Hi loves! I know, I know, I know. This took forever, to the point I'm sure a lot of people thought I wasn't going to continue this. I am so sorry. You all have my word, I WILL finish this. Please don't give up on me. I've just been super busy, but I work on this with any spare moment I can find. ;)
BUT the good news is, it's long! :)
I hope you all enjoy!
Much love!
Tuesday, June 22, 1999, 9:15 AM
"You're here," Monica said, her voice breaking as she squeezed her big brother's hand again.
He nodded and licked his lips, then worked his mouth some more, trying to get some moisture in it.
She wiped her face and looked around the room, "Um, do you want some water?" She asked.
He nodded slowly, and Monica reluctantly let go of his hand to walk over the small sink in the room, filling the plastic cup with water. She returned to him, and he groaned as he lifted his head to drink some of it.
"I need to go find a nurse," she said softly, "don't move."
Ross chuckled at his sister's not-so-funny joke, then carefully moved his head back down to the pillow.
A few seconds later, two nurses walked in with Monica on their heels.
"Mr. Geller!" The older nurse of the two, said, "Welcome back. We wondered when you were going to join us again."
Ross nodded slowly again, groaning a little when they began to move him around to take vitals and chart new information. "My name is Holly, and this is Jordan. We've been taking care of you." As soon as she could, Monica took his hand again. "You've been really, really asleep for a few days,"
Ross nodded and said thank you, but it wasn't out loud.
"You're doing great, Mr. Geller," Jordan said, "would you like to sit up so you can be more comfortable?"
Ross nodded and she nodded back and moved beside the bed to adjust the settings of it. "Okay, there we go," Jordan replied, "can you sit up just a little for me?"
Ross grunted as he did what was asked of him. She put a pillow at his lower back and gently placed a hand on his shoulder to allow him to sit back.
"Alright, we're going to update the doctor," Holly, the older nurse said, "but I want to check on your mental state first."
Ross and Monica looked over to her, "What year is it?" She asked, pen poised and ready to take notes.
Monica looked at Ross as he licked his lips again, "June 1999," he croaked out.
Holly lifted her eyebrows and looked over to Jordan, "Ah, an overachiever I see," she chuckled softly, and so did Monica.
"I see nothing has changed, then," Monica replied, "he's always been an overachiever."
Ross turned his head back to look at her and smiled.
"Who's the president?" Holly continued her line of questioning.
"Clinton," he responded.
Monica playfully rolled her eyes. Of course he'd be passing the exam with flying colors. He was Ross, after all.
"And who's that?" She asked, pointing to Monica.
Ross rolled his head towards Monica, then smiled, "My little sister," he replied.
"Great, can you tell me her name?"
Monica swallowed and as he slowly turned his head back towards Holly, then tightened her hand on his when he seemed to hesitate. He cleared his dry throat and finally found his voice again, "Monica."
Relief took over Monica's body and soul as the nurse smiled and nodded, writing notes in the chart, "That's a great job, Mr. Geller."
"Okay, we're going to go over this with the doctor, and he'll be in to talk to everyone in just a little while."
Monica and Ross nodded and watched as the two nurses left the room. She squeezed his hand and he squeezed it back.
"I'm so happy you're okay," she said softly, and she wished she could control her tears better.
He cleared his dry throat and nodded at her, "Me too."
She smiled at him and took in a shaky breath, then grabbed the cup of water and passed it over to him. "I should go tell mom and dad the news," she said, "and Chandler, and Phoebe, and Joey," she sighed and squeezed his hand, "and Rachel." He lifted his eyebrows at her, then moved his head to look away.
She stood from his bedside and squeezed his arm gently, "Be right back," she promised.
He nodded again and smiled a little as she walked from the room.
Tuesday, June 22, 1999, 11:23 AM
Chandler walked out of Ross's room, a smile on his face for the first time in days. He'd just got to spend some time with Ross.
Following the two at a time rule, he hadn't got to see his former college roommate immediately after Monica announced to them all that he was awake a couple of hours ago. Jack and Judy went in to see him for a bit, then Susan, Carol and Ben.
Chandler had gone in with Rachel, who he had to help off of the floor when she saw Ross awake, spent some time with the doing-very-well Ross, and now wanted to give the two of them time alone.
He stuck his hands in his pockets and walked down the hallway.
The elevator dinged and he turned, finding Monica exiting at that moment. She had been downstairs with Phoebe, telling their friend the happy 'Ross is awake' news.
