Hi! Thank you for continuing to read and review! I appreciate all of you very much! :-) Here is another chapter. I hope you enjoy! :-) Thanks again for taking the time to check out my story!

I've been reading and following a good story on FFNET about Joey. He's another of my fave characters, and in this story, he steps up big time when tragedy strikes his sister Dina. If you have a chance to check it out, I recommend you do! I couldn't figure out how to do a link, but the title of the story is: My Goddaghter. Thank you! I know the author would appreciate your support very much. :-)

Chapter 35

"This is nice," Monica said, as she, Phoebe, and their hostess Rachel sat in the spacious, well-lit kitchen enjoying a Saturday brunch.

"I think so, too," Phoebe said. "Can you believe our men and Joey are Christmas shopping? Wouldn't you just love to see how that's going?"

The trio shared a hearty laugh.

"I give them credit," Rachel said, in between bouts of uncontrollable laughter, as she tried to imitate her husband's voice, "at least they're out there braving the crowds like real men."

"Ross said that?" Monica asked and laughed.

Still chuckling, Rachel nodded and then took a sip of her tea. "He can be so clueless sometimes, but I do love that man something fierce, so what does that say about me?"

"Um, that he better buy you a really nice present," Phoebe said. "Or at least something he knows you should want to have to exchange."

After another round of laughter, Monica spoke.

"Hey, guys, I want to thank you for helping Chandler plan our date the other night. It was fantastic."

"Aww, honey," Rachel said, patting her friend's hand, "we were happy to do it."

"Speaking of clueless," Phoebe said and rolled her blue eyes.

Monica couldn't help but smile a little. "I know. I could tell you two gave him a lot of help or at least good pointers for which I am forever grateful. I think it got us back on the right track."

"You were never off the track, Mon," Phoebe said. "You just needed a push to move forward."

"We've all been there," Rachel added. "You guys are gonna be fine."

"Isn't it great we're all in love?" Phoebe said.

Monica couldn't help but notice their friend's words caused Rachel to look at the beautiful solitaire diamond and gold wedding band that adorned her slender finger, and Phoebe just smiled like the woman in love she was when she gazed at her sparkling stone. Monica quickly glanced at her own bare third finger on her left hand and sighed inwardly. She would wear a ring, too, one day. Wouldn't she?

"Yeah," Monica finally answered, "and I hope the next date goes well. I'm returning the favor Monday night. I'm working the lunch shift so I can cook a special dinner for him. I want this date to be as romantic as the one he planned."

"If you're cooking the meal," Rachel said, "I'm sure it will be. Me? I'm just thankful the deli around the corner had what I wanted for this breakfast."

They all enjoyed another good laugh.

"Did you get a Christmas card from Christy? Ooo, that sounds musical," Phoebe said. "I love her. If Joey messes this up, I may have to pound on him. I think she would be a great addition to our group."

Rachel nodded and so did Monica.

"I so hope she can come back for New Year's Eve. If she does, we gotta plan somethin' really special," Rachel said.

"And I have to get the night off," Monica lamented.

"Of course you'll have the night off," Rachel said, as if there was no doubt about it.

"I just went back to work, Rach," her friend reminded.

"But you're the head chef," she countered. "You can do whatever you want."

Monica laughed. "Don't I wish. But it'll be okay. I have some time to work on it. I definitely do not want to work on New Year's Eve."

"If you have to, maybe you can work the lunch shift," Phoebe said.

"Maybe. But I think there's a huge private party that night, and you know what that means."

"Call in sick," Rachel said.

"And then be seen partying a few hours later? I don't think so, Rach."

She waved off her friend's concern. "Everything's gonna be fine. You'll see."

Sometimes Monica wished she had her friends' more carefree attitude about things, but she knew that was not how she was wired and probably never would be. Still, it was fun to lighten up every once in a while and just go with the flow. Maybe she would do that on New Year's Eve.

Monica excused herself to use the bathroom.

"I have to leave soon," she said on her way. "I hope I get to see Emma."

Rachel glanced at the wall clock. "Yeah. She should be home by now. Her sitter, Leilani, wanted to take Emma to her ice skating lesson. I forgot to tell you Adrianna's with her. I think Emma wanted to show off for her."

"Is she coming here, too?" Monica asked.

Rachel nodded. "I have her until the guys get back. Maybe they stopped somewhere to eat."

Monica frowned. "I haven't seen her since they moved. I miss her."

"They'll be home before you leave."

"I hope so," she said and closed the bathroom door.

A minute later she heard a voice that sounded like her niece. She hoped they were home. She had wanted to see Adrianna, but when Chandler didn't mention it, she thought maybe he didn't want her to see his daughter or maybe Adrianna didn't want to see her. Hearing squeals and rapid talking, she knew the girls were home. As she reapplied red lipstick and ran her fingers through her hair, she realized in a matter of moments she would know if Adrianna was happy to see her.

