Note: This is a Randler story. Rachel and Chandler end-game. So, seriously, if you don't like the pairing or can't stomach it or what not, please feel free to move on to the next story. There are a lot of stories out there that suits your preference.
It's taking me longer and longer to post the next chapters, I know but be that as it may please know that I will not abandon this fic. Thank you for all the reviews, good or bad. To my readers who continuously defend this story and my choice of pairing, really, thank you very, very much.
I can't believe I made it to the 10th chapter and for this one we have a guest POV. This story is told in Rachel's POV but for this one it would be from the POV of one of my most favorite side-character in Friends ~ Nora Bing! She's just so pretty and very witty too!
The title of this chapter was quoted from one of my OTP from a different show. Can anyone guess the pairing or the show? Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Friends. Not mine. Borrowed some lines though.
Chapter 10
Not the Villain
Nora Bing is in New York. She is in the city for a book signing event as part of her book tour. It's part of the original list of places they will visit, however, there was some changes and she's in New York earlier than originally scheduled. See, when Nora is in New York, she make it a point to meet her son Chandler for lunch, dinner, or anything. She and Chandler are not really close but not for the lack of trying on her part. She does try to contact her son whenever she could. But, she knows that she is not Chandler's favorite person and is not always very eager to see or talk to her. That is why her trip to New York is always planned ahead to give her time to call Chandler early enough that he won't be able to make excuses, like he already has plans or something. And, that is why this change in her book tour's schedule is pissing her off. There's a big chance that Chandler would wiggle his way out from seeing her today.
Anyway, she's still gonna try. She took her phone book out and dialed Chandler's office number first. A lady, probably his secretary, answered the phone.
"Hello. May I speak with Chandler Bing, please?"
"May I know who's calling please?" asked the lady on the other line.
"This is Nora Bing, his mother." Nora replied
"One moment please."
She was put on hold for about 10 seconds when she heard Chandler's voice on the other line.
"Hey Mom!"
"Hello Son!" Nora is happy to hear her son's voice and she is a little surprised to hear, ummm, is that enthusiasm in his voice?
"How are you, Mom? Where are you?" Chandler asked her and she can actually hear the sincerity in his voice, like he really wanna know how she's doing.
"I'm doing good and I'm here in New York right now"
"You're in New York? But I though you're not scheduled to come here till next month?"
"Well, there were some schedule changes."
"How long will you be in town for?"
"We will be leaving tomorrow after the event actually. I called to ask you if maybe you can meet me today. Lunch, dinner, anything?" Nora is hoping Chandler would say yes. They don't see a lot of each other, living in different coasts, so she doesn't really want opportunities like this to pass.
"Umm. I would like to meet you for dinner tonight but we're having a send off party for one of the guys from work. I'm his boss so I kinda have to be there and besides Monica has work later so she can't come either. So lunch then maybe?" Chandler explained.
"Monica? Monica, Ross' sister?" She asked Chandler, curious to know if they're talking about the same Monica and why she has to be there for their dinner.
"Yeah, yeah Monica, Ross' sister. She's kinda my girlfriend now. I know you already met her a few times before already, but, not as my girlfriend. So, ummm, I would like you to meet her as my girlfriend this time. But, maybe on your next visit?"
Aww, her son wants her to meet his girlfriend, that's sweet and it's so cute because he even sounded shy about it. Nora thought.
"Sure! I'd love to meet her as your girlfriend next time honey. For today though you can tell me more about her on our lunch." So that is why she's hearing a different tone in Chandler's voice. Enthusiasm, excitement, happiness? Whatever it is, she's happy to hear it in her son's voice and even happier that he wants her to meet his girlfriend.
"Great! So lunch, yeah?"
"Yes, lunch. Where?" She asked him letting Chandler pick the place.
"Let me call you back with the place Mom. I just have to check on someone first."
"Sure. It's really good to hear your voice again, honey. I'll see you at lunch. Bye."
"Bye, Mom. I'll see you in a bit." Chandler said before hanging up.
