A/N: Hey, it's me again! Belated Happy Valentine's Day! :) Thanks for your reviews and for appreciating my work! They make me smile :) So, here is the next chapter. Hope you'll love it! ;)
Chapter 4
CHANDLER'S POV
After my failed attempt at giving Monica a nice bath, I decided to bring her out and sit her on the bench in front of our house. It was now the afternoon and the sun was shining brightly. Its light was peaking through the holes on the clouds covering the blue sky. The air was breezing lightly; still making the leaves on the trees sway to the rhythm. I closed my eyes and took a moment to feel the wonder of nature around me. It made me feel calm and forget for just awhile all the worries and fears that I have. I glanced at the lady beside me who remained in her unwitting state.
I wonder if there is something going in her mind right now. "I hope you come back soon, Monica. I'm afraid of how you'll react to everything that's happened, but I'm willing to accept whatever you say to me. If you get angry you're free to take it all out on me; slap me or punch me. I deserve it. But I hope after then, you'll find in your heart to forgive me. Of course, it would be much better if you'll understand that everything I did is all for good. I do not intend to take advantage of you, or bring you in any harm whatsoever. In fact it's the opposite; I would give everything to save you." I said to Monica, all of my feelings brought out to the wind. I saw flower shrubs on to our side and thought they were very pretty. I decided to pick one and I carefully put it over Monica's ear. "I hope you know how beautiful you are." I told her as I stroked heir hair.
"Well hello you two!" Phoebe greeted me and Monica as she arrived. "Hello Phoebe." I simply said as I kept my hold on Monica's hand. She went closer to us. "So, did you give Juliet her bath?" She asked. "Hey, Juliet's not looking and smelling so fresh. Chandler?" She said as she checked on her. "I'm sorry. I told you I can't do it. It's really hard." I explained. "Geez, Chandler! Okay, I'll be the one to give her a bath then or poor Juliet will stink until she gains back her consciousness." Phoebe said.
"Phoebe, look! She's following you with her eyes." I said wide-eyed. Monica is finally responding to her environment. "Oh my gosh, she does! This means she'll be back to normal in no time. This is good." I stood in front of Monica and observed if she would notice my actions. She did and I felt relieved. In due time, everything will be back to normal.
I came late at night from work the next day feeling extra tired. I opened the door to our house expecting to see Monica peacefully sleeping on the bed with Phoebe doing some work while accompanying her. Instead, I find a very confused Monica looking around her with Phoebe trying to explain who she is. "Juliet, my name's Phoebe, I've been taking care of you. You've been staying here for a week now because you caught on an accident. Your husband Chandler is at work but he'll be home in a few." I heard Phoebe say. "I have a husband?" Monica asked. "Yes you do, silly! And he's one caring husband! Oh look, there he is." Phoebe told her as they saw me enter the room. "Since when did she become aware? Umm, Phoebe can you leave us alone for a moment? I'll explain everything to her. Thank you very much." I told Phoebe as I carefully placed down my bag and went over Monica. "For about half an hour now; and sure, I'll go ahead. It's late already anyways. And, isn't this great Chandler? Your wife's back!" Phoebe said with a huge grin on her face while she proceeded to hug me. I hugged her back but I could not put a smile on my face. I am about to face one of the toughest confrontations of my life. I sat beside Monica who was watching me since I arrived and looked straight into her eyes. I took a deep breathe and started talking.
"First of all, I want to say that I am terribly sorry for putting you through this. Please forgive me. I just did this to save you. You almost died. I care for you and I don't want you to get hurt. I only did it for the best. Please-please forgive me!" I said trying to keep myself calm. Monica still looked perplexed and seemed to not understand the reason for my assertion. "Wh-why are you saying sorry? She's saying you're my husband. And-and I can't remember anything. I-I don't know my name. The lady said my name is Juliet. I-is she telling the truth? God, I can't remember anything!" Monica said in between tears. She was holding the back of her head looking terribly lost. I can't help but cry with her because I could see how frustrated she is. "You don't remember anything?" I asked while I put my hand on her shoulder. "I really don't. I hate this! M-my head hurts! I woke up and I saw a stranger in front of me. And then she was saying all kinds of things about me and I don't have a clue about a thing. I am supposed to know who I am, but I really don't. I'm scared as hell. I'm trying so hard to remember but nothing really comes out of mind. Please-please help me. Who am I? Why am I here? Are you really my husband?" She went on, her eyes almost pleading.
