Mondler

In a previous post, I talked about OTPs. And in a post before that, I talked about how I was on a Friends spree. Well, I'm still on a Friends spree. Also in another previous post, I talked about what I wanted in my future marriage... this sort of ties into that as well, since the couple I will be discussing here sort of embodies almost everything I talked about there. So all these things come together to form this post.

Meet...
MONICA GELLAR

"Rules are fun! Rules help control the fun!"

and
CHANDLER BING

"I'm not so good with the advice. May I interest you in a sarcastic comment?"

Otherwise known as MONDLER. I will be telling their story because I am now a professional and because I am bored. Also because I absolutely adore everything about them. Yeah, so this is basically just for my own amusement. You don't have to read it. It is literally everything I have on them. It gets a bit lengthy.

I gave a bit of background and stuff in my OTP post, so there will be some repeats here.

First, just a brief history on each character.

Monica is the second of two children. She always felt that her parents loved her older brother, Ross, more than her. For her entire childhood and into her teenage years, she was obese. She lost all the weight in one year by the time she turned 18. She attended college and became a professional chef. She started out a poorly paid chef, constantly switching jobs for several years. She even started her own catering business. Eventually she was hired as a head chef and got paid very well, where she worked for a few years until offered an even better job at another restaurant of even higher quality and even better pay. She is an extreme neat freak, a perfectionist, and very, very competitive. All these qualities reach the point of obsession.

Chandler is an only child, son of an erotic novelist and a gay burlesque dancer. He had a very traumatizing childhood, all mostly related to his father's work, and yet somehow managed to turn out relatively normal. His worst experience was when his parents announced that they were getting divorced when he was 9 years old, over Thanksgiving dinner, making him puke. As a result, he refuses to celebrate the holiday. He once was addicted to cigarettes, but eventually managed to quit after years of rehab. However, he still finds it hard to resist them when he's around them. He attended college and once graduated, began temporary work doing "statistical analysis and data reconfiguration", which he then continued as a full-time job once he got promoted. He thoroughly loathed the job. Eventually he quit and got into advertising. He is a bit immature, very sarcastic, and a jokester, often using humor as a defense mechanism.


OK, now on with the both of them.

Chandler became roommates with Monica's older brother, Ross, at college. The two of them became such good friends over the course of the year that Ross brought Chandler home with him for Thanksgiving (since 

Chandler didn't want to go back to his own home). This is where Chandler and Monica first met. Monica seemed excited to meet him while he was not so impressed by her, but was still polite. He was even the one that suggested she become a chef after she asked him how he liked the macaroni and cheese she made for him. However, Monica's enthusiasm was soon pulled out from under her when she overheard him talking to Ross: "I don't want to be stuck here all night with your fat sister." The comment hit Monica hard. She even refused to eat the rest of her mother's pies.

The next year, Ross brought Chandler home for Thanksgiving again. This time, while Chandler was expecting the same fat girl in a sweater to appear, a thin, beautiful girl appeared in a black dress. He was

struck dumb and could not keep his eyes off her, which was exactly her intent. She had worked all that year to lose all that weight so she could get him back for calling her fat. However, she still wasn't satisfied. She confided in her friend, Rachel on how she could further humiliate him. Rachel suggested throwing him out in the yard, naked in front of the neighbors. And the way to get him naked was to make him think she wanted to sleep with him. Monica liked the idea. When she was alone with Chandler, she tried to make her "intent" known to him, but in the process ended up dropping a knife and accidentally cutting off his pinky toe.

I think that was revenge enough. They sat on friendlier terms afterwards.

A few years later, after Monica graduated college, she moved into her grandmother's old apartment. On a tip from Monica, Chandler moved into the apartment across the hall from hers. The two became closer friends because of this arrangement.

Chandler would always be the one to console Monica whenever she was feeling depressed about not having a boyfriend -"Is this why I don't have a boyfriend?" -"No. You don't have a boyfriend because... I don't know why you don't have a boyfriend. You should have a boyfriend." or -"My mother's right. I'm never going to get married." -"You know, that is... Who wouldn't want you?"

There are a couple times when Chandler offers to be her backup. When Ross's first wife, Carol, is giving birth and Monica is upset because she really wants a baby, Chandler suggests: "When we're 40 and neither of us are married, what do you say you and I get together and have one?" However, Monica gets offended at the insinuation that she won't be married when she's 40 and doesn't answer. Another time, when Monica is feeling down, right after she broke

up with one of her boyfriends, about how she'll probably never find anyone again, Chandler jokes that if worst comes to worst he'll be her boyfriend. Despite it being a joke, he gets offended when Monica laughs a little too hard at it and tries to prove to her that he can be "boyfriend material".

