Truth Unknown (part 8)

 

Yes, I know its been a looooooooooooooooong time since I last updated this, and I’m guessing most people have forgotten about it, but I just wanted to try and continue it again. Its probably best if you read through the first 7 chapters again, but if you can’t be bothered, basically, Monica and Chandler have been married 15 years, they have 2 kids, Shay (aged 11) and Beth (aged 8). Monica was raped and her and Chandler seemed to be coping, then the rapist (Matthew Riley) came to their house and attacked Mon again. Chandler got the wrong idea and left and no one’s seen him for a week. Monica just told the gang what happened.

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When her friends had gone home again, all promising to call immediately if they heard anything from Chandler, Monica went upstairs to check on the kids. They were both in Shay’s room, watching an old Disney video, although Monica could tell neither of them were really paying much attention to it. Shay switched it off as soon as Monica came into the room, without even being asked.

“Did they know where Dad is?” she asked hopefully. Monica shook her head sadly.

“When is Dad coming back?” Beth demanded. Shay poked her angrily.

“Mom doesn’t know that stupid!” she told her sister.

“Shay, don’t call your sister names,” Monica said automatically. “But you’re right, I have no idea when he’s coming back, or where he is, or why he left or anything more than you two do.” Two tears slowly trickled down her cheeks. Shay felt uncomfortable at seeing her mother cry. Beth jumped up from her seat on the bed and hugged Monica. A minute later, Shay joined them.

A month later, things had gotten pretty much back to normal. Shay and Beth were back at school, and Monica was back at work. She was distracted and often stil had a tendancy to jump at sudden noises or if people came up behind her and she didn’t see them. She hadn’t gone to the police, either about her second attack or Chandler’s disappearance. She didn’t want to report the rapist, not only because she was afraid he’d come back and “get her” if she did, but because she would feel so stupid for not reporting him straight after the first attack. Her friends, especially Ross, didn’t understand this, and after the first few days of support, they had become distant again. Without Chandler, she missed her friends even more.

It was a Tuesday. The kids were at school, but Monica had a day off work, so she was taking advantage of the quiet house to listen to some music while she did some housework. She was dressed in old jeans and a t-shirt. The shirt was Chandler’s, and she had been able to put it on without being reminded of Chandler and missing him so much she cried, and even though it was stupid, she was proud. It meant she was finally getting on with her life again. Her hair was scraped away from her face into a tight ponytail and she was wearing rubber gloves.

Someone knocked on the door. Monica had no idea who it could be. Her friends always phoned before they came over, and the kids were still at school. She felt a wave of panic begin to build in her throat and nervously looked through the peephole. In an instant, the nervousness vanished and a huge smile spread across her face. She fumbled with the chain and the lock then flung the door wide open.

“Chandler!” she cried and hugged him tightly. Chandler hugged her back hard and breathed in the sweet smell of her (even if the smell of cleaning products did linger round her a bit) almost despite himself.

Chandler was a mess. His hair looked like he hadn’t brushed it since he left over a month ago, and his face was pale and gaunt. He had lost weight and the new clothes he was wearing hung loosely on his body. He had missed Monica so much that his first instinct upon seeing her again was to hug her, and he wanted desperately to kiss her too, but he managed to restrain himself, and roughly pushed her away.

“Chandler? Where have you been? Why the hell did you leave us like that?” she asked. The was a mixture of anger and worry in her voice and for some reason it made Chandler angrier.

“Why? What, you expect me to just stay here while you have sex with your boyfriend?” he said meanly. Monica stared at him silently. Tears fell down her cheeks. Chandler forced himself not to look at her, knowing that if he saw her cry he would forget everything he needed to say to her.

“Oh Chandler,” she said softly, her voice full of sorrow and what he thought was pity.

“How could you do that to me Mon? I would never have expected you to cheat on me, not ever. And what about the kids? I’ve spent the last month wondering what in God’s name was going on in your head and I still can’t figure you out. But you know what? I don’t’ care anymore. Caring about you has destroyed me Monica Geller,” Chandler spoke quickly, wanting to get the hell out of here before he burst into tears. Monica flinched when he called her the name no one had used for the last 15 years. Chandler fumbled in his back and pulled out a large brown envelope. He handed it to her, still trying to avoid looking at her. “Divorce papers,” he explained. “I just can’t do this anymore. I can’t beat myself up wondering what I did wrong anymore.”

“Oh Chandler,” Monica said again, letting the envelope fall to the floor. Chandler was angry. Why couldn’t she just let him get on with it and leave? “Chandler, is that what you think? That I cheated on you? Oh sweetie. Come in and I’ll tell you what really happened.”

“I don’t want explanations!” he shouted. Monica drew back from him a little. Chandler rarely shouted at her, even when they were fighting.

“Chandler, please, I don’t want to talk about this on the doorstep,” she pleaded, reaching out to touch him and sobbing when he pulled back from her.

“Me neither. I don’t’ want to talk about it at all,” he said fiercely.

