Disclaimer: I do not own any of the FRIENDS characters…you know the rest, besides I don't know how we're supposed to write it…anyway…
Hi, my name is Vivian and you're reading "Return" by me, duh. First of all, I'd like to say best of luck at this time for those who have lost someone in the 2005 Southeastern Tsunami attacks. We'll be with you in your time of need. Now, if some of the information I have written in here doesn't really make sense or it isn't really how it happens in the real world, give me a break!, or you could email so I could change it. And while you're at it, email me to tell me how you edit the fanfic as well, cuz I'm kind of a newb at this fanfic stuff. I think you'll find that I switch from comedy to drama, just incase you wanted to know. Anywho, this is mainly a C&M fanfic, but it's also got some R&R. Well enjoy! Or read and review as they say…
Okay. Imagine a dark deep voice…
History: The date is Tuesday, September 14, 2008. Two years ago, in 2006, President George W. Bush officially declared war on Osama bin Laden and his troops. Immediate action had to be taken to further prevent Osama from recruiting troops to take over the Middle East. As of two months ago, the military announced they were recruiting citizens into the army due to lack of service under the new President Hilarity Clinton. Now in September, American troops are needed now, more then ever.
Set Up: Chandler Bing had found a home not long ago, four and a half years ago to be exact. Monica and Chandler lived with their adopted twins Erica and Jack. They now live in Winchester, New York, with the Hannigan's, Phoebe, Mike, and Mike Jr., five houses down. Ross Geller, Monica's older brother, lived with Rachel Green in an apartment right in the city where they all used to live in Manhattan. They were not yet engaged, but everyone knew it was coming. Joey Tribianni, had arrived in New York a month ago, from L.A., where he had moved from New York to expand his career in acting. In a failed attempt at his career, he was now living with Chandler and Monica in their house…
It was a bright, sunny morning, and the sun had just shined through the Bing's bedroom window. Just as the warmth of the sun was on Chandler's face, the peace was disturbed by two blonde children running in and leaping upon each of their parents' bodies…
"Wake-gup! Wake-gup, wake-gup, wake-gup!" Jack shouted as he sat on his father's chest. "It's time for pwe-school." The children were so jovial by the fact they were actually able to spend a day with many other children and play all day.
By now, Erica had climbed onto the bed and pulled the covers off the bed, revealing their parents' pajamas. Chandler hesitantly rose up off the bed and looked at the clock. It showed the time to be 7:30 a.m.
"Come on, Daddy!" Jack shouted excitedly, hopping up and down on the bed.
"You're ready? For what?" He asked playfully, tickling Jack.
"School!" Jack shouted.
"School? We better get going then!" Chandler picked him up and threw him in the air and caught him. "How about you and Erica go wash up and we'll be right out?" He asked.
"Kay!" He replied. Chandler put him on the ground and pushed him forward lightly as he ran out.
"You, too, missy!" Monica picked Erica off the bed and put her on the ground. As she ran off, Monicabeckoned her back. "Erica. Don't forget to wash behind your ears, alright?"
"Okay, Mommy!" The child ran out after her brother leaving their parents alone in the room.
"They grow up so fast, don't they?" Chandler asked as he came around the bed to give Monica a hug.
"I know…" She began. She searched Chandler's face for a question, but found none so she asked him herself.
"Chandler, I know how you wanted, four children, and since we can't produce a child…if you wanted to…" She paused to see if he knew where she was heading.
"Yeah…" He said gesturing her to go on.
"Maybe, adopt, again." She froze and peered at his face to see his expression. His face looked as if in deep thought.
"I'd like that. But maybe not yet. How about when we're little and old and Jack and Erica have moved out and left us behind and we're lonely, and old?" He smiled, but she did not.
"I'm serious, Chandler. If not now, when?" His face seemed to be in thought once again.
"Okay. How about next year?"
"Really?" She seemed to be surprised that he had hardly thought twice about it.
"Yeah. I love that idea." They hugged and walked out the bedroom door. As they passes Joey's room, Chandler knocked on his door and waited for an answer. He waited for a few seconds and decided just to head downstairs.
In the kitchen, Joey had already tried to make breakfast. "Hey, Joe. Watchya doin'?" Chandler asked curiously. Joey had never, or hardly, ever cooked in his life. It was either order pizza, SubWay sub, or other peoples' food.
"I decided to make lunch for the kiddies." He had always called the two children that. "So, you know, they can have a healthy lunch." Just then, a timer went off, and he pulled a tray out of the oven, displaying a half burnt pizza. "Tada!" He announced.
"Joey, that's a pizza; that's not healthy." Monica stated.
"I've been eating it since I was a child and you don't see anything wrong with me." Joey stated smartly.
