AN/ As always, none of the properties are mine. Reviews are always appreciated :)

Monica's life was in disarray, she hated losing control. She lost Richard, the love of her life while she was forced to take a horrible, unfulfilling job at a diner. All she's ever wanted in life was to be a chef, the perfect husband to come home to with two or three kids. That dream seemed to be slipping from her fingers more each day. Most people only found their true love once in their lifetime, Monica was sure that she had let go of the one man she was supposed to be with. He was perfect for her. Handsome, and mature, he has his life together. Even though they wanted different things, Monica feared that she would never find love like that again. If she couldn't find the man she wanted to marry, or her dream job, the only way to take back control of her life was to have a baby. Tomorrow was her appointment at the sperm bank, but none of her friends thought it was a good idea. They believed there is hope to find a husband and start a proper family, but they didn't understand.

Although, that didn't stop her from daydreaming about it. Monica lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling and starting to fall asleep. Her eyes felt heavy, as her mind was wandering with ideas of her ideal future. Monica wished for a house outside the city. The white picket fence with a large backyard for her kids to play in. Thinking of a husband playing with them in the yard, laughing, and creating memories. She fell asleep that night thinking about what her life would be like if she could have the life she's always wanted.

The next morning Monica stretched her arm out from under the covers to turn off the blaring alarm on the bedside table. Still, in a haze, she shifted under the covers, turning on her side, not ready to start the day. The appointment wasn't until one o'clock, but her friends were going to give her hell for going through with this and she wasn't ready to face them. The moment she moved, Monica noticed that the sheets under her felt strange. The large duvet on top of her felt larger, in fact, the whole bed felt bigger than normal. When her eyes opened she didn't recognize any of her surroundings. Monica quickly sat up in bed and the colder air hit her body, making her realize she was naked. Quickly pulling the blanket up to cover herself, she looked around the unfamiliar room.

It was larger than her bedroom with cream-colored walls and a white fireplace on the left wall. The pictures on the mantle were too far to see what they were, but she could see a family lived here. A wave of disgust washed over her, thinking she somehow got drunk and slept with a man she didn't remember. She's been drunk in the past, and she's made mistakes but she did not want to be the reason for breaking up a family. Monica kept the blanket wrapped around her as she got out of bed in search of her clothes. The ones laid out on the floor didn't look like anything she owned, but there was nothing else. When she threw on the silky black pajama set, she noticed the diamond ring on her finger. "Oh my God," she whispered, trying to remember what happened last night.

Monica became mesmerized by how beautiful the ring really was. It was the kind of ring she imagined if she could ever get married. One and half-carat diamonds sat on a silver band with blue sapphires on each side, so clean it almost looked new. She became so distracted looking at the ring that she didn't hear the approaching footsteps in the hallway. Arms wrapped around her waist while a deeper voice mumbled in her ear, making her jump. "Good morning beautiful," the man's lips kissed her neck sweetly.

The familiar voice almost made her relax since he was finally something she recognized, but she stepped away quickly. "Chandler? What are you doing?" Monica rubbed her neck in an attempt to get the feeling of his kissing off.

"I came to check on you. I made breakfast for everyone, but they don't seem to enjoy it as much as your cooking." Chandler took off his shirt, walking towards one of the doors that apparently led to a closet. His voice became distant, staying in the closet to change his clothes for the day. "Ultimately they just ended up having cereal. I let you sleep in a little since you seemed tired yesterday. Especially after last night," he walked out in blue jeans and a black fitted crew neck sweater with the sleeves rolled up halfway.

The smug smirk on his lips made Monica's eyebrows knit together, looking over at the bed as she put together what he was saying. "We had sex last night? Are you serious?" Her body cringed at the thought of sleeping with him.

He shrugged, leaning on his elbow against the fireplace. "Well, yeah a few times if I remember correctly." Chandler's smile was almost smug thinking about the night before. To him, it was impressive that after so many years together, they still had a strong relationship. It was also just as fun as the night they first got together.

"How drunk did we get last night?" Monica's eyes wandered down this new version of Chandler. Not that he was ever bad to look at. He's always been attractive in a boyish kind of way. Looking at him now, he seemed older and looked sexy in a more sophisticated way. The oversized graphic t-shirts were gone, his hair was kept neatly and he seemed comfortable with himself. But they were friends, she wasn't attracted to him like that. Still, it was hard not to be curious about the experience.

Chandler tilted his head quizzically with a slight hum. "We didn't get drunk. We had Jack's tennis match last night. He won another trophy so we're taking them to get ice cream later today." He stepped closer to her, gently stroking her arm and grabbing her hips.

He was standing so close that she could smell his aftershave. Her heart started to beat fast under his warm touch. They've always been close as friends, but the look in his eyes said something more. Monica chewed on her lip, trying to look away from the intensity of his gaze. Her eyes landed on the row of photos displayed on the mantle again. She quickly stepped away from him, grabbing the picture in the middle as her eyes widened. It was a photo of her in a white dress, kissing Chandler in a tux. "Holy shit," she muttered. Her eyes looked over the rest of the photos, seeing her and Chandler with two kids spanning over seven years. At least she knew that she was right earlier, a family did live here, and apparently, it was hers. "We're married?" Monica put the photo back and took his hand to look at the ring on his finger, trying to wrap her head around all of this.

