Recap: Joey and Chandler just robbed the Geller and the Burke residences.
The Meeting
That afternoon once the Geller family arrived home they were unpleasantly surprised. They had been burglarized.
Everybody was complaining about what had been stolen. Everything from the fur and the jewelry which included Judy's mother's engagement ring. To the china and the crystal. The important papers and so forth.
While the police were there checking for prints and finding none, Monica was getting ready to go to Rachel's house and stay. She really did not want to be there while that was going on. She really did not have any valuable stuff.
Except a few items of her jewelry. Which were a necklace her father had given to her when she was sixteen, a bracelet that Rachel gave her as a friendship present, and a birthstone ring her grandfather had given her on her tenth birthday. The rest was all costume jewelry. Or knickknacks that could easily be replaced. Not to mention a quilt that had been passed down by her grandmother. But the thieves left that.
After getting her clothes together, she started to look for her diary. After looking all over for it, she realized that if it wasn't there, the thieves must have it with them. She then ran out of the room.
"MOM, DAD…They took my diary!"
"They ONLY took your diary and jewelry. So you did not loose much. Your brother has all of his important stuff stolen."
"And amazingly enough, it is his dinosaur junk."
"It is NOT junk! IT is MY COLLECTION!"
"Monica, you can replace the diary and jewelry. Ross can not replace his collection." Jack explained to his daughter. Just then a car horn was heard.
"That is Rachel, I have to go." Monica ran to her room and grabbed her bag and quilt. As she was leaving the phone rang.
"Hello… Richard, now is not a good time. We were robbed…You were too…" Monica didn't listen to another word of the conversation that her mom was having with Dr. Burke.
Later that night, Monica was lying on Rachel's bed. "…I mean they took my diary. It had all of my hopes and fears in it. My dreams. Everything." Monica rolled over on her back. "Just the idea of it being in a jerk's hands really gets me. Ya know."
"Mon, sweetie, maybe they were just looking for information. Like where you bank at and other stuff."
"Ya think so?"
"Possibly. And once they see that it is nothing important, they will probably get rid of it."
Monica half way smiled. "Maybe."
Apartment New York City
Chandler set the diary aside and looked at the small picture he had of Monica. Then he smiled. Yup, she was the girl for him. He already had his heart set on her. And now he knew her intamentally and what she liked and hoped for. He had a leg up.
He also looked at the jewelry he saved. It was all hers. All was not pretentious and all of her. He then picked up a perfume bottle, smelt it and smiled. He could just imagine her scent. Spring time and fresh. Perfect.
He then thought about his family. Which consisted of Joey and Phoebe. His mom sent him to live with a friend of the family who lived in Queens, right next door to the Tribbianni's. Joey and him became the best of friends. As well as Phoebe who was placed in the same house as him. It was a foster care home. Her sister ended up in Juvenile hall so many times that finally was sent to a kid's prison or home up in Albany.
After his mom and dad divorced. His dad moved away. His mom had two choices of either sending him to a boarding school or to an old friend's house.
So she sent him to live at the friend's house. With only enough money to be sent to feed and cloth him. And a bit more for extra for living expenses.
Chandler had so much free time that he started borrowing money by pick pocketing. But their was another one. Joey helped him as well. Then they went up from there and started robbing different places. Ie…lifting car stereos and then a bit later when they turned seventeen they were breaking into houses and stealing. They had yet to be caught.
When they were not breaking into houses, they were at their legitament jobs. Chandler was auditioning at music studios hoping to get a record deal or playing at night at the clubs hoping to get noticed and Joey was going to auditions to become an actor.
If they would not have become burglars, they would not have been able to afford living in New York. But since they did that, they did not have to worry too much about money. All they had to worry about was getting caught and unloading their stuff.
Right then the stuff they were having trouble unloading was the dinosaur stuff. The other stuff went quickly. So for the 'toys' as they called it went to a homeless shelter. Maybe it would make some kids happy.
AS Chandler set there thinking, Joey walked in. "Hey, how was your night?" Chandler asked.
"Great, dude. I got some tickets to the next hockey game." Just then he got sight of what he was holding. "Chandler what is that?" Joey pointed toward the stuff.
"Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me. Here is $250. I have decided to keep the jewelry."
"And the book?"
"Oh her diary. According to this she is just like me."
"Oh no. Let me guess. You are attracted to her."
"Yup."
"You know you can't keep it."
"I know."
