In Phoebe and Monica's apartment, Carol said to her ten-year-old son, "Ben, come meet your new cousin Lily Frances." The boy stood up and came over to the couch where the two mothers sat holding their new baby girl. Monica, being the birth mother, looked a bit tired, but happy.
"Hi," Ben said politely, but wasn't that thrilled. He was feeling a bit outnumbered, what with his half-sister Emma, and the fact that Frank and Alice's triplets were girls except for Frank Jr. Jr. Ben looked to Phoebe, "You promise to have a boy next time?"
"Absolutely," Phoebe answered.
"How can you promise that?" Ross asked.
"Because I'm the one having the next baby, and I can already sense what I will have."
"What?" Ross remained incredulous. "You haven't even picked another donor. It's the father's chromosome that determines sex--"
"Ross, don't mention sex in front of our new baby yet," Phoebe interrupted.
"Yeah, or Emma," Rachel added, covering their toddler's ears. "We haven't had that discussion with her yet."
"I was talking about gender," Ross said.
"We know, we know," Monica laughed. "They're just teasing you. Hey, if it is a boy, what kind of names do you think would work?"
The adults began discussing that, but Ben was becoming fidgety. He turned and asked his moms, "Can I go play with Uncle Joey now?"
Susan replied, "Okay, ask your Uncle Joey."
Ben went to the chair where Joey sat, with Chandler perched on the arm. "Did you bring the Playstation?" he asked excitedly.
"Of course!" Joey answered. "Let's go set it up." He got up from the chair and gestured for Chandler to come with them.
"I'll be right there, Joe," Chandler kissed him and watched them go over to the TV. Then he came over and kissed Phoebe, Monica, and little Lily Frances on their foreheads. He said with a smile, "Congratulations again! If you feel like it at all, could you consider Joseph for the first or middle name?"
"We'll think about it," Monica nodded.
"Thanks!" Chandler hugged them, and then joined Joey and Ben at the TV.
Carol smiled. "They're just a bunch of boys aren't they?"
Everybody agreed, and Susan commented, "That was so sweet, him asking for Joey's sake."
"Well, Chandler's already had a kid named after him, even if it turned out to be a girl."
Everybody laughed at that, then Carol asked, "Do they want kids at all? I thought when you were married to Chandler, he wanted to have a baby too."
Monica nodded. "Yeah, but we think he's still trying to sort out which of his feelings were real during our marriage. At least he knows that he loves Joey."
There was a holler when Ben won at the Playstation, so Chandler stepped up to play now, while Joey returned to the group surrounding the baby.
Joey remarked, "Ben's good. I'm not even letting him win anymore."
"Whoa, Emma, what's going on?" Rachel said when her toddler started squirming in her lap.
Ross speculated, "I think all that excitement over there is making Emma curious. Why don't I take her over there to watch?"
"Okay," Rachel handed Emma over, "as long as they're not playing any of those gross blood-and-guts games."
Ross nodded and kissed Rachel before taking Emma over to the TV.
Joey asked, "So, you still talking about boys' names?"
Phoebe nodded. "Yes, we're considering Joseph."
Joey smiled, flattered. "Wow. Thanks, Pheebs. And Monica." He came over to kiss them.
Carol asked, "Do you and Chandler ever talk about having kids?"
"Us?" Joey sat back in his chair. "I'm not sure if he wants to. He was a little shy, you know, when we got married. Kept asking me if I was sure I trusted him now."
"You should ask him about kids," Monica said. "If not now, maybe later on. He's really happy with you, Joey, and with the way you two connect with Ben, you could make great parents."
"Maybe. But wouldn't we need some woman to have the baby? I mean, it's not like we can just get eggs and implant them in one of us."
"Ooh!" Phoebe said, pointing to her and Monica, "How about for our next baby, we use sperm from one of you guys? We could share the baby."
"Really? Wouldn't that be a little awkward?" Rachel asked. "I mean, given the history."