"Yeah, we've been married for… almost ten years now? I was thinking we could do something for our anniversary this year since we haven't done anything since the kids were born. Not that I'm complaining, but ten years is pretty special I think." He looked her over, noticing something different about her. He couldn't put his finger on what it was, but she didn't seem like the same Monica that he married. Her eyes looked distant and confused almost like she was scared.

It was like she didn't remember their life together. Not remembering last night was concerning already, but now she doesn't remember their marriage. He wondered if she should be taken to a doctor or if he was overreacting. If this was some kind of joke, he hoped she wouldn't act this way in front of the kids. Monica was normal yesterday. She took the kids to school, cheered Jack on at his match, and even yelled at another mom for accusing Jack of cheating. Nothing was different until now.

Was she Married to Chandler? The immature, commitment-phobe, awkward Chandler? Crazy seemed like an understatement. It was hard not to laugh at the idea. Not only were they married, but they have two kids. A boy and a girl with blonde hair somehow. Monica gently ran her thumb over the band on her finger, feeling how real the silver metal under her skin was. He was standing in front of her, talking about a tenth anniversary when she couldn't believe they were together. Ten years with him seemed impossible. Ten days with him seemed impossible.

The weirdest part of this was that he seemed calm. Chandler of all people was acting like this was normal. This had to be a dream, there was no other explanation. Even if she did ask him what was going on, he wouldn't know. It seemed like her best option was to go along with everything until she figured this out. The hardest part was going to be acting like a wife to Chandler and a mother to the kids. Monica was great with kids but didn't know what this family dynamic was like. "I didn't know you were the anniversary type."

Chandler took his hand back from her, raising an eyebrow at her. They'd celebrated every anniversary together. Maybe their celebrations have dwindled after the kids were born, but they still acknowledged every anniversary. He would buy her flowers and she cooked him a nice dinner. They were definitely the anniversary type-together. "Honey, are you okay? I mean, you seem different today."

"No, I'm feeling fine, I can't believe it, that's all. Ten years…It's exciting." Monica looked up at him, studying the sincerity of concern on his face. If she was going to act like everything was fine, she was going to have to be better at it. "So, what do we have planned for today?" She went into the closet to change, looking through the unfamiliar clothes. It seemed simple enough to just wear jeans and a white shirt.

He sighed, scratching the back of his head with a slight shrug. It didn't seem like everything was fine, but he didn't want to push. "Not a lot. Just the ice cream and I was thinking about taking them to the bookstore. They need better books, I don't want them to fall behind."

When following him down the hallway Monica glanced at each photo hanging on the walls. Most were of their little family, but there were also pictures of them with their friends. Everyone in the group looked older, it wasn't just them. She briefly wondered how everyone else's life had changed until she heard arguing in the living room.

"I wanna watch The Amazing World Of Gumball!" The little boy on the couch yelled at his sister, pulling the television remote out of her hand. She assumed that was Jack that Chandler referred to earlier.

The girl grabbed the remote back with a glare on her features that reminded Monica of Chandler when he was upset. "Too bad, we're watching Scooby-Doo!" The argument between the siblings was like her own fights with Ross almost every morning. Monica glanced at Chandler, wondering what he was going to do about the kids fighting over the television. Technically she was their mother, but she didn't know how to break up a fight. He went over to the twins, grabbing the remote from them.

"Hi Daddy," the girl's demeanor changed immediately, smiling up at him like she was innocent.

"Hi, what are you doing?" Chandler looked between them, waiting for an answer. The twins started to talk over each other, telling their side of the story. When he put his hand up, they both stopped. "If you can't agree on what to watch, then try doing something else. Why don't we go play in the backyard instead?" He placed the remote down on the coffee table.

"Okay!" Erica stood from her place on the floor and went to the back door to put her shoes on. Jack wasn't far behind, but he didn't seem as enthusiastic.

Monica stared at Chandler in disbelief at his ability to redirect their energy. She followed the family to the backyard and the first thing she noticed was the patio. The stone flooring with a wooden pergola overhead provided shade, laced with string lights for the night. There are couches and a chair with white cushions. In the center was a matching wooden table where Monica could picture their friends gathering.

The backyard itself was a large grass area lined with tall oak trees. Monica put her fingers in her pocket as she walked around the yard, admiring how beautiful it was and feeling the warm sun on her skin. She heard the rushing water from the natural stream at the edge of the yard. This house was better than anything she's ever imagined.

She went over to the swing set they had to the side that was connected to a treehouse. Monica noticed Jack was already climbing the small rock wall to get inside as she sat on one of the swings. It shouldn't be intimidating to talk to a kid, but he was supposed to be her son. She didn't know what to say or if she should say anything at all.

When Monica heard something inside the treehouse, she looked up. Through the doorway, she noticed him digging through a box of toys. Her attention was pulled away by Chandler's voice talking to the little girl she still didn't know the name of.

He was standing a few feet away from her wearing a baseball glove. The girl stood in position, bat in hand waiting for him to pitch. "Okay, are you ready?" When she nodded, Chandler tossed the baseball in an underhand pitch to make it easier, but she missed. The girl whined at her failed attempt to hit it and Chandler shook his head. "It's okay. Just throw it back and we can try again. Keep your eyes on the ball."

