Chandler spun around in his chair when he heard his apartment door open. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw that it was Monica and not his roommate or one of their other friends; as much as he loved them it was her he wanted to, no needed, to see. "Hey," he said, his voice breaking a little. He tried to read her expression, desperate to get some hint of how it went with Pete, but failed.

"Chandler," she started, as if she needed to single him out in a crowded room. She stuck her hands in the back pockets of her jeans, taking a couple of steps towards him, "what have you been up to?"

He furrowed his eyebrows together at her strange tone. It was very different from earlier in the hallway. He nodded towards the TV with his head, "oh, you know, just watched a little television."

"What did you watch?"

He swallowed, "uh, I started on Three's Company and then I…" He stopped. This wasn't important at all. He reached for her hips so that he could pull her closer for a kiss, but she stepped back and his hands fell to his sides instead, unsure, "Are you alright?"

Monica's blue eyes met his, nodding a little, "I'm fine."

He narrowed his eyes at her, "You seem...different."

"No, no. Everything's fine."

"Then, can I get a kiss?" He tried to smile, but he couldn't, worry taking over his face. He took a couple of more steps towards her and caught her hips, pulling her body up next to his. She backed away from him again.

"Monica..." He started to protest, but pressed his lips together and then let out a sigh. He had to swallow again and force the words out of his mouth, "how did it go with Pete?" He'd made up his mind earlier that he didn't want to talk about the meeting with Pete. She'd promised him that nothing would happen, and he trusted her, so there was no need to talk about it and bring up that horrible knot in his stomach.

But the way she was looking at him now, the way her eyes looked tearful, he needed to know what happened back there.

Her hands left her pockets to wring together in front of her. She cleared her throat, "there's something we should talk about."

Chandler reached for her hands, holding them down in the middle of them, but she pulled away from him. He cleared his throat, and ran a hand through his hair before sticking them in his pockets. "What is it?"

She rolled her shoulders back, taking a breath. "When I got to Pete's house, he started to help me pack up my stuff that was there. We laughed a little, and then he…" she had to stop to rub her palms against her shirt, "we started talking about things, and I realized how much fun he used to be and how much…"

"No!" He almost yelled, shaking his head.

"Chandler…"

"No, just stop," he said, pressing his eyes shut, this couldn't be happening, "I don't think I want to hear the rest of this." He finally opened his eyes to look at her, the hurt clearly evident in his eyes, "you said that you wouldn't do this." He hated that his voice was broken, but she was literally killing him from the inside out, "how could you do this to me?"

She crossed her arms in front of her, "how can you expect me to leave him and jump in another relationship with you and not give him another chance? I was engaged to the man. He loves me!"

"I love you!" He shouted, before lowering his voice, "you don't love him...you can't."

She scoffed slightly, shaking her head in denial, " you are not in love with me, Chandler. You just think you are. And I didn't give Pete a fair chance, broke things off too soon."

"Monica…" He started, but she had already turned her back on him, heading towards the door, "no, wait. Please?"

She let out a long breath, "what is it?"

"Tell me this isn't real." He pressed his lips together for a second, "please tell me it's not true...it can't be."

Please God, no...it couldn't be true.

Couldn't be…

Chandler sat up quickly, breathing hard, panic coursing through his veins. His eyes shot around the room as he tried to make the distinction between what was real and what wasn't. He looked down at his watch and learned that he'd fallen asleep about a half an hour ago. With a relieved sigh, he tried to regulate his breathing as he wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead.

"Holy shit," he whispered to himself, flopping his head back against the chair. It wasn't true. It hadn't happen.

What a nightmare.

"It's open, Monica," came Pete's crackly voice instantly through the intercom. She winced slightly, avoiding looking at the camera as she pushed against the door and entered the large OTT hallway.

As she stood there looking around she realized something - that she wasn't upset that she wouldn't be living here in this mansion. There was no pang of regret for the future she had rejected. It was a little unsettling...she'd expected to feel something.

"Hi."

She looked up and met the eyes of the man she had rejected and swallowed, looking down. This was gonna be hard, but worth it. She just had to get through this conversation and then she'd have the closure on this chapter in her life that she craved.

"Hey Pete," she grimaced awkwardly, suddenly nervous, "uh, how have you been?"

"Well, I don't know if you heard, but I got dumped the night before my wedding." His words made her look down at the floor, "at least it wasn't at the altar, right?"

She looked up surprised but saw his attempt at a smile; he was trying to lighten the situation with humor and she offered him a small grin in appreciation of his efforts.

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't be," he reassured her, taking the box from her easily and briefly glancing at its contents. He hadn't stayed around her place very often, preferred the comforts of his plush home, so there wasn't much in there. "We made the right decision, Monica, I can see that now," he shrugged. "I'm just glad you realized before and not further down the line." Monica nodded in agreement, "I hate the idea of divorce, especially as we didn't go for prenups...imagine how much you could have cost me." He was joking again but she still winced slightly.

"How did your family take it?" she asked, following him into the main living room.

