoulder.
By the time they entered Ryan's room, the father of her children, still dressed in his work clothes, was soundly sleeping on the bed with a bear underneath his arm.
Ryan saw his father and pointed, "Daddy's sleeping." He giggled, causing his older replica to stir and open his eyes.
"Ross, what are you doing there?" Rachel raised her eyebrow, holding in her laughter.
Ross quickly stood and cleared his throat, "I was putting Ryan to sleep."
"Really!" she said with sarcasm and placed Ryan on his bed.
"Yes but he fooled me by pretending to sleep… and so I fell asleep." he explained.
Rachel rolled her eyes, "I caught him watching cartoons again."
Ryan smiled at his parents and covered himself with a blanket and sucked his thumb. "Mo-ommy," he whined pulling her down beside him.
Rachel laid down beside her son and evilly smiled at Ross who looked down in defeat, "It's my turn."
"Fine, I'll see you in the room." Before leaving, he kissed Ryan goodnight.
"Mommy, will my tummy hurt 'cause I swallowed gum?" Ryan worriedly looked up at Rachel.
Rachel smiled at the adorable child beside her. She wanted to squeeze him so tight... "Did you swallow gum?"
He slowly nodded and started to fret, "Bella said a bubble's gonna grow inside my stomach" he paused to take a deep breath, "and it's gonna get really big!"
"That's not true," she pinched his nose. "She was just scaring you because you're not supposed to swallow gum!"
"Why?" he asked, stifling a yawn.
Burnt out with the many questions her children had that night, Rachel decided to let the last one go. "I'll answer that tomorrow."
Ryan nodded and cuddled next to her, "I wuv you mommy."
"I love you too, baby," she whispered, draping her arm over him.
Rachel watched as her little boy's lids slowly closed. Time flew so fast… it was as if yesterday she cradled him in her arms, serenading him to sleep, while Ross dealt with their two-year-old who refused to take a bath, and a weary Emma who complained about the noise because she couldn't do her homework.
Day by day, Ryan was getting bigger, looking just like his father… and like any other Geller child, he was competitive and intellectual. But Ryan was as sweet as anything to his mommy, just like Ross was to his. Isabella, on the other hand, was her father's little darling… she was like a little Rachel who fancied dinosaurs. And Emma, the teenaged sweetheart Ross and Rachel had, was vain, spoiled and stylish like her mom… yet like her dad, she was smart, independent and responsible.
Rachel smiled at the thought… Her babies were growing up so quick.
Ryan's eyelids were shut tight. Rachel slowly got the bear nearby and cuddled it next to him, replacing her space. He stirred when she got up from the bed, but as he went back to sleeping soundly, she took it as a sign to leave.
Rachel entered her bedroom at the end of the hall and spotted Ross walking back and forth in the balcony, overlooking a part of the beautiful city of love. She wrapped herself with a thicker robe and went to him.
"Oui, oui." Ross affirmed on the mobile phone. He stopped pacing as soon as Rachel joined him. "Non. Cela m'est egal."
Ross smiled at his wife for seven years and softly kissed her on the lips. "Bien sur," he agreed to the person he was talking to and said his parting words, "Lundi, oui! Au revoir."
"Who was that?" she asked as he ended the call and placed the phone in his back pocket.
"A woman," he teased, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close.
"A woman?" she frowned.
"A really old woman from the museum who's asking me to change an exhibit on Monday," he clarified. Since he followed Rachel to Paris, he'd been working as the head of the anthropology and paleontology department at Cite des Sciences et de l'Industrie, one of the largest and most visited science museums in the world.
"How old?" she grinned at him, nearing her face to his.
"Soixante dix." he chuckled, being able to speak fluent French. For almost eight years of residing in France, Ross learned and understood the language. It was already accustomed to their family to speak both English and French. "Are you jealous?"
She giggled, "Does this seventy year old woman have a crush on you?"
Ross raised his eyebrows, "Maybe… but she knows I'm in love with an older woman."