Monica watched the girl throw the ball back and Chandler caught it in his glove. She swayed slightly in the swing, enjoying the sight of him acting like a real father. It wasn't something she expected from him, but it suited him well now that she was able to see it. Monica heard Jack above her calling for his mother and it took a moment for her to realize he was talking to her. Being called Mom made her freeze hearing it for the first time, gripping the swing chains. She looked up at him, standing on the balcony of the treehouse.

"Look," Jack held up a small chalkboard with messy handwriting that read 'Open' in chalk. He hung it up from the short rope off of the nail that was sticking out of the wood. "The restaurant is open! You have to order something so I can make it for you."

She couldn't help the smile from spreading across her face, biting down on her lip. Something about her son playing restaurant made her heart almost swell. "Well, do you have a menu I can see?" Monica watched him climb down the ladder with a piece of notebook paper before he handed it to her with a large grin.

Looking over the menu, she read 'Jack's cooking' at the top written in blue crayon. Monica read all four items listed, 'hamburger, pizza, cupcake, and juice.' It was a limited selection, but she still hummed like she was thinking hard about what to order. "Can I have pizza and juice please?" Monica handed him the menu back as he nodded, going back up into the treehouse.

While she waited for Jack to come back, she watched Chandler again. He pitched the ball to Erica and she swung the bat, hitting the ball into the air. The girl threw the bat to the side as she ran in a circle around the backyard before running into Chandler's arms. She giggled as he lifted her into a hug before putting her back down.

"Momma, did you see I hit the ball?" Erica ran over to the swings with a large smile.

Monica gently rubbed her back when the girl leaned on her, "I did, that was great."

"Erica, do you want to keep practicing or are we done?" Chandler picked up her bat, twirling it in his hand as he waited for her.

The little girl, who Monica now knew was Erica, ran back to her father and took the bat from him. It seemed like she shared Chandler's love of sports. The more she watched the two of them, the more Erica seemed like a smaller version of her best friend.

"Here you go Momma," Jack came back down from the treehouse and handed her a plastic pizza and a fake juice box. "I made it from scratch for you."

"Oh, thank you, sweetheart, it looks delicious." She took the toy food from him then he started to walk back to his kitchen. "Would you like to eat with me?" Monica offered.

Jack stopped, turning back to her while chewing on his bottom lip. "Is the chef allowed to eat with customers in the restaurant?" He asked, leaning against her legs. Jack looked down at his hands nervously, hoping he would still be a good chef if he sat with her.

"Only special customers. If you're too busy with orders then I understand," she said playing along with him.

His eyes widened at the idea of being too busy for her. "No, we're not busy! I wanna eat with you." Jack sat in the swing next to her, holding the chains.

Monica ripped the velcro on the toy pizza to hand him a slice. "Are you going to open your own restaurant one day?" She watched him nod enthusiastically while he was pretending to chew his food.

"I wanna open a bakery and make cookies all day. And you can have some in your restaurant 'cause they'll be so good that everyone will want them. I wanna be like you and Princess Tiana. She makes beignets in her restaurant."

Her eyebrows furrowed, trying to think of a princess named Tiana, but she couldn't think of one. Then Monica realized another thing he had said. She has a restaurant. Not only that, but he looks up to her in a career in cooking. Was she not at the horrible diner anymore? Was she cooking real food as a career just like she's always wanted? It was tempting to ask him, but a kid his age probably didn't know a lot about her career. "I think opening a bakery sounds like a lovely idea."

They spent a few hours playing in the backyard, with Chandler and Erica playing baseball while Jack and Monica talked on the swings playing restaurant. When they went back inside, Chandler instructed them to change out of their now sweaty clothes. Monica was surprised at how well their kids listened as they both ran up the stairs without a word of complaint. Once the twins came back down in new clothes, they all piled into the car for the trip to the bookstore.

The bookstore was smaller than Monica was expecting. Most of it was shelves of children's books with a few toys and puzzles. Her arm was pulled by Erica the moment they stepped through the door, hearing the bell above them. She grabbed a basket, carrying it as she followed Erica around the store. "Momma, they have Magic Treehouse! These are the ones I read at school." She pulled her hand towards the display in the middle with stacks of different editions of the adventure books. "Can I get this?" Erica picked up a box set with the first fifteen of the chapter books as a collection.

Monica looked at the price tag, noticing that it was fifty dollars for the set. She wasn't sure how much Chandler spoiled the kids, but there didn't seem a downside to getting books. "Yeah, sure. I'll carry it for you." She put the boxset in the basket and continued to watch Erica look around the store, following close behind. Monica skimmed through all the short chapter books that she was filling the basket with.

Erica tapped on her mother's arm for her attention, holding up a picture book about baseball. "Can I get this one? Please?" She begged, dragging out the vowels. It seemed like a gamble. Based on the selections so far, her parents wanted her to get books with fewer pictures. This was a book with ninety percent illustrations of baseball players. Waiting as her mother flipped through the pages, she watched intently.

