Chapter 7
Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with friends.
~*~
Joey listened to the song finish and stood up. His thoughts were on one thing only as he exclaimed, "We have to find her!"
"Joey, she's gone. There's no way we are going to find her, she could be anywhere by now. I'm sorry man." Ross' heart broke for his friend who was obviously distraught.
Joey looked up at Ross with hatred in his eyes. How dare he say he was never going to find her? He HAD to find her, bring her back and never let her out of his sight again.
"Joeys right Ross. We have got to at least look for her. We can't let her wander the streets all-alone again. I hate to admit it, but she's a liability to herself. You didn't hear what she said to me! She told me about the times she wished she were dead to stop the hurting!" Rachel was clearly angry at Ross' nonchalant attitude to the situation. Joey, hearing Rachel's statement ran from the lounge into the reception area, everyone chasing after him.
"Where could she have gone" Joey sobbed "What is she hurts herself Rachel?
"Joey we will get her, I promise we will." Chandler tried to comfort his friend, but to be honest he wasn't sure at all. London was a big place, Britain even bigger. The chances of finding her now were minimal.
"Excuse me," came an unfamiliar voice. The group turned to look at the receptionist standing behind the desk. "I wasn't listening into your conversation, but I couldn't help over hearing what you said. Your friend checked out just over an hour ago. She asked me if I knew were she could get a bus. I told her I did and she asked me to write it down for her."
He stopped what he was saying and started to write quickly on a piece of paper. "Here," he handed Monica the note which had an address scribbled on it. "It's called Victoria Coach Station and its on Buckingham Palace Road. Good luck finding her. He smiled and walked into the back room
"Come on lets go!" Joey screamed. "We don't have much time. We could catch her if she only left an hour ago!" Joey sprinted out into the street leaving his friends to run after him yet again.
~*~
Victoria Coach Station was packed. The crowds bustling about, most dragging cases behind them. The air was cool and the atmosphere even colder. Joey ran around frantically; tugging on the arms of every tall blonde woman he spotted. "Joey," there was no answer. "JOEY!" Chandler screamed. "This isn't the way to find Phoebe," he said, softly this time. Joey regained his sense and took a few deep breaths. "I know, im sorry, it's just, you know, this is my way of dealing with it." Chandler noticed his friend was on the verge of crying again. They were all upset, but he noticed Joey had taken it so badly. He felt terrible for shouting at him now.
"Listen, we all need to split up," Monica stated, taking charge. "Rachel you come with me to the ticket booking office, Chandler and Ross, you check the bus terminals and Joey, you check all the waiting areas. We can all meet up back here under the time tables as soon as we have searched." Everyone agreed and parted in different directions.
~*~
As Monica and Rachel approached the booking office they could see the queue was huge. As they joined the line Rachel began to fret. Monica noticing her friend's anxiety put her hand on her shoulder. "Rach, what's wrong? This isn't just about Phoebe running away is it?" "Phoebe promised me not to say, but I don't think I can keep it to myself now" Rachel exclaimed, forcing herself not to break down. She knew if she started to cry now she would never stop.
"Rachel you have to tell me!" Monica sounded concerned, but also demanding.
"Only if you promise not to tell the guys?" Monica gave her a look that told Rachel she could trust her.
"When I went into the bathroom she was rocking herself back and forward like a little girl, I had never seen her so upset before. She looked so helpless and sad. She spoke a little about being attacked, but," Rachel stopped herself and breathed in heavily
Monica rubbed her shoulder telling her to take her time.
"She told me the attack had brought back too many bad memories for her to deal with. Her step-father had abused her sexually when she was just 13 Monica!" Monica gasped "What?" She wasn't sure she had heard right. Rachel started to speak again but Monica cut her off. "There's more?" Rachel nodded forlornly. "That's what made her run away so young. She didn't even know her Mom had killed herself until she was 19 and met up with Ursula again." "But," Monica was confused and Rachel picked up why. "I know she told us she had found her Mom dead in the Kitchen, but she was already living on the streets by then. Once Phoebe left her lecherous stepfather turned his advances to Ursula. She wasn't so afraid and told Lily all about it. She couldn't live with the guilt of it all and that's why she committed suicide. Not long after he was put in Jail for it, but it's all the sole reason Phoebe and her twin don't get on. Ursula still blames her for everything that happened. She thinks if Phoebe hadn't left then her step dad would never have touched her." "Oh my God, what a selfish bitch!" Monica vented. Rachel nodded again. "It doesn't end there though."
