Broken Hearts (part 2)

Monica broke away from his lips only long enough to shut the door to his apartment. He grabbed the back of her head and pulled her into yet another passionate kiss. She couldn't help feeling guilty about Chandler, but as her boyfriend pulled her down onto the couch, she forced all thoughts of her fiancee to the back of her mind, at least for now.

"Mon? You okay?" he asked.

"Sure," she answered. "I should be going home soon."

"Aww," he whined. She hated when he did that. Chandler could be childish sometimes, but when he was, it was cute and endearing. When her new boyfriend did, he just looked petty and stupid. Monica pulled herself up out of his firm grip and got dressed. He lay still on the couch and watched her move quickly around the apartment, getting ready to leave. He wasn't jealous of Chandler. As far as he could see, he got the better deal, just sex, whereas Chandler got all the stupid stuff (which he thought of it as) like talking and the casual affection and stuff like that, stuff which showed they were best friends and deeply in love, instead of just fooling around.

Chandler was out when Monica got home. She found a note saying he'd gone to some exhibit with Ross, illustrated with cartoons of a stick figure with a dinasour hat dragging the dead body of a guy in a sweater vest around a museum. Monica had to laugh at that.

By the time Chandler got home, an hour and a half later, Monica had showered and changed her clothes. Chandler was followed into the apartment by Ross. Chandler pulled a face at Monica to show how bored he was. Ross looked annoyed, and Monica guessed Chandler had been winding him up at the museum.

"Ross, all I'm saying is that while some people find dead things with bones sticking out of them intersting, unfortunately, I am not one of those people," Chandler was saying, mid-conversation. Ross didn't answer, he just knocked the sides of his fists together, making the finger 'without actually having to make it'. "Hi honey," Chandler said, ignoring Ross and smoothly changing the subject.

"Hi," Monica said. She crossed the apartment to give him a quick kiss, but Chandler held the back of her head and deepened the kiss. Monica knew Ross would be pulling a face, but didn't care. Whenever Chandler kissed her, everything else melted away into insignificance, like in the romance novels Rachel liked to read.

"Maybe I should go," Ross suggested when they finally broke away from each other. He always felt slightly disgusted when Chandler and Monica kissed in front of him, no matter how many times he saw them. He supposed it was because Monica was his sister, and he thought of Chandler like a brother, so he kinda expected Monica to think of chandler as another big brother.

"Maybe you should," Chandler agreed, kissing Monica again, she responded eagerly, without any hint of guilt, then felt awful for not feeling guilty. Ross left them alone. Chandler smiled his sweet smile, the one that told her clearly he wanted to have sex, and Monica felt her heart sink. She didn't want to come to him fresh from another man's kisses, and yet she knew he would be hurt if she refused.

She was saved from making a desicion by the phone ringing, Chandler tried to prevent her answering, but she pushed his gently restraining hands away, knowing that it could be the doctor with her results. It wasn't, it was a wrong number, but she was glad of the interruption, it gave her chance to think of a nice way to turn down the suggestion he hadn't yet made, but that she knew would be coming soon.

Chandler pulled her close to him again and kissed her. His hands slowly slid down her back, then under her shirt. Monica closed her eyes. Normally, she loved when Chandler didn't ask aloud, he just asked her with his eyes and actions, but this way was even harder to refuse. But she knew she wouldn't be able to enjoy sex with him right now.

"Chandler, please," she said, pushing his hands away. He instantly stopped what he was doing, reminding her of one of the many reasons he was perfect.

"What's the matter?" he asked. It wasn't like Monica not to want to have sex with him, so he knew something must be wrong. He wondered if it was the same something that had had her in tears the previous night. Monica had to turn away from the concerned look on his face. She couldn't leave him worrying about her, so she decided to tell him that she thought she was pregnant.

"Okay, um, how would you like to be a Daddy?" she asked, not knowing how else to ask him.

"What?" Chandler asked, confused. "Are you saying what I think you're saying? Are you pregnant?"

"I think so, I went see to the doctor today, I'll find out for sure in a couple of days," she said, happy that she had finally been able to tell someone, realising how much happier it made her, especially telling Chandler. A smile slowly spread across his face. They were having a baby! He hugged her tightly and spun her round.