Joey was still on set, but Chandler had managed to get the word to him too, and Joey promised to be by as soon as they finished.
Chandler smiled at her and she smiled back, and she quickly moved toward him and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.
He held her just as tight, the tension poured from both of their bodies.
"He's awake," Monica whispered, the emotion evident in her quiet voice.
Chandler nodded against her shoulder, "Yeah," he murmured, "he is."
She gripped him tighter, "He's awake and he's okay," she added.
"Yes," he replied, then lifted one of his hands to run his fingers through her hair and hold her head against his shoulder.
The two of them stood in the hallway like that, holding each other, for what seemed like an eternity. Nurses, doctors, and other hospital staff were walking around them in both directions, the world going on around them, but none of it seemed to matter to either of them.
When she finally loosened her grip on him and backed up enough to look into his eyes, she realized she had tears in hers. He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when another doctor came running past them, followed by two nurses.
"Why don't we move over here?" Chandler asked with a chuckle, finally realizing where they stood.
"That's probably a good idea," Monica replied, giggling a little as she looked around.
He smiled at her again and took her hand, then lead her down the hallway and to the waiting area that they had become so accustomed to over the last few days. He sat down in one of the chairs and held her hand until she sat down next to him.
"Where are your parents?" He asked softly.
Monica smirked at him, "They went down to the cafeteria. I think dad got his appetite back once Ross woke up."
Chandler nodded and squeezed her hand, "That sounds good."
"Good?" She asked, chuckling at him.
He smirked as a response and nodded, "Yeah, your father wanting to eat? It sounds…" he sighed, "…normal to me." She met his eyes just as he looked over at her, "I'm so ready for normalcy."
She lifted her free hand that he didn't hold and cupped his face, "I am too honey," she replied softly.
He turned his face to kiss her palm.
"And because we're on the way to normal," she began softly, "I think that you and I can be normal together."
She was glad she was sitting, because if she were standing, she was sure that the smile that stretched across his handsome face would have made her weak in the knees.
But then he sighed as he shook his head and his smile faded from his face, "Mon," he paused, unsure how to say what was on the tip of his tongue. He finally met her eyes and reached for her hands, "Listen…"
She tilted her head and her heart sank when she saw what she thought was the 'I don't want to do this' look cross his face.
He sighed again, "I don't want to rush you into anything," he finally said.
She shook her head, "You're not."
He pressed his lips together and squeezed her hands, "I just want to make sure…"
"Chandler," she interrupted, shaking her head, "hush. You are not rushing me into anything."
He smiled at her, looked down for a second, then met her eyes again, "I want to get this thing with you and me…" he sighed again, "I want to get it right," he continued, "and maybe getting it right means that we take things slow."
She lifted an eyebrow at him, then chuckled, "Do you really believe after all these years as friends and after everything we've been through, we need to take things slow?" She brushed her hand through his short hair and rested her hand on the back of his head. "We're going to be good, no matter what speed we go."
He lifted one of his hands to touch her face, "We're going to be great," he amended as they shared another smile.
She leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. He let out a shaky breath and leaned his forehead against hers, "Since the others know about us, I've got to talk to your brother."
She chuckled a little and picked her head up, "He's going to be easy."
Chandler shook his head, "I don't know about that."
"What?"
He lifted and dropped his eyebrows, "He might not be as agreeable as you think."
"Why wouldn't he be?" Monica asked, confusion evident on her face.
Chandler sighed and sat back in the chair, then crossed his arms. She leaned in the chair on her side, waiting patiently for him to continue, "After the toe Thanksgiving," Chandler started, "I uh, I told Ross that I was interested in maybe asking you out to a movie or something, and he didn't like that idea at all."
Monica felt a chill run up, then back down her spine. She'd been interested in him back then too. He was cute, funny, and interested in her, which had really happened to her before in her life. Even after the fat comment the year before, she found him compelling in a way she hadn't expected.
She tilted her head at him, "I really don't think he'll be upset. He's your best friend, and my big brother. He wants us to be happy."
He laughed a little and ran a hand through his hair, then rested it on the back of his neck, "Well, he only has one good leg right now, so if he wants to kill me for wanting to date his baby sister, I feel like I could outrun him."
Monica chuckled and shook her head, "It's going to be fine."
He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth and chuckled again, trying to imagine how the conversation was going to go with Monica's big brother.
