When Janice got to the other apartment, she found the door locked. She wrung her hands and called to her boyfriend plaintively. "Sweetie? Bing-a-ling?"
Chandler answered from the other side, "I-I don't wanna talk about it anymore. Please!"
"All right, I'll stop. I'm sorry."
"Really? You promise?"
She nodded and hoped that Chandler could see her remorse and sincerity through the peephole. "Yes, I promise." There was no point in arguing with him now. Janice always had to know when to back off with Chandler because he was liable to do anything when he was panicky and upset. After all, he once appeared at her supermarket, inexplicably talked British to her, and ended up throwing a bag of barley at her before running off. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you, honey. I love you so much."
He believed her and sounded calmer now. "I know." After a moment, he unlocked the door and opened it, whispering, "I love you too."
"Oh, Bing-a-ling!" She came inside and threw her arms around him.
"Janice!" They hugged each other tightly, and Chandler kissed her, not wanting to let her go, ever. He sighed and smelled her hair. Next to that scent, only the smell of cigarettes was more comforting to him.
"Listen," she caressed his cheek, "it's gonna be okay, sweetie. Just come back and have breakfast with us."
He pulled away anxiously. "No, I-I don't wanna see Joey right now."
She squeezed his hand. "But you can't just stay here, honey. Everyone will wonder what's wrong, or Joey will think you're sick and come after you again."
"But I can't! I just can't!" He got very upset and looked around for somewhere to hide. He even considered leaving the building entirely and finding a store that sold cigarettes.
"Oh, honey-bunny!" She hugged and kissed him again, rubbing his arm soothingly. "Maybe, um, I can keep him busy somehow? Or you can go lie down in your room, and I'll bring you a breakfast tray. Please just come back."
"All--all right." He reluctantly shrugged. "But I'm not hungry now."
"Okay. Maybe later, then."
He nodded and let her lead him back across the hall.
When they returned, Joey soon approached them and asked, "You okay, Chandler?"
Chandler shied away and looked to Janice desperately.
She waved Joey away and said quickly, "It's okay, it's okay. He was just feeling a little, um, queasy, and had to get to the bathroom in a hurry."
"Yeah," Chandler murmured, keeping his eyes fixed on the floor. "I'm gonna go back to bed now." He headed to his room again.
Joey remained concerned. "You sure you're all right now? Maybe I should get you a bucket in case you have to hurl again."
"No, no, Chandler doesn't want to make a fuss," Janice answered. "Besides, it's Phoebe we should all be worrying about now. Remember?"
"But--"
"Joey, can you just watch Ruthie please while I get Chandler settled? Thank you." She ushered Chandler back to his bedroom, not letting Joey get close to them.
Soon Chandler locked himself inside again, so Janice came back and checked on her toddler, who was still playing with the chick and the duck while Rachel watched.
Joey pouted and resented not being allowed near Chandler. What, did Janice think that he'd be incompetent at taking care of his own roommate? Then why did she trust him to take care of her daughter, huh? Besides, Joey could remember many times when Chandler would get drunk and throw up a lot; once, he even fell asleep with his head in the toilet, and Joey had helped him to bed.
Janice noticed Joey staring at Chandler's bedroom door, so she spoke reassuringly, "It's nothing serious, Joey. He just needs a little nap, that's all. Uh, how is Phoebe doing, by the way?" When Joey just shrugged, Janice called out, "Monica?"
Monica called from the bathroom that Phoebe needed more tea, and some pillows to rest her aching knees on.
"Oh, poor thing!" Janice got up to help, and Rachel followed her with some pillows.
While all the women hovered in or near the bathroom, Joey remained in the living room, trying to pay attention to Ruthie and not worry about Chandler. Sure, he knew that an ailing pregnant woman should be the first priority, and a hyper toddler like Ruthie shouldn't be left alone to wreak havoc on the birds or the apartment, but a nagging part of Joey cared more about Chandler really. He wondered why Chandler couldn't just lie down on the living room couch where everyone could keep an eye on him. At least that way, Joey could still sort of hang out with him.