Monica looked shocked. "More?" "She miscarried his baby while she was homeless." She felt the tears trickle down her face, dropping off her jaw line onto her white top. Monica's jaw was practically hitting the floor. Now she knew why Rachel was so agitated. Their friend was dying inside and there was nothing she could do for her. Not yet at least. She shook herself out of her thoughts and began to barge to the front of the line. "Get out the God damn way!" she screamed as she pushed people aside until she got to the glass window. "Excuse me miss, but you cant just push to the front like that!" the clerk behind the window looked angrily at her over his glasses. "Listen, this is an emergency," she said as she searched in her bag for her wallet." "Our friend has gone missing and its believed she came here. If she left from here she most certainly had to buy a ticket, and as this is the only ticket office, this is our only hope. So are you going to help me or not!" her tone was fierce. "I'm sorry, but I can't help you."
Monica opened her wallet and flashed him a picture of the 6 in central perk. "Miss, I see a lot of people everyday, after the first day of working here every face looks the same. Now if you could just stand aside." Monica was about to tell him how lucky he was there was a glass partition separating them when a man appeared behind the clerk. "I spoke to that woman today" he said Monica's faced brightened. "You did?"
"Yeah, I remember her because I thought she was a bit weird!"
Monica smiled. That was her friend all right. "She asked for a one way ticket on the next bus out of here."
"Where was the bus going?" Rachel butted in. "It was going up to Scotland, Glasgow im sure." "We need tickets on the next Glasgow bus" Monica responded. "If you want tickets you need to rejoin the queue and wait like everyone else," the clerk said coldly. "Oh for God sake Charlie have a heart for once and give them the tickets" The clerk sighed. "How many?"
~*~
Monica and Rachel ran back to the meeting place, where the guys were already waiting. "I think we got her," Monica said excitedly. "How, where?" were the responses from the guys. "Listen we don't have time to explain, the bus leaves in 40 minutes and we need someone to go back to the hotel, get or stuff and check out. Any volunteers?" "We'll go" Ross pointed at Joey and Chandler. "Make sure you are back here on time" Monica shouted after the guys as they raced out of the station.
The girls took and seat by terminal 24. As they sat both sighed. This was going to be a long night. Rachel looked at Monica and took her hand.
"Lets keep our fingers crossed," she said and felt Monica's middle and index fingers entwine. Monica agreed. "We need all the luck we can get"
Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with friends.
~*~
Joey listened to the song finish and stood up. His thoughts were on one thing only as he exclaimed, "We have to find her!"
"Joey, she's gone. There's no way we are going to find her, she could be anywhere by now. I'm sorry man." Ross' heart broke for his friend who was obviously distraught.
Joey looked up at Ross with hatred in his eyes. How dare he say he was never going to find her? He HAD to find her, bring her back and never let her out of his sight again.
"Joeys right Ross. We have got to at least look for her. We can't let her wander the streets all-alone again. I hate to admit it, but she's a liability to herself. You didn't hear what she said to me! She told me about the times she wished she were dead to stop the hurting!" Rachel was clearly angry at Ross' nonchalant attitude to the situation. Joey, hearing Rachel's statement ran from the lounge into the reception area, everyone chasing after him.
"Where could she have gone" Joey sobbed "What is she hurts herself Rachel?
"Joey we will get her, I promise we will." Chandler tried to comfort his friend, but to be honest he wasn't sure at all. London was a big place, Britain even bigger. The chances of finding her now were minimal.
"Excuse me," came an unfamiliar voice. The group turned to look at the receptionist standing behind the desk. "I wasn't listening into your conversation, but I couldn't help over hearing what you said. Your friend checked out just over an hour ago. She asked me if I knew were she could get a bus. I told her I did and she asked me to write it down for her."
He stopped what he was saying and started to write quickly on a piece of paper. "Here," he handed Monica the note which had an address scribbled on it. "It's called Victoria Coach Station and its on Buckingham Palace Road. Good luck finding her. He smiled and walked into the back room
"Come on lets go!" Joey screamed. "We don't have much time. We could catch her if she only left an hour ago!" Joey sprinted out into the street leaving his friends to run after him yet again.
~*~
Victoria Coach Station was packed. The crowds bustling about, most dragging cases behind them. The air was cool and the atmosphere even colder. Joey ran around frantically; tugging on the arms of every tall blonde woman he spotted. "Joey," there was no answer. "JOEY!" Chandler screamed. "This isn't the way to find Phoebe," he said, softly this time. Joey regained his sense and took a few deep breaths. "I know, im sorry, it's just, you know, this is my way of dealing with it." Chandler noticed his friend was on the verge of crying again. They were all upset, but he noticed Joey had taken it so badly. He felt terrible for shouting at him now.
