'Hey guys.' Phoebe said nervously as she and Chandler noticed their friend's moods. 'What's up?' Monica sighed agitatedly, Ross and Rachel glared at them and Joey looked on, innocent at what was going on.
'Why won't you tell us the truth?' Rachel yelled suddenly, causing everyone in the room to jump. Chandler and Phoebe adopted a look of bemusement at what Rachel had asked. But the looks from their friends told them they couldn't pull the wool over their eyes anymore.
'We were going to tell you tonight, I swear.' Chandler admitted. 'Everything will make sense then, promise.' Reluctantly the other friends gathered in the living room and sat in their usual places, ready to hear the next lot of pathetic, empty excuses.
'Are you going to tell us everything?' Joey asked. He was the most innocent of this whole incident, ever since the day that Chandler and Phoebe disappeared so suddenly. He had refused to believe that anything less then normal had been occurring, for the hope that everything would go back to normal and he could have his two best friends back again.
But everyone else had been so suspicious, thinking that Phoebe and Chandler had run off to be together, they weren't like that and anyway, Chandler was in love with Monica, he had admitted it to everyone, after Phoebe and Rachel had admitted they know and the whole, 'they don't know we know they know we know' fiasco.
But when Phoebe had turned up out of the blue six months ago they had begun to believe what Joey had always hoped was true, that she and Chandler had needed to do something, search for some sort of certainty and then they would be back, and sorry for any pain they caused.
Now that they were both back the others were once again sure that they were up to something. And even his new roommate, who he had only wanted to help pay the rent and help out a friend, he was saying things about Phoebe and Chandler too, and he didn't even know them!
'Yes Joe, we're going to tell everything.' Chandler promised. Joey felt a small warmth creep over him, he had missed his friendship with Chandler, the way he was the only one who called him Joe and all the stupid games they played, all the games they went to and all the things they did. Ross wasn't the same, especially after he and Rachel got back together. Joey had felt lost without a special best friend.
'It all started really suddenly.' Phoebe started. The others looked at her suddenly, before all of their attention had been on Chandler. 'About eighteen months ago. I remember that Ross had just moved in to Ugly Naked Guys apartment.'
The others nodded, knowing all too well that day that they had left.
'Monica had asked to tell Chandler she couldn't make it to lunch that day, he was in a different building for a meeting that day and so I had to wait in reception for him-'
'We know all of this Phoebe!' Monica suddenly cried out. Phoebe calmly looked at her.
'Well I'm getting to the rest Monica!' She explained.
'Anyway, we were in reception and I notice I've left my briefcase in the conference room.' Chandler continued for Phoebe. 'So we go back to get it, and when we get in the lift to go back down and there's these three other people there, two guys and a girl, and on the way down the lift breaks…'
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(In the lift, eighteen months ago)
'Why have we stopped?' The redheaded girl asks generally to anyone willing to answer. The two guys that were accompanying her shrugged and went over to the panel to try and make the lift start moving again.
'Sometimes the lift in the building I work in stops like this, it's because, say, we're on the fifth floor and someone on the ground floor presses the button for the lift at the exact same time as someone on the eight floor, the lift doesn't know which one to go to first so I stops like this until someone gets impatient and presses the button again. I'm sure we'll be up and running again soon.' Chandler said reassuringly.
The redhead smiled at his sweetness and extended her hand to him. 'I'm Nadia.' She told him, Chandler took her hand and shook it politely.
'I'm Chandler, and this is my friend Phoebe.' He introduced. Nadia smiled at Phoebe and indicated at the two men still trying to press buttons and get the lift moving again.
'They're Matthew and Michael, two friends of mine.' Greetings were exchanged and then silence filled the lift again.
(Two hours later…)
'And the I found aromatherapy and I got my life back on track, I had a nice apartment and a good job and great friends.' Phoebe finished. She was the last one in the lift to tell her life story. After all it was the only thing that they could do in the lifts. The metal sides blocked out mobile phone signals so they couldn't call anyone and so they had began to tell about themselves.
