Hi lovelies!
We can see the finish line! There will be one more chapter of this longggggggg story that has taken me almost a year to get done (no seriously, it's almost been a year!) I appreciate all the love and comments and all you wonderful people who have encouraged this one!
Look out for the conclusion in the next couple of weeks.
And then, look out for my next big one. It'll probably be a while, but, you know, I'll still be around. ;)
This chapter is sappy happy, and truly covers a lot of time. But I feel like after all that angst, I think we've earned some Mondler love at this point, don't you? I didn't think each of these events below needed their own chapter. They're happy, we get it, right? Right.
Much love!
Saturday, November 20, 1999, 4:12 PM
Joey walked into Monica and Chandler's apartment, furrowing his eyebrows together when he saw his two friends sitting next to each other on the couch, staring at the wall in front of them.
He got a drink out of the refrigerator and walked into the living room, looking between the two of them as they stared at nothing in front of them.
"Guys?" He questioned, and Chandler finally snapped out of whatever trance he was in to look up at his former roommate.
"Hey Joe," he said flatly.
"What are you guys doing?" Joey asked, an eyebrow raised as he looked between Monica and Chandler and the TV they were staring at with nothing on it.
Chandler looked over at Monica, then back to Joey, "We're picking a name for the baby," he murmured.
Joey's smile spread across his face, then he began to laugh. Monica finally turned her head to acknowledge him for the first time since he came into their apartment, "Nothing funny here, Joe," she said, the glared over at Chandler's face.
"She keeps saying no to all my ideas," Chandler said, his arms crossed, "and I had some good ones!"
Monica turned her head to stare at her boyfriend, deadpan, "You suggested Magenta," she turned to Joey as he laughed again, "and he was serious!"
"Hey, Magenta is a great name! We could call her Maggie!"
"No," Monica said sharply.
"Yours haven't been much better," he said, then also looked at Joey. He began to name several of Monica's suggestions that he thought were absolutely insane.
"There's nothing wrong with any of those," Monica argued.
"Most of them sound like a woman entertainer that you call up from the phone book!"
Monica narrowed her eyes at him as Joey continued his booming laughter. She groaned loudly and threw up her hands, "Why don't we just forget it?" She said, "Maybe our baby doesn't need a name. We'll call her 'Girl'."
Chandler rolled his head to look at her, "Or perhaps Baby, you know, like in Dirty Dancing."
"Guys, guys, stop. I have an idea," Joey said, still chuckling under his breath. Monica and Chandler still stared at each other as Joey stood and walked over to the desk in front of the picture window. He opened the drawer where he knew Monica kept notepads and grabbed two of them, then walked over to his aggravated friends.
"Here," Joey said, passing one to Chandler, then to Monica, followed by a pen for each of them.
"What are you doing?" Chandler asked in confusion.
"Both of you write down ten of your favorite names. Don't say them out loud, and, Chandler, don't worry about what Monica might think and Monica, don't worry about what Chandler might think. Write down your favorites."
"What is this going to accomplish? Monica asked.
"Just, trust me, okay?"
The dating couple looked at each other for a moment, then down at the paper in front of them. Monica uncapped her pen while Chandler clicked his, and both of them began to write.
Joey sat down in the oversized chair, watching them quietly. Chandler wrote four or five names down quickly but slowed after that. He bit the end of his pen as he pondered, then wrote some more.
Monica started slowly, adding only one name at a time, Joey assumed she was trying to narrow her long list down in her head.
After about 20 minutes of no sound but the quiet hum of the refrigerator and the sounds of the pens writing on the papers, Chandler sighed and tore his paper off the smaller notepad, then announced that he was done.
"I need one more," Monica said, tapping the pen on her lips. Chandler and Joey both watched as she smiled and wrote down the tenth name, "I'm done too."
Joey put down the magazine he was thumbing through and sat up, "Okay, pass me your lists, waving at them to pass the notes.
Chandler and Monica glanced at each other as Joey unfolded both papers, then looked over them carefully.
Joey's all-teeth-showing grin spread across his face "It worked!" He exclaimed, then turned both lists so they could see. "Bailey," he said simply, "it's on both lists."
Monica looked at Chandler and he turned to meet her eyes too, "You like the name Bailey?" Monica asked, smiling at him.