“Chandler, the man who I’m assuming told you he was my boyfriend, wasn’t my boyfriend,” she shouted at him. Chandler looked like he didn’t believe her so she rushed on, not caring if the neighbours heard, only caring that the possiblility of losing Chandler forever was closer than ever before. “He was the guy who raped me.”

Chandler’s mouth fell open and he gaped at her in shock. HE couldn’t believe what she was telling him. Suddenly, he felt increadibly guilty for letting that bastard into his house with his wife and daughters and then running away.

“Mon, tell me he didn’t…” he said, not really wanting to know.

“He raped me in our bedroom,” she said softly. Chandler stepped inside the hall and hugged her tightly, kissing her hair.

“Oh baby, I’m so, so, so, so, sorry. I don’t know why I believed him, I should never have let him in,” he mumbled. Monica pulled back a little and looked at him. She slowly wiped the tears from his cheeks.

“It wasn’t your fault Chandler. Believe me, I don’t’ blame you one little bit, and you shouldn’t either,” Monica said. She kissed him gently on the lips.

“I guess I don’t need these then,” he said when she moved back to allow him further into the hall so she could shut the door. Chandler picked up the envelope with th divorce papers inside and marched to the kitchen, where he threw it in the bin. He looked around for some leftovers to scape on top of it, but Monica’s kitchen was as meticulously neat as ever and all the plates were either put away in cupboards or in the drainer.

“Better?” she asked, smiling. Monica had followed him into the kitchen and now she hugged him from behind.

“Much. God, I missed you,” he said, turning around and kissing her more passionately than before. Suddenly he stopped. “Is this ok? I mean, I expect you’re mad at me for leaving and remember how awkward it was the last time we tried to…” Chandler babbled. Monica silenced him by kissing him again.

“Chandler, I love you, I missed you, I’m not mad at you. I want you. I want to make love to you. And I promise it won’t end up like last time. I’m much more ready this time,” Monica said soothingly.

“Sure?” he asked.

“Definitely,” she answered.

They kissed again, and Chandler pushed her back and lifted her up onto the counter. Monica wrapped her legs around his waist and ran her hands through his hair. All the shyness she had felt the last time had gone. She wanted him, needed him now.

“Chandler, the bedroom,” she whispered. He smiled at her and scooped her up in his arms.

“Are you sure it won’t be weird, you know, since the bastard attacked you in there?” Chandler said, concerned.

“No. Because this is you and me. Not some stranger, you and me,” she said. Chandler didn’t know why that made sense, but it did.

“Okay,” he whispered.

Chandler was halfway up the stairs with Monica in his arms when the front door opened and slammed shut. He groaned and turned around. Shay and Beth stood in the hallway, staring up at Monica and Chandler. They didn’t recognise Chandler from the back, but as soon as they saw his face, they swuealed, dropped their book bags and ran up the stairs to hug him. Chandler let Monica down and picked up Beth. He hugged Shay tight to his chest at the same time. Monica was slightly disappointed that she and Chandler hadn’t even made it to the bedroom, but the looks on the faces of her husband and children at being reunited more than made up for it.

“Are you back for good or just visiting?” Beth asked.

“He wouldn’t be carrying Mom if he was visiting. Unless they’re even weirder than we thought,” Shay quipped. Chandler ruffled her hair.

“Yup, I’m back and I’m staying here forever. I’m sorry I left guys, I misunderstood what was happening, but I’m sorry and I’m here now. Are we ok?” chandler asked. They nodded enthusiastically. Their joy at seeing their Dad again pushed all thoughts of why he had disappeared for so long out of their minds and they were just glad he was there now. Monica wondered if they would have issues about it later, but decided not to concentrate on that right now.

Chandler wanted to take them all out for dinner that night, but the kids prefered to stay in and order pizza, and Monica didn’t care because Chandler was back and she felt safe and that was all the mattered. The two adults were sat on the couch in the livingroom making out after the kids had gone to bed.

“Are we safe from interruptions now?” Chandler asked as they broke apart to breath.

“Yeah, so long as neither of them have nightmares,” Monica told him.

“I’ll risk it,” Chandler said.

He didn’t carry Monica up to their bedroom this time, but he held her hand the whole way. Once they got there, it wasn’t long before they both lay naked next to each other on the bed. As Chandler covered her body with soft butterfly kisses, Monica wondered how she could have ever flinched away from his touch. She didn’t know that it was simply time that had made the difference. Chandler desperately wanted to go for it hard and fast, but he realised it was still the first time they’d had sex since the rape and he forced himself to go slow and be considerate of Monica’s needs.

They fell asleep several hours later in each other’s arms. Chandler had slept badly ever since he left but now he was asleep almost straight away. Monica stayed awake a little longer and wondered what she would have done if Chandler had never come back. Until tonight she had been pushing him out of her mind, but now he was back she had no idea how she had coped for so long without him.

 

THE END

 

 

I know, I know, its short, and it took me an amazingly long time to write something so crap, but I wanted to finish this series. Please review, thanks.