Thanks for the reviews, this is the next part. The title comes from another song. This one is from Bette Midler.
Disclaimer: I don't own them.
I Think Its Going to Rain Today: November 1999, New York City
Monica was now eight months pregnant. She hated Novembers. It was raining and dreary. Everyone in New York seemed to be in a bad mood. She was as big as a house and was officially on maternity leave. She sat on the couch reading a baby name book. Rachel had moved into Joey's apartment taking Chandler's old room and they had turned her room into the nursery. Monica didn't know what to name the baby. The gang was constantly coming up with suggestions that she hated. Joey was offering her nothing but variations of his name.
"I hate rain," Rachel said coming in and shaking herself off. Monica looked up. "Find a name yet?" She asked. Monica shook her head.
"I don't like any of the names in here!" She said. "I want the baby's name to be perfect."
"Well," Rachel said thoughtfully. "That will be hard." She sat down next to Monica and flipped through.
"I want the names to mean something to me," Monica said. She pulled the book out of Rachel's hands. "Something like...Lily!"
"Lily?" Rachel asked.
"For Lillian, after Pheeb's mom," Monica said.
"You're naming the baby after Pheebs?" Rachel couldn't help the jealousy that snuck into her voice.
"And you," Monica said grinning. "Lillian Rachel Geller."
"Not Bing?" Rachel asked as gently as she could. Monica shook her head as a tear ran down her face. "Oh honey, I'm sorry." Rachel hugged her. "Now boy's names." Monica nodded.
"Jack," she said. "After my dad. Jack Charles Geller."
"Charles?"
"Its Chandler's dad's name," Monica said and quickly changed the subject. Rachel rubbed her friend's back and they talked about light subjects. Subjects that couldn't draw any tears. The radio was playing softly in the background.
Broken windows and empty hallways,
a pale dead moon in a sky streaked with grey.
Human kindness is overflowing,
and I think it's gonna rain today.
Monica finally went to bed and Rachel went back to her own apartment. It was a rare night when Joey had no girlfriends over. He was watching television.
"Hey Rach," he said when she walked in.
"Hi Joey," she said sitting down next to him.
"How's Mon holding up?" He asked.
"She's okay," she said. "She hates the rain."
"Can't blame her," Joey said. "Did she mention Chandler?"
"She said that the baby is going to have her last name," Rachel said. "She picked out names."
"That's good," Joey said. "What are they?"
"Jack Charles for a boy and Lillian Rachel for a girl," Rachel said. They sat in silence. "Poor Monica. Have you talked to Chandler?"
"You know about that?" He asked. She nodded. "I never told him about the baby."
"I know," Rachel said. "Its okay. How is he?"
"He's miserable."
"Why doesn't he move back?"
"He says that this is the greatest thing that's ever happened to him, and he can't give it up. Its not you know."
"Its not what?" Rachel asked.
"Its not the greatest thing that's ever happened to him. He knows that, I know that. Monica is, and he let her get away. And his baby, who he might never meet ever." Rachel nodded tears in her eyes. "I just wish Monica would let me tell him." She nodded again. "He'd come back. I know that he would. He would do the noble thing and come back." They sat in silence again.
"They're both too stubborn," Rachel said. Joey nodded.
"Yeah," he said. "They are."
Scarecrows dressed in the latest styles,
the frozen smiles to chase love away.
Human kindness is overflowing,
and I think it's gonna rain today.
A month later, Monica was laying in her hospital bed holding her new little girl. It was December 2nd (Author's note: That's my brother's birthday!). She was lovingly looking down at Lily Rachel. On her birth certificate it had Chandler listed as the father and Monica had changed her mind and used Chandler's surname. The gang had come in and visited her and now Rachel and Ross were asleep next to Monica's bed. Joey was outside with Phoebe getting coffee.
"I can't believe that Chandler is a father and he doesn't even know," Phoebe said.
"This is the way that Monica wants it," Joey said.
"That's true," Phoebe said. "I just keep thinking if things were different."
"I know," Joey said. "If she would just tell him."
"Lily is a beautiful little girl," Phoebe said.
"With Monica as your mother I would be surprised if she was ugly," Joey commented. Phoebe giggled.
