Double Date Part 1

Thursday

The air is crisp, early in the morning on a late October day in Manhattan; Monica and Chandler are heading back to their apartment building after walking around the city together. Chandler, in one hand, is carrying a shopping bag that contains some groceries; a loaf of French bread sticking out of the top, with his other hand, carrying dry cleaned clothes wrapped in plastic on a hanger over his shoulder. He looks tired and cold. Monica finds the chill invigorating and has a little bounce in her step. She has one of her arms hooked through Chandler's, with her hands clasped together; leaning against him whenever they come to a stop, smiling excitedly.

"See." Her face beaming with pride as she looks up at him, "didn't I tell you this would be fun?"

"Sure," he returns sarcastically, "how did I not know how much fun 6am could be? Or how cold."

Monica playfully tugs on his arm, "C'mon sweetie. There's so much you can do this early, and it guaranteed us some time alone, right?" she pulls herself up on her toes to reach him and places a single, soft kiss on his cheek. "You have to at least admit that you liked the warm rolls."

"Warm rolls are nice." He looks down at her, "but, I don't think people should be that excited about getting to the dry cleaners before it opens."

Monica just shrugs her shoulders. "I'm glad you came. With Ross being in need of a sympathetic ear so much lately, and all of this Emily stuff still unresolved; I feel bad saying this, but getting away from all that, well, it's nice for it to be just the two of us."

Chandler eyes Monica slyly, "I'm pretty sure you just brought me along to be a pack mule and carry all this stuff."

Monica gives him another tug and laughs as they turn the corner of Bedford Street. They both sigh, realizing their morning alone is about to end. "Well, no one is going to be up, we can at least walk into the building together."

"Of course we can." Chandler leans down and kisses the top of Monica's head. They enter the building and make their way passed the door to the storage area. "I can't believe you guys threw a bug bomb at Danny."

Monica stiffens up, "To be fair, Rachel fogged him. I just told her to do it. Anyway, when the lights go out, it can be kind of creepy down there."

Chandler projecting false bravado, "C'mon Monica. It isn't that bad. There's just old furniture and boxes of clothes down there."

"Well," she smiles, "If you're so brave, then next time I need something from down there you can go get it."

"No way!" Chandler lets out a playful huff, "It is dark and creepy down there. Anyway, I normally just bribe Joey with a sandwich and he goes down there for me."

Monica laughs and sarcastically adds "My hero." They approach the stairs and stop walking. "Okay, maybe I should go up first and then you follow. Just in case."

Chandler hands her the dry cleaning and the grocery bag he was holding, "Sure." He pauses. "I really hate this. I wish we could have more time."

Monica leans in to kiss him, "Maybe we can make more time. Would you want to try another weekend trip?"

Chandler gives her a surprised look, "Are you sure you want to do that? We don't have great luck with weekends."

Monica's eyes sparkle and she looks up at him, "Oooo!, Maybe we can rent a car and go upstate." She clasps her hands together in excitement. "I always wanted to go apple picking! We could go and have warm cider, and I can pick apples to use in pies for Thanksgiving, and we can try fresh jams."

"Cider and jam? Just what every guy dreams about!" Chandler jokes. "There isn't by any chance naked apple picking, is there?"

"Noooo!" Monica replies, "How about this; we do my thing this time and then next time we do something you want to do. Plus, if we stay overnight, there could be naked bed and breakfasting."

"You had me at naked." Chandler smiles playfully. "Okay, this weekend we are supposed to help Ross move, so next weekend? I'll say I have to work; Joe will cover for me. What will you say?"

Monica narrows her eyes, searching her mind for a plausible alibi. "Well, last time Rachel caught me on the phone with you, I told her you were Sad Linda from camp."

Chandler interrupts, looking up reflectively, "I haven't been called Sad Linda since junior high."

Monica laughs, "Well, I could say I am going to visit her. We could go up early Saturday and come home Sunday. What do you say?"

"Sure. Let's do it." Chandler leans in for one last kiss. They linger by the stairs for a few more moments until Monica makes her way upstairs as Chandler resigns himself to watching her leave. He waits a few minutes and then makes his way upstairs, making sure she is already back in her apartment before reaching their floor.

Saturday

Chandler and Monica find themselves trailing behind Phoebe and Joey as they make their way back to Ross' apartment. Phoebe, with her guitar in hand, and Joey, looking depressed and guilt ridden.

Chandler looks over at Joey, concerned. "He really feels terrible. I hope we can get Ross to forgive him."

