Chapter 8: Nobody

Nine-year old Jaron stepped out of his room carrying his brother. Monica followed him.
"Don't drop him," she warned.
Chandler was sitting on the couch reading a magazine. "He won't drop him," Chandler laughed.
Monica glared at Chandler, "Chandler!"
Chandler's expression changed, "Jaron, be careful with the baby." Monica smiled.
Jaron sat on the couch next to Chandler, "I won't drop Cole, he's safer with me than he is with Joey and you let Joey hold him all the time!"
Chandler smiled, "True."
Jaron stood up and went back into the bedroom, "I'll put him in his crib."
Monica told him, "I'll be in there in a moment."
Chandler patted the couch next to him, "Relax, sit down."
Monica leaned against him when she sat down, "Is today Tuesday or Wednesday?"
"It's Sunday." Chandler told her. She looked puzzled. Chandler put his arm around her, "Sunday, the 14th."
Monica sat up, "The 14th?"
"What's with the 14th?" Chandler asked.
"Daryl and Angela's parents get out of jail yesterday," Monica whispered.
"It's been three years?" Chandler frowned. "They particiapted in a kidnapping, they should be jail forever."
"I agree," Monica said.
Jaron exited the bedroom, "I think the baby likes sleeping on my bed better."
Monica stood up, "No, Cole will sleep in his crib." She went into the bedroom. Jaron shrugged and went into the kitchen.
Jaron turned to Chandler "Dad, do we have any cookies?"
"No, but I bet Joey does." Chandler went to the door, "I'll go get you some." He exited the apartment. Jaron sat at the kitchen table.
Monica came out of the bedroom, "Where's Dad?"
"He went to get cookies from Joey's," Jaron told her.
Monica sighed, "He doesn't, but I think Phoebe does, let me go downstairs and get her." She turned to Jaron, "Stay right here, don't go anywhere." Monica quickly thought that she shouldn't leave, but Chandler was right across the hall so she went downstairs.

Chandler exited Joey's apartment just as Monica came up the stairs, "Where did you go?" Chandler asked.
"To Phoebe's for cookies," she said holding up a box of Oreo's.
"You left the baby and Jaron alone?" Chandler asked.
"You were right across the hall, besides, the baby was fast asleep." Monica said smiling.
"We're awful parents," Chandler said with a snicker.
"Oh I know," Monica laughed. "We were gone, what ten minutes?"
"That's how long it takes to raid Joey's cuboards, under the supervision of Joey, of course." Chandler said as he tried to open their apartment door. It didn't budge. "Did you lock it?" Chandler asked Monica.
"No, I don't think I did."
Chandler knocked on the door, "Jaron! Let us in!" Their was silence.
Joey came out of his apartment, "What's all the yelling?"
"Jaron locked us out," Monica said.
"I don't think he'd do that, Mon," Chandler said.
Monica dropped the cookies, she banged on the door, "Jaron! Are you okay? Let Mom and Dad in right now!" The silence was broken by Cole crying and screaming. Monica started panicking. Chandler and Joey started kicking at the door. Monica ran into Joey's apartment and grabbed a spare key. She came running up to the door with it. Chandler and Joey stopped kicking, they moved away from the door. Monica opened the door.
"Jaron?" Chandler asked, as they entered. When they entered into the living room part they saw Daryl's parents clinging onto Jaron and trying to open the balcony window. Jaron looked shocked.
"What are you doing here?" Monica screamed.
"We're taking him home," Daryl's mother yelled.
Joey ran up to them and tried to grab Jaron, but Daryl's father pulled out a gun and shot him in the arm. Joey fell to the ground screaming in pain.
Chandler grabbed onto Monica's arm when she tried to run to him, "Mon, don't."
Monica glared at the two people standing next to her balcony window. "Please, let him go, why would you do this? You're fine now, you served your time, everything is okay."
"Our son is dead, and our daughter refuses to have contact with us." Daryl's father growled.
Chandler glanced around, "Where's Cole? Where's the baby?"
"The baby is still in the bedroom," Daryl's mother said. They heard the baby cry again.
Monica sarcastically said, "Oh, well thanks for leaving one of our children."
Chandler chimed, "And shooting our best friend."
Joey hushly said, "I'm okay."
Monica's eyes flooded with tears, "Please. Don't do this to us again. You have hurt us before. Finally, our life is back in place, we have a baby, and he has his brother. You can't take Jaron," she paused, "you can't take anyone."
Jaron turned to the people holding his arms, "Listen to her."
Chandler stood in silence, "We'll let you go, if you let us all be okay."
"Sorry," Daryl's father said, "Now, someone please either let us out the window, or out the front door. With the kid." He motioned for them to walk towards the balcony, "You two go out on the balcony." They did as instructed, and opened the balcony window and went outside. They didn't want to be shot. Chandler glanced over the edge of the balcony. Then he grabbed Monica's arm and led her back into the apartment. Daryl's parents looked at him confused.
"Get back outside," Daryl's mother said.
Chandler smirked, "Your family has serious problems." Then he walked over to the couch and leaned against it, "Take him."
Monica turned and looked at him confused, "What?"
Chandler grinned, "Take him, we don't care."
Jaron cried, "Dad?"
"Yeah, go out the front door. I don't care." Chandler said.
Daryl's parents stared at him and picked up Jaron and started to walk towards the front door. Monica screamed, "Wait, Chandler, what are you saying?" She yelled, "Don't take him!"
Chandler stood up and grabbed her arm, "Trust me."
She looked at him puzzled, and was silent. She watched as Jaron, in the enemies arms, was being dragged out of the apartment. Standing in their apartment, the couple was still.
Monica turned and angrily yelled, "Chandler, why did I just let two strangers take off with my son?" As she said it, she heard two gun shots and yelling. They ran out the door and into the hallway. Jaron ran and leaped into their arms. They stood in the hall, where Daryl's mother and father lay each with a gun shot wound in their stomach. They were still alive. Chandler and Monica looked to the person who had fired the gun. Sergeant Akin stood, holding a gun.
"Hi folks, I've not seen you in a while." He said.
"Oh my god," Monica said between tears. Jaron clung onto her.
Chandler said, "I told you to trust me. I saw the police car and Sergeant Akin run into the building, from the balcony."
Joey screamed from inside the apartment, "Hello! Joey's shot!" Chandler ran to Joey's side, and Monica ran and got Cole.

Joey was being taken out of the apartment on a streacher.
"Thanks Joey, for uh-" Monica started.
"For getting shot?" Joey asked.
Monica half smiled, "Yeah, I guess. There's not much else you really did."
Chandler, holding Cole, said, "He risked his life for Jaron."
"I think we've all risked our lives many times for Jaron," Joey said. "Especially, you two." He said lifting his arm in Monica and Chandler's direction.
Phoebe, Ross and Rachel came running into the hallway.
Rachel screamed, "What the hell happened here?"
"Joey got shot," Monica said.
Phoebe gasped, "Joey, we're coming to the hospital with you."
"Joey got shot?" Ross said as the three of them followed Joey and the paramedics.
Jaron was sitting on the couch as Monica, Chandler and Cole entered the living room.
"You think anyone else will ever come after me?" Jaron asked.
"Well I highly doubt it," Chandler said.
"Will someone come after Cole?" Jaron asked.
"Nope, never," Monica said. "There is nobody to be afraid of."
"Noboy," Chandler repeated, as the family sat down on the couch and they watched TV.
And Chandler was right, nobody.

THE END