AN: Another update for you guys. Hope you like it. Thank you everyone for the great reviews. PLZ R&R!

Disclaimer: See first chapter.


Chapter 6

The next several days were spent with the group of them enjoying all the sights and different tourist spots that the Jersey Shore had to offer. Monica and Chandler would occasionally go off by themselves, as would Ross and Carol, but for the most part they all hung out in a big group. All the parents let them have their freedom within reason.

Tonight was a special occasion though. It was the four month anniversary of the Spring Fling dance, when Monica and Chandler went on their first date together. Charles and Terry gave them permission to go on a date by themselves, as long as they stayed in public. They both agreed, but secretly made other plans with help from Joey, Phoebe, and Carol. They left Ross out of the loop, afraid that he would try to ruin all their carefully-made plans.

Monica was still getting ready when Carol and Phoebe came in to see if she was almost done.

"Just about ready," she told them as she found some earrings to go with her dress. "I don't know why I'm so nervous. We've been on plenty of dates before."

"Maybe you're nervous because he's your first boyfriend and you weren't sure if you guys would last this long."

"Maybe,"

"So Ross and I will be leaving after you guys do." Carol told her. "And the adults are going on a group date tonight as well."

"I'll text you once they're all gone," Phoebe told her. "And Joey and I will leave as well so you guys can have the place to yourselves."

"Just don't do anything that you don't think you're ready for." Carol told her. "If you mean that much to Chandler, he won't pressure you to do anything that you don't want to do."

"Chandler wouldn't pressure me," Monica stood up and started curling her hair. "Besides, I think I'm ready for anything that he has planned tonight."


Chandler stood in front of the mirror trying to tie his tie, but having no luck. This was a special night for both of them, but he wanted it to be extra special for Monica. He saw Ross come in and eye him suspiciously as he continued to get ready.

"If you're just going to glare at him, just leave." Joey called from the bed as he read a magazine.

"This is a happy occasion," Chandler stated. "And I don't need any of your negativity."

"Sorry," Ross left in a huff and Terry came in.

"How's it going in here?" he asked him.

"I should've just brought my clip-on." Chandler grumbled as he tried yet again to tie the tie.

"Let me see this," Terry stood in front of him and showed him how to tie it. "I didn't know how to tie one until after I was out of college."

"Thanks," Chandler sighed as he went to fix his hair.

"So did you need to borrow the car?" Terry asked as Chandler came out to grab his jacket and a small wrapped box.

"No," Chandler shook his head. "We were going to walk along the beach, exchange gifts, then walk to the boardwalk for dinner."

"Remember what we said. You stay in public until you come back here."

"Got it," Chandler fastened his wrist watch as there was a knock on the door and Phoebe stuck her head in.

"Hey," she smiled at them. "Just wanted to see if you were ready yet. Monica's waiting very impatiently for you."

"I'm ready," Chandler followed her out and saw Monica with Ross and Carol. "Hey."

"There you are," she smiled at him.

"Sorry. Terry had to help me with my tie." He told her.

"It's fine," she slipped on her jacket as they headed outside.

"All right," Charles came in after the door closed. "What are your guys' plans tonight?"

"Ross and I planned a date as well," Carol told them. "Can you guys drop us on the way to your date?"

"Not a problem," George told them.

"What about you two?" Charles looked at Phoebe and Joey.

"We were just going to go to Lucky Leo's Arcade." Joey told them.

"We'll drop you," Terry told them. "Let's all head out."


Chandler took Monica's hand as they walked along the shore and the sea air washed over them. He smiled at her as they reached a cluster of big rocks and he helped her climb up on top of them.

"Wow," she breathed as she spotted the view of the deep canyon below them. "This is beautiful."

"I used to come here by myself when we vacationed here when I was younger." He told her. "It was so quiet, and I liked the peacefulness of it after having to deal with everything that happened back then."

"So I never knew what happened back then-"

"Mon-"

"I'm not asking you to tell me if you don't want to," she rushed to assure him. "But does it still define you? I mean, do you still think about it?"

"I think it will always haunt me." He revealed. "I have some nightmares about it occasionally. I was actually diagnosed with PTSD after I moved in with my dad, and I was put on antidepressants."

"You were? I never knew that."

"You're the first person outside the family that I've told." he revealed to her. "Well Carol knows, only because she was the only one who would talk to me when I first moved here. "

"I won't tell anyone." She rubbed his back.

"I wasn't on them long." He looked at her. "They basically turned me into a zombie. I was sleeping for pretty much eighteen hours a day. My dad took me off them and he got me another therapist. He didn't think that I should continue to see someone that prescribes something that makes me 'dead' inside."

"Do you still see a therapist?"

"Occasionally," he admitted. "My dad makes me go back if he senses that I need someone unbiased to talk to."

"Just so you know I'm here for you as well. I won't judge."

"I know," he smiled at her. "Let's move away from this topic."

"Good plan," she smiled. "Do you want to exchange gifts now?"

"Of course," he pulled a small box out of his coat pocket as she pulled out her gift for him.

They exchanged them and slowly opened them as the other watched in anticipation. Chandler tore the wrapping off his and opened the box to reveal a silver watch. He took it out and saw that it was expensive-looking.

"Wow," he glanced at her as she finished opening her gift. "This is great. You shouldn't have spent so much money, though."

"I didn't," she informed him. "Remember the other night when we all went to the movies? There was a machine that you could try to win prizes. That's how I got it."

"Well thank you, I love it." he leaned over and gave her a soft kiss. "Now open yours."

"All right," she opened the box and pulled back the tissue paper to reveal the shiny jewelry. "Oh my god. This is beautiful."

