OMG! I love you guys! the reviews were awesome...thank you thank you thank
you! i actually wasnt gonna post part four until later but since people
wanted it i decided to! see thats what you get for reviewing! lol! anyway,
im sooo sorry but im leaving for a week, so this will be it for a week.
don't worry tho, it doesnt end with a cliffhanger, but there are many more
parts to this story! i swear, part five will be up as soon as i get back on
may 3rd. so dont lose interest in my story please! anyway, here's part
four, read and review, thanks!
Part Four For a second Rachel couldn't say anything. "You cheated on me," she said slowly, "When?"
"One night.after we had that huge fight about me working too much." Suddenly that night came back vividly in Rachel's mind.
"Ever since we moved in here, you've done nothing but work!" Rachel screamed at her husband. "When am I supposed to see you? When are Josh and Gracie supposed to see you?"
"Well, excuse me for wanting to look after my family! That nanny we employ isn't cheap, Rachel!"
"Well, if we didn't have a nanny, I wouldn't be able to work!"
"Exactly"
"Are you saying.?"
"No, that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying I have to work to keep this family afloat! Two kids aren't easy, Rachel. Get used to me working." With that Ross left the apartment, slamming the door. Two days later, he'd left the apartment for good.
"I remember," Rachel said softly.
"Well, that night I went out and got drunk," Ross said, "Really drunk. And the next morning, I woke up in somebody else's bed. I didn't even remember sleeping with her, she didn't even remember sleeping with me. But it happened."
"So that's why you left? Because you cheated on me?"
"Yeah," Ross said quietly, "it was a mistake.but I knew you'd just want a divorce. I mean, things weren't great even before then. We were always fighting."
"So you left," Rachel said matter-of-factly, "For eight years!"
"I guess.I thought I'd come back, eventually. But then I found out."
"Found out what?"
Ross's words were barely audible, "That I have cancer"
"What?" Rachel said softly, holding back tears.
"I found out that I have a brain tumor. They can't do anything about it."
"So you've come back to do what, Ross? Do you need money? Because I don't have any. And if you want to see the kids, the answer is absolutely not. So what is it, Ross? Why are you back?"
"Because I don't have that much longer to live. And I wanted to make peace with you before I did die."
Rachel didn't speak for a long time, "I need some time to digest all this," she said softly, "Can you please leave?"
Ross nodded and pulled a card out of his pocket, "This is the hotel I'm staying at," he said quietly, "Just call me.whenever. I'm so sorry, Rachel, so very, very sorry for cheating on you. I don't expect you to ever forgive me, but I couldn't die without seeing you one last time."
"I'll call," Rachel promised, "but I need time to figure stuff out. Besides," she looked at her watch, "I've got to go pick up my kids."
"Monica and Chandler can watch them a little while longer if."
"No," Rachel said firmly, "My first responsibility is to my children, Ross, not to you. Good bye." With that Ross left, and Rachel walked back to Monica and Chandler's apartment.
"Josh, Gracie!" Rachel yelled out as she entered the apartment, "Time to go home!"
She saw Josh and Gracie run out of Zachary's room, Chandler and the other kids following them. "Uncle Chandler let us beat him up!" Josh said happily.
"That's great, honey," Rachel said quietly, "Now you and Gracie get your stuff. I need to talk to Uncle Chandler and Aunt Monica for a second. Monica got up from her seat on the couch and went over to Rachel, and Chandler did the same.
"There's too much to explain now." she said softly, "Do you think you guys can get a babysitter tomorrow night for all four kids? I'll explain then.and Joey and Phoebe can hear it then too."
Chandler nodded, "Mon's got a cold, but if she's better by then, that's fine. I'll get a sitter."
"Thanks," Rachel said. She took Gracie and Josh and went back to her apartment.
The next night at dinner, Joey, Phoebe, Monica and Chandler stared at Rachel expectantly. Finally, Rachel spoke up. "Ross cheated on me," she said quietly, "and that's why he left." "Oh, sweetie." Monica hugged her friend.
