If I Could Turn Back Time
By stargirl*
Author's Note: This fanfic starts right after the end of Season Two, when Monica has just realized that Richard doesn't want to have more children. FF art is screenshots used taken from the television show, altered by moi.
Monica had just gotten home from Barry and Mindy's wedding. Making a beeline for her bedroom, she wanted to avoid Ross and Rachel when they came in. Monica saw how they were looking at each other while Rachel sang "At the Copacabana", and had more than a suspicion that Ross would be spending the night. The happiness of another couple wasn't what Monica needed at the present moment.
The car ride home with Richard had been tense for the both of them. The point had come when they had to stop dancing, and move away from the moment. It had been so perfect before Monica had started to think about children. She had just always figured that she would have kids. That's how it worked when you fell in love. And Monica loved Richard more than she ever thought she could love anyone.
Monica changed into her nightclothes, and settled into bed, the taste of Richard's kiss still on her lips. After the silent trip home, the two had departed as though everything was fine, although they both knew that everything couldn't be more wrong.
Monica wiped the hot tears away from her face. She couldn't stop them from coming; as soon as Richard was out of sight, she had turned into a bawling mess.
'Everything was so perfect,' she thought painfully, 'why did it have to fall apart? If only I was older, or he was younger... If only things were different.'
She knew that she still loved Richard, but, despite doing all she could to convince herself otherwise, it just couldn't work out. Children were so important to her. She hadn't really realized that until she saw her future life without them.
The two had wondered what could become of them when they had started going out. But the passion between them had transcended that initial concern, putting aside the differences and the eyedrops between them in Richard's office. When they later questioned their relationship again, they put the issues aside again, falling into each other's arms.
At Jack Geller's birthday party, Monica and Richard hid their relationship from Monica's parents, who were also Richard's friends. Richard was transformed into a hero on the rebound, after the crowd heard about his mysterious younger girlfriend, and Monica was suddenly a twinkie. But they had overcome that, showing Monica's upset parents that the two were not ashamed to be together.
And now, they were in love. But what could become of it? Their demon had finally shown its face, rearing its ugly head in the worst way possible. It threatened to pull them apart.
The demon was winning.
Monica's mind reflected on Ross's admonitions. His skeptical voice replayed in her head. "Remember when you were 9 and Richard was 30, how dad used to say, 'God I hope they get together."
Her mother's voice interrupted Ross. "Oh please, a relationship?"
Monica's memory of her own voice was most painful. "You're a grandpa..."
Across the city, Richard sat in his lavish apartment, thinking of the one he loved. His room was full of material possessions, but not what he truly wanted. He too knew that their romance was in vain. 'Oh Monica...,' his heart longed. 'If only things were different...'
A star shot across the night sky, hearing the pains of the two lovers as it descended towards the earth.
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