"Right." Monica said with a laugh.
--------------
"Come on!" Jack jumped into the back of the car with his Power Ranger book bag and lunch box. Erica followed afterwards with her Barbie book bag and lunch box.
"We're going to be late!" Erica shouted out the door before she closed it.
"Alright, alright! Hold your horses." Chandler walked out the door and into front seat of the car. Monica followed afterwards, locking the house.
"Oh, wait! Stop the car, stop the car!" Erica shouted. "I forgot my apple for the teacher."
"Oh, me, too!" He had also remembered.
Chandler sighed. "Alright. Monica…" He looked over at Monica.
"I'll get it." Monica re-entered the house with two shiny apples. "Alright, anything else?"
"Ooh, ooh, ooh!" Jack raised his hand.
"Yes, Jack." Monica pointed to Jack and sighed.
"Can I go to the bathroom?" Jack asked squirming in his seat.
--------------
"Okay, here it is." Monica shouted to the back of the car.
"Wee!" They both shouted happily. Chandler and Monica both got out to either side of the car, Chandler picking up Jack, Monica picking up Erica.
"Ready? You're a big boy and big girl now!" Monica said encouragingly. They shouted in anticipation. They arrived into the classroom, and a woman approached them.
"Hello, I'm Ms. Lawrence." The teacher questioned. "And who are you two?" The women said in an annoying high-pitched voice to Jack and Erica.
"We're Chandler and Monica." Chandler said, mimicking the teacher.
"Chandler, the children…" Monica said, pointing out what the teacher had meant. "This is Erica." Monica pointed to Erica. "And this is Jack." Monica then pointed to Jack. "They've never really been around children, other then themselves and another 2 year old." All of sudden, Monica began to worry. "Oh, my god. Are they ready for school yet, Chandler?"
"I'm sure they'll be fine, honey." Chandler said reassuringly, putting Jack down. Monica then put Erica down so they ran off to play.
"But what if the other kids pick on them, or they miss their Mommy." Monica said.
"Monica, you have to calm down…Oh my god!" Chandler looked over to where his son was playing to see him playing with a doll. "He's playing with a doll. All the kids will laugh at him and call him a girl! Then they'll steal his lunch and call him Channy-Fanny!" Chandler began to worry as well.
"I assure you that all parents go through this same exact phase of dropping off their children every year." Ms. Lawrence said, pushing the parents toward the door.
"I don't know if we're ready…Are you even certified to take care of children? What university did you go to? Did you even go to college?"
"Do you have a degree?" Said Chandler as they forced questions back and forth.
"Do you have a driver's license?"
"Can you drink?"
"How old are you?"
"Did you ever go to a frat party?"
"Chandler, were tormenting the teacher, not asking about her sexual life..." Monica pointed out.
"To me that's tormenting because before you…there's pretty much nothing." Chandler stated.
"Trust me. I'm fully qualified for my profession." The teacher pushed the parents toward the door, again.
"Really? You're not even watching the children right now." Monica said.
"We didn't pay for you to talk. Go do your job, lady! What a rip off!" Chandler stated.
"Please, just go." The teacher said, now very annoyed.
"Fine…" After they said their goodbyes to their children, Chandler and Monica began to walk out. But as Chandler was about to exit, he grabbed a milk carton and ran off with Monica walking behind him.
--------------
As they were about to re-enter the house after returning home, Monica drove to work and Chandler went to get the mail, drinking the milk carton as he went. As he walked back to the house, he scanned through the mail, until one particular envelope caught his eye.
"Belvoir Fort…" He mumbled to himself. He noticed there were two envelopes in the pile, one for him and one for Joey. He entered the house and placed the empty milk carton on a table. Joey was sitting on the sofa in the living room watching television. Chandler approached him. "Here, Joey." He handed him the envelope. "Hey, aren't you supposed to be looking for work?"
"I did, but no one hired me!" Joey whined. "What about you?" Joey pointed out.
"I took the day off to get the kids to school and pick them up because I thought you were looking for work." Chandler said. "Why didn't anyone hire you?"
"The only people who I haven't gone to yet are the people I've already slept with."
"It's still 9:30 in the morning… Joey how many job interviews did you go to?" Chandler questioned curiously.
"Two, but there aren't many women I haven't slept with in this city." Joey said pointing out. They both read through their letters, until one point in their letters they stopped and stared at each other. The letter sent a grieve through his heart. Chandler dropped the paper and fell onto the sofa next to Joey and buried his hands in his face.
"I can't believe it… we're getting drafted…"Joey muttered.
--------------
That night after Monica arrived home from work at 8:30 p.m. "Oh, my god. They're drafting you?"
"Don't say that aloud!" Chandler said, making sure the children didn't here.
Monica's heart sank, lower then it ever had. She wanted to cry, but she forced herself not to. "They can't do that!" She didn't want to believe the news she was hearing.
"Yeah, it says here that since there aren't enough members, their drafting people. Joey got one, too." He was aware words were coming out of his mouth, but wasn't quite sure what words they were. "I have to go to boot camp first, though." There was an uneasy silence for a few minutes.
Of all the things that would happen in her life, she had never expected this to happen. Just then the phone rang. There was a familiarity in her voice, but it was drowned out by sobs and sniffles. "Hello?" Monica asked, wondering who the woman was. "Who is this? Phoebe?" Monica replied into the phone.
"Monica, they're drafting Mike!" She said through sobs. "I finally have a family and my husband…" She tried to continue. "my husband…has to go to war!" She began to cry louder now.
"Oh, my god, Phoebe. I'm so sorry Mike got drafted. Chandler and Joey…" She couldn't finish the sentence and began to cry with her, but Phoebe understood. "Look, Phoebe. We have to be…be brave. For the sake of…of…our children…" Then she began to realize that their children wouldn't see their fathers for at least a year, which would be heart breaking for them. How would she break it to their children? Just then, the doorbell rang. "I'll call you later, Phoebe." Chandler opened the door.
"Hey, Chandler." Ross said walking through the door. "Rachel isn't here. She had to go to a meeting. What did you guys need us for in such a hurry?"
"You didn't get an envelope?" Joey asked, handing Ross the envelope addressed to J.F. Tribianni.
"What is it?" Ross asked curiously. He opened it and read the letter. "Oh, my god. They're actually drafting you? That's so unfair!" Ross said.
"Why, their not drafting you?" Chandler asked curiously. Ross paused and looked at the ground. "I can't believe it. Joey, and Mike, and me have to go, but you don't. That's unfair!"
"I don't know why! It's not my fault. It's probably because of my scientific background." Ross added.
"You know what, Ross. I don't care, okay. I have two children! Two!" Chandler said, now shouting.
"Hey, I have two kids, too, alright. If I could go for you I would because my children are older then yours, and they don't need me as much…" Ross stated. Chandler cut him off.
"I'm just going to bed. Night." Chandler walked up the stairs to the bedroom.
"I'm sorry. It's just an emotional time for us. I think we just need some time alone." Monica said. Ross nodded. She escorted him to the front door and he left. "I better go talk to Chandler." Monica said to Joey. Monica walked upstairs into their bedroom. "Hey, are you alright, Chandler?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just can't bear to leave Jack and Erica. What if I get hurt or…or…" He couldn't bear to finish the rest so he left it at that.
"Honey, nothing is going to happen to you." Monica tried to comfort him, but thinking about it only made her cry.
"I'm sorry, honey. I'm just over reacting. You're right. Everything is going to fine. It's only for a little while." He knew that what he said wasn't true. He had no idea of the outcome. "What matters is that I'm here right now…"
"I know, but what if something really bad happens to you…How soon do you have to leave?" She questioned.
He muttered the answer. "A week." He looked at her and kissed her on the forehead. "It's going to be alright, okay? So don't cry." They began to kiss again. And as it went on they began to lie on the bed and…
I think you know the rest.
--------------
Chandler woke up the next morning at around 8:00 a.m. He looked down at his wife. Her skin was so soft and bright. He didn't know how he was going to bear waking up every morning without seeing her face, and instead waking up to the cold ground. He rose up, soundlessly, trying not to wake up his wife. He crept down to the kitchen and began to make coffee. Then he heard someone step behind him. It was Joey.
"Hey, man. Are you okay?" Joey asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just…how am I going to tell Erica and Jack about us going?" He poured some of the coffee from the pot into his coffee mug. "I've never left them for longing then a few hours before, let alone a year or two." He stirred some milk and sugar into his coffee.
"I know, but the kids will understand. We have to do this." Joey said to Chandler.
Chandler stared at his coffee and watched the white streaks swirl around in it. "It's just…their so young. What if they forget me, and I come back and I'll be just a stranger. Joey, this is a nightmare…" He took a sip of his coffee. Just then somebody walked out behind the corner. The both of them turned around to see who had made the noise. It was Jack who had just heard everything they had just said.
"Daddy…" Jack started.
"Oh, my god." Chandler muttered as he glanced at Joey. "Um, Jack, listen. Daddy has to, um…" Chandler couldn't find the words to tell him.
"Daddy, why are you leaving me and Mommy and Erica?" Jack's innocent face stared up towards his father. Chandler felt if he was going to cry. Joey broke the silence.
"Jack, your Dad and me and…and Uncle Mike are going to go away. But just for a little bit…" Joey explained.