"So you really like it?" he fastened the necklace behind her as she fastened the bracelet around her right wrist.

"I love them both. But you could've just gotten me one, not both."

"I had overtime on one of my checks. I used the extra money for this."

"Thank you." She kissed him deeply on the lips.

"As much as I'd love to continue that kiss here," he smiled at her as his phone beeped. "Joey just texted me to let us know that they're all in town, so the house is empty. So if you still want to…"

"Of course I still want to. I'm ready." she smiled at him as they climbed down off the rocks and started the walk back to the beach house.


Joey and Phoebe played a few arcade games before walking down the boardwalk to get something to eat. They just decided to just get slices of pizza and sat on a bench as they watched all the other tourists.

"I can't believe that Monica and Chandler are doing-what they're doing-tonight." Joey broke the silence.

"They're really close," Phoebe added.

"So…remember when Mr. Bing said that there couldn't be any dating within the house? Did the idea ever pop in your head about us?"

"As in me and you us?"

"Yeah,"

"No offense," she looked at him. "But I don't want to do that. I wouldn't want to risk our friendship like that."

"Thank god," Joey sighed. "I just wanted to lay all our cards out."

"Don't worry," she assured him. "I don't think of you like that."

"All right," they finished their pizzas. "Now that that's out in the open, want to go back to the arcade?"

"Absolutely," she smiled. "I'm so going to beat your high score in skee ball."

"Not a chance," they walked back to the arcade.


Chandler and Monica were sitting in front of the TV watching a movie as they ate out of a bowl of microwave popcorn. Chandler glanced over at Monica as she was captivated by the movie.

"So….any regrets?" he ventured.

"No," she assured him. "I told you that I was ready. I feel that we were ready for this big step in our relationship."

"I just want you to know that I won't be acting weird about this. I still think that we can be in this for the long haul."

"So it won't be weird when school starts up again and you're around all your jock friends?"

"I promise," he smiled at her. "And if I do, you have every right to smack me upside the head."

"Good to know," she smiled as their cell phones went off.

"Text from Joey," Chandler looked at her.

"Text from Phoebe," she told him. "They're on their way back."

"We may have ten minutes," they scrambled off the couch. "We need to make sure that everything is cleaned up."

"I'll take care of the kitchen," she told him. "You take care of the basement."

"Got it," he rushed down into the basement as she went into the kitchen.


Joey and Phoebe shook as they neared the beach house. They really hoped that Monica and Chandler were able to get to their cell phones and get their texts.

"Why are you guys so antsy back there?" Terry turned around to look at them.

"We need to use the bathroom," Phoebe covered.

"We're almost there," Charles assured them as they pulled up the drive.

"Looks like Chandler and Monica beat us back," Terry commented as he saw the lights on in the house.

"If they did anything," Charles started as he turned off the car and Joey and Phoebe rushed into the house first.

They rushed inside and spotted Chandler and Monica scrambling to sit back on the couch with a bowl of popcorn. Relief washed over them when they looked back and saw that it was Joey and Phoebe.

"Your dads are right behind us." Joey told them.

"It's all right. I'm pretty sure that we got it all cleaned up." Chandler told them. "Thanks for covering for us."

"And for not telling Ross," Monica added.

"Not a problem." Phoebe told them as the door opened and everyone else came in. "Monica come with me to the bathroom. I want to hear all about your date."

"Sure," she started up off the couch.

"Wait for me!" Carol came in with Ross and rushed to follow them.

"I guess I'll use the bathroom down in the basement." Joey grumbled.

"I'll meet you down there!" Chandler called. "We can play a game of pool before we go to bed."

"So how long have you guys been home?" Charles eyed Chandler as he brought the popcorn bowl in.

"About ten minutes ago," Chandler told him. "Thanks for letting us go out tonight."

"It was a special occasion," Terry told him. "Of course we'd let you go out."

"Thanks," he spotted Ross coming in. "Want to play some pool?"

"Sure," he shrugged and followed him down to the basement.

"Something definitely happened here while we were all gone," George commented.

"Oh yeah," Charles agreed. "I guess we'll have to talk to him when we get back home."


Monica was dragged into the bathroom by their rooms as Phoebe and Carol locked the door behind them and turned on the digital radio that was in there so that no one would be able to overhear their conversation.

"So how was it?" Phoebe asked.

"It was fine," Monica told them.

"Just fine?"

"I am not going to share anything with you guys. It was a private moment between the two of us. I think it should stay private."

"At least tell us about the date." Carol spoke up.

"We walked along the beach and he showed me this cluster of rocks that he always liked to go to."

"Yeah, he always went there when he first moved in with his dads."

"He told me a little bit about what happened back then. Not what happened to him, just the aftermath with the PTSD and anti-depressants."

"I remember him on those," Carol told her. "He was bad. He was always getting in trouble because he would fall asleep in class."

"Anyway, we exchanged gifts there." Monica showed them the necklace and matching bracelet. "We came back here and he made me a simple supper. Then we watched a movie until you guys got back."

"Out of the bathroom!" Adalee knocked harshly on the door. "You guys need to get to bed soon. We have a lot to do tomorrow before we leave."

They turned the radio off and exited the bathroom as they went to hang out with the guys for a bit before they all headed off to bed.


AN: So what do you imagine was extra special for Monica and Chandler? For those of you who follow my other Mondler stories, you probably know where this might be heading. I'll be setting up a pole on my profile page and you guys can vote on the outcome of their relationship. Anyway, hope you liked this chapter. PLZ R&R!

I just signed up for Netflix. Does anyone have any recommendations? Thanks!