Both girls, their cheeks flushed with excitement and from the cold, were talking to the adults at the same time. They'd had so much fun at the ice skating rink. But when Adrianna saw Monica walking towards them, she broke away from the group and headed straight for her.

"Momm…Monica!" she yelled, throwing herself against the surprised but pleased older woman.

Monica quickly bent down and enveloped her in a hug and told her how happy she was to see her.

"Me, too," Adrianna said.

She smiled and her whole face lit up.

"Miss you."

"Oh, sweetie, I miss you, too. I guess we've been busy."

She shrugged and fell once more into the warmth of Monica's arms as if it was the most natural thing to do. Monica cherished the feeling of holding this precious girl in her arms. She brushed her damp curls and rubbed her back when she said she was cold from being outside.

"Are you with Daddy?" she asked, her voice hopeful.

"No, honey. He's not here. We were having breakfast. I have to leave soon."

"Oh," she said, looking crestfallen.

"I'm going to talk to your dad later. How about if I ask him if we can do something together."

Her face lit up again. "Gonna see Santa tomorrow. You come."

Monica couldn't help but smile. How much fun would that be?

"Okay," she said, straightening her stance when Adrianna finally let her go. "I'll ask your dad."

"Yay," Adrianna said, sounding an awful lot like Phoebe.

"Come on, you two," Leilani said. "Let's get you into some warm, dry clothes."

"Thanks," Rachel said as the sitter led them towards Emma's room.

Once she was certain they were out of earshot, Monica looked from Rachel to Phoebe and back to Rachel, her blue eyes shining.

"Was I hearing things or did she almost call me 'Mommy?'"

"Oh, she definitely almost called you Mommy," Phoebe said.

"Definitely," Rachel agreed. "Mon, she was over the moon to see you."

"I know, but what does it mean? Do you think she almost called me that because I reminded her of Stephanie or because she…she…thinks of me…guys, don't let me go there. I can't let myself do this. Don't let me get excited about this."

"Why not?" the two asked simultaneously.

"This could be the most wonderful thing ever," Phoebe said.

Rachel nodded.

"Or I could be setting myself up for a major disappointment," Monica said. "I can't read anything into this. I can't."

"Tell Chandler," Rachel said.

Monica bit her thumbnail. "Really? You really think I should tell Chandler?"

"Yes!" both women yelled.

"Okay," she said, not certain that was the best plan but not hating the idea either.

After they had talked a while longer, Monica told them she really needed to leave.

"Before I do, though, I want to spend a little more time with Emma and Adrianna. I don't want to disturb their play time, but is it okay if I watch them?"

"Of course," Rachel said.

Monica leaned against the door of Emma's bedroom, silently watching the girls who played so well together. She was thrilled to see they were sitting in front of the doll house she'd given to her niece. They both looked so contented and happy as they moved the tiny furniture around and changed the décor of the rooms. Monica couldn't imagine being that young any more, but she'd give anything just to be able to sit and join them as they had fun and laughed and made up silly stories about their dolls and the house and what they were going to cook in the kitchen. How precious they were.

After watching them for a little while, she let her presence be known. Both girls jumped up and ran to her for hugs when she told them she had to leave.

Emma kissed her aunt and said good-bye. Adrianna lingered, which pleased Monica. She realized she was going to have a hard time leaving her, too.

"Maybe I'll see you tomorrow," she said and gave her one more hug.

"'kay. Bye."

Monica kissed her soft cheek and turned around to leave. When she reached the end of the hallway, she looked back and saw that Adrianna had not moved. The little girl waved and said good-bye again. Monica did the same.

When she reached Rachel and Phoebe, she couldn't keep the smile from her face.

"I don't think she wanted me to leave."

"You're gonna talk to Chandler, right, Mon?" Phoebe asked.

She nodded. "I have to. I think his daughter just stole my heart."

Later that afternoon before she had to leave for the restaurant, Monica called Chandler and invited him to a home-cooked dinner Monday night. He gladly accepted the invitation.

"There's something else," she said, after a moment's hesitation.

"What?"

"I saw Adrianna at Rachel's. She said you were taking her to see Santa tomorrow and thought maybe I could come along?"

"Do you want to?"

"Yes. I think it would be fun."

"Great. We'd love to have you. We'll pick you up late morning."

"Sounds good. Chandler…"

"Yeah?" he said when she didn't say anything else.

He couldn't help but notice how wistful her voice sounded.

"I have something else I need to tell you, but I want to do it in person."

'O-kaaay," he said, not sure what that meant. "Is this good news or bad news?"

"I'm not sure. I think it could be good news, but I need to know what you think."

"Mon, this all sounds very ominous. What's going on?"

"I don't want to say over the phone. I need to see your reaction when I tell you this."

"Are you going to Rachel and Ross's make-your-own taco night?"

