Hi loves! Nothing much to report here, just another chapter closer to THE END!
There is quite a bit of time jumping, but you'll see why as you read. There's some good stuff I want to get to and I think this one has been drawn out enough, don't you? :)
Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!
Saturday, August 7, 1999, 10:39 AM
Monica squeezed Chandler's hand as they walked down the sidewalk to get his attention. He looked over at her, his eyebrows raised.
"Are you nervous?"
He chuckled lowly in his throat, "Telling your parents that you're pregnant with my baby, a guy who they really don't even care for that much? No, why would I be nervous?"
She chuckled at him, then shook her head, "They like you."
"They don't," he argued.
"Honey, why do you think they don't like you?"
"They barely look in my direction anytime they're around me," he shrugged his shoulders, "I don't think Jack has liked me since I looked at you up and down during Thanksgiving."
She laughed again, "They like you fine."
He pressed his lips together as they turned the corner and continued down another sidewalk, "Have you told them we're dating?"
She nodded, "Yes," she said, then rolled her eyes, "but dad already knew. Richard told him."
"Even more reason not to like me," he said softly, "I took you away from Richard, their best friend."
She squeezed his hand again, "No," she insisted, "I think they understand that I wasn't happy with him, and I am with you."
He smiled a little at that as he let go of her hand and reached for the handle of the door of the restaurant to open it for her. She walked in and he took in a deep breath, "Here goes nothing," he murmured to himself as he followed her.
About half an hour later, Chandler had to admit that it was going well. He liked how chipper her parents seemed to be, laughing and making jokes, the conversation flowing smoothly between the four of them.
Monica took a sip of orange juice and put her glass back on the table before she reached over and took Chandler's hand under the table.
It was time to tell them.
"Mom, Dad, there's actually something that we need to tell you," she started and Chandler could hear the small shake in her voice.
"What is it, sweetie?" Judy asked, looking over to her husband for a second then looked into Monica's eyes again.
She swallowed hard and felt Chandler squeeze her hand reassuringly, "Well Chandler and I…" she stopped and swallowed, "We're together now, and very happy, and we um…" she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, "we're having a baby."
Jack and Judy had mirrored, mouth-hanging-open expressions on their faces.
Chandler braved a look over at Monica, then swallowed hard as he returned his eyes to her parents.
"You're pregnant?" Judy finally asked, her voice slightly higher in surprise.
"Yes."
Chandler felt her hand tighten in his under the table as her parents continued to stare in disbelief.
"Well, how did this happen?" Jack finally asked, and if they weren't sitting directly in front of them, Chandler would've hidden his face behind his hands at such a question.
"Dad?"
"I mean I know how it happened but, did you mean for this to happen?"
Chandler and Monica glanced at each other, then back over to Jack. He cleared his throat, "Well, I mean, no, sir, we didn't really plan this. But we're honestly very thrilled about it."
"Both of you?" Judy checked.
"Yes, both of us," Chandler said, and Monica knew from the tone of her mother's voice that she was surprised that Chandler was so okay with starting a family.
"We're going to be grandparents again?" Judy asked, a smile on her face as she looked over at her husband, who smiled back at her.
Chandler relaxed a little when Monica's grip on his hand beneath the table lessened, "Yes," Monica said with a smile, "I'm due in January."
"Oh," Judy said, then pushed her chair away from the table and stood, stepping over to Monica and wrapping her arms around her daughter.
Judy moved over to hug Chandler while Jack hugged Monica.
"This is so wonderful," Judy said as the four of them returned to their seats.
Chandler took a sip of his water, then looked over at Monica as she looked at him. He wrinkled his nose just a bit at her, then winked as she smiled.
Jack saw the exchange and smiled to himself. He didn't think he'd ever seen his daughter this happy, and it was nice to see.
After what seemed about a million questions later, Monica stood from the table, "I'm going to run to the ladies' room," she said.
"Oh, I'll join you," Judy said, standing with her.
Chandler chuckled as the two walked away from the table, "I've never understood why women go to the bathroom in multiples."
