Part 1
[Well, this is the new series I was talking about. My parents were watching some old movie, and it gave me the idea. I was gonna do it more like the movie, but I ended up totally changing it. It's drama, and it's C&M. And no, something doesn't happen to one of their kids like in my last two drama series'. And I think maybe R&R later, too, because I had a dream about R&R getting back together, and I might use that idea. But we all know I'm a C&M fan at heart, so that's the major plot. Hope this series is okay. Some things might seem a little hard to believe, but then again, maybe not. Jill and Holly, I took your name suggestions :) Please Read and Review!]
That's Auntie Rachel's song, Mommy, four-year-old Sam told his mom about the song on the car radio.
Oh, it is, is it? Monica asked him.
Yeah. She told me so, he told his mom.
two-year-old Audrey chimed in and shook her head.
Well, she said it was.
What she means, Monica told Audrey, is that she likes it a lot.
Audrey commented, but wasn't really paying attention anymore.
Look, guys, I'm sorry about dropping you off at Aunt Phoebe's all day, but I had to work, and so did Daddy, Monica said as she adjusted the air conditioning.
That's okay, Sam said. I like Auntie Pheebs. She's cool.
Audrey agreed.
Well, glad to know you two had fun.
We did, we always do, Sam said. Today she made a cardboard box into a house, and pretended she lived there.
She used to, Audrey said.
Live in a box? Sam asked. Audrey nodded. No way! Sam said.
She did, Monica told him, but wondering how Audrey knew about it.
* * * * * * *
When they got home, she unloaded the kids out of the car and opened the door to the house. Monica was surprised to find Chandler already there.
she said with a smile. You're home early
I know, he told her, and kissed her cheek. That was the plan.
Oh, I see, she commented
Hi, Daddy, Audrey said, as Monica put her down from her arms.
Hi, Auds. No one was quite sure where the nickname Auds' came from, but it came from someone, and everyone used it. Sam, on the other hand, was always Sam because no one liked calling him Sammy or Samuel, which, was his real name.
Hi, Dad, Sam said, coming in the door. He was always hanging behind the others. Going anywhere with him took time.
Chandler said.
Dad, you know Michael, that kid who lives down the street?
Yeah, what about him? Chandler asked, thinking of the boy.
His dog just had puppies, and....
Oh, Sam, Monica cut him off, looking through the mail. Not that again.
Every family needs a dog, he declared. We're a family, aren't we?
Well, yeah, but- Monica started to say. You know what? We'll have to see.
Well, that's better than no, Sam said, and headed upstairs to his room.
Doggy's are cool, Audrey told them, using her new word, cool, which she had apparently learned in the car.
Not you, too, Chandler said, scooping her up off the floor and into his arms. Audrey just laughed.
All right, come on, Audrey, Monica said, taking her from Chandler. Bath time. Audrey made a face, but didn't complain. Monica was convinced she didn't really mind baths, but she copied Sam's face making habit before them anyway. She did everything he did. She adored him.
* * * * *
The kids were up at 6:00 the next morning. They always got up early, no matter what time they went to sleep. Usually, on weekdays, they went to daycare, and pre-school, respectively, but today they were out. And, same as yesterday, Monica and Chandler didn't know what to do with them. Monica waited until nine, then picked up the phone and dialed. A woman answered. Hey, Annabel. It's Monica, she said.
Hey, Mon, Annabel said. Annabel was Joey's wife. [The same Annabel from the episode where Joey works as the cologne man....]
How's Jake? Monica asked, referring to their two-month-old son.
He's great, even slept well last night, thanks. So, what's up?
I hate to do this, she said, but I was wondering if you could watch the kids today?
Sure! Bring them over anytime you want.
Really? Thanks! Sorry to just throw this at you.
It's not a problem. You know we love Sam and Audrey.
Thanks so much. I'll see you soon, Monica said gratefully before she hung up the phone. Annabel was a lifesaver, and an awesome one at that. She hated pushing her kids off on people, but it looked like she had no other choice today. Audrey, Sam, guess what? she asked the kids who were sitting in front of the TV.
Sam finally answered. We're getting the dog from Michael?
Monica said, but it looks like you guys are going to spend the day with Joey and Annabel.
Audrey said. Joey is cool!
I guess so, Monica told her. Now you two ready to go?
they both answered. Monica was about to turn off the TV, when the phone rang. She grabbed it, and Sam and Audrey went back to watching the TV. When she got off the phone, she turned off the TV.
Okay, change of plans. You two are still going to Joey and Annabel's, but Mommy has to go out of town for a week. So, I'm gonna drop you off there, and Daddy will pick you up tonight. After I drop you off, I'm gonna go to the airport, okay?
