AUTHORS NOTE: This is my first attempt at writing FRIENDS fanfiction so please feel free to leave any thoughts and comments. I do love constructive comments as they make me better as a writer. This series is based off a prompt table we're using over at the Taggart archive. I do apologise though for how dreadfully short it is.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters, unfortunately.

[Wish]

For this birthday, Monica only had one wish.

She wished that her husband could be home for it. She'd got over the frustration of having the long distance relationship a long time ago because Chandler did try so damned hard to get home every weekend but this weekend, and for the next couple, he'd be staying at the office because of how swamped they were at work. Monica had pretended to be fine with it. It was only fair because it wasn't his fault but when he'd hung up, she'd left everyone in the living room and had gone to lie in their bed where she'd burst into tears.

She knew that she was still going to have a good time thanks to the four members of the group that was left but it wouldn't be the same without her husband. They'd decided that they were going out on the night before her birthday because Phoebe was busy on the actual night of her birthday and due to her already caving on everything else, she'd not argued. Standing in front of the mirror wearing her little black dress, she ran her hands down her sides to make sure there were no creases before smiling weakly. "I miss you," she whispered to the empty bedroom before shutting the door as she joined everyone in the living room.

"You look beautiful," Ross promised before moving towards her, his arms wrapping around his baby sister as he pressed a kiss to her cheek and she smiled up at him.

"Thank you," she murmured before accepting everyone else's embraces, her smile getting more sincere after each hug because she knew that she couldn't be sour faced after they were attempting to do everything to make sure that she forgot that her partner wasn't there. She smiled at them. "I think we should get going. Don't want to be late for those reservations," everyone agreed with her. Just as they were out of her apartment door, Joey gasped.

"I forgot my wallet." He said as if it was a big deal. "You guys go downstairs and I'll catch up. God knows where it is," he joked causing everyone to groan affectionately before starting down the stairs. It wasn't long before Joey arrived back downstairs, waving his wallet so that they could continue on to the restaurant.

The meal had come to an end and they were just waiting for their dessert and coffee but the conversation had changed to what accomplishments Monica wanted to achieve before her next birthday but she was struggling to think of anything that would please her friends. "Come on, there has to be something you want to do by the end of this year!" Rachel said as she took a drink of her wine, her gaze fixed on Monica and the woman laughed as she shrugged her shoulder.

"Isn't that a question you ask at New Year?" but she could see that that wasn't going to deter them from waiting for the answer so she sighed; "I suppose hope that Chandler is home enough for us to think about starting a family. I spend too much time alone at the moment and it's all I can think about." Everyone smiled at her. "I really want a family with him."

"I'm sure he'll get stationed back in Manhattan soon," Phoebe promised as she squeezed Monica's hand, her heart reaching out to the woman as it was very rare you saw Monica glum during this kind of occasion. She'd not complained about the food once and that was a shock because Monica could always find a fault. "Or maybe you could go spend some time in Tulsa with him?"

Monica smiled at the suggestion, "anyone would think you wanted rid of me, Pheebs." She laughed as she shook her head. "It's not possible with my hours. We only just survive on the income we've got now and that wouldn't be the rest lifestyle to have with a baby," but before she could continue, Ross clapped his spoon against the side of his glass because he was always able to sense when she'd start to get upset over a conversation from years of experience.

"Right today we're here to celebrate my baby sister..." she drowned out the rest of the speech as she found herself staring at the sixth empty chair, her heart breaking as she wished that they'd moved it so that it wouldn't have been a painful reminder to him not being there but instead of focusing on that, she lifted her glass of wine and took a swig as everyone chorused "to Monica".

Everyone had made their excuses to go home meaning that she'd be seeing her birthday in on her own, she'd wanted to argue but in the end had just let them go home. She pushed open the door and gasped at all the candles that flickered about the place. She dropped her handbag down on the counter, her gaze not leaving all the candles before suddenly a pair of hands covered up her eyes meaning that he'd been hiding behind the door. "Happy birthday, Monica." He whispered in her ear and she smiled as she turned in his arms.

"What are you..." he stopped her talking by pressing his lips to hers, his arms wrapping around her waist as he pulled her close to him. She didn't fight it, she just went with the kiss and smiled up at him when he broke it off for air.

"It was my wife's birthday. I wouldn't miss it for the world." He whispered for taking hold of her hand, leading her to the table where there was a birthday cake sat with candles lit. "Do you really think Phoebe is busy tomorrow? It was just that I wanted you all to myself so they agreed to have you the night before. I'm surprised Rachel managed to keep it secret because we all know she's useless at that."

Monica bit back the tears of happiness that were threatening to fall, her fingers linked through his as she looked down at the cake. She couldn't believe that all her friends had gone to this much trouble to make sure that she'd have the perfect birthday with her husband because he could only have the one day. "Are you going to blow out the candles before the wax falls down onto the icing? You'd really think they'd make the wax tasty." She couldn't help but smile at how he'd gone off on one of his rambles.

"I love you," she whispered before leaning down to out the candles, her hands holding back her hair.

"What'd you wish for?" He asked wrapping his arms around her waist again, a small kiss being pressed to her nose. There wasn't the childish response of "if I tell you, it won't come true" because she sensed he knew what her answer was going to be.

"Nothing because what I'd wanted to wish had already come true," she promised and Chandler smiled down at her before stealing another kiss, picking her up as he carried her towards the bedroom knowing that he'd have to come back out in a second to blow out the excessive candles but right now he wanted to let his wife know that her wish had come true.

ANOTHER PROMPT COMING SOON...