Hey people, as it's Christmas DrKerryWeaver and myself have decided to join forces to bring you a little Christmas fic! This is set during season 3... After Monica and Richard broke up but whilst Ross and Rachel are still together.
Thank you all for the reviews!!
So…Let the fun begin!!
Lonely This Christmas-Part Two
Later that night, when everyone was sat around the table eating dinner, Chandler had never felt more uncomfortable in his life. He didn't know what to say to Monica, he couldn't even look at her. She kissed him.... His best friend kissed him.... Monica kissed HIM.
"Dude why so quiet?" Joey asked, looking at his best friend. "Are ya sick cause that's the only time you're not telling jokes every 5 minute?"
"Huh? What?" Chandler looked up; he hadn't heard a word of what anyone had said.
"Chandler, what's going on?" Ross questioned as everyone looked at him concerned.
"Why would there be anything going on?" He asked, playing with the food on his plate.
"Because you're not telling jokes or being sarcastic and your aura is all cloudy," Phoebe said.
Monica didn't say anything she knew what was wrong. He hadn't looked at her all night. She'd probably just ruined her friendship with her best friend. She set her fork down
"I'll be back… I need some air." she got up from the table and went outside without grabbing a coat.
Monica crossed her arms shivering slightly watching the snowfall. "Stupid holidays" she mumbled
Chandler watched her leaving the room, he sighed before getting up and following her out.
"What was all that about?" Rachel asked the others, once he had closed the door behind him.
Monica walked over to the snowman the others made earlier she looked at the grin on its face.
"Even you're happier than I am! You're lucky once it gets warm you melt away no more problems for you." she whispered playing with it's carrot nose.
"Talking to a snowman is a sure sign of madness…" Chandler said after watching her silently for a few seconds.
Monica was startled by Chandler's voice but kept her eyes on the snowman. "Yeah well I grew up with Judy Geller for a mom a and Ross Geller for a brother so I went mad a long time ago"
"Good point…" Chandler laughed slightly, kicking some snow.
"How come you're not inside with the other where it's warm?"
"Didn't fancy being interrogated any further…" He replied. "Why aren't you?"
"I uh, I just wanted some fresh air and I like the snow." She said, not wanting to tell him, he was the reason she had left.
"Oh okay…" He wasn't sure whether to believe her or not. "I'm going to go back in anyway…"
Monica nodded and when she turned around she saw him heading towards the door. She sighed softly. "Chandler? Do you hate me or something?"
"What? Of course not!" He frowned. "Why would I hate you?!"
"Well you haven't said a word to me or even looked at me all evening I ..I thought maybe you were mad at me or hated me," she whispered, "You're my best friend Chandler you 've never ignored me like that before" she said looking down at the ground.
"Look, Mon...I'm being an idiot here, okay.... It surprised me when you kissed me....I shouldn't have walked off.... but then I started thinking about Anna and all, guess I'm not over her... I kinda depressed myself..." He admitted. "But I shouldn't have treated you that way, I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry too" Monica replied "Mistletoe or not I shouldn't have kissed you. It was dumb you're hurting an..and I make it worse"
"Look, why don't we forget everything we said and did earlier..." Chandler suggested. "Lets just go back and celebrate Christmas with our friends, so what if we're single... we all have each other, right?"
Monica smiled "Yeah you're right we do" she said "Okay I was starting to freeze out here anyway!"
"Come on, let's get in and warmed up…" He smiled back at her, draping his arm loosely around her shoulders.
"Are you two okay?" Joey asked, as they walked back inside.
"Yeah, we're fine..." Chandler smiled. "Earlier we decided to have an anti-Christmas celebration but now we've agreed to forget about everything and have a good time with our friends."
"Good!" Rachel stated, smiling at them both. "Christmas just isn't Christmas without us all having fun together."
"Yeah...no fights, no presents bought out of guilt, no aloneness..." Chandler said bitterly, taking his seat. He looked up when he noticed it was silent. Everyone was staring at him with weird looks on their faces. "Sorry.…"
"Right…okay…" Rachel shook her head slightly, moving on from his little outburst. "What shall we do?"
"Lets do something Christmassy we can sing Christmas songs or roast marshmallows in the fireplace…" Monica suggested.
"Oh, lets open present!" Joey cut her off.
"Joe, as anyone told you, you're worse when a little kid." Monica laughed. "But I guess we can open presents if everyone else wants to…"
"But its only Christmas Eve!" Phoebe pointed out.
"How about we open a present each and save the rest for the morning?" Ross said.