Jack nodded, "They usually need to gossip about who they left at the table, is my guess."
Chandler laughed and nodded, "Yeah, that's probably pretty accurate."
Silence fell over them as Jack picked up his drink and take several swallows of it.
Chandler sighed, ran a hand through his hair and looked up in to Monica's father's eyes, "Listen, Jack, I need to ask you something."
Jack put down his drink and picked up his fork, "Ask me what?"
He pressed his lips together for a second and took in a deep breath, "I want to marry Monica," he said softly, then swallowed hard at the expression on Jack's face.
"You do?" He asked finally, breaking the new uncomfortable silence between them.
Chandler looked over his shoulder to make sure his girlfriend and her mother weren't in earshot, "Yeah, I do," he swallowed again, "and it's probably old fashioned of me, but I would like your permission to do so."
Jack's eyebrows lifted and fell, "Chandler, I hope you don't mind me saying this, but…"
"You don't think I'm the commitment type, right?" He interrupted, because he knew that was the reputation he had with the Gellers and pretty much everyone else.
"Well, yeah," Jack said, "are you saying that isn't the truth?"
Chandler adamantly shook his head, "No," he started, "I'm not that guy anymore. I've grown up, and I fell in love with Monica. I know what I want, and it's a life with her and our baby."
"You've only been dating a few weeks, though," Jack argued, "and you think you want to marry her? Are you doing this just because she's pregnant? Because you really shouldn't."
"I'd want this even if she weren't pregnant, Jack," he sighed and ran his hand through his hair again, "I've known her for a lot of years now," Chandler said, shaking his head, "and several months ago, I fell for her."
Jack stayed quiet, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched Chandler curiously at the other side of the table from him.
He closed his eyes for a second, "I haven't stopped falling since," he finally continued, shivering slightly at his own honesty. He looked up at him, "She is the future I want, and I'm fairly sure she feels the same way about me."
"And you really think you can be a good husband?"
Chandler met his eyes again, nodding his head slowly so Jack knew he was serious, "Yes," he confirmed, "I know I will be."
Jack narrowed his eyes a bit at the young man across from him. As much as he hated to admit it, Chandler wasn't the young, party-loving, commitment-phobic, girl-chasing guy that Ross brought home from college at Thanksgiving. He was a grown-up, hardworking man that his daughter seemed just as genuinely smitten with as Chandler was with her.
He began to think about Judy, when he decided that he wanted to marry her all those years ago. She was pregnant, and while he knew that marrying her was the right thing to do, he wanted to anyway. He was in love with her, and she with him.
He shook his head at the irony, and he'd seen it with his own eyes at this very meal with the two of them. It was the same look of love on Chandler and Monica's faces that he and Judy still had on theirs.
"Ah," he said, then scratched his temple, "well, I think if you love my daughter and she loves you, that I shouldn't stand in your way of asking her to marry you."
Chandler let out a sigh of relief as a smile crept across his face, "Thank you."
"But if you ever hurt my little girl," Jack continued, in that warning tone that Chandler expected all along, "They'll never find your body, Bing."
Chandler swallowed nervously at the uncharacteristic stern look on Jack's face, "I won't hurt her," he promised, and he knew that was one he'd never break.
Jack nodded once and lifted his large hand for Chandler to shake, "Okay then."
Chandler placed his hand in his and shook it, a sigh of relief paired with a smile on his face, "Okay."
Judy dried her hands and pulled her lipstick from her purse, then leaned toward the mirror as she applied it to her lips.
"So you're really feeling okay?" Judy asked, turning to her daughter. Monica threw away her paper towel and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Yeah," Monica said, chuckling a little, "I've felt great. I have had some fatigue, but no morning sickness or anything like that."
Judy looked at her daughter with the mirror, "Wow," she said with a chuckle, "count yourself lucky," she pressed her lipsticked lips together a couple of times, then pushed a little up below her lip, "I was so sick with you and your brother."
