Title: Promise Me: One Look Into His Eyes

Author: JewelBlue3

Rating: PG

Summary: Chandler and Monica make a promise that they may not be able to keep.

Spoilers: Ross's wedding, some of Season 5

Disclaimer: Once again, I do NOT own them. I know it has been a while since my last fic, but I have not gotten control of them yet... if I did, Joey and Rachel would be together now, okay!? (Go J/R fans! I support you!)

Feedback: Yes, please. Who actually says no to this? Write to me at SparkleJewel7887@aol.com or just write a little note by clicking on that handy-dandy little button down there labled:Click Here to Submit REVIEW!!! Thanks.

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AN: None really, this fic takes place somewhere in Season 5. Umm...thats about it. I'll stop talking now and let you read.

Promise Me

He's gone. Tears stung her eyes as that thought continued to pass through her mind, over and over. She heard the door open, and quickly dried her eyes and faked a yawn.

"Hey Mon," Rachel entered. "This is a great shopping day; a good day to be inside cheering yourself up with a new pair of shoes!"

Any day is a good shopping day for you. Monica mused. "Mmmhmm." She nodded in agreement.

"Want to come with? Bloomingdales!"

"Nah, no thanks. I am so tired, I think will just rest today."

"And waste a Saturday? All right, your choice." Rachel ran into her room and grabbed her purse, then exited quickly in pursute of sales. She's wasting today just like yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that.... Rachel knew something was up with her best friend, but she just couldn't got through to her. She had spent all of last week doing things that she knew Monica loved to do, getting no response. She supposed it had to do with Chandler leaving, she figured that she just never knew how close those two were. Everyone was sad that he left, but Monica took it the hardest. Even Joey, his best friend, was getting through this easier. Rachel never knew how close those two really were.

***Flashback***

"Bing, we need you in Yemen."

"What?!" At first Chandler thought that he had heard him wrong.

"Yemen, Bing. They need someone as good as you helping them with their WENUS. They just can't figure it out, they can't get it right."

"Permanently?"

"It looks that way."

"But sir--"

"I know, I'll miss you too, but you have to go. They have already hired someone to take your place. If you don't go, you'll be out of a job. Besides, look at the bright side. You'll be getting a promotion."

Chandler didn't know what to say. Yemen? How ironic. What would he tell Monica?

***Present***

Chandler pushed everything off his desk to make room for a new stack of paperwork. "I don't know how I will ever get this done," he said aloud to himself.

"Neither do I."

Chandler quickly turned around, even though he already knew who it was. "How can they expect me to do so much? Do they think I don't have a life?" He moaned to his friend. John opened his mouth as if to say something in response, but Chandler interrupted him. "Don't answer that."

"Whatever you say. Listen, I'm going to lunch. Want me to pick up something for you?"

"No thanks, I'll see you later."

"See ya," John left, deserting Chandler and his pile of paperwork.

"This will be fun," Chandler once again said to himself. He did that a lot. He said things to himself that he would normally have said to one of his friends, one of the gang. He hadn't had any time at all to contact them since his move a month ago, at least that was his excuse. He knew the longer he held off the harder it would be to even call. He missed Monica so much, though. I wonder if she has moved on. That thought alone could make him become depressed for days, not like he wasn't now. I wonder if she's forgotton about me.

Monica thought that she should move on, she knew that she was really starting to scare her friends. Only Joey knew what was really going through her mind. He was the only one who found out about London, and Monica and Chandler sneaking around. Monica had, long ago, promised Chandler that she wouldn't tell anyone about each other until they were both ready. Even though he left, she still kept her promise. She knew that there is that chance that he had forgotton about her, gone after another. She tried not to think about that. They did make one other promise, the most important one. He wouldn't forget about that, would he?

***Flashback***

"Guys, I have some bad news," Chandler had gathered everyone into the Monica and Rachel's living room, anything but prepared to say what his boss had told him. "I have to move."

"Where?"

"When are you coming back?"

"When do you leave?"

There was a chorus of questions about the trip. Move, Chandler. It's not a trip because you're not coming back. He had to keep reminding himself that. "I'm leaving next week to Yemen. I... don't know exactly when I will be coming back."

For a split second, Monica actually thought that he was making it up to get away from her, just like Janice. The thought quickly left her mind, leaving her to wonder what it had been doing there in the first place. She knew that it couldn't be true, he loved her more than to escape. And one look into his eyes confirmed that.

