"What?" Monica repeated as she pushed the sheet off of her and sat up to look
at her midsection.

"That guy you hooked up with last night," Rachel started gently, "he told us
what happened to you. The doctor says that the results from the lab were
wrong, that you really are pregnant. That guy . . . he was too rough on you
or something. Maybe you're just fragile. But anyways, he hurt the baby."

"Is my baby okay?" Monica breathed, rubbing her belly soothingly.

"Now he is," Ross answered. "They had to do surgery. Maybe you should ask
the doctor for more information. We were too worried about you to find out
more than if you were alive and if the baby was alive."

"I'm really pregnant?" Monica asked hopefully, wonder in her voice.

Phoebe nodded. "And that guy, he said to tell you he was sorry. He didn't
even know you were pregnant."

"Did you tell him I didn't either?" Monica pointed out. She sighed and layed
back down again. "Do you guys mind if I just take a little nap? I feel
exhausted."

"Whatever you need, Mon," Rachel said, patting her arm.

* * * * *

After Monica had fallen asleep, the rest of the gang had gone back home to
eat dinner. (The doctor had told them Monica would be released the next
morning.)

"So, what are you going to do now that Monica's really pregnant?" Joey asked
Chandler.

Chandler thought about it. "I guess I'm going to be a daddy," was his final
answer. "Wow, that sounds really scary."

"It will be," Ross told him. "Remember before Ben was born? I had horrible
nightmares. But, let me tell you, you're going to be a great dad. As soon
as you see your baby, everything's going to change for you."

"Right," Chandler said doubtfully.

"Are you and Monica going to get together?" Rachel asked.

Chandler looked taken aback by the question. "No . . . I don't think so. We
decided not to pursue our relationship because we didn't want to put everyone
through the Ross and Rachel drama again."

"You mean you would cheat on Monica with a xerox girl?" Rachel asked, glaring
at Ross.

"But you would be on a break first, right?" Ross pointed out.

"I don't think Chandler would cheat on Monica once they got together," Joey
said thoughtfully. "Monica's way above his league, he'd be lucky to have
her." He paused for consideration. "Although Monica might cheat on him."

"Wow, thanks, Joe," Chandler said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Mon and I
haven't really discussed it yet seeing as we *just* found out and she's been
in the hospital."

"I always thought Monica would have Richard's baby," Rachel said.

"Wh-wh-why would you think that?" Chandler asked, sounding a little bit
upset.

"Well, because they were so much in love, you know? It's too bad they broke
up," Rachel told him.

"No. No, it's not," Chandler said. "It's good because, you know, he didn't
want babies and Monica did. So now they're apart and it's just . . . it's
good, okay?"

Rachel stared at him for a second before sighing and going back to her food.

* * * * *

"I'm okay, really, Chandler," Monica tried to convince Chandler again as he
made her lay back down on the couch.

"No, you're not," Chandler insisted. "You just got out of surgery nearly
twenty-four hours ago and you are not getting up until I say you can,
understand?"

Monica clicked her tongue in frustration but decided not to reprimend
Chandler's strick tone.

"Do I get bell to ring when I want something?" she asked slyly.

Chandler frowned, thinking about it. "I guess so . . . if you want one."

"Chandler!" Monica laughed. "God, I was kidding. You are getting way too
overprotective, okay? The doctor said to just take it easy and skip work for
a couple of days. I don't remember hearing her say 'oh, and have the father
force you to stay on the couch where you can't do anything but stare at the
ceiling' thank you very much."

"Really? 'Cause I clearly remember those exact words."

Monica threw a pillow at Chandler and he laughed.

Chandler was trying to figure out how to bring up what they were going to do
with Monica. Maybe now wasn't the time.

"I'm thirsty, can I at least get myself a drink?" Monica asked, pleading
silently with Chandler. She never thought she'd be begging Chandler of all
people.

"I'll get it," Chandler said authoratively and left for the kitchen.

Monica sat up on the couch and grabbed a magazine to flip through. Rachel
must have just gotten it because she didn't remember seeing it before she
went to the hospital.

"I was thinking," Monica commented as she heard Chandler move around in the
kitchen. "Obviously this baby is pretty fragile. There's no way I'm having
sex again while I'm pregnant. But what about afterwards? I mean, it would
just confuse her if I met somebody."

"So you're just swearing off sex?" Chandler asked doubtfully.

Monica didn't answer and Chandler came in, handing her a glass.

Monica took a sip, then grimaced. "Chandler! This isn't coffee, it's hot
chocolate."

"I know."

Monica gave him a look that said she was beginning to get irritated. "But I
want coffee."

