Searching for your Identity

I hope you like de story, and that you tell me his opinions, through them I know if I'm on the right path.

Remember English is not my native language, I hope the translation is correct, check it, but sometimes I miss some incorrect personal pronouns for the phrase, sorry.

I reiterate, I do not own the characters of Friends I only rely on them for the pure pleasure of writing stories without any economic interest, and Monica and Chandler they inspire me

Chapter 3

At the beginning of April Helena and Fred traveled to NY, as they usually did, they stayed for a week, this time they traveled for two reasons, one to celebrate Chandler's birthday, and the other because Helena loved her grandchildren, since they were born, almost a year ago, she traveled every two or three months to visit them. -

Helena spent hours playing with them lying on the floor, pampering them, and the children loved her. This demonstration of affection for her children made Monica appreciate her more every day, and she felt much more affection for Helena than for Nora, who was more indifferent, called little, came every now and then, and during her visits she dedicated herself to talking about her books, her trips, her boyfriends and she didn't pay much attention to the children

She recognized that Nora was affectionate with Chandler and with her, but evidently the babes were not beings who caught her attention for a long time, a caress, a kiss on the forehead, bringing them a gift of a toy bought who knows where, but not much else, she clearly preferred to interact with adults.

Chandler couldn't wait long, and a couple of days after the arrived he asked Helena to meet at his desk, they needed to talk.

The first thing he did was show him the family photos, which Helena looked at excitedly, her parents, him with Chandler, despite the terribleness of her marriage, she loved her son, it was noticeable what was reflected in her face in the photos.

At the engagement and wedding photos she moved her head to either side of her. "I don't look very happy in these photos, do I?"

"Know. "You, Nora and I would have been happier if they had not forced us to get married, I would have taken care of you, I loved you from the first moment, but living together with Nora ruined the lives of all three of us."

"Why didn't you reveal yourself?" Chandler asked.

"Your mother was pregnant, our families were very close, and they were both at the bottom of society, I couldn't refuse, and to tell the truth it was also convenient for me to avoid suspicion, at that time I couldn't reveal my feelings, but of all in any case, it made me happy to know that I would have a child, it was something I never thought would happen to me, and then when you arrived I fell in love with that little thing that smiled at me or called me dad."

Chandler felt bad for what he intended to reveal, Helena always loved him, she only had to embark on a marriage out of convenience, partly to not come out of the closet, but also because the arrival of a child made her happy. Maybe Monica was right, she was going to hurt she just to resolve his doubts, he felt selfish, but that last month he hadn't been able to abandon the idea, he had to know.

Chandler took courage and showed Helena the photos of the unknown guy. "Do you know who this guy is?"

"No, I have no idea"

"Look at the dates on the photos, they are on the back, mom put them in her handwriting," Chandler told her.

"They are from mid-June to July 67…. Yes, I seem to remember that your mother went with a cousin to a friend's house that was on the beach, I think it was The Hampton's..., that was before we knew she was pregnant"

"Dad, were you with her on that beach? Were you together on those dates? …."

"No, I didn't go, what I remember is that Nora was happy because it would be her first vacation without her parents, they let her go because she was going with her cousin who was a couple of years older" …" why do you ask, what's wrong?"

"Dad, from the photos you can see that mom and that guy had an affair, in these three they are kissing and in the ones where they are all together he has her by the shoulder or by the waist."

"Chandler, your mother was always into having affairs, I thought she had started having them after we got married, but from what I see she had started before… son, what worries you?"

Clearly his father didn't make the connection, so he should show her.

"Dad, I was born on April 8, 1968, and these photos have dates from mid-June to mid-July of '67, exactly nine months before my birth…" Chandler heaved a breath he didn't even know he was holding.

Helena looked at him with furrowed eyebrows, she looked at the photos again, the dates on the back, she was obviously doing calculations…. She was silent for a long moment.

"Are you thinking this guy is your father?" ….. "That Nora lied saying that the pregnancy was mine?

"Dad, if you weren't with her the whole time she was on the beach…. Unless you were together, she just came back...?

"No, I had gone with a couple of friends to Atlantic City, it was more welcoming for us there…. and I came home after your mother, I don't remember when she did, then at the beginning of September she told me that she was pregnant" …. Helena said thoughtfully and remained silent for a few moments.

Chandler felt like he had injected doubt into his father, he needed Helena to understand that nothing would change between them, he just needed to know.

"Dad, this doubt that got into my head since I found those photos, please understand, it doesn't change anything about what we feel between us, you will always be my dad, you always were, I never stopped loving you, even at the time when I was angry with you, because I thought you had abandoned me, Monica made me understand that it was never like that, you always tried to get closer and it was me, the immature Chandler, who pushed you away, and I apologize for that."

"Son, I know how bad it was for you when your mother and I were together, and when we separated we didn't help you overcome the trance either, I always understood your reluctance, but I still kept trying, and I will be grateful to all my life the beautiful the woman you have at your side" said Helena and continued

"To clear up that doubt, what do you want us to do? Do you want to ask Nora?"

"No, asking mom would not help, she always finds a way to get out of the messes that she makes herself, she will surely deny everything, she will say that I am crazy, before talking to her I have to come with conclusive proof, of which there is no can escape"

"Are you thinking about a DNA study?" Helena asked, now a little more relaxed.

"Look, when I started this I talked to Monica, we even fought, she didn't want me to say anything to you, to let it go, she didn't want me to hurt you, she loves you a lot, and I don't want to hurt you either, not even for you to think for a second if something would change, I just need to know, to be certain of my identity," Chandler said softly, looking his father in the eyes.

