Chapter 12:
So much for my happy ending
December 26. At the oval office.
Chandler was sited behind his desk in a terrible state. He was in a crossroad…. He still hadn't made any final decision… he had not idea what to do. If he kept Monica he would have to face and scandal that would definitely cost him the presidency… but the only way to avoid the scandal was loosing Monica. In that moment, he was trying to make a decision and he was discussing the problem with Ross, Joey and Phoebe.
Joey- I think you should make the deal with Burke… it's for the best…
Phoebe- it's not so simple Joey…
Joey- I think it is Phoebe… because if he doesn't leave her then all he worked for the last three years will be lost…
Joey addressed to Chandler showing some papers…
Joey- as you see, Mr. President, you dating Monica was a bad idea in the first place… this poll shows that people hate that you are dating her…
Chandler threw the papers very angry….
Chandler- fuck this poll, Joey… this poll isn't about my presidency… this poll is about my life… I cant let the two hundred and sixty-four million people who answered it decide my life…
Joey- well… I have news for you, Mr. President, this two hundred and sixty- four million people don't give a damn about your life. They give a damn about their own. And they don't longer think you can fix their problems… they no longer find you dependable and trustworthy…
Ross couldn't believe Joey's behavior…Ross- Joey… that's enough!
But Joey completely ignored Ross and continued talking to Chandler…
Joey- Mr. President, you've raised a daughter entirely on your own, and she's terrific. So… What does it say to you that in the last seven weeks, 59 percent of this country has begun to question your family values?
Ross- stop it, Joey! The president doesn't owe you and explanation!
Joey- Oh yes, he does, Ross. Because I'm a citizen, he is my president, and in this country it is not only permissible to question our leaders, it is our responsibility!
Things were hitting up too much, so Joey did his best to calm down and in better tone of voice he added.
Joey- Mr. President… you have a deeper love of this country than any man I've ever known but in the past weeks 59 percent of Americans have begun to question your patriotism… what does it say to you?
Chandler sighed frustrated…Chandler- Look… if people want to listen to Richard Burke…
Joey- they don't have a choice! He is the only one doing the talking!
Chandler looked at Ross desperately looking for another opinion. Ross raised his arms defensibly.
Ross- don't look at me… I can't help you. She is my sister… I can't tell you if you should leave her or not… all I know is that if you don't, then everybody will know about your father and your presidency won't survive that scandal…. But you are the one who should decide what to do.
Chandler looked around his office… he had never felt so lost in there. Then, feeling a lot of pain inside him he said the hardest words he had ever said.
Chandler- make the deal…
Two days later…. At Monica and Rachel's apartment.
A deal had been made. Richard would keep what he knew about Charles Bing to him self and he would give a favorable vote to Chandler's crime bill… but Chandler had to stop seeing Monica.
Monica still didn't know that. All she knew was that, for some estrange reason, Chandler was avoiding her. For the last two days he hadn't even taken her phone calls. Now, she entered at her apartment really mad. Rachel was there and she saw her friend bursting in the apartment and covered in tears.
Rachel- what's wrong?
Monica- Julia fired me…
Rachel- what!
Monica- she fired me! Like Chandler avoiding me wasn't bad enough now I don't even have a job!
Rachel- oh… honey… I'm sorry…
Monica- at least Julia told me why she fired me… Chandler is simply avoids me with no explanation
Rachel- whenever a guy does that to me I pretend he died…
Monica- I can't pretend he died… he is the President… if he died we all would know
Monica suddenly decided something…Monica- I'm going to the White House right now! I will go there and I won't leave until I have and explanation… I wanna know why he is avoiding me…
Rachel didn't think that Monica should go there and force Chandler to talk to her.
Rachel- but Mon… if Chandler doesn't want to talk to you…
Monica- Did I ask your opinion? I'm going…
Rachel sighed, felling worried and frustrated. Then she saw that Monica was about to leave the apartment again.
Rachel- all right… but I'm driving you there… you are in no conditions to drive…Despite the situation, Monica gave her half smile.
