xx Authors Note xx
Thanks for all the reviews! Remember, "Friends" is thee best television programme in the history of the world! And Monica Bing cannot do Bob Marley impressions!
xx
Phoebe was walking through the city. She passed so many places she had once loved to hang out at, or that she had passed many years ago. Now, most of them were boarded up and alot of them were closed.
Phoebe sighed and wondered if she had been a little too hard on Chandler. After all, she had promised that she wouldn't take stuff out at him and told him that he meant everything to her. Ha, some friend she was.
She felt sickened with herself. Yeah, what a great friend she was. She couldn't even resist the temptation to snap at someone just for once. It drove her crazy.
Her cell phone rang. Phoebe answered it, and it turned out to be Ross on the other end.
"Pheebs ... listen to me, just- Chandler's run away." He breathed down the phone, clearly in a state of shock.
Phoebe's eyes widened, "What? Oh my god! Ross! You mean- he just- ran away?"
"Yeah," Ross said quickly, "Look Phoebe, we've got to find him! He could do anything out there alone!"
"I'm on it!" Phoebe said,
"No wait, Pheebs, let's look together," Ross said, "I'll meet you outside of Central Perk, okay?"
"Sure," Phoebe said quickly, hanging up and dashing off to meet Ross.
xx
"Phoebe! Hey, Pheebs!"
Phoebe spun around. Ross was running towards her, he stopped infront of her, gasping for breath.
"Listen, I don't know where the hell he's gone, but- I've got a few places in mind," He told her, "Let's check your appartment first, he could have gone there ..."
"Um, no," Phoebe said at once.
Ross stared at her. "No?"
"No."
Ross continued to stare at her, "But Phoebe ... why?" He said exasperatedly.
Phoebe shook her head, "Just no."
Ross sighed, "You haven't said anything else to him, have you? Nothing's happened, has it?" He asked anxiously, peering at Phoebe. Phoebe shook her head, but obviously Ross could see it in her eyes.
"N-no ... well, okay! Fine! We sort of- well, I snapped at him in the cemetery and he ran off ... I thought he'd just go back to your place ..."
"Pheebs!" Ross said, glaring at her and sighing as if it was all her fault, "Look, we've got to find him. Anything could happen!"
"I know, I know!" Phoebe said breathlessly, running her finger's through her long blonde hair, "Listen Ross, we'll split up and have a look for him. Call me if you find him!"
Ross nodded and immidiately sped off in the other direction without another word. Phoebe stared after him for another few moments before turning around and running off to find Chandler.
xx
Phoebe reached the cemetery in a matter of seconds. She searched every part of it, looking around for him, but Chandler wasn't anywhere to be seen. Finally, Phoebe got so worked up that she began to cry. She felt herself sink down to the floor, blackened tears from her smudging eyeliner spilling down her cheeks. A man nearby spotted her and stared at her with concern for a moment before shuffling towards her and bending down.
"What's wrong, honey? Are you lost?" He whispered. Phoebe looked up at him. He had sounded quite paedophellic but when she looked at him he didn't look that way atall.
"N-no I'm- I'm just looking for s-someone ..." Phoebe said weakly, trying to dry her eyes, "Say, you haven't seen a guy with dark brown hair, looks kind of shifty, might have caused himself bodily harm, have you?"
The man glanced at her doubtfully but then he brightened, "Yes! Come to think of it, I did see a rather frightened looking young man running through here just a while ago," He paused and glanced at her, "Your boyfriend, by any chance?"
"No," Phoebe said indignantly, forcing herself out of the man's grip, "Anyway, thanks ..."
As she walked away, Phoebe suddenly realised why Chandler had ran through the cemtery. He had been taking a short cut to somewhere ... she could remember it, it was there, but where ...
And then it hit her.
Phoebe Buffay broke into a run.
xx
There was only one place Chandler could be.
Phoebe just prayed that he would be there, as she climbed the stairs up to Monica and Chandler's old appartment. She had been so stupid, so foolish not to realise this. And what was more, she had really hurt Chandler, and she desperately wanted to make up with him before he did something he would regret. Quickening her pace, Phoebe finally reached the top of the stairs and made a bolt for the appartment.
xx
Chandler Bing sat in the old armchair, holding up the blade with his left hand, staring at his reflection in it. What he should have seen was a handsome young man, with a pretty girl named Monica, his wife, sitting next to him. Then maybe there would be a couple of kid's in the background. But Chandler saw when he looked at the reflection was himself, a broken man, tired and alone.
Chandler was sick of it. Phoebe had promised him. And now she had gone and done it again. Couldn't she understand how he was feeling? Monica had meant the world to him, and what had she done? Well, it didn't matter about what she had done anymore, Chandler couldn't even remember. He grasped the blade tighter and, gasping for breath, prepared to plunge it deep into his wrist.
xx
Phoebe hoped she would get there in time. Her high-heeled shoes didn't exactly help matters, and she must have fallen over a dozen times. Finally, she reached the door, and burst into the appartment shrieking, "Chandler! Chandler! I never meant it! Chandler!"
Pulling herself together and breathing heavily, Phoebe looked around and saw Chandler, sitting by himself on the other side of the room, his mouth hanging open. In his left hand was a silver blade. Phoebe bolted for him and yanked it out of his hand.
"Hey!" Chandler exclaimed, reaching out and trying to grab it off her.
"Chandler! What were you thinking?" Phoebe said, torn between exasperation at the fact that Chandler hadn't yet learned his lesson from before, and relief at the fact that she had gotten there in time.
Chandler sighed and hung his head. Phoebe stared at him for a moment before pulling him into a tight hug, holding him.
"I'm useless," Chandler sobbed, "I was blind Phoebe, I'm sorry, I just lost it again, I never meant it-"
"It's okay Chandler! But listen, you gave Ross and I quite a scare! Ross is out looking for you right now," Phoebe explained, patting him on the shoulder. Then she leaned in closer, kissing him on the cheek and whispering in his ear, "Don't let it all get to you, Chandler. You're stronger than that, so just don't."
Chandler didn't say anything after that. Neither did Phoebe. Neither of them needed to, because in their eyes it was all there, everything that they were feeling right there and then. Both Phoebe and Chandler let it all out, crying and holding eachother.
"I'm useless Pheebs, I'm a complete idiot to everyone ... so what exactly am I to you?" Chandler asked after a long while, staring at her.
"Only the best friend I've ever had," Phoebe answered, looking into his eyes and smiling.