AN: Here's the next chapter for you guys! I'm trying to follow some of the episodes from the show. Please R&R!

Disclaimer: I own no one. They all belong to Bright/Kauffman/Crane.

Chapter 2: TOW Monica and Chandler Get A Roommate

(Follows the Pilot)

Everything was quiet in Monica and Chandler's one night; except for the heavy rain and loud thunder that was going on outside. They were all sound asleep until a loud scream was heard from Daniel's room. Chandler shot up in bed and glanced at the clock on his bedside table. Monica slowly sat up as well.

"What time is it?" she asked sleepily.

"Three am," he sighed. "I'll go see what's wrong with him."

"It's probably the thunder," she told him.

"Yeah," he climbed out of bed and walked out of their room and into Daniel's. He was sitting up on his bed as he clutched one of his stuffed animals.

"Daddy," he jumped into his arms as soon as he walked in.

"It's ok, buddy." He sat down on the bed with him. "What's the matter? Is it the thunder?"

"It's loud."

"You're ok." He tried to lay down with him on the bed, but he refused to.

"No. I want to stay with you."

"Ok. Just this once." He picked him up and took him into his bedroom. "Mon, we have company."

"Hey, honey." She smiled at him as she made room for him in between her and Chandler. "Is the thunder scaring you?"

"Uh-huh." He clutched his bear tightly as Chandler climbed back into bed.

"You're ok now," Chandler assured him. "Now let's try to get some more sleep."

Later that next night, Monica and Chandler were in Central Perk with Phoebe and Joey. Nora had picked up Daniel that morning to spend some time with him before he started school. Chandler had his head lying back against the back of the couch.

"Is he sleeping with his eyes open again?" Joey looked over at him.

"Probably," Monica told him.

"Am not." Chandler sat up.

"Why are you guys so tired?" Phoebe asked.

"The thunder woke up Daniel and he slept in our bed with us."

"But there wasn't much sleeping for any of us." Monica told them.

"Hi." They turned around and saw Ross come in.

"Hey," Chandler greeted him.

"Carol get her things all moved out?" Monica asked.

"Yeah," he slumped onto the couch by Monica.

"Hey, I know the perfect way to take your mind off it," Joey told him.

"What?" Ross looked over at him.

"Strip club!" Everyone rolled their eyes at him. "What? You're single. Enjoy it!"

"I don't want to be single. I just want to be married again," they all watched as the door to the coffee shop opened and someone in a wedding dress came in.

"Mon?" Chandler glanced over at her. "Isn't that your friend, Rachel?"

"Oh my god," she got up and went to her. "Rachel?"

"Monica," she hugged her tightly. "You're here."

Chandler watched the exchange as Monica led Rachel over to them and introduced her to everyone. Everyone looked at her strangely as Rachel explained why she was in a wet wedding dress and how she left her fiancée at the altar.

"Anyway, you're the only one I know who lives in the city." Rachel looked at Monica.

"Who wasn't invited to the wedding." Chandler mumbled.

"Chandler," Monica sent him a warning look.

"He's right." Rachel said. "I was just hoping that wouldn't be an issue."

They were all now gathered at Monica and Chandler's watching reruns on TV while Rachel talked to her dad on the phone to try to explain why she couldn't marry Barry. They all turned around to watch her on the phone as she said something about a shoe and a hat.

"No, I don't want you to buy me a hat! I'm saying that I am a hat! It's a metaphor, daddy!"

"You can see where he had trouble." Ross told her as he got a drink from the refrigerator.

"Well, maybe I'll just stay here with Monica and Chandler." Everyone turned to look at Monica and Chandler as they exchanged a look.

"I guess we've established that she's staying with us." Monica said. "We should talk about this."

"Probably." Chandler started to follow her to their bedroom.

"Look, I know this is a lot to ask." She told him. "But she needs a place to stay."

"It's fine. She can stay with us." He told her. "As long as she understands that she won't be able to do certain things because of Daniel."

"I'll explain it to her." She smiled at him as they walked out of their bedroom and saw Rachel still on the phone.

"Well maybe I don't need your money." Rachel said into the phone. "Wait! I said maybe!"

Chandler, Ross, and Joey had now moved into the kitchen as Monica tried to calm down Rachel who was breathing into a paper bag.

"It's going to be fine. Being independent is a good thing." Monica told her.

"And hey, I'm right across the hall." Joey told her as he ate a sandwich. "You can come over any time."

"Dude, she's still in her wedding dress." Chandler told him.

"Quit hitting on her." Monica told him.

"What? There's a rule?" Joey went back to the kitchen as the buzzer from the intercom went off.

"That's your mom with Daniel." Monica looked at her watch.

"I'll go down and get him." Chandler walked out of the apartment and down to the lobby to meet his mom with Daniel.

Chandler came back up to the apartment a few minutes later carrying Daniel and juggling about ten shopping bags. Rachel had moved to sit at the table in the kitchen.

"It's official," Chandler managed to kick the door closed behind him. "This boy is spoiled. Wait till you see what all my mom got him."

"It's fine." Monica took Daniel and hugged him. "Did you have fun today with Nana Bing?"

