Hello y'all! I am back! Sorry I'm late though but the period after the midterms are crazy! But I passed the horror of first semester and now I bring you guys part four of the series!
This part is much more serious that the last two. You guys may notice that one particular element of the plot resembles Daphne's latest fic. I just finished writing that part when she posted hers up. I was going to change the whole story but I couldn't come up with anything else better...so, please bear with me. Oh, and bewarned, this part is not edited by anyone so it is not my best work...that and the fact that I wrote half in November and the rest of it in January...so the emotions of the characters might not be consistent.
Special thanks to SJ and all of those who send me encouraging e-mails...I would've given up by now if it weren't for them. See, feedbacks does work! : )
Anyway, on with the story...(and the characters are not mine!)
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Part Four
April 23, 1996
Chandler stares the petite house with uncertainty. It hasn't changed much over the past three years. The porch is still charmingly crooked while the mailbox is stuffed with useless flyers and coupons. The window overlooking the sea appears frosted and murky, making it difficult to look into the premise.
Despite its worn-out exterior, this place offers him a chance to escape reality in the past. This is the place where the impossible happened, where life imitates art…it is the best secret in his life and he's not sure if he's ready to give it up yet.
Anxiety mounts as he continues to stand in reverie. An elderly couple gives him suspicious looks as they pass him for the second time this day. He doesn't blame them. He's been rooted to the same spot like a dummy for quite a while now, fearing the unknown.
For the millionth time that hour, he sums up his courage and starts to walk toward the main door only to stop himself as soon as he lifts his foot.
What if she's not here?
There is more than ninety percent chance that she won't show up this year. Then again, why should she?
She's got somebody now.
What did he expect? She is the hottest woman he's ever known. When they've made that pact, he knows, for sure, that it will not last. Some guy is bound to sweep her off her feet; and once that happens, this little deal of theirs will stop. He never thinks for one second that she will cheat on any of her boyfriends with him and he never expects her to. It is completely out of her character to do so.
In the end, he's just being a big naïve fool by coming here anyway in hopes of the chance that maybe, just MAYBE, she would cast her usual personality aside, like she did on every one of her birthdays so far, and keep her end of the deal.
Chandler finally settles on the porch dejectedly, unwilling to find out the horrible truth just yet. If nobody answers that door, then…that's it. No more annual secret getaways, no more sex and beaches…no more "Same Time Next Year."
That big old tree.
He looks at his hands bitterly as the image of Richard Burke enters his mind. Him and his respectable eye clinic…along with his sexy moustache. He is everything a woman like Monica has ever dreamed of: good-looking, experienced and mature. He is the epitome of what a good, responsible adult should be. For one, he certainly wouldn't forget a baby on the bus…or let a woman talk him into wearing a pink thong and then get stuck in a public bathroom stall in nothing but the little piece of garment, which should NOT be qualified as a kind of underwear. Those things are entertaining enough for men, but made purely for women.
He grimaces at the memory of his humiliating experience before his thoughts involuntarily returns to the subject of Richard, Monica's new boyfriend, who, by the way, is old enough to be her father.
Despite of his intimidating suaveness, he is a cool big tree. It is hard to dislike the guy when he is a really, really nice guy…nice enough to let him and Joey drive his fancy Jaguar…it's a pity that he only got to drive it for fifteen blocks though.
Sometimes he wonders if he made the wrong decision last year. If he didn't agree to her deal, would things turn out differently?
He doubts it.
Maybe there is something wrong with the stars and the planets are aligned in an unusual way on April 23rd but one would never have guessed or believed that he and Monica were sexually involved. On all the other days of this miserable year, she never even glances at him as something more than the goofball that lives across the hall.
It seems like there is this mutual agreement between them to never, ever talk about their annual meeting outside of the beach house.
Well, a deal is a deal. So why complain if he, in normal circumstances, wouldn't be given the slightest chance to begin with?
He actually got to SLEEP with Monica! This must be God's favour for him in compensation for his traumatic childhood and all of its shitty fallouts.
Now the question is: would the Man Upstairs be kind enough to continue to grant him this favour?
He really doesn't mind only being her lover. He is perfectly content to have her, even for just once a year.
Chandler frowns at this thought. He's not asking for much, only one day with Monica every year. Its not like he would steal her away from Richard. Hell, Ross kissed Rachel while he's with Julie and he still gets the girl he truly wanted in the end.
It's sickening how happy they are sometimes.
He sighs and put his head in his hands. It is unfair for him to think about his friends that way. Both Ross and Rachel went through a lot of pining, jealousy and heartache in order to be together and they deserve to be happy…just like Monica deserves to be happy. All sullenness aside, he is glad that she has found someone who adores and respects her for being her quirky self.
Absently, he picks up a stick from the ground and begins to write his name on the ground.
What a year this has been!
First he made the mistake of getting rid of his "nubbin'". It's a shame that he never knew how proud he was of it until it is gone, especially since Monica commented that it was sexy. Now he has to settle with two regular nipples, just like everybody else.
Then Mr. Heckles died. He barely knew the guy and quite frankly, he didn't like him much. Before his death, he was just the weird old guy that always complained about the "excessive noise" that he and the others supposedly made. Who would've thought that this guy would have such an affect on him?
