I'll Be There For You
Chapter 12
Sorry…this is a repost of the previous Chapter 11. The actual new chapter is Chapter…well, Chapter 11. I skipped over a year in my timeline, and had to add a chapter in-between. Sorry for any confusion!
I love how you people keep saying I'm spot on for the characters at this point in their lives…Well, that's because this is how old I am/where me and my friends are in our lives right now. So, this phase is pretty easy for me to write, seeing as I'm going through all of this right now, with the whole, everyone's graduating and getting married, and trying to figure out what the hell we're doing with our lives/scared to death of being a "grown up." The past week or so, I've pretty much been freaking out about ALL of that, and add grad school into the mix, and…yea, I've been a mess the past week or so, haha. Know who helped calm down some of my fears, though, and re-affirm that it's not just me going through all of this right now? Becca!
Oh, the more things change, the more that stays the same…
~.~
New Year's Eve 1992/1993
"Sorry to take off on you guys, but I really need to get back down to the bar before midnight," Chris, the owner of the bar downstairs patted Phoebe on the shoulder as he stood up from the kitchen table, leaving her seated next to Chandler as Monica walked up.
"I'll come down later," Phoebe winked at him as he left, and Chandler waved as well. "Well, there goes my midnight New Year's kiss," Phoebe sighed, leaning her elbows on the table as she glanced at the clock, which read 11:56.
"And, here goes yours, too," Monica nudged Chandler as she sat down beside him momentarily. He looked at her quizzically. "I think something is finally happening with Kip tonight," she grinned.
"Yay, about time!" Phoebe congratulated her.
"No kidding," Chandler added. "You've only liked each other for the past, like, year and a half that I've lived with him, and who knows how long before that…"
"Shut up!" she smacked him lightly before looking back up at Kip, who was in the living room talking to a couple of her friends from work. "Oh, he's looking at me," she grinned, "And smiling. Okay, I'm going back over there," she stood up.
"Go get some!" Phoebe urged her on.
"Phoebs!" Monica laughed, glaring at her for a moment before going back to the living room, smiling when Kip looked up at her once again.
"Looks like it's just us, Bing," Phoebe patted Chandler's arm. "What happened to that girl from last night, by the way? Why didn't you invite her tonight?"
Chandler chuckled, taking a quick drink of the beer in his hand. "Oh, Jaqueline? Well, let's just say, I know everything about every single one of her ex's, including weird fetishes and shoe sizes, and can name all seven, yes, seven of her cats…"
Phoebe stifled a giggle "And you didn't want her to come why?"
"Ya know, I'm just not that desperate yet," Chandler laughed as well, shaking his head. "So, what about you and Chris?"
"Oh, we're just really good friends," Phoebe grinned. "He comes in handy," she shrugged. "I'm okay with it not going beyond this, though. He's fun."
"Do-" Chandler began, but was cut off when the party all seemed to start counting down from ten. "Must be midnight," Chandler leaned closer to Phoebe, who nodded, looking around as the countdown closed in on one, and everyone seemed to suddenly be half of a couple.
Turning back to Chandler, who was still looking at her, Phoebe shrugged. "Eh, why not," she laughed, leaning in to kiss him as everyone else around them kissed as well. "Happy New Year, Not-a-Boyfriend Chandler," she grinned as she pulled back from the quick kiss.
"Happy New Year, Phoebs," Chandler laughed, shaking his head at the nickname. "Is that ever gonna go away, by the way?"
"Eh," she again shrugged.
"Because, as nice as the sentiment is, it's really not that great for my self-esteem to be constantly reminded that I don't, in fact, have a girlfriend," he added, mostly joking.
"What self-esteem?"
"Touché," Chandler nodded, clicking the empty beer bottle in his hand to her nearly-empty glass.
"Your wit has met its match, Chandler Bing," Phoebe grinned, grabbing the bottle from his hand as she stood up. "Want another one?" she offered, to which he nodded. She grabbed two more from the fridge before sitting down next to him once again. "1993 is gonna be a great year. I can just feel it," Phoebe nodded, looking around.
"Because of the psychic thing?" Chandler looked at her, never knowing exactly what was running through Phoebe's head. In the past year, he had learned it was much easier to just ask her than to try to guess.
"Nah. More of just a gut feeling. I have great intuition," Phoebe explained, and Chandler nodded along, watching from the corner of his eye as Kip left with Monica. "You, Mr. Bing, have a very green aura tonight," Phoebe added, tapping the bottom of her beer on his arm. He jumped at the coldness, turning back to her. "Is someone jealous?" she raised her eyebrows.
"Why would I be jealous?" he looked at her quizzically.
"Oh, I don't know, your roommate just left with your best friend?" Phoebe asked, and Chandler just shrugged. "Oh, come on. I didn't mean it like you're in love with Monica or something. But she's obviously one of the most important people in your life, and Kip's pretty high up there for you right now, too, so that can't be easy." Chandler sighed as Phoebe continued, picking at the label on the beer bottle. "Anyway, you have nothing to worry about when it comes to Monica. She'll be in your life forever."
"Intuition?"
"Psychic ability."
"Ah," Chandler laughed. Leave it to Phoebe. "Well, mind if I crash on your couch tonight? Our walls are pretty thin, and that would just be…too weird," he shook his head at the thought of Monica and Kip.
"Yea, go for it," Phoebe agreed. "I'm gonna head down and meet up with Chris after he closes up the bar anyway."
"Awesome," Chandler laughed. "New Year's Eve alone!"
"Yea, but at least you got to kiss me tonight," Phoebe winked at him, standing up to say goodbye as people started to leave.
"You're pretty high up on my list right now, too, Phoebs," Chandler added as she started to walk away.
"Oh, I know," she patted him on the head. "And you're like the little brother I never had."
~.~
Chandler stirred from his spot on the couch when the door closed softly. He rolled over slightly, frowning at the uncomfortable pillow beneath his head. Sighing, he opened his eyes, blue eyes meeting blue eyes as Monica was standing behind the couch now, looking at him.
"Sorry," she whispered. "For waking you up…and for kicking you out of your apartment…"
"Don't worry about it," Chandler reassured her. Monica just nodded, heading towards her room. "Hey, Mon?" Chandler asked, sitting up on the couch. Monica stopped, turning back to face him. "Are you happy?"
Monica grinned. "Yea. Yea, I am."
"Then don't worry about it," he returned her smile, watching as she turned once again towards her bedroom, laying back down as she closed the door behind her.
~.~
This was more of a filler chapter than anything. The next two parts are MUCH more substantial. We're getting there, though, promise! It's 1993 and this is only going to 1994! Are you as excited as I am?!
I promise, promise, promise this is where my fic-writing energy is going until it's finished! And a lot will happen in 1993/1994, promise!