"Okay, you calm down. You're finding it difficult to breath. I-I'll get you some water." I picked up a glass and gave it to her. She immediately drank it all up and her crying became softer. I have been preparing what to say to her since we got here but now; suddenly, I don't know what to say. I've lost all sense and I just told her the things that wouldn't confuse her more.
"Okay. Listen to me,okay. Yes, your name is Juliet. And uhh, we've been married for a year already. As the lady, Phoebe said; my name is Chandler. We we're driving around to the countryside for our anniversary but our car got worn out so it suddenly stopped. You hit your head on impact and scraped some parts of your arms because you weren't holding on well." I tried to explain by telling her exactly what I told Phoebe and the whole of this town.
Yes, I lied. I lied to Monica. I know I shouldn't but I did. Add that to the collection of lies I tell honestly good-hearted people who have been nothing but helpful to me. I feel sick. I'm a horrible person. I wasn't prepared for this; all along I thought I would just have to make sense with a furious Monica to help her understand that I saved her. But then again, fate has other plans. It would be more complicated to tell the truth to Monica right now. It was simpler before. We would just have to wait for the perfect time for her to resurface and go back to her family. But now, it's a whole other story. I'll have to wait for her to recover her memories on her own and we'll plan how we go from there. She's depending on me to tell her everything about her and it is as if I have control over her life. I'm putting false ideas on her head but God knows my conscience can't take it. I'm already in this position and it's difficult to get out. What can I say, I'm an awful human being. This whole thing will just be one of the things I can say sorry for later.
Monica just looked into my eyes, tears still running down her face. She was searching for the truth. I was expecting her to ask more questions and challenge me to prove if we were really married, but she didn't. "Chandler, help me remember." She simply said as she made a tight grip on my hands. Before I could answer back, she brought herself into my arms. She was now in my embrace; and instead of letting her go, I just held her closer. I kissed the top of her head and slowly rubbed her back. All she needs is a sense of comfort right now. "I will." I whispered to her. "I-I'm tired. I want to sleep." She told me as she finally let go and slowly laid down to the bed. I could see by the look of her face that she is still finding it hard to process everything. I feel so sorry for her and I feel bad because sooner or later I'm gonna be the reason why she's hurting.
The next morning Phoebe came to check on us. "So, how was your night?" Phoebe asked enthusiastically. "It's not how you think it turned out Phoebe. We have a bigger problem. Juliet lost her memory. She can't even remember her name." I said as I glanced down on the woman still sleeping beside me. "Oh no. This is worse than I thought. The gods of the mountain really wanted to teach you guys a lesson." She said while shaking her head in disbelief. "What are you talking about, Phoebe? I really think she lost her memory because she bumped her head. I thought it wasn't that bad, but I guess the damage was really on the inside." I said. Phoebe really has a strong belief in such beings. "Oh yes, that was part of it. But, they took advantage of her bumping her head and they took her memory." She answered back like it was the most plausible explanation.
"Okay, whatever you say, Phoebe. But, I really think we need a doctor now." I said. "Are you saying you don't believe we can heal Juliet with natural methods? And how many times should I tell you that you shouldn't believe those Western crap? Besides, those doctors would only talk fancy medical terms to you and might prescribe drugs that she doesn't even need. And also, the best way for her to regain her memory is to slowly remind her of the things she usually does and what she believes in until it becomes normal for her. This environment is perfect because the calmness can help her have clear thoughts." Phoebe reasoned out in a slightly bossy tone. "Uhh okay, Phoebe. I guess you might have a point. And I'm sorry for doubting you, I mean you really took very good care of Juliet here. But, you won't charge extra, right?" I said with my last remark meant to lighten the mood a little. I didn't want to argue anymore. She's really scary when she's angry. "There you go, now you're finally getting the point. Yes, I won't charge extra. I promised you that I will get Juliet 100% better, right? And besides, you and Juliet have a soft spot in my heart already. I really care for you guys." she said with a smile. "Thank you so much, Phoebe." I brought a smile but the guilt I was feeling once again caught up on me. This is just getting more and more difficult.