She put her hand on his leg to get his attention, and he turned to her to find a smile on her beautiful face. She took in a shaky breath and gripped his leg, "So, are we going to do this?" She met his eyes and swallowed, "This me and you thing?"
He smiled and almost wanted to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. She really wanted this, to be with him, a relationship. He'd wanted it for a long time, and seventy-five percent of him had a hard time believing that it was happening.
"We're going to do this," he finally confirmed softly, nodding at her, "if you're sure you're ready."
She chuckled softly, "I told you that I wanted this with you," she smiled at him, "and I do." He nodded again, "Ross is better, Richard is out of the picture, that other woman is out of the picture," he chuckled softly at her, because, to him, Annie was never really in the picture. "I think it's finally our turn."
He felt his heart rate speed up at the look on her face, the sincerity in her beautiful blue eyes, "I think so too," he responded, his voice shaking just slightly.
"So, it's me and you," she confirmed, and watched as he slid his hand into hers, their fingers intertwining.
"It's me and you," he responded softly.
She smiled at him and tears came to her eyes. She dropped his hand and leaned over, wrapping her arms around him. He returned the hug and closed his eyes as he breathed in her scent and took in the moment.
"I'm excited about the future," she whispered to him.
He gripped her a little tighter, "Me too baby," he murmured.
Tuesday, June 22, 1999, 6:30 PM
Chandler sighed and gripped his fist tighter together as he lifted it to knock on Ross's new hospital room door. The doctor decided that Ross was well enough that he didn't need to stay in the intensive care unit any longer and had high hopes that the paleontologist would get to go home the next day.
They were calling it a remarkable recovery, and Chandler knew that if anybody could do it, it would be Ross.
Monica was with her parents, Susan, Carol, and Ben downstairs in the cafeteria. The group seemed a lot more upraised, happier, and with good reason.
A weight had been lifted from each of their shoulders.
He finally let his knuckles knock on the wood door, "Come in," came the muffled reply.
"Hey man," Ross greeted as he looked up from the magazine he was reading.
"Hey," Chandler said and stuck his hands in his jean pockets as he approached the hospital bed.
"I thought you were going to grab some dinner with everybody," Ross mentioned.
Chandler shook his head and moved one of his hands from his pocket to pull the chair closer to the bed. He sat down on it and looked up at Ross again, "No, I um, was hoping to catch you by yourself for a few minutes," he replied, "I need to talk to you about something."
"Are you alright? You seem weird."
"Yeah, I'm fine," Chandler replied, "a little tired, but, fine." He ran a hand through his hair, "How about you? How are you feeling?"
Ross shrugged, "Okay. I know I'm going to be sore for a few days once I get out of this bed. But, at least I'll be out of this bed." He watched as Chandler shifted uncomfortably in the chair, then furrowed his eyebrows at his mannerisms, "Dude, what's up with you?" He asked.
Chandler sighed, ran a hand over his face, and swallowed hard. He had to get this out. He finally took in another deep breath and leaned towards the bed just a little.
"So I um, I guess you've heard about what's happened while you were sleeping?" He started, and Ross nodded.
"Yeah, uh, Phoebe had the babies, and Richard and Monica broke up," he answered.
Chandler nodded, "Yeah."
"And you're acting all squirmy because…" Ross prompted.
"When Monica went with me to see my grandmother," he finally continued, "something happened with us." Ross lifted his eyebrows and leaned closer to Chandler so he could make sure he could hear every word, "Nanna wanted me to 'kiss my wife', because she didn't get to see the wedding. She was always into the romance of my love life."
"You kissed my sister?" Ross asked, and Chandler could already detect a tone.
He held up his hand, "Ross, wait, okay? Just please let me get this out."
He crossed his arms in reply and waited on him to continue, "So yes, I kissed her, for Nanna. And it thrilled her," he finally said, a small smile on his face as he remembered the happy look on his grandmother's face, "and we came up with this love story together, and all of it just made her so excited."
"Your grandmother was great," Ross said, and Chandler agreed, nodding at him.
"Yeah, she was," he said softly. He swallowed and sighed, preparing himself to tell Monica's big brother the next part of the story. He looked down and checked his shoes, making sure the laces were tied, just in case. "The next day, Nanna passed away, and I um," he swallowed hard, "I was downstairs drinking when Monica got out of bed and joined me."