"I love the name Bailey."
"I do too!" She said and he grinned as he leaned forward and planted his lips on hers.
"Why haven't you mentioned it before?" Chandler asked, chuckling a little.
"I didn't think you'd like it, I guess, and you didn't mention it to me!" She replied, squeezing his forearm.
The two of them chuckled again and leaned in for another kiss and a tight hug. They broke apart and turned to look at him, then Monica reached over and took Joey's hands, "How did you know to do that? That was amazing! We've been arguing about names for weeks and this was so easy."
"Hey, I'm smarter than you think I am," Joey defended, and the looks on both friends' faces made him drop his head, "okay fine. We had a similar scene on Days."
Monica and Chandler chuckled and Monica lifted his hand to kiss it, "Well, it doesn't matter. It worked beautifully. Thank you!"
Joey's smile returned as Monica let go of his hands. He rubbed them together excitedly.
"Mon's right, that was great, Joe," he smiled and picked up his notepad, "ten more for the middle name?"
Monica looked at Chandler and then back over at Joey, "We don't need to pick a middle name," she said, and Chandler furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.
"What? What do you mean?"
She patted Joey's knee, "We don't need to use that method for Bailey's middle name, but maybe we could use it again one day for the next baby."
Joey and Chandler looked at each other, still confused, "Well, why not?" Joey asked.
Monica smiled and turned to face Chandler, "I already know Bailey's middle name," she said softly.
Chandler glanced down at her very pregnant belly, then back up at her, "You do? How?"
She reached for his hand and took it into hers, "I did a lot of thinking about how much you and I went through and how amazing we are together now. And I know you had feelings for me before and I had feelings for you that I was trying to ignore, but I think our trip to Colorado is significant to our relationship."
"I agree…" Chandler said, his voice trailing off as he looked at her in confusion.
"You want to name her Colorado?" Joey asked, "Bailey Colorado?"
Monica giggled a little, "No, I don't. But I don't hate it," she said, looking away from him, "Bailey Colorado. Or Bailey Creede."
Chandler's face fell, because as sweet as that gesture was, he didn't want to name his child either of those suggestions. He took her hand, "Um, honey, I don't…"
She squeezed his hand, "I'm just kidding," she giggled again as she continued, "I was actually thinking we should name her Josie."
Chandler let his mouth fall open a little as he stared at her in shock, "Seriously?" Monica smiled and nodded as she felt tears come to her eyes, "Oh my God," he whispered, "baby that's perfect!" She grinned at him as he leaned forward and kissed her again.
"After Chandler's grandmother, huh? You sure it's not short for Joey?"
The duo looked over at him smirks on both of their faces, "Joe…"
He waved a hand, "Ah, I'm just kidding, I know you loved your grandmother."
Monica smiled again, "And she was a big part of Chandler's life and a phenomenal woman, and the reason we kissed for real, even though we were pretending, for the first time."
Chandler looked over at her, "She changed my life."
Monica nodded at him and lifted her hand to thread through her fingers through his hair, "Mine too."
"You guys are so great," Joey said, smiling at them, "maybe the next one can be named after your best pal Joey."
Monica let go of Chandler and stood from the couch, patting Joey's shoulder with a chuckle as she moved to the kitchen, "Yeah, honey, maybe so."
Monday, December 20, 1999, 7:29 PM
Monica stood at the bay window in the living room, staring out at the beautiful, peaceful snowfall. One arm folded over her belly, the other playing with her necklace, she shut her eyes for a moment and took in a deep, satisfying breath.
It was quiet, the others were at a movie after they all had dinner together. She insisted they go, but Bailey often played kickball with her bladder, and she knew she couldn't enjoy the movie with fifty bathroom trips during it.
Chandler had surprised them right after the baby shower Rachel and Phoebe threw for her when he'd told them they all could come to Creede, Colorado for the week of Christmas. Joey, Phoebe, Rachel and Ross were all thrilled to pack their bags and get out of The Big Apple for a few days.
The first full day was filled with shopping in the small, quaint downtown area for the women and skiing for the guys.
The gang put up the giant Christmas tree to her right, and it was a sight to be seen. Monica glanced over at it as it twinkled in the dark room, the space between the bottom of the tree and the floor stuffed with gifts.
