Author's Note: Please review.
December 15th, 1994
Monica beamed down at her newborn baby girl as she cradled her. Monica was beyond exhausted, but she never felt happier. Her little angel with bright blue eyes and wispy sandy hair like her father's was perfect.
"Your daddy and I did an outstanding job making you, baby girl! Yes, we did! Yes, we did!" Monica cooed as she gently brushed her daughter's porcelain cheek.
It was true what they said – that babies did have the most delicious smell. Her baby smelled divine, and she was so tiny and perfect. She was already so in love with her small little girl that she felt like she would burst with joy from the inside.
"I love you so much, sweetheart," Monica whispered, overwhelmed by intense love and joy.
"And I know your daddy does, too," Monica added as the door to her hospital room opened.
"Look who I found," Chandler beamed, standing in the threshold of the hospital room.
"I found the grandparents!" Chandler added as he entered with Judy, Jack, and Nora.
"Hi," Monica greeted the three.
"Oh, look at that sweet little angel," Nora cooed, walking over to the hospital bed where Monica lay cradling the infant.
"Doesn't she just like your Great Aunt, Fiona, Chandler?" Nora observed standing over Monica and the baby.
"I guess…whose Aunt Fiona?" Chandler shrugged from the other side of the bed.
"Oh, never mind," Nora waved dismissively.
"She died before you were born. She was a real bitch," Nora added.
"Huh?" Chandler thought out loud.
"So, my newborn baby girl reminds you of a dead, apparently bitchy, aunt," Chandler quipped as
Nora rolled her eyes before smiling down at her sleeping granddaughter.
"Wonderful," Chandler mumbled as Monica looked up at him, chuckling and smiling simultaneously.
She already loved hearing him refer to their child as his baby girl. The terms of endearment were already pouring out of his mouth like honey, and she loved it.
"What?" Chandler smiled as he looked down at her in curiosity.
"I just love hearing you refer to our daughter as your baby girl," Monica whispered only loud enough for him to hear because the other three were too busy gushing over their new granddaughter to pay the young lovers any attention.
Chandler smiled affectionately down at her and lifted her hand to his lips to gently kiss, which did not go unnoticed by the parents, who exchanged secret smiles in response before quickly returning their attention to their new grandchild before Monica and Chandler could see.
"Oh, Monica, she is just so beautiful. I am so proud of you, darling," Judy smiled down at her tired daughter as she gently squeezed Monica's free hand.
"Thank you," Monica looked up gratefully at her mother.
"She's just as beautiful as her mommy," Nora winked at Monica, who blushed.
"You did good, son," Jack said, looking up and smiling proudly at Chandler.
"Thank you, sir," Chandler said, shocked and amazed by the compliment. Monica looked between her father and lover and then burst into tears.
"What is it, darling?" Judy asked with concern.
"I am just so happy," Monica cried as Judy reached for a tissue on the bedside table to hand to her weeping daughter.
"Aw, somebody has that new Mommy euphoria. I had it, too. It is wonderful, isn't it?" Nora smiled down at Monica, who nodded happily in agreement.
"Really? Mother, you had that?" Chandler asked in disbelief as he scratched his ear.
"Yes, I did, and shut up darling," Nora said, shooting her son a playful glare, who just chuckled cheekily in response.
"I do hope you don't take after your father with that sarcastic tongue of his," Nora cooed at the baby as Chandler rolled his eyes, and Monica chuckled at the exchange while Judy and Jack still fawned over their grandchild.
"So, have you two kids picked out a name for this little one yet?" Jack looked up at the young parents.
"We sure did," Monica smiled proudly.
"Meet Hannah Elizabeth Bing," Monica held her daughter as if presenting her.
"Oh, what a gorgeous name for such a gorgeous little girl," Nora gushed as she put a hand over her heart.
"Not Geller-Bing?" Judy asked as she eyed both Monica and Chandler.
"No," Monica shook her head before looking up at the father of her baby and smiling affectionately.
"Just Bing," Monica said, smiling at a beaming Chandler.
Jack, Judy, and Nora shared secret glances indicating that they all agreed with the same thing. It was just a matter of time before Monica Geller would become Monica Bing.
September 1st, 1995
"Go on, sweetie, walk to Daddy," Monica cooed as she sat behind her nine-month-old daughter, who was wobbling unsteadily in front of her. Monica held her hands behind her daughter, ready to catch her in case she fell.
"Dada!" Hannah cooed at her smiling father, sitting on the floor on the other side of the living room.
"Come here, princess!" Chandler cooed at his daughter as he made goofy faces, and she smiled and clapped giddily at him as she took one shaky step toward him.
"That's it!" Monica praised as Hannah took another shaky step towards her father, who was waiting for her on the other side of the coffee table with open arms.
"You've got this, pudding pie," Chandler encouraged as Hannah took another slow, cautious step and then another before wobbling unsteadily.
"Uh, oh," Monica said, reaching out to catch her wobbling daughter.
