Part2, Problems
INTRODUCTION: The 2nd part of 4. This part follows "Just Lucky?".
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Chandler and Monica or any of the other characters.
Monica threw the magazine down with a sigh. She didn't feel like reading it. She didn't feel like doing anything at all. It was December 19th, and she didn't even feel like decorating the apartment for Christmas. She didn't feel one bit safe there, and that didn't exactly get her in a jolly spirit.
She glanced over at the clock on the VCR, wondering when Chandler would be home. She hated being alone in the apartment, sometimes she could scare herself so much that she started to cry. It had even happened that she'd called Chandler at work, asking him to come home earlier. And he always did, even when he had much to do at work.
She jumped at a noise she didn't recognise, but calmed down when she realized it was their upstairs neighbour moving furniture. She thought of giving Chandler a call and asking him to come home to her, but when she looked at the time she realized he'd probably left his office by now. And besides, she didn't like calling him. He didn't have a direct number yet, she had to call his new secretary and ask her to put her through to him, and she could imagine what the secretary thought of her. A typical pathetic and insecure housewife, the kind who got desperate if their man was five minutes late because she thought he might have met some other woman. And Monica had very little urge to bother to tell her what her real reason was for calling her fiancé at work.
"Hey there" Chandler said, entering. He was in a good mood, carrying some bags. "Check this out, I found presents for the others on my way home, at this new store that's opened up."
Monica made an effort to be interested. She didn't want him to think that she didn't care, or that she didn't appreciate what he did for her every day. She rose and went over to him, kissing him on the cheek.
"So what have you found?" she asked.
"Here, check it out" he said, handing her one of the bags. "It's for Ross."
Monica fished out a dinosaur from the bag. She looked at it, and gave Chandler a confused look. He smiled and pressed a button under one of the dinosaur's feet, and the dinosaur started singing and dancing.
"According to the store clerk it can sing both 'Oh Come All Ye Faithful' and 'Rocking Around the Christmas Tree'!" Chandler said with a laugh.
"Ross is gonna hate you" Monica pointed out, laughing at the dancing dinosaur, that was singing the chorus of 'Rocking Around The Christmas Tree'. "Do I dare ask what you got the others?"
"Well, I got the same thing for Rachel, only it's a singing sweater."
Monica glared at him, and then watched in amazement how Chandler fished out a model of a sweater and pressed a button. The sweater, which had eyes, opened his eyes and begun to sing 'Oh Holy Night'.
"Isn't that a lovely quire?" Chandler asked.
"Sure" Monica said, staring at the sweater. "Who needs Christmas carollers?"
Chandler laughed and turned the sweater and the dinosaur off.
"If you tell me you got Phoebe a singing crystal ball then I'm out of here!" Monica declared.
"No, I didn't get Phoebe anything that sings" Chandler said with a laugh, and proceeded to show her what he had gotten Phoebe and Joey for Christmas.
"And what am I getting for Christmas?" Monica jokingly said once he was done showing her everything.
"A singing chef's hat" Chandler joked, putting the dinosaur and the sweater back in their bags.
"Wow, I've always wanted one of those. It will go great with the singing 8-Ball I'm getting you" Monica joked back.
Chandler smiled big at her. She tried her best to smile back, but she had a feeling the smile didn't reach her eyes. But Chandler didn't seem to be bothered. He lingered his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.
"Maybe I should get you singing underwear..." he suggested.
"Yeah, that would be fun. Waking up in the middle of the night because I rolled over the button, and my underwear is singing 'Sex Bomb'!" Monica sarcastically said.
Chandler laughed, and told her it was a good idea.
"If not else we'll have an unusual alarm clock" he said.
"You're insane" Monica replied, and broke from the embrace. Chandler watched her as she went over to make dinner.
"So what's for dinner?"
"Don't know, really. I haven't planned anything."
Chandler frowned. Never before had Monica not planned what they would have for dinner. Usually she planned weeks ahead. Once she had asked him in May what he would like to eat on the 4th of July.
