Disclaimer: I do not own Friends or the characters from the series.

Epilogue, 2002

Loud and Clear, Monica's Point of View

Monica could never say that her life was hard. It wasn't.

It did have some hardships, though. And she could honestly say that things didn't come easily to her. Not the way they did to those around her.

Work came easily to Ross.

It did! He aced all of his studies from the moment he entered school. He just... understood things quicker.

And love came easily to Rachel.

Wow, this woman was just so... good at this.
Dashingly handsome, high-quality guys just fell head over heels for her, in a way they never, never did for Monica. At least not as frequently, that's for sure.

Smoothness came easily to Joey, humor came easily to Chandler, and flirting came easily to Phoebe.

Then again, she wasn't bad in any of these qualities, and to say that people like Chandler or Phoebe didn't experience hardships in life was absurd and false; but everyone seemed to just… do their thing naturally. And she, on the other hand... some nights she felt so tired from trying so hard during the day that she would find herself crushing on her bed, exhausted and filled with self-loathing, staring bitterly at the ceiling.

Richard was a natural fit. They, they worked.

Handsome, mature, kind, smart - funny as well. Everything she thought she wanted and some things she didn't know she needed.

But he didn't want kids.

Didn't want kids! It was the one thing, the one thing she so longed to have.

And also, he was too perfect - and yes, that was a thing.

Back when she was with him, Monica was yet to reach a place in her life where her insecurities were dealt with (if you ever do reach such a place) and he was just so… naturally... again, perfect.

While she was a neat freak, high-maintenance and a bit crazy at times, he was charming, and with his life put-together, and easy-going.

And the whole time she was with him she never, ever tried harder. To hide, to mask those imperfect parts of her, with the fear that he might wake up one day and discover just how much of a nut-case she truly was.

And then Chandler came along, kind-hearted and deeply broken Chandler, and to him she was perfect, with all her flaws (and Chandler was well aware of her flaws - when you're close friends for over a decade and live right next to each other, you know that person like the back of your hand). And there was something just so… liberating about that.

And for once, not only was she allowed not to try so hard, someone else tried hard for her - and Chandler did. He made so many efforts to be there for her, to do what was right, to fight his demons so he could be the man he thought she deserved. And sooner than later, long-gone was the immature man-baby he was at times with Joey - and instead, there was a man who saw her and only her, saw her fully and clearly, and loved her deeply.

And in turn, she was patient, and loving, and accepting. As deeply as he knew her, she knew him - and she knew he was a good guy. Even when he was stupidly jealous, and even when he almost left her at the alter (probably the thing she needed to work her hardest to forgive) she knew he would be an amazing husband and father, and being married to him for two years, this belief was still rooted deep in her, proven by him each day.

"So, I'm in my hotel room," Chandler told her from the other line, and she heard a door closing. Regret filled her, and her heart pinched painfully. She wanted him with her, not sleeping in some hotel-room. Man, this was going to be hard.

"How is it? Honey, how is it? Is it cold and lonely?"

"No honey, you got it wrong - I'm not staying in an igloo! I'm in Ok-la-homaa, not An-tar-tica."

"Oh, haha," She frowned deeply, not the least humored by his dumb joke, "at least there are your stupid jokes that I don't have to miss."

"Won't you, really?"

"No! I'll still miss them!" She cried into the phone.

She really hit rock-bottom if she missed those, though.

"Well don't worry honey, I deliver!" He chuckled softly, "each time I have a stupid joke I'll call ya!"

"Hopefully you can call me on some other occasions so that you can call me more often."

"I'm flattered that you don't think I tell stupid jokes often, but between you and me, it'll be often enough."

They both laughed at him and she was attacked by loneliness and longing again. Whenever this happened to her, the best solution she had was to take care of others. It was the only thing she could do to distract herself.

"So you're okay there?" She asked sadly.

"Perfectly fine. Not as good as home though."

It was these, these statements that broke her heart (or warmed it, depending on the situation). He was just a sweet man, the sweetest really. Not many knew that, he wasn't like that very often. But when he was - there wasn't a man more candid or appreciative than him.

"Oh honey, I know... I never should've sent you somewhere with cheap beds and uncomfortable furniture, that's hardly a suitable home."