Nora hang up. She feels lighthearted. She's ecstatic to hear his voice all happy and she can't wait to see him and see those happiness reflecting in her son's eyes.
/
Nora stepped in the door of the little, fancy French restaurant that Chandler picked for their lunch. She knows that Chandler picked the place specifically for her. She spotted him right away. He's sitting and talking to a beautiful girl, who if she's not mistaken is Rachel, one of Chandler's friends. Nora paused for a bit and tried to remember that Chandler said Monica is her girlfriend, not Rachel. She decided to observe them first before heading to their table. Chandler is talking animatedly to Rachel. Nora knows Chandler is the joker in his little group and it looked like he's telling her a funny story basing on the big smile on Rachel's face.
Other than looking better, fresher, and yes happier, Nora sees just the usual fondness that she normally see in Chandler towards his friends. She then looked at Rachel and saw the same fondness but what caught her attention is how she seems to be hanging to his every word and she can hear a deep sense of mirth in her laughter. It may be the writer in her but she's sensing something in Rachel right now.
This is interesting. Nora thought.
She then decided to join the two and walk over their table.
"Hello, children!" Nora greeted the two, making Rachel laugh. She gave Rachel a curious look, wondering what is funny.
"Oh sorry Mrs. Bing. It's just that it's Chandler's standard greeting to us as well. Like mother, like son I guess." Rachel awkwardly explained.
Nora laughed at it after and said "That's sweet. Well, better like me than his father."
"Mom, don't start..." Chandler warned before giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"Hello, my baby boy!" Nora greeted Chandler. She kissed both his cheeks and held it and looked at him from head to toe.
"You look real good. Oh I'm so happy to see you!" She continued, hugging Chandler. Nora is so happy to see her son. Always. She may never be a candidate for the Best Mom in the world but she is always happy to see her son. She can see Rachel watching them fondly.
"I'm happy to see you too Mom" Chandler told her, giving her a hug after. He pointed at Rachel.
"Mom, you remember our friend Rachel?"
"Of course. Hello, darling" She greeted Rachel.
"Hello Mrs. Bing" Rachel politely greeted back.
"Oh dear, call me Nora. Mrs Bing is Chandler's grandmother"
Chandler rolled his eyes at her."Oh Mom, I hope you don't mind but I already ordered for you. I ordered the same thing that you had the last time we ate here.'
Just in time, their food arrived. She was gonna comment about their hot waiter but stopped herself, knowing Chandler will not appreciate it. She looked at Rachel, wanted to see if she noticed it too but to Nora's surprise, Rachel seemed oblivious to everything around her. Everything except Chandler, it seemed.
Real interesting. Nora thought once again.
"So, what are you children up to since the last time I saw you?" Nora asked as they eat their food.
Chandler answered "Well, Joey's still going to auditions..."
"...and dating the whole female population of New York" Rachel added which made Chandler laugh.
"Yeah and that too. Then Phoebe, well she just gave birth to triplets like 10 months ago." Chandler continued.
"Triplets? Wow! Who's the father? Is she married now?" Nora asked.
"No she's not married and the father is her brother." Rachel answered, waiting for Nora's expected reaction.
"Excuse me? Her brother?!" Nora almost spit the wine she was drinking in her surprise.
Chandler and Rachel burst out laughing.
"What? I may be an erotic novelist and have written some very kinky stuff but I never even thought of writing something like that"
"No Mom, it's nothing like what you're thinking. It was surrogacy. Her brother and his wife couldn't have kids so they asked Phoebe if she could do it for them and she said yes." Chandler explained to her.
"Oh okay. That was very nice of her, then"
"It really was but I think she got the kick out of freaking people out whenever she told them that her brother was the father of the babies she was carrying"
That got a good laugh from Rachel. Nora once again looked at Rachel and found her reactions really interesting. She doesn't know if it's the writer in her or it's woman's intuition that made her sense right away that there's something in Rachel and her reactions to even the littlest of Chandler's actions and on each every word that he utters. She decided to test the conclusions forming in her head.
"...and Ross? How's he doing nowadays? Happily married still, I hope?" Nora was looking at Rachel and watching for any sign that will tell her that the girl still have feelings with Ross. She didn't get any though.
