Listen to Your Heart - Chapter Eleven
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Nine Months Later
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"Happy Anniversary, baby," Chandler told Monica sweetly, kissing her, as they stood outside his apartment door, poised to enter. They had gone out to dinner for the night, to celebrate their ten month anniversary together, leaving Phoebe at home to babysit Michelle.
"Happy Anniversary," she returned with a matching grin. "It's not over, yet. As soon as we clear Phoebe out and get Michelle to bed, we'll finish the celebrating," she told him with a seductive note in her voice.
He gripped her hand in his tightly, nodding. Their hands still joined, they entered the apartment, surprised to find Ross and Julie sitting on the couch next to Phoebe, with no Michelle in sight. During the past months Phoebe, Ross and Julie, who was his girlfriend once again, had become integrated into the close circle of friends, forming a tight knit group of seven.
"Phoebe," Monica wondered curiously, "What are they doing here?"
Ross huffed, "Gee. What a nice, uh, warm welcome!" Julie patted his back sympathetically, and smiled at the couple as they entered.
Phoebe grinned innocently, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, "I got bored! Joey and Rachel are off on that top secret weekend trip, together, and you guys were out for dinner, so I thought I'd invite Ross and Julie over to hang out for the night."
Chandler looked at her exasperatedly, "Huh. Interesting. What about my four-year-old? You know, Michelle?" He glanced around the room, "Where's she? You know you were supposed to babysit her, right?"
"I know," Phoebe groaned, "but I usually do it during the day! I didn't realize how hyper and, like, crazy she gets at night! So I finally got her into bed at seven," she informed them proudly.
Chandler's eyes widened, and Monica groaned. "Seven?" he wondered, dragging a hand down his face in exasperation, "She's gonna be up at four in the morning, now! I told you her bedtime was nine, Pheebs! It's still 20 minutes to!"
"I know," Phoebe complained. "But she was so bouncy and I needed some peace! Besides, I didn't think you'd be home before nine. And you'd never know," she told them sheepishly.
"Until we were woken up in the wee hours of the morning!" Chandler muttered, sarcastically, under his breath.
Sensing she wasn't going to get off the hook so easily, Phoebe changed the topic in an attempt to distract her friends from her senselessness, "You guys are home early. Restaurant sucked, huh?"
"Nah," Monica shook her head, "It was actually really good. The service was just pretty fast. I still can't believe you'd put Michelle to bed at seven. You've known her for years, how do you not know her bedtime?!" Phoebe groaned, displeased her tactic hadn't worked.
"Well, so-rry," Phoebe snipped, jokingly, "We can't all be automatic mommy material, like you."
"But, still, seven?" Monica grumbled, good-naturedly, "She's gonna be waking me and Chandler up at insane hours of the morning!"
"In our defense," Julie interjected, including Ross in her statement, "Phoebe just called us over to hang out. We had no idea she was babysitting Michelle, until you got home, just now." She and Ross stared at Phoebe pointedly, but the bubbly blonde just shrugged, not bothered.
Chandler sighed and rolled his eyes. Monica grabbed his hand, pulling towards his daughter's room, "Come on, honey, let's go give Michelle a kiss goodnight. It's too late to bother waking her up now, the damage is done."
"Yep," Chandler sighed, a slight annoyed tone to his voice, "face it, we're waking up at four tomorrow, no matter how we play this one. Thanks, Pheebs," he drawled, with a sarcastic lilt, "Next time we want to wake up before the sun, we'll know just who to call!"
"What do you need all that extra time for, anyway?" Phoebe called after them, giggling, "Were you planning to try and best the night of seven times, tonight?" When Monica and Chandler halted in their tracks on their way to Michelle's bedroom, their faces flaming red, mouths open wide in shock, Phoebe explained, "Yeah, yeah, Rachel told me. Hot stuff, stud," she told Chandler winking at him. He flushed deeper and pulled Monica into Michelle's room, placing a door securely between himself and Phoebe and Julie's giggles.
"Ugh, Pheebs," Ross complained, "I so, did not, uh, need to know that about my sister!" The girls just laughed and shook their heads. "Or Chandler," he added, with a grimace.
