[This chapter is fairly short, but it sets up the whole premise of this AU fic. Just remember how much Chandler loved her in season 3, and how he sang "Endless Love" with Phoebe after she left.]
2003
Chandler was still sleeping in bed while his wife showered and got dressed. She was also singing "Lady in Red" to herself, but her unmistakable voice was drowned out by the blow dryer as she dried her long, dark hair.
Finally ready to go, she returned to the master bedroom and leaned over to kiss Chandler and stroke his hair.
He woke up with a yawn and smiled at her. "Morning, sweetie."
"Morning," she said happily. "Listen, I already fed the chick and the duck, and now I have to go pick up Ruthie from Gary and Little Miss New Boobs, okay?"
"Oh, right." Chandler remembered now. "Hey, you want me to go with you? I could get dressed--"
"No, that's fine, sweetie. You stay here with Joey."
He felt guilty. "But we shouldn't just let you do all the work while we sleep in."
"I don't mind. You guys can make it up to me later. Besides, I need to take Ruthie shopping for some new clothes before school starts again, and we don't want to miss the early bird specials at the department stores."
"Okay. And if you wanna buy yourself something pretty too, go right ahead. We've got three incomes!"
She laughed her unmistakable laugh and kissed him again. "Anyway, I gotta go before I'm late. Bye-bye, Bing-a-ling." She kissed Chandler, then reached past him and kissed Joey's forehead too. "Bye, Joey." Then she waved and left, grabbing her purse on the way out.
Chandler sighed and thought how lucky he was to have such a considerate and lovely wife. He and Joey should buy her a really nice anniversary gift this year.
Just then, Joey stirred behind him in bed and was apparently no longer asleep. Chandler turned around and caressed his cheek. "Morning, Joe."
"Morning." Joey moved the bedcovers out of the way and came close so that their naked bodies touched. "I love you."
Chandler smiled and kissed him. "I love you too."
Joey opened his eyes a little more and nuzzled his neck. "So, is Mrs. Bing the only one who gets to have fun with your Bing-a-ling, or is it my turn now?"
Chandler laughed. "Why, I believe it is Mr. Tribbiani's turn after all! What did you have in mind?"
Joey said nothing, just smiling mischievously and taking hold of Chandler's morning erection. He gave Chandler a good squeeze and kissed him hard.
Moaning, Chandler marveled once more at how lucky he was to be loved by two such wonderful people at once. He felt special and treasured.
***
February, 1998
"Isn't this amazing?" Chandler said, holding onto Janice's hand as if he would never let her go. "It's like she never left."
"Oh, I wish I never left, sweetie. You're my soul mate." She kissed him and smiled.
Chandler's friends did their best to be polite, despite their shock at seeing Janice again.
Monica asked, "So how have you been, Janice?"
"Well, I'm divorced now. Yep, I'm riding the alimony pony." She laughed her machine-gun laugh.
Joey groaned and felt his skin crawl. Why did Rachel and Chandler have to run into her again? Why, God, why?!
Phoebe hugged Janice and said, "I missed you!" She had always liked Janice.
Chandler pouted a little. "You didn't miss her as much as I did!" He pulled Janice into his arms and kissed her.
Joey felt like he could throw up. Phoebe smiled at the couple with benevolent approval. The others just stood there as if staring at a car wreck.
Janice finally broke off the kiss and said, "I have to go now, sweetie. I'll see you tonight, okay?"
"Okay, but don't be late." They had tickets to a Broadway show tonight.
"Of course not, honey! I'm not letting my Bing-a-ling get away from me this time. Bye."
"Bye."
Janice smiled and waved to them all before leaving.
After the door closed, Monica and Phoebe asked how this all happened, so Chandler and Rachel explained how they ran into Janice at the 14th Street nail salon earlier today.
"Yeah," Rachel said, "After they started talking, they just went off together and left me while I finished my manicure."
"You had a manicure too!" Monica noticed Chandler's fingernails and laughed at him.
"Hey, don't make fun of me! It doesn't make me any less manly. Janice liked it."
"God, she must be your soul mate if this didn't freak her out!"
The girls teased him about getting a pedicure as well, and Phoebe said, "Wow, and now you're going out tonight. Can I come along? I love to hear her sing show tunes."
Joey remained silent during this whole animated conversation, and when he could stand it no more, he just stormed out of the apartment. Joey thought he'd seen the last of Janice over a year ago, when she went back to Gary for the sake of their marriage and their kid, but now all of the sudden she was back in Chandler's life. Joey didn't know how he'd be able to live with it this time around. He sure as hell didn't want to find out.