"Honey, even if they had that race-car bed you accidentally bought a few years ago and my barcalounger here, it still wouldn't be... Home. Home is... Having you there."

He was making this so hard without even knowing it! She wanted to be next to him, ached to hug him, but instead stared at their empty, darkened apartment. "I miss you so much already. Even though you left five hours ago, expect a visit from me real soon! Real soon, do you hear me?!"

"Loud and clear," he sounded like he was smiling, before he added softly, "I can't wait."

"Me neither," she admitted, "but let's make it easier on the both of us and hang up the phone. It's getting late and we need to practice sleeping alone."

"Yeah," he sounded sad too, "okay. I just... And this is going to sound out of place, but I was just wondering..."

"Yes?"

"Tell me something honestly. Does Phoebe hate me?"

And truly, she had nothing to answer to that for at least a minute.

Did Phoebe hate him.

Well, she would often ask herself the same question.

Phoebe was often hostile, often unkind and unappreciative of him. Of Monica too, that was why she never stopped to actually question it, but of Chandler more.

Constantly mocking him, telling Monica she settled, setting her up with someone else - those were not indicators of fondness.

But then again… that was Phoebe they were talking about. She loved Phoebe, but she was a wild card, and usually what she did and said was very far from what she truly felt.

"I don't… know, honey," she confessed into the phone, "some days I'm not too sure she likes me, either. Are you really very hurt by how she treats you?"

Phoebe did push Chandler out of the door today, now that Monica thought of it.

"Well, no," his voice sounded sincere, "I'm pretty sure she at least likes me as a friend, and honestly, if I cared about what everyone thought of me I'd get nowhere. I guess I'm asking because I don't want it to…" his voice lowered, "to affect what you think of me."

She smiled softly, her heart warming up. "Oh, honey, it never ever will. You're… you're my husband. You make me happy, you take care of me. No one has ever seen me as fully as you do, cared about me as you do. I, I love Phoebe, but you are my present and future. And honestly, Chandler, if she doesn't know how to see you for the truly exceptional, positive person that you are, then that is, by all means, her loss."

He was quiet from the other side, but when he spoke, it sounded like he was smiling. "I love you, Mon."

"I love you too, Chandler. And this settlement is not for long, do you hear me? We'll figure things out, and soon enough we'll live together again. Do you hear me?"

He laughed softly. "Loud and clear."

A/N

Well, this is complete, after four years or so (I initially published it in the middle of 2017). And with it, my plans for writing Friends fanfiction is complete as well.

So, thank you, everyone reading, and thank you the Friends fandom, for being my very first fandom! Reading and writing stories for it, well, those were my first steps in the literary world. And that will always hold a special place in my heart.

RicardianScholar Clark-Weasley - you're right with both points, in my opinion - I honestly just view Phoebe as incredibly human, so very deeply faulted at times, and then it's a fine line - can you really blame one for having a bad life that affected them? But then again, if that person is a mature person, are they not fully accountable for their actions?
As for you liking Chandler stepping up, thank you! Honestly, the writers were brilliant in writing characters and scenes most times, but when it came to the dramatic front, I think they were, at times, a bit lacking - favoring humorous moments over-emotional moments that would help their characters grow some. I don't blame them for that, I get that it is a sitcom and should mostly focus on the comedic, but then it means that if we are to treat the characters as real people and not as caricatures, we are to assume that there are many behind the scenes moments, less funny and more human, and this, in my opinion, is one of them - not funny or lighthearted, but instead emotional and even angry.
Thank you so much for the compliment, and this is my chance to thank you for reviewing each chapter, and in a way, being there along the way - it is for readers like you that I made the effort to finish the story and did not leave it incomplete :)

Sadie E Mcbride - I agree, and that is really the reason this story exists. But if I have to conclude, well, I don't dislike Phoebe intensely. I instead hold hope that one day she'll realize how hurtful she can be, how mean, and change her ways. For her and for all the Phoebes in the world. Because in real life, people like Chandler or Monica might not tolerate such behavior for long.
But I will say again, she is very human, and had a truly awful, terrible life. So for her to grow up as a functioning adult, that in itself is incredible. So I truly can't decide when it comes to her.
Thank you so much for reviewing always!

