Chapter 13:
Telling the truth
December 31. At Judy and Jack's house. Monica's old room.
Monica's parents were throwing a New Year's party and she was there because she wanted to do something else than crying over Chandler. She thought that going to a party might be a good diversion but it didn't help at all. Actually, most of the people there kept asking her questions about Chandler and her relationship with him.
Before midnight, she was already loosing her mind, so she went to her room to hide from the rest of the world. But her father found her. Jack entered in his daughter's old room and saw her crying in her old bed. That broke his heart. He didn't know what to say so he simply hugged her.
Jack- What really happened between you and the president? You didn't say why you two broke up…
Monica- I can't tell you, dad…
Jack- Come on "Little Harmonica"! I'm your father… I won't tell anyone… I promise.
Monica- Didn't Ross tell you?
Jack- no… he also said that he couldn't said. Please… tell me, maybe I can help…
Monica- I don't think so…
Jack- is ok… I won't ask any more questions.
Monica- thank you.
They both remained in silence for a short while until Jack said…
Jack- Is this about Richard?
Monica- Dad! What happened with "I won't ask any more questions"?
Jack- oh… I didn't mean that. So…. is this about Richard?
Monica rolled her eyes… then she said…
Monica- all I can say is that Richard found out something that Chan… I mean, the president was keeping secret… so…
Jack nodded seeing what this was going.
Jack- He bought Richard's silence by dumping you…
Monica- exactly…
Jack took a few seconds to analyze the situation and then said…
Jack- I don't know what is the secret… but honey… Richard is not a saint.
Monica pretended to be really shocked and very sarcastically said…
Monica- are you kidding! He is not a saint!
Jack rolled her eyes and explained…
Jack- I mean that he has some dirt under his carpet too…
Monica- but… I know him since I was a kid and I was married to him…. What could he have possibly done that I don't know?
Jack- just look for Kelly Hobbes…. She will tell you what you need to know.
January 2. In the residential part of the White House. At the game-room.
After days of being depressed over Monica and having a crappy New Year, Chandler was playing pool as usual with Ross. It was a vain intend of going back to normal. He really wanted to move on… after all, he had no choice… he HAD to break up with Monica to protect his secret. But, of course, he wasn't getting over Monica at all.
Chandler- She is moving to Manhattan! Did you know your sister is moving to Manhattan?
Ross- yes… she is moving in a few days.
Chandler- what the hell is she going to do in Manhattan?
Chandler was so upset that he missed the shot so it was Ross's turn now.
Ross- apparently, a friend of hers got her a job at a restaurant called Javu's…
After Ross missed a shot it was Chandler's turn again…
Chandler- well… have a good time, Mon!
He hit the cue ball so hard that it fell off the pool table… Ross startled.
Ross- Listen. I'm gonna have Phoebe clear your schedule for the weekend. You need to get some rest. It will be good for you…
Ross's tone of voice sounded like he was talking to a 5-year-old boy who has to take a nap because he is getting very grumpy.
Chandler- Are you handling me, Ross?
Ross - no, sir.
Chandler- good...
Chandler picked up the cue ball and slammed very hard against the table. Ross startled again.
Ross- But I surely will if you don't start getting your head out of your ass…
Chandler- Excuse me?
Ross- you are letting Richard win too easily… Do something! Go after him!
Chandler looked at him confused…
Chandler- I'm sorry, but… Has he lied?
Ross- what?
Chandler- has Burke lied in the past two months?
Now, Ross was very confused… he had not idea where Chandler was going with all this.
Ross- has he lied?
Chandler- Other than not knowing the difference between Harvard and Yale, has he said something that isn't true? Is Burke really that wrong? Am I not a Commander-in-Chief who's never served in the military? Am I not hiding the truth about my father from the American people? Wasn't I sleeping with his ex wife while my twelve-year-old daughter was in the next room?
Ross- and you think YOU acted wrongly?
Chandler- What I think is that you don't win elections by telling 59 percent of the people that they are wrong. Look… the thing is, I can't beat Richard in a character debate… and you fight the fights you can win.
Ross was getting really pissed off and yelled….
Ross- you fight the fights that need fighting!
Chandler looked away and thought about something for a few seconds, then he looked back at Ross with a curious expression in his face.
Chandler- Are you really comfortable in the cheap sits, Ross?
Ross was very confused, he had not idea what Chandler meant.
Ross- I beg your pardon?
