A/N Thank you so much for continuing to read and comment - I loved reading your thoughts on the last chapter.
I hadn't planned on getting another update out so soon but when I started writing it I got a bit carried away with the Christmas spirit. In fact, I feel like I ought to apply a trigger warning on this chapter, as it's probably a little wrong to go full Christmas in early September!
(Camynicol5 - I'm blaming you a tiny bit for this, as it is pretty cold here too, and your comment definitely encouraged me to get prematurely festive! :D )
Anyway, thank you all so much for reading, and apologies in advance if this is just too weirdly unseasonable!
For a Jewish-American family who, according to Monica, seldom made a huge fuss at Christmas, it certainly appeared to Chandler that the Gellers had pulled out all the stops this year. Their efforts were apparently in honor of their stupendously excited grandson, with whom Chandler had just spent the last couple of hours singing Christmas songs in the back seat of the car, as Ross had patiently navigated the New York traffic, which was predictably heavier than usual thanks to the mass migration of people: An influx of tourists co-inciding with an evactuation of natives heading out of the city to visit loved ones for the holidays.
When they had pulled up outside of Ross and Monica's childhood home the night before Christmas Eve (or "Christmas Eve Eve", as Ben had repeatedly enthused, during his excited conversation with Chandler) they had been greeted by a house so festive that it might feasibly have graced a holiday card or set the scene for a saccharine Christmas movie: The frontage of the Geller residence sparkled with strings of twinkling fairy lights that outlined each window and the front porch, as well as illuminating the creaking branches of the old apple tree in the garden, and an opulent wreath, aromatic with pine and flourished with red velvet ribbon, adorned the front door.
The group crunched their way up the gravel path; the wisps of their breath visible in the frosty night air and their arms laden with bags of elaborately wrapped gifts all ready to be deposited beneath the tree; and they were welcomed with ebullient smiles from Jack and Judy, who ushered them all indoors out of the bitter chill of the dark.
As they entered they found that the interior of the house had undergone a similarly impressive transformation, decorated with an abundance of greens and reds and golds, and warmly illuminated by the dancing flames of a plenitude of flickering candles.
Almost every available surface seemed to have been embellished with some kind of festive garland or whimsical ornament.
The lush green Christmas tree that stood in the corner of the living room however, remained conspicuously sparse, its boughs bare but for a string of glowing lights: Jack and Judy had left the box of decorations untouched so that their children and grandson could enjoy dressing the tree together during their stay.
When Chandler entered the kitchen on the morning of Christmas Eve, the air was already fragrant with cinnamon, citrus and thyme, as Judy bustled about preparing as many festive dishes as she could manage in advance of Christmas Day, humming along softly to the dulcet tones of Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby who crooned nostalgically in the background.
Despite Judy's protestations that her heavily pregnant daughter should put her feet up and relax, Monica was keen to assist her with the festive cooking and somehow managed to tie an apron around her sizeable bump before joining her mother in the kitchen.
Knowing the sparring pair as well as he did, Chandler had privately predicted that Monica and Judy's joint enterprise would quickly descend into some kind of tense and argumentative festive power grab, so it was with a degree of trepidation that he took a seat at the kitchen table to play Lego with Ross and Ben.
He glanced up from their construction occasionally, observing the two women with interest as they moved deftly about the kitchen, preparing stuffing and gingerbread and cranberry sauce, and smiled softly to see mother and daughter quietly enjoying a peaceful sense of togetherness, as they anticipated and responded to each other's need for a specific bowl, or knife, or spoon with familial instinct and surprising congeniality.
Chandler stifled a yawn and grinned appreciatively when Monica wordlessly placed two much needed mugs of steaming hot, freshly-brewed coffee on coasters in front of him and Ross.
Despite the convivial atmosphere, the entire household was feeling somewhat jaded after an early start with Ben, who had woken at 5.45am and immediately bounced his way through the house, eager to impart his overflowing glee. Chandler was already dreading to think what time the excited little boy would see fit to rise on Christmas morning, after a visit from Santa, if this was his reaction to Christmas Eve.
Monica had done her parents a favor by keeping her exuberant nephew away from their room for as long as she could by sleepily gathering him up into her bed, where he had spent a good half hour snuggled comfortably between her and Chandler, watching in fascination as his baby cousin writhed in his aunt's belly.
