The silence between the two stretched to an unbearable infinity, and both
remained where they were, neither willing to move for fear. Monica's mind
went blank, and she could clearly see colors dancing before her eyes. Her
body lost its will to remain upright, and she sank down into the couch.
Chandler's gaze never left hers, and the only movement he made was the
steady but rapid rise of his chest with erratic breathing.
Monica let out a quiet sigh of despair, and fresh tears began to fill her eyes. Chandler's eyes darkened at the sight, and he turned and walked out the door, this time letting it shut softly behind him.
All conscious thought deserted her, and she lay down on the couch, allowing the cushions to envelop her in comfort.
Chandler stormed into his apartment, leaving the door open absentmindedly. Joey looked up where he was sitting on the couch with Emily, who was napping. His eyes questioned, but he remained silent. Chandler held up his hand in answer, and kissed a drowsy Emily on the forehead as he headed to his room. The door shut and locked, and Emily woke up and turned to Joey. "Uncle Joey, why is Chandler mad?"
Joey nearly smiled at her innocence. "I don't know, honey," he responded. "I think Chandler's heart hurts."
Emily lay her head on his shoulder in acceptance. "He needs Mommy," she responded. Joey was startled. "What do you mean, sweetie?"
"Mommy's heart hurts too," she yawned, and her eyes closed once again in sleep. Joey smiled at her as he smoothed back her curls, and left her sleeping peacefully.
Chandler sat on his bed dejectedly, and dropped his face into his open hands. "What happened?" he asked softly to himself. He thought he was making an offer that she would jump at, after suffering Paul's abuse. She knew he would never hurt her.
A knock sounded softly at the door. Chandler got up automatically and opened it, revealing his best friend on the other side. "Not now, Joe," he pleaded, and returned to his bed, this time lying on his side. "I blew it."
"You're damn right you did!" Joey exploded quietly.
Chandler looked at his roommate, surprised. "What?"
"What did you say?"
"I told her I could make her happy, and she wouldn't answer me. She doesn't want me. After all the shit with Paul, I should be a welcome alternate."
"She made the right decision."
"Oh, great, thanks Joe. I always knew you were useful for something. I didn't figure it would be kicking me in the ass when I'm down."
Joey sighed and sat on the corner of the bed. "Chandler, listen. Think about what Monica's going through right now. A potential divorce, a young daughter, and all the abuse she's been putting up with since her marriage day. She's finally coming through all that, and here's yet another guy, showing up with the same promises as her husband. Of course she wouldn't go for that."
Chandler nodded in understanding. "I admit I didn't think of that. But what kind of guy should I be?"
"Her friend," Joey responded insightfully. "Just be her friend, and let her make the decision whether she wants more. Either way, you'll be the best thing for her."
"Joe, when did you become so deep?" Chandler asked.
"My date left a self-help book behind, and I picked it up."
"You know how to read?" Chandler teased, and ducked when Joey threw a pillow at him. "Thanks, man!" he called after his friend as he left. He had a lot to think about.
Monica dozed on and off throughout the afternoon. When she woke up, it was nearly 7:00. She jumped off the couch and headed across the hall. Emily was playing foosball with Joey, shrieking with laughter. "Hi, Mommy!" she said, launching herself into Monica's arms just as Joey scored a goal. "Hey, that's cheating!" she accused him, and he winked at her.
"Are you ready for dinner?" Monica asked her, and she nodded. Monica smiled her thanks to Joey and took Emily home.
During dinner, Emily was noticeably quiet. "What's wrong honey?" Monica asked.
"It's Chandler."
"What about Chandler?"
"He hurt his heart."
Monica started, nearly spilling her juice that she was sipping. "What do you mean?"
"Uncle Joey said his heart hurts. I said he needed you, because your heart hurts too, because of Daddy."
Monica sat in shock at her words, as Emily finished her dinner. "Goodnight, Mommy," she said, kissing her cheek and leaving for her room. Monica kissed her back automatically, still deep in thought. My heart hurts too, she thought.
The next morning, Chandler came over. "Hey," he greeted softly, and she gave a quick "Hi" in response.
"Did you still need me to go with you to the lawyer?" he asked.
"Only if you want to," she said.
He nodded, and then began, "Monica--"
She shook her head, cutting him off. "Chandler, I'm sorry."
"No, I am," he replied. "I talked with Joe and realized that I sounded just like Paul the other day. Making promises, acting like I was your personal savior. Monica, I'm your friend," he emphasized. "I will be there for you when you need me. I want more than that, but I'm being selfish. I love you and Emily, and if you decide that you want me, then you will have me, but I cannot rescue you. Nor can Emily. You have to decide." He grew quiet then, waiting for her response.
She bit her bottom lip in worry, then replied simply, "I love you too, Chandler." She thought some more, and continued, "I'll think about it."
