Hey everyone. Well, here's chapter sixteen. There's one more chapter after
this, but I'll only post it if you want me too. This may be the last update
for some time, though, as my grandmother just passed away, and I have to
head down to CT for her funeral. But please send me reviews-they make all
the difference in a very difficult time!
Disclaimer: not mine
Chapter Sixteen
"Monica?" a soft voice asked. Monica looked around and saw that she was sitting in a small white room with only two tiny chairs. She looked across to see who was sitting in the opposite chair and took in her breath sharply when she saw who it was.
"Richard?" she asked incredulously.
"Yeah," he said smiling tightly, "It's me, honey. But, look, I've got to make this quick. The Big Guy doesn't give me much time."
"What? The Big Guy? Richard, what's going on? Where are where?"
"The Acceptance Room," Richard said softly, "It's a room somewhere between Heaven and Earth and God, the Big Guy, sent me down here to tell you something. He brought you up here, but you'll go back to Earth just as soon as I'm finished, okay?"
Monica nodded, still as confused as ever, but anxious to hear what Richard had to say. She motioned for him to continue, and he did. "Okay," he said quickly, "look, Mon, I've got to tell you something. You have to move on from me. If I had know I was going to die that day, then that would've been the first thing I would've told you before I left. I have no problem with you moving on and getting married, and having more kids, and having Micaela and Ryan adopted by your new husband. In fact, that's what I want to happen."
"You want that?" Monica said in a hushed voice.
Richard nodded, "I know it sounds weird, honey, but I love you so much and I only want for you to be happy. And if it can't be with me, then it has to be with somebody else. I can see people have been telling you that, and you haven't really been listening. But it's true. It's so true. That's all I want, all I ever wanted. I want all of you, you and the kids, to be happy. And if getting remarried makes you happy, then that's what I want you to do."
"Are you sure?"
Richard smiled, "Absolutely. And besides, Mon, this Chandler guy, I've been watching him and he's great. If the Big Guy had let me choose who you should remarry, then I would've chosen him. The kids love him. And you love him. I can see it. So I want you to make him happy, too, and marry him. That's what he wants. That's what you want. And that's what I want."
Monica nodded slowly, tears welling in her blue eyes. "Thank you," she whispered, "Thank you."
Richard smiled, "You asked for a sign," he said, "You got one." On those words, he disappeared.
***
Monica sat up in bed, breathing heavily, and trying to comprehend what had just happened, or at least, what she thought had just happened.
Had it been a dream? Or was it real?
She wasn't sure. But there was thing she was sure of.
Either way, she'd gotten her sign.
***
Chandler had sped down the expressway, flew down the highways and raced down the residential streets in his town. He finally arrived at Monica's, both surprised and relieved he'd hadn't gotten a ticket. He pulled into the driveway and jumped out his car, and checking his watch, realized both the kids were at school. He smiled, knowing that would make things easier.
He opened the door and yelled out, "Mon? I'm home!"
Monica appeared at the top of the stairs, "Hey, honey," she said softly, "I missed you."
"I missed you, too," he said, "But listen, we've got to talk," he said.
"Yeah," she said, "We do. I have to tell you something."
"Okay, well I've got news first," he said, and she came downstairs, the two of them settling themselves on the couch.
"Okay," he began slowly, taking a deep breath, "Mon, I went to Joey's yesterday and he made me realize something. Something important. Mon, I've been being so selfish. I've only been thinking about me, and the baby, and how the baby would affect me, and how it was best to get married, and all that other crap. But.....I wasn't thinking of you. And I should be. Mon, it's barely been three years since Richard died, and I'm trying to force you to move on, and I shouldn't be asking you to marry me when clearly you're not-"
He stopped as Monica laid a finger on his lips, "Chandler," she said, "Shut up."
He gave her a hurt, confused look, "What?" he said.
"Chandler, neither of us has been selfish. But you're right, I hadn't moved on, because.....I wasn't sure Richard would be okay with us. But I'm sure now. And I'm sure of something else, too."
"What's that?" Chandler said hesitantly.
"I'm ready to marry you," Monica said, grinning, "I want to marry you, and I want to have this baby, and hopefully other babies, and I want you to adopt Ryan and Micaela, and I want us to be a family."
"Are you sure?" Chandler asked softly.
"Very sure," Monica said confidently.
Chandler's face broke into a grin, "I love you so much," he said gently, "So very, very much."
"I know," Monica said, "I love you too." With that, he leaned in and kissed her.
For whatever reason, at that instant, he remembered a particular feeling he'd felt right after the crash. The feeling that he'd never be happy again. But as Monica's lips touched his, he realized that feeling could never be true, not with what had happened. Not only was he happy, but he was happier than ever.
The kiss ended and Chandler wrapped his arms around Monica, kissing her hair. "What made you realize all this?" he said gently.
Monica smiled, "Just a sign from Richard."
"A sign?" Chandler asked.
Monica shrugged, "Don't ask me, I'm still confused about it. But I had.....I had this dream, or maybe it was, I'm not really sure. But in.....whatever it was, Richard told me he wanted me to marry you. And I realized that if he's okay, than that's what I want. To marry you."
Chandler smiled, "I knew he'd be okay," he said gently, "He was a great guy. He'd want you to be happy."
"I know," Monica said softly, "Or, I know that now."
"Yeah," Chandler said gently, and kissed her again, "Well," he said, when the kiss finished, "If you're ready then, I guess......Monica, will you marry me?"
Monica looked at him skeptically and shook her head, "Nope," she said.
"No?" Chandler asked.
Monica laughed at his hurt, puppy dog expression, "You're gonna need a ring, Bing," she said, and Chandler laughed.
