*~ I am back!!! I know that you are all thrilled. Virginia was so much fun! Meanwhile back at reality, I am trying to get all my homework done and got sidetracked, good for you as now I'm writing this. Someone said that the story kept mentioning how Chandler was going to hurt Monica, and as a side note, I know that she hurt him, but Monica is the only one thinking that he was going to hurt her. Anyway, I should just stop talking now, I've just confused myself. The song is by Ginny Owens.

Disclaimer: Oh, yeah, so they don't belong to me. Oh well.

Chandler's mind was made up. Monica would be his. That was the end of the story, end of the discussion. He loved her. And she loved him. He just knew that she had to. Annie had fallen asleep on his lap. He loved the way that she just curled up in a ball and fit perfectly on his lap. Who was he kidding, he loved her. Everything about her. He understood now why fathers gave up even their own lives for their child. He would have easily given up anything for her. She had him wrapped around her finger and he had only known her for a short time. He heard the door click open and he turned slightly as not to wake Annie. Rachel stood up and walked to Monica.

"Mon?"

"Hi Rachel," she said wearily. She was exhausted. Even her voice sounded tired.

"Monica? We need to talk."

"Can we talk tomorrow?"

"No. Now. Someone is here."

"Who? Rachel, not another one of Todd's friends. Because this date tonight went....well, horrible."

"I'm sorry about that...but Monica, Chandler's here." Chandler heard Monica stop in her tracks.

"Chandler?"

"Yes."

"Is here?"

"Yes."

"In this apartment?"

"Yes."

"Right now?"

"Yes."

"Oh God."

"Yes." Monica sighed and walked into the living room where Chandler still had Annie in his lap.

"Hi," she managed to get out.

"Hi Monica. I just...I just...I missed Annie. She called and said that she wanted me here, and I came." That was the truth, after all. But he felt like he was lying to her. He felt as if he wasn't revealing the whole truth. Well, he wasn't. He wasn't about to tell her how he was irreversibly in love with her and that he would win her over again. He didn't say that. Joey had asked him how it was that he could forgive Monica.

"If it was me, man, I would be so angry with him," Joey had told him.

"I'm not mad Joe. She got hurt too. She still got burned by Anthony...and I love her. I just...love her." His downfall. His Achilles' heel. She was his Achilles' heel. So Joey didn't understand. He didn't understand why Chandler went back. He didn't understand, because he didn't know. Chandler loved her. Those were the facts. No amount of pain was going to change that fact. Even if he decided never to see her again, he would love her. He would love her forever. He now waited for her to speak. Tell him either to stay or to go.

"Are you staying? " she whispered.

"That depends on what you want." He waited again.

"I want you to stay." It was the first step. A small step, but a step none-the-less that told him that maybe she would want him to stay. For a night. For a lifetime. He didn't care. She leaned over and kissed Annie on the forehead.

"I better get her to bed," she told him.

"I'll do it," he offered. She shrugged and helped him up with Annie in his arms. He carried her to her bedroom and laid her in the bed. Monica smiled at him.

"You're good at that."

"I want to be good at everything with her," he confessed. "I want her to think that her father is the greatest man in the entire world."

"She will."

"Will she?"

"Sure," Monica said. "She loves you and she's only known you for a few weeks."

"That's the problem."

"What is?"

"She's only known me for a few weeks. Monica, I want to be around for everything from now on. So I've been thinking..."

"What about?"

"I need to be close by you-her, I mean her."

"I can't move back to New York."

"I know. That's why I'm going to move here. Would that be okay?" A thousand things ran through Monica's head. Tell him no. Tell him no. But then there was that voice. That increasingly loud voice. Tell him yes. Tell him yes. Kiss him. Kiss him and hug him and make love to him.

"I think that would be good for Annie." Another small step. Letting him stay for more than a night. Letting him stay for good. "Do you want me to make the couch for you tonight?"

"If that's okay," he tested.

"That's fine." She left the room and got some blankets and pillows and began to make up the couch. Rachel had left. She had figured Monica and Chandler needed this time to themselves. Chandler climbed into the makeshift bed.

"Thanks Mon," he told her.

"You're welcome. Good night."

"Good night," he whispered and watched her retreating figure in the soft hall light.

The pathway is broken

and the signs are unclear

and I don't know the reason

why you brought me here

Just because you love me the way that you do

I'm going to walk through the valley

if you want me to

The next few weeks were chaotic. Chandler had gotten the job transfer and had Monica and Rachel search for an apartment for him. They found the perfect one near Monica so that he could see Annie all the time and he began the preparations of moving out there. Monica didn't say, but she was nervous. Anytime Chandler was around, actually, she became nervous. Nervous and excited seemingly at the same time. She wanted him there, and at the same time she wanted him safely in New York. She was so confused. The phone rang and she answered.

"Hello?"

"Monica!"

"Chandler?"

"Guess where I am?"

"I don't know...New York?"

"Seattle! I moved out a few days early. Can I talk to Annie?"

