This is an Alternate Universe C/M. I based it on the Sound of Music, but I decided I didn't want Chandler to be a widower with children, so it is somewhat different. Also I don't make it really clear in the first chapter, but it is set in Austria sometime in the late 1930's.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters.
Monica Geller looked around her pristinely clean room. She had the cleanest room in the Abbey, there wasn't a speck of dust that could get past Monica. . Sparse. Empty. This would describe Monica's room and her life now. Though it may not have been the life she would have chosen for herself, this was Monica's life now and she had no choice but to accept it.
She was stuck starting over without any friends. Her only childhood friend had been married off to her brother. Monica thought it was so unfair that Rachel was married and she wasn't. Rachel, who didn't even want to have kids because they would ruin her perfect figure, Rachel. Rachel, who Monica suspected only married her brother because he had a PhD, and could support her so she wouldn't have to get a job and could spend all her days in Paris and Milan shopping. Rachel got to have a big, extravagant, wedding, Rachel's parents paid for most of it and Monica's parents contributed the rest. Monica's parents had only saved enough money to pay for a wedding for her older brother and there was nothing left for a dowry for her. Their excuse had been that since Monica had been overweight as a child, they didn't think there was any point in saving, as no one would want her anyway.
But in her later teenage years, Monica lost the weight and blossomed into a beautiful young woman. Every man in the countryside could have wanted to marry her and it wouldn't have made much difference. She had no dowry. So she had no suitors. One of her parent's best friends had taken an interest in Monica. She had always sensed growing up that he looked at her inappropriately. More recently after his wife died, he made more overt gestures showing his desire to take Monica as his wife. But when he found out Monica came without a dowry, he quickly lost interest, much to Monica's relief. There was no way she wanted to be married to a man old enough to be her father, a man who was six months older than her own father, and who had children her age. He reminded Monica of a tree and the thought of him wanting to touch her made her sick to her stomach.
So Monica was left suitor-less, and her only option was a life in the Abbey, studying to become a nun. Her mother tried to convince Monica it was a noble life, but Judy Geller was mostly trying to ease her own conscience for having been a lousy mother to Monica. Monica knew there could have been far worse fates. The nuns were all kind, loving women who fed the poor and gave of their time to the needy. Monica was proud to be in their company. She just had to give up her dreams of falling in love and being a mother, happily ever afters just didn't exist for poor girls like Monica.
Starting out, all the new recruits were supposed to take turns on kitchen duty one day a week, but it turns out Monica enjoyed it so much, that she ended up cooking dinner every night in the Abbey for all the nuns. The nuns loved her cooking, they were eating better than they had in years. However, Monica liked things organized and liked the feeling she got from being in control and she ran the kitchen like bootcamp. Monica had a tendency to be very loud; every time she tried out a new recipe and it came out right, she got very excited and screamed in excitement. There were rules in the Abbey about not talking above a hushed voice. Monica had a hard time keeping in compliance with this. It wasn't that she didn't try, she was just very stubborn and had a strong spirit. As much as they all loved Monica, the sisters weren't sure if she fit in among them.
One day, the Reverend Mother called Monica into her office to speak with her. She sensed that the Abbey was stifling for Monica, whether she knew it or not and that she needed a break to figure out if this was really the life she was meant to lead. She had a long-term assignment for her outside the Abbey where she would be working as a housekeeper and chef for the noble Bing family. Monica was taken aback by this. "What have I done wrong?" she asked "I know I'm loud, I'll try harder to make you happy." "It's nothing you've done my dear, I just feel you need to experience life outside the Abbey for awhile before you take your vows to become a nun." "But the Bings? Aren't they nobility?" "Yes they are my dear does that concern you?" Monica wasn't one to show she was afraid, she was Monica, she could do anything. "No, ma'm it doesn't" "Good, my dear. There is a mother and a son. The son isn't home much and the mother isn't much in the way of household chores, so your responsibilities will be similar to what they are here, cooking, cleaning, that sort of thing. Can you handle this?" "Yes, m'am." Monica knew she would have to handle it whether she wanted to or not.
Monica packed the few possessions she owned, a pearl necklace that belonged to her mother, and two dresses, and a worn and battered copy of her favorite book, Pride and Prejudice, and headed off again from the second place she ever called home. One where she wasn't related by blood but she had felt more loved and accepted than she ever did growing up. All her mother ever did was criticize her and ask her why she wasn't as good as her older brother. Now she was off again, to a place she didn't know, where she would be the hired help. Along the way, Monica's confidence began to fade. "I can do this, I can do this", she thought, "I am Monica, and I am the best! I'll show them! I'll be the best housekeeper they've ever had, they'll love me!"
Finally, after a long day's journey through the countryside, the sun was starting to set when Monica arrived at her destination. Large steel gates guarded the beautiful riverfront estate, the engraving on the gate door clearly read Bing, leaving no doubt that Monica was in the right place. Monica never imagined that one family could own so much property, the walk from the front gate to the door of the house seemed to take at least another half an hour. Monica stood there in a trance for several seconds, not knowing what to do. Finally she gathered up all her courage and rang the doorbell.
Once inside, Monica was shown up to her room, it was a very large cream colored room, with a large four poster bed with matching cream colored bedding. While she was unpacking, an attractive older woman who was probably around fifty, came in and greeted her. "Hello dear, my name is Nora Tyler Bing." "It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Bing." "Please dear, call me Nora, I hope you will be comfortable here, make yourself at home. My son Chandler is off in Paris visiting his girlfriend at the moment. He should be home any day now. That boy has such a fear of commitment. I don't know what is keeping him from proposing, he knows how much the merging of these two estates means to our family. But he keeps putting it off. He's lucky his girlfriend hasn't dumped him for someone else by now. Anyway, you've had a long, journey, take a bath, and then come down stairs and we will go over what your duties will be."
Over the next few days, Monica settled into her duties. She found she really liked her boss. Nora was fun, if a bit eccentric, and she found her to be much more motherly and easier to talk to than her own mother. Monica's days were busy between cooking and cleaning. She even taught Nora to cook a thing or two. And Nora felt like Monica was the daughter she never had. Since Monica didn't have much in the way of wardrobe, Nora gave her one or two of her evening gowns to wear to any parties they might have at the estate.
It was a warm spring day, Monica was busy cleaning the family room when she heard voices coming from the balcony leading towards outside. She could see two men and a woman, the woman had the most annoying laugh you have ever heard, it could be heard a mile away. The first man was the most attractive man Monica had ever laid eyes on. He had short brown hair, deep blue eyes, and his skin was tan from being out in the sun. The woman with the annoying laugh had long wavy hair and seemed to cling to everything the attractive man said like a leech. Behind her was a shorter Italian looking man. The sight of Monica before them took the attractive man's breath away. He had never seen a more beautiful creature in his life. With her pale skin, her blue eyes, and her dark hair that was up in a bun except for a little strand on each side, he thought she looked like an angel. He had never believed in love at first sight before, hell, he never really believed in love, but if it existed, she was it as far as he was concerned. He raised his hand to Monica who felt completely weak in his presence. "I don't believe we've met. My name is Chandler Bing."