Just in case you missed it the first time. This is a Drama/Angst fic. ;-)
This one jumps around a bit. I put "Present Day", but I suppose technially it would be, like 1997 or so. Whatever, my timelines are not nearly as wacked out as the real writer's timeline. (Shouldn't Rachel be, like, 8 months pregnant? LOL)
********************
The Sins of The Father
Chapter Two~The Confrontation
~October, 1977~
It was an unusually cold night. The wind whipped through the streets like a howling wolf on the prowl. Chandler could hear the shutters pounding against the windows, banging against the glass like an unwelcome intruder. He opened his eyes, and looked over at his brother's bed. Jonah was fast asleep, completely oblivious to the chaotic storm. Chandler closed his eyes, and tried to block out the sounds of the night. He heard the front door slam, and wondered if the storm had made it's way inside. The screaming and banging lasted for an hour. Chandler could hear the fight above the winds, and the banging shutters, and the pounding rain. The screaming stopped as quickly as it had started. Chandler heard the ominous and inevitable sound of footsteps in the hallway. He pulled his blanket tight over his shoulders, and pretended to be asleep. Maybe it would work this time.
But it never did.
*
~Where we left off~
"Chandler? Oh my God, Chandler?" Monica had watched in horror as Chandler had gone into a strange trance, then screamed and passed out onto her kitchen floor. "Chandler?"
"Maybe we should call an ambulance," Rachel suggested, her voice shaky and soft.
But Monica wasn't listening. She was completely focused on Chandler, shaking him, and calling out his name over and over. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Chandler came to.
"What happened?" he whispered.
"Honey, I don't know. You kind of freaked out, and then you just...fainted."
Chandler layed his head back down on the floor, his eyes moving back and forth, as he tried to recall the evening's events. He was at work...he came home...his father. He had been here, and his friends--Chandler felt his heart beating rapidly, as he felt the panic from before rising again. He took several deep breaths, and pulled himself up off of the floor. He leaned against the front door, his eyes searching the floor for an answer. Monica's voice brought him out of his haze.
"Chandler, what's wrong? What happened?"
She sounded scared. Her voice was small, like a child's voice. Chandler closed his eyes, and tried desperately to think logically. His father had obviously lied to his friends. There was no way they would have known. Chandler looked up at Monica, and the group of terrified friends that stood behind her.
"What did he tell you?"
Before anyone could answer, there was a soft knock on the door. Chandler turned slowly, and peered through the small hole in the door. He felt his body trembling, and he had to remind himself that he wasn't a child anymore. He closed his eyes, and layed his hand on the doorknob. His wrist refused to turn. There was another knock, and Chandler opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened the door.
*
~1977~
Chandler stood in front of the school, waiting for Jonah to appear. He wondered what Jonah's day had been like. Chandler hadn't slept at all the night before, and had found it difficult to stay awake in class. He leaned against a towering oak tree, and let his mind wander. He wondered if all of these kids had a family like his. He knew that they didn't, because they were laughing, smiling, and playing. Chandler spent most of his recesses sitting on a wooden bench, in the shadows of the school. He had no friends, because most everyone in the school thought he was weird. He *was* weird, at least that's what his father kept telling him. And if you hear something enough, you begin to believe it.
"Chanwer, whath's wong?" Jonah looked up at his older brother, and saw that he was crying.
"Hey, Jonah. Nothing, I'm just sleepy. You ready to go?"
"Yup."
"Okay, let's go." Chandler took his brother's tiny hand, and walked toward their house.
*
~Present day~
"Hi, Nora," Chandler whispered, letting her into the apartment.
"He was here, wasn't he?" Nora said, as she walked in and silently greeted the others.
"I haven't seen him yet. I was at work when he came by."
"You look awful, Chandler."
"Thanks," Chandler replied sarcastically.
"What did he say when he was here?"
"I don't know. I was about to find out," Chandler looked at his friends quizzically.
"Chandler had told us that your ex-husband was a drag queen, but--" Joey started.
"That bastard was never my husband," Nora spat, and took off her coat. "What else did he say?"
"That, uh, he was jailed for tax evasion, and his family had disowned him." Ross said, still confused by Nora's last statement. What did she mean by that? They were never married? What else had Chandler lied about?
"Tax evasion? Are you kidding me?" Nora laughed bitterly.
Chandler sank into a kitchen chair, now understanding why his friends were acting the way they were.
"I take it he was lying," Monica stated, as she looked at Chandler sadly.
"That's an understatement," Nora sighed, and turned to Chandler. "You haven't told them anything, have you?"
"You know I haven't, Nora."
"Told us what?" Joey looked from Nora to Chandler.
"It's not my place to say anything," Nora sighed, and sat in a chair next to her nephew.
