AN: Sorry that it took me so long to post this chapter. I was having a little writer's block issue because I wanted it to come out just right. Plus I'm still having issues with my laptop:( Anyway, I hope you all like this chapter. PLZ R&R!
Disclaimer:See first chapter.
Chapter 15
"So what should we do?" Chandler ventured.
"I don't want to force you to pay child support," Monica looked at him.
"But we don't want to rush into anything," he added.
"No, but I've done my own research as well. We would get more benefits and assistance if we were married."
They continued to go back and forth as they struggled to make a final decision. They finally relented and came to a mutual decision before they both passed out for the night.
The next morning, they all were awoken early again so they could get ready for church in time. Monica went into the adjoining bathroom to take a shower and start getting ready as Chandler went off to his own room. Chandler stumbled downstairs and saw Phoebe and Joey crowded in front of their laptops as they scrolled through their social media pages.
"What are you doing?" Chandler asked and they both jumped.
"Don't scare us like that, dude." Joey looked back at him.
"What are you doing?" Chandler repeated.
"We're seeing if anyone has posted about you or Monica yet."
"Why would they?"
"We saw quite a few kids from school drive by yesterday," Phoebe told him. "Some of them returned with other kids and kept driving by."
"Let them talk all they want," Chandler mumbled."They're going to believe what they want. What's important is that we know the truth."
"We're heading out," Charles announced as they came into them. "You two need to get off the computer and go get ready."
"Got it," they both logged off and started back upstairs.
"How's Monica this morning?" Terry looked at Chandler.
"Tired," he told them. "We were up all night talking about some things."
"Anything that you'd care to share with us?"
"Could we possibly talk about it after church with Pastor Dan?"
"Sure thing, son." Charles told him. "Don't be late for Sunday school."
"We won't," he told them as they walked out to the garage and he heard them drive away.
Monica came downstairs after she finished getting ready and walked into the kitchen as she saw Chandler buttering some toast.
"Hey," he smiled at her. "Feeling any better this morning?"
"Not really."
"Want some ginger ale?"
"Water," she told him and he grabbed a bottle out of the refrigerator.
"We're ready," Joey and Phoebe came downstairs.
"Let's go," Chandler told them as they all walked out to the garage and got into his car.
The four of them arrived at church and walked into their class after they stopped at the café to get Monica and Phoebe some herbal tea. Carol and Ross were already there and they sat by them.
"I drove your car over for you," Ross looked at Monica.
"Thanks," she smiled at him. "So how was it after we left?"
"Intense," he told her. "There was a lot of yelling so I just went over to Carol's and spent the rest of the day there."
"Chandler, Monica," they looked up as Pastor Dan came up to them. "I hope things are better for you guys."
"A little," Monica told him.
"Are you available for a meeting after church?" Chandler asked him. "It would be with us and my dads."
"I think I can squeeze you in." Pastor Dan assured them. "I'll get you all the information you'll need too."
"Thank you."
After the service ended, Chandler and Monica met up with Charles and Terry and they all made their way to the back offices and waited for Pastor Dan.
"I am not looking forward to school tomorrow," Monica mumbled.
"Will you guys be announcing it?" Terry asked them.
"Would it be all right if we don't announce it right away?" Monica spoke up. "At least for a little bit?"
"How long do you want to wait?" Chandler looked at her.
"After Homecoming?" she ventured. "So that I'll at least have one last hurrah before all the drama started?"
"It's only a little more than a month away," Terry said.
"I think we can do that." Charles assured her.
"All right," Pastor Dan came into them. "Everyone else is gone and the rest of your brood is hanging out in the gym. So what do we need to discuss now?"
"Well we broached the subject of them getting married." Charles started. "We're not forcing them; we told them it was their decision. It's better for them because of all the benefits they could receive."
"And I'm assuming that a decision has been made?" Pastor Dan looked at Chandler and Monica and they both nodded. "What have you decided?"
"We've decided to get married." Chandler informed them all.
Joey and Phoebe were hanging out in the gym taking turns shooting baskets as they waited for the meeting to be over. They finally sat down on the stage after they were tired of it.
"I wonder if my parents know about all this yet." Joey suddenly said.
"What?" Phoebe looked at him.
"My parents. I wonder if they know."
"What would it matter?"
"If they don't like what's happening, they could pull me out of here and I'd end up in military school."
"Could that really happen?"
"It's a possibility." He told her.
"We're done, you guys." Chandler came into them. "We can leave now."
"So what's going on?" Phoebe asked him.
"We're getting married; next week." They both looked at him shocked as they rushed to follow behind him out to the parking lot.
Monica drove her car to her new home and parked in the driveway behind the closed garage doors. She started into the house and found everyone in the den talking.
"Seriously?" Joey was asking as she sat down on the couch beside Chandler. "You're getting married next week? How will you pull it off?"
"We'll pull it off," Charles told him. "We all will."
"It will be a very small ceremony," Terry told them. "We'll have it on the shore in front of our beach house. We'll invite some of the family and just close friends."
"But seriously, next weekend?" Joey asked.
"Yeah, aren't you guys supposed to be returning to your jobs?" Phoebe asked. "I'm not sure if you'll be able to get more time off."
"We took the first two weeks of school off," Monica told them. "Just until we got into the swing of our school schedules."
