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Second Chance

Chapter Ten – Life Sucks

September 20th

"So Joey, the commercial is going well huh?" Chandler asked him that morning.

"Oh it's great! I can't wait for you to see it man! It's going to be awesome!" Joey told him excitedly.

Chandler forced a smile and nodded. Any other time, Chandler would be dreading watching his roommate star in yet another terrible commercial…but not now. Not when he knew he didn't even have that choice to dread it.

"How's it going with you and Cynthia?" Joey asked now.

This time, Chandler couldn't even force a smile. Sure, things were brilliant between them, especially after the intimacy they had finally shared in the bath two nights ago…but time was running out slowly.

"Things are great," he told Joey, spooning some cereal into his mouth. It was just great…and that was the problem.

****

September 24th

"Bachelor-ette Party here we come!" Rachel yelled, giving everybody the thumbs up in the apartment. Phoebe and Cynthia grinned and gave her the thumbs up back.

"Yep, this is going to be the best sleep over ever," Monica announced to the boys, "we are going to get hammered."

"A good choice," Chandler said approvingly, smiling at her. Since that talk with her, Monica had changed practically overnight. Chandler didn't know if Monica had talked to Pete yet, but she certainly looked happier, at least when it came to the party for the girls.

"So is this thing tonight?" Joey asked, grinning; "Am I invited?"

"No," Phoebe, Rachel, Cynthia and Monica said together.

"Aww, but I have no plans tonight!"

"Come on Joey, a room full of women talking about what's great in bed?" Ross asked, grimacing, "Do you really want to hear all that?" he caught Joey's look, "maybe you do." He added, rolling his eyes.

"Actually Joey, why don't you come?" Rachel suggested, grinning wickedly, "we'll make sure you have fun!"

"Oh yeah?" Joey asked, smiling flirtatiously.

"Yeah, we'll give you a makeover!" Monica shrieked with laughter, wiping the smile off Joey's face instantly.

Cynthia turned to Chandler. "How about you Bing?" she asked, "Do you want to bring out your feminine side?"

"You obviously didn't hear about the time when he dressed in a woman's panties," Joey said, chuckling.

Chandler glared at him. "Thanks Joe."

"Interesting," Cynthia murmured. She crawled over to Rachel, whispered in her ear and they both started giggling. Then Rachel crawled over to Phoebe and Monica and whispered to them. Soon, all the girls were looking at Chandler with mysterious grins on their faces.

"What?" Chandler asked suspiciously, feeling scared.

"Nothing," they all chorused.

"No…what?"

"It's nothing Chandler," Monica assured him, her lips twitching. She stood up with authority written across her face. "Come on boys, time to get out!"

"Aww!"

"Joey, unless you really want to be made over, I suggest you leave too."

"Ok, ok."

The boys left the apartment and stood out in the hallway.

"Well, I'm going to take off now," Ross told Chandler and Joey, "good luck getting any sleep tonight. This building is going to sound like a madhouse by the time those four have finished."

"You're missing out the other guests," Chandler reminded him.

"What other guests?"

"Carol and Susan… that woman from Rachel's office… that other woman from Rachel's office…a few chef friends...Phoebe's roomie Denise…" Joey said, counting them off with his fingers. "You get the idea."

"Carol and Susan?" Ross asked, wrinkling his nose, "so that explains why they want me to have Ben this evening."

 "Oh god, it's like all my Baywatch episodes coming true," Chandler said, grinning, "Only more erotic and…lesbian-ish."

"Don't get me started," Joey told him.

"What is wrong with you two?" Ross asked in disgust. "That's my ex-wife, ex-girlfriend and sister you're talking about in there!"

"Is there anyone in there you haven't touched, kissed, married or related to?" Chandler inquired.

"Ok, so, my life sucks. I hang out with lesbians who are raising my son, my sister and…you two."

****

"So, Monica seems better lately," Joey commented later that night. He cracked open a beer and passed it to Chandler.

"Yeah, really great." Chandler said quietly.

"Ok, what is with you tonight?" Joey demanded, "You've been depressed ever since we left the girls! Are you having a problem with Cynthia being with them or something?"

"No, no…"

"Oh, wait…oh god…it's Monica!"

Chandler widened his eyes at him. "What are you talking about?"

"You're still in love with her!"

"No, no!"

"Yes! You're still jealous of Monica marrying someone else!"