"Yeah, why not…" Rachel replied and everyone else agreed.
Chandler picked up the closest one to him...he frowned when he saw his name on the tag but it didn't say who it was from.
"Where'd this come from?" He asked the others.
"Oh, I found it outside our apartment before we left so I just grabbed it." Joey told him.
Chandler pulled off the paper and was shocked to see what it was.
"What is it?" Rachel asked, Chandler showed them the photo frame, with a picture of him and Anna sat cuddled up in Central Perk
Monica glanced at the photo in his hand and then began to look through the presents under the tree. She didn't like Anna. She hated her for what she did to Chandler but also she never told him about the argument she and Anna had.
"Ooh look! A big one for you Joe." She said handing it to him.
Chandler frowned when he saw a white envelope taped to the back on the frame, he pulled it off carefully and slowly opened as the others turned their attention back to the gifts.
Joey grinned taking the present from Monica. "Its from you Mon!"
She grinned "I know!"
He ripped the paper off like a little kid "Ooh a new Playstation! Thanks Mon!"
"Well I did break your old one when I lost." She replied.
"Chandler look! Mon got us a new Playstation!"
Chandler didn't look up, he just stared at the words in the letter, trying to get them to sink in
"Chandler...chandler!" Ross said, he sighed and then poked him "CHANDLER!!!!!"
"OUCH! What?!"
Monica looked at Chandler when he screamed. "Joey was just showing you his new Playstation."
She looked at the gift in her hand. It was her present to Chandler she was going to give it to him but now didn't seem like the time. He seemed distracted by that picture.
"What's in the letter?" Joey questioned.
"From Anna..." He told them. "Explain why she did what she did....she wants to get back together...."
Monica couldn't believe Anna would have the nerve to want Chandler back after what she did to him. She hoped he didn't take her back.
"I hope you're not thinking of taking her back." Rachel said "She hurt you so much. You deserve better!"
"Yeah..." He nodded looking back. He had to think about...he loved her, hell he was still in love with her...he couldn't just say no straight away but he knew his friends wouldn't understand it....they would just tell him to forget her...and maybe he should but he had to think.
"You're actually going to consider it, aren't you..." Ross said as he watched him, knowing his best friend to well.
Monica couldn't sit there and listen to Chandler say he was thinking about going back to a tramp that hurt him, he deserved better than that.
"I umm I'm going to go make us some hot coco" she said standing up; Chandler's gift fell back to the floor.
She walked to the kitchen and put the kettle on. She watched the snow falling from the kitchen window. She wanted Chandler to forget about Anna they all brought him here for Christmas and she'd brought him the expensive sliver watch he'd wanted for months and even had it engraved. 'Chan and Mon BFF Love Monica.' She sighed as she got 6 cups from the shelf.
"How can you think about getting back with her?!" Rachel asked him.
"I dunno! I'm not say, yes I'm differently am!" He told them. "but I need to at least consider it, I mean what would you do if you and Ross broke up and he wanted to get back together? Would you say No right off?"
"Yeah but I'd never hurt Rachel the way Anna hurt you! She was sleeping with another guy for most of your relationship! You don't need her Chandler there's someone better out there for you!" Ross assured him. "I know its hard and it hurts but it gets easier I got over Carol, Monica got over Richard and Phoebe got over David. You can do it too"
Monica had tears in her eyes as she listened from the kitchen she knew how Chandler felt; when she broke up with Richard she thought of getting back together with him but she knew it would never work plus he never cheated on her.
"How many times have you been in love Ross?" Chandler looked up slowly from the picture.
"What?" Ross asked slightly confused by the questioned but answered anyway. "Well, I guess twice, with Carol and Rachel."
"But you were in love with Rachel before Carol then again after so that counts twice." Phoebe added.
"Alright, fine....three times..." Ross shot her a look. "Why does that matter?"
"I've been I love once.... and I know she hurt me...I know I did nothing wrong....I know there a plenty of people out there who wouldn't do what she did to me....but I love her...and being without her is almost as painful as what she did..." Chandler explained standing up. "I'm not saying I'm going to forgive her and get back with her but I owe it to myself to at least think about.... what if she's the one I meant to spend my life with? What if I never fall in love again? I need to consider this.....I thought you all could at least understand that."
With that he silently left the room.
The four of them looked at each other as Chandler left. "What do we do" Rachel asked.
Monica came in with the coco "Here's your coco" she set the tray down. "I'll be back."
She went to look for Chandler; she found him sitting on the bed in one of the bedrooms.
