Hello! Okay, if you remember the episode when Phoebe had her babies and the cute nurses asked Monica and Rachel out? Well, in this fic, Chandler never apologized, so Monica ended up going out with him, and now they're married, and Ross went to London to make up with Emily, and that's where he is now. That's where this picks up. The song is by John Mayer, I know, I know, surprise, surprise! Anyway, just read it. And REVIEW!!! I can't read minds.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or John Mayer, sigh

"Dan!" Monica yelled up the stairs of their house to her husband. He had gone through med school and now he was a doctor, and as Monica glanced at her watch, he was also late. He came down the stairs holding a beautiful little girl in his arms. Kayley was their daughter, she was three.

"I'm going," Dan said laughing as he handed Kayley to Monica. He leaned over and kissed her on the mouth and then kissed Kayley and grabbed his car keys and left the house.

"Bye Daddy!" Kayley yelled as he pulled out of the driveway of their large suburban home and down the street.

"So it's just you and me kiddo," Monica said to her daughter. "We have some errands to run and then we can do whatever you would like." Kayley nodded and ran to get her coat as Monica pulled on hers. She heard the phone ringing and she ran to answer it.

"Mon?"

"Ross? Is that you?"

"Yep, how are you?"

"We're fine, you?"

"Good, the baby is finally sleeping through the nights," he told his sister.

"That's good," Monica told him laughing. "So what's up?"

"I just missed you, that's all," Ross told her. "How's the gang?"

"I actually haven't talked to them in a while," Monica said. The truth was that her and Ross kind of got Kipped out of the group. She hadn't spoken to Chandler since her wedding. Her and Ross finished the conversation and she sat down to think about that day. It seemed so long ago, but it was only four years.

Four years before:

Monica came into the coffee house and saw all her friends, including her brother, sitting there. That was good, that way her and Dan could make their announcement right then. She cleared her throat and they all looked up at the beaming couple.

"We have some news for you," Monica started. Dan held her hand and nodded for her to continue. "We're getting married!" They all jumped up and hugged the two of them. Chandler managed a weak smile at them and hugged Monica.

"Congratulations," he told her. She looked up at him and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you," she told him. "That means a lot to me." He nodded.

"I have to get to work," he said. "Congratulation Mon and Dan." With that, he left the coffee house.

"What's with him?" Rachel asked out loud, but then grabbed Monica's hand and pulled her down to the couch. "We have to pick out your dress, and your bridesmaid dresses, and the flower scheme and everything!" Monica smiled and Dan kissed Monica on the cheek as he was also late for work. When they were done, Monica went back up to her apartment, and on a whim opened the boys' door. Chandler was sitting there throwing a ball against the wall in his chair.

"Chandler?" She asked. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," he said. "You're getting married, I'm fine, I'm happy for you."

"You don't seem fine," she told him. She sighed and left when he didn't answer.

"Well, excuse me Monica, if I'm not just bursting with joy at the prospect of you getting married. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm busy," he said to the closed door. Chandler sighed and went into his bedroom to sleep and hope that Dan and Monica never happened, that she was in his arms.

The weeks flew by and Monica and Dan were busy making plans for the wedding. Chandler stayed as far away from the couple as he could. He wanted her to be happy, but it still hurt when he saw them together. Dan, of course, was the perfect boyfriend for Monica, everyone said. Mrs. Geller loved him.

"A doctor!" She said. "My daughter is marrying a doctor." Monica was pleased that she could finally find someone that her mother liked, so no one corrected her that Dan wasn't a doctor yet. Besides, Monica had been dreaming of this since she was little. This was going to be the happiest day of her life. Finally, all the planning got to Chandler and he told the gang that he had a business trip to go on and that he would be back.