"Mon, are you all right?" he asked.
"Sure, why wouldn't I be?" Monica said, confused. She started to look through the freezer. "I think I'll make fish, we've got some salmon in the freezer that I brought home from the restaurant last week."
"Sounds good" Chandler said, sitting down by the kitchen table. "It's been a while since I had salmon."
Monica started to cook dinner, and Chandler watched her, trying to figure out what was different in the way she cooked it. Something was not as usual with the way she was acting, but he couldn't figure out what. He knew for sure what the reason was, though.
"Mon..." he said. "Listen, don't be mad at me, okay?"
"What, aren't you up for salmon?" she asked.
"What? No, this isn't about dinner." He looked at her for a second, still trying to figure out what was different. "I'm only thinking of what's best for you, okay Mon? See, the thing is, I... I was thinking... Well, maybe you should try talking to a shrink."
"A what?" Monica said, spinning around so fast she knocked over the frying pan. It fell on the floor and nearly hit her foot. Chandler flew to his feet and rushed over to pick it up, thankful it hadn't hit her.
"Well, so much for salmon..." he said, throwing the fish in the trash. "I'll call for a pizza."
"Excuse me, don't try to weasel yourself out of the subject!" Monica said, hands on her hips and angrily looking into his eyes.
"I told you not to be mad..." Chandler said.
"Yeah, well you seem to think I AM mad!"
"No, Monica" Chandler said, shaking his head. "It's not that I think you're crazy or anything. But don't you think it could help you out a lot to talk to someone about all of this?"
"So in other words YOU aren't interested in listening" Monica angrily summed up.
"Yes I am, but last time I checked I didn't have a PhD in psychology."
"So?"
"So, I don't think I could help you as much as a professional psychiatrist could."
"Well if my fiancé can't help me, then who the hell can?" Monica said, composing tears and anger.
"Calm down!" Chandler said.
"No, I will NOT calm down!" Monica cried, throwing the dishrag in her hand in the wall with all her force. Chandler jumped at the sound of it hitting the wall and falling to the ground.
"MONICA!" he said, forcingly. "Get a grip, Monica."
"I am not mentally unstable!"
"And nobody said you were!"
"YOU said I was!"
Chandler sighed and walked out in the living room. She wasn't taking his suggestion as he'd hoped. Not one bit as he had hoped. It had been a long time since he'd seen her this angry, and it was the second time ever that she had been this mad at him. She usually never got mad at him, she seemed to have enough patience with his stupid remarks and actions to last for a lifetime.
"Monica..." he said, calmer now. "Would you just listen? This has nothing to do with me thinking you are labile or anything else like that."
"You just think I'm a case for psychiatric care" Monica stated, also a bit calmer but still on the warpath.
"No, I DON'T!"
"I am not going to a shrink, Chandler. I am not!"
"But you should."
"I don't need it!" she shouted.
"Quiet, not so loud, Joey and Rachel might hear and come over here."
"Chandler I cannot believe you are laying all of this on me now!" Monica said. "You know, the first thing I need from you is a little support."
"Shouldn't you know that you HAVE my support?" Chandler commented. "Have I not done everything to support you?"
"You're telling me I'm mentally unstable, for crying out loud!"
"You're not hearing me!" Chandler defended himself. "I think going to a shrink might be GOOD for you. You would get to talk to someone who could help you work through this trauma, someone who's educated to help people get past experiences like yours!"
"So you're saying I'm unable to work past it on my own?" Monica said, clearly with her guard up. "You know something Chandler, maybe I WOULD be able to work it out on my own if I had some help from my boyfriend."
She stared right into his eyes, hoping that she looked angry and sure of her words. The truth was that she knew she had his support and always his help when she needed it, but she was hurt by his suggestion that she should see a psychiatrist, and she had no intention of letting him of the hook easily. It wasn't at all what she needed, to get to hear in the middle of everything that her beloved boyfriend thought she was too weak and an emotional wreck, that she needed some professional help.
