DISCLAIMER: The characters are not mine.
Monica walked aimless through the streets till she ended up in front of Rachel's door. She knocked before she opened it.
"Rachel, are you here?" She called as soon as she entered the apartment.
A moment later Rachel emerged from her bedroom. Her eyes were puffy and it was obvious that she had been crying too. "Monica, I am so sorry. I."
"What are you sorry about?" Monica cut her off. "That you took something that was mine? Again? Or that I caught you? Y'know, I thought we were both grown ups and could be happy for the other. You saw how happy I was and you had to destroy it. Is that it? That is what you always do. Why? What is your problem?!" Monica was furious now and paced through the living room like a trapped animal.
Maybe it was the hormones, but when she had thought about the situation during the afternoon she came to the decision that she couldn't tell Monica the truth. She knew that if she told Monica what really happened she would lose her best friend forever. And she knew that if she lost Monica, she would lose the rest of her friends as well. And Ross. She needed Ross. She couldn't raise the baby on her own. Just the thought of it let her panic.
She couldn't come up with a reason why she had kissed Chandler. But she also couldn't change what happened. Now she had to do some damage control. And if that meant to lie to pass the blame she would do it.
And before she could really think about what to say the words came out. "Monica, I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. But on the other hand I'm glad that it's over. That was the worst month of my life."
"Month? What. month?! Are you saying this was already going on for a month?" Monica felt totally numb. Could it be? She didn't know what to think anymore. But before she could grasp a coherent thought Rachel spoke again.
"I know. And I felt so guilty the whole time. But I didn't know how to stop it. I think it was because of the hormones. Like Phoebe was during her forth month of pregnancy, when she was willing to sleep with anyone." Rachel couldn't believe how easy the lies came out of her mouth.
"Hold on. So you and Chandler have been together for over a month? How could you two do that to me?"
"I don't know how it happened. One day, you weren't here; I was in your apartment. Chandler kissed me and I don't know if it were the hormones or not, but I couldn't stop him. Before I knew we slept together and somehow it snowballed from there." Rachel cried. She hoped Monica would believe her and think that she really wasn't to blame and that she would eventually forgive her.
"Oh my god. I can't believe it. I can't even look at you." With that Monica stormed out of the apartment and left a guilty looking Rachel behind.
~*~
Chandler returned to the now deserted apartment. He looked in the bedroom, the guest room and the bathroom, but Monica was nowhere in sight. He sat in a chair at the kitchen table and thought about what he should do next. After some minutes he stood and left the apartment. He had to look for Monica. It was making him crazy to just sit and wait.
Little did he know that he missed Monica by just a few seconds. He turned around a corner as Monica made her way across the street and into her building. She hoped Chandler wouldn't be there when she got home. Because she didn't know what she would do if he was. At that moment she was so mad that her feelings of sadness were pushed back. But as soon as she stepped into her apartment it all came back. The feelings of betrayal, hurt and sadness. So she went to the couch and broke down in tears. She buried her head in the cushions and cried till her eyes burned.
She was in this condition when Joey and Phoebe came laughing through the door. They both stopped dead in their tracks. Phoebe rushed over to Monica and put a comforting arm around her.
"Monica, what happened?" Joey asked as he walked over to the couch.
"Chandler. he.he." Monica tried to talk through her sniveling but she had a hiccup that made it impossible to get out a sentence.
"Shush, its ok, take your time. Did something happen to Chandler?" Phoebe asked, worried that something awful had happened to Chandler.
"What is it?" Joey asked crouching down next to Monica's head.
"He.he cheated on me." Monica managed to say.
Joey stood abruptly and took a step back. "What?!" he screeched. "No! That can't be!"
"Joey! Now, Monica, what exactly happened? Why do you think he cheated on you?" Phoebe wanted to know.
Monica sat up and grabbed a tissue from the side table next to the sofa. She dried her eyes and looked from Joey to Phoebe before speaking.
"I came home today and saw him kissing Rachel."
"Rachel? Our Rachel? Are you sure?" Joey interrupted. Phoebe just looked shocked at Monica.
"Yes, Joey, I'm sure. After that I ran out. But Chandler followed me and said it wasn't as it seemed. But I didn't believe him and went to Rachel. She then confessed that she and Chandler had been sleeping together for the last month." Monica said with a breaking voice.
Joey and Phoebe both stood there with open mouths. They couldn't believe what they were hearing.
