Hello, a new fic… its different from my normal ones mainly because there will be no Mondler in this… sorry, guys… but I hope you all continue to read it…please review and let me know what you think!
A Darker World- Intro
Nick Hendon walked through the closed nightclub, his shirt half tucked into his pants half hanging out while his school tie was loosely hanging around his neck. He had just informed his parents that after graduation he wasn't going to college, instead his friend, Ryan and him were going into the nightclub business. They wasn't happy, his mother cried and his father shouted but it still didn't persuade him to change his mind It all started a year ago when the pair, who had been best friends all their lives were offered a job in a club but even though they were underage they looked older. Now their boss, Danny Ingram had offered them both a job, training them so they could run one of his new clubs when they turned 21, which neither of them could resist. However there was a downside to having this kind of job and that was there was alcohol and drugs available everywhere. Ryan had a problem with the drugs, everyone knew it but he promised Nick he could clean himself up so they could make a successful career out of it. Deciding that they would save up enough money to buy a club of their own one-day but it would be a decent club, one that did not accept drug dealing or any kind of illegitimate business. Ryan had another reason to stop using drugs and that was his little brother, who was just 6 years old…while most bothers hated each other and fought Ryan adored his little brother. He was the most important thing in his life and would do anything to protect him. So that also meant taking him wherever he went, saving him from hearing the shouting matches between his parents. So, that was it…they had their future set out in front of them… work hard for the next few years to get enough money to start up on their own so the two of them and Ryan's little brother could have a happy, safe future.
"Ry?"
He frowned, seeing his friend lying in the middle of the dance floor,
faced down. "You okay, man?"
He walked towards him but he still didn't answer or move. Panic rose from deep inside of him when he saw a needle sticking out of his arm.
"God, no!" He knelt down next to him, rolling him onto his back to see his face pale and vomit covering him. He shakily reach out two fingers to his neck, pressing it slightly, praying to feel a pulse but there was nothing. He quickly jumped up and raced towards the payphone in the corner. He dialled 991 and ordered an ambulance as fast as they could before running back to his friend. Telling himself it would be okay but knowing deep down it was too late.
XxXxX
6 year-old Chandler Bing sat on the stairs, hugging his knees to his chest tightly…listening to the sounds of his parents' cries…. Tears burned in his eyes as he figured out what was going on. Two police officers had turned up 15minutes ago, interrupting another argument between them. He was sent up stairs to his room, while they talked to the police but he reminded on the stairs, hoping to hear what was going on. Now he wished he had gone to his room, where he would probably be blissfully unaware, playing with his toys instead of sitting alone and scared…drags of the conversation that was going on in the next room, running though his mind…. drugs and alcohol overdose, died…. Ryan.
XxXxX
22 years later, Chandler walked into his apartment, throwing his keys in the general direction of the foosball table and only looked up when he heard them hit the floor. His mouth dropped open when he saw there was nothing left in the apartment except the entertainment centre and the big white dog.
"OH MY GOD!" He exclaimed.
"WHAT!" He heard Joey from inside the entertainment centre.
"Are you all right!" He asked as he let his friend out.
"Yeah…"
"What happened!"
"Awww, man! He promised he wouldn't take the chairs!" Joey whined as he got out.
"What the hell happened!" He asked again. "How were you locked in! And where the hell is all of our stuff!"
"Well, this guy came by to look at the unit and-and he said he didn't think big enough to fit a grown man!" Joey explained.
"So…You got in voluntarily!"
"I was tryin' to make a sale!" He defended himself. "Oh, man, if I ever run into that guy again, do you know what I'm gonna do?"
"BEND OVER!" Chandler snapped in reply.
XxXxX
"Aw, man I messed up…" Joey sighed as he was sat in Central Perk with Monica and Rachel.
"Oh come on, it could have happened to anyone…" Rachel tried to consol him.
"Really?"
"Well…no…" Rachel said slowly. "But you didn't mean for it to happen."