"Yeah, you can get this, it looks cute," Monica added it to the basket without a second thought. They continued to walk through the small store, looking at all of the books the basket gradually filled. She glanced around the store for Chandler, wondering where he went with Jack. Monica spotted both of them in the corner, reading a book together on a bean bag. It was hard not to chuckle at the sight of a grown man like him sitting in such a large bean bag that took up the whole corner. He was holding Jack in his lap, letting the boy read the story to him. Monica walked over, placing the basket down to give her arm a break. "What are you guys reading?"

He looked up from Jack's book and hummed. "Just a Nancy Drew book. Did you guys find any books?" He tilted his head before he noticed the basket by his feet. "Wait, you're getting all of those? That's like thirty books, how much is this going to be?" Chandler looked up at her for an explanation.

"She picked them out, I thought it would be good for her..." Monica mumbled while looking down at the basket. She wasn't used to being the mother. Her role was the aunt, to spoil her nephew with things. Now she was in the mother role, maybe she was supposed to be more strict about these things. Although, if anyone would be a fun parent it would be Chandler, surely he wouldn't be too strict. But his tone was making her second guess her decision-making.

"Let me see them," he sat up straighter as she put the basket down next to him. Chandler went through the books, studying how many words were in each one. "Most of these are great, but there's a lot. This one is mostly pictures, I thought we were going to challenge ourselves? Your teacher said that picture books are too easy for you." He looked at Erica, holding up the baseball book.

"I like the pictures," Erica whined. She laid down on the bean bag next to him with a pout, "Momma said I could!"

Chandler sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He hated saying no to his kids, but Monica was usually the voice of reason in situations like this. There wasn't any reason to say no to them being excited to read, except how much this was going to cost. When he agreed to bring them here, he was trusting Monica to be herself in limiting them to two or three books, not a full basket. Chandler looked through the books again trying to decide between just buying all the books or putting a spending limit on them. "Okay, we don't have the money to get both of you thirty books, so we have three options. You can get four or five of these with the baseball book or you can get this one box set. If you get all these books, we can't get ice cream today."

"No! We have to get ice cream," Jack protested. "Daddy said that we could after I won my tennis match yesterday. You have to tell Erica to put them back," he begged his mother.

Erica crossed her arms, "Momma said I could get them and she always has final say." She looked up at her mother, expecting her to say something to back her up. "Jack always wins his games, can't we go next time?"

Monica stood frozen, looking between the two kids who were expecting her to make a decision. It felt like anything she said right now would be wrong, but apparently, she usually made the call on most things. Anxiety started to build the longer they all looked at her for an answer. Monica started to play with her fingers, twisting them in her palm to calm herself. She looked at Chandler, hoping he would step in and save her.

Chandler glanced at her, looking her up and down curiously when he noticed the self-soothing gesture in her hands. Whatever is bothering her, has to wait for later. If she doesn't say anything, the kids will start to argue about books when the answer is clear. "Erica, honey, we can come back another time and get the books that you didn't get today. How about we make a compromise, okay? I will get you the baseball book if you choose a few of these books or the Magic Treehouse box."

This was a side to Chandler she has never seen before. One that was setting a clear boundary while also making a compromise. He usually did anything to avoid confrontation. She's never seen him act so mature, making compromises so the kids remained happy while on a budget. Continuing to compare his parenting style to her parents didn't seem fair, but she couldn't help it. Her father would've scolded her for attempting to spend over a hundred dollars on simple books. Chandler however gave Erica a choice, letting her choose what she wanted instead of yelling a flat 'no'. It was a hard decision for her, but he supported her through it, hugging her when she had put all of her books back. He helped Jack pick out three books, encouraging both of them to pick what interested them the most. Monica's parents always made her feel horrible for not being as book smart as Ross. To him, it didn't seem to matter that Jack was at a slightly higher reading level than Erica. Though he wanted them to challenge themselves and build their reading skills, he wasn't forcing any reading level on them either.

With what she knew about Chandler's parents being absent most of his life, it seemed like he also had a pattern to break. He wanted to be the supportive parent he never had growing up. If that was the case, he was doing a better job than she ever previously thought he could do.

It wasn't crowded in the ice cream shop they had arrived at. There were only a few tables inside, with one already occupied by a couple and a few people standing in line to order. Behind the glass were various flavors of different ice cream, with toppings and cones displayed on the counter. Monica kept her eyes on the twins as they looked into the glass at the different ice cream flavors while they talked amongst themselves about what they wanted. She leaned into Chandler's side and his arm wrapped around her. "Can I ask what happened back at the bookstore?" He whispered in her ear so the kids wouldn't be able to hear.

"What about it?" Monica chewed on her lip nervously. Oddly, it felt like she was in trouble with him. It was hard to tell if he was angry with her for letting Erica go crazy when shopping. Having him in her ear didn't help her nerves at all either. They were close as friends, but not like this. Knowing that they were supposed to be married added a layer of discomfort that wasn't there before. His breath tickling her neck made her shiver, and all she could think about was how warm his presence was.

Chandler felt her muscles tense under his arm so he moved in front of her, holding her hips. "I'm just confused. You're usually the one that's the voice of reason about stuff like that. I think you know more than anyone that I'm bad at telling them no, so you're normally the one to stop us from going overboard." His head tilted slightly as he watched her looking around, avoiding his gaze. "Not that I'm complaining, I need the practice, but it didn't seem like you that's all."