Rachel was just eating her food while smiling and nodding as Chandler tells her how Ross is still married and happily so. Surprisingly, there seems to be no divorce looming over the horizon any time soon.
Nora turned to Rachel, patted her hand and asked 'and are you okay with all of this honey?"
"Mom!" Chandler hissed.
"No, it's alright. I couldn't be any happier for Ross. We've broken up like two years ago. I know this is what he really wants and I'm happy that he finally got it and that he's really happy." Rachel explained.
Nora patted Rachel's hand again and said "That's very nice Rachel." She then turned to Chandler again.
" Oh and Jack and Judith? I'm sure that they're over the moon about their son being happily married and all. They surely want the same thing for Monica. Are they hinting anything to you?"
"Mom!" Chandler hissed again.
"What? It' a legitimate question" Nora answered back.
"Mom don't you think it's a little early for them to be hinting something like that? Monica and I has only been together for 10 months!"
Nora could hear slight panic in Chandler's voice and thought that it's probably his fear of commitment that his friends say about him.
"Hmmm, 10 months? I think that's long enough" Nora said, wanting to rile Chandler up some more.
Chandler rolled his eyes at his mother.p
"Unless you're just fooling around with Monica" She pointedly said.
"Mom!" Chandler said for the 3rd time that day with the same tone. "Monica and I aren't just fooling around. I am serious about her. We love each other. I love her." Chandler said defensively.
At Chandler's last line, Nora stole a glance at Rachel and got the reaction she was looking for. Her head is bowed down to her plate and eyes are tightly closed. as if she's willing away a headache or whatever thoughts that are running in her mind. Like she heard something she didn't want to hear and trying to unhear it. Nora mentally took a note of it.
In a roll and oblivious of Rachel's reactions, or the lack thereof, Chandler continued "I just think that 10 months in a relationship is still too short of a time to already be planning a wedding. Even Monica agrees. But, that doesn't mean that we're just fooling around. I'm serious about her. If I wasn't I wouldn't want you to meet her, as my girlfriend and...'
Nora patted Chandler's hand, stopping his tirade "Okay, sweetheart. I get it. No need to get yourself all worked up".
She then looked at Rachel. All throughout Chandler's tirade, Rachel remained quiet. Not one word was heard from her. She was just sitting there, absentmindedly playing with the remaining food on her plate. She has that faraway look on her face. It's not one of boredom, Nora thought but more of she was lost in her own thoughts and if she's not mistaken in seeing that passing look of sadness in her eyes then she can say that they don't seem to be good thoughts at all.
"So, what are you doing after lunch Mom?"
Nora wiped her mouth first and put her napkin on the table before answering "Well, I think I'll go back to the hotel first. I suddenly have this idea for my next book and you know, I wanna start on it while the ideas are still running in my head".
"Oh Mom please tell me you're not gonna write about me again. Or about Monica. Or anything about me and Monica. Please, please, please" Chandler cried.
"Wait what? You wrote a book about Chandler before? Which one?!" Rachel suddenly said, surprising both Nora and Monica since she hasn't said a word for like a good half hour.
Chandler wildly gestured no to his mom making Nora laugh and winked at Rachel and mouthed I'll tell you later.
"Anyway, I need to get some clothes to wear for the book signing tomorrow so I need to leave the hotel for a bit later."
"Oh, maybe Rachel can help you with that Mom. She still works at Bloomingdale's, not for long though, right Rach?" Chandler said.
"Oh is that right? Where are you going honey?" Nora asked Rachel.
"Umm yeah, I' m just serving my two weeks' notice now then I'll start working at Ralph Lauren's." Rachel answered.
"She will be the Coordinator for their Women's Collection! See Rach, I know your future job even if you didn't even know my job which I had since forever. Transponster, pshhh!" Chandler rolled his eyes at Rachel playfully.
"Hey your job was a mouthful and I learned what your job is after that, remember Mister? Statistical analysis and data reconfiguration." Rachel proudly said.
