May 2002-December 2002

He had gone to Tulsa. She wasn't sure whether she should kill him or just cry. He had accidentally volunteered to go to Tulsa for work and Monica had contemplated going with him but she had gotten a dream job being the head chef at a restaurant she has always wanted to work at and also to have a staff that finally liked her...that was just too good to pass up. It was the dream but she truly hated having her husband be in Tulsa for a job he hated in the first place. They did talk every single day although recently, his most common complaint was once again about Phoebe. When Chandler had said farewell to them, Phoebe had shoved him out the door. It irritated Monica and it was equally annoying that their conversations were revolving around this.

"She doesn't hate you," Monica groaned.

"She shoved me out the door."

"Maybe she's upset you went to Oklahoma, that's why I'm upset."

"I lost a friend."

"You did not lose a friend," Monica said.

"Well, maybe now that I'm gone, she'll hook you up with Don, the Soul Mate."

"She doesn't hate you."

"Yeah...I guess...so...what are you wearing?" Chandler asked, quickly changing the subject. Monica laughed a little. This was also becoming common. Phone sex. That occurred every single night which Monica would have been okay with had they not been trying to have a child. He was home a few nights a week which was great but not enough, in her mind every second he was in Tulsa was another wasted second in which they could be trying to conceive. Every single night was spent going through the baby name book and putting together a brand new book.

She began to research schools and places to go in Westchester. There was the Pelham Picture House, a theater from the 1920's that she knew Chandler would love and maybe in the fall, she and Chandler could take their kids to see the Great Pumpkin which was a manor that had lots of amazing carved pumpkins and then maybe afterwards take them out for pizza at Johnny's. It seemed so amazingly idyllic and she found the perfect street, Ellie's street. She now felt she was in the midst of a full blown secret affair with Westchester and she loved where Ellie lived which was on this amazing cul-de-sac. It felt so remote and it was close to an elementary school that Monica had looked up and found really amazing.

"It's amazing," Monica said as she and Ellie walked up down the house lined street. Ellie was pushing her son in his stroller as Monica took it all in.

"Could you imagine if you lived next door?" Ellie asked.

"That would be incredible. Would you come over uninvited all the time?"

"Oh, hell no. But if you lived next door, I could yell at you through my window."

"Oooo….eventually, I'll have to tell Chandler."

"He's still in Tulsa?"

"Don't even get me started….he hates the job and he's….he needs to quit. I wanna live here. I'm thirty two. He's thirty three. I wanna move on. I do. It is horrible?"

"No. Look the city is amazing and you're still gonna be friends with them. It's not like you'll just stop but it is strange. I mean, you and Chandler are married. You guys have a life although it's weird because your husband doesn't currently live in the same state."

"It is true and also, by the way, Ross and Joey are now fighting."

"Why?"

"Because Joey accidentally but did not really propose to Rachel after she had Emma and Joey had this bizarre crush on Rachel which makes no sense and Phoebe hates my husband….and I am tired. It's the same crap."

"Hmmm...and look okay….Andy and I are here, Grayson lives right down there with his fiancee, Jules and our friend, Bobby lives on a boat. He's best friends with my husband."

"Why does he live on a boat?"

""Cause he's an idiot and oh...Laurie lives close by, we can go to her bakery."

"She owns one now, I forgot….it would be nice."

Ever since Phoebe had entered her life and Rachel and Monica had built their friendship back up again, she had drifted from Ellie and Laurie. Sure, they had seen each other from time to time but it wasn't nearly as much as she saw Rachel and Phoebe. it would be amazing to reconnect with those two again.

As the months went by, Monica was spending more and more time in Westchester. When Chandler was back in Tulsa, she would take the train out to Westchester and have wine with Ellie or eat the most amazing cupcakes from Laurie's bakery. She had drinks at Grayson's bar and met his fiancee, Jules, who was in real estate and told Monica that when she was ready, she would help her and Chandler find a home. It felt so homey, so removed, so adult.

It was now a few days after Halloween and Monica was sitting on her couch looking at more print outs from Westchester. She had found the perfect elementary school but now she was looking at high schools. Joey and Phoebe had both set each other up on blind dates and were out, Ross and Rachel were home with Emma and Monica was in her own world when she jumped at the sound of the phone ringing. She grabbed it and picked it up.