"I think I just…got caught up in the moment. She just looked so excited about reading, I wasn't thinking. But you handled it well. There was no way we could've afforded all of those books," she smiled as she fixed his shirt collar.

Their attention was pulled away from each other when Jack came up to them, tugging on Monica's shirt. "Can I try the cotton candy flavor one?" He held her hand as his parents followed him to the freezers.

"We have to wait our turn, okay buddy?" Chandler said as he took Erica's hand, waiting in line behind an older couple. "Do you know what you're getting?" He asked while kneeling next to her.

Erica nodded with a smile. "Chocolate fudge brownie."

Monica quickly looked down at her, recognizing her order as Chandler's favorite flavor. By the proud grin on the little girl's face, it was obvious she was copying her dad. He seemed to have such a connection with both kids, they loved him so much, looking up to him as a role model. Monica didn't blame them, he was a great guy and a great father. When he returned next to her, she smiled slightly, "she's like a mini-you."

"Is she? I think she's smarter than me," he chuckled, moving up in the line. "But she has good taste in ice cream," Chandler asked the teenage employee behind the counter for a sample of cotton candy for Jack. Then he ordered Erica's chocolate ice cream on a cone, handing it to her carefully when it was ready.

The four of them sat down at a nearby table, but the twins fidgeted in their seats. Briefly, Monica wondered if sugar highs began so quickly, and then she felt a jab against her knee. Jack and Erica must have been swinging their little legs under the table. She wouldn't be surprised, they were smiling happily around their cones. Monica looked at the table and then put her cup of ice cream down. She went back to the counter, grabbed napkins and hand sanitizer, then started to wipe the table down from its stickiness. When she saw how dirty the napkin had gotten, she cringed and wiped it clean a second time. After throwing away the dirty napkins, she grabbed more before sitting down next to Chandler. "I had a good day today," Monica muttered softly like it was something unexpected. "You're a great dad Chandler."

"Thanks?" His eyebrows furrowed at her surprised tone. All-day today his wife was acting like she hasn't been in this family for years. When he asked about it this morning she had insisted it was nothing, but it wasn't normal. Chandler noticed Monica wiping down everything with a napkin. It looked like a side of Monica she hasn't seen in years. "Hey, honey? Are you okay?" He asked, concerned at her behavior. Clean Monica wasn't anything he wasn't used to. Chandler had seen her be neurotic for a long time, but after the kids were born she had calmed down. He thought she had gotten better about being a clean freak.

It took her a moment to register that he was referring to her, "yeah, everything is just a little sticky. Honestly, I think I should ask if I can get their sanitation solution to clean this table properly," Monica grumbled.

The kids giggled at the idea, not realizing how serious she was. There was something wrong with her. This was something Chandler wanted to talk about, but not in front of the kids. It was a conversation to have in private when they got home.

That night, Monica was able to cook dinner for everyone. The one time she felt comfortable was in the kitchen. Even if she didn't know where anything was. Cooking was always her safe outlet to take care of the people she cared about the most. When everyone was done eating, Chandler went upstairs to get the kids in bed for the night, and Monica stayed to clean the kitchen. He promised to read the kids a chapter from their new books and she had time to get everything done. When the kitchen was clean to her standards, Monica wandered into the living room. She looked around at all the pictures of the family that was on the walls or displayed on side tables. In every picture of her and Chandler had him kissing her or just looking at her like she was the only one in the room. She's never seen him look at her like that before, or anyone else for that matter. Monica picked up one of the pictures of herself with Chandler. The first thing she noticed was her fingers tangled in his hair, facing away from the camera. It looked like he was about to kiss her neck, making her cringe at the idea.

Chandler wasn't unattractive. Seeing him be such a great father today made him more attractive to her. But it was still Chandler. He was a goofy friend. With all the complaints she's heard from his past girlfriends, he wasn't what she was looking for in a husband. She noticed how emotionally unavailable he was with relationships. Breaking up with women over tiny flaws and she was filled with flaws. Monica flinched the moment she felt arms wrap around her waist, pulling her from her thoughts.

"That's from our honeymoon…if you don't remember," Chandler muttered, looking at the photo in her hands. He placed gentle kisses on her jaw and down her neck as he held her closer. Her tense posture under him made his previous curiosity turn into concern. Monica was never so stiff around him. They held each other to release stress after bad days, bad nights, or just because they missed one another. His usual source of comfort was acting distant and he wasn't sure if he should let go of her or keep her close. Tears threatened to fall from his eyes when Monica moved away from him, scratching her neck while walking to the kitchen.

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before he followed her. Monica was wiping down the already clean counter and he leaned against the island, watching her move around the kitchen. "Monica, what's on your mind?" He asked softly.

"Nothing in particular," she shrugged.

When she started to clean the island he waited until she got closer before gently grabbing her wrist to stop her. "That is not true. Because you have been acting strange all day. You haven't stress-cleaned in years and now you're ignoring me." Chandler kept his tone at a calm whisper, taking the rag out of her hand. He stepped closer to her, gently pushing her hair out of her face and cupping her cheek. "You know you can tell me anything. No matter what it is, we can work it out together. Honestly, you're starting to scare me. All-day you've been so distant. I just want to help, please let me?"

