"Hello children," Chandler said as he walked into Monica and Rachel's
apartment. "Oh hey, guess what?"
"What?" Ross asked.
"I told you to guess," Chandler replied and then seeing the look on Ross' face continued. "My boss asked me to attend a conference in Chicago for work."
"That's so weird," Monica said.
"Why?" Chandler asked trying to hold back a smile. He and Monica had practiced this conversation a few times the previous day.
"I'm going on a work trip next week, to." Neither of them were going on work trips. They were flying to London to celebrate their anniversary. They couldn't let their friends know the truth, because they didn't know they were dating. Except for Joey, of course, who knew and was playing along.
"Wow!" Joey said. "What a coincidence!"
Monica cringed at Joey's over-acting and glanced over at Chandler, who shrugged and then winked at her. She smiled and struggled to hold back a laugh. She managed to hide it by coughing. Their friends could be so oblivious at times. They didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary.
"So," Monica said, "you guys ready for dinner?"
Dinner was uneventful. Ross talked about dinosaurs. Joey talked about the last girl he hooked up with. Rachel told every bit of gossip she had heard that day. Monica and Chandler talked about the 'work' trips they were going on and Phoebe put in her thoughts about every issue discussed, especially in fighting all of Ross's dinosaur theories.
"Well, that was a great meal, Mon, but I should be going." Phoebe said when dinner was over.
"Yah, me too," Ross said and Joey and Chandler nodded along.
Everybody said goodbye to everyone else on the way out. Chandler smiled at Monica and gave her hand a quick squeeze as he walked out the door. They had learned to be very careful in hiding their relationship from their friends. They had kept it a secret for a while, because they didn't want to hurt their friends like Ross and Rachel did if they broke up. It soon became apparent to them that they were in for the long run, but then they didn't know how to tell their friends after hiding it for so long.
* * * *
That night Monica lay awake in bed. She couldn't sleep. She glanced over at her alarm clock. It read 12:54. She sighed and sat up. After contemplating for a moment, she got out of bed and walked across the hall. She quietly opened the door to Joey and Chandler's apartment. It was dark inside as she slowly closed the door. She crossed the living room to Chandler's door. It was pitch black, but she knew where she was going. She'd done it many times before. She opened the door to find Chandler fast asleep. She smiled, as she loved to watch him sleep. He always looked so cute and peaceful.
Monica quietly crossed the room and slipped into bed beside Chandler. Even though he was asleep, instinct took over and he wrapped his arms around Monica and pulled her closer. Monica smiled and promptly fell asleep.
* * * *
Two days later Monica and Chandler finished saying goodbye to Ross, Rachel and Phoebe. Joey was on set shooting a new movie. They got into the waiting cab and drove away. Their friends believed they were flying out to two different places and were simply sharing a cab to the airport.
"Home free," Chandler said as they pulled away. He put his arm around Monica's shoulders and leaned over to kiss her temple.
Monica smiled. "They have no idea. I never thought we could pull that off," she answered.
They arrived at the airport, checked in their bags and proceeded through customs. While waiting to board the plane Chandler noticed Monica looking somewhat nervous.
"You okay, sweetie?"
Monica looked up into his eyes, showing nothing but love and concern. She offered a small smile and shrugged. "I don't know," she answered. "I just- I just feel a little nervous. But, I mean, I've never liked flying."
"There's nothing to worry about, Mon. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise." He pulled her into a hug.
Monica reveled in the feeling of being in his arms. "I love you." She told him.
"I know," Chandler said jokingly.
Monica sighed and smiled. She knew he'd never change, but that was one of the many things she loved about him.
He smiled at her. "I love you to." He said.
"I know," Monica replied, in the same way Chandler had. He smiled at her as they moved to board the plane, having no idea what was going to happen in a very short time.
* * * *
Ross, Rachel and Phoebe are drinking coffee in Central Perk.
"Well, I guess it's just us this week," Ross said.
"Joey's still here," Rachel replied.
"Yes, but he's going to be filming all week. We probably won't see him." Ross pointed out.
"I don't know, I think he'll make some time for his friends."
"I doubt it."
"Oh, he will. Phoebe's with me." Rachel got no reply from her. "Phoebe, you okay over there?"
"Oh," Phoebe said. "Yah, of course he will."
"You okay, Pheeb's," Ross asked.
"Yah, I'm fine. Just a little tired, I guess." She smiled and Ross and Rachel dropped it. She was good at looking fine on the outside. On the inside, however, she was not fine. She had woken up that morning with a slight feeling of dread. It has grown during the day. She was sure it was nothing, but she couldn't help but worry.
