Author: Toni McIntyre

Title: The One Where Nothing’s Easy 4/4

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Joey and Rachel make a promise, Ross gives them his decisions and everything comes together.

Note: This is fast becoming my own little Alternate Universe and I couldn’t be happier. This is the last part of The One Where Nothing’s Easy but the new story is entitled The One With the Parents. That one will be with Ross’s parents and Rachel’s parents visiting and everyone gets the whole Ross-is-the-father-but-Joey-is-the-boyfriend thing. Lots of fun I promise, look for it soon.

The One Where Nothing’s Easy 4: Something’s Are Just Hard to Say

"When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie that’s Amore!" Joey sings loudly to himself as he dances around the kitchen, throwing two English muffins into the toaster oven. "When the world seems to shine like you’ve had too much wine you’re in love!"

Joey continuous to sing to himself, not noticing that Rachel is walking slowly towards him from their bedroom. They had decided last night to move all of their things into one bedroom and keep the other as a nursery for the baby. Rachel smiles as Joey danced to the refrigerator to return the orange juice. She had brushed her hair back so it wasn’t quite so mussed up and she ties the sash on her fuzzy blue robe tighter.

"Hey," she says, getting his attention halfway through the second verse.

"Hey!" he turns to her, beaming. "I’m making breakfast!"

"Ah so we’ll be having slightly burnt toast again this morning?" she smiles knowingly.

"Ah ha! No!" Joey announces triumphantly.

"English muffins then."

"Maybe…" Joey says slowly, defeated.

"Great! I will have mine with butter," Rachel says excitedly and moves around the counter to wrap her arms around his waist. She looks up at him, grinning. "How you doin’?" she asks slyly.

"Let’s see, saw Harry Potter last night, good…went out with amazing girl, good…woke up with said amazing girl…so all in all," he thinks for a second before bursting out into a large smile. "I’m doin’ PRETTY good." He smirks and brings her in for a kiss.

"So what are you up to today?" Rachel asks as she goes around to sit at a stool at the counter, Joey leaning towards her from the other side.

"Ah, nothin’ planned," he shrugs. "Unless my new girlfriend would like to maybe have lunch with me?"

"Hmm…new girlfriend would like that very much," Rachel agrees. "Except she has a doctor’s appointment at one with Ross for the baby."

"Really," Joey frowns.

"Yeah I know," Rachel sighs. "I haven’t seen him since yesterday when we told everybody."

"You think he’s okay now?" he asks.

"I don’t know, it’s not something you can instantly get used to, you know?" Rachel says and Joey nods. "But I’ll deal with it. There is no way I am giving either of you up. You as a boyfriend or Ross as my baby’s father."

"Okay," Joey nods slowly. "Hey uh…Rach?"

"Yeah?" Rachel asks.

"There’s something I want to tell you but I’m gonna have some trouble saying it so bear with me okay?" he asks and Rachel nods. He sighs and reaches over to take her hands into his. "I…uh…well that is…I…" Joey gulps and shakes his head, wondering why suddenly talking became so hard.

"Joey whatever it is just say it," Rachel prompts, squeezing his hands.

"Okay," he sighs again and looks Rachel strait in the eye. "I love you."

Rachel lets out a very contented sigh and smiles at Joey.

"See now why was that so hard?" she whispers.

"Well I never really told anyone that before," Joey admits nervously. "But now it doesn’t seem so hard! In fact I’ll say it again…I love you." He grins then sways a bit on his feet. "Okay I think I MAY pass out."

"Okay honey, come here," Rachel walks around to steady him and lead him over to sit on a stool. "You okay now?"

"Yeah…yeah I think so," Joey nods, breathing deep.

"You have NO reason to be this nervous," Rachel assures him, laughing softly. She cups his head in her hands before whispering, "I love you too."

"Uh huh okay," Joey grins and Rachel laughs before kissing him slowly on the mouth. She was always amazed how wonderful it felt to kiss him. It was slow and tender and full of respect and love. She smiles against his lips in amazement that this happiness was in front of her for so many years without her realizing it.

"Hey Joey?" Rachel asks softly after they kiss.

‘Yeah?" Joey asks, his eyes still closed, his lips a breath from hers.

"Those English muffins are REALLY burnt now," Rachel says.

Joey’s eyes fly open and go wide as he turns indeed to see black smoke billowing from the toaster oven.

"Uh oh," he mutters and opens the door to the toaster oven, causing smoke to pour into the kitchen.

"Rach open a window!"

"Okay!" she leaps to her feet and looks around in uncertainty. "Which one?"

"Any ONE!"

"Okay!" Rachel runs and starts opening windows in the living room and the other side of the kitchen. She runs back to Joey’s side as he takes the fire extinguisher from a bottom cabinet.

"Are the smoke alarms gonna go off?" Rachel asks, eyeing the white disk attached to the kitchen ceiling.

"Nah, they haven’t had batteries in YEARS," Joey shakes his head.

"Well that’s not SAFE!" Rachel gapes.

