January 1st, 1994
Chandler could tell he was in the doghouse. The icy glares from Monica did not go unnoticed by him. He had messed up big time, but he did not intend to. He had run into his ex-girlfriend Janis while shopping for party supplies, and somehow, he had stupidly invited her to their New Years Eve party.
He did not want to invite her, and he was not entirely sure why he did so other than the fact that it seemed she had nowhere else to go for the evening, and he found the invitation slipping out of his mouth like word vomit. She kept hanging all over him all night long until she finally disappeared with the lab partner of Phoebe's latest lover David.
He watched as Monica, in her form-fitting silver dress cut so low in the back, he could see the apex of her back and delicious behind that he just loved to caress and enter from behind, exchanging pictures with a group of mothers from her Mommy and Me class.
She was slowly killing him with her icy stares and sultry attire, and he wanted nothing more than to take her into her bedroom and make love to her until they passed out, but she had excused herself from the group of women to slip inside of their daughter's nursery.
He managed to excuse himself from the small group he was talking to which included Ross and some of the other fathers from the said group, but Rachel stopped him on the way and said, "Don't blow it, dude," before walking to the kitchen to pour another glass of wine.
Chandler entered the nursery to see her standing over their daughter's crib, watching her sleep.
"Hey," he said, placing his hand on her lower back, and he felt her tense from his touch.
"Hey," she said with a shaky breath, and he gently turned her towards him.
Her puffy, red eyes were apparent indicators that she had been crying. Even with ever so slightly smudged mascara, she was still the most beautiful woman in the room.
"I'm so sorry," he said, taking her into his arms.
"You didn't do anything to be sorry about," Monica said.
"It's not your fault I'm incredibly hormonal, jealous, and don't want to share you with anyone," Monica said, breathing in the spicy, intoxicating scent of his cologne and enjoying the warmth of his embrace.
"Hey, you have every right to be jealous," Chandler said, lifting her chin to tenderly gaze into her eyes, and then a mischievous grin spread across his charismatic face, sending a jolt of electricity through her already hot and bothered body.
"I've already marked you by impregnating you with my child," Chandler smirked in his devilishly handsome, boyish charm.
"Oh my God!" Monica exclaimed, pinching her side.
"I am not a dog, Chandler!" Monica exclaimed as she smacked his chest.
"Yeah, but you do have such a pretty little kitty," Chandler whispered into her ear as he wrapped his arms around her. She leaned into him, and he could feel her pretty, little kitty against his hardening shaft.
"And she's not wearing any panties," Monica breathed as she looked up at him with hooded, hungry eyes before batting her eyelashes at him, giving his chest a gentle pat and sauntering away, which made Chandler inwardly groan.
"Nicely played, Geller," Chandler smirked as he put his hands in his trouser pockets and rocked back on his feet.
"I thought so, Bing," Monica said, turning back towards him.
"Hey," Chandler said, gently pulling her arm, and she stopped just in front of him as he entwined his fingers with hers.
"I don't love Janis anymore, and I certainly never loved her like I love you. I could never love anyone the way I love you. There are no words to express how much I love you," Chandler said as he caressed her cheek.
"I know, I love you that much too," Monica gulped as she leaned into him, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, and she wrapped his arms around his neck.
"Happy New Year, Monica," Chandler whispered, his lips millimeters from hers.
"Happy New Year, Chandler," Monica smiled as he captured her lips with his own.
February 14th, 1997
"I can't believe that you and Joey encouraged Ross to keep that he slept with Chloe from Rachel," Monica hissed as she turned around to face Chandler in the hall.
"I know it was stupid," Chandler whispered, closing the door to apartment twenty behind him.
"You're right. It was stupid!" Monica retorted as she crossed her arms over her chest.
Chandler rolled his eyes in frustration. They had just spent the last day and night locked in her bedroom with Joey and Phoebe as Ross and Rachel fought in the living room, and now, she and he were fighting at the ass crack of dawn.
"To be fair, I'm not the one that slept with someone else," Chandler defended.
"Yeah, but you encouraged Ross to keep it from Rachel. Did you not hear the same fight that I heard? Because Ross trying to hide it made the whole thing that much worse. Rachel is so upset!" Monica said, throwing her hands up in aggravation.
"What were you and Joey thinking?" Monica asked, pacing in front of him.
"I mean, what would you do if you cheated on me? If you can't be honest with me…" Monica began as Chandler stopped her, putting his finger over her lips.
