A.N.  Sorry for the delay!  It's summer now, though, so things should move along muuuucchhh speedier... that is if you keep reviewing!!!  Thanks for all the positive things you guys have said.  Enjoy Chapter Four!!!

Disclaimer:  I don't have anything to do with anything to do with Friends.

            Monica busted through the glass doors of the hospital at her fastest sprint.  On the elevator up the eleven floors to maternity, she bounced nervously from one foot to the other, adjusting the straps of her leather backpack nervously.  When the doors finally opened, she bounded out towards the reception area, to the relief of the other elevator passengers. 

            "Monica!" she heard Phoebe shout from behind her.  She spun around to see her best friend and a dark haired Italian looking guy coming towards her with vending machine coffees in tow. 

            "Phoebs!" she squealed.  Phoebe almost threw the cups she was carrying in the arms of her companion and ran the rest of the way to hug Monica. 

            "Where is he?  Did I miss it?" Monica asked breathlessly.

            "The baby was born about a couple of hours ago, it's a girl, and it's fine, and so is Jaime.  Ross and Carol ran to pick up dinner, and Jaime's resting-"

            "Where is he?" Monica repeated quickly.

            "Last I saw him he was looking at the baby in the nursery," Phoebe said.

            "Thanks.  I love you," Monica said, giving her another quick hug before taking off down the hallway.

            "I'm Joey!" Joey called after her.  She turned around and backpedaled while waving and giving him a smile.  "I'm Monica!" she yelled back before taking off again.

            All he could think about was how tiny she was.  He'd read a million articles, seen a million pictures, but nothing could have prepared him for this.  She was so beautiful, so fragile.  He never realized how much he could love someone he just met.

            "Hey, daddy," a familiar voice rang out behind him.  A grin spread across his face.

            "Monica," he said before turning around.  "Monica!" he repeated, grabbing her in a huge hug.

            "I'm sorry I missed the birth," she said remorsefully.

            "No, no, please.  I'm just so glad you're here," he whispered against her hair.  They stood like that for a while, entangled in each other and in the moment, until she pulled away to look at him.

            "I can't believe you're a father," she said.

            "Neither can I," he admitted with a smile.

            "Which one is she?"

            "Okay see that nurse right there?  She's in the basket thingy to the right of the baby the nurse just picked up."

            "She's so tiny," Monica cooed.

            "I want you to hold her," Chandler said.  "But they won't let anyone in there."

            "Later.  And for a really long time, okay?"

            "Definitely."

            "So do you have a name yet?"

            "No, Jaime just never seems to want to sit down and talk about it, so…"

            "Really?" Monica asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

            "Yeah… why, is that… weird?"

            "No.  No, not at all, she probably has had a lot on her mind."

            "Yeah.  Yeah, you're right.  Actually, I was going to go bring her some flowers.  Wanna come with me to get them?"

            "I should probably go find my brother, but I'll be in the waiting room when you get back."

            "Okay."

            "Okay.  See you later," she said, instinctively giving him a friendly peck on the lips. 

            When Monica found Ross, he was surrounded by Carol, Phoebe and Joey, and they were all talking in hushed whispers.

            "Hey, what's going on?" she asked casually, joining their circle.

            "Mon… hi," Ross said, giving his sister a hug.

"Hey!  Hi Carol!" she greeted her sister in law with another hug.

 "Um, Mon, where's Chandler?" Phoebe asked.

            "Buying flowers for Jaime."  The four exchanged pained glances.

            "Wait… what's going on?" Monica asked.  "Someone tell me what's going on.  Now." She said firmly.

            "Jaime's gone," Ross said quietly.  Monica looked at him and the rest of them incredulously.

            "Gone?  What do you mean, gone?"

            "I mean, she's not in her room, and the nurse said she checked out a half hour ago."

            "What- how is that- what do you mean gone?" Monica asked again, raising her voice.

            "Shh… Mon, keep it down," Phoebe said.

            "Well, why aren't we out looking for her?"

            "We called her apartment.  Her roommate said all her stuff was gone.   And… she left this for Chandler with the nurse," Joey offered, holding a cream colored envelope.

            "Shit.  He's going to be… how are you going to tell him?" Monica asked, looking to her brother.

            "We were talking… and we think you should be the one to tell him," Ross said. 

            Monica sighed and rubbed her forehead.  "Okay.  Okay, I can do that."

            "Here he comes," Carol said quietly.  Monica turned and saw Chandler heading toward them, waving and grinning. 

            "Oh god.  Okay."  She walked toward him and grabbed his elbow.

            "Hey, Mon," he said.  "Want to say hi to Jaime?"

            "Chandler… can I talk to you for a minute?"

            "Yeah sure, in a sec.  I want to give these to Jaimes," he said, pointing to the giant floral arrangement in his arms.

            "I really need to talk to you.  Right now," Monica insisted.

            "Okay.  I'll just go put them in her room then, and be right out," he said, walking toward Jaime's empty hospital room.

            "Chandler.  She's not there," Monica called after him.  He turned slowly, as the rest of the group joined Monica.

            "What do you mean?  Where is she?  Everything… everything was okay, she was okay.  She's still okay… right?"

            "Yeah… she's fine.  She left," Monica said softly.

            "Left?" Chandler echoed.

            "She gave this to the nurse.  It's for you," she said, walking to Chandler and handing him the envelope.  They all watched in painful silence as he read the letter and refolded it.  He looked into their expectant faces.

            "She's gone," he said dully.  "She doesn't want me to find her.  She doesn't want the baby to know her.  She's gone."

            "What did the letter-" Ross began before Phoebe shushed him.  Monica touched his arm.

            "Sweetie… I'm so sorry.  Why don't you sit down and we can talk about it?"  He shrugged her hand off.

            "I need to… I have to go for a walk.  I need to… get out of here," he said before walking quickly down the hallway towards the elevator and disappearing from their view.

AN 2:  How was that??? My first cliffhanger.  Oh by the way… the baby's name is still up for negotiation, although I have several ideas.  Feel free to leave your own… in a review!