Chapter 6: Great Minds Think Alike

"Monica?" Chandler asked, in shock.

            "Ch-chandler?" Monica whispered, her eyes frantically searching Chandler's face, as if assuring herself that it was really him.

            Chandler opened and closed his mouth a few times, but no words formed. . Finally, he simply stepped forward and wrapped his arms tightly around her small frame. Monica didn't hesitate before doing the same. Chandler didn't know how long they stood there, holding each other, but he didn't care; he only concentrated on the feeling of having her in his arms once more.

            Eventually he pulled back, staring into Monica's teary eyes, which matched his own. He lifted his hand to her face and gently cupped her cheek with his hand before leaning in and placing a kiss on her lips. It was short, but full of emotion. Chandler planted a second kiss on her forehead and pulled her close again.

            "I thought you were dead," he whispered into her hair.

            Monica pulled back, staring right into his eyes. "I thought you were dead."

            Chandler almost laughed at the irony as he reached forward to gently brush a stray strand of hair off her face. She smiled at him. Chandler felt his heart jump slightly as he lost himself in her eyes.

            Chandler was pulled from his trance at a noise behind him. He turned to see his daughter standing there, quietly.

            "Daddy?" Samantha asked, unsure.

            Chandler felt Monica tense slightly and her squeezed her hand assuringly as he gave her a look that said he would explain later. He turned to Samantha.

            "Sammy, do you remember when I told you about my friends? And showed you the picture?"

            Samantha nodded, her eyes still on the figure of the pretty girl her dad had been hugging.

            "Well, this is one of daddy's best friends."

            "The pretty one," Samantha whispered.

            "Pardon?" Chandler asked.

            "She's the pretty one from the picture," Samantha repeated, louder.

            Chandler smiled, glad she remembered. "Why don't you introduce yourself?"

            Chandler watched Samantha step forward, holding her small hand out to Monica.

            "I'm Sam," she said quietly.

`           Monica crouched down and shook the hand. "I'm Monica. It's very nice to meet you."

            Samantha smiled. "It's nice to meet you, too. I'm glad we found you, cause Daddy really missed you. He told me," Samantha said proudly.

            Monica smiled, sadly, not sure of what to say.

            Chandler cleared his throat. "Why don't we sit down?"

            The three sat down and, again, there was silence. Neither Chandler nor Monica knew what to say to the other and didn't want to say anything in front of Samantha. The silence was cut short.

            "Monica Geller!" Phoebe's voice filtered through the silence. "How long does it take you to get a cup of coffee? I was…Chandler?! Oh My God!" She rushed over and threw her arms around Chandler's neck. Chandler smiled and hugged her tightly.

            "Hey, Pheebs. I can't believe you're here, too."

            Phoebe pulled back, "Well, I live here."

            Chandler shook his head. "No, I mean I can't believe you're alive, too."

            "You're the one we thought was dead."

            "You mean everyone else is alive, too?"

            Phoebe nodded. She seemed to realize something and pulled back even further. She gently hit Chandler on the shoulder. "Chandler Bing! Where the hell have you been? We thought you were dead."

            "It seems to have been a very common thought."

            Phoebe looked about to say something else when she spotted Samantha. "And who is this?"

            "This is my daughter, Samantha," he said. He turned to Samantha. "Sweetie, this is another of daddy's old friends. Her name is Phoebe. Do you remember her from the picture?"

            Samantha nodded. "Hi," she said shyly. The woman in front of her was a little scary, and she had said the H word!

            Phoebe's expression immediately softened. "Hi, Samantha. It's nice to meet you."

            Samantha smiled back, "You, too," she said quietly as she hid her face against her father's arm.

            Phoebe turned to Monica. "I understand now why you were taking so long."  

            Monica nodded. She was glad Phoebe was here. She felt more comfortable, as she had no idea what to do or say to Chandler. Where had he been for the past year? And why did he have a daughter? Did he have a new life? Had he moved on? She certainly hadn't.

            "Well, I guess our plans for tonight are off," Phoebe said.

            "What were they?" Chandler asked.

            "Hanging out in Monica's apartment, crying over the fact that you died a year ago today. It's kinda hard to do that when you're obviously not dead."