*
~1977~
"Where the hell have you two been?" Daniel glared at his sons menacingly.
"We were at school," Chandler said, pushing Jonah behind him protectively.
"Daniel, please leave the boys alone," Chandler looked over at his mother. She was sitting in the corner of the room, her eyes swollen from crying, and her hair and clothes a matted mess.
"Bitch, no one is talking to you, so sit there, and shut up!" Daniel yelled, before turning his attention back to his boys.
"School let out an hour ago, now where the fuck were you?"
"We were at school, I swear!" Chandler said.
"We were at school!" Daniel mimicked harshly. "You are such an idiot. Get up to your room. I don't want to see or hear from you for the rest of the night."
"But we're hungry!" Chandler replied, knowing that Jonah was probably starved, but wouldn't say anything himself.
"Oh, well that's just too God-damned bad! Go to your room, Jonah!" Daniel yelled, as he pulled Chandler away from his brother.
"Chanwer!"
"Jonah, go!" Chandler ordered. Jonah turned and ran down the hallway, toward his bedroom. He turned and looked down toward the living room, just as Chandler looked up at him. As their eyes locked, Jonah wondered what Chandler had done that was so bad.
***
~Present Day~
There was another knock at the door, and Chandler had a sinking feeling that he knew who it was. Monica opened the door, and was unsure how to greet the man on the other side.
"Hi, Monica, sorry to bother you, but I saw your light on, and I think I left my scarf here."
"Oh, uh, okay, let me get it," Monica walked into the living room, and shot Chandler an apologetic glance.
Daniel walked through the front door, and was surprised to see Nora and Chandler sitting at the kitchen table.
"Nora. Chandler, son, how are you?" Daniel approached the table, and Chandler jumped from his chair, and backed up toward the kitchen sink. "Chandler, please."
"Stay away from him, Daniel," Nora warned, stepping between father and son.
"Nora, please, I want you to see that I have changed. I'm not the same person I was twenty years ago. I just want to get to know my son. Please." Daniel looked at Chandler pleadingly.
"Fine, you want to get to know me? Then you tell my friends why you were really in prison. You tell them the truth."
Chandler was shaking, he could feel it. But he had to face him, he had to face his fears. He wondered how his father would react to his demand for the truth. He wondered just how much he'd changed.
***
Okay, I guess I'd better go work on those other fics, before I get into trouble, heehee.
This one jumps around a bit. I put "Present Day", but I suppose technially it would be, like 1997 or so. Whatever, my timelines are not nearly as wacked out as the real writer's timeline. (Shouldn't Rachel be, like, 8 months pregnant? LOL)
********************
The Sins of The Father
Chapter Two~The Confrontation
~October, 1977~
It was an unusually cold night. The wind whipped through the streets like a howling wolf on the prowl. Chandler could hear the shutters pounding against the windows, banging against the glass like an unwelcome intruder. He opened his eyes, and looked over at his brother's bed. Jonah was fast asleep, completely oblivious to the chaotic storm. Chandler closed his eyes, and tried to block out the sounds of the night. He heard the front door slam, and wondered if the storm had made it's way inside. The screaming and banging lasted for an hour. Chandler could hear the fight above the winds, and the banging shutters, and the pounding rain. The screaming stopped as quickly as it had started. Chandler heard the ominous and inevitable sound of footsteps in the hallway. He pulled his blanket tight over his shoulders, and pretended to be asleep. Maybe it would work this time.
But it never did.
*
~Where we left off~
"Chandler? Oh my God, Chandler?" Monica had watched in horror as Chandler had gone into a strange trance, then screamed and passed out onto her kitchen floor. "Chandler?"
"Maybe we should call an ambulance," Rachel suggested, her voice shaky and soft.
But Monica wasn't listening. She was completely focused on Chandler, shaking him, and calling out his name over and over. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Chandler came to.
"What happened?" he whispered.
"Honey, I don't know. You kind of freaked out, and then you just...fainted."
Chandler layed his head back down on the floor, his eyes moving back and forth, as he tried to recall the evening's events. He was at work...he came home...his father. He had been here, and his friends--Chandler felt his heart beating rapidly, as he felt the panic from before rising again. He took several deep breaths, and pulled himself up off of the floor. He leaned against the front door, his eyes searching the floor for an answer. Monica's voice brought him out of his haze.
"Chandler, what's wrong? What happened?"
She sounded scared. Her voice was small, like a child's voice. Chandler closed his eyes, and tried desperately to think logically. His father had obviously lied to his friends. There was no way they would have known. Chandler looked up at Monica, and the group of terrified friends that stood behind her.
"What did he tell you?"