"Sure," her head was spinning. She was supposed to have a few more days to prepare for his coming. Now she had merely hours, or even minutes. "Annie? Your dad is on the phone for you!" She listened for Annie's approaching footsteps and handed the phone off to her. It would be her fifth birthday soon. Monica was not ready for her baby girl to be five yet. Annie grabbed the phone excitedly and talked to her much adored father.

"Are you really here Daddy?" Monica could now only hear the one side of the conversation. Annie seemed so happy that he would do that for her. He was quickly becoming everything that she had built up in her mind. Maybe even more. Monica loved the way they interacted. She was still wary of Chandler, but the way that Annie looked at him made it increasing easier to fall into his outstretched arms. He had made no attempt to hide that despite the fact he told her that he would respect any decision that she made, he desperately wanted her to chose his decision. Chose him. She wasn't at the point to be able to do that yet. She was closer, sure, but not there yet.

"Hello?" Chandler found that Monica's door was open, so he made his way inside. "Monica? Annie?"

"Daddy! We're back here," Annie's small voice cried out. She came running out.

"Be careful in your new dress!" Monica cried out from the back.

"Hi Daddy!" Annie jumped into her father's outstretched arms.

"Wait, is it someone's birthday today?"

"Silly Daddy, you know it is."

"Whose? Mommy's?"

"No."

"Mine?"

"No," Annie giggled. "You know."

"Rachel's?"

"No, mine!"

"It's yours? No, because my Annie is not growing up."

"But I am."

"Unfortunately," Monica replied walking into the living room. Annie giggled again.

"Mommy says that I'm not allowed to grow up," Annie told Chandler. "But she doesn't know that I'm going to anyway." With this Monica laughed as well and finished putting on her bracelet.

"That's a pretty bracelet," Chandler commented.

"You gave it to me," she told him.

"I remembered." There was a moment of silence that settled over the room. She didn't know what to say to him.

"I see," she came up with. She sounded so stupid. "Ready to go?" She asked Annie. Annie nodded and Chandler carried her out of the door. Monica closed it and locked it as they went to wait for the elevators. She sighed and leaned her head against the door. Why was this so hard? She joined Annie and Chandler in the elevator and rode down to the first floor. She got off and found Rachel and Todd waiting at the bottom.

"Happy birthday princess!" Rachel cried holding her arms out to Annie who jumped into them.

"Thanks Aunt Rachel," Annie told her clinging around her neck.

"You're choking me dear," Rachel told her. Annie giggled.

"Can I ride with you?" She asked Rachel.

"You don't want to ride with your Mommy and Daddy?" Todd asked.

"No, can I Mommy?"

"It's your birthday sweetie," Monica said. That meant that her and Chandler would be alone in the car together.

"I want to ride with Aunt Rachel and Uncle Todd," Annie decided.

"Okay, we'll meet you out there," Rachel told Monica and Chandler and took Annie and got into Todd's car.

"Just you and me kid," he said holding out his arm for Monica to take.

"Apparently," she said softly. She remembered when he used to call her kid all the time. She found herself missing him more and more all the time. She was ready to throw in the towel and give in to him. They climbed into Chandler's car and he pulled out behind Rachel and Todd.

"I can't believe she's five," Monica said.

"I can understand that," Chandler said looking over at her and smiling.

"Chandler?"

" Yes?"

"What's going on between us?"

"I don't know," he admitted.

"You don't know?"

"That's what I said," he said. "I want to be with you, I made no attempt to hide that."

"But...you...Chandler, I don't..."

"Know," he interrupted. "You don't know. You don't know what you feel or what your supposed to feel....Monica, it's okay. I don't know what to feel either." He pulled over to the side of the road and looked at her and took her hands. "All I know is that I begin and end with you. It's always been that way." She began to cry. Softly at first and then the tears came harder and faster.

"Chandler, I want to..."

"We can take all the time you need. If you need a hundred years, I'd wait for you," he told her.

"Chandler...I've always...I've always....I've always loved you," she admitted. "When I was with Anthony, when I was away from you...even now, when I'm refusing you. I'm still in love with you. I've decided, I don't want time, I don't want anything but you." He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He half wanted to pinch himself to make sure that what she was saying was actually the truth. He put his hand on her cheek and she wrapped her hand around his. "Kiss me."

"Promise not to laugh this time?" He asked and she giggled.

"It's a deal," she promised and he smiled and kissed her passionately. It felt so good, so right. He couldn't believe that it was happening.

"Is this going to last?"

"I hope so," she whispered.

"But a few months ago...we tried and failed," he reminded her.

"I'm not the same person I was a few months ago." She kissed him again. "And I want this to work. More than I've ever wanted anything." He grinned at her.

"I think we may be a little late getting to the restaurant."

Cause I'm not who I was

when I took my first step

and I'm clinging to the promise

you're not through with me yet

so if all of these trials

bring me closer to you

then I will go through the fire

if you want me to

Monica laid in Chandler's arms. She loved the feel of his strong arms wrapped tightly around her body. Two months. They had been dating for two months. They had been the greatest two months of her life so far. Annie loved the idea of her parents together. Chandler just loved having her by his side. He had lost her twice. Not three times. She wasn't going to slip away this time, and he had no intentions of letting her. He felt her stir in his grip and kissed her temple.

