:oh my god, ok, not updated since EASTER?! That's like two months! I am so sorry; I can't believe how the time has gone and how busy I've been. It's been insane really, assignments, exams, developing a taste for alcohol with my college mates…lol… I've left college now…*sob*…in a good way it means no more assignments and I won't have to see one of my awful lecturers ever again BUT back to the sobbing thing I'm going to miss people I've met over the past two years and might not see again for ages or maybe never again. Oh well, as one friend of mine said, its all part of growing up I suppose. But why does growing up make you feel so sad? I was clearing out my drawers in my study yesterday getting rid of junk and tears just crept in my eyes…all over scraps of PAPER! I think what got me going was this little note I found in a folder 'to Lindsey, you are evil…can I borrow 20 pence?' it made me laugh out loud, because I remember which friend wrote me that. Then of course I was all sad because of the memories…d'oh. Two years…god where has it gone? Shall I shut up now? lol
Anyway, back to this fanfic, you've all probably forgot about it now! Shame really because the amount of reviews I had after only three chapters was amazing…now all interest may have been lost.:
Love and White Lies
Chapter 4 – Back to Reality
One week later
"So I guess I'll see you around," Chandler said to Monica at the airport back in New York.
Monica smiled, trying not to show the disappointed feeling that was building inside her. The past week had been amazing – she had seen Chandler every day and night, and a large part of that time had been in their hotel rooms. Monica giggled to herself as she thought of the sightseeing that she was supposed to have done on this trip.
Chandler looked at her in amusement, a flicker of a smile appearing on his face. "What's the joke?" he asked, "I thought I told the jokes around here!"
"I was just thinking about our time together, that's all." Monica replied, smiling suggestively.
Chandler's eyes twinkled mischievously, "It was pretty amazing, wasn't it?" he said softly.
"Yes," Monica said quietly. She looked down at the floor, not wanting to meet Chandler's eyes. Chandler's hand brushed gently down her cheek and he lifted her chin.
"I know we said no strings attached but…" Chandler stopped and redness appeared in his cheeks.
"I want to see you again," Monica finished the sentence that she hoped Chandler had been about to say. She smiled when she saw the relief spread across his face.
He nodded, "Me too," he confirmed, grinning.
*****
"So…um…maybe I should take your number?" Monica asked a little while later. The pair had been sitting in a coffee shop at the airport for a little over half an hour. Both were reluctant to go home.
"Sure!" Chandler answered, immediately regretting it. He worked long days at the hospital and was more than likely to be not at home during the week. Joey usually took his messages and if he told Monica where Chandler was, trouble would brew.
"Actually, why don't I take yours?" Chandler suggested now.
Monica nodded, "Sure."
Chandler took the scrap of paper that Monica offered him and stuffed it in his jacket pocket. He stood up and smiled fondly at her.
"I'll call you soon," he promised, leaning down to kiss Monica softly on the lips.
*****
"So, are we going to see this mystery woman or not?" Joey asked a few days later. "Is she hot?" Joey, Rachel and Chandler were sitting on their usual seats at Central Perk. Chandler had been trying to avoid the subject of Monica ever since he had got back, but his friends were not going to let him off easily.
"Yes, come on Chandler, I want to know who she is," Rachel now put in, "She must be really special for you to keep having that dreamy expression on your face all the time." She winked at her friend suggestively.
Chandler rolled his eyes and stared at his friends, not amused. "There's nothing to tell," he tried to persuade them, "We met on the plane to Rome, got together the next day and sort of spent the week together." He shrugged, trying to sound casual.
"Nothing to tell," Rachel scoffed, looking knowingly at Chandler. "I can tell by the tone of your voice that there's a lot more to it than that. For example, have you told her you're not a orderly yet?"
"Monica thinks you're a orderly?!" Joey exclaimed, laughing.
Chandler sighed; "No I haven't told her the truth yet," Chandler answered Rachel, ignoring Joey's taunts. "But I'm working on it."
"How is not telling her yet 'working on it'?" Rachel asked, frowning.
