OCTOBER 1998-NOVEMBER 1998

Joey was the first to discover that Monica and Chandler were a couple. It had happened soon after that failed trip to Atlantic City. Chandler knew the look on Joey's face when things suddenly hit him. He knew that look of shock, his eyes bugging out of his head, his mouth dropping. Chandler knew the signs and when Phoebe had casually mentioned to Monica about seeing Donald Trump in Atlantic City, something Chandler had mentioned to Joey and Monica had asked to borrow Rachel's eyelash curler because she lost hers...Chandler watched that look appear on Joey's face and had to act fast. Chandler and Monica immediately convinced Joey to keep it quiet although as soon as that happened, Chandler knew something else. He owed Joey two hundred bucks.

"Haven't I given you enough money?" Chandler asked, a few days after Joey had found out. Chandler had been sitting in his chair, reading when Joey walked up to him, palm outstretched not saying a word.

"You owe me two hundred bucks."

"Why can't I subtract that from the money you owe me?" Chandler asked.

"I want my money, bitch."

Chandler laughed as he walked over to the counter and opened one of the drawers pulling out his checkbook. Slamming the checkbook down on the counter, he looked at Joey and shook his head.

"You are the most expensive friend I have ever had," Chandler said.

"But...we're not just friends, we're family. You're my brother and the bond between brothers is far stronger, don't you think?" Joey asked, giving him a smile and a sad look. Chandler let out a sharp breath, he hated when Joey played that card. He always fell for it Chandler wrote the check and held it up.

"Here you go, asshole...and you can't say crap like that for another year," Chandler said as he handed the check to Joey.

"Fine," Joey said grinning as he looked at the check. His eyebrows suddenly raised when he noticed the line where Chandler wrote what the check was for. On the line, he had written, 'gay sex-thanks for a great time'. He looked back at Chandler who was grinning wildly.

"What? Something wrong?"

"No."

"You gonna cash that check?" Chandler asked.

"Maybe later," Joey said.

"I think you should cash it now," Chandler.

"I don't have too."

"I think you should...I mean, we are family and as brothers, it's only fair that if someone gives you a check, you cash it," Chandler said, grinning.

"Alright, fine...I'll cash it. Then I'll buy you a dildo," Joey said, grabbing his jacket and walking out the door, Chandler following closely behind.

"No need...I'll just borrow yours," Chandler said, before stopping, "do you think we're too close."

"Probably just a little," Joey said as they walked out. Joey did end up cash the check and instead of buying sex toys for Chandler, instead they headed to Central Perk for coffee.

"So you and Mon are really gonna keep this secret?" Joey asked.

"Yeah."

"How? 'Cause to be honest, you two suck at keeping it secret."

"I agree but...everyone seems to be buying it. We want it to just...keep it between us. I'm enjoying just getting to know her."

"So how was Atlantic City? Didn't seem like a good time."

"I-I was ready to kill her," Chandler said, "but I like her, Joe. I've always liked her. More than Lizzie or Janice...or even Kathy. Monica is...well, crazy...but she's just...yeah I like her a lot.

"I know."

"Hi," Ross walked into the Central Perk, his "hi" sounding like he was carrying the weight of the world. After trying so desperately to keep his marriage to Emily from failing, it had completely crashed and burned with Emily deciding that she could no longer trust Ross. His life was falling apart. He had sold all of his belongings, he had moved out of his apartment but nothing had worked.

"Wow...that's a loaded hi," Chandler said.

"I'm homeless. Remember how I was living in Emily's cousin's place...he kicked me out. Apparently because we're no longer family," Ross said, collapsing into a chair.

"You should've let me take the fall...I said I would tell Emily-" Chandler said.

"No, no...I'm not...no...and it was ridiculous. Rachel is my best friend," Ross said.
But...I have no home."

"You can stay with us until you get back on your feet," Joey offered before looking at Chandler. "Is that alright?"

Chandler took a deep breath. Having Ross live with them would be difficult for him and Monica, but he had no choice.