"Chandler, I uh I heard what you said and want to say something." she sat down beside him "You know how much I loved Richard; getting over him was so hard. I thought of getting back together with him so many times but a really good friend told me would just get hurt again and he was right…I know you love her Chandler. I loved Richard he's the only guy I've been in love with it was hard and it hurt but I got over him. It'll take awhile but you'll get over her and you will fall in love again." She whispered setting her hand on his.
"You said it right there...so many times you thought about getting with him....all I want is for everyone to understand I need to think about it...I need to think about!"
"I know and I understand I just don't want you to get hurt again or do something you may regret." she said softly.
"I know..." He nodded looking down. "I don't think I will get back with her though...but like I said, I can't let you guys make my decisions for me."
"None of us are trying to make decisions for you Chandler." Monica sighed. "We're your friends we care about you, we just want you to happy not hurt!"
"Yeah..." Chandler mumbled, collapsing back down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.
Monica watched him laying there she really didn't know what to say .
"There's coco, presents and friends waiting for you when you're ready to come back out." she said softly as she turned to leave.
Chandler sighed loudly when he heard the door close behind her.
"What'd he say?" Ross asked his sister when she walked into the room.
"Not much…He thinks we're trying to make decisions for him but I told him that we weren't, that we're his friends and we care about him and we want him to be happy not get hurt all over again." She said softly as she sat down. She picked up her gift for Chandler playing with its bow.
"Well you all did tell him not to give Anna another chance." Joey muttered.
"Of course I did Joe!" she said "I told him I understood you know the Richard thing, I told him he deserved better that he'd get over her and fall in love again."
"I thought we were opening presents..." Chandler stood in the doorway.
Monica looked up when she heard Chandler's voice. She nodded "We are…Here this one is yours." she smiled offering it to him.
"Thanks..." He gave her small smile as he took it, carefully pulling of the paper. "Wow..wow...thanks..."
"I'm glad you like it….I remembered when you showed me that watch in the jewellery shop window and you said you loved it but it was too expensive" she smiled at him. "Look at the back."
He turned it over. "Mon, this is great but you shouldn't have... its too much..."
Monica smiled "Chandler you're my best friend you've done a lot for me…the least I can do is get you a nice Christmas present."
"Wow Mon did I get that great a gift too" Rachel teased.
Monica laughed "What difference would it make you always return everything anyway."
"Well, thanks Mon...I love it..." He said leaning forward, kissing her softly on the cheek.
Monica smiled hoping no one noticed her blushing a little. "Well I'm glad you love it Chandler, you're very welcome."
"Thanks.." He smiled awkwardly. "So, who's next?"
'"Well I haven't opened any yet is there any under the tree for me." she asked looking at her friends.
"What about this one..." Joey held it up and gave it to her. "Its from Chandler."
Monica took the gift from Joey and started to unwrap it neatly . She saw them al looking her.
"What?" she asked. "Why throw away good wrapping paper and bows when they can be used again?"
"Cheap skate..." Ross coughed.
Monica shot her brother a look "Geek" she coughed.
She went back to carefully unwrapping her present.
"Man am I glad I'm an only child..." Chandler joked.
"Yeah you try having 7 sisters! At Christmas it was a nightmare!" Joey giggled
"Having a twins is worse! I can't believe I shared a womb with Ursula!" Phoebe said.
"Jill and Amy are the worst" Rachel stated
"No, no Monica's the worst" Ross argued
"I am not! Just for that you're not getting your present" Monica told him. "Now please I wanna open Chandler's present."
"Oh you know you would have hated growing up without each other!" Chandler rolled his eyes.
"Please I so could have done with out Mr. Prefect in my parents eyes!" she teased.
"Hey!" Ross whined
"Oh relax! I'm kidding!" She giggled.
"See you love each other really!"
"Yeah, yeah I Love the big dork!" Monica teased.
She finally got the wrapping off she folded it neatly and set it aside. She opened the box and gasped. "Oh my God you remembered" she whispered lifting up the beautiful silk scarf from the box. "I can't believe you did this Chandler…"
"Whats so great about a scarf?" Ross asked.
"I saw it in the window of a shop I showed to him I told him I loved it because it reminded me of the one Nana used to wear…. remember she'd have it on when she visited we'd fight over it you wanted to wear it and do your I am Bea song?"
"Yeah well..." Chandler looked down, slightly embarrassed. "I couldn't find anything else..."
"Hey, dude… a Mercedes reminds me of my Nana…" Joey told him, causing everyone to roll their eyes.
"I love it Chandler, thank you so much." She whispered leaning over kissing him on the cheek.