Monica shook her head and lifted her eyebrows, "I've gotten nauseous once in a while, but I thought it was because of things like turbulence from the airplane on the way to London, the Ross drama in London and the accident, or the feelings I had for Chandler that I was trying to ignore."
Judy put her lipstick back in her small purse and turned to Monica. She lifted her hand to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear, "It's nice to see you so happy now, sweetie."
Monica smiled and pulled her mother into a hug, "Thank you, Mom." She backed away from her and sighed happily, "He's pretty great."
Judy held Monica's arms as she looked into her eyes, "Are you sure he's going to stick around and be there for you and the baby?"
Monica tilted her head, "Mom, I…"
"I know you're crazy about him right now, dear, but I want you to think about the future. Can you see yourself with him in ten years? How about twenty?"
Monica swallowed hard and looked down at the floor for a moment.
She imagined herself standing at a kitchen sink, looking out the window of their house in the suburbs, watching as Chandler played outside with their kids, the sounds of them all laughing as they wrestled on the grass. Then Chandler's eyes would catch hers, and he'd smile and wave for her to come and join them.
And in twenty years, she imagined her and Chandler getting dressed for dinner to meet their child's new significant other. She pictured his hair graying at his temples, with some silver hair mixed in the brown on top too. She could see the anxious look on his face as he tied his tie in the mirror, because no one would ever be good enough to date their kids.
It was so easy, the imagined future with Chandler.
"Yeah," Monica finally answered her, "it's him."
Judy nodded slowly as a smile came to her face.
Thursday, August 12, 1999, 2:14 PM
Chandler sat in the chair, holding Life magazine in his hands and reading the article that was advertised on the front cover, Remembering Jackie Kennedy.
He smiled to himself, thinking of the few girls in college to whom he told that he was a distant relative of a Kennedy, in an attempt to get a date or two.
Monica's perfume invaded his space as she leaned closer to him to see what he was reading, "Interesting article?"
He turned to her, then nodded, "Yeah, about Jackie Kennedy, you know, my distant cousin by marriage."
Monica laughed and shook her head at him, "You're such a doofus."
He smiled at her, then turned his eyes back to the magazine for a moment, "So did you decide?"
She glanced at the side of his face, then sighed, "I really think we should find out."
Chandler met her eyes, his eyebrows raised, "Oh yeah?"
She pressed her lips together for a moment, "Or maybe we should wait and be surprised," she suggested.
He chuckled at her and shook his head, "You're so damn cute."
"What?"
"How many times have you actually gone back and forth on this?"
She lost her smile a little, "Only a couple of times?"
He lifted an eyebrow, "No, honey, you went back and forth a couple of times in the first hour of trying to decide. You've flipped-flopped at least a thousand times since then."
She narrowed her eyes a bit at his mocking tone, "Well, you won't help me decide!" She pushed on his shoulder, and he chuckled again.
"I think it should be your decision," he returned, then moved his eyes back to the magazine, "I'm fine either way."
"Chandler…"
"Honey," he interrupted her, then placed his hand on her belly, "it's your decision."
She groaned softly and put her hands on his, "Fine," she said, and he smiled and returned his attention to the magazine. A few minutes passed and she looked down at her watch. They were early for her appointment, and she knew that the nurse would be calling them back soon.
"Do you have a quarter?" She asked suddenly.
He lifted an eyebrow at her, then closed the magazine, tossed it on the table and uncrossed his legs. He reached in his pocket and pulled out the silver, holding out his hand for her to have her choice.
She picked it up with a grin on her face, "Thank you."
"Do you want some gum or something?" He asked, chuckling a little.
She shook her head, "This is going to make the decision for me."
He lifted both eyebrows now, "You're going to flip a coin?"
"Yes," She replied, "I can't make up my mind and this, I'm sure, will be the perfect solution."
He stared at her, deadpan, "You're going to flip a coin to decide whether or not you find out the sex of our child?"