They never seriously considered getting together though. For example, Monica straight up tells him: "I think you're great. I think you're sweet and you're smart. And I love you... But you will always be the guy that peed on me." (Referring to when she was stung by a jellyfish and the only way to ease the pain was to pee on it, but she couldn't do it, so Chandler had to.)

Then they are attending Ross's wedding to Emily in London. Chandler is one of the best men (there are two) and gives a humiliating speech at the rehearsal dinner. Monica tries to console him afterwards. It's at this moment that a drunken man comes up to them and tells them that he thinks Ross is a wonderful young man. Then he looks at Monica and comments, "You must have been a teenager when you had him.". This completely ruins Monica's night. Already her mother had been giving her a hard time that she'll probably never get married. Monica begins drinking excessively while Chandler tries to comfort her.

Eventually Monica gets very drunk and Chandler has to walk her back to her hotel room. He returns to his own and begins to get ready for bed when there's suddenly a knock on the door. It's Monica. She comes in and seems to casually ask where Joey is (Chandler's roommate), but he's off with one of the bridesmaids. Chandler continues to console Monica by telling her she was "the most beautiful woman in the room

tonight". At this moment, Monica suddenly pounces on him and kisses him passionately. When they finally pull apart, Chandler is dumbfounded and confused. Monica tells him that she wants to do this if he will and that her head is clear enough to know what she wants. Chandler simply agrees and they continue to kiss. Monica points out that it doesn't feel weird kissing a close friend, to which Chandler agrees. They eventually progress to under the covers and wake up in bed together the next morning.

The next day, they feel more awkward around each other. They agree that it was a stupid thing they did, but then they agree that Chandler is coming over that night. However, as they think about it through the day, they think maybe it's not the best idea since it will probably spoil their friendship. They agree that it was a crazy

impulse because they were in London. Then they agree that they can keep doing it as long as they're in London, but will stop when they get home. However, they never get a chance before they fly home.

Once home, they both stick to the rule they made. However, they confess to each other that that night meant a lot to the other person. Monica, because she was going through a really tough time, and Chandler, because she's really hot ("Is that OK?"). Then Chandler leaves, leaving Monica obviously regretting the rule. She almost goes after him, but then thinks the better of it. However, Chandler suddenly comes back in and says "I'm still on London time, does that count?". Monica says it does and they fall into each other's arms.

And their relationship officially begins. Monica went to him, just wanting something to get her mind off her depression, not expecting to fall in love with him, but did. Chandler agreed to her wishes like hey an attractive woman wants a one night stand with me, why not? also not expecting to fall in love with her, but did.

For several months, they kept their relationship a secret from everyone else, their reason being that they were both so bad at relationships, but theirs was going really well. So they guessed that it was because it was a secret. However, gradually everyone began to find out. They would sneak around, telling their friends that they were going to do laundry or something. At one point Chandler jokes "Laundry? Is that my new nickname?".

Their first weekend away together went down the toilet because they fought the entire time. It was their first real fight as a couple to which Chandler took to mean their relationship was over. But Monica explained that it was all part of being in a relationship. "You deal with it and you move on. It's nothing to freak out about." And they made up. It wasn't their last fight though. Another time, Chandler actually proposes to Monica as an apology. She makes him see sense though and they make up (without getting married).

Chandler first tells Monica he loves her on Thanksgiving while she was trying to get him to forgive her after he found out why he lost his pinky toe. However, he said it by mistake. It sort of just popped out and he

immediately tried to take it back. He says it for real after everyone finds out about their relationship and are trying to get them to admit it. Phoebe (Monica's old roommate) is seducing Chandler, trying to get him to crack. She eventually succeeds when he blurts out "I'm in love with Monica!". He holds true to it this time and she comes out of hiding. They approach one another and tell each other that they love each other.

Their relationship continues to progress. They move out of the "hands-all-over-each-other-all-the-time" phase as pointed out by Phoebe, to which Monica freaks out over, but Chandler points out that he likes that they still like to be around each other despite being out of that phase. That doesn't happen very often for him.

On their one year anniversary as a couple, they go to Las Vegas to visit Joey (who is working there). On a roll of the dice, they decide to get married there, claiming "I've never loved anyone as much as I love you". They almost go through with it, but then they see Ross and Rachel drunkenly stumble out of the chapel and are suddenly hit over the head with reality that they are moving too fast.

When they get home, Chandler suggests that he move in with her to which Monica enthusiastically agrees. After many ups and downs and compromises, they eventually do move in together.

Their relationship stays strong and healthy during the entire year of their living together.

