Chapter 12:
One fine day
1:00 am Joey's apartment.
Monica left the hospital and went to Joey's apartment to pick the kids up.
Monica- hi… I'm sorry it took me so long… how did the kids behave?
Joey- Ben is great and little Joey and Liz slept like angels all the time
Monica- good… thank you so much for taking care of them
Joey- you are so welcome… how is Rachel?
Monica- devastated… but at least she is leaving Dennis
Joey- great!
Monica- yes… hey Joey… Could you help me putting the kids on their beds?
Joey- ok... but I think Ben should stay here tonight, he is already sleep and there is no point in waking him up.
Monica- ok… I'll pick him up tomorrow morning to take him to school... you must wake him up at 7:30 am
Joey- WHAT? That's insane! Not even the president wakes up that early…
Monica- Joey! is very important that you wake him up at 7:30 AM… he can't go late for school because she has school trip they are going to take a boat trip on the "Circle Line"… he has to be there at 9:00.
Joey- is ok... I will set the alarm clock.
06:00 AM. At Monica's bedroom.
Monica was sleep in her double bed. The twins were sleeping there too because they started crying in the middle of the night and Monica knew that it was because they wanted to sleep in her room.
So… Monica happily allowed her babies to sleep in her bed, knowing that she was spoiling them.
Elizabeth stretched on her sleep and accidentally punched Monica's face… this woke Monica up half an hour earlier than the time she was supposed to wake up. Monica got up anyway and started getting ready for her day.
07:30 AM. At Joey's bedroom.
The alarm clock started ringing waking Joey up. He protested, feeling very sleepy, and turned it off. Then she thought that sleeping a little bit longer couldn't hurt anyone. So… he hugged "huggsy" and fell sleep very deeply.
08:30 am Right outside Joey's apartment.
Monica was knocking the door of Joey's apartment. She was ready to take the kids to school. She had the twins in their stroller and she looked at then to check that they had the right clothes while she waited for Joey to open the door.
Since Joey didn't open the door, Monica continued knocking at it persistently. The knocks woke Joey up and he answered the door half sleep…
Monica- Joey! What happened?... is Ben ready?
Joey- Oh my God! I overslept!
08:45 AM Monica's car…
Monica and Joey got Ben ready and now Monica, Ben and the twins were in Monica's car. But Ben suddenly remembered something.
Ben- aunt Monica!… I forgot "Pavarotti" in your apartment! If I don't take him to the school the teacher will kill me!
Monica- Are you kidding me! Oh my God… We are never getting there on time!
Pavarotti was the bird Ben's class had as the class's pet. Every weekend a kid was suppose to take the bird home and return it safely the following Monday.
9:00 AM. Right outside Monica and Joey's building.
Monica had the bird's cage and the kids were waiting for her in the car.
Joey saw her getting inside the car while he was walking towards to the Central Perk.
Joey- You are still here! You are never getting there on time!
Monica- I know! And is your fault
Joey- I'm sorry I overslept... let me drive you all to the school…I drive incredibly fast…
Monica- ok…
9:37 am. outside Ben's school.
They finally got to Ben's school, but it was too late… it was closed. The school's front door had a sign on it, which said: "The entire school is on the trip".
Monica- that's great Joe! This is your fault... you and your "I drive incredibly fast"…
Joey- hey! You were the one who told me to take the 9 avenue…. I knew I should have taken the 11 avenue…
Monica- come on! We would have gotten stuck in traffic!
Joey- but we GOT stuck in traffic anyway… and, for the record, I wasn't the one who returned home to pick up a bird…
Monica- the bird is "Pavarotti", the class's pet… this bird was supposed to be in the classroom at
9:00, buy now it's spending the day with you.
Monica, angrily, gave him the birdcage to Joey.
Joey- look... I have an audition at 4 pm, I can take care of the kids until then… and I know that today you only work until 3 pm…
Monica- yes… but some food critics are having dinner in the restaurant… so I also have to work the night shift… today I only free from 3 to 7 pm…
Joey- ok… you can take care of them at that time… and I will take care of them the rest of the day…
Monica was considering that option… but suddenly, another woman showed up with a kid and Joey flirted with that lady a little bit. When the woman was gone, Monica was felling very up set.
Monica- forget it Joey... I don't need any help... and if I did you would be the last man I would call
Joey- hey! I'm sorry I overslept… but I can be responsible… I only made one little mistake!
Monica- little mistake! You completely ruined my day and Ben's!
Joey- I feel terrible about that… that's why I wanted to help… but since you can fix everything by your self, tell me… What are going to do with the kids?
Monica- well... there a municipal day care center where Ben and the twins can go…
Joey- You can't take the kids there! Is not safe in those state day care centers…
Monica- is totally safe!
Monica said that with a very unconvincing tone in her voice… of course she didn't think that a state day care center was the best solution… but she didn't see any other choice.
Ben- aunt Monica... I don't want to go to that day care center…
Monica- I promise it will only be for little while… I will pick you up at three and I will try to get a nanny for tonight
10:00 AM. In the municipal day care center…
Monica gave been a piece of paper before leaving the kids there…
Monica- ok Ben... if something bad happen to you or to your cousins call me to any of the number I wrote in here… if you can't reach me call 911.Joey gave Ben another piece of paper…
Joey- ok Ben... if the woman who is taking care of you is hot call me to this number…
Monica rolled her eyes and left the day care center. Then, she and Joey started walking to the car.