"It's okay," Rachel said, and explained Ross's story.
"But why is he back?" Joey asked the question everyone had in their mind.
"He has cancer. A brain tumor. Rachel said, almost crying, "And there's nothing they can do. He's dying"
No one spoke for a long time. They had never expected this. No one quite knew what the appropriate reaction should be. If this had happened nine years ago, they would have been sobbing. But Ross had been gone for eight years.and the hole he had left in the group had slowly closed up. What was Ross to them? Their friend? They really weren't sure.
Finally Chandler spoke up, "So Ross came back to say good-bye?"
"Yeah. They say he hasn't got much time left."
"God." Chandler said quietly, "I just.don't know how to feel." The others nodded in agreement and Chandler continued, "I mean, Rachel, what Ross did to you is awful, no matter how drunk he was. But he was our friend.and he's dying. I think we owe it to him to at least say good-bye." Again, everyone nodded in agreement.
Rachel sighed, "I told him I needed time to think. But.I-I don't want Josh and Gracie to know their father's around. They've been hurt enough."
Monica nodded, "Josh and Gracie don't ever have to know. We can just say Ross is an old friend."
Rachel nodded and buried her head in her hands, "I imagined a thousand reasons why he left," she said quietly, "but I never expected this."
"Rachel." Chandler began. He seemed to be the only one who could talk, "We're gonna be there for you, okay? If you want Ross around until he dies, then we support that, okay? Or if not, we support that, too. It's your call. But we're behind you all the way."
Rachel nodded, "Thanks guys.I just-in a few months or weeks, I'm gonna be a widow. A widow." No one said anything. They just gathered around Rachel and pulled her into a hug, letting her cry. "I just.I want to forgive him, I really do. I mean.he gave me Josh and Gracie. If I can't forgive the man who gave me my children-my life.who can I forgive?"
With Ross back in town, Chandler and Monica began watching Josh and Gracie more and more so that Rachel had time to "sort things out". She still hadn't called Ross, but Chandler and Monica would watch the kids while she thought about things. One day after Chandler had put Emma and Zachary down for naps, he was watching television with Josh and Gracie. Suddenly, Josh asked, "Uncle Chandler, who's my dad?"
"'Scuse me?" Chandler said, trying to postpone the answer.
"Who's my dad? Mine and Gracie's dad-who is he?"
"Well, Josh.I can't really answer that."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm not sure what your mom would want me to tell you."
"Just tell me basic stuff. Did you know him?"
"Yeah, Uncle Chandler," Gracie piped up, "did you know him?"
"Well, yeah," Chandler said softly, "He introduced me to Aunt Monica."
"'Cause Aunt Monica's his sister, right?"
Chandler nodded, "I was your dad's college roommate. He took me to his house for Thanksgiving one time. That's when I met Aunt Monica."
"Did you guys fall in love right away?" Gracie asked eagerly.
Chandler smiled, happy that the conversation had shielded away from the topic of the twins' father, "Not exactly."
"What do you mean?"
"Monica and I were friends for a long time-a very long time, before we got together."
"Really?" Josh asked, "I can't remember when you guys weren't together."
"When you guys were born we weren't,"
"Then when did you guys get together?" Gracie asked.
Chandler suddenly let his memory wander..
Eight Years Earlier "Hey, Mon," Chandler said, but he stopped short as he saw his friend crying on the couch. He rushed to her side, "What's the matter?"
"My brother left his wife. Isn't that enough?"
"Well.I mean, we all miss Ross, but what's it got to do with you?"
"Ross is my brother, Chandler. I'm just afraid Rachel's gonna blame me. After all, I'm a Geller, too. She probably thinks I know where he is.and I honestly don't but." Monica kept sobbing.
"Oh, Mon." Chandler softly pulled Monica into his arms, "Rachel doesn't blame you.no, not at all." "How do you know that?"
"Because she knows what Ross did was his decision. No one else's. There's no one else to blame except for Ross. We all know that."
"Really?" Monica said, looking into Chandler's eyes.