"Sure, yeah...of course," Chandler said. Ross immediately thanked them and headed off to pack his stuff, leaving Chandler and Joey alone.

"Should I have not done that?" Joey asked.

"No, no...he needs a place to stay and...Mon and I will figure something out."

"What do you think Ross will do when he finds out about you banging his sister?"

"Classy and I prefer not to think about that."

"Hey, I realized something...you banged my sister, you're banging Ross' sister-"

"It's not...banging."

"It's still weird."

Chandler shook his head as he began thinking about what to do with Ross. Joey was right, Ross had to stay somewhere and he'd stay with them and when he explained the situation to Monica, she agreed with Joey as well. They would have to be more careful now about sneaking around, they might need to sneak out to hotels to try not to get caught by Ross. Joey did try to help by saying that when they wanted time alone, he'd take Ross out to dinner or something. It would be tricky but Monica and Chandler still weren't ready to tell.

Living with Ross though brought back all sorts of memories, mainly unpleasant. Of course they now lived in an apartment that was bigger than a college dorm but the problem became that it was now three of them instead of two. Chandler and Joey with a few exceptions, had really gotten along well as roommates. They were as anyone who knew them would agree, more than roommates, they were brothers and they also knew how to be roommates. Chandler had spent the last fifteen years with roommates and Joey had always had grown up around large groups of people, whether at home with two parents and seven sisters or when he moved out of his house and lived in lofts and apartments with a large group of friends. Both guys knew how to live with not a lot of space and that could have been one of the reasons they had always managed to get along so well. They knew how to live with others, Ross really never seemed to know how. He had lived with Chandler for four years and Chandler hadn't killed him but Chandler had always attributed that to the fact that he drank a lot in college and therefore was able to tolerate Ross.

But now, Ross' annoyances came back full force. He suggested the foosball table be moved into Joey's room and then there was the constant asking for the two boys to be quiet and of course the humidifier. That G-d awful humidifier...how had that made a reappearance? That sound, that horrible sound of humidifier magic. All the memories of living with Ross came rushing back now that he was living with him and Joey.

"I may have to start drinking excessively again," Chandler said, lying in Monica's bed. It was late at night and he had snuck into Monica's room. The two lay side by side after having had an evening of love making. Monica let out a laugh as she turned to look at him.

"What?"

"I realized that the only reason I got through college living with Ross is by drinking a lot. I think I wanna start doing that again."

"Okay...um, first, love discussing my brother after we've had sex. Nothing turns me on more," Monica said, sarcasm dripping from every word. Chandler reacted by nodding.

"Impressive use of sarcasm," Chandler grinned.

"Thank you...you have taught me well," Monica said. "Second, it's fine...he's going through a rough time."

"He has the humidifier again."

"Yeah, that thing is horrible, isn't it?" Monica asked.

"And the quiet hands-"

"He did that in college?" Monica asked.

"Yes."

"I told him not to do that."

"You did?" Chandler asked.

"Yes...I said if you do that in college, someone will hit you."

"I almost did."

"You really hated my brother when you first met him?"

"Yes. I was far closer to Kip. Ross would complain about me partying a lot and would like not wanna leave the dorm...he was a party killer. There were several times I wanted to kill him."

"Why did you choose to live with him again?" Monica asked.

"'Cause he took care of me...he invited me to Thanksgiving at your house...at the end of the day, he was a pretty damn good friend. He always drove my ass back home. He may not have been happy about it...but he still did it. I liked that I could count on him."

"Return the favor. Chandler, you were not easy to live with in college," Monica said.

"How do you know?"

"Ross and I talked...is it true that you and Lizzie once did it in a parking lot behind a Taco Bell?" Monica asked. Chandler looked at her. It had been a very long time ago, he and Lizzie were freshmen in college and were feeling frisky and ended up having sex in a parking lot but it wasn't a Taco Bell.

"It was a Wendy's," Chandler corrected. "He told you that?"

"Oh yeah and that he drove you home practically every night and had to listen while Kip and Gandalf would make fun of him for being younger than you guys...and also 'cause my brother was a dork. The only reason he hung out with those two was 'cause of you."

