A.N. Sorry it took me a while. But I was happy to see that some of you guys liked my other liittle fic! I just needed a break from this. But now I'm totally back on track. Read, enjoy, and review!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
"You're looking better by the hour," Monica declared, fluffing the pillow behind Chandler's head. He'd been in the hospital for a week and the doctors said that he could go home that afternoon.
"Well thank you, Dr. Geller," he mocked.
"Shut up."
"You're telling an invalid to shut up? That's cold, even for you."
Chandler did look a lot better than he had when she had first seen him after the accident, but his cuts and bruises were still visible, and he still had one of his legs in a cast and his ribs taped.
"You're not an invalid, and don't even say that. Listen, I have to go relieve Rachel, she's at home with Faith. I'll be back around four to pick you up?"
"You can send one of the others if you have to work," he offered.
"No. I'll be here," she insisted.
"Mon, you've missed like six days already because of this."
"So one more won't make much of a difference, will it?" she argued. He chuckled and threw up his hands in defeat. There was no arguing with her when it came to stuff like this.
"Okay. See you at four."
Monica grinned and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. On her way out the door, he called to her.
"Mon? I meant to ask you before… I had this weird memory last night when I was trying to fall asleep of you saying you have to tell me something, like right after I woke up." She froze. Neither of them had mentioned her impending confession, and she had wondered if he hadn't brought it up because he didn't want her anymore. Relief that her doubt was untrue mingled with anxiety at the thought of pouring out her heart to him. Again.
"So, did that happen, or was it morphine-induced?" he joked.
"No, it happened."
"So… what was the important thing you had to tell me?"
She twisted her ring around her finger. "You know, I want to tell you later, when we're home. Tonight. Okay?"
"Okay… should I be nervous?"
She laughed ironically. "Maybe," she deadpanned before leaving the room.
"So, I'm going to tell Chandler that I love him tonight," Monica said casually. She and Rachel were having a cup of tea while Faith napped, an hour later. Rachel nearly choked.
"What?"
"Yeah. Opinions? Only if they're good ones, I mean?" Monica asked her friend.
"Questions first, opinions later. When did you decide this?"
"Officially… when I held his hand after the accident."
"Pre or post consciousness?"
"Pre," Monica said.
"Wow, that's such an… Academy Award caliber plotline," Rachel said.
"I do what I can," Monica joked. "Seriously though… What do you think?"
"I think it's about fucking time," Rachel exclaimed. Monica quieted her, pointing towards Faith's room.
"Sorry. I think it's about flopping time. It only took him getting run over by a car for you to grow up, huh?"
"What's he going to say?" Monica asked nervously, trailing her mug with her index finger.
"He's going to say he loves too," Rachel said plainly.
"But what if he-"
"He's going to say he loves you too," she repeated.
"Yeah, but it's been-"
"He's going to say he loves you too." Monica looked at her, in silence, contemplating her friends words.
"Okay," she finally said.
"Da! Da! Da!" Faith cried in happiness at the return of her long lost father to their home. Monica helped Chandler into the apartment carefully and Ross set down Faith, who toddled her way over to them.
"Faithy!" Chandler exclaimed happily, as Monica picked her up and gingerly placed her in his arms. The whole gang was waiting for them with food and balloons, an impromptu welcome home slash get well soon party.
"Welcome back, Chandler," Joey said, patting his shoulder and helping him into one of the armchairs.
"Thanks, man."
"You scared the shit out of me, you know," Joey began, his eyes moistening.
"I know."
"Man, I'm gonna cry!" his voice became comedically high pitched as he hurried to the sandwich table. Some things never changed.
After everyone had left, Faith had been tucked in by her father, and Monica had cleaned up the kitchen, the two of them sat in the armchairs watching TV.
"Chandler?" Monica began nervously.
"Yeah?"
"It's… really good to have you home." He smiled at her warmly.
"It's good to be home with you."
"Can we, um… can we maybe talk about that thing now?"
"Yes," he said, turning off the tv and trying unsuccessfully to turn to face her in the chair; his leg kept getting in the way. "What's up?"
"Well, I don't really know how to say this, so I'm just going to do it. Okay?"
"Okay… are you moving again?" he asked, suddenly terrified.
"What? No! No, I'm not moving. Okay. The thing is..." she looked down at her hands.
"The thing is…" he prompted her.
"The thing is that I'm in love with you," she blurted out, not brave enough to look at him even after she said it. "I've always been in love with you on some level, and I made a huge mistake, possibly the biggest mistake of my entire life, when I broke things off between us, and if you don't want to be with me I completely understand because I've been so incredibly selfish and stupid pretty much nonstop for the past two years-"
"Monica," he tried to stop her, but she was still not looking at him and would not be stopped.
"And I know what you're thinking, that how can you know that I'm serious this time and that I'm not just going to screw things up again, and you know what, you don't know that. But I do. I know I'm not going to pull the same shit I've pulled my whole life because when Joey called me, I grew up more than I have in the past ten years. It sounds stupid, but it's true. When I saw you lying there, I finally understood everything."
"Monica, look at me," he insisted. She finally met his gaze.
"Chandler. Two years ago, I left to find myself. But I was too stupid to realize that I was leaving behind such a huge part of who I was. Because the truth is, if I ever need to know who I am, or who I can be… the only thing I have to do is look at myself through your eyes."
"Mon-"
"That's it, I'm done. So, to sum up, I still love you, I was stupid, I've grown up." He nearly laughed.
"Thanks for the summation. Did you ever notice that whenever we discuss our relationship it sounds like a business negotiation?" he asked her. She looked at him, unamused.
"I can't joke right now."
"I'm sorry," he said.
"So are you going to say something, or should I kill myself now?" she asked with a forced smile. He tried to get up for several seconds, then gave up.
"I can't get up. Come here," he instructed her, laughing. She got up and stood next to his chair. He took her hand in his and she knelt beside him.
"You do realize that the speech you were so nervous to give is all I've been hoping for you to say pretty much since I've known you?" She breathed a sigh of relief.
"Really?" she asked.
"Really. But you know, last time we did things according to your rules, and this time, we're going to do it right. Which means the following things: no sneaking around. No not communicating when someone gets scared. I can call you my girlfriend, and I will call you my girlfriend, and you are expected to do the same. We go out on actual dates. Anything to add?" he asked her. She was grinning.
"Yeah, one thing," she said, leaning over his body gingerly and kissing him passionately. They made out until Chandler's leg caused him to wince in pain. She pulled back immediately.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry," she apologized, kissing him quickly on the lips.
"It's okay," he assured her. They both stared at the cast on his leg for a few seconds, each comprehending the implications that it held for their immediate future. They both caught eachothers eye and started laughing.
"How long till it heals?" she asked.
"A while," he groaned. "What are we gonna do?"
"Clearly, not that," she joked. "It's okay. We can wait."
"Don't have much of a choice," he grumbled. "I'd like to kill the bastard who did this to me." Monica laughed.
"Typical male, your first sign of anger towards the person who hit you is a direct result of the limitations it places on your sex life."
"And yours," he pointed out.
"Let's go to bed," she said, and off his look, "I'll try to restrain myself." She offered him her hand. It was amazing how natural it was, how easily they had slipped back into old patterns.
"I love you," she whispered, smoothing his hair back and kissing him softly once they were settled in her bed.
"I love you back," he told her, returning the kiss. She smiled as she turned off the light and fell asleep smiling.
That was it, the last chapter!!! I could, however, be convinced to write an epilogue… Review!!!
