CHAPTER#4
Chandler smiled as he sat in the coffeehouse watching Phoebe and Mike. He was glad that everything had worked out between them. Mike had been ecstatic when he found out she was alive. The experience had made both of them realize how short life was. It hadn't been long before they had moved in together and shortly thereafter announced their engagement.
Chandler watched as Mike slid his fingers gently through her hair and she looked at him and smiled happily. Chandler remembered that. He and Monica had been that way, so happy, so in love. It had been eight moths, and he still missed her terribly. It had taken him some time before he had accepted that she was gone. He was trying to move on, but he found he couldn't. He wasn't interested in dating, which was fine with him, but he found he wasn't interested in much at all. He didn't go out, he didn't eat well. It was like he had stopped caring about himself. And he had.
His friends forced him to go out with them as often as they could and he was slowly going out more and more. He often went to the coffeehouse with them. He knew it was good for him and it got them off of his back. He glanced down at his watch and sighed. He had to go. He had work to do for a meeting the next day, so he said goodbye and made his way to his apartment. What he found in front of his door confused him.
He reached the top of the stairs to find a small box in front of his door. At first he had though it was someone from work leaving something for him, but as he got closer he noticed movement. He was flabbergasted when he saw what was in it.
Inside the box was a small baby, wrapped tightly in a ragged blanket. Chandler didn't know what to do, so he picked up the box and took it inside. Here he picked up the small infant gently and began to rock it gently. He smiled sadly. He had so wanted to have kids, he had wanted to be able to do this with his own children, but now he knew that would never happen.
The baby squirmed slightly before falling asleep in Chandler's arms. He felt a tear run down his face, but did nothing to stop it. He looked down at the small sleeping form and couldn't help but wonder if that was what his children would have looked like, had he had any. The baby was beautiful, with piercing blue eyes and wispy dark hair.
Chandler finally snapped out of his trance and wondered where the baby had come from. There hadn't been anything else in the box. He looked carefully at the infant, knowing she could only be a couple of days old, as she was very tiny. She looked like she was born premature or malnourished.
After careful consideration, Chandler called the police, who didn't seem overly concerned, more bored and annoyed that he had called them for this. They told him to take the baby to the hospital, so Chandler did.
He arrived at the front desk and explained the situation to the receptionist. She told him where to go and he followed the instructions, arriving at the children's ward and again, explaining the situation to a nurse.
The nurse smiled warmly and introduced herself as Jane. She explained that this situation happened a lot. Sometimes people had a baby and knew they wouldn't be able to care for it, so they dropped it off with someone who could.
"Do you know anyone who may have trusted you with their child?" Jane asked.
Chandler thought for a moment before shaking his head. "No, I don't think so."
"Well, she does look an awful lot like you, maybe an old girlfriend."
"No." Chandler immediately said. And then to her look. "My wife died eight months ago. I haven't been with anyone else in years."
"You sure?"
Chandler nodded.
"Well, we have to take a blood sample from you anyway, just to rule you out as the father. Don't worry, it's just protocol."
Chandler nodded. Then asked. "What will happen to her?"
"Well, if no biological parents are found, or no willing biological parents, she will be put up for adoption."
Chandler didn't know what he was saying until he heard the words come out of his mouth, and he didn't regret them. "Well, what would I do if I were to want to adopt her." Chandler felt a connection to this child and he was not about to let that go.
Jane smiled at him. "It's wonderful that you want to adopt her, but placement into single parent homes are rare. I'm sorry."
Chandler nodded. "Can I come and see her at least, while she's in the hospital?"
Jane smiled warmly. She could tell this man had lost a lot in his life. "Of course."
After finally passing the small child to the nurse and giving a small amount of blood for the paternity test, Chandler headed home. He stopped in the coffeehouse and told his friends all about the child. He didn't know what it was about her, but he felt drawn to her. He wanted more than anything to adopt this child and he would darn well try, turns out, he wouldn't need to.
Two days later Chandler walked through the familiar halls of the hospital, heading to the room the baby was being kept in. He smiled when he saw Jane behind the glass, checking on all the newborns. She smiled warmly when she saw him and picked up the child. She brought her out and placed her in Chandler's arms. He had been here many times over the past two days. She watched as he smiled down at the small infant.
"I have a job for you," she said.
"What kind of job?" Chandler asked looking up.
"Well, this little girl needs a name, and you're just the one to name her."
"Really," Chandler asked, astonished. "You want me to name her?"
Jane nodded. It amazed her how much this man seemed to love this child, sfter such a short time.
Later that day Chandler excitedly told his friends about naming the child.
"Well, what did you name her?" Joey asked.
"Alyssa," Chandler said smiling. His friends all gave him sad smiles. It was no secret too them that Monica had liked that name. It concerned them that Chandler had grown so attached to Alyssa. They didn't like to think about what would happen when she was taken away and placed with a family. They knew it would destroy him.
The conversation was cut off when Chandler's cell phone rang. He picked it up and said hello. It was Jane. At first he had panicked, fearing something was wrong with Alyssa, but to his utmost surprise, she told him something else. Some thing he would never in his wildest dreams expected. He said goodbye and hung up.
"What did she say?" Ross finally asked after he was silent for a few minutes.
"She said," Chandler started. "She said that they got back the results to the paternity test."
"And?" Phoebe pushed.
"And she's my daughter."
A/N: What do you think so far? I'll have the next chapter up ASAP.
