Thank you so much to all of you who kept up with this story!! I hope you enjoyed it, for this is the final chapter.

“Why is it that on every single water ride we go on, I always end up much wetter than you?” Rachel asked, squeezing the water out of her soaked hair.

“Because you always want to sit in the front of the ride,” Ross pointed out. “Duh.”

She shot him a killer look. “Damn you. The front is less scary.”

“Well maybe next time, you should set aside your irrational fears and take into concern the wetness factor.”

“Irrational fears? Excuse me?”

“Did I say irrational? I meant rational!” He slapped himself on the forehead, “Silly Ross! Silly me!”

Rachel looked at him in disbelief. “Nice try, I gotta give you that much.”

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. “I’m sorry honey. You know I love you right?”

She nodded and smiled. He was too damn irresistible, and she found that she couldn’t stay mad at him for too many things anymore. “I love you too.” She paused. “And the joke’s on you, cuz now you’re all wet!”

“It’s okay. I don’t mind.” He softly kissed her.

She pulled away. “Your lips taste delicious! What did you do? Chapstick?”

His eyes widened. “Chapstick? NOOOO! That’s just how I taste...”

Rachel giggled, “I guess you’re right.”

When she turned around, he sighed with relief.

She couldn’t find out his luscious secret.

He’d have to remember to thank Joey later.

8:00 pm

“Sweetie, where do you wanna sit?” Rachel asked Ross.

“Somewhere in the front. I want us to have a good view of the fireworks.”

“You get a good view of them in the back too, you know. And it’s less crowded back he-”

“No honey! Come on, I think I see a little spot up front. You can sit on my lap.”

He led her towards an open space in the very front of the crowd, but off to the side a little bit. It was perfect.

They unfolded the brand-new Disneyland blanket that they had bought especially for the occasion. Ross sat down with Rachel comfortably positioned between his legs.

He kissed her right temple. “You look beautiful,” he whispered.

She looked up at him and smiled a special smile that only he would ever get to witness. She gently placed her hand on his chest, where she assumed his heart would be.

“You know, you’re the best thing that ever happened to me.” she told him.

“You’re the best thing that ever happened to me? That’s my line!” he joked.

She rolled her eyes. He had completely killed the moment. “Well, it’s true.”

Ross opened his mouth to say something, but was rudely interrupted by a loud BANG and the eruption of color in the sky.

“Shh, just enjoy the show,” he managed to say.

And those were the last words they exchanged until that magical moment thirty minutes later.

The firework show was coming to a close. It was supposed to last until 8:35.

Ross glanced at his watch. 8:32. It was the right time to tell her what he had to say.

He stood up and grabbed Rachel’s hand, pulling her up to his level.

“Ross, what are you doing? We’re blocking everyone’s view!”

He brushed lips against the back of her neck. “Shh…”

She carefully looked around her. Nobody really seemed to be too annoyed, so she let it go.

“You know, Rach, I still remember the first day I ever met you.”

She looked at him quizzingly, and was about to say something back when he placed his index finger on her lips, signaling that it was his turn to speak.

“You were wearing a pink top and a denim skirt, and Monica brought you home to introduce you as her new friend.”

Pause.

“Ever since I set my eyes on you, I knew you were the one for me.”

Rachel didn’t know what exactly he was getting at, but it still managed to stir those deep, innate feelings inside her.

Ross locked his gaze with her big, beautiful, blue eyes that were now wet with a thin film of tears. He felt that just by looking into them, he would be completely derailed and forget everything he had prepared to say.

He continued, “You were just as gorgeous back then as you are now… perhaps even more so now than before.”

Another pause.

“I became infatuated with you, and not just because of your looks, but also because of how compassionate you were. You hung out with my sister, not afraid to be seen with her, DESPITE what it could do to your image.”

A small tear dripped out of her left eye, but he quickly brushed it away.

He intertwined his fingers with hers and brought her hand up to his lips. He planted a soft kiss on it before loosening his grip a little…still not letting go.

He chuckled a little, “Anyway, leaving the past behind, when I saw you walk in through those double doors of Central Perk in that soaking wet wedding dress, which by the way, you looked absolutely sexy in, all those old feelings resurfaced."

He winked at her, hoping she’d acknowledge his not-so-subtle compliment.

But that night, even she seemed to be so lost in his words, she did no such thing.

“After a hell of a lot of wasted time, we finally started dating, and God knows that you were, and still are, the single best thing to ever happen to me.”

There that line was again.

He glanced at his watch. 8:34. He just had one minute before all the noise in the background would stop and that final display of fireworks would come to a close.

“After we broke up, and not just the first time, I don’t think I’ve ever been able to get over you, and quite frankly, I didn’t try hard enough, because I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to.”

Rachel quickly let go of his hand to wipe away some tears that stained her cheek.

Ross continued to speak, fully aware of his press for time. He didn’t want her to miss it.

“When you got off that plane, I vowed never to let you go again, and in order for me to keep that promise, well, nothing would make me happier than to have you as my wife.”

He gently nudged her, and she looked up to see the words spelled out in the fireworks display.

“Rachel Green…will you marry me?”

She looked and saw the love of her life down on one knee, in front of her. She sobbed, not caring about the small crowd of people that had turned their attention towards her.

“Ross Geller, I will.”

He quickly threw the velvet box to the ground and slid the ring onto her finger. Ross jumped up from his position on the grass and lifted her into his arms. He was crying openly now as well.

“Rach! Oh...” He stroked her hair. “Rachel, I love you,” he whispered.

She nodded, knowing he didn’t need anything more to prove her undying love for him.

And with that, she kissed him for the very first time as not his girlfriend, but his fiancée.

Finally.

Finally, that old saying proved to be true:

Lobsters really do mate for life.

The End.