I'm back for chapter 9…sorry to keep you waiting for a while, but I was away all weekend. Had a hell of a time, but I'm exhausted now. And unfortunately, it's back to school I go!:( Anyway, after some hard deliberation, I decided where I wanted to take this. I mean, I've known how I've wanted this to go, just wasn't exactly sure which root to take. So, without further ado, here's part 9:
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. I am just placing them in my storyline. No Chandlers were hurt in the process.
Monica paced her bedroom over and over again.
"What do I have to face?" she wondered angrily, "He has no right to tell me that! He knows nothing about me!"
Monica was fuming with bitter contempt towards the words that he had uttered to her the night before.
"Argh!" she cried as she began to clean intensely, trying to take her mind off of Chandler's words. However, with each stroke of her rag, her curiosity grew.
She just had to know what he meant by his comment. With fury in her mind and urgency her heart, she ran out of her apartment.
Monica pounded on Chandler's door rapidly. After a few moments, Joey opened the door and rushed out of the apartment, not letting Monica in.
"Joey!" she scolded as he closed the door behind himself.
"Monica, I really don't think that you should go in there."
"And why not?"
"Because…" he trailed off, not wanting to hurt Monica with the truth.
"What?" she asked hastily, "What is so bad that I can't come in?"
Unhappily Joey relented, "Kathy's in there with him."
"What?" Monica asked, shocked.
"She came over some time last night, and he just…let her back in his life. I came here this morning and there was Kathy, sitting on the sofa reading a…"
"Enough!" Monica screamed, not wanting to hear anymore. She was hurt that Chandler would betray her like that.
Monica wondered aloud, "Why? Why can he commit to her, but not me?"
Joey looked down at his feet, ashamed that he knew no answer to sooth her pain.
Monica noticed that Joey was not the one to ask that question to. She had to speak to Chandler. He would be the only one who could answer her.
"Joey," she demanded, "Let me in."
Not knowing what else to do, Joey stepped aside from the door, while Monica raced inside the apartment. Monica saw Kathy sitting in a chair in the living room, reading the newspaper. It took all of Monica's self control not to punch Kathy in the face. Instead, she casually headed towards the kitchen. She decided that she would pretend she was working until she could get Chandler alone for questioning.
"Excuse me?" Kathy called to Monica, "Who are you?"
Calmly, Monica smiled out of feign respect and answered, "Monica Geller, Chandler's cook." Already knowing the answer, she decided to question anyway, "And who might you be?"
"If you must know, I am Chandler's girlfriend. I don't think that you have the right to ask such a question to me, though."
Insulted, Monica clenched her fists, but kept a straight face. After that, Chandler entered the room.
Noticing Monica in the room, Chandler swallowed hard. He hadn't thought about how he would explain things to Monica. He had been too busy trying to come up with a plan to get rid of Kathy and scolding himself for accepting her back. He had just figured that Monica would be too upset to come to work for him.
"Obviously, you figured wrong," he reprimanded himself.
He then noticed Monica glaring at him, and began to fidget in his place.
"Mr. Bing," Monica emphasized and then stated simply, "I was just getting to work."
Chandler just nodded, unable to answer her, out of fear. He knew that he had hurt her, but he didn't mean to. He wanted to hold her, and tell her to be with him forever. Instead, he was the root of her troubles, and most likely ruined any change that he ever had with her the minute he allowed Kathy to enter his apartment.
Once Monica began to make her way to the kitchen, Kathy asked Chandler, "What happened to your old cook, John, was it? He was much better than she seems," Kathy stated with a hint of jealousy in her voice.
Monica heard this, but did not look back.
Again, anxiety was present Chandler's mind, "She must have noticed the way I looked at Monica or something." He assumed that Kathy would not allow him to employ Monica for much longer. "I doubt she wants to stay anymore, anyway," Chandler reminded himself bitterly.
Since Chandler did not answer Kathy's question, Joey, who had been witnessing the scene from the corner of the room answered for him, "Umm…John died a few months ago."
"I see," Kathy stated distantly. Instead, her attention was focused on the kitchen and the woman inside of it.
After an awkward pause between the three in the living room, Kathy stated, "I'm going to use the bathroom, sweetie."
"Okay," Chandler answered, as he watched her walk down the hall.
Once she left the living room, Joey turned to Chandler, "Dude, what the hell is Kathy doing here?"