            Chandler nodded. "I guess it is."

            "You wanna come over?" Phoebe asked. "See the gang again?"

            "I'd love to," Chandler said, glancing at Monica, as if for permission. Monica smiled at him and he took it as a yes. He was worried that she would have a problem with him and Sam. He sighed inwardly. He wished he had known sooner that she was alive. He would have been here in a heartbeat. But now she had probably moved on. She didn't need him anymore. He sighed. He still needed her so much.

            Chandler smiled and nodded. He turned back to his daughter. "Sam, do you want to go meet some people?"

            Samantha nodded and the four of them exited the coffee house and walked the three blocks to Monica's new apartment.

            "It's nice," Chandler said, as he entered the apartment. It was a little smaller than the old one, and not nearly as nice. The rooms were all partially closed off and the ceiling seemed lower.

            Monica shrugged. "It's okay. I wish I still lived in the old one…" She trailed off, realizing what her words meant.

            Chandler offered a small smile and nodded slightly. "I know," he whispered. He cleared his throat. "So, do you have a roommate?"

            Monica shook her head. "No. Joey lived here, but he moved out, cause he's in LA filming a movie."

            "Good for him. Where did Rachel go?"

            "She moved in with me." Phoebe said.

            Chandler nodded. "So," he started. There was so much he wanted to say, so much he wanted to ask. He glanced over at Monica. He wanted so badly to hug her again, to kiss her, to be with her. He wanted to say what he hadn't said a year before, but he was afraid to. It had been a year, and a lot changes in a year. He was afraid she would tell him she'd moved on, she'd tell him she'd found someone who made her happy. Before he could continue, however, the door opened and a shocked Ross and Rachel stood in the doorway. There were hugs and demands as to where he had been. They were also shocked to find he had a daughter. Chandler was hesitant to say much with Samantha present, so they set her up in front of the television and the five adults sat down around the small kitchen table. All eyes were on Chandler.

            "I really don't know what to say, guys. I'm as shocked as you are."

            "Where have you been?" Ross asked.

            "I've been back in New York for about six months. I have a house in the suburbs. I was living with my mom before that."

            "Why?"

            Chandler sighed, knowing he had to start from the beginning. "Let me start from the beginning. I had to work late, as you probably know," he glanced at Monica and noticed her expression sadden. "I left work as soon as I could, and when I got home, the building was…well, it was gone. There was nothing left of it. They told me know one above the second floor got out." He trailed off for a few seconds. "I couldn't handle staying there, so I ran. I don't know how far I got. I really wasn't paying attention. Suddenly I realized that I was no longer moving, that I was lying on the ground." Chandler almost laughed at the confused look on everyone's face. "I got hit by a car." There was a collective gasp.

            "And you didn't even notice?" Rachel asked, incredulously.

            Chandler rolled his eyes. "Thanks for asking me if I was okay first," he said, sarcastically.

            "Well, obviously you were, cause you're here now." Rachel said, trying to make up for her earlier comment.

            "Yeah, but I was pretty close to not being here."

            "What!"

            Chandler shrugged. "I was in a coma for two months. Apparently they had to shock me a few times to get my heart beating properly." Chandler shrugged, indifferently.

            "That's horrible, Chandler. I'm so sorry." Ross said.

            Chandler continued. "I had no ID, so they didn't know who I was, and I didn't match any missing person reports, so I was a John Doe for two months, till I woke up."

            There was silence for a few seconds. "We never reported you missing," Monica finally whispered. All eyes turned to her. She was staring straight at Chandler. "We thought you had been in the fire. It never occurred to us that something else had happened to you…" She trailed off.

            There was silence for a few moments

            "And what about Samantha," Ross said, changing the subject.

            Chandler smiled and glanced over at his daughter, who was happily focused on her cartoons. "I'd rather tell you later, if you know what I mean?" He motioned towards Samantha.

            Everyone nodded, understandingly.

            "So, what about you guys?"

            "Well, we were lucky, I guess," Phoebe said. "We left early to get to the restaurant in time. I guess you didn't realize we would already have left."

            "What restaurant?" Chandler asked.

            "Tony's," Ross said. "We decided to go out for Rachel's birthday. We called and left a message for you at your office."