"It's complicated, ok?" Chandler snapped, "How can I just tell Monica that I've been lying to her ever since we met?"
"Is that why you haven't called her yet?" Rachel asked meaningfully.
"Yes, I really don't know what to say. Seeing Monica again will make it even harder to lie…she's so open. She'll hate me forever." Chandler replied miserably.
*****
Monica stared at the phone, willing it to make that ringing noise. "Come on ring, damn it ring!" she yelled.
Phoebe looked at her friend sympathetically. "You really like this Chandler, don't you?" she asked.
Monica blushed and punched her couch cushions in frustration. "It's been four days Pheebs!" she moaned, "What's taking him so long?"
Phoebe sighed, sitting down next to her friend. She stared at Monica seriously. "You said he was a orderly right? Well, maybe he's doing long days at the hospital. He could be just too busy to call at the moment."
"It doesn't take a minute to call someone Pheebs," Monica muttered. She sat silently and shook her head. "I should have known something was up when he didn't want to give me his number." She added eventually.
Phoebe didn't know what to say. She didn't like to say what she was thinking – that Chandler was probably never going to call Monica, that all of this wasn't going to go any further than the week in Rome.
"I know what you're thinking Pheebs," Monica suddenly said, a fierce tone to her voice. "Chandler wouldn't do that to me. He's a good person. He'll call me, just you wait and see."
"Yes, but Monica what you're forgetting is that this amazing thing that happened between the two of you happened in a completely different country. A romantic city where you can forget the rest of the world exists. Now that you're back in New York, you're back to reality. You and Chandler have different lives…maybe he thinks you won't work together in this reality."
"You don't know that!" Monica retorted, "Chandler is like no one I've ever met before. From the moment we saw each other on that plane, we clicked. Are you telling me I should forget that ever happened? How many times has that happened to you? To meet someone that is your soul mate…something you know is meant to be?"
Phoebe smiled and shrugged, "It almost never happens," she admitted, "but when it does…it's great."
"That's why I've got to keep hoping Chandler will call," Monica continued passionately, "Without that hope, I have nothing."
As if a force out there was listening to Monica, the phone rang loudly making the two women on the couch jump. Monica grabbed the phone. "Hello?" she asked, trying to sound neutral.
"Mon? It's… Chandler." A nervous sounding voice said on the other end of the line.
"Chandler?" Monica whispered, a smile spreading across her face. "You called. I knew you would."
Phoebe walked into her bedroom, giving her friend some privacy. "Thank god for that," she murmured, rolling her eyes.
****
"I can't believe it's been four days since I last spoke to you." Monica said a little while later. She and Chandler had been speaking non-stop to each other on the phone for a while.
"I know," Chandler murmured, "I've missed you so much."
Monica sighed, "What are you wearing right now?" she asked mischievously.
"Whoa-ho…somebody is getting saucy!" Chandler said slyly.
Monica blushed, relieved that Chandler couldn't see the redness in her cheeks. "I can fantasise, right?" she retorted, smiling.
"Sure…but wouldn't you rather see your fantasy in the flesh?" Chandler teased.
Monica could sense the hope in Chandler's voice. "You're so cute," she murmured, "How did you get to be so cute? Any reason?"
"A lot of reasons actually," Chandler joked, "A lot to do with bunny rabbits and Swedish relatives. Are you free tonight?"
"Maybe," Monica said mysteriously, "Or maybe not."
"Well, maybe you could come out with me tonight to this great restaurant I know." Chandler suggested.
"Maybe I will." Monica replied, smiling excitedly.
*****
"Ok…a plan." Chandler said to himself, hanging up a few minutes later.
"What plan?" Joey asked, walking into the living room from his bedroom.
"Joe…I need you to do me a favour." Chandler replied, turning to face his roommate.
"What kind of favour?" Joey asked suspiciously.
"I need to borrow your car." Chandler looked at Joey with pleading eyes, "I promise I'll be careful with it."
"You want to borrow my car?" Joey asked in surprise, "When you've got a Audi TT parked outside this building?"
