Thanks so much for the reviews! Please, please enjoy this chapter and review again. It rocks my socks. Oh, and I just had the worst time scheduling, so that should make you really want to make me happy today! No? It was worth a try.
Disclaimer: Not mine. So not mine.
Chandler woke up when he felt Monica's hand move slightly.
"Monica?" He bolted out of his chair and looked down at her. She was still unmoving, if he had known any better, he would have thought that she was simply fast asleep. And just as he had given up hope, and thought that maybe he was just dreaming it, her eyes fluttered open. "Monica? Mon? Honey?"
"Chandler?"
"Are you okay? How are you feeling?" She winced a little when she tried to move. "Don't move, okay? Just stay put. I'm going to go get the doctor." He paused for a minute wondering if he should be the one to tell her that she lost her baby. He'd rather have it come from him than the doctor or anyone else.
"Chandler? You look like you're thinking hard about something," she said scrunching her face in concern. She knew him too well. She always could see right through him. He took her hand and asked gently.
"Honey, did you know that you were pregnant?"He waited for some response on her face. Shock registered first, and then gradually it changed to sorrow as she threw her hand to her mouth.
"I lost it, didn't I?" And he simply nodded and then held her as she sobbed. "Oh God, oh God." She shuddered and it caused a jolt of pain throughout her body.
"Honey, calm down, okay? I'm going to go get the doctor, just hold on." He reluctantly let go and walked out into the hallway. He spotted Rachel first sipping on a cup of coffee.
"Rachel! She's awake, can you get a doctor?" She nodded excitedly and ran to find a nurse or doctor, and Chandler hurried back into Monica's room.
"Does your head hurt? Your back?" She nodded slightly.
"It's sore."
"Just rest, okay honey?" He rubbed his thumb over his hand. "God Mon, when Richard called me....I just...my heart stopped." At the mention of Richard's name, Monica stiffened a little.
"Is he here?"
"Richard?"
"No, the Dali Lama. Yes, Richard." He had to smile at the sarcasm. It was proof that she had been around him too much.
"He was. I honestly don't know." She nodded.
"I don't know if I wanted him to be here or not," she admitted.
"He was, he probably is," he said shrugging. The silence that fell over was interrupted by the doctor coming in to check on Monica.
"We want to run a few more CAT scans to make sure, but I think that you're going to be fine," the doctor smiled at the two and Chandler leaned forward and kissed her forehead.
"Hear that, you're going to be fine."
"Physically. Emotionally I'm a whole other story." She sighed. "Chandler, I just wanted to tell you, that....well, I'm glad that it was you that was here with me."
"Me too," he whispered.
"Monica!" The door flew open again and she was bombarded by hugs and questions.
"Are you okay?"
"How are you feeling?"
"I was so scared."
"When Chandler called....."
"Oh honey, we're sorry about the baby." She didn't know how to respond to that. She had lost her baby, but then she had never known that she had been pregnant. She suddenly wished that Chandler had never told her. No, she decided. It was better to have known.
"I'm okay. Sore, but okay." Rachel leaned forward and took her hand.
"Should we go and let you rest?"
"It's okay," Monica said at the same time that Chandler answered, "Yes." The other four laughed.
"We can see when we're not wanted, we'll come back later," Phoebe smiled and gave Monica a hug goodbye before stepping out into the hall to wait for the others.
"You can't hog her forever," Ross said huffily as he gave his sister a kiss on the cheek.
"Honey," Rachel said placing a hand on his arm to calm him down. "You'll see her later. Stop acting like a baby." Ross spun around with fire in his eyes.
"I am not being a baby!"
"Right." Rachel rolled her eyes and ignored him. "Honey, I'll be back later. Get some rest." She gave Monica a kiss on the forehead and followed Ross who had stormed out of the room. That left Joey in the room with them. They both looked pointedly at him.
"Why'd they all leave?" He asked settling down in the chair next to Monica's bed. The door flew open and Phoebe grabbed his arm.
"Say goodbye to Monica, Joe," she said pulling him out of the room.
"Bye Mon. Feel better, I'll be back later," he managed to slip out of Phoebe's grasp long enough to give Monica a hug and a kiss. As the door shut behind them, they heard Phoebe's voice.
