CHAPTER#6
A/N: Sorry about the lengthy delay, but finals were a bi*ch. But they're over now. Anyway, I noticed a lot of you who reviewed complained about the whole Rachel and Joey thing. I needed Ross to have moved on for a small part of the plot, and I know there are some Rachel and Joey fans out there, so I can't change that, but I will make a deal with you. If you promise to read the rest of this story, I will make my next story include Ross and Rachel as a couple. Okay? How does that sound? Hopefully it sounds good.
Four-year old Alyssa ran in the door and across the room. Without hesitating, she launched herself over the back of the couch and into her fathers lap.
"Daddy!" she exclaimed happily. "I missed you."
"I missed you to, Ali," her dad told her and pulled her into a bear hug.
Alyssa giggled slightly and hugged back tightly. She had missed her father as he had been on a work trip for the past four days and she had stayed with her uncle Ross and Aunt Kelly. "So," she began shyly. "Didja get me anything?"
Chandler smiled down at his daughter. "Maybeeee," he answered.
Alyssa gave him her best, most innocent, daddy's girl look. Chandler laughed and made the same look, or what was his version of the same look, back to her. She began to laugh. Chandler smiled at her and kissed her forehead. He then pulled a small stuffed pony out of the bag on the floor beside him. Alyssa squealed and immediately hugged the small stuffed animal. She then threw her arms around her father.
"Thank-you daddy."
"You're welcome sweetie." Chandler then looked up to see Ross smiling at him.
"So, were you good for your uncle Ross and aunt Kelly?" Chandler asked Alyssa, looking at Ross.
Alyssa's only answer was too burry her head into her father's shoulder.
"She was wonderful," Ross said. "She and her Emma had a great time." After marrying Kelly, she had taken over as Emma's mother. Emma did not remember her real mother. Kelly and Ross had tried for two years before Kelly became pregnant, and was now expecting in six months.
Ross walked over and sat down beside his best friend and niece.
"Thanks for watching her, man." Chandler said, noticing that Alyssa had fallen asleep.
"Not a problem," Ross replied. "She is my niece after all." He offered Chandler a small smile.
Chandler returned the smile. "Sure does look like Monica, doesn't she?"
Ross nodded. It had become increasingly clear that Monica was Alyssa's mother as Alyssa grew up. With her blue eyes, dark hair and petite frame, she couldn't be anyone else's.
"Uh," Ross began, not really sure of what it was he was going to say. "While she was over, Alyssa asked about why she didn't have a mother." He told Chandler softly.
Chandler sighed sadly. "I've told her about Monica. I've told her why she doesn't have a mother."
"She too young. She doesn't understand."
"I know." Chandler admitted. "I wish I could change that, but there is nothing I can do about it."
"She needs a female figure in her life."
"She has one." Chandler challenged. "Scratch that, she has two. Phoebe and Kelly."
"Yes, but that's not the same."
"What do you want me to do about it, Ross?" Chandler felt his temper rise slightly.
"I don't know Chandler, but she needs something."
"You think I don't know that? You think I don't wish every day that her mother could be here with her. With us."
Ross sighed. "Chandler, I know you miss her. I do to. Everyone does. And as much as I hate to say it, she's gone. She's not coming back and you can't live the rest of your life alone."
"I just don't think I could be with anyone else. I mean I can't see myself with anyone else."
"I know what you mean. She was my sister and you are my brother in law, and I hate the thought of you not being with her, but she would want you to be happy. You know that. I know how hard this is for you. I missed Rachel, hell, I still miss her, but I moved on. I met Kelly and I fell in love. It was hard, but it happened."
Chandler felt tears come to his eyes. He blinked and looked away from Ross. "I'm sorry," he whispered quietly.
"You don't have to be sorry, Chandler. You're allowed to be sad. You're allowed to cry. You lost someone very important to you."
Chandler turned back towards Ross, his eyes watery. "I want to be a good father to her, Ross, I really do. I just, I can't seem to get it right."
"You are a wonderful father to her, Chandler. She absolutely adores you. Don't ever think you aren't getting it right."
"Then why can't I give her a mother?"
"It's hard when you're a single father, I would know," Ross smiled slightly. " Just don't be so defensive about going on dates and such. Something good could come from them. Kay?"
Chandler nodded. "Thanks man."
"Anytime, I mean what are brothers for?"
Chandler smiled and nodded.
Ross smiled as he walked down the stairs and across the street towards his apartment. Just as he was about to walk in the door to his building he did a double take and gasped at who he found standing only a few feet from him.
Her hair was somewhat unkempt and dull. She had lost a significant amount of weight and appeared to be skin and bones. There were scars and bruises on her face and arms, and she stood there awkwardly, not sure of what to say to him. Even with all the differences, it was definitely Rachel.
Ross stared right back at her, also not knowing what to say. In the end he opted to say nothing and pulled her into a hug. "My God, Rachel, where have you been?"
Rachel looked up at Ross, and for the first time, he saw the depths at which her eyes showed emotion. What he saw in her eyes would haunt him for some time. She looked like she had been through a lifetime of horror.
Rachel shook her head slightly. "you don't want to know." She answered simply. He frowned slightly and she offered him a small smile.
"It's been like, more than five years," Ross stated. "I don't understand."
"You will," Rachel answered. "We couldn't get away. We tried."
"We?" Ross cut in, feeling the small twinge of hope he had buried so many years ago.
"Monica and I," Rachel answered.
"Monica? She's alive, to?" Ross asked. Rachel nodded. Ross almost laughed at the irony. He had just finished convincing his brother in law to move on, and suddenly his wife was still alive.
"This is amazing." Ross said, happily. "Everyone is going to be so excited. Chandler's been Mr. Celibate since Monica disappeared and Phoebe's been blaming herself for years."
"Phoebe?!" Rachel exclaimed. " We thought she was dead!"
"No, she most certainly is not dead. She woke up in a hospital, about a month after the shooting."
"Wow," Rachel said. "That's so great."
"Where is Monica?" Ross asked, knowing it would be the first thing Chandler would want to know.
"She's in the hospital."
A/N: So? What did you think? I know the last bit wasn't all that realistic, but it was difficult to write. It will get better, though, I promise. Stay tuned for next chapter.
A/N: Sorry about the lengthy delay, but finals were a bi*ch. But they're over now. Anyway, I noticed a lot of you who reviewed complained about the whole Rachel and Joey thing. I needed Ross to have moved on for a small part of the plot, and I know there are some Rachel and Joey fans out there, so I can't change that, but I will make a deal with you. If you promise to read the rest of this story, I will make my next story include Ross and Rachel as a couple. Okay? How does that sound? Hopefully it sounds good.
Four-year old Alyssa ran in the door and across the room. Without hesitating, she launched herself over the back of the couch and into her fathers lap.
"Daddy!" she exclaimed happily. "I missed you."
"I missed you to, Ali," her dad told her and pulled her into a bear hug.
Alyssa giggled slightly and hugged back tightly. She had missed her father as he had been on a work trip for the past four days and she had stayed with her uncle Ross and Aunt Kelly. "So," she began shyly. "Didja get me anything?"
Chandler smiled down at his daughter. "Maybeeee," he answered.
Alyssa gave him her best, most innocent, daddy's girl look. Chandler laughed and made the same look, or what was his version of the same look, back to her. She began to laugh. Chandler smiled at her and kissed her forehead. He then pulled a small stuffed pony out of the bag on the floor beside him. Alyssa squealed and immediately hugged the small stuffed animal. She then threw her arms around her father.
"Thank-you daddy."
"You're welcome sweetie." Chandler then looked up to see Ross smiling at him.
"So, were you good for your uncle Ross and aunt Kelly?" Chandler asked Alyssa, looking at Ross.
Alyssa's only answer was too burry her head into her father's shoulder.
"She was wonderful," Ross said. "She and her Emma had a great time." After marrying Kelly, she had taken over as Emma's mother. Emma did not remember her real mother. Kelly and Ross had tried for two years before Kelly became pregnant, and was now expecting in six months.
Ross walked over and sat down beside his best friend and niece.
"Thanks for watching her, man." Chandler said, noticing that Alyssa had fallen asleep.
"Not a problem," Ross replied. "She is my niece after all." He offered Chandler a small smile.
Chandler returned the smile. "Sure does look like Monica, doesn't she?"
Ross nodded. It had become increasingly clear that Monica was Alyssa's mother as Alyssa grew up. With her blue eyes, dark hair and petite frame, she couldn't be anyone else's.
"Uh," Ross began, not really sure of what it was he was going to say. "While she was over, Alyssa asked about why she didn't have a mother." He told Chandler softly.
Chandler sighed sadly. "I've told her about Monica. I've told her why she doesn't have a mother."
"She too young. She doesn't understand."
"I know." Chandler admitted. "I wish I could change that, but there is nothing I can do about it."
"She needs a female figure in her life."
"She has one." Chandler challenged. "Scratch that, she has two. Phoebe and Kelly."
"Yes, but that's not the same."
"What do you want me to do about it, Ross?" Chandler felt his temper rise slightly.
"I don't know Chandler, but she needs something."
"You think I don't know that? You think I don't wish every day that her mother could be here with her. With us."
Ross sighed. "Chandler, I know you miss her. I do to. Everyone does. And as much as I hate to say it, she's gone. She's not coming back and you can't live the rest of your life alone."
"I just don't think I could be with anyone else. I mean I can't see myself with anyone else."
"I know what you mean. She was my sister and you are my brother in law, and I hate the thought of you not being with her, but she would want you to be happy. You know that. I know how hard this is for you. I missed Rachel, hell, I still miss her, but I moved on. I met Kelly and I fell in love. It was hard, but it happened."
Chandler felt tears come to his eyes. He blinked and looked away from Ross. "I'm sorry," he whispered quietly.
"You don't have to be sorry, Chandler. You're allowed to be sad. You're allowed to cry. You lost someone very important to you."
Chandler turned back towards Ross, his eyes watery. "I want to be a good father to her, Ross, I really do. I just, I can't seem to get it right."
"You are a wonderful father to her, Chandler. She absolutely adores you. Don't ever think you aren't getting it right."
"Then why can't I give her a mother?"
"It's hard when you're a single father, I would know," Ross smiled slightly. " Just don't be so defensive about going on dates and such. Something good could come from them. Kay?"
Chandler nodded. "Thanks man."
"Anytime, I mean what are brothers for?"
Chandler smiled and nodded.
Ross smiled as he walked down the stairs and across the street towards his apartment. Just as he was about to walk in the door to his building he did a double take and gasped at who he found standing only a few feet from him.
Her hair was somewhat unkempt and dull. She had lost a significant amount of weight and appeared to be skin and bones. There were scars and bruises on her face and arms, and she stood there awkwardly, not sure of what to say to him. Even with all the differences, it was definitely Rachel.
Ross stared right back at her, also not knowing what to say. In the end he opted to say nothing and pulled her into a hug. "My God, Rachel, where have you been?"
Rachel looked up at Ross, and for the first time, he saw the depths at which her eyes showed emotion. What he saw in her eyes would haunt him for some time. She looked like she had been through a lifetime of horror.
Rachel shook her head slightly. "you don't want to know." She answered simply. He frowned slightly and she offered him a small smile.
"It's been like, more than five years," Ross stated. "I don't understand."
"You will," Rachel answered. "We couldn't get away. We tried."
"We?" Ross cut in, feeling the small twinge of hope he had buried so many years ago.
"Monica and I," Rachel answered.
"Monica? She's alive, to?" Ross asked. Rachel nodded. Ross almost laughed at the irony. He had just finished convincing his brother in law to move on, and suddenly his wife was still alive.
"This is amazing." Ross said, happily. "Everyone is going to be so excited. Chandler's been Mr. Celibate since Monica disappeared and Phoebe's been blaming herself for years."
"Phoebe?!" Rachel exclaimed. " We thought she was dead!"
"No, she most certainly is not dead. She woke up in a hospital, about a month after the shooting."
"Wow," Rachel said. "That's so great."
"Where is Monica?" Ross asked, knowing it would be the first thing Chandler would want to know.
"She's in the hospital."
A/N: So? What did you think? I know the last bit wasn't all that realistic, but it was difficult to write. It will get better, though, I promise. Stay tuned for next chapter.