TOW Monica Goes Home - Part 4
Disclaimer: The usual...
Chandler opened the door and followed Monica inside. They both stopped just inside the door, staring at each other with uncertainty. Finally Monica took off her coat and moved toward the couch, kicking off her heels as she sat down. Chandler followed her, removing his jacket and loosening his tie. Obviously, it was going to be a long night, and they were both trying to get comfortable before things got intense.
Monica glanced at Chandler and tried a smile, attempting to make her voice sound lighthearted and cheerful.
"So, did you enjoy the party?"
Chandler looked back and sighed.
"Mon…"
"Okay, okay. No small talk. Just…give me a minute, please?"
"Of course, Monica. Take your time."
Chandler reached over to take her hand and watched as she closed her eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. He saw the apprehension in her eyes, and he wanted more than anything to make it go away. After a moment of silence, he spoke again, softly.
"Monica, you can tell me anything. I won't hold it against you. I just…want to know what was so terrible that it made you walk out on me…out on us...without even telling me."
"I know…I just - This is just kind of sudden. I mean, I came back for the weekend, to come to Rachel's party and to let you all know I was okay. I didn't even want to see you, much less-" She stopped suddenly, realizing what she was staying and what it would sound like to him. "I mean - That's not what I meant, Chandler. I just thought-"
Chandler silenced her with a finger on her lips, not able to mask his hurt at her statement.
"You came back for the party? Not for me at all…for Rachel."
Monica looked up at him silently, not knowing what to say.
"Well, I…It wasn't that I didn't want to…Chandler, I just - It was so hard..."
Chandler gazed at her intently for a moment, then swallowed and looked down.
"So…was it Ross? He's the one that told you to come? It had to be. Rach would've told me if she knew…So would Joey…"
"Yes, it was Ross. But Chandler, I asked him not to tell you. I didn't think I could-"
"It's fine, Mon. I wish you had…But it's okay. That's all in the past." He stopped and looked at her, suddenly scared. "It is in the past, isn't it? You're not going back…are you?"
"I, I don't know. I guess that all depends on whether you want me to stay after you hear this."
"I want you to stay, Monica. No matter what happens with us, I'll always want you to stay. This is your home. You belong here. Even if it's not with me."
"Yeah…But still, you might change your mind..."
"It can't be that bad, Monica. Not any worse than telling me you've been talking to your brother for a year but never called your fiancé to tell him you were alive. And…I love you. So…just tell me, please."
Monica nodded slowly, swallowing hard and trying to gather up her nerve, drawing her strength from his assurance that he loved her. She took a deep breath and looked straight into his eyes.
"Chandler, do you remember the night I told you I was pregnant?"
Chandler smiled sadly, squeezing her hand.
"Of course I do. How could I forget something like that?"
Monica looked down, trying not to let her own memories of that night play in her head. She finally looked up and kept going, her voice faltering.
"Well…when I saw your face that night, I truly realized for the first time how much you loved me. I…I never told you this, Chandler, but I was a little afraid of planning a future with you. I knew that you were the one for me, but I was never quite…sure that you would want what I wanted. I always had my life planned out. I wanted a big family, a house in the suburbs, a backyard full of toys, and a minivan in the driveway. And that was so completely opposite from anything you ever mentioned. I knew you would give me all of that…because I knew you would do anything you could to make me happy, but…I was never completely sure it was what would make you happy."
"Monica-"
"Shh, sweetie. You don't owe me any explanations. I know."
Chandler allowed himself to be silenced by her finger on her lips, and waited quietly for her to continue.
"But when I saw your face that night, Chandler... You were so happy about the baby. There was no sign whatsoever of any fear, or nervousness, or anything but complete elation. And that's when I knew I had been wrong. You did want all those things, and you wanted them with me. Because you were in love with me."
"I am."
Monica smiled, her eyes lighting up briefly before the shadows fell over them again.
"Me too. But that's not the point right now, baby. Just listen, okay?"
"Okay." Chandler gave her a small smile, sitting back and waiting for her to continue.
