-/-Sunday on a park bench-/-
Chapter Three – TOW Ross doesn't know
-/--/--/--/--/--/-
Austria, 1935
-/--/--/--/--/--/-
"The Furher has passed the Nuremberg Laws. A new time has dawned. Jewish people are officially second-class citizens; no longer shall we fear our pure-blooded children being led astray, no longer shall we have to…."
Phoebe's ferocity caused the slamming of her fist against the radio, silencing the broadcast.
"Bravo" Chandler praised, slapping his hands together in applause. "You know, I was thinking… why exactly do we listen to that?"
"I'm going to Germany" Phoebe announced, before picking up the newspaper and beginning to read.
"Erm, Pheebs?" Chandler asked, bewildered at her ridiculous statement.
"I'm going to Germany" Phoebe repeated, studying the paper further.
"Sure, why wouldn't you want to go to a poverty-stricken wasteland ruled by a malicious dictator?" Chandler joked.
"Exactly" Phoebe agreed.
Chandler sighed. He had learnt that sarcasm was incomprehensible when around both Joey and Phoebe.
"You can't go to Germany, stop being so ridiculous Phoebe" Chandler scolded, adjusting the oven gloves on his hands before retrieving biscuits from the oven.
"Me? Ridiculous? Ok, so I want to go to a country where I can make a difference and oppose these Nazi idiots who have indoctrinated the whole population, while you sit here wearing Monica's pink oven gloves and baking her delicious but pretentious food!" Phoebe shouted.
"Hey! I will have you know that these aren't pink… they are cerise" Chandler retorted, holding the gloves up.
"Chandler, they're pink" Joey scoffed.
Apartment 19 was accustomed to Phoebe's inhabitancy. In truth, she never seemed to leave the boys during the daytime.
"Guys, I am being serious. I'm going to Germany. I've been thinking about it for a few days and I am going over there to protest. No-one else opposes the regime because they think his working miracles. I'm going to change that and start my own opposition group" Phoebe declared.
"Yes and I'm going to enter the Berlin Olympics next year, enter the 1500 metre race, grow wings, fly to the finish line and win gold for Austria" Chandler retorted.
Joey and Phoebe stared blankly at Chandler.
"Continue" Chandler muttered.
"Well that's pretty much it"
"Pheebs, you can't go, I wont let you go…I'll - - I'll protest" Joey proclaimed.
"Joe, I'm going"
"Shouldn't we vote on this kind of thing?" Joey argued, his eyes searching Chandler's for a solution.
"I'm going to go pack my bags, the train leaves in a couple of hours " Phoebe began.
"What!" The men chorused.
"Well there is only one train to Germany every other day" Phoebe stated.
"You are going now? But you just, just, just decided!" Chandler said, horrified.
"You may like to stay at home and bake cookies Grandma, but me, I'm spontaneous," Phoebe laughed, scooping the remaining cookies into her bag. "I might get hungry"
As she strode towards the door, her journey was blocked. Joey was sat cross-legged in front of the door, his arms folded and his face contorted in determination.
"Joey, move"
"No"
"Joey, please"
"Why do you have to go to stupid Germany, why…why can't you stay with me Pheebs?" Joey sobbed.
"Are you starving Joey?" Phoebe questioned.
"No"
"Well are you being treated appallingly?"
"No" Joey answered, his voice softening.
"Has your livelihood suddenly been taken from you?"
"No…"
"Have you been abandoned by the people you love?" Phoebe continued.
"Well I'm going to be!" Joey snapped, rising to his feet. "You're leaving me!" he yelled.
"Joey, this is something I have to do and if you love me enough, you'll let me go" Phoebe whispered.
Joey's head twisted from side to side. "Ok" he sighed in defeat.
Chandler and Joey huddled around Phoebe, sandwiching her between them as they embraced her.
"How are you going to cope alone Pheebs?" Chandler mumbled, stroking her hair.
"Oh I'm not going to be alone! Rachel's going to be there!" Phoebe beamed.
Chandler's cerulean eyes widened in fright while the comment flew over Joey's head.
Ross.
-/--/--/--/--/--/-
Rachel sat among a horde of bags, a small vinyl record clutched to her chest and tears spilling down her cheeks. The creaking of the stairs caused her to stuff her treasure under the bed and mop her face dry with her blanket.
"Hey pumpkin" Leonard chimed, closing the door behind him and studying the life-size cut-out of Garbo strapped to Rachel's door.
"Hey daddy" Rachel whispered.
"You and your fashion" Leonard chuckled before turning to his daughter.
A sudden and rather unusual wave of guilt flooded over Leonard.
"Look, honey, I know you don't want to come, but we can start a new, better life for ourselves, without any…ties"
"But maybe I want to have ties. Maybe I want to have…"
"You're just a kid; you don't know what you want…" Leonard interrupted.
"I am twenty years old!" Rachel shrieked.
"Look Rachel, I am not having this discussion again, ok?" Leonard rubbed his brow. "I agreed to Phoebe coming, what more do you want?"
Rachel began to bawl hysterically and her father could not help but be manipulated into pleasing his daughter. Only this time, her practised act was genuine. Rachel wept for everyone. She thought of Joey, of Chandler, of Monica…but most of all, she thought of Ross.