She playfully hit him on the chest and gazed at him.
For more than two decades, they still had it…. The magic… the chemistry… that spark that lit in each other's eyes.
She pressed her lips against his. "Je t'adore," she said before going in the room again.
Ross took her hand and followed her in, "Wait. Come on," he whined. "We've been busy all week with work and the kids…" he placed his hands behind her hips, pulling her closer. "And I missed you," he gently kissed her neck.
Rachel hummed, "Okay…" She laughed and started loosening his tie.
He cupped her face with both his hands and kissed her softly, both drowning in the moment.
She started speaking while he continued nibbling down her neck, "Monica called me at work this afternoon."
"And?" he kissed her shoulder.
"She was wondering when we'll be leaving for New York to attend your parents' 50th wedding anniversary."
"Why?"
"She's sending me a list of things to buy for her, Chandler and the kids cause they won't be visiting us this year."
Ross chuckled, "All the time!"
After a few seconds, Rachel interrupted Ross' kissing once more. "Honey, Ryan's in that curiosity stage already."
"What?"
"Y'know, asking… and asking… and asking." She closed her eyes.
He finally stopped, "Why? Did he ask you about sex?" He grinned, making her roll her eyes at him.
"No, he asked me if his stomach will balloon up cause he swallowed a piece of gum…" Ross laughed. "And the other night he asked me why mommies have boobies and daddies don't. But I said you were an exception."
Ross ceased laughing and glared at her. "Please tell me you didn't?"
She chuckled, "I was just kidding… but you do have boobies, you know!"
"Ha-ha," he mocked her.
"Anyway," she sighed. "Bella's asking me questions too… like how we met and ended up together… and how you followed me here and impregnated me the night you arrived," Rachel joked.
"Oh… So you told her how good her daddy is in doing this?" he cocked his eyebrow and kissed her on the lips. "And this?" he kissed her chin.
She smiled and began running her hands through his hair, "And Emma asked me a question this afternoon. But I told her to ask you instead."
"What question?"
"If she can go out on a date with her schoolmate, François, tomorrow…"
He bolted up and looked at his wife with concern, "A date?"
She nodded and smirked, knowing how he'd react. "Sweetie, it's just a date. She's thirteen years old!"
"Rachel, a date… don't you know what can happen during a date?" Ross began to panic.
She glared at him, "Ross."
He loudly exhaled, defeated, "Okay never mind."
"Honey, you're gonna have to accept that your little girl isn't little anymore."
"You know what, I'll deal with that tomorrow." He wrapped his arms around her and swayed to a silent rhythm. "Tonight, it's just about you and me," he whispered to her ear, "Je t'adore."
Rachel smiled contentedly and embraced him… his lips passionately met hers once more, and on and on they went until they fell on the bed, binding themselves together with a simple act that meant a simple word… love.
Nearly eight years ago, a man arrived Paris to look for the one and only woman he loved. When he found her standing by an apartment door with eyes reflecting nothing but sadness and loneliness, he knew it was time… and he vowed never to let her go, promising her a new beginning in a new place with a new life.
The End
For those of you who 'guessed' my twist, good job! Heehee! Although I seriously considered ending this fanfic with them apart, feeling Emma's character made me change my mind. She was too adorable to be rewarded with a separated Ross and Rachel.
Thank you so much for all your reviews, your support and your motivation. I will surely miss this fic… Yet the end of one means the beginning of another:)
I added a filler chapter (Chapter 14). I forgot to upload it! The whole story will make more sense with it:)
The French words I used:
Fin – (The) End
Bonne Nuit - Goodnight
Mais - But
Non - No
Je ne sais pas – I don't know
Arretez - Stop
S'il vous plait - Please
Allo - Hello
Oui - Yes
Cela m'est egal – I don't mind
Bien sur – Of course
Lundi - Monday
Au revoir – Good bye
Soixante dix - Seventy Thanks, Hailey, for the correction:)
Je t'adore – I love you
Merci!