"Ok," he shrugged slightly, "my parents don't fully understand, but they're a little old fashioned," he dismissed. "My brothers and I have been going drinking a lot, so fairly mixed. Yours?"

"Yeah, surprisingly ok," she informed him, "everyone's been really supportive."

"I'm glad," he said softly, his eyes running over her, "you look terrific by the way, breaking up with me really suits you."

"Thanks, I think," she grinned sadly, "I am sorry though, Pete. I really wish I had figured it out long before everything. I honestly never meant to hurt you and-"

"I know," he swallowed, cutting her apology short before trying to smile himself, "I get it, I do."

She met his eyes and nodded as an understanding passed between them.

"Thank you for not making this any harder," she said, appreciating again just what a decent man he really was. "Here," she reached into her pocket and pulled out the sparkling ring. She glanced at it one last time before slowly holding it out for him. Pete's eyes fell on it and he swallowed before accepting it. "You're a great guy Pete," she told him, "you're sweet, smart, nice and someday you're going to make some woman really happy."

He nodded, looking down at the jewelry he held, the ring he'd given to her when he wanted to be in her life forever, "just not you."

"No," she shook her head, folding her arms to reassure herself, "not me."

He took one last look at the ring and then slid it into his pants' pockets, "I guess this is goodbye," he said softly.

"Yeah, I guess so," she said quietly, "but if you ever need anything or need to talk-"

"Sure," he swallowed, both knowing he'd never take her up on her offer.

"Oh," Monica suddenly remembered, "about work-"

"You don't have to quit," he told her and she shook her head.

"Yes, I do, it wouldn't be fair to you."

"My restaurant needs a chef and you're a damn good one," he admitted, "so it would be very fair to me as it will make me lots of money."

She smiled a little, tucking her hair behind her ear as she contemplated it for a moment, "no, I'm sorry," she finally decided, it would be weird and she couldn't imagine it going down well with Chandler. "I think it's best for both of us if we have a clean break."

"Ok," he reluctantly agreed, looking around the room as if trying to find the right words. "Take care of yourself, Monica. I mean that."

She looked at him one last time, "you too, Pete," she said sincerely, before she turned and silently left.

It felt strange, surreal almost. There was a slight sadness but more for Pete himself than anything else. She felt bad that her decisions had changed his future as well as hers. Yet, other than the guilt, she was surprised that she'd felt nothing else towards him. She'd expected that seeing him again would cause...some sort of feelings. She was supposed to marry him just two weeks ago, had thought he was the love of her life but there was nothing there. She could say with 100% certainty that she didn't want that life with Pete. That she made the right choice.

She was grateful the 'last goodbye' hadn't been too bad or emotional. She had expected it to be a lot worse and almost couldn't believe she'd put it off for two weeks, but at least it was done now.

Pete was officially out of her life.

Monica started to walk up the driveway, her shoes crunching on the gravel. She knew she should have called a cab, a real one, or Phoebe, but she remembered there was a bus stop a mile or so up the street. It was a nice day out and she could do with a walk. Her mind had been so busy worrying about seeing Pete, it was almost overwhelmed that it was over. That she now had that precious closure, she was free to start thinking about her future and moving on. Moving on with one man in particular.

Chandler.

A smile started to spread across her face as her thoughts involuntarily turned to him. The man was pretty damn incredible. He'd been beside her these last few weeks, supporting her throughout. Whether it was holding her when she cried, or making her laugh when she was down. Or little things like entertaining her to keep her mind from going places or just sitting next to her, his hand or foot or shoulder touching hers in a silent comfort.

She thought back to Phoebe's words from earlier. She had seen such a different side to him since the wedding. She'd always loved him as a friend, there had been a bond between them that she didn't have with the others. But now, to have him look at her like he did, to have him look out for her and treat her like she was his world.

Phoebe was right, what was she waiting for?

Chandler paced his apartment floor with a nervous energy, restlessly spinning one of the line of foosball men. He hated waiting. He wanted to be there with her, to see what was going on and to make sure she was handling it okay.

She hadn't been gone long, only a couple of hours, but his palms were sweating with nervousness and anticipation. Damn that nightmare. He shouldn't be so insecure, he knew he shouldn't. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, because he did, but it was the fact there was a serious history between the two of them.

Frustrated at where his thoughts were going, he ran a hand over his face, trying to think of something else.

Anything else.

The duck crossed his path offering a quack and he nodded, deciding that if he could think about the duck, then he could take his mind off of Monica and Pete. He frowned at that, but gave it a try.

It didn't work. He was still thinking of Monica and Pete. Pete and Monica.

God, he didn't even like the two names together.

It was three weeks ago all over again. He was here alone, and Monica was with him. He groaned, "okay, something else. Think about something else," he said to nobody, since Ross, Rachel, Joey, Phoebe went to a movie in the cab. He expected they just wanted to get away from him and his agitated state.

Maybe he should've gone with them, so it would take his mind off of the waiting... but he needed to see her after the Pete thing. As soon as she returned he needed the verdict. He couldn't stand it.