"Really," he said firmly.
Monica stopped crying gradually as Chandler rocked her back and forth. Finally, she spoke up, "What would I do without you?" she said quietly.
"You mean that?" he said softly. Chandler had had a crush on Monica for years-but he never, ever let anyone know it. Not even Joey. Sometimes Chandler even denied it to himself. He'd hinted to Monica many times that he liked her-offering to have a baby with her, offering to be her boyfriend, but she always laughed and passed it off as a joke. He knew why- and he even understood. Monica deserved so much better than him, and obviously she knew that.
"Yeah, I do," she said quietly, "You're my best friend. And I mean that. I really don't know what I'd do without you. You-you've always been there for me."
Chandler smiled a small smile. Of course she just liked him as a best friend. How could he even think that she would like him as something more? He kissed the top of her head, "And I always will be."
Monica smiled brightly and snuggled closer to him, "Chandler?" she asked softly.
"Yeah?"
"If I tell you something, do you promise not to freak out?"
"Umm.I can't promise that.I mean, if you're like, dying or something, I'm not gonna be like, happy."
"No, it's nothing like that.just something I have to tell you."
"Okay, then I'll try not to freak out," he said, confused about what she had to say.
"All right." Monica pulled away from his embrace and sat up, looking him straight in the eye. But then, suddenly she looked down, almost embarrassed, "I don't really know how to say this..I just.I promised I'd tell you tonight.but."
"Mon-don't be embarrassed. You can tell me anything."
"All right," she looked at him again, "Chandler.I think-I think.I have.um, feelings for you. As more than just a friend."
Chandler just stared at her for a minute. For a moment he thought about pinching himself-that maybe this was a dream. His second thought was that she was kidding. "Mon.are you serious?"
She stared down at her lap and mumbled, "Yes."
Chandler smiled a huge grin and lifted Monica's chin up, "Monica.the truth is, I have feelings for you, too. As more than just a friend. Way more than just a friend."
This time it was Monica's turn to be doubtful, "Are you serious?"
"Yeah," he said softly, gently, "I always have. Since the day I moved in across the hall. I just.never told anyone."
"Why?"
"Because.God, Mon, you deserve so much more than me-Chandler who can't keep a girlfriend for more than a week," he hung his head, "You don't want me. You deserve someone a lot better."
"But what if I do want you?"
"Really?"
"More than anything." Chandler couldn't resist. He leaned down and gently kissed Monica on the lips doing the one thing he'd wanted to do for practically three years. The gentle kiss lasted a few seconds, but quickly it turned deeper. Finally the kiss broke. "Wow." Monica said quietly.
"That was.."
"Amazing?"
"For lack of something better.I think they'd have to come up with a whole new word to describe what that was."
Monica and Chandler spent every second together after that. They were pretty obvious about their relationship, so eventually Joey, Phoebe and Rachel figured out they were together. On their seven-month anniversary, Chandler took Monica out to dinner and had Joey and Phoebe fill her apartment with lit candles while they were gone. When they came home, Chandler proposed to Monica and she said yes. They got married about three months later.
Return to Present
"Uncle Chandler?" Gracie asked again, "When did you guys get together?"
"Well.you guys were about two, I think." Chandler said, not wanting to tell them the reason they'd gotten together was because of Ross's leaving.
"How come?" Josh asked, suddenly interested.
"Well," Chandler said quietly, "I guess we just realized that we wanted to be more than friends. And everything else just.fell into place."
"Wow." Gracie said, "That's like a fairy tale, Uncle Chandler."
"Yeah, I guess so," Chandler smiled.
"You should write a book about it," Josh said, giggling.
"I don't think anybody would buy it, buddy," Chandler ruffled Josh's hair, "Now get ready, your mom's gonna be here in a couple minutes."
Later that night, when their kids were in bed, Chandler told Monica about Josh's question, "Josh asked about his father today," he said quietly.
"Josh asked you about his dad?"
"Yeah," Chandler said, "He wanted to know if I knew him, stuff like that."