* * * *
"Thank-you," Chandler replied to the stewardess as she gave him and Monica their dinners. He set Monica's down in front of her. She grimaced as she looked over the food. She looked at Chandler, who had a similar look on his face.
They ate what they could and their plates were collected. They then settled down for a long wait. Chandler put his arm around Monica and she rested her head on his shoulder as they attempted to go to sleep.
Right as Chandler was drifting off, the plane severely lurched. He jolted alert immediately. Monica did the same. They looked at each other and the plane lurched again.
An announcement came over the system. "This is your pilot speaking. We are experiencing slight technical difficulties. We are making a u-turn and are making an emergency landing on the first runway we come to. Please do not panic."
Monica gasped and paled slightly. Chandler grabbed her hand and proceeded to pull her into a hug.
"It's gonna be okay, okay?"
Monica nodded her head against his chest.
"It's gonna be okay," he repeated to himself. "It's gonna be okay."
* * * *
Phoebe lay awake in bed. The sense of doom had escalated and she couldn't sleep. She knew something bad was happening, but had no idea what.
* * * *
"We are nearing the coast. Thank-you all for your patience. We should be making our landing within the hour."
Monica sighed and glanced at Chandler, who offered her a smile. He was being so good to her, staying calm and brave on the outside. On the inside, she knew he was just as terrified as she was.
She closed her eyes and willed herself to stay calm. The plane lurched again and she stifled a scream. A loud crashing noise sounded and the plane dropped a good couple hundred feet before the pilot regained control. The oxygen masks dropped and Monica did scream this time, just as everyone else did.
"Please remain calm and re…" An explosion, not far behind Monica and Chandler's seats, cut off the pilot. There was a blast of light and sound and the tail end of the plane fell off as the front made a nose dive.
Everyone was screaming now, as it was clear to all, they weren't going to make an emergency landing, they weren't going to make any landing at all. They were falling fast.
Chandler pulled Monica into a hug and held her close, trying to shelter her from the flames engulfing the plane. "I love you. I love you. I love you…" He repeated over and over.
"I love you to. I love you to…" Monica repeated as she held on to Chandler for dear life. She had never been more terrified. She knew the end was near, very near. The only comfort she had was that she was going to be in Chandler's arms when she died.
Chandler was no less terrified than Monica. He had seen them being together until they were old and wrinkly. He had looked forward to it. Now, all he could look forward to was spending his last few seconds with the only person he had ever really loved.
The plane met the earth hard and everything went black.
* * * *
Back in New York, Phoebe sat bolt upright in bed. She was breathing fast and shallow, and her heart was racing. She gasped for breath, willing her body to breath slower. She was having a panic attack and had lost all ability to calm down. She grabbed for her phone and hit blindly for the speed dial, not caring whose number she hit as long as someone would pick- up.
The phone rang in Ross' apartment and he sat up and shook his head. He glanced at his clock and grabbed the phone, wondering who would be calling him at 2 in the morning.
"Hello?" He said.
"Ross," he heard faintly, along with someone gasping for air.
"Pheeb's, is that you?" he asked.
"…help…please.."
"I'm on my way," he answered and hung up the phone. He ran to the door grabbed his coat, threw on some shoes and hurried over to Phoebe's apartment.
"Pheebs!?" he called out when he entered her apartment. He ran into her bedroom to find her sitting terrified against the wall on the floor beside her bed, rocking herself back and forth. She was panting and ghostly pale. She looked up at him when he entered. She was shaking and there were tears streaming down her face. He ran over and pulled her into a hug. "What's the matter, Pheeb's? What happened?"
"I…don't ..kn-know." She answered.
"It's okay, Pheeb's. It's okay." He repeated. "Deep breaths. Deep breaths."
Phoebe calmed down slightly and began to gain control of her breathing. Just having someone there with her brought her back down to reality. A couple minutes later she was breathing more regularly and her heartbeat had slowed, somewhat. Ross released his hold on Phoebe just enough to reach for the phone. "I'm just gonna call Rachel, okay?" Phoebe nodded.
"Phoebe? I'm here sweetie." Rachel called as she entered the apartment. She found Phoebe and Ross on the floor in the bedroom and simply joined in the hug. Phoebe was soon calm enough to get up. The three of them moved into the living room to the couch.
"I tried to get Joey up, but he was out cold." Rachel said, "so it's just the three of us tonight."