Ross furrowed his eyebrows together as his brain began to make up scenarios of what was coming next.
"She listened to my stories, and I was upset, and she was there for me. Eventually, I asked her if I could kiss her, and she let me."
"Chandler," Ross said sharply.
"That's not all, Ross," Chandler replied, then sighed.
"Spit it out already."
Chandler met his friend's eyes, then shook his head. There was so much Ross didn't understand, and Chandler knew the next bit of information would anger him the most.
"After she let me kiss her, I um, she asked me what I wanted, and I uh, I told her that I wanted her. And we…" he paused, because he knew that Ross would have the biggest problem with the next two words, "…slept together."
"How could you do that?" Ross said, throwing up his hands, "I told you that I didn't want you messing with my sister. And as my best friend, you should respect that."
"Ross…"
"No, I can't believe this!" He said, moving around int he bed as much as he could, "You, of all people, had sex with my little sister, when I specifically asked you not to. And now, I guess that's why the two of you have been acting so strange around each other? Because you slept together and now it's awkward between the two of you?"
"No, it wasn't like that," he said.
"Bullshit!" Ross exclaimed, and Chandler sat back in his chair, "I've seen the way you two have acted lately. You're hardly over at her apartment anymore, she seems like she's lost her best friend all the time now, and now it all makes sense."
"Ross…"
"No, you know what? This is exactly what I didn't want. The reason I didn't want you to mess with her, because now, you're forcing me to take sides. And I'm not going to go against her, so I lose a friend too."
"Stop," Chandler pleaded, but Ross didn't hear it.
"I thought you and I were like brothers," the paleontologist continued, "I thought you cared about me and Monica, for that matter, more than that."
"Shut up, Ross," Chandler finally said, louder this time, but it did the trick to stop his rant. He sighed again, because he knew how difficult this conversation was going to be before he started it. He pinched the bridge of his nose, "I am in love with your sister," he finally murmured.
Ross's eyebrows went up again, "You're what?"
Chandler licked his lips and finally picked up his head to look at him again, "I'm in love with her," he said again.
Ross shook his head, "No you're not."
He tilted his head and stared back at him, conveying with his eyes that he was serious and not kidding around with him, "I am."
"You don't fall in love," he said simply.
Chandler chuckled sarcastically and wondered for a moment if he was ever going to live that reputation down, "Yeah, well, I did. I am."
Ross looked straight ahead at the wall with the TV in front of him, staring in disbelief. Chandler glanced up at the muted black and white movie that was playing on the small screen, a western. One of the men in the cowboy hat pulled a gun and shot the other man not ten feet away from him, and he wondered if Ross was thinking he wished he had a gun at that moment.
He swallowed and looked away from the television, and Ross finally turned his head to look at him again, "So, have you told her?" His voice was much calmer, which surprised Chandler a bit.
Chandler lifted his head and met Ross's eyes, nodding at him, "Yeah, I um, I told her that night you told us that you and Emily were getting married." Ross licked his lips and pressed them together as he nodded slowly, all of the pieces of the puzzle making sense now in his head.
"But she was with Richard," he said.
Chandler was amazed that hearing those words made his gut clench, even after everything that happened, "I wanted to tell her when I got back from the trip," he said, shaking his head, "but Richard promised her things and told her he wanted her back in his life before I got home."
Ross shook his head, "They don't want the same things."
Chandler nodded, "Right."
"And you want those things with her?"
Chandler met his brown eyes, "Yeah, man, I do."
"So the two of you are…" Ross stopped and motioned with his hand, "…together now?"
Chandler swallowed and nodded just a little, "Yes," he said.
"She's in love with you too?" He asked, still staring at him.
He shrugged her shoulders and scratched his temple, "I don't know about that," he said softly, "I think that's something you'll have to ask her. It might be too soon for her. But I know she has feelings for me because she told me that. And she wants to do this with me, the whole…dating thing."
"You're going to date my sister?" He asked again.
Chandler felt himself beginning to get a little annoyed but held it at bay. He didn't want to make Ross any more upset than he already was, "Yes," he confirmed again.
"And what happens when she wants to get married?" Ross asked.
Chandler swallowed, "I'll marry her," he told him.
"Seriously?"
"I think that's a little far off from now because we haven't even been on a first date yet," he started, looking down at his hands, "but when the time comes, if she'll have me," he replied, then nodded as he lifted his head to look at Ross again, "yes."