Monica swallowed thickly, looking into his eyes. The sincerity in his tone almost scared her. This was another side of him that she's never seen. A romantic, caring side. Her friend Chandler was always an attentive listener, but the concern in his eyes as he was practically begging her for an explanation was new to her. She's seen him as a father, but now she was seeing him as a husband. "I don't think you're going to believe me," she mumbled, keeping his eye contact.

"Doesn't matter, I want to help you. You just have to tell me what's going on. Let's talk, okay?" Chandler placed the rag down on the marble countertop. He laced their fingers together and walked back into the living room with her behind.

Monica looked at their hands while she walked with them, feeling him squeeze her fingers. Maybe it was supposed to be comforting, but it set her nerves on fire. When they reached the couch, Chandler sat with open arms inviting her to sit with him. Their friendship wasn't shy of affection. They sat close together, sometimes they even cuddled on the couch or shared a chair. Sitting next to him with his arm around her felt so comfortable and familiar. It was like being with her friend back at the coffee house again. But she knew in his mind it was something different. To him, it was sitting with his wife on a Saturday evening. Even if he didn't believe her, she needed to tell him that she wasn't who he thought she was.

So, this time she told him everything. Avoiding eye contact while slightly tugging at his pants she told him about how yesterday she was planning on going to the sperm bank. Breaking up with Richard two weeks ago and how she believed she would never find a man again. How badly she wanted a family, she was willing to give up a husband and her dream home for a chance of having a child. She told him about waking up this morning to what seemed to be her future, but she wasn't sure how. By the end, she still hadn't looked at him. The silence was almost deafening the longer she waited for a reaction from him.

Chandler scratched the back of his head, trying to process what he was hearing. "I think that's the last thing I was expecting for you to say," he chuckled. At first, he thought she was joking because of how outlandish the story was. When he looked down at her, he noticed the innocence in her eyes. He's spent so much time staring into her eyes over the years that he noticed how different they looked almost immediately. Monica's eyes always had a gaze of affection when looking at him that always made his heart flutter, but it wasn't there. His lips curled into a small smile when the look she had now reminded him of before London. "So, yesterday was 1996. You were in the apartment and you just…woke up here?" He asked for clarification.

"I know it sounds insane, but I'm not lying. I don't know what's going on. If this is a dream, I don't want to wake up," she admitted. Monica leaned into his chest more, curling up into his embrace. If she knew Chandler, he'd be scared of how much she was enjoying playing his wife for the day. She braced herself, waiting for him to push her away, but he never did.

Chandler tightened his arm around her to hold her impossibly closer. Technically she wasn't his wife, not this Monica anyway. She was expecting her friend Chandler, but he wasn't that guy anymore. By now he's been her husband longer than they were just friends. He sighed, unsure of how to comfort her as a friend. "Why don't you want to wake up? I think that's pretty important at least every eight hours."

Monica smiled, rolling her eyes at his lame joke. "This is everything I've ever wanted. A husband with kids in a beautiful house. If I wake up, then I'll be back to being single with no hope of finding this again. Even if I am married to you."

"Gee, thanks" Chandler scrunched his nose in distaste for the comment. It's nothing he hadn't heard from her, but it was before they fell in love. Hearing it come from her after being married to her for so long hurt. He had to remind himself that this was apparently Monica from a different time because he knew she didn't feel that way anymore.

She shook her head slightly as she sat up. "You know what I mean. We were friends for a long time. Wasn't it weird to start a relationship with me?" Monica faced him properly, interested in how a relationship like this even started if she didn't have feelings for him.

"It was spontaneous, but when it happened it felt amazing. It wasn't weird or awkward. I think we've agreed that our biggest regret is not getting together sooner." Chandler watched her try to process the information like a complex statistical equation. "I'm not sure how this happened, but I think that you're seeing your future for a reason. If you were hesitant about doing a sperm donor then, how do you feel now that you've seen this?"

Monica sighed, thinking back on the day they had. Watching Chandler be responsible with the kids all day was so strange. He made everyone breakfast, broke up arguments, and managed their money and she felt out of place. Spending time with the kids was great for her at first. She was great at playing with Jack and shopping with Erica was fun until she realized her decisions weren't exactly practical. "I feel confused," she whispered. "I thought I was ready for all of this. I mean, I am. I'm ready to be a mother, but after today I don't know."

"Hey, you're a great Mom. The kids love you so much and you're so much better at making decisions than I am. The other day I gave the kids candy for breakfast because we were running late for school. In hindsight, I should've given them fruit or something, but the point is we both make mistakes." Chandler laid his arm out across the back of the couch, playing with her hair in an attempt to soothe her.

"But at the bookstore, you handled it better than I could because…I don't know what I'm doing. I froze. They were expecting me to make a decision and I didn't have any idea what to say to make the situation better. A good mom would know what to do and wouldn't have promised so many books in the first place." It started to dawn on her the real responsibility of being a parent. Make quick decisions for your kids when they didn't know any better or lead them in the right direction. Monica loved kids and she was great at taking care of the people she loved, but today made her feel unsure about having a baby.

