Finding The One

Written by: Sammi (sammi_friendsrocks@yahoo.com.au)

Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me, but to Bright, Kaufman and Crane Productions and Warner Bros.   Their use is not intended for profit, only for entertainment.

 

In this fic, the gang has never met Chandler.  Monica never dated Pete Becker.  Well here goes…

 

Monica Geller sighed.  She was sitting on the window seat in her apartment, staring out into the rain.  It was 8 o’clock on a Friday night and she was sitting at home, alone.  Not that she didn’t have a boyfriend, but Tony was visiting his parents.  Parents.  Monica’s mother was still bugging her about getting married and having children.  Ever since her break-up with Richard two years ago, Judy had been more and more adamant that Monica would never get married.  And now Monica wasn’t so sure herself.  Sure she was now dating Tony, but she wasn’t really sure if she loved him enough to marry him.  Unlike her brother Ross, Monica only wanted to get married once in her lifetime.

There was a knock at the door.  Monica groaned.  The last thing she needed now was interruptions.  Just when she was starting to seriously think about where her life was going.

“Hi, my name’s Chandler Bing.  I’m Joey’s new roommate.” The man at her door was tanned and good-looking.

“Hi, I’m Monica Geller.” Monica held out her hand.

“Nice to meet you Monica” Chandler said, as he took her hand and shook it warmly.  “I’ve just moved in and I was wondering if you have any eggs.  There doesn’t seem to be any in the fridge.”

Monica laughed. “That’s coz Joey always eats here.  We all do.”

“Oh, and by all you mean…”

“Joey, Phoebe, my brother Ross, my roommate Rachel, and I.  We all hang out here.  You’re most welcome too.” Monica had been immediately taken by this handsome young man.

“Oh I couldn’t impose.”

“No, seriously, just come over with Joey tomorrow morning.”

“I don’t know, we’ll see.”

“Well, come in now.” Monica moved away from the door, allowing Chandler to enter. “So where are you from?” she asked, as they sat on the couch.

“I’ve just moved here from San Francisco.  I was a computer programmer and I got transferred here.  Have you heard of the ??????” (computer program)

“Yeah”

“I programmed it.”

“You did?  Oh my god!  The restaurant I work at uses that!” Monica exclaimed  “I’m a chef.”

“Yeah, well that was one of my better programmes.” Chandler said, sheepishly.

Monica sensed that he didn’t want to talk about his job.  So she changed the subject. “So tell me a bit more about yourself.”

“I’m going to be 31 in April.  I’m an only child and my parents got a divorce when I was 12.  That’s when my father decided he was gay.  So now he runs Viva Las Gagas.”

Monica heard the bitterness in Chandler’s voice.  It was weird how she only met Chandler half an hour ago, and she already felt like she could tell him anything.

“Anyway, enough about me, I wanna hear about you.” Chandler had been immediately taken by this beautiful stranger.  He felt like he could tell Monica anything.

“What do you want to know?”

“When’s your birthday?  How old are you? Things like that.”

“Well, I’ll be 30 on March 21.  As you already know I have a brother named Ross.  He’s the ‘king’ according to my parents.” Monica was beginning to get bitter, but she wanted to tell him for some reason.  It was like she had to tell him. “It’s like Ross can do no wrong while no matter what I do, it’s always wrong.” Monica looked at Chandler with tears in her eyes. “If I do something to my hair, my mother hates it.  If I leave it the way it was when she last saw it, I should have done something to it.  I can never win!”

Monica burst into tears and collapsed in Chandler’s arms.  He hesitantly put them around her and held her until she stopped crying.  Then she looked up and Chandler softly wiped the tears away from her eyes with a tissue.

“I mean, what’s so good about 2 divorces?” Monica continued, Chandler looked surprised. “The first time, his wife found out that she was a lesbian.  No much he could do about that.  But then when he married Emily he said the wrong name at the alter.  And what’s worse is that he said Rachel’s name!”

“Rachel?  As in your roommate Rachel?”

Monica was now calming down.  “Yeah, they went out for a year and then broke up, twice.”

“Twice?”

“Yeah, the first time was on their anniversary.  It’s a long story but basically they went on a break and Ross slept with someone else.”