Joey sighed and hoped that Chandler would return from his nap soon. He still didn't know why Chandler had locked the door, nor why he had bothered to get dressed at all, if he was in such a rush for the bathroom.
***
In his room, Chandler sat on his bed and remained apprehensive about his erotic dreams about Joey. Why couldn't Janice have just said, "It doesn't mean anything" again? Why did she have to draw that analogy between Joey and Phoebe? Even if Chandler could somehow reconcile himself to the idea of being bisexual, he was quite certain that Joey was completely straight. Besides, he and Joey were best friends and roommates, and he shouldn't jeopardize that relationship by wanting something more intimate. He didn't want to scare Joey away or make him uncomfortable; he just wanted the sex dreams to stop and for everything to return to normal again. If only he knew how to do that.
While Chandler brooded on all this, he could still hear Joey's voice from the living room, and he found himself listening to it. Joey was playing some game with Ruthie and the birds, and it reminded Chandler of how Joey sometimes babysat for his nieces and nephews. The seven Tribbiani sisters had all designated Joey the godfather of their many children.
"Hey, shh!" Joey warned Ruthie, who was giggling and squealing excitedly. "Chandler's taking a nap in there. Come on, you wanna another pancake? Huh?"
Chandler could picture the both of them getting syrup all over themselves and possibly the birds too. Joey was such a natural with kids, that it was easy to picture him being a great father one day, if only he could settle down with some woman first.
How ironic that Chandler was the one dating a single mother, when it was Joey who knew all about children. With a sigh, Chandler collapsed against the bed and realized the irony that he finally had Janice back for good, and yet somehow this happiness wasn't enough to make him stop wanting more. Why did he always want what he didn't have? With that Aurora woman with the open marriage, things had gone fine until Chandler had decided that he wanted monogamy. Now that he had his soulmate Janice, he found himself wanting Joey too. Chandler groaned and pulled the covers over himself, feeling guilty and miserable.
***
After another half an hour, Monica had to leave to get dressed for work; she was taking an earlier shift at the restaurant today, in order to free up the evening, so that she could double date with Rachel tonight.
Not long after Monica's departure, Janice asked Rachel and Joey to take Ruthie back across the hall, where they could get her all cleaned up from the syrup and let her play with her toys again.
Joey hesitated. "You sure you can handle Phoebe by yourself?"
Janice nodded. "Yeah, I think she's been through the worst of it now, and I'm going to go wake up Chandler in a minute. I'll see you guys at lunch time, okay?"
Joey was disappointed that Chandler still hadn't come out of his room yet, and he glanced at Janice resentfully as she ushered them to the door.
Janice certainly didn't mean to be so dismissive of Joey, but she knew that Chandler couldn't handle seeing him right now. "Please," she said, putting a hand on his arm. "He'll see you later." At least, she hoped so.
Joey grunted and departed with Rachel and Ruthie. Janice sighed and closed the door after them. She wondered whether Joey's concern and jealousy about Chandler indicated deeper feelings, or whether Chandler was right to insist that Joey was straight.
Just then, Chandler peeked his head out of his bedroom. "Did you lock the door yet?"
She turned to him. "Yes, honey."
So Chandler finally emerged, still looking rather haggard and distressed.
"Oh!" Janice rushed over and kissed him sympathetically. "You all right, Bing-a-ling?"
Chandler just shrugged and didn't meet her eyes. He asked quietly, "Is Phoebe okay?"
"Yeah, she's doing much better now. Wanna help me move her from the bathroom?"
"Sure. Uh, but--" he whispered, "--but don't tell her about my dreams or anything."
She nodded. "Okay, I promise."
Going to the bathroom, they helped Phoebe to slowly get up from the toilet and rinse out her mouth in the sink. Then Janice led Phoebe to the living room, with Chandler following behind with the pillows.
Phoebe's stomach had finally settled, but she felt drained and rather tired. "Ugh! Now I know why pregnant ladies have that special glow. It's from throwing up all morning."
"Oh, poor thing!" Janice patted her arm. "I'm sorry the crackers and tea didn't help much this morning. Maybe you shouldn't have had that pizza last night."
