"I'm going to miss you, so much," Monica told Chandler as she hugged
him goodbye.
"You to, Mon, but it's only a week."
"I know, but think. This is the longest we'll be apart since we got together." Monica paused. " I love you so much." She said her bright eyes glistening slightly.
"I love you, to," Chandler answered smiling. He felt so lucky. "I'll call you when I check into my hotel and I'll leave you a number for you to reach me. Okay?"
"'Kay." Monica said. He pulled her in close, once more, savoring the feeling and planted a kiss on her forehead. "Goodbye."
"Bye," Monica answered. She watched him turn around and she reached out and grabbed his arm. He stopped and turned back. She pulled him into a long, passionate kiss. He smiled and let his hand linger on the side of her face for a few seconds before getting in the waiting cab and heading for the airport.
Monica had stayed up late that night waiting for Chandler's call, to let her know he had gotten there safely. At one point she looked at the clock to find it to be 1:30 in the morning. She sighed and continued to flip the channels. " serious crash on highway./ to order just call 1 800 ./ flight 337 down./ passenger train derailed./ and he gets a nice grounder to center field./ and tomorrow's high should reach." (AN: every / represents a change of the channel. () Monica stifled a yawn as her eyelids became heavy.
She eventually fell asleep on the couch and woke up surprised to find no message on the machine. She began to be concerned. The concern grew when the call did not come for the rest of the week. Her friends kept suggesting that he was very busy and had simply forgotten to call, but she knew better than that. She knew he would have called if he could have. Deep in the pit of her stomach, she knew something was wrong.
When Chandler didn't return home at the end of the week, Monica had called his office. There she got the news she had been hoping and praying she would not hear. Chandler had never arrived in Vancouver.
* * * * *
The door to Monica's apartment opened, bringing her back to the present. It was Rachel, who at seeing Ross comforting Monica silently joined the hug. As did Joey and Phoebe, when they arrived not long after Rachel. It made Monica smile and she even began to laugh. She was so lucky to have such great friends.
Two days later, Monica arrived home to find her friends in her apartment. She was upset and they immediately noticed. "What's up?" Rachel asked.
"Well, there's this company from Toronto who's coming to New York for a few months for some business thing and my restaurant is trying to get the job of catering to them while they're here, so my boss is sending me and some others to Toronto to try and get the business." Monica said unhappily.
"I don't see what's so bad about that," Phoebe said. "I mean you get to go to another country, met some new people.Oh no."
"I tried to get out of it, but my boss wouldn't let me. We have to cook them a meal to help get the business and my boss said I'm the best he has, so I have to go." Monica said.
"Are you going to be alright?" Rachel asked. "I mean this involves lots of other people and you've been so timid around people lately, ever since." she trailed off not wanting to mention the incident two years ago that she still felt responsible for. Monica had been badly hurt physically and even more so mentally.
Monica looked and Rachel and offered her a small smile, "I'll be fine." She said. "At least I hope I will," she muttered to herself.
* * * * *
One week later Monica entered the airport and was immediately overwhelmed by all the people rushing around her. Feelings of fear rose up in her mind and threatened to take over. Monica took a deep breath and fought off the fear. She was used to it, she had been living with this fear for 2 years, although she would never admit to how bad it was. She reached up and felt the ring she had tied on a string around her neck. She kept it just under her shirt, out of view. Her friends didn't even know she still wore it. It was the ring Chandler had given her almost 4 years before as a promise to spend his life with her. That was before he had disappeared without a trace. In this airport, she thought. He had gone missing in this very airport. She shuddered and reached up once again to feel the ring. It always gave her reassurance.
A few hours later Monica found herself leaning against the side of the plane, staring down, out the window. She sighed and glanced next to her. She had been lucky to end up with no one beside her; it was a huge relief to her, since she was still very wary of strangers. Just for a few seconds she allowed herself to wish she could go back to her old life, before Chandler disappeared, before she was scared all the time, before.. 'No' she told herself, there was no point in dwelling on the past, that's what her therapist always told her.