Joey agreed. "Yeah, maybe we just adopt. Excuse me." He returned to the group gathered by the TV.
"Why'd you have to say that, Rachel?" Phoebe complained.
"I'm sorry! But don't you think it would be weird? Being friends again is one thing, but co-parents?"
"Rachel does have a point," Susan said. "We and Ross have to focus squarely on Ben's best interests during parenting disputes, and not on our old jealousies and resentments. I can't imagine how tough it would be for the four of you."
"It's whatever you're comfortable with," Carol added.
Monica sighed and looked at Phoebe. "Yeah, if Chandler started picturing me and him as a mom and dad again, even within the bigger group, I wouldn't want to think what it would do to his relationship with Joey."
Carol and Susan squeezed Monica and Phoebe's hands. "Sorry we can't be better mentors for you about this, but the situation's a lot more complicated with you guys."
Lily Frances started to cry. "Oh no!" Phoebe took hold of the baby and rocked it gently. "What's the matter? Your diaper need changing? You hungry again?"
Ross looked up at the noise, allowing Ben to defeat him at the Playstation. Joey and Chandler, who were playing with Emma on the floor, stood up.
"Everything all right?" Chandler asked, holding Emma.
"Yeah, she's just hungry," Phoebe explained, while Rachel helped Monica undo her shirt and nursing bra. All the women except Susan had given birth, and all had advice to give on breastfeeding and other motherly duties.
Holding her between them, Joey and Chandler began swinging Emma back and forth as she giggled. "Hey, think if Frank and Alice had come today," Joey said. "So many kids running around."
"Yeah," Chandler replied. "I'd like to see little girl Chandler again. She must be, what, five years old now?"
Joey started to speak, but was interrupted by childish babbling. "Okay, okay, Emma. Here you go." They set her down on the ground again near her father, whose attention she craved now.
"All right, Emma," Ross said. "You sit in my lap and we'll see if we can win against Ben."
Joey put his arm around Chandler and kissed him. "You want to have our own kid someday?" he asked cautiously.
Chandler looked at Ross with his kids and shrugged. "Maybe."
"No rush," Joey said, watching his eyes.
"I just--" Chandler hesitated and wanted to have some privacy, so they headed into the bedroom. One corner had been made into a nursery, and he stood staring at it.
Joey hugged him close. "We don't have to, of course. It's just, I thought you wanted kids once."
"I did," Chandler shrugged. "I don't know about now. Do you really want kids, Joe? Or is it just because you want to carry on the Tribbiani name? I mean, your sister Dina already had a kid with that Bobby guy, and she kept the Tribbiani name."
"I know," Joey said. "It's just--I've been Uncle Joey lots of times, but never Dad."
"Oh." Chandler looked troubled.
Joey kissed him and the ring on his finger. "It's okay. If you're not comfortable, we don't have to. I married you for you, you know?"
Chandler hugged him and thought it over. "Would we adopt, or find some surrogate...?"
Joey told him, "We have an offer from Phoebe and Monica, to share their next kid."
Chandler frowned. "That--that would be weird."
"I know."
"I'd--I'd rather have even Janice, you know? Or Kathy, whom we both dated."
Joey nodded.
"It's not that I feel anything for Monica anymore--" He sighed. "I just--I just want it to be us. I mean, I married her once. I actually *married* her. The annulment might erase it legally, but it still, it still happened, you know?" He felt guilty all over again.
"I know." He squeezed Chandler's hands reassuringly. "I trust you, but I know it would be weird to share their kid. I told you how me and Phoebe almost got together, right? We shouldn't have to share, anyway. There's plenty of girls who get pregnant like my sister Dina did, and don't know what to do. Or, if we adopt an older kid, Ben could come over a lot to play with him. We could have two-on-two foosball."
"That sounds great." Chandler smiled and kissed him happily. "Oh, Joe, I love you. Have I said that today?"
Joey grinned. "It's always good to hear."
