Thanks for keeping up the reviewing, everyone. I really hope that you're
liking this story, and I'm not dragging it out too, too much. I will warn
you now.....it's looking like it's going to be about 15 or 16 chapters, but
I really can't make it any shorter than that. I think everyone thinks that
they're just gonna hook up and live happily ever after.....but let me tell
you, there a quite a few more twists in order! Hehe, it's nice to be the
only one who knows this stuff! But if you want to see those twists play
out......well, then, review! Thanks!
Disclaimer: they're not mine. They belong to those brilliant people who hired christina applegate and made a damn good decisions b/c she is hilarious! lol!
Chapter Nine
Chandler was fast asleep on the couch that night when Ryan came stumbling out of Joey's spare bedroom. "Chandler," he said quietly, "I don't feel so good."
Chandler sat up and chuckled, "I told you that third hot dog wasn't gonna agree with you, Ry. Come here," he said, and Ryan came over to the couch, laying his head against Chandler's shoulder.
They sat in silence for a few minutes before Ryan spoke up, "Chandler?" he said softly, "Why're you so nice to us?"
Chandler looked at Ryan quizzically, "What do you mean?"
"Why do you hang around with us? Why do you take me and Micaela places? Does somebody make you?"
"Ry, nobody makes me hang out with you guys. I do it because I like you guys and I love spending time with you."
Ryan was silent for awhile, "The reason I ask is cause.......well my friend Jaime's daddy died, too, like mine, and suddenly this guy came and wanted to take Jaime and his sister around and he hung out with them. And then Jaime's mom married him, and he forgot all about them."
"Oh, Ry," Chandler said softly, "Is that what you're scared of? That I'm gonna marry your mom and forget all about you?" Ryan nodded. Chandler took a deep breath, "Bud, first off, your mom and I are nowhere near close to getting married. But even if we were, I promise you that your mom would never, ever marry anyone who would forget about you. Never. She loves you way too much."
"Really?" Ryan asked.
"Yeah," Chandler said, "And I promise you, no matter what happens, I won't forget about you either."
"Thanks, Chandler," Ryan said, cuddling closer. After a few seconds, he added, "And for the record, I wouldn't mind if you married my mom."
Chandler laughed, "Good to know, Ryan. Now go to sleep."
"Okay," Ryan said sleepily. He closed his eyes, and Chandler sat there, contemplating Ryan's words. Was Ryan okay with their marriage? Obviously. But was Monica? Obviously not. But Chandler's thoughts were interrupted as Ryan whispered softly, "Hey Chandler?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you."
Chandler looked down at Ryan, wondering what to say. Finally, the words came. "I love you too, Ry." And Chandler realized, he'd never meant anything more in his life.
***
"Ryan Burke." Ryan's teacher called out, and Ryan trotted up to the front of the classroom, to give his presentation about his family.
"I'm not like most kids," Ryan began, "I don't have a daddy because he died. But I do have a mom. She's the best mom in the world, and she's a chef at a restaurant. And then I have a sister, her name is Micaela. She's five years old. She's kinda annoying, but she can be cute, too.
"And then, since I don't have a dad, we have this friend. His name is Chandler and he does everything with us. Like last weekend, he took me to a Yankees game. And he takes me to my own baseball games, and he co-coaches my team. He's really cool."
Then Ryan pulled out a big poster with the heading "My Family". "So," he finished, "That's my family. Mom, Micaela, and Chandler."
***
A week later, Monica was working late, and Chandler was watching Micaela and Ryan. After he'd put the kids to bed, he noticed that Ryan had left his completed homework out on the kitchen table. Knowing that Monica liked to have the house absolutely clean, Chandler picked up the homework and walked over to Ryan's backpack. As he rummaged through the bag, looking for the correct folder to put the homework in, he noticed a crumpled up poster. Interested in seeing Ryan's school work, he pulled it out.
The heading read "My Family" and underneath it were pictures of three people-Monica, Micaela, and himself. Chandler stared at the poster and tried hard to keep the tears from coming.
***
Chandler had fallen asleep on the couch by the time Monica returned from work. When we woke up, he found her standing over him, hands on her hips.
"You know I don't pay you to fall asleep," she said jokingly.
"You don't pay me at all," he countered as he sat up, and she laughed, sitting down next to him.
"How were they?" she asked.
"Horrible. Ryan was trying to get into the booze cabinet and Micaela wanted to watch MTV."
Monica punched him in the stomach. "Can you ever be serious?"
He laughed, "On a rare occasion. No, really, they were great. Are they ever not?"
Monica smiled and snuggled up against him, enjoying the peacefulness of the moment. "How was work?" Chandler asked.
Monica sighed, "Exhausting. I had some very picky customers."
Chandler nodded sympathetically, "You should take my job," he said, "I promise you you'd never be exhausted again."
