AN: Here's another chapter for you guys. I hope you like this update.

PLZ R&R!

Disclaimer: See earlier chapters.


Chapter 20

The next couple of weeks seemed to go by fast. Chandler and Monica had chosen an ob-gyn that specializes in teen pregnancies as well as high-risk pregnancies. They would have their first appointment with her the week after Homecoming. When they informed Terry of who they had chosen, he just smiled at them. Apparently, both his dads had done their research before their meeting. They were hoping that the couple would chose that doctor. They just wanted to test if the teenagers would actually do the work to research all the doctors on their list.

The group of them spent an entire Saturday out shopping for all the special outfits and such for Spirit Week as well as their dresses and tuxes for the Homecoming dance that would follow. Chandler tried to get out of it by volunteering for an extra shift at work, but Charles quickly put a stop to that. So they all spent a long day at the mall going from store to store to try to find the perfect things. After listening to Chandler and Joey complain almost the entire time, Charles and Terry forced them to pick out a couple of nice suits.

Monica and Chandler started to get nervous as the dance got closer and closer. It had nothing to do with the dance, though; the day after the dance they decided that they were going to announce everything on their social media. So they were a little anxious to follow through with their decision.


The day of the dance found Chandler sitting at the kitchen counter in front of his laptop. He snacked on some sort of snack mix as he went through some papers from his computer class. He scanned a website and looked back abruptly as he heard a noise and saw Joey shuffling in, just getting up.

"Well it's about time," Chandler told him. "I guess if you're a superstar football player who scored the winning touchdown at the homecoming game you get the luxury of sleeping in until almost noon."

"Don't forget the after-game celebration," Terry came into them. "Morning, Sunshine."

"Morning," Joey mumbled.

"Coffee is still warm," Chandler gestured to the coffee maker on the counter.

"The girls woke me up," Joey told them as he sat next to Chandler at the counter.

"Carol arrived awhile ago," Chandler told him. "They're starting to get ready."

"For the dance seven hours from now?"

"They're experimenting with makeup," Terry told them. "At least that's what I heard them say as I passed by Phoebe's room."

"Strange," Joey started eating a bowl of dry cereal. "I don't get it."

"Don't waste your time trying to figure it out, boys," Charles came in with a bag from the local florists. "You never will."

"Did you get the corsages?" Terry asked him.

"I had to fight a couple overzealous mom's, but I got them."

"Just a preview of what prom shopping will be like," Terry told him as he looked at Chandler. "You will be going to that as well, just so you know. You get no choice in the matter."

"Save your breath," Chandler told him. "Monica already talked to me about it."

"She twisted his arm," Joey told them.

"He means metaphorically,"

"But Phoebe actually twisted his arm," Joey said. "Behind his back until he finally agreed."

"Note to self: Use Phoebe as an enforcer." Charles chuckled as he put the flowers in the refrigerator.

"What are you working on?" Joey glanced at the computer screen that Chandler was staring at.

"An assignment for my computer essentials class." Chandler sighed. "We're supposed to do a year-long project; or semester-long in my case. I just can't choose which one to pick."

"What are your options?" Terry asked and Chandler handed over the paper with the assignment on it.

"Option 1: Create a website, or Option 2: Create a blog." Charles started reading out loud. "Needs to be about something personal, or something that you value or are passionate about. No profanity, or vulgar images/language. Needs to be published on a public platform and updated weekly."

"So what's the problem?" Terry looked at him.

"I don't know which one to choose or what the subject should be," Chandler sighed. "My teacher gave me a list of sample websites and blogs for examples."

"Any good ones?"

"Food blogs, family websites, blah, blah, blah….Nothing really jumps out."

"What are you passionate about?" Terry asked. "What brings you joy? What are you looking forward to?"

"Graduating," Chandler sighed. "That would only give me one blog post though."

"It has to be something personal right?" Joey spoke up.

"Yeah," Chandler mumbled.

"I think you're forgetting an obvious one."

"What do you mean?"

"You're going to be a father. Why not do a blog about that? An expectant teen father's perspective. A married expectant teen father. You don't see that very often, if ever."

"That's actually not a bad idea," Charles said. "If you're willing to put yourself out there, I mean."

"I don't know," Chandler hesitated. "We're already anticipating a backlash as soon as we announce it."

"And everyone at school will be making up their own version of events," Joey cut in. "Why not tell the truth? Your truth. Monica's truth."

"But it's up to you," Terry saw Chandler starting to get worked up.

"Yeah dude, no pressure."

"I need to talk to Monica about it," Chandler shut his laptop and took his papers back from his dad. "Tomorrow though. After the dance. And the announcement."

"Want to go watch some TV until we have to get ready?" Joey asked him.

"Sure," he shrugged.

He stored his things in an area by the table and followed him into the den as they settled in to watch a movie on Netflix.

"You're not sitting there all day," Charles told them as he started into his office.

"Ok," they mumbled.

"Yes they will," Terry responded from the kitchen.


Monica sat on the bed in Phoebe's room as she watched both her and Carol go through all three girls' makeup assortments. They started trying out all kinds of different combinations as they tried to decide how to wear their hair for the dance that night. Monica tried to put on a good front, but the girls saw right through it.

"Cheer up!" Phoebe told her. "It's a dance. It's a happy occasion."

"I know," Monica sighed. "I just-tomorrow…."

"Put it out of your mind until then," Carol came over to her and attempted to put some blush on her cheeks. "It will all be fine."

"Fine? At this high school?"

"Ok, not totally fine."

"You guys decided to do it this way," Phoebe told her. "Of course everyone will be shocked. There will be a bit of excitement for awhile. Then something else will happen and people will move on."