In Michelle's room, Monica and Chandler were tucking her in and kissing her good night. Phoebe had left on the lamp on her night table, because Michelle was still afraid of the dark, so there was still plenty of light in the room so they could see.
Monica grabbed Shell from where he had fallen off the bed, and tucked him back into Michelle's open arms, while Chandler pulled the blanket up to her chin. Thankfully, it seemed Phoebe had had the foresight to get Michelle into her PJs.
Monica kissed her gently on the hair, first. Chandler watched the now common occurrence with a smile on his face, the obvious affection between his daughter and girlfriend never got tiresome, no matter how often he witnessed it. He quickly pecked Michelle as well, pulling her blankets just a little bit higher, before crossing to the foot of her bed, where Monica was waiting for him.
"You think it's safe for us to go out there, yet?" Chandler wondered, only half-teasing, as he wrapped his arms comfortably around her waist and tilted his head towards the door.
Monica shrugged, pretending to ponder the question. "Only one way to find out," she told him, already moving to disentangle herself.
He stopped her, wrapping his arms tighter around her, so she couldn't move, and she nearly stumbled in her heels, but he caught her, "Wait, before we step back out into abject chaos, I just wanted to say I love you, and happy anniversary."
Monica grinned at the sweet sentiment. "Same to you," she told him, "I love you, too, honey." He smiled and pulled her into a gentle embrace. The instant their lips touched they got swept up, immediately intensifying the kiss. Monica's arms winded themselves around Chandler's neck, as she held onto him to maintain her stability.
After a minute, it was Chandler who pulled away sheepishly, mumbling, "Maybe it's best we don't do this in my daughter's room?"
"Yeah," Monica agreed with a sigh, running his tie through her fingers, seductively, "Later."
She squeezed his hand and they walked back out into the living room, surprised to find that Joey and Rachel had joined the assemblage in the living room.
Chandler groaned, mumbling to his girlfriend, "Now we've got to clear out two more?! We're never going to be alone!" He sighed deeply, and Monica rubbed his back consolingly.
"Thank God, you're here!" Rachel exclaimed, rushing towards them, "We've got big news to share with you all! We didn't wanna say it, until everyone was here!"
"Dude!" Joey cried out excitedly, grabbing his former brother-in-law's arm, and dragging him, and Monica who was holding his hand, towards the armchair, and forcing him to take a seat, with Monica in his lap. Ross, Julie and Phoebe were already waiting patiently on the couch.
Once everyone was comfortably settled and staring impatiently at the couple, clearly waiting for them to spill their news, Rachel and Joey moved to stand in front of their friends, exchanging giddy, gleeful smiles. They clasped hands, and Joey nodded that Rachel should share the news.
She grinned more broadly than before, announcing, excitedly, "We eloped!" She hopped up and down on the spot for a moment, Joey's arm around her waist, waving her hand with her wedding ring on it, "You're looking at Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Tribbiani!"
All of their friends sat in stunned silence for a moment, staring at the couple in disbelief, before all bursting into congratulations at once. Rachel grinned wider than any of them, as she reveled in the outpouring of support. They all stopped what they were doing and stared at Ross for a moment, Julie looked especially nervous, but he reassured them all, offering a soft, sincere, "Congrats, guys." Julie squeezed his hand, relieved.
Monica was the first to rush up to hug her and Joey. The others all followed suit, even Ross. He clapped Joey on the back in a friendly way, "Congratulations, man. Take good care of her? She's special." Joey nodded, mumbling his appreciation and gave him a friendly 'guy' hug.
"Congratulations, honey!" Monica told her, "You guys are gonna be so happy! I can't believe you eloped, though! Where did you go on your trip? When did you get married?"
"Vegas, baby!" Joey cried out, "It was the best weekend ever! Food, gambling and honeymooning, all weekend long!"
"How come you didn't tell us you were going to Vegas?" Phoebe pouted, "We could've come along and gambled while you guys were off doing, like, married stuff."
"Because we wanted to be alone, Pheebs," Rachel explained, "A concept that is apparently foreign to this group."
"I can't believe you're married, dude," Chandler told his best friend, "I think it's awesome. Surreal though!"
"Yeah," Joey agreed, "Tell me about it! I was in the shower, this morning, with Rachel, and I caught sight of my ring when I grabbed the soap, and it was like I suddenly realized we were actually married! I love it already!"
