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Tears are streaming down Monica's face and she can't see much. But as the steps behind her get louder she notices a neon sign that looks like it belongs to a diner or something. She stumbles through the door and stands in a small Chinese restaurant.
"Miss, can I help?" An old, Chinese man asks her with a strong accent.
"Your phone. Can I use it?" Monica asks out of breath.
"Of course."
The man, probably the owner of the restaurant, hands her a phone. Monica dials Pete's number. After only three beeps she hears Pete's voice.
"Hello? Pete's speaking."
"Pete" Monica sobs.
"Monica?"
"Yes. Please come. I … I can't ..."
"What happened, Monica?"
"I'm really scared."
"Is it this guy again?" Pete asks impatiently.
"Yeah, he followed me and tried to hold me …" Some new tears are streaming down Monica's face by now. "Please come."
"Monica, I'm sorry, but I told you I have this important phone call. José is calling me every minute now."
"Pete, please!"
"I'm really busy, Monica. Get a cab, I'll give you the money tomorrow!"
"Pete…" But Pete has already cut off the joint. Monica shivers like a leaf.
"Miss, you alright?" Another Chinese man, the waiter, approaches her. "Sit down. I'll bring you a glass of water, okay?"
Monica nods. Maybe she can catch a cab right outside the restaurant. Pete's right. That must be possible. She gets up before the waiter comes back and walks towards the door. Outside the door she sees the guy, smiling like he always does, waiting for her. Monica sinks back down on a chair and begins to sob uncontrollably again.
"Miss!" The waiter seems surprised to see her like this.
"Can I … use the phone … again?" She stutters between sobs.
The waiter nods in the direction of the phone and Monica takes it.
"Hello?"
"Chandler?" She tries to sound normal, but her voice breaks.
"Monica? Where are you?"
Monica cannot hold back her tears. "T… The Chi...chinese restaurant. Between the d…d…dinner and our building. I…it's …"
"I'm on my way, Mon. Stay where you are!" Before she can even respond anything Chandler has put down the phone and sprints down the stairs.
Thousands of thoughts are rushing through his brain. What happened to her? Why is she at a Chinese restaurant? And why is Pete not with her? The most important question though: What made her miserable like that? Chandler's chest is hurting from running so fast but he is not able to slow down. He has to get to her as fast as possible. What if she is still in danger? She sounded horrible at the phone.
Finally Chandler sees the neon signs of a Chinese restaurant in front of him. Just then he also notices a cab which is driving slowly through the night. He waves at the cab driver who is stopping the car right next to the restaurant. Chandler hands him some money.
"Please wait here. I'm going to pick someone up and come back. I'll pay you later what I still owe you, okay?"
The cab driver looks at the guy who is breathing like he has just run two marathons in a row, but smiles friendly and nods.
Chandler gives him a quick smile and rushes into the restaurant.
"Chandler!" He hears his name before he sees anything and just then Monica throws herself into his arms. "Chandler!"
He begins to stroke her back and mumbles comforting words while Monica is crying uncontrollably into his chest. After a while he feels like all of her weight is on him now and she isn't even standing by herself anymore. So he sits down on a chair and pulls Monica on his lap.
"Sssshhh, Monica, it's okay, I'm here now. Everything's fine!"
But Monica doesn't seem to calm down.
They sit together for a while, the waiter and the old man watching them from behind the bar. Fortunately there aren't any guests in the restaurant at the moment.
When Monica stops crying Chandler looks at her and wipes away a few tears from her cheeks. "Let's go home. What do you say?"
Monica swallows, then she nods. Chandler gets up, supporting Monica while they walk towards the door. Chandler then turns around to the two men behind the bar. "Thanks a lot you two. Thank you very much!" They just nod and smile.
On the way to their building neither of them said a word. Monica had stopped crying, but Chandler knows that she doesn't need much to start again. He still doesn't know what happened earlier, but he won't ask. Monica will tell him when she's ready to.
They are now standing in front of apartment 20. When they hear voices from inside Monica sighs.
"Come on," Chandler says and guides Monica into his apartment. "You can sleep in my room."
Monica smiles slightly at him. She really doesn't want to see anyone right now and is very thankful for Chandler to notice that without her even saying anything.
"If you like you can take one of my shirts," Chandler says.
Monica looks down. She is still wearing her diner outfit and the wig. She looks back at Chandler and nods.
Chandler's heart aches. It's horrible to see Monica like this. She looks broken and he hates whoever did this to her.
When Chandler walks into his room with two cups of tea in his hands Monica is already lying on the bed. She has her head buried in the pillow and is obviously crying. Chandler sighs, puts the two cups down on his nightstand and sits down next to her. He puts his hand on her back.
"Mon … Monica, it's alright. You are safe now."
"He … he didn't let me go. I was trying to scream or get away, it wasn't possible," Monica sobs and sits up next to Chandler. "I … I was so scared. Didn't know what to do. In my head … I thought I'm never going to see you again. I was sure that … he is going to take me and never let me go again. I was so scared, Chandler, I still am. I don't know what …" Once she started talking Monica doesn't stop anymore.
Chandler puts his arm around her and pulls her close. "You don't have to be. I'm with you now and no one is going to hurt you as long as … everything is …" Chandler stops talking. He doesn't know how to express his feelings.
"And I called Pete, but … he just asked stupid questions and then … then he told me that he has speak to José and that he hasn't got the time to pick me up … I didn't know what to do … I … I didn't want to bother you, but … I also didn't know what to do. So, I'm sorry, Chandler, but I was desperate. I …"
"Mon, stop, don't even think you have to apologize for calling me."
"But, you had to come the whole way on your … you very probably had better things planned and I … I just didn't know what to do…"
"Hey, I would go to the end of the world to pick you up, Monica!"