The look of uncertainty and sadness on her face made Chandler's heartache. Technically she wasn't his wife yet, but he still hated seeing her look so scared. There wasn't anything he could say or do to fix this when he didn't know how she ended up here in the first place. He sighed, pushing his hair back as he chewed the inside of his cheek. "Well, it was your first day as a mother. Don't beat yourself up too much about it because this stuff takes practice. I'm still learning how to be more strict about certain things. We usually work together and by now we've fallen into a nice routine. But that's after seven years of being parents and the many many years of acting like parents to our friends. If you want my honest opinion, I think it's a good idea for you to wait. Being a parent is really exciting and when you get there it's going to be amazing, but I don't think that point in your life is the best place to start a family. Get out of that horrible diner job to a place where you're making more money. Focus on yourself. Maybe fall in love with your best friend Chandler and wait for him to be ready," he noticed her lips tug into a small smile. Chandler moved his hand down her arm and gently took her fingers. "I know that if you decide to go through with the sperm donor you'll eventually learn how to be a great mom. But it's okay to not be ready. This isn't something I recommend rushing into."

He had said the same thing to her yesterday. All of their friends had told her to wait. It didn't make any sense when she had heard it, but after this, she understood more of where they were coming from. Having kids was a large responsibility that she wasn't ready for and having someone by her side to help her would be a good thing. She didn't like admitting that she was wrong, so she just nodded in agreement.

If she woke up from this dream, she'd be back to square one. Stuck in a bad job, no boyfriend, no kids. She had lost all control of her dream. That thought scared her more than anything else. Monica moved towards Chandler again, hiding her face in his shoulder. She felt so lost all she could do was lean on her friend for any sense of comfort. He was so warm and she could feel his strong arms wrap around her. Chandler was always there for her when she needed him. He was good at making her laugh or making her feel better about anything she came to him with. Maybe she wasn't attracted to him, but the more she thought about it the more it made sense. Monica turned her head, pressing her ear against his chest and listening to his great beat. "How did we fall in love?" She whispered and his chest vibrated with his chuckle.

"Gradually. You kissed me first. I couldn't say no to you. We kid ourselves for a while that it wasn't anything but sex until it went on for so long that it became more than that. Ross almost murdered me." For a brief moment, Chandler wondered if telling her this would change anything. If it did he hoped it didn't cause a butterfly effect that made him lose her. She was the best thing that's ever happened to him and he didn't want to think about a life without her. He looked down at her and she was already looking up at him.

Just by the look in his eyes Chandler seemed conflicted. Being this close to him probably wasn't a good idea when he was married. They were in an awkward position where one of them saw a lifelong partner and the other just saw a friend. She got to see what he was like as a husband briefly, but she wished she saw more of it. All-day he's been so caring and attentive. Right now though, he looked scared to be so close to her. Monica almost felt guilty for putting him in this position, but she didn't do anything to be here. "What would you be doing right now if I was your wife?"

Chandler's eyebrows raised at the question he wasn't expecting. "Um, right this second I'd probably kiss you and y'know we would probably do other things…" He trailed off to not get explicit with details.

"I am not doing that," her nose scrunched in disgust at what he was implying.

He couldn't help but laugh at that response. "I wasn't asking you to, but that's what I like to do with my wife. You look just like her."

Monica rolled her eyes at him and sighed. "I can tell that you miss her. You're not as good at hiding your emotions as you used to be," she muttered.

"I'm going to take that as a compliment. And we shouldn't talk about it like you're dead because you're not. You're here and I'm counting you as my wife."

She shook her head slightly. "It's different and you know it. You want to kiss me and treat me like you would her. I can see it in your eyes."

"Is that a bad thing? You're acting like it's a crime that I love my wife. You're forgetting about the fact that I didn't ask for your past self to wake up in our bed. Is it so bad that I went all day without getting the usual affection from the woman I married without an explanation and now I'm missing the treatment that I'm used to? We kiss each other good morning, we hug, we cuddle, and you put your hand on my knee when I'm driving. You kiss your kids on the cheek and hug them before they go to bed. We're an affectionate family. Is it wrong of me to miss that?" His voice raised during his ranting. He wasn't angry, but Monica didn't seem to understand. His wife was gone. He didn't know how to get her back or if he was going to get her back at all.

Monica felt deflated listening to him. He was right. She hadn't shown any affection towards them all day because of how uncomfortable she was. It didn't occur to her how odd that must have been for them. "No, it's not wrong."

"Look," Chandler sighed, bringing his voice back down to a soft and warm tone. "I'm not upset with you specifically. This situation is just not something I was exactly prepared for. Neither of us was. Now I understand why you were more distant today and it makes sense. If my past self woke up here, he would have handled it a lot worse than you did. I just want my wife back," he mumbled.

Monica shifted and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him close in a warm hug. "I'm sorry for taking her away," she said softly. She didn't know how to undo whatever this was. It didn't seem like a dream anymore. Or if it was, it was becoming a nightmare. Chandler was a great father, raising amazing kids. In a way, he's everything she's ever been looking for in a husband.

Curiosity ended up getting the best of her when she pulled back from his embrace. She saw the lost look in his eyes when he realized his wife was still gone. Monica leaned into him, connecting her lips to his and it felt like the last puzzle piece had fallen into place. Her heart pounded in her chest and all she could focus on was how soft his lips felt on hers. She could feel his hand move to the back of her neck and his fingers curling in her hair. Monica parted her lips, letting him take over. Chandler responded immediately, kissing her like it would be the last time and making her head spin.

