Chapter Text
The One With Child Custody
Notes: In this chapter Joey takes Erica Jack and Emma over for dinner at Frank Jr. and Alice's for dinner and Monica and Chandler have Phoebe and Mike and Ross over to talk about child custody.
After the appointment with Dr, Weinburg Emma, Erica and Jack got into Joey's car and they drove twenty minutes to Frank Jr and Alice's house to have dinner.
Their thirteen year old daughter Chandler opened the door and she smiled at her cousins and her eyes met Emma's. "Hi you must be Emma. It's so nice to meet you."
Emma glanced over to her older cousin who looked a little intimidating with her long blonde hair, flashy earrings and glossy painted nails and then leaned nervously into Joey's side. "It's nice to meet you too." she whispered.
Joey's arms wrapped around his niece and he kissed her forehead gently. "Don't be shy honey. You will have a great time with Chandler and Leslie. I promise."
Emma nodded slowly. "Okay, Uncle Joey."
Erica grabbed her cousin's hand. " Chandler and Leslie have a lot of fun games we can play and they're gonna give us manicures too! Come on Em! Let's go."
Frank Jr. shook Joey's hand. "How did the counseling appointment go?" he asked
Joey exhaled. "So stressful. Do you have a beer? I could really use one."
Frank Jr. nodded. "Sure." His eyes met with Jack's. "What do you want to drink buddy?" he asked his nephew.
"I'll have a Diet Coke please Uncle Frank." Jack said.
Chandler took Erica's and Emma's hands. "Leslie is waiting for us upstairs in my room. We have drinks and snacks up there for you guys and we're gonna watch Mulan. and paint our nails."
"That sounds so great." Erica said
Joey kissed Chandler's forehead. "Thank you sweetheart. They could really use this. The counseling appointment was really hard for both of them."
"You're welcome Uncle Joey." Chandler said and they departed.
Once Chandler Erica and Emma got up to Chandler's bed room they were greeted by Leslie. "Hey guys, are you ready to watch Mulan?"
Erica and Emma nodded.
"How was the appointment with Dr. Weinburg?" Leslie asked Erica.
Erica sighed. "To be honest we could really use this girl time,. It will get all our minds off of the child custody battle and how mean Uncle Ross is."
Emma looked at her older cousin. "It's nice to meet you." she whispered to Leslie.
Leslie stood up and wrapped her cousin in a hug. :"It's nice to meet you too Emma. Erica has told us to much about you. Let's get started with the movie.. dinner is in about 25-30 minutes so we should have plenty of time to watch the first 20 minutes or so of Mulan.
Emma nodded and glanced at the bottles of nail polish on the counter.. "That sounds fun. Can you paint my toenails orange please?"
Leslie's eyes lit up. "Of course. We'll give you a nice manicure too. You'll love it. I know that Aunt Rachel is really into fashion so I'm pretty positive she'll like it too."
A shy smile spread across Emma's face. "That sounds great. Thank you."
Meanwhile back at Monica and Chandler's house Phoebe, David, Mike and Ross were at the dinner table to discuss the child custody..
Once Monica finished serving everyone she collapsed down into her chair. "I am so relieved that the kids are with Joey at Frank Junior and Alice's tonight. That way they don’t have to hear us arguing."
Ross could not look his sister or his ex wife in the eye.
Rachel exhaled. "Are you all right Ross. You have barely said anything since we left the counseling office."
"I hate knowing how much Emma is hurting." Ross whispered.
Monica let out a heavy sigh. " I don't blame her for feeling the way she does Ross. She thinks that you hate her."
"I don't"
Rachel had fire in her eyes. " I wish you'd reconsider coming to Paris. I could easily find you a job at a Paris university and we can be a family again Ross."
" I have to stay here to help Carol and Susan take care of Ben."
Monica let out a frustrated sigh. "Do you think you can get your temper under control enough so you can take care of Ben? That is why Carol and Susan have full custody of him Ross. They don't trust your anger issues."
Ross shot an angry glare at his younger sister. "When did you last talk to Carol?"
Monica's eyes met her brother's sadly . "Last week. Your anger management has really impacted your relationship with both of your children Ross and you have a long way to go regarding your improvement."
Phoebe looked at Monica. "Mon, is it too much of an imposition for Mike David and I to help out with Emma's child custody?"
Monica was too afraid of Ross's temper to reply to her friend.