"Really?"

"Yeah...I asked him that once after he was complaining about how Kip and Gandalf had made fun of him about something and he said that he thought you were pretty cool. He hated those two...be his friend, Chandler. I know it's difficult, but..."

"Alright...he thought I was cool?"

"Well yeah...and a bit of a douche bag."

"Won't argue with that."

"But you...you got him to loosen up and enjoy college...be nice to him."

"I will," Chandler said as he leaned in to share one last kiss with Monica before sitting up and placing one leg on the ground as he looked over at her, "here's another thing I didn't think of."

"What?"

"Ross is on my couch. It's three am, how the hell am I going to get back into my apartment?"

"Oh...well, I mean, what did you do when you had to share a dorm with him?"

"He often drove me home."

"Always?"

"No...okay, alright...I'll do what I did in college," Chandler said as he swung his other leg off the bed and pulled on his boxers and shirt. He shuffled his way towards Monica's door and slowly opened it. He looked back once more and ran back to kiss her goodnight before walking back to the door. He slowly crept across the apartment, stealing glances at Rachel's door. Although, she seemed to be able to sleep through anything. He had been sneaking out of their apartment late at night for about six months and still had yet to be caught. He wrapped his hand around the knob and slowly opened the door and walked out into the hall. He took a deep breath as he stared at he stared at his apartment. He wrapped his hand around the knob and as slowly as he could, he opened his front door. He slipped into his apartment and slowly shut the door, being quiet. He turned and looked over at Ross who was sound asleep. Then instead of walking towards his room, he inched towards the bathroom. As he made his way towards the bathroom, Ross let out a groan.

"Chandler," Ross moaned.

"Oh, sorry man...did I wake you? I had to use the bathroom," Chandler said.

"Oh," Ross said as he fell back to sleep. Chandler smiled as he walked towards his room. He walked in and noticed a big lump under his bed. He was nervous at first but quickly tore off the covers to find pillows there to look like someone was sleeping there. There was note on one of the pillows. He picked it up and turned on the lamp next to his bed. In Joey's writing was, "you owe me. Next time, don't make it obvious you're not home." He smiled and turned to the wall they shared mouthing, 'thanks'. He fell back onto his bed and soon fell asleep.

Things really needed to change with Ross. Joey and Chandler had gotten so fed up and tried to be sneaky, trying to get Ross to get a horrific apartment but they felt bad so they purposely made sure he didn't get it...or at least Chandler did, but they knew things needed to be changed or else Chandler felt he might end up killing Ross.

"Remember in college when I told you that I would take a bat to the humidifier if you didn't get rid of it?" Chandler asked, sitting in his chair. Joey was plopped in his chair and Ross was sitting on one of the stools. The three were discussing the living arrangements.

"It's a much better humidifier," Ross said.

"I have a much better bat," Chandler grinned.

"You wouldn't-"

Chandler didn't wait for Ross to finish, instead walking into his room and walked out carrying a bat. Ross' eyes widened.

"You really wanna try me?" Chandler asked.

"Alright, you win. I'll turn it off," Ross said, unplugging the humidifier and returning to his stool. Chandler walked back to his chair, still clutching his bat.

"How did you two ever survive college together?" Joey asked.

"I was his designated driver," Ross said.

"You know, I saved your ass many times," Chandler said.

"Hardly enough."

"Hey...I drove you cross country...right?"

"With Kip and Gandalf making fun of me about how I couldn't drink the entire way, right?" Ross asked.

"Oh, wait...Chan, you told me about that? The Disneyland trip," Joey said.

"You told him?" Ross asked, sounding nervous.

"Yes, but-" Chandler tried, noticing Ross' change in demeanor.

"I was working at Disney when you were there. I quit after I had to clean up the shit on Space Mountain," Joey said.

"You told him I did that?" Ross said, his eyes widening. Chandler bit his lip.

"What?" Joey asked.