"What did you say?"
"Just that he was my college roommate. Then Gracie wanted me to tell a story."
"What story?"
Chandler smiled as he pulled her into his arms, "Ours."
PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! AND I SWEAR...THIS IS GOING SOMEWHERE!
Part Four For a second Rachel couldn't say anything. "You cheated on me," she said slowly, "When?"
"One night.after we had that huge fight about me working too much." Suddenly that night came back vividly in Rachel's mind.
"Ever since we moved in here, you've done nothing but work!" Rachel screamed at her husband. "When am I supposed to see you? When are Josh and Gracie supposed to see you?"
"Well, excuse me for wanting to look after my family! That nanny we employ isn't cheap, Rachel!"
"Well, if we didn't have a nanny, I wouldn't be able to work!"
"Exactly"
"Are you saying.?"
"No, that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying I have to work to keep this family afloat! Two kids aren't easy, Rachel. Get used to me working." With that Ross left the apartment, slamming the door. Two days later, he'd left the apartment for good.
"I remember," Rachel said softly.
"Well, that night I went out and got drunk," Ross said, "Really drunk. And the next morning, I woke up in somebody else's bed. I didn't even remember sleeping with her, she didn't even remember sleeping with me. But it happened."
"So that's why you left? Because you cheated on me?"
"Yeah," Ross said quietly, "it was a mistake.but I knew you'd just want a divorce. I mean, things weren't great even before then. We were always fighting."
"So you left," Rachel said matter-of-factly, "For eight years!"
"I guess.I thought I'd come back, eventually. But then I found out."
"Found out what?"
Ross's words were barely audible, "That I have cancer"
"What?" Rachel said softly, holding back tears.
"I found out that I have a brain tumor. They can't do anything about it."
"So you've come back to do what, Ross? Do you need money? Because I don't have any. And if you want to see the kids, the answer is absolutely not. So what is it, Ross? Why are you back?"
"Because I don't have that much longer to live. And I wanted to make peace with you before I did die."
Rachel didn't speak for a long time, "I need some time to digest all this," she said softly, "Can you please leave?"
Ross nodded and pulled a card out of his pocket, "This is the hotel I'm staying at," he said quietly, "Just call me.whenever. I'm so sorry, Rachel, so very, very sorry for cheating on you. I don't expect you to ever forgive me, but I couldn't die without seeing you one last time."
"I'll call," Rachel promised, "but I need time to figure stuff out. Besides," she looked at her watch, "I've got to go pick up my kids."
"Monica and Chandler can watch them a little while longer if."
"No," Rachel said firmly, "My first responsibility is to my children, Ross, not to you. Good bye." With that Ross left, and Rachel walked back to Monica and Chandler's apartment.
"Josh, Gracie!" Rachel yelled out as she entered the apartment, "Time to go home!"
She saw Josh and Gracie run out of Zachary's room, Chandler and the other kids following them. "Uncle Chandler let us beat him up!" Josh said happily.
"That's great, honey," Rachel said quietly, "Now you and Gracie get your stuff. I need to talk to Uncle Chandler and Aunt Monica for a second. Monica got up from her seat on the couch and went over to Rachel, and Chandler did the same.
"There's too much to explain now." she said softly, "Do you think you guys can get a babysitter tomorrow night for all four kids? I'll explain then.and Joey and Phoebe can hear it then too."
Chandler nodded, "Mon's got a cold, but if she's better by then, that's fine. I'll get a sitter."
"Thanks," Rachel said. She took Gracie and Josh and went back to her apartment.
The next night at dinner, Joey, Phoebe, Monica and Chandler stared at Rachel expectantly. Finally, Rachel spoke up. "Ross cheated on me," she said quietly, "and that's why he left." "Oh, sweetie." Monica hugged her friend.
"It's okay," Rachel said, and explained Ross's story.
"But why is he back?" Joey asked the question everyone had in their mind.