Rachel smiled, overhearing their conversation, "You better," she told him.
"Yes, dear," Joey promised, smiling at his best friend knowingly, nudging him conspiratorially, "Check it out! How much of a husband am I?"
Chandler smirked, "You're asking me?"
Joey looked at him incredulously, "You've been married, man! Any tips?"
Chandler shrugged, "Why would you want tips from me? My marriage crashed and burned! I've been with Monica longer than the entire length of my marriage!"
"Chandler," Joey sighed, "How many times do we have to tell you that you were an amazing husband and father? There was nothing you could have done. Look at how much Angie is missing out on by not being here! Of course I'd love any advice you have for me!"
"Thanks, man," Chandler replied with a wistful smile, "But there's nothing I can teach you. You're a good guy, and you love your wife. That's all it takes to be a good husband."
"Dude," Joey grinned, the syllable rising and falling as he emotionally grabbed Chandler in a tight hug. When he finally pulled away, he wondered, "So… when are you and Monica gonna take a walk down the aisle?"
Chandler sighed, "I love her. I'm just not sure we're ready for that, yet. She is so amazing… and Michelle loves her so much. She would be the first to advocate us getting married. I just don't want to push it, you know? We're happy now."
"Hey, man," Joey agreed, "I hear you. Getting married always seemed like a far off thing to me, too. Not too long ago, either. Like, something to do when you 'grow up,' but, we're 27, now. I know I've only been married a day, but if anything, it's made my relationship with Rachel better! The sex? Better than ever. Knowing we both want to spend forever together, and having the proof of that? Awesome feeling."
"I know," Chandler nodded, glancing at the back of Monica's head with a thoughtful expression. He watched her for a moment as she and Rachel chatted excitedly about the details of the wedding, before explaining to Joey, "It's not that I don't want to get married, again. I do! So much. And if it would be to anyone, it would be to Monica. I can't even imagine myself with anyone else, now."
Joey clapped him on the back, adding in agreement "Me neither, dude. You were with my sister for two years, and I thought if you were ever with another woman, it would be in a way I'd have to kick your ass for… but Monica is more Michelle's mother than Angie is, now. Angie gave that up, without even a fight! I love my sister, but I hate her for what she did to you… and especially Michelle. Monica would never do that. I know people say you should 'never say never,' but, dude, Monica wouldn't. The woman takes dedication to a new level. She loves both you and Michelle so much."
Chandler smiled at his best friend, touched by his passionate words, "Thanks, man. I know we give you grief for being a little, well 'Joey' sometimes, but that was really good advice."
Joey shrugged at him casually, as if to say 'I didn't do anything special.' They were about to hug, when Rachel cut in, "If you two girls are about done gossiping, we're about to head to the Plaza for drinks!"
They looked at one another sheepishly, and froze, deciding a hug might be a little too 'unmanly,' "What'dya say we get a beer?" Joey said gruffly, deepening his voice.
"And go buy tools," Chandler added, in a similar tone. Joey nodded moving towards the girls. Joey seemed poised to walk past Chandler, but before he could pass him, he grabbed him in a hug, wrapping his arms around him.
Pulling back a little embarrassed, Joey was quick to explain, a sheepish expression on his face. "Oops, I tripped," he said, adding hastily, "How about that beer?"
xx
"Are you sure, Michelle is okay with that Oliver guy?" Monica wondered worriedly, "I hate to think of her alone with some stranger!" They were at the Plaza, celebrating Joey and Rachel's marriage with champagne.
"Relax," Chandler told her, stroking her back, "She's fine. He's a good guy… a retired teacher, I think. He and his wife are always bringing over carrot cakes. Trust me, she's in good hands."
Joey leaned over from his seat next to Rachel, interjecting, "Oliver? You mean the crazy old British guy who lives downstairs and is always trying to get Michelle to talk 'proper?'" He made funny air quotes, his face twisted in distaste.
"Joey!" Chandler scolded, "He's nice. Michelle likes him."
Joey shrugged. "Maybe. I just get the feeling he doesn't like me very much sometimes. He always glares at me when he sees me with Rachel! He gives me the creeps!"
