Hey, everyone! Thanks for your fantastic reviews....keep it up! This is a strictly Chandler/Audrey chapter....but give it a chance, I think it's kinda cute and I hope you do, too.....review, please!

Disclaimer: They're not mine.

Chapter Twelve

"Hey, baby girl!" Chandler said as Audrey flung herself into his arms. "How's it going?"

"Oh, Daddy, I missed-ted you!" Chandler smiled at his daughter's mispronunciation.

"I missed you too, baby. So, what are we going to do today?" Monica's testing day had given Chandler a full day to spend with Audrey, as Monica would be in constant testing until late that afternoon.

Audrey smiled. "I don't care, Daddy. As long as you're here."

Chandler beamed at his daughter, and, at the same time, berated himself. Monica had been so sick for the past couple of days that his meetings with Audrey had been sporadic and brief, if they happened at all. He sighed. He'd tried to be there for both of them and it hadn't worked very well. Luckily, Audrey didn't seem too angry.

"Daddy?" Audrey said, interrupting Chandler's thoughts. "Can we go see Monica?"

Chandler smiled at her and lifted her up into his arms. "I'm sorry, baby doll, but we can't. Monica's busy all day."

Audrey crinkled her nose. "Sick stuff?"

"Yeah, honey, sick stuff."

Audrey frowned. "I hate sick stuff, Daddy," she said softly.

"I hate it, too, honey, but we've got to deal with it," Chandler told her gently.

Audrey scratched her chin for a moment and thought. "Daddy, can we do something Monica would like a whole lot?"

"Well, sure, sweets. What did you have in mind?"

Audrey thought again. "Well.....we have all day, right?" Chandler nodded. "Okay," Audrey said in a take-charge voice Chandler was certain she'd learned from Monica. "Well, first, Auntie Rachel's let the apartment get real messy. I think we hafta clean it."

"Sweetie, Monica may not be home for awhile."

Audrey nodded knowingly, but shook her head all the same. "Monica would want it clean, anyways, Daddy. I'm sure of it."

Chandler laughed, for he knew Audrey was one-hundred percent correct. "All right, sweets, if that's what you want to do."

"It is," Audrey said firmly. "And afterward, can we make her a book?"

"A book?" Chandler asked, confused.

"She said the other day that it'd be really great to have a book with our pictures in it. Can we make one?"

Chandler grinned. "We can do better than that, Auds. But first let's go clean."

Two hours later, Chandler lifted Audrey up in his arms to survey their work. They'd recruited Joey and Ross to help them, and the place was finally clean. Audrey had been right when she said Rachel was messy; the place wasn't grimy or dirty, but there was stuff everywhere! Chandler smiled and kissed his daughter's forehead, recalling how she had stood in the middle of the room and directed everyone.......so much like Monica would've done.

"It's perfect, Daddy," Audrey said happily. "Thanks Uncle Joey, thanks Uncle Ross."

"No problem, honey," Ross said, ruffling Audrey's hair. "I gotta get back to the work now, though, but we'll be at the hospital tonight, okay?"

"And Audrey, you're gonna have a sleepover with Uncle Ross tonight," Chandler added.

"Really?" Audrey's eyes lit up and they all laughed.

"Really," Ross said, laughing as he and Joey left.

"So can we make the book now, Daddy?" Audrey asked.

"Didn't I tell you we could do better than that, Auds?" Chandler teased.

"How?" Audrey questioned.

"I'll show ya," Chandler promised. "But first, we're gonna get all cleaned up, okay?"

"Okay!" Audrey said, happily distracted. "Race ya!"

Chandler smiled as his daughter bolted out of Monica's apartment and into their own. Shaking his head, he laughed. Gosh, was it good to see her so happy again.

"Hold still," Chandler said, as he tugged Audrey's ponytail into place.

"Daddy, no offense, but you suck at hair," Audrey commented.

"Hey," Chandler said, warning her. "You watch your language, young lady."

"Joey says it," Audrey said innocently.

Chandler just laughed. "Baby girl, you have been spending way to much time with your uncles lately."

"Well, if it helps any, Daddy, Auntie Rachel and Aunt Phoebe say it, too."

Chandler shook his head, muttering, "What am I doing to my child?" He chuckled, and smoothed Audrey's ponytail. "All set, Auds."

Audrey bounced off the chair and went to look in the mirror. "Not as good as Monica, but it's better than last time."

"I'm a guy, Auds, I'm never gonna be as good as Monica at hair!"

Audrey smiled. "Can you tell me where we're going now?"

Chandler shook his head, but took her hand and grabbed her coat.

A few minutes later, they'd arrived at a professional photography studio. "What's this place?" Audrey said, amazed as she gazed around.

"This is a photography studio, Auds. We're gonna get our pictures taken."

"Cool!" Audrey squealed. She ran over to the backdrops and started rattling on about which one they should pick.

Chandler laughed. If there was one thing that sleeping at her aunts and uncles did to Audrey, it was make her hyper.

A few hours lately, Chandler took Audrey back to the apartment to get changed before they left for the hospital. They'd spent almost an hour and a half getting their pictures taken in every conceivable pose, and in front of every backdrop Audrey deemed "awesome". The studio would develop the pictures and put them in an album, hopefully before Monica had to go into surgery.

"Ready to go, Auds?" Chandler called into her bedroom.

Audrey ran out, ready. "Can I tell Monica about how we cleaned?" she begged.

"Sure you can," Chandler assured her anxiously.
"Whatsa matter, Daddy?" Audrey asked as they climbed down the stairs.

"I'm just a little nervous about Monica, honey."

"Is today the day she's gonna stop being sick?" Audrey asked.

"I hope so," Chandler whispered. "I hope so."

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