AN: Thanks for the replies – as you can tell the story is getting close to the end. I hope you enjoy this chapter. This is a more or less kind of a Chandler chapter
Chapter Nine:
Chandler followed the nurse; he stood leaning the frame of the door. He observed her movements as she approached the little baby, seeing her interact with the girl, seeing her smile grow as the baby moved around noticing the figure above it. Chandler began thinking if she could do it, and the baby liked her, she'd like him. He knew that Eve already liked him, but that was because she knew he was her father, before everything changed. Even though she wasn't old enough to realise what was going on yet alone even realise who people were he felt a connection the past few days. He noticed how her eyes became alert whenever he was in the room, the way her mouth shape changed when he spoke to her. he watched the nurse come back to him, her hand rubbing his shoulder as she slowly lead him over to Eve, she watched him carefully, like when people have horrific car accidents and learn to walk again, she felt like she was in a similar situation.
Chandler stood next to the almost massive bubble his little girl was inside. He put his hands the glass, feeling the heat touch his fingers. He rubbed his thumb carefully over it, in his head pretending it was her hand he could touch. Wishing so much he could support her, like he had should have been since the way day she was conceived, even if it was just a daily explanation of how Monica had been wobbling around with her massive bump or a top hit song he had stuck in his head all day. Whenever he looked at Eve he wished he could go back, just see Monica when she was pregnant. Many people think of pregnant people as fat, overweight, lazy. But not Chandler. He would have seen her as beautiful as the day he met her, and the bump, he'd protect more than himself. Eve was worth more than anything. "Do you want to hold her hand?" the nurse asked, she had given the father and daughter some time alone, as she moved other to the side of the room checking the notes on Eve's progress and filling in the nesccary charts and figures for the doctors who would keep checking on Eve throughout the rest of the night. "Really?" Chandler seemed shocked by what the nurse said. She nodded. She quickly came over, putting the pen and paper back down before opening the small hatch on the side, allowing Chandler to carefully put his hand through. He felt her small fingers, the sharp fingernails growing with every second. He felt two of the small fingers attach to his one finger. Like she knew he was there with her. Chandler allowed the tear out of his eye, he didn't care anymore. He couldn't be that strong, brave dependant guy everyone believed he was. He had his little girl, holding onto his finger like her life depended on it. "There should be a doctor checking on Eve in the next hour. I'll leave you alone" Chandler thanked the nurse, before concentrating on Eve once again.
He kept staring at her, trying to see any resemblance in himself in her. He noticed her eye colour was the exact same. The dark blue shade that commonly got mistaken for some sort of green-brown. "If anyone ever mistakes your eye colour Eve, you just tell them your daddy will come and show them their new eye colour" he laughed loudly at his own joke, seeing Eve react to his voice again, her little body slightly turning in the bubble. He noticed she had Monica's nose. The small, cute bendy shape and bridge of a warrior. "You're going to be just as beautiful as your mum when you grow up isn't you Evie?" he smiled confidently down at the little fragile girl. She already looked like a baby model, her face so clear and so clean. Her body so small and delicate. During throughout the convosation he realised Eve never once let go his finger. All he wanted to do was hold her, be able to care for her and be there like the father he needed growing up. He figured it was mostly why it hurt him so much that Monica never told him. He didn't have the best childhood and always promised for his children they'd have the love and support he always cherished.
He stood there for over an hour, his back aching but he didn't care. He had his daughter. He watched as she kept sleeping then suddenly waking up, every time he she woke up, he'd jump. Seeing her little body trying to fight away the pain, it broke his heart. He tried to reassure her she was okay. The sound of his voice hushing her slowly as she closed her eyes and fell back to sleep. He wondered if he wasn't here what he'd be doing. And it took him that moment to realise he had nothing before this. His life was empty, no reason, no decisions he made. And now he had a family, he had a reason, he had decisions to make. And before he'd want to run and hide and in this moment he wanted to confront his fears, determine his life and decide the right decision for him and for Eve. "You know what Evie; I'm never going to leave you again. You're too special, and your very cute aren't you? Just like your mummy. Do you know how special your mummy is? She's very special to me. She's very beautiful just like you, she walks with this cute thing, where she moves her arm up and down, she crinkles her nose when she confused and likes the phrase "I know" your mummy is one special person"
He heard the door open, his head sharply turning around to see who entered. He looked down at the ground seeing Monica had entered. She looked so scared, her body closed up, and her eyes red raw from the crying she must have been doing while she was alone. Her face as pale as anything and her stomach rumbling from the hunger and worrying. He turned his focus back to Evie, as he felt her arms wrap around his waist, her head resting on his shoulder. He slowly moved arm up, allowing her to wrap her body more comfortable around his. Her head now resting upon his chest, he lent his head down kissing the top of her head. "How long you been here?" she asked him. The guilt in her face was beginning to become obvious. She had never run away from anything before. "Just a few hours" he laughed slightly, she laughed harder. "You wanna feel her hand?" he asked Monica, asking like it was the latest gadget available on the market. "Okay" she smiled, allowing her hand through feeling the small fingers wrap around her's. "Do you think she knows we're here?" Chandler asked. He knew Monica knew her so much more than he did. He wasn't jealous though, and that surprised him. He knew that she'd done this all by herself. So she was intitled for Eve to know her more. "Of course she does" Monica brightly added "She's a very brave little girl, she can sense us" she smiled, kissing Chandler's lips. "She's always been able to sense you" she nodded to him, seeing his face light up like a firework.