"Hey, it's me….so I had dinner with Lizzie," Chandler began. Monica's eyes widened. She knew Lizzie lived in Tulsa and he went on a date with her?

"You had dinner with Lizzie?" Monica asked.

"Yes, but listen to me-"

"Where did you have sex with her?" Monica asked.

"In the kitchen, with a butcher knife..." Chandler joked.

"What?" Monica asked, not in the mood for his jokes.

"Oh, wait...that's not a joke I should make with you," Chandler said.

"I am going to fly to Tulsa and kill you."

"Oh, Mon...Come on, of all the stupid things you can worry about me doing, you really think I'd ever do that? I may be a drug addict and an alcoholic but I'm not a fucking idiot," Chandler said.

Monica smiled a little at that. It did make her feel happy that Chandler found the mere thought of cheating on her to be ridiculous. He was right though, of everything she could worry about him doing, cheating would be the furthest thing on that list.

"Yeah, you're right...I mean, it's not Yasmine Bleeth."

"Then you could be worried."

"No, not even then 'cause Yasmine Bleeth would totally turn you down," Monica mused.

"You take that back."

"Never...okay, why did you have dinner with Lizzie?"

"Because I have no friends in Tulsa...but that's not what I have to tell you. Okay, you know how Liz and I broke up, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, tonight...I met her daughter, Lauren. She's twelve. Her dad is the guy that Lizzie cheated on me with."

"Yeah."

"Okay...are you alone?" Chandler asked.

"Yes."

"Guess who the guy is?"

"Who?"

"I'll give you a hint...how you doin'?" Chandler said, doing his best Joey imitation.

"Oh my G-d," Monica said, imitating Chandler. She glanced at the front door and she remembered something. That party she had catered back in college for some acting class. Lizzie had been there, she had been all over a guy...an actor. It was Joey?

"I know," Chandler said, now imitating Monica.

"Does Joey know?"

"No. They hooked up, she got pregnant, she tried to call to tell him and-"

"He never called her back," Monica said.

"Exactly and I told Lizzie she needs to come to New York and tell him. I can't keep this from him and-" Chandler said when suddenly there was a beep,"oh, that's Lizzie. Don't hang up."

"You're gonna take her call?" Monica asked.

"Yes, and I'll click back after we have raging phone sex," Chandler said.

"Those jokes are never going to be funny with me," Monica said.

"I love you," Chandler said.

"Screw you...I'll go call Richard," Monica said.

"Fine, tell him thanks for last night," Chandler shot back as he clicked over. Monica let it sink it. She had known Lizzie had cheated, of course, she had actually seen Lizzie cheat….and apparently had met Joey. It was a lot to comprehend. Joey was a father?

"Monica?" Chandler asked when he clicked back.

"Yeah...how was it?" Monica asked.

"Ehhhh...alright, this Saturday night? You, me, Lizzie and Joey...we'll have dinner in New York and Lizzie said she'll tell him. Just make sure Joey doesn't have other plans."

"Okay...but you have to tell Joey."

"Why?" Chandler asked.

"Because if he finds out you knew and didn't tell him, he'll be pissed and it'll be like an ambush. You have to let him know what he's walking into."

"Why can't you do it?"

"Because he likes you more than me."

"That is true...should I tell him now?" Chandler asked.

"No, I think he's on a double date. He and Phoebe set each other up on dates."

"Oh...so Mon, how you doin'?"

Monica laughed as they continued to talk but Monica's mind was whirling. This was insane, everything about this was insane. Joey was a father and hiding it from him was difficult. Every single time she saw him, she thought about it. When Phoebe had told Monica about how Joey had set her up with some random guy named, Mike, Monica wanted to scream at him and tell him he was a father and needed to start acting like one but she was pretty sure that would terrify him although she did find it sweet that Phoebe was actually starting to like this Mike guy.

"He's kinda sweet," Phoebe told her after one of their dates. Their first official date that was not set up by Joey.

"Awww, you like him," Monica said. It was Thursday night, Chandler would be home Friday and Monica had been keeping this secret from Joey for an entire week. She was hanging out in her apartment with Phoebe and Rachel. Monica was holding Emma, her new favorite thing to do when Rachel and Emma came over.

"And guess what else? He knows Chandler. They went to high school together," Phoebe asked.

"Oh my G-d," Monica said.