"So you are going to get rid of it."
"Well, yes."
"Where are ya going to ditch it at?"
"I am taking it back."
"What?"
"Think about it, Joe. They will not suspect a good Samaritan who found it in a bag." He then handed the picture to Joey.
"You want to date this girl."
"Wouldn't you?"
Four days later
Chandler knocked at the door. After a bit, the door opened.
"Hi, Monica Geller?"
"Yes."
"My name is Chandler Bing. I have something that I believe is yours." Chandler then Handed her a huge envelope.
Monica opened it up and looked inside it. "My diary and jewelry. Where did you find it?"
"I found besides a garbage can as well as some dinosaur stuff inside of it. I tripped over the bag into it."
"You see we have just been robbed four days ago. Why would they have thrown away the jewelry like that?"
"Quite possibly, it was mixed up with the other junk. Or they forgot about it."
Monica laughed. "Ya think?"
Chandler smiled. "I mean the other stuff was stuffed into garbage bags and it looked as though that it was accidentally put or leftthere."
"I see. I guess that would explain it." Monica held the envelope close to her. "Well I got all my stuff back. Thanks." Monica smiled at him.
"You're welcome. Hey, I am famished. How about a bite to eat. My treat."
"I don't know."
"We could celebrate you getting your stuff back."
"Anywhere I want to go?"
"Sure."
"Great. Just let me tell my parents."
"Sure."
"Come on in."
"Thanks." Monica then led Chandler into the house. It was now clean, yet missing a few items. Like a TV set and other stuff.
"Well, who is this?" Jack asked.
"Mom, dad, Ross. This is Chandler Bing. He just returned my stuff."
"What?" They all shouted.
"I found it next to a garbage can. Looks like the thieves forgot it. I mean that can was stuffed full of dinosaur crap-o-la. I tripped over something on the ground and fell into the cans."
"It is NOT crap! They are COLLECTABLES!" Then coming down from his anger. "Hey, did you get my stuff?"
"Uh, no. I mean why would I bother with what was in a trash…uh, how about them Knicks?" Chandler changed the subject.
Monica tried her best not to laugh. "Mom, dad, Chandler invited me to go for a burger. I will see you in two hours."
"One." Jack ordered.
"Alright, one."
"Where will you be at?"
"The Dairy Queen."
Thirty minutes later, Monica and Chandler were both enjoying themselves. Each had the empty wrappers of two hamburgers and an empty fry box. And two cokes. They were now eating their ice creams.
"…You mean to tell me that your brother even had dinosaur boxers? How much of a geek can one kid be?"
"Not only then, but now as well."
"He still wears dino boxers?"
"Yup. And has a collection of dinosaur movies. Everything from cartoons to documentaries."
"C-cartoons?" Chandler was laughing so hard he was almost crying.
"From Denver The Last Dinosaur to The Land Before Time." After hearing that, Chandler fell off his stool with gales of laughter. "Chandler, are you alright?" Monica then helped him up from the floor.
"Please tell me that he does not watch them." Monica was trying as hard as she could not to laugh. "Oh my GOD!"
Just then Rachel walked over. "Hey, Monica. Uh, who is your friend?"
"Rachel Green this is Chandler Bing. He found my stuff. It was accidentally left besides a garbage can." Rachel and Chandler shook hands.
"How can you be so sure that it was accidentally left?"
"Well, he tripped over the bag and into a trash can that held all of Ross's dinosaur stuff."
"At least the thieves had good taste."
"That is true." Monica agreed. Chandler just smiled.
"Oh, yeah. My manners. Rachel would you like to join us?" Chandler asked.
"No, that is alright. I am waiting for my boyfriend and thought I would come over and say hello." She then started to leave. "It was nice to have met you Chandler. And thanks for what you have done. I told ya Monica that you really shouldn't worry." She then went on.
"Hey, since we are done, want to go for a drive?" Chandler asked.
"Well, I would like to but I should really get home. Maybe next time." Chandler put his hand over hers.
"You would like to?"
"Like to what?"
"Maybe meet up again."
"Sure."
"See a movie."
"As long as I get to pick."
"Sounds great."
"Let's see. Today is Wednesday. How about Friday?"
Monica smiled then frowned. "I HAVE to go to one of Ross's science competitions."
"Ok. Saturday?"
"Sounds great."
"Ok. How about I pick you up around noon and we get something to eat first."
"Sounds great."
"Then it is a date?"
"It is a date."