Wild Horses, Chapter Five
"Thunder & Lightning"
Phoebe sighed, and turned over in her rickety bed, as the morning light creeped it's way into her room. She opened one eye, and then the other, and saw Ross sitting on the edge of her bed.
"Ross? Are you leavin'?"
"Yeah. I promised Rachel I'd take her out ridin' today," Ross sighed.
"Oh," Phoebe said, trying hard to hide her disappointment. She wasn't supposed to fall for her clients. It was the Golden Rule of her profession.
"But...can I come back tonight?" Ross asked shyly.
"It's a free country," Phoebe said shortly, and layed back down.
"Are you okay, Pheobe?"
"I'm fine," Phoebe replied quietly.
Ross nodded sadly, knowing that they were both thinking the same thing.
This was the only place they wanted to be.
***
Dark, ominous clouds began to make their way in from the east. Monica chose to ignore them, just as she had ignored her mother's protests when she'd informed her that she was going out riding. Her mother was insisting that she needed to be back in time for supper, as Peter Becker was coming over that night. Monica shook her head and rolled her eyes, as she made her way out to the stables. Peter Becker was a perfectly nice man, but he didn't *do* anything for her. He didn't get her pulse racing, he didn't make her fell all...warm inside. Peter may be the perfect man for some, but for Monica, he just wouldn't do.
Riding deep into the woods, Monica made her way back to her favourite spot, the cliffs overlooking the San Francisco Bay. She slid off of her horse, and watched, as the storm clouds moved much more quickly than she had predicted they would. She sighed, and climbed back onto her horse, and trotted it back toward town. The winds picked up almost immediately, and it was closely followed by booming thunder, fierce lightning, and a sudden downpour. Squinting through the storm, she saw a small camp set up near the edge of the woods. Hoping that the occupants were hospitable, Monica made her way toward the camp.
"Hello?" Monica slid off of her horse, and cautiously wandered into the campsite. She heard rustling in one of the tents, and turned toward the noise. Much to her dismay, Chandler poked his head out of the tent.
"Monica, what are you doin' out here?"
"I was going for a ride, and the storm just...look, maybe I can make it back to town..."
"You ain't going anywhere. Get in here," Chandler said gruffly.
Monica was hesitant, not sure that she could trust Chandler. Not sure she could trust herself.
"Are you comin, or are you gonna stand out in the rain all night?"
Monica nodded nervously, and made her way toward the tent. She stepped in, and was surprised to find that it was much cozier than she would have expected from Chandler.
"I ain't gonna try nothin, just relax," Chandler said irritably.
"Where's Joey?"
"He rode into town to gather some supplies for tomorrow. I doubt he'll be back tonight, what with the storm and all."
"What's going on tomorrow?" Monica asked curiously.
"Joey and me are headin up to Reno," Chandler said.
"Oh. Wh-uh, How long will you be gone?"
"I dunno. We probably ain't comin back here, though."
"Why not?"
"Well, we don't ever really stay in one place for long. Why do you care?"
"I don't! I was just making conversation," Monica spat.
"Whatever. You need to get out of those clothes," Chandler said coldly.
"Pardon?"
"They're wet. You'll catch your death for sure. I have a some spare long johns you can use until your clothes dry."
"I don't think that is such a good idea," Monica said warily.
"For cryin' out loud woman, I promise I won't look, and I won't touch you at all! But I'll be damned if I'm gonna be responsible for you dying out here. Change!"
"Fine," Monica grumbled. "Well, turn around!"
"Right," Chandler mumbled, as he turned to face the door. He poked his head out into the cool night, and noted that the storm seemed to be getting worse. A large clap of thunder rolled through the sky, and he heard Monica gasp in surprise. He shook his head, and pulled the flaps down on the tent, tightning it down as well as he could.
**
Ross lay in Pheobe's bed, listening to the rain as it pelted the delapedated roof. He sighed contently, a small smile pursing his lips, as he watched Phoebe sleep. The fact that he had been able to slip out of the house at all was a minor miracle. Judy had been absolutely furious when Monica had not shown up for dinner. Jack, on the other hand, was a bit concerned, but knew that there was nothing they could do until the storm passed. Meanwhile, Rachel had seemed distracted with her own thoughts, and Ross could not help noticing that Peter Becker was looking at Rachel in a strange way. Ross had muttered some excuse, and made his way out of the house without anyone really noticing. He practially ran to the dance hall, anxious to talk to Phoebe.