"No, Ross. I said that Kip had done that," Chandler said, enunciating every word. Ross' face began to turn bright red.

"Oh, gross...that was you?" Joey asked.

"No, no...it wasn't...it-"

"Oh, that's sick. Maybe you should move into that tiny apartment."

"I-I-you were there?" Ross asked.

"I found out when Joey had moved in. Remember how I tried to hook up with Snow White and she ended up walking off with some other guy. Joey was the other guy," Chandler said.

"I was trying my luck in California. But the day I had to clean up your shit, I moved back here to the apartment with Shane and the Swedish Flight Attendants," Joey said.

"I had said Kip had done it because he was going to meet you," Chandler said.

"Thanks...okay, but this...you can't tell the girls," Ross said.

"Only if I can break the humidifier," Joey said. Ross let out a sigh and nodded. Chandler handed Joey his bat. Joey got up and began smashing the humidifier to pieces. It was almost symbolic, the breaking of the humidifier was almost like starting anew...sorta.

It was slowly starting to get easier to live with Ross. Chandler would sneak in and out of the apartment, sometimes with Joey's help. Soon it was Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving seemed to be the time in which secrets were exposed. Rachel had been the one to bring up the idea of discussing horrific Thanksgivings and Chandler kicked it off by sharing the one about his parents telling him about their divorce. That memory still scarred. A close second came that Thanksgiving where he landed in the hospital because Monica had cut off his toe. That had been a horrific night, indeed and he had never known why until it came out that it was because a year earlier he had called Monica fat and Monica had overheard. He was angry. It was that...that had started everything.

"Chandler, please...listen-" Monica cried when Chandler stormed out of the girl's apartment.

"I need...just leave me alone."

"I never meant for you to get hurt...I-"

"I hate this stupid holiday. Everything crappy happens on this day...I just...I wanna be alone," Chandler said walking into his apartment and shutting the door behind him. He fell onto his bed. Everything had gone to hell after that Thanksgiving. He pictured Monica leaning over the toilet. He got hooked on drugs. It was...and then he remembered the Thanksgiving when he was ten and his parents celebrating their divorce and his dad leaving the next day. It really was am awful day.

Soon, he felt someone lay on the bed next to him. He let out a sigh, not really caring who it was.

"Hey," Phoebe said.

"I'm not taking drugs," Chandler said, not sure why he felt the need to say that. He just did.

"I didn't say you were. Monica's really upset. Rachel didn't know that you had turned to drugs after and-and Monica's blaming herself for it."

That always killed him. He knew Lizzie had once said it, that it was Monica's fault that he had turned to drugs or gotten hooked on the pills. He knew Monica had said it was a ridiculous comment but he knew, he knew that Monica blamed herself.

"I've told her she doesn't have to," Chandler said as he rolled over and sat up so he was side by side with Phoebe.

"I know but it's Monica...and you know she cares about you."

"I-just...I don't..they gave me pills for that. I took them and then I took more. I was...Ross and I got into a huge fight because I wasn't doing well. I almost flunked out of school. G-d, I've always been so screwed up."

"You were never given a chance."

"Neither were you. You know, I was given LSD once. By my mom's boyfriend at the time. He said it was like candy. I thought it was cool. I haven't done it since. Oh and one of my mom's boyfriends felt me up," Chandler said, wanting to just talk to someone and it seemed there would be no one better than Phoebe.

"What?" Phoebe asked.

"Yeah, he came into the theater in our house which was my favorite place and then touched me well...there."

"Oh, G-d...Chandler," Phoebe said.

"Yeah...but um...yeah, I don't blame Monica for me developing a drug addiction. I wish I had been strong enough to fight it. I wish I had been strong enough to fight all of it. I wanna be as strong as you Pheebs. How did you get so strong?" Chandler asked, truly wanting to know. Phoebe just seemed to be this pillar of strength. The epitome of what it meant to be strong. He wished some of that would rub off on him.

"You're pretty damn strong too, you just don't think you are and I had a drug addiction. After that movie I saw with you, when I was almost stabbed to death...I got really angry and I gave up. I mean, I was homeless. Who the hell would care if I lived or died? So...I turned to drugs and then was captured by that pimp after I stole his car and crashed it. I escaped and was arrested on my seventeenth birthday and spent the rest of the year locked up."

Chandler didn't know that. It tore him up to hear that. They were connected, the two of them. They had had so much crap and no one really cared to ask if they wanted to deal with such crap.

"Wow...why did people screw us up so badly? What the fuck did we do?" Chandler asked.

"I don't know. But you can't blame Monica...or Rachel. Monica's yelling at her."

"Rachel didn't know and I certainly don't blame Monica."

"I know, you blame you," Phoebe said.

"Well...I mean, I-I should've-"

"What? What should you have done?" Phoebe asked.

"I don't know...I would have known not to take LSD...or I would have kicked Rick...the guy who felt me up...I would have kicked his ass-"

"You were a kid," Phoebe said.

"Doesn't matter. But you know...I would have missed you, had that guy actually killed you when you were sixteen. You would always hold a special place in my heart as one of the first girls to ever reject me," Chandler grinned.

"I didn't reject you. You want your other toe cut off?"

Chandler let out a snort as Phoebe playfully smacked him. "You wanna know something? After that Thanksgiving where my parents told me they were divorcing? They had a huge party that night in the club-" Chandler began.

"You had a club and movie theater in your house?"

"And a pool house and a bowling alley."

"Crap. Why did you ask for my number? You should have just taken me home with you," Phoebe said.

"Had I known you were homeless, I would have...but yeah, they had a party and I was there and they were celebrating. I had just puked all of my Thanksgiving dinner and I was really upset. I knew their marriage wasn't perfect...my dad is gay...but still. But they were partying and I remember seeing my father snorting lines of coke with his boyfriend and my mom brought me booze. Jack and coke, I think. I drank a lot. I got wasted. So I stole a bottle of Jack and went into the theater and watched movies until I passed out. The next morning, I was hung over...I walked outside and saw my dad leave. He never said goodbye. He saw me, he turned around and looked at me, got in the car and left. I never forgot that. I wasn't worth saying goodbye too...or staying for."

Phoebe reached for Chandler's hand and squeezed it. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.. He smiled as he looked at her.

"Chandler, listen to me. You are worth it. You're worth staying for and well...I don't ever plan on saying goodbye to you. But I will always be there. I mean, you and I...we're a lot a like."

"You're stronger."

"Yeah but...Joey said to me once that the difference between you and me is that even when I was on the street, I still had friends. I had Marjorie, I had Lowell...I even had Duncan for awhile. I was never completely alone. It sucked and there were nights where I almost lost my life, but I had someone there. Lowell would steal us all food and booze and we found a way to survive together. You really did have to figure out a way to survive...alone."

"Well, I was surrounded by adults all the time and I had my movies but none of the parents wanted their kids playing with me at my house and besides...I mean, by the time I was eleven, I had already gotten wasted, stoned and high...none of my other classmates could say that."

"By the time I was eleven? Well, my father had vanished when I was a baby. My step dad had been arrested for selling drugs to buy gifts for me and Ursula and my mother was depressed a lot."

"Wow...this is quite a game we're playing," Chandler said.

"I know."

Chandler let out a laugh as Rachel appeared in the doorway of Chandler's room. She looked sad.

"Room for one more member in the Children of Divorce club meeting?" Rachel asked.

"Always, come here," Chandler said.

Rachel let out a sigh and walked to the bed where she sat on the other side of Chandler."I'm sorry, Chandler...I didn't know that the toe cutting incident had been the catalyst for all that other stuff. I really thought it would be funny."

"I know," Chandler said.

"And really...it was my idea. I was the one who came up with the idea of getting you naked so Monica could steal your clothes. I didn't tell her to use a knife in the scenario but you also called my best friend fat and I had a rule...I still do...I can treat Monica like crap, no one else is allowed to. So when you called her fat...you had to pay. Not by losing a toe...but you know, general humiliation."