It is freaky that he is actually a mini version of Heckles. And to know that he can turn out to be exactly like him, bitter and alone, it literally snapped him back to reality and forced himself to get his acts together…so much so that he called Janice and begged her to take him back.
It didn't take long for him to realize just how stupid he was, especially after learning that she got married. Not only was she a married woman, but she was also a very pregnant woman.
How the hell did that happen? She was supposed to be his safety net! It didn't seem that long ago when he dumped her…how could she get hitched AND knocked up within such a short time?
Down the drain his backup plan went. He doesn't want to admit it but it was quite upsetting.
Well, at least Joey will not be putting up with her anytime in the future. Then again, he wouldn't have to put up with her at any rate since he moved out a couple of days ago.
Yep. Joey Tribianni is a big soap opera star now. If he can have his very own stalker, he could certainly afford his own apartment…along with sophisticated decorations like a big white ceramic dog.
So who is HE to stand in the way of luxury?
"This is the WORST year ever!" he thinks out loud as he throws the stick away in frustration.
A sudden noise behind him startles him as a familiar voice rings out in his ears. Elevated and stunned, he slowly turns around to see Monica, who is talking on the phone behind the screen door.
"Oh don't worry Mrs. Williams I know this guy." She reassures the person on the other line politely. Although her voice is extremely polite, her eyes are filled with agitation as they fix themselves upon him.
"How long?" she asked with a hint of surprise and clarifies after a brief moment, "Uh, that's because we had a fight…yeah, he's my boyfriend…well, he's not my favourite person right now…" she pauses here to give Chandler a reproachful look to further signify that she's not happy with him and continues, "…uh-huh…That's okay…Thank you very much for calling I'd appreciated it very much. Bye Mrs Williams!"
After Monica hangs up, they stand in silence just staring at each other for what seems like hours. Oblivious to the fact that she is extremely pissed, Chandler feels like he has won the lottery.
This is a miracle! Wow, God must feel really, really sorry for him. Wait a minute, what if she came because she wants to end the pact face to face?
His train of thoughts is brought to a halt quickly when she opens the door and approaches him huffily.
"Well, that was Mrs. Williams calling to tell me that I have a prowler outside of the house." She explains and crosses her arms.
"Prowler? I wasn't prowling. I was just…lingering." He defends feebly.
"She said that she and her husband saw you on their way to the store and when they came back two hours later, you were still here staring at the house like a burglar trying to get in. It's no wonder why they are concerned!"
Before Chandler can make a wiseass comment, Monica pushes him violently and scolds, "What the fuck is wrong with you?"
Taken by surprise, he staggers backward and almost falls on the sand.
"Hey! What the fuck is wrong with YOU?"
Ignoring his question, she walks angrily toward him to give him another shove. However, he grabs a hold of her wrists just in time.
"Okay stop it!" he warns. He is not the kind of person that gets mad easily but at the moment, his temper is beginning to stir as she fights to yank her hands away from his so she can resume bullying him.
This isn't a miracle; this turns out to be the lottery from hell. What does she think he is? A punching bag?
Before long, the struggling turns into a wrestling match when Monica trips him in a desperate attempt to free herself. Unfortunately, Chandler is already in the 'if-I'm-going-down-I'm-pulling-you-down-with-me' mode and she ends up falling on top of him. Then, he quickly flips around, pins her under him and places her hands firmly on either side of her head.
"Let go of me!" she commands as she struggles to move.
"So you can keep on pushing me around? Who do you take me for, your own personal slave?" He says smugly.
She stops moving and gives him a hell-worthy stare.
"Chandler Muriel Bing, I am warning you." She threatens through her gritted teeth, "Let go of me now or your ass will be met by the back of my foot."
"In this position, I would love to see you do that without breaking your leg." He taunts her mischievously and tightens his hands on her wrists.
She gives him a sarcastic smile before suddenly turning her head and bites his left arm fiercely.
"OW!" he yells in pain and releases her hands immediately.
Seizing the opportunity, she uses her freakish strength to turn their bodies around and reverse their position.
"You son of a bitch!" she straddles him and reproaches furiously, "I waited for you for hours! I bought wine and candles…and…and Ben & Jerry's…I even made you your Goddamn macaroni and cheese!"
Despite of the pain, Chandler's annoyance and competitiveness dissipate as he stares, dumbfounded, at the woman above him. Her eyes sparkles with the kind of fire that only she possesses while her luscious mouth quivers lightly in between each breath she takes.
"God you're beautiful when you're mad!" he blurts out.
Taken back, Monica unsuccessfully hides the smile that almost takes place on her face. It takes a few seconds for her to retrieve her angry exterior again and states, "If you think you can sweet-talk your way out of this…"
She can't even finish her sentence when the man below sits up abruptly and captures her mouth with his own.
At the instant their lips touch, she feels her heart flutters and the last bit of her irritation with him drains away as his tongue massages hers lovingly.
Well, what hell does she know? It works!
Moaning into his mouth, she can't help but sinking more into the kiss and wraps her arms around his neck.
It's been a year since he has kissed her like that.
Chandler always has a way with her. He can either make her crazy with his stupid jokes and his annoying habits or he can make her crazy just by kissing her and making love to her…
That manipulative bastard.
He moves away from her mouth and begins to kiss her neck gently while she tilts her head to one side in order to give him better access.
"Mmmm…" she sighs contently, "I thought you forgot about today."
