Part 7: The Biggest Cause Of Divorce

[First of all, to all you fellow C&Mers out there, Happy May 7!!! Three years, can you believe it? [That was the part of this fic I wrote on May 7....] Second of all, for those of you who have seen TOW Ross and Monica's Cousin, what's the name of the song they use in there? Just curious. Ok, well, I don't really have much to say, so let's just get on with the fic.]

When the phone rang, no one made a move to answer it. Finally, Monica got up and picked it up. If no one answered it, it would only cause another fight, and she didn't need that right now.

Hey, Mon, it's Richard.

Oh. Hey.

Well, I just wanted to call to see how things were.

Well, then the answer you're looking for is bad.'

I figured that. No leads on Hannah?

Nope. It's been three months now, and nothing. I'm beginning to wonder if.......

No, Monica, don't say it. She'll be back.

I sure hope so. But it's been a long time now, and nothing.

Well, just give it more time. Criminals have hard times getting away nowadays.

Yeah, but the ones that do get away are probably the ones that took my daughter.

Just wait. I bet eventually something will turn up.

I hope you're right. I really don't feel like crying anymore.

Well, how's Abby?

She's seeing a therapist. She's been having nightmares.



Yeah. The therapist says it seems she's afraid she's going to be kidnapped, too.

I'll bet. I mean, all of a sudden her sister's gone.

Yeah. I hope she can get over it, though. I hate for her to have nightmares forever.

How's Chandler?

He's pretty much the same as me. But how's us is another question.

Why? What's wrong with you two?

Fighting. A lot. You know how they say it takes a toll on relationships when a kid is dead or missing?



We're no exception.

I'm sorry to hear that.

So am I, she sighed.

Well, I better go. Calling from Florida costs a lot.

Yeah. How are you guys doing?

Michelle's pretty upset. Henry, too. He can't believe he's father did that. Troy doesn't understand why his dad's gone.

I'm sorry.

Me, too.

Well, bye.



They hung up. Monica sighed and went upstairs to check on Abby. It had been three weeks since the jacket fight, and, instead of the fights getting better as they promised, they got worse. Monica wasn't sure where they were headed, but with a lot of fights like this, it wasn't a second honeymoon.

Gregg had a hearing, where the jury found him guilty of attempted murder. He was sentenced to five years in jail. It turns out they had found more evidence, and then it was obvious he was guilty. Mark Lewis, or G-Funk, was sentenced to four years. But it still didn't show what had happened to Hannah. Gregg seemed to know nothing, and he had passed a polygraph test twice saying he had no idea where Hannah was.

Once in a while, the hang-up phone calls would continue. Monica had told Lisa about it, and at first she didn't seem concerned, but after it kept happening she thought maybe they should put a tap on the phone so they could trace the calls. There was supposed to be a man coming over today to install it. Once he was done installing it, it seemed that the mysterious hanger upper never called back.

Things between Monica and Chandler were getting worse. Monica didn't know how to fix it, but she knew that trying to talk didn't work. She had tried that, but they usually ended up fighting. Despite all the fighting, she was sure she still loved him, and she was pretty sure he still loved her. So the next day, while Abby was at therapy, Monica decided to try and fix it....with sex. She thought that maybe the lack of their sex lives since Hannah had been gone was part of the problem. So she could only give it a shot. She found Chandler in the living room, and went in and sat next to him.

she said.

Hi Mon.

So, what's up? she asked nervously. It was the first time since that night in London that she had been nervous about initiating sex between them.

Not much, he answered her question

Yeah, same here, she told him.

It's awfully quiet, he commented.

Things between us, she began.

Oh, God, Mon, I know, he told her. They're getting bad, aren't they?

They are. I think we should have sex.



Maybe it'll remind us of our feelings. Maybe that's the problem, we haven't done it since Hannah's been gone.....

I don't know if that's a good idea. I mean, with things the way they are.

C'mon, Chandler. I have to do this. I don't know why, I can't explain it, but we have to have sex!

Even though we'll probably start fighting halfway through? he said, sarcastic, but worried that might be the truth.

What if we don't? she argued back. I mean, if we never slept together in the first place, we never would've found our feelings! Maybe that's what we need now!

Monica, I have no idea where we're going! If we end up divorced, you want to remember our last time together as terrible? Or you want to remember it as incredible??

Monica shouted. Now we're getting divorced???

No, not necessarily. I just meant that-

I know what you meant! You don't love me anymore! You want a divorce! I knew things were bad, but I still thought you loved me! A divorce!?!? she yelled as she left the room.

No, Mon, he said to no one. That's not it....

* * * * * *

After that, things between them were even worse. Chandler slept on the couch every night, because Monica wouldn't let him in their room. They barely spoke, and it was killing Monica.

Martha told Monica the next day, that Abby was picking up on it.

She seems to be worried about her parents, Martha said. I assume you two are going through a hard time now, huh?

Things were hard when Hannah was kidnapped, Monica sighed. But then we got into another fight, and, well, divorce was mentioned, and things just went worse from there.



God, I hope not, Monica told her.

Maybe you should see a marriage counselor or something, Martha advised. I know a few good ones, I can easily recommend one to you.

