He loved her. He loved her. He loved her. It was all Monica could think of, every single minute after Chandler had said or yelled it rather, in every waking moment, for the rest of the evening, in the following night until they finally fell asleep, and again every time she had woken up in the night and remembered once more, always with a new rush of pure happiness as she nestled close to him with her arm wrapped around him before she went to sleep again. Then in the morning when she had woken up before him and watched him sleep, marveling at her happiness and how wonderful and surreal it all felt. She kept telling herself that she really deserved it, that it was in fact high time she found that happiness after all that time and effort, disappointments and frustration, and that he was everything she had always wanted, and yet still found it hard to believe. Especially when, after he'd woken up and drawn her close for a good long cuddle, he'd excused himself for a quick dash to the bathroom and promptly collided with a half-asleep Rachel on his return. Monica who was standing at her bedroom door found then that she couldn't stop laughing in pure joy – both at Rachel's half shocked, half intrigued (and also rather salacious) expression or his resigned embarrassment. As she shut the door behind them again she caught herself wishing that she and Chandler could be alone right now, on their own, but firmly banished that thought again. This was not the time to worry about such things. Everything would come in its own time, just like it had done so far. It only needed patience. Now was the time to enjoy what she had achieved so far: having a boyfriend to spend the night and wake up with in the morning, a boyfriend she could wrap her arms around and stifle her giggles on his chest while he kissed her neck and pushed up her nightgown as he steered her back to the bed, a boyfriend who had her moaning and screaming within minutes in wild abandon despite her determination to remain quiet for Rachel's sake which she had entirely forgotten about as soon as she felt Chandler's mouth on her breasts, his hands on her buttocks and thighs, his erect penis pressing urgently against her.

Their Sunday breakfast later had felt quite strange and tense too, as Rachel and Phoebe kept shooting curious looks at them and winking while Joey was stoically digging into his pancakes and Ross still couldn't shut up about his new apartment, never giving them a single chance to break their secret to him even if they had wanted to do so at that time. He was especially ecstatic about the fact that Ugly Naked Guy had decided to move out this very Sunday so he would be able to take over in the late afternoon already, right after all their neighbor's belongings had been cleared out. To speed this up Ross had even promised to help him with the moving, and to bring his friends too - that he had of course quite forgotten to ask first.

"I'm sorry, I've got a client later. Two clients actually. You know, an old couple, so it's almost two in one." Phoebe winked at Monica who just stared back stonily. "Well, anyway, it means that I can't come." Ross' expression plainly said that he didn't buy it, but he let it go.

"And I'm visiting my father" Rachel said, meeting Ross' scowl firmly.

"What? You never said! What are you visiting him for?"

"What do you mean, what for? He's my father! Well, if you must know, I need to ask him for money …"

Ross sighed deeply and turned to Monica. "But you will come, won't you? I really really need you there!"

"Ross, I need to prepare for the Valentine party –"

"Oh no. Do you really have to do that? Why?"

"Ross! I asked you all like a week ago and you all agreed –"

"But that was before I found this apartment! Oh please, Monica, we can have the party later. Tell you what, why don't we order pizza tonight, when we're done?"

"Pizza?! But –"

"Okay, great!"

"Joey, no! I wanted to do something special –"

"And it'll be my treat!"

"WHAT?"

Ross grinned uncertainly as they all stared at him. "Yeah, my treat. What's so funny?"

"Oh … nothing … are you sure though?"

"Yes! Phoebe, what are you doing?" She had been groping around in her bag and now triumphantly held up a small book. "What's that? A calendar?"

"Yes. I wanted to mark the date. The day that Ross agreed to pay for our pizza."

"Oh come on! I've treated you before …" his voice died away when their chuckles and scornful expressions registered and he threw up his hands. "Okay, fine! But I'll do it, I promise. But I really need your help today, okay? Yes, I know about you and you, I was talking to Monica. And you two. I mean, think about it, guys! I could be out of your hair by tonight!"

Joey and Chandler exchanged a weary glance and sighed in unison.

"Yeah, okay."

"You'll really spring for a Joey special? Then, okay."