"Not that quickly," Monica mumbled.

"It will be fine," Carol told her. "You have Chandler and Terry and Charles and Ross and Joey and Phoebe and me along with my parents. As long as you have a support system you don't need to worry about anyone else."

"I'm worried about what's going to happen once my parents find out,"

"Have you heard from them?" Phoebe asked her. "Since you moved out?"

"Joey told me that he thought he saw my dad's car drive by once."

"What?" Carol stopped what she was doing and turned back to look at her.

"It was just before we got married. Joey wasn't completely sure if it was actually him or not." Monica told her. "I'm sure they voice their opinions about me to Ross. He just never tells me."

"He doesn't want to see the hurt on your face," Carol told her. "Their opinion doesn't matter anyway."

"I know this shouldn't bother me. I moved out to get away from all their negative comments. It does bother me though."

"Because you want them to care. There was a reason why you decided to get emancipated. You wanted away from them because you didn't want to live like that for another year before you could leave."

"I know," Monica sighed.

"Enough of this," Phoebe stopped them. "Let's not think about any of this until tomorrow. We need to start getting ready. The guys will be starting to get ready soon."

"They have it so easy," Carol said. "All they have to do is take a shower and get dressed. It's us that do all the work."

"Come on," Carol pulled Monica up off the bed and led her into Phoebe's bathroom. "Time to start on our hair."

"Not too much," Monica said as she saw Phoebe pick up the curling iron. "I just want it flowy."

"You got it," Carol smiled at her. "Tiny curls."

Monica nodded as they started to joke around as they took turns doing each others' hair.


At around 5:45 Terry and Charles went into the den and made Joey and Chandler go and start getting ready. They reluctantly turned the TV off and dragged themselves up the stairs to their bedrooms to get ready. They both shook their heads at them as they heard the showers turn on.

"You'd think we were sending them to their deaths," Charles stated.

"It is for our kid," Terry told him.

Chandler took a quick ten minute shower and wrapped a towel around his middle as he walked back into his room to retrieve the tux they had made him pick out last week. He quickly got changed, buttoning up the dress shirt and locating the tie that he had just gotten as well.

He stood in front of the mirror and attempted to tie it by himself yet again. He tried to remember what Terry had taught him so many times before as the door opened and Joey came in with his own tie hung loosely around his shoulders.

"I need help," he told him.

"Yeah, so do I." Chandler showed him his failed attempts at tying his own tie.

"I knew you'd eventually need our help," The door opened again and Charles and Terry came into them. "Let's do this."

Chandler and Joey stood before them as they tied their ties for them. Chandler grabbed his jacket and slipped it on as they heard the doorbell ring.

"That should be George and Adalee," Charles told them. "They wanted to be here to send all of you off to the dance."

"Be prepared for lots of pictures before you all leave for the dance." Terry added.

"Ross is meeting us over here too," Chandler told them as they started out of the room and down the stairs. "If his parents will let him leave early."

"Don't worry, they did." Ross said as Terry let him into the house along with George and Adalee.

"So did they say anything?" Joey asked him.

"They just asked if Monica was going. I said we were all going as a group. Mom got that disapproving look on her face again. So I just left."

"Are the girls ready?" Adalee asked.

"We don't know," Charles said.

"They've been in Phoebe's room working on their hair and makeup for several hours," Terry told them.

"Don't really want to risk going in there to hurry them along," Chandler added.

"I'll go check on them," Adalee started up the stairs and left all the guys downstairs.

"Since we're all here," Terry went to get the camera.

"Ugg," Chandler mumbled under his breath. "Kill me now."

"The three of you stand together," Charles commanded and Ross, Joey and Chandler stood together near the stairs and the three adults started snapping pictures.

"Attention!" they heard from upstairs and turned to see Adalee coming down the stairs. "The girls are ready. Get ready to get some good shots."

The guys backed away from the stairs so the girls would be able to get down to them. First was Carol, walking down in a cream-colored backless dress. She reached Ross and the flashes from the cameras started going again.

"Pause," Adalee told them. "We have two more waiting to make their entrances."

Phoebe appeared in an emerald green sparkling full-length dress. Joey smiled as she took his arm to get her pictures taken with him. Carol nudged Chandler as he waited for Monica to appear.

"Please compliment her," she whispered. "She was getting a little self-conscious."

"She's always beautiful," Chandler whispered back.

They seemed to wait a little longer for Monica to appear and when they finally did get a glimpse of her they all gasped. She slowly descended the stairs, being careful of the heels that she wore. She was in a candy apple red dress that went past her knees with some of the thin material fanning out.

"You look amazing," Chandler finally got out as she reached him.

"Really?" she looked at him.

"Really," he assured her.

"Thank you," she smiled as he gently kissed her cheek.

"This way, you two!" Terry called and Chandler rolled his eyes before they turned and posed for the pictures just like everyone else did for theirs.

"Group shot," Charles called and the six of them gathered together and stood for the pictures.

After several dozen more pictures taken, the teenagers all complained that they were going to miss the entire dance if they didn't leave. After all the parents posed with each of them, they were finally able to start out of the house towards the cars.

"Curfew is midnight!" Charles called. "That gives you two hours at the after-party should you decide to go."

"Thanks!" Chandler called as they all pulled out of the driveway.

"Well at least we got him to go," Terry said. "Hopefully he doesn't complain the whole time."

"If he does, Monica will leave some well-placed bruises on him as a reminder."

"Good point," All of the adults went back into the house to hang out together while the teenagers were off at the dance.


AN: Sorry, but I'm going to end the night there. I'll leave it to you to imagine what happened at the dance. The next chapter will be the start of a lot of things.

I hope you liked this update.

PLZ R&R!