Okay, so guess what? I'm a genius and figured out what was wrong with my computer at home....well, actually I simply figured out how to make it work for a little while, but that's enough! So here, friends is the next part. Please review and tell me what you thought! Thanks.
Disclaimer: Um, right. Am I supposed to tell you that the characters aren't mine? They aren't mine. There. Are you happy now?
"I can't." Those words rang through Chandler's head.
"You can't?" He repeated, and glanced at her. "What do you mean that you can't?" That had not been the response that he had been expecting or hoping for. He had been hoping for a yes, or an of course. Not a I can't. I can't was definitely wrong.
"Chandler," she began. It was cold, and the snow was flying all around. "Can we go inside to talk about this?"
"Talk about what? I love you, and you love me. We have a daughter together and we should get married." In his mind there was nothing to think about. Those were the facts and everything added up to the conclusion that they should get married. That they should be together forever.
"How about the fact that you're still married? How about the fact that it's way too soon. How about the fact that we can't just think about ourselves, we have to think about Hannah. I do love you, I do, I always have, but that doesn't mean that we can work or that we should get married," she started to explain herself. "But can we please go inside and talk about this?"
"I don't want to go inside and talk about this," he said. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "You're the only one who wants to talk, and as far as I can tell, you can do that alone."
"You're an asshole," she said beginning to cry. "Why did you come here tonight? Was it just to be a total asshole?"
"I came here tonight to win you back! I came here tonight to tell you that I love you and want to marry you. I came here tonight with the impression that you loved me too."
"I did. I do!"
"Then what is it Monica? What is it about me that's not good enough?"
"I never said that you weren't good enough," she cried. "This is why I can't marry you. You claim to have grown up, but you're acting like you always did. You want to marry me now, but what happens in two weeks when you realize that you just left your wife and you're moving way too fast? What happens to me and Hannah then? Do we get tossed to the side? I can't let that happen to her. I can't let that happen to myself." Sobbing into her hands, he realized that she was shaking. Partly from the tears that were flowing, and partly because of the frigid temperatures.
"Monica," he started. God, she was right. He was such an asshole. Who could blame her for not wanting to marry him. She deserved so much better. Both her and Hannah deserved so much better.
"Go," she whispered. "Just...I can't be by you right now. Please....just go." He had really screwed up this time. Why did he always do that? He always opened his mouth before thinking. Now he ruined everything. Again.
Again, he had ruined everything.
"Monica, I'm sorry. I didn't mean...I'm so sorry. I just...I just love you. And I didn't come here tonight to make you cry, that was the farthest thing from my mind. I came here tonight because I want you. No one else, but you, for the rest of my life." Taking her hand, he smiled at her. "Take your time. Take your time on everything. Whether or not you want to date me, let alone marry me. Think about what you want. Think about what Hannah needs. Then get back to me." Leaning forward, he placed a kiss on her cheek. Nodding, she turned around and wiped the tears that were streaming down her face and made her way back into the house. She didn't turn around to see him drive away, so she had no idea that he sat there in his car crying for an hour before he could finally drive away.
She woke up the next morning with Hannah bouncing on her bed.
"Wake up! Wake up now!" Hannah said climbing over her sleeping mother until her face was centimeters from Monica's. "Are you up yet?"
"Nope." Hannah giggled.
"Liar." Monica finally opened her eyes and grinned at her daughter.
"Morning sweetheart," she said sitting up.
"Morning Mommy," Hannah said scrambling over the bed. "Can you make me chocolate chip pancakes? Is Daddy here? Why was he here last night? Did he stay the night? Can he stay the night? Can we have a sleepover with Daddy?"
"Geez, you certainly ask a lot of questions," Monica said trying to change the subject. How was she supposed to answer those questions? "Yes you can have pancakes. We'll see about the chocolate chips. No, Daddy is not here. He came over last night to tuck you in. And you have sleepovers at Daddy's house."
"But Mona is there," Hannah bit her lip. "I don't think she likes me." Monica knew that she hated Mona. This just gave her more reason to.
"No, baby, she doesn't hate you. How could anyone possibly hate you?" Monica threw on her robe and picked Hannah up. "Let's go see about those pancakes okay?" Hannah nodded and threw her arms around Monica's neck.
This was good. This was keeping her mind off of Chandler and the night before. What had happened? She wasn't entirely sure. It all happened so fast. He came in, told her he loved her, told her he wanted to marry her, and then turned into a jerk. She told him that she couldn't marry him. Of course she couldn't marry him. She had Hannah to think about. That was a big step, marriage. And it wasn't something that they should be deciding on the spur of the moment. He was still married, for God's sake! What was he thinking?
