Taking a Shot

Monica walks into her kitchen, shaking her head in frustration as she searches her cabinets for more alcohol for Joey's party. She grunts and slaps her hands down on the counter as she thinks about Chandler and all of the Jello shots he has already consumed. "I can't believe him!"

Just then, the door to her apartment swings open. Joey's sister Cookie comes in holding an empty vodka bottle. "Hey. Toots. You guys got any more vodka over here? Me and the skinny blonde chick finished this one off." She places the bottle down on the kitchen table and looks around the apartment, nodding, clearly impressed with what she sees. "Hey, this is a nice place you got here. How come we didn't have the party over here?"

Monica forces a strained smile and claps her hands together. "Because I want this apartment to stay nice."

Cookie points at her and nods in agreement, letting a guttural laugh flow from her throat. "So, what about that vodka?"

Monica shakes her head as she returns her attention to her cabinets. "I don't think I have anymore. We used most of it for the Jello shots and Chandler drank all of those. All of our bottles are at the party, I guess."

"Who drank them all? The skinny guy? Ooo. He is not going to be feeling good tomorrow."

Monica nods in agreement. She shuffles a few more things around to look behind some cans of soup and boxes of pasta, but comes up empty. "Nothing. Maybe there's something open in the fridge." She opens the refrigerator door and a look of surprised discovery washes over her face! She pumps her fist in celebration. "Yes! Chandler didn't get all of the Jello shots. Look, there's another tray in here!"

Cookie walks over and smiles. "Jackpot! Break 'em out skinny girl."

Monica giggles to herself and blushes at being called skinny. "Do you call everyone skinny?"

"Everyone who looks like they could use a sandwich." Cookie grabs at the tray and puts it down on the table. "Let's do some shots!"

"Oh, well, I thought we would bring this tray back to the party."

"What? And waste it on those mooks over there? No way. Besides, I haven't done a Jello shot since my first year of school."

Monica nods. "Oh yeah? You partied a lot in college?"

Cookie looks back at her and twists her face in puzzlement. "College? No." she shakes her head. "I'm talking about elementary school. These really took the edge off of those spelling tests."

Monica raises her eyebrows, trying to hide her judgmental expression as Cookie consumes two of the shots in short order. Cookie grabs a cup and hands it to Monica. "Don't make me drink alone. I already lost the skinny blonde chick back at the party."

Monica shrugs her shoulders in submission. "Oh, well, okay I guess I can have one." She takes the cup from Cookie and mimes clinking it together with hers. "Cheers."

They stand there at the table for a while, Monica laughing at Cookie's abrasive storytelling, as they continue to down shot after shot and before Monica realizes what is happening. She looks down and notices that the tray is empty. "Oh no! Did we drink all of those?"

Cookie slaps her stomach a few times, satisfied with their consumption. "Yeah. That was a pretty good snack."

Monica twists her face up, but relaxes quickly as she is already feeling the effects of the alcohol. "Woah! I think maybe I should get something to drink."

Cookie nods. "Now you're talking. Here." She pulls out a small airplane sized bottle of brown liquor from her jacket pocket and pours a little into two empty cups. "Come on sister. Let's keep this party going."

Monica blushes and smiles. "You think of me as a sister? I never had a sister before!"

Cookie flashes her a sympathetic look as she raises her eyebrows, disappointed that it looks like she may lose yet another drinking partner who can't keep up with her. She raises her cup as if about to give a toast. "Whatever floats your boat sweetheart." The two of them clink their cups together and smile as they each slug back their drink.

Monica, a dreamy smile on her face, playfully slaps Cookie on the shoulder. "You Tribbianis are so much fun! Why don't you guys come around more often."

"Well, I was under house arrest for about a year."

The door to the apartment swings open again and Mary-Angela, another one of Joey's sister, strides in with a skip in her step, she giggles to herself and then looks up and sees Monica and Cookie standing at the table. Her energetic mood fades immediately and she purses her lips. "Oh, hey. What are you guys doing here?"