"Maybe. It's just so hard to find anything to eat lately that doesn't make me nauseous!"
They gingerly set Phoebe down on the living room couch and put the pillows around her. The chick and the duck gathered around her curiously, and Janice rubbed her shouldlers.
Chandler's stomach rumbled. "Sorry. I haven't had breakfast yet."
"Oh!" Janice said. "We still have some pancakes. Do you want some?"
"No." He went to the kitchen and poured himself some cereal and milk instead. Pulling up a stool, he ate at the foosball table, but found himself staring at the jars of jam on the kitchen counter. There was no way to stop thinking about Joey, it seemed.
Phoebe didn't feel like eating anything right now, so Janice got her a glass of water and gave her the TV remote. "Would it help if I massage you a little bit?" she offered.
While Janice tended to Phoebe, she wished that helping out Chandler could be as simple. She didn't know how to comfort him now, and whether it would be wise in the future to bring up the subject of Joey again. She wished that she could tell Phoebe about it, but she had already promised Chandler to keep that between them. Maybe he just needed some time to calm down.
Phoebe asked, "So, like, now that you guys told everybody that I stayed here last night, will it be okay if I stay tonight too?" She frowned. "Or would you rather I go home anyway, in case I get all nauseous again? I don't wanna ruin the rest of your weekend."
"Oh, honey!" Janice soothed her. "You're welcome to stay here and see how you feel tonight. You don't have to do anything if you're not up to it. Besides, you can go hang out with everybody across the hall, if you'd like."
"I guess so. And I am feeling a little better now."
"Good."
"Hey, what's the matter with Chandler over there?" Phoebe noticed him staring intently into his cereal bowl now. "Why's he so quiet?"
"Oh, um," Janice made an excuse, "well, he felt a little queasy after seeing you so sick. I mean, I know it's not as awful as what you went through this morning, but he had to go lie down a while."
"Really? Hmm, I guess I'm not surprised that he's squeamish. He was grossed out by both breastfeeding and tasting Carol's breastmilk."
"But, Phoebe, didn't you say you had more respect for him now?"
"Oh, he told you about that, huh?" She smiled a little at the memory of her solo session with Chandler. "Well, I do think he's a lot sexier now, and he can't be such a loser if he has you. He's got great taste!"
Janice kissed her fondly. "Oh, thank you sweetie. You know, since we told everybody that you stayed in Joey's room last night, we were thinking you could also tell them that you heard us having sex all night and were very impressed by Chandler's performance."
Phoebe giggled, "Yeah, I suppose that will boost his reputation with everybody. We shouldn't really be so hard on him, given that he does satisfy some women just fine. I guess it's just the contrast with Joey's confidence and frequent dates, you know."
"Yes, but Chandler is really wonderful when someone gives him a chance, and I love him so much that I'm never gonna let him get away from me again."
"Aw, that's sweet. I sometimes wish I could settle down with someone too, but everybody I really want leaves me. Like my ex-husband Duncan, and Ryan my submarine guy, and David my scientist guy." She sighed sadly. "David. I thought he said he'd be gone for three years, but I still haven't heard from him yet. Maybe he met someone in Minsk and he's moved on already."
"Oh, honey!" Janice hugged her sweetly. "I'm sure you have a soulmate somewhere, and if you ever get lonely waiting for him or her, you'll always have us to come to."
"Thank you," Phoebe hugged her and lay her head against Janice's shoulder.
After a while, Phoebe regained her appetite, so Janice made her a late breakfast. She offered both cereal and pancakes, letting Phoebe try both to see which made her the least nauseous. While Phoebe ate and watched TV with the birds, Janice went to check on Chandler, who had returned to his bedroom a while ago.
"Bing-a-ling, are you okay?" She closed the door behind her, then hugged him as he lay on the bed.
He frowned and said, "I gotta stop thinking about him. If I could just stop..."
She sighed and kissed him comfortingly. "Will you be able to see him today? Like at lunch and dinner? I wouldn't ask you to see him, but he looked really upset when I wouldn't let him see you. He misses you a lot, I think, and he doesn't like being locked out."