The problem was that she knew what he was thinking. He was thinking that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, and she was thinking the same thing.
But no. They couldn't. Not this fast. They couldn't possibly. That would be ridiculous. What would everyone say?
And Hannah. It always came back to Hannah. But she would love to have Chandler there with them. But if it didn't work out, if for some reason they didn't work out....then she would be so upset. Monica didn't know if it was worth it to set themselves up for what could be a huge disappointment.
But if she didn't try then it would always be there hanging over her. She could of made it work. They could have made it work. Why had she been such a chicken shit?
"I messed up Joe," Chandler said as the two were sitting in Central Perk drinking coffee the next morning. "I messed up big time. She said that she couldn't marry me, and I flipped out prematurely. I just love her. That's all that there is to it. And I couldn't see why she couldn't see it from my point of view. I didn't think about anything else, but she thought about everything else. Obviously, she had a point, and we should take it slowly, but she caught me so off guard, we were kissing and she said that she loved me, and then she told me that she couldn't marry me." He shrugged and took a sip of his coffee.
"Did you tell her any of this?" Joey asked. He had tried, he had tried to tell her this....right, no, he hadn't. He hadn't explained at all, he had just acted like a complete and total jerk.
"Well, no."
"Then go tell her." It seemed super simple to Joey. All Chandler had to do was go explain his point of view. She would see.
"It's not that easy," Chandler said.
"Sure it is. Why isn't it that easy? You know why? Because you are making it difficult. It isn't nearly as difficult as you are making it seem. Get up, go over there, and tell her exactly what you said to me."
"But..."
"Chandler, don't make me pull out the middle name," Joey stated waving a finger in Chandler's direction.
"Joey, it's a novel idea. It really is, but she doesn't want to see me, I'm sure."
"How do you know that?" A voice from behind interrupted his and Joey's conversation. Both men turned around to see Monica standing behind them holding Hannah's gloved hand in hers.
~Ha, ha! The computer works, brilliant! Please review and tell me what you think and I'll get up the next part. That is if you're not totally bored by it. So please, kindly, if you would, leave me a little note and say, gee, this is really ____. You can fill in the answer there. Thanks!
Disclaimer: Um, right. Am I supposed to tell you that the characters aren't mine? They aren't mine. There. Are you happy now?
"I can't." Those words rang through Chandler's head.
"You can't?" He repeated, and glanced at her. "What do you mean that you can't?" That had not been the response that he had been expecting or hoping for. He had been hoping for a yes, or an of course. Not a I can't. I can't was definitely wrong.
"Chandler," she began. It was cold, and the snow was flying all around. "Can we go inside to talk about this?"
"Talk about what? I love you, and you love me. We have a daughter together and we should get married." In his mind there was nothing to think about. Those were the facts and everything added up to the conclusion that they should get married. That they should be together forever.
"How about the fact that you're still married? How about the fact that it's way too soon. How about the fact that we can't just think about ourselves, we have to think about Hannah. I do love you, I do, I always have, but that doesn't mean that we can work or that we should get married," she started to explain herself. "But can we please go inside and talk about this?"
"I don't want to go inside and talk about this," he said. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "You're the only one who wants to talk, and as far as I can tell, you can do that alone."
"You're an asshole," she said beginning to cry. "Why did you come here tonight? Was it just to be a total asshole?"
"I came here tonight to win you back! I came here tonight to tell you that I love you and want to marry you. I came here tonight with the impression that you loved me too."
"I did. I do!"
"Then what is it Monica? What is it about me that's not good enough?"
"I never said that you weren't good enough," she cried. "This is why I can't marry you. You claim to have grown up, but you're acting like you always did. You want to marry me now, but what happens in two weeks when you realize that you just left your wife and you're moving way too fast? What happens to me and Hannah then? Do we get tossed to the side? I can't let that happen to her. I can't let that happen to myself." Sobbing into her hands, he realized that she was shaking. Partly from the tears that were flowing, and partly because of the frigid temperatures.
"Monica," he started. God, she was right. He was such an asshole. Who could blame her for not wanting to marry him. She deserved so much better. Both her and Hannah deserved so much better.
"Go," she whispered. "Just...I can't be by you right now. Please....just go." He had really screwed up this time. Why did he always do that? He always opened his mouth before thinking. Now he ruined everything. Again.