He hugged her gently, and whispered in her ear, "Good answer."
She smiled softly in response.
Please leave reviews!!!(
Monica let out a quiet sigh of despair, and fresh tears began to fill her eyes. Chandler's eyes darkened at the sight, and he turned and walked out the door, this time letting it shut softly behind him.
All conscious thought deserted her, and she lay down on the couch, allowing the cushions to envelop her in comfort.
Chandler stormed into his apartment, leaving the door open absentmindedly. Joey looked up where he was sitting on the couch with Emily, who was napping. His eyes questioned, but he remained silent. Chandler held up his hand in answer, and kissed a drowsy Emily on the forehead as he headed to his room. The door shut and locked, and Emily woke up and turned to Joey. "Uncle Joey, why is Chandler mad?"
Joey nearly smiled at her innocence. "I don't know, honey," he responded. "I think Chandler's heart hurts."
Emily lay her head on his shoulder in acceptance. "He needs Mommy," she responded. Joey was startled. "What do you mean, sweetie?"
"Mommy's heart hurts too," she yawned, and her eyes closed once again in sleep. Joey smiled at her as he smoothed back her curls, and left her sleeping peacefully.
Chandler sat on his bed dejectedly, and dropped his face into his open hands. "What happened?" he asked softly to himself. He thought he was making an offer that she would jump at, after suffering Paul's abuse. She knew he would never hurt her.
A knock sounded softly at the door. Chandler got up automatically and opened it, revealing his best friend on the other side. "Not now, Joe," he pleaded, and returned to his bed, this time lying on his side. "I blew it."
"You're damn right you did!" Joey exploded quietly.
Chandler looked at his roommate, surprised. "What?"
"What did you say?"
"I told her I could make her happy, and she wouldn't answer me. She doesn't want me. After all the shit with Paul, I should be a welcome alternate."
"She made the right decision."
"Oh, great, thanks Joe. I always knew you were useful for something. I didn't figure it would be kicking me in the ass when I'm down."
Joey sighed and sat on the corner of the bed. "Chandler, listen. Think about what Monica's going through right now. A potential divorce, a young daughter, and all the abuse she's been putting up with since her marriage day. She's finally coming through all that, and here's yet another guy, showing up with the same promises as her husband. Of course she wouldn't go for that."
Chandler nodded in understanding. "I admit I didn't think of that. But what kind of guy should I be?"
"Her friend," Joey responded insightfully. "Just be her friend, and let her make the decision whether she wants more. Either way, you'll be the best thing for her."
"Joe, when did you become so deep?" Chandler asked.
"My date left a self-help book behind, and I picked it up."
"You know how to read?" Chandler teased, and ducked when Joey threw a pillow at him. "Thanks, man!" he called after his friend as he left. He had a lot to think about.
Monica dozed on and off throughout the afternoon. When she woke up, it was nearly 7:00. She jumped off the couch and headed across the hall. Emily was playing foosball with Joey, shrieking with laughter. "Hi, Mommy!" she said, launching herself into Monica's arms just as Joey scored a goal. "Hey, that's cheating!" she accused him, and he winked at her.
"Are you ready for dinner?" Monica asked her, and she nodded. Monica smiled her thanks to Joey and took Emily home.
During dinner, Emily was noticeably quiet. "What's wrong honey?" Monica asked.
"It's Chandler."
"What about Chandler?"
"He hurt his heart."
Monica started, nearly spilling her juice that she was sipping. "What do you mean?"
"Uncle Joey said his heart hurts. I said he needed you, because your heart hurts too, because of Daddy."
Monica sat in shock at her words, as Emily finished her dinner. "Goodnight, Mommy," she said, kissing her cheek and leaving for her room. Monica kissed her back automatically, still deep in thought. My heart hurts too, she thought.
The next morning, Chandler came over. "Hey," he greeted softly, and she gave a quick "Hi" in response.
"Did you still need me to go with you to the lawyer?" he asked.
"Only if you want to," she said.
He nodded, and then began, "Monica--"
She shook her head, cutting him off. "Chandler, I'm sorry."
"No, I am," he replied. "I talked with Joe and realized that I sounded just like Paul the other day. Making promises, acting like I was your personal savior. Monica, I'm your friend," he emphasized. "I will be there for you when you need me. I want more than that, but I'm being selfish. I love you and Emily, and if you decide that you want me, then you will have me, but I cannot rescue you. Nor can Emily. You have to decide." He grew quiet then, waiting for her response.
She bit her bottom lip in worry, then replied simply, "I love you too, Chandler." She thought some more, and continued, "I'll think about it."
He hugged her gently, and whispered in her ear, "Good answer."
She smiled softly in response.
Please leave reviews!!!(