Monica laughed and shook her head against his chest. They sat in silence for a few more minutes before Chandler decided to bring up what he'd found that night.
"Hey, Mon?"
"Yeah?"
"Well, tonight......I was putting Ryan's homework away for him, and I found this," he said, lifting the poster off of the coffee table.
Monica took the poster from Chandler's hands and looked at it curiously. She studied it for a moment and then looked up at Chandler, "Do you mind?" she asked, "That he included you?"
"No......not at all," Chandler said softly, "In fact, I was thrilled. But.....the question is, do you mind?"
Monica was silent for a few seconds. Then, she turned around and looked Chandler straight in the eye, "Chandler," she said softly, "You ARE part of this family."
"But what about Richard?" Chandler asked sadly.
Monica shook her head, "Chandler, Richard's been gone over a year. Yes, we still miss him and we always will. But you.....you've come in and made everything ten times better. You've made this all so much easier. For Ryan, for Micaela.....and for me."
Chandler wrapped his arms around her, "Mon, I'll be honest with you. When I started this, I was only really doing it because I felt obligated to Richard. Yeah, he was a guy I knew for maybe two hours, but I always felt guilty that I survived and he didn't. But.......then, Mon, this became so much more. I started to feel things for your kids that I've never felt for anybody. And when I was with Joey in New York, he pointed out something I'd failed to notice. I'm not just their friend anymore."
"No," Monica said, "You're not, Chandler. You're their father figure."
"And," Chandler said softly, "Does that bother you?"
Monica shook her head gently, "Chandler, not at all. Because if Richard can't be here, I know he'd be happy with the job you're doing. Ryan and Micaela need a father figure. And you're doing a hell of a job."
They were silent for a few more minutes until Chandler spoke again. "Mon," he said hesitantly, "In the, uh, past few months, I haven't just developed feelings for Ryan and Micaela. I've.....uh....developed feelings for someone else, too. Very different feelings. Very different feelings for you."
Monica sat up and looked at him. "Chandler....." she said softly, "We've been over this. It just....it wouldn't work."
"Why not, Mon?" Chandler asked. "Why wouldn't it work?"
"It just wouldn't," Monica said sadly, "I'm sorry, I just-"
"Mon," Chandler said, standing up abruptly, "I've played this game enough. I need a real answer."
Monica looked at her hands, wringing them together. "I can't give you one," she said softly.
Chandler started towards the door, "Call me when you can give me one," he said softly, and left.
The second the door slammed, Monica gathered herself in her arms and wept.
want those twists? Want them to get together? Want this to end right now cuz it's crappy? let me know! PLEASE REVIEW!
Disclaimer: they're not mine. They belong to those brilliant people who hired christina applegate and made a damn good decisions b/c she is hilarious! lol!
Chapter Nine
Chandler was fast asleep on the couch that night when Ryan came stumbling out of Joey's spare bedroom. "Chandler," he said quietly, "I don't feel so good."
Chandler sat up and chuckled, "I told you that third hot dog wasn't gonna agree with you, Ry. Come here," he said, and Ryan came over to the couch, laying his head against Chandler's shoulder.
They sat in silence for a few minutes before Ryan spoke up, "Chandler?" he said softly, "Why're you so nice to us?"
Chandler looked at Ryan quizzically, "What do you mean?"
"Why do you hang around with us? Why do you take me and Micaela places? Does somebody make you?"
"Ry, nobody makes me hang out with you guys. I do it because I like you guys and I love spending time with you."
Ryan was silent for awhile, "The reason I ask is cause.......well my friend Jaime's daddy died, too, like mine, and suddenly this guy came and wanted to take Jaime and his sister around and he hung out with them. And then Jaime's mom married him, and he forgot all about them."
"Oh, Ry," Chandler said softly, "Is that what you're scared of? That I'm gonna marry your mom and forget all about you?" Ryan nodded. Chandler took a deep breath, "Bud, first off, your mom and I are nowhere near close to getting married. But even if we were, I promise you that your mom would never, ever marry anyone who would forget about you. Never. She loves you way too much."
"Really?" Ryan asked.
"Yeah," Chandler said, "And I promise you, no matter what happens, I won't forget about you either."
"Thanks, Chandler," Ryan said, cuddling closer. After a few seconds, he added, "And for the record, I wouldn't mind if you married my mom."
Chandler laughed, "Good to know, Ryan. Now go to sleep."
"Okay," Ryan said sleepily. He closed his eyes, and Chandler sat there, contemplating Ryan's words. Was Ryan okay with their marriage? Obviously. But was Monica? Obviously not. But Chandler's thoughts were interrupted as Ryan whispered softly, "Hey Chandler?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you."
Chandler looked down at Ryan, wondering what to say. Finally, the words came. "I love you too, Ry." And Chandler realized, he'd never meant anything more in his life.
