When Monica told everyone she was inviting Fun Bobby to the New Year's Eve party, Chandler couldn't believe it. Monica's former relationship with Bobby had been tumultuous. There was nothing healthy, nothing Chandler could see anyway, about it. He remembered when the two were dating, and he just always had a bad feeling. Monica was normally upbeat and happy, but during that time period, she just didn't act like herself. She seemed to get irritated more easily, she kept to herself more, and she was often doing things she normally wouldn't do. Take for instance, even though Monica was relatively conservative, she had confided in Chandler that she and Bobby had had sex on the balcony one Saturday evening.
"I mean, it's not something I'd normally do," she shrugged.
"So what made you do it?" Chandler asked casually.
She took a moment to answer. "Sometimes you should try new things." She looked down and shifted uncomfortably.
Had he made her do it? Surely not. Monica was the type to stand her ground. But perhaps he had pushed her more than he should have. Chandler felt angry, and reached out his arm to her shoulder.
"Yeah, sometimes," he began, "But if you don't feel comfortable, you shouldn't feel obligated to do them."
"It was fine," Monica said. "It's not that big of a deal."
When she broke up with him a few weeks later, Chandler felt complete relief.
Everyone had been over at Monica and Rachel's watching a movie, but Ross and Phoebe had gone home shortly after it was over, and Rachel had gone to bed. Joey was about to go out the door, expecting Chandler to go with him.
"Coming Chandler?" he asked.
"I'm right behind you," Chandler waved Joey off.
Monica was curled up in the chair with a blanket draped over her. Chandler walked over to the couch and sat down.
"So Fun Bobby, huh?" he began.
"What?" Monica questioned. "What about him?"
"You know, he's coming here New Year's Eve. How come?" Chandler prodded.
Monica tilted her head to the side a bit, curious as to why Chandler was bringing this up.
"I ran into him at the Laundromat the other day and we were talking and I just casually asked him to come for New Years if he wanted. That was all."
"So you don't think you'll be getting back together?" Chandler asked.
"No. I don't think so anyway. I'm not totally closed off to the idea though."
"But you broke up with him."
"It seemed right at the time, but people can change. He's dated a few people since then, and so have I. He's not a bad guy, Chandler."
"I'm not saying that. I just, well Mon, I just don't think you were that happy with the guy. That's all."
It was just like Chandler to be so up front with the truth like that. He would often talk about how he wasn't good with his real feelings, and would joke all the time to avoid certain conversations and topics, but in all honesty, at least with Monica, he was pretty damn honest. Lucky for him, she was usually open to listening.
"You think so? I think him and I had a lot of fun together. He just, sometimes he wouldn't listen to me. And he was kind of selfish. But most guys are, right?"
"Maybe you're right," Chandler said. But maybe not. He was kind of regretting bringing this up to her now. She was a big girl, she could make her own decisions on who to date and not date.
"I don't know Chandler, sometimes it's just so difficult. This is New York, there should be tons and tons of guys to choose from to date, but it seems like they they're so few and far between. So when someone like Bobby comes along, I feel like it's okay to give him another shot because he's certainly not the worst of the bunch."
"You shouldn't settle for less Mon. You deserve a really great guy."
"You think so?"
"I know so." Chandler got up and planted a kiss on the top of her head.
The two of them had a few more talks similar to this as Monica went through a few more breakups. Fun Bobby came back into her life for a short while less than a year after the New Year's Eve party but his drinking problem outweighed the rest of his flaws. Then Richard came along, and Monica was broken for a very long time. For several weeks, she and Chandler would talk about the end of her relationship and how much she missed Richard, and how hopeless she felt about the end of it all. Life moves on though, and Pete came into her life. And went out of her life with a bang.
"What the hell Chandler?" Monica protested. "He seemed like such a great guy. I was falling hard for him. And then it was like he did a 180 and was no where near the guy I thought I loved."
"I don't know Mon," he replied. "Pete took us all by surprise. I thought you guys might actually get married."
"Did you really?" she asked.
"Well yeah," Chandler shrugged. "I mean, you would have married Richard if he had wanted kids. Pete was younger and did want kids. He was rich, good to you, not bad to look at. Need I say more?"
"I did think he was going to propose," Monica reflected. "But we all know how that turned out."
"If he had, would you have said yes?" Chandler asked, a little nervous to know the answer.
Monica was silent. "I don't know. I mean, I loved him, and there were all the things you just mentioned. But was I *in love* with him? Would I have really wanted to be Monica Becker? I'm not sure."
"I for one am glad you didn't," Chandler told her.
"Why is that?" Monica asked.
"You just answered that for yourself, you just said you weren't in love with him."
"But why do you care Chandler? Why do you care so much? Sometimes I feel like you're the only person who truly cares about me."
"I do care," he began. He got up from the chair and sat next to her on the couch, wrapping his arm around her. "I care about you more than you will ever know. You are my favorite person. I want you to be happy, and to end up with someone who always makes you happy."
"Oh Chandler," she said, wiping away some tears that had formed. "I love you. I'm so glad you're in my life."
"I'm glad too," he smiled. "Promise me we'll always be friends."
"I promise, Chandler. Always."
It was the day they had all returned from London. Chandler was looking over at Monica in her bed, smiling at her. She smiled back and let out a content sigh, and kissed him softly.
"I haven't been this happy in a very long time," she confessed.
"Me too Mon," he said. "We should have done this ages ago."
"So we're going to keep seeing each other like this?"
"God, I hope so. Sex with you is more incredible than with anyone I've ever been with."
"Why do you think that is?" Monica asked. She knew the answer, but she wanted to hear Chandler say it.
"You're my best friend Mon, I think that might have something to do with it."
"You think so?" Monica grinned. "I'm not sure. What if it's just because we're both good in bed?"
"That's…a possibility," he started. "But I don't think our first time together would have been nearly as incredible as it was. I think us being friends has a lot to do with it."
"I do know you pretty damn well," she said.
"I guess this is what happens when two people are good friends for so long. There's nothing else to do to get to know each other except to have sex."
"Whatever the reason, I'm just glad we did. I want to be with you Chandler. I can't imagine ever going back to how things were before. And I don't want to."
"We'll be friends forever, I promise. And I will always try to make you happy."
"You make me happier than I ever thought I could be and if you let me, I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you feel the same way."
A/N: I got the idea to write this story after watching "TOW The Monkey" where they are sitting in the coffee house and Monica tells everyone she invited Fun Bobby. I love Chandler's response: "Fun Bobby? Your ex-boyfriend Fun Bobby?" I probably read into it too much, but it almost seems like a response of slight jealousy, and disappointment. Like he's thinking, why would Monica invite him? Anyway, I know it was kind of a sappy story, but I hope someone enjoyed it.
I do not own Friends, I'm just a huge fan.