He looked at the TV in the room, staring at it's blank screen for a second before stepping over to it, clicking the power button on the remote. Three's company came on and a shiver ran through him, quickly shutting it off. As soon the colors on the screen disappeared, his apartment door opened and he whipped around, staring at her beautiful face.

"Hey," she said to him, smiling a little.

He threw the remote onto the chair and stepped over to her, "hey," he swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to speak even toned so she wouldn't think he was being a jealous almost-but-not-really-boyfriend. "H-how did it go?"

She looked at him, a smile still on her face from seeing him, "it went okay. He was very nice and understanding. There was no yelling. Nobody was angry. All things considered it went very smoothly."

Chandler let out a breath and nodded, "good." He took a few steps forward, reaching for her hand in her folded arms, "I'm glad you had a great time," at her puzzled look, he let out a nervous chuckle to let her know he was joking, "but please don't ever go again. Not that I was worried..."

She took his free hand, shaking her head and looking into his gorgeous eyes, "there's no reason to be."

A smile spread across his face before he pulled her into a hug, "I know."

Monica shut her eyes, holding him tightly. How could a hug, something they'd done a million times before, make her feel so good? She could stay like this forever and know she'd be happy. He'd take care of her and make sure of that.

He moved back from her just a little, "So, there's something I need to say and it's...kind of difficult," she announced.

His grip on her tightened a bit, thoughts of that horrible, horrible nightmare returning to him. He looked down at her, staying quiet, trying to wait on her to speak, and trying to ignore his rapid heart rate. She was quiet too long, and he was too nervous to wait on her anymore, "Um, what did you need to tell me?" He asked, and when her eyes broke contact with his, he suddenly got sick to his stomach with worry, "oh, god, if you're about to tell me that you and Pete...I can't hear it. I can't take..."

She chuckled at his ridiculousness, placing a finger on his lips, effectively shutting him up. "not even close."

He cleared his throat and pressed his lips together, "okay."

She smiled at the adorable nervous look on his face, "it's not bad."

He raised his eyebrows and relaxed a little, "well, that's good."

"It is," she said softly, and narrowed her eyes at him as a thought crossed her mind, "but maybe I should wait until tomorrow to tell you." She smiled at him to let him know she was kidding.

"That would be just plain mean," he let a smile cross his face, she was being playful and so could he. He leaned down and gave her a soft, sweet kiss, "and if you don't tell me now," he leaned down even further, kissing that spot on her neck again, "I'll…"

"You'll what, Bing?" she said to him, pushing on his chest playfully.

"I was going to say not kiss you anymore," he replied, "but I don't think I could do that."

She laughed again, grabbing his shirt and kissing him deeply this time. His threat would be a good one, she thought, because she didn't think she could not kiss him either. When they broke apart, she leaned her forehead on his. He kissed the tip of her nose, staying quiet to allow her to say what was on her mind.

She took in a deep, shaky breath and moved her head so that she could look into his eyes. "Last night during the movie, I looked at you, and I could feel it."

He furrowed his eyebrows, "feel what?"

She smiled at him and gripped his forearms, "Shh, honey, let me get this out." He pressed his lips together and nodded, and she looked down at his shoes, "when I'm with you, I act different. In a good way. I smile more and laugh more, I don't have to pretend everything's okay when it's really not." She lifted her head to look into his blue eyes, "when I'm with you, I can drop the fake smile and put on a real one." She smiled at him as a tear rolled down her cheek and he raised his hand to her face, using his thumb to wipe it away, "I don't feel hurt and alone when I'm with you, instead, I feel safe and loved. You're so easy to talk to and you listen to me," she took a second to take him in. He was staring at her, a slight smile on his lips, listening intently, "when I'm with you, I'm happy. You're my very best friend, and," she took a deep breath, " I think I might love you, too. I am ready to give this a try." She gestured between them like she did a few weeks earlier when he'd came to dance with her.

God, he didn't know what to say. He never, in a million years, thought he'd be standing in his kitchen with her, pressed up against her, while she said she might love him too. He never wanted to let this moment go. He never wanted to let her go.

He realized that she was probably waiting on him to say something, to acknowledge that she said that perfect speech a few seconds ago. "Thank god," he said softly, and lifted his hands to cradle her face as she smiled, "Monica," he breathed, smiling back at her, "you have no idea…" He pulled her head up to his lips. He gave her a slow, deep kiss. When they broke again, he ran his hands down her arms, "I think I need you to pinch me."

She moved her head back from his, confusion on her face, "what?"

"Well, see, I've had this dream a hundred times before and…"

She chuckled softly, raising her hand to rest on his chest, "you're not dreaming."

Chandler's smile grew even bigger, and he leaned down to kiss her again, "then it's a dream come true."

Hehe we totally had you going in the beginning, didn't we? :) We've got one more chapter to go, and it's the epilogue! So sad this is almost over! We hope that you've enjoyed reading it as much as we've enjoyed writing it! As always, we'd appreciate any feedback! Thanks so much to everyone for the great reviews!