***
"Ryan Burke." Ryan's teacher called out, and Ryan trotted up to the front of the classroom, to give his presentation about his family.
"I'm not like most kids," Ryan began, "I don't have a daddy because he died. But I do have a mom. She's the best mom in the world, and she's a chef at a restaurant. And then I have a sister, her name is Micaela. She's five years old. She's kinda annoying, but she can be cute, too.
"And then, since I don't have a dad, we have this friend. His name is Chandler and he does everything with us. Like last weekend, he took me to a Yankees game. And he takes me to my own baseball games, and he co-coaches my team. He's really cool."
Then Ryan pulled out a big poster with the heading "My Family". "So," he finished, "That's my family. Mom, Micaela, and Chandler."
***
A week later, Monica was working late, and Chandler was watching Micaela and Ryan. After he'd put the kids to bed, he noticed that Ryan had left his completed homework out on the kitchen table. Knowing that Monica liked to have the house absolutely clean, Chandler picked up the homework and walked over to Ryan's backpack. As he rummaged through the bag, looking for the correct folder to put the homework in, he noticed a crumpled up poster. Interested in seeing Ryan's school work, he pulled it out.
The heading read "My Family" and underneath it were pictures of three people-Monica, Micaela, and himself. Chandler stared at the poster and tried hard to keep the tears from coming.
***
Chandler had fallen asleep on the couch by the time Monica returned from work. When we woke up, he found her standing over him, hands on her hips.
"You know I don't pay you to fall asleep," she said jokingly.
"You don't pay me at all," he countered as he sat up, and she laughed, sitting down next to him.
"How were they?" she asked.
"Horrible. Ryan was trying to get into the booze cabinet and Micaela wanted to watch MTV."
Monica punched him in the stomach. "Can you ever be serious?"
He laughed, "On a rare occasion. No, really, they were great. Are they ever not?"
Monica smiled and snuggled up against him, enjoying the peacefulness of the moment. "How was work?" Chandler asked.
Monica sighed, "Exhausting. I had some very picky customers."
Chandler nodded sympathetically, "You should take my job," he said, "I promise you you'd never be exhausted again."
Monica laughed and shook her head against his chest. They sat in silence for a few more minutes before Chandler decided to bring up what he'd found that night.
"Hey, Mon?"
"Yeah?"
"Well, tonight......I was putting Ryan's homework away for him, and I found this," he said, lifting the poster off of the coffee table.
Monica took the poster from Chandler's hands and looked at it curiously. She studied it for a moment and then looked up at Chandler, "Do you mind?" she asked, "That he included you?"
"No......not at all," Chandler said softly, "In fact, I was thrilled. But.....the question is, do you mind?"
Monica was silent for a few seconds. Then, she turned around and looked Chandler straight in the eye, "Chandler," she said softly, "You ARE part of this family."
"But what about Richard?" Chandler asked sadly.
Monica shook her head, "Chandler, Richard's been gone over a year. Yes, we still miss him and we always will. But you.....you've come in and made everything ten times better. You've made this all so much easier. For Ryan, for Micaela.....and for me."
Chandler wrapped his arms around her, "Mon, I'll be honest with you. When I started this, I was only really doing it because I felt obligated to Richard. Yeah, he was a guy I knew for maybe two hours, but I always felt guilty that I survived and he didn't. But.......then, Mon, this became so much more. I started to feel things for your kids that I've never felt for anybody. And when I was with Joey in New York, he pointed out something I'd failed to notice. I'm not just their friend anymore."
"No," Monica said, "You're not, Chandler. You're their father figure."
"And," Chandler said softly, "Does that bother you?"
Monica shook her head gently, "Chandler, not at all. Because if Richard can't be here, I know he'd be happy with the job you're doing. Ryan and Micaela need a father figure. And you're doing a hell of a job."
They were silent for a few more minutes until Chandler spoke again. "Mon," he said hesitantly, "In the, uh, past few months, I haven't just developed feelings for Ryan and Micaela. I've.....uh....developed feelings for someone else, too. Very different feelings. Very different feelings for you."
Monica sat up and looked at him. "Chandler....." she said softly, "We've been over this. It just....it wouldn't work."
"Why not, Mon?" Chandler asked. "Why wouldn't it work?"
"It just wouldn't," Monica said sadly, "I'm sorry, I just-"
"Mon," Chandler said, standing up abruptly, "I've played this game enough. I need a real answer."
Monica looked at her hands, wringing them together. "I can't give you one," she said softly.
Chandler started towards the door, "Call me when you can give me one," he said softly, and left.
The second the door slammed, Monica gathered herself in her arms and wept.
want those twists? Want them to get together? Want this to end right now cuz it's crappy? let me know! PLEASE REVIEW!