"We're all good," Monica said as Hannah regained her balance and took another more confident step this time.
"You are doing this, little princess," Monica smiled as Hannah took another step forward, and she scooted on her knees behind Hannah as Hannah moved closer and closer to a waiting Chandler.
"That's it. You're doing it." Chandler encouraged the toddler.
"Come here," Chandler smiled as Hannah started to gain confidence and speed as she toddled over to her father.
"Good girl, Hannah," Chandler praised his giggling daughter as she fell into his arms.
"Yeah, Hannah. You did it!" Monica smiled as she rubbed her daughter's back and kissed the back of her baby girl's head.
"I can't believe it. Hannah's walking now," Chandler smiled at Monica.
"I know. The sky's the limit for this little one now," Monica replied as she continued to rub her daughter's back.
"Don't remind me," Chandler groaned as Monica laughed, and she caught his gaze.
"Awe, Daddy is having a hard time with the idea of his little girl growing up," Monica smiled and teased.
"Yes," Chandler pouted as Monica placed a comforting hand on his arm.
Blue eyes met blue eyes, and the desire to savor the moment with a tender kiss was so strong it made the air around them feel so dense it robbed them of breath, but they weren't together anymore.
So, they would just have to settle on sharing a lingering, affectionate smile to celebrate the milestone the child they conceived together just reached.
May 16th, 1996
Chandler looked down at a solemn Monica as she danced in his arms to a pitchy rendition of Love Me Tender.
"I'm sorry you had to come to this with me instead of Richard," Chandler said, looking sympathetically down at her.
"No," Monica said, looking up as if she was noticing him for the first time.
"This has been great," Monica shook her head as she touched his chest.
"Really?" Chandler scoffed in surprise.
"No. I have had an enjoyable time with you. Richard wouldn't have played Shag, Marry, or Kill with me during the ceremony or placed a wager on who will ask for a divorce or cheat first Barry or Mindy," Monica smiled cutely at him.
"Ah, yes," Chandler chuckled lightly.
"Those were good times," Chandler remembered fondly.
"It was literally only hours ago," Monica laughed at Chandler's over-dramatic nostalgia.
"Monica," Rachel said, approaching the couple, and Monica warned Chandler with a death glare not to make any more jokes about Rachel's puffy, bubblegum pink bridesmaid dress.
"Hello, Lola, the Show Girl," Chandler quipped, and Monica looked down and put her head in her hands.
No, he joked about Rachel's attempt to sing Copacabana a bit ago to take the focus off everyone, reminding Rachel of how she had bailed on her wedding to Barry months earlier.
The whole thing felt unfair to Rachel and inconsiderate of Mindy, as this was supposed to be Mindy's wedding day. She agreed with Chandler. She would also only give this marriage a year – if that long.
"Ha, ha, funny," Rachel rolled her eyes in annoyance as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Ross and I are about to head out. Do you two want to head out, too? We can share a cab," Rachel asked.
"It sounds like you are in a hurry to leave, Rach," Chandler smirked as he placed his hand on Monica's lower back, which sent a jolt of electricity through her spine.
"Uh, yeah!" I can't take any more humiliation. I want to get out of here already," Rachel huffed.
"What do you think, kid?" Chandler looked down at Monica as his thumb caressed her lower back.
"Do you want to blow this popsicle stand?" Chandler added.
"Let's blow this joint," Monica quipped while winking at Chandler.
"Ok," Rachel rolled her eyes at their sickeningly sweet exchange.
"You two are insufferable. I am going to find Ross," Rachel waved dismissively at them before pivoting to go the other way.
"Also, don't forget to find your sheep!" Chandler called out, and Monica smacked his stomach as Rachel turned around to give him the middle finger.
"Real classy, Little Miss Bo Peep," Chandler responded as Rachel raised her other middle finger to him before turning in a huff. Monica smacked him in the butt.
"What? I could not help myself," Chandler dodged as Monica attempted to swat his behind again.
The band started to play a more melodic version of The Way You Look Tonight, and Monica looked longingly at the dance floor.
"I love this song," Monica sighed, and Chandler extended his hand.
"May I have this dance, my lady?" Chandler asked in a gentlemanly tone.
"You may, my lord" Monica said before curtseying like a debutant and letting him take her hand and lead her on the dance floor. She leaned against his chest as they intertwined their hands.
Two little girls playfully dancing on the floor caught her eye, and she sadly sighed against his chest, which did not go unnoticed by Chandler, who also caught sight of the cute scene.
It only reminded him of his little girl, but for Monica, he was sure it was a painful reminder of why she and Richard broke up. She wanted more of those, and Richard didn't.
Chandler wanted to give her dozens more of those. He wondered how he could do that without the other part of what she wanted: marriage.
"I'm sorry about, Richard," Chandler whispered as he slowly spun them around the dance floor.
"You've said that a million times already," Monica chuckled and shook her head against his chest, which he kissed the top of.