She smiled to herself and took in another breath, thinking that even with all those gifts under the tree, there was nothing in the world she needed. She had the breath in her lungs, a healthy growing baby in her belly, and a live-in boyfriend who still lit up her entire world. There was nothing else.
She gasped a little when she felt arms wrap around her from behind, and he smiled as he leaned in to kiss her cheek, "Got you, didn't I?" He asked.
"Chandler," she breathed, her breath suddenly shallow, "honey, are you trying to scare this baby out of me?"
He chuckled and trailed his kisses down to her neck, "No way, she's not fully cooked yet."
"I thought you went to the movie?" Monica asked, relaxing into his arms as he continued placing feather kisses on her skin.
"I wanted to be with you," he murmured, then rested his chin on her shoulder as he wrapped his arms tightly around her, his hands flat on her prominent belly.
"Aw, sweetie," she said, then turned her head and pressed a kiss to his temple, "I don't want to keep you from having fun."
He pressed another kiss to her neck, "My fun is with you."
She smiled and wrapped her arms around his, "We're glad you're here," she said, squeezing his forearms. A few moments of silence settled between them, both of them watching the snow and listening to the peaceful silence.
"I think our friends are having a good time," he said softly, breaking the silence and making her smile, "they seem to like it here," he whispered.
"Of course they do," she said, smiling a little, "I don't know who wouldn't. It's absolutely beautiful," she sighed happily.
"Maybe we can make it a yearly thing," he suggested, "Every year, the seven of us, or I guess the nine of us when Joey and Phoebe find a permanent partner, here for Christmas. Maybe we can do it until after the New Year."
Monica giggled a little, "Honey, I think you better talk to your Mom before you make that sort of commitment. What if she wants to sell it?"
Chandler smiled, but Monica couldn't see, "She doesn't."
Monica squeezed his arm again, "How do you know?"
He kissed her neck and moved his arms, causing her to loosen her grip. He reached to his back pocket and pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper, "Mom gave me this a couple of months ago," he said, "I wanted to surprise you."
She glanced over at him and furrowed her eyebrows, then stood up straight and began to unfold it, "What is it?" She asked.
He smiled and nodded toward it, "Read it."
Monica's blue eyes began reading the paper, then when she looked up at him again a shocked expression displayed on her face, "This is yours?"
Chandler smiled, ran a hand through his hair and nodded at her, "Yes. Nana left it to me."
"You own this house?" She clarified.
"And four acres of land around it," he added.
"Oh my God," she said, her voice higher in shock, "honey, that's incredible!" She wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug for a moment, then backed away and began to read the paper again, "I just assumed that your mom inherited it."
He chuckled a little, "I did too. I had no idea Nanna would do something like this."
Monica looked up from the paper, one of her eyebrows lifted. She moved one of her hands to cup his face, "Sweetheart, I knew her for a few hours, and I could tell that she thought you hung the moon."
He chuckled lowly, "Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure she hung the moon."
She watched as he looked down at the floor, and she recognized the solemn look on his face. She cupped his cheek gently, "I know you miss her baby," she whispered.
He nodded and kissed her palm, then took her hand from his face, "Yeah, I do," he whispered, "but I think she'd want me to remember her by keeping this house that she loved in the family name rather than feel sad all the time."
"I agree," she said with a smile and folded the paper again, then handed it back to him, "I'm so incredibly happy for you."
He returned the paper to his back pocket and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her forehead and held her tight for a few moments. She sighed happily and turned around in his arms to stare out of the window again, the snow too pretty not to watch.
"So, what do you think? Will the rest of them want to make this an annual thing?"
She smiled and chuckled softly, "I think there's a pretty good chance that they will."
"Good," he said, then pressed his lips to her cheek again, "it'll be a good- "
He stopped suddenly when Monica jolted and put her hand on her belly quickly. His eyes wide, he stepped around so that he was in front of her, his voice high and full of panic, "What? What is it?"
She smiled and shook her head, chuckling a little to attempt to calm him down, "Nothing, I'm fine," she assured, "your daughter is going to be a soccer player, I'm sure of it. She just kicked the winning goal."