"Calm down!" Chandler told him, "You guys are married now. You're official. It's not like Rachel's gonna leave you because our downstairs neighbour thinks it's weird! So get a glass of champagne and do some reveling, okay? Rachel loves you."
"Yeah, baby!" Joey agreed.
"I heard my name!" Rachel told them, turning in their direction, breaking away from her conversation with Julie, Ross and Phoebe, "What are you guys talking about?"
"How amazing you and me are together!" Joey told her with a grin, wrapping an arm around her lovingly.
She nodded, cuddling against him. "We are pretty amazing. There's an idea, Julie came up with," Rachel smiled at the other woman, "that I wanted to share with you, maybe see if you wanted to do it. Anyway, she suggested that we have a reception to , like, properly celebrate our marriage. Since we're already married, it seems kinda dumb to have another ceremony."
"Oh!" Joey agreed, "That sounds cool. I want the whole world to know you're Mrs. Rachel Tribbiani!"
"And the best part," Rachel added gleefully, "we get all the presents and only a fraction of the wedding costs!"
"You know you can't exchange those, right?" Ross chimed in helpfully.
"I know," Rachel snipped, huffing, "That's what bridal registries are for!"
Ross reached to slap Joey on the shoulder, "Good luck with that one, man. Rachel's going to drive you nuts picking out lamps and gravy boats. How did you even manage to pick out that ring for her?"
Joey shrugged, "We went shopping together, after we got married. Went to a couple of jewelry stores, Rachel picked out the one she wanted and I bought it. Piece of cake." A grin took over his face at the thought of the dessert food.
Ross nodded, "You got off easy, then! I remember with Carol it took weeks of hints and nudges to even get an idea of what she wanted! How was it when you went ring shopping for Mary Angela, Chandler?"
Chandler shrugged, "It wasn't as bad as I expected. I already knew what kind of jewelry she wanted, we actually used to talk about that kinda stuff. She even had this big book of, well, basically, like clippings of dresses and rings and stuff. I managed to sneak a peek of the scrapbook and get a good idea of what she was looking for." He was surprised when Ross laughed, "What's so funny about that?"
"Sorry, it's not that, it's just Monica has something really similar! You so have a 'type,' man! They even look kind of alike, it's no wonder people always think Michelle is both of yours. Now the wedding book, too? Monica's is a little more detailed, though. It has locations and it's all listed alphabetically and cross-referenced! I haven't seen it since I was 12, but I bet you she still has it hidden somewhere!"
"She does," Rachel interjected, careful to make sure Monica was still engaged in her conversation with Phoebe and Julie, "It's in the window seat." Ross nodded and pointed to Rachel in proof, as if to say 'see?' "Anyway," Rachel continued, "I gotta go to the bathroom, I'll be back in a few minutes."
Sounding almost excited, ignoring Rachel's excusal, Ross addressed Chandler, wondering, "Are you and my sister thinking about… you know?"
Chandler flushed, "Why does everyone keep saying that? You and Julie have been together nearly as long as us. Are you guys ready to get married?"
Julie, bored of the conversation with the girls, decided to interject their thoughts into the men's conversation. "What are you guys talking about over there?" she chimed in.
Chandler smiled evilly at Ross, "Oh nothing. We were just wondering if you and Ross were next to the altar, weren't we Ross?" Ross made a weird choking noise in his throat and glared at his friend.
"What about you and Mon? You guys seem so in tune!" Julie told him with a friendly smile, unaware she was reinforcing the statements of several others before her. Chandler slapped his hand to his forehead and Ross laughed, covering it with a cough when Chandler lifted his face from his hand to glare at him.
"What?" Julie inquired, concerned, "Did I say something wrong?"
"It's nothing. Chandler here can't hear that one enough, is all," Ross snorted, smirking at his former roommate. Chandler scoffed.
"Sorry Chandler," Julie apologized, "People been hitting you and Monica hard with hints, then?"
"Something like that," he sighed, "Why not you and Ross?"
"I don't know" Julie shook her head, and addressed Ross, "What do you think, honey? Where do we stand on the whole marriage thing?"
"Ah, yes," Ross groaned, "The question every guy wants to answer. Thanks for the deflection, Chandler!"
Chandler slapped him on the arm, pretending to take the thanks seriously, "No problem, buddy!"
