Author's Note - This follows on from my first story - TOW What Really Happened In London.  All you need to know about that one was that it was the missing scene from the season 4 episode TOW Ross' Wedding and basically all that happened was that Chandler and Monica slept together for the first time - she was upset and they were both kinda drunk - feel free to go and read it!  But that's all you need to know.  And then this episode picks up from that and takes season 4/5 events in a different direction.  I would love to hear what you think about this one too - good or bad comments welcomed! (alexkdg@aol.com)

Disclaimer:  These characters do not belong to me -they belong to Warner Bros. and Bright, Crane and Kauffman, and anyone else who legally owns them - I’m just borrowing them and they’ll be returned, no damage done =)

The Next Morning - Chandler's bedroom

[Monica and Chandler are asleep - lying in each other's arms.  You can imagine the scene yourself.  We see Monica waking up.  She is still half asleep and so looks at where she is and smiles.  She closes her eyes again and snuggles down next to Chandler and then realises just exactly where she is and looks horrified!]

MNCA:  [Softly so as to not wake Chandler]  Oh..my..God!

Credits

Scene - Chandler's bedroom [continued]

[Monica is still lying in bed freaked out.  Chandler is apparently still fast asleep]

MNCA [VOICEOVER]:  Oh my god - what were we thinking?  What was I thinking?  I didn't want to ruin this friendship with Chandler and now that we've crossed the line....oh this will be so awkward when he  wakes up (we see her face light up) unless..... maybe I can leave without that happening!

[We see that this would be hard since he has his arm around her, but she manages softly to extricate herself.  Chandler shifts in his sleep and she freezes but then he rolls away and she breathes a sigh of relief.  In the next shot she is dressed and is sneaking towards the door, when suddenly there is a loud knock on it and the sound of the handle being tried]

JOEY:  Chandler?  Chandler?  Are you in there man?  Come on, let me in!

[Chandler starts awake as Monica jumps in fright.  He looks at her confused for a second and then realises what exactly they did last night (7 times!) and looks horrified.]

JOEY:  Dude, are you awake?  I forgot my key and I'm locked out!........And I'm hungry - I didn't eat at Felicity's and I want to get changed (he has started to whine)

CHAN: [stops staring at Monica and manages to speak]  Hang on a second Joe - I'm just uh.......getting dressed.  [To Monica in a whisper] Oh my God!  You have to hide!   And oh my god again!  What did we, I mean........

JOEY:   CHANDLER!

CHAN:  IN A MINUTE!

MNCA: [looking around frantically] Not now Chandler - we'll talk later.

[She dives under his bed and he grabs his pants from the floor.  In the next shot he is dressed and opens the door]

JOEY:  Well about time - what the hell were you doing in here?

CHAN [panicked]:  Absolutely nothing whatsoever!  I was with no one and talking to nobody!

JOEY [gives him a weird look]:  OK.  So how was your night?  Probably not as good as mine (he grins and Chandler rolls his eyes).  Man, Felicity is hot!

CHAN:  Well I was all by myself last night.  Nope, I didn't seduce a girl.  Just came up here by myself, watched a little TV by myself, and then went to sleep absolutely by myself.

JOEY:  OK.  Chandler, you really need a girlfriend!  Maybe I'll ask Felicity if any of her friends are single!

CHAN:  No thanks man (a little too emphatically).  Hey, do you want to go get some breakfast?  [To distract Joey]  I hear they have a buffet here!

JOEY:  Oh yeah, that's the stuff!!  Well what are you waiting for?  Let's go!

CHAN:  You go ahead and start eating.  I'll be down in a few minutes. [Joey has already left in his hurry to get to the food]

[Chandler shuts the door and turns to look at the bed]

CHAN:  You can come out.

[Monica crawls out from under the bed and stands up to face him, looking rumpled and embarrassed]

MNCA:  Well I really should be going!  Busy day and all!

CHAN:  Hey wait a minute, don't you think we should talk about what happened last night?

MNCA [nervous]:  What about last night?  That was nothing.  We were both drunk, and I felt bad about my mom and we just got carried away.

CHAN:  Yeah, carried away 7 times!

MNCA:  Well, I was really upset!  And I'm sorry.  But we're going to be OK right?  I mean this isn't going to change anything with us will it?