"I'd love to. It sounds like so much fun, but I'll probably get off work too late."

"Well, we'll be there. What if I come by the restaurant before you leave so you can tell me your news."

"Okay," she said, sounding very happy. "But you're coming alone, right? Not that I don't want to see Adrianna, but I want us to be alone when I tell you this."

"I'll be alone," he assured her.

The conversation ended with Chandler feeling a mixture of excitement and dread. Monica's words played over and over in his mind. What could she possibly have to tell him that was so important she had to do it in person to gauge his reaction? And she didn't want Adrianna to hear. Knowing that even though they'd been very careful, unexpected unplanned things still happened, he could think of only one thing. Was Monica going to tell him she was pregnant?

By the time he arrived at the restaurant, all kinds of scenarios had played in his head, but he kept coming back to the idea Monica was pregnant. He couldn't get it out of his thoughts; and if he were honest, he wasn't sure he wanted to. Of course, this wasn't exactly the way he thought things would go, but what did work out for him the way he planned? Not much as far as he could tell. He was Chandler, after all.

When he walked through the restaurant towards the kitchen, he saw the dinner crowd had thinned. That was good as far as he was concerned. He hoped Monica could take a break, maybe a nice long break, so they could talk without being interrupted. If her news was what he anticipated, he knew there would have to be at least a few serious conversations.

Monica smiled and turned away from the stove when she heard his melodious "hello."

"All tacoed out?"

"You could say that. Everyone missed you and said to say 'hi.'"

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there. I bet it was fun and festive."

"It was. Mon," he said, looking around at the almost empty kitchen, "can you take a break outside, even though I know it's freezing, so you can tell me whatever it is you want to tell me?"

Monica grinned. "I've got you curious, huh?"

Chandler gave one of his patented nods. "You could say that."

"Sure. Let me grab my coat so I don't freeze, and we'll go outside."

Once outside, they huddled near the back entrance because it was a very brisk but clear night.

"I'm sorry if I sounded strange or mysterious on the phone, but something like this has never happened to me, and before I let myself even think about what it could mean for our future, I had to tell you."

Those words made Chandler brace himself even more for the news he now totally expected, almost wanted, to hear from Monica.

"Please tell me what it is."

Monica smiled. "Don't think I'm crazy, okay, but maybe you already do. Anyway, today at Rachel's when Adrianna came back, she saw me walking towards the kitchen, and she ran to greet me, Chandler. We all said she was ecstatic to see me, and I was so happy to see her, too. But when she first started running towards me, Chandler, she…she almost called me 'Mommy!'"

"Really?" he said. "You're sure you heard that?"

"We all did. I confirmed it with Rachel and Phoebe. But I don't know what it means. Did I remind her of Stephanie or did she want to call me…me…her mommy. What do you think? I had to tell you. I need you to help me with this."

"Okay," he said, realizing this was Monica's news.

He needed a moment to compose himself because he wasn't sure what he honestly felt: relief or regret?

"What's wrong?" she asked when a few moments passed and he hadn't said anything. "You look like I just said something horrible. Is this horrible? Do you think I'm nuts? Tell me, Chandler. Please."

He reached for her cold hands and tried to warm them with his. "No. Of course, I don't think you're nuts. This could be huge, Mon. It's just that…"

"What?" she prodded, punching his well-padded jacketed upper arm as she jumped around trying to stay warm. "Tell me!"

"The way you phrased your sentences when we talked made me think you were going to tell me something entirely different. That's all. But I'm glad you told me about Adrianna."

Monica studied his handsome face and knew he was not being totally honest with her.

"Chandler," she finally said. "What did you think I was going to tell you?"

He sighed and shook his head. "If I tell you, you're gonna think I'm crazy."

"No, I won't. Tell me."

"I thought…well…I wondered…aw, hell, Mon, I thought you were going to tell me you were pregnant."

Monica needed a moment or two to digest those words.

"You thought I was going to tell you I was pregnant?"

"Yes. I couldn't think what else would make you sound so mysterious and we had to be alone and it was something very important about our future."

Monica nodded slowly. "Yeah," she said, a smile beginning to form on her lips, "I guess I could see how you might have jumped to that conclusion based on what I said. So tell me, Mr. Bing, what would your response have been if I had told you I was pregnant?"

"I would have been thrilled," he said without hesitation and smiled when Monica looked at him in surprise and happiness.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah. Actually, when I did hear your news, I couldn't decide if I was relieved or sorry. If you had told me you were pregnant, it would've changed a lot of things, but I would've been happy."

"You never cease to amaze me, do you know that?"

"I love you, Monica. I told you I believe we are destined to be together. I didn't always think or believe that way, but I do now."

"Maybe someday, my sweet, wonderful man, I will be able to tell you you're going to be a daddy again."

"When that happens, it will be one of the happiest days of my life."