A/N: Happy Christmas Eve Eve!  I woke up this morning, discovered I was alone (b/c I smell), and said that out loud.  Teehee.  I hope yall are having a great holiday!  Thank God no school... anyways... thanks for reviewing, sorry this took so long!  I just got a new comp and I hooked up the DSL this morning.  I'm tellin ya, following the directions on that step-by-step CD sure was an adventure.  (haha I'm lying. I actually got my dog to do it. The funny thing is I don't actually have a dog. I wonder who hooked my dsl up then...) Speaking of adventures.... Bec, it was pouring when I got home but it was all worth it!  (I know, u told me when you were walking home, dumb*ss, hehe) Ooh and Happy Hanukkah to everyone too!  Okay random A/N, w/e... (I have feet!)

Disclaimer: I own nothing!  Except a terrible frightening picture of me looking "seductive."  Or sexy? (Or not. Believe me, I know sexy and that pic was not sexy)

CHAPTER 7 - Bitter

            "Morning, beautiful."

            "Mmm," Monica murmured.  She turned over and saw Pete standing over her, tightening a tie.  "Morning."

            "You can go back to sleep, you have a few hours before work.  I just didn't want you to wake up alone," Pete whispered.

            Monica yawned.  "Thanks.  I should probably get up anyway."  She stretched and fell back into the soft down pillows.

            Pete kissed the tip of her nose.  "Jan's making breakfast for you.  I have to go to work, but I'll call you later, okay?"

            "'Kay," Monica muttered.  He smiled one last time and left the room.  A few minutes later, she got out of the large bed and walked, to the bathroom.  She took a long shower and then followed the tantalizing scent of eggs and bacon to the kitchen.  She ate breakfast quickly and then put on some clothes. 

            I could get used to living like this, she thought as she left the 2-story apartment, rode a class elevator to the ground floor, and had the door opened for her by the doorman.

            I could definitely get used to this.

            Monica opened the door to her apartment and sauntered inside that afternoon.  She'd barely put her purse down when Chandler stormed in and slammed the door behind him.

            "Hey, what's - "

            "Where the hell were you last night?" he demanded, his eyes flashing.

            "What?"

            "I stayed up half the night waiting for you - you said you'd come over when you got home - I was worried out of my mind!" he practically shouted.

            "I spent the night at Pete's!  What's the big deal?"

            "The big deal?  The big deal?  The big deal is I thought you'd been - been - mugged, or, or raped or something!  Nobody knew where you were!"

            "You're not my keeper, Chandler." Monica said angrily.

            "Yeah, well, you could have called me, at least," he said sourly.

            "Oh, yeah, and what do I tell Pete?  'Hey, let me just call the guy I'm seeing on the side to tell him we can't have sex tonight, see you in the bedroom!'"  She put her hands on her hips and glared at him.

            "You could have said you needed to call one of your friends to tell them you wouldn't be home!  I'm still your friend, aren't I, Monica?"

            Monica sighed in exasperation.  "Of course you are, it's just - "

            "It's just what?  You don't care about me, do you?"

            "You are impossible!" Monica cried.  "Look, I'm sorry I didn't cater to your every whim, all right?  But it's not like you're my boyfriend or anything!"

            "You're right," Chandler said quietly.  "You're right, I'm not."  Shaking his head, he left the apartment.

            "Chandler - " she began, but he was gone.  She threw herself down on the couch, crying without knowing why. 

            It's just because you hate fighting.  It's just because Chandler's your friend, it's not because he means anything else.

            Monica was just grabbing a tissue from a box on the coffee table when the door to Rachel's bedroom opened slowly, and Rachel stepped out.  Her mouth was open and her face was slightly pale.

            They stared at each other for a moment, Monica's eyes widening in terror.  "Rachel, how much did you - "

            "Enough," Rachel said quietly. 

            "Oh, God, Rach, please don't tell anyone, please," Monica begged insistently.  "I'm going to - I'm going to - do something..."

            "How long has it been going on?"

            "Since London," Monica said resignedly, thinking that maybe giving Rachel the details would shut her up.

            "Are you going to go on like this forever?" she asked.

            "No, of course not!"

