Chapter 5: This Time

Monica slid into Chandler's arms. The room had been empty, and quite possibly Daryl had been lying. It wouldn't be his first time. Chandler dried Monica's tears as she snuggled up to him as they stood in the elevator. It was taking them back downstairs. The room had been empty.
Sergeant Akin talked angrily into his cell phone. "Norton, the kids not here." Sergeant Akin glanced at Monica and Chandler, "Get Angela on the phone." Sergeant Akin paused for a moment, then he spoke again, "Angela, hello, the kids not there. No, he's not at the hotel. Do you think he could be lying? Angela, do you have any other relatives that I can contact?" Sergeant Akin nodded, "I'll meet you and Officer Norton at the station. Thank you."
The elevator made a loud buzz and the doors opened. The trio was back on the main floor. The lady at the desk glanced nervously as the door opened. A man stepped out from behind the counter; he wore a badge that read 'Hotel Manager'. He walked up to Chandler, Sergeant Akin and Monica. "Did you find what you were looking for Sergeant?" Sergeant Akin shook his head.
Monica felt weak and she went and sat down in the lobby area. Chandler stayed with the Sergeant and the hotel manager for a moment. Then walked over to Monica. "Mon, this isn't over yet."
Monica shook her head, "It'll never be over. It'll go on like this for years. We moved away to get away from this, I wanted to forget."
"I didn't!" Chandler shot back.
Monica glared at Chandler with hurt and distance. "Let's go back to our hotel."
"Don't you want to stop by the apartment first?" Chandler asked cautiously.
Monica replied softly, "I guess so." Even though, all she wanted to go back to the hotel, get in bed and sleep for a very long time.

Sergeant Akin walked into his office where Chandler sat alone, waiting. "I'm sorry, Mr. Bing."
Chandler nodded and faintly smiled, "Thank you for trying."
"Where's your wife?" Sergeant Akin said as he sat down at his desk.
"For the past week, since the arrest, we've been staying in our old apartment where our friend now lives, she hasn't gotten out of bed much." Chandler paused, "Like when it first happened."
"I understand." Sergeant Akin said.
"What happens now?" Chandler asked.
"Well Daryl will go to jail for a very long time." Sergeant Akin told Chandler. Earlier that day Daryl had told the officers that Jaron had died a few months after he'd kidnapped him. Monica had taken it the hardest.
Chandler weakly shook Sergeant Akin's hand and left the office.

Phoebe was sitting at the table when Chandler entered. "Hey Chandler," Phoebe said.
"Hey Phoebes," he said emotionless.
"Monica's asleep," Phoebe told him.
"Good," Chandler said as he sat down at the table.
"I was just having a sandwich, can I make you one?" She asked.
"Yes please," Chandler said resting his head on his arms. "Sergeant Akin said the kidnapper would go to jail for a long time."
"The bastard should go to jail for life." Phoebe said blatantly.
"I can't believe Jaron's dead." Chandler said and he felt as if he would cry.
"Chandler, don't think about it," Phoebe said. "You've got Monica and she's got you, and maybe one day you'll have another child."
"If we had another child we'd be following the poor kid everywhere, not letting it out of our sight. The first time Monica and I went out alone for an evening without our son he gets taken!" Chandler said raising his voice.
Phoebe put her hand on his shoulder, "Why don't you get some sleep too, when you wake up the sandwich will be done."
Chandler nodded, thanked Phoebe and entered the bedroom. Monica wasn't asleep; she was in her pyjamas seated on the bed, holding the red jacket. "Hi." She said quietly when she saw Chandler enter.
Chandler sat on the bed next to her, "Are you okay?"
Monica smiled dimly, "I guess."