Before anyone could answer, there was a soft knock on the door. Chandler turned slowly, and peered through the small hole in the door. He felt his body trembling, and he had to remind himself that he wasn't a child anymore. He closed his eyes, and layed his hand on the doorknob. His wrist refused to turn. There was another knock, and Chandler opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened the door.
*
~1977~
Chandler stood in front of the school, waiting for Jonah to appear. He wondered what Jonah's day had been like. Chandler hadn't slept at all the night before, and had found it difficult to stay awake in class. He leaned against a towering oak tree, and let his mind wander. He wondered if all of these kids had a family like his. He knew that they didn't, because they were laughing, smiling, and playing. Chandler spent most of his recesses sitting on a wooden bench, in the shadows of the school. He had no friends, because most everyone in the school thought he was weird. He *was* weird, at least that's what his father kept telling him. And if you hear something enough, you begin to believe it.
"Chanwer, whath's wong?" Jonah looked up at his older brother, and saw that he was crying.
"Hey, Jonah. Nothing, I'm just sleepy. You ready to go?"
"Yup."
"Okay, let's go." Chandler took his brother's tiny hand, and walked toward their house.
*
~Present day~
"Hi, Nora," Chandler whispered, letting her into the apartment.
"He was here, wasn't he?" Nora said, as she walked in and silently greeted the others.
"I haven't seen him yet. I was at work when he came by."
"You look awful, Chandler."
"Thanks," Chandler replied sarcastically.
"What did he say when he was here?"
"I don't know. I was about to find out," Chandler looked at his friends quizzically.
"Chandler had told us that your ex-husband was a drag queen, but--" Joey started.
"That bastard was never my husband," Nora spat, and took off her coat. "What else did he say?"
"That, uh, he was jailed for tax evasion, and his family had disowned him." Ross said, still confused by Nora's last statement. What did she mean by that? They were never married? What else had Chandler lied about?
"Tax evasion? Are you kidding me?" Nora laughed bitterly.
Chandler sank into a kitchen chair, now understanding why his friends were acting the way they were.
"I take it he was lying," Monica stated, as she looked at Chandler sadly.
"That's an understatement," Nora sighed, and turned to Chandler. "You haven't told them anything, have you?"
"You know I haven't, Nora."
"Told us what?" Joey looked from Nora to Chandler.
"It's not my place to say anything," Nora sighed, and sat in a chair next to her nephew.
*
~1977~
"Where the hell have you two been?" Daniel glared at his sons menacingly.
"We were at school," Chandler said, pushing Jonah behind him protectively.
"Daniel, please leave the boys alone," Chandler looked over at his mother. She was sitting in the corner of the room, her eyes swollen from crying, and her hair and clothes a matted mess.
"Bitch, no one is talking to you, so sit there, and shut up!" Daniel yelled, before turning his attention back to his boys.
"School let out an hour ago, now where the fuck were you?"
"We were at school, I swear!" Chandler said.
"We were at school!" Daniel mimicked harshly. "You are such an idiot. Get up to your room. I don't want to see or hear from you for the rest of the night."
"But we're hungry!" Chandler replied, knowing that Jonah was probably starved, but wouldn't say anything himself.
"Oh, well that's just too God-damned bad! Go to your room, Jonah!" Daniel yelled, as he pulled Chandler away from his brother.
"Chanwer!"
"Jonah, go!" Chandler ordered. Jonah turned and ran down the hallway, toward his bedroom. He turned and looked down toward the living room, just as Chandler looked up at him. As their eyes locked, Jonah wondered what Chandler had done that was so bad.
***
~Present Day~
There was another knock at the door, and Chandler had a sinking feeling that he knew who it was. Monica opened the door, and was unsure how to greet the man on the other side.
"Hi, Monica, sorry to bother you, but I saw your light on, and I think I left my scarf here."
"Oh, uh, okay, let me get it," Monica walked into the living room, and shot Chandler an apologetic glance.
Daniel walked through the front door, and was surprised to see Nora and Chandler sitting at the kitchen table.
"Nora. Chandler, son, how are you?" Daniel approached the table, and Chandler jumped from his chair, and backed up toward the kitchen sink. "Chandler, please."
"Stay away from him, Daniel," Nora warned, stepping between father and son.
"Nora, please, I want you to see that I have changed. I'm not the same person I was twenty years ago. I just want to get to know my son. Please." Daniel looked at Chandler pleadingly.
"Fine, you want to get to know me? Then you tell my friends why you were really in prison. You tell them the truth."
Chandler was shaking, he could feel it. But he had to face him, he had to face his fears. He wondered how his father would react to his demand for the truth. He wondered just how much he'd changed.
***
Okay, I guess I'd better go work on those other fics, before I get into trouble, heehee.
