I'll Be There For You
Disclaimer: I don't own them.
So, thanks for the reviews again. I'm glad that people like this series. This follows on about three months after the last one – so Rachel and Phoebe live together, Chandler and Monica are seriously dating, and Monica is showing cos she is seven months pregnant. The only reason this one is so far ahead is because nothing important happened in the other three months.
Oh, and if there are any problems with the medical side of this, I am in year nine and useless at any type of science. I don't know any pregnant women, so I don't know anything that could happen.
"So, what are you gonna call the baby?" asked Joey for the hundredth time. They were all in Central Perk, drinking coffee. Chandler had insisted that Monica not drink anything with caffeine in it, and made her drink milk instead because "it builds up the baby's bones".
"I don't know," Monica snapped. When Joey gave her a hurt look, she sighed. "Sorry, mood swings."
"You really should think about names," Ross told her.
"I don't know."
"Here, here," Phoebe said, reaching into her bag and giving something to Monica.
"'1000 Baby Names'?" Chandler read over Monica's shoulder. "Are you serious? Monica doesn't want to name her baby out of a book."
"Ross has the Big Book of Names, don'tcha Ross?" Rachel teased.
"Yes I do," Ross replied seriously. "And if Monica wants to borrow it, she may."
"Ooh, may she?" Rachel teased again. "How can she contain her excitement?"
"Guys, guys," Monica butted in. "I can decide." She opened the book to a random page. "Names beginning with X. Xavier. Xloridee – what kind of a name is that?"
Phoebe looked over. "Oh, I added that one in." She flipped over a few pages. "And that one – and that one –"
"So it's not '1000 Baby Names'," Chandler quipped. "It's '1000 Baby Names With A Few Of Phoebe's Suggestions'."
"Exactly," Phoebe agreed, not getting the sarcasm.
"I can't decide on a name here and now," Monica told her friends. "Chandler and I will decide on a name."
"Why Chandler?" asked Ross, jealously. "He's not the father."
"But he is going to help a lot," Chandler himself put in. "And he will enjoy it – and he will now stop calling himself 'he'."
Monica stood up and pulled Chandler to his feet. "We've got to go," she informed the gang. "I've got a check-up."
The two of them left, chatting happily about the future. As they were sitting in the taxicab, Monica looked at Chandler. "I have a question," she said, shyly.
"What is it?" Chandler asked, lazily. He was sitting back, relaxing, and in the presence of the woman he loved. What more could a guy want?
"Would you – would you like to be the baby's father?" Monica queried.
Chandler was intrigued. "How? You've already passed the conception."
Monica laughed nervously. "No, I mean – would you like to have your name put on the birth certificate and call the baby 'Bing'?" She paused. "I know, it's not totally legal, but I just think it would be perfect. I mean, the baby's not ever going to know Richard, but you'll be it's father in every other sense, and it just fits."
Chandler was speechless. Eventually, he managed to whisper, "Yes," in the softest and most loving tone of voice Monica had ever heard. He sealed his words with a kiss that became more and more heated, but before it had a chance to continue, they had arrived at the hospital.
Like pros, the happy couple made their way down to the maternity section, and seated themselves in the waiting room. Just as before, Dr Allen emerged, greeted them, and took them through to a small room, where two other doctors joined them. She set up the monitors and they saw the baby.
Monica beamed and Chandler, looking at her ecstatic face, felt just as happy. After a few more tweaks with the machine and several questions, Dr Allen let them go. They walked out of the consulting room with happy smiles on their faces, and feeling great about life.
"Wow – that was our child," Monica said, joyously. "Our child."
"Our child?" asked Chandler.
"Yes, our child – half yours, half mine." Monica took his hand as they walked towards their taxi. "I promise, I will let you have as much say in this child's life as I do. You'll be more involved than the biological father, anyway," she added, laughing. They discussed this throughout the taxi ride home, and then, when they arrived back into Monica's apartment, they had decided something. They were going to forget that Chandler was not the baby's father, and they would be equal parents of the child – their child.
Once Monica had summed this up, Chandler sat her down on a sofa, and smiled at her. Then he did something that Monica had never before thought he would ever do. He got down on one knee.
"Monica Gellar, will you marry me?"
Oh, aren't I mean to leave it when the story was just hotting up? Sorry, I couldn't resist. There will be more added within the next week. Please review – thanx!