"I know." Chandler remembered last night after dinner, when Joey had said that he missed Chandler and hated it when Chandler bonded with Ross and others about "college junk." They had hugged so tightly that it made Chandler ache for more. "I-I miss him too," he admitted softly. "I should see him, I guess, and tell him I'm all right. But please don't leave me alone with him, Janice. Please."
"I promise I won't, honey. Besides, we'll have Phoebe, Monica, and Rachel there sometimes, and Ruthie too. They'll be plenty of distractions if you need them. Just let him see you and maybe play foosball with you or something."
"Okay," he said. "But after this weekend, I've gotta find a shrink or something to help me out. Maybe I'll look up that old therapist my parents sent me to during their divorce. Yeah, Dr. Meyer will know my old issues already and he'll know what to do to cure me."
Janice frowned, but said nothing. She hoped that some sessions with Dr. Meyer would convince Chandler that there really was no such thing as a cure for his attraction to Joey. Maybe then they could talk it over together, and she could tell him again that it was all right with her.
"Janice," Chandler turned to face her and began kissing her warmly. "I love you."
"I love you too."
He pulled her closer to him, and kept kissing her. Janice could tell that he really wanted reassurance, so she went along and made love to him, hoping that Phoebe would be all right until they were done.
[Chandler mentioned that he was sent to a shrink in episode 211, TOW The Lesbian Wedding. But he didn't mention a name or gender for this shrink.
As for Joey, I have no proof that he is the godfather, and not merely uncle, to his nieces and nephews. I just remember him saying in season 1 that he loves babies, and in season 2, TOW The Baby on the Bus, he says that he has taken care of "hundreds" of kids. Bus incident aside, I think Joey is mostly responsible and competent with children.
In episode 405, TOW Joey's New Girlfriend, Joey tells Kathy about the time that Chandler got so drunk, he fell asleep with his head on the toilet. I'm assuming that even though Joey laughs about the incident, he did actually clean up Chandler and put him in bed. Also, we've already seen Chandler get awfully drunk during TOW Chandler Can't Remember Which Sister, so I'm guessing that Joey has helped Chandler out on this and similar occasions.]
Chandler answered from the other side, "I-I don't wanna talk about it anymore. Please!"
"All right, I'll stop. I'm sorry."
"Really? You promise?"
She nodded and hoped that Chandler could see her remorse and sincerity through the peephole. "Yes, I promise." There was no point in arguing with him now. Janice always had to know when to back off with Chandler because he was liable to do anything when he was panicky and upset. After all, he once appeared at her supermarket, inexplicably talked British to her, and ended up throwing a bag of barley at her before running off. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you, honey. I love you so much."
He believed her and sounded calmer now. "I know." After a moment, he unlocked the door and opened it, whispering, "I love you too."
"Oh, Bing-a-ling!" She came inside and threw her arms around him.
"Janice!" They hugged each other tightly, and Chandler kissed her, not wanting to let her go, ever. He sighed and smelled her hair. Next to that scent, only the smell of cigarettes was more comforting to him.
"Listen," she caressed his cheek, "it's gonna be okay, sweetie. Just come back and have breakfast with us."
He pulled away anxiously. "No, I-I don't wanna see Joey right now."
She squeezed his hand. "But you can't just stay here, honey. Everyone will wonder what's wrong, or Joey will think you're sick and come after you again."
"But I can't! I just can't!" He got very upset and looked around for somewhere to hide. He even considered leaving the building entirely and finding a store that sold cigarettes.
"Oh, honey-bunny!" She hugged and kissed him again, rubbing his arm soothingly. "Maybe, um, I can keep him busy somehow? Or you can go lie down in your room, and I'll bring you a breakfast tray. Please just come back."
"All--all right." He reluctantly shrugged. "But I'm not hungry now."
"Okay. Maybe later, then."
He nodded and let her lead him back across the hall.
When they returned, Joey soon approached them and asked, "You okay, Chandler?"
Chandler shied away and looked to Janice desperately.
She waved Joey away and said quickly, "It's okay, it's okay. He was just feeling a little, um, queasy, and had to get to the bathroom in a hurry."
