Author's Note: I'm sorry. I forgot to answer a question from Rachna in the reviews. The song, "Can't Help Falling In Love", used in Chapter 14 is sung by the A*Teens. However, there is a slow version of it which was sung by Elvis Presley. I heard it at a wedding last weekend and decided to use it in this story. Hope that helps! Thanks again for your awesome comments! :) I'm glad you guys are enjoying this story because I'm having a lot of fun writing it. :)
Chapter 16
After changing into comfortable clothes, checking out of the hotel, and stopping at a fast food drive-thru, Chandler and Monica began the long drive back to Manhattan.
"How much trouble are you in?" she asked, concerned.
"I'm thinking lots," Chandler replied. "But you know what? There's nothing I can do about it, so I'm not going to dwell on it."
Monica nodded. "I understand."
"I'm more interested in how you're doing. I know I shocked you, Monica, but I had these horrible visions of you in that car with that loser Eric, and I just...I couldn't let you leave with him. At least, not without telling you how I felt. But I want you to know that even if you had told me to get lost, there was no way you were ever getting in that car with him."
"I realized that. But not until what you said finally hit me. I'm thrilled you told me, Chandler. Do you know how hard it is to love someone without knowing how they feel about you?"
Chandler took his eyes off the road to see if Monica was serious.
"Do you not see the irony of that statement?"
She laughed as she tucked her hair behind her ears.
"Okay. I guess I do. Have we really been that stupid?"
"Monica, sweetheart, I think we have."
"When did it happen for you?" she asked shyly.
"For me, it was gradual. I have nothing against Rachel and Phoebe, but if I really needed to vent about something or I needed someone to understand how I was feeling, I wanted to talk to you. I feel like we've always had a solid, special connection."
"I know!" Monica said, changing her position in the car so she could see more of Chandler's face. "At first, it was nice when you used to come over and eat breakfast or drink coffee, but then I started really looking forward to your visits. When I wouldn't see you, I felt disappointed, like my morning wasn't complete. The times you would come over totally unexpectedly, I couldn't have been happier. That's when I knew I was in trouble. You made me laugh so much, Chandler, but you also listened to me and you tried to understand some of the things I was going through at various times. I'll never, ever forget that."
"I'll never forget all the times you helped me, too. I mean, you went to a strip club with me, in the morning no less. Sure, you talked the hottest one into quitting, but still...whatever possessed you to do that?"
She shrugged, winked and fed him a French fry. "I hated seeing you so miserable. You're no fun when you're unhappy. I wanted my Chandler back. I wanted to help."
"You did," he said. "You always helped. And now, I want to take care of you."
"That's funny," she said, feeding him another potato slice. "I want to take care of you, too."
"I am the luckiest man on this planet."
"I think we're both pretty lucky," Monica said. "Sure, it took us a while, but at least we both finally got to admit how we feel about each other. Do you know how scared I was that I would never be able to tell you how much you mean to me? Every time you went out on a date, I held my breath, hoping and praying that you wouldn't waltz into my apartment some morning and announce you'd gotten engaged or had eloped."
"Me?" Chandler said and laughed. "Monica, you know I wouldn't have done something like that. Or if I had, you would have been the one I turned to to help me get out of it because if something like that had ever happened, you can be sure it was because I had been out of my mind."
"That's why the thought scared me so much. I thought you saw me only as a supportive friend. If I'd had to scratch some woman's eyes out for having the nerve to think she belonged with you, how would that have made me look?"
Chandler laughed. "Is that what kept you up at nights?"
"Sometimes," she admitted. "Hey, it was never easy to hear about your dates, okay?"
"What about me?" Chandler retorted. "I had to listen about your dates, too. You don't think it drove me crazy when you would get involved with someone for more than a few dates. And then Joey moved in, and I thought for sure you had found the man you wanted to be with when you immediately clicked with him. Talk about torture. Do you know how much I dreaded walking into my apartment each day? You were slowly killing me, Monica. I'm serious."
"You mentioned irony earlier. You wanna talk about irony? I'll tell you about irony. A major part of the reason I became fast friends with Joey was so I could hang out with you more. I sensed a shift taking place in our relationship, for whatever reason, and when Joey first moved in, I saw how well the two of you got along. Those first couple of weeks he lived there, you hardly ever came to see me. That's why I started hanging out at your apartment. It was the only way I could spend any time with you."
"So, you used Joey? And I thought I knew you." Chandler gasped at the audacity, but his voice held a teasing note.
"No," Monica refuted. "I like Joey. A lot. That's why I was able to spend so much time with him. But it was you I was trying to hold on to. I had no clue you thought I wanted Joey until we had that argument in my apartment."
"If you knew how much time I spent agonizing over the two of you, well, let's just say if things had gone any further, I wouldn't have hesitated to throw Joey out. That's when I knew how deeply I cared about you, Monica. The thought of you being with Joey and me having to watch the two of you..."