"Aw, thanks guys. And Monica –"

"Ross, I really wanted to do this –"

"But I really need you!" Oh god, now he put on his pleading puppy look. "Look, I didn't want to gross you out before, but Ugly Naked Guy's really a slob and this apartment is a real mess."

"He's right, Mon." Rachel grimaced. "I saw it." And Phoebe nodded too.

"Yeah, I can't believe you sat there naked. This must have used a lot of guts!"

Ross smirked. "Well, I really really really wanted to have this apartment … So, Monica, what do you say? I promise you'll get your party later!"

A part of her somewhere deep in the back of her head balked at this and kept telling her that it was a trick and she shouldn't fall for it so easily, but the mental image of the messy apartment proved too alluring and she knew resistance would be futile. With Ross spending the whole day at his new apartment she had to rethink her strategy anyway. Plus it meant she could be near Chandler. All day.

"Alright, I'll do it."

"Aw, thank you!" Ross hugged her tightly and then jumped up to run to the window and to stare at the apartment again, leaving half a bagel on his plate that Joey snapped up as soon as his back was turned.

"Oooh, I can't wait to show it to Ben!"

Monica sighed and rolled her eyes, already mentally crossing her cherished party off for good. But maybe this was the right way to go after all. Ross had become so unpredictable lately that there was absolute no way to tell how he was going to react to their reveal. Picking the right moment would require a lot of thought and care. They would need to wait until he had taken over the apartment and calmed down again. Then, when it was finished and they were all back together in her apartment –or maybe the guys' - they would sit him down, maybe break out some more champagne, or a bottle of wine and then, when he was relaxed and happy, she and Chandler would stand before him hand in hand and tell him, maybe with Joey and the girls standing by to hold him down if he should jump at them. That was clearly the way to do it. The best way.

She just wished it was over already.

After a few minutes more fidgeting at the window Ross couldn't wait any longer, just as she had known he couldn't, and left ahead of them when he couldn't persuade them to finish their breakfast early. And sure enough, as soon as the door had closed behind her brother, Rachel and Phoebe turned to her as one with almost identical expressions of intent anticipation, and Monica took a deep breath, bracing herself. Chandler beside her made a great show of taking up his paper in a very casual manner which almost cracked her up, especially when Phoebe stared at him balefully.

"Alright, Monica, spill!"

"Tell us everything!"

She tried her best to stare them down.

"What exactly do you want to know? There's not that much to tell really."

"Not much? Come on, Monica, this is huge!"

"You think so?" Chandler quipped from behind the paper, but Rachel ignored him.

"You kept us in the dark for – what? Four months?"

"Five almost."

"Oh my god. Five months. You've been sneaking around for FIVE months, behind our backs, never telling us –"

"Why did you do that? Why didn't you tell us?"

Monica spread her hands exasperatedly. "Why? Because! Because it would have destroyed everything!"

"Oh come on …"

"Yes, it would! You would never have let us figure it out on our own. You would have asked us every single day where we were, how we felt, if we were serious yet – it wouldn't have worked!"

"So, are you serious?"

"PHOEBE!"

"Just kidding. You're right though, we would have done all that."

"See?"

"Yeah. But, can you tell us now?"

Monica sighed deeply. "Alright, Phoebe, what do you want to know?"

"Well … did you really hook up in London?"

Chandler looked at her questioningly motioning to the door and when she smiled resignedly and nodded, he neatly folded his paper again and turned to Joey while he pushed his chair back. "Joey, I think now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of the - well, Ross." Monica wasn't sure, but she thought that Joey looked quite relieved at this. At least he stood up fairly quickly and contented himself with only one more bagel that he stuffed into his pocket on his way to the door. Chandler followed at a more sedate pace after he'd kissed her lingeringly goodbye.

"Bye, sweetie!" As they waved, Rachel turned around to smile after him and Phoebe suddenly frowned.

"Wait a moment … Oh my god, that time when he kissed us all, that was because – oh no. Oh no! I don't believe this!"

"Yeah … that was stupid. But he did pull it off, didn't he?"

Phoebe pouted, refusing to comment on this. "So, when did you do it with Joey?"

