Chapter 1: Will You Do Something for Me?

Chandler didn't like Thanksgiving.

But at least at the Gellers', it was tolerable.

As he had every year since he and his five close friends had started coming over to Jack and Judy Geller's place for the holiday meal, Chandler did not partake in the food, instead taking it upon himself to clean the dishes.

It helped that he had at his side the most cleanliness-oriented person he had ever known.

Finishing washing a plate, he handed it into assembly line fashion and with a shy smile to his best friend, Monica Geller. She grinned brightly back at him and dried the plate with a dishtowel before placing it in the dishwasher. Neither of them spoke, completing the task in companionable silence.

The peaceful stillness was now only broken by Monica doubling over in a kind of coughing fit.

"Mon? You OK?" Chandler reached out and rubbed along her back. "Something go down the wrong way?"

She shook her head, her sparkling blue eyes watering a little as she straightened. "I'm fine," she smiled at him, though it seemed weak.

"I can take over, if you want. Why don't you join the others….?"

Monica was already shaking her head. "I like being here with you." She hugged him around his middle, leaning her head against his shoulder. Chandler smiled and gave her a gentle squeeze, surprised when his best friend didn't pull away immediately and let the embrace linger. They stood in silence for a moment, listening to the voices of their buddies and Monica's brother Ross laughing in the next room.

They resumed their work, neither one speaking, simply enjoying each other's company.

Lost in his own head, Chandler now heard voices wafting from the front stairwell: Monica's parents.

"…. She's never going to get married now! If she wasn't before, she…." There was an interruption, a hitch, in Judy's voice. "…. she definitely isn't now!"

Chandler stiffened. He had never liked it how Monica's mother had always seemed to prefer Ross over Monica. For Judy Geller, image was very important, and she seemed to believe that, even after Monica had managed to shed pretty much all of her excess weight, that her only daughter would never find a husband or have babies. It was all very stereotypical Jewish mother, though Chandler cared too much for his best friend that he would never say so. What concerned him was how Judy had expressed these concerns so openly and so often that Monica had come to believe and parrot them herself. It was always worse after she had gone through the break-up of a serious relationship. Monica would bemoan her fate to him, and Chandler would comfort her.

From the way she had tensed at his side, Chandler could tell Monica was also overhearing the conversation between her parents. There was a resignation, even a melancholy, to her features that was more than the despondency that would overtake her whenever she found herself once again single and no closer to motherhood. Other than being a chef, marriage and having a family were Monica's dream.

"Monica….?"

She wiped at her eyes, before turning to face him rather abruptly. "Chandler…. Sweetie…. I need to tell you something."

Chandler stilled and listened. Whatever his best friend was about to say, it was really important. Monica looked him right in the eye:

"…. I'm sick."

Chandler blinked. "Did you have too much turkey? I can help you up to bed if you wanna lie down…"

"No – Chandler!" Monica snapped, frustrated. She swallowed hard. "I'm sick." Then, in a voice so quiet and defeated, Chandler felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. "…. I have leukemia."

The entire kitchen seemed to spin. Chandler stared at her, open-mouthed for one second. Two. Then he let out a kind of strained, crazed chuckle.

"No!" he half-laughed, half-croaked in denial, disbelieving. Monica just nodded, tears slipping down her cheeks.

"I've stopped responding to treatments. The doctor said I should just live life as best I could…."

Ice poured into his veins. "Monica….?"

"They've estimated how long I have, but…."

"Please don't talk like this…."

"Chandler!" She grabbed him and shook him. "I'm telling you this to prepare you, because before very long, I am going to die!"

It was getting hard to breathe. "Why…. why didn't you tell me sooner?!" he demanded. "I…. I mean…. the trip to Montauk! And to London! All the fun stuff we've done – that could have really hurt…."

"No, no, no…." Monica shook her head, smiling at him gently. "If anything, you and the others kept me healthy longer."

The others…. "Do they know?"

Monica nodded glumly. "The girls do. So does Ross. They've been trying to put a good face on, even when I swore them to secrecy. I saved you and Joey for last because I knew…" Her voice broke, and she blinked back tears. "I knew you would take it the hardest…."

Chandler pulled her into his arms, rocking her, rubbing her back. At last, he let her go.

"Excuse me…"

He wandered out into the hallway, listening to the laughter of his friends in the sitting room. He wanted to bark at them, yell in admonishment for having the temerity to be happy at a time like this. Their friend whom they loved was going to die!

Quiet sobbing made him glance up. Jack and Judy rounded the corner into the hallway, Mrs. Geller with her head in her palm and weeping quietly. Monica's parents froze when they saw Chandler.

Chandler broke. He started to sob, and nearly rammed his fist up his own mouth to keep the sound from being heard.

Jack nodded solemnly. "You know….?"

"She…. she just told me…."

Jack wrapped him in a hug. Chandler felt guilty. If anything, he should be hugging the older man, not the other way around.

