Gone for the Moment - Chapter Two

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Chandler doubled over as if somebody had knocked the wind out of him the second the door to Joey and Rachel's apartment slammed shut. He held back the tears that threatened to fall and chocked down his sobs, insteading forcing them out as dry heaves.

"Chandler?" Joey walked out of his room to see what all the noise was and broke out into a run when he saw his friend kneeling on the ground. "What's wrong?"

"Monica-" Chandler sucked in a breath of air and straightened up. "Monica's leaving, and she's taking Jake." His last few words came out in a squeak and he doubled over again, still not letting a tear fall.

"What! She can't do that! Why is she leaving?"

"I can't-I can't do this. You gotta talk to her." Chandler slowly got up-with Joey's help-and collapsed in the recliner.

Without another word said, Joey stormed out of his apartment and over to Monica and Chandler's.

Monica's head snapped up from Jake when the door burst open and a furious-looking Joey marched over to her. "You're leaving! With Jake!"

"Joey-" Monica started, already exhausted from having the same argument.

"You can't just leave! Chandler's here! You can't take Jake away from him!"

"Joey, calm down! I think it would be better if I told everybody at once. Can you just watch Jake for a few seconds while I call everybody?"

Joey angrily nodded his head and squatted down next to Jake.

A few minutes later, Monica set down the phone and crossed her arms wearily. "Is Chandler at your place?"

Joey looked up at her and nodded his head again before turning his attention back to Jake.

Jake picked up a block and threw it at Joey's head, giddily laughing in response. Joey smiled at him and rubbed the spot where the block had hit. How could something so small and innocent have to go through so much already?

A few minutes later, Ross hurridly walked into the apartment, followed by Phoebe and Rachel. "What's going on? Is everything ok?" He asked, rushing over to Monica and putting a hand on her back. "Where's Chandler? Did he do something?" His tone quickly changed from concerned to angry as he scanned the apartment for her absent husband.

"No, Ross, relax! It's not him! I think you guys should sit down." They all took a seat in the living room and Joey turned his attention away from Jake to focus on Monica.

She rubbed her forehead and leaned against the TV. "Chandler and I have been fighting for quite a while now, and about two weeks ago, I got an offer for a job in Minneapolis-"

"You didn't take it did you?" Phoebe cut in.

"Please, just let me finish before you say anything."

Phoebe recoiled back into the couch and thumped her hands down in her lap.

"I got an offer for a job in Minneapolis, and yes, I did take it. Chandler and I are over, there's nothing left between us. So, in three days, I'm moving, and I'm taking Jake with me."

The four were stunned to silence.

"You're just giving up?" Rachel spat. Monica was never the type to give up, in anything.

"I gave up on us a long time ago. I thought a baby would bring us closer, but Jake just seems to be spliting us farther and farther apart. We never have time for each other anymore, and I know I'll always love him, but not like I need to for this to work."

Joey pushed himself off the floor and stormed back out of the apartment and over to his own. Chandler was still in the chair, blankly staring at the floor in front of him.

"Monica just told everybody, I am so so so sorry, Man. Is there anything I can do?"

Chandler just sighed in response and tilted his head to the other side. "I don't think so."

Chandler looked up into Joey's eyes, completely lost.

"Aw, Man. Come here!" Joey rushed over to him and caught him in a fierce hug when he stood. "It's gonna be ok."

"No it's not!" Chandler violently pushed away from Joey. "It's never going to be ok anymore! Monica, my wife, is taking Jake, my son, and moving away. Away to a place where I can't stop by everyday and see how my child is doing, or how much he's grown! Who knows when I'll see him again!"

Joey stepped back a little and tried to put himself in Chandler's place. What could be worse than losing your wife and son to an issue that could have been resolved with a little more time together?

"I'm sorry. Maybe it never will be ok again, but it will get easier." Joey offered.

Chandler nodded his head and pulled Joey into another hug. "I'm sorry, Joe. I didn't mean to yell at you."

"It's ok, under these circumstances, I think you're allowed to. So, what are you gonna do now?" They stepped apart from each other and sat down, Chandler in the recliner, Joey on one of the bar stools.

"I have no idea."

"Are you gonna fight for custody?"

"Well what kind of father would I be if I didn't?"

A few seconds of silence followed as they each pondered what the future would be like. Frequent trips between Minnesota and New York. Hundreds of long-distance phone calls. Too many lonely nights that should be filled with laughter and happiness.

"Where are you gonna stay until she leaves?"

Chandler looked up at Joey, a vulnerable look on his face. "Until she leaves? I have no idea. I'm not sure I'm gonna want to live there after she leaves. It wasn't really my place to start with anyway. You think Rachel would want to move back over there? Then maybe I could come back here?"

"I'd love for you to be back here! I mean, I love having Rachel as a roomate, but she's no you."

Just then, Rachel wearily walked into the apartment and looked desperately from Joey to Chandler.

"Oh, honey." Rachel's arms went up and she walked over to Chandler. He stood and wrapped his arms tightly around her. "I'm so sorry. Are you ok?" She pulled back a little and ran her hand down his cheek.

"No. But it doesn't really change much, does it?"

She moved her hand to his chest and stepped away from him. "So, what were you guys talking about?"

"Well, actually, we were wondering if you would want to move back across the hall, after Mon leaves?" Joey announced, standing up and stretching his legs.

"Yea, I don't really want to live there anymore, and I didn't think you'd mind having the big place all to yourself." Chandler attepmted a smile and ran his hands together.

"Oh sure, no problem. Where are you gonna stay tonight?"

"Well, I was thinking of renting your guys' couch, if you don't mind?"

"Anything you need, Chandler. Just say the word and we're here for you."

"Thanks you guys. I'm gonna go..get some stuff together." Chandler waved his hand in the direction of his apartment.

"You sure you want to go over there? Mon's there you know." Rachel questioned.

"Yea, I kinda need to talk to her too." He opened the door and left before they could reply.

He hesitated before opening his own door, and refused to look up at Monica when she called his name.

He brushed past her and into their room, quickly pulling a duffel bag from the closet and beginning to empty his drawers.

"What are you doing?" Monica asked quietly from the door way.

Chandler glanced up at her before looking back down to the pile of clothes on the bed. "Packing."

"Where are you going?"

"Joey's. Rachel's moving back in here when you leave and I'm taking my old room back." Satisfied with the amount of clothes he had, he moved on to the bathroom.

Monica quietly followed him, now leaning on the bathroom door frame. "Look, Chandler-"

"No." Chandler slammed the medicine cabinet closed and turned to her. "I don't want this speech. Not now, not ever. I don't care how sorry you are, I don't care how guilty this makes you feel. You can deal with it on your own. Give your little speech to my pillow, not like you'd ever see the difference." He slung the bag over his shoulder and stormed out of the bathroom to Jake, who was still sitting on the floor with his blocks. "I get him until you leave."

He stalked out of the apartment back over to Joey's.

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to be continued...

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Thanks for the reviews! I'm sorry the first chapter was so short, but it seemed like the only good place to end it, so I gave you a longer chapter today to make up for it! The next one should be a little longer...depending on the reviews! Thanks for reading! You know what to do!