Upon hearing her comment, he stops his ministration immediately and looks incredulously into his eyes, "Mon, how can I possibly forget about today?"
"Then why did you stay out here for so long?" she asks, unable to conceal the hurt in her voice.
"I…" he takes a deep breath and tries to formulate his thoughts into words, "I didn't want to knock and then find out that you're not here. I guess I didn't want to be disappointed."
At the discovery of this day's importance to him, Monica strokes his cheek as her heart is swelled with astonishment, sympathy and contentment.
"Chandler, what makes you think that I wouldn't show up?" she finally inquires even though she knows fully well what his answer would be.
"Uh…gee, I don't know." He responds sarcastically, "Maybe the fact that you have Richard now?"
"Richard has nothing to do with what this day is."
"What are talking about?" he exclaims in disbelief, "He is your boyfriend!"
"You and I have made a pact." She disregards his comments and reasons, "Do I look like a person that backs out of a deal?"
Without allowing him to answer her, she stands up and wipes the sand off of her clothes.
"Look, we've wasted enough time out here already. Why don't we go in and enjoy what's left of the day?" She extends her hand to him and adds, "Your Mac and Cheese is cold."
Chandler looks at her hand and contemplates for a very brief instant before totally giving in.
"I like them cold." He remarks as he takes her hand and gets up.
"You would." Monica rolls her eyes and chuckles.
Her smile fades when she notices the bite mark she left on his arm. Carefully, she touches it with her finger and pulls away immediately when he flinches. That was some bite.
"I'm sorry I bit you." She apologizes guiltily.
"That's okay. I should've known that you're liable to say and do anything when you get all riled up. Besides," he smirks slyly, "the image of you being a dominatrix turns me on."
"Really?" she raises her eyebrows, "You know, it's not a good idea to suggests anything that you might not be able handle later on 'cause I think I might have a couple of handcuffs somewhere inside."
"Ooooh…Kinky." He flirts as he stares into her blue eyes, which were dancing with mischief and excitement.
Just as he's about to lean in for another passionate kiss, a startling voice dissolves the romantic air and replace the atmosphere with anxiety and guilt.
"Glad I found you here." The familiar voice says calmly.
Upon hearing the voice, Monica feels like her heart stops for a few agonizing seconds before it races uncontrollably. She looks at Chandler urgently, hoping that this is just her imagination playing a nasty prank on her. Nonetheless, his horrified expression told her otherwise.
Slowly, she turns around to find her boyfriend standing not even fifteen feet away from them. She nervously wonders how long he's been standing there and more importantly, how much of their conversation he has picked up.
"Ri…Richard!" she stutters as her boyfriend approaches them slowly.
"Monica." He looks at her for a moment and shifts his eyes on the man beside his girlfriend and greets politely, "Chandler."
A million thoughts concerning the many ways Richard can kill him run through his mind before Chandler finds his own voice. Even then all he can get out of his mouth is a weak "Richard".
"What are you doing here?" Somewhat recovered, Monica asks as casually as possible.
"To celebrate my girlfriend's birthday with her." He announces simply and gives her a peck on the lips.
"Oh!" she chuckles before asking subtly, "How did you manage to find me here?"
"Your parents told me." He answers nonchalantly.
"My parents?" she questions, confused.
"Yeah! They mentioned something about you liking to spend your birthdays here. So I figured that you might need some company." He pauses to take a look at Chandler and continues, "I just didn't know that you already have some."
"Don't…don't worry about me." Chandler interjects quickly, "I'm just here to ask Monica something and uh, now I'm leaving!"
"You are?" Monica looks at him sharply.
"Yeah." He says, "Thank you for your advice, I know the right thing to do now." He stares into her pleading eyes, knowing that she understands the double meaning behind his statement, and smiles sincerely, "I'll see you tomorrow…Bye Richard."
Monica watches silently as her lover shakes hands with her boyfriend amicably before heading toward the main road. Something inside of her wants to break free and shouts for Chandler to come back. However, her common sense, along with her guilt and love for Richard is working furiously to keep this impulsiveness caged. Instead, all she can do is to gaze helplessly as his figure gets smaller and smaller before he disappears around the corner.
"He came all the way here to ask you a question?" Richard's question brings her back to reality.
"Huh?" she breaks out of her trance quickly and covers up, "Oh! He…um…he has relationship problems."
"I didn't know he's in one of those." her boyfriend comments straightforwardly.
"He isn't." Monica replies while the wheel in her head spins quickly before settling on a lie, "You know Natalie? She is one of the waitresses in Central Perk. Anyway, Chandler has a huge crush on her and he doesn't know what to do."
"Really?" Richard looks at her for a moment and states, "I always thought he was gay."
"Oh there's so much you don't know." The statement leaves her mouth before it can even be registered and tamed by her brain. Alarmingly, she takes a look at her boyfriend and finds him staring back at her quietly.
"You'd be surprised, Mon." he finally responds and kisses her on the forehead.
Monica scrutinizes his face carefully and tries to fathom what his words mean. Nevertheless, his expression tells her nothing. It doesn't seem like he saw what just went on between her and Chandler. In fact, he is just as sweet and loving as usual. That alone causes her heart to ache with remorse.
"Do you want to go inside now?" he asks gently.
"Um…can we take a walk?" she requests uncomfortably.
