"...dear Jack and Erica, Happy Birthday to you!"

The gang was gathered around the kitchen table singing the birthday song to Jack and Erica, and Chandler was leaning in between the two high-chairs ready to help the babies blow out their candles. He blew as hard as he could as soon as the song ended and ended up blowing out the candles and losing his red clown nose in the process. He sheepishly leaned down to pick it up form the floor, and came back up to see Jack holding up a fist full of chocolate from his cake, while Erica had chocolate all over her, even in her pale hair, and Monica was in a frenzy, snapping pictures of every cute moment, blinding everyone with her enthusiasm.

After cake, it was time for presents, and the group moved back into the living room for it. Monica sat on the floor in front of the couch with a baby on either side of her, and Chandler began handing them their gifts. As usual, the babies were more interested in the wrapping paper and bows the gifts were wrapped in, so Rachel allowed Emma to help the twins open their gifts.

From the corner of his eye, Chandler noticed his mother and Juan sneaking out of the room, and he sincerely hoped that they weren't heading upstairs in search of a bedroom, but he had a suspicion that was exactly what they were doing.

After the presents were opened Monica gave Chandler a look and gestured for him to do something to entertain the guests and the children. This was the moment Chandler had been dreading all day, but after spending 2 hours in his clown make-up he was beginning to feel comfortable. He took the large blow-up hammer out of the pocket in his clown-suit and hit himself over the head with it, causing it to squeak, and the kids to howl with laughter. He began to ham it up, dancing around the room, and making funny faces at the babies. At one point he thought he heard Judy murmur to Ross, "Emma's party was much more tasteful," but he couldn't be sure over the laughter coming from the kids, Monica, Rachel, and Phoebe.

Chandler was having a great time, hamming it up, when he began hopping backwards towards the doorway, but tripped over his large shoes and fell flat on his back. The kids laughed, but Monica gasped, jumping up to run to his side. He lay for a moment staring up at the ceiling, right as his mother and Juan came back down the stairs and stood, confused, over top of him. Chandler noticed that Juan's shirt was buttoned incorrectly and his mom's dress looked a bit...torn...on the side. Chandler closed his eyes and lifted his head, thumping it back down onto the hardwood floor.

"So," Nora asked brightly, "are there any party games?"

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The phone rang and Monica answered it on speaker.

"Hey, Mon!" the voice on the other end exclaimed, "Hey, Chan. Hey, Babies, and...everyone else that's there!"

"Joey!" Monica cried, grinning. "I'm so glad you called!"

Everyone began calling out greetings to him, as Nora, Juan, Jack and Judy left the room for the kitchen in order to clear the room a bit and give the friends a bit of privacy.

"Hey, hey," Joey called, after a few minutes of everyone talking to him all at once, "there's enough Joey for everyone. But, today, I've called for my little niece and nephew. Are they there?"

Ross snorted. "No, Joey, they're out meeting with their accountant."

"What?" Joey asked, "Should I call back?"

Chandler hit Ross over the head with the blow-up hammer and said, "No, Joe. They're right here. Would you like to sing to them?"

"Well, maybe in a minute. But, first, I have a surprise for them. And, if I've timed it right, it should arrive...right...now." Joey paused, and Monica looked up at Chandler, confused.

After a moment or two of silence Chandler said, "Uh...Joe? Nothing has happened. What are we waiting for?"

Joey groaned. "Something should be coming to your door...NOW!"

After a moment, Monica spoke up. "Still nothing, Joe."

"Damn-it!" Joey cried, "If this were a movie the timing would have been perfect! Okay, then...NOW!...NOW!...NOW!"

Just then, on Joey's third "NOW!" the Bing's doorbell rang. Joey yelled out in triumph and Chandler went to answer the door. The man at the door looked at him skeptically for a moment, but then looked down at the clipboard in his hands and smiled.

"Kids birthday?" he asked, nodding his head towards Chandler's attire.

Chandler shook his head. "Nope, the wife has a thing for clowns."

The man coughed, surprised, and handed the clipboard over to Chandler for him to sign. He signed for Joey's gift and moved aside for the man to move the gifts inside.

Once in, Monica gaped at the size of the presents and ripped into them, not even bothering to pretend the babies were helping. The gifts turned out to be two beautiful toy-boxes, a light purple one for Erica and a light green one for Jack. Each box was personalized with the baby's names and had nursery rhymes engraved into them.

"Oh, Joey!" Monica cried, choking back tears, "They're beautiful! Thank you so much!"

"Yeah, man," Chandler said, putting his arm around Monica and watching as Erica and Jack both pulled themselves up on Jack's box, "thanks. This makes up for having to dress as a clown today."

Joey laughed. "Are you wearing makeup, dude?"

Chandler grunted in reply.

Just then Phoebe piped up, "Hey, Joey! Guess what! Ross is going to propose to Rachel tonight!"

Joey cried "Yeah, baby!" just as Ross cried, "Phoebe!", and Rachel, again, acted as if she hadn't heard anything at all.

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Later that night, Monica and Chandler stood over Erica and Jack's cribs, smiling down at their now 1 year old babies.

The party had broken up soon after Joey had called, with Nora and Juan leaving in a rush of kisses and promises to return soon. Phoebe had left a few minutes after that, but not before wishing Ross and Rachel luck, telling Ross that surely the "fourth time would be the charm". Jack and Judy left with Emma, taking her home so that Ross and Rachel could celebrate their anniversary. Judy had been teary eyed, clinging to Rachel's hand and saying how pleased she would be to soon call her 'daughter'.

Ross and Rachel had left last, Ross pulling Chandler aside to see Rachel's diamond ring, while Rachel hugged Monica tightly, whispering how nervous she was, and how excited.

Monica smiled up at Chandler from where she leaned against his chest, turning in his arms to lean up and kiss him as he had just removed the clown makeup, but still wore the clown suit and wig.

"Can you believe that a year has passed since they were born?" Monica asked, looking back over her shoulder at Jack and Erica's cribs. "It seems like they've always been with us."

Chandler smiled fondly down at his children and nodded. "I know. I just hope the rest of their 18 years with us don't go as quickly as this one has. And I hope I don't have to wear this clown suit every year..."

Monica hummed her agreement, but slapped Chandler lightly on the arm for the clown suit comment. They exited the room after turning down the lights, and headed for their own bedroom, Chandler sitting on the bed and patting it sexily, after adjusting the wig on his head. "Why don't you come over here, little girl," he said, smiling.

Monica giggled. "That would be sexy if you didn't look like Pennywise."

Chandler nodded, and laughed himself. "Come over here, anyway," he said and she complied, coming over to once again kiss him on the mouth. She began to lean in to him but jumped back as she pushed on the blow-up hammer that was still in his pocket and it gave a loud squeak.

"Oh, my," she said, giggling, "is that a blow-up hammer in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"

Chandler laughed and pulled her down on the bed with him. "Monica," he said, pulling back a bare inch from her lips, "I'm always happy to see you."

Maybe dressing up as a clown wasn't so bad after all.

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I hope everyone has enjoyed this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it! I just love to read about Monica and Chandler parenting...and I think Chandler dressed as a clown for his babies would be adorable! I'd like to thank everyone for all the kind reviews! You've been great!