Monica- you just want to see my brother again…
Rachel never denied it. She simply took the car's keys from Monica's hands and said.
Rachel- let's go!
Half an hour later… in residential part of the White House.
Chandler was simply trying to eat something. He was having dinner with Ross and Elizabeth. Surprisingly, Ross wasn't mad at Chandler for making the deal and dumping Monica. He understood that Chandler had a very important reason for doing that and he saw how much Chandler was suffering. Chandler was now playing with the food not even having a bite…. He was the one who decided end the relationship, but he looked miserable. Suddenly, a Security Agent interrupted the quiet dinner.
Agent- excuse me… Mr. President… Ms. Geller is right outside and she demands to see you…
Chandler looked desperately at Ross.
Chandler- Ross…. I can't do it… I can't see her… if I saw her I would have to explain her why I'm avoiding her and I can't do that…. you go and tell her what happened…
Ross stared at him in disbelieve.
Ross- you are kidding… right? sir… I think you should explain everything your self….
Chandler- please, Ross…. please… I'm a fucking coward and I don't dare to look at her and tell her that I can't see her again…
Ross had never seen Chandler in that terrible state…Ross- all right… I'll do it for you…
Chandler- thanks… and Ross… I had NO choice… don't let your sister leave without knowing that.
Ross nodded and went to the room where Monica and Rachel were told to wait. He entered in the room and saw the two of them sit on a couch… but they got up when they saw him.
Ross- hi…
Monica- Ross!… Where is Chandler? I want to talk to him…
Ross- he can't talk to you…
Monica- Are you kidding me? He is not even going to talk to me? What's wrong?
Rachel was even angrier than Monica. She couldn't believe that Chandler Bing was being such a jerk… She thought Monica should leave the building immediately instead of staying in there begging for an explanation.
Rachel- Mon… we should leave… I think that the President not showing up explains everything you need to know…
Monica shook her head. She was beginning to understand everything….
Monica- Rachel, Ross doesn't want us to leave because he hasn't done what he was told to do…
Rachel- Mon… I know you need your closure but you can't force…
Monica interrupted very frustrated…
Monica- trust me, Rachel… the White House Chief of stuff will not let us leave until he has broken the bad news….
Ross knew his sister was right, so he simply said….
Ross- due reasons I can't tell you, the president can't see you anymore… so… I'm afraid you are right… he send me to break up with you… I'm sorry Mon... he had not choice…
Monica- he could have at less broken up with me him self…
Ross- no… I mean… yes… he could have… I meant that he HAS to stop seeing you… he wants you to know that he had no choice about that…
Rachel- Bing is a jerk for sending you to break up with her… Ross- Does is really matter how he broke up with her? After all there is no good way to break up with someone…
Rachel- you are wrong! There are plenty of good ways to break up with someone… and none of them include the White House's Chief of stuff… God! Men should know that they shouldn't be so afraid of having "the break up talk" and being the bad guys… because not having the break up talk is what makes them the bad guys!
Monica could barely hold her tears as she witnessed the argument. This was so surreal… the president HAD to break up with her and he sent his Chief of stuff (who happened to be her own brother) to do it? Well… then she would do the right thing…. She would disappear of Chandler's life forever.
Ross went back with Chandler and Elizabeth. Chandler looked at him with a curios look.
Chandler- so….
Ross- I told her.
Chandler- and what happened?
Ross- She is just picking up her stuff… she had some personal belongings in your room so she went to take them…
Chandler nodded but Elizabeth was shocked.
Elizabeth- why did you break up with her, dad?
Chandler- just finish your dinner Liz…
Elizabeth- did she do something wrong? Because if she made a mistake you should forgive her… she is really a great person…
Chandler- it wasn't her fault…
Elizabeth- was it your fault? Were you a jerk? If you were a jerk you should go with her and say you are sorry…
With Rachel's words in mind, Ross said…Ross- I think you owe her at least a decent break up talk… because avoiding that is what makes you the bad guy..