"Yes," he smiled as she put him down and spotted Rachel. "Why is that lady wearing a wedding dress?"

"Kiddo, this is Rachel." Chandler told him. "She's one of your mom's friends. She's going to be staying in the guestroom for awhile. What do you think about that?"

"Ok." Daniel shrugged. "Can I play the new game Nana got me?"

"Actually, you're going to stay with Aunt Phoebe tonight. Uncle Joey and I are going to help Uncle Ross put his new furniture together."

"And I'm going to help Rachel get settled." Monica told him.

"We'll have fun won't we Daniel?" Phoebe smiled at him. "You can help me perform by the subway."

"I'll go get my tambourine." Daniel ran off to his room and returned to them as he played it. "Come on, Aunt Phoebe."

"Right behind you!" She stood up and followed him out.

"Don't keep him out too late!" Monica called after her.

After everyone else had left, Monica was showing Rachel where she would be sleeping. She opened the door to the adjoining room and Rachel looked around in awe.

"Wow. This is amazing."

"The guys did it. Chandler said he needed a place to have for himself because he feels that the living room is my domain."

"But they did all this by themselves?" Rachel looked around. "No outside help at all?"

"I had someone check it when they were done to be on the safe side. But we can do our laundry without having to leave Daniel. Chandler says he wants to add on a bar over there. I'm thinking about it." Monica motioned to an area behind the couch where there were some markings on the walls for measurements.

"This is great."

"Just to warn you, Daniel gets up super early sometimes. And he usually comes in here to his play room or he watches cartoons."

"I'll get used to it." Rachel followed Monica into the guestroom. "And don't worry. I won't be bringing any guys over if that's what you're worried about."

"Chandler was concerned about it. But I'll tell him not to worry."

The next morning, Chandler and Monica got up for work and found Joey at the table as Rachel poured him some coffee.

"Morning," Rachel greeted them. "I made some coffee. Want some?"

"I-" Chandler saw Joey shake his head behind Rachel. "You know, I'll just have some juice."

"So how'd you sleep last night?" Monica asked Rachel.

"Ok." Rachel sighed.

"I got to get to work." Chandler kissed Monica's cheek. "Joe, you're watching Daniel for us today, right?"

"Yeah." Joey smiled. "He's still sleeping over at our place. Phoebe's going to come get me when she has to leave for work."

"So you all have jobs?" Rachel looked at them.

"Yes, we all have jobs." Monica told her. "That's how we buy stuff."

"I'm an actor." Joey told her.

Chandler left as they all started in on Joey for one of his performances that he put on in the park as Pinocchio.

That night, they were all gathered around the kitchen table in Monica and Chandler's. Daniel had already been put to bed and was probably asleep by now. There were about six credit cards in front of Rachel as Monica handed her a pair of scissors. They all convinced her that she should do this after she bought a pair of boots with the credit card that belonged to her dad.

"Come on. You can't live off your parents forever." Monica told her.

"I know. That's why I was getting married."

"Leave her alone. It's hard being on your own for the first time." Phoebe said as she started telling them about when she came to the city for the first time.

"What's going on?" Daniel came out to them rubbing his eyes.

"Hey," Chandler went to him and picked him up. "Were we too loud out here?"

"No. I can't sleep." he laid his head back against Chandler as he sat back at the table again. "What are you doing?"

"Rachel's cutting up her credit cards."

"Why?"

"So she can stop living off her parents." Monica told him. "Come on. Let's go."

"Ok. Here goes." Rachel picked up the scissors and started cutting up all her credit cards and everyone cheered.

"Welcome to the real world!" Monica hugged her.

After awhile, everyone left to go back to their places and Monica started cleaning up as Chandler put Daniel back into bed since he had fallen asleep in his lap. He came out closing the door behind him and saw Monica and Rachel sitting on the couch as they watched TV and talked.

"This looks like a girl talk kind of thing, so I'm going to bed." Chandler told them.

"Thank you, honey." Monica smiled after him.

"So it looks like you guys are doing all right." Rachel watched Chandler go into their room and close the door behind him.

"It's taken a lot of work. We both had to adjust to living with each others' habits. But I wouldn't trade one moment that I've had with him and Daniel for anything in the world."

"Daniel seems like a good kid."

"He is. He can be a handful, but he's our whole world."

"So do you have any regrets?"

"Not really. I mean, there's a lot I had to sacrifice. But I don't regret anything."

"I wish I would've been here for you. I was so stupid to choose my father and the money over our friendship."

"It's fine." Monica assured her. "We can make up for it now."

"Thank you." Rachel hugged her tightly before they both went to their rooms for the night.

Monica walked into her bedroom and saw Chandler on his side with his back facing her as he slept soundly. It had been a long day for both of them. She silently got ready for bed and slowly climbed in beside him. Chandler turned over and smiled sleepily at her.

"You guys have a good talk?" he asked her softly.

"Yes, we did." She smiled. "Thank you for agreeing to let her stay here."

"You know I'd do anything for you."

"I think everything will be ok." She said as they both fell asleep.

AN: So what'd you all think? Please R&R!