~*~*~Back To You~*~*~
~If Only~
The words played over and over again in Monica's head. Rachel's in the hospital.
"Oh my God!" Monica started to hyperventilate. "What's wrong? What if she's gonna die?"
"Monica, breathe," Chandler instructed. "She'll be okay. Let's go."
"Go?" She looked confused, then jumped up. "Let's go!"
~*~
Monica and Chandler ran into the emergency room and spotted Joey.
"Joey!" Monica yelled. Joey turned.
"Monica!" He looked a bit more relived. "And Chandler," he said with a gleam in his eye.
"Not now. What's wrong with Rachel?"
"Oh." Joey motioned with his hand. "She must've fallen. I came home from and audition and she was lying on the floor next to the couch. She hit her head."
"Oh, God. I thought something was really wrong."
"It's okay, Monica. We can see her in about thirty minutes." He grinned. "Now, about Chandler?" Monica gave Chandler a sidelong glance, and Chandler shook his head.
"Nothing, Joey. He stayed for dinner and we watched movies. That's all."
"Oh." Joey looked sort of disappointed. "What movies?" Monica burst out into laughter, while a man in the waiting room stared.
"I'm-sorry." She sat on the couch. "Oh, God." Chandler shifted.
"Legally Blonde and-"
"Legally Blonde?!?" Now the man on the chair stared at Chandler.
"It was by *accident*, okay?" He told the man. The man gave him a "Suuure, whatever you say" look. "And, The Perfect Storm." Monica "coughed" if you could call it that.
"Monica, you *suck* at that subtle thing," Joey nodded in her direction. Monica gave him an annoyed look.
"Chandler, come here, will you?"
"Oh, okay." Monica patted the seat beside her, then looked at Joey. Joey had his arms crossed and stuck his hand out implying them to talk.
"Joe," Chandler said nicely.
"What?"
"Joey, can we be alone?"
"Oh," Joey understood. "You could've just said that." He started to walk away, then turned. "You suck at the subtle thing too." He sat down a few rows away and watched the automatic doors open and close. Monica shook her head. Okay, now, when I can say it! Monica gathered up her courage and said,
"Since we both suck at the subtle approach-"
"Joey Tribbinani?" A doctor in a white coat walked out of swinging doors with ER printed on the front. "Rachel Green can see people now. Two at a time." Monica jumped up, forgetting all about Chandler. She looked back at Chandler and Joey.
"Can I go alone first?" They both nodded and the doctor took her to Rachel's room through the ER doors. They stopped at Room 28 and the doctor motioned for her to go in. She timidly tiptoed in and saw Rachel in the bed.
"Rach?" She cautiously asked.
"Mon?" She heard a response from the bed.
"You're okay?"
"Fine. What's up with you?" She asked if this was an everyday thing. Monica sat down on a chair next to Rachel's bed.
"Nothing. Chandler and Joey are here too." Monica didn't know why, but she suddenly wished Chandler or Joey had come with her. She hadn't seen much of Rachel since Chandler had left, they had been very protective of him. All except Ross.
"Chandler?" Rachel's eyes were sparkling.
"Nothing happened," Monica lied.
"Sure, Mon? I can tell when you're lying." Monica panicked. Could she? Then she got an idea.
"Really, Rach? Tell if I'm lying: I kissed Chandler." Rachel scrunched up her face the went,
"Ow!" She looked sheepish. "I'm not supposed to do that." She studied Monica, then proclaimed Monica was lying. Monica was satisfied.
"Listen, Mon, I'm sorry."
"For what?" Monica looked surprised.
"Ignoring you. I just thought you broke Chandler's heart and... and I hated you for a while because of that. But I'm sorry."
"It's okay, Rach." Monica was surprised at how quickly she forgave Rachel. She was beginning to feel uncomfortable.
"I'll go get Joey and Chandler. See you, Rach. Get better real quick, kay? I'll come tomorrow if you're still here." Rachel nodded, then winced in pain again.
"Not supposed to do that either. The hot doctor said I'll be out by tomorrow." Monica nodded and left the room. She bumped into Chandler leaving.
"Oh!" Her mouth was in an O. "You can go in now." Chandler shook his head.
"Tomorrow. Let's go and get you to bed. You were so tired remember?"
"Oh, yeah." She smiled. "Let's go."
~*~
"Are you gonna be okay?" Chandler walked Monica into the apartment and sat next to her on the couch.
"Yeah." Monica was about to tell him to go when she remembered she had to talk.
