Chapter 18
Someone like you
Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with friends.
AN: Im glad you all like the last chapter and the fact Phoebe had finally found Chandler. There will be plenty of interaction between the two of them in the next couple of chapters to come, so staye tuned :o)
~~*~~
Chandler watched transfixed at the figure in his bed and wondered to himself how on earth she had got there in the first place. It was like somehow his prayers had been answered and she had been magically drawn to him. There was no other way he could explain it, he just didn't see any other possible answer.
There she was, the girl who in one night he had fallen in love with, and had spent months searching for, laying on his bed like she had always been there, under his nose the whole time.
Her long blonde hair was scattered all over his pillow, strategically placed, her body lay on its side, above the covers, slightly curved, like she was leaning into an invisible body, crying out to be embraced.
His mind whirled with thoughts as he tried to figure out what do to. He didn't know whether to cry, scream, walk over to her and hug her, leave her alone to sleep, or run around every dorm room at NYU and tell everyone that he was the happiest man on earth.
After another 5 minutes of deliberation he decided to go to her side and wait on her waking up.
He sat himself down on the side of the bed, which he hadn't long jumped from and turned his body around so that he could see every inch of her. He watched her eyelids flicker back and forth and tried to remember the beauty that lay beneath them. It had been those very eyes that had drawn him to her in the first place, and he longed to see the bewitching blueness once again.
Phoebe's breathing remained rhythmic as she stayed in the deep sleep, that for days she had been deprived of. Tony had made sure she worked all the hours God sent. The longer she worked the more he earned, so her sleep derivation was of no concern to him, as long as he got from he what he wanted, which was a first full of dollars, occasional sex, and most importantly obedience.
Chandler couldn't help but feel mesmerised by her alluring presence. Even in sleep she was the most enchanting thing he had ever seen in his life. This was just his second time seeing her, but somehow she had become more beautiful, for asleep she was serene looking, the stress that normally dominated her face was gone and a peaceful expression replaced the anxiety.
He slid his back down the bed and turned onto his side, his face just inches from hers. He had one hand under his head, and the other sat freely resting on his left le as he debated with himself whether or not to stroke her soft skin.
Several times he moved his arm towards her, and then retracted it back. He was afraid of waking her, or worse still scaring her. But he longed to feel her, to touch her. He wanted to memorise what she felt like, having never had the opportunity before she was brutally take away from him. This time he hoped there would be all the time in the world to take in every little detail and quirk of her being.
For a second he let his eyes drift away from her tranquil face and down her body, but the sight wasn't what he was expecting. He recoiled back slightly in shock at the appearance of her stick thin body.
She was wearing the same clothes she had on the night they had met, but the one big difference now was they were literally hanging off of her, were before they had been skintight. Now there was nothing to her to hold them on. She looked skeletal, so much so it was painful for chandler to look at. Her bones protruded through a thin layer of skin, like they would any minute break through the surface.
He could hardly contain the horror he felt. The sight of her gaunt features made him want to weep in sorrow, sorrow that he couldn't have prevented her from being so under nourished and mistreated.
Again he wanted to wrap her in the protection of his arms, but the fear he would snap her fragile bones in two with his strength stopped him for reaching out to her. Instead he removed himself from the bed as quietly as he could muster.
He softly placed a blanket onto of Phoebe and watched while she sleepily opened her eyes to stare at the wall that was in her line of vision.
Panic set in to an unprepared Chandler and he backed away from the bed towards the door, trying to sneak out before she saw him. He wanted the moment she saw him to be perfect, and this wasn't how he imagined it happening. He hadn't thought out what he would say, or how he should act around her. This was all too much to comprehend, but now his plans were being taken out of his hands.
Phoebe felt the power of the brightly shining lights on the ceiling burn into her tired eyes a she opened them slowly, blinking back the sleep that before had enraptured her.
Where was she?
The last thing she remembered was being lost on campus, and laying her self down on a damp, cold, stone wall to try and get a little nap, and now here she was in a strange room that she didn't recognise.
Had Tony found her and brought her home to his apartment while she had been unconscious?