He let out a relieved sigh and put his hands on her belly. He knew Monica was probably ready to not be pregnant anymore, but selfishly, he was sure going to miss this part. Getting to feel the baby move, kick, or hiccup were amongst his most favorite things.
Monica moved his hand to where the action was and he smiled when he felt her kick beneath his hand, "Wow, she's really going for it, huh?" He smiled bigger as Monica moved his hand again.
"She must be practicing her goals," she said, chuckling a little.
Chandler squat down and wrapped his arms around her belly, kissing it gently, "Easy baby girl," he whispered, rubbing her belly, "we'll kick lots of soccer balls when you're much bigger, okay?" He moved his hands all around her belly again, then kissed it as he whispered, "Plus, I've got to ask Mommy if she'll marry me, and Daddy needs her attention for a minute, okay?"
Monica's smile faded and she took a step back as she gasped, "What?"
She watched as he shifted from squatting, slipped his hand in his pocket for a moment, then knelt on one knee, "Mon," he began softly, then reached for her hand and took a deep breath, "you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. You are my very best friend, my confidant, my partner in crime, and my lover."
"Chandler," she gasped, allowing a tear to roll down her cheek.
"I want to grow old with you. I want to be 90 years old, looking into your beautiful blue eyes as we sit in front of a fire in rocking chairs talking about our life together. I want the highs and the lows, the good and the bad, the wonderful and horrible, all of it. I want it with you, because without you, there is no me."
Tears streamed down her face as she listened to his perfect words and stared into his perfect blue eyes.
He swallowed hard, looked down at the box in his hands, then opened it, "Monica," he looked up at her, "will you marry me?"
She didn't look at the ring, she kept her eyes directly on his, staring at him through her tears. She knew he would ask her eventually, because with the way things were going with them, she couldn't imagine him not asking, but she didn't expect it so soon, and that's why she was shocked.
She'd never been this happy.
Her heart pounded in her chest so hard that she was having trouble standing. The lights from the Christmas tree made his eyes sparkle as he continued to stare, waiting on her answer.
As if she even had to answer.
"Of course I'll marry you," she whispered, her voice broken and full of emotion.
A slow, gorgeous smile speed across his face as he stood to his feet and wrapped his arms around her planting his lips on hers, "Yeah?" He asked when he backed away for a second.
"God, yes," she said, cupping his head with both hands, "are you kidding me? I can't wait to be your wife," she leaned her forehead against his, "I'm so in love with you."
"Oh baby," he kissed her again, "I'm so in love with you too." He pulled her into another tight hug, holding her close.
He finally pulled away, smiling at her when she lifted her hands to wipe away her tear-streaked face. He took the ring out of the box and picked up her left hand, then slid the diamond ring with two sapphires on each side onto her ring finger.
Her life was turning out just like she wanted.
"Hope you had your eyes closed Bails," Chandler whispered a couple of hours later. He took the time to move a pillow between Monica's knees, knowing that she'd need it to get comfortable. After that, he collapsed next to her on the bed, breathing heavily, then wrapped his arms around her as she turned over to her side. He placed her hands on her belly, "because Mommy just rocked Daddy's world," he leaned down and kissed her bare shoulder, "again."
She sighed happily and laid her arms on top of his. She stayed silent, taking in the moment.
"You okay?" He asked, pressing more kisses along her shoulder, neck, anywhere he could reach.
She moaned a little and moved her head around so that his mouth kept constant contact with her skin, "I'm fantastic," she whispered, tightening her grip on his arms.
She moved her left hand until her shiny, beautiful new engagement ring sparkled with the tiny bit of light in the room. She stared at the jewelry, in awe that he picked out a ring that was just her style, exactly what she would've wanted.
"You're fantastic," he whispered back. He'd stopped with the kisses, but still held her close, both now staring at her hand.
"This ring is gorgeous," she said as it sparkled again.
He smiled, "I thought it looked like you."
"It's exactly me," she informed him. Silence fell over them again for a while, so long that she wondered for a moment if he'd fallen asleep, but listening to his breathing, she didn't think so. "What's on your mind?"
He smiled against her skin, "Our future."
She smiled too, "Do you think about that a lot?"
He nodded, "All the time."
