Thanks for the reviews please keep them coming,
Monica had been seeing Chandler for four weeks and hated the idea of not seeing her for Christmas day he was really falling hard for her. It was Christmas Eve and he and Monica were spending the day together celebrating Christmas with Darren before they were separated for Christmas day.
"What time is your Mom arriving in at" Monica shouted over to Chandler as he sat playing building blocks with Darren.
"Her flight lands at 5 she is gonna ring me before she boards" Chandler mused.
"I'm gonna miss you tomorrow" Chandler mumbled into Monicas hair as he snuck up behind her while she was mixing egg nog.
"I'll miss you too" Monica said turning around to meet him in a kiss.
"When are we exchanging gifts" Chandler asked eagerly
"Your like a kid, cant you wait until tonight"
"But I don't wanna"
"Ok ill make a deal we will exchange gifts before you have to collect your mother from the airport"
"Yay"
"I'm gonna change my top this one is filthy from that mix" Monica said walking into her bedroom.
As Monica walked into her room, Chandler ran over to Darren and bent down to make eye contact.
Monica stopped suddenly as she walked out of her room.
"Chandler what are ye doing" She said gesturing at Chandler and Darren who were signing something to each other as Darren appeared to be dancing.
"Oh it was meant to be a surprise" Chandler said disappointed he had been caught.
"What was meant to be a surprise?"
"Well Darren was going to perform a show for you; we were going to do a signed recital of Twas the night before Christmas for you"
"But you don't know how to sign, Chandler"
"Well the thing is I felt really guilty that I couldn't communicate with Darren, so I enrolled in sign language classes, anyway I asked the teacher about the signs for that poem and she taught me after the class"
"Hey what's wrong" Chandler said noticing Monica was crying
"Its just nobody ,well very few people have even tried to sign with Darren, and to think you went to classes and bothered to learn it and you have only known him a month" Monica babbled.
"It's not that big a deal Monica, I just wanted to be able to talk to him"
"Not that is a big a deal, Chandler it's the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me ever"
"Well there is no need to cry" Chandler said embracing Monica in a hug "besides we have to perform a show for you "He continued going over to pick Darren up of the floor.
Monica laughed hysterically as she saw Darren try to imitate Chandler's actions as he tried to act to the words to "Twas the night before Christmas".
"Bravo" Monica said as she stood up to clap for Darren and Chandler who had just taken a bow down. Darren ran into Monicas arm as she scooped him up and gave him a kiss as he beamed with pride.
"Great job buddy" Chandler signed to Darren as he proudly received his mother kiss.
"Chandler thank you so much for that, it was the best Christmas present I could have asked for"
"I still have one more to give ya" He smiled
"That was all I needed" She sighed
"So where are you doing sign language classes"
"NYU were offering a course so I said what the heck"
"NYU Chandler they charge a fortune to so evening courses"
"It wasn't that expensive" Chandler said flippantly
"Ugh" Chadnler sighed as he flipped down his phone later that day as he sat in Monica's apartment
"What's wrong" Monica asked concerned
"My mom she has missed her flight her and Philip got held up in their hotel and forgot the time" Chandler sighed frustrated.
"Can she not get another flight?"
"No that was the last one there is another one the day after Christmas but she would have to go back to Chicago the 27th anyways so there is no point in her coming out here"
"So she won't be here tomorrow"
"Yep another Christmas alone" Chandler quipped sarcastically." Why does she always do this" Chandler screamed as he stood up form the couch rubbing his hands frantically through his hair
"Chadnler calm down you can come for Christmas with us"
"No I'm not going to your parents house for Christmas, I don't even know them, I mean I haven't seen the woman in two years and she cant even make it for one Christmas" Chandler cried.
"Sssh its ok sit down Chandler"
"Sorry" Chandler apologised.
"What did you do last Christmas" Monica enquired.
"Well last Christmas I was with my sister but the year before I had to spend it alone, its not even that its just sometimes I wonder why cant she be bothered, I have bought her countless tickets to visit me in Boston but she always has a new man so is too busy" Chandler sighed as he sat down beside Monica.
"I'm sorry Candler but please come for Christmas, they know all about you and are dying to meet you" Monica strained her voice as she reassuringly rubbed his leg.
"No, I don't want to impose really I don't, besides what do I say hi I'm Chandler my parents have such little love for me that they cant even be bothered to spend Christmas with me."
"Chandler of course your parents love you" Monica knew that Chandler had issues with his parents but she never realised how much they had affected him.
"No they don't, not like you love Darren, they don't I was raised by nannys sent to boarding school and college "Chandler sighed.
"Chandler plenty of people love you" Monica said gently trying to boost his mood.
"Yeah like who"
"Your sister, your niece and nephew and I love you too" Monica whispered the last part quietly.
"You do" Chandler shot his head up
"Yeah" Monica replied twiddling her ring hand now she felt like the vulnerable one.
"Monica I love you too" Chandler said lifting up her chin and bringing her lips to his.
"Listen Monica I'm sorry for offloading on you but sometimes I need to get it of my chest, I guess if I'm honest it gets lonely" Chandler said slipping his hand in with hers as he gazed over at Darren who was busily stacking up building blocks.
"You won't be anymore" Monica enthused as she snuggled into his chest watching Darren closely.
"Thanks Môn" Chandler replied quietly.
"You want to exchange gifts now" Monica said eager to brighten his mood up.
"Ah you read my mind" He said jumping up to retrieve his gifts from under the tree.
"Ok get Darren to come over ill give him his first" Chandler said excitedly.
Darren ran over to the big parcel Chandler placed in the middle of the floor. Chandler signed open them to him.