Awww, Mom.... Sam started to complain.
It's for work, Monica said. Besides, I heard the last time I went out of town, you three ate ice cream for dinner.
NOT true, Chandler said, coming into the room. Where are you going?
Monica said with a sigh. A week.
Sam said. Rome is far!
It sure is, Monica agreed. But it's some cooking show kinda thing. You guys will never even know I'm gone.
Yes we will! Sam said. When we don't see you, we'll know you're gone.....
I mean, it's going to be so fast, you won't notice it, Monica tried again. It's a figure of speech, Honey, she added, playing with his dark brown hair.
Sam said sadly. But I still think we'd notice it... Monica shook her head and gave up on trying to explain it to Sam. He took everything seriously. As a four-year-old would.
I'll notice, Chandler told her as the kids finally sighed and got up off the couch.
Yeah, I figured that. But just make ice-cream for dinner and you'll forget all about it.
We never had ice cream for dinner.
Yes we did, Audrey remembered. Was good.
Face it, Chandler, you're caught, Monica said, a smile on her face.
Okay, okay, but it was late, and we didn't have enough time to make dinner before they had to go to bed, and-
Save it. You either keep talking, I leave later, take the kids to Joey's, and go straight to the airport, or you shut-up, I take the kids, and come back here to say goodbye.
I guess I'll shut up then. It's not like I really want to keep going on about that ice-cream thing.
Good choice, she told him. You won't be sorry, she added. Then she helped Audrey put on her jacket, and went out the door.
* * * * *
Monica never really liked going out of town on business. When she was single, she didn't mind it as much. But once she got married, and especially after Sam and Audrey, she hated leaving them. But there was nothing she could do sometimes, so she decided to make the best of it. The plane ride there was relatively smooth, but when she got to Rome, she still felt airsick. She didn't always get airsick ...once in a while she would, but not too often. She figured it was because it was a long, overseas trip. She had gotten sick on the way to London, too.
Three days into her trip, she still was not feeling too well, so she decided to go see a doctor. And he told her what she hadn't even thought of; she was pregnant. As excited as she was, she decided to wait to tell Chandler until she got home; it would be more fun that way than over the phone.
* * * * * *
Okay, guys, just for tonight, since it's somewhat of a tradition now, for dinner tonight, we have..... ice-cream! Chandler told Audrey and Sam. So far they had done well and been eating normal dinners, and he figured he might as well have ice cream for dinner one night.
Audrey said.
For once, I agree with Audrey, Sam told his dad.
Well, good. And just for the record, ice-cream is NOT a good dinner.
I know that, Sam said. But most of the year we eat healthy dinners, so what's one night of ice cream?
You know, it's scary that I have the same reasoning of a four-year-old, Chandler commented, and Sam laughed. Let's just not tell Mommy this time, okay?
Sam said.
Audrey echoed. He gave them their ice cream and they ate, for once, without fighting. For the most part, they got along okay, they didn't fight too much, but they did have their moments. Audrey looked amazingly like Monica, even though she was only two. She had the same dark hair and blue eyes. Sam looked more like both of them put together. Monica said that the next kid they had was destined to look just like Chandler, and Chandler said, in that case, he felt sorry for the kid.
Sam was going to be starting school in about three months, and he was going to turn five in about four months. Audrey went to daycare, and was going to turn three in six months. Once she was three, she would go to pre-school. Chandler hated that they both seemed to grow up so fast.
* * * * * * *
Monica was going home in two days, and the whole time she had been away, she had been sick. She didn't end up being much help, and she may as well not even came. She didn't know why she hadn't realized she was pregnant before. She knew that Audrey wanted a little sister. She wasn't sure about Sam. He would probably just go with the flow. He had been excited when he was told about having a little sister. But once Audrey got here, and especially once she learned to walk and talk and make noise, she wasn't so sure how he felt then.
* * * * * * *
She had to take two flights to get home. The first was from Rome to Seattle, and the next was from Seattle to New York. The plane was full, and she had two people sitting next to her. One was a woman, and the other was a man. The man didn't say much, but the woman introduced herself as Laila, and they would talk a little bit once in a while. Laila was coming from visiting her mother in Rome, and also had to kids, two girls. She seemed very nice.
About an hour into the flight, the plane hit turbulence. Every once in a while, it would shake, but then it would clear out. Then, about five minutes after it had hit the most recent bit of turbulence, the pilot asked if everyone knew how to put on their life jackets. Of course, people ended up panicking, and had to be assured they did this every time there was a lot of turbulence, in case the worse happened. Laila commented that there was often turbulence from Rome to Seattle.