"Well, you succeeded," Chandler said.

"I'm sorry," Rachel said.

"It's okay," Chandler said.

"What were you two talking about?" Rachel asked.

"Comparing notes...of our youth," Phoebe said.

"You two? Well, that just sounds like fun. What next? You two gonna go jump off a bridge to see who could jump higher as you plummet to your deaths into the river?" Rachel asked.

"Next week," Chandler said.

"Ahhhh," Rachel said. "Hey, can I ask you something, Chandler?"

"What?" Chandler asked.

"Well, you know I love you right? But...are you ever gonna be happy?" Rachel asked.

"Oh, that's my dream, Rach. That Chandler one day says everything is finally good enough," Phoebe said.

"I don't think you ever will. I think you like this. I think you're so used to being alone and having everything in chaos that you don't...that being happy just seems so foreign to you. I mean, like I look at Phoebe and she had shit happen to her and...she didn't let the chaos destroy her. You seem so willing to let the chaos destroy you and I don't get that. Look at what you have. You have a job. Sure, you don't like it...but you have one. I'm convinced you have a girlfriend you're not telling us about and I think she's my roommate-"

"Rach-" Chandler began.

"I'm not done...and you have friends and I keep telling you, you got the five of us for life. We're not going anywhere, but I don't know if you believe it and I think part of you wants us to desert you so you can say, 'hey I was right,'" Rachel said.

Phoebe and Chandler both looked at Rachel. Rachel just didn't get it. She couldn't get it. Her life had always been wonderful. Sure, they were now friends and had come a long way since their days of hating each other, but she still didn't get it.

"You don't get it though...you grew up in a perfect little world with just everything perfect," Chandler said.

"Excuse me, my parents divorced and I ran out on a wedding," Rachel said.

"When you were an adult and more apt to handle it," Chandler said.

"Huh," Rachel said as she let out a sigh. She looked over at Phoebe and Chandler and shifted a little uncomfortably. "I had an abortion."

"What?" Phoebe and Chandler both asked together.

"Monica doesn't know about this. Neither does Ross. Hell, my parents don't even know. Only my sister, Amy. She was nineteen at the time and took me to her doctor and gave permission and all that. I was sixteen. Chip and I had sex and...I got pregnant. Chip doesn't even know that this happened. I really never told anyone. I got pregnant and Amy took me. So no, Chandler...I had shit. It was scary and painful and I wanted to tell Monica but I thought she would say something. You two can't say anything. Maybe if I'm pregnant again one day...I'll say something. But that's my secret and we all have crap. So don't think I had it perfect...I just worked really hard to make it look that way because I refuse to let my crap destroy me," Rachel said.

And then suddenly, it all clicked. He looked at Rachel, her face falling. Monica and Ross had said that Rachel had been out of control, over the top emotional about that prank of covering her car with peanut butter. They had said it was a little odd. His heart sank to his stomach when he wondered about the timing of his prank. He remembered Nancy making some comment about Rachel having just had an abortion but he had blown it off thinking it had just been a nasty comment. But...was it true? He felt awful, knowing he'd have to discuss this with Rachel later.

"I'm sorry, Rach," Chandler said.

"Me too," Phoebe said.

"And in response to what you said...I do believe you five are going to stick with me. I do. I don't think you're going to wake up one day and decide to no longer be my friend and I do know I make it hard and I don't know why. There are certain parts of my life I am happy about," Chandler said.

"Like your new girlfriend you're not telling us about?" Rachel asked.

"I'm not...I-" Chandler said.

"Alright, here's my advice then...don't fuck it up. Even though neither one of you are confirming anything and being weird...just don't fuck it because you know you can't do any better and for that matter, neither can she," Rachel said.

"Really? You think so?" Chandler asked, thrilled by that. He knew that he could not do any better than Monica. Could Rachel really believe Monica couldn't do better than him? That was a nice thought.

"Oh, yeah. Monica has seemed a lot calmer and a little more laid back lately...I'd like to think you had something to do with that," Rachel said.