He had giggled and began to gently prod at the baby's sharp elbows and knees as he spotted them protrude, in a game that Chandler had enthusiastically, but perhaps somewhat unwisely, dubbed "Baby Whack-a-Mole".
Monica eventually had to put a stop to their fun when Ben's increasing excitement caused his initially soft and reverent pokes to become progressively more frenetic and less gentle; and she swiftly suggested that instead, the baby might prefer to hear about the presents Ben was hoping to receive from Santa Claus.
She and Chandler had watched indulgently as the little boy had sweetly complied; pressing his lips against her bump, so that the baby might hear him better, as he reeled off the impressively long list of presents he had requested.
Despite their early start, Chandler had to admit that Ben's spirited effervescence was infectious, and as he and Ross helped Ben to construct his Lego sleigh (which had actually begun to more closely resemble a spaceship) his heart glowed with warmth as it dawned upon him that he and Monica would now have years of similarly magical family holidays ahead of them, filled with the fleeting wonder and imagination of childhood.
He was taken aback when Judy approached him, drying her hands on her crimson apron as she asked mildly, "Chandler, could I possibly have a word with you in the living room for a moment?"
Monica and Ross exchanged a look of impending doom as a startled Chandler swallowed back a swig of coffee and concentrated hard on maintaining an unconcerned air.
"Of course" he agreed with an affable smile as he rose to his feet.
He glanced nervously towards Monica, whose eyes were wide with premature apology as he followed her mother from the kitchen.
When they reached the living room, Judy opened the top drawer of the highly-polished mahogany bureau that stood in the corner, and extracted a small box, as Chandler regarded her with curiosity.
"I just wanted to show you the present I got for Monica. I hope you don't mind, but I bought her a charm for that beautiful bracelet you got her." Judy explained seriously "I wanted to check that you were happy for me to give it to her, in case you'd bought her similar. I didn't want to step on any toes..."
She opened the box to reveal a sparkling silver Christmas star charm.
Chandler was so taken aback by both the gesture and by Judy's attitude of deference, that he initially struggled to respond, finally managing to tell her reassuringly "It's really beautiful. I'm sure she'll love it. Thank you."
Judy met his eyes with a reticent smile and a nod "Wonderful" she said as she stashed the box in the pocket of her cardigan "I'll go ahead and wrap it then".
She looked back towards him and hesitated for a moment before telling him sincerely, "Jack and I are so thrilled to have you all here, you know Chandler. It's very special to have the whole family together. So thank you. For agreeing to come."
Before he could even begin to formulate a response, she swept towards the door, leaving him to trail mutely but harmoniously in her wake.
As Judy disappeared to wrap her daughter's gift, Chandler made his way back to the kitchen, feeling Monica and Ross's concerned and inquisitive eyes land upon him the moment he stepped through the door.
"Are you OK?" Monica asked worriedly.
"Yeah I'm fine" he replied with a blithe smile, beginning to enjoy the curiosity of the siblings as they continued to exchange puzzled glances.
"What did she want?" Monica eventually hissed forthrightly, as she dragged him by the elbow into a corner, out of earshot of Ben.
"Nothing you need to worry about!" he told her innocently, giving her hair a placating ruffle, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth as her eyes narrowed into a frustrated scowl of suspicion.
One fundamental Christmas element the Gellers had been unable to provide for their grandson was snow.
Whilst the air was crisp, the wintry chill was tempered by apricity; an unseasonable warmth radiated from the milky sun, and the soft cornflower blue sky remained staunchly cloudless.
The night before they had left the city, Monica had predicted with grim amusement that her parents would most likely place her under house arrest for the entirety of their stay on Long Island, sure that they would be keen to keep their daughter's unmarried, pregnant form away from the prying eyes and parochial attitudes of their conservative neighbors, lest she bring shame upon the family. So she felt more than a degree of guilt when her father cheerfully suggested that the family should take advantage of the pleasant weather by taking a walk around the neighborhood together.
