The following day, they booked the wedding. Set for December 3^rd, they had to hurry with the invitations and other arrangements.

Monica wrote out the seven invitations straight after booking the wedding. She had had a few packs of wedding invitations in her bottom drawer for years, along with some home pregnancy tests.

The next thing she did was to ring Rachel. "Rach, hi, it’s Monica."

"Mon, hi!" Rachel sounded very chirpy. "I’ve got great news, but what do you want, first?"

"Well, we’ve set the date of the wedding," Monica began.

"Yay! When?"

"December 3^rd, only a small thing in a registry office, are you free then?" Monica hoped she was. It wouldn’t be a wedding without Rachel.

"Hell yeah," Rachel replied. Monica laughed at Rachel’s eagerness.

"Are you free today?" she asked. "Cos I want to go shopping for a dress, and you’ll need one as well, if you’re my maid of honour. And can you ask Pheebs too?"

"Clothes shopping?" Rachel asked, excitedly. "We’re coming! We’ll be over in ten minutes! I can tell you my news, as well."

Monica smiled, hung up, and sent Chandler off to work. When the girls arrived, Monica looked at Rachel.

"What’s the news?"

"Ross proposed last night," Rachel announced, happily. Monica hugged her friend, joyously. "But we won’t get married for ages yet – a year at least." They discussed Rachel’s news all the way to the shops.

"Not a white dress," Monica pleaded. "It’s not that kind of wedding."

"How about that?" Phoebe immediately suggested, pointing at a lacy white dress. Monica ignored her, and picked up a red dress. Rachel chose a gold one, and Phoebe, after much deliberation, went for a blue one. They all tried them on.

Monica looked amazing in the red dress. It was a long, strappy dress, that was quite tight, but stretchy. It would fit her on the day, and she could just imagine Chandler’s face when he saw it. Rachel’s short, strapless dress looked great on her, but then everything looked great on Rachel. Phoebe’s dress was long, blue with pale blue swirls on it and had long sleeves. All three girls loved the dresses, and, regardless of the cost, bought them.

* * *

Back home, Monica was watching Chandler move his stuff into her – no, their – apartment. He wasn’t letting her help; the only thing she had been allowed to carry was a photo. A nice photo, of the two of them, taken about five years ago. Monica smiled as she realised that they had always acted like a couple – they had always been very close. Chandler had always put his arm around her when they sat together, she had always called him sweetie or honey, and they had often done things together. They had always known each other’s secrets. It was as though they were destined to be together. She mentioned that to Chandler.

"Yeah, it’s destiny," he said, dreamily, holding his fiancée close. As he said that, the baby gave a kick.

"Is that part of the destiny?" asked Monica. "Me getting pregnant by another man, he gets killed, we fall in love?"

"I don’t know, it sounds kinda like a soap opera," Chandler laughed. "A corny one."

"But – do you mind that the baby isn’t yours?" Monica had wanted to ask this for a long time.

"It’s taking my name, I’m married to its mother, it’s as near mine as we can get." He held Monica closer, and the baby kicked again.

"Yep, we’re gonna be a family," Monica whispered. "Just like I’ve always wanted."

* * *

On the morning of the wedding, Monica woke up alone. Chandler had spent the night with Joey – she grimaced as that image went through her head. Yuck. She didn’t mean it like that. Chandler had stayed in his old room in Joey’s apartment. She sighed, and got out of bed. She was eight months pregnant; Baby Bing was nearly ready to come into the world. She wished that it would. Being pregnant was no piece of cake. Her back ached, she had a strange pain in her stomach today, and her feet hurt and she couldn’t even see them. At least she could fit into the dress.

She walked around the apartment a bit, and then began to eat breakfast. Rachel and Phoebe were going to arrive any minute, more to keep her company than for any other reason. She had just finished her cereal when there was a knock on the door.

"Morning," Rachel announced. "You’re getting married in two hours. Excited?"

"Oh yeah!" Monica cried, jumping up and down slightly. "Let’s get dressed."

When they were all ready, Rachel gave them another piece of gossip. "Ross says that Carol and Susan want him to help them have another child."

"And you aren’t jealous?" Monica asked.

"No. Well, not really, I mean he is having sex with his ex-wife, but, then, she is a lesbian and has a wife of her own, so it doesn’t matter." Rachel grinned. "So anyway, we’d better go to the registry office now."

It was only a short distance away, so they walked. When they arrived, everything was ready. Monica saw Chandler, and ran up to him. They had to talk to the registrar first, and then the ceremony would begin. The registrar didn’t really seem interested in Chandler and Monica; she was just interested in getting the wedding done and over with. That was fine with Monica. Even though they weren’t having a honeymoon (they couldn’t fly anywhere because of Monica’s condition) she still wanted to be married, to be Mrs. Chandler Bing.

The ceremony was short and simple. Everything went by the book, except for the vows, which Monica and Chandler had written. Monica cried when she had to say hers.

"Chandler, I never imagined that I would ever fall in love with you, let alone marry you, but now that I’m doing that, I think it’s so wonderful and I can’t believe that my dream has come true. I love you more than I have ever loved anyone before and I know that you feel the same way. I want to spend my whole life with you, and I hope you feel the same." She sobbed, and Chandler said his.

"Monica, I agree with every word you just said there. I have always had a tiny crush on you, because, well, because you’re so hot, I guess. But I don’t just think you’re hot. You are, of course, but I love you because you’re you, you’re Monica, and that’s why I love you, not just because you’re beautiful."

They kissed, and the registrar announced that they were lawfully married. "Mr. and Mrs. Chandler Bing."

Monica was so happy, and she knew that Chandler felt the same as they set off on the short walk home. As they reached home, with the rest of the gang by their sides, she felt a strange sensation in her stomach, accompanied by a sudden wetness. She knew what it was.

"Chandler. I think the baby’s coming."