Julie smiled at her boyfriend, sincerely. "One thing I've gotta say, though, honey… you're handling all of this very well." He could read the uncertainly in her eyes and knew instinctively what she was talking about.
He leaned over to grab her hands and whisper so only she could hear, "I love Rachel, yeah, but," he continued before Julie could interject, "I'm in love with you. I want Rachel to be happy, and Joey makes her happy. We'll talk later, okay? I just wanted you to know that much."
Julie smiled at him and squeezed his hands which were still holding hers. They both turned to listen to the conversation that had taken over the rest of the group (including Rachel who had returned from the bathroom) regarding the reception Joey and Rachel were planning to have for their marriage. They seemed to be bouncing back and forth ideas for the event.
"And this way," Joey commented, sounding surprisingly rational, "everyone gets to share in on our joy! And our parents can't complain too much about not seeing the ceremony."
Rachel nodded, "And I can wear a wedding dress and we can maybe exchange handwritten vows and put on a little almost 'wedding' for friends and family? How's that sound?"
"I love it," Joey told her. "You're gonna knock 'em dead," he assured her, kissing the top of her head, "I can't believe we're gonna get almost married again in a few weeks!"
"Ooh," Phoebe grinned, "Can I provide the music? I'll start writing songs right away! I can see it now!" she waved her hand as if she were reading a marquee above her head, "Eloping and Cantalouping, starring Mr. and Mrs. Joey Tribbiani, with brilliant musical guest Phoebe Buffay!"
Rachel looked horrified, at the same time Joey burst out "I love it!" Seeing his wife's face he quickly changed his mind, a sheepish expression on his face, "Ew, I mean, what?" All the others laughed.
"And cantalouping?" Rachel gasped, slightly open-mouthed, in distaste.
Phoebe shrugged, "It rhymes. Can you think of anything else that rhymes with elope?"
"Soap? Pope? Hope? Cope? Mope? Lope? Trope?" Chandler suggested, helpfully.
Phoebe scoffed, "Okay, okay," she widened her eyes, as if they were making a big deal out of nothing, "'Elope, Joey dropped the soap?'" Seeing their faces she stated, "I'm sensing that's a no. 'Why elope, Elvis is no Pope?' 'Once they elope, now they cope?'" Seeing that they were still not pleased she huffed, "You guys are so hard to please!"
xx
"I can't believe we're at Joey and Rachel's wedding reception!" Monica declared, three weeks later. Joey and Rachel had decided to have the celebration as soon as possible. They had been worried the short notice would mean a small turnout, but the gathering of friends and family was decidedly huge. Rachel had been thrilled, at the thought of how many presents were waiting for her after the celebration was over. "It's surreal!" Monica exclaimed, "Rachel looks so gorgeous in her dress, though! So glad she decided to go with the Vera Wang!"
Chandler scrunched his forehead, "The what?"
Monica laughed and stroked his hair consolingly, as if it was a tragedy he didn't know, "A designer, sweetie."
"Oh!" Chandler shrugged, "Yeah, Rachel looks pretty amazing. So do you, by the way," he told her, slipping his arms around her from behind, "Did I tell you that yet?"
Monica giggled, "Only three times. Can never hear that one enough, though."
Chandler nodded, "If Rachel looks that gorgeous, I can only imagine how you're going to look on our wedding day."
Monica smiled at him, impressed, "Yeah? The thought of that doesn't scare you? I heard you talking to Joey, the night they told us they eloped…"
Chandler tilted his head sheepishly, unaware that she had known about his feelings on that particular matter, "I mean, yeah, a little. But since Joey and Rachel have gotten hitched, everyone seems to be thinking we're next. With that, apparently comes an overwhelming need to tell me this. Yeah, it freaked me out a little at first, but the idea is starting to grow on me. I love you, and I want to spend forever with you. Since the day I realized I loved you, I knew that. We're not ready, yet, but someday."
Monica hugged him, "That's sweet. I feel the same way, you know."
"Good to know," he whispered into her hair, holding her tightly in his arms. After a moment of closeness, he wondered, "Where has Michelle run off to?"
Monica laughed. "No idea. She sure loves to wander off. You're going to have to invest in a GPS tracker just to keep tabs on her. She's probably with the other kids," she suggested looking around the tastefully decorated ballroom.
xx
"Hey, have you seen Michelle around?" Monica asked Rachel.