"Besides, you don't have anything to be sorry about it. It just didn't work out. Richard and I don't want the same things. Better to know now where he stands then if we got too serious…"
Monica said before she got distracted by seeing a mother holding a newborn baby. She inwardly groaned.
"The universe could be so cruel sometimes," she thought.
Chandler quickly spun them around so she was facing away from the triggering scene.
"You know, when we're forty and still not married, we should just go ahead and get married and have another baby or two," Chandler said, resting his chin on top of her head.
"Why do we have to wait until we're forty?" Monica cocked her eyebrow as she looked up at him.
"Because maybe by then I won't be scared to death of the whole marriage thing, and I can give you another child," Chandler gazed down at him.
"Oh, my adorable man-child. How much I do love you," Monica smiled as she touched his cheek.
"Oh, Mon, you have no idea how much I love you," Chandler breathed, and they both leaned in to kiss as the wedding singer sharply belted out, "Cause I love you – just the way you look tonight."
May 15th, 2001
"Are you sure you're not pregnant?" Chandler murmured between kisses while he lay over her in their honeymoon suite bed, and he caressed her flat tummy, making her smile. She missed when she used to caress her belly when she was pregnant with their child.
"I can take a pregnancy test if you want me to prove I'm not," Monica smirked up at him as she caressed his naked back.
"No, it is not like that," Chandler chuckled as Monica playfully smacked his chest.
"It kind of got my hopes up," Chandler smiled down at her, and Monica's face darkened.
"Oh," Monica frowned as she nervously bit her lower lip.
"Is that why you came back?" Monica asked.
"Because you thought I was pregnant again," Monica added before sadly looking down.
"No," Chandler shook his head and lifted her chin with his finger.
"I came back because I was being stupid, and I love you and want to be with only you for the rest of my life. The idea of us having another baby was only the cherry on top of the best cake ever," Chandler whispered as he gazed lovingly into her misty eyes.
"Your parents' bickering last night at our rehearsal dinner made you freak out, didn't it? You seemed fine before we left for it, but then you started acting funky once your parents showed up," Monica said as he intertwined their fingers, and she could not help the swell of glee that filled her when their wedding bands touched.
"More or less and hearing our new answering machine message with the leave a message for the Bings part at the end," Chandler said as Monica lightly laughed.
"Sorry," Monica smiled bashfully.
"I should have warned you about that. I was just so excited to finally become the Bings. I guess I got a little carried away with that message," Monica smiled as he raised their intertwined hands to kiss her fingers.
"No," Chandler shook his head.
"You don't have to be sorry about that. It's just me. The idea of becoming the Bings, becoming like my parents terrified me, and seeing them in all their Dynasty glory certainly didn't help things," Chandler said as Monica laughed at the scarily accurate comparison.
"But these two, Bings," Monica said, pointing between them with their entwined hands, which made Chandler chuckle affectionately.
"Have been through hell and back together. We've always ended up running towards each other one way or the other. We have never been able to stay away from each other - no matter how hard we have tried in the past," Monica said as Chandler smiled lovingly at her.
"That's very true," Chandler agreed.
"I'm so sorry, Mon," Chandler whispered as he leaned his forehead against hers, and they closed their eyes.
"It's ok. I understand what you were going through and what you've been through, but Hannah is too young to understand it all," Monica sheepishly bit her bottom lip as Chandler popped his eyes open, opened hers to gaze into his eyes, and read his reaction.
"I hope you made things right with her," Monica said, still salty that Joey unintentionally blurted it out about Chandler's take-off at the altar in front of their young daughter.
"I did," Chandler nodded.
"I explained that I got scared for a moment, but that I would never leave and not come back," Chandler said looking at her.
"And how did she respond?" Monica asked as she had been in the bathroom with Rachel and Phoebe when Rachel took another pregnancy test, which confirmed that Rachel was pregnant - with whose baby was anyone's guess.
However, until Rachel felt comfortable telling the guys, Chandler, Joey, and Ross were to believe that Phoebe was the one who was pregnant. It was a complicated matter that she didn't want to clutter up conversation with on her wedding night because this night was about them.
"She said she understands feeling stage fright," Chandler smiled at his new bride.
"She is the cutest," Monica couldn't help but beam at her daughter's sweet, sympathetic response.
"She is," Chandler concurred.
"That's why I really would not mind making another one with you," Chandler whispered lovingly before dipping his head to kiss her neck.
"Oh, yeah," Monica smiled as he suckled the sweet spot below her ear.
"I can stop taking my birth control pills, and we can just go the old-fashioned route of just using condoms," Monica impishly grinned.
"And you know that we don't have a good track record with remembering to use those," Chandler winked at her.
"Ha, ha! So True!" Monica winked back before he dipped his head to kiss her deeply, and he cheekily knocked the jumbo box of condoms off the nightstand, which made Monica giggle into their kiss.
Their kissing turned more passionate, and her giggling quickly turned to moaning. She spread her legs and invited him in. It was an invitation he gladly accepted as he effortlessly slipped back into her. They both moaned as they began to make love for the second time that night.
To be continued...