"You're right," he said. He smiled. She deserved a ring. She deserved everything. And he planned to be the one who gave it to her.
Please review.....I really need them. Tell me whether or not to post chapter seventeen!
Disclaimer: not mine
Chapter Sixteen
"Monica?" a soft voice asked. Monica looked around and saw that she was sitting in a small white room with only two tiny chairs. She looked across to see who was sitting in the opposite chair and took in her breath sharply when she saw who it was.
"Richard?" she asked incredulously.
"Yeah," he said smiling tightly, "It's me, honey. But, look, I've got to make this quick. The Big Guy doesn't give me much time."
"What? The Big Guy? Richard, what's going on? Where are where?"
"The Acceptance Room," Richard said softly, "It's a room somewhere between Heaven and Earth and God, the Big Guy, sent me down here to tell you something. He brought you up here, but you'll go back to Earth just as soon as I'm finished, okay?"
Monica nodded, still as confused as ever, but anxious to hear what Richard had to say. She motioned for him to continue, and he did. "Okay," he said quickly, "look, Mon, I've got to tell you something. You have to move on from me. If I had know I was going to die that day, then that would've been the first thing I would've told you before I left. I have no problem with you moving on and getting married, and having more kids, and having Micaela and Ryan adopted by your new husband. In fact, that's what I want to happen."
"You want that?" Monica said in a hushed voice.
Richard nodded, "I know it sounds weird, honey, but I love you so much and I only want for you to be happy. And if it can't be with me, then it has to be with somebody else. I can see people have been telling you that, and you haven't really been listening. But it's true. It's so true. That's all I want, all I ever wanted. I want all of you, you and the kids, to be happy. And if getting remarried makes you happy, then that's what I want you to do."
"Are you sure?"
Richard smiled, "Absolutely. And besides, Mon, this Chandler guy, I've been watching him and he's great. If the Big Guy had let me choose who you should remarry, then I would've chosen him. The kids love him. And you love him. I can see it. So I want you to make him happy, too, and marry him. That's what he wants. That's what you want. And that's what I want."
Monica nodded slowly, tears welling in her blue eyes. "Thank you," she whispered, "Thank you."
Richard smiled, "You asked for a sign," he said, "You got one." On those words, he disappeared.
***
Monica sat up in bed, breathing heavily, and trying to comprehend what had just happened, or at least, what she thought had just happened.
Had it been a dream? Or was it real?
She wasn't sure. But there was thing she was sure of.
Either way, she'd gotten her sign.
***
Chandler had sped down the expressway, flew down the highways and raced down the residential streets in his town. He finally arrived at Monica's, both surprised and relieved he'd hadn't gotten a ticket. He pulled into the driveway and jumped out his car, and checking his watch, realized both the kids were at school. He smiled, knowing that would make things easier.
He opened the door and yelled out, "Mon? I'm home!"
Monica appeared at the top of the stairs, "Hey, honey," she said softly, "I missed you."
"I missed you, too," he said, "But listen, we've got to talk," he said.
"Yeah," she said, "We do. I have to tell you something."
"Okay, well I've got news first," he said, and she came downstairs, the two of them settling themselves on the couch.
"Okay," he began slowly, taking a deep breath, "Mon, I went to Joey's yesterday and he made me realize something. Something important. Mon, I've been being so selfish. I've only been thinking about me, and the baby, and how the baby would affect me, and how it was best to get married, and all that other crap. But.....I wasn't thinking of you. And I should be. Mon, it's barely been three years since Richard died, and I'm trying to force you to move on, and I shouldn't be asking you to marry me when clearly you're not-"
He stopped as Monica laid a finger on his lips, "Chandler," she said, "Shut up."
He gave her a hurt, confused look, "What?" he said.
"Chandler, neither of us has been selfish. But you're right, I hadn't moved on, because.....I wasn't sure Richard would be okay with us. But I'm sure now. And I'm sure of something else, too."
"What's that?" Chandler said hesitantly.
"I'm ready to marry you," Monica said, grinning, "I want to marry you, and I want to have this baby, and hopefully other babies, and I want you to adopt Ryan and Micaela, and I want us to be a family."
"Are you sure?" Chandler asked softly.
"Very sure," Monica said confidently.
Chandler's face broke into a grin, "I love you so much," he said gently, "So very, very much."
"I know," Monica said, "I love you too." With that, he leaned in and kissed her.
For whatever reason, at that instant, he remembered a particular feeling he'd felt right after the crash. The feeling that he'd never be happy again. But as Monica's lips touched his, he realized that feeling could never be true, not with what had happened. Not only was he happy, but he was happier than ever.
The kiss ended and Chandler wrapped his arms around Monica, kissing her hair. "What made you realize all this?" he said gently.
Monica smiled, "Just a sign from Richard."
"A sign?" Chandler asked.
Monica shrugged, "Don't ask me, I'm still confused about it. But I had.....I had this dream, or maybe it was, I'm not really sure. But in.....whatever it was, Richard told me he wanted me to marry you. And I realized that if he's okay, than that's what I want. To marry you."
Chandler smiled, "I knew he'd be okay," he said gently, "He was a great guy. He'd want you to be happy."
"I know," Monica said softly, "Or, I know that now."
"Yeah," Chandler said gently, and kissed her again, "Well," he said, when the kiss finished, "If you're ready then, I guess......Monica, will you marry me?"
Monica looked at him skeptically and shook her head, "Nope," she said.
"No?" Chandler asked.
Monica laughed at his hurt, puppy dog expression, "You're gonna need a ring, Bing," she said, and Chandler laughed.
"You're right," he said. He smiled. She deserved a ring. She deserved everything. And he planned to be the one who gave it to her.
Please review.....I really need them. Tell me whether or not to post chapter seventeen!