"And if it turns out that my doubt is correct, that that guy is my father, I just want Mom to tell me who he is, what his name is, and why she lied to you, she lied to all of us," Chandler concluded.

"Son, she had no other way, her parents would have made a drama, they would have sent her away until the baby was born and they would give him or she up for adoption, it was what they used to do with society girls, I was her only way out, we had been going out, I loved Nora, in my own way, but I loved her, I had known her since I was a child, we started dating a couple of months before that vacation, I repeat, for me the situation served to hide it, but I was comfortable with her , our families were very friendly, and I think that if she had told me the truth, that she had gotten pregnant from a summer romance, I would surely have offered to say it was mine and get married, and maybe I would have also explained my situation and we would have done something try to achieve a coexistence based on the truth of each one, obviously I would never have imagined the disaster of coexistence that we would have" Helena concluded.

"Now tell me, do you want to meet him? Are you going to look for it? Helena asked.

"I don't think so, the guy probably has no idea that I exist, he may have a family, it would probably complicate his life, it's enough for me to know the truth, nothing more."

"OK, do you want us to go early tomorrow morning to get our blood drawn for the study?" Helena said firmly and now with a smile.

"You really want to do it; don't you mind? Chandler asked again.

"Son, at this point I also want to know, it doesn't matter if you are my son or not, since as you said nothing will change between us, you will continue to be my son, and I will continue to be the crazy grandmother of my grandchildren" Helena said laughing "but this topic also involves me closely, if that is what we suspect, Nora deceived me just to get married, and that lie cornered the three of us into spending the worst nine years of our lives, I always felt guilty for what we made you suffer those days, years, and what you went through then imprisoned in the boarding school, of course I also want to know" Helena explained and continued.

"Chandler tomorrow we are going to draw blood, and tell Monica that you didn't hurt me at all, I love you all, and from all this mess the only thing that is certain is that you were born on April 8! Helena stated, laughing.

Chandler remained calm, he told Monica the conversation so that she knew that everything was fine, no one had been hurt, and Helena also wanted to know.

The next day father and son went to the hospital to do the tests, they were informed that the results would be available in 15 days.

Helena and Fred returned to Las Vegas before getting the results.

A few days later, Chandler received a message on his phone from the clinic that he could pick up the results of his DNA study.

During his lunch hour he went to the clinic, he was anxious, when he arrived they gave him a sealed envelope, he sat in one of the waiting rooms of the place and carefully opened the envelope. His heart was beating rapidly, his stomach was tickling, so finally he took out the report and read it with trembling hands. The DNA study of Mr. Charles S. Bing and Mr. Chandler M. Bing did not give any matches, there is no relationship between those two individuals.

He sat for a few moments, his legs felt weak, the doubt was resolved, Helena was not his biological father, it was obviously the guy with long hair and curlers who, despite how little his face was visible, had seemed familiar to him, maybe he had some features of that man, the problem was that the photos was blurry, they were taken from a certain distance.

He had no other way but to ask his mother.

Upon returning to the office he decided to call Helena before he left for the club. -

"Hello Fred, this dad is there, can I talk to her" Chandler asked.

"Yes, I gave it to you, you called just as we were about to leave. "Dearest" he greet him.

"Hello Chandler, how are you… Something new?"

"Hello dad, yes it was as we suspected, we are not related," Chandler said softly.

Helena remained silent for a few seconds. "It doesn't surprise me, since we spoke I remembered those months in more detail and I expected it. "What are you going to do, you're going to talk to your mother."

"Yes, actually, to clarify things for me, tell me who that man was, if she had any relationship with him afterwards, if he knows something…we'll see how much she's going to want to tell me, but now she has no choice but to go with the truth."

"Dad, I love you, I hope you are well, I am, Fred told me that you were leaving for the club, on Monday we will talk with more time, love for both of us"

"Yes, we were leaving, but please don't worry, the origin is not what matters but the life and shared feelings. I love you, take care of yourself and give my love to Mon and the children, I hope to see them soon."

They both hung up, Chandler sat down, leaning the back of his desk chair back and stayed for a while looking out the window, he had to talk to his mother, she had invited them to the new house in Cadaques, it was necessary for him to accept that invitation.

When he returned from work he picked up each of his children and gave them a huge hug. For a moment he felt that his children, like him, might someday want to know their identity, and he would give them all his support. Now he knew how to do it felt that uncertainty.

After the children inevitable greeting, he approached Monica, kissed her, said I love you, returned to the entrance, opened his briefcase, and gave Monica the envelope.

She opened it carefully, read the report and looked at Chandler deeply with moist eyes.

"How are you?" asked

"Well, I expected it, the signs were clear. I called dad from the office before she left for the function, she was also waiting for it, she told me that these days she remembered some things that cleared up any doubts. …sending love to all of us," Chandler said with a soft but firm voice.

"Are you going to talk to your mom?" Monica asked.

"This has to be talked about personally, face to face, she invited us to go to her house in Cadaques this summer, I'm going to call her, I can tell her that we are going in August, by that time she will be completely settled, we ask for the vacation for that month, do you think?"

"Yes love, whatever you want, I love you, I'm with you" … "if she tells you who he is, if she knows where he is, are you going to go meet him?" Monica said sweetly.

"I don't think so, he will be between 55 and 60 years old, I don't know if he knows I exist, and I don't know if he wants to have contact with a child he fathered during a few days of beach party" …. "I'll settle for mom telling me the truth, because she tricked dad, if the guy knew she was pregnant, maybe she would want to know his name, nothing more," he replied.

"Well, we already know the way to go, now get the topic out of your head until you get there, you have to recover the peace that you lost in the last few days," Monica told him while hugging him and giving him a tender kiss that became more deep and passionate. -