That made him smile as the three sat there, quietly. Chandler liked thinking that he was responsible for calming Monica, at least a little. He began feeling a little better, but one thought kept nagging him. Rachel's story. He wanted to talk to her alone and soon got that chance when Joey came in to tell them he was getting coffee. Phoebe decided to join him, Rachel was going to but Chandler held her back. Rachel smiled at him, simply nodding as if she knew what he wanted to ask. Soon they were alone and Chandler was trying to find a way to ask her...but Rachel seemed to know immediately as if she had read his mind.

"Two weeks," she said plainly.

"Two weeks?"

"I had the abortion, two weeks later I cheered at a game...probably not smart of me, but I did and at that game, I punched a guy in the face after he asked if I had a penis and then I went for dinner and came back to see my covered with peanut butter and the word COYOTE on the windshield. I knew who it was immediately, I did recognize you that day. I just...I wasn't in a good place and I shouldn't have pretended not to know who you were...but yeah, it was two weeks," Rachel said.

"Oh, Rachel...I-I don't-I'm so sorry. If I had known-"

"You didn't...but you did hurt me. Your comments...even at Thanksgiving, hurt me. You said once that looking at me, you could tell I was dead inside. It killed me when you said that...I know you didn't know and your friend Tyler didn't know but...it still hurt."

"I'm so sorry and if Tyler had known...I apologize on his behalf too. I've been friends with the guy for fifteen years. He would not have said that if he had known."

"I know and don't tell him. I know he's your friend but I don't know him very well."

"I won't. G-d, Rach...G-d, I was an asshole back then."

"You're not now."

"Thanks...hey, how did Nancy know?" Chandler asked.

"Nancy didn't know."

"She did...that game, Nancy was being brutal to Monica...and you, actually and she said you had had an abortion...I thought she was just being a bully."

"She probably was," Rachel said, looking at him and soon she began crying as Chandler immediately put his arm around her, comforting her, "But see, there's more to this story...it's my fault. I lied. Maybe I didn't forsee everything that would happen but I wanted revenge on you and I was mad you called Monica fat but I was even more mad about what you did to me so I pushed for her to humiliate you. I didn't want her to maim you and I really didn't think you'd end up with a drug problem...but I felt so responsible. I did and then when she called and left messages and said you got hooked on the pain killers they gave and...I just felt so bad. It was my fault. It's why I ended my friendship with Monica...I'm so sorry."

Rachel was sobbing as Chandler hugged her. Rachel buried her face in his shoulder, shaking. He felt horrible, wishing he could go back and not do that prank.

"Rachel, no...this was my fault."

"Please, please take care of yourself," Rachel said, looking at him, "keep being healthy and...and take care of Monica too. She didn't lose two hundred and forty pounds in a year through diet and exercise. I used to bully her too like Nancy and...I know she didn't and..."

"Rachel?" Monica was standing in the doorway of Chandler's room. Chandler and Rachel looked at her, tears streaming down her face. Rachel immediately got up and walked towards Monica, hugging her. Monica hugged back. Chandler smiled as they soon stopped hugging and Rachel walked out of the room. Monica walked into Chandler's room and lay beside him.

"How much did you hear?" Chandler asked.

"Enough...she knew?

"Well, yeah...I didn't tell her I caught you."

"Thanks. G-d, that night was awful."

"I know. I was a horrible person back then and you know that the drugs and stuff, that's not your fault...I don't ever want you taking blame for that. I love you, Mon."

"What?" Monica asked, a little surprised. Chandler was a little surprised as well. He never threw those three words around. Ever since Lizzie had countered his "I love you" with "oh crap", he never really used those words.

"Um...nothing?"

"You love me?"

"No."

"You do...you love me."

"Maybe."

"You love me?" Monica asked.

"There might be that possibility," Chandler said.

"Good. 'Cause I love you too."

"Good," Chandler said as he leaned in. The two shared yet another deep kiss. Maybe this could rank right up there with one of the better Thanksgivings. It was ending much better than it started.