Howdy ya'll! =)
So I'm going to try to start updating in here about every week, even though I most likely just jinxed it by saying that. Needless to say, 9th grade has been complicated so far this year. lol
I really wanted to make this a song chapter but I couldn't find a song that really went along with it. But if it helps, I was listening to while writing: "Butterfly Kisses" (Bob Carlisle), "I Drove All Night" (Celine Dion), "Kiss From A Rose" (Seal), and "Another Day in Paradise" (Phil Collins). All great songs! I recommend them. =)
Anyway, here's the ninth chapter. Enjoy.
Someone to Lean On
Chapter 9: A Kiss That Means Everything
It took a while for it to sink in. Monica was pregnant—Chandler understood that much. But this didn't really explain why she would leave without notice, did it? Was she afraid he would be mad? He couldn't remember doing anything that would make her think that.
He swallowed hard and turned away, not able to bear the look on her face anymore. It was a mixture of pleading and fear. Silence filled the room. Why, why hadn't she told him? Was she that scarred from George? Chandler finally decided that that must have been it. It made his heart ache with the possibility that she actually believed he would hurt her, but after a jerk like her last boyfriend, he didn't blame her.
"Chandler?" Her voice was so soft that it was barely audible.
He turned back to her and saw a tiny tear drop rolling down her cheek. He lifted a hand to brush it away, pausing an inch from her face when she flinched slightly, then gently wiped it away with his thumb.
Monica gazed up into his deep blue eyes, confused and touched at the same moment. Chandler slowly leaned in and, while carefully putting his hand on the side of her face, kissed her lightly on the lips. She couldn't help but tense at first, but slowly loosened at the kiss intensified.
It lasted for many long moments, and when the two pulled out of their embrace, Monica looked into his eyes again.
"I thought that you were going to be . . ."
"Angry?" He shook his head and kissed her again. "No. And . . . and if you want me to, I'll be as much a part of this baby's life as needed and more."
"I can't believe you," Monica said slowly but softly, running a finger down the side of his face.
He rested his forehead against hers and said in a voice close to a whisper, "Why's that?"
"You did hear what I said, right? About me being pregnant?"
"Yeah."
"And . . . it's not bothering you?"
"No, I just somehow know that if we stick together we can make it through this."
"You're not even mad that I left so unexpectedly?" Monica asked, trying to drag the truth out of him. He couldn't really be this caring, could he? No one had ever looked at her with the same passion that was in Chandler's eyes right now.
"Not as long as you promise that you will never do this to me again, okay? You had me pretty worried there for a while."
She smiled for the first time in quite a while, and her eyes filled with tears- this time tears of happiness though- and she nodded in order to answer his question. "You know what, Chandler?"
"Huh?"
"I love you."
"I love you too." The words came out of his mouth so automatically that it surprised him. It was like a reflex—it just felt right.
Then they kissed again, this time with even more feeling than the last time. In the other room, Judy peeked into the kitchen to check on her daughter. She was awestruck by what she saw. She would have interfered, but then she noticed that that wasn't a kiss that just any two people shared. It was a kiss that was shared by two people who were meant to be together for the rest of their lives.
However long that might be.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Two weeks later . . .
Chandler smiled when he entered the noisy waiting room and saw Monica sitting in one of the padded chairs.
"Hey gorgeous," he greeted her, sitting next to her in an empty chair.
Monica grinned, but Chandler could still see nervousness in her eyes. "Hey. Thanks for leaving work early to meet me here."
"No problem. How long have you been waiting?"
"I just got here a minute ago." She looked up at him. "Why am I so nervous? I mean . . . it's just a check-up. I've been to a couple of these already."
Chandler shrugged. "Before, they couldn't really make out anything on the screen. They're thinking that this will be the first clear image of your baby."
"Our baby." Monica looked at him questioningly. "Right?"
He smiled and confirmed, "Our baby. So anyway, that's probably why you're so nervous. Most women do this . . ." he trailed off when he noticed the look on Monica's face. "What?"
Monica grinned. "You seem kind of talkative—even for you. Could someone else be just a little nervous too?"
"What? No! Now, why would I be—" he saw the knowing look on her face. "Yeah, just a little."
They both nodded, and watched as a nurse entered the room, looking around.
"Monica Geller?"
