~A Very Good Year~
Chapter Five: Forgive & Forget
April
"I just talked to Ross and Rachel, and guess what?" Monica sat down on the sofa next to Chandler.
"They've decided to adopt a monkey? Oh, no wait, Ross did that.." Chandler smiled ruefully.
"Very funny. They've decided to bring the kids down here to the city for the summer. They're looking to rent a place near here. Isn't that great?"
"Yeah," Chandler said distantly.
"What?" Monica looked at Chandler, puzzled by his reaction.
"Well, I guess..I dunno, I guess I just figured that I wasn't going to see them again."
"Why?"
"I---I mean, they have only been down here once since I moved back here. I just figured maybe Ross was still pissed about that whole Rachel-thing..or maybe they don't want to be around a sick guy," Chandler laughed sadly.
"Chandler, they don't---"
"Maybe I should just talk to them," Chandler sighed.
"Yeah," Monica nodded, and laid her head on Chandler's chest.
*
Joey was sleeping soundly, cuddled up on his Lay-Z-Boy, with Hugsy the Penguin firmly in his arms. His subconscious was working wildly, and a sudden, horrific image of Chandler jolted him awake, panting and sweating. He wiggled his way out of his chair, and padded across the hall.
When he opened the door, Joey discovered Chandler sitting on the sofa, reading, and looking perfectly healthy and normal. Joey breathed a sigh of relief, and headed for Monica's refrigerator.
"Hey, Joe," Chandler looked up from his book and watched his former best friend and roommate fumble through the fridge. "Hey," Joey said, as he stood upright and closed the refrigerator door.
"Hey, there, Hugsy," Chandler smiled, and Joey jumped, as he realized for the first time that he still had a death-grip on his bedtime Penguin pal. He reddened, and placed the stuffed penguin on the table.
"How are you feeling?"
"Okay. I get tired really fast now. I can't seem to keep up with Monica and Sadie."
"Where are they?"
"At the park. I was thinking about going out there in a bit."
"Are you sure that you should be going out alone?" Joey looked at Chandler strangely.
"God, Joe, you're starting to sound like Monica," Chandler laughed.
"Sorry, I just, ya know..I don't want to have a repeat of last month, that's all," Joey said defensively.
"I know, Joe, I know. I'm sorry, I just---"
"No, I'm sorry. I just feel..I'm not sure how to act.around you."
"Joey, sit down, okay?"
Joey nodded, and took a seat in the overstuffed reading chair adjacent to the sofa.
"I want you to feel comfortable around me. I can't help but wonder if this is partly because of what happened with you and me and Kathy."
"No! No, look, I know that that whole thing was..but it was years ago, and I don't want to dwell on the past."
"Me either. You're my best friend, Joey, and I'd like to spend the rest of my life with *that* guy..the one I used to live with."
Joey nodded. "It's hard to deal with, ya know?"
"I know. Hey, whaddya say we order the Joey Special, and play some foosball?"
"Yeah, baybee!" Joey jumped up, and was halfway out the door before Chandler could even stand up.
~*~ "Did you have a good time with Joey?" Monica asked later that evening.
"Well, he still killed me at foosball, but otherwise, it was great," Chandler smiled.
"Great," Monica looked at Chandler, and smiled broadly.
"What?"
"Nothing, it's just..you look really happy."
"I am. I was able to help Joey forget that things aren't..normal, with me, with us. We talked, A LOT, and I hope that I have my best friend back."
"That's so great to hear, Chandler," Monica grinned, and hugged Chandler tightly.
"How was Sadie? Was she a pain to get into bed?"
"Not at all. I think I wore her out."
"Wow, that's a first."
Chandler sighed, and it was then that Monica realized that they were still locked in an embrace. She laughed uncomfortably, and took a step back.
"What? What's the matter?" Chandler looked at Monica quizzically.
"Nothing, I just---are you hungry? I could make you some soup." Monica rambled nervously.
"No, we ordered TWO pizzas, remember?" Chandler laughed. "Monica, what's going on? You've been acting strange all week."
"I'm okay, Chandler, I just.sometimes I forget that..all of this is happening."
Chandler took a step toward Monica, and took her hand in his.
"Mon, it's okay to forget sometimes. I like to forget too. It's just a defense mechanism in our brains. It keeps us from going crazy with worry, ya know?"
"Yeah." Monica nodded, but couldn't help letting her emotions get the better of her.
"Oh, Monica, please don't cry," Chandler pulled a sobbing Monica toward him, and held her until she stopped trembling.
AN: Okay, I know these chapters are short, but if I am going to write 12 of them, I can't go shoving all of my ideas into one chapter, ya know? LOL. Thanks for the reviews, you know that feedback only inspires..