"That's unfair, Mon!" Chandler protested. "Have I not done my best to help you? I'm here for you when you need me, and you know it's true. When have I not been there for you? Answer me that."
"Okay, how about right now?" Monica suggested.
"I AM here for you right now!"
"Are not!" Monica protested. "Hell, you think I need professional help! That I'm too fragile to deal with this all on my own!"
"Okay, first of all, you're not dealing with this on your own, you have me and the other four to help you out, every step of the way. Second of all, you are the strongest woman I have ever met, you are FAR from fragile. But fact remains Monica, you need help to get passed this, help that I can't give you!"
"So in other words you've failed."
"With what?"
"Being my fiancé."
Chandler frowned deep.
"Well excuse me, but as far as I knew you couldn't fail unless you broke of the engagement. And you and I are still very much set on wedding."
"Sure we are, but you should be able to help me through anything I need help getting through!" Monica insisted, childishly.
"Well aren't you a pain in the ass?" Chandler hissed, angry. "You know what? Last time I checked it calls for being able to help you get through something when you suggest something that you know will help your fiancée out very much."
"Thanks for that confusing line, but the fact remains, I don't need to see a psychiatrist! I really do not!"
Chandler sighed and shook his head. He hated fights when he knew he was right but he was getting nowhere. And especially fights like this, when both could be right.
"Chandler look, I appreciate you trying to help me out" Monica said. "What I DON'T appreciate is when you tell me I'm too weak to deal with this on my own, and want to send me of to some freak-doctor who'll just spend an hour milking me for childhood memories, making me feel uncomfortable and then talking in riddles when she or he gives me a 'solution to the problem'. And who to top it all off is ridiculously over-priced."
"Who says a shrink is like that?" Chandler asked. "I happen to have dated a shrink once, and she was nothing like that."
"Honey, you were her DATE, not her patient. She wasn't getting any money for it. And by the way, spare me stories of the lovely women you've dated, who, unlike me, aren't so unstable that that have to go see a psychiatrist."
"Don't forget I dated Janice. And for the record Monica, you're acting childish! I came with a suggestion to help you out, and for a thanks I get nothing but trouble from you!"
"You're not too mature yourself." Monica pointed out. "And I bet you're just sick of me by now and trying to weasel your way out of having to be the shoulder I can cry on by sending me to some shrink so you can enjoy being with me again once the pieces are picked up."
"Huh?" Chandler said. "You're wrong about that, and you KNOW you're wrong."
"No I'm not wrong. You know I know you're wrong when you say I'm wrong."
"No, YOU'RE the one who knows I know you're wrong. Look, I'm in no mood to sort that out right now, but you're wrong, just so you know it!"
With that Chandler left the apartment.
*
"Chandler?" Monica carefully said that night, after they'd gone to bed.
Chandler grunted, annoyed with her still and in no mood to share confidences.
"I..." Monica began, carefully looking at him.
She had been afraid every second between him leaving and coming back to go to sleep. She hadn't even dared to order in a pizza, since she wouldn't have dared to open the door for the pizza deliverer. And when they'd gone to bed her usual fear came back and hit her with full force.
"Chandler, I just..." she whispered, carefully shaking his arm.
"Mon, what is it?" Chandler said, annoyed.
"Nothing, really..." Monica said, not wanting to bother him when he was mad, even though it broke her heart having to go to sleep without being on good terms with him. "I just... wanted you to know that... that I think that... you were right. I need to see a psychiatrist, I can't live like his any longer, I'm gonna end up with some phobia or something..."
Chandler felt all anger wash away, and he pulled Monica closer for a kiss. He couldn't be mad at her when she spoke in such a small, scared voice. He knew she was very scared and shaken with what had happened. He kissed her again and hoped it would help her to see a shrink.
Please review! And please read parts 3 and 4! Thanks...