She turned to him, the quarter balanced on her thumb, her face one of confusion, "Yes," she said, "I can't make up my mind and you won't help me decide and this way, fate does it for us. Now if you want to tell me what to do…"
He listened to her rant, a smile on his face. She was so passionate about everything, and good God, he loved that about her. He began to chuckle at her, and she stopped talking and narrowed her eyes at him.
"And just, what, is so funny, Bing?"
He took her quarter-less hand, "I just love you, is all," he said, then lifted her hand to his lips for a kiss, "Let the money decide our knowledge of baby Bing."
She grinned at him, "Okay, heads, we find out, tails, we don't." He nodded at her and watched her as she balanced the coin on her thumb and flicked it in the air. She caught it in her hand and flipped it over on the back of her other hand. She looked up at him, her bottom lip between her teeth. She let her lip go and smiled at him, "You ready?"
He smiled back at her and placed a hand on her knee, "I'm ready," he confirmed.
She let out another breath and nodded, then lifted her hand off the other to reveal the silver coin.
With a smile on her face, she looked up at Chandler, and he looked up at her, the grin on his face spreading from one side to the other.
"Ms. Geller?"
Chandler stood first and helped Monica stand, then the duo followed the nurse to the exam room.
"Fifteen weeks!" Dr. Geoffrey Gilbert exclaimed, walking into the room with a nurse beside him and Monica's chart in his hands, "let's see if we can see a smile from the baby today, huh?"
Chandler and Monica looked at each other and smiled, "I sure hope so," Monica replied.
"Alright, so, everything looks great, Ms. Geller. Your blood pressure, weight, and urine all look fine. I see here that you've had no real issues as far as morning sickness, is that still true today?"
Monica nodded, "Yes," she confirmed, "just a little nausea here and there, but no vomiting, and no nausea in the last week or so."
"Great," he said, then flipped a page up on the chart. "Alright, let's have a look."
The nurse put the ultrasound gel on Monica's tiny bump, making her jump a little. The nurse winced, "Sorry, cold?"
"Very," Monica chuckled, and the doctor laughed.
"Common occurrence," he smirked, then took the wand and began moving it around, and the sound of a rapid heartbeat could be heard through the machine.
Chandler smiled, took Monica's hand and squeezed it.
They heard the heartbeat a few weeks ago for the first time, and it was a thrilling, tear-filled, heart pounding moment for both of them. They took the tape home to their friends, both filled with glee and excitement.
He knew he'd never forget the look on Monica's face when she heard that sound.
The doctor's next question brought him back to reality, "Have you felt any movement yet?"
He watched as her eyes grew big. Swallowing hard, she glanced over at Chandler, then back at Dr. Gilbert, "No, is that normal?"
The man smiled and held up his free hand, "That's completely fine. You probably will in the next couple of weeks. Your baby is about to hit a growth spurt." Monica let out a breath of relief.
Monica smiled and nodded, "Thank you, doctor."
He nodded back at her, "Now we can't see the face, because hands are in our way, but I've got a good look here, do we want to know the sex?"
Monica looked at Chandler again and smiled at him and he smiled back. He cleared his throat, "Yes, we want to know," he said, then squeezed her hand again.
Dr. Gilbert smiled, nodded and moved the wand a little, and pressed a button on the computer to pause the screen. He drew a digital arrow and typed the word 'girl'.
"You are having a baby girl," he said, smiling at the parents to be.
"A baby girl," Chandler whispered to Monica, then leaned over to her and pressed his forehead to hers.
She lifted her hand and cupped his ear, the shut her eyes as tears left them, "Our baby girl."
Saturday, August 28, 1999, 6:40 PM
"Oh, I am so happy for you both," Nora said, her hands folded over her chest, "I can't believe this all happened so fast."
Chandler put down his fork and wiped his lips with his napkin, "Well, it did happen fast, and we weren't expecting it, but we're both so excited about this baby."
Nora nodded and picked up her wine glass, "Here's to both of you," she started, then paused and allowed Chandler to pick up his wine glass and Monica to pick up her water glass, "on what seems like a great, healthy relationship and a baby coming soon."
The three clinked glasses together and took a sip of their beverages, then sat the glassware back on the table."