She decided that she wanted to see his face, so she tapped his arms to silently request that he loosen them. She slowly rolled over until she was facing him, then gave him a slow, sweet kiss.
"All the time?"
He smirked and nodded, "Yeah."
"Well, what kind of things do you think about?" She asked.
He rested his hand on the curve of her waist, "Stuff like where we'll live in 5 years, I think about how Bailey will look, and I always hope she looks exactly like you by the way, what kind of personality she'll have, and then I give myself a stomachache when I think about her going off to college or on a date with a boy."
Monica chuckled and nodded, "I know what you mean," she said, "I think about that stuff too."
"Where do you think we'll live?"
She wiggled her nose at him, "Somewhere close to a park with swings for the kids and a front porch with a swing for adults, and a hammock in the backyard with a treehouse," he grinned as he listened to her, because dear God, it sounded perfect.
"And a hot tub," He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
She chuckled and continued, but he wasn't only listening. He watched her. The way her mouth moved, the way she spoke passionately about the subject, how she smiled when she talked of how their kids might be.
He loved her.
When she finished, she sighed happily and cupped his face, "All with you."
"You're going to be an amazing mother," he said softly.
"I can't wait to raise this baby girl with you," she whispered.
"I can't wait either, baby," he replied, then placed his hand on her belly, "she'll be here soon, and kicking real soccer balls before we know it."
She giggled a little, "And being my sous chef in the kitchen."
He smiled, "And being a big sister to the next one."
She smiled back and ran a finger down his face, "How many kids do you think we'll have?"
He squeezed her bare hip, "I'm thinking four."
"You want four kids?" She wasn't sure why, but his answer surprised her. She was pretty sure he'd say two, Bailey and one sibling to play with.
"Four, yeah, I think so. It's a nice, even number," she giggled a little and he lifted an eyebrow as he smiled at her, "What? Too many?"
"No," she shook her head, tracing her finger on his chest, "I think four is perfect."
He smiled, leaned forward, and kissed her, "I'm so happy I get to spend the rest of my life with you," he whispered against her lips.
Her eyes filled with tears as she moved her body closer to him, "I love you so much."
January 14, 2000, 8:20 PM
Chandler sat on the couch, his feet crossed at the ankles, the remote in his right hand as he watched Regis Philbin host the man sitting on the other side of him trying his best to win a million dollars.
Monica walked into the living room, her hand on her big belly as she looked up to meet her fiancé's eyes, "Honey, come watch. This guy has already used his three lifelines and he's only on the 7th question," Chandler said, waving the remote as he spoke, "he's not going to make it, I'm afraid," he added with a chuckle.
"Chandler…"
"I mean, why go to all the trouble to go on the show if you're going to use all your lifelines before you even get to the hard questions," he laughed fully now, and she managed to smile at him as she walked slowly to the oversized chair and gripped it with both hands.
"Chandler," she tried again, and he finally paid attention to her tone of voice and his mouth dropped a little in surprise.
"What's wrong?" He asked, panic now in his voice.
Monica let out a deep breath, "I think it's time," she said, her hands on the sides of her belly as the same thing happened a few minutes ago, a contraction.
"Oh my God," Chandler said, standing so quickly that he got dizzy. The remote flew out of his hands, landing on the coffee table with a loud clatter, "Uh, I'll get the bag, uh, we've gotta call the others, uh, you need a jacket," he was turning in circles, his voice higher with sudden onset nervousness.
Monica managed to grab his arm as he was running past her and attempting to go into their bedroom, "Calm down sweetie," she said, her voice surprisingly calm, "if you rush like this you're just going to hurt yourself or leave something we need."
He looked at her, his eyes wide, but her calm demeanor allowed him to calm too, just like it always did. She truly was his other half.
"Okay," he said, his voice much closer to normal. He took in and let out a deep breath, then managed a smile at her, "We're having a baby."
She let go of his arm and cupped his face with her left hand, "We're having a baby," she confirmed, and then leaned her head up and kissed him.
January 15, 2000, 9:23 PM
Monica held the tiny baby in her arms, wrapped up in a pink blanket, her eyes shut as she slept peacefully. Chandler sat next to her on the bed, his arm wrapped around his girls, staring down at the product of him and Monica.
"I can't believe she's here," he whispered, his lips against her temple.
