R
The usual suspects
CCA-Monica
DM and BW as Alison and Wesley
DS as Ross
Cameron Diaz as Naomi
"Baby I'm Amazed"
Alison was close to her due date, Rachel discovered, so they couldnt fly out to Vegas. But Rachel still very much wanted her friend to be part of the wedding ceremony, so she came up with an idea.
"How about we go out with you guys by car and the rest of the gang can fly there and get everything ready for us?" Rachel asked. She was in the process of packing the dress she got from Tony last week. Just because she wasn't going to have a big wedding, it didnt mean she had to give up the perfect dress!
"I dunno. Maybe I shouldnt be traveling at all." Alison moaned.
"I'd ask Phoebe for advice about it, cause shes had so many babys. But I couldnt find her today." Rachel noted. Ross was gone too. I guess they were looking for something decent to wear in the wedding."
"True." Alison said. "I got to get going. The doctor will be able to tell me if I can go anywhere at all. Its my next to last ultrasound." She crossed her fingers. "Luck, luck!"
Rachel did the same with her own fingers. "Luck, luck." She smiled. That trick always seemed to work at office meetings. It was their charm.
"I'll see you in a few hours." Alison said walking out the door.
Chandler came out of their room with a suitcase. Rachel closed the lid on hers.
"Can't I see the dress?"
"Oh no, we don't need any bad luck. Not when we're almost there." Rachel said. "I'm gonna make sure I didn't miss anything."
Chandler looked around. She had three suitcases. "I think that chance is pretty low." He steppd forward and was stopped when his knee hit one of the suitcases. The lid popped open. Chandler rubbed his knee and looked at the suitcase. It was her wedding dress. Chandler closed the suitcase before Rachel could come out and look. Rachel came to the door and stopped.
"Are you ok?"
"I'm fine." He said. "Walked into the table here."
"I hope you didn't knock that suitcase over. Its pretty flimsy and easy to knock open."
"Oh, its safe and sound." He said. "The suitcase and whatevers in it I mean."
Alisons OB/GYN approved her travel by car. Chandler and Wesley loaded it up. Monica and Ross were already flying there while Greta and Joey were already in Vegas doing various acting jobs. Phoebe had other plans, which Rachel couldnt even get her to tell her.
The trip was very uneventful, other than the fact that Alison alternately slept and begged for bathroom stops just about every hundred miles.
Just as they got into Vegas, things started to get weird.
"Hmm." Alison woke up. She was cradled in Wesleys arms.
"Are you ok back there?" Rachel turned to her.
"I think I'm pretty good." Alison said. Wesley shifted a little bit.
"Is it me or did you miss a bathroom stop back there?" He asked.
"Why do you ask?" Alison said.
"Anyone else smell that?" He asked. Rachel looked at him. "It wasnt me!" He protested. "And the seat is soaking wet."
Chandler looked in the rearview mirror. "I can pull over."
"Good idea." Rachel said as Chandler tried to find a place to pull over in the busy traffic. They finally found a nice spot near the Tropicana casino. Alison started to writhe in the back seat. Her hands shot out. Rachel had to duck in order to avoid being clobbered by her friend. Chandler blanked out, how the heck do you do lamaza again?
"No." Alison cried. "Better bring me to the hospital. I think I'm having contractions." She shrank in pain. "OHHHHHH!!!!!"
"Shes having the baby now?" Wesley half asked. "Oh my god, I knew we should have stayed home!"
"We'll talk about that later!!" Alison said. "Hospital now, Bing!!!!!! Or I'm gonna wring your skinny neck!!!"
Chandler quickly turned the corner. "Oh shes ready all right."
"Rachel!" Alison said in pain. "Do me a favor!"
"Anything!" Rachel said.
"Never get pregnant. In fact, if I ever want to get pregnant again, remind me of this night!"
"Done, and done." She promised as they arrived at the hospital.
Hours later the baby finally made its appearance. Around sunrise the next day to be exact. Rachel managed to find all the gang in Vegas. They gathered outside the operating room waiting for Alison to emerge with the baby.
Chandler had thought he forgotten the lamaze stuff in the car so he had brought Wesley in with him.
"Its a girl!" The doctor said as she came out. Wesley and Chandler sighed with relief. Alison fell back exhausted to her pillow. Wesley kissed her on the forehead.
"She's beautiful." He said softly.
The gang was gathered at the window to the maternity ward. All the babys were laid out in their bassinets. Monica briefly felt a heart pang. Ross saw her pained expression and took her hand. He lightly squeezed it. She smiled at him in appreciation.
"Do you guys have a name yet?" Rachel asked Alison who sat gazing at her daughter in a wheel chair.
"Nothing yet." She said. "Nothing seems right."
Chandler was looking at the baby. He looked up when he saw something enter the room. It was a blonde woman with a flowing dress on. No one else could see her. It could only be her.
"Naomi." He murmured.
"Huh?" Alison said. She looked at him.
"What about Naomi?" Chandler asked. He looked at Rachel who smiled at him knowingly. Had she seen her too?
"Thats a beautiful name." Alison said dreamily. She was on some painkillers that made her feel like she was floating on air. "That will be her name. Naomi Elizabeth David." She sighed.
"I better get her back to her room." Wesley said.
The others left Chandler and Rachel by the window.
"I saw her too." Rachel said. "It's a wonderful tribute."
"It would be even better if I knew what her middle name really was." Chandler mused.
"Its a good gesture all the same." Rachel said. "Now she will live on, forever, in the heart of that little girl."
"She will." Chandler said taking her hand. "Just like you."
"Okay. So one things moved us back from our wedding. Its not bad. I mean the baby couldnt wait any longer." Rachel said. "Let's just hope thats the only thing that happens."
"Me too." Chandler said. "I can't wait to spend forever with you."
Chandler kissed her on the lips. There was a warmth between then that they never felt before.
"Shall we go?" Chandler said as they parted.
"Yes." Rachel said. They walked off hand in hand down the hallway. Back in the maternity ward, Naomi stood next to her namesake, and softly sang to her. The angels music could be heard all over the hospital, all through the night.