"WHAT?"

Phoebe opened her eyes wide, her expression carefully blank. "You didn't do it with him too?"

"NO! Phoebe …!"

"Alright, fine!"

"Phoebe, I never did it with Joey. Really, believe me! That whole thing with the photo and the video camera-"

"Oooh my god, I totally forgot about that!" Rachel nearly jumped from her seat.

"Yeah, it was just cover-up for me and Chandler. I made that photo for Chandler."

Phoebe pouted again. "Alright, so you didn't do it with Joey. But you did think about it, didn't you?"

Monica opened her mouth and shut it again, words suddenly failing her and Phoebe settled back, smirking. "Thought so."

"Phoebe, I – it was just at first … I was really really drunk and I thought only Joey would do it with me, but then he wasn't there and Chandler was – and – and – it's really none of your business!"

"Oh well. Your loss."

"What? Phoebe, that's – insane. Chandler was – he was amazing. Believe it or not." She had long since realized that Phoebe was only stringing her along and desperately wanted to stop, but found herself unable to. For some reason or other it suddenly seemed vitally important to convince her friends about her veracity, even if she had to ram it down her throats.

"It couldn't have been better. He was everything I wanted. We had wanted to stop, to let it be a London thing only, but we couldn't because it had been so great."

"Oh sweetie …" Rachel reached out for her and she let herself be hugged while Phoebe shrugged and sniffed dismissively.

"Okay, alright, you don't have to be so adamant. So you and Chandler are good together? Okay …"

"Not just good. We are great together!"

"Then I'm happy for you. And I hope you will stay that way too."

"Me too …" Rachel added softly. Monica wanted to leave it at that, but something inside her still balked.

"Of course we will! Why shouldn't we?"

Phoebe shrugged. "Well, it's Chandler, so - -"

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Nothing! I'm sure he's going to be great. But you never know what will happen, do you?"

Monica took a deep breath to calm herself. "Well I do. I'm sure it will work. Because I love him."

"And he loves you." Rachel added. "Oh, Monica, I never would have believed that this would happen. When I overheard you on the phone I really thought you were – you know, doing it, but not that you were so much in love …!"

Monica sat back and closed her eyes. "I know. I guess we weren't really in love then, not at first. It just came gradually. And yes, I'm really sorry we had to do it this way. But you all had your own problems and things going on - Phoebe, you had the triplets, and the whole thing with Ross on top of that …"

"Oh my god, Ross! Are you really going to tell him today?"

Monica shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. I really want to, but – well, we'll see how it goes."

There was a slight pause while they all pondered the problem, then Phoebe started up suddenly and looked at her watch.

"Oh shoot! Sorry, but I really have to get to my clients now –"

"Oh, I thought you'd just said that to get out of helping with the moving?"

"Yeah, well, that too, but I really have these clients today. They're paying me extra too, because it's Sunday, and I don't have a father to go to for money, so - well, okay, see you later!"

"But wait, Phoebe, when will you be back?"

"Oh, don't worry, I'll be here for the reveal. In fact, I wouldn't miss it for the world! Bye!"

Monica sank back on her seat sighing deeply as the door closed behind Phoebe and Rachel smiled sympathetically.

"Oh, don't worry, Mon, everything will be alright. You'll see. I think Ross will be really happy about this!"

"Really?"

"Of course! Think about it! His best friend and his little sister! He'll be overjoyed!"

"Well … but he's been so – unstable lately. What if he gets violent?"

"He won't, not Ross. He's just a big softie. You'll see!"

"But still –"

"And we'll be here, so he won't be able to do a thing. It'll all turn out great!" Rachel grabbed for her hand and squeezed it, her eyes glinting suddenly. "So, Mon – can we talk now?"

She had been dreading this very moment ever since Chandler's sudden reveal, and now swallowed nervously.

"I guess …"

"Oh come on, Monica. You owe it to me!"

Monica sighed. "I know! I know! And I'm so sorry I couldn't tell you. I'm sorry I lied to you. It just – it wouldn't have worked. We couldn't tell anyone."

