Hey everybody.....thanks for reviewing! What can I say....you guys are
AWESOME! Anyway, here is chapter four. Just to answer some of the questions
you guys were asking....the summary I have up does indeed go with this
story....it just hasn't happened yet! Keep on reading and you'll find out
where the summary comes in. It won't be in this chapter, but in the next.
So keep on reviewing and you'll find out the answers! Thanks, and ENJOY!
Disclaimer: The characters, except for Audrey, belong to Warner Brothers.
Chapter Four
"I don't know why I let you talk me into this," Monica told Ross as he dragged her along the New York City sidewalk. "I can't believe I am giving up my Saturday night to babysit."
"Monica, you told me you didn't have plans, and plus, you love kids."
"But whose kid is this, Ross? Why the heck I am I watching him or her?"
Ross sighed and stopped. "It's my friend, Chandler's daughter. She's one and a half, and her name is Audrey."
Monica sent him a confused look. "Why the heck does your friend have a kid?"
Ross blurted out the story in formatted form. Chandler had gotten his girlfriend pregnant, girlfriend died, Chandler kept baby. Short, but it still made Monica tear up.
"Oh, my goodness," she said softly. "What a poor little baby."
Ross shook his head. "I'd say the kid's pretty well off," he said defiantly. "Chandler loves her like crazy, and from what I hear, so does her grandmother. Chandler's the one who lost his life as he knew it."
Monica sighed. "I guess so. But it was his mistake."
"Monica, do me a favor and don't tell him that, okay? Just watch the darn kid!"
Monica laughed. "All right, Ross, but you owe me one."
A few minutes later, Monica found herself knocking on Chandler's door, Ross standing behind her. The door swung open to reveal Chandler holding the most gorgeous baby girl Monica had ever seen in her life.
"Hey, guys," Chandler said happily. "This is Audrey." He smiled as Audrey shyly buried her face into his shoulder. "She's just being shy," he said. "Auds, say hi to Ross and Monica."
Audrey finally lifted her head, "Hi," she said softly. Monica smiled at the little girl, who's bouncy blond curls were pulled into two pigtails. Her bright blue eyes looked amazingly like Chandler's.
"Thanks for coming tonight, Monica," Chandler said as he led them into the apartment. "This the first chance Daddy's had to go out in a long while, isn't it Auds?" he said, laughing. He placed Audrey down in front of a dollhouse, and picked up a pad of paper to show Monica. "This is the first time I've ever left her with someone other than my mom, so I'm a little freaked out. But I'm sure she'll be okay. Anyways, her bed time is eight o'clock, and she's already bathed and in her pajamas. She'll probably just play until then."
Monica smiled at the little girl, who was moving the dollhouse's residents from floor to floor. "I think we'll be just fine," she assured Chandler. "You guys have fun."
Chandler picked up Audrey one last time and gave her a hug and kiss. "Daddy's gonna be back as soon as he can, okay?" he said. "You be good for Monica."
Chandler and Ross headed out the door and Monica settled down on the couch for what she now knew would be a perfect night.
***
Monica had just settled Audrey into bed when she heard the apartment door open. "Chandler?" she asked, confused. "What are you doing home so early?"
Chandler smiled and shook his head. "The girl flipped out when I told her I had a daughter. I decided I was gonna tell her before things went any farther, and.....whew," he said, pursing his lips and smiling, "she flipped, big time."
Monica smiled. "That bad, huh?"
Chandler flopped onto the couch and Monica did the same. "You bet," he replied. "She started lecturing me on safe sex, and how much better off she would've been if I'd given her up." He chuckled, "It was all I could do to just convince Ross to let me go."
Monica laughed. "Well, Audrey was fantastic tonight. She's such a smart little girl."
Chandler grinned. "Yeah," he said softly. "My girl was talking in full sentences by the time she was one."
"Ross says you love her an awful lot, huh?" Monica said, wondering how she was talking so easily to a man she'd met only hours ago.
Chandler nodded, and smiled. "She's pretty much my life," he said. "After her mom died......I don't know....I just sort of closed up. But she brought me back out again. She's been the light in my life, really."