"Sure, whatever you want." He says and takes her hand as they walks toward the sea.
The two strolls wordlessly along the beach until Richard breaks the silence, "God, it is beautiful here. We should come here more often."
"Listen," Unwilling to continue the small talk, Monica gets to the point delicately, "Did my parents tell you that I usually spend my Birthdays alone?"
"Yeah, I was wondering about that."
"Okay, this might not make any sense to you but uh…for me, birthdays are not a good thing because it always signifies that I am getting old. So I prefer to come here and reflect on life and stuff…Its tradition!"
"I can think of many ways to make you feel better." He suggests flirtatiously, "After all, traditions are made to be broken."
"Not this one, Richard." She says firmly.
He stares at her for a long time and nods, "Okay. I still don't understand it but I do respect your wishes."
"I'm sorry. I just want to spend this day alone…to think." She says apologetically and adds, "I'll make it up to you, I promise."
Richard caresses her face tenderly and put a strand of her hair behind her ear.
"Don't worry about it." He whispers and kisses her cheek, "We're still on for Tuesday night, right?"
"Definitely."
"Good." He gives her a kiss on the mouth before turning around and walking towards the main road, just like Chandler did a moment ago.
After he disappears completely around the corner, Monica sighs heavily and drops onto the sand. She doesn't want to send him away this way but there is no chance in Hell she can be able to face him after what happened, or what didn't happened, tonight.
She never realizes the gravity of the situation until Richard shows up so suddenly. Sure, she thought about this day before but the notion of how much are at stake never really hit her until now.
The worst part is: she doesn't know if she's feeling more sorry about the fact that she almost cheated on her boyfriend, the man that she undoubtedly loves, or the fact that she doesn't get to spend her special day with Chandler, the man that makes her feel alive.
And to think that she was actually looking forward to this day…
She wraps her arms around her legs and pensively watches the sun as it slowly sinks into the sea.
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A short time later, Chandler finds himself staring at her lonely back from afar. This is certainly one of the strangest day he has ever experienced. He has never felt so many emotional highs and lows in such a short period of time. From fear to relief, disappointment to elevation, which is soon replaced by remorse and rationality.
As much as he wants their secret affair to continue, he can't do that to Monica...he can't destroy her chance in love and happiness simply because of one night of wild sex-capade. However, he also owes her an explanation, a conclusion.
Like a moth drawn to the flames, he approaches her quietly and takes a seat beside her.
Without acknowledging his presence, Monica keeps gazing at the sea with a blank expression on her face.
He sits patiently with her, unwilling to make any moves until she's ready to talk about their affair, which seems to come to a bittersweet end.
"I thought your were going to do the right thing." She remarks.
"Well, I saw Richard's Jaguar whooshes by and I figured we need some kind of a closure." He deduces as he looks at her expectantly.
Stubbornly, she fixes her eyes on the disappearing sun, reluctant to face him.
Upon her unresponsiveness, Chandler sighs, "I guess all good things must come to an end, right? And believe me, this is one of the best things that has ever happened to me…but we've got to stop it before things get out of hand."
Monica finally turns to look at him and suddenly, she finds herself announces the following firmly.
"No." she shakes her head. This is exactly why she refuses look into his eyes in the first place. All her shame and regret just vanish as her irrationality convinces her heart that this is a risk worth taking.
"No?"
"No." she reasons, "We've made that pact long before Richard came into my life."
"Monica," he runs his hand through his hair as he argues, "You are ruining a perfect relationship because of a stupid pact! This is not just about us anymore. There are other people's feelings involved!"
"This is not just a stupid pact!" she defends, "This day is never about anyone else but you and me. Chandler, don't you get it? I…I need this…" pausing to take a deep breath, she confesses, "I need you."
Gently, he strokes her cheek and sighs, "Mon, somebody is going to get hurt. I just don't want that someone to be you…I'll never forgive myself if I am somehow responsible for breaking you and Richard up."
She kisses the inside of his palms and explains sincerely, "I love Richard, a lot, but our relationship is not perfect; it still has its uncertainties…and if it doesn't work out between us, I can assure you that it won't be because of you."
"What about…"
"As for our friendship," she smiles knowingly, "we survived that episode with Kip and Grace, didn't we?"
Touched, Chandler pulls her close to kiss her forehead and mumbles huskily, "You are going to be the end of me, you know that?"
"Face it, Bing," she rests her head on his shoulder and says, "You can never get rid of me. Boyfriends and girlfriends come and go, but this," she pauses to gestures between them, "this is forever."
"Forever huh?" he asks thoughtfully.
"Forever." She answers resolutely.
"That's a pretty long time."
"You're not going to get all…Chandler on me, are you?" Monica pulls away and examines him reproachfully.
"With you?" he grabs her waist to bring her close to him again and kisses the top of her head, "No…at least not yet."
"Good." she comments lightly and settles her head back on his shoulder.
The twosome continues to cuddle as the myriad of stars lights up the sky, both find an unusual sense of peace in their circumstance.
"Monica?" Out of the blue, he breaks the magical silence.
"Yes?"
"How many handcuffs do you have?"
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That's a wrap for 1996! The whole thing with Richard...it is not completely over yet.
As always, feedbacks and suggestions are welcomed. If you have any ideas, any ideas at all, please e-mail me 'cause there is at least six more parts to go and I am beginning to run out of them. Anyway, thanks for reading and I'll be back as soon as I can.