"You to, Mon, but it's only a week."
"I know, but think. This is the longest we'll be apart since we got together." Monica paused. " I love you so much." She said her bright eyes glistening slightly.
"I love you, to," Chandler answered smiling. He felt so lucky. "I'll call you when I check into my hotel and I'll leave you a number for you to reach me. Okay?"
"'Kay." Monica said. He pulled her in close, once more, savoring the feeling and planted a kiss on her forehead. "Goodbye."
"Bye," Monica answered. She watched him turn around and she reached out and grabbed his arm. He stopped and turned back. She pulled him into a long, passionate kiss. He smiled and let his hand linger on the side of her face for a few seconds before getting in the waiting cab and heading for the airport.
Monica had stayed up late that night waiting for Chandler's call, to let her know he had gotten there safely. At one point she looked at the clock to find it to be 1:30 in the morning. She sighed and continued to flip the channels. " serious crash on highway./ to order just call 1 800 ./ flight 337 down./ passenger train derailed./ and he gets a nice grounder to center field./ and tomorrow's high should reach." (AN: every / represents a change of the channel. () Monica stifled a yawn as her eyelids became heavy.
She eventually fell asleep on the couch and woke up surprised to find no message on the machine. She began to be concerned. The concern grew when the call did not come for the rest of the week. Her friends kept suggesting that he was very busy and had simply forgotten to call, but she knew better than that. She knew he would have called if he could have. Deep in the pit of her stomach, she knew something was wrong.
When Chandler didn't return home at the end of the week, Monica had called his office. There she got the news she had been hoping and praying she would not hear. Chandler had never arrived in Vancouver.
* * * * *
The door to Monica's apartment opened, bringing her back to the present. It was Rachel, who at seeing Ross comforting Monica silently joined the hug. As did Joey and Phoebe, when they arrived not long after Rachel. It made Monica smile and she even began to laugh. She was so lucky to have such great friends.
Two days later, Monica arrived home to find her friends in her apartment. She was upset and they immediately noticed. "What's up?" Rachel asked.
"Well, there's this company from Toronto who's coming to New York for a few months for some business thing and my restaurant is trying to get the job of catering to them while they're here, so my boss is sending me and some others to Toronto to try and get the business." Monica said unhappily.
"I don't see what's so bad about that," Phoebe said. "I mean you get to go to another country, met some new people.Oh no."
"I tried to get out of it, but my boss wouldn't let me. We have to cook them a meal to help get the business and my boss said I'm the best he has, so I have to go." Monica said.
"Are you going to be alright?" Rachel asked. "I mean this involves lots of other people and you've been so timid around people lately, ever since." she trailed off not wanting to mention the incident two years ago that she still felt responsible for. Monica had been badly hurt physically and even more so mentally.
Monica looked and Rachel and offered her a small smile, "I'll be fine." She said. "At least I hope I will," she muttered to herself.
* * * * *
One week later Monica entered the airport and was immediately overwhelmed by all the people rushing around her. Feelings of fear rose up in her mind and threatened to take over. Monica took a deep breath and fought off the fear. She was used to it, she had been living with this fear for 2 years, although she would never admit to how bad it was. She reached up and felt the ring she had tied on a string around her neck. She kept it just under her shirt, out of view. Her friends didn't even know she still wore it. It was the ring Chandler had given her almost 4 years before as a promise to spend his life with her. That was before he had disappeared without a trace. In this airport, she thought. He had gone missing in this very airport. She shuddered and reached up once again to feel the ring. It always gave her reassurance.
A few hours later Monica found herself leaning against the side of the plane, staring down, out the window. She sighed and glanced next to her. She had been lucky to end up with no one beside her; it was a huge relief to her, since she was still very wary of strangers. Just for a few seconds she allowed herself to wish she could go back to her old life, before Chandler disappeared, before she was scared all the time, before.. 'No' she told herself, there was no point in dwelling on the past, that's what her therapist always told her.