"No!" Chandler sighed, "It's not that. Well…it is to do with Monica in a way but not what you're thinking."

"Well, what is it?"

"Ok, I am totally in love with Cynthia, right?"

"Yeah, that much is obvious." Joey said, rolling his eyes.

"Ok, so what if I said that I was going to have to leave her soon?"

"What? Are you insane?" Joey stood up from the barker lounger, staring at Chandler in disbelief, "Why are you leaving her?"

"I don't want to, believe me…"

"Then why? Why screw up a good thing?" Joey narrowed his eyes. "You're not leaving her for Monica, are you?"

"No," Chandler sighed in frustration, "You do not understand what I'm saying."

"Ok, so this is the commitment crap coming into it then."

"Will you just shut up a minute and listen to what I've got to say?!" Chandler exploded, standing up so he was head level with him.

"Whoa…ok. Chill," Joey said, wide eyed. "I'm listening, I'm listening."

Chandler nodded and sat down. "What I'm about to tell you is totally unbelievable, but it is totally true. I really want you to believe me, ok?"

"Oh my god, are you ill?" Joey's lip trembled and he sat down next to Chandler.

"Not exactly…"

****

"Oh…dear god," Bob muttered.

"Is he going to do what I think he's about to do?" Ernie asked, wide eyed.

 "I think so." Bob turned to Ernie and nodded his head miserably, "That boy is about to break one of the biggest rules in the deal. He's going to tell his best friend that he's dead."

"Great, just great, I had a bet with the guy in Bed 11 that he wasn't going to cave in and do that."

"You made a bet?" Bob asked, shocked.

"If I win, I get the best bed with the fluffy pillows."

"And if you lose?"

"I sleep on the floor for a year."

"I'll get the sleeping bag ready."

"Wow…how comfortable." Ernie said sarcastically. "Wouldn't it be easier if you bumped me up the list to be assessed?"

****

Chandler swallowed hard as he watched his friend react to his story. Joey was just staring at him, and he could tell that he was struggling to hold back the tears.

"This…this is a joke right?" he asked hoarsely.

"I wish it was," Chandler said softly.

"No, come on Chandler," Joey said, giving out a shaky laugh, "A joke is a joke but this is sick."

"Joey…" Chandler sighed. What could he do to convince him? "Why do you think I quit my job just like that?" he suddenly said, "Why do you think I spent my nights going out to bars getting drunk? Why do you think I was so desperate about Monica not marrying Pete?"

"I…I don't know! You were unhappy! You were bored! You were jealous!" Joey exclaimed, "It isn't because you're dead."

"Joey, how many guys do you know who recover from a car crash minutes after waking from a coma? I didn't have any side affects, loss of memory…not a thing."

"You were a miracle patient! Days of Our Lives do it every week!"

"Joey, this isn't a soap opera." Chandler said gently.

Joey buried his head into his hands and began to sob.

"I was afraid you'd take it like this," Chandler said quietly, "it means Cynthia is going to take it even worse."

Joey looked up at him through his fingers. "When are you going to tell her?" he whispered.

"I don't think I can," Chandler confessed, "that's why I need to break up with her…before it's too late."

"Life sucks," Joey moaned, wiping his eyes.

"I'd rather be in a sucky life than be dead." Chandler said softly.

The apartment door burst open and a crowd of squealing females rushed in.

"There they are!" a woman shrieked from the back.

"Come on Tribbiani, lets see what you look like in panties," Phoebe growled, pulling him to his feet.

"What? No!" Joey yelped, trying to pull himself free. Susan grabbed his other arm and shoved him to the door.

"And you Chandler!" Cynthia said, before he had a chance to sneak into his bedroom.

"No…wait…" Chandler pulled himself free from Cynthia's grip and stared seriously at her. "I need to talk to you," he whispered, darting his eyes around the rest of the group.

"Hoho! Cynthia is going to get lucky!" Rachel screeched drunkenly, grinning.

"Come on then!" Cynthia said, smiling as she dragged Chandler into his bedroom and shut the door behind them. "Hello you," she said softly, wrapping her arms around him.

Chandler pulled back and looked at her desperately. "I really do need to talk to you," he said to her, not smiling.

Cynthia looked at him with concern. "Are you ok?"

"Not really," Chandler sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. Cynthia sat down next to him and stroked his hair.

"What is it sweetie?" she asked.

"Cynthia, you know I love you so much right?" Chandler asked softly, meeting her eyes.