"Rachel…I - , please, look what do you want? Anything?" Leonard began; reaching for the wallet nestled in his suit pocket.
"I want to see Monica and Ross" Rachel whispered.
The wallet slapped against the wooden floors.
-/--/--/--/--/--/-
Monica had never felt more jaded. Never before had she experienced something so wearisome or completely riling. She began to wonder if this would be the end, if this ordeal would draw life from her and leave her a hollow shell in limbo…
"Slide 457!" Ross screeched with delight. "Well, as you can see, homo erectus was indeed…"
Monica's mind was so familiar with the drone, pause, breathe, drone, pause, breathe of Ross' voice that it began to merge into one long fuzz. Monica needed a hero to save her from her slow death, a knight with sandy hair and bluer than blue eyes to….
The doorbell rung and Monica snapped up straight as an irate Ross jogged to the door.
"Do you mind your interrupting my - -"Ross began.
"Ross," Chandler panted "You have – Rachel…the"
"Did I hear my name?" Rachel called as she strolled up the corridor to Ross' apartment.
"I thought that you were going- -…"Chandler wheezed as he attempted to embrace Rachel in relief.
Rachel's eyes amplified, as she nudged him away.
"I'm not going anywhere, why would I be going anywhere?" Rachel chattered, pinching Chandler's side. "Don't you have to go to that appointment?"
"Er – Erm -…" Chandler stammered
"Pedicure wasn't it?" Rachel grinned, unable to take advantage of the situation.
"You have pedicures?" Monica laughed as she made her way to the crowded doorway.
"I like soft skin" Chandler whispered, seemingly interested the floor.
Oh, the things I do for Rachel
"So gay" Ross whispered to Monica.
"Look at me! Could I be any straighter?" Chandler yelled.
Monica looked Chandler up and down.
"So do you meet a lot of guys at this pedicure parlour?" Monica taunted.
"Oh shut up!" Chandler moaned, stalking away with a hysteric Monica in tow.
"So you want to come in?" Ross smiled, gesturing for Rachel to enter.
"Always" Rachel whispered.
-/--/--/--/--/--/-
Chandler slammed his bedroom door shut in mock anger; he could never really be mad at Monica. Chandler allowed his hands to run through his sandy hair before sliding down the back of the door. He was exhausted with not having her. Forbidden to touch her, to kiss her, to…
"Chandler! Come on! Let me in! I know you're not gay!" Monica whined.
"If you will excuse me! I might have a lady friend in here!" Chandler called.
"Oh please! One; I just followed you back from Ross' apartment and two; you have been having sex alone for the past 3 years!" Monica shrieked.
Chandler opened the door with a crack.
"I have had sex in the past three years!"
"What your regular visits from that Janice woman? Give me a break! She was just using you!"
"At least someone's willing to use me" Chandler muttered, pushing past Monica towards the kitchen.
Monica froze. She did not want to get into this conversation.
"What's that suppose to mean?"
"Nobody wants me Monica" Chandler whispered.
"That's not true"
"Isn't it? Because if your right maybe you could point out someone who loves me more than anyone else! My mother couldn't give two fucks about me! Hell! She hasn't seen me for 7 years! My dad! Well my dad is busy being a secret homosexual working for the Nazis! Maybe that's where I get it from yeah? Maybe I'm gay just like my dad! That's what you all think!" Chandler screamed.
It was the saddest thing Monica ever witnessed; a grown man cry.
"Chandler…" Monica soothed.
"I'm sorry Mon, look, please, just leave, Rachel and Phoebe are leaving for Germany. You best go say goodbye" Chandler said, avoiding her gaze.
Monica walked towards Chandler. She pulled his hands upwards to rest on her cheeks. Chandler finally met her gaze as he felt the wet skin.
"Don't cry for me, Monica" Chandler said so softly his voice was barely audible.
Chandler's cobalt eyes bore into the endless sapphire of Monica's…he was lost.
"Don't you understand me? I love you so much that I have to cry" Monica whispered.
Chandler whimpered.
"It's ok that your parents don't love you Chandler, because I love you enough to counter it"
Chandler's hands fell to Monica's tiny waist as he drew her closer to him. Monica's warmth spread through him. Her unique aroma caused him to inhale deeper. It took every ounce of Chandler's strength not to lift her up to meet his lips.
"I love you Monica"
"I know"
"Believe me, you'll never know" Chandler whispered.
-/--/--/--/--/--/-
The empty wine bottle rolled across the wooden floor.
"Rach? Are you ok?" Ross whispered.
"No, no I just have something in my eye" Rachel snivelled.
The couple lay between the white sheets. Rachel's arm draped across Ross' chest and her head nestled against his shoulder, she relished the perfect moment of which she would never experience again.
-/--/--/--/--/--/-
Chandler's eyes snapped open. He allowed the state of euphoria to wash over him as he studied Monica's sleeping face once more. Chandler analyzed how his blanket hugged her naked body so perfectly and pulled her closer as he slipped into a content slumber.
-/--/--/--/--/--/-
Rachel and Phoebe loaded their luggage inside of the overhead compartments before settling upon the cushioned seats. The sun had not yet risen and as they rode into Germany, it was a new day and a new life.
-/--/--/--/--/--/-
I think this Chapter sucks.
Please Read and Review, it means a lot RooRoo xxx Ally - x -