Sometime Around Midnight

Chapter 18: Arms

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In the past month, I've: run my first marathon, adopted a 9-week-old puppy, stepped down from management at work, attempted to finish planning our wedding reception, and tried to save a tiny sliver of sanity in the process. My apologies for the delay in updating…that was not my intent.

Thank you ALL for the reviews! It was also not my intent to guilt anyone into reviewing, but I'm happy for the reviews I got out of it, ha :)

My thanks to friendsfan101 for the title of the chapter…great song by Christina Perri that fits Randler perfectly :)

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"Hey," Chandler repeated to Monica, surprised to actually be seeing her.

"Hey," Monica echoed back, the two moving out from in front of the doorway to Central Perk in awkward silence. They both stared at the ground, backs against the brick wall.

"I'm sorry, Monica," Chandler finally started, and she looked up slowly. "If I hurt you-that I hurt you. That was never my intention. I just-"

"Can I say something first?" Monica interrupted him, and he nodded slowly. Monica took a deep breath, having not planned on saying this just yet, but this seemed like as good an opportunity as any. "I don't think you really need to be sorry," she finally choked out, a whisper barely audible over the morning traffic rushing by them.

"What?" Chandler took a step closer, partially not hearing her, but also not used to Monica admitting fault.

"You don't need to be sorry," she repeated, slightly louder as she looked up at him. "This may be the first and last time I ever admit to being wrong," she gave him a slight smile, which he returned, "but I have no right to be mad at Rachel, or at you, for any of this. You weren't-you were never mine. You weren't mine to be taken from me. I don't-I don't have any right to be mad at either of you for anything."

"Mon," Chandler said softy. "I might not have been yours, but it's wasn't like there was never…it's not like we never…" Chandler trailed off as he motioned between the two of them, unable to find the right words.

Monica nodded. "I know," she breathed out slowly. "But we never, really, were," she whispered slowly, also motioning between them. "So, I don't get to be mad," she shook her head, looking down.

"I'm still sorry I hurt you," Chandler repeated, sincerely, his hand brushing her arm, and Monica only nodded, tears in her eyes from the sincerity in his voice.

"I know," Monica nodded. "I'm sorry, too."

"Are we okay?" Chandler asked softly, and Monica nodded, not looking up at him.

"We will be."

"Are you and Rachel okay?" Chandler added, that relationship and how upset Rachel was about it being his main concern. Because he cared about Monica and about his friendship with Monica, but Monica and Rachel's relationship seemed more important than that.

Monica again nodded, speaking softly. "We will be."

Chandler watched her for a moment longer, finally glancing down at his watch. "I have to get going, Mon," he whispered, and the only response she again gave was a nod. "I am sorry," he added one last time, and Monica finally looked up, smiling slightly. "I'll see you later?"

Monica nodded, swallowing tears and her pride. "Yea, I'll see you later."

~.~

"Hey."

Rachel looked up, startled to hear Monica's voice. "Hey," Rachel replied, scooting over on the over-sized couch at Central Perk, though there was room for Monica to sit without her doing so.

Monica sat down slowly, tucking her hands beneath her legs, crossing her legs, making herself as small as possible, since that's how she felt at that moment. She took a deep breath, staring down at the table in front of them. Not once in her multiple-decade-spanning friendship with Rachel had she ever admitted defeat, admitted fault. Not once.

"I'm sorry," Monica stated, looking up at Rachel, who was silent in response, taken back by Monica apologizing.

"What-I-"

"I'm sorry for overreacting," Monica added. "I have no right to be mad at either of you. I have no claim over Chandler…He was never mine to be mad about you taking."

Rachel paused, biting her lip. "He was more yours than mine, though."

"That was my rationale!" Monica's eyes lit up, and they both laughed. "I really am sorry, though," Monica added. "Seriously. I should have been happy for you both, and instead, I was sulking and mad at both of you. If you're happy, then I'm happy for you."

"Thanks," Rachel smiled. "I'm sorry that I didn't say anything to you sooner, too. I mean, I could have, I just," Rachel shook her head. "It was new and exciting and unexpected, and neither of us knew where it was going, and I didn't want to hurt you, and he didn't want to hurt Ross, and," Rachel shrugged. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner." Monica nodded. "And I didn't want to hurt you, I didn't, I just…I love him." Monica again nodded. "I love him," Rachel stated a second time, more to herself than any audience.

"Then I'm happy for you," Monica choked out, it not being in her nature to be the bigger person. "I mean, I wish you luck, since it's Chandler and all," she laughed, and Rachel laughed as well, understanding the meaning behind it. "But, I am happy for you. For both of you."

Rachel smiled. "That means a lot coming from you."

Monica returned her smile, and the two sat in awkward silence for a moment.

"Can we hug and have this not be awkward anymore?" Rachel finally asked, motioning between them, and Monica laughed and nodded, the two of them hugging, wiping nonchalantly at their eyes as they pulled away.

"If you guys get married, do I have the best Maid of Honor speech, or what," Monica joked, the two of them laughing, perhaps a bit too hard for how funny the joke had been, until they had laughter to blame for the tears in their eyes instead of any previous reason.

~.~

Rachel curled up next to Chandler in her bed, glad that she had found the one thing that made her apartment feel complete and like home.

"Hey, babe," Chandler mumbled, already half-asleep, wrapping his arms around her as she fit her body against his.

"Hey," Rachel responded, kissing him lightly on the mouth before settling down beside him, closing her eyes, content to sleep there with him.

"I'm sorry," Chandler interrupted the comfortable silence.

"For what?"

"For pushing you away so many times," Chandler opened his eyes, shifting so he could look down at her.

"Chandler-"

"No, I know I said it before, but I really am sorry that I'm such an idiot…."

"If that's the case, I'm sorry, too," Rachel added, "for not stopping you."

"At least you tried."

"Chandler," Rachel reached out, touching his cheek lightly. "Okay," she finally said, "here's the deal. Tonight, you can be sorry, and I can be sorry, but starting tomorrow, we're done apologizing, and we're moving on to whatever comes next. Deal?"

Chandler nodded, pretending to mull that over. "So, tonight I can be sorry for being such an amazing singer that you totally wanted to make out with me after hearing me sing karaoke?"

Rachel smiled back playfully, nodding. "And I can be sorry for getting you drunk in Montauk and making you kiss me."

"And I can be sorry for kissing you in the rain…."

"And I can be sorry for going back to your place with you…."

Chandler smiled, licking his lips. "And I can be sorry for being scared to death to admit that I've been falling for you since about that very moment, and that it scares me even more, but I can't imagine any of my foreseeable future without you in it," he finished, shyly.

"Chandler Bing, I think you may be a hopeless romantic."

"I'm sorry for that, too, then," he grinned, eyes shining in the moonlight shining through the slits between her blinds.

"I'll allow it," Rachel countered with a grin, closing her eyes as his lips captured hers, his hand on her hip, pulling her closer until she was on top of him. "I love you," she whispered, lips still against his, body flush against his, his arms securely around her.

She felt his lips curl into a smile, not moving any part of his body further from hers and the comfortable embrace of entangled limbs and hearts they were currently a part of as he whispered in reply.

"I love you, too."

~.~

C'est tout!

Final reviews are always appreciated :) Thanks for sticking with me through yet another story…you all rock!