"But that's the difference. I would never cheat on you, Mon," Chandler said, staring intensely into her eyes, making her weak in the knees, and she would have let him kiss her senseless then and there and forget the whole mess.
However, she could not forget that he had encouraged Ross to lie and take the cowards' way out. His actions reflected the old immature, commit-phobic Chandler that scared her to death, and she couldn't allow herself to get sucked back into that, even though it was tough and painful to resist him.
"Yeah, but your advice to Ross, to lie and avoid the difficult conversation, makes me worry that you haven't changed one bit and that your answer is to run away still, and that scares me, Chandler," Monica said, looking into his blue eyes and seeing the pain that filled them.
Chandler's look of agony nearly killed her, but his immaturity scared the hell out of her even more.
"I know," Chandler said, looking down in defeat. "I've lost you again, haven't I?" Chandler asked, putting his hands over hers, which were pressed against his chest.
"For now, you have, yeah," Monica sniffed before looking down and pushing herself away as she despondently made her way back into apartment twenty, too sad and too tired to look back and see him leaning against his apartment door on the verge of tears.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Mon," Chandler whispered before closing his eyes to weep.
May 15th, 1997
"I cannot believe Rachel shaved Bonnie's head," Monica laughed, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she stumbled on the soft, grainy sand.
"I know! Ross is so pissed!" Chandler chuckled as he placed his thumb on her arm to steady her.
"Of course, they just had to go and ruin our good time with their drama," Monica said as they continued to make their way towards the shore.
"To be fair, Rachel's jealousy is what caused it. The rest of us were enjoying the company of the hot lady," Chandler said.
"You, butt head, and my brother were," Monica said.
"Hey! Admit it. Bonnie's fun!" Chandler defended as he walked alongside her in the sand.
"It's so peaceful out here," Monica said as she abruptly stopped and looked wistfully at the shore ahead of them.
"It is," Chandler lamented as he turned his head towards her. The moonlight cast her in an enchanting glow, and she looked as stunning as always.
"I wish Hannah were here with us," Monica sadly sighed as she scanned the night sky. This was only the first night away from her daughter, and she already missed her.
"Me too," Chandler said before gently pinching her arm, and she turned to smile at him as he placed his hand on her cheek, and they leaned into kiss.
"However, if Hannah were here, we would not be able to go skinny dipping," Chandler said before pulling away and pulling his shirt over his head as he ran towards the lapping water.
"Chandler!" Monica laughed before running after him and pulling her shirt off.
"Isn't this how Jaws started?" Monica yelled as she chased him into the water.
"Yup," Chandler replied as he tossed his shorts onto the sand before humming the Jaws theme, which made Monica giggle as she chased him into the surf.
"It's fricking freezing," Chandler winced as an incoming wave thrashed against him, and Chandler jumped as the water slammed against his naked body.
"Hmm, I know what will warm you up," Monica purred as she walked towards him and wrapped her arms around her neck, and he wrapped his arms around her petite waist.
"Mon," Chandler said reluctantly but not convincingly as she wrapped his arms around his neck, and he walked them further into the surf.
"We can't," Chandler breathed as she peppered his neck with feather-light kisses.
"You don't want me?" Monica sadly looked up into his darkened eyes.
"Of course, I want you, honey. I've never not wanted you, but we aren't together," Chandler said.
"That's never stopped us before," Monica replied.
"Being with other people hasn't stopped us before," Chandler said, referring to their recent string of sexual encounters that led her to break up with Monica's latest boyfriend, Pete, whom she didn't love and couldn't bring herself to sleep with. Why did they keep playing this dance around each other when they only wanted to be with each other? Every other person they had been with in between couldn't keep them away from each other.
"I know," Monica whimpered as she looked lustfully into Chandler's eyes, who was returning her gaze with equal intensity.
"Make love to me," Monica whispered as he led her deeper into the sea.
"I don't have a condom," Chandler gulped before nipping her lips.
"You know I am on the pill," Monica swallowed as he lifted her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. They were far enough into the ocean, making the action effortless.
"Mon," Chandler whimpered, gazing into her eyes as he felt her warm heat so close to him it made him twitch, and that familiar longing in the pit of his stomach to be one with her made him ache.
"Chandler, Please," Monica returned as they continued to stare each other down.
"You know I can't resist you," Chandler half-heartedly said as he shifted her into position. He was ready for her.
"Then, don't, baby," Monica breathed as she ran her hands through his hair before pulling his head towards her to kiss him deeply. They desperately moaned as their tongues danced as he slipped inside of her.