Monica looks up to Chandler, silent tears are running down her face. She has a longing look on her face and for a second Chandler thinks he has given away his feelings for her and she is realizing it now.
Quickly he blows a light kiss on her cheek. "Mon, try to sleep now. I'm here with you, you can put your mind at rest."
Monica puts his head down on Chandler's chest and closes her eyes. Chandler breaths out. His feelings for her are growing bigger and bigger. He didn't know it was possible, but with every day this girls gets more important to him. But right now it's the worst timing and he can't do anything. She needs a friend and he knows that he is the only one she tells everything to and trusts the most. So he just has to be that friend even though he is falling for her. Head over heels.
Monica wakes up the next morning well rested. Yesterday she never thought she would sleep well, but she did. She knows that's because of Chandler's arms holding her the whole night.
"Good morning," she smiles at him. Now, in the light of the day, the terrible moments yesterday seem very far away and Monica feels a lot better.
"Morning, Monica." Chandler didn't close his eyes once in the past night. His thoughts kept him busy and he couldn't stop worrying about Monica.
"Thank you so much again, Chandler."
Chandler chuckles. "Didn't we cover this topic enough last night? It's okay."
"Okay, I won't say it again." Monica smiles, too.
"Mon," Chandler begins carefully. He knows that what he has to say may not be the thing Monica wants to hear, but he has to ask her. "I've been thinking about … your situation and … well, I think it would be best to quit your job."
He looks at Monica, who doesn't say anything. Is this a good or a bad sign?
"I know you really need a job, but I think you'll find one very soon," he continues. "And I promise, I'll help you to find another …"
"You're right."
"… job. You won't be alone in … what?"
"You're right. Maybe it won't solve the problem completely, but it's a big step in the right direction."
Hearing Monica say this takes a load off Chandler's mind. He thought he might need to convince her a lot more. That just shows him how scared she must have been last night. Monica took his first point so well, Chandler is tempted to also add the second thought that kept him awake last night. But he can't tell her. Hey, Monica, and I think you should also break up with your boyfriend. That's not possible. A friend would never do that and that's what he is: Her friend. So he decides to keep his mouth shut.
"So, what are you going to do now?" He asks instead.
"I think I'm gonna go over to my apartment."
"Hey, Mon?"
Monica turns around to look at Chandler again. He is smiling widely.
"You are going over there in just my shirt?"
Monica looks down. She is really just wearing one of Chandler's sport shirts.
She thinks, then shrugs. "Well, I'm not gonna get in my work costume again, so, yes!"
"Okay, then, I'm gonna get ready and see you in a bit!"
"See you, Chandler!"
When Monica opens the door to her apartment she hopes that no one is up yet. She really doesn't know how to explain only wearing Chandler's shirt and her undies. But of course fortune doesn't smile on her. Sitting on the couch there are Rachel, Phoebe, Joey and Pete. Wait, Pete? Monica looks at her boyfriend, who is staring back at her.
"Mon? Where have you been?" Rachel is the first one to speak.
"We were worried. Then Pete came over to talk to you and you weren't in your room. We didn't know what had happened," Phoebe begins to explain.
"Wait a minute! Is this Chandler's shirt? Monica?" Joey shouts.
Okay, how to explain that? "Umm, well, Chandler picked me up yesterday and … I … I went over to his apartment and we got into talking and it was very late and I was just too tired to come back here." She looks at her friends who don't seem to believe her the story even though it's the truth, mostly. Monica doesn't even want to look at Pete.
In that very moment Chandler bursts through the door. "Good morning, children!"
"I, well, I get changed," Monica mumbles and hurries to her room.
"Monica, wait!" Pete grabs her arm. She pulls him with her and closes the door. She's sure her friends are going to listen to their conversation anyway.
Monica turns to Pete and puts her hands on his shoulders. "Believe me, it really didn't happen anything!"
Pete smiles. "I'm not jealous of Chandler. He's just your friend. I just wanted to know, what happened yesterday?"
"I told you on the phone. That's all. After you said you can't get me I called Chandler and he came to pick me up. I was too scared to go out there by myself. I don't know what would have happened when I wouldn't have broken away or this guy would have caught up with me." Monica shivers at the thought of that.
Pete covers his face with his hands. "Oh, Monica, if I would have known what you had to go through, I would have come."
"Pete, I told you it's important."
"Yeah, but I had to speak to José one last time before I go to Spain tomorrow. You understand that, right?"
Monica nods, but isn't able to look at Pete, because one thing he said is still in her head.
"Great, I have to go now, but do I see you tomorrow at the airport?"
"What about tonight?"
"Oh, Monica, I have a lot of stuff to do before I fly to Spain tomorrow. It wouldn't be fun for you to just watch me the whole night. You enjoy some time with your friends, okay?"
"Hmh," Monica whispers, but Pete has already left her room.
Monica sits down on her bed, her thoughts still on the words Pete said in the very beginning. I'm not jealous of Chandler. He's just your friend. That's what he has said. Why did it bother Monica so much? It's the truth. Pete doesn't have to be jealous of Chandler. There is no need to be, he really is just her friend.
Except he isn't. For a long time now Chandler hasn't been just a friend to her. But what is he? He's her best friend, the one she cares most about. If she would have to choose one of her friends, if someone would say to her, choose one and you can't see the others anymore, she would choose him. It would be hard, but she would definitely choose Chandler. But is there a word to describe that? Maybe he is her soulmate. Because no one understands her like he does. Many times they communicate with just their looks. She misses him when he's not there. Sometimes, when she's together with her friends and he's not there, it feels like a part of her is missing. Because he makes her who she is and when he's there, oh, how much fun they have. There is no one who makes her laugh as much. But at the end of the day, he is her friend. Nothing more, Pete was right.