AN: Just to clear up, Ross is NOT dead, lol.  Ross GellAr is dead, but Ross GellEr, is alive.  Poor Ross Gellar.  He was such a nice guy.  LOL. 

The Setup: 1966.  The US has sent over 300,000 troops to the war in Vietnam.  On the home front, tensions are mounting, as support for the War continues to diminish.  President Johnson makes his first trip to South Vietnam, and the Soviet Union announces its intentions to support North Vietnam, arousing anger among war supporters and moderates. 

As for our favourite sextet, Monica, Rachel and Phoebe are juniors in high school.  Ross, Chandler and Joey just graduated high school.  Oh, and they all went to the same high school, and are all good friends.  Rachel and Ross are dating.

The Age of Aquarius

California Dreaming

North Vietnam

Word spread through the camp quickly, and soldiers began packing up the camp hurriedly, in preparation for their move to a new location.  Ross eyes the jungle nervously, hoping that they were packed up and gone before the Viet Cong showed up.

"Geller, let's go," the Captain yelled from behind.

"Y-yes sir," Ross grabbed his bag, and followed the Captain.

"Private, this is Second Lieutenant Bing, and Private Tribianni.  They are going to be accompanying us to the border."

"Wh-what about the air lift?" Ross asked.

"Too risky," Captain Harrison said flatly, "We aren't far from the border, and patrols will be there to get us to Saigon.

"Saigon?" Ross asked.  I thought I was—"

"They need you at the Embassy down there."

"So, we aren't going with the rest of them?" Ross pointed at the group of men that were making their way out of the campsite.

"No," Lt. Bing interrupted, "our orders are to get you into friendly territory.  We have to get moving, too."

The Captain nodded, and walked toward the disassembled camp to gather his pack.  Ross looked over at the Lieutenant again, a puzzled expression lining his face.

"Is there a problem, Private?" Bing asked crossly.

"No…no, I just…you look really familiar to me, that's all."

The Lieutenant's shoulders straightened, and he looked down at the name badge that was sewn onto the Private's fatigues.  He looked back up at Ross, and bit his lip.  "You from New York?"

"Yeah," Ross grinned.

"I see.  Do you, um, do you know Monica Geller?" he asked quietly.

"Sh-she's my sister," Ross said.

Lt. Bing nodded.  "Yeah, I know your sister," he said sadly, and pulled his pack onto his back, as he turned away from Ross.

"Wait!  How, um, how do you know Mon?"

"I…we were…good friends," Bing smiled, "But, I—I haven't heard from her since I came out here, so…" Ross picked up the bitter tone in the Lieutenant's voice, and it dawned on him that this man was the one his sister had been going on and on about in the one and only letter he'd received from her.  He wasn't sure why his family had stopped writing, and it killed him that he hadn't heard from Rachel in months.  Eventually, he stopped trying, figuring that the letters just weren't getting home.

"I'm guessing," said Ross quietly, "that you're the one she wrote to me about."

"What?" Bing looked at Ross sharply.

"She told me that she was seeing someone…and that they were sending him to war soon as well.  She told me she loved him," Ross smiled.  The relief that shone on Bing's face was more evident that he'd probably intended.  He nodded at Ross silently, and looked over at Joey and Captain Harrison, who were waiting on the South end of the camp.

"We'd better go Private Geller," the Lieutenant smiled warmly.

"Yes sir," Ross said, and followed Lt. Bing out of the camp.

Oklahoma

"Okay, this state is officially more boring than the last two," Rachel sighed.

"Wait til we hit Kansas," Monica giggled.

"Okay, guys, next question," Phoebe said, as she flipped on the windshield wipers in response to the rain that had begun to pour, "If you had Aladdin's magic lamp, what would your three wishes be?"

The van was quiet for a moment, as each woman contemplated her answers.

"Well," said Rachel, "I'd say, I wish that this war would have never happened, and I wish I could be with Ross right now, and I wish I would have bought those brown suede boots while they were on sale!"

Monica giggled, "I know!  They were so cute on you!"

"Wait, let's go back to Rachel's wishes," Phoebe said, her eyes never leaving the road.

"What about them, Pheebs?" Rachel asked.

"What would you say to Ross right now, if your second wish came true?"

Rachel looked pensive, and sad.  She turned, and watched the rain snake sideways across the windows.  "I would…tell him how much I love him, and that I never want us to be apart again," she said quietly.

The other girls were silent for a long moment, each of them contemplating the same conversation they would have with the men that had disappeared from their lives.

"What about you, Mon?" Phoebe asked.

"I just want my baby to know his father," she sighed, "And I want my parents to accept me for who I am, not what they think I should be."

"They'll come around," Rachel said, "they love you, they have to…"

"Yeah," Monica said flatly.

"Okay, this is too depressing," Phoebe announced, "let's talk about all of the things we're gonna do in California!"

"I'm getting a tan," Rachel said.

"I want to meet movie stars!" Monica added.

"I want to…smoke California grass!" Phoebe giggled.

"Maybe we can smoke grass with movie stars on the beach?" Monica suggested, and the women fell into fits of giggles.

"Do you think it's raining in California?" Rachel asked, as she looked up at the charcoal storm clouds that blanketed the Oklahoma sky.

"No way!" Phoebe shook her head, "It never rains in California!  That's why it's the Sunshine State!"

"Phoebe, Florida is the Sunshine State.  California is the Golden State," Monica corrected.

"Oh, whatever," Phoebe smiled.

"Do you guys think it's raining in Vietnam right now?" Rachel asked quietly.

Monica and Phoebe sobered, and looked out at the rain again.

"I dunno," Monica said quietly.

North Vietnam

The rain was relentless, and it made it next to impossible to see anything ahead of them.  The group's pace had thus slowed significantly, and Ross was silently wondering if they were ever going to get to the border.  He was relieved when the group stopped under a large, leafy tree to take a break.

Ross sat on a log, a few feet from Lt. Bing.  He watched him, and wondered if this really was the guy his sister had been talking about.  He looked like someone that could be named Chandler, but he didn't act much like a man who hated war.  In fact, he seemed to be doing quite well.  Ross liked the Lieutenant, but he didn't like the idea that he was dating his baby sister.

The Lieutenant stood up, and walked around to the other side of the tree.  Ross stood up and followed him.

"Your name is Chandler, then," Ross stated, as he approached.

"Yeah," Chandler said flatly.

"Chandler Bing?" Ross smiled.

"Yeah," Chandler sighed, and shook his head, "I don't know what my parents were thinking."

"Monica said that you were opposed to war…how did you—"

Chandler turned to look at Ross, his eyes ablaze, "I do hate war, and I hate everything about this place.  I'm banking on getting out of here as soon as possible."

"But you seem to be doing so well…I mean, you—"

"Ironically, I am really good at all this military shit.  So hate it as I might, today I am nothing more than a pawn in the Great American War Machine," Chandler shook his head, and spit something out of his mouth.

"What are you, a Communist?" Ross asked.

"No…but I'm not a robot, either," Chandler said angrily, and walked back around the tree.

"Let's move, Private," Chandler shouted.

All the leaves are brown

And the sky is gray

I've been for a walk

On a winter's day

I'd be safe and warm

If I was in L.A.

California dreaming

On such a winter's day

Stopped into a church

I passed along the way

Well, I got down on my knees

And I pretend to pray

You know the preacher likes the cold

He knows I'm gonna stay

All the leaves are brown

And the sky is gray

I've been for a walk

On a winter's day

If I didn't tell her

I could leave today

(California Dreaming~The Mamas & The Papas)