"Yeah," Chandler murmured, keeping his eyes fixed on the floor. "I'm gonna go back to bed now." He headed to his room again.
Joey remained concerned. "You sure you're all right now? Maybe I should get you a bucket in case you have to hurl again."
"No, no, Chandler doesn't want to make a fuss," Janice answered. "Besides, it's Phoebe we should all be worrying about now. Remember?"
"But--"
"Joey, can you just watch Ruthie please while I get Chandler settled? Thank you." She ushered Chandler back to his bedroom, not letting Joey get close to them.
Soon Chandler locked himself inside again, so Janice came back and checked on her toddler, who was still playing with the chick and the duck while Rachel watched.
Joey pouted and resented not being allowed near Chandler. What, did Janice think that he'd be incompetent at taking care of his own roommate? Then why did she trust him to take care of her daughter, huh? Besides, Joey could remember many times when Chandler would get drunk and throw up a lot; once, he even fell asleep with his head in the toilet, and Joey had helped him to bed.
Janice noticed Joey staring at Chandler's bedroom door, so she spoke reassuringly, "It's nothing serious, Joey. He just needs a little nap, that's all. Uh, how is Phoebe doing, by the way?" When Joey just shrugged, Janice called out, "Monica?"
Monica called from the bathroom that Phoebe needed more tea, and some pillows to rest her aching knees on.
"Oh, poor thing!" Janice got up to help, and Rachel followed her with some pillows.
While all the women hovered in or near the bathroom, Joey remained in the living room, trying to pay attention to Ruthie and not worry about Chandler. Sure, he knew that an ailing pregnant woman should be the first priority, and a hyper toddler like Ruthie shouldn't be left alone to wreak havoc on the birds or the apartment, but a nagging part of Joey cared more about Chandler really. He wondered why Chandler couldn't just lie down on the living room couch where everyone could keep an eye on him. At least that way, Joey could still sort of hang out with him.
Joey sighed and hoped that Chandler would return from his nap soon. He still didn't know why Chandler had locked the door, nor why he had bothered to get dressed at all, if he was in such a rush for the bathroom.
***
In his room, Chandler sat on his bed and remained apprehensive about his erotic dreams about Joey. Why couldn't Janice have just said, "It doesn't mean anything" again? Why did she have to draw that analogy between Joey and Phoebe? Even if Chandler could somehow reconcile himself to the idea of being bisexual, he was quite certain that Joey was completely straight. Besides, he and Joey were best friends and roommates, and he shouldn't jeopardize that relationship by wanting something more intimate. He didn't want to scare Joey away or make him uncomfortable; he just wanted the sex dreams to stop and for everything to return to normal again. If only he knew how to do that.
While Chandler brooded on all this, he could still hear Joey's voice from the living room, and he found himself listening to it. Joey was playing some game with Ruthie and the birds, and it reminded Chandler of how Joey sometimes babysat for his nieces and nephews. The seven Tribbiani sisters had all designated Joey the godfather of their many children.
"Hey, shh!" Joey warned Ruthie, who was giggling and squealing excitedly. "Chandler's taking a nap in there. Come on, you wanna another pancake? Huh?"
Chandler could picture the both of them getting syrup all over themselves and possibly the birds too. Joey was such a natural with kids, that it was easy to picture him being a great father one day, if only he could settle down with some woman first.
How ironic that Chandler was the one dating a single mother, when it was Joey who knew all about children. With a sigh, Chandler collapsed against the bed and realized the irony that he finally had Janice back for good, and yet somehow this happiness wasn't enough to make him stop wanting more. Why did he always want what he didn't have? With that Aurora woman with the open marriage, things had gone fine until Chandler had decided that he wanted monogamy. Now that he had his soulmate Janice, he found himself wanting Joey too. Chandler groaned and pulled the covers over himself, feeling guilty and miserable.
***
After another half an hour, Monica had to leave to get dressed for work; she was taking an earlier shift at the restaurant today, in order to free up the evening, so that she could double date with Rachel tonight.