Ross sighed, shook his head, and looked over at him, "I still am not crazy about the idea of this," he said, and Chandler nodded, "but, I guess, if she's happy, and you're happy, then I'll be happy for you guys." Chandler smiled at his friend, "If you hurt her, though, Chandler…"
"I'm not going to hurt her," he promised quickly.
Ross nodded and held out his hand, "Okay then," he said.
Chandler shook his hand and smiled as another weight lifted off his shoulders.
Wednesday, June 23, 1999, 4:10 PM
"Thanks for all of the help guys," Ross said, groaning a little as he sat down on his couch with Chandler's assistance, finally back in his apartment.
Chandler stood up straight and nodded at him, "You're welcome, is there anything else you need?"
Ross shook his head and pat Chandler's arm, "No, no, I'm good."
"Here's some of your pain medicine," Monica said, passing the two white pills to him, followed by a glass of water.
"Thank you," he said, taking the medicine quickly.
"I'm so glad everyone is out of the hospital and healthy," Chandler said, "I was really tired of looking at those walls."
Monica turned to him and smiled, chuckling a little. She wrapped her arm around his waist, and Ross lifted his eyebrows at the exchange.
He sat the water glass down and grabbed Monica's hand, "Uh, Rach, Chandler, do you guys mind if I talk to Monica for a second?"
Rachel, Chandler, and Monica glanced at each other and nodded, "Uh, sure," Rachel said, grabbing Chandler's arm, "We'll just be in the kitchen."
Ross smiled at her and she smiled back as she led him through the swinging door. Chandler stuck his hands in his pockets and Rachel turned to him, confused, "Wonder what that's about," she said, pointing behind her shoulder with her thumb.
Chandler chuckled softly, "I don't know, but I'm willing to bet money that it's about me and Monica dating."
Rachel's mouth fell open, "You told him?"
He nodded, "Yeah, I told him. I had to. I didn't want him to hear it from anyone else, that wouldn't have been fair. And I don't think he would've liked that."
Rachel nodded in agreement, "He wouldn't, you're right. So, what did he say? Was he mad?"
Chandler shrugged, "Yeah, a little at first, but, I think I managed to convince him that I really do love her, and I won't hurt her."
Rachel was quiet for a while as she studied his face, "And, you won't, right?"
He met her eyes, then lifted an eyebrow at her, "What?"
She stepped closer to him, "Hurt her?"
He shook his head slowly, "No, Rach," he murmured softly, "I won't."
She nodded and squeezed his arm, then smiled at him, "Good," she said, "I think you two will be good together."
He nodded back at her and chuckled, "Yeah, me too." Chandler leaned against the counter and crossed his arms and legs, then narrowed his eyes at her, "So, what about you and Ross?"
Rachel mimicked his position on the other side of the kitchen and lifted an eyebrow, "What about me and Ross?"
"Did you tell him how you feel?" He asked.
Rachel licked her lips, "Well, yeah," she sighed, "I made a promise to myself that if he'd wake up, if he would get better, I would tell him."
"And he's still in love with you?"
She nodded, laughed at the irony of the situation, then met his eyes again, "Yeah, but there's a small problem."
Chandler couldn't think of what possible problem the two of them could have if they loved each other, "What problem?" He asked.
Rachel began to chuckle again, confusing him, "He's married."
"Ah," Chandler replied, "well, yeah, I guess that is quite a conundrum."
"Yeah," Rachel responded, nodding her head, "but, I'm here, and she's not."
Chandler chuckled, "Rachel…" but she held up a hand to stop him.
"Those were his words, not mine," she said softly, "I want to be with him, and he wants to be with me. It's what we both want, and I think we'll get there one day."
He nodded at her, "I think so too."
She smiled at him, and he smiled back, "Happy endings for all of us, huh?"
He chuckled, "Looks that way."
Wednesday, June 23, 1999, 4:49 PM
"Ross is doing really good," Chandler commented as he and Monica climbed the stairs to their apartments.
Monica smiled at him just a little, "Yes, he is," she agreed, but with less zeal than he expected.
"Are you okay?" Chandler asked.
She nodded and looked over at him, "Yeah, I'm fine," she smiled at him, but he didn't believe her.
He took her hand and stopped their ascent on the stairs, "What's wrong sweetie?"
God, he knew her so well, inside and out, and she loved the fact that she would never have to hide anything from him. That was a perk of dating your best friend.
