A/N: Okay, here's the next chapter. Thank you for the reviews! I hope this satisfies you.

Disclaimer: The Friends do not belong to me, but are the creations of the most brilliant writers in the history of everything, Marta Kauffman and David Crane!

CHAPTER 6 - Anything At All

Monica

Monica lay in bed, wallowing in her own misery. What was the matter with her? Had she actually kissed Chandler just minutes ago? She had sworn to herself that she would not go down that path again... it would only lead to the fighting and the pain and the tears, just like with Danny. No good could come on falling in love; she'd learned that by now. Admitting to Chandler that Cassie was his was one thing, but trying to start something up again with a man who obviously didn't want to, wasn't ready to - that was just crazy.

But why hadn't he stopped the kiss? It takes two to tango, she thought. Maybe... maybe he really felt what I said I felt. You know, desperation? That would make sense. But the sensual, passionate, gentle way he'd kissed her - that wasn't the kiss of a person who was just looking to get laid.

Maybe he pitied her. Maybe he'd just played along because he'd seen what a pathetic loser she was and how much she wanted it, so he just did it.

But there was something more, some electric-charged, out of control vibe between them. It had been there all weekend. It had been there over the eight years when they'd hardly seen each other. It had been there before. Monica wondered if he'd ever lain awake in bed at night, wishing things were different, wishing she was there with him. Remembering the one, crazy, amazing, altogether perfect night they'd had together. That night had changed the course of Monica's life. She'd gotten pregnant that night but didn't know it. She'd raised her daughter with a man who wasn't her father.

And now she'd just told her daughter's biological father that she had his child. It was utterly unbelievable.

We kissed! Monica thought. That thought penetrated all others, reverberating through her brain until she came to one conclusion. She couldn't stay here any longer. She had to talk to Chandler, to see if the kiss meant something to him, to see if anything could happen. And to know for sure if it couldn't.

She got out of bed and went downstairs. Chandler was sleeping in the den. She would wake him up if she had to, although it had only been twenty minutes since she'd left.

The light in the kitchen was still on. She squinted as she entered it and when she opened her eyes, she saw -

Chandler. Chandler, lifting a glass of amber liquid to his mouth.

"Chandler!" she cried instinctively, taking several strides toward him. Chandler looked over, startled, and set the glass down.

"M - Monica." He looked at her, and Monica could see a mix of guilt, of pleasure, of a thousand different things.

"What are you doing? Is that... is that vodka?" she asked, sniffing the glass. "Chandler, did you drink any of this?"

"No," Chandler said immediately. "I didn't." He looked down.

"Why? Why were you going to drink? You've been sober for 89 days!"

"Just leave me alone, Monica," Chandler spat, turning around. Monica took an automatic step back, hurt.

"What? Why?"

Chandler didn't reply, didn't look at her. Monica walked right up to him. "Chandler, what's the matter?"

"I was your desperation kiss," Chandler said quietly. "Don't I mean anything to you at all? I'm your daughter's father." He broke off.

"You weren't my desperation kiss," Monica said.

"Yeah, right. And we both know we only did it eight years ago because you were so freakin' depressed about your goddamned Danny." Monica felt her stomach clench and unclench in guilt. Chandler was half-right. She had only gone to his apartment because she was upset. She had only kissed him, the first time, because she needed to be needed. But after that... after they did it, there was something more. Monica didn't want to believe it. She was with Danny. Chandler had been a one night stand - just a friend helping a friend out. But that wasn't all.

"That's not true. I really do - I really do care about you."

"Then what do you want?" C handler said, turning to face her. Their bodies were almost pressed together.

"I guess I want... I want to try..." Monica trailed off.

"What?" Chandler said, his voice deep, his warm breath against her cheek. They leaned closer together, their eyes locked.

"Us," Monica whispered, and moments later they kissed for the third time that day.

And the third time is a charm. This time, nobody moved away, nobody burst out laughing, they weren't interrupted - it was perfect. It was like their bodies were magnetic forces, forces that weren't supposed to be together, but somehow always ended up attached.

Monica hadn't kissed anyone in almost three years. She'd forgotten the wonderful sensation of lips massaging your own, the warmth that spread through your limbs and made your spine tingle. And she'd forgotten how natural it felt with Chandler. She'd thought she'd never find that again. She was, after all, a 37-year-old single mom. But then, here it was. They kissed in the kitchen for several minutes. Monica knew, knew this probably wasn't right, that Ross could come down at any moment, but she couldn't stop.

Things were about to get hot and heavy when someone cleared their throat loudly. Monica and Chandler broke apart, and Monica turned around to see Rachel standing there, raising her eyebrows expectantly.

"We were just... I was..." Chandler stammered.

"It's okay," Rachel said. She smiled. "But you better go somewhere else - Ross'll be down in a couple of minutes."

"Thanks for the warning," Monica said, and they quickly left, racing into the den, where Chandler was sleeping. They just stared at each other for a minute.

"The moment's over," Chandler said awkwardly.

"We probably shouldn't... you know... anyway," Monica sad regretfully.

"Right." Monica watched Chandler fiddle with his belt, which had come undone.

Chandler finally spoke. "So - you're really coming back to New York?"

"Yeah," Monica said. "I'm going to look for a place next week. Danny's living in a military apartment, but I can't, because we're not married anymore. I hope I can find a cheap two-bedroom. It's pretty tough, you know, getting a job when you move every two years... and apartments aren't cheap these days, nothing is..." Monica knew she was babbling nervously. The money thing had been a problem for a few years, and with Danny only paying minimal child support because he was in the army, money had been tight for Monica and her daughter for awhile. That had been part of the reason she hadn't told anyone Danny wasn't Cassie's father - if he found out, he wouldn't have to pay child support.

"Monica," Chandler said, putting one finger up to Monica's lips to quiet her. "Don't worry. I'll - I'll help out."

"Really?" Chandler nodded. "I really wasn't trying to ask, you know. Everything is just so much... and if Danny finds out he's not Cassie's father, I'm so screwed."

"Monica!" Chandler said again, chuckling. "Don't talk. Just kiss." Before Monica could say a word, Chandler's lips were on hers again.

A/N: I'm sorry this chapter is so short, but for it to work, it has to be. I'll post the next chapter as soon as I can!