Time To Face The Music

AN: Welcome to the next chapter of Can't Stop Loving You. I wrote this part written before the last one actually. I had an awesome dream, which some of the events in this story were based on. I think this chapter was by far easier to write. Anyways I hope you like it! Oh and thank you to those of you who help me decide on the proper ending for "He Loves Me Not" Now, please read on...

By the time Monica had finally gathered up enough courage to face Chandler, it was ten o'clock. She had spent the better part of the day debating with herself, deciding how she should approach him. Well… that and looking out for him through Ross's apartment window. Unfortunately the curtains had been closed most the day. After multiple hours of watching and no change, she decided to get it over with and just go to his apartment. Although she couldn't help but wonder… What had he been doing all day? What could he be doing that he needed to keep his curtains were closed? Only one thought came to her mind and it made her feel slightly ill.

She now stood in front of his apartment door. One knock and she would be done waiting. She would see Chandler. Seeing him in person again would be much different than spying on him from Ross and Phoebe's apartment. She wouldn't be able to maintain the comfortable silence she had been allowed in the across-the-way apartment. Chandler would surely ask questions. That was, if he even permitted her to come inside. Maybe he didn't want to see her at all. It felt strange to be knocking on a door that for the better part of her life she had been allowed to walk through with out even bothering. It felt strange that it was now Chandler's apartment, when for long it had been hers and at one point both of theirs together. Taking a deep breath she raised a hand and swiftly tapped on the door.

While standing outside the door, silently forcing herself not to run, Monica heard barely audible voices mumbling behind the door. Despite her years apart from the gang, she recognized one of the voices to be Chandler's and the other Rachel's. Feeling slightly embarrassed that she had stooped to the level of spying and eavesdropping, she checked around the hallway to make sure no one was watching and pushed her ear up against the door determined to hear their conversation more clearly.

"C'mon Rach! Lemme get the door!" Chandler's muffled voice said.

"But Honey!" Monica heard Rachel's stifled voice complain. Monica felt a rather large stab of anger towards her former best friend. Or maybe it was jealousy. Who did Rachel think she was calling Chandler honey? And more importantly, what was she doing in his apartment at 10 o'clock at night? Phoebe had said Rachel and Chandler were close.. Monica decided she would think about this later, right now she just wanted to hear what they were saying.

More mumbling came from behind the door, "There is no one who would be knocking at ten at night! Joey's out on a date or three, and Phoebe and Ross are doing God knows what over at their apartment. C'mon we're watching a movie! It's just getting interesting! You know it's my favourite…" Rachel pleaded behind the door. Monica heard quiet giggling and then silence on the other side of the door. She felt uncomfortable, what were they doing? Why was it so quiet? Suddenly the voices returned.

"Fine. If you won't let me go, I guess I'll have to take you with me." More soft giggling. Monica felt nervous. Maybe knocking had been a bad idea; maybe coming here at all had been a bad idea.

Before she could even turn around to flee, the deadbolt slipped back with a bang of metal on wood and the door creaked open. Chandler appeared in the doorway with Rachel on his back. Neither one seemed to notice Monica at first. Rachel's legs were wrapped around his waist and she was kissing the side of Chandler's head. He was glancing sideways at Rachel and was whispering something to her that made her smile and shake her head.

Chandler paused what he was doing for a moment to tell the unexpected and unwanted visitor to please leave and that he was very busy at the moment, hopefully Rachel on his back would help illustrate his point and the person would get the idea and leave. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Monica, nearly dropping Rachel. He stood still, not knowing what else to do except stand frozen in spot.

After a few seconds of silence Rachel lifted her head up to speak to Chandler. "Chandler, swee-" she stopped mid sentence when she saw Monica. Her eyes widened, but she remained motionless, by this time Chandler had found his voice, "Monica?" his voice cracked.

"Yeah" she fought to hold her tears in check. Chandler. Rachel. Chandler and Rachel.

Chandler and Rachel shared a personal, intimate look that made Monica feel extremely uncomfortable. Partially because her ex-boyfriend, a man she still loved was looking at her former best friend that way.