            "We waited for hours, and you never showed up," Rachel said gently. "We thought you weren't coming. Eventually we left and found out about the fire. We were hopeful you hadn't been in there, but after you didn't surface in a few days, it became apparent that you were." Rachel smiled slightly. "I guess we were wrong."

            "I never got the message," Chandler said, finally. "They never told me you called."

            "We called your office afterwards. They told us you had left at a quarter to six. You would have been home by six and the fire stared just after six."

            Chandler sighed, everything making sense. "I stopped to get flowers on the way home. The first place didn't have anything, so I had to go a little out of my way. If I hadn't stopped, I would have been there…" He trailed off.

             "Who were the flowers for?" Ross asked.

            Chandler hesitated. "They were for Monica," he said. He averted all eyes. "We had a…a fight that morning."

            There was silence as the news sunk in.

            Ross laughed slightly. "The fight that saved your life," he said, trying to break the tension. "It's a little ironic."

            "Yeah, I guess," Chandler said, now staring at Monica, who was averting his gave, her eyes downcast.

            Everyone noticed the tension in the room. Ross, Rachel and Phoebe knew about the fight. Monica had carried guilt about it for the whole year. She just couldn't accept that it had been the last interaction she had ever had with Chandler.

            Chandler was the first to break the silence. He noticed that Samantha had fallen asleep on the couch. He glanced at the small clock on the stove and sighed. "I'd really love to stay and talk," he said truthfully. "But I really need to get her home."

            Ross nodded. "I should go, too. I have an early morning lecture tomorrow." He turned to Phoebe and Rachel. "You guys want me to walk you home?"

            Phoebe nodded "Sure."

            Phoebe and Rachel each gave Chandler a long hug and said goodbye.

            Ross kissed his sisters cheek and gave Chandler a quick hug. "It's good to see you again, man."

            "You, too, Ross."

            Ross, Rachel and Phoebe made there way out the door, leaving Monica and Chandler alone.

            Chandler cleared his throat. He stepped towards Monica. Their eyes met, but neither of them seemed to know what to say.

            "Uh, about that day," Chandler started. "I-I'm sorry. I…"

            "I know," Monica said. She offered a small smile. "I know," she repeated. They shared a look of understanding, bith finally feeling forgiven for that fateful morning.

            After a pause, Chandler stepped forward and pulled Monica into a long hug. They stood there for some time, just holding each other. Eventually they pulled away, before leaning in for a light, but passionate kiss, both losing themselves momentarily. Chandler finally pulled away and planted a kiss on her forehead. He then leaned his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. "I have to go," he whispered. "I have to get Sam home. It's late."

            Monica nodded. "I know," she said. Neither of them made any move to back away.

            Monica finally spoke up. "Why don't you stay here tonight?" She asked. "You and Samantha can have the spare room."

            Chandler seemed to think for a moment. "Okay," he finally said. "Let me just put her to bed." He gently squeezed Monica's hand before backing away.

            Monica watched in awe as Chandler gently lifted his sleeping daughter off of the couch and carried her into the spare room. Monica smiled to herself. She had always known he would be a good father.

            Chandler soon stepped back out of the room and quietly shut the door behind him.

            Monica motioned for him to sit back down at the table.

            "I guess you want to know about Sam," Chandler said.

            "Only if you want to tell me."

            Chandler smiled and began. "She's Kathy's. Kathy showed up at my mom's with her. She was getting married and didn't want her anymore. I didn't even know about her until then."

            "She didn't want her?" Monica whispered sadly. She couldn't believe that. She had wanted children her entire life. How could anyone not want them?

            Chandler shook his head. "I can't understand how anyone could do something like that. It's so wrong."

            Monica nodded in agreement. "She's such a sweet little girl."

            Chandler smiled. "I know. I love her so much. At first I had no idea what to do or say to her," he laughed slightly in remembrance. "But now I can't imagine my life without her. She saved me."

            "Saved you?" Monica asked.

            "She gave me a reason to live, a reason to want to live." Chandler whispered, truthfully. "I was in a really bad place. I wasn't, like, suicidal or anything, I was just really depressed. I mean I lost everything. My friends, my family," he paused, "you."

            Monica looked up, sadness in her eyes. "I missed you, Chandler. I missed you so much."