"He has cancer. A brain tumor. Rachel said, almost crying, "And there's nothing they can do. He's dying"
No one spoke for a long time. They had never expected this. No one quite knew what the appropriate reaction should be. If this had happened nine years ago, they would have been sobbing. But Ross had been gone for eight years.and the hole he had left in the group had slowly closed up. What was Ross to them? Their friend? They really weren't sure.
Finally Chandler spoke up, "So Ross came back to say good-bye?"
"Yeah. They say he hasn't got much time left."
"God." Chandler said quietly, "I just.don't know how to feel." The others nodded in agreement and Chandler continued, "I mean, Rachel, what Ross did to you is awful, no matter how drunk he was. But he was our friend.and he's dying. I think we owe it to him to at least say good-bye." Again, everyone nodded in agreement.
Rachel sighed, "I told him I needed time to think. But.I-I don't want Josh and Gracie to know their father's around. They've been hurt enough."
Monica nodded, "Josh and Gracie don't ever have to know. We can just say Ross is an old friend."
Rachel nodded and buried her head in her hands, "I imagined a thousand reasons why he left," she said quietly, "but I never expected this."
"Rachel." Chandler began. He seemed to be the only one who could talk, "We're gonna be there for you, okay? If you want Ross around until he dies, then we support that, okay? Or if not, we support that, too. It's your call. But we're behind you all the way."
Rachel nodded, "Thanks guys.I just-in a few months or weeks, I'm gonna be a widow. A widow." No one said anything. They just gathered around Rachel and pulled her into a hug, letting her cry. "I just.I want to forgive him, I really do. I mean.he gave me Josh and Gracie. If I can't forgive the man who gave me my children-my life.who can I forgive?"
With Ross back in town, Chandler and Monica began watching Josh and Gracie more and more so that Rachel had time to "sort things out". She still hadn't called Ross, but Chandler and Monica would watch the kids while she thought about things. One day after Chandler had put Emma and Zachary down for naps, he was watching television with Josh and Gracie. Suddenly, Josh asked, "Uncle Chandler, who's my dad?"
"'Scuse me?" Chandler said, trying to postpone the answer.
"Who's my dad? Mine and Gracie's dad-who is he?"
"Well, Josh.I can't really answer that."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm not sure what your mom would want me to tell you."
"Just tell me basic stuff. Did you know him?"
"Yeah, Uncle Chandler," Gracie piped up, "did you know him?"
"Well, yeah," Chandler said softly, "He introduced me to Aunt Monica."
"'Cause Aunt Monica's his sister, right?"
Chandler nodded, "I was your dad's college roommate. He took me to his house for Thanksgiving one time. That's when I met Aunt Monica."
"Did you guys fall in love right away?" Gracie asked eagerly.
Chandler smiled, happy that the conversation had shielded away from the topic of the twins' father, "Not exactly."
"What do you mean?"
"Monica and I were friends for a long time-a very long time, before we got together."
"Really?" Josh asked, "I can't remember when you guys weren't together."
"When you guys were born we weren't,"
"Then when did you guys get together?" Gracie asked.
Chandler suddenly let his memory wander..
Eight Years Earlier "Hey, Mon," Chandler said, but he stopped short as he saw his friend crying on the couch. He rushed to her side, "What's the matter?"
"My brother left his wife. Isn't that enough?"
"Well.I mean, we all miss Ross, but what's it got to do with you?"
"Ross is my brother, Chandler. I'm just afraid Rachel's gonna blame me. After all, I'm a Geller, too. She probably thinks I know where he is.and I honestly don't but." Monica kept sobbing.
"Oh, Mon." Chandler softly pulled Monica into his arms, "Rachel doesn't blame you.no, not at all." "How do you know that?"
"Because she knows what Ross did was his decision. No one else's. There's no one else to blame except for Ross. We all know that."
"Really?" Monica said, looking into Chandler's eyes.
"Really," he said firmly.
Monica stopped crying gradually as Chandler rocked her back and forth. Finally, she spoke up, "What would I do without you?" she said quietly.
