Beautifully

Chapter 9: The Next Morning

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Thanks to TGMTG, Lisztian_Dragon, and bobbiejod for joining my three loyal reviewers :)

This chapter is shorter, but I want to keep updating as I write so I don't lose momentum!

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Rachel woke up, a slight pounding in her head, as is usually the case from a crying-hangover, and slightly confused as to why she and Chandler were fully dressed, on top of the covers on his bed. The past day hit her fully, though, as she sat up, looking at the clock that read half-past 9, and trying to decide if she should get up and face the day yet. Instead, she lay back down, staring at Chandler's face as he slept.

She could deal with this without crying today. She would deal with this without crying today.

A week earlier, she had sent out resumes and filled out countless applications (whether or not she felt qualified, on Chandler's advice, since it never hurt to take a chance on something), and Wednesday, after the long holiday weekend, she would follow up with every single place she had not heard back from. And she would get a job, with benefits, even if it meant filling out 100 more applications by the end of the week.

And it would be okay. It was morning, and everything was a little more okay than the night before. She had no reason to have any doubt in Chandler. They had wonderful, supportive friends (and families who would surely be supportive in their own ways), and it would all be okay. People far less qualified to have children than the two of them somehow did so every day.

Scooting closer, Rachel folded herself into Chandler's sleeping embrace, and he stirred as she did.

"Sorry," Rachel whispered, having not meant to wake him.

"S'okay," Chandler replied, pulling her closer, sleep still clinging. "Have you been awake long?" he asked after a moment, eyes still closed.

"No," Rachel shook her head.

Chandler shifted, stretching out on the bed as Rachel rolled over to face him. "You okay?"

"More okay than last night," Rachel replied honestly, hugging the pillow beneath her head.

"Good," Chandler whispered, eyes locked with hers.

Rachel took a deep breath. "I can't marry you right now," she finally said softly. "I love you, but I just-I almost got married once, for all of the wrong reasons, and if I marry you…I really want it to be for all of the right reasons," she explained, still softly, and Chandler nodded.

"Okay," he whispered in reply, reaching out for her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. "You know I'm here, though," he continued softly. "I mean, I'm probably worse at all of this than you are—I mean, a few months ago, Joey and I left Ben on a bus—but, I'm not-I'm not going anywhere. And if you need anything…anything…I'm here."

Rachel nodded, knowing that at least part of the subtext there was that if she needed help with money until she found a job, but that he knew she was too proud to even mention that to her unless it was completely necessary.

"We should probably get up. Joey has probably been up for hours waiting to open presents before he goes over to his parent's," Rachel finally said, and Chandler nodded in agreement, letting go as she moved to get out of bed.

"Hey, um, when are we going to tell all of them?" Chandler asked slowly, getting up, as well.

Rachel shrugged. "Just not yet?"

Chandler nodded in agreement, following her over to the door.

"We're gonna be okay, right?" Rachel paused in front of the door, turning back towards Chandler.

Chandler nodded, squeezing her hand and kissing her softly on the lips. "We're gonna be okay."

When they opened the door, though, the plan of not telling the others yet hit a flaw. Phoebe and Joey were standing by the kitchen counter, Joey's arms folded across his chest, Phoebe's hands over her mouth, staring at the pregnancy test they had left on the counter.

The two looked up as Rachel and Chandler stopped in the bedroom doorway, Phoebe dropping her hands to reveal a grin.

"Oh my gosh, are you guys having a baby!" she exclaimed, and Chandler and Rachel looked at each other, as if to say there was no use in lying, before Rachel nodded, Phoebe running over to congratulate them. "Oh my god, you guys, congratulations," she first hugged Rachel, then Chandler. "I mean, it's probably not what you guys were expecting right now, but, really, when is ever a good time to have a baby? Oh, but you're both such great people, so I'm sure you'll be great parents," Phoebe looked from Chandler back to Rachel. "Plus, ya know, you're both very pretty, so you'll probably make a very pretty baby."

"Thanks, Phoebs," Chandler laughed slightly at that.

Rachel nodded. "Thank you," she echoed. "I think we needed to hear that right now."

"Dude, you're gonna have a baby?" Joey looked at Chandler, still in shock.

Chandler shrugged. "Apparently."

"Du-ude!" Joey rushed across the apartment to hug him. "Aw, I'm gonna be an Uncle Joey!" He squeezed Chandler tightly before moving on to congratulate Rachel, the apartment door opening as he did so.

"Hey, do you guys have any-" Monica started, about to open the refrigerator, but stopped at the scene in the living room.

"They're having a baby!" Joey exclaimed, motioning back and forth between Chandler and Rachel.

"What?"

"They're having a baby!" Phoebe echoed, jumping up and down.

"Seriously?" Monica walked towards them, looking to Rachel for confirmation. Rachel nodded slowly, so Monica hugged her. "You okay?" she asked quietly, taking a subtler approach than Phoebe and Joey, and deciding to talk to Rachel again later when no one else was around.

Rachel nodded, trying to hold back the tears in her eyes. "Getting there…."

"Congratulations, then," Monica smiled at her before hugging her again, then moving over to Chandler, who smiled at her slightly before she hugged him. "How you holding up?" Chandler only nodded in response to that, not sure he could currently come up with a response. "Congrats," she added softly as she pulled away, and Chandler mouthed 'thank you.'

"Hey, let's go eat. Ross and Julie should be here any minute," Monica motioned for Phoebe and Joey to follow, leaving Chandler and Rachel alone.

They both remained silent for a moment, Rachel running her fingers through her hair, pulling it back into a tight ponytail and then releasing it as she also blew out the breath she had been holding. "We'll be okay."

Chandler nodded, wrapping an arm around her waist. "We'll be okay."

Rachel wrapped her arms around his waist in a hug, burying her face in his chest. "We're having a baby," she said quietly, the first time either of them had actually said those words.

"Yea," Chandler squeezed her tightly in return, kissing her hair. "We're gonna have a baby…."