"Did you know that?" Phoebe asked.

"I didn't know him in high school," Monica said.

"Yeah, Mon and I only had that one run in," Rachel said.

"Oh...he remembered Sally Disisa Corvette. Mike was there when Chandler got the car."

"That was an amazing car," Rachel mused.

"I drove it once on the freeway," Monica said.

"He let you do that?" Rachel asked.

"No, no...it was when he got wasted at a frat party and left me alone on the couch and I was so furious that I left, took his car and took it for a spin. He was not happy," Monica grinned.

"So wait, Joey's set up worked," Rachel said.

"Yeah, although I'm still pissed. Who does that?" Phoebe asked.

"It's Joey," Rachel shrugged.

"Joey's a dad," Monica blurted out. She could not longer hold it in. She had to tell someone. Chandler would tell Joey but she needed to tell people so she told her girls who both stared at her with stunned faces.

"Excuse me?" Rachel asked.

"Okay, alright….you cannot say a word. Neither one of you, we are going to tell Joey this weekend but okay….Lizzie lives in Tulsa and she and Chandler had dinner together," Monica said.

"He had dinner with her?" Rachel asked.

"I got mad at first too...but I trust him. Well, okay, Lizzie cheated on him. That's why they broke up and Chandler found out that Lizzie had daughter with the guy she cheated on Chandler with. Chandler found out at this dinner that the daughter is Joey's," Monica said.

"Noooooooo," Rachel said.

"Oh my G-d," Phoebe said. "And Joey has no clue."

"None. Apparently, Lizzie tried to call Joey to tell him and-"

"He never called her back," Rachel finished.

"Yep." Monica said, "and here's another thing. I was catering in college and I catered some party for an acting class and Lizzie was there and she was all over this one actor guy and I have put it together and that actor guy-"

"-was Joey," Phoebe finished.

"Yeah, 'cause Chandler was in Israel with Ross and was gone all summer and that was the summer Lizzie apparently cheated with Joey and when Chandler and Ross got back, Chandler and Lizzie broke up. That was the 'oh crap' moment when Chandler said he loved her and she said, 'oh crap'...I mean, this is...I've been holding this in all week and I'm about to explode but Joey's a dad." Monica said.

"And Lizzie is coming this weekend?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah and the four of us are going out for dinner but before the dinner, Chandler is going to tell Joey because we don't want him walking into this but...yeah," Monica said as Phoebe and Rachel sat in stunned silence. They both promised Monica they'd keep it quiet but it was just bizarre, crazy. Joey Tribbiani was a father.

Chandler arrived back in New York late Friday night and he spent his night with Monica. She had contemplated telling him that she had told Phoebe and Rachel but she really just wanted to focus on him, on the baby making and then they would worry about Joey. On Saturday, Chandler and Monica decided to do brunch with Joey and Chandler would tell him the news. First though was a coffee break at Central Perk, the perfect start to any day. Chandler missed the Central Perk coffee, it was one of the many things he complained about so before brunch, he, Monica and Joey walked into Central Perk. As they walked in, Monica noticed Phoebe and Mike sitting together.

"Hey, Bing...can I play with your Commodore 64 later?" Mike asked. Monica looked at Chandler and watched as the recognition dawned on him.

"Mike Hannigan. What the hell are you doing here?" Chandler asked as Mike got up to give him a hug.

"I'm going out with Phoebe," Mike said.

"Cool, Mike, this is my wife, Monica and um...my buddy, Joey," Chandler said.

"Joey and I have already met," Mike said.

"Dude, we're not playing that anymore," Joey said.

Chandler looked at Joey, confused. "What?" Chandler asked.

"I'll explain it later, honey," Monica said, patting Chandler on the back as the three took seats. Chandler sat on the other side of Phoebe.

"So you're dating, Phoebe?" Chandler asked.

"Well...yeah, we're dating...right?" Mike asked.

"Yeah," Phoebe said.

"Pheebs is awesome...even though she hates me," Chandler grinned.

"I do not hate you," Phoebe said.

"Oh, you know who Phoebe is, Mike?" Chandler asked. "She's the girl. Remember the blonde chick who blew me off when we went to see the Hot Dog Movie? Phoebe was the blonde chick."

Monica looked at Phoebe who immediately got an alarmed look on her face. It was quite apparent that Phoebe had not told Mike about her past yet.