Chandler- It just occurred to me that I've never seen your name on a ballot. You have always been standing one step behind me… Why?
Ross- Because if I hadn't been, you'd be in New York stuck in painfully boring "9 to 5" job.
Chandler- Fuck you!
Chandler tossed his cue stick and stormed out leaving Ross very hurt and concerned.
January 3. Richard's office.
Richard Burke was ready to start a new day at work. He had his entire day planned but when he entered in his office he saw a person that certainly didn't have an appointment. Monica was there… sited in HIS chair with a very arrogant expression in her face.
Monica- good morning, Richard
He was very shocked. He had not idea what Monica might be doing there. After what he had done to her he didn't expected seeing her ever again….
Richard- Monica… What…? What are you…?
Monica- what am I doing here? what do I want from you? That's a very good question…
She was speaking calmly… She had no rush and wanted to keep Richard in suspense as long as possible.
Richard- Would you mind answering it?
Monica- not at all… I came here because I met Kelly Hobbes. Nice girl.
Richard was getting a bit nervous. Kelly was a girl he had sex with right after he divorced Monica. He started getting defensive before Monica even attacked him.
Richard- Wait a minute… I met her after our divorce… you have no right to be mad at me for that, specially after what you did with…
Monica interrupted him…Monica- calm down! I'm not mad… I'm not jealous… I just wanted to tell you that I met her and I think she is very pretty…
Richard was no fool… he knew that couldn't possibly be it. Monica was obviously up to something. Then, after a long pause, she added…
Monica- How old is she, By the way?
Richard smiled… that was it…. she wanted to make a scandal because the girl was very young. However, Richard thought that he had done nothing wrong and said confidently…
Richard- she is 21… she turned 21 a couple of months ago…
Monica couldn't help laughing really hard in front of a shocked Richard.
Monica- 21? Yeah… Right! In 5 years maybe…
Richard- What are you talking about?
Monica- She is 16…
Richard almost fell from the chair he had sited in. He was genuinely astonished.
Richard- WHAT! That's crazy… she told me she was 21… you are bluffing!
Monica was really enjoying seeing Richard freaking out. With a huge grin she showed him the copy of a birth certificated. It showed that Kelly Hobbes was actually 16 years old.
Monica- Do you still think I'm bluffing?
Richard- Monica… I had not idea….
Monica- you never had! So… now you can go on TV and tell all the crazy stories you want about me because I have my own story to tell and it doesn't make you look so good… except that I don't need to tell the whole story, I can just say the main word: FELONY! I wonder what would your republican friends think about it…
Richard- You can't prove I had sexual relations with her… and neither can she…
Monica looked for something in her purse… it was a video tape… she handed it to Richard.
Monica- I guess you don't need to ask what's on that video… videotaping your sexual encounters has always been your favorite hobby…
Richard- I never made a video of Kelly and me…. She did it behind my back to use it against me …
Monica faked feeling sorry for Richard and very sarcastically said….
Monica- oh… that's just mean…
Richard- But how did you get that tape? I have the only copy… I paid 20.000 dollars for it.
Monica- 20.000 dollars? She sold me one of the many copies she has for so much less…
Richard was furious… the video he bought from Kelly was supposed to be the only copy…Richard- What a town! You can't even trust the backstabbers.
Monica- don't worry Richard… You will enjoy prison… I bet your cellmate will find you attractive.
Richard knew when he had lost… he sighted and a bit frustrated said…Richard- ok… what do you want?
Monica smiled… that was just what she wanted to hear. She was about to say something, but then Richard interrupted her…
Richard- let me guess… you want to go back with him… of course… all right… we have a deal… you keep the information you have about me for your self and I will keep the information I have about him for my self even if he keeps dating you…
Monica shook his head… Monica- I don't want to go back with him… he sold me to keep his secret safe and he acted like a complete coward… I can't be with someone like that…Richard- then what do you want?
Monica was secretly enjoying (well… not so secretly) blackmailing Richard then she said very seriously…
Monica- I want my own restaurant.
THE WHITE HOUSE. Inside the press briefing room.
Joey was on his last drops of energy and patience while he was dealing with several reporters that were asking one annoying question about Chandler's love life after the other. Joey was very upset because they didn't seem to understand the meaning of "No comment" however, he was happy that they didn't know about Chandler's father.
Reporter- Joey… Will the president ever make a comment about the Monica issue? Will he explain why did the relationship ended?