"Anyway, it wasn't until I was already pregnant that I realized just how much you wanted a family. And it made me so happy to know that I could give you that. There was nothing more in the world that I wanted than to have a family - a future - with you."
She paused, expecting Chandler to break in, but he remained silent. She could tell that he was fighting tears, and wondered if old memories still hurt him as much as they hurt her. She took a deep breath and continued.
"And then…Then I had the miscarriage. And all of those dreams I had for our life together just seemed to…crumble."
Monica stopped, and bowed her head, wiping the tears away. Chandler reached out after a moment of hesitation and pulled her into his arms. He kissed the top of her head, and stroked her hair, his fingers getting tangled in the curls. He wanted to speak, but maintained his promise to stay quiet and just listen. It only took a moment for Monica to regain her composure, and she pulled back so she could look at him, with his arms still tight around her.
"I know how much it hurt you, Chandler. I saw it. And at first, I thought we would be okay. I wanted that baby more than anything, but I thought…"
Monica paused, fighting with her emotions. When she looked back at Chandler, he knew her next words were important. He closed his eyes to prepare for them, dreading whatever it was. He put one arm around Monica's waist and pulled her against him, wanting to give her all the support he could. His free hand squeezed hers gently as she took a trembling breath.
"I thought we could have another baby, Chandler. I thought I would get pregnant again, and we'd have our family, and we would be happy."
"Yes, of course-"
"I can't."
"What? Why not?"
Monica sighed, and determinedly wiped her eyes again. Now that she'd started, she just wanted the words to be said and to have his reaction behind them.
"Chandler…I wasn't lying when I told you that I felt responsible for the miscarriage. I did. But there's a lot more to the story than I've told you. I…well, I'll just say it. I can't have a baby."
Chandler shook his head slightly, confused and unbelieving.
"Wh-what?"
"The doctors told me I will probably never carry a child to full-term. I have some kind of…problem…that keeps the egg from implanting properly in my uterus. I could have done everything perfectly, but there's only a tiny chance that our baby would have survived. And it'll happen every time. I can get pregnant over and over, but I'll miscarry every time…" Monica trailed off, her tears finally conquering her voice. She knew that she had basically lied to him the day before when she told him it was guilt that drove her away, but it had been the truth as far as it went, just not the whole truth. But there were more important things to worry about now…like the look on Chandler's face.
Chandler was simply staring at her, completely shocked. He thought vaguely of how upset Monica, who had wanted a baby all her life, must have been when she heard the news, but then all rational thought seemed to leave him. He could hear himself breathing heavily, but nothing else seemed to register, except his astonishment and anguish at her announcement.
Monica watched him carefully through blurry eyes, wondering what he was thinking. He had released her as his mind comprehended her words, but his hand still held hers tightly. She wished he would say something - anything - to break the silence, but she wouldn't push him. She had had a year away from him to absorb the bad news, the least she could give him was five minutes alone with his own thoughts.
Chandler finally snapped back to reality, and immediately reached for Monica, burying his head against her neck.
"Monica…oh Mon, why didn't you tell me? Sweetie, you must have been devastated. You should have told me."
Monica was surprised that he was thinking of her after she had dropped this bomb on him, but she was glad that he offered himself to her for comfort. Maybe he wouldn't hate her for keeping the secret after all.
"I know…I know, but I couldn't - How could I look into your eyes and tell you we'd never have a child together? You wanted a baby so much…"
"And you thought if I knew we wouldn't have children…"
"Honey, I was there. I've never seen you as happy as you were when you thought we were going to be parents. I didn't want you to marry me, and never have that chance. I thought I had to give you a chance to be a father, and I couldn't stay here and watch…"
"Monica." His voice was firm but tender, breaking through her troubled thoughts and silencing her. "You are absolutely, completely out of your mind. I can't believe you thought that. Yes, I wanted our baby, and yes, I wanted to have a family with you - more than anything. But…Just because we can't have that doesn't mean I would have been any less happy sharing my life with you. I LOVE you, Monica. Don't you know that I would rather share my life with you and never have children than to have a dozen with any other women in the world? Besides, we could always adopt children. And just because we didn't create them doesn't mean that we can't love them as much as we would children that you gave birth to."
