Because of Your Love

Chapter Three

"Okay. Here goes..."

"Guys? Could you come in here?" Rachel called from the guest room.

"It's Rachel," Monica said and stood up. "I'll be right back." She walked away from him, still wondering what he needed to talk to her about. But, at the moment, Rachel was more important.

Chandler sighed. On one hand, he was thankful for the interruption. On the other hand, he wished he had been able to tell her the truth - to tell her what he knew. Just when he was about to get up to follow his wife, she reappeared from Rachel's room.

"She's in labor!" she exclaimed excitedly. "Call Ross. We have to get her to the hospital."

Chandler jumped up and grabbed the phone. "Should I call a cab? Or are you driving?"

"You're driving," Monica replied. "The keys to the Porsche are in my purse."

"Okay," he answered as he dialed Ross' cell phone number.

"Ross Geller," Ross' tired voice answered. Chandler couldn't help thinking that he sounded just as exhausted as Rachel.

"Ross, it's Chandler. Rachel's in labor. We -"

"Labor?! She's in labor?! Thanks goodness!" he exclaimed. "Are you at the hospital?"

"No, we're still at our apartment, but -"

"Get her to the hospital! You and Mon can't deliver a baby!" he yelled.

"Ross, we're about to leave. Just get yourself to the hospital. We'll meet you there," Chandler responded.

"Right. Right... Wow, I hope you're not as nervous as I am right now when Monica's the one having a baby."

Chandler laughed nervously. "Yeah. Sure."

"All right. I'm leaving. Get her there as fast as you can. But drive safely."

"She's in good hands, Ross," Chandler assured him and they both hung up.

"Chandler, come and help me get her to the car!" Monica yelled from the bedroom.

He did as he was told and entered the guest room. Rachel was sitting up on the edge of the bed, clutching her stomach in pain. He wondered if all women did that. He wondered if Monica would have done that if she was in labor.

"All right, girls, lets get this show on the road," he smiled weakly. He stood on one side of Rachel while Monica took the other. They helped her out of the room and out of the apartment. Chandler stopped briefly at Joey's door and pounded on it.

"Joey! Call Phoebe and get to the hospital! Rachel's having the baby!" he yelled.

Joey opened the door halfway through Chandler's yelling and saw the three others standing there. "A baby! It's about time!" he exclaimed as he watched Chandler, Monica, and Rachel walk away. He rushed back into his apartment to get dressed and call Phoebe.

==========

The trio arrived at the hospital as quickly, and as safely, as possible. Chandler and Monica helped Rachel inside once again and found a wheelchair for her. Monica rushed up to the counter. "We've got a woman in labor here!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, I see that," the woman at the desk replied. "We'll get you into a room," she said, looking at Rachel. Then she looked up at Chandler. "Are you the father?"

"Oh, no no no," he answered. "I'm with her," he continued and put his arm around Monica.

"Very well then. I'll take her back," she replied and came over to take Rachel away.

"Bye, sweetie. We'll be right out here," Monica called after her. "Ross will be here any minute. We'll see you soon."

They watched as Rachel was wheeled away. "Should we wait down here for Ross or go straight up to maternity?" Chandler asked.

"Let's wait for a few minutes. We'll go up with him. He could probably use the support," she smiled.

"Yeah, you're right." He wondered if Monica had completely forgotten about the conversation they had started just before Rachel had gone into labor.

She hadn't. "Honey, what did you want to talk about earlier?"

He smiled at her. "Let's not talk about it right now. Let's just wait," he replied and led her over to a couple of chairs.

They had been sitting there for less than ten minutes when they saw Ross rushing into the emergency room. He spotted them immediately.

"Where is she? Where's Rachel?" he asked, completely out of breath.


"She's upstairs. Come on. We'll take you," Monica said. They made their way to the elevators and were soon on the maternity floor.

Monica could hear a baby crying and couldn't help smiling to herself. Ross walked over to the nurse's station and asked for Rachel's room. Soon he was on his way to be with her and Chandler and Monica were left alone again.

He wrapped his arms around her kissed her tenderly. "Do you know how much I love you, Mrs. Bing?" he said quietly.

"It couldn't possibly be as much as I love you," she replied, smiling up at him. "Chandler, can we go and look at the babies? Please?"

He smiled at her question and nodded. "Yeah. As long as you don't try to take one home for yourself," he teased and they walked hand in hand to the nursery.

==========

"They're so beautiful," Monica said quietly as she and Chandler stared at all the tiny babies in their bassinets through the window.

Chandler stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head and kept looking at all the babies.

"You know something? Our babies are going to be so much more beautiful. As long as they look like you," Monica said and turned around in his arms to face him.

"Hey. Don't wish that on our children. Let's pray that they look like their mother," he replied and kissed her. He had to tell her. He had to tell her now.

She smiled at him. "You're such a sweetheart."

"Yeah, I know," he teased. "Listen, Mon. We need to talk."

"All right. Let's talk," she replied.

"Okay... This is hard. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to tell you this, Mon, but I have to."

"Chandler, is this something I don't want to hear?" she asked worriedly.

"It's just that I -"

"Chandler! Monica! Where's Rachel?! Where's the baby?!" Joey asked excitedly as he and Phoebe came down the hallway.

"Later," Monica whispered and squeezed her husband's hand gently. "She's in her room with Ross. And there's no baby yet. We should all probably go back there," she suggested and looked to Chandler.

"Yeah, you're right. Come on," Chandler said. He and Monica led them down the hallway and into Rachel's room.

"Hey, Rach. How are you doing?" Monica asked as she neared the bed.

Rachel looked up at her. She looked tired and weak. "It hurts," she panted. "I have no idea why you've wanted to do this all your life," she continued. "It's painful."

Monica laughed nervously. "Come on, Rach. It can't be that bad."

"Oh yeah? Wait until you're up here on this bed about to push another human being out of your body."

Monica looked a little frightened. She looked up at Chandler and he smiled weakly at her, then wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"I told you it would hurt," Phoebe added to the conversation.

Monica looked at Chandler again. "We need to talk now," she said quietly. "Guys, we're gonna step out for a minute. Good luck, Rach," she said and quickly led Chandler into the hallway.

"What is it?" he asked once they were outside the room.

"I just... I'm having second thoughts. Maybe we should wait a little longer before we have a baby... Remember when we watched that birthing video with Rachel?" He nodded. "Remember how scary that was?" He nodded again. "Well, seeing it in person isn't that great either."

He couldn't help laughing. "You're not scared, are you?" he teased. "You can do that. You're freakishly strong, remember?" She responded with a weak laugh. "Besides, there's not much you can do about it now."

"Not much I can do about it? What do you mean?" she asked worriedly.

"Well... I'm just saying that it's a little too late to change your mind..."