Rachel shook her head, positively radiating happiness, her tone light and carefree, "Not since Joey and I entered the reception. Chandler was carrying her. She was so cute in her little purple dress though! Aw, and she's my niece now!"
"Yes, yes, Michelle is very cute. Are you sure you-"
"Have you seen the mountain of gifts on the table over there?" Rachel wondered, excitedly, interrupting her best friend, "There must be 250! Easy! I'm so glad Joey comes from a huge Italian family! People I don't even know are coming up to us, giving us huge checks! Do you know how many Jimmy Choos I could buy with the checks I've received today?!" She paused to consider, "A lot!"
Monica shot her an exasperated look, frustrated that she wasn't taking the search all that seriously, "Yeah, yeah, that's great. But we've kinda got a crisis, here. A missing four-year-old? You know, your new niece? Are you sure you haven't seen her?"
Rachel shook her head, again, "No, sorry, Mon. Is she maybe with the other kids?"
Monica shook her head frustrated, "Nope. She's gone AWOL. Chandler's in a near panic. I'm trying to keep him calm, by being calm, but…" she trailed off.
"You're shaking like a leaf. She's fine, Mon," Rachel told her, stroking her arm comfortingly, "She couldn't have gotten far. She's in the ballroom, somewhere. There's an usher-guy by the door. Mishi wouldn't have slipped out past him, he's like a guard dog. Only other way out is through the kitchen. Trust me, she's fine, probably hiding under tables or something, like little kids do."
"You're right," Monica sighed, taking a deep breath in an effort to calm herself down, "Thanks, Rac-" The words weren't even out of her mouth when she spotted Michelle standing in front of the cake, gazing up at it awe. She stood frozen for a moment, staring at the little girl in shock, pleased to have found her. It was only when she began to reach for the cake, Monica raced towards her, her hands on her hips. Following her friend's line of sight, Rachel was close behind.
"Michelle!" Monica called out warningly, as Michelle's hand inched towards the cake, standing on the tiptoes of her shiny black mary janes to be able to reach, "What are you doing?"
Michelle quickly lowered her hand, and spun towards Monica, an innocent smile on her face, "I's not doing anything. Is cake time soon?"
"Yes," Monica told her impatiently, "Cake time will be soon. It's whenever Aunt Rachel decides it is, not when Michelle decides it is. Now come on," Monica grabbed her hand, "you've got your Dad worried out of his mind. We've got to let him know you're alright." They had barely turned around, when Chandler rushed up to them, frantic, his face white.
"There you are Michelle! Thank God!" He grabbed his daughter in a tight hug, before scolding her, "You have got to stop running off, sweetie, you're giving Daddy grey hairs before his time!"
"'S not my fault. You're getting old," Michelle claimed, cheekily. Monica laughed, causing Chandler to shoot her a glare.
"You should hear what your daughter tried to do!" Monica exclaimed.
Chandler returned his gaze to his daughter. Michelle hugged her father again, bestowing upon him her most innocent, angelic smile. "Mishi!" he said sternly, an inquisitive edge to his voice, "What did you do?"
The little girl shrugged her shoulders, sheepishly, so Monica answered instead, "She attempted to sneak a handful of the wedding cake!"
"Mishi!" Chandler admonished, "You know better than that!"
"But I's hungry!" Michelle pouted, "My tummy is growling! And they're taking so, so, so, so long for cake time."
"You're definitely related to Uncle Joey, aren't you?" Chandler sighed, shaking his head, a slight smile on his face.
xx
"Oh, darling, you look gorgeous," Gloria Tribbiani assured her new daughter-in-law, "That dress looks absolutely divine on you. Reminds me of my own wedding, a few decades ago…"
"Our son is a very lucky man," Joe Tribbiani agreed. Joey nodded and squeezed his bride's hand, in agreement.
"Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Tribbiani," Rachel returned, with a blush, "We only hope we're as happy as you two are in 30 years." Joe scoffed.