"Please tell me I just signed open them to him" Chandler said to Monica still relatively new to the concept of signing he had had four intensive classes at lunchtimes but he knew he needed a lot more to be able to talk to Darren properly.
"Just about, anyway I don't think you needed to say anything to him" She said laughing at Darren who was frantically opening his gift from Chandler.
As Chandler settled beside Monica he laughed as Darren squealed in delight on seeing that Chandler had bought him a miniature basket ball hoop and ball like Chandler had in his own house.
Darren ran over and embraced Chandler in a hug as a gesture of his appreciation for the gift.
"Your welcome man" Chandler signed to Darren as he began to start throwing his mini basketball into the net.
"And here is your gift" He said turning to Monica giving her a long slender box.
"Chandler its beautiful are those real diamonds" Monica gasped as she opened the box to see a long diamond bracelet.
"Yeah they are tiffany's the assistant told me that those are pretty popular" Chandler replied.
"Chandler this cost way too much I can't accept this"
"Pease Monica I'm not trying to brag but I have more money than I know what to do with please let me spend it on the woman I love" Chandler whispered referring to the countless guilt houses his father had bought him and the fact that e virtually ran the New York office of a major publishing house.
"Oh your rich ill have to hold onto you then wont I" Monica teased.
"Hey if it keeps you interested" Chandler joked
"That's not why I'm here Chandler" Monica spoke softly
"I know" He replied proud that Monica was in love with him not his money. In fact he hadn't even told her abut his wealth until the week before when Ross and Rachel needed real estate advice and Chandler was so knowledgeable he had to admit he had four houses.
"So where is my gift" He said excitedly as Monica went over to the tree and retrieved his present.
"Whoa that's a big one" He said as Monica brought over a large box
"Open it" Monica exclaimed excited.
"You did not find it" Chandler yelled as he opened the box exposing the hot wheels remote control 4x4 that he had asked Santa for every year as a kid but never received.
"I did" Monica beamed Chandler had told her the week before how every Christmas four three years straight Chandler had asked for this particular car but there was always a note from Santa on Christmas morning saying that the elves couldn't make it.
"Look Buddy" Chandler signed to Darren "want to play this with me outside."
"So you like it then" Monica laughed
"Almost as much as I love you" Chandler said kissing her lightly on the cheek.
"So can we play with this outside Monica please please" Chandler quipped
"On one condition"
"What"
"You come to Christmas at my parents house I promise they wont mind plus when my Dad sees your Porsche he will want to adopt you as his own son"
"Ok"Chandler finally relented.
"Great my mom is dying to meet you and she always makes way too much"
"Uh Ok"Chandler said looking out the window.
"What is it?"
"Its snowing we cant use the car in the snow" Chandler said sitting down sulkily into the chair.
"Hey will you tell Darren we can't go outside cos its snowing I'm not that good yet"
"Wow you're really fast at the sign language where did you learn it"
"Well I went to a few classes in the community college and then I kinda picked it up from self education books after I quit the classes" Monica explained
"Monica Geller isn't a quitter why did you quit the classes"
"Well everything started unravelling with Jeffrey and he cut of support and at the time I wasn't working so I couldn't keep up with the classes I had the basics by then anyways so it wasn't too bad" Monica replied again.
"God he sounds like such a jerk" Chandler said
"He really is" Monica said "I cant believe I fell for him"
"Love makes us do blind Mon we have all been caught"
"I know,I guess that's why this has taken me by surprise seven weeks ago I wouldn't even dream of having been in a relationship at christmas for a few years and yet here we are"
"Well for me its been like a very pleasant surprise, I know what you mean though I was talking to my friend Mark back in Boston and he couldn't believe I was dating someone with a child, its funny how things change if you know its right"
"Why had you a kid phobia before" Monica asked nervously
"Mon I had every kind of a relationship phobia going" He laughed
"You don't act like it Chandler"
"Well things are different now" Chandler said slipping his arm around Monicas back as they sat on the couch.
"Well I for one am glad" Monica said reaching up to give him a kiss on the cheek
"Looks like this guy really likes the present you got me" Chandler gestured at Darren who was inspecting the box that contained his remote control car.
"He really wants to play with it, how about we move the coffee table and let ye too move it slowly around the living area"Monca said not believing she was gonna let them drive a 4x4 remote control car around her living room.
"Is your temperature Ok"Chandler said rubbing her forehead Chandler had grown used to Monica's eccentricities about her house.
"Cheeky" Monica said flipping his hand away from her forehead.
Chandler got of the couch and bent down to Darren's level and helped him open the box.
"Let me go first" Darren signed to Chandler.
"Did he just say ive to go first" Chandler said laughing "But it's my present?"
"Chandler what age are you" Monica laughed
"31"Chandler said sulkily
"How about we play together" Chandler signed to Darren who ran to join Chandler who was sitting on the couch. Chandler grabbed the control unit with one hand while he scooped Darren into his lap with the other. He placed the control in his own hands while Darren tugged at the switches. Making the car go crazy around the sitting room causing Monicas anxiety levels to rise rapidly.
"Man this is so cool I cant wait to bring it to the park" Chandler shouted to Monica over the noise.
"Neither can he I'd say "Monica said gesturing at Darren who had a huge smile spread across his face.
"I'm really getting fond of this little guy" Chandler said while flopping Darren's hair around.
"I think the feeling is reciprocated" Monica replied looking at Darren who was smiling contently in Chandlers lap.
"Really do you think he likes me" Chandler said smiling
"Of course he does Chandler he is always hugging you and asking to play with you, even Ross doesn't get as many requests as you do"
"Cool I was worried about what he might think of me"
"Well very highly would be the answer" Monica smiled
"Review please!!!!!!