The One With The Bachelor Party, Part Four
"Sometimes, When I Call Your Name..."


~Las Vegas, Nevada~

The ceremony was short, but sweet. Monica wore a floor-length, silk, silver dress, Rachel and Phoebe wore the same, but in black. The men wore business suits. The wedding was over so quickly, that Monica could barely remember it. She was in a strange daze, as the wedding party made their way out onto The Strip, to gamble and celebrate.
It was a near-perfect evening in Las Vegas. The Boulevard was lively, but not too crowded. The gang made their way from casino to casino, eventually landing at Caesar's Palace.

This was when everything hit Monica. As they walked into the casino, she looked around, and felt her heart lurch. They walked past the statue where she had told Chandler that he was the love of her life...the Craps table where he had made that hasty proposal...the bar where she had gone to drown her sorrows with Phoebe after fighting with Chandler. Monica suddenly became painfully aware of the fact that she was walking hand in hand with her new husband, all the while thinking about the love, the life, that she had lost. It didn't seem fair. Monica felt a sudden, uncontrollable urge to run. To run as far as she could from her reality. She wanted to sit in the corner of her bedroom, and think about nothing but the life that had been denied her. Instead of running from Pete, screaming like a loon, she quietly excused herself, and walked into the restroom. Rachel and Phoebe followed closely behind.

"Mon, are you okay?" Rachel asked, once the women had entered the restroom.

"I'm fine...I'm great!" Monica said with obviously fake enthusiasum.

"Monica...Oh, I knew we should have skipped this casino," Phoebe said softly.

"What? Why?" Monica's act was as thin as rice paper, and she knew that her friends could see through it.

"Mon, what can we do?"
Monica shook her head violently, trying unsuccessfully to mask the tears that had already begun falling.

"Aw, sweetie," Rachel wrapped her arms around Monica, as Phoebe went to get her a glass of water.

"I miss him so much," Monica sobbed, relieved that she was finally able to just Let Go.

"I know, honey...we all do."

***

Joey looked around the casino, and spotted the dealer that he had once dubbed his "identical hand twin". He smiled, and shook his head. What the hell had he been thinking, anyway? His smile faded when he recalled telling Chandler about the hand twin. He missed his best friend. No one understood him the way Chandler did. He sighed heavily, and looked around. His eyes landed on the doorway to the women's restroom, where he saw Phoebe re-entering with a glass of water.
"Monica must be a wreck", he thought to himself. He looked at Ross, knowing that he was thinking the same thing.
Joey wondered if Ross still felt as guilty as he did.

***

~Bangkok, Thailand~

Chandler opened his eyes, and was immediately aware of the pain that seared through his bandaged head. He tried to survey his surroundings, but one of his eyes wouldn't open. He moaned loudly, and immediately, a man appeared over his bed. He looked at Chandler closely, and gave him a friendly smile.

"Welcome back, Mr. Bing."

"Wh-where am I?" Chandler croaked. He became immediately aware of the fact that he really needed some water.

"You are in Bangkok. Don't worry, you're safe. We'll have you all fixed up, and on a plane to the U.S. in no time."

Chandler closed his eyes. He was going home? Back to Monica? It seemed too good to be true.

"My friends," Chandler said, suddenly realizing that he hadn't seen or heard from Ross or Joey since the day they were taken.

"You're friends are fine. They are back in New York."

Chandler smiled, then looked up at the stranger again. "How...what month is it?"

"It's October," The man replied.

October...oh man! He had missed the wedding. Monica was not going to be happy.

"October of 2003," the man finished.

Chandler looked at the stranger in shock. 2003? Had he really been here for two years? He closed his eyes, and wondered what everyone was doing now. Were they still in New York? Was Monica waiting for him, or had she moved on?
His head was throbbing. As the pain killers began to kick in, Chandler drifted off to sleep, thinking about Monica, and wondering if she was waiting for him.


~New York City, Two Weeks Later~

"So, Mon, have you decided what you are gonna do with this apartment?" Rachel asked.

"Well, technially, it's still in my grandmother's name, so I kinda want to hold onto it," Monica replied. The truth of the matter was, Monica was not ready to let go of the apartment, and of the memories that it held for her. She looked around the room, at her friends, and felt a bit nostalgic. She almost didn't want to move. With Pete in Paris on business for another week, Monica decided to spend less time in his stuffy flat, and more time with her friends...her family.

"Well, I can stay here, if you want," Rachel suggested.

"Sounds like a plan," Monica said blankly.

"Are you okay?" Ross asked, walking over to his sister.

