Finding my way home

By Caroline Prince

            Author's Note: Here's the next chapter. Characters not mine.

Chapter 2 : The Re-Union

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Chandler opened one eye, listening intently. Hearing nothing, he closed his eye.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Chandler sat up. He looked around nervously. His eyes fell on the time-piece on his nightstand. 1:45 A.M.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Okay, so he wasn't imagining it. He got off the bed and cautiously made his way towards the living room.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

God! Someone was at his door. Which crazed lunatic was knocking at his door at this un-earthly hour? He was about to reach for the light-switch, when he heard a soft voice from the other side, "Chandler?"

Oh man, whoever was on the other side knew his name. Was she a stalker? He brushed the ridiculous notion aside. Who would want to stalk him? Then he heard it again.

"Chandler?"

He recognized that voice... he would know that voice anywhere. He only needed to make sure. He turned on the light & peeped through the peep-hole. He was right. It was Monica.

He opened the door a whispered, "Monica?"

Chandler's heart gave a lurch when she raised her head. She looked sheet-white and her blue eyes were red-rimmed and swollen. Her cheeks were still wet.

"Oh Monica, what happened?", his voice was a mixture of surprise and concern.

"Chandler... " she choked. "I... I..."

Chandler quietly gathered her into her arms. "Shhh... shhh.... " he whispered trying to get her to stop crying. He led her into the apartment and made her sit on the barca-lounger. He settled himself into the other chair and whispered, "What happened?"

"My marriage is over Chandler"

"What?!!"

"You heard me. He wants a divorce. Actually we're already divorced."

"Why?!"

"It... it all began when I tried to broach the topic of having a baby," she explained. "He just didn't want that. Everything down-spiralled from there."

"Monica, how long has this been going on?"

She looked down. This was one question she didn't want to answer. It would hurt him.

"Monica, how long has this been going on?" Chandler repeated.

"For nearly three months," she sighed.

"Three months?!! And yet you did not breathe a word about it to anyone of us? Why?" Chandler looked at her incredulously. "You know, we would have helped you. You didn't have to go through all of this alone." Her head was still bowed down. He knelt down next to her chair and tilted her chin upwards, forcing her to look at him. "Why?" he asked again.

"Chandler, I should have listened to you," she sobbed.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"When you tried to warn me against marrying him, I should have listened."

Chandler didn't comment on that, instead he asked, "So, you're telling me - your marriage is over because of Richard's refusal to have a baby?"

"That and he was carrying on with Shelley Marks from my restaurant."

Chandler stared in disbelief. His mind was a whirl of emotions now. Of all things, he'd never expected this. One part of him wanted to hunt Richard down and kick his ass and the other part (the rational part) wished it knew how to make her pain disappear.

For once, he heeded his rational side and pulled Monica into a tight hug. The 'ass-kicking' could be left for later in his agenda, he decided.

He pulled away from the hug and said, "You know what, any guy that isn't faithful to you isn't good enough to be your husband."

"Maybe, I wasn't good enough to be his wife."

"That's crap and you know it. He doesn't deserve you, Mon. You are seriously better off without him. Now you really need to get some sleep. Come on."

She nodded, "Yeah. Just let me brush my teeth and change into my night clothes."

She stood up. She grabbed her night dress and toothbrush from the bag and headed for the bathroom.

When she emerged a few minutes later, she found Chandler waiting for her holding a glass of water and two Aspirin, which he held out to her.

She took it and whispered, "Thank you, Chandler."

"Sweetie, how many times do I have to tell you that you don't need..."

She cut him off with a finger on his lips, "I know. But I wanted to."

He smiled, "You ready for bed? Come on, you can sleep on my bed. I'll kip on the couch."

"Yeah. By the way, where's Joey?", she had completely forgotten to ask about Joey.

"Date." he grinned.

"Oh!", she smiled, her first genuine smile in the day.

He tucked her in and leaned down to kiss her on the forehead, "Good night, Monica."

"Good Night, Chandler.", she reached for his hand. He squeezed her hand as it clasped in his. He held her hand till he was sure she was asleep. Then he gently reached over and turned the night lamp off and tip-toed out of the bedroom.

The next morning, Monica woke up to the smells of roasting bacon wafting through the bedroom. She walked out of the room to find Chandler at the stove and Joey at the counter sipping a glass of orange juice.

"Good Morning!", she said cheerfully.

Two heads turned towards her. She watched in amusement as Joe's face turned from scared to surprised. So Chandler had not yet told Joey anything, she noted.

"Monica!!", Joey yelled as he lunged for her, embracing her. Over his shoulder, Monica saw Chandler wearing an amused look.

"What are you doing here? And where is the old ball'n'chain?", Joey asked as he let go of her.

Monica's face fell and Joey looked confused. "What's going on?", Joey wondered.

Chandler came over to Monica's side and put an arm around her shoulder. He then explained the complete situation to Joey.

When Chandler finished, Joey's face had turned beet-red. He began to express his desire to go and "kick-some-ass", when Chandler cut him off. "Later Joe!", he said.

Monica was finishing her breakfast when Ross and Rachel entered the apartment, bickering loudly about Mark. They were so engrossed in the fight that they didn't notice the new person in the apartment.

Finally, Chandler who was disgusted with the whole thing, yelled, "When you both have put your eyes back in, you'll be able to see who has arrived."

They stopped and turned around.

"Monica!", Rachel shrieked as she rushed to hug her best friend. "Where is Rich..."

"Don't ask! Don't even ask!", Joey yelled cutting Rachel's question off.

Ross who was about to hug Monica stopped and asked, "Why? What's going on?"

There was a long pause.

Ross was slipping into psycho "big-brother" mode. He had struck up a "kara-tay" pose. "What? What? Tell me what's going on! Or else... ", Ross stuttered.

"Or else, what? You'll Hi-YA?", Rachel mocked. That caused Monica to smile, albeit briefly.

Ross glared at Rachel. Turning to Monica, he demanded, "Where is Richard?"

Monica sighed, resigning herself to explaining the divorce to Ross.

Ross was now in full "big-brother" mode. He jumped up in anger, "I'll kill him. I'll beat the pulp out of him."

Chandler grabbed hold of Ross' collar and pushed him back into the chair. "Beating the pulp out of Richard is not going to help Monica, Ross" he said. "So, try to concentrate on making Monica feel better first."

"OK, OK", Ross took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "Uh, do Mom and Dad know about this?"

"No" Monica said. That was what she'd been dreading - telling her parents. While she was sure that her dad would atleast try to see things from her point of view, her mom on the other hand would go all... well... 'Judy' on her.

"Are you gonna tell them?" Ross wondered.

"Not now - maybe later. Listen Ross, I feel like I've been hit by an atom bomb. I need some time to work up the courage to face them - especially Mom. When I do tell them, I'm gonna need your support"

"Of course, Mon." Ross hugged his sister and then continued "I do wish I could go and strangle Richard now. I never thought he'd be one to go and have an affair and then flaunt it openly. Its such an insult."

Just then they were interrupted by a strange and deep voice, "Ah, the sixth void has been filled once again. There is a sense of completion in here."

Astonished, five heads turned towards the doorway. Phoebe was standing there, her eyes closed and a peculiar expression on her face. Everyone except Joey, rolled their eyes.

Joey exclaimed, "Pheebs, you're brilliant. How did you know that Monica was back?"

"She is?", Phoebe looked surprised, but then amended herself. "Uh...I mean of course she is! After all I'm psychic !"

"What else is new?", Rachel muttered under her breath as she watched Phoebe greet Monica.

*Thatt's it! Chapter 2! Read and Review!*