Then one day, Monica goes with Phoebe and Rachel to a beautiful museum and finds out that weddings are held there, but there's a two year long waiting list. They suggest that Monica put her name down just in case

she gets engaged in two years and if she's not, she doesn't have to use it. Monica decides to do it. Then while Chandler is sitting at home, there's a phone call that he lets go to voicemail from the museum for Monica telling her that there was a cancellation and that she can move "the Bing-Gellar wedding" up if she desires. Chandler panics and suddenly picks up. When Monica gets back, Chandler leaves telling her "next time ask or at least wait for me to ask". Then she hears the message along with Chandler's panicked interruption and freaks out herself. She searches for him, but to no avail and simply waits for him to return, which he eventually does. She apologizes profusely and tells him that it didn't mean anything and that she wasn't trying to pressure him. He eventually calms down and tells her "you know I'm just not ready". She leaves to tell everyone that she found him since they had all been worried. As soon as she's gone, Chandler confides in Phoebe that he had gone to the museum to check it out since he's planning on proposing to Monica.

Phoebe helps Chandler pick out a ring (which they temporarily lose). Chandler sets up the perfect date for him to propose to Monica, but it gets interrupted by Monica's ex-boyfriend, whom she almost married (but broke up with because he didn't want to have kids), Richard.

Chandler becomes worried that Monica suspects that a proposal is coming so he tries to throw her off course by telling her that he thinks marriage is a stupid idea. However, at this time Richard tells Monica that he is still in love with her and that he regrets letting her go. That now he wants to marry her and have kids with her. She initially turns him down, but after Chandler begins messing with her, she gets upset and goes to Richard. Joey finds out about what Richard said and tells Chandler. Chandler decides he's just going to propose the next time he sees her, whether it's a surprise or not and goes out to find her. He goes to Richard's apartment and finds out that Monica was there right before him. Richard tells him that she went to go think things over and that apparently he is willing to offer her things that Chandler is not. Chandler gets upset and says that he is willing to offer her those things. He gets more upset saying that Richard had his chance, but he blew it and now it was his chance and he didn't want to mess it up. He then shows Richard the ring and says he was going to propose. Richard relents and tells him to go after her.

Chandler goes back to their apartment, but Joey tells him that Monica left with a bag, crying because they wanted different things. Chandler goes into the apartment, distraught that he ruined everything. However, he comes in to a candlelit room with Monica standing in the middle. "You wanted it to be a surprise" she says. She kneels down and begins to propose to him, but can't finish it because she begins to cry too much, so Chandler kneels down with her and says he'll do it. However, he starts to get a little choked up as well, but he pushes through it. Finally, he pulls out the ring and asks the question. She says yes.

Now they begin wedding preparations. Chandler mostly stays out of the way because of Monica's controlling, perfectionist personality.

Monica realizes her parents spent her wedding fund on a beach house several years ago and that they have no money for the wedding. However, Chandler reveals that he has some money saved. At first he puts his foot down when Monica wants to use all of it on the wedding while he had saved it for the future, but then relents saying he wants to make her happy. But she changes her mind when she realizes what his vision of the future was: with children, a house, a pet, a neighborhood where their children could play, etc.

They can't find a good minister to perform the ceremony, so they agree to let Joey do it. While writing what he's going to say, Joey asks what exactly happened in London so he can tell the story properly. After telling the story, Phoebe tells Monica to tell everyone who she "originally wanted to hook up with that night". Surprised, Chandler presses her to tell. Monica reveals that when she went to his room that night, she was actually looking for Joey. Chandler gets upset and tells Joey he can't perform the ceremony anymore. However, Joey finds him later and points out how perfect the two of them are for each other.

Chandler stays surprisingly calm throughout their engagement, as Monica points out, nothing freaking him out (as he is a commitment-phobe) until the night before their wedding when he hears the answering machine refer to them as "the Bings". On the day of the wedding, Ross finds a note from Chandler reading simply: "Tell Monica I'm sorry". Ross and Phoebe go out on a desperate search for Chandler while Rachel keeps Monica distracted. They eventually find him at his office. He tells them of his fear of becoming the Bings because the Bings have horrible marriages. Ross eventually talks him into coming back with them.

Monica remains blissfully unaware of the entire incident until they are at the altar and Joey makes a remark about the groom taking off again. She says her vows, but then ends it "unless you don't want to". Chandler comes up with his vows on the spot, telling her that he thought that this was going to be the hardest thing he would ever have to do until he saw her walking down the aisle.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife."

Now into married life... (This is where we start to see the awesome "what I want in a future relationship" stuff.)

They go on their honeymoon to somewhere in the Bahamas.