Phoebe smiled remembering their earlier conversation.
"So, what happened?" Rachel asked. Phoebe explained how she had felt bad all day and it had gotten progressively worse until she had panicked and lost control. She then called Ross and they knew the rest. The three of them talked a little longer before deciding they would all stay at Phoebe's for the night and then Phoebe would stay with Rachel until Monica returned, if only they knew.
"Let's watch a little TV before we go back to sleep, ok?" Ross said and Rachel and Phoebe nodded. They turned on to an old movie that they didn't really have to pay attention to. After an hour Phoebe was much calmer and Ross was about to turn off the TV when a late breaking story appeared across the screen.
"We are sorry to cut scheduled programming, but an airplane traveling from the US to Europe has disappeared. The aircraft called in to report engine difficulties just after midnight. It turned back and we suddenly lost all contact with it. It is believed to have gone down in the Atlantic, as there are many reports of an explosion, not far off the coast. We will now return to regular scheduled programming."
"Huh," Ross said as he turned off the TV. He was sure there would be more information the next day, but right now he had to worry about Phoebe, as he had no reason to worry about the plane and its passengers. Or so he thought.
* * * *
"And that's a wrap," the director called the next day. Joey took a sigh of relief. He was done shooting for the day. He had gotten home late the previous day and had been on set very early that morning. He had barely had time to eat or shower, but that was life in the biz. He smiled when he thought about that. The biz. He had finally made it, after so many years of trying. He finally had his big break.
"Hey Jo, good work today," someone called.
"Thanks Mark. You to." He called back.
"Hey, have they found that plane yet?" he heard someone call.
"What plane?" Joey asked, not having heard anything about a plane crash.
"The plane they lost contact with over the Atlantic, didn't you see it on the news? It's huge."
"No, I haven't heard a thing. Where was it going?"
"Um, somewhere in England. London maybe?"
Joey felt his blood run cold. "London?" he asked, "are-are you sure?"
"Um pretty sure, why?"
Joey ignored the question. "Where was it flying out from?"
"Right here in New York," he answered. "Lost contact 'round 1 last night."
"Oh my god," Joey whispered. "Oh my god."
"What's the matter?" Joey didn't respond. "Jo? What's up?"
"How do I get a hold of the airport?" Joey asked.
"Why?"
"I need to find out if my friends were on that plane."
* * * *
Joey ran up the stairs to Monica and Rachel's apartment, taking the stairs two at a time. He flung open the door to find Rachel, Ross and Phoebe watching news on the crash.
The three looked up to find Joey at the door out of breath, tears streaming down his face.
"Joey, you okay? What's the matter?" Rachel asked getting up and walking over to him.
It was then that he realized they didn't know. He had called the airport to find Monica and Chandler's names on the list of passengers and rushed home to be with his friends. But, they didn't know their friends had been on the plane. They just thought Monica and Chandler were both safe and sound on their work trips. Joey tried to speak, but found nothing to say. How do you tell your best friends that two of their best friends had been secretly dating for a year and had lied about where they were going, to celebrate their anniversary, and now were presumed dead? He collapsed to the floor and stopped trying to control the inevitable flow of tears.
Rachel, Ross and Phoebe rushed to his side asking what was wrong, but he was unable to answer. He hated himself for what he was about to do. He had to give the worst news possible to the people he loved the most.
After calming down a bit, Joey sat all three friends at the table and began. "Guys," he started, "there's something I need to tell you."
"Joey, are you okay?" Phoebe asked, "You're scaring me."
"You'll understand in a minute, Pheeb's just listen. Can you guys just listen to what I have to say before saying anything?" Everyone nodded.
"Um, Oh God, where do I even begin?" He asked himself. "M-Monica and Chandler have been, um, together for .."
"What do you mean together?" Ross asked.
"I mean together-together. Like dating together." Joey answered.
"Dating, what do you mean dat…"
"You said you'd let me talk." Joey snapped. Then took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "They got together in London," he said, then continued. "A year ago. They told you they were going on work trips, but really they were planning on going away to celebrate their anniversary. In London." No one seemed to understand. Joey glanced at the TV, still reporting the accident. He began to brake down again as the tears started once more. "They were on that plane." He said nodded towards it.
No one said or did anything for a few moments. Ross and Rachel went straight into denial, claiming there was no way it was true. It couldn't be true. Phoebe simply sat there quietly. She now realized why she had felt so bad the day before and why she had the panic attack. She realized this and a single tear rolled down her cheek.
