A/N – Sorry it was so long! School went crazy, thanks to all my reviewers
and David for his advice and proofing skills.
Chapter 6
, "Oh my god," Ross held her tightly "Are you ok, what happened?"
"I'm... I'm not sure..." Rachel said with a sob, as she sat on the couch, "I was just gonna walk home because there were no cabs, and then.... They jumped out at me."
"Did you see them? We need to report it to the police,"
"It... It doesn't matter Ross. It was only like $20, they'll never find them... I just feel so... scared."
"I know," Ross kissed the top of her head gently, "But I'm here now."
***
The park wasn't safe at night, Phoebe knew that, but somehow she felt like she belonged here.
As she sat on the ground, looking at the lake, she was glad she was back. She knew why she had let the park, she was running away from him, but this was her home, strange as it seemed to some people, she felt safe here.
It was a clear night, and the moonlight danced on the slow ripples in the lake, causing shadows to flit around the grass where Phoebe sat. She picked up a small stone, twirling it around in her hands; it was so rough, so dirty, it reminded Phoebe of herself.
With a tremendous effort she hurled the stone into the water, causing a stir of the water as it sent a small wave backwards, and Phoebe felt a wave of emotion rush through her.
She missed him. It seemed strange, she had known him for such a little amount of time, but she missed him. His eyes, his smile. As she closed her eyes and pictured his face, she felt warmth surge through her. She wasn't running from Chandler anymore. She was running from herself.
***
"Sweetie that's awful," Monica hugged Rachel tightly, "Are you ok?"
"Yeah... I guess, bit shaken up," Rachel said, with a sigh
"Well that's to be expected," Monica replied after a pause, as Gunther handed them their coffee, "At least you weren't hurt. It could have been much worse."
"Yeah, I know bu... Rachel trailed off as Chandler joined them; he gave a sympathetic smile to Rachel, knowing what had happened, and that she was probably tired of being asked about it.
"You found her?" Monica asked, and Chandler shook his head with such weariness that Monica's heart nearly broke,
"I'm gonna go back to the park later... after work."
"Do you think she'll be there?"
"Nope... but it's worth a try." Chandler said, as he stared into his mug of coffee, stirring the hot liquid with his spoon, hypnotised by it, he didn't hear Monica speaking, or Ross come in the door, he didn't hear the laugh bellow from the table next to them. He didn't hear anything. Except her.
***
He sat, shivers running down his spine. The moon was hiding behind the clouds, casting eerie shadows around the park. He knew she wouldn't be here, but it reminded him of her, and he couldn't let his memories of her fade away, he could never forget her. He walked slowly off the path, the trees whispering in the wind, taunting him. His brain racked with tiredness but he couldn't go home.
"Chandler?" He heard a voice call softly from behind him, and he froze. Surely he was imagining it? It couldn't be her. He turned around,
"Phoebe," He said, and a tear sprang to his eyes, "Where did you go?"
"It doesn't matter..." She said "I'm back now." Slowly they returned to the path, and found an old bench in the shadows and sat down,
"I thought I'd lost you." Chandler started to explain,
"That's because I didn't want to be found." Phoebe said, as a gust of wind blew past, sending a shiver up her spine.
"Move in with me." Chandler said, wincing as he said it, holding her so tightly for fear she would run away again, he couldn't let her go, not again.
"What?" She said, desperately trying to ignore the screaming voice in her mind telling her to run, and not look back.
"I can't leave you out here... I... I need you."
"Oh..." The voice was slowly reducing, so it was no more than a mere whisper, "Ok."
"Ok?" He pushed nervously, and Phoebe turned, giving him a weak smile, it was there for a just second before flickering away, but he caught it, and he knew the memory would stay with him forever,
"Ok."
***
"Joe?" Chandler pushed open the door to their apartment, to see Joey laid out on the recliner, his attention fixed on Baywatch, "Joey?" Chandler asked again, to get no response; he walked over, flicking the TV off,
"Dude! They were about to run."
"This is more important," Chandler perched on the coffee table, facing his friend, who still had an indignant on his face.
"What could be mor..." Shut up a second!" Chandler snapped, running his hands through his hair, "I've asked Phoebe to move in with us."
"What? But... but you barely know her."
"I know all I need to know, but I mean... are you ok with this man?" Joey paused watching Chandler, his hands fidgeting nervously as he subconsciously chewed his lip, but his eyes were, for the first time in so long, alive. Alive with happiness, the sparkle had returned, and that was all Joey needed.
"Yeah, it's fine with me." Joey said finally, with a reassuring smile,
"Thanks!" Chandler leapt up, embracing Joey in a hug,
***
She sat, staring out the window, the street, a cup of steaming coffee in her hand. A cool spring breeze ran in, tickling her face as the door opened and she looked up to see him.
She was about to go to her first job interview. Although Chandler had offered to let her stay for free, she insisted on contributing to the monthly bills, she wasn't a charity case. Not anymore.
"Ready?" He said with a grin, and Phoebe stood up, the aching in her body easing everyday,
"Yep. Lets go."
Please review. I know this sounds like it is wrapping up, but there's a bit more story left in it yet. After all you didn't think I'd completely forgotten that Phoebe mugged Rachel did you? I'll update quicker this time, you can hold me to that!