No, there was no way he could know where she was, was there?
The white wall held her gaze until her mind fully returned and she jumped up to a sitting position on the hard mattress to scan the room and its surroundings to see if it jogged her memory in any way.
She held the blanket tightly, timidly lifting it all the way to her chin and turned her head around until her gaze landed on a tall dark haired stranger standing staring at her. But this was no stranger. It was Chandler, but how?
She shook her head as though she was seeing things, but no matter how hard she blinked he was still there. This was no dream, it was real, and he was there, in front of her eyes, just like she had wished for.
"Hi" Chandler whispered so he didn't scare her and gave her a wide grin of reassurance that he hoped she would return.
"Hi" She whispered back, and returned the smile, much to Chandler's joy. But neither made an attempt to move, they were booth too awestruck.
"Phoebe, I'm so glad I found you,"
"Chandler, I'm so sorry for stealing you money and running off!"
Both spoke at the speed of lightening and at the same time so that their words jumbled together. They laughed awkwardly at each other and fell silent again.
This was a lot harder than either had imagined. They had both expected to fall into each others arms like they reunited lovers, but this was just plain uncomfortable. Neither had any idea how the other felt about the one night they had shared, and both were too shy too bring it up.
"You look tired," Chandler tried to shove his hands into his pant's pockets, until he realised he was standing in his underwear. He blushed bright red and crossed his hands over his chest instead.
"Oh, yeah, um," Phoebe pulled at her hair and tried to make it cover her face. She knew she wasn't the prettiest site to look at, but his words made her feel embarrassed. She had wanted to look stunning when she saw him again for the first time, but there was never any chance of that happening.
"Oh, no I didn't mean it like that! I just meant you must have busy looking for me. Not that I think you were wasting your time searching for me!" His red cheeks burned brightly like a furnace. He wished the ground would open up and swallow him. Why did he always have to screw everything up with that big mouth of his? It was always getting him into trouble and no matter how much he backtracked he could never get out the words he truly wanted to say, instead he dug himself in deeper.
Phoebe stayed quiet, watchfully observing him chastising himself well he searched for something else to say. She really wanted to laugh at his quirky behaviour, but held it in, so not to further embarrass him.
She loved how cute he looked with his crimson cheeks and annoyed expression. He was like a little boy who wasn't getting his own way.
"Chandler its ok, I think know what you meant." She gave him a second smile of reassurance and it gave him the nerve to speak his heart like he had first intended.
He sucked in his chest and went for it before he lost the courage.
"What I meant to say was, you look beautiful" There he had said it. He watched in caution to how she would react. Would her time on the streets have mad her wary of men speaking to her in such a way? Would she take offence?
"Thank you," She shyly played with her hair again, and now it was her turn to become scarlet. No man person had ever said that to her before and meant it with such sincerity. She couldn't see how he could perceive her as beautiful, but somehow in her heart she knew he was genuine.
This wasn't going at all well. Time for a subject change, Chandler thought to himself/
"So how exactly did you get here?"
~~*~~
Rachel pulled away from her embrace with Ross and watched his face intently for a sign or reaction of his feelings of what had just happened.
His eyes were still close, his mind and body stuck in the moment that Rachel had prematurely ended.
"Wow!" That was the only word he could muster to sum up the tryst, but it summed it up pretty well. It was confirmation enough for Rachel. Her nerves settled and she let out a girlish giggle. She had never felt this way inside before, not over a kiss anyway. Her skin was covered in goose pimples and the hairs on the back of her neck were erect from the excitement.
Ross could hardly believe his luck. For as long as he could remember he had loved Rachel, and dreamed of sharing such a moment with her, but this was better than any fantasy he had ever had. This was real, about as real as it would ever get. It was the best kiss he had ever had. To be fair, the only other lip lock he had had was at camp with a fat girl who's name he had since forgotten, and had no real grounds for comparison, but he was pretty sure it would never get any better.
"Rach. Did you kiss me to get back at Jason cheating on you?" He didn't want to spoil the special moment, but he had to know the true answer. He had a heart and he didn't think he could stand it to be broken, and that was what was sure to happen if they carried on and he found out he was just a 2-minute replacement.