* * * *
"What?" Ross asked.
"I told you to guess," Chandler replied and then seeing the look on Ross' face continued. "My boss asked me to attend a conference in Chicago for work."
"That's so weird," Monica said.
"Why?" Chandler asked trying to hold back a smile. He and Monica had practiced this conversation a few times the previous day.
"I'm going on a work trip next week, to." Neither of them were going on work trips. They were flying to London to celebrate their anniversary. They couldn't let their friends know the truth, because they didn't know they were dating. Except for Joey, of course, who knew and was playing along.
"Wow!" Joey said. "What a coincidence!"
Monica cringed at Joey's over-acting and glanced over at Chandler, who shrugged and then winked at her. She smiled and struggled to hold back a laugh. She managed to hide it by coughing. Their friends could be so oblivious at times. They didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary.
"So," Monica said, "you guys ready for dinner?"
Dinner was uneventful. Ross talked about dinosaurs. Joey talked about the last girl he hooked up with. Rachel told every bit of gossip she had heard that day. Monica and Chandler talked about the 'work' trips they were going on and Phoebe put in her thoughts about every issue discussed, especially in fighting all of Ross's dinosaur theories.
"Well, that was a great meal, Mon, but I should be going." Phoebe said when dinner was over.
"Yah, me too," Ross said and Joey and Chandler nodded along.
Everybody said goodbye to everyone else on the way out. Chandler smiled at Monica and gave her hand a quick squeeze as he walked out the door. They had learned to be very careful in hiding their relationship from their friends. They had kept it a secret for a while, because they didn't want to hurt their friends like Ross and Rachel did if they broke up. It soon became apparent to them that they were in for the long run, but then they didn't know how to tell their friends after hiding it for so long.
* * * *
That night Monica lay awake in bed. She couldn't sleep. She glanced over at her alarm clock. It read 12:54. She sighed and sat up. After contemplating for a moment, she got out of bed and walked across the hall. She quietly opened the door to Joey and Chandler's apartment. It was dark inside as she slowly closed the door. She crossed the living room to Chandler's door. It was pitch black, but she knew where she was going. She'd done it many times before. She opened the door to find Chandler fast asleep. She smiled, as she loved to watch him sleep. He always looked so cute and peaceful.
Monica quietly crossed the room and slipped into bed beside Chandler. Even though he was asleep, instinct took over and he wrapped his arms around Monica and pulled her closer. Monica smiled and promptly fell asleep.
* * * *
Two days later Monica and Chandler finished saying goodbye to Ross, Rachel and Phoebe. Joey was on set shooting a new movie. They got into the waiting cab and drove away. Their friends believed they were flying out to two different places and were simply sharing a cab to the airport.
"Home free," Chandler said as they pulled away. He put his arm around Monica's shoulders and leaned over to kiss her temple.
Monica smiled. "They have no idea. I never thought we could pull that off," she answered.
They arrived at the airport, checked in their bags and proceeded through customs. While waiting to board the plane Chandler noticed Monica looking somewhat nervous.
"You okay, sweetie?"
Monica looked up into his eyes, showing nothing but love and concern. She offered a small smile and shrugged. "I don't know," she answered. "I just- I just feel a little nervous. But, I mean, I've never liked flying."
"There's nothing to worry about, Mon. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise." He pulled her into a hug.
Monica reveled in the feeling of being in his arms. "I love you." She told him.
"I know," Chandler said jokingly.
Monica sighed and smiled. She knew he'd never change, but that was one of the many things she loved about him.
He smiled at her. "I love you to." He said.
"I know," Monica replied, in the same way Chandler had. He smiled at her as they moved to board the plane, having no idea what was going to happen in a very short time.
* * * *
Ross, Rachel and Phoebe are drinking coffee in Central Perk.
"Well, I guess it's just us this week," Ross said.
"Joey's still here," Rachel replied.
"Yes, but he's going to be filming all week. We probably won't see him." Ross pointed out.
"I don't know, I think he'll make some time for his friends."
"I doubt it."
"Oh, he will. Phoebe's with me." Rachel got no reply from her. "Phoebe, you okay over there?"
"Oh," Phoebe said. "Yah, of course he will."
"You okay, Pheeb's," Ross asked.
"Yah, I'm fine. Just a little tired, I guess." She smiled and Ross and Rachel dropped it. She was good at looking fine on the outside. On the inside, however, she was not fine. She had woken up that morning with a slight feeling of dread. It has grown during the day. She was sure it was nothing, but she couldn't help but worry.