"Yes and I love you too," Cynthia said, frowning worriedly, "you don't need to tell me that, I know you do."

"Then…then you know that I would never intentionally hurt you or do anything to break your heart?" Chandler swallowed hard.

"Of course I know that!" Cynthia studied Chandler carefully, "you're beginning to scare me, what's going on?"

"What's going on is that I don't think we can see each other anymore," Chandler said softly, looking away to avoid her eyes.

"Wh…what?" Cynthia whispered, "What are you talking about?"

Chandler stood up and his heart almost broke at the pain and confusion spreading across Cynthia's face. "Cynthia, if I stay with you, I'm going to break your heart…and…and I don't want to do that."

"And breaking up with me isn't breaking my heart?" Cynthia demanded tearfully, standing to make level eye contact.

"Oh believe me, if I stay with you, you would be feeling a lot worse in just over a weeks' time than what you're feeling now," Chandler said softly.

"I…I don't understand. What have I done to scare you away?" Cynthia asked, the tears pouring down her cheeks.

"You haven't done anything to scare me away!" Chandler said fiercely, taking her hands and squeezing them gently.

"Then…then why are you throwing this away?" Cynthia demanded, pulling away.

Chandler sighed and ran his hands through his hair, "I can't tell you the reason," he said gently, "it would just upset you more."

"Chandler, if I've done something to upset you, or if there is something about me that you don't like… I can change!" Cynthia said desperately, "don't do this to me! I love you." She leaned in to kiss him softly.

Chandler kissed her back and leant his forehead against hers, the tears beginning to form in his own eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered, "but it's over." He stepped back, his lip trembling. "I think you should go." He added, his voice breaking.

"Chandler, please…" Cynthia's shoulders shook as she began to cry harder.

"Go!" he ordered, his voice louder, having to use all of his willpower not to take her into his arms again. "We can't be together anymore, its not gonna last!"

"How do you know it wouldn't last? Doesn't every couple go through this at first? It turns out ok in the end!" Cynthia looked at him longingly and Chandler turned away swallowing hard.

"Please go Cynthia," he said, quietly.

A huge, devastating sigh came from Cynthia's throat and she opened the door to leave, leaving him alone.

He watched her walk through the apartment, crying hard. She opened the door and left.

Chandler let out a huge moan and collapsed on the bed, beginning to sob into the pillow.

A few minutes later, a familiar loud laugh and a crashing sound coming through the apartment and into his bedroom made him look up and focus through his blurry eyes.

"Come on Bing and Cynthia, you've had your time…" Monica began cheerfully before trailing off in mid-sentence. "Oh my god, Chandler! What's wrong?"

"Cynthia's gone Monica," Chandler said, his voice breaking in emotion. "I…I had to break up with her."

"I don't understand… you two were getting on so great!" Monica mumbled, staring at him.

"I know we were…I know we were," Chandler said, staring up at her, "I loved her too much Monica…and that's why I had to break up with her."

"Oh Chandler," Monica moaned, sitting down to give him a hug, "why did you do that?"

Chandler didn't reply. Instead he just buried his head into Monica's shoulder and began to cry again.

****

"Oh bloody hell," Bob said, swallowing hard.

Ernie glanced at him, "you know you just swore?" he asked, "You might get disciplined for that."

"I think I could say a lot worse than that right now." Bob said hoarsely, "what the hell have I done?"

"Let's see, where should I start?" Ernie asked dryly, "You played with a young man's emotions maybe? You forced him to be with his best friend when he was reluctant to do so? You told him to break up with Cynthia, and now that he has…you've broke his spirit, and hers."

"I think I need to fix things," Bob said.

"I thought you said you couldn't change the rules!"

"Screw the rules!" Bob shouted, "Ernie, we have got some major damage control to do!"

"What are you going to do?"

"Get Chandler back with the woman he was meant to be with," Bob said determinedly.

"Ok, where will that leave Monica? She doesn't love Pete so…"

"Oh, I have plans for her too…she'll be happy once I'm finished with her."

"You don't mean…" Ernie widened his eyes and broke into a grin. "It's insane…it's…it's the greatest idea you could have come up with!"

"Yes, I know," Bob said, smiling, "the problem is…will it work?"

End of Chapter 10

:Ahh, I've become a Chandler-torturer! Will Bob save the day? Will everyone be happy? Find out soon…: