~* Aw, thanks so much for reviewing. If at all possible, could you do it again? It would make me so very happy! Here is the rest of the song, it's so great. The song, I'm not so sure about the fic, but I hope that you enjoy and review again.*~

Disclaimer: Nope, I just checked, they're definitely not mine.

"I'm sorry," Monica sobbed as she cowered on the floor. "Please stop. Oh, please." She already had been kicked in the stomach and had the beginnings of a nasty bruise on her leg.

"Why can't you just listen to me?" He asked slumping into a chair. "Why do you make me do this to you?" She covered her face with her hands and wept. "Stop crying. Please, Monica, please stop crying." He came over and roughly seized her hands and pulled them off her face.

"Pete, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I won't do it again, I promise."

"Mon, you know I don't like to hurt you, I just get so angry with you," Pete stood up and reached down and pulled her roughly to her feet. "I have to go." He glanced around their large bedroom. "Did someone pack my bag?" Monica was trying hard to contain her tears as she wiped them off and nodded.

"When are you going to be back?" She asked. Not because she would miss him, but she wondered how long she had to heal before he was back to inflict more injury on her.

"Tuesday," he answered not looking at her. He picked up his jacket and rolled his sleeves down and shrugged into it. He crossed the room and took her face in his hands. "I'm sorry Mon. I love you and I'll see you Tuesday." He kissed her gently on the lips and then picked up his bag and left the room. As soon as the door had closed behind him, she sank to the floor again and cried. When she was all cried out, she climbed shakily to her feet and stumbled into the bathroom. She glanced in the mirror at her reflection. Her eyes were red and swollen from the countless tears she had shed, and her face was pale and gaunt. She lifted her shirt slightly and cringed at the bruise on her stomach. She turned the water on in the shower and let the warm water cascade over her sore body. She slipped into pajamas and climbed into her warm bed. She soaked her pillow with her tears before falling into a fitful sleep.

"Momma?" A little hand reached up to tug on her sleeve. Monica rolled over and faced Heidi who stood with one arm tucked around the stuffed bear named Squiggles that Ross had given her when she was born.

"What's the matter Heidi?" Monica yawned and rubbed her eyes sitting up.

"I had a bad dream," she moaned.

"Come here baby," Monica said flipping the covers back and allowing Heidi to scurry under. She knew, deep down, that she needed to leave Pete. She knew that he would continue to hurt her, and somewhere in the back of her mind she feared that he would hurt Heidi if he got angry enough, but she was terrified of leaving him. It wasn't just the financial security that he certainly provided. It was more than that. It was partly that she couldn't admit that she had made a mistake, not that Heidi was a mistake, but clearly Pete was. And it was partly because she was frightened of what he would do to her if she left. Would he try to take Heidi? Would he come after her? She was terrified, and right then at that particular moment, staying was the lesser of two evils. She leaned and dropped a kiss onto Heidi's soft cheek before attempting to get some sleep that night.

And down this beaten path,

and up this cobbled lane

I'm walking in my old footsteps once again

"Monica?" She heard an achingly familiar voice call out her name. She turned and was surprised to see Chandler standing there with a drink in one hand and a blonde in the other.

"Chandler? What are you doing here?"

"My company is donating to the hospital," he said shrugging.

"Small world," she grinned. "Pete's donating money." She smiled at the blonde and Chandler hit his head.

"Oh, sorry, this is Cecilia Kelly, Cecilia, this is Monica Becker. Her husband is the multibillionaire standing over there," Chandler pointed with his glass and Pete turned slightly and gave a small smile to Monica and Chandler. He motioned for Monica to come join him and Chandler noticed how obediently she went to him. Something he would not have said was characteristic of her. She had never, in all the years that he had known her, bowed to any man. It was one of the things he adored about her. It was no secret to anyone except Monica that Chandler had been completely infatuated with her. Then she had gotten pregnant and married, and there went his chance. But he was worried about her. What Rachel had told them had been disturbing. It made him angry just thinking about it. If he found out that he had hurt her, if he touched her, Chandler would kill him. He didn't care if he was worth a billion dollars or whatever he was worth, if he hurt Monica, then he deserved whatever was coming to him.