"Listen, we all need to split up," Monica stated, taking charge. "Rachel you come with me to the ticket booking office, Chandler and Ross, you check the bus terminals and Joey, you check all the waiting areas. We can all meet up back here under the time tables as soon as we have searched." Everyone agreed and parted in different directions.
~*~
As Monica and Rachel approached the booking office they could see the queue was huge. As they joined the line Rachel began to fret. Monica noticing her friend's anxiety put her hand on her shoulder. "Rach, what's wrong? This isn't just about Phoebe running away is it?" "Phoebe promised me not to say, but I don't think I can keep it to myself now" Rachel exclaimed, forcing herself not to break down. She knew if she started to cry now she would never stop.
"Rachel you have to tell me!" Monica sounded concerned, but also demanding.
"Only if you promise not to tell the guys?" Monica gave her a look that told Rachel she could trust her.
"When I went into the bathroom she was rocking herself back and forward like a little girl, I had never seen her so upset before. She looked so helpless and sad. She spoke a little about being attacked, but," Rachel stopped herself and breathed in heavily
Monica rubbed her shoulder telling her to take her time.
"She told me the attack had brought back too many bad memories for her to deal with. Her step-father had abused her sexually when she was just 13 Monica!" Monica gasped "What?" She wasn't sure she had heard right. Rachel started to speak again but Monica cut her off. "There's more?" Rachel nodded forlornly. "That's what made her run away so young. She didn't even know her Mom had killed herself until she was 19 and met up with Ursula again." "But," Monica was confused and Rachel picked up why. "I know she told us she had found her Mom dead in the Kitchen, but she was already living on the streets by then. Once Phoebe left her lecherous stepfather turned his advances to Ursula. She wasn't so afraid and told Lily all about it. She couldn't live with the guilt of it all and that's why she committed suicide. Not long after he was put in Jail for it, but it's all the sole reason Phoebe and her twin don't get on. Ursula still blames her for everything that happened. She thinks if Phoebe hadn't left then her step dad would never have touched her." "Oh my God, what a selfish bitch!" Monica vented. Rachel nodded again. "It doesn't end there though."
Monica looked shocked. "More?" "She miscarried his baby while she was homeless." She felt the tears trickle down her face, dropping off her jaw line onto her white top. Monica's jaw was practically hitting the floor. Now she knew why Rachel was so agitated. Their friend was dying inside and there was nothing she could do for her. Not yet at least. She shook herself out of her thoughts and began to barge to the front of the line. "Get out the God damn way!" she screamed as she pushed people aside until she got to the glass window. "Excuse me miss, but you cant just push to the front like that!" the clerk behind the window looked angrily at her over his glasses. "Listen, this is an emergency," she said as she searched in her bag for her wallet." "Our friend has gone missing and its believed she came here. If she left from here she most certainly had to buy a ticket, and as this is the only ticket office, this is our only hope. So are you going to help me or not!" her tone was fierce. "I'm sorry, but I can't help you."
Monica opened her wallet and flashed him a picture of the 6 in central perk. "Miss, I see a lot of people everyday, after the first day of working here every face looks the same. Now if you could just stand aside." Monica was about to tell him how lucky he was there was a glass partition separating them when a man appeared behind the clerk. "I spoke to that woman today" he said Monica's faced brightened. "You did?"
"Yeah, I remember her because I thought she was a bit weird!"
Monica smiled. That was her friend all right. "She asked for a one way ticket on the next bus out of here."
"Where was the bus going?" Rachel butted in. "It was going up to Scotland, Glasgow im sure." "We need tickets on the next Glasgow bus" Monica responded. "If you want tickets you need to rejoin the queue and wait like everyone else," the clerk said coldly. "Oh for God sake Charlie have a heart for once and give them the tickets" The clerk sighed. "How many?"
~*~
Monica and Rachel ran back to the meeting place, where the guys were already waiting. "I think we got her," Monica said excitedly. "How, where?" were the responses from the guys. "Listen we don't have time to explain, the bus leaves in 40 minutes and we need someone to go back to the hotel, get or stuff and check out. Any volunteers?" "We'll go" Ross pointed at Joey and Chandler. "Make sure you are back here on time" Monica shouted after the guys as they raced out of the station.
The girls took and seat by terminal 24. As they sat both sighed. This was going to be a long night. Rachel looked at Monica and took her hand.
"Lets keep our fingers crossed," she said and felt Monica's middle and index fingers entwine. Monica agreed. "We need all the luck we can get"