"I know but Chandler's so mad…" He stated.
"Oh, he'll get over it…" Monica added.
"I don't think so…" Joey shook his head. "All our stuff is gone…"
"It'll be okay, Joe…"
"But how am I meant to pay him back?" He questioned. "He's already pays for most of my rent and stuff!"
"Excuse me…" A guy in an expensive looking suit appeared behind them, designer sunglasses balanced on top of his spiked up black hair which had flakes of grey running through it. "I couldn't help but over hear…you were robbed?"
"Yeah…" Joey looked at him curiously.
"Oh, well its just I've recently moved and have some old furniture I need to sale…" He stated. "It's all good condition…"
"I don't know…" Joey replied, glancing at his friends. "I haven't got a lot of money…"
"Oh, it's very cheap…" He assured him. "how about you all come and have a look, see if we can sort a deal out…"
"Alright, okay…." He shared a look with the girls and they nodded slightly in approval and they stood up
"Great, follow me…" A grinned crossed his tanned face and led them out of the coffee house.
XxXxX
Chandler froze when entered the apartment to see it had been fully furnished.
"Where did all this come from?" He asked Joey, Monica and Rachel who were all stood grinning at him.
"We meet this guy who had just moved…" Monica told him, gesturing to brand-new looking furniture. "Isn't it great…"
"Yeah but I don't know if we can afford all this…"
"Don't worry, the guy is doing us a deal because he was having trouble selling it…" Joey added.
"I don't know…" Chandler looked around, spotting a wide screen TV with a surround sound system.
"Come on, man…I'll deal with everything…you won't need to do anything!" Joey assured. "Its my way of paying you back…"
"Joe, I told you not to worry about that…" He sighed, running his hands over his eyes…. Getting a bad feeling about all of this.
Before Joey could answer there was a knock at the door, Rachel pulled it open, smiling when she saw who it was.
"Danny, hey…"
"Hi, I was hoping you'd all be here…"
Chandler spun around when he heard that voice, he glared hatefully at the man that stood there.
"Oh hey, Chandler this is Danny…. The guy we got this from…" Joey explained.
"What!" Chandler turned his roommate. "Oh god, I knew this was to good to be true!"
"What's the problem?" Monica frowned slightly.
"I just came for my money…" Danny stated.
"Uh, already?" Joey stuttered.
"Yeah…that's not a problem is it…" He replied, his friendly manner from before gone.
"Uh…" Joey started but was cut off by Chandler.
"Just take the stuff back…" He told him. "We don't want it…"
"Sorry, I don't do refunds…" He smiled at Chandler.
"Alright, how much?"
"Oh a least at 15 grand…" He answered smugly.
"What!" Joey exclaimed. "You said you'd make us a deal…"
"Yeah well, I lied…"
"You can't do that!" Rachel protested.
"What do you want then?" Chandler asked.
"Well, I could use some more workers…"
"You want us to work for you?" Joey asked, slightly confused.
"Not you…him…" He pointed to Chandler.
"Why him?" Monica looked between the pair. "Do you know each other or something?"
"Lets just say we have a mutual friend…" Danny replied still watching Chandler. "So, what do you say?"
"I wouldn't work for you if you were the last guy on Earth…"
"Oh what a shame…" He said with mock disappointment before turning to walk to the door, he stuck his head around the frame. "Can you come in here a sec…"
Joey, Monica and Rachel took an involuntary step back when two muscular guys entered, one carrying a baseball back.
"You're going to beat me up because I won't work for you?" Chandler raised an eyebrow; surprised out how calm he sounded knowing inside he was scared.
"Nah, not my style…" Danny pulled some leather gloves on before taking the bat off the guy and threw it at Chandler who had no choice but to catch it. "However, that bat as been used an attack recently."
"What?" Chandler let it drop to the floor.
