Butterfly Kisses

Chapter 2~ Cruel Irony

The friends theme song is on the radio right now. Just thought I'd share, LOL. But thanks so much for all the great reviews : ) Oh, and I forgot to say that this doesn't take anything into account after the 8th season cause, duh, I wrote the first few parts this summer, before I woulda seen any of the 9th season. Oh my god, did I just say duh? Wow, I don't think I've duh-ed something since I was like 12. But anyway, I think that's all I forgot to say. Oh, and I was wondering something…Elliot on Scrubs…is she the girl that played Becca on Flash Forward? Does anyone remember that show? That was like the best show…but anyway, do any of you people know? And now drops of jupiter is on the radio…I love this song "can you imagine no love, pride, deep fried chicken. Your best friend always stickin' up for you…"

"Are you sure you're okay?" Monica asked.

"Yes, Mon, I'm fine," Chandler replied, hurrying to get ready for work. "And I can't take any more days off," he grabbed a tie. "Does this match?" Monica shook her head and handed him a different one. "And plus, I was going to take off Thursday," he grinned at her. Wednesday was their anniversary and Ross and Rachel were going to take Kayley for the whole night, so he planned on being too tired to do anything but spend the next day in bed.

"Fine. Just please go to the doctor today," Monica pleaded and Chandler sighed.

"Fine."

"Okay," Monica smiled at him.

"Well I gotta go, I'm already going to be late," he said, giving her a quick kiss on the lips. "Love you."

"Love you," Monica replied as Chandler walked out of the room. She just sighed, wishing he wasn't so stubborn. She really didn't want him to be sick on their anniversary; she had the perfect night planned.

Monica grinned, hearing Kayley's usual request for butterfly kisses and the giggle she knew would follow.

~*~

"I'm home," Chandler yelled, shrugging his soaking wet coat off and hanging it up out of habit. "Mon?" he called, walking down the hallway.

"Daddy!" Kayley ran toward him, Chandler picking her up when she got to him.

"Hey, baby. What'd you do at pre-school today?" he started toward the kitchen.

"I drawed a picture for you," she grinned.

"Oh, yeah, what's it a picture of?"

"I'll go get it!" she said, so he set her down, and she took off running up the stairs.

"Hey," Monica smiled as he walked into the kitchen. "I didn't hear the garage door open."

"That's because it wouldn't open," he gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

"And you're kind of late."

"I had to work late because I took a long lunch to go to a doctor's appointment," he looked at her. "And it's just the flu, he said it's going around," he gave her an I-told-you-so look.

"Well thank you for going. I didn't want you to be sick Wednesday night," she smiled at him as Kayley walked in.

"Wow, that's really pretty," Chandler said after she handed the picture to him.

"Know what it is?"

"Um, is it a bear?"

Kayley laughed, "No, silly, it's a dog. Can I get a dog?"

"Um-"

"Cause Carli got a dog, and she brought a picture of it for show-and-tell today."

"We'll have to think about it, Kayley," Chandler looked up at Monica, who shrugged.

"Pwease?" she stuck her lip out, looking up at him.

"I said we'll think about it."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Cross your heart?"

"Cross my heart.'

"Okay," she smiled. "Knock-knock."

Chandler laughed at her quick loss of interest in the subject. "Who's there?"

"Interrupting cow."

"Interrupting co-"

"Moo," she interrupted and then burst out laughing.

Chandler laughed. "I gotta go get changed, Kay," he glanced at Monica before turning to leave.

"Knock-knock," she followed him out of the room, and Monica just laughed.

This was how life was supposed to be.

~*~

It couldn't be true. It couldn't be possible. It couldn't be real.

"Ar-are you sure?" Chandler asked, his voice shaky, not wanting to believe it. He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting to hear when they called him and asked him to come back, but this certainly hadn't been it.

"I'm afraid so," the doctor gave him what was meant to be a reassuring smile.

Chandler leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath.

This wasn't supposed to happen. Not to him. It was supposed to happen to your mom's friend's aunt, your boss's cousin's son, your secretary's brother-in-law, but not to you. Never to you.

"Um, I know that this is all a lot to take in at once, but we need to start talking about treatment. I don't specialize in this sort of thing, but I've talked to a doctor at Beth Israel who does," he handed Chandler a piece of paper with a name and phone number on it. "You're lucky, we caught it while the cancer is still in the early stages so it's very treatable."

"I'm lucky," Chandler mumbled sarcastically, looking down at the paper in his hands.

"Are you okay?" he asked Chandler after he'd been silent for a long time. Chandler just looked at him. "I know that was a pretty stupid question, but I meant is there anything you need to talk about?"

Chandler looked up at him, pausing before answering. "I've been married for five years today," he said quietly. "My daughter turned three in March. She's been bugging us for a dog. We've been trying for another baby."

The doctor looked at him, understanding what he was saying. He was saying that this wasn't fair, that it wasn't supposed to be happening to him. "And you have every reason to believe that you will get your dog and your baby," he smiled at him. "The odds are in your favor here. People survive Leukemia everyday."

Chandler nodded, continuing to fidget with the paper in his hands.

"You need to get in touch with Dr. Grace in the near future, the sooner, the better," he said, referring to the number he'd given Chandler as he stood up.

"Right," Chandler said quietly, also standing up.

"Good luck," he shook his hand.

"Thanks," Chandler replied automatically, turning to leave.

"And Mr. Bing?" Chandler turned back to face him. "Happy anniversary."

"Thanks," Chandler forced a smiled before walking out the door, still feeling incredibly numb inside.

~*~

"Happy anniversary," Monica greeted Chandler with a grin and a kiss as soon as he walked in the door.

"Happy anniversary to you, too," he returned her grin, determined not to let their night be ruined. He needed to tell her, just not tonight.

"I already took Kayley over to Ross and Rachel's, so we're alone for the night," she continued to grin. "Presents?" she said after a couple of seconds, and Chandler just laughed.

"Sure."

"Okay, living room."

"Okay," Chandler said, watching as she turned to go into the living room. Chandler took the box out of his briefcase that he had been carrying around for weeks.

Monica grinned again as Chandler walked into the living room, loosening his tie before sitting down next to her on the couch. "Open one of mine first?" she asked, handing a box to Chandler.

"You were only supposed to get one thing," Chandler said as he unwrapped the box, feeling guilty because he should have realized that she'd get him more that one even though that's what they had agreed on.

"Just open the box.

Chandler did as he was told, taking the lid off the box, realizing in less than a second just how cruel life's sense of humor was.

"Oh my god…Are you…"

"I'm pregnant," she grinned, but her smiled faded at the look on his face. "Are you okay? I mean, I thought we talked about this, and-"

"Yeah, I'm just kind of shocked, that's all."

"But you're happy, right?"

"Of course I'm happy," he smiled, gently touching her cheek before kissing her. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too."

Chandler kissed her again, this time more eagerly.

"Bad day?" Monica asked after they'd pulled apart, referring to his kiss.

"Yeah, you could say that," Chandler said before kissing her again, this time leaning her back onto the couch as he moved on top of her, trying his best not to concentrate on anything else. Just Monica. Just the fact that they were having another baby. Just Monica. Just the look in her eyes.

But as Monica whispered "I love you," all he could think of was the cruel irony of everything that was happening.

To

Be

Continued…

Um, about any medical stuff…realize that I'm not a doctor and have never been to med school…right now I'm just working on the whole 10th grade thing…so just ignore any medical stuff I'm wrong about. I have read some stuff on the internet, though so I don't sound like a complete idiot. Oh, and whoever said I should be shot in the streets if anything bad happened to Chandler…please don't shoot me. But please review : )