            "Are you going to end it with Chandler?" Rachel asked, raising her eyebrows.

            "I - I don't know.  After that, maybe..."

            "What about Pete?"

            "I... I don't think so.  I don't know.  Look, I don't know what I'm going to do, but I'll figure it out soon.  Just please don't tell anyone.  I'll - I'll pay you, or do all your chores, anything, Rach.  Just don't tell."

            "I won't," Rachel said, and Monica let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.  

            "Thank you so much," Monica said, running over to Rachel and hugging her.  "I promise I'll do something soon."  I just don't know what.

            "So Thanksgiving is at your house tomorrow, right, Mon?"

            Monica looked away form her coffee and up at Joey.  "Yeah, of course.  Everybody wanna come over around one?"

            "Sounds good," Ross said, and Phoebe nodded.  

            "I don't think I'll be able to make it," Chandler said.  Everyone stared at him. 

            "What?" Phoebe said blankly.  The group had been having Thanksgiving together for five years - the idea of one of them not showing up was unheard of.  Monica squirmed uncomfortably.  She and Chandler had barely spoken since their fight two days before.

            "Why not?" Joey asked, looking concerned.  "You don't have to eat anything, just come - "

            "I just don't really feel like it," Chandler said with a shrug.  Monica could feel Rachel's eyes boring holes into her, but she refused to look up.

            The other four were silent for a minute.  "Oh - okay, then," Ross finally said.  "Um, you guys, is something - is something going on that I don't know about?  Chandler?"

            "Nothing's going on, Ross, I just don't feel like coming to Thanksgiving dinner, okay?  What's the big deal?"  With that, Chandler stood up, mumbling, "I have to go," and hurried from the coffeehouse.

            "I'm going to go see - " Joey said, looking stricken and starting to follow Chandler.

            "No, I'll go," Monica burst out.  She cut Joey off and chased Chandler down as he walked back to their building.

            "Chandler!" she yelled.  He ignored her.  She sped up and grabbed his arm.  "Chandler, come on.  Don't do this."

            "Don't do what, Monica?  Forget about you?"  His voice was bitter.

            "Why do you have to be so stubborn?!  I said I was sorry I didn't call you, what else do you want?  If you keep acting like this, everyone's going to get suspicious."

            "Why do you care?  Look, just leave me alone.  Go hang out with your boyfriend and leave me the fuck alone," he spat.  He shook his arm from her grasp and walked briskly away from the apartment building, down the busy street.

            His words bit at Monica like slivers of ice.  "I care about you, Chandler!  Don't you understand that?  I care about you!"

            He stopped and turned around.  She walked a few feet, closing the gap between them.  "Why?" he asked in the voice of a child.

            "Why?  Well, because - because you're smart, and funny, and you listen to me.     You always care about everyone more than you care about yourself, and you're one of my best friends in the world.  I don't know what I would do without you."  Monica said all of this in a rush, her words jumbled and hurried. 

             "Mon, I just don't know if I can do this.  It's not fun and easy anymore, it's not simple - "

            "But it can be!" Monica interrupted pleadingly.  "Please, Chandler, I don't want to lose you.  I don't want to lose my best friend."  She reached up and kissed him softly, her cold lips warming against his.  Crowds rushed by, people stared, but for one moment the only things that existed were Monica and Chandler.

            "That's only gonna work for so long," he said hoarsely, but Monica knew she had won him over.

            "Come to Thanksgiving dinner.  I'll make you some macaroni and cheese," Monica promised.

            "Oh, but that will always work," he said with a grin, and arm in arm, they went back to their apartment.  And for one minute, Monica lost herself in the illusion that they were the only two people in the world.

A/N: BECCA!  You rock my socks like Chandler in a box.  Everybody, she uploaded it so thank her!  You saved my life babe! (don't I always?) I love you to death! *hugs the crap outta her* (You're gonna take that back, aren't you?) Oh and anybody seen LOTR: The Return of the King yet?  Ahhhh I MUST SEE IT I'm going to die! hehe well Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and Happy New Year! (go me!)

*Yen*

**All A/N comments in italics/ parenthesis courtesy of Becca

*Bec*