Chapter 6
, "Oh my god," Ross held her tightly "Are you ok, what happened?"
"I'm... I'm not sure..." Rachel said with a sob, as she sat on the couch, "I was just gonna walk home because there were no cabs, and then.... They jumped out at me."
"Did you see them? We need to report it to the police,"
"It... It doesn't matter Ross. It was only like $20, they'll never find them... I just feel so... scared."
"I know," Ross kissed the top of her head gently, "But I'm here now."
***
The park wasn't safe at night, Phoebe knew that, but somehow she felt like she belonged here.
As she sat on the ground, looking at the lake, she was glad she was back. She knew why she had let the park, she was running away from him, but this was her home, strange as it seemed to some people, she felt safe here.
It was a clear night, and the moonlight danced on the slow ripples in the lake, causing shadows to flit around the grass where Phoebe sat. She picked up a small stone, twirling it around in her hands; it was so rough, so dirty, it reminded Phoebe of herself.
With a tremendous effort she hurled the stone into the water, causing a stir of the water as it sent a small wave backwards, and Phoebe felt a wave of emotion rush through her.
She missed him. It seemed strange, she had known him for such a little amount of time, but she missed him. His eyes, his smile. As she closed her eyes and pictured his face, she felt warmth surge through her. She wasn't running from Chandler anymore. She was running from herself.
***
"Sweetie that's awful," Monica hugged Rachel tightly, "Are you ok?"
"Yeah... I guess, bit shaken up," Rachel said, with a sigh
"Well that's to be expected," Monica replied after a pause, as Gunther handed them their coffee, "At least you weren't hurt. It could have been much worse."
"Yeah, I know bu... Rachel trailed off as Chandler joined them; he gave a sympathetic smile to Rachel, knowing what had happened, and that she was probably tired of being asked about it.
"You found her?" Monica asked, and Chandler shook his head with such weariness that Monica's heart nearly broke,
"I'm gonna go back to the park later... after work."
"Do you think she'll be there?"
"Nope... but it's worth a try." Chandler said, as he stared into his mug of coffee, stirring the hot liquid with his spoon, hypnotised by it, he didn't hear Monica speaking, or Ross come in the door, he didn't hear the laugh bellow from the table next to them. He didn't hear anything. Except her.
***
He sat, shivers running down his spine. The moon was hiding behind the clouds, casting eerie shadows around the park. He knew she wouldn't be here, but it reminded him of her, and he couldn't let his memories of her fade away, he could never forget her. He walked slowly off the path, the trees whispering in the wind, taunting him. His brain racked with tiredness but he couldn't go home.
"Chandler?" He heard a voice call softly from behind him, and he froze. Surely he was imagining it? It couldn't be her. He turned around,
"Phoebe," He said, and a tear sprang to his eyes, "Where did you go?"
"It doesn't matter..." She said "I'm back now." Slowly they returned to the path, and found an old bench in the shadows and sat down,
"I thought I'd lost you." Chandler started to explain,
"That's because I didn't want to be found." Phoebe said, as a gust of wind blew past, sending a shiver up her spine.
"Move in with me." Chandler said, wincing as he said it, holding her so tightly for fear she would run away again, he couldn't let her go, not again.
"What?" She said, desperately trying to ignore the screaming voice in her mind telling her to run, and not look back.
"I can't leave you out here... I... I need you."
"Oh..." The voice was slowly reducing, so it was no more than a mere whisper, "Ok."
"Ok?" He pushed nervously, and Phoebe turned, giving him a weak smile, it was there for a just second before flickering away, but he caught it, and he knew the memory would stay with him forever,
"Ok."
***
"Joe?" Chandler pushed open the door to their apartment, to see Joey laid out on the recliner, his attention fixed on Baywatch, "Joey?" Chandler asked again, to get no response; he walked over, flicking the TV off,
"Dude! They were about to run."
"This is more important," Chandler perched on the coffee table, facing his friend, who still had an indignant on his face.
"What could be mor..." Shut up a second!" Chandler snapped, running his hands through his hair, "I've asked Phoebe to move in with us."
"What? But... but you barely know her."
"I know all I need to know, but I mean... are you ok with this man?" Joey paused watching Chandler, his hands fidgeting nervously as he subconsciously chewed his lip, but his eyes were, for the first time in so long, alive. Alive with happiness, the sparkle had returned, and that was all Joey needed.
"Yeah, it's fine with me." Joey said finally, with a reassuring smile,
"Thanks!" Chandler leapt up, embracing Joey in a hug,
***
She sat, staring out the window, the street, a cup of steaming coffee in her hand. A cool spring breeze ran in, tickling her face as the door opened and she looked up to see him.
She was about to go to her first job interview. Although Chandler had offered to let her stay for free, she insisted on contributing to the monthly bills, she wasn't a charity case. Not anymore.
"Ready?" He said with a grin, and Phoebe stood up, the aching in her body easing everyday,
"Yep. Lets go."
Please review. I know this sounds like it is wrapping up, but there's a bit more story left in it yet. After all you didn't think I'd completely forgotten that Phoebe mugged Rachel did you? I'll update quicker this time, you can hold me to that!