            Chandler smiled slightly and moved around the table to sit beside her. "I missed you, too," he said before pulling her into a hug. "I still love you," he said, his voice almost too quiet to hear.

            Monica jumped slightly, surprised. She pulled back and looked right into his eyes. "I still love you, too," she said. She paused. "Uh, are you…seeing anyone?" She mentally crossed her fingers.

            Chandler smiled and shook his head. "No, you?"

            Monica shook her head. "No, I haven't seen anyone since you. I couldn't."

            "I know the feeling," Chandler said. He seemed to realize something. "Monica, I would love to be with you, but I…I will understand if you don't want to get back together."

            Monica seemed surprised. "Why wouldn't I want to be with you?"

            "Samantha," Chandler said.

            Monica shrugged. "Still not seeing your point."

            Chandler sighed. "My life is different now. I have a daughter, and responsibilities. I know that you want to have a family one-day and I don't want to take that away from you. I don't want you to have a dysfunctional family, but there is no way I'm giving up Sam."

            Monica smiled at Chandler. "I would never ask you to give up your daughter, Chandler. And I don't care what kind of family I have, as long as you're a part of it."

            "Are you sure?"

            Monica nodded. "If the fire had never happened, we would have been together when Kathy showed up. I would have welcomed Samantha then, and I'd love to welcome her now. I love you, Chandler. I never stopped. I spent the last year thinking I had lost you for good and wondering what I was going to do with my life, and now I see myself with a future again. I'm not letting anything get in the way of that."

            Chandler nodded. "I did exactly the same thing, only for the past ten months, not twelve," he said jokingly, then at Monica's confused look. "Because I was unconscious for the first two."

            "Right," Monica said, realization dawning on her. "Are you okay? I mean are there any long term damages?" She asked, reaching her hand up to run her fingers lightly through his hair.

            Chandler smiled at her. "My motor skills were really messed up for a while, but they're okay now. The only real damage was in my left leg. It took most of the impact and was pretty messed up. They put a bunch of pins and plates and stuff in it. I was stuck in a wheelchair for a while, and then crutches and a cane. I can walk now, but it still hurts a lot."

            "Wow!" Monica said. "I'm so sorry."

            "Don't worry about it. I'm happy now that I can walk."

            Monica glanced at her watch. It was getting really late. "Do you have to work tomorrow?" She asked.

            Chandler shook his head. "No, I took this week off."

            Monica laughed. "Me too. I guess great minds think alike."

            "As do not so great minds," Chandler said jokingly.

            Monica smiled and hit him lightly.

            He managed to block her by grabbing her arm in mid-swing. She tried with the other arm ,but he caught that one, too.

            "Hey!" Monica squealed, as he pulled her closer.

            Suddenly, they made eye contact and he dropped her arms. Neither said anything as they silently leaned in. their lips met for the third time that day as they lost themselves in each other.

            The kiss deepened and both pairs of arms wrapped around the other. It wasn't long before Chandler felt Monica's hands tentatively reaching out for the hem of his shirt. He reached down and gently stopped her hands by grabbing each of them and lifting them up, planting a kiss on both, as well as her forehead. He looked into her confused eyes, which were failing to hide he hurt she obviously felt.

            "I can't," Chandler whispered. "I want to, but I can't." He motioned towards the guestroom where his daughter was asleep. Realization dawned on her face.

            "Oh, I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking." She blushed and went to turn away.

            Chandler stopped her and smiled. He brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "Don't be sorry, Mon. I want this too, we just…"

            "Can't," Monica supplied.

            Chandler smiled and nodded. "I'm sorry."

            Monica smiled and tilted her head slightly. She reached for his hand. "I'll take a rain check," she whispered, jokingly.

            Chandler laughed. "I can live with that." He leaned in and gave Monica a kiss on the cheek before turning away and walking into the guestroom.

            He made sure Samantha was covered up and asleep before collapsing onto the other single bed. He was smiling as he fell asleep.

AN: And that's chapter six. How was it? I hope you liked it. I'll try to get the next chapter up ASAP, and I'm working on the next chapter of TO on the Streets. It'll be hard, cause I have exams coming up, but I'll do my best. Please let me know what you think.