Hey guys! Well, i'm just shooting out the chapters at the mo! im on a role baybe! hehe, this was once again meant to be a short chapter...actually, meant to be the start of a chapter, but it escalated of course! Thank you for all the reviews, and i hope to hear more!
Dont own friends/actors/etc...i love matt perry
Monica slowly made her way up the stairs, carefully balancing the two pizza boxes in one hand and a bag full of soda in the other. She had been kept back late at work and, for once in her life, didn't feel like cooking.
"Hey Mon," a voice greeted her. Monica looked over the pizza boxes to find Joey standing in the hallway outside their doors.
"Hey Joey," she acknowledged happily as he quickly made his way over to her. "Thanks," she said gratefully as he took the pizza boxes from her.
"No problem. You're home late," he noticed. She nodded.
"Yeah, there was a problem with the pork orders and then we ran out of chicken…It was just a big meat dilemma, I don't really want to relive it." Joey smirked. "So what are you doing lurking in the hallway?"
"Oh! Well, I was just about to go look for Chandler actually," Joey answered, his voice strained. "We had a bit of a fight and he left. That was a couple of hours ago now. I was giving him time to cool off, like I always do, but it doesn't usually take this long." Joey studied his feet, biting his lip. "I'm really worried about him Mon."
"I know honey; we all are," she said softly. "What was the fight about?"
"I told him that he should see a shrink; he didn't agree," Joey explained uneasily. Monica was sure that there had been more to the fight, but she didn't press the subject. No one liked it when Joey and Chandler fought – least of all Joey and Chandler. It was never something any of them liked talking about.
"Why don't you just give Chandler some more time alone?" Monica suggested. "You can come have some pizza, and if he's not back by then, we'll go looking for him."
Joey frowned, glancing from the stairs to the pizza boxes a few times before nodding, albeit grudgingly. "Okay then!" Monica said in what she hoped was a happy voice, then turned and walked towards Apartment 20. Joey followed closely behind, inhaling the delicious smell of pizza.
"Hey Rachel," Monica called automatically as she entered the apartment. Rachel glanced behind her, towards Joey and Monica, and put her finger to her lips, effectively shushing them. Monica put the bag of soda on the table; Joey placing the pizza next to it. They both walked over to the couch to see why they had to be quiet.
Chandler was deep in what appeared to be a restless sleep, his head on Rachel's lap.
Rachel was methodically running her hand through his hair, hoping to bring him some comfort. Monica bit her lip, noticing the tear tracks that ran down Chandler's cheeks. He had been crying; quite a bit by the look of it.
"What's going on?" Joey asked, his voice soft but urgent. Rachel sighed, staring down at Chandler for a long while, before looking up at them.
"We need to talk," she said softly. Joey and Monica both nodded then watched as Rachel carefully lifted Chandler's head and stood up. She set him gently back down, careful not to wake him. God knows he needed the rest.
Chandler stirred, his eyes fluttering open for just a second, then closing once again.
They all watched him drift back into a deep sleep, no one moving or talking until Chandler's breathing was deep and regular. Rachel looked up at Monica and Joey, then motioned towards the door. The pair nodded, and followed wordlessly as Rachel lead them out the door, across the hallway, and into Chandler and Joey's apartment.
"What's going on?" Joey asked once again, he voice louder this time. Rachel shot a pained look his way, then began to pace nervously around the room.
"Rach?" Monica pressed when Joey's question was left unanswered.
"Oh god, I don't know," Rachel muttered tearfully, stopping and sitting down on one of the stools. "I don't know what is happening! No, wait I do…God is trying to ruin our lives!"
Monica and Joey stood motionless for a moment, slightly shocked at Rachel's little outburst.
"Rachel," Joey began, only to be cut off.
"Chandler doesn't deserve this! He is a good person; why is this happening? I mean, Jesus Christ, bad things are only meant to happen to terrible people. Murderers, rapists, vicious son's of bitches who think of no one but themselves! Chandler is not a murderer, not a rapist, he is not a son of a bitch!" she screamed, her voice thick with anger. "Why the hell is God punishing him! Answer me that, why would someone put him through all this pain willingly?"
The anger left Rachel's voice then, and was replaced with heart-wrenching sobs. Monica and Joey walked over to offer her comfort, but she waved them away.
"I just don't understand," she sobbed. "Why is someone like Chandler worrying about losing his mind; worrying about climbing the fucking walls with insanity!"
Monica and Joey exchanged a worried and confused look. They still had no idea what was going on, but Rachel's breakdown wasn't doing anything to ease their minds.
"Rach," Joey started, his voice timid. Rachel looked up at him with tear filled eyes.
"Could you please fill us in on what is going on?" Monica pushed in, her voice insistent. Rachel sighed, then nodded.
"These dreams, the ones Chandler has been having; they're real," she said simply. Joey and Monica exchanged another look.
"What do you mean 'they're real'?" Joey asked.
"He's been dreaming of a girl being murdered. The same dream, over and over. But getting more and more violent each time. To him, it feels like he is the one being murdered, the one screaming for help…the one dying."
"Rach…" Joey started once again, and was once again cut off.
"The girls name is Nicole Atkins," Rachel blurted out. Monica frowned.
"That name sounds so familiar," she murmured. Rachel nodded.
"There was a story about her in the newspaper today," she explained softly. Joey and Monica stared at her, disbelief covering Monica's face as she realised what Rachel was getting at; confusion still covering Joeys.
"You mean-"
"She died," Rachel whispered, cutting Monica off. "She was murdered. The exact way she was in Chandler's dream. He knew she was going to die; a week before it happened."
"Oh my god," Monica moaned, her hand automatically covering her mouth.
"Are you saying that Chandler's dreams…are real?" Joey asked in horror. Rachel nodded.
"I don't know how, but he knew. And now," she glanced at the pair's shocked faces. "He blames himself for her death. Says he should have done something to help her; that he let her die. I tried to tell him otherwise, but he wouldn't listen." Rachel abruptly stood, and once again started pacing the room. "God, he was so upset! I have never seen anyone so distraught! He broke down in my arms; sobbing for what must have been 20 minutes before he cried himself to sleep. I didn't know what to do! I just held him and comforted him." She turned, facing Monica and Joey once again. "I want answers. This is not meant to be possible! And it most definitely should not be happening to Chandler!"
"I agree," Monica whispered, finding her voice. "But…what can we do?"
Rachel sighed yet again, looking defeated. "I called one of my father's old friends. Daniel Mackenzie. He's a psychiatrist. Chandler has an appointment with him tomorrow."
"Chandler didn't want to see a shrink though; he won't be happy about this," Joey muttered. Rachel shook her head.
"Chandler said it himself; he need's help. He agreed to go see Mackenzie," she explained softly. Monica nodded, then frowned.
"Can you hear that?" she muttered, walking towards the door. The other two followed her, glancing at each other in confusion. Monica pulled the door open.
"Oh my god," Rachel muttered, rushing across the hallway and into apartment 20, the sound of Chandler's screams terrifying her to her very core.