Later that night, I decided to call Sam about the recent development.
"Hello, Chandler. How are you? Has Monica woken up yet?"
"Yes, she did. But there's some bad news. She can't remember anything."
"Oh, poor Monica. This is all my fault, she bumped her head too hard. So how did she take it? What did you say to her? Did you tell her about what happened?"
"Actually, there's another problem. I didn't tell her the truth."
"Why would you do that? She deserves to know, even if she doesn't know who she is. She'll know eventually."
"There's some sort of misunderstanding. People here believe that Monica is my wife. And her name is Juliet."
"Oh come on now, Chandler. I know you like this girl, but to take advantage and pose as his husband? We have done some wrong things already, why did you have to add to that?"
"It wasn't like that! And who told you I like her? Why are you assuming things? It was by accident and I was left with no choice. The person who helped us saw me in an uncompromising state and the only way I could explain myself without looking bad is that I told her she's my wife."
"Oh, I saw the way you looked at her, and the way you held her. That's love, Chandler. And what did you do? Oh my God, you didn't?!"
"No no no! What happened was Phoebe, the woman who has been helping us caught me with my arm around Monica. We were sleeping and it was cold that night so I decided to put my shirt over her and hug her so she would feel warm."
"Okay, but damn this has just gotten more complicated. Let's just hope she remembers soon. We'll have to ask for her forgiveness either way. And see, that's exactly why I believe you love her; you put her own welfare before yours. I hate to break it to you man but you need to stop now before it's too late. I don't want your heart to be broken. When her memory comes back, it's all gonna be over. She'll return to her family and go on with her life. And didn't you say she had a boyfriend? Where does that leave you? Please Chandler, do your best to get hold of your feelings. You will only get hurt in the end. And again, I'm sorry for bringing you into this. I'm sorry I can't go there and help you."
"Of course I know all of that, Sam. And I don't plan on falling hard for her. I'm trying not to. But, I really do care for her. If this really is love that I'm feeling, I guess you know that it means I'm willing to sacrifice. Even if it means I'm dying inside."
"Good luck, Chandler. Take care of yourself."
As the days passed by, Monica got more at ease with the idea of me being her husband and with Phoebe's unorthodox methods of healing. I was sleeping beside her every night, sometimes holding her, to prove that we are together. She kept asking me questions about herself and about our supposed marriage which I patiently gave answers to. Sometimes though, I get annoyed or I feel so guilty that I brush off questions rudely.
"So, when did we get married? About a year ago? Where are our wedding rings? Was I pretty that day?" Monica asked me.
"Yes, we were married last year and it was just a small ceremony; just family and our best friends. We don't have much money that's why we had to pawn our rings. Unfortunately, I didn't get to pay for them in time to get them back. And of course, you were very pretty; you are always beautiful." Everything I told her but one was a lie.
"I see. Too bad, we lost our rings. When do you think we'll get new ones? I really think that those are the last things we should give up. I don't know, I feel bad about it. But, I guess we really had no choice. I do know that in a marriage, being together is more important though." She said, an understanding look in her face. God, I'm so right about her. She has a very trusting heart.
"I promise when we get enough money, I'll buy new rings. I'll even buy you a beautiful engagement ring." If only that could be true. If everything turns out the way we always want them to be, imagine how perfect life would be.
"Oh, that's okay honey. Do I call you 'honey'? I'm sure you're working hard enough already. Phoebe told me. I don't want to burden you more. I mean you're already having a hard time dealing with a wife who is clueless and doesn't know a thing about you." she said. I got shivers from the term of endearment she used. I didn't expect that all. She called me 'honey'. I didn't call her that even once, I wonder why she said that.
MONICA'S POV
"So, what's my favorite color? Favorite food? What do I do for living? And, Oh my God! Where's our family? Do they know we're here?" I asked eager to know the answers to these questions. I've been trying so hard to think about myself but I can't really recall anything. It's so tiring. It's so frustrating. Sometimes I find myself crying at night, and this man who claims to be my husband, comforts me. In those times, can really feel that he really cares for me. I wonder if we really are in love.
