AN: Thank you all for the reviews on the initial chapter! I forgot to mention that I am writing this specifically for dupton, who was poking at me to write more angst, and of course for Chris, who rocks!
And for Merge! The best Mondler club around!
Fallen
Two
Her cell phone had been ringing incessantly for the past half an hour, but the restaurant, and thus the kitchen, had refused to die down long enough for her to check it. She knew that it was most likely Chandler, who was supposed to be picking up Rachel's gift, and he was probably either lost or bored or both. Shaking her head, she concentrated on cooking the Sea Bass that was splattering in her pan, and decided that Chandler would just have to wait.
"Monica? Your husband's on the line," Laura, her new sous chef called, from across the room.
Monica sighed. "Can you tell him I'll call him back?"
"He says it's an emergency."
Monica felt her heart jump. Emergency. Immediately, she thought of the children, and raced across the kitchen, her mind racing.
It's fine, she told herself as she took the phone from Laura's extended hand, everything is fine.
"Chandler?" she said, as soon as the phone receiver touched her ear.
There was silence, and for a moment, Monica thought that they had been disconnected. Then she heard her husband take a breath of air, and immediately, she knew.
"What happened?" she asked, keeping her voice as calm and steady as she could.
"It's Erica," Chandler finally rasped, and Monica could barely hear him over the clanging in the kitchen behind her, "we-we can't find Erica."
Monica felt her body begin to tremble, and she leaned against the wall for support. The kitchen around her disappeared, and her head was spinning so fast, it was all she could do to keep from passing out.
"Where are you?" she finally managed, though she wasn't even certain she'd said the words out loud. Her ears were ringing, and her head was swimming with worst-case scenarios.
"Bloomingdale's. Mon, I'm so sorry, I just turned around and she was…I didn't—" Chandler stuttered. Monica, unaware that he was even talking, dropped the phone and turned to Laura.
"I have to go," she said shakily, and rushed out of the kitchen before Laura could respond.
The taxi ride across town was excruciating, and all Monica could do was stare out frosted window listlessly, her mind and heart racing.
The taxi made its way downtown, and Monica's eyes fell on every tiny blonde head they passed, and every family that rushed through the streets, laughing merrily.
Her heart was heavy with concern. Somewhere, out there, her daughter could be wandering in the cold, lost and crying, with no one there to keep her warm.
Without her mother.
Monica closed her eyes, and rested her forehead on the window lightly.
It could be something worse. It could be something much, much worse.
She sat up and shook her head. No. She refused to believe that. Erica was always a bit mischievous, and chances are she was simply hiding under a rack of clothing, waiting for her frantic father to find her.
She sighed. Something in Chandler's voice told her that this wasn't the case.
Guilt coursed through her. She shouldn't have made Chandler take the children with him into the crowded city. She should have taken her mother up on her offer to watch the children. She'd refused, because she'd had planned on meeting up with Chandler after work, and taking the kids to Rockefeller Center and teaching them how to skate. But the restaurant would not die down, and besides, Chandler had taken care of both children alone before.
Her guilt melted away slightly, as she reasoned that this was no one's fault. Children wander off all the time. Everything would be fine.
The taxi pulled to a rough stop just in front of Bloomingdale's, and Monica paid the driver, before stepping out of the cab. She wrapped her arms around her, as a chill ran through her, and it was only then that she realized that she had forgotten her coat.
She walked up to the large brass and glass doors, and peered through them.
Inside, several police officers were wandering through the store, along with what appeared to be store management.
Far in the corner, she spotted Chandler, seated on a small step leading up to the elevators, Jack wrapped securely in his arms.
Erica was nowhere to be seen, and Monica felt panic rise through her again.
She opened the door, and was met with a rush of warm air. A young police officer stopped her as she tried to walk in.
"I'm sorry, Miss. The store is closed."
"I—I'm Mrs. Bing—E-erica's mother," Monica whispered.
The officer's eyes softened, and he nodded and waved her inside.
She walked across the store, fully aware that the manager and police officers were watching her. She walked toward Chandler, stopping several feet away from him.