"NO!" She was shocked at his questioning, but could hardly blame him for thinking that way. The thought would have crossed her own mind had she been in Ross' shoes.
"Jason is history. He is a scumbag! I kissed you because you aren't. You're a real man Ross. I never realised it until tonight, when I saw you stick up for me that way. Jason would never have done that for me, even although we were dating. But you cast all your fears aside and fought for me! You're my hero!" She leaned in again and quickly gave him a peck on the cheek.
Ross coyly shrugged as though it was no big deal, but his heart pounded with pride. It was like the end of a film, he had saved the day and got the girl. It was like all his Christmases had come at once.
~~*~~
"So after I found the letter addressed to you in the envelope I got a cab up here. I got lost outside and must have fallen asleep. I don't know how I got up here?" Phoebe finished off telling Chandler her story of how she had found him and watched as he curled up on the right hand side of the bed next to her.
"Whoa, sounds like you had yourself a Manhattan adventure tonight!" Chandler laughed and Phoebe joined in. This was just like the first night they had met and spent hours huddled close together on the dingy, brown motel bed.
She was amazed at herself for feeling so comfortable. Here she was lying in bed with a near stranger, who was clothed in only a pair of boxer shorts and the only worry she had was that it would all end like it had before.
She could never cope with having to go back to Tony and the work she hated with all her heart. For the first time in months she was happy, and able to laugh without being beaten for it. This was what life was supposed to be like and she was adamant she wasn't giving it for anything or anyone.
But Tony had other ideas. He was closing in on her, and he was ready to make sure he didn't leave without her. He was taking her home to where she belonged.
~*~
Ok peeps, that's it for chapter 18, but the second part of this one will be up very soon!
Will Phoebe and Chandler get over their fears and become a couple? Will Ross and Rachel make it without interference from Jason? And will Tony get Phoebe back, or will Chandler be able to hold onto her?
Please review it only takes a second. :o)
~*~
Rachel felt Ross wrap his arms around her naked body
Someone like you
Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with friends.
AN: Im glad you all like the last chapter and the fact Phoebe had finally found Chandler. There will be plenty of interaction between the two of them in the next couple of chapters to come, so staye tuned :o)
~~*~~
Chandler watched transfixed at the figure in his bed and wondered to himself how on earth she had got there in the first place. It was like somehow his prayers had been answered and she had been magically drawn to him. There was no other way he could explain it, he just didn't see any other possible answer.
There she was, the girl who in one night he had fallen in love with, and had spent months searching for, laying on his bed like she had always been there, under his nose the whole time.
Her long blonde hair was scattered all over his pillow, strategically placed, her body lay on its side, above the covers, slightly curved, like she was leaning into an invisible body, crying out to be embraced.
His mind whirled with thoughts as he tried to figure out what do to. He didn't know whether to cry, scream, walk over to her and hug her, leave her alone to sleep, or run around every dorm room at NYU and tell everyone that he was the happiest man on earth.
After another 5 minutes of deliberation he decided to go to her side and wait on her waking up.
He sat himself down on the side of the bed, which he hadn't long jumped from and turned his body around so that he could see every inch of her. He watched her eyelids flicker back and forth and tried to remember the beauty that lay beneath them. It had been those very eyes that had drawn him to her in the first place, and he longed to see the bewitching blueness once again.
Phoebe's breathing remained rhythmic as she stayed in the deep sleep, that for days she had been deprived of. Tony had made sure she worked all the hours God sent. The longer she worked the more he earned, so her sleep derivation was of no concern to him, as long as he got from he what he wanted, which was a first full of dollars, occasional sex, and most importantly obedience.
Chandler couldn't help but feel mesmerised by her alluring presence. Even in sleep she was the most enchanting thing he had ever seen in his life. This was just his second time seeing her, but somehow she had become more beautiful, for asleep she was serene looking, the stress that normally dominated her face was gone and a peaceful expression replaced the anxiety.
