AN: Believe it or not, I used to write a lot of F*R*I*E*N*D*S fics when I was a preteen and the show was in its fourth or fifth season. I haven't really written anything since the end of the sixth season so this feels for new territory for me. So thank you for allowing me to express myself.

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When I Wasn't There For You

Chapter One

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Being a parent was hard. It was difficult, it had many challenges, and it had so much joy that the Geller-Bing family was finally happy and complete. After so much difficulty in the beginning, the family was able to be close-knit with Chandler doing something which he loved in advertising, and Monica being praised as one of the top chefs in the country. Monica had even been approached about franchising and even though she had opened a few other locations in New York, she didn't want to have anyone else overseeing her businesses.

Sometimes that made her extremely busy but at the same time, all of the other parents knew her as being the one who prepared the best snacks and were jealous of her recipes.

Erica was beautiful. People would often stop and gaze upon her in wonder. She was like a little angel, obviously adopted, but still she had gained her father's clumsy adorable nature and her mother's strong smile.

Jack was a little bit more reserved. Although he loved his father's jokes, he acted a little bit more like his uncle. He also had his mother's drive for perfectionism even at such a young age. He was quiet but loved being athletic and playing games with his goofy dad and his impressive mother. In fact, whilst Erica loved spending time with her dad, Jack was definitely a mama's boy.

Since Monica finally had some time off work and Chandler had turned in the projects for the firm early, they had decided to treat the kids to a weekend at Disneyworld. Having heard about the trip, Ross had decided to come too with Rachel and Emma. They both had successfully climbed the ladder yet again in their work and indulged in shopping, decorating their house – located somewhat close to Monica's and Chandler's – with extravagant pieces. Rachel was currently pregnant again and suffering from morning sickness that was drawn from more than the occasional smell of pickles.

"You know," Chandler sighed, "They really should allow a person to wear moon boots when going on these rides. I mean, when I was a kid, my parents wouldn't have cared if I was under the height limit," he saw Monica give him a warning glance. "I mean, they wouldn't. My father would have distracted them."

"I thought that you were good with your father now," Ross commented and Chandler sighed, he shook his head and didn't respond to that. There were a lot of bridges which hadn't been broken.

"Do you hear yourself?" Monica asked him, "There are plenty of rides and if they're not safe for our kids then they are not going to ride them. You're welcome to go on all the rides you want, by yourself."

"Rides alone or spending time with my family," Chandler said, "Think the term family vacation is truly telling of the choice that I should make. I mean, if I had a family of trapeze artists, I'm sure that -"

"Don't finish that thought," Monica told him as she lifted a finger at him and gave him a slight warning. She felt Erica tugging at her hand and saw that Emma had her hand on her younger cousin's shoulder. "Sweetie?" she asked, showing so much love for her child. Chandler saw Jack looking around curiously and took the opportunity to lift him up in his arms, the little boy resting his head on his dad's shoulder.

"There's a princess over there, can we get a photograph?" Emma asked, her smile widening.

"Of course," Monica beamed at them and then turned to Jack. "Honey, do you want a photo too?" she asked and Jack nodded, his arms around his dad's neck. "Then let's go," she gestured to the line and Emma excitedly pulled Erica over.

"You know," Ross chuckled as he joined them, "It's amazing the type of work that they have to go through. All the signatures have to be exactly the same. I mean, there's penmanship classes and everything. They all have to follow the same script and it's just…it's impressive all the behind the scenes work that goes in….to taking photographs," he stopped as he saw everyone staring at him.

"Well of course they do, they want to make sure that they treat all their friends the same," Rachel replied with a kiss to Ross's cheek. "I mean. Would you want to get such a beautiful dress dirty or have sloppy penmanship? They wouldn't be much of a princess if they did that."

"I guess they cut those scenes out of the movie to stop kids from falling asleep," Chandler commented, "You don't really see too many characters alone for training. I mean, singing, yes, but calligraphy…forget it. Things just magically appear," he laughed as everyone stared at him.

Monica gazed down at the two girls happily. She really did love being with her family. Her son and daughter meant everything to her and she was happy that she had found a man who appreciated and supported his family as well. Even if he was the most quirky man she had ever met, she found that cute. All of her friends were weird to a certain extent but apart from Phoebe, Chandler fit that profile well.

After they had their photograph taken and they were getting ready to set off again, Jack started running away from the group. Monica immediately chased him, putting her hand on his shoulder and saw his interest in the Mickey who was walking right by them. She put her arms around him. "Honey, this is such a big place. Don't go running off like that, okay?" she asked and Jack continued to stare after the giant mouse. Monica kissed the top of his head. She needed to make sure her kids were safe and she would use everything in her power to protect them.

…

…

Rachel looked to Emma with a smile as she saw that her daughter had put a little bit of salad and some vegetables on her plate. Emma was considered intelligent by most, it was really her father's influence that led to her interest in history and science whilst still loving to play dress up. She had a good relationship with her half-brother as well. Rachel was truly proud of her and loved to show her off. Her own daughter, a daughter who she had given birth to and cared for since she was an infant.

"You know, I think pizza is a great dish for any meal," Chandler commented as he saw the three slices that Erica had on her plate.

"I think that eating healthy vegetable is also important," Monica told them and smiled as Chandler wrapped his arm around her lovingly. "Erica, I've told you this," she smiled to her daughter. She could never stay angry at either of her children.

"I know," Erica said and Monica shook her head, "Honey," she turned to Chandler. "You want to go with them to get some from the buffet."

"Because you think that I could be healthier too?" he asked before standing up and took each child by the hand. "Let's go, guys. Proper food is always very important even when on vacation."

As Chandler took them over to the salad bar, he wasn't aware of the former employee who was holding a gun. His attention was completely focused on Erica who nearly touched a hot plate. He pulled her back, letting his attention focus on her so that she didn't burn herself. He would get it for her but he knew that there were many dangers for young children. As he held her around her waist, he let go of Jack's hand.

"Careful, we don't touch these, okay?" he reminded her before the sound of yelling filled his ears and he turned to see a man with a gun pointed at a cast member's head. He also saw his son walking towards the commotion, interested in the character. His eyes widened and he saw the man point the gun at Jack. This couldn't be happening. It appeared that his body was frozen. How did his son wind up in the middle of all of this? What was the best way of protecting him?

"Sweetheart, go to Mommy, okay?" Chandler whispered as he put Erica down and went to where Jack was. He punched the guy who was holding the gun in the jaw. Grabbing Jack back. As his attention turned to his son though, he could hear the sound of the gun and feel something cold and wet before silence.

Was he dead?

End of Chapter One

Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated

AUTHOR NOTE: Because of my schedule, it's very unlikely that I'll be able to give an update of this before next year so thank you for your patience if you are interested in this fic.