"Thank you, Mrs. Bing," Monica said, smiling as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.
"Oh darling, call me Nora." Monica smiled, nodded and picked up her water again, "So tell me, how long after you two got home did this baby-making thing happen?"
Chandler lifted his eyebrows and nearly spit out his forkful of food he was chewing, "Mom, geez!"
"What?" She asked innocently, "what's wrong with that question?"
Monica chuckled and felt a blush come to her cheeks as Chandler rubbed his forehead, "Because it's just not something you ask," he said softly.
Nora shrugged, "Honey, if you don't ask, you won't know the answer."
"I don't know why you need to know the answer to that," he responded, then looked over at Monica when she placed her hand on his.
"It actually happened in Colorado," Monica admitted, and Chandler glanced at her as Nora's mouth dropped open a little.
"Did it really?" She finally responded.
"Yes," Monica said, then smiled at Chandler's red face, "I went downstairs that night, we were drinking, and we kissed and then it happened."
"I think I wanted to happen more than she did," Chandler said, but Monica shook her head and looked at him.
"No, that's not true," Monica replied, scrunching up her nose at him, "both of us wanted it."
Chandler smirked at her, then turned his attention back to his mother, "Anyway, we're both really excited for our baby girl to get here."
Nora put down her wine glass and smiled at them as Chandler turn his hand over and intertwined his fingers with Monica's.
"How sweet," she said, then glanced down at her watch, "I'm sorry honey, I hate to eat and run, but I should get going. I've got a red-eye to Chicago."
Chandler let go of Monica's hand and both of them stood with Nora. After saying her goodbyes to her, Monica returned to her seat.
"I'll be right back, sweetie, I'm going to walk Mom out."
Monica smiled at him and nodded, then waved at Nora as the two of them turned and headed toward the door.
Nora waved her hand for a cab and faced her son again, "You two seem incredibly happy," she began, and Chandler nodded and looked down at the ground beneath their feet.
"We are," he said, and stuck his hands in his pockets, "we're crazy about each other."
"Are you going to marry her?" She asked, her eyebrows raised.
He smirked, sighed and nodded again, "Yeah, I'm gonna ask, anyway."
Nora smiled, "She'll say yes."
"You think?"
She chuckled softly, "I don't think, I know," she waved for a cab for a second time.
"Mom, come on, you can't tell."
Her piercing blue eyes met Chandler's, "I can," she insisted, just as a cab stopped in front of them. Chandler chuckled again and reached for the handle to open the door for her. Nora cupped his face, "Oh darling, I'm so excited for you."
"Thank you," he said, then smiled back at her.
She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down for a hug. After a moment, she pulled away, "Have you talked to your father?"
Chandler chuckled lightly, "Uh, no, I haven't," he said nervously.
Nora nodded, "He'll want to know," she said, "I know it'll be weird for you, and I don't blame you, but I do think you should tell him."
He took in a shaky breath, put his hand on the back of his head, then dropped his hand again, "Maybe," he replied, then swallowed, "I don't know."
She nodded slowly in response, "Okay darling," she placed her hand on his chest, "I'll see you soon, right?"
Chandler nodded, "Sure."
"Love you, sweetie," she said, then sat down in the cab and told the driver the name of the hotel.
"Love you too, Mom," Chandler replied, and watched as the taxicab pulled away from the curb. He returned to the table and sat down next to Monica.
"She seemed happy," Monica commented with a smile.
Chandler nodded and picked up his fork, "Yeah, she is," he stabbed a couple of green beans onto the metal prongs, "she said I should call my dad."
"You should," Monica said, nodding her head.
Chandler finished chewing his bite of food, "I don't know, honey, I just…"
"Sweetheart, listen," Monica said, turning to him, "I know you had a weird childhood with your dad, but this is a major part of your life, and I'm sure he wants to know."
He met her eyes and sighed, nodding slightly, "I guess you're right," he conceded.
"I don't know how long it's going to take you to learn that I am always right," she said, a confident smirk on her face.
