Easy Lover - You'll never get it

A/N: Here it is – the last chapter, finally! Sorry for the delay, but I've been so busy this past week that I've completely forgotten I never posted the last chapter! Yeah, um, I didn't even watch Friends until Friday night. How crazy is THAT?! It was probably the best and worst week of my entire life. Yeah, I was in stagecrew for our school musical and it was a lot of fun! It made schoolwork like 500 times harder to do, though, b/c I didn't have time. Oh well. It was worth it. :D But, be warned, if you ever sing a song from the Wizard of Oz to me, I will most likely have to murder you. Just so you know. ;) Okay, I'm rambling…for the last time. Please leave me *sob* one final review! (well u can leave more than one, if you feel so inclined and didn't log in to ffnet so you can trick the system).

Disclaimer: "Remember when I used to have a monkey? Yeah, what was I thinking?" (Translation: I don't own these characters, and I hate that line b/c the writers make fun of themselves. Dunno why I used it. But remember when I used to have an obsession with monkeys? Yeah, what was I thinking o__O)

 

Chandler sits next to the window in a small café, wearing a New York Knicks hat and sunglasses. Lately, he has had to disguise himself in any way possible, unless he wants to be recognized by the public. It does not bother him though. He feels accomplished. After all, recognition is the mark of a successful actor. He sips his coffee slowly, while reading a magazine.

Suddenly, the door opens. Chandler looks up, smiles, and places the magazine under his chair. He rises and greets the two people who have just entered. They scream and run over to hug him. He almost falls over, due to the intensity of the embrace.

"Chandler! Oh, I've missed you so much!" Rachel enthuses, kissing him on the cheek.

"So, filming in Australia…how was it down under?!"

"It was great. Really great. But nothing like working with you guys."

"Nice save," Rachel jokes.

Chandler leads them to the table, "Let's sit, shall we?"

"Always one for good ideas!" Joey responds, hugging Chandler again.

"Thanks…I guess."

"So, you're back for good, right?" Rachel asks.

"Yeah, yeah. We only filmed part of it in Austria, so we're finishing the rest here."

"That's great. We've really missed you."

"Thanks, I've missed you guys, too," he pauses, "So what have you all been up to?"

"Uh not much," Rachel responds, "I just got a part in a new movie."

"Oh congratulations!"

"And guess who's in it?"

"Who?"

"Bruce Willis!"

"Oh wow! That's amazing."

"Oh, me," Joey interrupts, "Do me!"

"Okay, Joe – what's new with you?"

"I get to star in a movie with a chimp!"

"Oh. Oh, well good luck with that."

"What?"

"I've been there…with the monkeys. Not good."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you've never heard the story of Yen, the Oriental monkey?"

"Oh right! What happened to that monkey, anyway?"

"Uh, I think she went on to become famous – she's staring in a movie with Orlando Bloom now, I've heard."

"Yes, but this is a male chimp. It's different."

"Okay then," He fakes enthusiasm, "Congratulations Joey!"

"Aww, thanks man."

Chandler and Rachel share an amused look.

"So, Joey, how's Phoebe doing?"

"Oh," Joey smiles, "She's amazing."

Chandler smiles back, "I'm so happy for you guys."

"Thanks! Hey, did you know that Ross and Rachel are dating?"

"What?"

She looks nervous, "We're not…dating, per say. I mean…we just went out for a couple of drinks…"

"…And she ended up in his bed the next morning!"

Rachel blushes and kicks Joey under the table.

"Well, I'm glad the two of you are starting something up. It's about time."

Rachel laughs uncomfortably, "Yeah…"

There is an awkward silence, until Joey realizes that by mentioning Ross, he has reminded Chandler of Monica, "I mean, I – did I say Ross? I meant…Ahhh…Andrew."

"it's okay. You can talk about him. You can talk about her. I don't care."

Rachel studies Chandler carefully, "Chandler…"

"Ya know, I still think about her all the time," he clears his throat, "I did the right thing though. I mean she would've hurt me again."

"Yeah," Joey assures him, "It was the right thing."

However, as he stares at his friends, he sees that they are thinking the same thing as him. Maybe he should have given her a chance.

"Oh my God," a customer screams, breaking the awkward silence, "It's Chandler Bing, Rachel Green, and Joey Tribbiani!"

Suddenly, people begging for their autographs bombard the friends. Grateful for the interruption, Chandler begins to talk to the crowd. However, in the back of his mind, he knows that the conversation is not yet over.

Monica sits on a couch in her house, wearing her pajamas. She has decided to take the day for herself. She was always alone, anyway, so why not spend it in her pajamas? However, just as she starts the movie, she hears her doorbell ring. Sighing, she pauses the movie and looks out of the peephole. She opens the door, surprised to see Ross standing outside of it. After a moment, he enters, nudging an anxious Rachel along with him.

"Hey Rachel, Ross. What's up?"

Ross has a puzzled look on his face, "What's with the pj's at 6 PM?"

"Oh, I just wanted to watch a movie and be comfortable, that's all."

"Since when do you watch –" Upon noticing the scolding look on Rachel's face, he stops his interrogation, "Rachel wants to talk to you."

"Um, okay," she agrees, confused.

"I'm sorry to barge in on you like this, but I really need to talk to you."

"It's…it's all right."