Not long after Monica's departure, Janice asked Rachel and Joey to take Ruthie back across the hall, where they could get her all cleaned up from the syrup and let her play with her toys again.
Joey hesitated. "You sure you can handle Phoebe by yourself?"
Janice nodded. "Yeah, I think she's been through the worst of it now, and I'm going to go wake up Chandler in a minute. I'll see you guys at lunch time, okay?"
Joey was disappointed that Chandler still hadn't come out of his room yet, and he glanced at Janice resentfully as she ushered them to the door.
Janice certainly didn't mean to be so dismissive of Joey, but she knew that Chandler couldn't handle seeing him right now. "Please," she said, putting a hand on his arm. "He'll see you later." At least, she hoped so.
Joey grunted and departed with Rachel and Ruthie. Janice sighed and closed the door after them. She wondered whether Joey's concern and jealousy about Chandler indicated deeper feelings, or whether Chandler was right to insist that Joey was straight.
Just then, Chandler peeked his head out of his bedroom. "Did you lock the door yet?"
She turned to him. "Yes, honey."
So Chandler finally emerged, still looking rather haggard and distressed.
"Oh!" Janice rushed over and kissed him sympathetically. "You all right, Bing-a-ling?"
Chandler just shrugged and didn't meet her eyes. He asked quietly, "Is Phoebe okay?"
"Yeah, she's doing much better now. Wanna help me move her from the bathroom?"
"Sure. Uh, but--" he whispered, "--but don't tell her about my dreams or anything."
She nodded. "Okay, I promise."
Going to the bathroom, they helped Phoebe to slowly get up from the toilet and rinse out her mouth in the sink. Then Janice led Phoebe to the living room, with Chandler following behind with the pillows.
Phoebe's stomach had finally settled, but she felt drained and rather tired. "Ugh! Now I know why pregnant ladies have that special glow. It's from throwing up all morning."
"Oh, poor thing!" Janice patted her arm. "I'm sorry the crackers and tea didn't help much this morning. Maybe you shouldn't have had that pizza last night."
"Maybe. It's just so hard to find anything to eat lately that doesn't make me nauseous!"
They gingerly set Phoebe down on the living room couch and put the pillows around her. The chick and the duck gathered around her curiously, and Janice rubbed her shouldlers.
Chandler's stomach rumbled. "Sorry. I haven't had breakfast yet."
"Oh!" Janice said. "We still have some pancakes. Do you want some?"
"No." He went to the kitchen and poured himself some cereal and milk instead. Pulling up a stool, he ate at the foosball table, but found himself staring at the jars of jam on the kitchen counter. There was no way to stop thinking about Joey, it seemed.
Phoebe didn't feel like eating anything right now, so Janice got her a glass of water and gave her the TV remote. "Would it help if I massage you a little bit?" she offered.
While Janice tended to Phoebe, she wished that helping out Chandler could be as simple. She didn't know how to comfort him now, and whether it would be wise in the future to bring up the subject of Joey again. She wished that she could tell Phoebe about it, but she had already promised Chandler to keep that between them. Maybe he just needed some time to calm down.
Phoebe asked, "So, like, now that you guys told everybody that I stayed here last night, will it be okay if I stay tonight too?" She frowned. "Or would you rather I go home anyway, in case I get all nauseous again? I don't wanna ruin the rest of your weekend."
"Oh, honey!" Janice soothed her. "You're welcome to stay here and see how you feel tonight. You don't have to do anything if you're not up to it. Besides, you can go hang out with everybody across the hall, if you'd like."
"I guess so. And I am feeling a little better now."
"Good."
"Hey, what's the matter with Chandler over there?" Phoebe noticed him staring intently into his cereal bowl now. "Why's he so quiet?"
"Oh, um," Janice made an excuse, "well, he felt a little queasy after seeing you so sick. I mean, I know it's not as awful as what you went through this morning, but he had to go lie down a while."
"Really? Hmm, I guess I'm not surprised that he's squeamish. He was grossed out by both breastfeeding and tasting Carol's breastmilk."
"But, Phoebe, didn't you say you had more respect for him now?"