"Chandler," she began uncertantly.
"Mon?"
"What happened earlier, I mean, do you, was that just, I mean-" Great job Monica, she said to herself. Chandler ran his hands thorugh his hair and sighed.
"Yes, Monica, I do love you, but-"
"There's a but?" she asked, surprised.
"Yes," Chandler replied, staring straight ahead, then turned to her. "Can I trust you?" Monica was taken aback.
"Why would you *not* trust me?" Chandler looked at her strangely.
"You almost accepted Richard's proposal."
"What?!?" Monica yelled.
"Shhh," Chandler gave her a quizzical look. "Didn't you?"
"No," Monica said, quieter. "I was just... surprised."
"But you didn't say 'no'." Chandler pointed out.
"I was surprised. It's not everyday your old love comes back and proposes! What if Janice had come back and proposed?"
"I would've said flat out, 'no'. That I love Monica. I guess I couldn't expect that much from you. I'm sorry I asked." Chandler got up to leave and Monica reached out a hand.
"Chandler, wait! Please! I love you! I wouldn't have ever-" Monica stopped. Chandler turned his head around, looked at Monica and shook his head, then walked out the door. Monica collapsed on the floor, tears streaming down her face, afraid she had lost Chandler again, which was one time too many.
Chandler stood outside the door of Monica's apartment, taking deep breaths. I need to talk, he instructed himself. Calmly. I need to go talk to her calmly. He opened the door to Monica's apartment, and saw her collapsed on the floor, her face in her hands.
"Oh, Monica. Mon, Mon, shhh. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to- Mon, please don't cry." Monica lifted her head up and looked at Chandler, putting her arms around him.
"Chandler, I'm so sorry. I-I just didn't want to loose you." She paused. "Again." He held her in his arms and let her cry.
"I know, look, Mon-" He sighed, running his hands through his hair. "I had a reason to leave. And I need to learn to trust you."
"Believe me, Chandler. That night, I was just taken aback. I knew I loved you. I never thought for a minute- about- Richard. You just have to trust me." She then laughed at what she had just said, hugging Chandler closer.
"If only it were that easy," he murmured into her hair. "If only."
~*~!~*~!~*~*!~*~
Review please! Thanx! I'll get the next chapter out as soon as I can, but I have a play coming up at my school. :D
~If Only~
The words played over and over again in Monica's head. Rachel's in the hospital.
"Oh my God!" Monica started to hyperventilate. "What's wrong? What if she's gonna die?"
"Monica, breathe," Chandler instructed. "She'll be okay. Let's go."
"Go?" She looked confused, then jumped up. "Let's go!"
~*~
Monica and Chandler ran into the emergency room and spotted Joey.
"Joey!" Monica yelled. Joey turned.
"Monica!" He looked a bit more relived. "And Chandler," he said with a gleam in his eye.
"Not now. What's wrong with Rachel?"
"Oh." Joey motioned with his hand. "She must've fallen. I came home from and audition and she was lying on the floor next to the couch. She hit her head."
"Oh, God. I thought something was really wrong."
"It's okay, Monica. We can see her in about thirty minutes." He grinned. "Now, about Chandler?" Monica gave Chandler a sidelong glance, and Chandler shook his head.
"Nothing, Joey. He stayed for dinner and we watched movies. That's all."
"Oh." Joey looked sort of disappointed. "What movies?" Monica burst out into laughter, while a man in the waiting room stared.
"I'm-sorry." She sat on the couch. "Oh, God." Chandler shifted.
"Legally Blonde and-"
"Legally Blonde?!?" Now the man on the chair stared at Chandler.
"It was by *accident*, okay?" He told the man. The man gave him a "Suuure, whatever you say" look. "And, The Perfect Storm." Monica "coughed" if you could call it that.
"Monica, you *suck* at that subtle thing," Joey nodded in her direction. Monica gave him an annoyed look.
"Chandler, come here, will you?"
"Oh, okay." Monica patted the seat beside her, then looked at Joey. Joey had his arms crossed and stuck his hand out implying them to talk.
"Joe," Chandler said nicely.
"What?"
"Joey, can we be alone?"
"Oh," Joey understood. "You could've just said that." He started to walk away, then turned. "You suck at the subtle thing too." He sat down a few rows away and watched the automatic doors open and close. Monica shook her head. Okay, now, when I can say it! Monica gathered up her courage and said,
"Since we both suck at the subtle approach-"
"Joey Tribbinani?" A doctor in a white coat walked out of swinging doors with ER printed on the front. "Rachel Green can see people now. Two at a time." Monica jumped up, forgetting all about Chandler. She looked back at Chandler and Joey.