Chandler and Rachel turned a way from one another and both smiled slightly at her. If Monica hadn't been so confused and jealous of Rachel at that moment, she might have thought it was funny how their actions were in unison. Monica couldn't tell if their smiles were genuine or not. Chandler leaned over and both he and Rachel who was still on his back hugged Monica. Even if she hug was unwillingly given she enjoyed the effort they were making to be friendly. She could have sworn she heard Chandler say 'I missed you Mon' when he had hugged her, but she decided not to comment.

As soon as the hug had broken, Rachel reluctantly invited Monica into the apartment. Clearly she was not over Monica's hasty departure and the way she had treated Chandler. Climbing down from Chandler's back Rachel wandered into the loving room. She flicked off the TV-VCR, which had been playing "Weekend At Bernie's".

Monica nearly gasped when she hesitantly stepped into the apartment. It was obvious a woman lived here. It was the small things that gave it away, like Vogue magazines scattered on the coffee table; a pair of woman's sandals by the door; the lipstick tube on the counter; the pictures around the room plainly had a woman's touch. As much as Monica wanted to believe that that woman was not Rachel, she knew in her heart it was. Rachel clearly lives with Chandler, Monica thought, tears pricking the back of her eyes. She had a sudden urge to run straight out the apartment and never look back. Monica chided herself, she had spent four years without her friends and she wasn't going to wait any longer.

It wasn't just the fact that Rachel lived here that bothered Monica. Everything was different. The walls were painted a light sea-green colour with darker trim. All the furniture Monica had left behind four years ago was gone and the new furniture was arranged differently. The furniture was something obviously picked out by Rachel and Chandler together. It was something they would both love. But Monica hated it instantly. She was surprised at how clean the apartment had been kept since she had been gone, she would never have expected Rachel and Chandler to be this orderly, neither one really cared about tidiness. She looked around the room, searching for anything of hers that had been left in the room.

The last thing about the apartment that bothered Monica was the kitchen. It was no longer filled with her expensive spices and cooking equipment. All her stuff was gone and new things stood in their place. The kitchen was now a shrine to easy-cook foods, if you could even call them that. Junk food filled the cupboards along with multiple boxes of Kraft Dinner, Aunt Jermima Pancake mix and easy-pop butter-flavoured popcorn. One whole shelf was even dedicated to Betty Crocker cookie and Cake mixes.

Rachel noticed Monica's eyes scanning the apartment stopping on a certain few items, silently critiquing the living space. She was thankful for the silence, for once in her life Rachel had no idea what to say. Rachel never thought she would be like this with Monica. They had been best friends. They had always had something to talk about. Even small talk seemed awkward. Chandler stood by the doorway not knowing what to say either, he settled for looking at his hands, which were twisting together nervously. Suddenly he changed his mind and walked over to Rachel and sat down beside her with his arm around her shoulders. Monica frowned wistfully, remembering when it had been her in his embrace. He nodded in the direction of his barka lounger indicating she should sit in it.

Atleast one thing was the same. The barka lounger was still here. Even though she had once hated it, it made her feel slightly at ease and strangely comforted her.

When Monica was seated in the chair, she turned to her former friend and her boyfriend. She asked the question she had been desperately wanting to know the answer to since she had seen Rachel on Chandler's back. She hoped for a negative answer, but that possibility was become less and less likely the more time she spent with the pair.

"So… Are you two –um- together? You know a couple?" Monica asked unsuccessfully trying to keep the bitterness out of her voice

"Yes"

Monica felt her heart snap in two with that one word. Rachel had always had everything Monica wanted. Rachel had it all, a dress-size of zero. Popularity. Friends. Attention. This was no different. Now she had Chandler too.

Rachel almost defensively thrust he left hand under Monica's nose. Monica gasped when she saw the rock that sat smugly on Rachel's third finger. The glimmers of light shining off the rock almost made it look as if the diamond was laughing at her. The ring was gorgeous, no doubt about that. A stunning diamond sat, perched in between two sparkling emeralds. Monica felt her head go fuzzy. Monica had never felt so physically and emotionally sick in her life.

Rachel and Chandler were engaged.

The last thing Monica remembered thinking before everything went black was that, the ring Rachel wore on her left hand might have been hers if she hadn't been so stupid.

TBC…

AN: Next chapter will be out soon, hopefully by Sunday.