She leaned against the wall in the stairwell and looked up at him as he stepped closer to her, his hand still holding hers. She felt tears beginning to build behind her eyes, and she desperately wanted to keep them at bay.
She sighed and leaned into his head with her head as he cupped her face, "I…" she sighed again, "I just didn't think we'd ever be saying that Ross is doing great a few days ago," she mentioned softly, more to herself than to him, "and I guess the fact that we almost lost him is weighing heavily on me."
He nodded as a response, then brushed her cheek with his thumb, "I didn't like to think about it," he swallowed, "but sometimes I wondered if he was going to make it," he admitted.
The tears she failed to keep from coming to the surface did just that, and she looked away from him as one left her eye. Man, she was sick of crying.
"How could you not?" She finally continued; her stomach turned a somersault as she thought about the worry over her brother again.
"Mon," he sighed, and moved his hand to gently grasp her chin and bring her eyes to his, "he's okay," he said softly. Another tear rolled down her cheek and he wiped it away, "He's already back to telling extremely boring stories about dinosaurs." He smiled when she giggled, "And in a few weeks, his leg will be better, and he'll be up and as good as new."
She marveled at his ability to calm her down, always. She smiled at him and lifted a hand to wipe her own cheek free of tears, "you're right," she agreed, "it was very scary, and I'm glad it's over."
"Yeah," he responded, a small smile on his face, "so am I."
She leaned forward and kissed his cheek, "Thank you," she said.
He smiled and lifted her hand to his mouth, pressing a kiss against it, "that's what I'm here for."
He let of her hand as they began moving again. Silence fell over them as they climbed the last flight of stairs, then turned the corner and stood together in the hallway between their two apartments.
"So, um," Chandler started, then reached for her hand, because holding it was becoming a habit that he didn't think he would ever get tired of, "I guess I'm going to head inside."
Monica swallowed and thought about her hot shower, comfy bed, and fresh clothes only ten feet away from her. All things she missed desperately.
But she did want to see Chandler, spend some much-needed time with him, because they hadn't had any sort of chance to do that yet, not even once. And now, because Phoebe was with Frank and Alice, and Joey was on set, and Rachel was with Ross at his apartment, they were finally, finally alone.
"You could," she answered lowly, then pressed her lips together and moved closer to him, close enough to be completely in his personal space, "or maybe you could come over," she suggested lowly.
He smiled at her, and she swore she saw a blush creep onto his cheeks, "Oh yeah?"
She hummed lowly, "I'll open a bottle of wine, put on a movie…"
"If you're trying to seduce me, Geller," he responded, then leaned down to whisper in her ear, his lips grazing it as he spoke, "it's working."
"Good," she murmured.
"But, first, I would like to shower and change clothes," he said, "I've been in these for a couple of days," he made a face.
She giggled, and he smiled again.
God, he really did love to make her laugh, "Okay."
"What if I head over in about 30 or 40 minutes?"
She smiled bigger at him, "That sounds perfect."
He nodded, smiled, and leaned down to kiss her. It was a soft, simple kiss that only lasted a second or two, but it did the trick to excite her for what was coming up.
"I'll see you in a little while," he whispered, then squeezed her hand and walked a few steps away from her, toward his apartment.
"Can't wait," she said.
He winked at her, "Me either."
She turned and walked into her apartment, then went straight into the bathroom for a shower.
This was shaping up to be a great night.
Wednesday, June 23, 1999, 5:23 PM
Chandler walked into apartment 20 and used his eyes to look around for Monica but didn't see her. He moved inside and shut the door behind him, then locked it for good measure.
Even though their friends were otherwise occupied, he didn't want to be interrupted.
"Mon?" He called softly, but there was no answer. He walked over to the bathroom and peeked inside, finding it empty.
He made his way past the living room and knocked gently on her partially open bedroom door, "Mon?"
He smiled when he spotted her, dressed in a nightgown, her hair wet from the shower, sound asleep on the bed. So much for a quiet evening together, he thought.
But to be fair, he knew how exhausted she had to be, and honestly, so was he.
He slowly approached her, then squat down next to her and gently brushed some hair that had fallen in her face.
She didn't stir.
He took a moment to watch her sleep, just like he did in Colorado. He smiled at the thought that he could think of nothing but being with her then, and now they were together, finally. He licked his lips and stood to his full form, then grabbed a throw off of the chair in her room and carefully covered her and winced when her eyes fluttered open.