Monica nodded. "I am sorry about Audrey's mom, by the way. Ross told me the story."
"It's not the happiest story on Earth, I guess," Chandler said. "But I suppose it wound up with an okay ending."
"You mind if I ask a question?" Monica asked.
"Go ahead," Chandler said, waving his hand. "I'm a fairly open guy."
"Well.....what made you keep Audrey? Ross told me you were going to give her up, but then you just decided to keep her."
"Ah," Chandler smiled. "A question I've been asked a million times. But it's a question I don't mind answering," he said, smiling at Monica. "I guess....it's just.....after Michelle died, I felt so responsible for her death. I mean, if I hadn't gotten her pregnant, than she never would have had a c-section and she never would've died. At least that was my reasoning. I felt so incredibly guilty....that I just didn't know what to do. And then.....the nurse took me to see the baby, and I just....I saw Michelle in her. The second I looked into her eyes, something inside me just....clicked. I guess I thought that since I had basically killed Michelle, the least I could do was raise our daughter, and make sure she was raised the way Michelle would've wanted her to be. And.....I know that those other adoptive families could've given Audrey a great life, but.....I just couldn't give her up. I don't know if I was being selfish, or just crazy, but.....I just.....I couldn't not keep her, you know?"
Monica shook her head. "You weren't being selfish," she said. "You gave up your life for that little girl."
"Naw," Chandler said, shaking his head. "That little girl gave me my life."
Monica smiled. "Why'd you name her Audrey?" she asked.
Chandler grinned, thinking back. "Michelle's favorite actress was Audrey Hepburn," he said. "So I named her after that. Her middle name's Michelle....I was going to make that her first name, but I didn't think I could stand to have a little girl looking exactly like her running around with the same name. So, I named her Audrey, brought her home, and bought the littlest black dress I could find. Four days later I took her to her mom's funeral."
Monica shook her head again, "How did you do it?" she said, amazed.
"I told you," Chandler smiled, "She's my life, remember?"
Monica laughed, "You're right," she said. "You did tell me that."
Chandler grinned, and laid his head back on the couch pillow. "Any more questions?" he asked. "You sure have a lot less than your brother did."
Monica chuckled. "Well, he's pretty nosy. But.....do you ever regret it? Keeping her?"
Chandler laughed. "You'd think that'd be the most common question people would ask me, wouldn't you?" Monica nodded. "But, actually....it isn't. You're the first to ask. But.....no, I don't regret it. I mean, I do regret Michelle's death, and sometimes I do miss having a normal life. But Audrey gives me a life that's far better. Crazy, but better. The one thing I do regret is the way things turned out with Michelle's mom. After Michelle died, she basically disowned me. Said I wasn't obeying Michelle's wishes for the baby and all sorts of stuff like that. I really wish Audrey could know her.....but....she won't see her. And I guess I sort've understand. She was a single mom and Michelle was her life."
"Wow," Monica said. "You sure haven't had an easy time of things."
Chandler shook his head. "That's where you're wrong," he said, and then explained. "There's a whole lot of teen parents out there who don't get to go to school, don't ever get to raise their kids the way they'd like. Not so with me and Audrey.....my mom watches her so I can go to school and work....make a life for ourselves. I always promised myself that the only way I'd keep Audrey is if I could give her everything Michelle wanted for her."
Monica nodded. "You're right," she said. "But still.....you have had a hard situation."
Chandler shrugged. "I'm trying to make the best of it," he said. "It's not too hard, with a beauty like her. Someday I hope we'll be out of my mom's, though. I'd like us to own an apartment someday, or even a house."
"Knowing what I do of you," Monica said, "I'm sure you'll get that."
Chandler smiled. "You know, speaking of that, I think we've spent the last hour talking entirely about me. What about you?"
Monica laughed. "Well, I'm pretty boring compared to you. I lived out in Scarsdale with Ross, went to the same high school as he did, I'm majoring in cooking at NYU, and I don't have a kid, though I'll gladly take your's."