INTRODUCTION: The 2nd part of 4. This part follows "Just Lucky?".
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Chandler and Monica or any of the other characters.
Monica threw the magazine down with a sigh. She didn't feel like reading it. She didn't feel like doing anything at all. It was December 19th, and she didn't even feel like decorating the apartment for Christmas. She didn't feel one bit safe there, and that didn't exactly get her in a jolly spirit.
She glanced over at the clock on the VCR, wondering when Chandler would be home. She hated being alone in the apartment, sometimes she could scare herself so much that she started to cry. It had even happened that she'd called Chandler at work, asking him to come home earlier. And he always did, even when he had much to do at work.
She jumped at a noise she didn't recognise, but calmed down when she realized it was their upstairs neighbour moving furniture. She thought of giving Chandler a call and asking him to come home to her, but when she looked at the time she realized he'd probably left his office by now. And besides, she didn't like calling him. He didn't have a direct number yet, she had to call his new secretary and ask her to put her through to him, and she could imagine what the secretary thought of her. A typical pathetic and insecure housewife, the kind who got desperate if their man was five minutes late because she thought he might have met some other woman. And Monica had very little urge to bother to tell her what her real reason was for calling her fiancé at work.
"Hey there" Chandler said, entering. He was in a good mood, carrying some bags. "Check this out, I found presents for the others on my way home, at this new store that's opened up."
Monica made an effort to be interested. She didn't want him to think that she didn't care, or that she didn't appreciate what he did for her every day. She rose and went over to him, kissing him on the cheek.
"So what have you found?" she asked.
"Here, check it out" he said, handing her one of the bags. "It's for Ross."
Monica fished out a dinosaur from the bag. She looked at it, and gave Chandler a confused look. He smiled and pressed a button under one of the dinosaur's feet, and the dinosaur started singing and dancing.
"According to the store clerk it can sing both 'Oh Come All Ye Faithful' and 'Rocking Around the Christmas Tree'!" Chandler said with a laugh.
"Ross is gonna hate you" Monica pointed out, laughing at the dancing dinosaur, that was singing the chorus of 'Rocking Around The Christmas Tree'. "Do I dare ask what you got the others?"
"Well, I got the same thing for Rachel, only it's a singing sweater."
Monica glared at him, and then watched in amazement how Chandler fished out a model of a sweater and pressed a button. The sweater, which had eyes, opened his eyes and begun to sing 'Oh Holy Night'.
"Isn't that a lovely quire?" Chandler asked.
"Sure" Monica said, staring at the sweater. "Who needs Christmas carollers?"
Chandler laughed and turned the sweater and the dinosaur off.
"If you tell me you got Phoebe a singing crystal ball then I'm out of here!" Monica declared.
"No, I didn't get Phoebe anything that sings" Chandler said with a laugh, and proceeded to show her what he had gotten Phoebe and Joey for Christmas.
"And what am I getting for Christmas?" Monica jokingly said once he was done showing her everything.
"A singing chef's hat" Chandler joked, putting the dinosaur and the sweater back in their bags.
"Wow, I've always wanted one of those. It will go great with the singing 8-Ball I'm getting you" Monica joked back.
Chandler smiled big at her. She tried her best to smile back, but she had a feeling the smile didn't reach her eyes. But Chandler didn't seem to be bothered. He lingered his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.
"Maybe I should get you singing underwear..." he suggested.
"Yeah, that would be fun. Waking up in the middle of the night because I rolled over the button, and my underwear is singing 'Sex Bomb'!" Monica sarcastically said.
Chandler laughed, and told her it was a good idea.
"If not else we'll have an unusual alarm clock" he said.
"You're insane" Monica replied, and broke from the embrace. Chandler watched her as she went over to make dinner.
"So what's for dinner?"
"Don't know, really. I haven't planned anything."
Chandler frowned. Never before had Monica not planned what they would have for dinner. Usually she planned weeks ahead. Once she had asked him in May what he would like to eat on the 4th of July.