~*~
Chandler had been walking through the park and saw that it was already getting dark. He had tried to call Rachel earlier but nobody had answered the phone. He thought it would be the best if he went home now. Maybe he could explain the situation to Monica so that she understood that nothing had really happened.
Just as he entered his apartment Phoebe came out of the bedroom. She shot him an angry look. "You have nerves to come back." She said with clenched teeth.
"What do you mean Phoebe? I didn't do anything."
"Oh, so you didn't have an affair with Rachel? Y'know, you can throw your act. Rachel already told Monica all about the last month." Phoebe said.
"Wha.What about last month." Chandler didn't understand what Phoebe was talking about but he didn't like what he heard.
"Chandler, don't play dumb. Just admit that you slept with Rachel. Maybe Monica can forgive you. Although I doubt it." Phoebe got frustrated with the fact that Chandler lied to her face. The least he could do was confess and take the responsibility like Rachel. Denying just made it worse.
"Phoebe, I don't know what you are talking about. Is Monica in there?" He pointed to the bedroom. "I want to talk to her."
"Yes, she is in there. But I won't let you wake her up. She finally cried herself to sleep." Phoebe said while moving in front of the door.
"That is my wife in there and I want to talk to her. Now get out of the way." Chandler tried to push his way past Phoebe.
"No! You can't go in there!" Phoebe raised her voice.
"It's ok Phoebe. I'm awake." Came Monica's whispered voice from behind her. "Chandler, I don't want to see you or speak to you ever again. What you did is inexcusable." Monica said to Chandler.
"Monica, I don't know what you think to know. But you have to hear me out. It was just a kiss. And I didn't even kiss back!" Chandler panicked. He didn't know what was going on or why they thought he had slept with Rachel.
"Ok, drop your act already. Rachel told me about you two and you are not talking yourself out of this. Now go, leave this apartment. I don't care where you go as long as I don't have to see you anymore." Monica said with an emotionless voice.
"Monica." Chandler whispered with his head down.
"No, Chandler! Get out! GET OUT!" Monica screamed. Chandler threw a last glance at Monica and Phoebe but saw nothing on their faces but contempt. So he turned around and left the apartment.
TBC . . .
Ok, that was chapter two. I know Rachel is a little out of character but that is necessary for the story. I'll try to post the next part sooner. Leaving a review might help me to hurry up. ;-)
Monica walked aimless through the streets till she ended up in front of Rachel's door. She knocked before she opened it.
"Rachel, are you here?" She called as soon as she entered the apartment.
A moment later Rachel emerged from her bedroom. Her eyes were puffy and it was obvious that she had been crying too. "Monica, I am so sorry. I."
"What are you sorry about?" Monica cut her off. "That you took something that was mine? Again? Or that I caught you? Y'know, I thought we were both grown ups and could be happy for the other. You saw how happy I was and you had to destroy it. Is that it? That is what you always do. Why? What is your problem?!" Monica was furious now and paced through the living room like a trapped animal.
Maybe it was the hormones, but when she had thought about the situation during the afternoon she came to the decision that she couldn't tell Monica the truth. She knew that if she told Monica what really happened she would lose her best friend forever. And she knew that if she lost Monica, she would lose the rest of her friends as well. And Ross. She needed Ross. She couldn't raise the baby on her own. Just the thought of it let her panic.
She couldn't come up with a reason why she had kissed Chandler. But she also couldn't change what happened. Now she had to do some damage control. And if that meant to lie to pass the blame she would do it.
And before she could really think about what to say the words came out. "Monica, I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. But on the other hand I'm glad that it's over. That was the worst month of my life."
"Month? What. month?! Are you saying this was already going on for a month?" Monica felt totally numb. Could it be? She didn't know what to think anymore. But before she could grasp a coherent thought Rachel spoke again.
"I know. And I felt so guilty the whole time. But I didn't know how to stop it. I think it was because of the hormones. Like Phoebe was during her forth month of pregnancy, when she was willing to sleep with anyone." Rachel couldn't believe how easy the lies came out of her mouth.
"Hold on. So you and Chandler have been together for over a month? How could you two do that to me?"
"I don't know how it happened. One day, you weren't here; I was in your apartment. Chandler kissed me and I don't know if it were the hormones or not, but I couldn't stop him. Before I knew we slept together and somehow it snowballed from there." Rachel cried. She hoped Monica would believe her and think that she really wasn't to blame and that she would eventually forgive her.
"Oh my god. I can't believe it. I can't even look at you." With that Monica stormed out of the apartment and left a guilty looking Rachel behind.