Unlike Rachel, Phoebe seemed genuinly interested in the things Ross was talking about. She always asked alot of questions, which Ross loved, even if the questions were a bit...strange. Ross knew that he had much more in common with Phoebe, and in his heart, he wanted to stay with her. It broke his heart to know that he couldn't.
**
"Alright, you can turn around," Monica said quietly.
Chandler turned slowly, and looked over at Monica. She was standing in the center of the tent, wearing a pair of long johns that were about a hundred times too large for her. Her hair was still wet, and was stuck to her face, making her look a bit like a drowned rat. But Chandler noted that she was still absolutely stunning. Trying to cover his feelings, he let out a short chuckle.
"What?"
"Nothin'?" Chandler laughed, then pulled a blanket off of his bedroll. "You can sleep on the bedroll, I'll sleep way over here, okay?" Chandler pointed toward the far corner of the tent.
The thunder rumbled again, and Monica shivered. She didn't like being outside like this...but what choice did she have? She layed on the bedroll, and tried to go to sleep, but her mind was reeling. She could hear Chandler's steady breathing, and nothing else. A sharp howl suddenly filled the night's silence, and Monica sat straight up.
"Chandler, did you hear that?"
"It's nothin, Monica, go to sleep," Chandler grumbled.
Another clap of thunder was followed closely by another set of howls, as the wind kicked up dried leaves.
"Chandler!!"
"What!"
"Nothing."
"What do you want me to do, Monica?" Chandler sat up.
"The noises are just scarin me, okay?"
"Would you calm down? Stop being such a woman!"
"In case you haven't noticed, I AM a woman!"
"Trust me, I noticed, okay!"
"What?"
"Nothing. Go to sleep, Monica."
"I can't, it's too...noisy."
"Uh! Well, can you hush up, so *I* can go to sleep?"
"No!"
Chandler stood up, and lit his lantern. He pulled a red bandana from his bag, and walked over to Monica.
"If I tie this over your mouth, will you hush up, so that I can sleep?"
"You wouldn't!"
Chandler shrugged, and moved to put the bandana over Monica's mouth. She squealed and tried to move away from him. But he was much larger than she was, and he managed to pin her to the bedroll long enough to get the bandana over her mouth. She squirmed from his grasp, and pulled the red cloth off, before kicking him in the shin.
"AHH! What the hell are you doing?"
Monica didn't answer. She just stood in front of Chandler, breathing heavily, and staring at him intently. She was fuming. She wanted to kill him, but figured it wasn't worth it. She had never hated someone so intensly as she hated Chandler at that moment.
Chandler stared at Monica, trying to read what she was thinking. He knew he'd probably crossed a line by trying to gag her, but all he wanted to do was go to sleep.
Well, that wasn't *all* he wanted to do.
Chandler and Monica stared at each other for another solid minute, before another roll of thunder broke their trance. Monica looked up at the top of the tent, and as she did, Chandler moved toward her. She looked back down, and was startled to see him standing directly in front of her.
The tension in the room was so thick, Monica was certain she could actually taste it. She wanted to tell him to back off, but she couldn't seem to find her voice.
"Go. To. Sleep." Chandler finally whispered.
Monica smiled slyly and shook her head. Chandler reached for her, but she backed away. He raised a weary eyebrow, and watched as Monica circled the room, stopping in front of Chandler again. She laughed mischieviously, and Chandler decided then that he'd had enough. He grabbed Monica, picked her up, and tossed her onto the bedroll.
Monica, annoyed by Chandler's actions, tripped him as he dropped her, and he fell onto the ground next to the bedroll.
"Ow! Are you tryin to kill me?"
"Maybe," Monica whispered.
Chandler sat up and shot Monica a dirty look. She was grinning triumphantly. Chandler looked at her, frusterated by the game, and by the tension it had caused. He moved over to the bed, and positioned his face directly in front of hers. She pulled back slightly, but he followed, and before she knew what hit her, he was kissing her.