"Sorry," he whispered, then crouched down next to her, "I didn't mean to wake you. I just wanted to make sure you were comfortable." He brushed some hair behind her ear, "Go back to sleep."
She put her hand on his shoulder, then shook her head and started to sit up, "No, we're supposed to have the night together, and I want to spend the evening with you."
"Mon," he placed his hand on her shoulder, "you're exhausted, baby," he pointed out. She shook her head again, ready to argue with him, but he placed his finger on top of her lips, "You need some sleep, and a lot of it."
She sighed in defeat because she knew he was right. She lay down on the bed again, "But I can…"
"You need to sleep," he reiterated, "we can have our evening together tomorrow night. I'm not going anywhere."
"I know, but…"
"Shhh," he insisted, "I'll close these curtains and get the room as dark as possible, okay?"
"Chandler…" She watched as he stood and walked away from her, then closed the curtains, dramatically darkening the room so that only little bits of light peeked through.
He returned to her side, and she grabbed his hand, "Fine, I'll go to sleep, but will you stay here with me?"
He smiled, "You sure?"
She nodded, "I'd love it if you did."
He was amazed at how those deep blue eyes of hers could get her anything she wanted, anytime she wanted it, because every time he looked into them, he got lost in them. And as far as requests go, this one he knew he would never, ever object to.
"Okay," he agreed softly, then stood up to his full form and made his way to the other side of the bed. She swiftly moved beneath the covers and held them open for him to crawl in.
"Thank you," she whispered, and he furrowed his eyebrows as he moved around to get comfortable.
"For what? "He asked.
She yawned, "For staying here with me tonight."
He laughed, "Monica, sweetheart, I don't think this is a chore at all. Holding you in my arms for hours? I'll do it anytime."
She cuddled into his side when he settled next to her.
"My God, you smell good," he murmured, and she heard him inhale deeply.
She smirked as she took in his scent too, that clean, fresh, soap smell mixed with a heavy dose of him. He had shaved too, because she could smell his aftershave, one of her favorite scents.
She placed a kiss on the smooth skin of his jaw, "You smell nice too," she mentioned.
He chuckled lowly in his throat, "I'm glad you think so, because I know I probably didn't earlier."
She chuckled too, "Living in the hospital was no picnic."
"No, it wasn't," he agreed softly.
She moved her head up on the pillow to look at him, "I'm really glad you were there."
He looked down at her, "I wouldn't have been anywhere else."
She leaned forward and kissed him because she knew that was true.
She smiled when she pulled away as he pulled the covers over them. It fell silent in the room for a few seconds, "I'm so glad you didn't give up on me."
He chuckled softly, then shook his head at her, "I didn't have much of a choice babe."
"What do you mean?" She furrowed her eyebrows together.
His blue eyes sparkled even in the darkened room as he stared at her, "I couldn't give up on you, Monica, even if I wanted to," he swallowed hard and touched her temple, "and I didn't want to."
She felt tears spring into her eyes, so she looked away from him so that he couldn't see. She took in a shaky breath, "Were you really going to move away?"
He shut his eyes and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, "I thought I had to," he said, "I didn't want to watch you marry him."
She kept her eyes shut as she thought about seeing him with the woman he'd been on exactly one date with, how her gut churned when she watched him with her. She knew that seeing Richard with her was just as heart wrenching for him, and she felt another pang of guilt for it.
"I'm so sorry, Chandler."
"There's no reason for you to be sorry," he murmured, then squeezed her tighter against him.
"I hurt you," she whispered.
"And I hurt you," he whispered back, then took in a choppy breath, "I'm so glad we're passed all of that."
She smiled and moved her head up to look at him, he moved one of his hands to thread through her soft, damp hair. "Me too," she murmured, then shut her eyes and allowed herself to sink into him even more, breathe him in and bask in his presence.
He glanced over at the clock and smiled as he murmured into her hair, "Bedtime at 5 in the afternoon?" He said, smiling at her, "I guess we're officially old." He felt a shiver run down his spine at the thought of growing old with her.
It was all he wanted; all he had been wanting for a long time now.
"You're only as old as you feel," she told him softly, and he smiled.
"Well, I feel about 94-years-old," he said, chuckling a little.
"That would make me 93, then," she responded and rubbed her hand against his chest.