Monica looks over to Chandler, "It will be fine. We'll go up there, apologize, let him know we support him and everything will be okay. Trust me. I know Ross. A few kind words, a dinner invite, his friends all around him, and everything will be back to normal. If that doesn't work," she adds sarcastically, "we still have Phoebe's apology song." Monica's voice gets softer as she attempts to ensure she is not overheard, "I have to tell you, days like this, it's why I am looking forward to next weekend. Just to get untangled from all of this mess. Even if only for a day."

Chandler bumps her playfully with his shoulder, "I know. It's why I am glad we aren't telling anyone about us. I can't imagine doing this as an entire group and be," he pauses, "well, and be Ross. I don't think he has had one relationship that we all weren't a part of somehow."

Monica glances at Chandler and then continues focusing on their walk. "This wouldn't happen to us. Neither of us are Ross. Plus, everyone would be on my side anyway."

Chandler laughs, gives her a quick and light pinch on her side and then let's her walk ahead of him as they make their way through the crowded city sidewalk.

Sunday

Monica is sitting alone on the couch in her apartment, quietly reading her book "Practical Intuition in Love" and enjoying the solitude. It has been a busy day; with Rachel dragging her into whatever it is that she is doing with Danny, and Ross bringing boxes over all day to the boy's apartment. It took all her willpower not to snap at everyone just out of exhaustion.

While she reflects on the chaos that is her brother's life, the door opens and Chandler walks in looking pensive. "Hey, is Rachel here?"

Monica closes her book and smiles, "No." She walks over to Chandler, hugs him and they share a kiss. "I see someone got out of helping Ross move boxes today. Where have you been?"

"Oh, around." Chandler pulls away, "I've been thinking, with Ross moving in, I don't know if we can go away next weekend. I just can't think of how to explain to him that I will be gone overnight the same time you are and not have it look suspicious."

Monica bites her lower lip in frustration. "I know. It is such a nice thing you and Joey are doing for him, and I feel bad for saying this, but I'm really mad at him. I was looking forward to this trip. You were right. We don't have great luck with weekends."

A puckish grin starts to form on Chandler's lips. "Well, maybe we don't have to miss out completely. Do you have a few minutes?" Monica looks at him, confused, but nods anyway. "Grab your coat and come with me"

Chandler takes Monica by the hand and leads her to the stairway. She starts to look down, but he lifts her chin and points up. Soon, they are standing by the rooftop door. "Close your eyes." Monica shuts both eyes and reaches for Chandler's hand as he walks her out onto the roof deck. "Okay, you can open them."

Monica opens her eyes and starts to spin slowly around in a circle. The first thing to catch her eye are roughly a half dozen strings of Christmas lights; dragged across the roof creating a low glow of colorful red, green and blue. She continues to scan the area and sees little plastic bags hung from a clothes line stretched from the door to the other side of the roof; one end tied to the base of an old antennae, the other on a post by the door. "Chandler, what is this?"

"Wait. That's not all." He lifts up a small backpack and pulls out a thermos and two mugs. He puts them down on a plastic table set up between two chairs. "Warm cider and…" he digs back into the backpack and pulls out a compact disc, "The Best of the Jam. Sorry, I didn't have time to pick any real jam." He looks at her with an expression of self-consciousness. "I know it isn't exactly a weekend away, and probably a little hokey and cheap looking, but…"

Before he can finish, Monica turns to kiss him and runs her hands behind his neck, squeezing him adoringly. "When did you do all this?"

Chandler looks down, with a mixture of pride and embarrassment. "Well, when everyone was helping Ross move his boxes, I went down to the storage room and found the lights and the clothesline. Then I went to that grocery store you took me to last week and they showed me what apples to buy for baking, so I hung those up, and the cider is from Central Perk and…"

Monica cuts him off again with another kiss. "Chandler. No one has ever done anything like this for me before."

"I just thought, you really wanted the weekend. I gave Joey some money and he took Ross out for food. I know we can't stay up here too long, but maybe for a little while we can block the door and pretend." He looks down again and makes circles with his foot.

"Chandler. This is really amazing. I can't believe you did all of this today." Monica pulls in close again and they share several long, deep kisses. She takes him by the hand and brings him over to the two chairs so they can sit down. "Once everyone goes to sleep, we are definitely going to be doing some of that naked bed and breakfasting back down in my room."

Chandler does a quiet, celebratory fist pump and puts his arms around Monica's waist as she sits in his lap and starts to pour out some cider. She looks at him over her shoulder, "So, I guess technically we got to do my apple picking. Have you thought about what is your date night going to be?"

Chandler perks up and starts to get excited. "I got these great center ice tickets for the Rangers next week! I was going to take Joey, but…"

Monica rolls her eyes playfully, "Oh crap."