"Oh, he told you about that, huh?" She smiled a little at the memory of her solo session with Chandler. "Well, I do think he's a lot sexier now, and he can't be such a loser if he has you. He's got great taste!"
Janice kissed her fondly. "Oh, thank you sweetie. You know, since we told everybody that you stayed in Joey's room last night, we were thinking you could also tell them that you heard us having sex all night and were very impressed by Chandler's performance."
Phoebe giggled, "Yeah, I suppose that will boost his reputation with everybody. We shouldn't really be so hard on him, given that he does satisfy some women just fine. I guess it's just the contrast with Joey's confidence and frequent dates, you know."
"Yes, but Chandler is really wonderful when someone gives him a chance, and I love him so much that I'm never gonna let him get away from me again."
"Aw, that's sweet. I sometimes wish I could settle down with someone too, but everybody I really want leaves me. Like my ex-husband Duncan, and Ryan my submarine guy, and David my scientist guy." She sighed sadly. "David. I thought he said he'd be gone for three years, but I still haven't heard from him yet. Maybe he met someone in Minsk and he's moved on already."
"Oh, honey!" Janice hugged her sweetly. "I'm sure you have a soulmate somewhere, and if you ever get lonely waiting for him or her, you'll always have us to come to."
"Thank you," Phoebe hugged her and lay her head against Janice's shoulder.
After a while, Phoebe regained her appetite, so Janice made her a late breakfast. She offered both cereal and pancakes, letting Phoebe try both to see which made her the least nauseous. While Phoebe ate and watched TV with the birds, Janice went to check on Chandler, who had returned to his bedroom a while ago.
"Bing-a-ling, are you okay?" She closed the door behind her, then hugged him as he lay on the bed.
He frowned and said, "I gotta stop thinking about him. If I could just stop..."
She sighed and kissed him comfortingly. "Will you be able to see him today? Like at lunch and dinner? I wouldn't ask you to see him, but he looked really upset when I wouldn't let him see you. He misses you a lot, I think, and he doesn't like being locked out."
"I know." Chandler remembered last night after dinner, when Joey had said that he missed Chandler and hated it when Chandler bonded with Ross and others about "college junk." They had hugged so tightly that it made Chandler ache for more. "I-I miss him too," he admitted softly. "I should see him, I guess, and tell him I'm all right. But please don't leave me alone with him, Janice. Please."
"I promise I won't, honey. Besides, we'll have Phoebe, Monica, and Rachel there sometimes, and Ruthie too. They'll be plenty of distractions if you need them. Just let him see you and maybe play foosball with you or something."
"Okay," he said. "But after this weekend, I've gotta find a shrink or something to help me out. Maybe I'll look up that old therapist my parents sent me to during their divorce. Yeah, Dr. Meyer will know my old issues already and he'll know what to do to cure me."
Janice frowned, but said nothing. She hoped that some sessions with Dr. Meyer would convince Chandler that there really was no such thing as a cure for his attraction to Joey. Maybe then they could talk it over together, and she could tell him again that it was all right with her.
"Janice," Chandler turned to face her and began kissing her warmly. "I love you."
"I love you too."
He pulled her closer to him, and kept kissing her. Janice could tell that he really wanted reassurance, so she went along and made love to him, hoping that Phoebe would be all right until they were done.
[Chandler mentioned that he was sent to a shrink in episode 211, TOW The Lesbian Wedding. But he didn't mention a name or gender for this shrink.
As for Joey, I have no proof that he is the godfather, and not merely uncle, to his nieces and nephews. I just remember him saying in season 1 that he loves babies, and in season 2, TOW The Baby on the Bus, he says that he has taken care of "hundreds" of kids. Bus incident aside, I think Joey is mostly responsible and competent with children.
In episode 405, TOW Joey's New Girlfriend, Joey tells Kathy about the time that Chandler got so drunk, he fell asleep with his head on the toilet. I'm assuming that even though Joey laughs about the incident, he did actually clean up Chandler and put him in bed. Also, we've already seen Chandler get awfully drunk during TOW Chandler Can't Remember Which Sister, so I'm guessing that Joey has helped Chandler out on this and similar occasions.]