“What?!”

“I know.  Anyway, a couple of months later they got back together again.  But Rachel wanted Ross to take all the blame for their break-up and obviously Ross wasn’t very happy.  So they broke up again.”

“And how do you know all this?” Chandler was puzzled that Monica would know all the details of her brother’s love life.

“We’re very close.  Our whole gang.  We tell each other almost everything.”

“Oh.” Chandler looked down, knowing that it would take a long time before he was that close to any of them.

“What about you?  Tell me about your love life.”

“What love life?”  Chandler said sarcastically. “I haven’t dated anyone since I broke up with my girlfriend two years ago.  She kissed my best friend.  So we broke up and she started going out with him.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Nah, it’s alright.  We weren’t meant for each other anyway.  Even though we were together for a year, I never really loved her.” Chandler didn’t know why he was telling her all this.  But it just felt right.

Monica found it hard to believe that a guy like Chandler would find it hard to get dates.  She knew that if she didn’t have a boyfriend, she would seriously think about dating him.

“What about you?” Chandler’s voice broke into Monica’s thoughts. “Do you have a boyfriend?”

“Yeah, his name if Tony.  We’ve been going out for almost three months.  In fact I was thinking about him when you knocked.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“You were thinking about your boyfriend.”

“Yeah, I was trying to decide if I really love him. I’m not sure.”  Monica didn’t want to talk anymore about Tony so she changed the subject. “Tell me about what you like, what you hate.  I hardly know anything about you and yet I’m already telling your stuff I haven’t told Rach yet.”

“I know, it’s weird but I feel like I can tell you anything.  Even stuff I haven’t told my best friends.”

“I feel the same way.”

“Hi guys” Joey walked into Monica & Rachel’s apartment where Phoebe, Ross and Rachel were already seated.  “I want you to meet my new roommate. Chandler, this is Phoebe,  Ross and Rachel.  Guys this is Chandler Bing, my roommate”

“Uh hi.” Chandler felt very self-conscious but since he already knew all about everyone there, he felt a little better.  The previous night he had talked with Monica for hours, each learning a lot about the other.  Monica told him all about her friends and he told her about his.  They learned each other’s favourite things, and their most disliked things.

“Hey” Rachel already liked Chandler.  He seemed easy to get on with.

“Hi Chandler” Ross also liked Chandler.  He seemed like a good person to know.

“Hello” Phoebe liked Chandler immediately.  He had a pleasing aura and looked like a nice person.

“Hey guys.” Monica walked out of the bathroom in just a towel.  “Hi Chandler.” Strangely, she didn’t feel at all embarrassed, and neither did Chandler.

“Hey Mon.”

“Wait a second, you guys know each other?” Joey looked between the two “How did that happen?”

“Chandler came over here last night, wanting to borrow some eggs.  He introduced himself and we talked for ages.” Monica exited into her room to get ready for work.

“So, Chandler where are you from?” Rachel was curious to see where this handsome stranger came from.

Chandler knew that the barrel of questions he had been asked last night would be repeated, so he sat down and prepared to answer whatever they wanted to know.

 

Rachel looked around her, at her best friends.  They were just sitting around, talking about nothing in particular the way they always did.

There was Phoebe, who was plucking the air around Ross.  Rachel smiled.  Phoebe was a bit ditzy but everyone loved her anyway.  She was constantly talking about auras and other things that didn’t make sense.  Rachel guessed that Phoebe was cleansing Ross’ aura, as she often tried to do.

Then there was Ross himself, who didn’t look at all pleased with Phoebe.  He was arguing fiercely with her.  That was one of the things Rachel liked best about Ross.  No matter what he did, he always put in 100%.  Whether it was his work or something as simple as a game of poker, Ross always gave it his all.

And there was Joey.  Sweet, ignorant Joey.  Eating pizza as usual. He looked up at her, smiling, with his mouth bulging from the whole piece of pizza he had tried to stuff in his mouth.  She looked away in disgust.  As much as she loved Joey (as a friend!), she always found it disgusting the amount of food he ate.  And the way he treated girls, just casting them off after a week or two.