"We have a lot of plans to make," Charles stated.
"And people to call," Terry added. "I'll get started on that."
Charles and Terry walked back to their bedroom and left them alone. Monica lay down across the couch as Joey looked at them.
"You guys are sure about this?" Phoebe asked.
"It wouldn't be fair for him to pay child support when we live under the same roof," Monica mumbled.
"So it's a marriage of convenience?"
"No, not really." Chandler told them. "This just makes sense for us right now. We're doing this."
"And it's happening in New Jersey so my parents won't find out about it and try to mess up our plans in some way." Monica added.
"They wouldn't be able to though." Chandler told her.
"I can see them trying to do something to try to stop it."
"I think you guys are a little crazy," Joey told them. "But I'll help you with what I can."
"Me too," Phoebe assured them.
"Thank you," Monica mumbled. "Now let me sleep. We were up late talking about all of this."
"You sleep." Chandler told her. "We'll try to keep the noise down."
"Thank you," she said softly as her eyes slowly closed.
"When this gets around school-" Joey started.
"About that," Chandler looked at them. "We're not announcing anything until after Homecoming weekend."
"Why?"
"She wants one last celebration before the reality of everything sets in."
"We won't say anything," Phoebe assured him.
"I'd better tell Ross," Chandler took out his cell phone. "Man I do not envy him having to keep living with those people."
Ross returned to his house after church and just planned to change and meet up with Carol again in town. His parents were waiting for him as he opened the door.
"Was your sister there?" Jack asked.
"Chandler's family goes there, so of course she was." He told him.
"I can't believe that she is throwing her life away for that boy." Judy spat out. "She's heading for a dead end."
"You mean like you did?" Ross shot at them.
"What?"
"You were pregnant with me before you were married, and you guys are fine."
"That's different."
"So Monica is in the same situation, but because her boyfriend is the son of two openly-gay dads she's headed for a downward spiral."
"We never said that,"
"You implied it." Ross stated. "I am ashamed to be your son."
Ross stormed upstairs and changed out of his church clothes as he heard his phone go off. He picked it up off his dresser and read the text message from Chandler. He sighed as he collapsed on his bed; things were going to get so much worse after his parents found out about this latest development.
Monica awoke as she heard the doorbell ring. She slowly sat up as she spotted Chandler lounging in the nearby recliner as he looked through a magazine.
"Oh my god," he mumbled.
"What's the matter?" she asked as she slowly sat up.
"Hey," he looked over at her. "How'd you sleep?"
"Good, I think." she sighed. "What are you doing?"
"I wish I could tell you that I was looking at a car magazine."
"What are you really looking at?" he passed the magazine to her. "A baby registry magazine?"
"Terry picked it up at the store," he told her. "Every time he goes into town, he picks up a new baby magazine or pregnancy or parenting book."
"Is that why you were mumbling to yourself?"
"Look on page two," he told her and she flipped to it. "That is a long list of things that we need to get before the baby comes."
"Calm down," she looked at him. "First of all, this is an ultimate list. We won't need to get everything on this list."
"I know."
"Secondly, we have eight months. We'll start saving now and hopefully we'll be able to at least get the mandatory items."
"I guess."
"Hey," they looked up and saw Ross and Carol coming into them.
"What are you doing here?" Monica asked them.
"Chandler's dads invited me and my parents over for supper." Carol told them. "So what are you doing?"
"Chandler just had a freak-out moment." Monica informed them.
"I think I'm entitled to them." Chandler defended.
"We both are." Monica assured him.
"Where are Joey and Phoebe?" Ross asked them.
"They're up in my bedroom," Chandler told him. "They're watching a movie or playing video games or something."
"Couldn't they do that in here?"
"Monica was sleeping on the couch and they didn't want to wake her."
"I've been sleeping a lot lately," Monica mumbled. "But I read that's normal in the first trimester."
"So do you really think that you guys can keep this a secret for another month?" Carol asked them.
"We're going to try." Chandler told them.
"Supper is almost ready," Terry came into them. "Go get Joey and Phoebe so you all can set the table."
"I'll go get them," Carol stood up.
"I'll go with you," Monica followed her. "I need to get cleaned up."
"By the way, I'd like to thank you." Ross looked at Chandler.
"For what?" Chandler asked him.
"Carol's parents have now put guidelines on our dates," he informed him. "We are no longer allowed to be alone, we have to have all our dates in a public place, and they're constantly calling us while we're out on our dates."
"Sorry man," Chandler told him as they went into the dining room to help set the table. "I'd like to help you out, but I have my own problems to try to handle right now."
Joey and Phoebe came downstairs followed by Carol and Monica. They helped set all the food out and they all sat down at the table as all the adults came in and joined them.
Monica managed to keep down the clear broth that Terry made again for her. She glanced at Chandler as the conversation switched to all the plans they had to start making. No matter what anyone said, they both agreed that this was for the best. It would be better for them to struggle together rather than have Chandler go into debt before he even started college because he couldn't keep up with the child support payments.
AN: So what'd you all think of this chapter? I hope you liked it. I also started a new poll about this story. You can find it on my profile page. So head on over and vote after you finish reading this chapter if you wouldn't mind. Thank you. PLZ R&R!
