```CHOICES```

by Creassya
 
 

This takes place four months after When Love Takes Over. Dave's trial is over and he was convicted. Dave's trial was just as stressful as Jakes's trial was. Chandler has had three more panic attacks since then. He had one while he was being crossed examined on the stand, which happened a week ago.
 

Chandler sat on the couch in Monica and Rachel's apartment with the TV on. It was 3am and he couldn't sleep. Monica slowly walked out of her room and sat next to him on the couch. She didn't question why he was sitting in the living room. She knew that he was having trouble sleeping. She still clung to Chandler a little bit, but she was getting much better. She didn't freak out when he left the bedroom without telling her, and she even allowed him to go out with Joey and Ross to hang out without having to call her. He still called her no matter where he went, but he no longer had to call her every hour. Things were getting better, but slowly.

"So, what are you watching?"

"I don't know. I'm just flipping channels." He said.

"I could leave you alone if you need some privacy."

"No, I'm fine. I could use the company." He said leaning on her shoulder.

"I was hoping you'd say that." She said kissing his forehead.

"I'm calling off work for a couple days."

"Yeah, I think you could use it."

"I scared the hell out of Doug when I had a panic attack in my office a month ago. He comes by to check up on every fifteen minutes."

"You scared the hell out of me too."

"The first time it happened, I thought I was gonna die."

Monica held him close without another word. She caressed his hair and rubbed his shoulders. She occasionally kissed his forehead. She was trying to relax him. He was so tense. When he had finally fallen asleep, she didn't want to wake him, so she reached over and took the blanket from the back of the couch and covered her and Chandler with it. She adjusted the pillows and leaned back with him in her arms.

Later that morning, Rachel walked out of her bedroom. She stopped and looked at Chandler and Monica asleep on the couch. She was glad that they were getting along better these days. They were having such a tough time. She walked pass the couch and went into the bathroom to take a shower. Once she was showered and dressed, she headed out the door to work. When Monica heard the door close, she woke up, and so did Chandler.

"Who was that?" He asked.

"Probably Rachel leaving for work."

"Oh, that reminds me, I have to call off work." He said slowly sitting up.

"Hand me the phone. I'll do it." She said.

"You sure? I'm a big boy you know." He said smiling.

"I know." She said with a slight grin.

He handed her the phone and she talked to Doug. She explained to him that Chandler wasn't feeling well, and he should be back to work in a couple days. As usual Doug was okay with it. Monica felt like calling off work also, but decided that Chandler needed some much needed rest and peace and quite. She wondered if she would ever get rid of the urge to stay close to him all time. Their psychiatrist told her that it would be a while before she felt like her old self again. Lana told her to take it one day at a time, and not to rush it. For the most part it was working, but she couldn't fight the urge to stick up under him.

"Well, I have to get up and get ready for work. Do you need anything before I leave?"

"Yeah, just one thing."

"What's that?" She asked.

He leaned in and slowly and passionately kissed her. She put her hands to his face as he rubbed her leg. They pulled apart five minutes later. She looked him in the face and smiled.

"That wasn't fair." She said touching his face once again.

"What wasn't fair?"

"You kissing me like that. You're making it impossible for me to get off this couch." She said resting her forehead against his.

"Then stay here." He said giving her a soft peck on the mouth.

"Believe me, there's nothing I'd rather do than....."

"Me?" He interrupted.

She laughed and kissed him again.

"That too, but I have to go to work. I would love to stay here with you, but I've already taken enough days off work."

"I know. Just thought I'd try."

Hours later Monica called Chandler from the restaurant.

"Hi honey."

"Hey sweetie. I can't talk long. I just wanted to call and tell you that I love you."

"I love you too Mon."