Monica- is hard being a kid sometimes…Joey took a candy from his pocked and started eating it.
Joey- what are you talking about? Is great!
Monica- you would know about that! You are still a kid…
Joey- mi mother used to say: "Love your guy like a little boy and he will grow into a man"…
Monica- Why would your mother advise YOU about how to love a man? Are you gay too?
Joey- no! she said that to my sisters! Plus… she wants me to find a woman who loves me the way I am… who loves the whole me… with my immaturity and all…
Monica shook her head in disbelieve.
Monica- You shouldn't blame your mother for your own flaws
Joey- I'm not doing that!
Monica- yes… you are blaming your mother for your "Peter Pan" complex.
Joey- (confused) What? my "Peter Pan" complex?
Monica- yes… that complex that you have and that makes you not want to grow up…
Joey- hey... you are not very mature your self!
Monica- yes, I am…
Joey- well… then that's because you have the "Captain hook" complex
Monica- that is not even a real complex…
Joey- yes it is, and you have it
Monica- I don't have time to discuss complex with you… I have to go to work…
11:00 HS. Monica's work.
Monica was very busy cooking, when suddenly she received a phone call from Ben.
Ben's voice on the phone- aunt Monica, is me…
Monica- what happened? Are you, Liz and little Joey ok?
Ben's voice on the phone - yes… but I don't want to stay here
Monica- I'm sorry Ben… but you must stay there until 3 pm
Ben's voice on the phone - but a mean girl stole Liz's teddy bear and a very mean boy called me a geek and stole my "Jurassic Park" pencil box
Monica- well... put some teacher on the phone… I will tell her what happened…
Ben's voice- you can't… she is busy with some boy who said a dirty word… what's LSD?
Monica started to feel very concerned…
Monica- why are you asking me that?
Ben's voice- because a boy was talking about the LSD his brother gave him to bring here…
Monica- doesn't move! I will send someone to pick you guys up immediately!
Feeling worried sick, Monica called Joey.
Joey's voice on the phone- hello
Monica- it's me Joey... I have a big problem with the kids, they are fine but they can't stay there… I need you to pick them up
Joey's voice on the phone - Now? I can't
Monica- I would definitely risk my career and, by extension, my life if I go to pick them up
Joey's voice- I would definitely risk MY career and, by extension, MY life if I go to pick them up
Monica- but you only have one audition… and you have it at 4 PM
Joey's voice- but I have a meeting with my new agent
Joey didn't fire Estelle, but she died and Joey hired a new and better agent.
Monica- Can you take the kids to the meeting? Is very important…
Joey- ok... I will pick up the kids if you say: "Joey… you are my prince charming in his white horse… I need you to save me because I can't do anything on my own"
Monica- Joey... don't be a jerk… go save the kids
12:00. Joey's house
Joey's phone rang. It was Monica calling to ask about the children.
Monica's voice on the phone- hi, it's me... Did you picked the kids up?
Joey faked a big confusion.
Joey- what kids?
Monica freaked out.
Monica's voice- YOU DIDN'T PICK UP THE KIDS!
At that moment little Joey and Elizabeth started crying because they wanted to eat. And Ben started to interrupt Joey saying that he was hungry too. Monica heard all that.
Joey- oh! You were asking me about THESE kids… yes… I got them… I'm about to feed them…
Monica's voice- ok... I just wanted to tell you that Elizabeth is allergic to chocolate, she can't have any... and it doesn't matter what Ben says… he is not allowed to go to the park by him self… and don't give the babies to much sugar… or any toy they might swallow… well… that's it… I was just calling to say that…
Joey- so… basically, you were calling because you don't trust me and a part of you thinks that the kids would be better off in the day care center with LSD
Monica's voice- hey… I trust you
Joey pretended to be freaked out…
Joey- BEN! You better put that thing down… guns are not toys! (to Monica) is ok.. is not loaded
Monica tried hard not to laugh at the joke… but she couldn't help smile
Monica's voice- That's funny Joey! I know you are responsible with the kids, but they can get into trouble faster that you can make a woman smile.
Joey- are you flirting with me?
Monica- no! I'm telling you to be careful because kids are hard to take care off…
24:00 Monica's apartment.
That long day was finally over. Monica took care of the kids on the afternoon and then she had to go back to her work to work the night shift. She came back home by midnight…
When she entered at her apartment Monica saw that everybody was fine: the twins sleeping in their cribs, Ben sleeping in his aunt's bed and Joey sleeping in the couch with the TV still on.
She took a blanket and covered Joey with it… then she went to turn the TV on and she noticed that some cartoons were on… obviously Joey had been watching cartoons before he fall sleep.
For the second time on that day, Monica smiled widely… she had complained about it later, but be actually loved that Joey was still a child in many ways.
Instead of going to her bed, Monica laid on the couch, right next to Joey… she cuddled under the cover and fell deeply sleep in Joey's arms.
To be continued...
As I always say…. Anything can happen! There is still a long way until the last chapter…
I hope you liked this one…. But I promise something better and more surprising for the end…
thanks so much to the people who reviewed last chapter…. special thanks to SEMINOLES1 and R.J. who always review this story!