This part is much more serious that the last two. You guys may notice that one particular element of the plot resembles Daphne's latest fic. I just finished writing that part when she posted hers up. I was going to change the whole story but I couldn't come up with anything else better...so, please bear with me. Oh, and bewarned, this part is not edited by anyone so it is not my best work...that and the fact that I wrote half in November and the rest of it in January...so the emotions of the characters might not be consistent.
Special thanks to SJ and all of those who send me encouraging e-mails...I would've given up by now if it weren't for them. See, feedbacks does work! : )
Anyway, on with the story...(and the characters are not mine!)
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Part Four
April 23, 1996
Chandler stares the petite house with uncertainty. It hasn't changed much over the past three years. The porch is still charmingly crooked while the mailbox is stuffed with useless flyers and coupons. The window overlooking the sea appears frosted and murky, making it difficult to look into the premise.
Despite its worn-out exterior, this place offers him a chance to escape reality in the past. This is the place where the impossible happened, where life imitates art…it is the best secret in his life and he's not sure if he's ready to give it up yet.
Anxiety mounts as he continues to stand in reverie. An elderly couple gives him suspicious looks as they pass him for the second time this day. He doesn't blame them. He's been rooted to the same spot like a dummy for quite a while now, fearing the unknown.
For the millionth time that hour, he sums up his courage and starts to walk toward the main door only to stop himself as soon as he lifts his foot.
What if she's not here?
There is more than ninety percent chance that she won't show up this year. Then again, why should she?
She's got somebody now.
What did he expect? She is the hottest woman he's ever known. When they've made that pact, he knows, for sure, that it will not last. Some guy is bound to sweep her off her feet; and once that happens, this little deal of theirs will stop. He never thinks for one second that she will cheat on any of her boyfriends with him and he never expects her to. It is completely out of her character to do so.
In the end, he's just being a big naïve fool by coming here anyway in hopes of the chance that maybe, just MAYBE, she would cast her usual personality aside, like she did on every one of her birthdays so far, and keep her end of the deal.
Chandler finally settles on the porch dejectedly, unwilling to find out the horrible truth just yet. If nobody answers that door, then…that's it. No more annual secret getaways, no more sex and beaches…no more "Same Time Next Year."
That big old tree.
He looks at his hands bitterly as the image of Richard Burke enters his mind. Him and his respectable eye clinic…along with his sexy moustache. He is everything a woman like Monica has ever dreamed of: good-looking, experienced and mature. He is the epitome of what a good, responsible adult should be. For one, he certainly wouldn't forget a baby on the bus…or let a woman talk him into wearing a pink thong and then get stuck in a public bathroom stall in nothing but the little piece of garment, which should NOT be qualified as a kind of underwear. Those things are entertaining enough for men, but made purely for women.
He grimaces at the memory of his humiliating experience before his thoughts involuntarily returns to the subject of Richard, Monica's new boyfriend, who, by the way, is old enough to be her father.
Despite of his intimidating suaveness, he is a cool big tree. It is hard to dislike the guy when he is a really, really nice guy…nice enough to let him and Joey drive his fancy Jaguar…it's a pity that he only got to drive it for fifteen blocks though.
Sometimes he wonders if he made the wrong decision last year. If he didn't agree to her deal, would things turn out differently?
He doubts it.
Maybe there is something wrong with the stars and the planets are aligned in an unusual way on April 23rd but one would never have guessed or believed that he and Monica were sexually involved. On all the other days of this miserable year, she never even glances at him as something more than the goofball that lives across the hall.
It seems like there is this mutual agreement between them to never, ever talk about their annual meeting outside of the beach house.
Well, a deal is a deal. So why complain if he, in normal circumstances, wouldn't be given the slightest chance to begin with?
He actually got to SLEEP with Monica! This must be God's favour for him in compensation for his traumatic childhood and all of its shitty fallouts.
Now the question is: would the Man Upstairs be kind enough to continue to grant him this favour?
He really doesn't mind only being her lover. He is perfectly content to have her, even for just once a year.
Chandler frowns at this thought. He's not asking for much, only one day with Monica every year. Its not like he would steal her away from Richard. Hell, Ross kissed Rachel while he's with Julie and he still gets the girl he truly wanted in the end.
It's sickening how happy they are sometimes.
He sighs and put his head in his hands. It is unfair for him to think about his friends that way. Both Ross and Rachel went through a lot of pining, jealousy and heartache in order to be together and they deserve to be happy…just like Monica deserves to be happy. All sullenness aside, he is glad that she has found someone who adores and respects her for being her quirky self.
Absently, he picks up a stick from the ground and begins to write his name on the ground.
What a year this has been!
First he made the mistake of getting rid of his "nubbin'". It's a shame that he never knew how proud he was of it until it is gone, especially since Monica commented that it was sexy. Now he has to settle with two regular nipples, just like everybody else.
Then Mr. Heckles died. He barely knew the guy and quite frankly, he didn't like him much. Before his death, he was just the weird old guy that always complained about the "excessive noise" that he and the others supposedly made. Who would've thought that this guy would have such an affect on him?
It is freaky that he is actually a mini version of Heckles. And to know that he can turn out to be exactly like him, bitter and alone, it literally snapped him back to reality and forced himself to get his acts together…so much so that he called Janice and begged her to take him back.