"But Chandler-"
"Would you quit "But Chandler"ing me? I'm telling you the truth. This changes nothing about how I feel about you. It just means that we'll have to change our plans for the future, that's all."
Monica managed a slight smile, relieved. Then a concerned look crossed her face as she thought about his words.
"Does that mean we still have a future?"
Chandler just smiled and leaned his head against hers. He kissed her on the neck then whispered into her ear.
"Of course we have a future. And I promise you, Monica Geller, I will make every dream you've ever had come true."
"Hey Rach, where's my wife?"
Rachel looked up at Chandler, and gave him a quick smile.
"She's inside. You know Monica, she had to start unpacking immediately."
Chandler smiled to himself as he thought about his wife's neurotic habits.
"I know. Isn't it cute?"
"Yeah…sure." Rachel rolled her eyes and motioned toward the hallway. "Go on, she's waiting on you."
Chandler nodded and headed for the door, already smiling in anticipation of what he would find.
He stood in the doorway of their bedroom, watching her pull things out of her suitcase and hang them neatly in their closet. In her concentration, she didn't notice him until he stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"I love you, Mrs. Bing."
Monica turned around and kissed him, her eyes shining.
"And I love you, Mr. Bing." She paused and looked around them. "Isn't this great? Our very own house. A real house. Can you believe it?"
"Nope. Now I'll have to be a real grown-up."
Monica smiled and kissed him again.
"Marriage didn't make you grow up?"
"Nah. I know you'll love me no matter what, so I can still be my usual childish, charming self and you have to put up with me. Which reminds me…You have me. We're in the process of moving into our house in the suburbs. There's a minivan parked in the garage next to the Porsche." That thought sidetracked him, and he questioned her excitedly. "Hey, does that mean I get the Porsche?"
"Why would you think that?"
"You have a van…That means I get the Porsche."
"Hmm…We'll discuss that later."
"Fine, fine. Anyway, you've got a husband, you've got a house, you've got a van…"
Monica smiled, realizing exactly what he was saying.
"I do…"
At just that moment, Ben Geller ran into the room, followed by another little boy that was desperately trying to keep up with him. As Ben hurled himself on the bed, Chandler grabbed the younger boy and pulled him up, smoothing back the hair from his flushed face.
"Whoa, Caleb, not so fast."
Caleb Bing smiled at his father, then squirmed to get down.
"Wanna go with Ben, Daddy, please?"
Chandler glanced at Ben, who nodded agreeably.
"I'll watch him, Uncle Chandler. Promise."
Chandler looked at Monica for her approval, and she nodded.
"Okay, Caleb, go with Ben. But don't go outside unless Uncle Ross or one of your aunts is with you, okay sweetie?
"Okay, Mommy."
Ben jogged out of the room, followed by an energetic Caleb, who waved happily at his parents as he attempted a lopsided gallop. Monica and Chandler watched them go, smiles on both their faces. Chandler turned back to his wife and pulled her close, kissing her forehead and resuming his speech as if they hadn't been interrupted.
"And you've got a little boy, and you've got a little girl. All we need is some toys in the yard, and I think you'll have all you ever wanted."
Monica smiled at him, tears in her eyes. She glanced at the bassinet in the corner where their daughter Anna slept peacefully, unaware of the turmoil in the new household.
"Yeah. I've got it all. And it all started when you kissed me that first time."
"Hey, you kissed me, if I remember correctly."
"Ah, details…"
Chandler kissed her gently, then pulled back, thinking about their children.
"We're so lucky, Mon. I mean, think about everything we've been through, and I still love you more than I ever thought possible. And we have a family, a happy family, in spite of everything."
Monica was silent for a moment, before she spoke with a thoughtful tone.
"Do you ever think their parents, Chandler?"