"You have to be back for the wedding," Ross said. "Emily and I aren't leaving until after. There was no way I was going to miss my baby sister getting married!" But Chandler had no intentions of coming back for the wedding. He planned on telling them that he couldn't get a flight back in time. That was his big plan, but a week before the big day, he was laying in Denver in a hotel and he found himself reaching for the phone. He dialed her number, but it was busy. He tried again a few minutes later, and it was still busy. Those annoying beeps that told him that she was talking to someone else. He tried all night to get a hold of her. He suddenly wanted to confess everything. That he loved her, that he had made a mistake by letting her go on that date with Dan in the first place. He loved her. He wanted her to marry him, not Dr. Dan.

"Stupid boy nurse," Chandler said slamming the phone onto the receiver. He tried all night. He couldn't get her on the phone. It was busy all night. So finally he got fed up, and grabbed his coat, threw his things into a suitcase and went to the airport. He had the entire flight to map out in his head what he was going to say to her, and when he finally landed, he hurried off the plane and got to a payphone, and sighed when it rang.

"Hello?" It was Monica. In the background he heard a man's voice. "Honey? Who is it?"

"I don't know, hello?" Chandler sighed and hung up and got a cab and headed to his apartment. He still needed to talk to her, but he couldn't with Dan there. So he would just have to wait until she had time for him, knowing that she wouldn't be able to before the wedding, and he didn't want to talk to her after that, the entire point was to stop her from marrying Dan. He got into his apartment and Joey hugged him.

"You made it!" He said. Chandler smiled.

"I wouldn't have missed it," he lied. "I'm tired, I'm going to take a nap." He went into his bedroom and closed the door and buried his head in a pillow thinking of Monica in a white dress. The only bad part about the dream was the man at the end of the aisle waiting for her.

Six numbers

one more dial

before I'm before you

I tried to call

busy all night

gave up waiting at daylight

excuse me Mrs. Busybody

could you pencil me in when you can?

though we both know that the worst part about it

is I won't be free when you wanted me

if you wanted me

Chandler hung back and watched as Monica and Dan made the last minute arrangements for the wedding the next day. Rachel was going to be her maid of honor, and Phoebe was going to be her bridesmaid. Dan had his friend, the nurse who had taken Rachel out, as his best man, and Ross as his usher to please Monica. Chandler's biggest annoyance with Dan was that he was perfect for Monica. He was sweet and nice and treated her like she should be treated. He held the same look in his eye that Chandler held in his eyes when he looked at Monica. Monica entered his apartment, and he looked up. They were alone, this was his big chance.

"Hey," she said.

"Oh, hi Mon," he smiled at her. His brain was rushing with a million thoughts. What to say to her, what to make her understand that she had to call the wedding off.

"Chandler? I need to talk to you," she said.

"Go ahead I'm listening," he told her taking her hands and sitting on the chair.

"Well, you see, I'm not so sure about tomorrow, and I can't talk to anyone else because they all love Dan, and I just don't know," she began to cry and he took her into his arms. "I love him. I really do. He's great, and so wonderful to me." Chandler felt hurt for a minute. She loved him? Chandler had convinced himself in his head that she didn't really love Dan, he was just there to make Chandler jealous. Even after they got engaged, he lived in that fantasy, but the words coming out of her mouth made it real. She did love Dan. Suddenly, he couldn't go through with it. He couldn't tell her that he loved her, that wasn't fair to her, and so he kept his mouth closed and he didn't tell her what he really thought.

"Do you love him?" He asked. She nodded wiping her tears away. "Then you should marry him."

"Oh, Chandler, " she told him hugging him. "Thank you." He nodded and kissed the top of her head and rocked her back and forth in his arms. "Guess what?"

"What?" He pulled away and looked at her.

"My father invited Richard! Can you believe? And he said yes!" Monica said shaking her head. "Maybe that's what this was all about." Chandler nodded, he hadn't even topped the list of her loves. Dan and Richard were up there and he was down with Fun Bobby towards the bottom. A mistake she had made. "Anyway," she shook her head once more. "Thanks for listening to me."

"No problem," he said.

"Chandler?"

"Yes?"