"Mon, are you all right?" he asked.
"Sure, why wouldn't I be?" Monica said, confused. She started to look through the freezer. "I think I'll make fish, we've got some salmon in the freezer that I brought home from the restaurant last week."
"Sounds good" Chandler said, sitting down by the kitchen table. "It's been a while since I had salmon."
Monica started to cook dinner, and Chandler watched her, trying to figure out what was different in the way she cooked it. Something was not as usual with the way she was acting, but he couldn't figure out what. He knew for sure what the reason was, though.
"Mon..." he said. "Listen, don't be mad at me, okay?"
"What, aren't you up for salmon?" she asked.
"What? No, this isn't about dinner." He looked at her for a second, still trying to figure out what was different. "I'm only thinking of what's best for you, okay Mon? See, the thing is, I... I was thinking... Well, maybe you should try talking to a shrink."
"A what?" Monica said, spinning around so fast she knocked over the frying pan. It fell on the floor and nearly hit her foot. Chandler flew to his feet and rushed over to pick it up, thankful it hadn't hit her.
"Well, so much for salmon..." he said, throwing the fish in the trash. "I'll call for a pizza."
"Excuse me, don't try to weasel yourself out of the subject!" Monica said, hands on her hips and angrily looking into his eyes.
"I told you not to be mad..." Chandler said.
"Yeah, well you seem to think I AM mad!"
"No, Monica" Chandler said, shaking his head. "It's not that I think you're crazy or anything. But don't you think it could help you out a lot to talk to someone about all of this?"
"So in other words YOU aren't interested in listening" Monica angrily summed up.
"Yes I am, but last time I checked I didn't have a PhD in psychology."
"So?"
"So, I don't think I could help you as much as a professional psychiatrist could."
"Well if my fiancé can't help me, then who the hell can?" Monica said, composing tears and anger.
"Calm down!" Chandler said.
"No, I will NOT calm down!" Monica cried, throwing the dishrag in her hand in the wall with all her force. Chandler jumped at the sound of it hitting the wall and falling to the ground.
"MONICA!" he said, forcingly. "Get a grip, Monica."
"I am not mentally unstable!"
"And nobody said you were!"
"YOU said I was!"
Chandler sighed and walked out in the living room. She wasn't taking his suggestion as he'd hoped. Not one bit as he had hoped. It had been a long time since he'd seen her this angry, and it was the second time ever that she had been this mad at him. She usually never got mad at him, she seemed to have enough patience with his stupid remarks and actions to last for a lifetime.
"Monica..." he said, calmer now. "Would you just listen? This has nothing to do with me thinking you are labile or anything else like that."
"You just think I'm a case for psychiatric care" Monica stated, also a bit calmer but still on the warpath.
"No, I DON'T!"
"I am not going to a shrink, Chandler. I am not!"
"But you should."
"I don't need it!" she shouted.
"Quiet, not so loud, Joey and Rachel might hear and come over here."
"Chandler I cannot believe you are laying all of this on me now!" Monica said. "You know, the first thing I need from you is a little support."
"Shouldn't you know that you HAVE my support?" Chandler commented. "Have I not done everything to support you?"
"You're telling me I'm mentally unstable, for crying out loud!"
"You're not hearing me!" Chandler defended himself. "I think going to a shrink might be GOOD for you. You would get to talk to someone who could help you work through this trauma, someone who's educated to help people get past experiences like yours!"
"So you're saying I'm unable to work past it on my own?" Monica said, clearly with her guard up. "You know something Chandler, maybe I WOULD be able to work it out on my own if I had some help from my boyfriend."
She stared right into his eyes, hoping that she looked angry and sure of her words. The truth was that she knew she had his support and always his help when she needed it, but she was hurt by his suggestion that she should see a psychiatrist, and she had no intention of letting him of the hook easily. It wasn't at all what she needed, to get to hear in the middle of everything that her beloved boyfriend thought she was too weak and an emotional wreck, that she needed some professional help.