Chandler smiled as he sat in the coffeehouse watching Phoebe and Mike. He was glad that everything had worked out between them. Mike had been ecstatic when he found out she was alive. The experience had made both of them realize how short life was. It hadn't been long before they had moved in together and shortly thereafter announced their engagement.
Chandler watched as Mike slid his fingers gently through her hair and she looked at him and smiled happily. Chandler remembered that. He and Monica had been that way, so happy, so in love. It had been eight moths, and he still missed her terribly. It had taken him some time before he had accepted that she was gone. He was trying to move on, but he found he couldn't. He wasn't interested in dating, which was fine with him, but he found he wasn't interested in much at all. He didn't go out, he didn't eat well. It was like he had stopped caring about himself. And he had.
His friends forced him to go out with them as often as they could and he was slowly going out more and more. He often went to the coffeehouse with them. He knew it was good for him and it got them off of his back. He glanced down at his watch and sighed. He had to go. He had work to do for a meeting the next day, so he said goodbye and made his way to his apartment. What he found in front of his door confused him.
He reached the top of the stairs to find a small box in front of his door. At first he had though it was someone from work leaving something for him, but as he got closer he noticed movement. He was flabbergasted when he saw what was in it.
Inside the box was a small baby, wrapped tightly in a ragged blanket. Chandler didn't know what to do, so he picked up the box and took it inside. Here he picked up the small infant gently and began to rock it gently. He smiled sadly. He had so wanted to have kids, he had wanted to be able to do this with his own children, but now he knew that would never happen.
The baby squirmed slightly before falling asleep in Chandler's arms. He felt a tear run down his face, but did nothing to stop it. He looked down at the small sleeping form and couldn't help but wonder if that was what his children would have looked like, had he had any. The baby was beautiful, with piercing blue eyes and wispy dark hair.
Chandler finally snapped out of his trance and wondered where the baby had come from. There hadn't been anything else in the box. He looked carefully at the infant, knowing she could only be a couple of days old, as she was very tiny. She looked like she was born premature or malnourished.
After careful consideration, Chandler called the police, who didn't seem overly concerned, more bored and annoyed that he had called them for this. They told him to take the baby to the hospital, so Chandler did.
He arrived at the front desk and explained the situation to the receptionist. She told him where to go and he followed the instructions, arriving at the children's ward and again, explaining the situation to a nurse.
The nurse smiled warmly and introduced herself as Jane. She explained that this situation happened a lot. Sometimes people had a baby and knew they wouldn't be able to care for it, so they dropped it off with someone who could.
"Do you know anyone who may have trusted you with their child?" Jane asked.
Chandler thought for a moment before shaking his head. "No, I don't think so."
"Well, she does look an awful lot like you, maybe an old girlfriend."
"No." Chandler immediately said. And then to her look. "My wife died eight months ago. I haven't been with anyone else in years."
"You sure?"
Chandler nodded.
"Well, we have to take a blood sample from you anyway, just to rule you out as the father. Don't worry, it's just protocol."
Chandler nodded. Then asked. "What will happen to her?"
"Well, if no biological parents are found, or no willing biological parents, she will be put up for adoption."
Chandler didn't know what he was saying until he heard the words come out of his mouth, and he didn't regret them. "Well, what would I do if I were to want to adopt her." Chandler felt a connection to this child and he was not about to let that go.
Jane smiled at him. "It's wonderful that you want to adopt her, but placement into single parent homes are rare. I'm sorry."
Chandler nodded. "Can I come and see her at least, while she's in the hospital?"
Jane smiled warmly. She could tell this man had lost a lot in his life. "Of course."
After finally passing the small child to the nurse and giving a small amount of blood for the paternity test, Chandler headed home. He stopped in the coffeehouse and told his friends all about the child. He didn't know what it was about her, but he felt drawn to her. He wanted more than anything to adopt this child and he would darn well try, turns out, he wouldn't need to.
Two days later Chandler walked through the familiar halls of the hospital, heading to the room the baby was being kept in. He smiled when he saw Jane behind the glass, checking on all the newborns. She smiled warmly when she saw him and picked up the child. She brought her out and placed her in Chandler's arms. He had been here many times over the past two days. She watched as he smiled down at the small infant.
"I have a job for you," she said.
"What kind of job?" Chandler asked looking up.
"Well, this little girl needs a name, and you're just the one to name her."
"Really," Chandler asked, astonished. "You want me to name her?"
Jane nodded. It amazed her how much this man seemed to love this child, sfter such a short time.
Later that day Chandler excitedly told his friends about naming the child.
"Well, what did you name her?" Joey asked.
"Alyssa," Chandler said smiling. His friends all gave him sad smiles. It was no secret too them that Monica had liked that name. It concerned them that Chandler had grown so attached to Alyssa. They didn't like to think about what would happen when she was taken away and placed with a family. They knew it would destroy him.
The conversation was cut off when Chandler's cell phone rang. He picked it up and said hello. It was Jane. At first he had panicked, fearing something was wrong with Alyssa, but to his utmost surprise, she told him something else. Some thing he would never in his wildest dreams expected. He said goodbye and hung up.
"What did she say?" Ross finally asked after he was silent for a few minutes.
"She said," Chandler started. "She said that they got back the results to the paternity test."
"And?" Phoebe pushed.
"And she's my daughter."
A/N: What do you think so far? I'll have the next chapter up ASAP.