A Sad Goodbye (part 3)

Okay guys, here it is part three. I don’t think this is particularly good, but I had some comments from people who really liked it, so I’m continuing. Once again, I have to warn you, that there isn’t actually a sad goodbye, but I promise this whole thing really is leading up to something (a sad goodbye), so please bear with me. Don’t forget, I don’t own these characters (except Jake).

Part 3

When Chandler first woke up the next morning, at first, he thought he was dreaming, because when he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Monica, her arms wrapped around him, her face only inches away from his. Chandler kissed her cheek. Monica opened her eyes.

"Sorry honey, I didn’t mean to wake you," he said quietly.

"Its okay, I was only half asleep anyway," she told him, smiling.

"I just wanted to make sure you were real," Chandler said, playing with a strand of her dark hair.

"Well I am."

"I know you are. But I was just afraid that last night might have been all just a wonderful dream, and when I woke up and saw you lying next to me, I thought maybe I was still dreaming," Chandler said ernestly. He kissed her softly on the lips. "I’m so glad its not a dream," he added.

"Me too," Monica agreed, climbing on top of Chandler’s chest. She kissed him lightly. They rolled over so that Chandler was on top, but just when things were starting to heat up, they were interrupted by Jake calling for his Mommy.

"Geez, he wakes up early doesn’t he?" Chandler comented, rolling off Monica.

"I know. I’d better go see what he wants," Monica said, getting up. Chandler grabbed her hand and pulled her back onto the bed.

"I’ll go," he offered, "don’t move," he told her, planting a quick kiss on her forhead. He got up, leaving Monica alone.

Wearing just his boxers [!], Chandler went into Jake’s bedroom. Although Jake and Monica had left eight months ago, the room was still exactly as it had been when they left. It was still decorated with clowns and there were still a lot of Jake’s old fluffy toys scattered around the room.

"What’s up Jake?" Chandler asked, stiffling a yawn. He picked his son up.

"I have to go to the bathroom and I want my Mommy," Jake said cheerfully.

"Okay, how ‘bout I take you to the bathroom, then we go and get Mommy?" Chandler suggested. Jake grinned at him and nodded.

"But Mommy first," he stipulated.

"Okay, okay," Chandler agreed. He carried Jake into the bedroom, where Monica was sat up in bed.

"He needs his Mommy and the bathroom," Chandler explained.

"Mommy!" Jake shouted happily, wriggling out of Chandler’s arms and throwing himself onto Monica.

"Come on Jake," she said, picking him up. She took him into the bathroom, leaving Chandler alone in the bedroom. He stood around for a few minutes, not quite sure what to do with himself. He halfheartedly straightened the bedcovers, but figured Monica would change it when she came back anyway, so he started to unpack the stuff in Monica’s bag.

As well as the clothes (all neatly folded, of course) there were some baby photos of Jake, including one in a gold frame. Chandler remembered when this picture had been taken. Ross had taken it on Jake’s second birthday. Jake was in the middle, blowing out the candles on his birthday cake, and Chandler and Monica were on either side of him.

"Hey," Monica said quietly from the doorway.

"Hey. I was just looking at this picture," Chandler said, showing her. Monica walked over to him.

"It’s a good picture isn't it?" she asked.

"Yeah, good colour, good lighting, good pose, good qualtiy paper stuff," Chandler joked.

"Shut up! I meant it’s a nice picture of us together," monica said. She took the picture out of Chandler's hands to study it more closely.

"Yeah, it is," Chandler agreed seriously.

"You missed Jake's third birthday. I'm sorry," Monica said softly.

"Me too. But I hope I'll be there on his fourth birthday, and all the birthdays after that," Chandler said. He put his arm around Monica's shoulders and pulled her closer to him.

"I hope so too," she said. She lifted her head and kissed him.

"Where's Jake? You think we can get Ross to babysit for a while?" Chandler asked, brushing her hair away from her neck so he could kiss it.

"He's in the living room, watching cartoons. And yeah, I think Ross'd babysit. If he knew I was in the city," Monica said evasively.

"He doesn't know you're here?" Chandler asked, "Why not?"

"Because he'd tell Mom and Dad, they'd come here and start telling me how stupid I was to go to Boston," monica explained angrily.

"I'm sure they'd just be gald you're back," Chandler said comfortingly, stroking her hair.

"You don't know them like I do," Monica argued.

"No, but you’re their daughter, I’m sure they’ll just be pleased to see you."

"Whatever," Monica said huffily.

"Look, honey, we don’t have to see them if you don’t want to. You could ask Ross not to tell them. Or you could just get another babysitter. I’m sorry honey, I just thought you’d want to see your brother," Chandler said.

"I know sweetie. I’m sorry," Monica said. "I just don’t want to complicate everything by getting my parents invloved."

"I’m sorry honey. I just thought maybe if we got Ross to babysit, maybe we could spend some time alone. I mean, I love Jake, and I missed him so much but I love you and I missed him so much, but I love you, and I missed you a whole lot too," Chandler said. He kissed Monica gently on the mouth.

"I missed you too. Even when I was with Steve, I missed you. He couldn’t make me laugh the way you do," Monica said softly. She kissed him gently. He held her face in his hands and kissed her again. They could have gone further if Jake hadn’t chosen just that moment to run back into their bedroom.

"Mommy! Daddy!" he shouted, hurling himself at them. Chandler caught him and swung him around.

"He called me Daddy!" Chanlder exclaimed with a huge grin on his face. Monica beamed back at him.

"Com eon Jake, lets go get you dressed, then we can go get breakfast at a place called Central Perk," Monica said. Jake clapped his hands together eagerly and grinned.

"Like the park," he informed them proudly.

"That’s right honey, like the park," Chandler agreed, still smiling.

