I'll Be~part 8

Rain Falls

Hey! Once again, thanks so much for the reviews. Oh, and someone asked me to add them to the list if I e-mail people to let them know when I update fics…but I don't really have a list…so does anyone else want me to tell them when I update? Cuz I could do that…if you want me to, then either tell me in a review or e-mail me (soccergirlie2005@hotmail.com) kay? Kay. Oh, and this part's for Jen-the world doesn't suck as bad as it seems to ; ) Okay, here we go…

~*Flashback (I think this'll probably be the last one, lol)*~

"Where the hell have you been?" Monica asked as Mitch walked in the front door. He ignored her question and walked past her and into the kitchen. "Where the hell were you?" she repeated, following him as he loosened his tie.

"Where are the kids?" he ignored her question as he opened the refrigerator.

"In bed," Monica answered.

"Already?"

"Already?" Monica repeated, "Jesus, Mitch, it's almost 11! And you don't even call anymore! You just don't come home!"

"It's almost 11?" he asked quietly, closing the refrigerator door and turning to face her.

Monica just nodded, motioning to the clock on the counter. Mitch just sighed, leaning back against the counter. He frowned, realizing that he'd leaned back against something. He reached back and picked up the brown envelope he'd leaned against, opening it and pulling the papers out. "What's this?" he asked, looking up at Monica.

"You can read. And you're a lawyer. You tell me," she crossed her arms.

"Don't be a smart-ass, I know they're divorce papers. I meant why," he snapped back.

"I wonder," she said bitterly. "You come home later and later every night, and you never even bother to call anymore. You never talk to me. And when you do come home, you come home smelling like perfume. And not cheap perfume, expensive perfume. Jessica's perfume," she said, and as soon as the words had left her mouth, she felt the sting of his hand across her cheek.

"How dare you! I work with Jessica, she's my partner!"

Monica reached up her left hand to touch her cheek before looking up at him. "Fine. Look me in the eye and tell me that you've never slept with her," she challenged him and Mitch looked down. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

"Godamnit, Monica!"

"Godamnit, what? You think that you have the right to be mad? To be hurt? Well newsflash, you don't!"

"You think that you're so smart to figure this out. You think that I'm the only one who screwed up. But it's not like you've been the perfect wife, Mon. If you had been, you would've realized something was wrong a long time before now."

Monica crossed her arms, "And how long ago would I have figured it out."

Mitch closed his eyes, wishing that he would've just kept his mouth shut, that he wouldn't have let his temper get the best of him. "Six months," he finally said.

"Six months?" Monica repeated, "Six fucking months? Asshole!"

"Look, Mon-"

"Ya know what, hon? I don't really feel like hearing it right now."

"Moni-"

"Shut the hell up! I wasn't done!" she cut him off, "Get out."

"What?"

"I said get out! Get the hell out! Leave! I don't really feel like being around you right now and at the moment I don't ever really want to see you again!"

Mitch didn't say anything, but just looked back in shock.

"I said get out!" she yelled at him again.

"Shh, you'll wake the kids up."

"And you're scared of what, that they'll find out the truth about who their father really is?"

"Mon…"

"Just…just leave, Mitch."

Mitch finally gave in, walking past Monica and out the front door. And as the front door slammed shut, Monica fell to the floor in tears.

~*back to present*~

"You what?" Chandler asked. "I mean, I thought you guys were happy."

"So much you don't know," Monica sighed, sinking back into the couch, "So much nobody knows."

"Well…what happened?"

"He was having an affair with his partner at his law firm," she said quietly, taking a deep breath, "for six months! Six months, Chandler, and I had just started to suspect something! How stupid must I be?"

"Oh, Mon."

"And-and when I accused him of it…he-he slapped me! Like I had no right to be saying that!"

"He hit you?" Chandler asked, and she just nodded. "Oh, Mon," he said softly as he pulled her into his arms in a hug.

"And-and I just, I feel so stupid for not realizing it sooner! I'm with the rest of the world…I thought we were happy," she said, not even bothering to wipe the tears falling down her face. "And-and then I feel so guilty, too…cause there I was, I told him to get out…that I never wanted to see him again…and then the next day at work I got this call…that there was a fire at his work…and I'm wondering why they're calling me about it…and-and then they say that he-he was killed in it. But they said that-that he died of smoke inhalation…that he didn't feel any pain…and part of me was glad that he didn't have to feel any pain, and god, that part of me is dying because I really did love him…and then this other part of me…this other part of me wishes that he'd had to feel pain…cause god knows that he caused enough…so then it just goes back to guilt…" she trailed off, still sobbing.

Chandler just held her as she cried, too shocked to say anything. He kissed her forehead, and then before he knew what was happening, they were kissing. And he didn't stop it. They hadn't kissed for almost 10 years, and he hadn't realized just how much he'd missed it until he felt her lips on his own. He let out a soft moan, which must have snapped Monica out of whatever trance she was in because she pulled back.

"Sorry," they both said at the same time, turning away in embarrassment.

"I just…it's too soon," Monica whispered, "I still feel like I'd be cheating on Mitch or something…"

Chandler continued to stare at the same spot on the floor. But after a few minutes, of uncomfortable silence, he finally said something. "Well, um, I should probably just go…"

"Yeah," Monica whispered back.

"I-I guess I'll see ya, then," he added as he stood up, "Bye."

"Bye," Monica whispered back before watching him walk out the front door. The same front door that Mitch had walked out and then never walked back in again.

Monica stood up and walked over to the stereo, turning it up as loud as it would go in an attempt to drown out her thoughts. But when she heard the next song come on, a song she hadn't heard in years, she couldn't help but break down crying at the first line.

The strands in your eyes…

To

Be

Continued…

Yeah, sorry these parts have been so short…and this part had a lot of dialog in it…hmmm, but anywayz, please review, and I'll have the next part up as soon as I can : )