"Really?" Mike asked.

"I didn't blow you off, Bing. Can we talk about something else?" Phoebe asked.

"Yeah, Mike was supposed to come with us actually, but he didn't want to," Chandler said.

"'Cause it was a horrible movie," Mike said.

"Well, yeah...but it turns out...she was not actually blowing me off. She was homeless," Chandler said, grinning. Monica bit her lip as Phoebe was glaring at Chandler. Chandler's face went blank.

"What?" Mike asked.

"Smooth," Joey said.

"Wait...you were homeless?" Mike asked.

"You haven't told him?" Chandler asked.

"No, Chandler," Phoebe said, glaring at him.

"Crap," Chandler said.

"Honey, let's go for a walk," Monica said, getting up. Chandler nodded and stood up. "Joe, come with us."

"Got it," Joey said standing up. The three walked out of Central Perk and quickly began walking towards Toast, a breakfast place across the street from Central Perk.

"I didn't know she hadn't...well, if she didn't completely hate me before," Chandler said.

"She doesn't hate you," Monica said as the three walked in and got a table. She would have to make a mental note to talk with Phoebe later. But now, the focus was on the present, "Joey...Chandler wants to tell you something," Monica said.

Chandler looked at Monica and then at Joey. "Alright...look, Joe...tonight...okay, it's a double date. Mon and I and you and Lizzie-"

"The 'oh, crap' girl," Joey smiled. "You said 'I love you', she said, 'oh crap'".

"Yeah...she lives in Tulsa now and I...had dinner with her a couple nights ago-"

"Yeah, baby," Joey grinned.

"No. She has a daughter...who is twelve. About twelve, thirteen years ago, Lizzie and I broke up because she cheated and it turns out she had a daughter with the guy she cheated on me with."

"Whoa," Joey said.

"You're the guy," Chandler said.

"What?" Joey asked.

"Joey, apparently, when you slept with her, she got pregnant and she tried to call you and tell you but you never called her back," Monica said.

"No, no...that didn't happened," Joey said.

"Joe, think back. Did you hook up with a girl...who may or may not have mentioned she had a boyfriend who was out of town?" Chandler asked.

"I've hooked up with a lot of girls whose boyfriends may or may not have been out of town," Joey argued.

"Joe," Chandler said.

"No. no...this didn't happen. I don't have a child," Joey said.

"Yes, you do. I've met her. She looks like you. She's your child," Chandler said. "Lizzie didn't want me saying anything but we didn't want you to walk into this. Just..."

"I'm not going to dinner tonight."

"Joey, come on. It's at 7 at Torinos and we'll all sit and-" Monica said.

"No. I'm not doing this, no," Joey said as he got up, throwing his napkin down on the table.

"Joe," Chandler said.

"Leave me alone," Joey said as he stormed out of the restaurant. Monica and Chandler looked at each other.

"Well, that went well," Chandler said.

"Do you think he'll show up?" Monica asked.

"I don't know," Chandler said as he got up and walked out of the restaurant and walked back in and sat back down with Monica. Joey had vanished. Monica wondered if she had made a mistake, but she felt he needed to know.

That night, Monica, Lizzie and Chandler sat at Torinos waiting for Joey. There was some small talk, but it was awkward. Very awkward and they were all waiting on Joey.

"Where is he?" Lizzie asked.

"I don't know," Chandler said.

"Did you tell him?" Lizzie asked.

"I had too...I couldn't-Monica made me," Chandler said.

"What?" Lizzie asked.

"Chandler. Lizzie, I...I thought he should know. I didn't want him to be ambushed but-"

"Well, so he knows and he's not here...I flew out from Tulsa. I left my daughter at my mother's...I...I have...I'm gonna go-"

"Whoa," Chandler said, his phone going off. He grabbed it and noticed the text. It was from Joey. "He's outside. I'll be right back."

Chandler got up and walked out of the restaurant leaving Monica and Lizzie sitting at the table, alone. It was definitely awkward.

"Um….so that guy that you were hooking up when I catered that acting class party?" Monica asked, not really sure if she should ask that.

"That was Joey."

"Thought so."

"You and Chandler are married?" Lizzie asked.

"Yeah….we've been married for a year and a half."