Chandler laughed "I know. I'm just messing with you Rach"
"Whatever Chandler. You're a dork!" Rachel said, pretending to be mad but couldn't stop the smile from forming in her face and reaching up to her eyes.
Nora watched the banter between the two, amused. Finding Rachel's reactions towards everything that Chandler say fun to watch.
"What time do you finish work later Rachel? Maybe I can be your last client of the day?" Nora asked Rachel.
"Oh yes sure. I finish at 7 so maybe you can come by say, half-hour before?"
"Great! I'll bring with me a copy of my latest book that I promised you. Okay, I know both of you children need to go back to work so, let's get going?"
Nora paid the bill, much to the protest of both Chandler and Rachel. They all stood up and started walking out. Chandler turned to Rachel "Hey Rach, you gonna be okay walking back to your office by yourself? I"m just gonna walk my Mom back to her hotel, yeah?"
There goes that bright smile again on Rachel's face, Nora noticed.
"Yeah sure. Of course. I'll just see you later. Bye, Mrs Bing. Thank you for lunch. I'll see you later?"
"You are welcome dear and yes, I will see you later." Nora said, giving Rachel a kiss on the cheek and a meaningful look.
Nora knows that her conclusions are right.
/
As they planned, Nora was Rachel's last client for the day.
"Do you need anything else, Mrs Bing?"
"I think I got all I need dear but I'm wondering if you would care to join me for dinner? I really don't like eating alone if I can help it."
"Umm, ah sure I'd love to but I still have to finish up here first before I could leave"
"That's alright dear. I can wait."
Nora sat down on the plush chair in the corner and picked a magazine to read while waiting for Rachel to finish. She really wanted to spend some more time with the girl. She's curious about her and what she thinks Rachel's feelings for Chandler. Nora is sure that if she'd just talk to her more, she would know for sure that she is right. Rachel is in fact in love with her son.
Not long after Rachel was done and they were walking to the restaurant down the road. It was quiet. Rachel didn't say a word and Nora could feel tension coming off her in waves but she is not surprised, actually. She knows why Rachel is tense. She is after all having dinner with the mother of the guy that she is secretly in love with. A guy that she was not supposed to fall in love with.
Nora could tell as well that Rachel hasn't told anyone about her feelings for Chandler. It's obvious with the tension and nervous energy coming off of her. She knows too that Rachel is dying to someone about it, at least some of it. Nora is now on a mission to make Rachel talk about her feelings for Chandler.
When they got to the restaurant, Rachel still hasn't said a word and Nora knows it's up to her to break the silence.
"Have you ever heard Chandler sing, Rachel?" Nora started.
Her voice kinda startled Rachel. She shook her head and said "Umm I have heard him hum or sing with the group but never a full song or solo, no."
"Oh you should hear him sing, he has such great voice." Nora proudly said.
"Really? Wow, I did not know that about Chandler, I guess. I remember thinking that he could carry a tune but I just did not know that he really have a good singing voice."
"Yes and I remember back his university days, he and Ross used to have a band." Nora continued.
"Oh yeah I remember that. Ross used to play the keyboards. Oh and I remember Chandler used the fact of being in a band as a pick up line...oh..." Rachel stopped, she seemed to remember something. Whatever it is, that memory definitely caused the blush that is now on her face.
"Did he now? I wonder if it worked to any girls" Nora wondered, amused with her son's lame ideas of picking up girls.
"Oh yeah it did..." Rachel answered dreamily.
Nora looked at Rachel, eyebrow raised at her dreamy look and voice.
Rachel cleared her throat and shook her head "I mean, yeah, umm it probably did. To a rare handful of girls, maybe"
"What was the name of their band again?"Nora asked.
"Oh gosh yeah what was it again? Shoot, I can't remember the name but I remember they have wrote songs that have such cheesy titles like Emotional Knapsack and Betrayal in the Common Room."
Rachel and Nora laughed.