"But you can tell me now, can't you? Come on, I want to know everything!"

There was a slight pause while Monica stared unseeingly at her plate before her. Then she got up and started to clear the table.

"No." she said at length and when Rachel opened her mouth in protest, "No, sweetie … not everything. I need to – there are things that I, that we – need to keep to ourselves, that only concern us. I'm sorry, but I can't talk about that."

Rachel's face fell at that and she looked away and bit her lip.

"Well … alright."

Monica looked surprised. "Really?"

"Well yeah! I can understand that."

"Do you? Do you really?"

"Yes! It doesn't mean that I like it, but - - yeah! I think so!" And when Monica still looked skeptic, "I didn't give you away, did I? Come on, you have to admit, I could have let on."

"You did try –"

"Yes, at first, because I was so mad when you lied to me." Suddenly she chuckled. "You really had me there. I still couldn't believe it, even though I'd talked to Joey about it, and when you denied it, I was really confused."

Monica just smiled a little wistfully and Rachel leaned back in her seat.

"Though we really should have found out sooner. All those weird things happening … Oooh, remember when I walked in on you?"

"Oh god yes!"

"So you were really waiting for Chandler – oh my god. And when you said your secret boyfriend was the best you ever had-"

"It made him dance on the table." Rachel clapped her hand to her mouth.

"Oh my god, of course! That's why he did that! Oh my god …"

"And it was his underwear that Phoebe found on the sofa. Not Joey's." Rachel's face nearly turned purple at that. "So now can you understand why I couldn't tell you?"

Rachel dabbed at her eyes. "Yeah … oh god, yes, I think so." Then she sighed deeply. "Alright. But can you tell me one thing at least? Just one?"

"That depends …"

"Is he the One?"

Monica stared. "What - - um. Oh god." Then she took a deep breath. "Yes. Yes, I think he is."

Rachel's gaze softened. "Really? Are you sure?"

Monica sat down again, facing her over the table and smiling.

"Yes. Yes I'm sure."

"Oh … Monica, oh god, I'm so happy for you! Yes, I am!" Suddenly she grinned. "And I have to say, I kinda admire your guts too."

"My guts? Why?"

"I don't think I could have done that. Gone to one of the guys for sex just like that –"

"Well, I was really drunk. And really frustrated. And lonely." Monica grimaced. "If you had been there-"

Rachel's eyes widened. "Oh my god! You're right!"

"And if you hadn't gone to Greece, we probably wouldn't have carried on here either."

"Oh wow! So what you're saying is that it couldn't have happened if – if I had done things differently."

Monica smiled. "Well, I guess my mother's to blame too, and that guy who thought I was Ross' mother, but yeah, I really think most of it was your doing."

"Ooh, that's really great. But say, doesn't that mean you kinda owe me - ?"

"Nice try."

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By evening all of them except Ross and Phoebe were back in the guys' apartment, watching TV and relaxing while they waited for Ross who had left them when they had finally finished clearing out the apartment, and merely told them that he had 'to see someone about something'. Monica vaguely thought that she should be annoyed about this, or maybe anxious, but she was too tired to be either. And too horny. Sitting in the Barcalounger with Chandler or rather almost lying on him while they cuddled and exchanged little kisses every now and then did that to her, and she knew that Chandler was not only very aware of it, but felt the same way. Nothing else mattered to her right now, there would be time enough to deal with Ross once he returned …

"Hey, you two! Get a room!" That was Joey of course who now scowled when Chandler smiled at him and slowly got up, drawing her up with him.

"Um … why, that's a great idea, Joe. I totally forgot we have a room here." And with an arm around her he started to steer her towards the bedroom. Joey's expression changed to one of alarm.

"Wait, in your room? Ugh, I don't want to hear that!" She had already opened her mouth to retort when Chandler tightened his hold on her and she suddenly realized that there was nothing she wanted more right now than to be alone with him – preferably where nobody could see or hear them.

"Um, actually, I don't think I want that either – ", Rachel piped up apologetically from the sofa.

"Why don't you go to your apartment?"

"But what about Ross?"

"He won't be back anytime soon."