"Yeah, so I wouldn't want it to get in the wrong hands…" He picked the bat up again. "What with it having your fingerprints on it…"
"You can't do that!" Joey stepped to stand next to Chandler. "He has nothing to do with this…"
"Come on, Chandler…you know I always get what I want…" Danny ignored Joey. "I'll tell you what…. I'll let you think it about…Come to the club tonight if you accept…"
"And what if I don't?" Chandler questioned.
"Well, I'll just have to think of another way for this debate to be paid…" He replied smugly, pulling a brown envelope out of his jacket pocket and handing it to him.
"What's this?"
"Oh, just some photos of a robbery taking place…." He informed him. "Thought you might want to have a look…might be connected to your break in…"
Chandler watched him as he turned and left the apartment, the two guys following him. He pulled open the envelope, skimming through the pictures, anger rising inside of him…he had been set up.
"Chandler, what's going on?" Rachel asked. "Who is he and what does he want with you?"
"He's no one…" Chandler said quietly, studying the pictures.
"Are you going to do what he wants?" Monica asked, warily.
"I haven't got a choice…" He sighed and dropped into a chair.
"Yeah, you have…" Joey insisted. "We can all put pay money together…pay the debt."
"Yeah, it doesn't matter how much it is…" Rachel added. "We can get it if we tried…"
"It's not that simple…" Chandler told them, holding out the pictures.
"What are they?" Monica asked, looking at them.
"That's you three taking all this out of someone's apartment…" He replied, gesturing to the new furniture.
"What?" Joey looked confused. "He said we can have it…we're buying it off him!"
"Well, my guess is it's not his stuff to sell…"
"You mean it's stolen?" Rachel's face paled.
Chandler nodded. "Yeah so if I don't go work for him he's going to take these photos and that bat to the police…you'll get arrested for robbery and I'll go down for some attack…"
There was silence in the apartment as the three stared down at the photo, stunned about what was happening.
"I can't believe this…" Joey mumbled. "I thought he was a good guy…I actually liked him!"
"Chandler, we're so sorry…" Rachel moved closer to him. "We never thought this would happen…"
"I know…" He rubbed his eyes.
"Maybe we can do something to help you…" Monica suggested.
"No, its best if you don't do anything…" He told them. "Just leave it up to me…"
"But Chandler…" Joey asked.
"No, Joe…. You can't do anything!" He raised his voice slightly, before sighing. "Just don't do anything…"
"Okay…" Joey said quietly, looking away.
They all looked at each other as Chandler silently turned and walked into his bedroom, closing the door behind him.
XxXxX
"Are you sure you can afford all this?" Ross asked Joey for the fifth time. Phoebe and him had turned up and were shocked to see the all the expensive furniture in the guy's apartment.
"Ross, if you ask that one more time…" Monica started.
"Okay…" He backed off, looking at Joey, Rachel and Monica…all of them looking nervous. "What's up you with you lot, anyway?"
"Nothing!" Joey insisted.
"No, there's definitely something going on…" Phoebe stated.
"We're fine!" Rachel replied.
"If you say so…" Ross mumbled. "So, where's Chandler?"
"In his room…"
"Why?" He frowned.
"Because he wants to be…" Rachel snapped.
"But why?"
"What am I? His mother!"
Ross opened his mouth to reply when Chandler's door open and he walked out.
"Hey man, just checking out the new stuff…its great…"
"If you say so…" He muttered, searching around for his keys.
"You look nice…" Phoebe commented. "You got a date."
"No, I got to work…"
"Work? Since when do you work during the night?" Ross laughed slightly.
"Since this afternoon…"
"Okay, what's going on?"
"I've got a job in club…" He informed them, finding his keys and shoving them in his pocket.
"You?" Phoebe laughed.
"I gotta go…" He headed for the door, ignoring he quip. "I'll see you later…"
"Chandler…" Monica stopped him. "Be careful, yeah…"
He looked at her for a moment before glancing at the others. Joey and Rachel wore the same expression as Monica, nervous, worried and concerned while Phoebe and Ross looked confused.
"I'll be fine.." He said quietly, before leaving.
TBC Please review!