It didn't take long for him to realize just how stupid he was, especially after learning that she got married. Not only was she a married woman, but she was also a very pregnant woman.
How the hell did that happen? She was supposed to be his safety net! It didn't seem that long ago when he dumped her…how could she get hitched AND knocked up within such a short time?
Down the drain his backup plan went. He doesn't want to admit it but it was quite upsetting.
Well, at least Joey will not be putting up with her anytime in the future. Then again, he wouldn't have to put up with her at any rate since he moved out a couple of days ago.
Yep. Joey Tribianni is a big soap opera star now. If he can have his very own stalker, he could certainly afford his own apartment…along with sophisticated decorations like a big white ceramic dog.
So who is HE to stand in the way of luxury?
"This is the WORST year ever!" he thinks out loud as he throws the stick away in frustration.
A sudden noise behind him startles him as a familiar voice rings out in his ears. Elevated and stunned, he slowly turns around to see Monica, who is talking on the phone behind the screen door.
"Oh don't worry Mrs. Williams I know this guy." She reassures the person on the other line politely. Although her voice is extremely polite, her eyes are filled with agitation as they fix themselves upon him.
"How long?" she asked with a hint of surprise and clarifies after a brief moment, "Uh, that's because we had a fight…yeah, he's my boyfriend…well, he's not my favourite person right now…" she pauses here to give Chandler a reproachful look to further signify that she's not happy with him and continues, "…uh-huh…That's okay…Thank you very much for calling I'd appreciated it very much. Bye Mrs Williams!"
After Monica hangs up, they stand in silence just staring at each other for what seems like hours. Oblivious to the fact that she is extremely pissed, Chandler feels like he has won the lottery.
This is a miracle! Wow, God must feel really, really sorry for him. Wait a minute, what if she came because she wants to end the pact face to face?
His train of thoughts is brought to a halt quickly when she opens the door and approaches him huffily.
"Well, that was Mrs. Williams calling to tell me that I have a prowler outside of the house." She explains and crosses her arms.
"Prowler? I wasn't prowling. I was just…lingering." He defends feebly.
"She said that she and her husband saw you on their way to the store and when they came back two hours later, you were still here staring at the house like a burglar trying to get in. It's no wonder why they are concerned!"
Before Chandler can make a wiseass comment, Monica pushes him violently and scolds, "What the fuck is wrong with you?"
Taken by surprise, he staggers backward and almost falls on the sand.
"Hey! What the fuck is wrong with YOU?"
Ignoring his question, she walks angrily toward him to give him another shove. However, he grabs a hold of her wrists just in time.
"Okay stop it!" he warns. He is not the kind of person that gets mad easily but at the moment, his temper is beginning to stir as she fights to yank her hands away from his so she can resume bullying him.
This isn't a miracle; this turns out to be the lottery from hell. What does she think he is? A punching bag?
Before long, the struggling turns into a wrestling match when Monica trips him in a desperate attempt to free herself. Unfortunately, Chandler is already in the 'if-I'm-going-down-I'm-pulling-you-down-with-me' mode and she ends up falling on top of him. Then, he quickly flips around, pins her under him and places her hands firmly on either side of her head.
"Let go of me!" she commands as she struggles to move.
"So you can keep on pushing me around? Who do you take me for, your own personal slave?" He says smugly.
She stops moving and gives him a hell-worthy stare.
"Chandler Muriel Bing, I am warning you." She threatens through her gritted teeth, "Let go of me now or your ass will be met by the back of my foot."
"In this position, I would love to see you do that without breaking your leg." He taunts her mischievously and tightens his hands on her wrists.
She gives him a sarcastic smile before suddenly turning her head and bites his left arm fiercely.
"OW!" he yells in pain and releases her hands immediately.
Seizing the opportunity, she uses her freakish strength to turn their bodies around and reverse their position.
"You son of a bitch!" she straddles him and reproaches furiously, "I waited for you for hours! I bought wine and candles…and…and Ben & Jerry's…I even made you your Goddamn macaroni and cheese!"
Despite of the pain, Chandler's annoyance and competitiveness dissipate as he stares, dumbfounded, at the woman above him. Her eyes sparkles with the kind of fire that only she possesses while her luscious mouth quivers lightly in between each breath she takes.
"God you're beautiful when you're mad!" he blurts out.
Taken back, Monica unsuccessfully hides the smile that almost takes place on her face. It takes a few seconds for her to retrieve her angry exterior again and states, "If you think you can sweet-talk your way out of this…"
She can't even finish her sentence when the man below sits up abruptly and captures her mouth with his own.
At the instant their lips touch, she feels her heart flutters and the last bit of her irritation with him drains away as his tongue massages hers lovingly.
Well, what hell does she know? It works!
Moaning into his mouth, she can't help but sinking more into the kiss and wraps her arms around his neck.
It's been a year since he has kissed her like that.
Chandler always has a way with her. He can either make her crazy with his stupid jokes and his annoying habits or he can make her crazy just by kissing her and making love to her…
That manipulative bastard.
He moves away from her mouth and begins to kiss her neck gently while she tilts her head to one side in order to give him better access.
"Mmmm…" she sighs contently, "I thought you forgot about today."
Upon hearing her comment, he stops his ministration immediately and looks incredulously into his eyes, "Mon, how can I possibly forget about today?"
