A/N: I'm sorry this chapter took so long! I've sort of been focusing on my other fic, Like We're Back Home Again, and two new fics that I just started.

Disclaimer: I don't own them, blady blady blah....

CHAPTER FOUR - Someone Who's Dying

Later that day, Chandler asked, "Have you told your parents?"

"No," Monica said. "No one knows but you. But I know I have to. Will you - will you be there with me?"

"Of course," Chandler said, kissing the top of her head. "I will be with you no matter what."

And he was. Later that day, Monica and Chandler drove out to her parents house, and she told them. The Geller's were in shock, just as Chandler was. Monica left quickly, though, saying she couldn't deal with it.

But she wasn't through. That night, Rachel, Ross, Phoebe, Joey, and Chandler all gathered at the apartment. When she told them, none of them believed her. Rachel turned white and almost fainted, and Ross started yelling that it wasn't true. Joey's face almost looked blank, like he couldn't even process it. Phoebe put her head in her hands and hardly made a sound.

"You do not have cancer," Ross said, standing above his sister. "You do not." Chandler could imagine he yelling, I command you to not die. Had the situation not been so dire he would have laughed/

"I do, Ross," Monica said. "There's nothing I can do."

"But you'll - you'll be okay, right?" Joey asked, and it sounded as if he was begging. "You'll make it."

"The doctor's aren't sure," Monica said. "It's developed a lot. I can do chemo, but that might just give me a couple of years. The doctor said - three years, maybe four."

"No," Ross said. "Monica, please, please tell me this isn't true. Please." He got to his knees in front of Monica.

"It is," she said, hugging him. Before long, they were all huddled together, holding each other and crying. This could not happen. Monica could not be dying. It wasn't possible.

CHAPTER FOUR - Long, Hard Journey

Monica started chemotherapy and radiation four months later. She was in the hospital for a month and a half. Her hair all fell out, and she became thin. The chemo made her tired and ill.

Every day, Chandler visited her in the hospital. Every night, after work, he went straight there and didn't leave until the nurses practically kicked him out. He spent every moment of his weekend in the depressing hospital room, talking to Monica, eating with her, kissing her when she cried and when she was in pain.

When she came home, Monica tried to act like everything was normal. She went to work, but had to come home early often because she was too sick.

Right after she came home, Monica suggested that Chandler move in with her. He spent almost every waking hour there anyway. Chandler agreed, and the very next day he and Rachel switched apartments.

Even though Monica was sick, those were some of their best times together. She and Chandler went out together and had fun, just as they had done before. On nights when Monica wasn't up to going out, they stayed home, talking or watching movies or doing... other things. They were two young people and they were in love. No sickness could stop that.

After the second round of chemotherapy, the doctors said Monica was in remission. She seemed healthy and returned to normal life. With Monica doing well and the doctor's good word, everybody was hopeful. Monica still took daily medication and went to the doctor's every few weeks, but other than that, everything seemed perfect for them.

One night, nearly six months after Chandler had found out about Monica, he proposed. They had just had dinner at the Rainbow Room, and were walking through Central Park. The streetlights made the paths dark and romantic, and fireflies swam in swarms through the park. The hustle and bustle of the city was muffled by the tall trees and acres of open space. Chandler led Monica to a place next to a stream they used to escape to when they had first started going out, when it was still a secret.

Chandler - with Joey and Ross's help - had placed candles and roses around a blanket in a clearing so close to the water that if they stretched out far enough, they could sink their toes into the warm mud on the shore.

When Monica saw the burning candles and red roses, she stopped and raised her hands to her mouth. Her eyes were wide and glistening. Chandler kneeled down on knee.

"Monica," he said, his voice husky. "You are the most important person in my life. You are my best friend, and my soulmate. I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?" He opened a black box and showed her a beautiful one karat diamond engagement ring.

Monica was silent for a few moments before the tears started falling. "Yes," she whispered, and Chandler smiled like he'd never smiled before. "Yes, I will!" She put her left hand out, and kept her other hand over her mouth. She was sobbing and grinning at the same time, and she stomped her foot. "I'm not supposed to be crying!"