"Stand back," Joey instructs and backs up himself as he uses the extinguisher, spraying white all over the toaster oven. They both stand there as the smoke clears with no sign of fire and Rachel slowly starts to laugh. Joey follows in suit and he lets the fire extinguisher drop to the floor. Rachel throws her arms around his neck and grins at him.

"Two days together and we’re already setting the kitchen on fire," she laughs. "God this apartment will never make it."

"Between your cooking and mine I think it’ll be safer to order out from now on," Joey nods.

"Or eat at Monica’s," Rachel suggests and Joey nods before kissing her deeply. She smiles suggestively up at him after they part. "You know that whole you-putting-out-the-fire-thing was pretty sexy."

"Yeah?" Joey raises his eyebrows and smirks. "Maybe we should light something else on fire then."

"Uh no, honey I don’t think the apartment could take to many more fires," Rachel shakes her head. "But maybe you can pretend you’re rescuing me from a…burning building?" she runs her hands up his arms.

"Oh, okay," Joey grins and sweeps Rachel into his arms and carries her through the living room and, after some minor difficulties with the doorway, into their bedroom.

An hour later Rachel turns over to face him drawing lazy circles along his bare chest with her fingers.

"I love you," she murmurs with a smile.

"I love you too," Joey says and kisses her. "And hey! I didn’t faint this time!"

"Nope," Rachel laughs softly.

Joey pulls her into a tight embrace and glances at the alarm clock on his bedside table.

"Oh, Rach, it’s almost noon and you have that doctor’s appointment with Ross soon."

"Hmm…don’t wanna leave bed," Rachel mumbles into his chest, curling further up against him.

"Believe me I don’t either," Joey sighs and hugs her tight before kissing her. "Would it help if I made lunch?"

"Stick to cold cuts this time, not toaster oven," Rachel says, nodding.

"Promise," Joey beams and kisses her one more time before rolling from the bed and pulling on his boxer shorts and a T-shirt in haste. Rachel lies down on the bed and watches him leave the bedroom, shutting the door slowly behind him.

Joey walks into the living room, and doesn’t even noticed that some one is standing in his kitchen until he’s a good foot from them.

"Hey Ross," Joey says slowly, gulping.

"Hey Joey," Ross smiles nervously. "Rachel here?"

"Yeah, in the bedroom," Joey nods towards their room. "You’re early, her appointment isn’t till one right?"

"Yeah I-I know," Ross nods. "I just, uh, need to talk to you both before we leave."

"Oh…okay." Joey says, not sure at all what Ross means.

"Hey honey do we have anymore bottles of water…" Rachel emerges from the bedroom, re-tying the sash to her bathrobe and stops dead when she sees Ross. "Hey," she says flatly.

"Hey," Ross mutters.

"What’s up?" she asks, walking to stand next to Joey.

"I uh…well," Ross sighs and looks at his feet before up at them. "I just want to apologize for running out of Monica’s apartment yesterday."

"It’s okay," Rachel whispers but takes Joey’s hand for support.

"Right, but, it was still wrong," Ross says, his eyes glancing over their intertwined fingers before looking them both in the eye. "And yesterday I took a lot of time to think. I-I was sitting in Central Perk when you guys came in after your date."

"We didn’t see you," Joey says.

"I was trying not to make a scene, I was still kind of upset," Ross explains, shuffling his feet. "But I saw you guys kissing and talking and I learned some things about my sister and her husband that I NEVER needed to know…and I guess I just started to realize how great you two are together." Joey smiles appreciatively and puts an arm around Rachel, squeezing her shoulder.

"And I also realized that if I told Rachel I had a problem with this and I ruined this relationship for you two I would NEVER forgive myself," Ross smiles at them both. "So I’m going to be okay with this. Eventually I’ll be better, but I want to say I’m happy for you guys…really."

"Oh Ross thank you," Rachel says tearfully and hugs him.

"Hey it’s okay," Ross mutters and turns to Joey.

"So we’re good?" Joey asks.

"We’re good," Ross nods and they hug quickly. Ross takes this chance to mutter in Joey’s ear: "You take care of the mother of my baby, okay?"

"Okay," Joey says sincerely.

"Or I swear I’ll kill you."

"Sure will," Joey says, doubting Ross’s actual ability to beat him to death but not his sincerity.

"And, uh, you guys should really go talk to Phoebe, Monica and Chandler cause they all have their ears pressed against the door," Ross says.

Suddenly muffled scrapes and shuffles come from outside the apartment door.

"OW! Chandler that was my ankle!" Monica screams.

"For god’s sake Monica can’t you WHISPER AT ALL?" Chandler demands loudly.

"Oh between the two of you our cover’s already blown anyway so…" Phoebe trails off and a moment later all three tumble through the door. Phoebe’s at the bottom with Monica practically on top of her and Chandler trying desperately not to fall on top of his wife and his friend.

"Hey guys watcha doin?" Rachel asks, amused.

"Nothing," Monica mutters.

Joey and Rachel exchange a smile as Ross moves forward to pull Phoebe and Monica to their feet. Joey extends his hand, which Rachel takes with a smile and they move slowly over to help their friends.

The End

Sequels in progress: The One with The Parents and The One with Heart and Soul. Dunno which will come first really. Look for both.