Chandler knew that he was probably going to get hit again, but he couldn't help himself. This woman did something to him, and it was scaring him. He was shocked when he felt Monica kiss him back. He felt her arms move around his neck, and he had to concentrate in order to keep control. Monica wasn't making it easy. She pushed her tongue into his mouth, and pulled him down onto the bedroll, and on top of her.
Monica knew that what she was doing was wrong. She tried to stop herself, but found that she couldn't. She felt Chandler's hands roaming her body, and suddenly felt very exposed in nothing but long johns. Chandler's mouth moved from her lips to her neck, and Monica was sure she'd never felt anything so wonderful. She let out a long, low moan, as Chandler's mouth moved toward her chest. She knew that what they were doing was wrong, and that fact was turning her on. Chandler seemed to be thinking the same thing though, because he suddenly stopped, and looked up at her, worried.
Monica looked at him, and smiled softly. She didn't want him to say anything, and she didn't want to say anything to him. So she nodded silently, and then ran her tongue along his parted lips. He took the hint, and opened his mouth, kissing her again, with an uncontrollable hunger for the woman that, just minutes ago, he was ready to toss out into the rain.
**
Phoebe stirred and opened her eyes, only to find Ross staring at her sleepily.
"What are you doin?" Phoebe asked wearily.
"Just watchin you," Ross smiled.
"Oh? Am I that interesting?" Phoebe laughed.
Ross nodded slowly, then leaned toward Pheobe and whispered, "You are the most interstin woman I've ever met."
Phoebe felt her heart melting. She didn't want to fall in love with this man. She knew that he would break her heart, and she wasn't sure she would be able to handle that. She turned over in bed, and sighed, hoping that Ross wouldn't insist on looking at her. She could no longer hold back her tears.
Ross knew what Phoebe was thinking. He layed down, and wrapped his arms around her, as she wept silently. Maybe they could hang on, just a little longer. Maybe they could find a way to stay together. Ross didn't want to think about it anymore. A large clap of thunder rolled through the sky, and Ross tightened his grip on Phoebe. At least tonight, they had each other.
**~**
"Thunder & Lightning"
Phoebe sighed, and turned over in her rickety bed, as the morning light creeped it's way into her room. She opened one eye, and then the other, and saw Ross sitting on the edge of her bed.
"Ross? Are you leavin'?"
"Yeah. I promised Rachel I'd take her out ridin' today," Ross sighed.
"Oh," Phoebe said, trying hard to hide her disappointment. She wasn't supposed to fall for her clients. It was the Golden Rule of her profession.
"But...can I come back tonight?" Ross asked shyly.
"It's a free country," Phoebe said shortly, and layed back down.
"Are you okay, Pheobe?"
"I'm fine," Phoebe replied quietly.
Ross nodded sadly, knowing that they were both thinking the same thing.
This was the only place they wanted to be.
***
Dark, ominous clouds began to make their way in from the east. Monica chose to ignore them, just as she had ignored her mother's protests when she'd informed her that she was going out riding. Her mother was insisting that she needed to be back in time for supper, as Peter Becker was coming over that night. Monica shook her head and rolled her eyes, as she made her way out to the stables. Peter Becker was a perfectly nice man, but he didn't *do* anything for her. He didn't get her pulse racing, he didn't make her fell all...warm inside. Peter may be the perfect man for some, but for Monica, he just wouldn't do.
Riding deep into the woods, Monica made her way back to her favourite spot, the cliffs overlooking the San Francisco Bay. She slid off of her horse, and watched, as the storm clouds moved much more quickly than she had predicted they would. She sighed, and climbed back onto her horse, and trotted it back toward town. The winds picked up almost immediately, and it was closely followed by booming thunder, fierce lightning, and a sudden downpour. Squinting through the storm, she saw a small camp set up near the edge of the woods. Hoping that the occupants were hospitable, Monica made her way toward the camp.
"Hello?" Monica slid off of her horse, and cautiously wandered into the campsite. She heard rustling in one of the tents, and turned toward the noise. Much to her dismay, Chandler poked his head out of the tent.
"Monica, what are you doin' out here?"
"I was going for a ride, and the storm just...look, maybe I can make it back to town..."