"Wow, Mon, this is amazing!" he exclaimed. She laughed, although being spun around was making her feel a little queasy. "I'm gonna be a father!" he shouted in delight, not caring if the whole of New York City heard him. Suddenly, he put her down, so abruptly that she almost fell. "I'm gonna be a father," he said in shock. Monica looked at him, afraid that he would now decide it was a bad thing and would hate the idea. Chandler saw the fear in her eyes and forced a smile that looked scary rather than comforting. She reached up a hand to touch his face. "I'm gonna be a father," he said again, sounding in awe of the fact.

"I think so, unless its a false alarm," Monica smiled. She didn't mention the possibility that she was pregnant but Chandler wasn't the father, she and her new boyfriend had always used a condom, she had insisted on that, and she and Chandler only used birth control when they remembered, because they didn't mind the thought of having a baby, but didn't want to be classed as 'trying' for a baby, because chandler thought that sounded weird. And in the sixth months since they first had unprotected sex, they had used protection less and less.

"I hope its not," he said smiling widely. Monica smiled back. They looked like two little kids, and they didn't care. They were having a baby!

"Me too," she agreed.

"Can I come to the doctor's with you, when you find out for sure?" Chandler asked shyly. The fact that she hadn't asked him to come the first time suggested to him that she might not be comfortable with him there, but he desperately wanted to here the doctor say that they were having a baby. It had been fantastic hearing it from Mon, but from a doctor it would sound more real.

"Oh sweetie, he's going to phone me. Sometime in the next couple of days, he said." Chandler tried to hide his disappointment, but failed miserably. She noticed and laughed. "Honey, you can come with me to every doctors apointment throughout the rest of the pregnancy," she promised, hugging him. That cheered him up a little. He hugged her tightly, then, after a few minutes, ventured another kiss. This time, she didn't even consider refusing him as his hands slid up her shirt. She only stopped him long enough to go into their bedroom.

The following day, Chandler took a couple of days off work, wanting to be there when the doctor phoned, even if he only got the news from Monica. He hadn't left the apartment all day, and had kept close to Monica the whole time. She had arranged to meet her boyfriend for dinner, and kept worrying that he would call when she didn't show up, as Chandler would undoubtable ask where she was going, or even offer to come with her, if she made an excuse. She couldn't even ring him, because chandler was never further away than in the next room.

It was six fifteen when the phone rang. Monica jumped. She had supposed to have met her boyfriend at six. Chandler went to answer it, but she stopped him, he smiled as she grabbed the phone, thinking she just wanted to find out if she really was pregnant. All day he had been thinking about it, wondering if it was a boy or a girl, thinking of how it would look, even planning the whole of the kid's life. All assuming, of course, that Monica really was pregnant.

"Hello," Monica answered the phone, jerking Chandler back to reality. He went and stood behind her, with his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. Monica tensed, wonering if he could hear the voice on the other end.

"Ms Geller?" It was the doctor. If Chandler hadn't been standing so close, she would have breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yes," she said.

"I'm very happy to tell you that I've got the results of your blood test, and you are pregnant," the doctor said, sounding bored rather than happy, but Monica didn't care. She screeched and nearly dropped the phone in excitment. Chandler grinned, guessing by her scream that she was pregnant. When she calmed down a little, Monica remembered that the doctor was still on the line.

"Thank you so much," she said.

"I think you should be thanking your boyfriend," he said, as if he was humoring her.

"Uh huh. Thanks anyway," Monica said, wanting to get off the phone so she and Chandler could celebrate.

"Stop by the clinic in a few days and we'll make you and appointment for your first ultra-sound, and give you some expectant Mommy advice leaflets," the doctor said.

"Okay, bye," Monica said. She didn't wait for the doctor to say goodbye before she hung up. She turned to Chandler, both of them grinning from ear to ear. "I'm pregnant!!!" she screamed. Chandler hugged and lifted her a little off the floor.

"I know! This is amazing!" He said, spinning her around, like he had done the day before. When he stopped, Monica stayed in his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist. She kissed him.

"The doctor told me to thank you," she said quietly.

"Why? All I did was have sex with the most beautiful woman I know. You have to do the pregnancy stuff, the labor, put up with me and my worrying for the next nine months, actually, scratch that, the next eighteen years, not hate me for fainting when the baby's born," Chandler gushed. Monica silenced him with a kiss.