When they hung up, Chandler sat there with a smile on his face. He felt like he was getting his Monica back. He noticed that she still was clinging to him, but not nearly as much as she was before. He was able to handle it now. When he woke up in the middle of the night with nightmares she woke up and held him in her arms until he feel asleep, or she would stay up all night and talk to him. It was a little hard on her because she had to stand on her feet all day and cook, but she told him that he was worth it. She was treating him like a king once again, and he loved it. He realized that over the course of their relationship, they had switched places from time to time. Monica was always the one with all the answers and strength in their relationship until she became blind. She was the mess that he usually was, so he had to be her strength and comforter. Now they're resuming their usual roles.

When she returned home from work, she greeted him with a long passionate kiss. When they pulled apart, Rachel came in excited.

"Guess what?" She said.

"You're standing in front of the TV?" He answered sarcastically.

"I got a raise!"

"That's great." Monica said hugging her.

"Okay, my other news...."

"There's more?"

"Stop it Chandler. Anyway, I was thinking that I'm finally making enough money now, that I could get my own place. So, I'll be moving out." She said a little nervously.

"Wow, well, you gotta do what you gotta do."

"I hope you're not mad."

"No, I'm not mad. I mean, we're getting older. We can't live together forever right? I'm happy for you. I mean, I am a little sad, but I'm fine with it."

"Thank you." Rachel said hugging her again.

"I'm happy for you too Rach." Chandler said.

Later that night, Chandler bolted upright suddenly with tears in his eyes. He had nightmare. Some night had nightmares about the car accident, and other nights like tonight had dreamt about Jake shouting Monica in the head. When he sat up in bed, Monica woke up. The dream really upset him and he was on the verge of having another panic attack. Monica sat in front of him caressing his face and talking to him in a soft tone. At the touch of her hand against his face and the sound of her voice he began to calm down. When his breathing returned to normal she held him tightly. Her running her fingers through his hair, and rubbing his back always seemed to relax him. When they pulled apart, she reached over and turned on the lamp. She began caressing his face and kissing him. When she stopped kissing him, she noticed that he had tears in his eyes. She moved closer to him and softly kissed his tears as he'd done the morning she was in the hospital. She remembered him kissing the tears as the feel from her eyes and kissing the cuts and bruises that were on her forehead and cheeks. While she was kissing him all over his face, he had his eyes closed and his fingers laced through hers.

"I love you so much Monica." He said softly.

"I love you too sweetie."

"I'm sorry I woke you."

"Don't worry about it." She said gazing into his eyes.

"You sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. I've been such a bitch for so long. I owe you this."

"You weren't being a bitch." He said sincerely.

"Yes, I was. I'm here for you, anything you need."

"Sounds like I have my sweet Monica back." He said grinning.

"Well, not all of her, just most of her." She said leaning in to kiss him.

Ross and Faye are at the coffeehouse when Monica enters.

"Hey guys." She said sitting at the small table next to the couch.

"Hey Mon." They said.

"So, are you two doing anything this weekend?"

"Well...."He said grinning at Faye.

"Ewwww Ross!" Monica said.

"Hey, I don't say that about you and Chandler."

Monica gives him an are you kidding me look.

"Ross." Faye said playfully hitting him on the arm.

"Okay, maybe I do sometimes."

"Why? What did you have in mind?" Faye asked.

"Well, me and Chandler were wondering if the two you wanted to come out to dinner with us, our treat."

"Yeah, that sounds great, but I think we should pay our half." Faye said.

"Hey, speak for yourself. We accept."

"You are too much Ross." She said laughing.

While the four of them were out to dinner laughing and talking, Chandler kept thinking about the time the gang went to the beach. Even though he flirted with her the entire time they were there and even before they left for the beach, he never thought that she would be willing to be with him, much less be in love with him. While she was talking to Ross and Faye he looked at her, but turned out her words. Instead he just watched her lips move. Watching her lips move as she talked, he was reminded of their first kiss in Hawaii. He had been sitting in his hotel room feeling sorry for himself because he had broken up with Kathy and he had feeling for Monica. He remembered her coming into his room to make sure that he was okay. When she was about to leave, he gently grabbed her hand and asked her if she had to go. She then sat on his lap facing him and telling him that she wasn't going anywhere. They looked into each others eyes and kissed. Soon after, they were in the shower making love. He smiled at the memory.