He slid his back down the bed and turned onto his side, his face just inches from hers. He had one hand under his head, and the other sat freely resting on his left le as he debated with himself whether or not to stroke her soft skin.
Several times he moved his arm towards her, and then retracted it back. He was afraid of waking her, or worse still scaring her. But he longed to feel her, to touch her. He wanted to memorise what she felt like, having never had the opportunity before she was brutally take away from him. This time he hoped there would be all the time in the world to take in every little detail and quirk of her being.
For a second he let his eyes drift away from her tranquil face and down her body, but the sight wasn't what he was expecting. He recoiled back slightly in shock at the appearance of her stick thin body.
She was wearing the same clothes she had on the night they had met, but the one big difference now was they were literally hanging off of her, were before they had been skintight. Now there was nothing to her to hold them on. She looked skeletal, so much so it was painful for chandler to look at. Her bones protruded through a thin layer of skin, like they would any minute break through the surface.
He could hardly contain the horror he felt. The sight of her gaunt features made him want to weep in sorrow, sorrow that he couldn't have prevented her from being so under nourished and mistreated.
Again he wanted to wrap her in the protection of his arms, but the fear he would snap her fragile bones in two with his strength stopped him for reaching out to her. Instead he removed himself from the bed as quietly as he could muster.
He softly placed a blanket onto of Phoebe and watched while she sleepily opened her eyes to stare at the wall that was in her line of vision.
Panic set in to an unprepared Chandler and he backed away from the bed towards the door, trying to sneak out before she saw him. He wanted the moment she saw him to be perfect, and this wasn't how he imagined it happening. He hadn't thought out what he would say, or how he should act around her. This was all too much to comprehend, but now his plans were being taken out of his hands.
Phoebe felt the power of the brightly shining lights on the ceiling burn into her tired eyes a she opened them slowly, blinking back the sleep that before had enraptured her.
Where was she?
The last thing she remembered was being lost on campus, and laying her self down on a damp, cold, stone wall to try and get a little nap, and now here she was in a strange room that she didn't recognise.
Had Tony found her and brought her home to his apartment while she had been unconscious?
No, there was no way he could know where she was, was there?
The white wall held her gaze until her mind fully returned and she jumped up to a sitting position on the hard mattress to scan the room and its surroundings to see if it jogged her memory in any way.
She held the blanket tightly, timidly lifting it all the way to her chin and turned her head around until her gaze landed on a tall dark haired stranger standing staring at her. But this was no stranger. It was Chandler, but how?
She shook her head as though she was seeing things, but no matter how hard she blinked he was still there. This was no dream, it was real, and he was there, in front of her eyes, just like she had wished for.
"Hi" Chandler whispered so he didn't scare her and gave her a wide grin of reassurance that he hoped she would return.
"Hi" She whispered back, and returned the smile, much to Chandler's joy. But neither made an attempt to move, they were booth too awestruck.
"Phoebe, I'm so glad I found you,"
"Chandler, I'm so sorry for stealing you money and running off!"
Both spoke at the speed of lightening and at the same time so that their words jumbled together. They laughed awkwardly at each other and fell silent again.
This was a lot harder than either had imagined. They had both expected to fall into each others arms like they reunited lovers, but this was just plain uncomfortable. Neither had any idea how the other felt about the one night they had shared, and both were too shy too bring it up.
"You look tired," Chandler tried to shove his hands into his pant's pockets, until he realised he was standing in his underwear. He blushed bright red and crossed his hands over his chest instead.
"Oh, yeah, um," Phoebe pulled at her hair and tried to make it cover her face. She knew she wasn't the prettiest site to look at, but his words made her feel embarrassed. She had wanted to look stunning when she saw him again for the first time, but there was never any chance of that happening.
"Oh, no I didn't mean it like that! I just meant you must have busy looking for me. Not that I think you were wasting your time searching for me!" His red cheeks burned brightly like a furnace. He wished the ground would open up and swallow him. Why did he always have to screw everything up with that big mouth of his? It was always getting him into trouble and no matter how much he backtracked he could never get out the words he truly wanted to say, instead he dug himself in deeper.