"I thought I loved you once, but maybe I just mistook friendship for love. After London, I mean, but you made me see that day in the hospital, that we were just goofing around. Because of that I met Dan, and now we're getting married! I'm getting married!" She added a goodbye and left the apartment and he let tears succumb as he rocked himself in the chair. He didn't want tomorrow to come. Tomorrow made her Mrs. Daniel Foster forever. He sighed, knowing that he would have to swallow his pride and be there for her on her big day.

Oh, I am the man on the side

hoping that you'll make up your mind

I am the one who will swallow his pride

life as the man on the side

One of the many

but one of the few

to stand back and wait for you

Monica twirled in front of the mirror and admired her reflection. Rachel came in and smiled at her friend.

"You look so beautiful Mon," she assured her.

"Thanks," Monica said smiling at the mirror again.

"Here, let's finish your hair," Rachel said and Monica sat on the stool in front of the mirror and allowed Rachel to place the tiara towards the middle of her head in front of her bun and then the veil was held securely in place by the tiara.

"Here darling," Judy Geller said. "It can be your something barrowed. It was your grandmother's, she wore it on her wedding day, I wore it on mine, and now it's your turn." She held out a beautiful diamond necklace that Monica gasped when she saw and Judy placed gingerly around her daughter's neck. Monica stood and Phoebe handed her the roses and Monica stood once more in front of the mirror before flashing a smile to her mother and friends and her father poked his head in.

"Monica? Are you ready sweetheart?" She nodded and smiled. Judy left to take her seat and Jack led Monica out to the back of the church where they would wait until it was time for her to walk down the aisle. Ross was back there with her too and gave her a kiss on her cheek.

"You look so wonderful," he told her.

"Thanks Ross," she told him smiling. She looked at her father and smiled at him too, but she couldn't help have a nagging thought. Was she marrying the right man? Chandler was sitting there in the church. Was he her soul mate? Was she making a huge mistake by marrying Dan? These thoughts didn't have time to become settled in her brain because Phoebe and Ross left and then Rachel and then it was her turn. She took a deep breath and started down the aisle.

excuse me Mrs. Busybody

could you pencil me in when you can?

though we both know that the worst part about it

is I won't be free when you wanted me

if you wanted me

if you wanted me

Oh I am the man on the side

hoping that you'll make up your mind

I am the one who will swallow his pride

life as the man on the side

life as the man on the side

Chandler sat in his seat in the pew of the church and waited for the wedding march to start and for Monica to walk down the aisle. Phoebe and Ross came down first. Monica had picked gorgeous red dresses for them to wear and white roses. In fact white and red roses were all over the church. The march started and everyone in the church stood as Jack Geller led his daughter down the aisle. She looked breathtaking. She looked like a princess. She was carrying a bouquet of red roses and she was beaming. They got to the alter and Jack kissed her on the cheek and handed her hand to Dan. Chandler shifted and Joey, who was sitting next to him noticed.

"She looks great, doesn't she?" He asked Chandler.

"Yes," Chandler answered and watched her in the front saying her vows to another man. Chandler imagined himself up there holding her hand in his and was only knocked out of his daydream by the minister declaring them husband and wife.

"You may now kiss your bride," he told Dan. And Dan obliged taking her in his arms and kissing her. Chandler had missed his chance with her. She was gone. She was somebody else's wife now. Not his. Never to be his again. He numbly clapped as she came down the aisle and followed Joey out of the church. They got to the reception and Monica and Dan came in holding hands and laughing. They were happy. And Chandler wanted her to be happy. So he just had to talk to her once more. To tell her that he hoped that she would be happy. This was it. Tonight he would let her go. This image, this dream of her that he had built in his head. That would be gone. No more. He couldn't take it any longer. After tonight, he decided, he wouldn't think about her anymore. He would move on. He found her and gave her a hug.

"I'm so happy for you Mon," he told her. It was only a half lie. He was happy that she was happy, but he wanted her to be happy with him.

"Thanks Chandler," she replied hugging him back.