"You awake?"

"Hmm-mmm," she mumbled.

"I take that as a yes," he whispered. He kissed her again and then she rolled over so that she was looking up into his eyes.

"How did I get so lucky?" She asked.

"You were a really good little girl," he replied.

"That explains it doesn't it?" She teased.

"I think it might," he told her and kissed her again.

"Chandler?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you happy?"

"I didn't think that I could be this happy," he told her.

"Really?"
"Monica, I love you. I love Annie. I love being here with you. I'm happy. You don't ever have to worry about me not being happy. I will be. I am." That of course, was the answer she was looking for so she rewarded him with a kiss.

"The wedding is in a week," she said.

"I know."

"Rachel's going to make a beautiful bride," Monica said.

"And you will make a beautiful maid of honor and Annie will make an adorable flower girl." He paused searching for the right words. "Do you think that you may want to get married soon?" It was an honest question, but he was afraid of her answer. He was afraid of what she would say.

"I've dreamt of the perfect wedding my entire life, and the perfect groom. You are my perfect groom," she kissed him on the nose. "Yes, I think about getting married. Does that scare you?"

"It would have scared me if the answer was something different," he confessed.

"That's a good answer," she replied.

"I was waiting until after Rachel's wedding, but since it came up," he said pulling out a small box and placing it ever so gently in her hand. She gasped. It had only been two months... this couldn't be what she thought it was. She pried open the edges and smiled at the glittering ring inside.

"Oh Chandler," she whispered.

"So what's the answer?" He asked.

"The answer is yes...but it's only been two months. Are you ready for this?"

"I've never been more sure about anything. Monica, I want to marry you, and make you and me and Annie an official family," he kissed her. "So yes? The answer is yes?"

"What else would it be?" She asked and kissed him again. All he ever wanted was now laying in his arms. He couldn't be happier. She was going to marry him. For once he wasn't afraid of commitment. He was embracing it. A chance to make her his forever.

You may not be

what I would have chosen

when you lead me through a world that's not my home

but you never said it would be easy

you only said I never go alone

Monica flipped through the wedding album in front of her. She couldn't believe that she had been married for six months. It seemed like yesterday that he came to her restaurant and asked her for coffee. She smiled and twisted the ring around her finger and got up and placed the album in the box with the other picture albums and framed pictures. She closed the box and taped it up. She took a marker and wrote in big bold black letters: PICTURES. She then set the marker down and went back to wrapping the glasses to put in a box she would label kitchen. Her and Chandler had bought a house in the suburbs that she had fallen in love with the first moment that she had seen it. There was a knock on the door and she ran to answer it. There was a man standing there and her mouth dropped open at the sight of him.

"Anthony?" She barely whispered. He gave her a slight smile.

"Hi Monica."

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you."

"Why?" She had this uncontrollable urge to slap him and wanted him out of the apartment as soon as possible.

"Because I miss you."

"After six years?"

"Yes, Monica, I love you."

"No you don't," she said and went to close the door in his face and he noticed the bright flash of the ring.

"You're married?" She nodded. "To who?"

"Chandler, and he'll be home any minute with our daughter, so you better leave."

"You married Chandler?" He practically shouted it in her face.

"I did."

"Why?"

"Because I love him."

"You loved me."

"Not anymore." Anthony kicked the door slightly with his foot.

"I'm sorry Monica."

"Really?"

"Yes. I never meant to hurt you. I did honestly love you."

"I don't think you could love anyone Anthony. Will you please leave?" He didn't listen and pushed his way inside.

"Moving?"

"Anthony leave."

"I just want to talk to you."

"Please, leave!" She was upset now. She wanted Chandler home. She wanted Anthony gone.

"You really want me gone?" He asked.

"Yes." He looked at her and smiled sadly at her.

"You were the one that got away," he told her.

"You weren't," she answered. It had taken her a long time to get here and she was happy. She opened the door and held it open for him. "Goodbye Anthony."

"Bye Monica," he leaned forward to kiss her and she ducked out of the way.

"You don't deserve that," she informed him and watched him walk down to the elevator and wave to her as the doors shut. He was gone. He was out of her life forever. An hour later her door opened again and Chandler and Annie came running in.

"Mommy! There's a swing set in the yard!" Annie shouted excitedly. Chandler had taken her to see the new house.

"That's great sweetie," Monica told her daughter who ran to her room to finish packing. Chandler wrapped his arms around his wife's waist and listened to her tell him who had come to see her today.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I loved telling him off. I just adored that feeling," she admitted. He laughed.

"That's wonderful to hear," he said and she laughed along with him.

"Things seem to be falling into place," she said.

"They sure do." He kissed her. "I love you."

"Yeah you do." He pulled away and pretended to look hurt.

"Just kidding," she added and kissed him back. "I love you too."

so when the whole world turns against me

and I'm all by myself

and I can't hear you answer

my cries for help

I remember the suffering

your love put you through

and I'll go through the valley

if you want me to

~ I wanted to add Anthony in one last time. I hope that you enjoyed it and please review and tell me what you thought. Tell me if this was an okay ending or if it needs a different ending. Thanks! ~