Part Three: Daniel Bing
Infancy

Monica sighed as she looked down at the beautiful baby resting in her arms. He was perfect, everything she'd ever dreamed of as she held the dark haired blue eyes infant only hours old. He was so tiny, probably because he was nearly two months early. Monica had been so afraid they'd lose him after trying so hard for so many years. But here he was, her perfect little boy.

"Sweet little Daniel," he looked so much like Chandler already it was scary, but he was so handsome.

There was a quiet knock on the door, and Chandler popped his head in, "Couple of siblings wanted to see their mom and new brother," he spoke.

"Come on in," she replied gently as she continued to cuddle her new boy. Chandler reached out and helped the twins sit atop the bed as they gazed down at their newest sibling.

"He's tiny," Jack spoke up first.

Chandler smiled, "I seem to remember another boy that was quite tiny," Chandler pointed out. His mother had said he'd been a small baby as well, so he was fairly sure that's where Daniel got it from.

"Will he get bigger?" Erica questioned.

"I did," replied Chandler again as he gazed at Monica, he realized this was when she was most beautiful. When she was being a mother, completely enthralled by the child she held in her arms. This was why he'd fallen for her so quickly, because she was so perfect and beautiful.

Monica smiled as Daniel slowly opened his baby blue eyes and gazed up at her. As their eyes met, she felt a new link built between the two of them, one only a mother and son could have. He would be her momma's boy, her sweet angel. She pressed a kiss to his wrinkled baby forehead and smiled again, "Everything I pictured," she murmured.

Tough Day

Chandler made his way out to the back of their house, where his youngest sat with his knees pulled tightly to his chest, looking far younger than his eight years. Smiling sadly, Chandler crossed his arms and sat his face against them, so he was positioned directly in his son's line of sight, "Hear you had a rough day."

A casual shrug ensued, "Wanna talk about it?"

"Nothin' ta talk 'bout," he murmured in his small huddle.

Chandler nodded, "I see—yeah I generally had the same answer when I was your age, in fact I'm fairly sure your mom did too."

"You were picked on?" the child's head poked up a little.

Biting back a grin, "Yeah, all the time, for different reasons then you no doubt, although my size was definitely a problem from time to time. You know Daniel; you're not always going to be so small. It's just a phase right now, you're going to shoot up one of these days and be taller than me."

"How come all the other boys are taller than me?"

"Because they weren't born so early, remember when we talked about that. How you decided to make your first debut two months early, it caused some development to stop, including your size." He reached out and scooped the boy out of the swing set play house and pulled him against his body. Instantly the legs curled around his waist and arms around his neck as Daniel hid in his father's larger frame.

"I wish they'd stop pickin' on me," he mumbled.

Carrying his son into the house, Chandler sat down on the couch, his son still firmly attached, "How about a nap?" Chandler kicked his shoes off and spread out, his son against his chest.

"I hear something—"

"What's that?" he questioned his son.

"A thump thump."

He grinned at his son's playfulness, "That's my heart buddy."

"What's it doin?"

"Talkin' to me, telling me that I'm healthy hopefully."

"Oh….daddy does my heart do that?"

"Yep, sure does."

"Daddy."

"Yeah?"

"Can I be like you when I grow up?"

Smiling Chandler gently ran his hand over his son's hair, "You can be better than me little man. I'll always be proud of you, no matter what you do."

Grades

"What are these?" Demanded Monica as her youngest son walked through the door. The fifteen year old looked up at her with wide eyes.

"What are you talking about?" He immediately began to yell in return.

"I saw your grades, why did you feel you had to hide these from me?" She held out the grade card in front of him, anger seething through her.

His blue eyes narrowed identical to those of his father. Monica joked that looking at Daniel was like getting a glimpse of Chandler as a child; and the boy's attitude didn't deter that one bit. He had every gene of his father and a few of his mother's. "Probably because I knew you'd go ballistic! They're just grades!" he yelled.

"They're more than that Daniel! Don't you walk away!" she grabbed his arm and whirled him around. She was stunned to see the same feelings behind Daniel's that she often found behind Chandler's when he'd been younger. Insecurity, anger, fear, weakness and exhaustion; she felt her anger melt away at the sight of her baby boy feeling so desperate. Releasing her son's arm she reached out and gently stroked his cheek, "So much like your father," she smiled sadly. "I'm sorry—that was the wrong way to approach this, come let's have a seat."