"Finally," Monica answered, lifting her hand and placing her finger into Bailey's hand, her fingers wrapping around her mother's.
Chandler smiled and squeezed her shoulder, "It did seem like she didn't want to come out," he said softly, then leaned his head against hers as they stared down at her together.
Monica sniffled again as she was having a hard time controlling her emotions, "I'm so glad she finally did," she replied brokenly, "she's beautiful."
"She's perfect," Chandler said, nodding in agreement. He lifted his hand and moved the blanket a little from her tiny face.
"She's ours," Monica said, then lifted the baby to her lips and placed a kiss on her forehead.
"You did an amazing job, Mom," he murmured, knowing what pain she went through for the past 22 hours. Before, he couldn't imagine such a process for the human body, but to see it in person was life changing.
Monica smiled up at him and let out a sigh, "Thanks Dad," she whispered, and he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. She pulled away when she heard a quiet tap on the door, "Come in," she called, and the nurse followed by Rachel, Ross, Joey and Phoebe all came into the room.
"Now, Ms. Geller, visitor hours are technically over, but I'll allow your friends ten minutes, okay?"
Monica and Chandler nodded at Amanda, the woman in the navy blue scrubs, "Thank you," Chandler said, then turned his attention to the people in the now crowded hospital room.
"Oh, you guys," Rachel said, her hands over her chest, "she's beautiful!"
Monica smiled down at the baby again, "Bailey, these are your aunts and uncles," she said, nodding at Rachel as she reached for her. Truthfully, she hated to give her up, but she needed to share, as hard as that was going to be.
Rachel took the tiny baby into her arms and smiled down at her as Ross stood behind his girlfriend and looked over her shoulder.
"How much does she weigh?" Phoebe questioned.
"Six pounds, eight ounces," Chandler said, "nineteen inches long."
"No problems so far?" Ross asked, his eyebrows raised as Rachel passed the baby to him.
Chandler and Monica shook their heads, "She's completely healthy," Monica managed, more tears pouring from her eyes. Something about seeing her family hold her brand new baby was almost too much to handle.
"You guys got the first part of your family," Joey said, smiling at his two best friends, "how awesome is that?"
Chandler's smile grew and he rested his head on Monica's again, "Incredible, Joe," he said, moving his hand to hers and intertwining their fingers.
She watched as Ross passed her to Phoebe, then Phoebe to Joey, each of them gazing at the tiny human. The nurse entered again and put a damper on the party when she told them that her supervisor was on the floor and she could be in trouble if he found visitors in Monica's room.
Ross, Rachel, Phoebe and Joey, after he passed Bailey to Chandler, all said their goodbyes and promised to return tomorrow.
"That's your family, Bails," Chandler whispered as the door closed behind them, "they're all pretty great. You'll love them."
June 10, 2000, 6:07 PM
Chandler stood beneath a big willow tree as the breeze blew and the bright sun beamed down on the jacket of his suit. He glanced behind him at Joey and Ross, his two best men, their arms crossed at their wrists as they waited patiently. They both smirked at him and nodded, and he nodded back.
It didn't take long for Monica to plan this small, intimate wedding that she wanted. She had always thought the opposite, that she'd want a big, ballroom type of wedding that everyone she knew would receive an invitation for.
But things had changed. She wanted her wedding to be about her and Chandler, and she was getting her wish.
Just their daughter, four best friends, parents, Ben, and a few others made the trip to Colorado for the event, and Monica couldn't be happier. The house Chandler inherited from his grandmother was the absolute perfect setting.
There was a tall, old willow tree in front of a beautiful pond, in a field with mountains in the distance as the backdrop. It made her decision incredibly easy. This was the place where their feelings for each other exploded, the place where he'd asked her to marry him, and now the location of their vows to each other.
The small band over to the right began to play soft music, and Chandler's smile grew when Phoebe and Rachel walked down the grass aisle, toward him.
He smiled and winked at them as they moved to the right side and faced the front as the music changed and everyone stood.
Chandler let out a long breath and glanced at their almost 6-month-pdaughter as she slept in Judy's arms, then lifted his head and locked eyes with Monica as she stepped into his view, her arm linked with her father's.