"Chandler, what are you smiling at?" Ross asked with his face frowned up.

"Huh?"

"He asked you what were you smiling about?" Monica said.

He looked into her eyes and smiled.

"Oh, I was just thinking about something." He said kissing her softly on the lips.

"Awwwwww." Faye said.

"Oh cut it out." Ross teased.

"Don't start that again." Chandler said.

Later that night, Chandler and Monica were her room changing into their night clothes. While Monica was changing into her sexy nightgown, he stood there watching her with a smile on her face. She turned around and noticed him staring.

"Sweetie, what's going on? You've been acting a little strange tonight."

"I was thinking about that time we all went to the beach and I started flirting with you."

Monica smiled.

"I was also thinking about our first kiss and the first time we slept together."

"Oh, I see." She said walking closer to him.

"I was in heaven that day." He said.

"So was I. I also remember the time we were trapped in that elevator in London. I remember you coming over to me and expressing how you felt about me and telling me for the first time that you loved me." She said touching his face.

"And then you came to my hotel room an hour later and we started making out. Then you stopped and told me that you loved me."

"And you had tears in your eyes." She said.

"Then we made love over and over again." He said grinning.

"What made you start thinking about all this?"

"When I was watching you talk to Ross and Faye. I started thinking about where it started. Back then I never thought I you would ever look at me as more than a friend. I thought you were out of my league. Now I look at then and now and it's still hard to believe that we together."

"And in love."

"And in love." He repeated.

They looked at each other fondly. Chandler kissed her softly on the mouth and pulled her into tight hug. While they were embraced, she was kissing him softly on his neck and running her finger through his hair. He picked her up and carried her to bed.

In the months that followed, Chandler realized that his love for Monica had grown deeper. It surprised him but he loved her so much that he felt that he couldn't possibly love her any more than he already did. They were getting along much better now, and whenever Chandler has a bad day and is in a bad mood the Monica leaves him alone, and vice versa. They were each other's bestfriend again. Lana was impressed at how well they were doing and she hoped that it would last. Rachel had moved out and he spent more time in the apartment. At least twice a week she would rush home to make him a romantic candlelight dinner. He would come in and passionately kiss her as if he hadn't kissed her in years.

Monica was standing near the couch waiting for Chandler. She called him at work and they said he had left hours ago. Just then he walked through the door. He loved her surprise romantic candlelight dinners. He stood there smiling at her and she walked over to him and kissed him very softly and tenderly on the mouth. He looked into her eyes. He loved Monica with everything that was in him. He didn't know how he got along without her before they started dating. She was always there as a friend, but now having her here as a friend and a girlfriend was even better. They sat down and ate dinner. On the nights she cooked dinner for him she made sure that her friends knew about it and she unplugged the phone so they wouldn't be disturbed. While they were eating dinner, they kept eyeing each other. Chandler felt a little silly, but he was having fun. They were flirting with each other playing footsie under the table.

The next week Monica walked into her apartment and found candles all over the apartment and dinner on the table. Chandler walked out of the room smiling at her. She had tears in her eyes. Just months ago their relationship was hanging by a thread, and now it was stronger than ever. He walked toward her and took her hand in his and kissed her.

"I love this Chandler. Even if the food turns out to be bad." She said smiling through her tears.

Chandler laughed.

"I appreciate that. Besides, you do this for me all the time, so I figured you deserved this."

She touched his face and hugged him. So far everything was going according to plan. He loved Monica more than anything, now he wanted to see if she loved him the same way.
 
 

WHAT DOES CHANDLER HAVE UP HIS SLEEVE?

ONLY TWO MORE FICS LEFT IN THIS SERIES

SO STAY TUNED..................................