"She loves you, you know…." Jack murmured. "She's been terrified how you would take this…."

Chandler nodded glumly.

Even Judy, who had never seemed to like him very much and perhaps even tolerated him at best, buzzed his cheek. "You're being very strong about this…." she told him. It was a lie, and they both knew it.

Chandler watched his best friend's parents move to join the others in the living room. Leaning against the wall, arms folded, he pondered the apocalypse that was creeping ever closer. A world without Monica? His Monica? It could not be!

And yet it would be. Never would she get to dote on and mother her own baby. Never would she fulfill her wish to be a wife, to be married…

Chandler froze as an idea suddenly fell into his head. It was crazy, it was madness, yet he rationalized that he should do it NOW, or forever wish he had. Almost in a surreal trance, while at the same time never having felt surer of anything in his life, he prowled into the living room.

It was much quieter now. No laughter. Chandler's eyes found Monica speaking quietly to Joey, who now was in tears. A kind of moan escaped the struggling actor, and he fiercely embraced Monica.

Chandler walked right up to Monica and took her hand. "I need to talk to you!"

"Chan…. Chandler…." Joey turned to his roommate, weeping. "Did you…. did you hear…?"

"I know…. I know…" Chandler patted his arm, while, taking Monica's hand, he guided her to the center of the room.

"Chandler….?" She frowned.

"Look, we don't know how much time you have left, but in whatever time you do have, you…." He choked up. "… you deserve to have every happiness. Fulfill all your dreams, or at least as many as you can…."

Monica softened and gently touched his face. "Chandler…"

Chandler took a deep breath. He wrestled his fear of commitment down, because goddamnit, this beautiful woman whom he loved, his best friend, was dying. "I love you…."

She smiled weakly. "I love you too, sweetie…."

Chandler swallowed. "Will you do something for me, then?"

"Anything," she blinked. Chandler took a deep breath, steeling his nerves. Summoning his courage.

"Chandler….?" Monica's eyes popped as Chandler dropped to one knee. "What are you doing….?"

"Monica…."

"No, no, no, don't say it….!"

"…. Will you marry me….?"

He didn't have a ring, which was a disappointment, but considering he had made this decision with almost no notice, he hoped she would understand.

Everyone else in the room stared, jaws dropped. From how she began to cry, Rachel seemed to understand Chandler's plan and reasoning immediately. So did Judy, who began to sob again.

Monica gaped down at her best friend. Her lips were fighting not to upturn into an amazed smile around her slack-jawed mouth. "Chandler…. Why are you doing this?"

"Because I love you. And because if I can help you have the best things in life, like the wedding you deserve, then I'm going to do it!"

Monica felt her eyes well up. "You…." she sniffled. "…. You really think the best reason to get married is to…. check it off some bucket list? Or because you… you feel sorry for…?"

"In most ordinary circumstances, no," Chandler admitted honestly. "But this is not an ordinary circumstance. Monica…. I love you. And I intend to be there for you, if you'll have me."

Monica shook her head, smiling sadly. "Oh, honey…. Cancer's made some things pointless. It's hard to imagine a wedding. I think even my parents recognize that."

"So we'd get married our way. Your way! You deserve to have your dream, Mon, and I wanna marry you…. if you'll have me."

Monica chuckled. "…. Isn't there some superstition where you only need to say 'I marry you'…. three times and…. you're man and wife?"

Chandler's gaze bore into hers. "In that case: I marry you, I marry you, I marry you…." His voice trailed off in a tear-choked whisper as he gazed at this beautiful woman, who didn't deserve what was coming for her.

Monica gazed at Chandler, bewildered and touched. She could finally see how he wasn't joking. He wasn't even doing this out of pity. He was going out on this limb because he cared for her the way only a best friend could.

She took a deep breath. "OK…." She murmured tremulously. "Yes…"

Chandler lifted an eyebrow. "Yes….?"

"Yes!" Monica half-cried, half-laughed. "Yes, Chandler, I'll marry you, I'll marry you, I'll marry you, I'll…."

Chandler leapt to his feet and tugged her into his arms, letting her come apart against him. When he drew back, peering into her lovely, tear-streaked face, he suddenly cradled her face in his hands and before he could second-guess himself, softly kissed her.

He felt Monica gasp with astonishment into his lips before she hesitantly began to kiss him back. When they finally broke apart, she seemed dazed.

"Oh….. wow….." She lifted her eyes shyly to his, the orbs shining.

Everyone was a blubbering mess. Judy dashed forward and threw her arms around Chandler's neck, so fiercely that he was momentarily terrified that she was going to do something like kiss him too.

"God bless you, Chandler Bing!" Drawing back, Judy turned to her daughter. "Well…. you're lucky, my dear. He's an empty headed, odd duck of a boy, God knows, but…."

Chandler frowned in bemusement. Monica just wetly laughed, gazing at Chandler and beaming.

"He's my odd duck…."

Chandler grinned back, enamored by her.