"Then why did you stay out here for so long?" she asks, unable to conceal the hurt in her voice.
"I…" he takes a deep breath and tries to formulate his thoughts into words, "I didn't want to knock and then find out that you're not here. I guess I didn't want to be disappointed."
At the discovery of this day's importance to him, Monica strokes his cheek as her heart is swelled with astonishment, sympathy and contentment.
"Chandler, what makes you think that I wouldn't show up?" she finally inquires even though she knows fully well what his answer would be.
"Uh…gee, I don't know." He responds sarcastically, "Maybe the fact that you have Richard now?"
"Richard has nothing to do with what this day is."
"What are talking about?" he exclaims in disbelief, "He is your boyfriend!"
"You and I have made a pact." She disregards his comments and reasons, "Do I look like a person that backs out of a deal?"
Without allowing him to answer her, she stands up and wipes the sand off of her clothes.
"Look, we've wasted enough time out here already. Why don't we go in and enjoy what's left of the day?" She extends her hand to him and adds, "Your Mac and Cheese is cold."
Chandler looks at her hand and contemplates for a very brief instant before totally giving in.
"I like them cold." He remarks as he takes her hand and gets up.
"You would." Monica rolls her eyes and chuckles.
Her smile fades when she notices the bite mark she left on his arm. Carefully, she touches it with her finger and pulls away immediately when he flinches. That was some bite.
"I'm sorry I bit you." She apologizes guiltily.
"That's okay. I should've known that you're liable to say and do anything when you get all riled up. Besides," he smirks slyly, "the image of you being a dominatrix turns me on."
"Really?" she raises her eyebrows, "You know, it's not a good idea to suggests anything that you might not be able handle later on 'cause I think I might have a couple of handcuffs somewhere inside."
"Ooooh…Kinky." He flirts as he stares into her blue eyes, which were dancing with mischief and excitement.
Just as he's about to lean in for another passionate kiss, a startling voice dissolves the romantic air and replace the atmosphere with anxiety and guilt.
"Glad I found you here." The familiar voice says calmly.
Upon hearing the voice, Monica feels like her heart stops for a few agonizing seconds before it races uncontrollably. She looks at Chandler urgently, hoping that this is just her imagination playing a nasty prank on her. Nonetheless, his horrified expression told her otherwise.
Slowly, she turns around to find her boyfriend standing not even fifteen feet away from them. She nervously wonders how long he's been standing there and more importantly, how much of their conversation he has picked up.
"Ri…Richard!" she stutters as her boyfriend approaches them slowly.
"Monica." He looks at her for a moment and shifts his eyes on the man beside his girlfriend and greets politely, "Chandler."
A million thoughts concerning the many ways Richard can kill him run through his mind before Chandler finds his own voice. Even then all he can get out of his mouth is a weak "Richard".
"What are you doing here?" Somewhat recovered, Monica asks as casually as possible.
"To celebrate my girlfriend's birthday with her." He announces simply and gives her a peck on the lips.
"Oh!" she chuckles before asking subtly, "How did you manage to find me here?"
"Your parents told me." He answers nonchalantly.
"My parents?" she questions, confused.
"Yeah! They mentioned something about you liking to spend your birthdays here. So I figured that you might need some company." He pauses to take a look at Chandler and continues, "I just didn't know that you already have some."
"Don't…don't worry about me." Chandler interjects quickly, "I'm just here to ask Monica something and uh, now I'm leaving!"
"You are?" Monica looks at him sharply.
"Yeah." He says, "Thank you for your advice, I know the right thing to do now." He stares into her pleading eyes, knowing that she understands the double meaning behind his statement, and smiles sincerely, "I'll see you tomorrow…Bye Richard."
Monica watches silently as her lover shakes hands with her boyfriend amicably before heading toward the main road. Something inside of her wants to break free and shouts for Chandler to come back. However, her common sense, along with her guilt and love for Richard is working furiously to keep this impulsiveness caged. Instead, all she can do is to gaze helplessly as his figure gets smaller and smaller before he disappears around the corner.
"He came all the way here to ask you a question?" Richard's question brings her back to reality.
"Huh?" she breaks out of her trance quickly and covers up, "Oh! He…um…he has relationship problems."
"I didn't know he's in one of those." her boyfriend comments straightforwardly.
"He isn't." Monica replies while the wheel in her head spins quickly before settling on a lie, "You know Natalie? She is one of the waitresses in Central Perk. Anyway, Chandler has a huge crush on her and he doesn't know what to do."
"Really?" Richard looks at her for a moment and states, "I always thought he was gay."
"Oh there's so much you don't know." The statement leaves her mouth before it can even be registered and tamed by her brain. Alarmingly, she takes a look at her boyfriend and finds him staring back at her quietly.
"You'd be surprised, Mon." he finally responds and kisses her on the forehead.
Monica scrutinizes his face carefully and tries to fathom what his words mean. Nevertheless, his expression tells her nothing. It doesn't seem like he saw what just went on between her and Chandler. In fact, he is just as sweet and loving as usual. That alone causes her heart to ache with remorse.
"Do you want to go inside now?" he asks gently.
"Um…can we take a walk?" she requests uncomfortably.
"Sure, whatever you want." He says and takes her hand as they walks toward the sea.