God, he thought, what a vision she was as she walked toward him. His breath caught, his eyes filled with tears as she smiled, the happiness evident on her face. He was sure his displayed it too.
He couldn't believe she was about to be his wife.
He walked up to Jack when she got close enough and stood next to her, "Who gives this woman to this man?"
"Her mother and I do," Jack replied, then kissed Monica's cheek and shook Chandler's hand as he took her arm and began to lead her up to the altar.
"You are breathtaking," Chandler whispered to her, barely loud enough for her to hear, but she did. Her eyes filled with tears yet again as she stepped in front of the minister with him.
She couldn't believe he was about to be her husband.
Monica stared at him, into his eyes, as the ceremony continued. They read vows to each other, each of them sincere and sweet, with a little bit of funny from Chandler, as expected.
"Monica, do you take Chandler to be your husband? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect him forevermore?"
Monica squeezed his hands that she held in hers, then grinned at him, "I do."
"Chandler, do you take Monica to be your wife? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect her forevermore?"
Chandler nodded to her, staring into her eyes, then pressed his lips together for a moment before answering him, "I do."
John smiled and continued, "Chandler and Monica will now exchange rings as a symbol of love and commitment to each other. Rings are a precious metal; they are also made precious by you wearing them. Your wedding rings are special; they enhance who you are. They mark the beginning of your long journey together. Your wedding ring is a circle, a symbol of love that never ends. It is the seal of the dos you have just taken to love each other without end."
John looked at Ross, then Rachel, "May we have the rings, please?"
Chandler turned and took the silver band from Ross while Monica turned and took the band from Rachel.
John nodded and continued, "Chandler, please place the ring on Monica's left hand and repeat after me." Chandler swallowed and held Monica's left hand, sliding the ring onto her finger, "As a sign of my love," He paused to allow Chandler a moment to repeat, "That I have chosen you…"
He paused again, because Chandler was taking a little longer to repeat the words. John looked up at him, an eyebrow raised, but found Chandler staring right at Monica, into her eyes.
"That I have chosen you," Chandler managed, his voice breaking. This was hard for him to say, because he chose her. He'd choose her again, and again and again.
John smirked. He'd done several ceremonies in his life, but he had never seen such a look from a groom to a bride as the one he saw now.
"Above all else," John continued, and paused again. Chandler repeated the words and John said the last ones that the groom needed to repeat, "With this ring, I thee wed."
Chandler squeezed Monica's hand, "With this ring, I thee wed."
Monica beamed at him and turned to John. It was her turn.
He repeated the segment for Monica to say to Chandler, and just like Chandler, Monica needed a moment to collect herself as she spoke the words.
John nodded and smiled, "To make your relationship work will take love. Continue to date each other. Take time to show each other that your love and marriage grow stronger with time. It will take trust to know that in your hearts, you truly want what is best for each other. It will take dedication to stay open to one another, and to learn and grow together. It will take loyalty to go forward together, without knowing exactly what the future brings. And it will take commitment to hold true to the journey you have both pledged today."
Monica and Chandler smiled at each other and nodded, both holding on tight as John continued, "And now by the power vested in me by the state of Colorado, it is my honor and delight to declare you married. Go forth and live each day to the fullest. You may seal this declaration with a kiss."
Chandler pulled gently on Monica's hands to get her closer, "Finally," he murmured just before his lips connected with hers.
He cradled her head as he kissed her passionately, his fingers tangled through her hair. The small crowd stood and clapped, but he didn't hear it. He was completely hypnotized by her, per usual.
He was glad she pulled away, because he didn't think he could. He could kiss her until the end of time.
The married couple shared another smile and turned to face their guests, both of their smiles shining as bright as the sun above them.
"I am so pleased to present the newlyweds, Chandler and Monica Bing!"
Chandler walked down the aisle with her and when he reached the end, grabbed her body and pulled her into his own, "I love you," he whispered, "my wife."
Monica cupped his face, "I love you, my husband," she pulled his lips to hers and planted a kiss on them.
This, right here, was exactly what he wanted.
A beautiful daughter, married to his best friend, and a group of friends that were his family. If he had been told a year ago that this would be his life, he would've laughed like it was a joke.
Because what are the chances that his life would turn out so perfectly?
What are the chances?