He chuckled softly, then lifted and dropped his eyebrows, "Not long."
"I just think it will be a good steppingstone for you two to get on good terms again."
He sighed and let his mind think about how the conversation with his father would go. He knew it would be hard at first, but Monica was right.
It was time to get past the past and look toward the future.
"I'll give him a call." She placed her hand on his thigh and gave it a squeeze. He smiled at her, "thanks babe."
She moved forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek, "Of course."
A couple of hours later, Chandler climbed out of the window to the balcony and sat down in the outdoor chair. He stared down at the numbers on the handheld of Monica's phone, then over to the handwritten numbers on a piece of paper.
Charles Bing.
He crumpled up the paper and ran that hand over his face, tapping the phone against his knee.
He took in a deep, shaky breath and pressed the button to turn on the phone, then the eleven digits to dial his number.
After a few rings, and one before Chandler was about to hang up, the line connected, and he heard his father's voice for the first time in a long time.
He swallowed hard, "Hey dad."
Monica watched through the giant window as Chandler took the phone from his ear and turned it off. She waited a few more seconds, then slowly made her way through the window. She briefly wondered if she would be able to fit through there in a few more weeks.
Chandler glanced over at her and smiled, then sat back in the chair and opened his arms as she approached him.
Without saying a word, she climbed into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. One hand rested on her belly while his arm came around her waist.
"How did it go?" She asked, moving one of her hands to rest on the juncture of his neck and shoulder.
He nodded slowly, staring at a spot on the ground near the window. He finally looked up and met her eyes, "It went okay," he said, "I'm glad I called. He was glad I called."
"Yeah?" Monica asked, a smile stretching across her face.
"Yeah," he responded, "he wants to meet you, and the baby."
Her eyebrows went higher, "Well, we should get together after she gets here," she said, then put her hand on top of his, "I'd like to meet him too."
He smiled at her, "I'm glad I called," he said again.
She leaned forward and kissed him, "I'm glad you did too."
He moved his hand to cup her face, pulling her close for another kiss, "Thank you," he whispered.
Tuesday, September 21, 1999, 5:28 PM
"Hey," Rachel said, sighing heavily as she walked into apartment 20.
"Hey Rach," Monica replied, looking up from her pad where she was writing the grocery list.
"I'm glad you're here," she said, her voice shaking just slightly, "I want to talk to you about something," she continued.
Monica furrowed her eyebrows together, "Okay, are you alright?"
Rachel nodded and sat down at the table next to her, "Yeah, I'm fine honey."
"What's the matter?" She asked, her eyebrows still knit together, studying the look on her friend's face.
Rachel reached over and took Monica's hands, "Listen, I've been thinking about you and Chandler and baby girl," Monica smiled a little, but stayed silent, "and I think it's time that I move out."
Monica's face fell, "What? No," she said quickly, shaking her head, "I've already got a plan to rearrange my room to fit her crib and I…"
"Mon," Rachel stopped her rant by gripping her hands, "there is no room for a crib, and a changing table, and another dresser in your tiny bedroom."
Monica let her head fall, squeezing Rachel's hands. She knew, deep down, that Rachel was right. There was no way all the furniture needed for the baby would work in the small bedroom along with her furniture.
"I don't want you to go," she whispered softly, fighting tears in her eyes.
"I know honey," Rachel replied, then let go of Monica's hand to tuck a piece of hair behind her friend's ear, "but, listen, I'm not going far, and I'll still see you every day. And, as an added bonus, the room is already pink. "
Monica sighed heavily, "Are you sure?" She looked into Rachel's eyes, "I don't want you to feel like I'm pushing you away, that was never my intention."
"I know that," Rachel said, nodding her head, "really, it was my idea. And things are going well with Ross, and I think we're going to make it work."
She didn't know why, but hearing that Rachel was going to move in with her brother surprised her, "You're going to move in with Ross?"
Rachel chuckled, "Yeah," she shrugged, "he offered when I said that I was going to talk to you about moving out so the baby can have my room."