He looked up at her, but couldn't meet her eyes. He looked pale and weary, and Jack was sleeping soundly in his trembling arms.
"Mon, I—"
"What did the police say?" Monica asked, her words much harsher than she had intended.
"They—they're searching the area," Chandler replied, and looked at the ground.
"She's probably in here somewhere—" Monica looked around the store desperately.
"She's not—they looked. We all looked. She isn't here, Mon."
"Did you look inside those round racks? You know how she likes to hide—" Monica's voice raised, as her desperation increased.
"She isn't here!" Chandler raised his voice slightly, and Jack fussed and then drifted off again, "It's been two hours."
"Two hours? Why didn't you—why didn't you call me earlier?" Monica asked.
"I tried! You didn't pick up—and—and no one at the restaurant picked up—not for a while—"
"I can't believe this," Monica said breathlessly, as she placed her hand over her forehead.
"Mon, I'm so sorry. I…I turned and she was just…she was just gone!"
Monica found herself wanting to turn and scream at her husband that he should have never turned away from her—that he should never have let go of her hand. But she could hear the overwhelming sadness in his voice, and she knew that that was not what he needed now. That's not what either of them needed.
She swallowed down her rage and told herself that this was not Chandler's fault.
They would find her.
Turning slowly, she saw Chandler rocking Jack in his arms, as quiet sobs shook his tired shoulders. Sighing heavily, she sat down next to her husband, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and laid her head on his left shoulder.
"We'll find her. I'm sure she just got lost. It's gonna be okay," she whispered.
"I'm so sorry," Chandler whispered again.
"Its—" she wanted to say it wasn't his fault, and that she forgave him. She looked down at Jack, sleeping soundly, and felt her throat, and heart clench.
"It's gonna be okay," she repeated.
Not wanting to disturb the family, the officer and store security guard approached slowly and quietly. When a hush fell over the couple, the police officer cleared his throat.
"Um, I'm sorry to disturb you, but…we have something that you should maybe see."
Chandler and Monica looked up at the officer, their eyes filled with hope.
The short, stocky security guard stepped up next to the officer, wearing a grim look on his face.
"We have reason to believe that your daughter did not just wander off," the guard said, with little regard for Monica and Chandler's feelings.
"Bob," the officer hissed, and shoved him back, "Sir, M'am, if you could come with us…we have something to show you."
Chandler and Monica stood, and looked briefly at each other, before following the officer and security guard toward the elevators. They were then led through an unmarked door, and down a long, dimly lit corridor that let to yet another unmarked door. The security guard pulled out a ring of several keys, and used one to open the large metal door.
Inside, several security monitors panned the store, looking out for shoplifters. They were all connected to a large panel housing several buttons and two red telephones. The security guard switched on a separate television, and cued up a video.
"We found a video that may help us," the officer said calmly, as 'Bob' hit 'play'.
A black and white, grainy image filled the screen, and immediately, Chandler saw himself, in the upper right hand corner of the screen, searching for Jack's wayward glove. His heart leapt as he saw Erica, standing just behind him, waiting patiently. Moments later, he watched himself discover the glove, just as two elevator doors slid open behind him. A crowd of shoppers exited the elevator, one or two walking between Chandler and Erica. The crowd dispersed just as Chandler slipped on Jack's glove, and just like that, Erica was gone.
Nausea hit Chandler, as the officer rewound the tape to show him and Monica the two people he believed to be suspects. He looked over at Monica cautiously, and noted that she was looking at her hands, trembling as tears slid freely down her face. He wrapped his free arm around her, and pulled her toward him.
"Someone took her, Chandler," Monica sobbed, "someone took our little girl."
Chandler closed his eyes, and swallowed hard, unsure how to reply to Monica.
He looked over at the television monitor, in time to see his own image, turning away from his daughter to find the glove.
His heart sunk, and he closed his eyes, and let his own tears fall silently.
AN: Yeah, I know these chapters are short, but they have to be…right now, anyway.