The last people Rachel looked at were Monica and Chandler.  They were sitting close together on the couch.  Chandler had his arm around her and she was leaning her head on his shoulder.  He was whispering into her ear and she was smiling.  Rachel smiled herself.  Monica & Chandler both looked like they were enjoying themselves.  They looked like a couple, a couple in love, a couple that couldn’t live without each other.  It was true, in a way, those two were best friends, closer than anyone else in the group.

Even though Chandler had only moved in three months ago, Monica had already become really close to him.  They told each other everything and gave each other advice.  Monica told Chandler stuff she didn’t even tell Rachel or Phoebe.  There was hardly anything she didn’t tell him.

 

“Happy Birthday!”  Everyone yelled, as Monica walked into her apartment with Chandler.  There were only her parents and the gang, yet is seemed like a huge party.

She looked at him, and he smiled sheepishly.  Then she hugged him. “Thanks Chandler.” She whispered in his ear.  He knew that she didn’t want a party, and he had made sure the others didn’t throw one for her.

“Presents!” Rachel practically screamed, pulling Monica over to a pile of wrapped boxes.

The majority of presents were cooking or cleaning products.  Rachel, however, gave Monica half of a silver pendant that had the inscription ‘Be… Frie…’  Rachel showed Monica how, when put together with the other half, which Rachel wore around her neck, the inscription read ‘Best Friends’

“Thanks Rach.” Monica said with tears in her eyes.  The two of them hugged and then Monica opened her last present, the one from Chandler.  “Oh my gosh.” She gasped.

It was a beautiful silver bracelet.  Monica looked at Chandler, speechless.

“You like it?”

“It’s…gorgeous.  I love it!!” Monica hugged Chandler.

“Look inside”

Monica looked inside the bracelet.  Inscribed were the words ‘To my favourite person’. “Thanks Chandler,” she whispered, so no-one else could hear.  “You’re my favourite person too.”

 

That night, Rachel couldn’t sleep.  She was thinking about Monica and Chandler.  She could tell that they liked each other more than friends.  She saw the way they looked at each other.  She saw the casual closeness that they had, and was sure they could take it further.  But there was something holding them both back.  Tony, Monica’s boyfriend.  Rachel knew that Chandler & Monica were perfect for each other, but she also knew that Monica wouldn’t dump Tony unless there was a valid reason.  That was one of the things Rachel liked best about Mon.  She would never willingly hurt someone else unless there was a reason.

 

Chandler was lying in bed, thinking about Monica.  He was falling in love with her.  This was the thing he had been afraid of, ever since he had first met her.  She had a boyfriend.  Monica didn’t need Chandler to make her life more complex.  He sighed.  Life was so complicated, especially when you had to hide your feelings.

 

Monica sighed. She was dating Tony, but she was falling in love with someone else. Chandler already knew more about her than any of the others did.  In the months since Chandler had first moved in, she had spent more time with him than Tony.  If only Chandler felt the same way.  Then maybe she would have a valid reason to dump Tony.  But if Chandler didn’t feel like she felt, then there was no reason to dump her boyfriend.  If only…

 

“Mon?”

“Yeah Rach?”

“You like Chandler right?”

“Yeah…” Monica didn’t like where this conversation was going.

“As a friend, or more?”

“More, I think.”

“You think?”

“Alright, yes, I like Chandler as more than a friend.  But he only likes me as a friend.”

“How can you be so sure?  I’ve seen the way he looks at you.  He…”

“Hey guys.” Phoebe walked in, interrupting their conversation.

“Pheebs, do you think Chandler likes Mon as more than a friend?” Rachel turned to her friend.

“Yeah, duh can’t you see it?”

Rachel just looked at Monica with a smirk on her face as if to say ‘told you so’

“Just because Phoebe says he does, it doesn’t mean it’s true.” Monica wanted to get away from the conversation.  “Besides, I have a boyfriend.”

“So dump him.”

“I couldn’t dump him without a reason.”

“You have a reason, you’re in love with someone else.”

“I’m not in love with Chandler!”

“Really?” Rachel raised her eyebrows.

“Oh Mon, it’s so true.” Phoebe said, joining in the conversation

“I don’t know whether I love him.  I think I’m falling in love with him, but I’m not sure.”