Ross glared at his friend, "I am capable of giving money Rachel Phoebe.": he muttered.
"Then how come you fucking haven't?" Rachel glared at Ross angrily.
Ross could not look at Rachel. "I wish I had an answer for you."
"Well Pheebs, you have your answer. We can definitely loop you guys into the custody agreement." Monica whispered/
"You are a fucking bastard Ross." Hot tears were falling down Rachel's face.
Chandler pulled Rachel into a hug. "Shhh… it's okay honey. Let those tears flow." he whispered
"I love you Chandler." Rachel whispered.
Chandler kissed his sister in law's forehead gently. "I love you too Rachel. You and Emma mean so much to Monica and me"
David cleared his throat. "Your anger issues really prove you might not be stable to raise Emma in a healthy way Ross. I believe that is the reason why Rachel is marrying Joey."
Rachel nodded. "You are absolutely right David."
Chandler gently put a hand on Ross's shoulder. "We love you buddy.. we truly do. You have to be honest with yourself about your emotional control and realize the damage it does to the kids. They really are afraid of you. Is that how you want things to be?"
Ross shook his head.
"Then get your fucking shit together." Rachel growled.
Monica exhaled. "Emma has openly admitted to both myself and Chandler that she feels safer with us Ross. She asked to take your spot in the custody agreement but we don't want to overstep a boundary."
Rachel squeezed her best friend's hand gently. "Trust me Mon, that's perfectly fine. I'd do that for Emma in a heartbeat. She really adores the two of you."
"She'll always be our little princess." Chandler whispered.
Ross had tears in his eyes. "I'm so sorry."
"Tears and apologies mean absolutely nothing unless your behavior changes Ross." Rachel had her arms crossed and her rage filled eyes met her ex husband's
"How will Joey be a better parent for Emma? He had trouble finding a steady job for years." Ross retorted.
Rachel sighed. ""I found him a teaching job at the local Paris community college teaching Acting to English as a Second Language students. He starts on August 30th."
Ross sighed. "And you said that you can find me a job at Paris univeristy too?"
Rachel nodded. "Yes, I can." The three of us can raise Emma together."
"You don't want to be married to me anymore?" Ross's face fell.
Rachel let out a heavy sigh. "As I mentioned awhile ago I fell out of love with you a long time ago Ross. Joey has really stepped up in helping me to raise Emma. The long distance has been hard while he was in California but now that he will be moving into Paris with us full time things will be so much easier.
Later that night Chandler looked up from his book when he heard a soft knock on the bedroom door.
"Come in."
Emma's head peeked around the door frame. "Hi Uncle Chandler."
"There's my girl. Come here baby." Chandler whispered.
Emma scurried up on the bed and curled into her uncle's side."
"How was your time with your older cousins?"
Emma's face lit up and held up her hands in front of her god father's face. "Leslie painted my nails. Aren't they really pretty?"
Chandler grinned. "They sure are."
"Being with Chandler and Leslie got my mind off of how the therapy appointment made me so angry."
Chandler's lips grazed his niece's forehead gently. "I know honey. Auntie Monica and I are both heartbroken over how much you are hurting. You don't deserve to live in constant fear of your father."
"Did Daddy tell you he was going to help with the child custody when you talked to him at dinner.?"
Chandler let out a frustrated sigh. "No he didn't. We are so aggravated."
Fresh tears gathered at the edges of Emma's eyes. " So I was right after all. He doesn't love me."
Chandler's arms wrapped around Emma. "We really wish he had a explanation about why he doesn't want to help with the child custody but he has never stopped loving you.. He never will either. That's a promise."
"I wish you and Auntie Monica would take Daddy's place in the child custody agreement Uncle Chandler. You're more like my father than Daddy will ever be."
Chandler exhaled again. "We really hope that your father will stop acting like such a jerk honey and that he'd help more with the child custody and move to Paris with you and your mom."
"Erica asked Auntie Monica last week if Aunt Phoebe, Uncle Mike and Mr. David the scientist would help the child custody. Did that come up at all?"
"Yes it did. They are more than willing to help but your dad doesn't want them to."
"I wish he'd cooperate Uncle Chandler."
Chandler kissed Emma's forehead gently a second time "We all wish he would cooperate Emma and really don't understand why he won’t."
Emma kissed her uncle's cheek. "I love you so much Uncle Chandler."
"And I love you my little princess… more than you will ever know." Chandler whispered.