"He better treat you good." She smiled and took his hand.

"He will," she assured him.

"If he doesn't, you know my number," he teased.

"Really? I don't know if I remember it, I would just walk across the hall when I needed you," they both laughed and they thought about what she just said. No longer would she be right across the hall from him when he needed her advice, or food, or just her friendship. Her and Dan were moving to their own apartment. They hugged once more, this time half clinging to each other in a desperate attempt to cling to the past.

"Take care of yourself Monica," he told her.

"You too," she whispered in his ear. He winked at her and Dan came and led her away from Chandler. She threw one more glance back at him and waved before he downed his glass of wine and left the reception.

I fell in love

with a dream that I built of you

playing the part of the queen

taking my own advice

I'm giving up tonight

good luck to you and the kid

"Mommy!" Kayley's voice brought her back from the past and she looked up at her daughter who was pulling on her sleeve.

"Kayley?"

"Are you ready to go?" Kayley asked dancing in circles.

"Yeah, hold on a minute," Monica said. She placed the phone back in it's cradle and threw on her coat as she and Kayley left the house. They got into their car and drove to the mall where Monica had to pick some things up and finish some errands.

"Can we stop at the toy store?" Kayley asked dancing around.

"Um, sure," Monica was still thinking of the past and wondering where Chandler was. Rachel, she knew had gotten married and now had a one year old girl named Gretchen. Phoebe had gotten custody of the triplets who were now going on five. Frank and Alice had died in a car accident. Monica talked to the two of them quite frequently. Phoebe had gotten married as well to a man named John, and they lived a few streets over from Dan and Monica. Rachel, Gretchen, and Will, her husband, still lived in the city. Joey was still trying to be an actor in the city, and Chandler...well she never asked and no one ever told her if they knew. She wondered where he was. Was he happy? She hoped that he was. She held Kayley as they walked through the mall. Monica walked into the department store and saw a man who looked awfully familiar.

"Chandler?" She asked.

"Monica?" He turned around.

"How are you?" She asked.

"I'm good, you?"

"Not too bad," she told him smiling. He noticed the little girl for the first time. A little girl, who had bright blue eyes and dark curly hair was sitting there looking at the display of toys.

"Is this your daughter?" Monica nodded.

"This is Kayley," she introduced.

"Mommy? Can I get a doll?"

"One track mind," Monica said laughing. "So what about you? Married? Kids?"

"Married," he said. "No kids."

"Oh," she nodded. A woman with blonde hair appeared next to him suddenly. She was short, and her hair fell to her shoulders in ringlets. Monica had gone more conservative when she had had Kayley, and so today she had on black pants, and a beige turtleneck with a black coat and beige scarf. Monica's hair was cut to her shoulders and layered. This woman was wearing something that Phoebe would maybe even shake her head at. Bright blue pants, and a green and blue coat with a blue hat over her curly blonde hair, and then a canary yellow glittery shirt and yellow shoes. Monica couldn't even begin to imagine where you would buy yellow shoes. This was Chandler's wife? She wasn't his type. Then again, Monica hadn't seen him in four years, maybe his type had changed.

"Sweetie? What do you think of this dress? Oh, hello," she said noticing Monica and Kayley.

" Mandy, this is one of my oldest, dearest friends Monica and her daughter Kayley. Mon, this is my wife Mandy," Chandler introduced.

"Nice to meet you," Monica said smiling.

"You too," Mandy said giving Monica a half smile.

"Why don't you and Dan join us for dinner?" Chandler asked.

"Whose Dan?" Mandy asked interrupted Monica's answer.

"My husband," Monica said. "We'd love to."

"What does your husband do?" Mandy asked.

` "He's a doctor, if I remember correctly," Chandler answered for Monica.

"Yes, he's a doctor," Monica agreed smiling. After hearing this, Mandy seemed to warm to the idea of dinner. Monica finally gave Chandler a small smile as Kayley pulled on her arm. "I'd better go."

"Wait, I don't think I have your number anymore," Chandler said.