Chandler thought about it for a second. He had surely been a jerk. Not for breaking up with her… he had to do it to save his secret and everything he had worked for the last 3 years. He had been a jerk because he had sent Ross to do the dirty job…. Well… that was one mistake he could fix.
In Chandler's bedroom….
Monica is going through the closet in search of something. Chandler opened the door of his bedroom and he didn't see Monica at first so he started calling out…
Chandler- Mon?
Monica appeared to his sight and showing no emotions she asked.
Monica- have you seen a green sweater?
Chandler looked a little puzzled…. That wasn't the question he was expecting.
Chandler- a green sweater?
Monica- yes…. it's Rachel's but I borrowed it from her and I'm afraid I forgot it in here… She will want it back…
Chandler- I haven't seen it…. Mon… can we talk? I would like to explain my self…
Monica continued her search…
Monica- I don't have time Chandler… Rachel is waiting for me outside the mansion so I have to pick my stuff and get the hell out of here… besides I have to buy a one-way plane ticket to New York…
Chandler- you are going to New York?
Monica- yes… Do you know if it was sent with your dry cleaning by mistake?
Chandler- what's in New York?
Monica- I have my grandmother's apartment in Manhattan and there are a lot of fabulous restaurants. My friend Nancy could help me find a job in there.
Chandler- When did you decided to look for a new job?
Monica- Right after Julia fired me from my old one…. Rachel is going to kill me! He loves that sweater.
Chandler was concern about Monica loosing her job and he was also annoyed by the fact than Monica didn't stop looking and asking for the sweater.
Chandler- Wait a minute Monica! Why did she fire you?
Monica pretended to be really confused about the reason.
Monica- I don't know! She said that I was no longer dependable and I no longer had the "correct image"… that I gave the restaurant bad publicity…. I told her that she was being unreasonable… after all I did get to dance with the president… I even ride in the air force a couple of times… but you know how picky and perfectionists we chef are… we always expect more… like it isn't good enough that I'm on the cover of People Magazine.
Chandler felt totally guilty…. He wanted to do something nice to Monica so he offered….
Chandler- I will call her…
Monica- YOU will call him? You mean you'll call him yourself? Personally? That's a great idea. I think you should call Julia and make a deal. She would hire me back if she thinks that the president cares about me… Right? She will have to hire me back because I'm the President's "Friday Night Girl". But… wait a second... we broke up… so, you pretending to care about me is not longer believable!
By that point, Monica had tears in her eyes…. Chandler looked at her speechless, not knowing what to answer. Suddenly, Monica yelled.
Monica- Fuck the sweater! Rachel will have to learn to live with disappointment.
Monica started to leave but Chandler made her stop…
Chandler- Monica…. What do you think that happened the last couple of days?
Monica- I know what happened…. You sold me! Richard found out something bad about you, then you saw the poll, you saw that your presidency wouldn't survive a scandal… so you bought Richard's silence by dumping me…
Chandler- I didn't sell you! Look Mon… Governing is choosing and prioritizing. I need to keep my job and pass the crime bill…
Monica- Well then, congratulations. It's only taken you three years to put together crime prevention legislation that has no hope of preventing crime.
She tried to leave again but Chandler stopped her one more time.
Chandler- Mon… I do care about you… I'm really sorry I had to do this…Monica, trying to sound very cold, said…
Monica- I'm sure you are…. And you know what? I couldn't care less…
After that she finally left feeling more heart broken than ever.
It's nice to know that you
were there
Thanks for acting like you cared
And making me feel
like I was the only one
It's nice to know we had it all
Thanks
for watching as I fall
And letting me know we were done
You
were everything, everything that I wanted
We were meant to be,
supposed to be, but we lost it
And all of the memories, so close
to me, just fade away
All this time you were pretending
So much
for my happy ending
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh...
To be continue….
Sorry it took me forever to update! I was REALLY busy… THANKS to all the people who reviewed..
And you are all right… I should spell the names correctly… I really try! But old habits die hard… I don't do it on purpose… really… it just that sometimes I simply forget the correct way to write the names… SORRY! I will try to improve my spelling.
Please… keep reading and reviewing…