In the living room Phoebe lay down on the couch, she was also exhausted, everyone was. She closed her eyes. Soon, she fell asleep. Phoebe was dreaming and she knew it. She was in a hospital. She recognized it immediately; it was the one that Joey had been in when Jaron had been taken. There were no people anywhere. Phoebe walked through a hallway and down a flight of stairs. When she did she saw a room with a red door. Slowly she walked through the hallway and up to the door, she turned the doorknob. The door was locked. Defeated, she started to walk away, when she did she heard Monica laughing from inside the room. Monica was happy. Phoebe knocked on the door and it opened. Monica was sitting on the hospital bed holding Jaron. He was smiling. But Phoebe noticed that Monica, laughing, had tears in her eyes. Phoebe tried to talk, but no words came out. Monica looked to Phoebe. "Chandler's dead." Monica said to Phoebe. Phoebe heard herself asking, "Why?" Monica started to cry, "If we find Jaron, Chandler dies." Phoebe looked at Jaron, "But Jaron's dead." She said. "No, he's not." Monica whispered. Phoebe awoke and sat up on the couch. She glanced around and noticed it was dark outside. She wiped the drool from her face and sat up. 'Just a dream' she thought.

It was two weeks later. Monica and Chandler hugged their friends, good-bye, and handed the ticket agent their tickets. They were flying back to Chicago, they were moving back. They decided to keep living their new life in Chicago.
The ticket agent told them, "Sir, madam, the flight has been slightly delayed, please continue down this corridor and the other passengers are waiting there." Monica and Chandler nodded and walked down the corridor. Chandler sat down next to a large man.
"I'll be right back," Monica told him, "I am just going to go use the washroom."
"Okay, I'll stay here," Chandler told her. She walked away.
The man next to Chandler put down his magazine and turned to Chandler, "Hello, my name is Arthur Bernstein. How are you?"
Chandler was amazed by the mans friendliness, "I'm fine, thank you. I'm Chandler Bing."
"Was that you're wife, Chandler?" Arthur asked.
"Yes, Monica." Chandler said smiling.
"Lucky man," Arthur said. "My wife works here at the airport, lovely lady, her name is Paulette. I'm going on business to Chicago for a few days and she's worried sick." Arthur laughed loudly.
"We live in Chicago," Chandler said. "We used to live in New York."
"My eldest daughter wants to move to Chicago when she's 18. I really have no idea why." Arthur said and laughed, "She's 14 now, and she'll have changed her mind in 4 years."
Chandler smiled, "Send her to our house if she decides to move, Monica would cook her supper."
"Kids are funny things. My wife deals with the kids that come through the airport." Arthur said. Chandler thought of Jaron. Arthur continued, "She told me that a few weeks ago some family sent a kid about six years old through here, from Texas. And all she could say was 'poor child.' The kid met up with some family who didn't even look like they knew the kid." Arthur looked sad, then he spoke again, "My daughter's adopted; we adopted her when she was a year old, abandoned by her mother."
Chandler fake laughed, "You've got to hate those kinds of parents." Chandler realised something, "This kid, do you know anything about him?"
Arthur was confused, "Why?"
Chandler lied, "Just curious."
Arthur pondered for a moment, "The kid lost his jacket. But Paulette said that the poor thing had grown out the jacket years ago. That's all I can tell you."
Chandler stood up, as Monica came walking over to him, he grabbed her arm, "Mon, I don't think Jaron's dead."
Monica looked Chandler in the eye and held up a small backpack, "Me neither."
"What's that?" Chandler asked.
Monica held it closer to Chandler's face, "Recognize it?"
Chandler nodded, "It's the backpack we bought Jaron for his fourth birthday. He had it with him when him and Joey went out."
Monica nodded, her thoughts clouded, "I found it behind the trash can in the washroom."
Chandler turned to Arthur, "You have no idea what you've done for us." Chandler said to him. Then before Arthur could answer, Chandler and Monica picked up their luggage and ran back down the corridor. Once they were outside the airport Chandler pulled out his cell phone. After talking into it for a moment, he turned to Monica who was trying to get a cab. "Sergeant Akin has gone on vacation." He said miserably.
Monica frowned, "Well, try and find that Officer Norton." A cab pulled up in front of them, they climbed in. Hopefully, this time they'd find him.