* * * *
"Thank-you," Chandler replied to the stewardess as she gave him and Monica their dinners. He set Monica's down in front of her. She grimaced as she looked over the food. She looked at Chandler, who had a similar look on his face.
They ate what they could and their plates were collected. They then settled down for a long wait. Chandler put his arm around Monica and she rested her head on his shoulder as they attempted to go to sleep.
Right as Chandler was drifting off, the plane severely lurched. He jolted alert immediately. Monica did the same. They looked at each other and the plane lurched again.
An announcement came over the system. "This is your pilot speaking. We are experiencing slight technical difficulties. We are making a u-turn and are making an emergency landing on the first runway we come to. Please do not panic."
Monica gasped and paled slightly. Chandler grabbed her hand and proceeded to pull her into a hug.
"It's gonna be okay, okay?"
Monica nodded her head against his chest.
"It's gonna be okay," he repeated to himself. "It's gonna be okay."
* * * *
Phoebe lay awake in bed. The sense of doom had escalated and she couldn't sleep. She knew something bad was happening, but had no idea what.
* * * *
"We are nearing the coast. Thank-you all for your patience. We should be making our landing within the hour."
Monica sighed and glanced at Chandler, who offered her a smile. He was being so good to her, staying calm and brave on the outside. On the inside, she knew he was just as terrified as she was.
She closed her eyes and willed herself to stay calm. The plane lurched again and she stifled a scream. A loud crashing noise sounded and the plane dropped a good couple hundred feet before the pilot regained control. The oxygen masks dropped and Monica did scream this time, just as everyone else did.
"Please remain calm and re…" An explosion, not far behind Monica and Chandler's seats, cut off the pilot. There was a blast of light and sound and the tail end of the plane fell off as the front made a nose dive.
Everyone was screaming now, as it was clear to all, they weren't going to make an emergency landing, they weren't going to make any landing at all. They were falling fast.
Chandler pulled Monica into a hug and held her close, trying to shelter her from the flames engulfing the plane. "I love you. I love you. I love you…" He repeated over and over.
"I love you to. I love you to…" Monica repeated as she held on to Chandler for dear life. She had never been more terrified. She knew the end was near, very near. The only comfort she had was that she was going to be in Chandler's arms when she died.
Chandler was no less terrified than Monica. He had seen them being together until they were old and wrinkly. He had looked forward to it. Now, all he could look forward to was spending his last few seconds with the only person he had ever really loved.
The plane met the earth hard and everything went black.
* * * *
Back in New York, Phoebe sat bolt upright in bed. She was breathing fast and shallow, and her heart was racing. She gasped for breath, willing her body to breath slower. She was having a panic attack and had lost all ability to calm down. She grabbed for her phone and hit blindly for the speed dial, not caring whose number she hit as long as someone would pick- up.
The phone rang in Ross' apartment and he sat up and shook his head. He glanced at his clock and grabbed the phone, wondering who would be calling him at 2 in the morning.
"Hello?" He said.
"Ross," he heard faintly, along with someone gasping for air.
"Pheeb's, is that you?" he asked.
"…help…please.."
"I'm on my way," he answered and hung up the phone. He ran to the door grabbed his coat, threw on some shoes and hurried over to Phoebe's apartment.
"Pheebs!?" he called out when he entered her apartment. He ran into her bedroom to find her sitting terrified against the wall on the floor beside her bed, rocking herself back and forth. She was panting and ghostly pale. She looked up at him when he entered. She was shaking and there were tears streaming down her face. He ran over and pulled her into a hug. "What's the matter, Pheeb's? What happened?"
"I…don't ..kn-know." She answered.
"It's okay, Pheeb's. It's okay." He repeated. "Deep breaths. Deep breaths."
Phoebe calmed down slightly and began to gain control of her breathing. Just having someone there with her brought her back down to reality. A couple minutes later she was breathing more regularly and her heartbeat had slowed, somewhat. Ross released his hold on Phoebe just enough to reach for the phone. "I'm just gonna call Rachel, okay?" Phoebe nodded.
"Phoebe? I'm here sweetie." Rachel called as she entered the apartment. She found Phoebe and Ross on the floor in the bedroom and simply joined in the hug. Phoebe was soon calm enough to get up. The three of them moved into the living room to the couch.
"I tried to get Joey up, but he was out cold." Rachel said, "so it's just the three of us tonight."