CHAN [his face has turned from expectant and happy to miserable]:  Yeah we're OK.  Um, I guess we really don't have anything else to say then.

MNCA [false cheerfulness]: Great!  Ok, I guess I should get going then.

CHAN:  Oh absolutely.  Because last night was no big deal..... [looks hopefully at Monica]

MNCA:  Thanks for being so great about this! [she steps over and gives him a quick kiss on the cheek.  Then she steps back awkwardly and walks to the door]
See you later.

CHAN [She has left but he touches his cheek]: (Sadly)  Yeah, see ya.

Later that day - at the church

ROSS [To Chandler who is distracted]:  Hey man, can you tell I'm nervous?

CHANDLER: No ...... you might want to stop pacing though!  And the profuse sweating is kind of a giveaway.

ROSS:  I know but I just want my wedding to be perfect and so far, our parents have been fighting, and just one thing after another has gone wrong.  Oh hey, have you seen Monica?  I wanted to ask her something.

CHANDLER:  NO I haven't seen her!!  Last time I saw her was last night.... at your rehearsal dinner of course!!  Nowhere else at all.

ROSS:  Dude, did you sleep at all last night?  You look worse than I do!

CHANDLER:  What's with all the questions?  I have told EVERYONE I was alone last night!!

ROSS:  Ok, calm down!  (He gives him a strange look)  Well if you see Mon tell her I want to talk to her.  [He walks off]

CHANDLER [fake cheerfully]:  Oh-kay!!  [turns into that fake crying thing that he does!]

Monica's hotel room

[Monica is coming out of the bathroom in a robe.  The phone is ringing and she runs to grab it - it's Phoebe (PHOE)]

MNCA:  Hello?

PHOE:  WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!  I've been calling all day - and all last night, but you didn't answer.

MNCA:  I was....well I was....it must have been the time difference! [She crosses her fingers hoping Phoebe will buy it]  I was here all last night, all by myself!

PHOE:  Oh yeah, duh!  Anyway forget about that.  We have a big problem.  Rachel's flying to London to break up the wedding!  She's finally realised that she's still in love with Ross!

MNCA:  Oh my God!  What are we going to do?

PHOE:  Hey I've been busting my ass trying to tell you guys - you're supposed to come up with a plan now!!  Come on, you're Monica.  You'll think of something!  Listen, just tell Joey to watch the church and Chandler to babysit Ross.  And when Rachel gets there you can convince her that she's doing the wrong thing.

MNCA [freaked]: I haven't even seen Chandler.  I have no idea where he is, none at all!

PHOE:  OK, well find him and tell him!!  And if you see Emily's housekeeper, tell her I'm gonna kick her ass!

Later that day - at the church

[Monica is talking to Joey and Chandler - but trying not to look at Chandler]

MNCA:  Great, so you'll cover Ross, and Joey you can stand outside and watch for Rachel.

CHAN:  And what'll you do?

MNCA:  I'll be sleeping with [she realises what she just said and looks horrified], I mean speaking with Emily.  I think I should warn her.

JOEY:  Man, this sucks.  I was supposed to be meeting Felicity!  She is so .....  [off the other's looks]  OK, I'll cancel.

[He walks off and Monica and Chandler are left standing there awkwardly]

CHAN:  So...... listen - I want to talk to you about last night.  I know that what we did was stupid.

MNCA:  Really stupid.

CHAN:  Right.  Anyway I wanted you to know that it was also ...... well important to me.  While we may have been under the influence of alcohol, uh.... well I wanted that to happen.  I would have kissed you even if we hadn't been drunk.

MNCA:  Really?

CHAN:  Yes!  And I know we shouldn't do it again, because it could ruin our friendship, but.......

MNCA [seeing where his speech is going and cutting him off]:  Look Chandler, that is so sweet.  And it's great of you to try and comfort me, but I'm feeling OK about myself now.  You were right.  I will find someone eventually - someone who appreciates me.  I'm just sorry you just happened to be there when I felt so bad, and so drunk.

CHAN [sounding really upset]:  You're saying that last night didn't mean anything to you at all?  You're saying that if anybody else had been there you would have slept with them?

MNCA:  Why are you getting so mad?  Look, I'm so sorry about what happened, and yes, it was important to me because you're my friend, but I think we should try and forget about it.

