Wow...I feel so loved at the moment, what with all the anger! hehe, sorry, sorry, but I aint going to change this story, because I got it all planned out in my head! Anyway, this is the second to last chapter...and it really isnt anything too special...I just wanted a nice chapter with a lot of talking between two friends, so this is what I wrote! I hope you all enjoy it and are getting yourselves worked up for the final chapter! It will be up very soon, I promise!
Love you all, even if you all dont love me at the moment haha!
I do not own friends/characters/actors, but I do love Monica, Joey, Ross and Phoebe...and I am sorry for killing them!
The silence stretched on.
Neither of them had spoken in what seemed like an eternity. Neither of them wanted to speak. They knew what would happen after one of them spoke. They knew that if one of them spoke, they would soon have to leave. And they weren't ready to leave.
Not yet.
The silence stretched on, both staring at Monica blankly. Both holding on to one another desperately. Both consumed by a million thoughts at once, but unable to understand any of those thoughts.
The sun was beginning to set, Rachel noticed.
"It's getting dark," she finally spoke. Chandler jerked slightly, and Rachel wondered if she had scared him.
"Yeah," he agreed softly, tearing his eyes away from Monica to look at the sky. "Must be getting late." Rachel nodded, pressing her forehead against his cheek.
"What are we going to do?" she whispered. Chandler shook his head, feeling her messy hair against his chin.
"I don't know Rach…my only plan was to find Mon and…" he trailed off, turning his head away. Rachel's chin trembled, and she reached up a hand to touch his cheek. She turned his face towards her, noticing the tears in his eyes.
"We found her."
"I can see that," Chandler murmured, pulling his head away from her grasp.
"We did the right thing…you said it yourself."
"I know."
"Monica wouldn't have wanted us to sulk." Rachel offered Chandler a shaky smile. "She would tell us to get off our asses and go do something; anything."
"I know that too," Chandler sighed, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "She would have been yelling at me by now." Rachel watched him smirk, and for a moment felt as though things were back to normal. Chandler was smirking; she could pretend it was out of happiness. Monica's body caught her eye and it ruined her illusion.
"What are we going to do?" she asked again. There was a long pause as Chandler stared at Monica's body. Rachel could see the complete desolation in his eyes, but she also saw something else. She wasn't sure what it was, but she knew that Chandler was desperately trying to move on.
"I don't want to leave her out in the open like this," Chandler said finally. Rachel nodded.
"Me neither."
"But I…I can't…even if I could…there is nothing to…bury her with." Chandler bit his lip, staring dejectedly at the ground beneath them. Rachel nodded once more.
"I know…how…"
Chandler lifted his head after a long moment and glanced at the water in front of them. Rachel followed his gaze.
"Chandler-"
"Its better then nothing!" Chandler snapped suddenly. "It's better then leaving her…out here where…where anything could…" he trailed off, turning away once more. A moment passed and he looked back up, composed once more. "It's better then nothing Rach."
"I know…"
"Okay?"
"Okay."
Chandler nodded, glancing down at Monica's peaceful face. He reached out a hand and touched her raven hair.
"She's so beautiful," he murmured. Rachel nodded.
"Yeah…she is," she agreed. Chandler smiled slightly, then reached over and gathered Monica's limp body in his arms. Rachel watched as Chandler stood, then climbed to her feet as well. She followed him wordlessly to the river's edge, then stood next to him as they both hesitated.
"All the bodies are gone," Chandler noted after a stretched out silence. Rachel glanced at him through the dim light and watched him stare down at his dead fiancée.
"Any time you're ready Chandler," Rachel whispered. Those words were usually reserved for sarcasm, but on that day, there was no disdain in her voice. Chandler nodded, then pressed his lips against Monica's pale forehead. He then knelt down, carefully holding Monica in his arms. Rachel watched as Chandler lay Monica in the water; watched as he whispered something that only he and God could hear. Rachel was pretty sure what those three words were, and it tore at her heart. She had been the one to take her away from him. Sure, the alien had overtaken her body, but Rachel had been the one to fire the gun.
Fire the gun to save Chandler, she reminded herself as Chandler stood to his feet, moving in closer to her.
Rachel found Chandler's hand and gripped it, smiling slightly as she felt his fingers curl around hers. There was a special bond that two people shared when everyone around them; everyone they loved, had died. Rachel had hoped never to have that bond with anyone; hoped that she would never lose everyone she cared about.
But she had, with the exception of the man standing next to her.
"We're all alone now," Chandler whispered, as if reading her mind. It was possible, Rachel thought suddenly. Maybe their bond had some sort of special perk that she didn't know about.
Or maybe it was possible that Chandler couldn't stop thinking those words, just like Rachel was having trouble forgetting.
"Yeah." They stood there, hand in hand as they watched Monica's body slowly drift away from them. The late sunlight shone down on the river, giving Monica's face an ethereal glow. Rachel smiled at this. It seemed fitting.
They stood in silence for a long while; for as long as Monica's body was in view. When it disappeared out of their sight, they continued to stand in silence. Rachel glanced over at Chandler and saw the tears streaming down his cheeks; silent, but still painful. Rachel suddenly became aware of the wetness of her own cheeks, and it didn't surprise her one bit. She was still not feeling much besides the numbness that enveloped her, but she was still feeling a bit.
And a bit of this was still devastating.
