~All right, so the cliffhanger/mystery thing will finally be resolved in this chapter! Make you happy? Hope so… lol But just cause it's resolved, doesn't mean the fic is over, probably not for a while yet, though I am not sure cause I don't have it all planned out. It's really got like nothing to do with the original plot, but I guess it's all part of the theme of "unexpected twists in life". But I still want you to review, please, because it is so motivational and makes me actually want to continue, rather than leave it be on my desktop… So unless you want to never find out the end of the fic, just add a quick review telling me if you like it! Thanks a bunch ~ Alex
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.
Chapter 6
"Well, don't tell her I told you, but…" Kathy hesitated. She felt sort of bad about telling Chandler; maybe Monica had a specific reason for not telling him earlier.
Chandler was listening with pointed-ears, and when Kathy cut herself off, he sighed. He knew she was thinking she shouldn't say, but he needed to know. He needed to know if Monica was okay, so he in turn needed to convince Kathy that she was doing the right thing.
"Kathy, if it's something where Monica would need help, you need to tell me. I'm one of her best friends and I need to be there for support. Please…" He begged.
Now it was Kathy's turn to sigh. She realized that a problem of this severity shouldn't be kept from Chandler. She assumed that he and Monica were more than just "best friends" and he should know. And besides, it wasn't as though Monica forbade her of speaking to anyone else on this topic.
"All right, Chandler, I'll tell you, but please don't let Monica be mad at me."
"I'll take full blame, ok?" Chandler smiled, his last smile for a long time to come. Kathy nodded and collected some thoughts in her head, quietly formulating the best approach she could take to tell a friend devastating news about another friend.
"Well, this morning I was at the hospital visiting my friend, Jonathon." She blushed a bit as she mentioned his name, hoping Chandler wouldn't pick up on this. With a quick glance to ensure he was still intent upon hearing Monica's story, she continued. "So, as I was walking in, I bumped into Monica, though I didn't know it was her at first. She sort of mumbled and began to walk away, that's when I recognized her, so I said hello, to be nice, you know. And I asked her why she was there, just wondering, because it was an unusual place to be, especially because it was the floor with the all of the cancer specialists. And she told me that she had just gotten a call from her doctor, and she has leukemia. She needs a bone marrow treatment, or else… The doctor told her she only has a 25% chance of survival." Kathy paused for a moment, not really knowing what to say next. "I'm so sorry that you found out this way Chandler."
Kathy saw a single tear drip down Chandler's cheek, and she wiped it off with her thumb. She kissed him on his cheek and took off, leaving him to take in this new ordeal. She knew it must be a lot for him; it was sometimes quite unfair that there were so many unexpected twists in life.
Chandler couldn't believe what he had just heard. It couldn't be true. He and Monica were supposed to get together, have kids, and be happy. His dreams dissolved in just a matter of seconds. He felt he was being selfish, he needed to concentrate on Monica, help her beat this, and support her, no matter what, and especially if she found out she wouldn't be able to. Chandler didn't like thinking on this subject. He gathered his belongings and headed for Monica's apartment.
Upon hearing the knock on the door, Monica flipped off the VCR and turned the channel to Oprah. She didn't want whoever was at the door see her watch a video on leukemia. But as her luck would have it, Oprah was doing a special on cancer survivors, so she shut the television off altogether. Monica wiped her teary eyes and grabbed a magazine from the table, which she pretended to read, as she welcomed the visitor in. She turned around when she heard the door open, and saw Chandler, eyes puffy, standing dejectedly in the doorway. Her heart began to race, did he know?
"Monica, I'm so sorry." He cried as he moved towards the couch. He saw she had been crying too, and he wanted to hug her so badly, but he didn't want to hurt her.
Monica burst into tears as she went to hug him. " How do you know?" She wept, assuming her condition was what he was referring to.
"Kathy told me Mon, but why didn't you tell me, so I could help you?" He looked into her clear, blue eyes.
"I was going to tell you this weekend, after I had a chance to get used to it. I only told Kathy because I figured she wouldn't buy a lie about why I had been there. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I did just find out today."
"Monica, you have no reason to be sorry." He picked up her hand and squeezed it in a reassuring manner.
"I'm so scared, Chandler. I don't want to die. I'm too young." She whispered hoarsely.
"I know, sweetie. But I won't let you die, you're too perfect and too many people love you. We'll find you a bone marrow match, and everything will be okay. I promise." Chandler knew though that he shouldn't make promises he couldn't keep.
"Thanks for being, well, you, Chandler. I love you." Monica rested her head on his chest and after just a few moments, fell asleep, breathing peacefully in and out, not like a sick person at all. Just hours ago, Monica was thought to be healthy, happy, and normal. Now it was all changing.
As she slept on him, her last words ran through his mind hundreds of times. Did she mean she loved him as in to be in love, or just as a friend? Had his letter had the desired effect? He felt so selfish for thinking like this at the time, but couldn't stop himself from thinking such thoughts.
He placed his hand in his pocket and his fingers danced over the small jewelry box. He decided to give her the gift tomorrow, regardless of her response to his admittance of his love. Even if she didn't feel that same way, due to the turn of events, the ring held another, even more special, meaning. Years ago, his grandmother had given him a simple platinum band with small diamonds perfectly lined up all around. She had told him to give it to the one girl in his life he thought deserved it most. He chose Monica, and to make it more personal, had inscribed on the inside, I'll be there for you. Regardless, Chandler would always be there for Monica, and this proved it to her. He couldn't wait to give it to her, so he decided he would simply slip it on her finger whilst she slept.
After doing so, Chandler leaned back, got comfortable, and also fell asleep, trying as hard as he could not to think about this sad, unexpected news.
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When Monica awoke the next morning, she felt sick. She noiselessly walked into the bathroom, as to not wake Chandler, and splashed some water on her face. As she cupped her hands, she noticed something beautiful on her finger; a ring she hadn't seen before. 'It must be from Chandler' she thought, as she slipped it off her finger to examine it. On the inside she saw the words, I'll be there for you. She was so touched, it was exactly what she needed right now.
Her spirit feeling somewhat uplifted, and no longer feeling nauseous, Monica walked back into the living room to find Chandler sitting up from his slumber.
"Chandler, thank you, for the ring, I mean. It means a lot to me." She spoke as she moved closer.
"Monica, I mean it. I'll always be there for you." Monica nodded and walked up to him. She picked his head up to hers and leaned in to kiss him on the lips. It wasn't a passionate kiss, too simple and friendly for that. But just friends wouldn't share a kiss like this, too full of pent up emotion. Just seconds later, Monica moved her lips from his and seemed somewhat surprised by what she had just done. To cover her embarrassment, she walked quickly into the kitchen and began preparing breakfast. She reminded herself that now wasn't the time to start a relationship, as it was very likely they would both end up hurt in the end.
Chandler just sat there stupefied.
~All right, that's it for now, so stay tuned till next weekend, when I predict I'll have the next chapter finished. Please review because it makes my day so much better knowing that people appreciate my hard work. Thanks!~