"We're their parents, Monica."
"Oh, I know. I mean…their birth parents."
"Yeah…sometimes." He didn't like to talk about it. It amazed him how quickly and how completely Caleb and Anna had become theirs. He didn't like imagining any other people having a claim to them.
"I do…sometimes. I think about what they've given up…and I think about the gift they've given us."
"Everything we ever wanted."
"Yes. Everything."
"I love them so much, Monica. They're ours, no matter what their DNA says. In our hearts, and in theirs, we are their parents. Thank you…for giving me a family, and for letting me share it with you."
"I should thank you. You kept your promise. I'm living every dream I've ever had."
"You're a fantastic mother."
"And you…You're a fantastic father. I always knew you would be."
"Really?"
"Yeah. From the very beginning."
"Does it still bother you? That we weren't able to have children that we made ourselves?"
Monica contemplated the question, then shook her head slowly.
"No, not really. I guess I'll always wish I could have had the experience of giving birth… that I could have given you a child. But you were right. Just because I didn't give birth to them doesn't make them any less ours, and it doesn't mean we can't love them as much as a child we created ourselves."
"See? I'm always right."
"Shut up, Chandler." Monica kissed him again to keep him from gloating. When their lips parted, Monica sighed and leaned against him.
"You were right about something else too."
"Of course I was…What?"
"My home…It's with you, wherever you are. And from now on, it's here - with you and Caleb and Anna."
Chandler smiled at her, feeling the same emotions she was feeling. He leaned in to kiss her, then grinned as he whispered suggestively in her ear.
"How 'bout we really make it our home? Christen the bedroom?"
Monica smiled back and traced his lips with her fingers.
"I'd love to." Chandler grinned and moved to swing her into his arms, but Monica stopped him.
"But first, we've got to get this stuff unpacked. I cannot have sex with BOXES in the room!"
THE END
Okay, I know that was fast and way too easy, but to tell you the truth, I just wanted the story done. I had other ideas originally, but I changed my mind. Forgive me. =)
Disclaimer: The usual...
Chandler opened the door and followed Monica inside. They both stopped just inside the door, staring at each other with uncertainty. Finally Monica took off her coat and moved toward the couch, kicking off her heels as she sat down. Chandler followed her, removing his jacket and loosening his tie. Obviously, it was going to be a long night, and they were both trying to get comfortable before things got intense.
Monica glanced at Chandler and tried a smile, attempting to make her voice sound lighthearted and cheerful.
"So, did you enjoy the party?"
Chandler looked back and sighed.
"Mon…"
"Okay, okay. No small talk. Just…give me a minute, please?"
"Of course, Monica. Take your time."
Chandler reached over to take her hand and watched as she closed her eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. He saw the apprehension in her eyes, and he wanted more than anything to make it go away. After a moment of silence, he spoke again, softly.
"Monica, you can tell me anything. I won't hold it against you. I just…want to know what was so terrible that it made you walk out on me…out on us...without even telling me."
"I know…I just - This is just kind of sudden. I mean, I came back for the weekend, to come to Rachel's party and to let you all know I was okay. I didn't even want to see you, much less-" She stopped suddenly, realizing what she was staying and what it would sound like to him. "I mean - That's not what I meant, Chandler. I just thought-"
Chandler silenced her with a finger on her lips, not able to mask his hurt at her statement.
"You came back for the party? Not for me at all…for Rachel."
Monica looked up at him silently, not knowing what to say.
"Well, I…It wasn't that I didn't want to…Chandler, I just - It was so hard..."
Chandler gazed at her intently for a moment, then swallowed and looked down.
"So…was it Ross? He's the one that told you to come? It had to be. Rach would've told me if she knew…So would Joey…"
"Yes, it was Ross. But Chandler, I asked him not to tell you. I didn't think I could-"
"It's fine, Mon. I wish you had…But it's okay. That's all in the past." He stopped and looked at her, suddenly scared. "It is in the past, isn't it? You're not going back…are you?"
