Authors Note: I have a couple more one-shots I know I want to write and a post-series chapter fic that I'm considering, whenever time will allow. I like to write what I consider "missing scenes" in the series canon. I haven't been reading fanfiction long, but one of the main reasons I started was to find what I consider to be THE missing Mondler scene - which is the one where Monica learns Chandler was going to propose. I thought I would write my own version until I found one that was so perfect I knew I could do no better. It's more than 10 years old, but if you've never read it it's by Bailey2 and is called The One With All The Candles. It's on and well, well worth the read. All Bailey2's Mondler fics are great, I just wish the author had written more of them!
Anyway - Enjoy TOW The Soul Mates!
It shouldn't bother him, he kept telling himself. It really shouldn't.
It was 1:30 a.m. and Chandler was sitting on the balcony in his robe, a half empty bottle of YooHoo resting on the small table beside him. He was fighting the urge to run out and buy cigarettes.
Damn Phoebe and all her talk of "soul mates."
The whole "Don episode" had brought back insecure feelings that had been banished long ago and that's why he couldn't sleep. In his mind he knew that, and he knew it was irrational. He knew the woman sleeping peacefully inside was never going to hurt him, was never going to leave, so why? Why was this stupid thing keeping him awake?
"I don't believe in soul mates, either," she'd said. That was supposed to make him feel better, right? She didn't want to run away with the man and live in a house of cheese. She wanted to stay with him and in the relationship they "worked really hard" to keep going. That was the right answer - the one he'd been looking for, right?
Only, it wasn't.
Chandler ran both hands through his hair and looked up at the sky. He hadn't been able to stay asleep and had finally given up about a half hour earlier. Honesty prevails at that hour of the morning and, to be honest, he thought he and Monica were destined to be together.
"Soul mates," he thought. Yeah, maybe that was too corny of a term - used in rom coms and wedding vows - he thought wryly. But he definitely thought some other power played a role in them finally falling in love after all those years as friends. No one understood him like Monica did. Certainly no one loved him as much, knowing him as well as she did.
And, she was the romantic one, he reasoned. She practically orchestrated Ross and Emily's love affair - pushing Ross to go to the airport and then chase that woman to London. Then there was their own engagement night, with all the candles and the music. It had been Romantic Monica perfect.
He knew she ate it up when he'd bring home flowers unexpectedly or called just to say "I love you." She loved it, all of it, and so did he. Hell, they were the most romantic couple he knew and now it was all because they "worked so hard" at it? They did work hard, he knew that, but wasn't there something more? Something that couldn't be explained?
"Oh, God, man get ahold of yourself!" he whispered. He shook his head and slapped both his hands on his knees and stood up. Enough, he thought. They were happy, in love and married. What more could he want? Sighing heavily he found the cap to the YooHoo bottle and twisted it on as he took a couple steps toward the window to head back into the apartment.
Then he stopped dead in his tracks. Monica was standing on the other side of the window frame in her robe, looking out at him, with tears in her eyes.
"Mon, what's wrong?" he asked, hurrying toward her and helping her as she made her way onto the balcony.
She was trying hard not to let him see her cry, looking out over the dark New York night, at the floor, anywhere but at him.
"I just…I had a…dream," she whispered. "When I woke up you weren't there."
He pulled her into his arms and she clung to him.
"It must have been a bad dream," he said softly. She nodded against his robe and he could feel her shaking. "Honey, it's OK. I'm right here. I couldn't sleep. I just came out to get some air. I'm sorry I wasn't there when you woke up."
She took a deep, shaky breath.
"In the dream you left me," she said quietly. She heard him gasp slightly as he tightened his arms around her.
"I don't know why…why you left," she said, beginning to ramble. "I just knew I had to find you and bring you back to me. I kept looking and looking and I could almost…sense you were there but I couldn't reach you. And all these…people kept getting in the way. And none of them were who I wanted or needed. None of them could…I mean…it was overwhelming. It was only you. I woke up reaching out and you weren't there. And you had to be…I couldn't…it had to be you."
She stopped and felt his hand stroking her hair while he kissed the top of her head. Then she felt him smile.
She leaned back and looked up into his eyes. Nothing but pure love, and his amazing smile, looked back at her.
"Maybe," he said, gently, "you were looking for your soul mate?"
New tears quickly stung her eyes and she gave him a small smile, searching his face to see if he was serious.
"I thought you didn't believe in soul mates," she said, teasingly as she began to relax in his arms.
"Hummm," he said as he pulled her tight against him once again. "I've been out here thinking that maybe I was wrong about that."
She hugged him tight, knowing full well that her romantic heart was taking over her practical mind at that moment. He was her prince, her soul mate and her friend. Hadn't she said so herself not too long ago?
"Me, too," she whispered, looking up at him once again as he brought his lips to hers.
The loving, soul-affirming kiss took a passionate turn. Eventually they stopped long enough to look into each other's eyes and smile. Chandler's smile turned mischievous and she knew before he said anything what it meant.
"We may be soul mates but you are not getting balcony sex," she warned, grinning at him.
"Damnit…" he groaned. She laughed as the love of her life…her soul mate…turned to lead them back inside.