Chandler smiled. "Well, there's times when I'm in need of some extra help. I'll give you a call."
Monica smiled. "Anytime."
TBC.....
PLEASE REVIEW!
Disclaimer: The characters, except for Audrey, belong to Warner Brothers.
Chapter Four
"I don't know why I let you talk me into this," Monica told Ross as he dragged her along the New York City sidewalk. "I can't believe I am giving up my Saturday night to babysit."
"Monica, you told me you didn't have plans, and plus, you love kids."
"But whose kid is this, Ross? Why the heck I am I watching him or her?"
Ross sighed and stopped. "It's my friend, Chandler's daughter. She's one and a half, and her name is Audrey."
Monica sent him a confused look. "Why the heck does your friend have a kid?"
Ross blurted out the story in formatted form. Chandler had gotten his girlfriend pregnant, girlfriend died, Chandler kept baby. Short, but it still made Monica tear up.
"Oh, my goodness," she said softly. "What a poor little baby."
Ross shook his head. "I'd say the kid's pretty well off," he said defiantly. "Chandler loves her like crazy, and from what I hear, so does her grandmother. Chandler's the one who lost his life as he knew it."
Monica sighed. "I guess so. But it was his mistake."
"Monica, do me a favor and don't tell him that, okay? Just watch the darn kid!"
Monica laughed. "All right, Ross, but you owe me one."
A few minutes later, Monica found herself knocking on Chandler's door, Ross standing behind her. The door swung open to reveal Chandler holding the most gorgeous baby girl Monica had ever seen in her life.
"Hey, guys," Chandler said happily. "This is Audrey." He smiled as Audrey shyly buried her face into his shoulder. "She's just being shy," he said. "Auds, say hi to Ross and Monica."
Audrey finally lifted her head, "Hi," she said softly. Monica smiled at the little girl, who's bouncy blond curls were pulled into two pigtails. Her bright blue eyes looked amazingly like Chandler's.
"Thanks for coming tonight, Monica," Chandler said as he led them into the apartment. "This the first chance Daddy's had to go out in a long while, isn't it Auds?" he said, laughing. He placed Audrey down in front of a dollhouse, and picked up a pad of paper to show Monica. "This is the first time I've ever left her with someone other than my mom, so I'm a little freaked out. But I'm sure she'll be okay. Anyways, her bed time is eight o'clock, and she's already bathed and in her pajamas. She'll probably just play until then."
Monica smiled at the little girl, who was moving the dollhouse's residents from floor to floor. "I think we'll be just fine," she assured Chandler. "You guys have fun."
Chandler picked up Audrey one last time and gave her a hug and kiss. "Daddy's gonna be back as soon as he can, okay?" he said. "You be good for Monica."
Chandler and Ross headed out the door and Monica settled down on the couch for what she now knew would be a perfect night.
***
Monica had just settled Audrey into bed when she heard the apartment door open. "Chandler?" she asked, confused. "What are you doing home so early?"
Chandler smiled and shook his head. "The girl flipped out when I told her I had a daughter. I decided I was gonna tell her before things went any farther, and.....whew," he said, pursing his lips and smiling, "she flipped, big time."
Monica smiled. "That bad, huh?"
Chandler flopped onto the couch and Monica did the same. "You bet," he replied. "She started lecturing me on safe sex, and how much better off she would've been if I'd given her up." He chuckled, "It was all I could do to just convince Ross to let me go."
Monica laughed. "Well, Audrey was fantastic tonight. She's such a smart little girl."
Chandler grinned. "Yeah," he said softly. "My girl was talking in full sentences by the time she was one."
"Ross says you love her an awful lot, huh?" Monica said, wondering how she was talking so easily to a man she'd met only hours ago.
Chandler nodded, and smiled. "She's pretty much my life," he said. "After her mom died......I don't know....I just sort of closed up. But she brought me back out again. She's been the light in my life, really."
Monica nodded. "I am sorry about Audrey's mom, by the way. Ross told me the story."