"Joey! We were giving them time alone!" Monica had to smile as Joey replied.
"Oh! Is that why everyone left?" Monica turned to Chandler and gave him a small smile.
"You should rest," Chandler said leaning and giving her a kiss on the forehead. Before he could pull away, she grabbed his shirt and pulled him down towards her again. She gave him a square kiss on the mouth. His head began to whirl. Monica was kissing him. He was kissing Monica. He was actually kissing Monica. Eventually she pulled away and he felt his legs go weak and he groped around behind him for the chair and collapsed into it.
"Chandler. I wanted to tell you that I was thinking about a lot of things on the way to Richard's. Actually, if I'm being completely honest, I've been thinking about a lot of things way before the ride to Richard's. While Richard and I were still together. And I.....I thought about us, and our friendship, and how I want it, eventually, not right away or anything, and only if you want to too, but eventually, I want it to be more than just....friendship." Chandler was shocked. It was exactly what he had always imagined her saying in the exact way that he imagined her saying it. His dream girl.
There was only one thing stopping him.
Was this just a rebound thing? Was this too fast? He couldn't stop the questions that echoed in his head. Because if he got together with Monica, he didn't want it to end within a week. He wanted to make it last. Commitment phobic Chandler was more terrified of not having a commitment.
"Are you sure that it's not just the pain killers talking?" He always reverted back to sarcasm. He used it as a shield.
"Chandler, please be serious." And of course, she knew this. She knew everything about him.
"I am...I'm trying. I just want you to be sure. I just don't want this to be....."
"A rebound fling?"
"Exactly." How did she always know? How did she always know exactly what he was thinking?
"No, Chandler, it could never be a rebound thing. And that's why I think I should take some time. Be alone for awhile. Readjust. Figure out exactly what I want." Nodding, he knew subconsciously that it was a good idea. But he couldn't stop wanting to have it happen immediately. He loved her. Maybe he always had. And it would be hard to revert back to being just her funny friend Chandler when he knew that she felt, even a little, the way that he felt. And there was always the chance that when she reevaluated her life, he wouldn't be in it.
It was the one thing that he was terrified of. He had only been half joking when he asked if it was the pain killers talking.
"That's a good idea," he managed to squeak out.
"Chandler," this time a real smile spread across her face. "I'm not going to look at my life and realize that I don't want you in it as more than my goofy friend. I want you....I just want some time first. So that we don't make any mistakes when we do. It will happen. It's not a matter of if, just when. The timing has to be right." A relieved smile broke out onto his face as well and he leaned forward and kissed her.
"God, I could get used to kissing you."Grinning, she ran a hand over his face.
"Me too."
"You're right though, you need to take some time. And you need to sleep."
"Chandler, please don't leave."
"I'm not going to. I'm not going anywhere." He settled down into the chair and leaned back his head. "I'm not going anywhere."
Chandler helped Monica into the cab as it drove through the city quietly a few days later. She was still sore and would require bed rest, but the minute the doctor offered to let her rest at home, she and the rest jumped at it. And now they were in the cab on the way back to the apartment. Chandler and Monica in the back of the cab and Rachel in the front seat. Ross, Joey, and Phoebe were all in the cab behind them.
"How are you feeling?" Rachel asked turning around to face them.
"Okay," Monica nodded. Neither her or Chandler had told any of the others what they had decided. That they were just going to take some time, but that them being together was inevitable. They pulled in front of their apartment building and Chandler helped her step out.
"It's so nice to be home," she breathed sighing contentedly.
"It's so nice to have you home," Chandler whispered in her ear. She grinned at him as the second cab pulled up and they walked upstairs.
"I think I'm going to lay down," she said when they had reached the top. They all agreed and then went over to Chandler and Joey's to let her rest without interruptions.
"I'm going to go check on her," Chandler announced standing. The rest exchanged looks. What had happened between the two of them?
"Okay," Ross finally spoke up. Chandler left his apartment and found Monica wide awake in bed reading.
"Hey you, you're supposed to be sleeping."
"I couldn't."
"Why not?" A frown formed on his face.
"I think we need to talk."
~That seems as good as place as any to stop for now. Haha, please review. Thanks! ~