CHAN:  Well what if I can't forget about it, huh?  What if I can't stop thinking of you, every second of the goddamned day?  Jeez Mon - I am starting to fall for you so hard and all you do is throw off last night as if it was some minor incident.  Well it meant something to me.  It meant a lot.

[He storms off, leaving Monica looking both stunned and upset]

Outside the church

[Ross is standing outside when Rachel comes up to him]

ROSS:  Oh my God!  Rachel, what are you doing here?  I thought you had to work!

RACH:  Ross I think I should just say it.  I have spent three cab rides and a plane trip practicing what I'm about to say and if I don't tell you now then I'll lose my nerve.

ROSS:  OK, what's up?

[Monica comes running out of the church]

MNCA:  Oh my God Rachel!  It's so great that you are here!  Now why don't you come to the hotel with me and unpack and we can TALK before you might do something stupid.  [She grabs her and propels her away from Ross]

RACH [hissing]:  Monica, what are you doing?

MNCA:  Stopping you from making a big mistake.

RACH:  But I....

MNCA [talking loudly for Ross' benefit - he is looking confused]: That's right - you need to freshen up after your flight!

RACH:  Yeah whatever.  [To Ross] I'll see you later Ross!!

ROSS:  Wait Rach, what did you want to tell me?

MNCA:  It can wait!  Trust me!

[They leave him looking confused while Monica practically drags Rachel away]

Monica's hotel room

MNCA:  How did you think that this would be a good idea?  Coming here on his wedding day to tell him you loved him!  Sweetie, I wanted the two of you to be together too, but you have to accept that he's with Emily now.

RACH:  I know my timing is lousy but I have to let him know how I feel.  I guess you don't understand having never fallen in love with one of your friends, but I can't be around Ross while she is with him.  I can't, it would just be too hard.  But I don't want to lose him.....

[Monica has picked up her 'fallen in love with your friend' comment and is now no longer listening to Rachel.  Instead we see what she is thinking - a montage of Chandler clips!  Yay!  You can insert your own here but these are some of my favourites:  Chandler leaping for the phone across Monica's sofa, doing his whip thing (woo-pah!), sitting in the chair with Monica, comforting her in TOW All The Flashbacks, hugging her in TOW The Birth when she was upset about not having a baby, talking about dating each other in TOW The Jellyfish........ you get the picture!  Meanwhile, Rachel is still talking]

RACH:  And so....... Monica are you even listening to me?  Monica?

MNCA:  What?  I'm sorry Rach but I have to go find ..... someone.  You're going to have to do what you think is right.

RACH:  Wait, what should I do? [It's too late - Monica has already run out the door]
Fine!  I'll do that!!!!

Back at the church

[Chandler is sitting on a bench next to the river across the road.  We see Monica approach and sit down next to him]

MNCA [quietly]:  Hey.

CHAN:  Hey.  Look Monica, I am so sorry about what happened before.  I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable.  And I think you're right.  Our friendship is too important to me to risk.  So can you just try and forget what I said?  Put it down to temporary insanity.

MNCA:  Chandler I came here to tell you....

CHAN:  What a jerk I was?  I know it already!

MNCA:  You're not a jerk, and....

CHAN:  Just desperate and pathetic?

MNCA:  Gee thanks!  God Chandler, can you let me finish a sentence?!  What I was trying to say, was that I'm sorry for how I reacted before.  I was confused when I woke up this morning.  I didn't know how you were going to react ...... I didn't even know how I was feeling.  But then I talked to Rachel .........

CHAN:  Rachel's here?  Oh my God!  Did you stop her from talking to Ross?

MNCA:  I don't know, but that's not important right now.  Well I was talking to her, and I came to realise that, well, I'm falling for you too.  I just never realised how important my friend was until I thought I would lose you.  And I don't want to lose you.  As a friend, or maybe as something more.  So can you forgive me for being so crazy?

[Chandler is stunned and can only look at her]

MNCA:  I guess I messed up pretty bad this morning huh?  OK, I'll just leave...

[She gets up to go but Chandler grabs her wrist and pulls her back down]

CHAN [holding her face in his hands]:  Are you sure about this?

MNCA:  No.

CHAN:  Good, me neither. [He kisses her passionately]

MNCA:  Wow....

[Scene fades out on them kissing again]

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To be continued ........