"It's not the happiest story on Earth, I guess," Chandler said. "But I suppose it wound up with an okay ending."
"You mind if I ask a question?" Monica asked.
"Go ahead," Chandler said, waving his hand. "I'm a fairly open guy."
"Well.....what made you keep Audrey? Ross told me you were going to give her up, but then you just decided to keep her."
"Ah," Chandler smiled. "A question I've been asked a million times. But it's a question I don't mind answering," he said, smiling at Monica. "I guess....it's just.....after Michelle died, I felt so responsible for her death. I mean, if I hadn't gotten her pregnant, than she never would have had a c-section and she never would've died. At least that was my reasoning. I felt so incredibly guilty....that I just didn't know what to do. And then.....the nurse took me to see the baby, and I just....I saw Michelle in her. The second I looked into her eyes, something inside me just....clicked. I guess I thought that since I had basically killed Michelle, the least I could do was raise our daughter, and make sure she was raised the way Michelle would've wanted her to be. And.....I know that those other adoptive families could've given Audrey a great life, but.....I just couldn't give her up. I don't know if I was being selfish, or just crazy, but.....I just.....I couldn't not keep her, you know?"
Monica shook her head. "You weren't being selfish," she said. "You gave up your life for that little girl."
"Naw," Chandler said, shaking his head. "That little girl gave me my life."
Monica smiled. "Why'd you name her Audrey?" she asked.
Chandler grinned, thinking back. "Michelle's favorite actress was Audrey Hepburn," he said. "So I named her after that. Her middle name's Michelle....I was going to make that her first name, but I didn't think I could stand to have a little girl looking exactly like her running around with the same name. So, I named her Audrey, brought her home, and bought the littlest black dress I could find. Four days later I took her to her mom's funeral."
Monica shook her head again, "How did you do it?" she said, amazed.
"I told you," Chandler smiled, "She's my life, remember?"
Monica laughed, "You're right," she said. "You did tell me that."
Chandler grinned, and laid his head back on the couch pillow. "Any more questions?" he asked. "You sure have a lot less than your brother did."
Monica chuckled. "Well, he's pretty nosy. But.....do you ever regret it? Keeping her?"
Chandler laughed. "You'd think that'd be the most common question people would ask me, wouldn't you?" Monica nodded. "But, actually....it isn't. You're the first to ask. But.....no, I don't regret it. I mean, I do regret Michelle's death, and sometimes I do miss having a normal life. But Audrey gives me a life that's far better. Crazy, but better. The one thing I do regret is the way things turned out with Michelle's mom. After Michelle died, she basically disowned me. Said I wasn't obeying Michelle's wishes for the baby and all sorts of stuff like that. I really wish Audrey could know her.....but....she won't see her. And I guess I sort've understand. She was a single mom and Michelle was her life."
"Wow," Monica said. "You sure haven't had an easy time of things."
Chandler shook his head. "That's where you're wrong," he said, and then explained. "There's a whole lot of teen parents out there who don't get to go to school, don't ever get to raise their kids the way they'd like. Not so with me and Audrey.....my mom watches her so I can go to school and work....make a life for ourselves. I always promised myself that the only way I'd keep Audrey is if I could give her everything Michelle wanted for her."
Monica nodded. "You're right," she said. "But still.....you have had a hard situation."
Chandler shrugged. "I'm trying to make the best of it," he said. "It's not too hard, with a beauty like her. Someday I hope we'll be out of my mom's, though. I'd like us to own an apartment someday, or even a house."
"Knowing what I do of you," Monica said, "I'm sure you'll get that."
Chandler smiled. "You know, speaking of that, I think we've spent the last hour talking entirely about me. What about you?"
Monica laughed. "Well, I'm pretty boring compared to you. I lived out in Scarsdale with Ross, went to the same high school as he did, I'm majoring in cooking at NYU, and I don't have a kid, though I'll gladly take your's."
Chandler smiled. "Well, there's times when I'm in need of some extra help. I'll give you a call."
Monica smiled. "Anytime."
TBC.....
PLEASE REVIEW!