Chandler laughed, quickly wiping a fear tears from his own face, and slipped the ring on her finger. Then Monica kneeled next to him, and they wrapped their arms around each other, kissing.

"I love you so much," Monica murmured as Chandler kissed her neck.

"I love you too," Chandler said.

They kissed for a while, and then lay together on the blanket, holding each other, staring up at the stars and enjoying being together. Then Monica spoke.

"Chandler," she said hesitantly. "Are you - are you sure you want to do this?"

Chandler frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Are you sure you want to marry me?"

Chandler sat up, causing Monica's head to fall backwards. He stared down at her as she raised herself onto her own elbows. "Of course I want to marry you. What are you talking about?"

"We should have talked about this before," Monica said quietly. "Chandler, I love you, and I want to marry you more than I've ever wanted to do anything in my life. But I'm - I'm sick."

"No, you're not," Chandler said. "You're better now. The cancer went away." His voice was small and childish. Suddenly, a horrible thought struck him, causing him to momentarily lose his voice. "Do you - did they tell you something? Monica, it didn't come back...."

"Not yet," Monica interrupted, rubbing his hand soothingly. She started to tear up again after realizing how terrified Chandler had become when he had thought she was sick again. "But I'm only in remission. It could come back at any time, worse than before."

"But not for a long time," Chandler said quickly.

"It could come back in twenty years. It could come back in two months," she said, her voice shaking. "What I'm saying is, do you really want to marry someone who's - who's dying?"

"You're not dying, and I want to marry you, because I love you," Chandler said, clutching her tightly and nuzzling her neck. "You understand me? I don't want to talk about this anymore. We're getting married. That's all the matters - right? Right, sweetheart?"

Monica decided to let it go. She was still coming to terms with the fact her life may not go on much longer - she couldn't expect Chandler to accept it. "Right," she said meekly, and they kissed again.

Everyone was thrilled to hear about their engagement. All of the friends had been torn between wondering when Chandler would pop the question and if he would ever get up the nerve to do it at all. The two of them were so perfect for each other that it seemed to be a match made in heaven.

Their wedding was a large, happy occasion, just as Monica had always wanted. For the most part, during the planning of the marriage, Chandler stepped aside and let Monica pick out - well, everything. It was her day. This was so true that the other five began calling it "Monica Day" as a joke.

The wedding went off without a hitch - well, besides that of Monica and Chandler. *haha - see, they got "hitched?" Ha? whatever* By the time the now married couple walked down the aisle, everyone was crying.

Everything seemed perfect. They were married, Monica was healthy - nothing could go wrong.

And it didn't - for two years, anyway. For two years, the couple celebrated and loved each other and enjoyed life to the fullest. Although they were both ready to have children, they decided they wanted to wait for Monica to receive a clean bill of health from the doctor.

One the day of one of Monica's now monthly doctor's appointments, she called Chandler at work. "Chandler," she said. "You need to come home." Her voice was low and strange. Chandler was immediately terrified. Was one of their friends hurt? Had something happened to his family? For a while, the idea of her cancer did not enter his mind.

It was only when he entered the apartment and saw her sitting nervously on the couch, her hands clasped together, did he think of it. His heart immediately plummeted, and the ground seemed to quiver beneath his feet. Monica looked up at him, and her eyes were red.

"No," he said. "No. Don't tell me." He raced over to the couch and knelt in front of her, taking both of her hands. "No, no, no - "

Monica nodded. "It's back," she whispered. "It's back."

"No!" Chandler yelled, taking her hands and kissing them. "No, it's not."

"It is," Monica said. "And it's spread." Chandler let out a cry and let his head fall into her lap. Monica remained sitting as the tears fell from her face. Chandler could feel them hitting his neck. "It's back, Chandler. And they don't think it can go away again."

The two of them cried together for hours. Chandler refused to believe that he was losing Monica. It wouldn't happen. Monica seemed fine, she was perfect, she was only thirty two...

But it was true. The cancer had come back in full force, and had spread from her breast to her liver. This time, Monica's health deteriorated quickly. Just two months after this terrible pronouncement, she was back in the hospital.

And this time, it didn't look like she was getting out.

A/N: Please review! Thanks, luv ya

Jen