Again, he had ruined everything.
"Monica, I'm sorry. I didn't mean...I'm so sorry. I just...I just love you. And I didn't come here tonight to make you cry, that was the farthest thing from my mind. I came here tonight because I want you. No one else, but you, for the rest of my life." Taking her hand, he smiled at her. "Take your time. Take your time on everything. Whether or not you want to date me, let alone marry me. Think about what you want. Think about what Hannah needs. Then get back to me." Leaning forward, he placed a kiss on her cheek. Nodding, she turned around and wiped the tears that were streaming down her face and made her way back into the house. She didn't turn around to see him drive away, so she had no idea that he sat there in his car crying for an hour before he could finally drive away.
She woke up the next morning with Hannah bouncing on her bed.
"Wake up! Wake up now!" Hannah said climbing over her sleeping mother until her face was centimeters from Monica's. "Are you up yet?"
"Nope." Hannah giggled.
"Liar." Monica finally opened her eyes and grinned at her daughter.
"Morning sweetheart," she said sitting up.
"Morning Mommy," Hannah said scrambling over the bed. "Can you make me chocolate chip pancakes? Is Daddy here? Why was he here last night? Did he stay the night? Can he stay the night? Can we have a sleepover with Daddy?"
"Geez, you certainly ask a lot of questions," Monica said trying to change the subject. How was she supposed to answer those questions? "Yes you can have pancakes. We'll see about the chocolate chips. No, Daddy is not here. He came over last night to tuck you in. And you have sleepovers at Daddy's house."
"But Mona is there," Hannah bit her lip. "I don't think she likes me." Monica knew that she hated Mona. This just gave her more reason to.
"No, baby, she doesn't hate you. How could anyone possibly hate you?" Monica threw on her robe and picked Hannah up. "Let's go see about those pancakes okay?" Hannah nodded and threw her arms around Monica's neck.
This was good. This was keeping her mind off of Chandler and the night before. What had happened? She wasn't entirely sure. It all happened so fast. He came in, told her he loved her, told her he wanted to marry her, and then turned into a jerk. She told him that she couldn't marry him. Of course she couldn't marry him. She had Hannah to think about. That was a big step, marriage. And it wasn't something that they should be deciding on the spur of the moment. He was still married, for God's sake! What was he thinking?
The problem was that she knew what he was thinking. He was thinking that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, and she was thinking the same thing.
But no. They couldn't. Not this fast. They couldn't possibly. That would be ridiculous. What would everyone say?
And Hannah. It always came back to Hannah. But she would love to have Chandler there with them. But if it didn't work out, if for some reason they didn't work out....then she would be so upset. Monica didn't know if it was worth it to set themselves up for what could be a huge disappointment.
But if she didn't try then it would always be there hanging over her. She could of made it work. They could have made it work. Why had she been such a chicken shit?
"I messed up Joe," Chandler said as the two were sitting in Central Perk drinking coffee the next morning. "I messed up big time. She said that she couldn't marry me, and I flipped out prematurely. I just love her. That's all that there is to it. And I couldn't see why she couldn't see it from my point of view. I didn't think about anything else, but she thought about everything else. Obviously, she had a point, and we should take it slowly, but she caught me so off guard, we were kissing and she said that she loved me, and then she told me that she couldn't marry me." He shrugged and took a sip of his coffee.
"Did you tell her any of this?" Joey asked. He had tried, he had tried to tell her this....right, no, he hadn't. He hadn't explained at all, he had just acted like a complete and total jerk.
"Well, no."
"Then go tell her." It seemed super simple to Joey. All Chandler had to do was go explain his point of view. She would see.
"It's not that easy," Chandler said.
"Sure it is. Why isn't it that easy? You know why? Because you are making it difficult. It isn't nearly as difficult as you are making it seem. Get up, go over there, and tell her exactly what you said to me."
"But..."
"Chandler, don't make me pull out the middle name," Joey stated waving a finger in Chandler's direction.
"Joey, it's a novel idea. It really is, but she doesn't want to see me, I'm sure."
"How do you know that?" A voice from behind interrupted his and Joey's conversation. Both men turned around to see Monica standing behind them holding Hannah's gloved hand in hers.
~Ha, ha! The computer works, brilliant! Please review and tell me what you think and I'll get up the next part. That is if you're not totally bored by it. So please, kindly, if you would, leave me a little note and say, gee, this is really ____. You can fill in the answer there. Thanks!