"It would've never happened," she told him quietly. "Because I only wanted to be with you."
A companionable silence ensued as each reflected on what had just been revealed. Chandler was the first to speak.
"Monica, I've been avoiding the subject, but I should tell you that I don't know what's going to happen with my job; therefore, I don't know what's going to happen with me."
"I know," she said. "But whatever happens, we'll get through it. Together. I finally have what I want, Chandler, so don't think you're going to frighten me away because I'm not going anywhere. You fought for me tonight and finally told me how you felt. I know this isn't going to be easy, but I want it and I will fight with everything I have to keep it. So, don't you go getting any weird ideas in that head of yours, Chandler Bing. You told me you loved me, and I know you meant it. You can't take it back."
"I don't want to," he told her, his voice serious.
"Good. Because I wouldn't believe you anyway."
Chandler noticed Monica trying to stifle a yawn and told her to lean her head back and get some sleep.
"I'm fine," she insisted. "I want to keep you company."
Chandler reached for her hand and gently squeezed it.
"Just by letting me hold your hand, you're keeping me company. Go to sleep, Mon. I know you've had a long day."
"You have, too," she said, but the warmth of his hand pressed against hers relaxed her and before she knew it, she had dozed off.
"There you go," he said, knowing she needed to get some rest.
Contentment settled over him as he continued to drive. He had the woman he loved by his side, and she had informed him she wasn't going anywhere, no matter how rough things got. He rather liked that idea, especially because he could see some stormy times ahead.
*~*
Monica woke with a start. She opened her eyes and tried to remember where she was. When she heard Chandler's "hello", she smiled.
"We're not there yet?" she asked, shifting her position in the seat so she could stretch out her cramped legs.
"We should be at your place in an hour."
"What time is it?"
"Three a.m."
"Wow. I'm sorry I conked out on you. I wanted to keep you company and even help drive. You have to be exhausted."
"I am, but it's okay. Has anyone told you that you look like an angel when you sleep?"
"No." Monica ran her hands through her hair. "But I'm sure right now I look like a mess."
"No, you don't. You look beautiful."
"Chandler..." she said, trying not to blush.
He laughed and leaned over to kiss her cheek. "I can't wait until we're alone with no distractions," he whispered in her ear.
A tingle ran down Monica's spine at Chandler's suggestive words. Images of them together invaded her mind. This was really going to happen, she told herself. Soon, she and Chandler would come together as one.
"I can't wait either," she told him, and quickly began to mentally make plans for what would have to be the absolutely perfect night.
Chapter 16
After changing into comfortable clothes, checking out of the hotel, and stopping at a fast food drive-thru, Chandler and Monica began the long drive back to Manhattan.
"How much trouble are you in?" she asked, concerned.
"I'm thinking lots," Chandler replied. "But you know what? There's nothing I can do about it, so I'm not going to dwell on it."
Monica nodded. "I understand."
"I'm more interested in how you're doing. I know I shocked you, Monica, but I had these horrible visions of you in that car with that loser Eric, and I just...I couldn't let you leave with him. At least, not without telling you how I felt. But I want you to know that even if you had told me to get lost, there was no way you were ever getting in that car with him."
"I realized that. But not until what you said finally hit me. I'm thrilled you told me, Chandler. Do you know how hard it is to love someone without knowing how they feel about you?"
Chandler took his eyes off the road to see if Monica was serious.
"Do you not see the irony of that statement?"
She laughed as she tucked her hair behind her ears.
"Okay. I guess I do. Have we really been that stupid?"
"Monica, sweetheart, I think we have."
"When did it happen for you?" she asked shyly.
"For me, it was gradual. I have nothing against Rachel and Phoebe, but if I really needed to vent about something or I needed someone to understand how I was feeling, I wanted to talk to you. I feel like we've always had a solid, special connection."
"I know!" Monica said, changing her position in the car so she could see more of Chandler's face. "At first, it was nice when you used to come over and eat breakfast or drink coffee, but then I started really looking forward to your visits. When I wouldn't see you, I felt disappointed, like my morning wasn't complete. The times you would come over totally unexpectedly, I couldn't have been happier. That's when I knew I was in trouble. You made me laugh so much, Chandler, but you also listened to me and you tried to understand some of the things I was going through at various times. I'll never, ever forget that."
"I'll never forget all the times you helped me, too. I mean, you went to a strip club with me, in the morning no less. Sure, you talked the hottest one into quitting, but still...whatever possessed you to do that?"
She shrugged, winked and fed him a French fry. "I hated seeing you so miserable. You're no fun when you're unhappy. I wanted my Chandler back. I wanted to help."
"You did," he said. "You always helped. And now, I want to take care of you."