"I, I don't know. I guess that all depends on whether you want me to stay after you hear this."
"I want you to stay, Monica. No matter what happens with us, I'll always want you to stay. This is your home. You belong here. Even if it's not with me."
"Yeah…But still, you might change your mind..."
"It can't be that bad, Monica. Not any worse than telling me you've been talking to your brother for a year but never called your fiancé to tell him you were alive. And…I love you. So…just tell me, please."
Monica nodded slowly, swallowing hard and trying to gather up her nerve, drawing her strength from his assurance that he loved her. She took a deep breath and looked straight into his eyes.
"Chandler, do you remember the night I told you I was pregnant?"
Chandler smiled sadly, squeezing her hand.
"Of course I do. How could I forget something like that?"
Monica looked down, trying not to let her own memories of that night play in her head. She finally looked up and kept going, her voice faltering.
"Well…when I saw your face that night, I truly realized for the first time how much you loved me. I…I never told you this, Chandler, but I was a little afraid of planning a future with you. I knew that you were the one for me, but I was never quite…sure that you would want what I wanted. I always had my life planned out. I wanted a big family, a house in the suburbs, a backyard full of toys, and a minivan in the driveway. And that was so completely opposite from anything you ever mentioned. I knew you would give me all of that…because I knew you would do anything you could to make me happy, but…I was never completely sure it was what would make you happy."
"Monica-"
"Shh, sweetie. You don't owe me any explanations. I know."
Chandler allowed himself to be silenced by her finger on her lips, and waited quietly for her to continue.
"But when I saw your face that night, Chandler... You were so happy about the baby. There was no sign whatsoever of any fear, or nervousness, or anything but complete elation. And that's when I knew I had been wrong. You did want all those things, and you wanted them with me. Because you were in love with me."
"I am."
Monica smiled, her eyes lighting up briefly before the shadows fell over them again.
"Me too. But that's not the point right now, baby. Just listen, okay?"
"Okay." Chandler gave her a small smile, sitting back and waiting for her to continue.
"Anyway, it wasn't until I was already pregnant that I realized just how much you wanted a family. And it made me so happy to know that I could give you that. There was nothing more in the world that I wanted than to have a family - a future - with you."
She paused, expecting Chandler to break in, but he remained silent. She could tell that he was fighting tears, and wondered if old memories still hurt him as much as they hurt her. She took a deep breath and continued.
"And then…Then I had the miscarriage. And all of those dreams I had for our life together just seemed to…crumble."
Monica stopped, and bowed her head, wiping the tears away. Chandler reached out after a moment of hesitation and pulled her into his arms. He kissed the top of her head, and stroked her hair, his fingers getting tangled in the curls. He wanted to speak, but maintained his promise to stay quiet and just listen. It only took a moment for Monica to regain her composure, and she pulled back so she could look at him, with his arms still tight around her.
"I know how much it hurt you, Chandler. I saw it. And at first, I thought we would be okay. I wanted that baby more than anything, but I thought…"
Monica paused, fighting with her emotions. When she looked back at Chandler, he knew her next words were important. He closed his eyes to prepare for them, dreading whatever it was. He put one arm around Monica's waist and pulled her against him, wanting to give her all the support he could. His free hand squeezed hers gently as she took a trembling breath.
"I thought we could have another baby, Chandler. I thought I would get pregnant again, and we'd have our family, and we would be happy."
"Yes, of course-"
"I can't."
"What? Why not?"
Monica sighed, and determinedly wiped her eyes again. Now that she'd started, she just wanted the words to be said and to have his reaction behind them.
"Chandler…I wasn't lying when I told you that I felt responsible for the miscarriage. I did. But there's a lot more to the story than I've told you. I…well, I'll just say it. I can't have a baby."
Chandler shook his head slightly, confused and unbelieving.
"Wh-what?"