"Your favorite color is uhh-purple. And you love sandwiches, especially pastrami. You're a cook, a very good one at that. And..Yes, our family knows about us being here and they understand." He answered back. I felt satisfied with his answers but I really want to know more; about our families, about what I love to do, about the two of us.
"Okay, now I just want to ask this one thing: are we really in love?
I saw him take a deep breathe and contemplate for a minute.
"Yes." He simply said. "Can we go to sleep now? Can't your questions wait 'til tomorrow?" He asked and I could see he's irritated.
Just one moment ago he told me we're in love and then suddenly he has no patience for my questions. It really baffles me because he acts differently with me. When Phoebe and the others are around, he acts extra sweetly towards me. But like now, when we're alone he becomes somewhat distant. Yes, he may make some gestures like putting his arms around me or kissing the top of my head but I don't know, I feel like something's lacking. I'm really not sure how I feel about him. I can sense a connection between us but I can not comprehend what it is. It didn't seem as deep as a romantic love between a man and a woman. And since I became aware, he hasn't kissed me. Not even a quick peck on the lips. I get that he may want to take it slow when it comes to me settling back to how things were, and not get right away to all those things married couples do. But, I want to know. I want to understand. I want to feel it. I want to be sure. I'm so tired of hanging around other people's words. Chandler was now sleeping and I decided to join him. I put my arm over his chest. He opened his eyes and surprisingly, he slowly put it away. But then, he saw that I gave him a quizzical look and took it back up. He even held me closer as I drifted off to sleep.
The next day, Chandler got off to work and I bid him goodbye. Phoebe had told me stories about how much he cared for me when I was still unconscious and I felt my heart melt. All of my doubts about us were put out of my head; well, at least for now. I decided that I wanted to make up for him, in my little ways. I wanted to thank him. I kept myself busy that day cleaning and making our house more ornate. I was good at cleaning the house, and I enjoyed it. It was amusing, really. I asked Phoebe to accompany me to the market to buy ingredients for a special dinner that I'll be making tonight. "Better test if me being a good cook is actually true." I thought to myself.
"Hello, Juliet." Chandler greeted me with a small smile as he arrived. "Hi, Chandler." I said as I gestured towards the dining table feeling a little excited. "Wow. This is nice. You did this?" He said as he looked around the house and saw the small feast I prepared for us two. "Yes, I want to thank you for being a good husband to me." I said as I led him to seat down on the dining chair. "You really didn't have to, you know. I have to be the one to say thank you. Just by looking at these I can already tell they're delicious. He said. "Well, I bet they are. You told me I'm a good cook remember?" I said with a little smirk. "Okay then, let's eat. I'm famished." He said as he took his knife and fork. "Umm. Aren't you forgetting something?" I said while clearing my throat. "What is it, Juliet?" He asked before taking another bite of the grilled chicken I made. "Where's my 'thanks for welcoming me home' kiss?" I asked feigning curiosity. He choked on his food and I immediately grabbed the glass of water and gave it to him.
"Why, don't married couples do that? When the husband comes home from work, he kisses his lovely wife to make her feel how much he missed her that day." I said, as I rubbed his back hoping to relieve him off of this choking. "Do we really need to do that?" He asked while catching his breathe. "Aren't we like all the lovey-dovey couples out there? Aren't we sweet or demonstrative? I thought we were in love? Is our marriage falling apart?" I asked him anxiously. "Okay, if it really means that much to you." He said. I closed my eyes and awaited my lips meeting his. I was disappointed when I felt that he just pecked my cheek. I shot a look on his face and immediately pulled his head towards mine. His mouth was open and I kissed him forcefully on the lips. I opened my eyes for a while to see his reaction between the heat of the moment and saw that he was shocked. I continued kissing him and soon after I felt him kissing back. I don't know, but there's a feeling inside of me that's telling me that it was weird. But, there's also a part of me that's telling me that it feels so right. In between my thoughts, he suddenly let go of me then looked me in the eye. Without warning, he stood up and walked out of the house. I was now left alone, thousands of thoughts running through my head.
A/N: So, how did you like that? Little Mondler goodness for all of us :D Please keep those reviews coming! Thank you! I guess we'll see more of Mr. And Mrs. Chandler and Juliet Bing next chapter! ;)