"Wow. He looks good. Really good and he doesn't drink anymore?"

"No."

"So I guess he finally found someone worth living for."

"I'm sorry," Monica said, crinkling her nose.

"Oh, no don't be."

"It was a struggle. He fought it. He's doing really well now, I'm amazed by him every single day," Monica said.

"What the hell is doing in Tulsa?" Lizzie asked.

"I don't know but….hey, he made it past thirty."

"He did."

"Granted, we forgot his thirtieth."

"How?"

"Have no clue. One of the dumbest things I've ever done but...oh and I should probably warn you, Joey and Chandler, they're bizarrely close."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Wow…..I can't believe I'm here."

"I bet...and also by the way, we like Rachel Green now," Monica grinned, knowing that Lizzie had also disliked Rachel at one point.

"That's what I heard."

"I'm sorry she was so mean to you at camp….but she was far worse to me so don't worry about it."

Lizzie laughed as the tension between the two began to slowly fade, "I think I remember your brother liking her and Chandler mentioned something about them having a kid together. What's the story there?"

"Oh, we don't have that kind of time," Monica grinned.

"Alrighty, then…..so, Monica….how are you?"

"Good, really good."

Monica hated to admit it but she kinda liked Lizzie. They would never be best friends, just as how Richard and Chandler would never be best friends, but she could see what Chandler liked about her. Soon Joey and Chandler returned and walked towards the table.

"Joey?" Lizzie asked.

"Lizzie...you never told me you had a boyfriend," Joey grinned, trying to make the moment less awkward.

"Well...yeah, he was out of town," Lizzie said.

"Do they know they're talking about me?" Chandler whispered to Monica as he sat back down next to her. Joey sat next to Lizzie. The tension was thick, no one quite knowing what to say to each other.

"Um...Monica and I were talking and I was telling her that I give her a lot of credit that you're clean and sober...and...yeah," Lizzie said.

"I helped too," Joey said.

"Yeah...both of them. Sorry, Liz," Chandler said.

"That's okay. I'm just glad you're healthy," Lizzie said.

"We all are," Monica said.

"So...Joey...you wanna see a picture of your daughter?" Lizzie asked.

"Yes...but why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you try to get in touch with me? Twelve years," Joey asked.

"I wanted to do it on my own. I know I messed up and...'cause you never called back, I assumed you weren't ready to be a dad."

"I wouldn't have been...I'm still not, but..."

Lizzie reached into her purse and pulled out some pictures. She handed them to Joey, who began looking through them.

"She's beautiful," Joey said.

"Look, I'm not gonna ask you for money and we live in Tulsa...but um, if you want to keep in touch with her or get to know her...I can...we can arrange that," Lizzie said.

"I wanna know her. I should know her," Joey said.

"I think we should go," Monica said. She was starting to feel uncomfortable again. Maybe Lizzie and Joey needed to work on this together?

"What?" Joey asked.

Monica glanced at Chandler who simply nodded as if understanding her immediately.

"Yeah...I think...you need to take care of this," Chandler said. "Give me a call if you need it."

"Okay...and thanks guys," Joey said as Chandler and Monica stood up and walked out of the restaurant into the cold November night, leaving Joey and Lizzie to talk. Chandler placed his arm around Monica, holding her close to him. She wrapped her arm around his waist.

"Do you feel okay leaving them?" Monica asked.

"Yeah, they need to fix this...but I just realized something. At this moment, you and I have the most normal relationship," Chandler said.

"Scary. It's just you need to be back in New York," Monica said before thinking about something. Her mind drifted to Westchester, "actually, can I show you something?"

"Sure," Chandler said.

Monica walked ahead of him and quickly hailed a cab. She wanted to show him, she wanted him to see what she had been falling in love with. She'd have to eventually and maybe now would be a good time. The cab ride took forever and when they finally arrived on Ellie's street, she could not stop grinning.

"Where are we?"

"Westchester," Monica said.

"I know, but why?"

"I wanna move here...this street, here," Monica said, getting out of the cab. She heard Chandler say something to the cab driver and soon appeared next to her.

"What are you talking about?" Chandler asked as they walked, Monica stopped under a street lamp and looked at him.