Cynthia Salander - I reviewed so (to your wonderful Forever and a Day), but I honestly squealed when I saw that you reviewed my story, let alone liked it! Forever and a Day was the first fanfic I've ever read, and you were always, ever since I joined the site back in 2014, one of my favorite writers. So let me start by saying all that and by thanking you for reviewing!
1: Thank you, and indeed, Phoebe is inconsistent. If I had to guess why, I'd put it down to the writers preferring comedy over drama, and 'funny' over character-development. For instance, I read somewhere that Phoebe's mean-streak started in season 4, during her pregnancy, and the writers decided to keep it because they thought it funny - and that way, a trait earlier-seasons-Phoebe didn't have, later-seasons-Phoebe did.
2: Thank you! And yes, it is funny when put that way. Phoebe is funny that way, too - I do think that she'd want Ross and Rachel's drama, but in the end she got a Mondler normalcy - which is what would do her good anyway. I do think it's jealousy, but I saw it as more of fear of abandonment, and the fear of being left behind. In the end, her twenties were her prime, given how much of a free spirit and soul she was - the twenties are the best time to be free and not to settle. And so, she wanted them to last forever. But Mondler settling down and growing up in the last years of her twenties was like an alarm bell, telling her she wasn't even close to reaching that. It could even be a part of why she disliked Chandler more than she did Monica - Monica always worked for that normalcy, but Chandler was just as screwed up as Phoebe, and not serious, and yet still he attained it quite easily and Phoebe did not.
Thank you! I always disliked the fact they had her go to Joey, so I was happy to find an explanation that worked in my head.
I appreciate you saying so! I did think it somewhat original, but you can never tell if it would work beforehand, so I'm glad it did :)
3: Haha YES, wonderful quote! I agree. It's so much easier to just judge the situation as is; it's those that love us that should try harder and give us more opportunities, and while we can argue whether Phoebe should be such a person (who loves Chandler), we can pretty much establish that at that point, she wasn't.
Thank you! There's nothing I care about more than writing characters well, so I appreciate you saying so. You've got it! It doesn't help much, but well, in my head behind-the-scenes Chandler is much more assertive when someone hurts Monica or threatens their relationship (a bit like the way he was at the end of season 5 - Monica saw it as him being overly-jealous, but I can honestly kind of see where Chandler is coming from).
Lastly, in conclusion, thank you so much! For reviewing my story with such elaboration (there's nothing writers can wish for more) and for writing your own stories! I can honestly tell you they were so vital, they probably shaped the Fandom's fanfiction archive and made hundreds happy. So definitely, never stop writing :)

cysvital - Thank you for reviewing so kindly! And it was definitely not too long, and besides, I love long reviews, they're the best! So by all means, don't hold back!
I honestly agree. As I said in my last response, they literally gave Phoebe a mean-streak because they thought it was funny, and by that they changed the character and made her inconsistent. And that doesn't seem fair at all! As it was, I wrote this story because people are fickle, and if you try real hard, you can find sense in everything. I suppose that it does make sense that a young, twenty-something Phoebe would be much more carefree and nice than a somewhat lonely and full of regrets older Phoebe, especially given all she's been through. but I honestly agree with you. My story might offer an explanation, but the truth is, that's just inconsistent writing on the writers' part, and unfortunately, not the only example of that.
Thank you, I'm so glad you liked the story so much! And I always planned to end the story that way, but it is amusing how well you predicted the end, so kudos to you. I do think this is how it ends, no confrontations - Monica loves Chandler too much to take Phoebe seriously, and Chandler doesn't care about it as long as Monica is indifferent to it, so the confrontation is unneeded. But in the end, everything has consequences, and I'd bet both appreciate Phoebe a little less for her behavior.
Thank you for reviewing :)

Oldreruns - Thank you so much, and thank you for being such a dedicated reviewer from the very beginning! I appreciate it so much! :)
That's a very smart observation, and exactly what I tried to imply :)
Sometimes we dislike those that do nothing wrong to us, but instead act the opposite of us and succeed. It raises very uncomfortable questions - are we wrong? Will we ever find in our way what they've found with their opposite way?
And the immature thing to do is to think the way Phoebe does in that chapter, haha. But I guess she came around, given how she married Mike.
Again, thank you so much for always reviewing, and always leaving such kind reviews :)

Scarecrow94 - Thank you for reviewing :)