Monica smiled again at her long-time friend, "Don't you think it's too fast?"
She chuckled again and scratched her head, "I think we've been through so much already that nothing can be too fast with us."
"I guess that's true."
"I almost lost him, Mon," she said softly, shaking her head in disbelief, "and I promised myself that if he was okay, I would let go of the little things he does that drive me crazy and we'll be together."
Monica felt chills cover her arms. She folded them together in front of her and pulled them closer to her, trying to fight the tears at the back of her eyes.
Rachel smiled at her again and cupped her friend's face, "This is gonna be good," she insisted, "I know it's for the best."
Monica swallowed hard, nodded once and leaned over to wrap her arms around her. The two women hugged tightly, "Love you, Rach," Monica whispered.
Rachel put her hand on the back of her head, "Love you too."
Wednesday, November 10, 1999, 6:13 PM
Chandler loosened his tie and entered apartment 20, heading straight for his girlfriend's bedroom. He leaned in the slightly open door and smiled, finding her sound asleep, her head tilted to one side, her mouth slightly ajar.
He was sure it was easier for Monica to get all the rest she needed on her days off now that Rachel had moved out.
He knew she missed living with her friend, but he was glad that she could rest easily and without interruptions.
He lifted his hand and finished untying his tie, then removed his suit jacket and hung them both on the closet door before making his way over to the bed.
He sat down next to her slowly and smiled when she didn't stir. He carefully placed his hand on the other side of her and leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to her neck.
She woke up but didn't move her head as a smile stretched across her face, "Hey you," she murmured softly.
He traveled up to below her ear and kissed there before responding, "Hi gorgeous," he responded against her skin.
She finally turned her head and met his lips, tossing the book aside and wrapping her arms around him.
The make-out session didn't end until Monica found herself out of breath, but it was nothing uncommon when she kissed him.
He carefully climbed over her and lay down next to her, "How was your day?" She asked, rubbing his arm gently.
He yawned and wrapped his arm around her, "Busy, real busy. I'm glad it's done."
"I'm glad you're here," she responded.
He grinned at her and leaned up to kiss her again. After he pulled away, he laid his head on her chest, something he did nearly every night. He put his hand on her baby bump and began to rub it softly, "Hey baby girl," he whispered, then pressed a kiss to her belly.
Monica smiled and lifted her hands to play in his hair, "Honey," she called after a long time.
"Hm?" He asked, not turning to look at her.
"I've been thinking," she began, her voice soft and full of emotion, "about you and me."
He furrowed his eyebrows together and pushed himself up and off her chest, "Oh yeah?"
She smiled at the nervous look on his face, "Yeah," she replied.
He chuckled, "Good things, I hope," he responded.
Her smile covered her entire face now, "Nothing but good things," she continued, then placed her hand on his chest, "I love you."
"I love you too," he said with a nod.
"And I've been thinking we should move to the next step."
Like lightning, his mind flashed to the engagement ring tucked away safely in his dresser drawer across the hall. She couldn't ask him to marry her, he wanted to ask her to marry him.
He was just waiting for the right time.
He cleared his throat as a shiver ran down his spine, "Well, I uh…"
He stopped when she chuckled at him, "Calm down," she responded, "I just meant I think we should live together."
His heart rate slowed considerably, and he let out a breath of relief. He watched as she giggled at him, and he knew it was because she thought he was freaking out about committing to her permanently, and that was definitely not the case.
He smirked at her and took her hand in his, "You want to live with me?"
"Yes," she said, and squeezed his hand, "we do."
He nodded slowly at her, "I think that's a great idea," he said, his voice low, "I practically live here already."
She giggled again, "Well let's make it official," she said, then lifted her hand to cup his face, "You and me and baby B."
He frowned at her new nickname for peanut, "Baby B?" He questioned, and she chuckled again, "we should really pick a name."
She smiled and nodded at him, "Move in with me and we'll have plenty of time to do that."
He leaned forward to press a sweet kiss to her lips, "Let's make it official," he whispered against her lips.
Oh, they were his entire world.