"That's a good point," she said as they went back into Monica's room.
Lonely, lonely.
Tin can at my feet,
I think I'll kick it down the street.
That's the way to treat a friend.
A month later, Joey called Chandler. Chandler always started out the conversation the same way.
"How is she?" He asked.
"She's doing okay," Joey said. "Oh you should see Lily! She's so cute!"
"Whose Lily?" Chandler asked. Joey bit his lip. He had to think fast.
"Monica's cat," he said. "Yep, another cat that is the reincarnated spirit of Phoebe's dead mother." He sighed to himself that he had covered that.
"She got a cat?"
"To get over you," Joey lied.
"I see," Chandler said. "But she's all right?"
"She's been better," Joey said. Like always he ended the conversation in the same way he usually did. "Chandler come home."
"I can't Joe, I just can't."
"Fine," Joey hung up the phone upset with both his friends. He went over to Monica's where everyone was fussing over the baby.
"Hey Joe," they all said when he came in. He came over and picked up Lily and kissed her on the cheek. He couldn't understand why those two couldn't just get over it and get back together. They had a daughter together. Although, Chandler didn't know that. He handed the baby back to Monica and noticed how as much as she looked like Monica, you could definitely tell that she was Chandler's daughter. Even at a month. Her eyes were bright blue like both of her parents. She was a gorgeous baby and so far every time Monica had taken her out everyone commented on how beautiful she was. Their Christmas had been a quiet one, and Monica had been depressed that Chandler hadn't been there to share it with them. Rachel wanted to yell that that was her own fault. That Joey was right! That all she had to do was call Chandler and tell him and he would be back. Or pack up her own things and move there. She would be so much happier there with him then here without him. They all knew this and wanted to tell her so badly, but they would look into her eyes that had lost the spark and didn't know how to put the words. They didn't know how to hurt her anymore. No one wanted to be the one to do that. So they all kept their mouths shut and hoped that she figured it out on her own.
Bright before me the signs implore me:
Help the needy and show them the way.
Human kindness is overflowing,
and I think it's gonna rain today.
Monica didn't figure it out in the months to come. She kept herself busy with work and Lily. Chandler's calls to Joey became shorter and eventually they just died off. Their friends knew that they should do something to get them back together, but they also knew that this was something that Monica and Chandler had to do for themselves. Monica was walking Lily through the park about seven months later, when she saw a restaurant for sale. She hurried home to tell Rachel about it.
"Can you afford it?" Rachel asked. "And maybe it shut down for a reason. Monica this is crazy. You have Lily to think about."
"I can move in with my parents if this goes in the hole," Monica said. She had her mind set on it and when her mind was set, Rachel knew that there was no way of talking her out of it. So she went with Monica and found out that the restaurant was actually a busy one and the only reason the owners were selling it was because they were getting older and had no heirs to give it to, so they were selling it. They liked Monica and met Lily and loved her. They didn't really need the money, they just wanted to sell it. They gave it to Monica for half of what it was worth and Monica got what she had always wanted, a restaurant. The business turned out to be thriving and one of the best decisions that Monica had ever made. Her life seemed to be falling back into place.
Lonely, so lonely.
Tin can at my feet,
I think I'll kick it down the street.
That's the way to treat a friend.
Chandler stared out a window in his small apartment and looked at the picture he had of him and Monica beside his bed. He was so stupid, he thought. He should just go back. But he couldn't go back now. It was too late, what was done was done. He had made his bed, and now he had to lie in it. He suddenly sat up. What was he doing? He loved her, and would always love her. No amount of time or land between them would stop that. He hated his job even more then when he was back in New York. Maybe that was because at least there he had Monica and his friends. Chandler finally made a decision and grabbed the phone and called his boss.
"Chandler?"
"Mr. Roberts? I'm miserable here, may I have a transfer back to New York?"
Bright before me the signs implore me:
Help the needy and show them the way.
Human kindness is overflowing,
and I think it's gonna rain today.
***So that's the second part. What will Chandler do? Ha, ha, ha, you'll just have to wait and see won't you? Kidding, I'll get it up as soon as I can.******