Her son wordlessly followed her and took a seat on the couch, "You know when I first found out I was pregnant," she felt tears fill her eyes as the memories came flooding back, "You were my medical marvel—a lot like my brother Ross was with our parents. You weren't supposed to be possible. And yet there you were this little tiny peanut inside me. You should have seen the way your father smiled for weeks…nearly months. He was so happy; and I, oh Danny I was off the wall thrilled. Then you came two months early, and I was so scared we'd lose you. You were this tiny little thing, but you grew stronger and within months we were taking you home. I wasn't a great student as a child sweetie, I was constantly picked on because of my weight…your father was an even worse student; I always said I wouldn't force my children to fight for grades. I've done well; you three were never pitted against each other. We loved all of you the same amount but differently. We're always going to be proud of you—I know you're feeling lonely because you're brother and sister are graduating, you feel like you don't always fit in. I also know that me telling you it'll be okay isn't going to be easy. We're here Daniel, you're not alone; I know your dad and I'm exactly cool but we only want what's best for you. I don't care if you don't get A's; I just want you to pass the ninth grade."

Blue eyes continued to watch her, before finally he nodded, "I'm sorry mom…"

"I love you Daniel," she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "We both love you so much."

Always There

Against his better judgment, he'd given his son permission to go to the party, on a Friday night; it was now almost one in the morning, and he was lying beside his wife, wide awake waiting to hear the front door open. Anything telling him that he'd made the right decision.

"Sweetie I'm sure he's just fine," Monica's voice broken the tension as she ran her hand up and down his back.

"I let him go Mon, against all my instincts I allowed him to leave this house to go hang out with guys neither one of us like—" Chandler's words were cut off by the phone. Shooting out he grabbed the phone, "Hello?"

Monica sat up as Chandler listened for a moment, "Calm down, take a deep breathe and tell me where you are. Okay, are you all right? I'll be there as soon as I can, just try to calm down."

He hopped out of bed and handed his wife the phone, "Keep him talking, tell him I'll be right there."

After ten minutes of frantic driving Chandler pulled up to the scene, cop cars and ambulances were all over the place. He quickly shut his car off and hurried over to the tape, "My son, Daniel Bing, where is he?" Chandler demanded as a cop tried to stop him.

"Over there sir," the man had pity on Chandler and pointed to the curb. Chandler saw his son, nineteen years old and the boy looked like he was fifteen again. He hurried over to the huddled child, "Danny?"

Blue eyes met blue and the damp face instantly buried itself in Chandler's shoulder as the boy cried, "Shh, I'm here baby, I'm here," Chandler held his son for all he was worth. "It's okay, you're safe, thank God you're safe," he pressed a kiss to his son's hair.

"Mr. Bing," the officer Chandler had spoken too earlier approached to the two Bings. "You'll be happy to know that you're son was just an innocent in this accident, he didn't cause the wreck: he was merely in the wrong place at the wrong time. The EMTs have given him a clear to go—you should get him home, maybe some motherly love and a nice hot shower."

Chandler smiled weakly, "That won't be a problem, believe me; thank you Officer. Come on son." One arm around his son's shoulders, he led the young man to the car, and helped him into the passenger's seat.

"I'm sorry dad," whimpered Daniel.

Chandler sighed as he pulled away from the wreck, "Don't worry son, I'm just glad you're safe." Looking over, Chandler gripped his young son's neck, "I'm thankful you're going to be fine. I don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to you."

They drove the rest of the way in silence, when Chandler had stopped the car Daniel raced into the house. As Chandler stepped into the house he smiled at the sight of his mother holding their nearly six foot son as he cried on her shoulder. Without a thought Chandler moved over and hugged both his wife and son.

Goodbye My Boy

Sighing Chandler placed the last of the boxes on the floor and turned back to his son who was looking around at all of his stuff, "Thanks dad," Daniel whispered as he began to dutifully unpack just like his mom.

"Dan, we're going to be fine son, and you're going to do great," Chandler offered as he squeezed the boy's shoulders. 'Man' he corrected himself internally; his son was a man now, at almost twenty he was a starting freshman and he looked petrified. He'd voiced his thoughts to Monica a week earlier about how worried he was for his parents, but they'd both told him they would be fine without him.