"Well...I mean, I know it hasn't happened yet...I know I'm thinking way ahead but I was...I was ...I wanna move here. I wanna move to Westchester. Some day. I wanna start our family, you and me. I mean, I love the rest of them...but you and me and our kids. In the suburbs...do you think I'm crazy?" Monica asked. He looked at her and shook his head.

"Not at all," Chandler said.

"And we can use trust fund money for the house and...I just...I love Rachel and Ross and Joey and Phoebe and I want them in our lives forever but I also, I wanna have a grown up life with my husband and kids. I wanna have a life where I'm not consumed with worrying about Ross and Rachel or Phoebe or now Joey finding out he has a child-"

"Please, you'll always be consumed with worry about the four them."

"That's true...but...and I never thought I would say this because I love the city. I love it and I know you do too, I mean we both left the suburbs on purpose to live in the city but...I'm ready. I'm ready to be a grown up and you...you have to quit your damn job," Monica said, grinning.

"Well, now I can't...if we-"

"Chandler, come on...for the past nineteen months, you have been so brave and strong and...I actually admire you. You hate that job and that job is keep us from doing what we want. I want my husband in the same state as me, I don't think that's too much for me to ask. I want you to find what you love and...I wanna move out here and I wanna be a family and...it'll be so much easier to deal with the Ross and Rachel drama if they don't live so close."

"Mmmm, okay...yeah, I think this can work...yeah, should we tell the others?"

"No, G-d no...not until I'm pregnant and you quit your damn job and find something you like to do. You're too old to be in job you hate that much."

Chandler smiled as he and Monica shared a kiss and walked back to the cab. Monica stopped again and looked at him, "actually, Ellie lives close by. Wanna see if she's home?"

"Sure," Chandler said.

Monica smiled as they paid the cab driver and he drove off. They walked towards Ellie and Andy's house. Monica rang the bell and was thrilled they were home. They immediately called Grayson and Jules and Laurie and Travis and invited them all over. It was new group, a group of couples. Chandler, Grayson, Andy and Travis seemed to get along really well. Monica, of course, loved spending time with Ellie, Laurie and Jules. Maybe this would be the entrance to the next stage in their lives. Soon enough, they'd be residents of Westchester.

He just needed to quit his job. Soon it was Christmas and instead of being with Monica, Chandler was back in Tulsa. She hated it. Ross, Joey, Phoebe and Rachel joined her and Rachel, of course brought Emma, but while she loved that she was with her friends. She missed her husband. She imagined them together, decorating a house for Christmas. There would be a Christmas tree and presents for their kids. It would be even better.

"You're all giddy," Rachel grinned, as she peered into the baby carrier that held a sleeping seven month old, Emma. Monica looked over at Rachel and Phoebe talking to each other. Phoebe was talking about Mike, a lot. Phoebe and Mike seemed to be getting closer and closer.

"I know and he said for New Years, he has something special planned," Phoebe said.

"Awwww...I'm so going to live vicariously through you. My husband won't be here for New Years," Monica said as she walked towards Phoebe and Rachel. It had been another new development, Chandler would be in Tulsa on New Year's as well.

"Who am I gonna be with for New Years? I'm a thirty two year old single mother," Rachel said.

"We'll just kiss each other," Monica joked.

"What?" Joey asked, suddenly perking up from across the room where he was staring out the window.

"Nothing, Joey," Rachel said. "You know, Mon...why doesn't Chandler just quit this damn job? I mean, he hates his job. He's hated his job for...how long has he had it?"

"Eleven years," Monica said.

"Wow and he's in Tulsa for a job he hates and that company just seems like an awful company to work for. I mean, they forced him to move without a raise and they...I don't know," Rachel said.

"He's a coward, that's why he won't quit," Phoebe said.

"Phoebe, you have to be nice to Chandler in 2003," Monica said, letting out a sigh.

"Yeah, you don't like Chandler anymore," Rachel said.

"I do too. I like Chandler," Phoebe said.

"No, you don't," Joey grinned.

"Yeah, you hate him," Ross said as he walked towards the chair and sat down.

"What? Wait, do you all think I hate Chandler?" Phoebe asked. Monica was a little surprised that they all saw what both Monica and Chandler had been seeing. Phoebe not liking Chandler. Phoebe let out a sigh and continued, "Okay...but seriously...alright, let me ask you. I asked Mon this when Emma was born. He ran out before the wedding. He has screwed us all over many times. How do you guys forgive him? I don't give me, 'oh, I just do.'"