They were forced apart when the need for air became too much to ignore. She looked at him, her eyes traveling around his face trying to read his thoughts. But he didn't seem affected by the kiss like she was. He looked upset that it was over or maybe he realized that she was still the past Monica. But she couldn't stop thinking about the feeling of his lips on hers. It felt like she was on fire and she craved more of him. "You kiss better than Richard," she said to break the silence.

Chandler couldn't help but smirk a little. He hated Richard, hearing that he was better was something he'd never get tired of. "Trust me when I tell you that I'm better than Richard at a lot of things." He noticed her face turn a shade of light pink and he bit down on his bottom lip to stop himself from saying anything else. "Would you like to watch a movie? You always fall asleep, but deny it when I take you to bed."

She chuckled slightly at the story. "We can watch a movie. Can I ask if Princess Tiana is from a movie I haven't seen? I'd like to watch it." Monica laid her ear on his chest again, facing the television that was mounted on the wall.

Chandler smiled at the name of the character, already knowing that it was Jack who had told her about it. He reached for the remote on the side table behind him, playing the movie that practically lived in their Dvd player. By now he's probably seen Princess and the Frog a hundred times so he wasn't paying attention to it anymore. Watching Monica laugh and cry and hum to the songs was much more interesting to him. He gently played with her hair, hoping it wasn't crossing a line. Even though she just kissed him, it wasn't the same. It was an amazing kiss, but for her, it was the first one. She was more hesitant than usual, lacking the passion that Monica usually had. He didn't blame her. Their first kiss wasn't exactly full of the love and intimacy they shared now. Chandler had to admit that he thought the kiss would bring her back, like in the fairy tales. That kind of wishful thinking just seemed to be the problem with watching so many movies with their kids. He didn't know how to fix this, but he wanted his wife back.

By the time the movie was over, Monica had fallen asleep on top of him like usual. He smiled at the familiar sight before turning the television off. Chandler carefully picked her up bridal style, carrying her to the room. There seemed no point in waking her up, but when he laid her on the bed she started to shift. He knelt next to the bed and gently pushed the hair out of her face. "I'm going to sleep on the couch downstairs if you need anything," he whispered.

"No, don't go," Monica muttered. "If we're married, you're supposed to sleep next to me. Please?" Her eyes were still closed, practically talking in her sleep.

Chandler sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "Okay." He moved to his side of the bed, laying down on his back as he tried to get used to Monica not cuddling up next to him.

The next morning Monica reached to turn off the blaring alarm on the bedside table. She sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Monica looked over and saw that Chandler wasn't there. She noticed the familiar bedspread, the pink walls, and the voices of her friends talking in the kitchen. She practically jumped out of her bed, running out of her bedroom still in her pajamas.

Ross, Rachel, Phoebe, and Joey all started talking to her at once as a last effort to reconsider going to the sperm bank. It seemed like they had all gotten together and planned an intervention-type gathering. But it didn't matter. She had already made up her mind.

Chandler walked into the apartment, heading straight for the fridge when he noticed everyone looking at Monica. "If you have a baby, I am not changing any diapers," he warned as he grabbed a bottle of Yoohoo.

Monica walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his torso. "I'm not going to do it, don't worry." All of them let out a sigh of relief, interjecting with questions about what made her change her mind. "I just realized that I'm not in the right place for children." It didn't seem worth trying to explain everything when she wasn't sure how it all happened.

Chandler returned her hug, kissing the top of her head. "Good for you Mon. Are you waiting for the right guy?"

"Something like that," she said softly. Monica looked at him, thinking about how much he was going to change in his future. It was odd knowing this about him and not saying anything, but she couldn't jinx it. What she had experienced felt too real to just be a dream. She could still feel the tingle left from Chandler's lips and the feeling of his hand in her hair. The sound of the kids giggling was so clear in her mind that it was like they were in the room. Her future was with Chandler, in their great house outside of the city with two wonderful kids. Making sure everything ended up that way was her new dream.

He nodded once, moving back towards the door. "Janice is waiting for me, she has to meet with her lawyers today about her divorce," he rolled his eyes. Chandler said a general goodbye to the group before leaving the apartment.

Monica quickly followed him out, meeting him in the hallway and grabbing his shirt to get his attention. "Chandler, I just wanted to say thank you."

"For what?" He put his hands in his pockets, tilting his head slightly as he watched her.

She chewed on her lip, realizing that she couldn't tell him. "Well, um, the other day in the coffee house when you said that the donor idea was stupid, I realized that you were right. I'm not ready for something like that."

Chandler stepped closer to her, pursing his lips together. "Yeah, that was a little harsh on my part. But I think y'know when you are ready, you'll be a great mother. We all know where you were coming from, but I don't know," he shrugged as he scratched the back of his head. "I always imagined you marrying a great guy who is there for you when that whole…kid thing happens."

She chuckled slightly at the irony, "yeah I know what you mean. You're really sweet. I know when it happens for you, you'll be a great father." Monica spoke softly, flattening his tie-down as she wondered if she would do the same as his wife. She turned back to the apartment and went inside without saying anything else, letting him go back to Janice for now.

At first, Chandler smiled at the compliment, but his face fell when he realized what she had said. "Wait, what?"