Joey was about to say "the White House will no comment on the president's personal life" for like the hundredth time, but suddenly the entire press corps stood up. Joey turned around and saw that Chandler was walking into the room and stepping up to the podium.
Chandler- Yes, he will… good morning
Joey- good morning, Mr. President
Chandler took the podium and there's a palpable tension in the room. There are also some noises because video operators started adjusting their equipment, photographers started taking pictures and reporters started setting their microphones ready and taking notes… everybody was up.
Chandler- that's all right… you can take back your sits…Everybody does so, except Joey, who went desperately to get Ross and Phoebe because he sensed that something big was about to happen.
Chandler- For the last couple of months, Senator Burke has suggested that being president of this country was, to a certain extent, about character... and wasn't willing to engage in his attacks on me, bur now I must admit the following: Being President of this country is ENTIRELY about character.
Chandler is looking very nervous knowing what's about to happen and then added…
Chandler- now… having said that… there is something else I have to say…. I made a very huge mistake when I started my political career… I lied about something very important and I'm sorry… so I'm here today to correct that mistake: My father is not dead.
The whole room was in shock… suddenly all you could here in the room was reporters frenetically taking notes, and some others raising hands and yelling "Mr. President!… Mr. President!" in order to ask a question… and there were some reporters who simply yelled questions without permission. Chandler stopped all that…
Chandler- PLEASE! I promise that I will answer all of your questions… I will only leave this room when you have no more questions for me… but first you have to let me say everything I wanted to say today…
Everybody nodded and murmured a little but clearly they understood the rules…. they had to keep quiet until the president finishes his speech. Chandler sighed…
Chandler- now… what I'm about to say might come as a shock… my father is gay… he lives in Las Vegas and became a woman… and that's the reason I made everybody believe that he is dead…
For the record: Richard Burke knew all this… and he chose not to tell anyone, instead he blackmailed me and used that information for personal gain… and he found out the truth about my father because he hired a private detective to find out everything about me… a private detective who was hired to discover any dirty secret I might have and Burke could use against me…
The reporters were clearly overwhelmed with all the new information… they were dying to ask at least one of the 100 questions they had in their minds. But before anyone could speak, Chandler continued talking…
Chandler- But the most important question here is: Why did he felt the need to play so dirty? Why would a well-respected doctor, who is a senator, his party's most powerful spokesman and a candidate for president, choose to use a very questionable and illegitimate method to beat his opponent in a presidential campaign? If you know the answer to that question, folks, you are smarter that I am… because I didn't really understand it until a couple of minutes ago…. Everybody knows America isn't easy. It requires being truly a patriot… You gotta want it bad because it's gonna put up a fight. You want free speech? Then you gotta hear a man whose words make your blood boil… You want to say this is the land of the free? Then the symbol of our country can't be just a flag, the symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising the right to burn that flag in protest. Show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms and then you can stand up and sing about the land of the free. I've known Richard Burke for years and I've been operating under the assumption that he simply didn't get it. Well, I was wrong. Richard's problem isn't that he doesn't get it. Richard's problem is that he can't sell it. Nobody has ever won an election by talking about what I was just talking about. But we have serious problems to solve, and we need serious men to solve them. And whatever your particular problem is, I promise you, Richard Burke is not the least bit interested in solving it. He is interested in two things and two things only: Making you afraid and telling you who to blame for it. You gather a group of middle-aged, middle-class, middle-income voters who remember with longing an easier time, and you talk to them about family and American values and personal character. Then you show them an old picture of the President's girlfriend. You scream about patriotism and you tell them she's to blame for everything… you go on television and you call her a whore... Because that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections….
Chandler's face became sadder and then he looked at one of the cameras very seriously.
Chandler- Monica Gellar has done nothing wrong, Richard… and if you want a character debate that's fine, but you better stick with me, because Monica is way out of your league.
Chandler sighed and made a pause while he chose carefully his next words…
Chandler- I have only loved two women in my life. I lost one because of a car accident, and I lost the other one because I was so busy keeping my job I forgot to do my job. Well that ends right now. We've got serous problems, and we need serious men, and if you want to talk about character, Richard, you'd better come at me with more than a burning flag and a gay father… if you want to talk about character and American values, fine. Just tell me where and when, and I'll show up. This is a time for SERIOUS men, Richard, and YOUR FIFTEEN MINUTES ARE UP!…. My name is Chandler Bing and I AM the President.
To be continued….
Well… Only one chapter left… thanks to the people who reviewed and continue reading this fanfic!