"Yeah?" Monica jumped up, a bit too fast, almost knocking her chair over. Chandler tried not to laugh as he steadied her chair, and then stood up also. He put an arm around her as the nurse led them into a room in the maternity ward.
The nurse smiled warmly at the two. "Have a seat; the doctor will be with you in a second." Then she left the room.
When the door closed behind her, Chandler grinned and made an attempt to break the tension by sitting on the foot of the bed, where Monica was supposed to be. He put a hand carefully on his stomach the way pregnant women do.
Monica rolled her eyes, laughing, and gently pulled him off. "Sorry, but I don't think the doctor will appreciate your humor."
Chandler smiled. "Oh well, worth a try."
~*~*~*~*~*~
A half hour later, Chandler and Monica gazed upon the tiny image of their unborn child. The doctor was silent as she held the tool in the best position on Monica's stomach. Tears of joy flowed freely down Monica's cheeks, and Chandler was trying to hold back his own.
At the moment, as he looked upon a picture on a screen of a child that he loved so much though it wasn't even his, he made a decision. He wanted to be this baby's father. He wanted to love it as his own.
Chandler wanted to be with Monica forever, he wanted to be Monica's husband.
Monica looked up at him, noticing how quiet he had suddenly gotten. "What are you thinking?"
Chandler kissed her forehead. "I'm thinking about how much I love you."
"Really?"
"Yeah," Chandler paused, looking back to the screen. "This kid's unbelievably lucky to have you as a mother."
Monica blushed slightly and followed his gaze to the image.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"Aw . . . Monica!" Phoebe cried when Chandler and Monica got home and handed her the printed out picture. Rachel dashed up and looked over Phoebe's shoulder enthusiastically.
Two weeks ago, when Chandler had gotten the news himself, he and Monica had gone back to his apartment, and then the next day they had broken the news to Rachel, Joey, and Phoebe. Since Ross had already known, they were the last to find out. They had all given (and were still giving) Monica overwhelming support. Phoebe and Rachel had already started planning the baby shower, even though Monica was only a month and a half along.
"It looks just like you, Monica!" Phoebe suddenly shouted, thrilled.
Monica and Chandler exchanged a smile, silently agreeing not to object to their friend's remark.
"I'm so happy for you guys!" Rachel exclaimed as she looked at the photo. Then she looked up, glancing back and forth between Chandler and Monica. "So, you guys have decided to raise it together?"
The couple looked at each other again, then back at Rachel, nodding.
"Yeah," Chandler said. "I think so."
He hoped he hadn't offended Monica with his last statement. He hadn't meant anything bad by saying it, he just didn't know if Monica was having doubts about this whole situation yet, and definitely didn't want to make that decision for her.
"That's so great!" Joey said, walking out of the bathroom, obviously having heard the last part of the conversation. "I'm gonna have a nephew!"
Chandler smiled. "Who says it's going to be a boy?"
"I do. Because we all know that if it is, you're going to name it Joey, right?"
"We'll have to think about that," Monica said considerately. "I can't believe I haven't started thinking about names yet. This is something I've waited my whole life for . . ."
Rachel shrugged, and Phoebe said, "Oh, you'll have plenty of time for that. Trust me, when I had my brother's triplets—"
"What?" Monica asked, bewildered.
"It's a long story," Chandler explained.
"Anyway," Phoebe continued, "when I had my brother's triplets, the time just seemed to drag on. Between the morning sickness and the mood swings, I had a whole bunch of time to contemplate things. So really, Monica, the fun has just begun," she said sincerely.
Monica smiled uncertainly and nodded. "Um, thanks Pheebs. I really appreciate you assurance."
"Hey, anytime."
Chandler put a consoling arm around Monica's shoulders and pulled her close against him, more things on his mind than just the joys of being pregnant.
He found himself wondering how long the nearest jewelry store was open tonight.
A/N:
Yeah, I know I know that was a mushy chapter. But I thought it was fairly important to the story so I wrote it. Besides, I never thought a little mush hurt anybody, am I right? ;)
Anyway, about the whole thing with Chandler's stomach flu: A lot of you have been asking about that so I'll just say this. I MIGHT just happen to bring it up again in the future so you'll just have to keep reading. And let me know in a review what you thought/if you want to hear more/what you might want to hear/constructive but not hurtful criticism. =D
Thank you all for all the previous reviews too, you guys are great!