"What now?" she whispered, finally breaking the silence. Chandler glanced over at her, and didn't say anything for a long time. Rachel stared back at him and saw the sudden transformation in his face. His eyes cleared slightly and his jaw set. Misery still lingered, heavy upon his shoulders, but there was something else there too. Determination. He seemed determined to fight.
Which is why his next words surprised her.
"What do you think we should do on our last night on Earth?"
"That doesn't seem very optimistic," Rachel murmured after a shocked silence. Chandler nodded, glancing down at the ground.
"I know…I'm sorry, but-"
"But what Chuck said?" Rachel interrupted. Chandler nodded once more.
"It seems hopeless Rach…it is hopeless…everybody is gone," Chandler sighed and averted his gaze to the darkening sky. "I…you can't say that you don't think it too?"
"I do Chandler…I know that it's hopeless…"
"Well, this is a depressing conversation," Chandler muttered after a beat. Rachel nodded, tightening her grip on his hand.
"You started it," she teased weakly. Chandler smirked slightly.
"Good point…so, I ask again, what should we do on our last night on Earth?"
I couldn't even begin to think of what we could do sweetie…there are so many things I wanted to do before I died."
"Time was never on our side," Chandler commented. Rachel nodded.
"Exactly…we could…I don't know…"
"Have some coffee?" Rachel let out a small laugh, shaking her head.
"Yeah, if we could find some," she muttered. Chandler smiled.
"We could go for a walk?"
"Okay." Both stood at the rivers edge for a moment longer, staring out at the water. Chandler shook his head slightly, then turned away, pulling Rachel along with him. They walked hand in hand, both silent for a while.
"A penny for your thoughts?" Chandler asked finally. Rachel glanced at him; at his sad face and smiled, stopping in her tracks.
"I don't really know what I'm thinking Chandler…I was just remembering I guess…remembering all the good times we had."
"And the bad."
"Even at its worst it was still good sweetie," Rachel whispered. A small smile covered Chandler's face. "I just wish…wish I could have gotten to say goodbye to…everyone."
"Yeah…me too."
"But, there is no such thing as a beautiful goodbye," Rachel continued. Chandler nodded.
"Not even between us?"
"I don't know…" Rachel trailed off, glancing away. They started walking once more, both silent again. "You seemed resigned to our fate," she spoke up.
"I'm not the type of person to go and cry in the corner…and…Ross said something about…never mind."
"What?"
"Well, it was in my dream…but he said see you soon…and I was just thinking that, well, we didn't necessarily have to say goodbye because…we are going to see them again…I hope. I don't know Rach; this whole 'afterlife' thing has never been my strong point."
"You think we are going to…see them in the afterlife?" Rachel whispered. Chandler shrugged.
"I sure as hell hope so…you seem pretty resigned to our fate as well."
"You shouldn't change the subject…but yeah, I guess I am…I was also thinking the same thing actually…"
"You were?" Chandler glanced at her, smiling slightly. Rachel smiled back and squeezed his hand.
"Yeah…I really have to believe that right now…otherwise I am just going to break down completely…and I don't want to be the person crying in the corner…especially if you are going to be avoiding it at all costs."
Chandler let out a small laugh.
"Yeah…good point."
"It's hard not to just break down though, isn't it?" Rachel whispered after a while. Chandler nodded.
"Yeah…but I've already done that enough today," he muttered. Rachel swallowed, leaning against his shoulder. A sudden thought occurred to her.
"How are you feeling? You're…injuries?"
"I can barely feel them anymore," Chandler whispered. Rachel frowned.
"I don't know if that is good or bad…but at least you aren't in pain."
"True."
There was another silence as they walked. The sun had almost set completely by the time Rachel spoke up again.
"Chandler?"
"Yeah?"
"What if…what if we get enslaved?" Chandler stopped in his tracks, then grabbed Rachel by the shoulders.
"That isn't going to happen Rach…we can't let that happen," he said firmly. Rachel nodded.
"But…but what if it happens? Or is going to happen? Or-"
"Rach, it won't happen. I won't let them take either of us."
"What are you going to do?" Rachel asked softly, staring into his eyes. Chandler blinked, glancing down at the ground.
"Whatever I have to…I guess." He sighed, letting his hands drop to his sides. Rachel nodded, understanding what he meant. She reached over and took his hand once more, then started to walk again. Chandler followed her, unable to do anything but.
"I was praying for you, you know," Rachel said quietly.
"You were?"
"Yeah…not just you; the other's as well. Praying that you would all be okay…but I was praying mostly for you…because you were the one that was hurt the most…but you turned out to be the last one left…I thought we were going to lose you…and I just knew that we were going to be so screwed, cause you were like our leader…and you were keeping our morale up. But, as it turns out, we are screwed anyway."
"And I'm not keeping the morale up, am I?" Rachel smiled at his words.
"What could you say? I think you are doing pretty good under the circumstances."
"Thanks…you too."
"You know, I haven't heard anything from the…alien's for a while," Rachel commented. Chandler nodded.
"Maybe they cleared out?"
As if they had been waiting for their names to be mentioned, footsteps started up to their right. Chandler and Rachel glanced at each other for a second, then both started to run.
"We spoke too soon I guess!" Rachel exclaimed as they ran.
"Yeah," Chandler gasped, stumbling slightly. Rachel tightened her grip on him, making sure he didn't fall.
"So, what's the plan?"
"I have no idea! Just run!"
They ran, neither wanting to stop. Neither wanting to be caught by the footsteps that were following them; growing faster and closer by the second.
They weren't going to be caught.