Phoebe stayed quiet, watchfully observing him chastising himself well he searched for something else to say. She really wanted to laugh at his quirky behaviour, but held it in, so not to further embarrass him.
She loved how cute he looked with his crimson cheeks and annoyed expression. He was like a little boy who wasn't getting his own way.
"Chandler its ok, I think know what you meant." She gave him a second smile of reassurance and it gave him the nerve to speak his heart like he had first intended.
He sucked in his chest and went for it before he lost the courage.
"What I meant to say was, you look beautiful" There he had said it. He watched in caution to how she would react. Would her time on the streets have mad her wary of men speaking to her in such a way? Would she take offence?
"Thank you," She shyly played with her hair again, and now it was her turn to become scarlet. No man person had ever said that to her before and meant it with such sincerity. She couldn't see how he could perceive her as beautiful, but somehow in her heart she knew he was genuine.
This wasn't going at all well. Time for a subject change, Chandler thought to himself/
"So how exactly did you get here?"
~~*~~
Rachel pulled away from her embrace with Ross and watched his face intently for a sign or reaction of his feelings of what had just happened.
His eyes were still close, his mind and body stuck in the moment that Rachel had prematurely ended.
"Wow!" That was the only word he could muster to sum up the tryst, but it summed it up pretty well. It was confirmation enough for Rachel. Her nerves settled and she let out a girlish giggle. She had never felt this way inside before, not over a kiss anyway. Her skin was covered in goose pimples and the hairs on the back of her neck were erect from the excitement.
Ross could hardly believe his luck. For as long as he could remember he had loved Rachel, and dreamed of sharing such a moment with her, but this was better than any fantasy he had ever had. This was real, about as real as it would ever get. It was the best kiss he had ever had. To be fair, the only other lip lock he had had was at camp with a fat girl who's name he had since forgotten, and had no real grounds for comparison, but he was pretty sure it would never get any better.
"Rach. Did you kiss me to get back at Jason cheating on you?" He didn't want to spoil the special moment, but he had to know the true answer. He had a heart and he didn't think he could stand it to be broken, and that was what was sure to happen if they carried on and he found out he was just a 2-minute replacement.
"NO!" She was shocked at his questioning, but could hardly blame him for thinking that way. The thought would have crossed her own mind had she been in Ross' shoes.
"Jason is history. He is a scumbag! I kissed you because you aren't. You're a real man Ross. I never realised it until tonight, when I saw you stick up for me that way. Jason would never have done that for me, even although we were dating. But you cast all your fears aside and fought for me! You're my hero!" She leaned in again and quickly gave him a peck on the cheek.
Ross coyly shrugged as though it was no big deal, but his heart pounded with pride. It was like the end of a film, he had saved the day and got the girl. It was like all his Christmases had come at once.
~~*~~
"So after I found the letter addressed to you in the envelope I got a cab up here. I got lost outside and must have fallen asleep. I don't know how I got up here?" Phoebe finished off telling Chandler her story of how she had found him and watched as he curled up on the right hand side of the bed next to her.
"Whoa, sounds like you had yourself a Manhattan adventure tonight!" Chandler laughed and Phoebe joined in. This was just like the first night they had met and spent hours huddled close together on the dingy, brown motel bed.
She was amazed at herself for feeling so comfortable. Here she was lying in bed with a near stranger, who was clothed in only a pair of boxer shorts and the only worry she had was that it would all end like it had before.
She could never cope with having to go back to Tony and the work she hated with all her heart. For the first time in months she was happy, and able to laugh without being beaten for it. This was what life was supposed to be like and she was adamant she wasn't giving it for anything or anyone.
But Tony had other ideas. He was closing in on her, and he was ready to make sure he didn't leave without her. He was taking her home to where she belonged.
~*~
Ok peeps, that's it for chapter 18, but the second part of this one will be up very soon!
Will Phoebe and Chandler get over their fears and become a couple? Will Ross and Rachel make it without interference from Jason? And will Tony get Phoebe back, or will Chandler be able to hold onto her?
Please review it only takes a second. :o)
~*~
Rachel felt Ross wrap his arms around her naked body