~*~
Chandler returned to the now deserted apartment. He looked in the bedroom, the guest room and the bathroom, but Monica was nowhere in sight. He sat in a chair at the kitchen table and thought about what he should do next. After some minutes he stood and left the apartment. He had to look for Monica. It was making him crazy to just sit and wait.
Little did he know that he missed Monica by just a few seconds. He turned around a corner as Monica made her way across the street and into her building. She hoped Chandler wouldn't be there when she got home. Because she didn't know what she would do if he was. At that moment she was so mad that her feelings of sadness were pushed back. But as soon as she stepped into her apartment it all came back. The feelings of betrayal, hurt and sadness. So she went to the couch and broke down in tears. She buried her head in the cushions and cried till her eyes burned.
She was in this condition when Joey and Phoebe came laughing through the door. They both stopped dead in their tracks. Phoebe rushed over to Monica and put a comforting arm around her.
"Monica, what happened?" Joey asked as he walked over to the couch.
"Chandler. he.he." Monica tried to talk through her sniveling but she had a hiccup that made it impossible to get out a sentence.
"Shush, its ok, take your time. Did something happen to Chandler?" Phoebe asked, worried that something awful had happened to Chandler.
"What is it?" Joey asked crouching down next to Monica's head.
"He.he cheated on me." Monica managed to say.
Joey stood abruptly and took a step back. "What?!" he screeched. "No! That can't be!"
"Joey! Now, Monica, what exactly happened? Why do you think he cheated on you?" Phoebe wanted to know.
Monica sat up and grabbed a tissue from the side table next to the sofa. She dried her eyes and looked from Joey to Phoebe before speaking.
"I came home today and saw him kissing Rachel."
"Rachel? Our Rachel? Are you sure?" Joey interrupted. Phoebe just looked shocked at Monica.
"Yes, Joey, I'm sure. After that I ran out. But Chandler followed me and said it wasn't as it seemed. But I didn't believe him and went to Rachel. She then confessed that she and Chandler had been sleeping together for the last month." Monica said with a breaking voice.
Joey and Phoebe both stood there with open mouths. They couldn't believe what they were hearing.
~*~
Chandler had been walking through the park and saw that it was already getting dark. He had tried to call Rachel earlier but nobody had answered the phone. He thought it would be the best if he went home now. Maybe he could explain the situation to Monica so that she understood that nothing had really happened.
Just as he entered his apartment Phoebe came out of the bedroom. She shot him an angry look. "You have nerves to come back." She said with clenched teeth.
"What do you mean Phoebe? I didn't do anything."
"Oh, so you didn't have an affair with Rachel? Y'know, you can throw your act. Rachel already told Monica all about the last month." Phoebe said.
"Wha.What about last month." Chandler didn't understand what Phoebe was talking about but he didn't like what he heard.
"Chandler, don't play dumb. Just admit that you slept with Rachel. Maybe Monica can forgive you. Although I doubt it." Phoebe got frustrated with the fact that Chandler lied to her face. The least he could do was confess and take the responsibility like Rachel. Denying just made it worse.
"Phoebe, I don't know what you are talking about. Is Monica in there?" He pointed to the bedroom. "I want to talk to her."
"Yes, she is in there. But I won't let you wake her up. She finally cried herself to sleep." Phoebe said while moving in front of the door.
"That is my wife in there and I want to talk to her. Now get out of the way." Chandler tried to push his way past Phoebe.
"No! You can't go in there!" Phoebe raised her voice.
"It's ok Phoebe. I'm awake." Came Monica's whispered voice from behind her. "Chandler, I don't want to see you or speak to you ever again. What you did is inexcusable." Monica said to Chandler.
"Monica, I don't know what you think to know. But you have to hear me out. It was just a kiss. And I didn't even kiss back!" Chandler panicked. He didn't know what was going on or why they thought he had slept with Rachel.
"Ok, drop your act already. Rachel told me about you two and you are not talking yourself out of this. Now go, leave this apartment. I don't care where you go as long as I don't have to see you anymore." Monica said with an emotionless voice.
"Monica." Chandler whispered with his head down.
"No, Chandler! Get out! GET OUT!" Monica screamed. Chandler threw a last glance at Monica and Phoebe but saw nothing on their faces but contempt. So he turned around and left the apartment.
TBC . . .
Ok, that was chapter two. I know Rachel is a little out of character but that is necessary for the story. I'll try to post the next part sooner. Leaving a review might help me to hurry up. ;-)