"Yeah," Monica said, shaking the metaphorical cobwebs from her head, "I'll be okay."

Just then, there was a knock on the front door.
The five friends looked at each other, then back at the door.

"Pete must have finished early," Monica muttered, and stood to answer the door.


~Five minutes earlier~

Chandler stepped out of the taxi, and looked around him slowly. It was so strange, being back home. His legs felt shaky, and his heart was beating rapidly. He had lost 50 pounds, easily, and his eyes were still not used to the bright sunlight. The paleness of his skin brought out the blueness in his eyes, making him look more like a lost child than a grown man. Although it was a warm day, Chandler still felt cold, and he pulled his oversized jacket around him protectively, as he walked toward the building where he used to live.

He knocked softly on the door, and stepped back a short step. He was half-expecting his friends to have up and moved.
He stood for a minute longer, and when there was no response, he figured that no one was home. He turned to leave, then heard the doorknob turning. He turned back, just as the door opened.


Monica pulled the door open, to reveal a thin, shaky, shell of a man. Monica felt her heart lurch into her throat, as she peered into the vacant eyes of the man that she considered the love of her life. The one that she had taken for dead almost three years ago.

"Chandler?" Monica whispered, half-expecting the man before her to disappear into thin air. Another figment of her imagination.

"Hi, um, Monica," Chandler replied slowly, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

Monica stood frozen, rooted to the floor. She couldn't bring herself to move, or blink, for fear that she would wake up, and find that she was once again, dreaming. Ross, Rachel, Joey and Phoebe, all overwhelmed with curiosity, stood, and walked toward Monica, wanting to see who was behind that door.

"Chandler?" Phoebe, said, as the others stood with their mouths hanging open in awe and shock.

"Hi, Pheebs," Chandler said softly. He found it difficult to look into anyone's eyes, so he looked back down at the floor, wondering if he should walk into the apartment. He looked back up at his friends, and wondered what they were thinking.
Phoebe and Rachel were both crying, as was Joey. Ross had gone pale, and had moved to sit down at the kitchen table.
Monica had tears streaming down her face, but remained silent and stoic.

"Um, can I um, come in, or..." Chandler asked, looking from person to person.

"Oh, God, yes, Chandler, come in!" Rachel finally cried, and grabbed his hand. She pulled him in and hugged him tightly.

"I'm sorry, honey, we were just so shocked," Rachel whispered, as Phoebe and Joey took turns hugging him.

"They told us you were dead," Ross said, looking at Chandler strangely.

"Really?" Chandler said, looking at Monica, who was silently staring at the scene in front of her. It was almost as if she was afraid to touch him. She and Ross were the only two who didn't hug him. Chandler wondered what was going on.

"We left Bangkok because they told us you were...Chandler, I am so sorry," Ross finally broke down, and Chandler realized that Ross must be feeling guilty for leaving him.

"Ross, you have nothing to be sorry about. I am just happy that you and Joey got out," Chandler said quietly.

"Chandler," Rachel said quietly, "Where, exactly have you been?"

"I...um, I don't really want to talk about it Rach," Chandler replied hastily. He began to tremble slightly, and his head felt light, as his mind wandered back to the place where he had spent over two years of his life. He felt his knees begin to buckle, and he grabbed a kitchen chair to steady himself. He pulled the chair out, and sat down, resting his cheek on his right hand.

"I...I'm sorry," Rachel said, and sat down next to him.

"Monica, are you okay?" Phoebe asked, as she put her arm around her friend.

"Yeah, I am just...I can't believe that this is happening," Monica said, staring at Chandler.

Chandler looked up at Monica, and tried to read the look on her face. She seemed distant, and preoccupied. Chandler wished that he could read her like he used to be able to. He blinked, and looked down at the table, sadly.

The ringing of the phone failed to wake everyone from their daze. No one moved, as the phone rang three more times. They listened silently, as the answeing machine picked up.

"Hey guys, it's Pete. I'm um, looking for my wife. If you see Monica, can you have her call me? Thanks."

Ross darted over to the machine, in an attempt to stop the message. But it was too late. He turned and looked at Chandler, who was looking at Monica. Monica was staring at the floor. Chandler took a long, shaky breath, as he slowly realized that Monica, and his friends, had moved on. He didn't belong in this life, because this life had moved on without him. He swallowed hard, and stood slowly. He walked to the door, and left quietly.

His friends, not knowing what to do or say, did not follow him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Okaaay....so, now that he is back, what will Chandler do? You are welcome to take a guess....PLEASE REVIEW!