A/N - Thanks again for your reviews. Um... I'm not quite sure if this chapter turned out as well as I wanted it to, but I've worked and worked on it, so I'm just gonna let it go and post it. I've got another two chapters written, but they need even more work than this one did. Anyway... I hope you like this one. Please let me know what you think...

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There You Are

Chapter Seven

"She's back, Pheebs. I never thought I'd see her again, and guess what? Chandler is dating her. Of all the women in the world, he had to pick her," Joey sighed as he talked to one of his best friends over the telephone just after Chandler left. Phoebe was the only one who knew about the baby Joey had fathered. It was their little secret, and both of them were surprised that they had held onto it for as long as they had.

"What are you gonna do?" Phoebe asked curiously.

"I don't know. What am I supposed to do? Chandler's ready to kill me already."

"Oh, come on. Who's he kiddin'?"

"He means it, Pheebs. And I don't know how I didn't already know it was her. He talks about her all the time."

"So the same Monica he's madly in love with is the same Monica you knocked up four years ago?"

"Yeah, I guess so," he answered. "But he never said she had a kid. Why didn't he say she had a kid?"

"I don't know, Joey, but you're gonna have to talk to Monica. She's probably freaking out right now."

"And I'm not?!" he yelled.

"Calm down," Phoebe said soothingly. "It'll be fine. Just take a little time to think about what you want to do, and relax, okay? I'm sure you'll have to talk to her again sooner or later."

"Yeah... Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Pheebs."

"Happy to help," Phoebe replied before hanging up the phone.

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Monica walked up to the door of Chandler and Joey's apartment about an hour later and knocked lightly. Part of her was hoping that he wouldn't answer. Part of her wanted to run. Another part of her wanted everything to be out in the open. She just wasn't sure if she was ready to see him again.

She didn't get a chance to run, because Joey opened the door after a few seconds. "Hi," he said quietly.

"Hi," she replied. "Can I, um... Can we talk?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yeah... Yeah, I guess we should," he answered and led her into the apartment. They sat down in the recliners, facing each other. Joey sighed loudly. "Have you seen Chandler? He walked out a little while after you left. He's pretty upset with me."

"Yeah, I saw him," she informed him. "He's staying with Emily right now, actually."

"Oh... So... How old is she now? Two? Three?" he asked, not even looking at her.

"Almost four," she answered.

"Wow. Four," he said, looking at Monica, then back down at the floor. "Is she all right? Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yeah, we're fine. We're both fine," she assured him.

"That's great," he replied. "Listen... I know I was stupid. I know that I shouldn't have let you walk away, but... I couldn't do it, Monica."

"I gave you a choice, Joey. It's not entirely your fault. I told you that you didn't have to be a part of her life, and I meant that. I just... Sometimes I wonder... Do you regret the choice you made? Would you change it if you could?"

"I, um..." He paused, unsure of what he should say to her. He wasn't sure which answer she wanted to hear. "Sometimes I wonder... But, most of the time, I think I made the right decision."

"What do you think right now?" she asked curiously.

"I think she's better off without me. I'm not dad material," he replied. "And I like my life how it is right now. Nothing to tie me down, you know?"

"No, I don't. Not anymore," she smiled slightly.

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "But I really think you're both better off without me. And Chandler? He loves you. He's a good guy. And Emily would be lucky to have him in her life."

"Yeah... She really would," Monica agreed.

"What you said before - when Chandler was here. You really don't regret having her?" he asked.

"No. I could never regret having that beautiful little girl. She's my entire life... And maybe things didn't work out exactly the way I had planned, but sometimes life's like that," she shrugged. "And sometimes the things that aren't planned turn out to be the best things in your life. Like Emily."

Joey looked at her in amazement. He'd turned his back on her at a time in her life when she'd needed someone the most, but she seemed to be perfectly content with the way things had turned out. "Monica, if you need money or something, I can help you out. It might not be much, but I owe you something."

"No. I don't want your money," she said. "We're fine."

"Do you have a picture of her?" he asked. "I'd just like to see her, if you don't mind."

"Yeah. I've got one," she said, beginning to search through her purse. "Here," she said after a few seconds of searching.

He took the wallet sized picture from her and smiled. "She looks exactly like you," he observed. "You'd never know she was my kid."

"Yeah, I know. It makes it a little easier," she admitted. "And I kind of like having a miniature version of myself running around," she laughed lightly.

He handed the picture back to her. "I don't want to interfere with your life, or her life," he said, "but if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask me. I owe you that, after what I did... I always thought that if something like this happened to me, I'd do the right thing. I guess I was wrong."

"I don't know about that. I don't mean to put you down or anything, but I think things are better off this way. There have been times when I've had my doubts, but things are going well for the two of us. And I don't think I'd want to change anything in the past anymore. Some things have been tough, but everything is starting to turn out for the better now."

"With Chandler?" he asked curiously.

"Well, yeah," she answered. "I mean, we haven't known each other for a long time, but there's something there."

"Chandler's a good guy," Joey said sincerely.

"Yeah, he really is," Monica agreed. They were both quiet for a moment before Monica spoke again. "So, um... I guess I should go. There could be trouble if Emily wakes up before I get home."

"Yeah. Better take care of her," he smiled slightly. "And, um... I'm glad you're okay. You and Emily," he added sincerely. "Now, I hate to ask, but could you do me a favor and talk Chandler out of killing me the next time he sees me?"

"I'll do my best," she said and stood to leave. "Goodbye, Joey."

"Bye, Monica."