Their pace was leisurely, thanks to Monica's weighty baby bump, Jack's bad ankle, and Ben's frequent stops to view the festively adorned houses; and the group paused frequently to greet various friends and acquaintances of Judy and Jack, who contrary to Monica's assumptions, seemed more than happy to show off both their animated grandson and their expectant daughter to all they encountered.
As darkness approached the family applied the finishing touches to the newly decorated tree, whose boughs now dripped with lavishly draped tinsel, its branches straining to hold the weight of the haphazardly arranged baubles that Ben had hung with typical childish eagerness.
Chandler had smirked with amusement as he watched Monica silently balk at the irregularly dispersed ornaments, privately impressed by the restraint she had shown in the face of such careless and uneven tree dressing; masking her disapproval at Ben's chaotic methods far more successfully than she ever usually managed with Joey and Phoebe. However, he could not help but suspect that she may not be able to prevent herself from rearranging the child's handiwork after he went to bed.
Judy carefully handed a small gift box to her grandson, who was now positively giddy at Santa's imminent arrival.
"Ben, I was hoping you could help me find a special place on the tree for this decoration" she requested with a sentimental smile as the boy opened the lid of the box to reveal a gilded, ceramic star inscribed with his name.
"It says Ben!" he remarked with a grin, as Ross helped him to extract the ornament from the box and search for an appropriate branch upon which to proudly display it.
Judy then glanced towards Monica as she produced a second box and addressed her grandson once more "There's another star in here, for your cousin, but of course, we don't know their name yet. Maybe you and Aunt Monica could find a spot for this one too? And then next year, we can get one with their name written on it."
Judy's concerted efforts to communicate her acceptance of her new grandchild and to build bridges with her daughter might be long overdue but were incredibly welcome.
The woman's reaction of undisguised disapproval when she had heard their baby news, and her subsequent lengthy spell of cold behaviour towards him and Monica had led Chandler to expect nothing but biting remarks, unconcealed disdain and hurtful criticism this Christmas, so he felt quite overwhelmed now, knowing precisely how much Judy's thoughtful gesture would mean to her daughter.
He watched misty-eyed, as Monica ran an appreciative and affectionate hand over her mother's arm and smiled excitedly at her nephew, her eyes glistening with emotion in the warm glow of the sparkling tree.
Ben returned Monica's grin and began to hunt for a suitable space on the tree for his cousin's blank ornament, telling her hopefully "I hope the baby's name is Hulk!"
"Me too" agreed Ross with a smirk.
"When can I put Santa's cookies and milk out?" Ben asked his father impatiently, already scampering hyper-actively towards the kitchen to retrieve the gingerbread he had decorated with Monica earlier that afternoon.
"Hold on! I think we'll do that just before bed" Ross called after him.
"Er... I actually heard Santa is lactose intolerant..." Jack interjected as he and Judy followed them towards the kitchen "So it might be better to leave him a scotch".
Monica climbed onto the couch and nestled close to Chandler, a blissfully exhausted smile on her face as she surveyed the gaudily decorated tree.
"Can you believe that this time next year, we're going to be doing all of this with our own baby?" she asked elatedly "I mean, I know it won't understand what's going on, but it will love all of the lights, and the tinsel and the decorations" she imagined dreamily "It could even be crawling by then!"
"That'll be relaxing.." Chandler remarked sarcastically as his eyes scanned the room, imagining the havoc a pair of enthusiastic and fearless chubby little baby hands could wreak upon such a festive scene.
Monica chuckled as she brought her head to his shoulder and wrapped her arm around his waist "I never knew it was possible to feel this happy," she told him truthfully in a soft whisper.
"I know. Me too" he returned gently, as he drew her into a tight and contented embrace.
Chandler always found it difficult to function during those strangely suspended days of reflection that follow Christmas, when the embers of indulgence and warmth begin to sober and ebb but the anticipation and hopefulness of New Year are yet to take hold; and he stared glassily into the sink as he swirled dish soap through the stream of warm water ready to wash the pans from the pasta dinner he and Monica had just shared back home in their apartment.
He had enjoyed his time with Monica and her family more than he could ever have dared hope he might, and going back to work had felt like a real slog.