"Oh," Monica put Kayley down and rummaged through her purse producing a small card. She flipped it over and wrote her number and handed it to Chandler as he handed her his and waved as she and Kayley disappeared further into the store. Chandler sighed as she walked away. He had married Mandy when he was drowning in his sorrow over hearing Monica was pregnant and he had gotten drunk and Mandy had looked like a good prospect at the time. Now seeing Monica again resurfaced all his feelings for her and he realized the reason he had gotten married to Mandy was that not a single thing she did reminded him of Monica. It had been one of her redeeming qualities.

Excuse me Mrs. Busybody

could you pencil me in?

but we both know that the worst part about it

is I won't be free when you wanted me

if you wanted me

if you wanted me

I am the man on the side

hoping that you make up your mind

I am the one who will swallow his pride

life as the man

you know, life as the man

living life as the man on the side

Monica and Kayley pulled up to their house singing songs and giggling.

"If all the raindrops were lemon drops and gum drops oh what a rain it would be," they sang as they made their way to the front door. Monica pulled out her key and slipped it into the lock.

"Dan? Honey? We're home," she called out. She heard some shuffling and then,

"Hey Mon, I'll be down in a minute," he told her.

"Okay," she took off her coat and hung it up in the front closet next to Kayley's as she made her way to the kitchen where her daughter had already gone. Dan appeared a few minutes later and gave his wife a kiss and then spun his daughter around and set her back on the stool she was sitting on.

"How was your day?" Monica asked wrapping her arms around Dan.

"It was long, yours?"

"I saw Chandler at the mall," she said. "Remember my friend Chandler?"

"Oh, yeah, how is he?"

"He's good," Monica said. "I told him that we'd go out to dinner tonight with him and his wife."

"All right," Dan said smiling.

"I have to go shower," she told him. "Can you keep an eye on Kayley?"

"Shower? Now?"

"Yes," she laughed a little. "Shower, now." She moved towards the steps and Dan cut her off and kissed her passionately.

"I love you," he told her.

"I love you too," she replied. "I'm going to take that shower now." He let her pass and watched as she went up the stairs.

"Chandler!" Monica came into the restaurant and saw her friend and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You remember Dan?"

"Hi Dan," he said sticking out his hand.

"Nice to see you again," Dan said smiling. "And you must be Chandler's wife Mandy."

"You must be Dr. Foster," Mandy said giggling.

"That's correct," Dan laughed. He pulled out Monica's chair for her and then pushed her back in and kissed her cheek. Monica's black dress showed off her great figure and her hair was pulled up and she looked elegant and beautiful. Chandler couldn't help but stare at her. Mandy was off and talking to Dan, and he kept shooting looks over at his wife who shrugged helplessly. Mandy wouldn't stop talking. After dinner, Dan stood up and smiled at Chandler and Mandy.

"We'd love to stay longer, but we have to go relieve the babysitter and I have a early shift tomorrow," Dan said helping Monica with her coat.

"It was nice to see you again," Monica said hugging Chandler.

"You too Mon," he told her and watched as he husband placed his hand on the small of her back and led her out of the restaurant. She flashed one more smile back at Chandler and then left.

Monica dropped Kayley off at her friend's house and made her way home. She put her key in the door and came in. There was a noise upstairs and she began her way up to see what caused it. Dan was working, and wouldn't be home until five. She got to the top of the stairs and called out seeing if maybe he had gotten home early. She opened the bedroom door and saw Dan naked in the bed and a girl scrambling for her clothes.

"Monica? What are you doing home this early? You said you were working at the restaurant today," Dan said. She held up her hands and closed the door fighting the tears that were going to fall.

"Monica!" She heard Dan yelling after her, but she ignored his cries as she got into her car and with trembling hands picked up the phone and called the one person that she knew could help her through this.

~*That's where I'm going to leave you for now. And you will stay that way unless you review. Hint, hint. Just press the little button there and leave me a review. Thanks!*~