"You ain't going anywhere. Get in here," Chandler said gruffly.
Monica was hesitant, not sure that she could trust Chandler. Not sure she could trust herself.
"Are you comin, or are you gonna stand out in the rain all night?"
Monica nodded nervously, and made her way toward the tent. She stepped in, and was surprised to find that it was much cozier than she would have expected from Chandler.
"I ain't gonna try nothin, just relax," Chandler said irritably.
"Where's Joey?"
"He rode into town to gather some supplies for tomorrow. I doubt he'll be back tonight, what with the storm and all."
"What's going on tomorrow?" Monica asked curiously.
"Joey and me are headin up to Reno," Chandler said.
"Oh. Wh-uh, How long will you be gone?"
"I dunno. We probably ain't comin back here, though."
"Why not?"
"Well, we don't ever really stay in one place for long. Why do you care?"
"I don't! I was just making conversation," Monica spat.
"Whatever. You need to get out of those clothes," Chandler said coldly.
"Pardon?"
"They're wet. You'll catch your death for sure. I have a some spare long johns you can use until your clothes dry."
"I don't think that is such a good idea," Monica said warily.
"For cryin' out loud woman, I promise I won't look, and I won't touch you at all! But I'll be damned if I'm gonna be responsible for you dying out here. Change!"
"Fine," Monica grumbled. "Well, turn around!"
"Right," Chandler mumbled, as he turned to face the door. He poked his head out into the cool night, and noted that the storm seemed to be getting worse. A large clap of thunder rolled through the sky, and he heard Monica gasp in surprise. He shook his head, and pulled the flaps down on the tent, tightning it down as well as he could.
**
Ross lay in Pheobe's bed, listening to the rain as it pelted the delapedated roof. He sighed contently, a small smile pursing his lips, as he watched Phoebe sleep. The fact that he had been able to slip out of the house at all was a minor miracle. Judy had been absolutely furious when Monica had not shown up for dinner. Jack, on the other hand, was a bit concerned, but knew that there was nothing they could do until the storm passed. Meanwhile, Rachel had seemed distracted with her own thoughts, and Ross could not help noticing that Peter Becker was looking at Rachel in a strange way. Ross had muttered some excuse, and made his way out of the house without anyone really noticing. He practially ran to the dance hall, anxious to talk to Phoebe.
Unlike Rachel, Phoebe seemed genuinly interested in the things Ross was talking about. She always asked alot of questions, which Ross loved, even if the questions were a bit...strange. Ross knew that he had much more in common with Phoebe, and in his heart, he wanted to stay with her. It broke his heart to know that he couldn't.
**
"Alright, you can turn around," Monica said quietly.
Chandler turned slowly, and looked over at Monica. She was standing in the center of the tent, wearing a pair of long johns that were about a hundred times too large for her. Her hair was still wet, and was stuck to her face, making her look a bit like a drowned rat. But Chandler noted that she was still absolutely stunning. Trying to cover his feelings, he let out a short chuckle.
"What?"
"Nothin'?" Chandler laughed, then pulled a blanket off of his bedroll. "You can sleep on the bedroll, I'll sleep way over here, okay?" Chandler pointed toward the far corner of the tent.
The thunder rumbled again, and Monica shivered. She didn't like being outside like this...but what choice did she have? She layed on the bedroll, and tried to go to sleep, but her mind was reeling. She could hear Chandler's steady breathing, and nothing else. A sharp howl suddenly filled the night's silence, and Monica sat straight up.
"Chandler, did you hear that?"
"It's nothin, Monica, go to sleep," Chandler grumbled.
Another clap of thunder was followed closely by another set of howls, as the wind kicked up dried leaves.
"Chandler!!"
"What!"
"Nothing."
"What do you want me to do, Monica?" Chandler sat up.
"The noises are just scarin me, okay?"
"Would you calm down? Stop being such a woman!"
"In case you haven't noticed, I AM a woman!"
"Trust me, I noticed, okay!"
"What?"
"Nothing. Go to sleep, Monica."
"I can't, it's too...noisy."
"Uh! Well, can you hush up, so *I* can go to sleep?"
"No!"