Chapter Five: Forgive & Forget
April
"I just talked to Ross and Rachel, and guess what?" Monica sat down on the sofa next to Chandler.
"They've decided to adopt a monkey? Oh, no wait, Ross did that.." Chandler smiled ruefully.
"Very funny. They've decided to bring the kids down here to the city for the summer. They're looking to rent a place near here. Isn't that great?"
"Yeah," Chandler said distantly.
"What?" Monica looked at Chandler, puzzled by his reaction.
"Well, I guess..I dunno, I guess I just figured that I wasn't going to see them again."
"Why?"
"I---I mean, they have only been down here once since I moved back here. I just figured maybe Ross was still pissed about that whole Rachel-thing..or maybe they don't want to be around a sick guy," Chandler laughed sadly.
"Chandler, they don't---"
"Maybe I should just talk to them," Chandler sighed.
"Yeah," Monica nodded, and laid her head on Chandler's chest.
*
Joey was sleeping soundly, cuddled up on his Lay-Z-Boy, with Hugsy the Penguin firmly in his arms. His subconscious was working wildly, and a sudden, horrific image of Chandler jolted him awake, panting and sweating. He wiggled his way out of his chair, and padded across the hall.
When he opened the door, Joey discovered Chandler sitting on the sofa, reading, and looking perfectly healthy and normal. Joey breathed a sigh of relief, and headed for Monica's refrigerator.
"Hey, Joe," Chandler looked up from his book and watched his former best friend and roommate fumble through the fridge. "Hey," Joey said, as he stood upright and closed the refrigerator door.
"Hey, there, Hugsy," Chandler smiled, and Joey jumped, as he realized for the first time that he still had a death-grip on his bedtime Penguin pal. He reddened, and placed the stuffed penguin on the table.
"How are you feeling?"
"Okay. I get tired really fast now. I can't seem to keep up with Monica and Sadie."
"Where are they?"
"At the park. I was thinking about going out there in a bit."
"Are you sure that you should be going out alone?" Joey looked at Chandler strangely.
"God, Joe, you're starting to sound like Monica," Chandler laughed.
"Sorry, I just, ya know..I don't want to have a repeat of last month, that's all," Joey said defensively.
"I know, Joe, I know. I'm sorry, I just---"
"No, I'm sorry. I just feel..I'm not sure how to act.around you."
"Joey, sit down, okay?"
Joey nodded, and took a seat in the overstuffed reading chair adjacent to the sofa.
"I want you to feel comfortable around me. I can't help but wonder if this is partly because of what happened with you and me and Kathy."
"No! No, look, I know that that whole thing was..but it was years ago, and I don't want to dwell on the past."
"Me either. You're my best friend, Joey, and I'd like to spend the rest of my life with *that* guy..the one I used to live with."
Joey nodded. "It's hard to deal with, ya know?"
"I know. Hey, whaddya say we order the Joey Special, and play some foosball?"
"Yeah, baybee!" Joey jumped up, and was halfway out the door before Chandler could even stand up.
~*~ "Did you have a good time with Joey?" Monica asked later that evening.
"Well, he still killed me at foosball, but otherwise, it was great," Chandler smiled.
"Great," Monica looked at Chandler, and smiled broadly.
"What?"
"Nothing, it's just..you look really happy."
"I am. I was able to help Joey forget that things aren't..normal, with me, with us. We talked, A LOT, and I hope that I have my best friend back."
"That's so great to hear, Chandler," Monica grinned, and hugged Chandler tightly.
"How was Sadie? Was she a pain to get into bed?"
"Not at all. I think I wore her out."
"Wow, that's a first."
Chandler sighed, and it was then that Monica realized that they were still locked in an embrace. She laughed uncomfortably, and took a step back.
"What? What's the matter?" Chandler looked at Monica quizzically.
"Nothing, I just---are you hungry? I could make you some soup." Monica rambled nervously.
"No, we ordered TWO pizzas, remember?" Chandler laughed. "Monica, what's going on? You've been acting strange all week."
"I'm okay, Chandler, I just.sometimes I forget that..all of this is happening."
Chandler took a step toward Monica, and took her hand in his.
"Mon, it's okay to forget sometimes. I like to forget too. It's just a defense mechanism in our brains. It keeps us from going crazy with worry, ya know?"
"Yeah." Monica nodded, but couldn't help letting her emotions get the better of her.
"Oh, Monica, please don't cry," Chandler pulled a sobbing Monica toward him, and held her until she stopped trembling.
AN: Okay, I know these chapters are short, but if I am going to write 12 of them, I can't go shoving all of my ideas into one chapter, ya know? LOL. Thanks for the reviews, you know that feedback only inspires..