"That's funny," she said, feeding him another potato slice. "I want to take care of you, too."
"I am the luckiest man on this planet."
"I think we're both pretty lucky," Monica said. "Sure, it took us a while, but at least we both finally got to admit how we feel about each other. Do you know how scared I was that I would never be able to tell you how much you mean to me? Every time you went out on a date, I held my breath, hoping and praying that you wouldn't waltz into my apartment some morning and announce you'd gotten engaged or had eloped."
"Me?" Chandler said and laughed. "Monica, you know I wouldn't have done something like that. Or if I had, you would have been the one I turned to to help me get out of it because if something like that had ever happened, you can be sure it was because I had been out of my mind."
"That's why the thought scared me so much. I thought you saw me only as a supportive friend. If I'd had to scratch some woman's eyes out for having the nerve to think she belonged with you, how would that have made me look?"
Chandler laughed. "Is that what kept you up at nights?"
"Sometimes," she admitted. "Hey, it was never easy to hear about your dates, okay?"
"What about me?" Chandler retorted. "I had to listen about your dates, too. You don't think it drove me crazy when you would get involved with someone for more than a few dates. And then Joey moved in, and I thought for sure you had found the man you wanted to be with when you immediately clicked with him. Talk about torture. Do you know how much I dreaded walking into my apartment each day? You were slowly killing me, Monica. I'm serious."
"You mentioned irony earlier. You wanna talk about irony? I'll tell you about irony. A major part of the reason I became fast friends with Joey was so I could hang out with you more. I sensed a shift taking place in our relationship, for whatever reason, and when Joey first moved in, I saw how well the two of you got along. Those first couple of weeks he lived there, you hardly ever came to see me. That's why I started hanging out at your apartment. It was the only way I could spend any time with you."
"So, you used Joey? And I thought I knew you." Chandler gasped at the audacity, but his voice held a teasing note.
"No," Monica refuted. "I like Joey. A lot. That's why I was able to spend so much time with him. But it was you I was trying to hold on to. I had no clue you thought I wanted Joey until we had that argument in my apartment."
"If you knew how much time I spent agonizing over the two of you, well, let's just say if things had gone any further, I wouldn't have hesitated to throw Joey out. That's when I knew how deeply I cared about you, Monica. The thought of you being with Joey and me having to watch the two of you..."
"It would've never happened," she told him quietly. "Because I only wanted to be with you."
A companionable silence ensued as each reflected on what had just been revealed. Chandler was the first to speak.
"Monica, I've been avoiding the subject, but I should tell you that I don't know what's going to happen with my job; therefore, I don't know what's going to happen with me."
"I know," she said. "But whatever happens, we'll get through it. Together. I finally have what I want, Chandler, so don't think you're going to frighten me away because I'm not going anywhere. You fought for me tonight and finally told me how you felt. I know this isn't going to be easy, but I want it and I will fight with everything I have to keep it. So, don't you go getting any weird ideas in that head of yours, Chandler Bing. You told me you loved me, and I know you meant it. You can't take it back."
"I don't want to," he told her, his voice serious.
"Good. Because I wouldn't believe you anyway."
Chandler noticed Monica trying to stifle a yawn and told her to lean her head back and get some sleep.
"I'm fine," she insisted. "I want to keep you company."
Chandler reached for her hand and gently squeezed it.
"Just by letting me hold your hand, you're keeping me company. Go to sleep, Mon. I know you've had a long day."
"You have, too," she said, but the warmth of his hand pressed against hers relaxed her and before she knew it, she had dozed off.
"There you go," he said, knowing she needed to get some rest.
Contentment settled over him as he continued to drive. He had the woman he loved by his side, and she had informed him she wasn't going anywhere, no matter how rough things got. He rather liked that idea, especially because he could see some stormy times ahead.
*~*
Monica woke with a start. She opened her eyes and tried to remember where she was. When she heard Chandler's "hello", she smiled.
"We're not there yet?" she asked, shifting her position in the seat so she could stretch out her cramped legs.
"We should be at your place in an hour."
"What time is it?"
"Three a.m."
"Wow. I'm sorry I conked out on you. I wanted to keep you company and even help drive. You have to be exhausted."
"I am, but it's okay. Has anyone told you that you look like an angel when you sleep?"
"No." Monica ran her hands through her hair. "But I'm sure right now I look like a mess."
"No, you don't. You look beautiful."
"Chandler..." she said, trying not to blush.
He laughed and leaned over to kiss her cheek. "I can't wait until we're alone with no distractions," he whispered in her ear.
A tingle ran down Monica's spine at Chandler's suggestive words. Images of them together invaded her mind. This was really going to happen, she told herself. Soon, she and Chandler would come together as one.
"I can't wait either," she told him, and quickly began to mentally make plans for what would have to be the absolutely perfect night.