"You mean that?" he said softly. Chandler had had a crush on Monica for years-but he never, ever let anyone know it. Not even Joey. Sometimes Chandler even denied it to himself. He'd hinted to Monica many times that he liked her-offering to have a baby with her, offering to be her boyfriend, but she always laughed and passed it off as a joke. He knew why- and he even understood. Monica deserved so much better than him, and obviously she knew that.
"Yeah, I do," she said quietly, "You're my best friend. And I mean that. I really don't know what I'd do without you. You-you've always been there for me."
Chandler smiled a small smile. Of course she just liked him as a best friend. How could he even think that she would like him as something more? He kissed the top of her head, "And I always will be."
Monica smiled brightly and snuggled closer to him, "Chandler?" she asked softly.
"Yeah?"
"If I tell you something, do you promise not to freak out?"
"Umm.I can't promise that.I mean, if you're like, dying or something, I'm not gonna be like, happy."
"No, it's nothing like that.just something I have to tell you."
"Okay, then I'll try not to freak out," he said, confused about what she had to say.
"All right." Monica pulled away from his embrace and sat up, looking him straight in the eye. But then, suddenly she looked down, almost embarrassed, "I don't really know how to say this..I just.I promised I'd tell you tonight.but."
"Mon-don't be embarrassed. You can tell me anything."
"All right," she looked at him again, "Chandler.I think-I think.I have.um, feelings for you. As more than just a friend."
Chandler just stared at her for a minute. For a moment he thought about pinching himself-that maybe this was a dream. His second thought was that she was kidding. "Mon.are you serious?"
She stared down at her lap and mumbled, "Yes."
Chandler smiled a huge grin and lifted Monica's chin up, "Monica.the truth is, I have feelings for you, too. As more than just a friend. Way more than just a friend."
This time it was Monica's turn to be doubtful, "Are you serious?"
"Yeah," he said softly, gently, "I always have. Since the day I moved in across the hall. I just.never told anyone."
"Why?"
"Because.God, Mon, you deserve so much more than me-Chandler who can't keep a girlfriend for more than a week," he hung his head, "You don't want me. You deserve someone a lot better."
"But what if I do want you?"
"Really?"
"More than anything." Chandler couldn't resist. He leaned down and gently kissed Monica on the lips doing the one thing he'd wanted to do for practically three years. The gentle kiss lasted a few seconds, but quickly it turned deeper. Finally the kiss broke. "Wow." Monica said quietly.
"That was.."
"Amazing?"
"For lack of something better.I think they'd have to come up with a whole new word to describe what that was."
Monica and Chandler spent every second together after that. They were pretty obvious about their relationship, so eventually Joey, Phoebe and Rachel figured out they were together. On their seven-month anniversary, Chandler took Monica out to dinner and had Joey and Phoebe fill her apartment with lit candles while they were gone. When they came home, Chandler proposed to Monica and she said yes. They got married about three months later.
Return to Present
"Uncle Chandler?" Gracie asked again, "When did you guys get together?"
"Well.you guys were about two, I think." Chandler said, not wanting to tell them the reason they'd gotten together was because of Ross's leaving.
"How come?" Josh asked, suddenly interested.
"Well," Chandler said quietly, "I guess we just realized that we wanted to be more than friends. And everything else just.fell into place."
"Wow." Gracie said, "That's like a fairy tale, Uncle Chandler."
"Yeah, I guess so," Chandler smiled.
"You should write a book about it," Josh said, giggling.
"I don't think anybody would buy it, buddy," Chandler ruffled Josh's hair, "Now get ready, your mom's gonna be here in a couple minutes."
Later that night, when their kids were in bed, Chandler told Monica about Josh's question, "Josh asked about his father today," he said quietly.
"Josh asked you about his dad?"
"Yeah," Chandler said, "He wanted to know if I knew him, stuff like that."
"What did you say?"
"Just that he was my college roommate. Then Gracie wanted me to tell a story."
"What story?"
Chandler smiled as he pulled her into his arms, "Ours."
PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! AND I SWEAR...THIS IS GOING SOMEWHERE!