The two strolls wordlessly along the beach until Richard breaks the silence, "God, it is beautiful here. We should come here more often."
"Listen," Unwilling to continue the small talk, Monica gets to the point delicately, "Did my parents tell you that I usually spend my Birthdays alone?"
"Yeah, I was wondering about that."
"Okay, this might not make any sense to you but uh…for me, birthdays are not a good thing because it always signifies that I am getting old. So I prefer to come here and reflect on life and stuff…Its tradition!"
"I can think of many ways to make you feel better." He suggests flirtatiously, "After all, traditions are made to be broken."
"Not this one, Richard." She says firmly.
He stares at her for a long time and nods, "Okay. I still don't understand it but I do respect your wishes."
"I'm sorry. I just want to spend this day alone…to think." She says apologetically and adds, "I'll make it up to you, I promise."
Richard caresses her face tenderly and put a strand of her hair behind her ear.
"Don't worry about it." He whispers and kisses her cheek, "We're still on for Tuesday night, right?"
"Definitely."
"Good." He gives her a kiss on the mouth before turning around and walking towards the main road, just like Chandler did a moment ago.
After he disappears completely around the corner, Monica sighs heavily and drops onto the sand. She doesn't want to send him away this way but there is no chance in Hell she can be able to face him after what happened, or what didn't happened, tonight.
She never realizes the gravity of the situation until Richard shows up so suddenly. Sure, she thought about this day before but the notion of how much are at stake never really hit her until now.
The worst part is: she doesn't know if she's feeling more sorry about the fact that she almost cheated on her boyfriend, the man that she undoubtedly loves, or the fact that she doesn't get to spend her special day with Chandler, the man that makes her feel alive.
And to think that she was actually looking forward to this day…
She wraps her arms around her legs and pensively watches the sun as it slowly sinks into the sea.
* * *
A short time later, Chandler finds himself staring at her lonely back from afar. This is certainly one of the strangest day he has ever experienced. He has never felt so many emotional highs and lows in such a short period of time. From fear to relief, disappointment to elevation, which is soon replaced by remorse and rationality.
As much as he wants their secret affair to continue, he can't do that to Monica...he can't destroy her chance in love and happiness simply because of one night of wild sex-capade. However, he also owes her an explanation, a conclusion.
Like a moth drawn to the flames, he approaches her quietly and takes a seat beside her.
Without acknowledging his presence, Monica keeps gazing at the sea with a blank expression on her face.
He sits patiently with her, unwilling to make any moves until she's ready to talk about their affair, which seems to come to a bittersweet end.
"I thought your were going to do the right thing." She remarks.
"Well, I saw Richard's Jaguar whooshes by and I figured we need some kind of a closure." He deduces as he looks at her expectantly.
Stubbornly, she fixes her eyes on the disappearing sun, reluctant to face him.
Upon her unresponsiveness, Chandler sighs, "I guess all good things must come to an end, right? And believe me, this is one of the best things that has ever happened to me…but we've got to stop it before things get out of hand."
Monica finally turns to look at him and suddenly, she finds herself announces the following firmly.
"No." she shakes her head. This is exactly why she refuses look into his eyes in the first place. All her shame and regret just vanish as her irrationality convinces her heart that this is a risk worth taking.
"No?"
"No." she reasons, "We've made that pact long before Richard came into my life."
"Monica," he runs his hand through his hair as he argues, "You are ruining a perfect relationship because of a stupid pact! This is not just about us anymore. There are other people's feelings involved!"
"This is not just a stupid pact!" she defends, "This day is never about anyone else but you and me. Chandler, don't you get it? I…I need this…" pausing to take a deep breath, she confesses, "I need you."
Gently, he strokes her cheek and sighs, "Mon, somebody is going to get hurt. I just don't want that someone to be you…I'll never forgive myself if I am somehow responsible for breaking you and Richard up."
She kisses the inside of his palms and explains sincerely, "I love Richard, a lot, but our relationship is not perfect; it still has its uncertainties…and if it doesn't work out between us, I can assure you that it won't be because of you."
"What about…"
"As for our friendship," she smiles knowingly, "we survived that episode with Kip and Grace, didn't we?"
Touched, Chandler pulls her close to kiss her forehead and mumbles huskily, "You are going to be the end of me, you know that?"
"Face it, Bing," she rests her head on his shoulder and says, "You can never get rid of me. Boyfriends and girlfriends come and go, but this," she pauses to gestures between them, "this is forever."
"Forever huh?" he asks thoughtfully.
"Forever." She answers resolutely.
"That's a pretty long time."
"You're not going to get all…Chandler on me, are you?" Monica pulls away and examines him reproachfully.
"With you?" he grabs her waist to bring her close to him again and kisses the top of her head, "No…at least not yet."
"Good." she comments lightly and settles her head back on his shoulder.
The twosome continues to cuddle as the myriad of stars lights up the sky, both find an unusual sense of peace in their circumstance.
"Monica?" Out of the blue, he breaks the magical silence.
"Yes?"
"How many handcuffs do you have?"
* * *
That's a wrap for 1996! The whole thing with Richard...it is not completely over yet.
As always, feedbacks and suggestions are welcomed. If you have any ideas, any ideas at all, please e-mail me 'cause there is at least six more parts to go and I am beginning to run out of them. Anyway, thanks for reading and I'll be back as soon as I can.