"The doctors told me I will probably never carry a child to full-term. I have some kind of…problem…that keeps the egg from implanting properly in my uterus. I could have done everything perfectly, but there's only a tiny chance that our baby would have survived. And it'll happen every time. I can get pregnant over and over, but I'll miscarry every time…" Monica trailed off, her tears finally conquering her voice. She knew that she had basically lied to him the day before when she told him it was guilt that drove her away, but it had been the truth as far as it went, just not the whole truth. But there were more important things to worry about now…like the look on Chandler's face.
Chandler was simply staring at her, completely shocked. He thought vaguely of how upset Monica, who had wanted a baby all her life, must have been when she heard the news, but then all rational thought seemed to leave him. He could hear himself breathing heavily, but nothing else seemed to register, except his astonishment and anguish at her announcement.
Monica watched him carefully through blurry eyes, wondering what he was thinking. He had released her as his mind comprehended her words, but his hand still held hers tightly. She wished he would say something - anything - to break the silence, but she wouldn't push him. She had had a year away from him to absorb the bad news, the least she could give him was five minutes alone with his own thoughts.
Chandler finally snapped back to reality, and immediately reached for Monica, burying his head against her neck.
"Monica…oh Mon, why didn't you tell me? Sweetie, you must have been devastated. You should have told me."
Monica was surprised that he was thinking of her after she had dropped this bomb on him, but she was glad that he offered himself to her for comfort. Maybe he wouldn't hate her for keeping the secret after all.
"I know…I know, but I couldn't - How could I look into your eyes and tell you we'd never have a child together? You wanted a baby so much…"
"And you thought if I knew we wouldn't have children…"
"Honey, I was there. I've never seen you as happy as you were when you thought we were going to be parents. I didn't want you to marry me, and never have that chance. I thought I had to give you a chance to be a father, and I couldn't stay here and watch…"
"Monica." His voice was firm but tender, breaking through her troubled thoughts and silencing her. "You are absolutely, completely out of your mind. I can't believe you thought that. Yes, I wanted our baby, and yes, I wanted to have a family with you - more than anything. But…Just because we can't have that doesn't mean I would have been any less happy sharing my life with you. I LOVE you, Monica. Don't you know that I would rather share my life with you and never have children than to have a dozen with any other women in the world? Besides, we could always adopt children. And just because we didn't create them doesn't mean that we can't love them as much as we would children that you gave birth to."
"But Chandler-"
"Would you quit "But Chandler"ing me? I'm telling you the truth. This changes nothing about how I feel about you. It just means that we'll have to change our plans for the future, that's all."
Monica managed a slight smile, relieved. Then a concerned look crossed her face as she thought about his words.
"Does that mean we still have a future?"
Chandler just smiled and leaned his head against hers. He kissed her on the neck then whispered into her ear.
"Of course we have a future. And I promise you, Monica Geller, I will make every dream you've ever had come true."
"Hey Rach, where's my wife?"
Rachel looked up at Chandler, and gave him a quick smile.
"She's inside. You know Monica, she had to start unpacking immediately."
Chandler smiled to himself as he thought about his wife's neurotic habits.
"I know. Isn't it cute?"
"Yeah…sure." Rachel rolled her eyes and motioned toward the hallway. "Go on, she's waiting on you."
Chandler nodded and headed for the door, already smiling in anticipation of what he would find.
He stood in the doorway of their bedroom, watching her pull things out of her suitcase and hang them neatly in their closet. In her concentration, she didn't notice him until he stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"I love you, Mrs. Bing."
Monica turned around and kissed him, her eyes shining.
"And I love you, Mr. Bing." She paused and looked around them. "Isn't this great? Our very own house. A real house. Can you believe it?"
"Nope. Now I'll have to be a real grown-up."
Monica smiled and kissed him again.
"Marriage didn't make you grow up?"
"Nah. I know you'll love me no matter what, so I can still be my usual childish, charming self and you have to put up with me. Which reminds me…You have me. We're in the process of moving into our house in the suburbs. There's a minivan parked in the garage next to the Porsche." That thought sidetracked him, and he questioned her excitedly. "Hey, does that mean I get the Porsche?"