"I wish he was though, I'm starving!"

Of course he was. She grinned at Chandler and without further ado they went to the door and across the hall, their arms around each other and pressing close together. Then they were in her apartment and when she closed the door behind them, Chandler put the chain on.

"Just you know, in case Phoebe walks in on us" he explained and she laughed.

"Or maybe Ross!" Now Chandler's expression changed to one of horror and he even checked the door again to make sure the chain held which made her laugh again.

"Oh come on, it's safe! Soo … I take it you don't want to do it in the bedroom?"

"Oh, I wouldn't say that … but on the other hand, we do have some more options now, haven't we? Uh, where are you going?" He followed her to the window and put his arms around her from behind, sliding his hands up and down her sides and over her hips. "Checking on Ross? He hasn't even moved in yet."

"I know! Just wanted to see something."

"And what?" Now one hand crept under her shirt and inched its way towards her breasts while he kissed her neck.

"You know, what Joey said yesterday, about Phoebe and Rachel seeing us from there."

"Ah. Okay –", he rested his chin on her shoulder as he gazed alongside her over to Ugly Naked – former Ugly Naked Guys' apartment. Even though she had spent half the day over there, packing, clearing out and cleaning (Ross had been right, the apartment had been a right mess), she still couldn't get used to the fact that their weird gross neighbor was gone for good. No more peeking across the yard with guilty fascination and horror, checking what the King of Naked Lard might be up to this day. She wondered if it would even be half as fun to check on her brother that way and thought rather not.

"You know, this might actually be the last time we will be able to do it here" Chandler remarked casually, and she turned slightly in his arms to look at him.

"You mean now? Here?"

"Well, the last time was rather spectacular, even for our standards, so- - ummph, mmmh -"

She didn't even let him finish the sentence, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him hard until her breath gave out, all of a sudden frantic with desire. He held her against him with one hand on the small of her back pressing her against him and the other under her thigh, rubbing against her while she clawed at his shirt and pants. When his tongue pushed into her mouth she tried to take as much of it in as she could, moaning and panting impatiently. The way he loosened her bra then and pushed down the zipper of her slacks at the same time made her want to scream, and when she realized that they didn't need to be quiet, not anymore, not ever again, she moaned loudly, working herself slowly towards screaming, yelling at the top of her voice when she felt him cupping and kneading her buttocks, his fingertips already probing for her clit. They swayed to and fro in front of the window for a little while longer until she couldn't hold out any more and let herself sink to the floor, pulling him down with her. She ended up on top of him, lying on him full length, pushing up his t-shirt while they kissed, with his hands still busy at her breasts and between her legs. Somewhere at the edge of her attention she heard indistinct shouting, but couldn't bring herself to care ...

"Chandler!"

What the hell?! It sounded like someone screaming Chandler's name, yelling his head off and at her apartment door too -

"CHANDLER!"

It was Ross. Her brother, and now he was furiously rattling the door trying to open it while he continued to scream through the crack -

"Chandler, I saw what you were doing through the window! Chandler, I saw what you were doing to my sister! Now get out here!"

She had jumped up and started to pull her pants up almost before she had fully realized what was going on. Ross had found out. Her brother had – oh my god, it didn't bear thinking.

Chandler too had jumped up as if someone had set fire under his ass and pulled up his zipper so fast it almost caught.

"Well! Listen, we had a good run." He tried hard to appear casual, but his wide eyes and the breathless tremor in his voice were a dead giveaway – not that she could blame him. "What was it? Four? Five months? I mean, that's more than most people have in a lifetime! So, good-bye, take care, bye-bye then!"

When he kissed her hurriedly and then started to scramble on the desk at the window, she realized that he really wanted to run.

"What are you doing?!"

"Oh, I'm going on the lam." Almost conversationally, but she could feel him shaking under her hands. More than anything it brought her back to reality again. And made her feel indignant too – no scratch that. It made her hopping mad. What in the world gave Ross the right to scare them like that? How dare he?

"Come on Chandler, come on, I can handle Ross." It was only her brother after all, she had handled him ever since she was old enough to walk. She could handle this too.