Phoebe smiled remembering their earlier conversation.
"So, what happened?" Rachel asked. Phoebe explained how she had felt bad all day and it had gotten progressively worse until she had panicked and lost control. She then called Ross and they knew the rest. The three of them talked a little longer before deciding they would all stay at Phoebe's for the night and then Phoebe would stay with Rachel until Monica returned, if only they knew.
"Let's watch a little TV before we go back to sleep, ok?" Ross said and Rachel and Phoebe nodded. They turned on to an old movie that they didn't really have to pay attention to. After an hour Phoebe was much calmer and Ross was about to turn off the TV when a late breaking story appeared across the screen.
"We are sorry to cut scheduled programming, but an airplane traveling from the US to Europe has disappeared. The aircraft called in to report engine difficulties just after midnight. It turned back and we suddenly lost all contact with it. It is believed to have gone down in the Atlantic, as there are many reports of an explosion, not far off the coast. We will now return to regular scheduled programming."
"Huh," Ross said as he turned off the TV. He was sure there would be more information the next day, but right now he had to worry about Phoebe, as he had no reason to worry about the plane and its passengers. Or so he thought.
* * * *
"And that's a wrap," the director called the next day. Joey took a sigh of relief. He was done shooting for the day. He had gotten home late the previous day and had been on set very early that morning. He had barely had time to eat or shower, but that was life in the biz. He smiled when he thought about that. The biz. He had finally made it, after so many years of trying. He finally had his big break.
"Hey Jo, good work today," someone called.
"Thanks Mark. You to." He called back.
"Hey, have they found that plane yet?" he heard someone call.
"What plane?" Joey asked, not having heard anything about a plane crash.
"The plane they lost contact with over the Atlantic, didn't you see it on the news? It's huge."
"No, I haven't heard a thing. Where was it going?"
"Um, somewhere in England. London maybe?"
Joey felt his blood run cold. "London?" he asked, "are-are you sure?"
"Um pretty sure, why?"
Joey ignored the question. "Where was it flying out from?"
"Right here in New York," he answered. "Lost contact 'round 1 last night."
"Oh my god," Joey whispered. "Oh my god."
"What's the matter?" Joey didn't respond. "Jo? What's up?"
"How do I get a hold of the airport?" Joey asked.
"Why?"
"I need to find out if my friends were on that plane."
* * * *
Joey ran up the stairs to Monica and Rachel's apartment, taking the stairs two at a time. He flung open the door to find Rachel, Ross and Phoebe watching news on the crash.
The three looked up to find Joey at the door out of breath, tears streaming down his face.
"Joey, you okay? What's the matter?" Rachel asked getting up and walking over to him.
It was then that he realized they didn't know. He had called the airport to find Monica and Chandler's names on the list of passengers and rushed home to be with his friends. But, they didn't know their friends had been on the plane. They just thought Monica and Chandler were both safe and sound on their work trips. Joey tried to speak, but found nothing to say. How do you tell your best friends that two of their best friends had been secretly dating for a year and had lied about where they were going, to celebrate their anniversary, and now were presumed dead? He collapsed to the floor and stopped trying to control the inevitable flow of tears.
Rachel, Ross and Phoebe rushed to his side asking what was wrong, but he was unable to answer. He hated himself for what he was about to do. He had to give the worst news possible to the people he loved the most.
After calming down a bit, Joey sat all three friends at the table and began. "Guys," he started, "there's something I need to tell you."
"Joey, are you okay?" Phoebe asked, "You're scaring me."
"You'll understand in a minute, Pheeb's just listen. Can you guys just listen to what I have to say before saying anything?" Everyone nodded.
"Um, Oh God, where do I even begin?" He asked himself. "M-Monica and Chandler have been, um, together for .."
"What do you mean together?" Ross asked.
"I mean together-together. Like dating together." Joey answered.
"Dating, what do you mean dat…"
"You said you'd let me talk." Joey snapped. Then took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "They got together in London," he said, then continued. "A year ago. They told you they were going on work trips, but really they were planning on going away to celebrate their anniversary. In London." No one seemed to understand. Joey glanced at the TV, still reporting the accident. He began to brake down again as the tears started once more. "They were on that plane." He said nodded towards it.
No one said or did anything for a few moments. Ross and Rachel went straight into denial, claiming there was no way it was true. It couldn't be true. Phoebe simply sat there quietly. She now realized why she had felt so bad the day before and why she had the panic attack. She realized this and a single tear rolled down her cheek.
* * * *