"Come on Cecilia," he said taking her hand and walking away.

"I'm going to get us drinks," she told him and made her way to the refreshment table. Chandler slipped out onto the balcony. Monica came out and smiled at him.

"We really need to get together more often," she told him.

"How's Heidi?" Chandler asked. How are you? He wanted to ask. Does he hit you? Does he hurt you? Are you okay?

"She's great," Monica beamed. "She's amazing."

"And Pete?"

"He's fine," she turned her head and looked away from Chandler's imploring gaze. He grabbed her arm and turned her so that she faced him.

"Listen Monica if you need anything, you know that you can call me right?"

"I'm fine, why doesn't anyone believe me?" She asked pulling her arm away from his grip.

"Monica," he said. He didn't believe her. Especially not when her voice wavered like it had just done. Not when Rachel had seen the bruises on her arms and face, not when they hadn't heard from her in weeks. No, he didn't believe her.

"Chandler, please, it's better if you just drop it." She was pleading now.

"Better for who Monica? Pete? Better for Pete?"

"No, that's not what I said. Better for everyone, Chandler. Just better for...please....he'll...."

"He'll what?"

"Forget it, I have to go." She turned and fled back inside leaving Chandler alone on the balcony. Rachel had been right, something needed to be done. Monica was in way over her head. Someone needed to save her. Someone needed to reach their hand in and pull her out before it was too late. Before she drowned and nothing could be done.

And you say, just be here now

forget about the past

your mask is wearing thin

Let me throw one more dice

I know that I can win

I'm waiting for my real life to begin

Heidi sat on the floor playing with Mary as Monica read a book and sipped the glass of wine that was sitting next to her. Heidi looked up and grinned at her mother. Then she studied Monica and frowned.

"Momma?"

"What sweetie?"

"Why is your cheek red?" Monica's hand instinctively flew to her face. Mary, who knew what was happening, grabbed Heidi's hand. She knew that Mr. Becker was abusive, which was why she couldn't stand the man.

"Heidi-Ho?" She asked using her nickname. "Why don't you and I go for a walk?"

"No, why is Mommy hurt?" Heidi broke free from Mary and ran to her mother and jumped onto her lap. Her little hands tried desperately to comfort her mother, and her bright blue eyes begged for some explanation of what was happening. At three, she was perceptive enough to realize that something was wrong.

"I'm not hurt, honey, I just got a little boo-boo. I ran into a wall." Both her and Mary knew that this was a lie, but Heidi seemed to buy it.

"Be careful Mommy," she told her sympathetically. She slipped off of Monica's lap and ran to Mary. Mary left the room and Monica buried her head in her hands. Pete had slapped her an hour previously when she had talked back to him. Then he had, in perfect Pete fashion, gone out and most likely gotten drunk. The phone rang and she shakily answered it.

"Monica?" It was Ross.

"Ross? How are you?"

"I'm okay. You?" Not him too, Monica thought.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Because Chandler said..."

"He was wrong." Her voice signified to him that she was both firm on this, and also lying through her teeth.

"Are..." He thought better of asking that again and changed the subject. "Do you want to have dinner soon? I miss my sister, and my niece. How is Heidi?"

"She's fine," Monica said suddenly remembering Heidi's concern over her well-being. It made her fear that maybe she wasn't covering it as well as she thought she had been. What if Pete got angry with Heidi? No, she shook her head. He wouldn't do that, would he? How far would he go? She hurried to the end of the conversation promising Ross they would go soon and ran out of the room to the bathroom where she began throwing up. What if he hurt her? The idea made her sick to her stomach. As she sat back and washed her face she glanced at the bag she had just gotten the day before. She pulled out the single item and stared at it. She closed her eyes. It was now or never.

Any minute now

my ship is coming in

I'll keep checking the horizon

The friends had met in Rachel and Phoebe's apartment, Monica's old place, to discuss Monica and what to do.

"She's going to get hurt," Chandler said. "I mean seriously hurt. She won't leave him."

"Maybe she can't," Rachel pointed out.

"Why not?" Phoebe chimed in.

"Because maybe he'll hurt her, or Heidi. She has to think of Heidi." Rachel rubbed her head and sighed.

"You're right she needs to think of Heidi. This can't be good for her," Ross argued. His baby sister was being hurt. It was in the very fundamentals of being a big brother that he protect her. What a great job he was doing so far. Why had he let her marry him?

"Someone needs to talk to her," Joey added.

"We've tried," Rachel said. "She won't listen to any of us."

"She might if we all sit her down and talk to her about it," Phoebe suggested.

"No, she'll think that we're ganging up on her," Ross said as he paced the living room. "No, that won't work at all."

"Then what are we supposed to do? Nothing?" Chandler yelled.

"I didn't say that Chandler!" Ross yelled back.

"Then what do we do?" Chandler cried.

"Stop yelling you guys, you're not helping anyone, especially not Monica," they both stopped and looked at Rachel who was standing now.

"Then what now?" Chandler asked again quietly. "If something happens to her, I swear to God, I'll kill him."

"Not before I do," Ross said. They all sat down and glanced around at each other. The truth was that none of them knew what to do. Monica wasn't going to leave him until she was ready and wanted to, and the frightening thing was that that wasn't going to happen unless Pete went too far. But the part the terrified her friends the most was that Pete going too far involved either Monica being seriously hurt, or him hurting Heidi. Neither was a good ending to this problem, and no one had any idea of what to tell her to get her to leave. They were clueless, and helpless, and all they could do was wait and pray that she came to her senses and got out of there. Before Pete got carried away .

And I'll check my machine

there's sure to be that call

It's gonna happen soon, soon, oh so very soon

It's just that times are lean

Monica stood and cried for over an hour before she cleaned herself up and went to get ready for dinner with Pete. She was in too far now. She had no idea how to fix things. And Heidi knew something was wrong. She knew that Monica was being hurt. She just knew.

"Monica?" Pete's voice rang through the large penthouse.

"Yes?"

"Are you ready?"

"Not yet," she called back.

"How long?" He seemed mad. She would do as best as she could and get ready as fast as it was possible.

"Not too much longer," she replied. She threw on the dress over her head and pulled her hair back half up and half down. She quickly curled some of the bottom and threw on makeup and went out into the living room twenty minutes later.

"Go change," Pete said after inspecting her.

"Why?"

"I like the blue dress better. This one makes you look like a cheap whore." Monica took a sharp intake of breath.

"Fine," she said and went back into the bedroom and changed into the navy dress.

"Much better," he told her and reached out and took her hand in his and gave it a kiss. "Ready now?"

"Yes."

"Let's go." She nodded and he helped her with her coat and they left the apartment and down to the waiting car.

"Pete?"

"Hmm?"

"There's something I need to talk to you about."

"Later okay?" She started to argue but he clamped his hand over her mouth. "Good girl." Hot tears sprang to her eyes and she shut them tightly. She was so confused. What did she do now? She knew what she had to do, but she was terrified, and then there was that thing. The only thing that would hold her back. But she knew she needed to leave, for her sake and for Heidi's. And she needed to do it quickly before he found out and there was no way she could leave.

And you say, be still my love

Open up your heart

let the light shine in

Don't you understand?

I already have a plan

I'm waiting for my real life to begin

The phone rang and Chandler reached for it. He fumbled around for it and finally found it and answered.

"Hello?"

"Chandler?"

"Ross? What's the matter? Why are you calling at three?"

"It's Monica." Chandler sat straight up, his heart beating three times it's normal rate.

"What happened?"

"She's in the hospital. You need to get down here." Before he could say goodbye, Chandler had hung up and was on his way.

On a clear day, I can see, see for a long way

on a clear day, I can see, see for a long way

~* Okay, so that was part two. Please review. What happened to Monica? And just what exactly is her secret? Ha! You won't know unless you review, I know, I know that it is extortion, just do it okay? : ) ~*