"All right I've spoken to—" Monica came into the room and stopped as she looked at the boxes all over the floor, her eyes beginning to fill with tears. She moved forward to stand in front of her youngest child, her only biological child; reaching out she cupped his handsome chin, so much like Chandler's, "I'm so proud of you sweetie, I knew you could do it, I've always known."

Daniel's blue eyes weren't devoid of damp tears either, as he forced a smile at his mother and pulled her into a hug, like she had done for so many years, "I'll miss you," he whimpered as he clung to them.

Chandler smiled as he squeezed Daniel's neck and pressed a kiss to his temple, "We love you so much, now remember your brother and sister are only a phone call away and so are we. Uncle Ross teaches at the school so you'll be just fine if you need anything you're not far."

"Okay," he whispered as he stepped away and looked back at his folks. He tried to put up a strong front, but like his father he was far more sensitive than he let on.

"Play nice with the other kids…and if one of the other kids tries to beat you—"

"Monica," Chandler spoke in a warning tone.

Blue eyes met his and she smiled softly, then turned back to their son, "Play nice and do your best," she pressed a kiss to his cheek and headed out into the hallway.

Chandler was left with his youngest son, hands in his pockets he sighed, "Look I've given a lot of advice to the three of you over the past twenty three years, and some of it you've taken and some you've discarded…with reason. But I'll tell you something my mother told me when I went off to college; you go out there and find something you're good at—then you learn how to do it better than everyone else. Always be proud of what you accomplish and most of all just do your best. I couldn't ask for two finer sons and I wouldn't want them even if I could. You two boys were wonderful, I'm so proud of both of you. I will be proud no matter what direction you chose at college. So just do your best and keep your head up."

Daniel Bing smiled and hugged his father one last time before letting him go, "You're the best dad in the world."

"Bye kid."

Waiting

Erica Bing sighed in frustration as she leaned against her mother's shoulder, her other hand entwined with her husband of three years. "How much longer?" she asked as though she were a small child again.

"Dad—" Daniel Bing stepped out into the waiting room at last, his blue eyes sparkling with tears, and in his arms lay a bundle of blankets.

Chandler, who had been seated beside his wife, slowly stood up and moved over to his son. He took in the sight of his grandchild, a beautiful but red little baby, with lips like its grandmother's and hair like his father's. "Mom, Erica, Dad, meet my son—Joseph Chandler Bing," Daniel's voice cracked as he gazed down at his infant son.

"How's Kayleigh?" Erica questioned as she stepped closer to her nephew and brother.

"She's being moved to a room, she bled out a little, but the Doctor thinks she'll be okay. This little fella caused quite a stir," chuckled Daniel.

"He's beautiful Dan," Monica murmured.

"Dad, can I talk with you?"

"Course buddy, I'll be back in a minute Mon," Chandler wrapped an arm around his son's shoulders and together the three generations of Bings headed towards the nursery.

"I don't know how to do this dad—"

"Daniel, you've wanted to be a father for months now, I thought you were okay with this?"

Daniel shook his head, "Well I was wrong—I'm terrified, I almost threw up in there. I don't know what to do with the baby or myself. What if he has questions that I can't answer what if…"

"Dan," Chandler stopped his son and placed both hands on his shoulders, then he gazed back down at the baby, "I remember when you were this small," he chuckled then continued, "I didn't ever want to be a parent until Monica came into my life," Chandler removed the baby from Dan's arms and held the newborn, watching as he settled back into his grandfather's arms. "When I held Jack and Erica for the first time—hell when I saw Jack for the first time, I knew I could do it. No matter how much I screwed up, I wanted to be their father. Its overwhelming Dan, I won't lie to you; I was terrified about all three of you, but I also knew that you were mine. Look at this face, Little Joey," he smiled at the name of his best friend, "Little Joe, he's going to be a lot like his namesake and his father, I think you'll find you'll be attached rapidly."

"Can I ask you for help?"

Chandler grinned, "Of course you can, I'd be hurt if you didn't ask for help now and then. That's what your mom and I are here for. I promise you Daniel, that everything will be just fine."

Daniel took a deep breath as he looked back down at his son, "Scares the hell outta me…"

"Hey I'm still scared that I've screwed you three up, but I can see every day I didn't. It'll be just fine buddy, you'll see."