They are very compatible. Although they have very different personalities, they complement each other very well. They're like a little crime-fighting team (without the crime-fighting part). Like when they hire a maid and Monica is convinced that she is stealing her clothes so they team up to try and figure out if she is or not. Or when all the friends pool together their lottery tickets, but Monica buys 20 extra ones for her and Chandler which the others discover, they tell Chandler to tell Monica that it's wrong to have those tickets and that they'll disown them as friends if they win with any of the extra tickets. Chandler agrees that it's wrong, but he sides with Monica "screw you! The tickets are ours!". Or when Chandler is supposedly away in Tulsa, but secretly comes back to be with Monica, but doesn't tell Joey. But Joey hears a man's voice in the apartment and thinks Monica is cheating. So he calls Chandler "back" and goes in with a bat and starts hitting something. When Chandler asks Monica what Joey is hitting, Monica gleefully tells him that she set up some pillows to look like a man under the covers and they fist bump.

They still tick each other off all the time. And they deal with it like best friends do. Taking jabs at each other until they finally make up. One of the best moments is when Chandler comes back from his job in Tulsa and Monica wants to try and have a baby, but he had recently been smoking and doesn't want her to smell it on him. However, she does and gets extremely upset. He gets upset that she is coming down so hard on him, so he pulls a cigarette out and smokes it right in front of her. She is so angry at him, but she says they're going to put the fight on hold and go make a baby. He agrees, but then thinks the better of it because he doesn't think he can "make love" while they're fighting. So Monica agrees and apologizes for coming down so hard on him for the smoking. They "make-up" and then Chandler agrees to do his part. However, when they're finished, Monica reveals that she's still super mad at him and that she only pretended to forgive him because he said he wouldn't help her if they were fighting. Chandler: "I feel so used". So then the rest of the night, they continue taking jabs at each other about smoking and manipulating until they finally make up.

Chandler is eventually transferred to Tulsa, Oklahoma (as mentioned above) and Monica almost goes with him, saying she cannot be 4 days a week without him, until she gets a great job offer in New York (where they currently live) and decides to stay. However, after being forced to stay in Tulsa for Christmas, Chandler quits his job and returns home.

After almost a year of marriage, while bored while waiting for Rachel to have a baby, Monica decides to freak out Chandler. She tells him that she thinks they should try to have a baby. After a pause, he agrees, completely throwing her off guard. She asks him again and he tells her that he had been thinking about it and thinks that they're ready. She freaks out, turning the tables. Later, she asks him again. They start to discuss the idea and decide that they are ready to start trying.

They try several times for over a year. Finally after several failed attempts, they go to a fertility clinic to make sure everything is alright. Chandler gets the phone call from the clinic with the test results while he is home alone. He reveals the news to Monica when she gets home, which she immediately knows is bad because of his tone. Apparently there's a problem with not just one, but both of them. His sperm have low motility and her uterus is an inhospitable environment. Seriously the worst moment in Friends history EVER!

So they consider their options. Monica doesn't want to do surrogacy because she has dreamt her entire life of carrying a baby and thinks seeing someone else do it would be too hard for her. They briefly consider a sperm donor, but then Monica says that she doesn't care if the guy is the most perfect man in the world, if he isn't Chandler, she doesn't care. So it leaves them with adoption.

A few weeks after filling out papers, they get a call from the adoption agency telling them that a pregnant woman in Ohio wants to give them her baby. They go to Ohio, only to discover that the files got mixed up and the girl, Erica, thinks that they are a doctor and a reverend. They go along with the charade for a bit until they realize that Erica deserves to know who she is really giving her baby to. At first, Erica was really upset that they lied and wasn't going to even consider giving her baby to them, but then Chandler chased after her and told her about how amazing his wife is and how bad they wanted a baby. Erica eventually agrees to let them have the baby.

Now that they are going to be parents, they begin to consider some other things. Rachel and Phoebe catch Chandler driving out to a house outside the city with a woman and, after confiding with Joey and Ross,

think he is cheating. And when they confront him and Monica about it, they are told that the woman was his and Monica's realtor and that they are thinking of buying the house. They eventually get a call and are told that they got the house.

Erica comes to visit them and while visiting, goes into labor. They accompany her to the hospital and coach her through birth. She gives birth to a baby boy. Then the doctor says "the other one will be along in a minute", completely shocking everybody. Apparently Erica is having twins, but didn't know because she thought the two heartbeats the doctors were always talking about were hers and the baby's. Monica and Chandler decide to take both the babies. Erica then gives birth to a baby girl.


They name the boy Jack after Monica's father, and the girl Erica after her birth mother.

So they take the babies home and soon after, move to the new house where they begin a new chapter of their life.

WHY YOU'LL NEVER REALLY GET OVER MONDLER

You know this wouldn't be complete without all the best Mondler videos I could find.