And do they always make sure the passengers know how to put on life jackets? the man next to Monica asked.
Laila said.
It soon became apparent that it wasn't just a precaution, that they knew they plane was going to crash.
The crash happened quickly, before anyone knew what had happened.
* * * * * * * * *
When Monica opened her eyes, she felt pain. She looked around, her eyes adjusting to the sunlight. She didn't know where she was. All she remembered was that she had been on a plane, and now she was on a beach, sand in her mouth. A beach of what looked like an island or something. And thankfully, she thought, she wasn't alone. The two people who had been sitting next to here were there, and so were two other women, and two other men. How they got there, she didn't know, and why all the people who had been around her were here, she didn't know, either.
You okay? one of the men asked her, concerned.
Well, other than having just been in a plane crash, my family left behind, being pregnant, and scratched up, yeah, I'm just fine, she said, brushing sand off her arms.
I'm Alan, the man introduced himself.
she said, weakly shaking his hand.
Well, looks like we're gonna be together for a while, Alan said.
Hopefully not too long. Are they okay? Monica asked, indicating the other people.
All of them are breathing. Just still knocked out, like you were, I guess.
This really sucks, Alan said. My girlfriend at home probably is gonna find out that I'm dead' soon.
Great, so is my husband. And my kids, Monica realized.
You have kids? Alan asked.
Yeah. Two. A boy and a girl.
Don't worry. I'm sure they'll find us soon, he said. Maybe even in hours.
* * * * * * * * *
What do you mean her plane disappeared?? Phoebe asked Ross. Ross had just told Phoebe and Chandler what he had heard on the news.
It was on the news, he shrugged.
Wait, how do you know it's her plane?
I don't. But it was coming from Rome, to Seattle, and the time, well, it was pretty much the same.
How do we find out for sure? Chandler asked, not believing it yet.
They said that you should go to the airport. I'll stay with the kids if you want, Ross said, sympathetically. They'll have an information center there.
Okay, thanks, Chandler said numbly.
I'll come with you, Phoebe volunteered. You should have someone with you, you know, just in case.
Thanks, Pheebs, he said, giving her the best smile he could under the circumstances.
When they got to the airport, there were a lot of other people there, too. They gathered around an information area. All they told them was that they had no names yet, but if they left a list with their phone numbers, then they could contact them. But they did say that the plane that they should have been on never ended up in Seattle. The connecting flight showed up, but only half full, because the people who were going to fill it had been on the missing plane.
Chandler hadn't wanted to believe it, but the plane was gone, and Monica was nowhere around. She had been on the plane. What other explanation could there be?
The others were upset, but no one wanted to act it around Chandler. He was obviously upset himself. He cried often, but never in front of the kids, or any of his friends. His friends were afraid that he was trying too hard to keep it in.
And Chandler wanted to know how he was going to explain this to their kids.
* * * * *
The other people on the island with them had woken up, and they all introduced themselves. There was Monica, Laila, Alan, then Simon, Kathy, Natasha, and Bruce. None of them knew why they were the only ones who had survived. Bruce said he had swam to the island, and the others had just woken up there, not knowing how they ended up there.
They found some of the other passengers' luggage floating in the water, and fished them in, hoping to find useful things.
That night, Monica was sitting, and Alan came over to her.
Hi, Monica, he said.
Hi Alan, she sad, sadly.
What's wrong?
I can only imagine what my husband is thinking right now. And my family and friends. They must think I'm dead.
I know. Same here, Alan said.
But we aren't! Why should they go through all that when we're here, alive!?!
I don't know. But hopefully we'll get home real soon, and all this will be over.
I hope. I have two kids and a husband, none of who know I'm pregnant.
You're pregnant?
Yeah. Well, I was. After the crash, I wouldn't be surprised if I lost the baby during that ordeal, though.
Well, you didn't look bloody or anything.
I guess. I guess I won't have an idea until the morning sickness comes. And even then, it could be just a sickness. So really, I won't find out until I start getting fat, she said
I'm sorry, he said, patting her on the back.
Me, too, Monica said, secretly afraid she'd be stuck here forever. Or that she would get home, fifteen years from now, and Chandler would be remarried, and her kids have no idea who she was.
But that wouldn't happen. Would it?
[Well, that's Part 1. Part 2 may take a while, it's time for those oh so fun final exams, and stuff, so I ll be studying. Once, this whole year, LOL. Anyway, next weekend, maybe, but I don't know. After next weekend, not for a while. Oh yeah, and WITH OR WITHOUT YOU is done, but for some reason, it never showed up on the main page of FFN, so click on my name and find it in my profile, and read the last 2 parts :) HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY ]