Tears
Okay folks this is my first bash at a fanfic so before you continue reading I apologise profusely if this sucks. If it does suck I would welcome constructive criticism. If by chance this happens to be okay, nice reviews are always welcome as well. I'll stop whittering now and get on with it.
Disclaimer
I don't own any of the characters from Friends (luckily for them!)
Okay here's the low down. This story is set mostly in the present (2001). However, things are a little different in the Friends world. In 1996, Monica got married to a man called John Lindsay who she had been dating for a while (you can make up how long). Shortly after they had a daughter called Chloe and moved to Seattle. As a consequence, Mon hasn't seen anyone from the gang for a long time. I have to warn you that this chapter only contains Mon and is quite dark and violent. I am sorry but this is necessary to set up the story, I promise that future instalments will contain the others and will not be as depressing. That's all I have to say, so here it goes….
1996
Monica stood smiling, tears glistening in her eyes. The man standing opposite her was also smiling. She couldn't believe that she was getting married, and to the man of her dreams. As the priest proclaimed them husband and wife she leant in and kissed him tenderly.
" I love you so much," she whispered in his ear.
"I love you too Mon," he replied.
The gang watched on as Monica and John Lindsay exchanged words at the altar. Each one of them were happy beyond words for Monica, they all knew how much she had wanted this and they were all ecstatic that her dreams had been realised.
2001
Chloe walked out of her room and stared at her mommy who was slumped on the floor. A broken vase surrounded her and she was holding her hands to her bleeding nose. Chloe was only 5 but she knew that her mommy was sad. She padded out of her room and curled up tightly next to mom, trying to make her feel better.
Monica was vaguely aware of her daughter's warmth next to her but she continued to stare into space. How had it come to this she wondered? How had a love that had once been so sweet turned so sour?
Their problems had started 3 years after they got married when John lost his job. Looking back she recognised that this had been the start of the nightmare. With a young child to look after she had not realised how much John's redundancy had affected him. He had started drinking, not enough for her to notice at first. Slowly it had become apparent to her that he had a problem but it hadn't hit her fully until he first lashed out. She remembered that first blow vividly. She remembered how he had been so sorry afterwards that she had forgiven him. Yet he wasn't sorry, not really, because here she was 2 years later battered and bruised by a husband who had once loved her.
Monica's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the front door slamming. She scrambled to her feet quickly, pushing Chloe into her bedroom. She was determined that her daughter would not be hurt by the inevitable out lash that was to come. Before she had a chance to pick up the shards of glass that littered the floor, John entered the room.
"I'm so sorry John, I really am. I was just about to clean up the mess, I swear," Monica rambled as she mentally prepared herself for the blow.
" It doesn't matter Mon, really it doesn't. It doesn't matter sweetie, I'm so sorry." John walked over to her, pulling her into a hug and stroking her hair. Monica sobbed quietly into his shoulder as he mumbled words she had heard a thousand times before,
" I swear to God I'll try to get help. This is the last time Mon, the last time baby. I never wanted to hurt you, never. I love you."
As she sobbed, he pulled her head up and kissed her softly on the lips. Monica could smell the alcohol on his breath but she was beyond caring. He took her hand and lead her slowly to their bedroom. She had often asked herself why she didn't just leave him but secretly she knew the answer, a part of her still loved him.
2 months later
John stormed into the living room after Monica waving the positive pregnancy test.
"You tell me now, you lying bitch! Who the hells is it ?!" he shouted.
" I told you already, it's yours, it's your baby!" she screamed back at him.
She was sick of it. Sick of all the fights and violence and now she was bringing another child into their hurt filled world. She couldn't take it any more, she knew she had lost control but she couldn't stop herself.
" Why the fuck would I lie to you John, why?!! Do you think I want it to be yours? Do you think I want my baby's father to be an alcoholic, wife beating bastard, huh? Do you? Cause I sure as hell don't!!!"
She continued screaming at him until she was suddenly silenced by his hand across her face,
"You stupid whore." He breathed menacingly as he walked towards her until she was backed up against the couch. The anger in Monica's eyes was replaced by terror, she knew what was coming. John lost all restraint and started pounding her face, body, anywhere he could reach as hard as possible. Monica tried to run into the hall but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her hard, down to the floor. Taking no notice to the crack her wrist made, John kicked a screaming Monica into their bedroom.
Through her bedroom wall Chloe could hear her mommy's screams and her daddy's shouts. Chloe curled up in her bed and started crying. She didn't understand properly but she knew that daddy was hurting mommy and she wanted him to stop.
As John left the apartment to find a bar, mother and daughter lay crying in adjacent bedrooms. 'But this time is different,' Monica thought to herself. ' Enough is enough, I'm leaving. I can cope with my life being ruined but not Chloe's and not my baby's. Tonight I'm going home. Tonight I'm going back to New York.'
That's all folks, for now anyway. I'll continue this if I get some positive feed back. Actually I'll probably continue even if I don't but please, please, please review ( okay I've stopped begging now, the ball is in your court)