I guess it can't hurt, Monica figured.

No, it can't. It can only help, Martha agreed. She gave Monica the number of the counselor.

Monica said, before picking up Abby and leaving.

* * *

She didn't tell Chandler about the counselor. In fact, she didn't tell him anything.

Zaun came over the next day, and asked for more pictures of Hannah. He was thinking that maybe if he had more pictures of her, someone may recognize her because of the way she looked in another picture. Monica dropped Abby off at Rachel and Robert's, and then took all the pictures out and started looking through them. Chandler was at work, so Monica didn't think she'd have to worry about him. Zaun was helping her look through the pictures, and helping her choose the ones that might work or be helpful.

Chandler came home, and was surprised to find pictures all over the floor, and Zaun there. But despite that, he didn't say anything to Monica.

Hello Chandler, Zaun said.

Hey. What's going on?

Just getting some more pictures of Hannah.

Monica rolled her eyes at him, but even she wasn't sure why. He noticed this, and it only took minutes before they were yelling and screaming at each other.

I don't even know why you're still here!!! Monica yelled. I thought you wanted your divorce!!!!!

Yeah, I didn't then, but I do now!



Yeah. Look at things between us now!!

Hey, I tried to fix it. But you refused, and brought up divorce, instead. Martha says even Abby has picked up on this!

Well, no kidding! Her parents don't speak to each other anymore!

And why's that??

Why don't you tell me??

So it's all my fault? Is that it? Because I don't need you that much! I'll get Hannah back with or without you!

Damnit, Monica, I never said it was all your fault! I know I did a lot of this, too!!

Good, you do know. Because for a while there, I was wondering!

You think I'm that shallow??

I don't know. I never thought you'd let this happen to us! But you did! I never thought you'd even consider a divorce, but you brought it up!!!!

Yeah, hypothetically! But now it's not so hypothetical anymore!!

ENOUGH, ENOUGH!!! Officer Zaun told them. I know it's tough, your daughter is gone. You fight, fine. But now it's out of control! You can't help us find Hannah this way! You could be wasting precious time here! You've been arguing for five minutes. In five minutes, we could've found the final pictures and I'd be on my way to make flyers! Five minutes here, no big deal? But five minutes, ten minutes, an hour, every time adds up to days! You're jeopardizing finding Hannah. So, for Hannah's sake, it's right here, right now, either end it, or kiss and make up. Because I can find Hannah with you two together, or apart, but not at each other's throats!!

Monica looked down at the floor. She wasn't sure what she wanted with Chandler anymore. Married, or divorced? She used to think divorce would never be an option for them, but look now. She hated those kidnappers. They took Hannah away, and now, they were taking Chandler away, too. She knew if they ended t, she'd be miserable. But she knew if they kept on like this, she'd be miserable, too. She stared at the pile of pictures, and tried to concentrate on them, to make sure she didn't start crying. She was sure she would, soon, unless she sopped thinking about it. But Officer Zaun had made it clear she had to make a choice...

Chandler knew what he wanted. He wanted out. He never thought he would say it, but that's how he felt. He couldn't take the fighting anymore, it was becoming too much. It was affecting Abby, now, too, and it had to end. If they stayed married, it would continue. He wished all this hadn't happened. If Hannah had never been kidnapped, then he and Monica would still probably be okay. But he couldn't take more of this. And now he had to tell her so. He wondered how she felt. She was awfully quiet, staring at the floor. What was she thinking? He decided to just say it. Just say Monica, I want a divorce, and it will all be over, he told himself.

Monica, I.....I... Chandler tried to start out. She looked up at him, curious to what his decision would be. Monica, I love you.

She looked up at him, surprised. She waited to see if there was a but, but it didn't come. He had intended on saying he wanted a divorce, but right before he was about to say it, he realized that Monica and divorce didn't belong in the same sentence. He knew he loved her, and he couldn't divorce her.

Oh, thank God, Monica said. He wondered what her reaction would have been if he hadn't realized what he really wanted before he said it.

Neither of them said anything for a minute, and Zaun prompted them.

I love you, too, Chandler, Monica told him. I'm so so so sorry. I love you.

he smiled. We can get through this, Monica, I know we can. We don't even have a real reason to be fighting. We've had worse fights than this before. Just too much stress. Maybe we should go to counseling or something.

I think we should. Martha gave me the number of a counselor....

Well, luckily you get the chance to use it. Monica, I know we can get over this. This is us.

You're right, Monica agreed. Would a kiss be inappropriate here?

Are you kidding? Chandler told her. You are my wife, he smiled.

Yeah, thank God, she told him. Then she crossed the room, and went over to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and started kissing him, and soon it turned passionate. She felt his hands on the small of her back, and his tongue in her mouth, for the first time in a long time. He pulled away after a minute, only because Zaun was there.

Well, seems like a good solution to me, Zaun told them. Now, for these pictures of Hannah.....

Monica sat back down on the floor and began looking through the pictures again. After a minute, Chandler sat down next to her and helped them. He was amazed at how close he had come to loosing her over nothing. And he was glad he'd realized what he really wanted before it was gone.

[Okay, that's all, guys. Please review! 6 days to the finale.....six days, baby, six days!]