Cookie eyes her suspiciously. "We're having a drink. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, well, I was looking for you. And now I found you!"

Cookie looks over at Monica and then back to her sister. "Which one of us were you looking for? Me, or her?"

Mary-Angela pauses for a moment and then laughs and points at Monica. "Her of course. Why would I look for you in here? Everyone was looking for her because she lives here. Right?"

Cookies points at Monica as she looks at her sister, unconvinced by her excuse. "Oh yeah? Well, what's her name then Columbo."

Mary-Angela stammers as she gestures towards Monica. "Oh, yeah, she's uh, well her name is, uh, well, she's one of the girls who lives here."

Monica smiles. "That's me! I'm Marmonicama"

"See, Marmonicama."

Cookie looks over at Monica and then back at her sister. "Okay, come on, shows over." She grabs her sister by her upper arm and starts to forcibly walk her back to the door. She turns back to face Monica. "Hey, skinny black-haired girl, you better drink some water okay?" She then looks down at the counter. "Oh, hey, can I take these strawberries with me? I love these."

Monica nods absentmindedly and turns to face the kitchen sink.

Cookie pushes her sister back out the door as she snatches the container of strawberries. "I swear, we can't take you anywhere without you finding some mook to make out with. We're going home!"

The door slams shut and Monica looks around the room. "What am I doing in here again?" She smacks her lips and grabs a glass, filling it with tap water and guzzling it down. "Oh yeah. Water. My old friend." She drinks two more glasses quickly and then places the glass down on the sink. "Oh, that's no good. Now I have to pee!" She races into her bathroom and shuts the door behind her.

Almost at the same time, the front door opens up and Chandler stumbles in. He searches the room haphazardly and smiles. "Hello! Where are you hiding?" He circles the living room, walking around the couch until he stops and plops down, putting his feet up on the coffee table. He hears the toilet flush and the sink go on in the bathroom and he smiles as he throws his arm around the back so he can face whoever it is that comes out. "There you are. Come on out here. The Chan-man is ready for…" he stops himself when Monica emerges from the bathroom.

She tilts her head for a moment, confused at her friend's appearance. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, nothing. Uh, is, uh, well, actually, I don't know any of their names. Are any of Joey's sisters here?"

"No, last time I saw any of them, they were heading out the door with a bunch of strawberries." She collapses down on the couch next to him and leans in close. "You aren't still upset about seeing Janice the other day, are you?"

"Wouldn't you be?"

Monica purses her lips and places her hand on his thigh, giving it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. "Look, I know it has been a really emotional time for you, and you had a lot to drink."

Chandler dips his head down and scrutinizes Monica's mouth. "Hey, why is your tongue green?"

Monica winces and then shakes her head. "Never mind that! Chandler, I just think you have to let that stuff go."

Chandler scoffs, but then raises his hand to brush a piece of her hair from her face. "Well, I guess there are worse things than hanging out with the most beautiful woman who was at the party tonight."

Monica pulls back, clearly surprised and affected by his words. "Really?"

"Are you kidding me, you're the most beautiful woman in most rooms."

Monica stare at Chandler for what feels like an eternity, the dim light in the living room causing her to see his face differently, almost as if she is looking at him for the first time. She isn't sure what impulse she is reacting to. Her disdain for her crappy job, the fact that she still misses Richard, the seven Jello shots she consumed, or the earnest, handsome man telling her, that in a room full of attractive women, she was the most beautiful one there. Whatever it is, the impulse takes her over, and in this moment, she realizes she doesn't care what is driving her to feel the way she does. She only knows one thing, she wants to kiss him. "You're cute too…"

She almost leaps from her side of the couch, crashing into Chandler. She wraps her arms around him tightly as their lips meet, their tongues already starting to dart into and explore each other's mouth. Her breath quickens as she moans into him. Her hands begin to pull and tug at his hair. He instinctively reaches for her hips as he digs his fingers into her upper thighs. They break apart for a moment, both nearly spent of energy from just the one kiss.