"And you can have some . . . in seven months."

Monica glared at Chandler but took another sip out of her mug.

* * * * *

Later that week, Monica, Rachel, and Phoebe were all in the kitchen at M&R's
apartment; the TV on but nobody paying attention.

"You're swearing off sex?" Rachel repeated Chandler's previous question after
Monica told them her plan.

"Yes," Monica said, exasperated. "I mean, this baby is going to grow up with
Chandler as it's dad. I'm not going to lie to it. Did you guys see that movie
with Madonna in it? Where she slept with her best friend and got pregnant?"

Rachel and Phoebe nodded.

"Remember, it rippied that kid apart he was so sad and confused. I just can't
fall in love again, no matter what. I'm not going to do that to an innocent
child."

"Honey, Chandler's not gay though," Rachel pointed out.

"Yeah, but lots of people think he is," Monica pointed out. "Is that a sign
or what?"

"What if you get really horny . . . like Marcell, Ross's monkey," Phoebe
pointed out. "You won't start humping our legs, will you?"

"I think that when I'm a mom, it's going to be so much better and more
rewarding than having meaningless sex. I just won't get horny."

Rachel and Phoebe snorted.

"What! You guys don't know what it's like, knowing there's another person
inside of you. That soon you're going to be responsible for a little baby.
This feeling can change you," Monica said, sounding a little far away.

Rachel and Phoebe both looked guilty for being so unsupportive and gave
Monica a group hug.

"What if history repeats itself though?" Rachel asked thoughtfully.

"What do you mean by that?" Monica asked.

"What if you get really horny and sleep with Chandler again? I mean, it would
be a lot easier to do if you two were living together."

Monica shook her head. "That's never going to happen. I mean, what if we
fight and break up? It would ruin our baby's life and you guys would have to
go through all of that Ross and Rachel crap again."

"Oh, I so would not want to do that," Phoebe said quickly. Rachel glared at
her.

"There's just too much at stake," Monica concluded.

"But if there was nothing at stake," Rachel prodded. "If you didn't have us
friends to worry about. If you weren't pregnant . . . would you and Chandler
give yourselves a try?"

"Sure. I mean, you don't find sex like we had just anywhere," Monica said,
thinking hard.

"Yeah, It is great, isn't it?" Rachel asked.

Phoebe looked at her in shock. "You slept with Chandler too? Or did you guys
have a threesome?"

"No!" Rachel said, laughing. "Pheebs, we're talking about that feeling. The
best friend feeling. Haven't you ever had it?"

"What is it?"

"He's your best friend, but he can make you tingle all over," Monica told
her.

"Oh . . . um, no."

"You are missing out on a lot."

* * * * *

Phoebe was a little upset about what Rachel and Monica had told her. Whatever
they found in Ross and Chandler she wasn't ever going to find. Thirty years,
wasted, because she still hadn't found that person.

"Hey, Pheebs," Joey greeted as they passed in the hallway.

Phoebe stopped, turned around, and smiled at Joey. Maybe she'd known that
person for a long time but hadn't done anything about it.

If Monica and Chandler slept together, then anything was possible.

* * * * *

"Hey, man," Joey said, coming into his apartment and seeing Chandler watching
TV. "Dude, Phoebe's acting really strange."

"Probably PMS," Chandler replied.

Joey thought about it. "Yeah, I think she's either about to begin or right
in the middle of her period."

"And that explains it," Chandler said.

"So, when are you going to nail Monica again?" Joey asked bluntly.

Chandler's jaw dropped in shock. He quickly shut it. "*What*?"

"You heard me."

"I know, I did," Chandler said. "I just can't believe you'd ask that. We're
not getting together."

"Chandler, think about this, okay?" Joey said, sitting down on the counter.
"Monica is, like, obsessed with babies, right?" Chandler nodded. "But if you
think about it; about everything she's said in reference to them; she didn't
want a baby unless it was with somebody she cared about. At least, as more
than a friend."

"What about the sperm bank incident?"

"Dude, she backed out of it. And I'm not done. Remember Pete?" Joey asked.
"He wanted her badly but she just kept saying no, no matter how persistant he
was. But when she realized she had feelings for him she went ahead and did
it. She wouldn't sleep with someone she didn't have feelings for. Hell, she
wouldn't *kiss* someone she didn't have feelings for."

"We were both drunk."

"How drunk?"

"Drunk enough."

Joey sighed. "Whatever, man. But think, how hard is it going to be, living
with Monica all the time, for the rest of your lives, and never being able
to have her."

Chandler turned his Barca Lounger back around and he did think about it. It
was on his mind for the rest of the night.