"I want ice cream for breakfast!" Jake announced. Chandler’s grin widened even more.

"That’s my boy!" he said, winking. Chandler lifted Jake onto his shoulders, ready to take him back into his bedroom to get dressed. "Oh, do you want Mommy to come too?" he asked, seeing the slightly hurt look on Monica’s face. She liked watching Chandler and Jake together, but she didn’t like feeling left out.

"No! I don’t like Mommy!" Jake shouted angrily. Then he was all smiled again. "Bye bye Mommy!" he sang out cheerfully.

"Bye bye honey," Monica said, waving. Jake waved back so enthusiastically that he almost knocked Chandler out.

"Bye Mon, we won’t be long," Chandler said. He took Jake back over to Monica so he could kiss her. Jake reached over and gave her a wet kiss on the cheek, while Chandler kissed her tenderly on the mouth. Monica returned both kisses, then practically pushed them out of the door.

When they had gone, she went and lay back onto the bed. She felt so comfortable and relaxed here, even though she hadn’t been here for months. This was where she belonged, here, with Chandler and Jake. Not in Boston with some guy she’d met on the subway in Boston. She suddenly had absolutely no idea why she had even gone to Boston in the first place. She loved Chandler. She always had, even before they got together in London. And she’d never stopped loving him. She probably never would.

Ten minutes later, Chandler and Jake came back into Chandler’s bedroom. Jake was dressed, but his t-shirt was on back to front and his hair was unbrushed.

"Hey," Chandler gretted her. He crossed the room and kissed Moncia on the top of her head. "What you said before, about Ross," Chandler began, handing Jake to Monica.

"Chandler, I don’t want to have this conversation again," Monica said stiffly.

"No, I was just gonna ask if we could aske Phoebe to babysit," Chandler jumped in before Moncia started having a go at him.

"Are you sure you’d trust Phoebe with Jake?" Monica asked warily as she turned Jake’s t-shirt the right way around.

"Yeah, I mean she’s got nieces and nephews," Chandler said.

"Well, if you’re sure," Monica shrugged. She brushed the tangles out of Jake’s hair with her fingers.

"Oh yay! Come on, I’ll take him to Phoebe’s apartment, you go get dressed," Chandler commanded, taking Jake out of Monica’s arms.

"Bye bye darling," Monica said, kissing Jake’s cheek.

"Bye Mommy," Jake called happily.

"See you in a bit," Chandler said as he and Jake left.

* * *

When Phoebe opened the door of her apartment and found Chandler standing on the doorstep her first thought was that some girl had messed with his head again.

"Aww, sweetie," she began. Then she saw Jake. She didn’t recognise him as Chandler and Monica’s son, because she hadn’t seen him for so long. "Oh my God! Its worse than I thought! She dumped you and left you to look after her kid!" Phoebe exclaimed with less sympathy than she had intended.

"No, no Phoebe, this is Jake, remember? My son?" Chandler reminded her. Phoebe nodded.

"Well duh," she said, as if Chandler had been the one who had forgotten. Chandler ignored it.

"Listen, me and Monica wanted to spend some time alone together, and we were wondering if you’d mind babysitting Jake for a while," Chandler said.

"Sure! The triplets are here, he can play with them," Phoebe said.

"Great, thanks. Bye Phoebs, bye Jake, have fun with auntie Phoebe," Chandler said brightly.

"Bye Daddy!" Jake shouted.

"Bye Daddy!" Phoebe mimicked. Chandler watched Phoebe take Jake inside, then he left. He couldn’t help smiling when he thought that Phoebe was probably already on the phone to Rachel or Ross or Joey, telling them that Monica and Jake were back, and that Chandler and Monica wanted to be alone together. Chandler knew Monica didn’t want the others to know, but he had convienently ‘forgotten’ to tell Phoebe that.

When Chandler went back to the apartment, Moncia was in the bathroom. Chandler went into the bedroom and brushed his hair while he waited for her.

"Monica!" he called, sticking his head into the main part of the apartment.

"Just a minute!" she answered from the bathroom.

"’kay!" Chandler replied. He went back into the bedroom and grinned as he turned the bedcover around so that it was facing the wrong way. He had just finished when Monica came back into the bedroom. When Chandler saw her, he couldn’t help smiling, even though her black pedal pushers and wine coloured vest top were nothing exceptional.

"Wow," Chandler murmered. Monica smiled and blushed.

"Thanks. I don’t know why you’re so impressed though," Moncia said modestly.

"I haven’t seen you for eight months," Chandler reminded her, "you know that old saying, ‘absense makes the heart grow fonder’ and all that. Well, I don’t know how true that is, but it sure makes you even more beautiful," Chandler said.

"You’re going soft in your old age," she laughed.

"Fine, I’ll shut up, but I’m just trying to be truthful. I really missed you," Chandler said, taking her hands in his.

"I missed you too," Monica said. She leaned up and kissed him lightly. "So where are you taking me?"

"You’ll find out," Chandler said mysteriously. "But you have to wear this," he said, handing her a scarf.

"A scarf? Why?"

"Not a scarf, a blindfold," Chandler corrected, tying it so that it covered her eyes.

"Chandler what are you doing?" Monica demanded, reaching up to push the scarf away.

"Do you trust me or not?" Chandler teased, presing her hands to her sides.

"Of course I trust you, but I want to know whats going on," Moncia said.

"You’ll find out. You just have to trust me. If you can’t do that, you might as well go back to Boston," Chandler said, well aware of the huge risk he was taking.

"I trust you," Moncia said simply. She didn’t even have to think about it. Of course she trusted him. She would have trusted him with her life.

"Well, come on then," Chandler said, taking her hands to guide her out of the apartment.

TO BE CONTINUED…