"No problem…"
Monica draped the scarf around her neck and smiled. "Okay who's next?"
"Ow! This is for me!" Rachel ripped the paper off.
"Wow, slow down, Rach..." Chandler laughed.
"Really! You're making a mess and ripping the paper!" Monica added.
"Mon, its only paper..."
"I know but that doesn't mean the presents can't be opened in an organized way."
Ross laughed. "See that's what I grew up with!"
Chandler rolled his eyes and looked over Rachel's shoulder to see what she got.
"Wow!" Rachel exclaimed when she say the gorgeous diamond bracelet Ross got her. "Honey its beautiful… 2 and a half carrots easy!"
"You're not returning are you?" Ross questioned
"No honey I don't return everything despite what some people say!" she giggled giving Monica a look. "I love the bracelet Ross and I love you!" She said kissing him.
Chandler watched them, they were so in love and they were happy. Why couldn't he find that. He sighed and began to pick up the empty cups and the wrapping paper that was on the floor; silently carrying them to the kitchen
Monica was so happy for them but also so jealous. Why couldn't she find her one true love? Why did she have to be alone on Christmas? She glanced at Chandler she was surprised to see him cleaning.
"Isn't that usually my job" she asked.
"Yeah well, Christmas is a time for miracles..." He quipped, giving her a small smile. "Don't worry about it…"
"Its a miracle alright." She laughed.
Chandler sighed and leant against the side, as he watched his friends continue to open their presents, laughing and joking. He silently closed the kitchen door, waited for a second to see if anyone had notice but they never, he quietly snuck out the back door, leaning back against it has he closed it and pulled out a pack of cigarettes
Monica glanced at her brother he was thanking Rachel for her gift with a kiss. She hated being alone
"Must you do that" she groaned "I mean would it kill you to come up for air sometime" she said as she got up and went her room
She plopped down on the bed and sighed. "Why can't I find a boyfriend!" she said as she played with the scarf Chandler gave her that was still around her neck.
"I think something has happened between Mon and Chandler..." Rachel said once Monica had left.
"I doubt that Rach they're best friends! I bet they're just upset cause they don't have anyone to spend the holidays with…" Ross replied.
"Yeah well you two sure are doing a lot of kissing…" Phoebe pointed out.
"Yeah baby!" Joey giggled.
"Yeah but they're normally all huggy together and everything but they don't seem comfortable with each other today..." Rachel stated
"Well Chandler probably thinking about stupid Anna, he can't go back to her!" Joey scrawled.
"Yeah but Rach is right they are huggy!" Phoebe said.
"Y'know if you're going to talk about someone you might wanna make sure they can't hear you..." Chandler called out from outside. "And thanks, Joe...at least now I know how you really feel."
Joey sighed "I better go talk to him" he got up and walked through the kitchen to the back door.
"Some Christmas this is turning out to be…" Rachel mumbled.
Chandler was standing outside, Joey stood beside him. "Dude I'm sorry I didn't mean it like that but I'm your best friend ,your roommate I saw how badly she hurt you and she is stupid she had a good guy and she totally stomped all over your heart you didn't deserve that."
"Forget about it... I'm use to it.." Chandler told him, lighting another cigarette. "Its never going change...I've accepted that now."
"I know I don't know anything about relationships I date tons of girls…" he said with a slight grin. "But I do know everyone deserves happiness and love Chandler and I know you'll find it….Why don't you come open my present I know you love it!"
"Nah, I'm not really in a Christmassy mood at the moment." He sighed. "Thanks anyway though...I'll open it later...I think I need to be alone...clear my head, ya know?"
"Okay but you know we're all here for you…" He replied as he headed back inside.
Chandler sighed and started to walk off. He looked at the snowman.
"What you smiling at?" He muttered, knocking the head of it. "Yeah, thought so..."
Monica was sat in the window, she sighed when she saw Chandler knock the head off the snowman. She knew he was hurting but Anna wasn't worth it, she didn't deserve a good, kind, sweet man like Chandler. She never told Chandler she'd been jealous of Anna although she didn't know why and he never knew about the argument about how Anna wanted her to stop hanging out with him. She sighed softly running the scarf through her hands.
Chandler phone started to ring in his pocket, he took it out and read the callers ID, he sighed and answered it.
"Chandler? Did you get my present and note?" Anna's voice flittered through the phone.
"Yeah..."
"Well, what do you think?" She asked once he had been silent for a few seconds.