[So, you want to know how they got from 1998 to 2003? Leave a review and see chapters to come.]
2003
Chandler was still sleeping in bed while his wife showered and got dressed. She was also singing "Lady in Red" to herself, but her unmistakable voice was drowned out by the blow dryer as she dried her long, dark hair.
Finally ready to go, she returned to the master bedroom and leaned over to kiss Chandler and stroke his hair.
He woke up with a yawn and smiled at her. "Morning, sweetie."
"Morning," she said happily. "Listen, I already fed the chick and the duck, and now I have to go pick up Ruthie from Gary and Little Miss New Boobs, okay?"
"Oh, right." Chandler remembered now. "Hey, you want me to go with you? I could get dressed--"
"No, that's fine, sweetie. You stay here with Joey."
He felt guilty. "But we shouldn't just let you do all the work while we sleep in."
"I don't mind. You guys can make it up to me later. Besides, I need to take Ruthie shopping for some new clothes before school starts again, and we don't want to miss the early bird specials at the department stores."
"Okay. And if you wanna buy yourself something pretty too, go right ahead. We've got three incomes!"
She laughed her unmistakable laugh and kissed him again. "Anyway, I gotta go before I'm late. Bye-bye, Bing-a-ling." She kissed Chandler, then reached past him and kissed Joey's forehead too. "Bye, Joey." Then she waved and left, grabbing her purse on the way out.
Chandler sighed and thought how lucky he was to have such a considerate and lovely wife. He and Joey should buy her a really nice anniversary gift this year.
Just then, Joey stirred behind him in bed and was apparently no longer asleep. Chandler turned around and caressed his cheek. "Morning, Joe."
"Morning." Joey moved the bedcovers out of the way and came close so that their naked bodies touched. "I love you."
Chandler smiled and kissed him. "I love you too."
Joey opened his eyes a little more and nuzzled his neck. "So, is Mrs. Bing the only one who gets to have fun with your Bing-a-ling, or is it my turn now?"
Chandler laughed. "Why, I believe it is Mr. Tribbiani's turn after all! What did you have in mind?"
Joey said nothing, just smiling mischievously and taking hold of Chandler's morning erection. He gave Chandler a good squeeze and kissed him hard.
Moaning, Chandler marveled once more at how lucky he was to be loved by two such wonderful people at once. He felt special and treasured.
***
February, 1998
"Isn't this amazing?" Chandler said, holding onto Janice's hand as if he would never let her go. "It's like she never left."
"Oh, I wish I never left, sweetie. You're my soul mate." She kissed him and smiled.
Chandler's friends did their best to be polite, despite their shock at seeing Janice again.
Monica asked, "So how have you been, Janice?"
"Well, I'm divorced now. Yep, I'm riding the alimony pony." She laughed her machine-gun laugh.
Joey groaned and felt his skin crawl. Why did Rachel and Chandler have to run into her again? Why, God, why?!
Phoebe hugged Janice and said, "I missed you!" She had always liked Janice.
Chandler pouted a little. "You didn't miss her as much as I did!" He pulled Janice into his arms and kissed her.
Joey felt like he could throw up. Phoebe smiled at the couple with benevolent approval. The others just stood there as if staring at a car wreck.
Janice finally broke off the kiss and said, "I have to go now, sweetie. I'll see you tonight, okay?"
"Okay, but don't be late." They had tickets to a Broadway show tonight.
"Of course not, honey! I'm not letting my Bing-a-ling get away from me this time. Bye."
"Bye."
Janice smiled and waved to them all before leaving.
After the door closed, Monica and Phoebe asked how this all happened, so Chandler and Rachel explained how they ran into Janice at the 14th Street nail salon earlier today.
"Yeah," Rachel said, "After they started talking, they just went off together and left me while I finished my manicure."
"You had a manicure too!" Monica noticed Chandler's fingernails and laughed at him.
"Hey, don't make fun of me! It doesn't make me any less manly. Janice liked it."
"God, she must be your soul mate if this didn't freak her out!"
The girls teased him about getting a pedicure as well, and Phoebe said, "Wow, and now you're going out tonight. Can I come along? I love to hear her sing show tunes."
Joey remained silent during this whole animated conversation, and when he could stand it no more, he just stormed out of the apartment. Joey thought he'd seen the last of Janice over a year ago, when she went back to Gary for the sake of their marriage and their kid, but now all of the sudden she was back in Chandler's life. Joey didn't know how he'd be able to live with it this time around. He sure as hell didn't want to find out.
[So, you want to know how they got from 1998 to 2003? Leave a review and see chapters to come.]