She looks at Chandler with uncertainty in her eyes. Searching his for some kind of response, yet he can only stare back at her. He is out of breath, his pupils dilated, his hair already ruffled from her fingers that are still running trails along his scalp. She allows a half-smile to lift the corner of her mouth. "We're making out."

Chandler breathes in, wondering if what just happened was ending as quickly as it began. "Well, not anymore."

She looks him in the eyes again, searching for some sign of clarity. Some signal that he wants to continue. "How drunk are you?"

Chandler breaths in sharply. "Drunk enough to know I want to do this. How drunk are you?"

Monica settles her hands onto his shoulders and smiles. "No so drunk that you should feel guilty about taking advantage."

The two of them look at each other, and as they close the gap between them, they both blurt out breathlessly. "That's the perfect amount!"

They begin kissing again, their hands roaming all over each other's body. Monica allowing small moans to slip into his mouth each time they separate. Chandler chuckles under his breath. "You know what…"

Monica nods and finishes his thought. "…this doesn't feel weird. You're a really good kisser."

"Thanks. I've been practicing all night with Joey's dog statue."

Monica laughs and brings her hand up to his cheek. "Want to move into the bedroom."

Chandler springs up from the couch and grabs her hand. "Mm-hmm." He pulls her quickly to her room, covering the distance in seconds as he closes the door behind them.

Monica crashes down on the bed and kicks off her shoes. "Wow, you're really fast."

"It bodes well for me that speed impresses you." Chandler begins to pull his shirt and sweater vest off over his head as Monica stands back up and shimmies out of her skirt. He removes his pants and she peels off her black sweater. They both pause and stare at each other. Chandler in a pair of plaid boxers. Monica wearing a black bra and matching pair of thin, lace panties. They eye each other over, panting heavily.

She strides over to him and hooks her index fingers over the inside the elastic to his boxers. "We're going to see each other naked."

Chandler nods and moves one of his hands to the clasp of her bra and the other inside the strap of her panties. "Want to do it at the same time?"

She allows a lascivious smirk to cross her lips as she takes a stronger grip of his shorts. "Count of three?"

Chandler unhooks her bra and slides the straps down her shoulders, positioning it so it will fall off once she moves. "Okay."

"One…" She bunches up the waistband of his boxers into each hand, preparing to yank them down.

"Two…" Chandler slowly slides the straps of her underwear to her thighs. Monica leans forward a bit, ready to let her bra drop to the floor.

"Three!"

In a flurry they remove each other's clothes and stare, wide eyed at each other's naked body. Chandler, moving his gaze up and down her body. His mouth agape in stunned wonder. Monica allows her eyes to trail down his trim torso as she flicks her tongue between her lips. She exhales out a chuckle and lifts her eyes to his. "Well, I think it is safe to say that our friendship is effectively ruined."

Chandler moves towards her and backs her up until she falls onto the bed. "Eh, we weren't that close anyway."

A/N – So, I am trying my hand at an AU story that has been kicking around in my head for a while. What would happen if Monica and Chandler got together at some other point during the show? How would that effect the rest of the group? What events would change, what would feel similar, etc.

I picked the party because it was an easy excuse to get them both drunk, and after Monica finally seems to get over Richard and Chandler has his big break-up with Janice felt like a good time to throw them together. I hope you will excuse me using a bunch of dialogue from the show, but I think it might be unavoidable, especially if I want to use canon events to show how much things have changed.

I know I am an idiot for trying to do yet another story, it doesn't make any sense, but this desire to mix and match events from the show resulted in pages of notes that I have written down and they just demanded to be put out there. And, yeah, I know, I did the whole "one, two, three" thing again. I will probably try to update this at least once a week. I hope anyone who takes the time to read this will enjoy.