So she marched to the door, tagging Chandler behind her, hardly aware that her shirt was buttoned up wrong and her bra still loose, to face down her seething brother, who was pressing his face against the crack while frantically fumbling at the chain in his efforts to undo it. "Hold on!" When she glared at him sternly and slapped his hand, he drew it back reluctantly. For a split second she hesitated, wondering if this was really wise, but then pushed the thought away and opened the door, facing him squarely.

"Hey Ross. What's up bro?"

Their eyes locked and held and for a fleeting moment she actually thought she could get him to back off. But then Chandler inadvertently moved behind her and Ross immediately charged, pushing her to the side as he jumped on him like a mad bull. The next thing she knew they were already chasing each other around the kitchen table, with Chandler seemingly running for his life and Ross in hot pursuit, practically frothing at the mouth.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Once around the kitchen table Chandler blindly headed for her, taking refugee behind her back while she tried to wedge herself between him and her wrathful brother.

"Hey, what's - what's going on?!" Oh thank god, Rachel and Joey had finally come to investigate, and their arrival did seem to put a slight damper on Ross' rage. Hopefully they wouldn't make it worse ... Still, she was glad that Chandler took it upon himself to explain.

"Well, I think, I think - Ross knows about me and Monica ..."

"Dude! He's right there!" Oh Joey …

Now Ross stood up straight to vent his rightful anger at them.

"I thought you were my best friend, this is my sister! My best friend and my sister! I - I cannot believe this!"

The way he said it, with quite a bit of hurt mixed in the indignation, did make her feel guilty after all. They really shouldn't have kept him in the dark so long. And now Chandler finally asserted himself again.

"Look, we're not just messing around! I love her. Okay, I'm in love with her."

It made her want to melt into a puddle at his feet again. Just like that her impatience and disgust at Ross' mad behavior vanished and she reached out to take his hand.

"I'm so sorry that you had to find out this way." She put her arm around Chandler, thus creating a bond between him and her brother, who was now staring at them with suspiciously narrowed eyes. "I'm sorry, but it's true, I love him too ..!"

In the laden silence that followed they could have heard a pin drop. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Joey wincing and Rachel staring at them wide-eyed. Ross seemed almost frozen as he considered them, his expression still mistrustful – until it changed, almost in the blink of an eye, to one of pure heartfelt happiness, so fast it left her breathless.

"My best friend and my sister! I cannot believe this!"

To be honest, she couldn't either. Talk about mood swings! And now he crowded in on them joyfully to hug them both at the same time, and motioning to Rachel and Joey to come closer.

"You guys probably wanna get some hugs in too, huh? Big news!"

Rachel smiled indulgently. "Awww, no, it's okay, we've actually known for a while …"

Uh-oh. She could actually feel Ross stiffening as he let her go to confront them up close, his face darkening again.

"What? What? What?! You guys knew?!"

Rachel flinched back and Joey suddenly looked as if he wanted nothing more than to melt into the floor.

"You all knew and you didn't tell me?!"

Rachel swallowed desperately. "Well, Ross, we were worried about you. We didn't know how you were going to react –"

There was a pause again during which Ross digested this, only to perform another complete turnaround in the blink of an eye. These see-saw mood changes were really unnerving. What could have brought her brother to this?

"You were worried about me? You didn't know how I was going to react?" As he reached out to hug them both, they all let out deep sighs of relief, Joey most of all.

"Okay, all right, whew! Now what do you say we all clear out of here and let these two lovebirds get back down to business?!" When Ross glared at him, he frantically tried to backpedal. "Hey-hey-hey, I-I'm just talking here, he's the one doing your sister!"

"JOEY!"

"What? You were doing it, didn't you?"

He had a point there, but more important, she could see her brother start smoldering again and hurried to distract him.

"Ross? Ross! Snap out of it, okay?"

"Hey! What's going on? Ooooh, have you told him already?!"

"Pheebs! There you are! Hey, guess what? Ross found about Monica and Chandler!"

"What? How did you do that?! Oh no, I knew I should have come back sooner!"

"Phoebe, you knew too?"