"That's right and it was Chandler who wrote it, you know. I remember seeing it with his things one time he went home from the university. Chandler's actually good with words. He got it from me. If I recalled correctly, he even considered writing to be his career but decided against it obviously. Didn't want to be like any of his parents, I guess." Nora smiled a little sadly. She knows it's true but chose not to dwell on it. She changed the subject. "Now his singing voice, he got from his father. Charles always has been a good singer even before he became Helena Handbasket. Chandler got that from him. That and his love for musicals."
"Wait, Chandler loves musicals?" Rachel asked, eyes wide and big.
"Yes, but don't tell him I told you dear. He'd hate me forever." Nora jokingly warned Rachel then continued "It was his father's way of bonding with him when he was little. Other fathers take their sons to games, Charles brought his son to musicals. I guess Chandler loved it because he got to spend time with his father, more than anything. Do you know that he used to know each and every song in Annie..."
Nora went on and told Rachel different stories of Chandler's childhood. Some of them she's sure Chandler hasn't told anyone, not even to his closest friends. Rachel listened to it all with her full, undivided attention and with the most genuine interest Nora has ever seen. It warms her heart to see that there are people who genuinely love her son. She knows that Monica loves Chandler too. She does not have to see and meet Monica as Chandler's girlfriend to know that she loves her son. But right here, sitting in front of this beautiful woman, she can say that her son is definitely loved a lot by not just one person.
She tapped Rachel's hand across her. Rachel looked up to her and she said "I want to thank you Rachel, for loving Chandler."
Looking at Rachel, Nora knows she wasn't expecting her to say that. "I...I don't understand but you're welcome? Yeah, I...I mean we ahh, WE all love Chandler, of course. And Monica, Monica of course loves him the most."
Nora could sense the panic in Rachel's voice. "Yes that is true but I think you know what I really mean Rachel".
Rachel put her head down, realizing that Nora knows her secret. "I'm ahh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall in love with Chandler, you got to believe me. It just happened. I was just watching him fall in love with Monica and before I know it I was falling for him too. It's sick, I know. Am I that obvious? Oh god, does Chandler know? does Monica? Oh my god, what should I do?!"
Nora reached out to touch Rachel's hand again and tried to calm her down. "Rachel, hey it's alright. No, it's not sick and no, I don't think Monica knows and Chandler? You know that Chandler has the lowest self-confidence. He still could hardly believe that Monica is with him, how much more the idea of another beautiful girl in love with him."
"Okay. So I'm not that obvious?" Rachel asked, still doubtful.
"Well to them, I could say no. To me though, of I could tell the very moment I laid my eyes on you earlier at lunch."
Rachel groaned.
"But Rachel, honey, you have to understand that I write about women like you for a living. Listen, Rachel you are a natural heroine. Romantic novels are written out of women like you. Writers like me could easily read women your kind like a book. That is also why I'm confident that you would not do anything about your feelings for Chandler."
"How can you be sure?"
"Because you are not meant to be the villain in Chandler and Monica's story. You're not meant to be a villain to anyone's story. Also because I know that you love Monica. She is your best friend and Chandler, you are too in love with him. You love them both too much to hurt them and get in the way of their happiness."
/
Before Nora bid Rachel goodbye that night, she told her "Remember dear, you are born to be a heroine with your very own happy ending. It may be with Chandler, who knows. Sometimes fate has its own way of twisting your story, steering it to where it's supposed to go. Or, it may be with a totally different guy, we don't know. You just have to believe that you're gonna get your happy ending, alright? Do not forget that you are not the villain in Chandler and Monica's story, especially in your own love story."
Rachel nodded at her, eyes teary but with a smile on her face. She waved at her goodbye before the taxi drove off. Nora watched it go with good wishes for Rachel, for Monica, and of course for his son Chandler. They are good people and she wish them happiness, with each other or with different people, it doesn't matter as long as they're happy.
Nora entered the hotel, thinking if she'd go straight back to her room, Rachel gave her plenty of ideas for a new story, or maybe she'd stop by the hotel bar and check out the hot bartender she saw there earlier. Maybe, one drink wouldn't hurt. She needs an inspiration for the leading man anyway.
/
"Nobody is a villain in their own story. We're all the heroes of our own stories." - George R.R. Martin