Chandler sighed as he sat down on the maroon sofa and rested his head in his arms, "I wish I knew."
"What about Monica?"
"What about Monica?!" Chandler replied, "There's no Monica and me! Never was, never will be."
"Why?!" Joey challenged, "Because you're afraid of the best person to ever enter your life?"
"Just drop it, okay?" Chandler asked, irritated.
"No! Come on, man, you're my friend! I'm not going to let you turn back to Kathy and be hurt again. Monica's the one for you, not Kathy!"
Chandler paused for a moment and look down at his knees, "I know."
"Then what are you doing?"
"I ruined it Joey. I ruined my change with her! If I can't have Monica, then I'll take whatever I can get."
"Who says you can't have Monica? Just get rid of Kathy—then she can be in the picture. She likes you so much, Chandler. That much is obvious. Just give it a change--for yourself and for her. Every time you push her away, you hurt her. Remember that. Don't be the source of her pain."
Chandler nodded slowly; impressed by his friend's heart felt words, "You're right."
Meanwhile, once Kathy was out of Joey and Chandler's sight, she took a slight detour to the kitchen.
"Can I help you?" Monica questioned politely when she noticed Kathy's presence.
"No, not necessary," Kathy answered as she sat down at the counter.
"All right then," Monica eyed her, suspiciously, but went back to work.
Kathy watched Monica working and asked, "So, how long have you been working her?"
Distractedly, Monica answered, "A couple of months now."
"I see."
Kathy's presence in the kitchen, watching Monica, was making her anxious, "Are you sure I can't get you anything ma'am?"
"I guess an apple would be good."
"Sure," Monica replied as she washed a red apple for her and then handed it to Kathy.
"I wish it was a poison apple," Monica thought resentfully as she watched Kathy take her first bite.
Monica went back to work again, while Kathy ate her apple, still watching Monica out of the corner of her eye. Finally, mustering up enough courage and blurted out, "You love Chandler, don't you?"
Monica almost choked when she heard Kathy's accusation, "Excuse me?"
"You love him! I saw it…the way you looked at him, and me. Like I was stealing you're territory or something."
"No, not at all," Monica lied through gritted teeth.
"Right," Kathy eyed her, unconvinced, "Just know, he's mine."
With that, she walked out of the kitchen, leaving Monica stunned to silence.
After a day full of contempt and shock, Monica returned home.
"Still," Rachel advised after Monica told her story, "You should ask Chandler what he thinks of all this."
"Maybe…"
"No, you should! I mean, I highly doubt that he's still in love with that heartbreaking maniac. It's probably just a rebound thing."
"Well," Monica relented, "I do want to want to know what's up with him."
"So, there you go!"
"You're right. I'll ask him," Monica paused, "As soon as I can get him alone, without that bitch Kathy."
"Good luck, sweetie!" Rachel consoled as she went off to bed.
Once she did that, Monica began thinking of possible ways to find Chandler alone. However, she knew it would be hard, since Kathy rarely ever left his side. Especially, when Monica was around.
The next morning, Chandler opened his eyes and stretched. He turned and noticed Kathy in the bed next to him and groaned.
"Why is she here?" he questioned angrily, "Better yet, why won't she leave?!"
Needing some privacy, Chandler rose carefully, attempting not to wake Kathy.
In the process, she awoke anyway, and demanded, "Where are you going?"
"Bathroom," Chandler answered simply. He always tried to only answer as little as possible, considering he hated her and did not wish to engage in conversation with her. Not to mention how he found her too shallow to converse with anyway.
Chandler got up and made his way to the bathroom. He knew that he would not be able to escape Kathy's watching eye once she was awake. Instead, he turned on the shower and hoped in. He let the hot water cascade his body, as he savored the time alone he had. Once he relaxed a bit, he became lost in his thoughts. Suddenly, unable to contain himself, the tears spilled over his eyes. He wanted to be with Monica, not Kathy.
Once he ceased to silently weep, he decided, "I have to speak to Monica!"
With that, he turned off the shower and hastily threw on his robe.
Well, there you have it, part 9. Whadya thing? It kinda didn't go anywhere in this chapter, I know. But it will, I promise! I'm thinking that there will only be a few more chapters left in this series, yay! I can't wait to finish it. Not that I don't enjoy writing this, it's just that I've never finished a series yet. I'm sorry that there is little Monica/Chandler dialogue, but there will be soon. Just setting you up for it. Ok, read and review!