"Okay, well…I saw Chandler today," Monica visibly cringes, and Rachel ignores it, "I know you still love him."

Monica shrugs.

"He still loves you, too, Monica."

Monica exhales audibly, showing her disbelief.

"I'm serious, Monica. He's upset and he's hurt, but he still loves you. I can see it in his eyes. Everyday, he beats himself up inside, because he feels like he's made a huge mistake. But he can't go back on it, because he's afraid. He's afraid of how you will react, he's afraid you no longer love him, and above all, he's afraid of being hurt again. Can you really blame him?"

Monica mumbles and shakes her head in response.

"You want to be with him, right?"

"More than anything."

"Then you have to prove your love to him. You have to prove that you will try your hardest not to hurt him again!"

"I'll do it," she pauses sadly, "B-but how?"

"Well, I have a plan," Rachel informs her, "Have you ever considered doing something new for a living?"

Chandler stumbles out of bed, angry about having to wake up so early. He approaches the living room, hearing loud, incessant knocking on his door. As soon as he opens it, Joey flies into the room and runs towards Chandler's television.

"Joey, it's six AM. What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Shh! Gotta turn on the news."

Before Chandler can argue, Joey has turned on the television and changed it to the news. He grabs Chandler's arm and demands, "Watch!"

"Okay, okay… what is up with you?"

"Nothing, shh!"

Chandler sits on the couch next to Joey, skeptically watching the screen.

"Our top story today is Monica Geller's big announcement…"

Chandler turns to Joey, his eyes widening. "I don't want to watch this."

"No, Chandler, you do want to watch this."

"No, no, I don't want to see her again!"

He rises, turning to leave the room, but Joey grabs his arm again, forcing him to sit down.

"Just stay! It would really be a shame if I had to beat you up!"

"Okay, okay," Chandler mumbles, watching anything in the room but his television screen.

"As of last week, with the help of a new friend, Rachel Green, I have discovered what I need to do with my life. I have actually known all along, but have been too blind to realize it. You see, I've been acting since I was a child, but it never meant anything to me. I started because it was what my mother wanted me to do. Well, it's over ten years later, and I'm still doing it. Why? There's nothing left here for me. I've always wanted to be a chef, not an actress. Over the past year, I've learned that there are more important things in life than your career and what people think of you…like loving someone. And if you're lucky enough, that person might just love you back."

"There's nothing more important to me than being loved back by the man I love. There's nothing more important to me than showing him that he can trust me. I might have made some bad decisions in the past. I might have run away from any affection that was showered upon me. I'm not going to do that anymore. I am officially retiring from acting. This is for me, and this is for you. I love you, Chandler Bing and I'm not afraid to let the world know it."

The newscaster continues, "Her words have stirred mixed feelings from fans everywhere…"

Chandler sits back, staring blankly at the screen, mouth gaping. Joey watches nervously – Chandler has not said a word, or even blinked, for a long time already.

"Chandler?"

"She quit? She quit?"

"Yeah. She quit for you."

"She quit?"

Joey pats his friend on the back, "Yes," he explained slowly, "For you."

"Is she really – do you think she really…?"

"Yeah, she does. And even though it was Rachel's suggestion, she jumped at the chance to do it. She wanted to show you how much she loves you. She just didn't know how. And you know we know you love her back."

"I have to see her," Chandler whispers.

Joey nods, "We thought you would."

Quickly, Joey leads Chandler out the door. They drive in silence, until they reach Rachel's house. Chandler jumps out of the car and opens the door. As soon as he walks into the living room, he notices Monica, anxiously tapping her foot on the ground. She turns around and they lock eyes. Suddenly, Chandler realizes he is still wearing pajamas and feels slightly embarrassed. However, Monica doesn't even notice, as she walks over to him.

"Did you really quit?" he asks breathlessly.

Monica nods, "Yes. I quit."

"For real?"

"For real. I'm not acting anymore. Not in movies, not in real life."

"I…oh."

Tears begin to stream down Monica's face. "I missed you, Chandler. I haven't stopped thinking about you, just because you left. I hate myself for not letting you in when I had the chance."

"No, no, Monica, don't. I hate myself for not giving you another chance!"

"No, you were right. I didn't deserve you. I had to prove my love to you. I really hope I did though, Chandler. I hope I proved as much as you have proved it to me. I promise I'll try my hardest not to hurt you again. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did. I love you. I could never purposely hurt you, now that I've finally admitted that to myself."

Chandler moves in closer, places his hands on her face and whispers, "I trust you."

He moves in and kisses her tenderly on her lips. She hooks her hands around his neck. Their tears combine in a pool of relief. Slowly, they break apart, but neither is willing to lose eye contact.

"I love you, Chandler."

"I love you, too, Monica."

Slowly, he wraps his arms around her. He sighs at the feeling of her soft skin against his own. Monica breathes in his scent, allowing herself to become completely immersed in him. Finally, neither is afraid.

A/N: Well, there ya go. And no epilogue b/c I don't like epilogues. Ya gotta leave something to the imagination! I mean it obviously ends happily ever after. After all, I've never read a depressing epilogue. Well, maybe I have, but this epilogue would obviously not be depressing, or that would be a whole other fic to write, which I have no ideas for. [/ramblings] Please review! Oh, before I forget, everyone harass Yen until she posts more fics. thanks, teehee! (Desperate times call for desperate measures, babe.)