Chandler stood up, and lit his lantern. He pulled a red bandana from his bag, and walked over to Monica.
"If I tie this over your mouth, will you hush up, so that I can sleep?"
"You wouldn't!"
Chandler shrugged, and moved to put the bandana over Monica's mouth. She squealed and tried to move away from him. But he was much larger than she was, and he managed to pin her to the bedroll long enough to get the bandana over her mouth. She squirmed from his grasp, and pulled the red cloth off, before kicking him in the shin.
"AHH! What the hell are you doing?"
Monica didn't answer. She just stood in front of Chandler, breathing heavily, and staring at him intently. She was fuming. She wanted to kill him, but figured it wasn't worth it. She had never hated someone so intensly as she hated Chandler at that moment.
Chandler stared at Monica, trying to read what she was thinking. He knew he'd probably crossed a line by trying to gag her, but all he wanted to do was go to sleep.
Well, that wasn't *all* he wanted to do.
Chandler and Monica stared at each other for another solid minute, before another roll of thunder broke their trance. Monica looked up at the top of the tent, and as she did, Chandler moved toward her. She looked back down, and was startled to see him standing directly in front of her.
The tension in the room was so thick, Monica was certain she could actually taste it. She wanted to tell him to back off, but she couldn't seem to find her voice.
"Go. To. Sleep." Chandler finally whispered.
Monica smiled slyly and shook her head. Chandler reached for her, but she backed away. He raised a weary eyebrow, and watched as Monica circled the room, stopping in front of Chandler again. She laughed mischieviously, and Chandler decided then that he'd had enough. He grabbed Monica, picked her up, and tossed her onto the bedroll.
Monica, annoyed by Chandler's actions, tripped him as he dropped her, and he fell onto the ground next to the bedroll.
"Ow! Are you tryin to kill me?"
"Maybe," Monica whispered.
Chandler sat up and shot Monica a dirty look. She was grinning triumphantly. Chandler looked at her, frusterated by the game, and by the tension it had caused. He moved over to the bed, and positioned his face directly in front of hers. She pulled back slightly, but he followed, and before she knew what hit her, he was kissing her.
Chandler knew that he was probably going to get hit again, but he couldn't help himself. This woman did something to him, and it was scaring him. He was shocked when he felt Monica kiss him back. He felt her arms move around his neck, and he had to concentrate in order to keep control. Monica wasn't making it easy. She pushed her tongue into his mouth, and pulled him down onto the bedroll, and on top of her.
Monica knew that what she was doing was wrong. She tried to stop herself, but found that she couldn't. She felt Chandler's hands roaming her body, and suddenly felt very exposed in nothing but long johns. Chandler's mouth moved from her lips to her neck, and Monica was sure she'd never felt anything so wonderful. She let out a long, low moan, as Chandler's mouth moved toward her chest. She knew that what they were doing was wrong, and that fact was turning her on. Chandler seemed to be thinking the same thing though, because he suddenly stopped, and looked up at her, worried.
Monica looked at him, and smiled softly. She didn't want him to say anything, and she didn't want to say anything to him. So she nodded silently, and then ran her tongue along his parted lips. He took the hint, and opened his mouth, kissing her again, with an uncontrollable hunger for the woman that, just minutes ago, he was ready to toss out into the rain.
**
Phoebe stirred and opened her eyes, only to find Ross staring at her sleepily.
"What are you doin?" Phoebe asked wearily.
"Just watchin you," Ross smiled.
"Oh? Am I that interesting?" Phoebe laughed.
Ross nodded slowly, then leaned toward Pheobe and whispered, "You are the most interstin woman I've ever met."
Phoebe felt her heart melting. She didn't want to fall in love with this man. She knew that he would break her heart, and she wasn't sure she would be able to handle that. She turned over in bed, and sighed, hoping that Ross wouldn't insist on looking at her. She could no longer hold back her tears.
Ross knew what Phoebe was thinking. He layed down, and wrapped his arms around her, as she wept silently. Maybe they could hang on, just a little longer. Maybe they could find a way to stay together. Ross didn't want to think about it anymore. A large clap of thunder rolled through the sky, and Ross tightened his grip on Phoebe. At least tonight, they had each other.
**~**