"Oh, nonsense, dear," Gloria returned with a wave of her hand, dismissing the idea, "Don't wish that on yourselves. Think about the newlywed phase now, worry about the rest later. And call us Mom and Dad, now, we're family. Have you seen Chandler and that darling little girlfriend of his? She looks radiant in that red dress, doesn't she? Since we're family now, you can tell me, do you think we'll be watching them walk down the aisle anytime soon?" She winked as if she thought the answer was a secret.
"I, uh, um…" Rachel stammered, unsure what her friends would want her to answer.
"Not that we saw you and Joey walk down the aisle," Joe complained, a little resentment in his tone, "Is it so much to ask for a proper Catholic wedding?"
"Dad," Joey complained, "Lay off, alright? Rachel's had a rough few weeks planning this reception. We want to just take this time to celebrate. Okay?"
"Okay," Joe agreed, with a grudging sigh. Gloria patted his back, her expression to her son and his wife making it clear she didn't share her husband's views and thought he was overreacting.
Joey and Rachel both grinned in relief, looking at one another with wide eyes mouthing 'Thank God,' when Monica and Chandler walked up and joined the conversation, Michelle in her father's arms.
Michelle, who had been laying her head against her father's shoulder, bored, looked up at the sound of her grandmother's voice, "Grandma! Grandpa!"
"Hey sweetie," her grandparents chorused. "How's Grandpa's Lucky Penny?" Joe wondered, "Did you enjoy the cake, sweetie? Your Daddy told me about earlier," he smiled at her, clearly seeing the humour in the incident.
"Cake is yummy! Strawberries and white choc'late cake is my favourite!" Michelle told him, rubbing her tummy in memory of the cake. Joe smiled at his granddaughter, nodding in agreement.
"Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Tribbiani! How are you?" Monica wondered, "I haven't talked to you in a while!"
"We're doing okay," Gloria answered, "The better question is: how are you? A little birdie told us the two of you are thinking about marriage," she nudged Rachel, "Maybe getting ready to give Michelle, here, another little one to play with, hmm?"
Monica and Chandler both flushed, and Chandler shot Rachel a look, she shrugged, motioning that it wasn't her fault, indicating her mother-in-law with sweeping arm gestures, trying to place the blame on her. "I don't know if I'd say that," Monica answered for both her and Chandler, "We're in a good place though, and definitely optimistic about the future." Chandler nodded in agreement with the sentiment, and kissed the top of her head.
Deciding that she'd had enough of being bored with the adults, Michelle wiggled, squirming in her father's arms, until he had to set her down or risk dropping her. The moment her feet hit the floor she was off running.
Chandler sighed, growling and slapping his hand to his forehead in frustration. He did not want to spend another half an hour worrying about his missing daughter. "Not this again! Why do children have feet?" he asked the others, rhetorically, before excusing himself and chasing after his daughter. "Michelle! Daddy is tired of this game! Come back, here, please?" he begged, trying to make the statement sound like a command and not the plea it was.
He chased her around the perimeter of the seating area, groaning as his daughter grinned back at him over her shoulder, clearly enjoying the little game of cat and mouse she had started.
Just as he managed to catch up to his daughter and scoop her into his arms, Chandler stepped off the edge of the dance floor, his shoes catching on the carpet. The change in grip underfoot from the sleek polished wood, to the rough carpeting, altered his sense of balance and sent him flying into a woman just entering the soiree.
Making sure Michelle was firmly in his arms, he scolded her sternly, "Michelle! Do not do that again!" He then turned to the woman he had bumped into, intending to make sure she was okay and offer an apology. When he caught sight of her face he blanched and questioned in a choked voice, "Mary Angela?"
xx
Thank you all for reading! Here begins the second half of the fic, the 'Mary Angela is back' part! Hope everyone will like it as much as the first half! :)
Thanks very much to all of you who were brave enough to review the last chapter of the fic. I know a lot of people tend to shy away from reviewing sex, so to those of you that did, your reviews were especially important to me, for giving me some of the feedback I really felt I needed on the matter :) I've decided that I probably won't be doing too many full sex chapters in the future, though, because the feedback isn't overwhelming and a scene here and there is more within my comfort zone :) We'll see where future fics take us, though!
Anyway, please read and review this one and lift my spirits. My university is STILL on strike after three weeks, and now it's almost Christmas break (less than two weeks) so the end of term is messed up. *sigh*