He had barely been able to recite the date or even the day of the week, as he had shuffled without purpose about his office today; the building itself seeming as quiet and subdued as the handful of unfortunate souls that toiled idly within, every last one of them envious of the significant number of their colleagues who had been wise enough to take sufficient annual leave to be able to enjoy this yuletide limbo in the comfort of their own home.
He was snapped out of his daze by the enthusiastic arrival of Rachel and Phoebe who burst through the door, fresh from their own family gatherings, with festive greetings aplenty.
Rachel made straight for Monica to pull her into a hug, a wide smile of fondness lighting her face, but she was rendered barely noticeable by Phoebe, who was practically jumping with excitement as her eyes moved frantically between Chandler and Monica, demanding "How was it? How did it go?"
The couple exchanged a baffled smirk as Chandler assured her "Yeah, it was great thanks! How were Frank and Alice, and the kids?"
"Good! They sent a bag of the triplets' old clothes for you guys." she informed them with dismissive impatience as she approached Monica and took her by the hands, examining her hard "But tell me about your Christmas!"
"It was fine" Monica reaffirmed as she chuckled back at her with amused confusion "Really nice in fact. Mom and Dad were unbelievably well-behaved and it was so sweet to spend Christmas with Ben."
Phoebe smiled and nodded before glancing back towards Chandler with a look of quiet scrutiny.
"Uh-huh. What gifts did you get?" she asked Monica bluntly.
"Oh, my mom got me a beautiful star charm for my bracelet -" Monica began.
"What did Chandler get you?" Phoebe interrupted a little too forcefully to be considered appropriate, causing Monica and Rachel's eyes to meet with matching befuddlement
"Uh.. He got me this necklace.." Monica told her with a satisfied grin, gesturing towards the delicate gold chain with an elegantly simple half-moon pendant that hung around her neck "And... I'll let him tell you about my other gift.. " she threw her boyfriend a conspiratorial smile.
Phoebe's eyes lit up as she swung around towards Chandler with an expectant beam.
"OK, so a woman from work told me about a nice spa outside of the city that does some special treatments for pregnant women, so I thought the three of you might like to go together next week?" he suggested shyly, as he glanced between Phoebe and Rachel, "So that's your Christmas gift from me."
"That sounds amazing! Thank you Chandler!" Rachel exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck and planting a delighted kiss on his cheek.
"That's really sweet. Thank you Chandler" Phoebe repeated, but Chandler was disconcerted to see that despite her gratitude she was still eyeing him a little strangely.
The four of them chatted companionably about their respective Christmas celebrations for a while, exchanging family news and anecdotes, until the conversation eventually turned to New Year's Eve.
In years gone by most of their celebrations had been hosted in Apartment 20, but Chandler and Monica had decided that they would decline to partake in any group activity this year given Monica's advanced pregnancy, so Ross had offered to throw a small party at his apartment instead.
"I'm still not sure which dress I should wear" Rachel mused "I was thinking my long green one? But then my mom got me a black strapless one for Christmas. Will you come see it and tell me what you think?" she asked Monica.
"Sure. It'll be nice to take a look at a dress that doesn't resemble a tent for a change" Monica replied a little ruefully as she cast her eyes down at her uncomfortably swollen belly, and the maternity wear that was beginning to feel frumpier by the day.
"Are you coming, Phoebe?" she called over her shoulder, as she began to follow Rachel across the hall.
"No, I'm good" Phoebe snapped back, briskly flicking the door closed behind the two women, and swiveling round to face Chandler who stared back at her inquiringly, her expression leading him to feel hopeful that he might finally discover the root cause of her undeniably strange behavior.
"So what happened? What went wrong?" she questioned immediately.
"Phoebe, I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about." Chandler shook his head at his friend in complete bewilderment.
"The proposal! Did you just chicken out? Or mess it up? Or-"
"Shhh..tssst.. Pffft!" Chandler hissed a succession of hushing noises as his wide eyes flickered anxiously towards the door that Monica could return through at any moment, "What proposal?"
Phoebe rolled her eyes and shot him a scathing look "Oh come on! Give it up Chandler, I know you were planning on proposing to Monica - I found the ring last week!"
Chandler stared back at her with infuriated disbelief for a moment, before letting out a loud sigh of resignation and instructing her with a grumble "Put your coat back on and come out on to the balcony."