"Thanks, Joey. I can take it from here." Chandler said to Joey.
"Alright, man. I'll be in the washroom." Joey walked up the stairs to the bathroom.
"Okay, buddy. Anything you want to know, ask. Have a question, shoot." He gestured for him to ask.
"Why do you have to go?" Jack asked.
"Well, you heard about the bad people who kill other guys, right?" Chandler asked. Jack nodded. "Well, see, nobody wants to fight them to stop them. So they have to tell people to fight for them…and me, Joey, and Uncle Mike are going." Chandler looked at his son's face to see if he had any more questions. "Anymore?"
"Will you be gone long?" Jack continued.
"We think it might be 1 or 2 years." Chandler answered.
"Can I come with you, Daddy?" Jack asked.
"I don't think you can, sport." Chandler seemed to be extremely sad. Not only would he lose his wife, but his children.
"I'll miss you, Daddy." He came over and gave his dad a hug and began to sniffle.
"Oh, come on, Jack. You're a big boy, remember. You've got to be strong. It will help me be strong." He picked up his son and placed him on his lap.
"But why do you have to go?" He persisted.
"I told you already, Jack. I have to go." He looked at his son. He seemed to have a harder time then he thought he would.
"Please don't leave, Daddy." His eyes began to flood, again.
"Jack…"Chandler couldn't take it.
"Don't leave!" Jack began to become difficult. Chandler had a hard time with him.
"I don't have a choice, Jack!" He calmed himself down. "I would stay if I could…"
"Then why don't you?" Jack glared at Chandler for the longest time. Chandler just couldn't find the words, but 'I don't have a choice'. "You're such a mean dad." Jack stormed out. Chandler felt extremely downhearted. Why us of all people? Chandler though to himself. Why?
--------------
Chandler and Monica spent the next week packing. In that time, he had explained to Erica the same thing he had explained to Jack. They sorted through his boxers and t-shirts the night before his departure. Their packing was silent until Monica couldn't take it anymore.
"I can't do it, Chandler." She broke down with tears. He came over to her and comforted her.
"What's the matter, honey?" He saw her crying. He knew the answer to his question. He just wanted her to find some way to stop crying.
"You're going to be gone." She said burying her face in her hands. She raised her face. "How am I going to take care of them myself?" She stared at the ground and looked back at Chandler and laughed quietly. "You think I'm nuts don't you."
"No, of course not. Well, not entirely anyway." He tried to make her laugh to break the uneasiness. It worked. She worked out a small laugh. "I'm going to miss you to, but I'll come back." He looked at her, not too certain with his answer. He held her in his arms. They hugged for a while, until he was certain she had calmed down. "So, what all of the sudden made you burst out like that?"
"I don't know. Just going through all your things. It just made me miss you even more." She paused. "What if you don't come back, Chandler?" She asked, but didn't want to know the answer.
"I will." They kissed and continued packing.
--------------
The next day came. Everyone: Mike, Joey, Chandler, Phoebe, Monica, Ross, Rachel, Erica, and Mike Jr., came over. It was the saddest day any of them had ever experienced. There wasn't much to say or do that day. The clouds seemed to block all luck of sun shine that day. The luggage was placed in the trunk. Phoebe held Mikey and walked Mike to the cab. Phoebe seemed to take it better than when she was on the phone. Joey went next. It took Joey a bit longer to say his goodbyes. He was definitely having a hard time letting go. Meanwhile, Chandler was saying goodbye to his family. He looked around for Jack, who wasn't there. He kissed his daughter on the forehead, who seemed to be crying, but quietly. He kissed Monica for the longest time. When they stopped, he noticed Joey had already gone into the car.
"Say goodbye to Jack for me, will you?" Monica nodded and began to tear slightly as she hugged her husband. Just as Chandler was about to turn around to leave, he heard his name and turned around. Jack ran after his father.
"Wait, Daddy!" He shouted after Chandler. He caught up to him and Chandler picked him up. "I'm going to miss you, Daddy." He sobbed. "I'm sorry I got mad." He took something out of his pocket. "Here." He handed Chandler a small star that had the words 'Best Dad' on it. "I made it for you."
Chandler couldn't hold back the tears any longer. He took the star and placed it in his pocket and held his son tightly. "I'm going to miss you, all." He kissed his wife again and placed Jack on the ground. As he walked to the car, he felt his stomach being twisted, and his eyes stung from the tears. He couldn't bear to turn around, but did anyway. The seven of them stood watching tearfully as he entered the car. He waved and smiled to them and closed the door. The scene was too heart wrenching to even look at.
So began his journey to war…
I don't know if you like it. I don't know too much about this stuff, but I thought it sounded okay. Not the best, not the worst. Tell me what you think.