So Chandler repeated, "I love you. And when we get home, I'm gonna show you, too."
They chuckled naughtily, then rejoined the others in the living room.
The End
"Hi," Ben said politely, but wasn't that thrilled. He was feeling a bit outnumbered, what with his half-sister Emma, and the fact that Frank and Alice's triplets were girls except for Frank Jr. Jr. Ben looked to Phoebe, "You promise to have a boy next time?"
"Absolutely," Phoebe answered.
"How can you promise that?" Ross asked.
"Because I'm the one having the next baby, and I can already sense what I will have."
"What?" Ross remained incredulous. "You haven't even picked another donor. It's the father's chromosome that determines sex--"
"Ross, don't mention sex in front of our new baby yet," Phoebe interrupted.
"Yeah, or Emma," Rachel added, covering their toddler's ears. "We haven't had that discussion with her yet."
"I was talking about gender," Ross said.
"We know, we know," Monica laughed. "They're just teasing you. Hey, if it is a boy, what kind of names do you think would work?"
The adults began discussing that, but Ben was becoming fidgety. He turned and asked his moms, "Can I go play with Uncle Joey now?"
Susan replied, "Okay, ask your Uncle Joey."
Ben went to the chair where Joey sat, with Chandler perched on the arm. "Did you bring the Playstation?" he asked excitedly.
"Of course!" Joey answered. "Let's go set it up." He got up from the chair and gestured for Chandler to come with them.
"I'll be right there, Joe," Chandler kissed him and watched them go over to the TV. Then he came over and kissed Phoebe, Monica, and little Lily Frances on their foreheads. He said with a smile, "Congratulations again! If you feel like it at all, could you consider Joseph for the first or middle name?"
"We'll think about it," Monica nodded.
"Thanks!" Chandler hugged them, and then joined Joey and Ben at the TV.
Carol smiled. "They're just a bunch of boys aren't they?"
Everybody agreed, and Susan commented, "That was so sweet, him asking for Joey's sake."
"Well, Chandler's already had a kid named after him, even if it turned out to be a girl."
Everybody laughed at that, then Carol asked, "Do they want kids at all? I thought when you were married to Chandler, he wanted to have a baby too."
Monica nodded. "Yeah, but we think he's still trying to sort out which of his feelings were real during our marriage. At least he knows that he loves Joey."
There was a holler when Ben won at the Playstation, so Chandler stepped up to play now, while Joey returned to the group surrounding the baby.
Joey remarked, "Ben's good. I'm not even letting him win anymore."
"Whoa, Emma, what's going on?" Rachel said when her toddler started squirming in her lap.
Ross speculated, "I think all that excitement over there is making Emma curious. Why don't I take her over there to watch?"
"Okay," Rachel handed Emma over, "as long as they're not playing any of those gross blood-and-guts games."
Ross nodded and kissed Rachel before taking Emma over to the TV.
Joey asked, "So, you still talking about boys' names?"
Phoebe nodded. "Yes, we're considering Joseph."
Joey smiled, flattered. "Wow. Thanks, Pheebs. And Monica." He came over to kiss them.
Carol asked, "Do you and Chandler ever talk about having kids?"
"Us?" Joey sat back in his chair. "I'm not sure if he wants to. He was a little shy, you know, when we got married. Kept asking me if I was sure I trusted him now."
"You should ask him about kids," Monica said. "If not now, maybe later on. He's really happy with you, Joey, and with the way you two connect with Ben, you could make great parents."
"Maybe. But wouldn't we need some woman to have the baby? I mean, it's not like we can just get eggs and implant them in one of us."
"Ooh!" Phoebe said, pointing to her and Monica, "How about for our next baby, we use sperm from one of you guys? We could share the baby."
"Really? Wouldn't that be a little awkward?" Rachel asked. "I mean, given the history."
Joey agreed. "Yeah, maybe we just adopt. Excuse me." He returned to the group gathered by the TV.