"I think...I think it wouldn't work...I'm sorry..." He sighed and hung up. a few seconds later the phone rang again, he took it and throw it as far as he could before dropping to the ground himself.
Monica gasped when she saw Chandler fall to the ground. She got up and raced out of the room and past the others in the living room she ran outside to Chandler. She knelt down in the snow not caring if she got wet. "Chandler?"
"What?" He asked, not moving.
"I was looking out the window and saw you fall….Are you okay?" She asked with concern.
"I'm fine…. I decided I wanted to make some snow angels but when I got down here I changed my mind."
Monica laughed slightly. "Okay but it didn't look like you had that in mind when you fell…"
"Eh, mood swings….change very rapidly…." He said, standing up and brushing the snow off of him. "I think I lost my cell phone…"
"I'm a woman believe me I know mood swings! So why did you decapitate the snowman?" she questioned, jokily. "Did he not laugh at one of your jokes?"
"No, he told me Santa wasn't real!" He replied seriously.
"And you're just finding out now?" She laughed before sighing. "Too bad he isn't really, maybe he could have brought me the boyfriend I'm waiting for, for Christmas…"
"Hey! He is real!" He insisted. "Don't make me be-head you, too.."
"Okay, if you say he's real, then I'll believe you."
"Good, glad we got that cleared up." Chandler said and began to walk off. "I'll cya later."
"Where you going?" She asked. "It's freezing out here!"
"I just need time to think…to clear my head." He told her. "Don't worry, I'll be back soon…"
"Telling me that is useless, you know I'll worry!" She teased. "So just be carefully, okay?"
"I will be...if I get lost or anything I'll just call Santa and Rudolf to come pick me up..." Chandler shouted back as he disappeared behind some trees.
"Hey, Mon...what's going on..." Ross asked as the others walked out.
"Frosty!!" Joey exclaimed, picking up the snowman's head, which crumbled in his hands.
"Oh no..." Phoebe sighed dramatically.
"What happened to the snowman?" Rachel questioned.
"Chandler knocked it off…. he said the snowman told him Santa wasn't real." She mumbled staring in the direction Chandler had gone.
"But snowmen can't talk…" Joey frowned.
Ross rolled his eyes "We know that Joe it was just Chandler being sarcastic!"
"Hey Snowmen can talk! What about Frosty?" Phoebe pointed out.
"I'm confused..." Joey stated.
"What else is new?" Rachel commented.
Monica glanced at Joey "Frosty is a cartoon he's not real so real snowmen don't talk."
"So why does chandler think that he said Santa isn't real?" Joey questioned.
"Chandler believes Santa's real and that snowmen can talk?" Ross raised an eyebrow, jokily "You think he's doing drugs?"
"He's Chandler, Joe he was just being sarcastic, okay?" Monica said "So why did you all come out here anyway?"
"Just wondering if you two are okay..." Rachel shrugged.
"Yeah we're fine… why wouldn't we be fine?"
"You tell us." Ross replied. "You been acting weird all day."
'Well we're fine okay so you can go back in and be with Rachel" she said.
"You know what, if you're going to be like that, forget!" Ross replied, turning to walk back.
Monica sighed "I know you're my brother and you care about me but you have no idea what its like"
"Know what's what like?" Ross asked, spinning around. "All we asked was whether you and chandler had a fight or something...no need to snap at us"
"I know and I'm sorry I snapped at you….Its just well it sucks being alone for Christmas when everyone around you is so happy" she said softly.
"We're sorry, you're alone Mon but remember you got us." Rachel told her
Monica smiled a little "I know and I'm glad I do" she said "I love you guys."
"Aw we love you too.." Ross replied.
"Dude, that's your sister..." Joey stated
Monica shook her head "You have 7 sisters Joe don't you love them" she asked.
It started to snow again. Monica sighed she hoped Chandler was okay and that he came back before the snow got worse.
"Think someone should look for chandler?" Rachel asked. "Make sure he's okay?"
"The snow is getting worse" Monica stated watching the big white flakes hit the ground. "I can go….you guys go back on and enjoy your Christmas."
"You be okay?" Joey asked.
Monica nodded "Yeah I'll be okay Joe I've been up here with Rach a few times so I'll be fine."
"Okay, see ya in a bit..." The others turned and walked back into the cabin.
Monica watched them go back inside. She pulled her coat tighter around her and pulled her gloves on. She started to walk in the same direction Chandler had gone in.
TBC
Hopefully the next and final part will be up sometime tomorrow!! Please review!! Also, I know we nicked a Ross and Rachel moment with Chandler giving Monica the scarf but we couldn't think of anything else…