"I know. That's why I'm so happy," she said. Then, inexplicably, she began to cry. It was a combination of the joy of sharing her pregnancy with Chandler, worry about her boyfriend, and what to do about him, the released tension of knowing for sure, and not having to keep it a secret from Chandler anymore. For a split second, she wondered if she should tell Chandler about her boyfriend, then realised what a stupid idea that would be.

"Shh," Chandler whispered. Her tears had shocked him, but he supposed that it was all part of the pregnancy thing, and tried to understand. He rocked her gently, while she was still in his arms, and let her bury her face in his shoulder and cry. He stroked her hair softly and whispered soothing words and phrases that had no real meaning.

"I love you Chandler, don't ever forget that," monica said. The passion with which she said it frightened Chandler a little. It was as if she was afraid that they would somehow be broken up or that he would come to doubt her love for him. He knew that could never happen.

"I won't," he promised. "I love you too."

A few hours later, Monica had insisted that she had to go get some food for them. Chandler offered to phone for take-out, but she said she didn't feel like anything greasy, which ruled out all Chandler's favourites. He offered to go get the food, and even cook it, but she shot him down, saying she didn't feel like beans on toast. Chandler eventually let her go, jokingly threatening to call 911 if she wasn't back in a half an hour.

On her way to the supermarket, Monica stopped at a call box on the corner. She quickly slipped a couple of quarters into it and dialed a number. She tapped her fingers impatiently while it rang, then felt horribly nervous as soon as she heard a familiar voice say "hello".

"Hi, its Monica," she said, whispering, even though there was no one who would hear her, or even be trying to. And even if they did, they wouldnt' know what she was talking about anyway. But the secrecy she had picked up over the last month had become deeply ingrained.

"Mon! Where the hell were you earlier?" he demanded. "I waited an hour, and you still didn't show up. I didn't want to ring in case Chandler answered." He said 'Chandler' as if the very word disgusted him.

"I'm sorry Mark," she said, "I had to stay home, and Chandler was there the whole time, barely letting me go to the bathroom alone. That's why I couldn't ring you and cancel. I'm sorry."

Mark sighed. "Its okay," he said resignedly. "Thanks for calling now, anyway. So how come he was home? I thought you said he'd be out all day, then at a late meeting tonight. I was looking forward to a proper date with you," he said.

"I got some news, he wanted to be with me when I got it," was the only explanation she offered. Mark sensed the final tone in her voice, and knew she wouldn't say more, but pressed her anyway. He hated when she didn't tell him stuff, especially stuff that she told Chandler.

"What news?" he asked sulkily. Monica was silent. Mark sighed. "Never mind. Can I see you tomorrow?" he asked hopefully.

"I don't know," she said, biting her bottom lip. What if Chandler stayed home again tomorrow? She didn't want to disappoint Mark two nights in a row.

"Well, call me whenever you feel like seeing me again," Mark said bitterly, and slammed the phone down. Monica waited a second, listening to the dialing tone, before she too slammed the phone down. How dare he? She didn't need him! She had Chandler! She had her baby! And yet... she did need to see him again, if only to end things between them, because there was no way she could keep seeing him when she was pregnant. And after the baby was born she would hardly be able to leave the apartment alone, never mind escape to her lover's apartment for a few hours without Chandler or any of her friends finding out.

She walked briskly to the shop and absentmindedly threw a few basic things into the trolley. While she was queueing, she spotted a display of Jellybabies, and impulsively threw a bag into the trolley.

It wasn't until she got home and Chandler looked strangely at her, that Monica realised that none of the foods she had bought would go together to form anything remotely edible. Chandler put it down, again, to weird pregnant stuff, and wondered briefly how many more times he would have to put up with her weird behavior, then reminded himself that he didn't care, because at the end of it all, he would be the luckiest man in the world, with Monica, and their baby.

The ended up eating cornflakes (dry, she had forgotten to buy milk), peanuts and jellybabies. They drank orange juice. They ate their bizzare meal sitting on the floor in front of the window, laughing as Chandler tried to throw the jellybabies and catch them in his mouth. When he thought Monica was laughing a little too hard, he started throwing them at her. Monica wondered how she could ever have thought she needed Mark. Chandler was so wonderful, what did a childish, sulky, jealous man like Mark have that Chandler didn't? And yet why was she wondering when she would next be able to see Mark, even as she sat throwing jellybabies and having fun with Chandler?

TO BE CONTINUED...

Surprised by who the 'other man' was? I hope so.