"Why would you think that?"
"You have a van…That means I get the Porsche."
"Hmm…We'll discuss that later."
"Fine, fine. Anyway, you've got a husband, you've got a house, you've got a van…"
Monica smiled, realizing exactly what he was saying.
"I do…"
At just that moment, Ben Geller ran into the room, followed by another little boy that was desperately trying to keep up with him. As Ben hurled himself on the bed, Chandler grabbed the younger boy and pulled him up, smoothing back the hair from his flushed face.
"Whoa, Caleb, not so fast."
Caleb Bing smiled at his father, then squirmed to get down.
"Wanna go with Ben, Daddy, please?"
Chandler glanced at Ben, who nodded agreeably.
"I'll watch him, Uncle Chandler. Promise."
Chandler looked at Monica for her approval, and she nodded.
"Okay, Caleb, go with Ben. But don't go outside unless Uncle Ross or one of your aunts is with you, okay sweetie?
"Okay, Mommy."
Ben jogged out of the room, followed by an energetic Caleb, who waved happily at his parents as he attempted a lopsided gallop. Monica and Chandler watched them go, smiles on both their faces. Chandler turned back to his wife and pulled her close, kissing her forehead and resuming his speech as if they hadn't been interrupted.
"And you've got a little boy, and you've got a little girl. All we need is some toys in the yard, and I think you'll have all you ever wanted."
Monica smiled at him, tears in her eyes. She glanced at the bassinet in the corner where their daughter Anna slept peacefully, unaware of the turmoil in the new household.
"Yeah. I've got it all. And it all started when you kissed me that first time."
"Hey, you kissed me, if I remember correctly."
"Ah, details…"
Chandler kissed her gently, then pulled back, thinking about their children.
"We're so lucky, Mon. I mean, think about everything we've been through, and I still love you more than I ever thought possible. And we have a family, a happy family, in spite of everything."
Monica was silent for a moment, before she spoke with a thoughtful tone.
"Do you ever think their parents, Chandler?"
"We're their parents, Monica."
"Oh, I know. I mean…their birth parents."
"Yeah…sometimes." He didn't like to talk about it. It amazed him how quickly and how completely Caleb and Anna had become theirs. He didn't like imagining any other people having a claim to them.
"I do…sometimes. I think about what they've given up…and I think about the gift they've given us."
"Everything we ever wanted."
"Yes. Everything."
"I love them so much, Monica. They're ours, no matter what their DNA says. In our hearts, and in theirs, we are their parents. Thank you…for giving me a family, and for letting me share it with you."
"I should thank you. You kept your promise. I'm living every dream I've ever had."
"You're a fantastic mother."
"And you…You're a fantastic father. I always knew you would be."
"Really?"
"Yeah. From the very beginning."
"Does it still bother you? That we weren't able to have children that we made ourselves?"
Monica contemplated the question, then shook her head slowly.
"No, not really. I guess I'll always wish I could have had the experience of giving birth… that I could have given you a child. But you were right. Just because I didn't give birth to them doesn't make them any less ours, and it doesn't mean we can't love them as much as a child we created ourselves."
"See? I'm always right."
"Shut up, Chandler." Monica kissed him again to keep him from gloating. When their lips parted, Monica sighed and leaned against him.
"You were right about something else too."
"Of course I was…What?"
"My home…It's with you, wherever you are. And from now on, it's here - with you and Caleb and Anna."
Chandler smiled at her, feeling the same emotions she was feeling. He leaned in to kiss her, then grinned as he whispered suggestively in her ear.
"How 'bout we really make it our home? Christen the bedroom?"
Monica smiled back and traced his lips with her fingers.
"I'd love to." Chandler grinned and moved to swing her into his arms, but Monica stopped him.
"But first, we've got to get this stuff unpacked. I cannot have sex with BOXES in the room!"
THE END
Okay, I know that was fast and way too easy, but to tell you the truth, I just wanted the story done. I had other ideas originally, but I changed my mind. Forgive me. =)