It hit her that instant. Ice blue eyes met ice blue eyes and she knew that he was leaving for good. Their eyes melted, and a river of tears followed. No one else seemed to realize what this meant. But one look into his eyes and she saw it all.

***Present***

Chandler finally arrived home at 11:00, after hours of overtime trying to finish all the paperwork. He was greeted by John when he entered the apartment.

"Hey."

"Hi," Chandler said, mimiking Ross's infamous reply.

"Wanna watch a movie? I rented Die Hard!"

"Nah, I'm tired. I think I'll just go to bed," Die Hard was Joey's, his, and Ross's. He refused to watch it with anyone else.

"All right. Good night."

Chandler entered his small and cramped room. Part of the reason it was so cramped was the fact that there were boxes everywhere. His room was otherwise almost completely empty, besides a bed, dresser, and desk. He hadn't put any of his things away, nor around the room. Only the neccessities were out; like suits for work and his laptop. He subcontiously was hoping that by not unpacking and making it look like he lived there; he really wasn't living there. He was living back with Joey in New York. Less than 100 steps from Central Perk, right across the hall from Monica and Rachel. His apartment, his home.

God, I miss her so much. He had allowed Monica to enter his mind. Not usually a bad thing, but when he missed her so much it just hurt. He hadn't come in contact with any of them since he moved. It didn't help that he never gave them his address or phone number, but up until two weeks ago he was staying in a hotel. Luckily the ad he took out for an apartment turned out to be one of his co-workers. They became friends, Chandler's only friend in Yemen. He shut out the rest of the world. John didn't know the story about Chandler's life before Yemen, not from lack of trying though. He had asked, but Chandler always avoided the questions, changing the subject quickly. It hurt too much to think about his past life.

Chandler didn't know why he hadn't contacted anyone in New York yet. He figured it had to be fear. He was afraid that all his friends had moved on and forgotton about him, found a new friend to take his place. Worst of all he was afraid that Monica had found a new lover, someone new to care about. He was terrified that she had broken their promise. Not the one about not telling any of their friends about each other. The other promise. He didn't care about the first one, it didn't matter anymore (he, of course, still kept it though). The second promise was the one that he was worried about. That was the one meant everything.

***Flashback***

Monica had taken Chandler to the airport. The rest of the gang had said good-bye that morning, but Monica had held back, not getting to say what she really felt. She voluteered to take Chandler to the airport, to see him off. Everyone else had other things to do, them still not realizing how long Chandler would really be gone. She wanted to scream at them, say that they may never see him again. Yet, at the same time she didn't want to admit that to herself.

They hadn't spoken much of anything in the cab ride there, or while Chandler was waiting in line to get his ticket. They barely said anything even while they were waiting for Chandler's plane to announce that they were boarding. They both knew that there was so much to be said, but neither knew exacly what to say or where to start.

"Flight number 182 can begin boarding," they heard over the intercom.

"I guess that's me," Chandler said, with much resent.

"Chandler...I...." Monica began, but she couldn't think of the right words to say. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too, Monica."

Her eyes filled with tears as she realized that this might be the last time she ever saw him. "I love you, Chandler Bing."

Chandler smiled, the first true smile since he announced that he was leaving. Those words had not yet been spoken by either, and to hear them from Monica first had been a surprise. Almost a relief, knowing that she cared for him as much as he cared for her. "I love you too, Monica Geller."

She smiled back, and their lips met in their last passionate kiss.

"This is the final boarding call for flight number 182 to Yemen." The intercom interrupted the moment, and they both broke away.

"I-I guess that's me," he repeated, and looked over at the boarding area. "Bye, Mon."

"Bye Chandler."

He handed the lady his ticket and picked up his carry-on bag. He started to walk in the hallway that would take him to the plane.

"Chandler," Monica called. He turned around. "don't forget about me, okay?"

"I could never forget about you, Monica."

"Promise?"

He looked into he eyes and saw how full of worry and concern they were. "I promise. You can't forget about me either."

"I won't, I promise 'til the day I die."

Chandler took one last look at her, and turned and boarded the plane, walking out of her life forever.

End..........?

AN: The more feedback I receive, the sooner I will continue! Please don't flame, tell me what I can do to make it better. Please review, it only takes a couple of seconds but it makes my day! All right, I'll stop talking now...only if you review!!!! (I do have the power to make Janice, Kathy, or Richard come back, don't make me go to that level!)