“You know Chandler won’t make a move while you’re still with Tony.  He doesn’t want to hurt you and he doesn’t want to get hurt himself coz he doesn’t know if you feel like he does.”  Rachel put things into perspective for Monica.  So that was what was holding Chandler back.

“I’ll talk to him tomorrow.  For now, I’m going to bed.” Monica exited into her room, glad to finally finish the uneasy conversation.

“Who’s she gonna talk to?  Tony or Chandler?” Phoebe wondered.  Rachel shrugged.

 

Monica changed into her night clothes and lay on her bed.  She was thinking about what Rachel and Phoebe has said earlier.  About Chandler liking her as more than a friend.  She needed to talk to him.  But should she break up with Tony first, or talk to Chandler?  That was the big question. 

“If I break up with Tony, then talk to Chandler, I might find out that the girls had been wrong and Chandler doesn’t like me that way.  Then where would I be; no boyfriend and a best friend I have feelings for.” Monica thought out loud, pacing around her room.  “On the other hand, if I talk to Chandler first, and he admits that he has feelings for me, then I can break up with Tony and be with the one I loved.”  Monica stopped pacing.  “Wait a second.  Did I just say I loved Chandler?  I can’t love him!!  What happens if he doesn’t  like me the way I like him?  Then I’ll just be a loser who loves her best friend.”  Monica sighed and sat down.  “I have no choice, I’ve got to talk to Chandler.”

 

“Chandler?  I have to talk to you.”  Monica entered his apartment hesitantly, closing the door behind her.

“Yeah?”  Chandler spun around in his barca lounge.

“I umm…..this is so hard…”

Chandler stood up, and took Monica’s hands in his own.  He looked directly into her sparkling eyes. “Mon, you can tell me anything, you know that.”

Monica looked into Chandler’s blue eyes.  They made her melt.  The fact that they were staring into each other’s eyes and holding hands made it all the more difficult.

“Chandler I…I have, umm…recently, I’ve begun to develop feelings for you.”  There she’d said it.  Monica looked away and waited for Chandler’s reaction.

Chandler was speechless.  Monica felt the same way that he did.  This was better than anything he could have imagined.  He lifted her head with his finger and looked into her eyes again.

“Mon, I…” Chandler suddenly didn’t know what to say.  Everything he’d thought about for the last couple of months had come true and he couldn’t tell her how he felt.

That was it.  Chandler obviously didn’t feel the same way about her, or he would have told her.  Monica sadly looked down and turned around to exit.

Monica turned around and Chandler panicked.  Was she leaving?  Did she have the wrong idea.

“Mon…” Chandler reached out and pulled her back around.

What did Chandler have to tell her?  Why did he have to make leaving so hard?


Chandler knew that he’d never find the words he wanted to say.  So instead he kissed her.  Softly at first, but the when she kissed back, it grew more and more passionate.

Monica was startled at first.  Here she was thinking that Chandler didn’t have feelings for her and he was kissing her.  Then when she realised what was happening, Monica kissed back.  It was a great kiss, one of the best Monica had ever felt.

Chandler slowly traced Monica’s lips with his tongue.  She opened her mouth and allowed his tongue to slip inside.  They moved back until they were both sitting in Chandler’s barca lounge, Monica on Chandler’s lap, still kissing.

Breaking the kiss, Monica looked into Chandler’s eyes.  She could now see that he loved her too.  There was nothing keeping them apart now.  And nothing could have felt better than to be in Chandler’s arms with him loving her as much as she loved him.

“Mon, I love you.” Chandler was a bit hesitant to say this first, scared that she wouldn’t reciprocate.

“I love you too Chandler”  Monica said, with tears in her eyes.

They smiled and kissed again, now knowing that they had found the one.  Finally Found by the Honez came on the radio and it relayed exactly what both Chandler and Monica were feeling.  Chandler pulled Monica up from the chair and wrapped his arms around her waist.  She put both her hands around his neck and they danced together until the song ended.

 

THE END.

 

Tell me what you think guys!  There will be absolutely no sequel coz I’m working on another series so don’t ask.