"There is no way a hospital orderly can afford a Audi," Chandler explained patiently, "Your car on the other hand…"
"Oh I see," Joey nodded and rolled his eyes, "A orderly can only afford the 12 year old battered Nova that I happen to own, as only unemployed actors should. Thanks a lot Chandler, you really know how to make me feel good."
"Don't be like that Joey," Chandler said in surprise, "That's not what I mean…I just think that it'll be more convincing if I drove a more…normal car."
Joey sighed, "Ok ok, no need to get your pants in a twist. I know what you mean. You can borrow the Nova…on one condition."
"What's that?" Chandler asked uncertainly.
"I get to drive the Audi for the night," Joey replied, grinning, "I have a date too."
"Ok, fine, you can borrow my car," Chandler relented, "Just be careful with it."
Joey's eyes widened in disbelief, "You've had that car for years and you've never even let me drive a block!" he whistled softly, "Monica must be worth it."
*****
"Promise me you'll be careful," Ross cautioned Monica just before she was due to meet Chandler.
Monica rolled her eyes, "We're going out for a meal Ross!" she exclaimed, "We're not jumping off a skyscraper."
"Still, if he takes advantage of you…"
"Right that's it Ross, I've had enough of this." Monica snapped, slamming down her purse on the kitchen table in a temper, "You've got to stop trying to control my life like this."
A look of hurt spread across Ross' face, "I don't control your life," he disagreed, "I'm just looking out for my sister."
"I don't need to be looked out for!" Monica cried out in frustration, "I'm only a year younger than you…and we would have been in the same class if you hadn't skipped fourth grade!" she picked up her purse and stormed out of the apartment.
"You do ask for it sometimes." Phoebe told Ross a moment later.
"Look, Pheebs, for all we know Chandler could be a raving lunatic! A psychopathic murderer! You hear about it all the time on the news!"
Phoebe giggled and shook her head, "Chandler isn't a murderer," she told Ross, smiling. An hour ago Chandler had called Monica to arrange where to meet for their date and Phoebe had answered the phone. The two had an amusing conversation about PBS, a TV network that Phoebe hated but Chandler loved. Phoebe had sensed straight away that Chandler was far from the raving lunatic that Ross was describing now.
"If you ask me, its Monica who is the raving lunatic," Phoebe continued, getting a confused stare from Ross.
"Why do you say that?"
"Because she's let Chandler believe that she's a business woman with her own restaurant." Phoebe exclaimed, laughing hard.
"She's what?!" Ross yelled.
****
"Nice car," Monica said, looking inside the rusty Nova that Chandler was driving.
"Yeah, isn't it great?" Chandler said with an embarrassed smile. He only hoped that his colleagues from the hospital were not about tonight. He didn't think he could live it down.
"No really, Chandler, it's fine." Monica assured him with a smile as she got into the passenger seat. As Chandler drove out from the parking space, a gleaming black sports car whizzed by, nearly colliding with the Nova. Chandler's annoyed gaze darkened when he realised it was Joey driving the Audi. "I told him to careful!" he grumbled, seeing his beloved car skid around the corner.
"Told who to be careful?" Monica asked, gazing at Chandler in confusion.
"Oh…um…see that?" Chandler improvised, pointing to a dent on his side of the car. "My roommate was driving this the other day and he must have caused this."
"Aww, you poor thing." Monica sympathised, "Well, you can kill him later." She joked.
"I most certainly will." Chandler said grimly, driving through the neighbourhood and once again seeing Joey break the speed limits ahead of him. He shook his head in disbelief and then turned his attention to Monica. "You look beautiful." He said softly, smiling gently at her.
"Thank you," Monica said, blushing.
Chandler continued to gaze at her before realising he was supposed to be looking ahead of him. He snapped his head forward and braked to avoid crashing into a pedestrian crossing the road.
"Maybe you should be careful!" Monica exclaimed, laughing.
"I can't help staring at you," Chandler said with an embarrassed smile.
"You're so cute," Monica said, squeezing his hand.
End of Chapter 4