'Wow, you must be so strong to be able to live on the streets.' Matthew commented. Phoebe smiled proudly. Nadia, Matthew and Michael exchanged looks to each other, agreeing on something without speaking a word.
Suddenly the lights in the lift started us again and they felt it descending.
'How long were we trapped here for?' Chandler asked. Nadia looked at her watch, 'Two hours, near enough.'
'Well I bet you guys must be hungry then!' Michael laughed. Chandler and Phoebe nodded eagerly.
'Do you want to get a late lunch with us?' Matthew offered. Again Phoebe and Chandler nodded eagerly.
They walked out the door, not bothering to talk to anyone about the lift.
They followed the three new 'friends' to their car, a luxurious green BMW.
'Whoa, what does a car like this one set you back?' Phoebe asked.
'Quite a bit, but we have the money.' Nadia assured them. She went to the back and opened the boot, almost melting with relief before shutting it again. Phoebe and Chandler exchanged looks before climbing in the car.
They drove along for a few minutes before Matthew turned around in the front seat to speak to them. 'Listen guys, we might have to put a hold in lunch for a while.'
As soon as he spoke Police sirens were heard right behind them. Nadia cursed and increased the speed they were driving at, heading for the New Jersey turnpike, which Chandler had noticed they were quite close to.
'What's going on?' Phoebe asked as they sped in and out of the busy traffic of New York.
'We're in a bit of trouble, you see. In Vegas we… well we took a few million dollars that didn't belong to us. But that was weeks ago we didn't think that they would know we were in New York. That's why we came here.' Michael explained.
'Why? Because it's quieter?' Chandler said incredulously.
'No, there's much more people! It would be harder for them to find us then!'
They rode in silence for about two more miles, the police drifting further and further in the distance.
'Look, cant you let us go? We really want no more of this!.' Phoebe told them. Nadia shook her head.
'We cant stop now, they'll get us.' She said, and increased the speed even more. Chandler felt his stomach turn as the speed reached over 100mph.
'Do we have to go this fast?' He asked. 'We're gonna crash!'
'No we're not.' She insisted, and increased the speed even more. The cars they were rushing past grew thinner and thinner and as they approached the turnpike Nadia slowed down a little, the speedometer resting on 90mph.
The riders in the car called down a little, but without warning the car spun around on the road, and was sent crashing in to an oncoming coach.
~*~*~*~*~*~
(Present time)
'Nadia and Matthew were in the front, they were killed instantly on impact.' Chandler said solemnly. 'Michael was in the back with us and only suffered head injuries. We told us to get out of the car quick and in to the coach, that was empty except for the driver and he was killed on impact too.'
'Michael told us to get the bag first as he tried to start the coach up. It was battered pretty good but it still went' Phoebe carried on.
The rest of the gang listened in silence, overwhelmed by the truth of the situation.
'We carried on driving away from New York, the police didn't seem to be following us so we stopped to sort ourselves out.' Chandler said. 'Michael told us that there was five million dollars in the bag we took from the trunk, and now our fingerprints were on it we were a part of the crime, no matter what we said. The police wouldn't believe us.'
'Hours later we decided to stay in a drive by hotel, nothing to obvious. Michael seemed to be suffering really bad from the head injuries and he wouldn't get up. He died too. We had to choice but to run. We got a cab back here and grabbed some of our stuff, leaving a brief note. As you know.' Phoebe added after noticing their stares.
'Then we hired a car and got the hell out of here.' Chandler finished.
The others just stared at the pair.
'You stole five million dollars!' Rachel gasped.
'We still have it all. And we're going to keep it.' Chandler informed them. 'All we want to know is… are you in on it with us? That's just over $800 000 dollars each!'
The others stared open mouthed, not sure what to say.
Ok, sorry this took a little longer, but it is pretty long! Please review and I'll update really soon ;-)