"Why'd you have to say that, Rachel?" Phoebe complained.
"I'm sorry! But don't you think it would be weird? Being friends again is one thing, but co-parents?"
"Rachel does have a point," Susan said. "We and Ross have to focus squarely on Ben's best interests during parenting disputes, and not on our old jealousies and resentments. I can't imagine how tough it would be for the four of you."
"It's whatever you're comfortable with," Carol added.
Monica sighed and looked at Phoebe. "Yeah, if Chandler started picturing me and him as a mom and dad again, even within the bigger group, I wouldn't want to think what it would do to his relationship with Joey."
Carol and Susan squeezed Monica and Phoebe's hands. "Sorry we can't be better mentors for you about this, but the situation's a lot more complicated with you guys."
Lily Frances started to cry. "Oh no!" Phoebe took hold of the baby and rocked it gently. "What's the matter? Your diaper need changing? You hungry again?"
Ross looked up at the noise, allowing Ben to defeat him at the Playstation. Joey and Chandler, who were playing with Emma on the floor, stood up.
"Everything all right?" Chandler asked, holding Emma.
"Yeah, she's just hungry," Phoebe explained, while Rachel helped Monica undo her shirt and nursing bra. All the women except Susan had given birth, and all had advice to give on breastfeeding and other motherly duties.
Holding her between them, Joey and Chandler began swinging Emma back and forth as she giggled. "Hey, think if Frank and Alice had come today," Joey said. "So many kids running around."
"Yeah," Chandler replied. "I'd like to see little girl Chandler again. She must be, what, five years old now?"
Joey started to speak, but was interrupted by childish babbling. "Okay, okay, Emma. Here you go." They set her down on the ground again near her father, whose attention she craved now.
"All right, Emma," Ross said. "You sit in my lap and we'll see if we can win against Ben."
Joey put his arm around Chandler and kissed him. "You want to have our own kid someday?" he asked cautiously.
Chandler looked at Ross with his kids and shrugged. "Maybe."
"No rush," Joey said, watching his eyes.
"I just--" Chandler hesitated and wanted to have some privacy, so they headed into the bedroom. One corner had been made into a nursery, and he stood staring at it.
Joey hugged him close. "We don't have to, of course. It's just, I thought you wanted kids once."
"I did," Chandler shrugged. "I don't know about now. Do you really want kids, Joe? Or is it just because you want to carry on the Tribbiani name? I mean, your sister Dina already had a kid with that Bobby guy, and she kept the Tribbiani name."
"I know," Joey said. "It's just--I've been Uncle Joey lots of times, but never Dad."
"Oh." Chandler looked troubled.
Joey kissed him and the ring on his finger. "It's okay. If you're not comfortable, we don't have to. I married you for you, you know?"
Chandler hugged him and thought it over. "Would we adopt, or find some surrogate...?"
Joey told him, "We have an offer from Phoebe and Monica, to share their next kid."
Chandler frowned. "That--that would be weird."
"I know."
"I'd--I'd rather have even Janice, you know? Or Kathy, whom we both dated."
Joey nodded.
"It's not that I feel anything for Monica anymore--" He sighed. "I just--I just want it to be us. I mean, I married her once. I actually *married* her. The annulment might erase it legally, but it still, it still happened, you know?" He felt guilty all over again.
"I know." He squeezed Chandler's hands reassuringly. "I trust you, but I know it would be weird to share their kid. I told you how me and Phoebe almost got together, right? We shouldn't have to share, anyway. There's plenty of girls who get pregnant like my sister Dina did, and don't know what to do. Or, if we adopt an older kid, Ben could come over a lot to play with him. We could have two-on-two foosball."
"That sounds great." Chandler smiled and kissed him happily. "Oh, Joe, I love you. Have I said that today?"
Joey grinned. "It's always good to hear."
So Chandler repeated, "I love you. And when we get home, I'm gonna show you, too."
They chuckled naughtily, then rejoined the others in the living room.
The End