Phoebe looked at him in surprise while she took off her coat. "Well – yeah. But only since yesterday. Oh isn't it great? When did you find out?"

"Right now, I saw them through the window when I was - - oh my god! Donald!" He put his hands to his head, groaning. "Oh no, I totally forgot about him!"

"Who's Donald?" But Ross had already rushed to the window and started to jump around and wave in front of it frantically. "Donald! Hey!" When that apparently didn't help, he tore open the side window and climbed out on the balcony, shouting at the top of his voice. By then they were all at the window and looking at Ross' apartment where they could dimly see the figure of a man standing in the living-room and now hesitantly returning their wave. When Ross almost seemed to fall over the balcony railing, he drew back in obvious alarm.

"HOLD ON, I'M COMING!" Ross shouted at the top of his voice and then started to climb down the fire escape before they could hold him back.

"Ugh, I hope they fixed that last bit – " Joey craned his head to watch and winced when they all heard a short scream and a thud. "I guess they didn't. Poor Ross … Oh there he is. Can't have been that bad after all."

"He is limping though …"

"Aw that's just a sprain. He'll get over it."

She felt Chandler's arm slipping around her waist and gratefully leaned back against him, closing her eyes while he stroked her hair. It was over. They had done it. Their secret was out, the secrecy finally over. They had taken the step to the next level of their relationship, made it official and public. 21 weeks to the day after they had brought what they had started in London over to New York and kept at it through all their problems, doubts and failings, every crisis only serving to draw them closer together afterwards. She was quite sure that they would continue on this path just like she knew very well that it would need a lot of work and also a good portion of luck.

But the chance was there and it was very real. And she had set her mind on taking it and working it out, cost it what may.

They just had to stay on London Time.

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A/N. Whew. I can't believe this story is finally complete! I must admit that as sad as this makes me it's also something of a relief. To chronicle the story of our favorite couple week by week, especially during those longer breaks between episodes where I had to make everything up from scratch, but also doing justice to the key episodes wasn't easy. But I really loved doing it all throughout those twenty months or so that this took, and I still feel the same way about it. Writing fanfiction hasn't really changed my life, but it has definitely enriched it. Not least because it brought me close to so many lovely people here, writers and readers like me, and I take this opportunity now to give thanks were thanks are due.

First of all there's Starbuckmeggie and Tropicalsummerbreeze, the best fellow-writer/reader and the very best reader ever, and also the best friends and supporters anyone could wish for. I don't think I could have done it without your reviews, comments, PMs, advice or simply just your being there for me. When I started out here I never even dreamed that not only getting to know but also getting so close to such amazing friends was even possible. The same applies to fellow writers StargazingM31 (also for her many beta-reads) and Soligblomma, both of whom sadly seem to have abandoned us entirely for another fandom (I'm not sure they'll even get to read this), of course my dear Simplymondler, and Sere Bing, Matteney and Kimprobable (who I really would like to talk to again – pretty please?) with their wonderful stories, and, last but absolutely not least, BobtheRat who not only manages to make another ship totally fascinating (seriously – at least take a look at David's letter at the end of chapter 11 of 'Conversations after and before' – it's soo good!) but also proved a great sounding board and gave me quite a few useful impulses. Then also to all you who "only" read (but where would we be without you?!) and reviewed soooo many times and chapters again and again, especially Chrisi2503 whose reviews are always and ever so honest and insightful and true, and Singmyangel on whom I've come to depend so much, my special thanks. I know that writing reviews is hard, much harder than one would think, so I love you especially for doing it so often for me. Also EveEvelina, Grace, Judy, Mondler2014, RupeeGal15, Hadley, hugefriendsfan00 and various guests, plus all the lovely people who 'only' favorited the story and/or chose to follow it, and finally all those countless people all over the world who leave their traces in my traffic stats. I'm forever thrilled by your showing up there every single time I look at them, even after two years here on the board, and I hope I won't let you down ever.

If you liked this, stay tuned for the next installment. I'm not quite sure yet how far I will take it and if the next break should be Vegas or the engagement, but I'll work it out soon – that's a promise. So take care and bye bye then! For now …