"Hm," he moved his hand down her side until it rested on her hip, "you are one smoking hot, gorgeous, 93-year-old, babe." She tucked her arms in front of his chest and smiled as a blush came to her cheeks. She yawned again and he smiled and moved his hand to cup her face, "I hope I can tell you that when we're actually in our 90s."
She leaned forward and pressed a sweet kiss to his lips, and the two of them fell silent for so long that he thought she had fallen asleep again until she spoke, "Can I ask you something?" She asked and moved back, but not very far.
"Yes," He gently kissed her lips again.
"The Chandler I used to know, the one that we all used to know, didn't want any part of commitment." He tilted his head down and looked away from her eyes as she continued, "I remember when Heckles died and Phoebe, Rachel, and I were trying to convince you that you wouldn't end up alone. We told you that you were ready for a committed relationship with someone, and you couldn't get away from us fast enough. And that's not the only time you've admitted to me and to all of us that the thought of being with someone permanently scared you."
He sighed a little and nodded at her because all of that was true.
"I guess I'm wondering why that's changed," she finally said, after a few seconds of silence.
He paused and gently squeezed her hip, thinking about his answer for a while before he said anything. If there was one thing he wanted, it was to be completely honest with her.
"After Dana, I kind of shut the idea of being with a woman forever down in my head, because, well, she really broke my heart. And then when I dated seriously, Kathy, and" he shook his head a little in disbelief, "and Janice," she smiled at him, "I let myself begin to think, 'okay, here's a good woman. She won't hurt me', but then, they did. After all that I went through, I pushed the idea of commitment away."
She nodded and stayed quiet as he continued, he took several moments, but finally looked up and met her eyes again, "I grew up a lot in the last year," he continued softly, then chuckled, "well, I think I have. Some people might argue with me about that."
She smiled a little and nodded just a bit, "I think you have too."
He smirked at her and squeezed her side, "And one thing that I realized in all of this growing up is that if I were to find the right person, someone who I can love, and trust, and know completely, inside and out, then there is no reason to be scared of committing to her." He shrugged a shoulder, "And I'm not anymore."
"Oh, sweetheart," she leaned forward to kiss him, letting her lips linger on his for several moments before she pulled away. She moved closer to him again, tucking herself into his chest.
"I have a question, too," he said, and she moved her head up to look into his eyes. He smiled just slightly, and took in a deep breath, trying to make himself ask the question that he'd wanted to know for so long now.
"If Richard hadn't come here that night and told you that he wanted to be with you again and wanted a family with you..." she felt her heart rate speed up as his grip tightened on her waist, almost as if he needed confirmation that she was still there in front of him. He took in a shaky breath, "…and I came home and um," he chuckled slightly, the nervousness taking him over, "and told you how I felt, really felt," he finally added, "would you have…"
She cupped his face, her thumb rubbing his cheek, "Yes," she said softly.
His smile stretched across his face, "Really?"
She kissed his nose, then shook her head, "I made a mistake," she started, "thinking that Richard would change and be the guy that I wanted, the guy that I thought I couldn't be without a year ago. But even if he really did want a family with me, I don't think it would've worked out."
He shook his head, because he didn't think so either. He really didn't like the fact that he manipulated Monica by telling her that he wanted a family with her when he really didn't, just to be in her life again.
If he were the kind of guy that would, he'd like to tell Richard what he thought about that.
But he wasn't.
"You should probably know something, else, too," she continued, and still spoke softly, as if they weren't the only two people in the room. "After our night together in Colorado," she started, "I thought about you," she stopped, shook her head a little, "us," she corrected, "a lot. And I couldn't get you off my mind. Not only the way you kissed me and made love to me, but because you were my best friend. I knew I had feelings for you, but with everything going on with Richard, and the thought of us not working out and losing you scared me so much that I tried to pretend that anything I felt for you would eventually go away."
He smiled and cupped her face again, "And I thought that if you were happy with him that I could get over you, and when I realized that would never happen, I thought I could run away from here," he shook his head, "it wouldn't have mattered."
She smiled and a tear rolled from her eye, "I'm so glad it's finally all worked out," she whispered, "and we can be us."
He smiled and cupped her face, his thumb gently rubbing the skin there, "Me too baby."
She smiled, leaned forward, and kissed him. When they broke apart, she snuggled into him again and yawned. He wrapped his arms around her and shut his eyes, listening to the sound of her breathing as it lulled him to sleep.