"That's unfair, Mon!" Chandler protested. "Have I not done my best to help you? I'm here for you when you need me, and you know it's true. When have I not been there for you? Answer me that."
"Okay, how about right now?" Monica suggested.
"I AM here for you right now!"
"Are not!" Monica protested. "Hell, you think I need professional help! That I'm too fragile to deal with this all on my own!"
"Okay, first of all, you're not dealing with this on your own, you have me and the other four to help you out, every step of the way. Second of all, you are the strongest woman I have ever met, you are FAR from fragile. But fact remains Monica, you need help to get passed this, help that I can't give you!"
"So in other words you've failed."
"With what?"
"Being my fiancé."
Chandler frowned deep.
"Well excuse me, but as far as I knew you couldn't fail unless you broke of the engagement. And you and I are still very much set on wedding."
"Sure we are, but you should be able to help me through anything I need help getting through!" Monica insisted, childishly.
"Well aren't you a pain in the ass?" Chandler hissed, angry. "You know what? Last time I checked it calls for being able to help you get through something when you suggest something that you know will help your fiancée out very much."
"Thanks for that confusing line, but the fact remains, I don't need to see a psychiatrist! I really do not!"
Chandler sighed and shook his head. He hated fights when he knew he was right but he was getting nowhere. And especially fights like this, when both could be right.
"Chandler look, I appreciate you trying to help me out" Monica said. "What I DON'T appreciate is when you tell me I'm too weak to deal with this on my own, and want to send me of to some freak-doctor who'll just spend an hour milking me for childhood memories, making me feel uncomfortable and then talking in riddles when she or he gives me a 'solution to the problem'. And who to top it all off is ridiculously over-priced."
"Who says a shrink is like that?" Chandler asked. "I happen to have dated a shrink once, and she was nothing like that."
"Honey, you were her DATE, not her patient. She wasn't getting any money for it. And by the way, spare me stories of the lovely women you've dated, who, unlike me, aren't so unstable that that have to go see a psychiatrist."
"Don't forget I dated Janice. And for the record Monica, you're acting childish! I came with a suggestion to help you out, and for a thanks I get nothing but trouble from you!"
"You're not too mature yourself." Monica pointed out. "And I bet you're just sick of me by now and trying to weasel your way out of having to be the shoulder I can cry on by sending me to some shrink so you can enjoy being with me again once the pieces are picked up."
"Huh?" Chandler said. "You're wrong about that, and you KNOW you're wrong."
"No I'm not wrong. You know I know you're wrong when you say I'm wrong."
"No, YOU'RE the one who knows I know you're wrong. Look, I'm in no mood to sort that out right now, but you're wrong, just so you know it!"
With that Chandler left the apartment.
*
"Chandler?" Monica carefully said that night, after they'd gone to bed.
Chandler grunted, annoyed with her still and in no mood to share confidences.
"I..." Monica began, carefully looking at him.
She had been afraid every second between him leaving and coming back to go to sleep. She hadn't even dared to order in a pizza, since she wouldn't have dared to open the door for the pizza deliverer. And when they'd gone to bed her usual fear came back and hit her with full force.
"Chandler, I just..." she whispered, carefully shaking his arm.
"Mon, what is it?" Chandler said, annoyed.
"Nothing, really..." Monica said, not wanting to bother him when he was mad, even though it broke her heart having to go to sleep without being on good terms with him. "I just... wanted you to know that... that I think that... you were right. I need to see a psychiatrist, I can't live like his any longer, I'm gonna end up with some phobia or something..."
Chandler felt all anger wash away, and he pulled Monica closer for a kiss. He couldn't be mad at her when she spoke in such a small, scared voice. He knew she was very scared and shaken with what had happened. He kissed her again and hoped it would help her to see a shrink.
Please review! And please read parts 3 and 4! Thanks...