"You know, I was thinking about that...I mean, it really sucked what he did but and...here's my thing, we always make comparisons between you and Chandler and we say how you two are so similar because of how sucky your backgrounds are but they're really not similar. You had to learn survival skills, Pheebs. You had to learn how to live to see the next day so you could take the crap and just put it aside because you had to find something to eat or whatever...Chandler had no one protecting him. That's why he keeps pulling this crap. It's how he protects himself. It's why he keeps telling jokes. It's why he keeps trying to fuck things up with us. He's trying to protect himself," Rachel said.

"That's why I keep forgiving him," Joey said, "come on, he has screwed me over a lot. He hooked up with my sister, he kissed my girlfriend, he fell asleep at my movie premiere...he forgot to give me that message about the show I was on. He's fucked up with me a lot. But I'm not letting him push me away. He's my friend. My brother and that's it."

"That's how I look at it too. He keeps wanting to see how far he can push us because I think it would be easier for him to deal with us leaving. I disagree. I don't think he'd crumble if we'd all left, it's us staying that he's not sure how to deal with," Ross said.

"See...you just gotta look at it that way," Monica said.

"I do love him guys...it's just-" Phoebe said.

"Hey guys...it's snowing," Joey said, suddenly and soon the attention shifted to outside as they all began watching the snow. Monica gave Phoebe a hug as they watched the snow and Monica began to think about Chandler.

"Merry Christmas, you guys," Chandler said.

The group turned to look at him, stunned. He was standing in the doorway. Monica ran to him and hugged him.

"It's a Christmas Miracle," Joey remarked.

"What are you doing here?" Monica asked.

"I quit," Chandler said.

"You finally quit your job?" Ross asked.

"Yep...it was a stupid job. Look, I love my life right now. I got the best wife, forgiving and patient friends...the most gorgeous niece in the world," Chandler said as he pointed to Emma sleeping soundly in her carrier, "and Em, we are still trying to get you a cousin...I've also been clean and sober for twenty months. But I hate that job. I've hated it for eleven years. I wanna be happy in every part of my life and that includes my job," Chandler said.

Monica's heart felt so much lighter hearing this. He had finally quit. He no longer had to be tied to a job he had always hated.

"I can't believe you finally quit," Rachel said.

"I did," Chandler said.

"So what do you wanna do now?" Rachel asked.

"Not a clue," Chandler said. "But I know I don't wanna do that."

"Oh my G-d...I think I like you again," Phoebe said.

"Thanks, Phoebe," Chandler said as Monica kissed him again. Monica grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the window where the six continued to watch the snowfall.

"You actually just said you love your life right now?" Phoebe asked.

"Yeah...I mean, it's not good enough yet, but it's pretty damn close," Chandler said.

"Good. I'm sorry," Phoebe said.

"Me too," Chandler said as he hugged Phoebe and gently kissed her on the head. He placed another arm around Monica who stood on her toes to plant a kiss on his cheek. 2003 was going to be good. Although, the wonderfulness of the holiday season was quickly dashed by Joey's phone ringing.

"It's Lizzie," Joey said.

"Oh...um, before you take that, I may have accidentally told Lauren that you were her dad," Chandler grinned.

"What?" Joey asked.

"Merry Christmas," Chandler said.

Joey glared at him as he flipped open his phone and put it up to his ear, "hey, Liz. What's up? Yeah, Chandler's here...he's enjoying the last few moments of his life. Yeah, he told me," Joey said as he walked off towards the kitchen table to continue talking to Lizzie. Chandler bit his lip, Monica was going to say something when Phoebe's phone went off as well.

"Mike," Phoebe grinned, grabbing her phone and walking towards the couch, plopping down as she continued to talk to him. Rachel and Ross soon tired of watching the snow as well and walked towards Emma. Monica and Chandler turned to watch all of them. Joey talking to Lizzie. He was smiling. Phoebe seemed giddy as she was talking to Mike and Ross and Rachel could not stop staring at Emma.

"I think they'll be fine," Monica said.

"Yeah, so will we," Chandler said.

"I know," Monica said as they stood continuing to watch their friends. Each one seemed to be moving on as well and soon it would be there turn. Soon it would be 2003 and new changes would be coming, changes that would start to take all of them in different directions.