Chandler felt like he was home. He always felt that way when he was with her. Being with her felt so right and so meant to be. He was a fool for continuing to let her slip through his fingers. Besides their child, Monica was the best thing that had ever happened together. Ironically, fate kept bringing them back together, but he kept pulling them apart.
"I wish I could deserve you," Chandler admitted as he made love to her.
"Hey," Monica panted and touched his face to make eye contact.
"You always have," Monica breathed as she gazed into his beautiful blue eyes.
"I wish you could realize that," Monica breathed in emotional pain as she closed her eyes and wept.
"I know," Chandler breathed as he, too, closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers as regret overcame him, and he too began to cry as he made love to her.
"I love you, Chandler. I always have," Monica gasped as she wrapped her legs tighter around his waist and moved fervently against him.
"I know that," Chandler moaned through his sobs.
"That's why this hurts so bad," Monica cried as she opened her eyes to gaze into his eyes. Tears began to fall from her eyes, and it shattered Chandler to see the deep pain he had caused her in her eyes. It made him cry harder, too.
"I know that too, and I am so sorry for hurting you and making you cry. I love you, Forever and always," Chandler cried as he gazed into her eyes as tears fell from her own eyes.
"I love you forever and always, too, and that is why I will wait forever for you, Chandler Bing, because I believe in us, and I believe in you," Monica whispered into his ear as she wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled as he deliciously thrust up into her.
February 4th, 1998
"Would you like more tea, Daddy?" Hannah primly asked while holding a porcelain tea kettle with white flowers.
"Why, yes, I would," Chandler replied in a fake British accent.
"Thank you, my lady," Chandler replied as Hannah pretended to pour tea into the tiny teacup.
"Oh, no, it spilled," Hannah frowned, looking at the imaginary spill on the lacy tablecloth draped over her play table.
Hannah said, picking up a lacy napkin to clean up the alleged spill. Chandler smiled lovingly at his daughter. She was so much like her mother, and she was indeed a little princess.
"Hey," he heard Cathy say, and he turned to greet his girlfriend.
"Hey, beautiful," Chandler said, kissing her hand, which made Hannah giggle.
"What are you two up to?" Cathy asked, looking at the fancy spread before her.
"We're having a tea party with Hoppy," Hannah clarified, pointing to the stuffed white rabbit her father gave her as a newborn.
"Well, it looks so fancy and pretty," Cathy commented.
"Do you want to join us?" Hannah asked, looking up at the woman with her bright blue eyes – her mother's eyes.
"No, thank you, sweetie. I need to talk to your Daddy. Do you mind if I steal him away for a moment?" Kathy sweetly asked the little girl.
"No," Hannah shook her head politely.
"Bye, thank you for stopping by," Hannah waved at the lady.
"Bye," Kathy waved back sadly at the little girl before blowing her a big kiss, which Hannah returned.
"What's up?" Chandler asked, pulling her into his arms once they left Hannah's room.
"I slept with Nick," Cathy blurted out as she reluctantly pulled away and turned away from him, afraid to see his reaction.
"Are you serious?!" Chandler hissed, feeling stung, shocked, and betrayed.
"What? When? Why?" Chandler stuttered, feeling like he had just taken a hit to the gut.
"You and I both know why, Chandler," Kathy defended.
"Because you think I am still in love with Monica, you decide to cheat on me?" Chandler threw up his hands in disbelief.
"I see how you look at her and how she looks at you. I know you don't make love to me the way the way you made love to her. I just wanted that with somebody. I wanted to be that girl to somebody, and I don't think I'm that girl to you," Cathy said.
"And cheating was the answer?" Chandler asked.
"I know it was wrong, and I am so sorry, Chandler," Cathy said, walking up to Chandler and putting her arm on his, and he recoiled as if a hot poker was touching him.
"I mean, given the way you and I started, I am not entirely surprised that this happened," Chandler whispered with disdain.
"Wow, that is so low," Cathy replied, fighting back tears of shame and anger.
"So is what you did," Chandler whispered.
"Goodbye, Chandler," Cathy solemnly said before turning to leave.
"Goodbye, Cathy," Chandler coldly said as she walked out the door.
Once she was gone, he balled up his hands into tight fists before banging them against his head.
He felt hurt and betrayed but oddly felt relieved as if he had been let out of a contract he did not want to stay bound to for the rest of his life. He supposed they were bound to end sooner or later if he felt that way.
He took a deep breath and plastered on a smile before returning to his daughter's bedroom.
To be continued