"Can I go alone first?" They both nodded and the doctor took her to Rachel's room through the ER doors. They stopped at Room 28 and the doctor motioned for her to go in. She timidly tiptoed in and saw Rachel in the bed.
"Rach?" She cautiously asked.
"Mon?" She heard a response from the bed.
"You're okay?"
"Fine. What's up with you?" She asked if this was an everyday thing. Monica sat down on a chair next to Rachel's bed.
"Nothing. Chandler and Joey are here too." Monica didn't know why, but she suddenly wished Chandler or Joey had come with her. She hadn't seen much of Rachel since Chandler had left, they had been very protective of him. All except Ross.
"Chandler?" Rachel's eyes were sparkling.
"Nothing happened," Monica lied.
"Sure, Mon? I can tell when you're lying." Monica panicked. Could she? Then she got an idea.
"Really, Rach? Tell if I'm lying: I kissed Chandler." Rachel scrunched up her face the went,
"Ow!" She looked sheepish. "I'm not supposed to do that." She studied Monica, then proclaimed Monica was lying. Monica was satisfied.
"Listen, Mon, I'm sorry."
"For what?" Monica looked surprised.
"Ignoring you. I just thought you broke Chandler's heart and... and I hated you for a while because of that. But I'm sorry."
"It's okay, Rach." Monica was surprised at how quickly she forgave Rachel. She was beginning to feel uncomfortable.
"I'll go get Joey and Chandler. See you, Rach. Get better real quick, kay? I'll come tomorrow if you're still here." Rachel nodded, then winced in pain again.
"Not supposed to do that either. The hot doctor said I'll be out by tomorrow." Monica nodded and left the room. She bumped into Chandler leaving.
"Oh!" Her mouth was in an O. "You can go in now." Chandler shook his head.
"Tomorrow. Let's go and get you to bed. You were so tired remember?"
"Oh, yeah." She smiled. "Let's go."
~*~
"Are you gonna be okay?" Chandler walked Monica into the apartment and sat next to her on the couch.
"Yeah." Monica was about to tell him to go when she remembered she had to talk.
"Chandler," she began uncertantly.
"Mon?"
"What happened earlier, I mean, do you, was that just, I mean-" Great job Monica, she said to herself. Chandler ran his hands thorugh his hair and sighed.
"Yes, Monica, I do love you, but-"
"There's a but?" she asked, surprised.
"Yes," Chandler replied, staring straight ahead, then turned to her. "Can I trust you?" Monica was taken aback.
"Why would you *not* trust me?" Chandler looked at her strangely.
"You almost accepted Richard's proposal."
"What?!?" Monica yelled.
"Shhh," Chandler gave her a quizzical look. "Didn't you?"
"No," Monica said, quieter. "I was just... surprised."
"But you didn't say 'no'." Chandler pointed out.
"I was surprised. It's not everyday your old love comes back and proposes! What if Janice had come back and proposed?"
"I would've said flat out, 'no'. That I love Monica. I guess I couldn't expect that much from you. I'm sorry I asked." Chandler got up to leave and Monica reached out a hand.
"Chandler, wait! Please! I love you! I wouldn't have ever-" Monica stopped. Chandler turned his head around, looked at Monica and shook his head, then walked out the door. Monica collapsed on the floor, tears streaming down her face, afraid she had lost Chandler again, which was one time too many.
Chandler stood outside the door of Monica's apartment, taking deep breaths. I need to talk, he instructed himself. Calmly. I need to go talk to her calmly. He opened the door to Monica's apartment, and saw her collapsed on the floor, her face in her hands.
"Oh, Monica. Mon, Mon, shhh. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to- Mon, please don't cry." Monica lifted her head up and looked at Chandler, putting her arms around him.
"Chandler, I'm so sorry. I-I just didn't want to loose you." She paused. "Again." He held her in his arms and let her cry.
"I know, look, Mon-" He sighed, running his hands through his hair. "I had a reason to leave. And I need to learn to trust you."
"Believe me, Chandler. That night, I was just taken aback. I knew I loved you. I never thought for a minute- about- Richard. You just have to trust me." She then laughed at what she had just said, hugging Chandler closer.
"If only it were that easy," he murmured into her hair. "If only."
~*~!~*~!~*~*!~*~
Review please! Thanx! I'll get the next chapter out as soon as I can, but I have a play coming up at my school. :D