Hey everyone...thanks for kind reviews! I know the last cliffhanger was
dead obvious, but this ones better! lol...well, here's the thing, im
leaving for a week so this very well may be the last chapter for a week.
maybe ill get part four up, tho...hopefully. anyway, don't lose faith, i
will be continuing it! anyway, read and review!
Part Three
"Hi, Chandler," Ross said softly. Chandler gaped. In front of him was
Ross, an older Ross, a much skinnier Ross, with a different haircut, but
still, very noticeably, Ross. Chandler was still staring, but Ross walked
into the apartment. Finally, Chandler gathered himself and said angrily,
"What are you doing here?"
"Looking for Rachel," Ross said quietly, "I figured she might have moved, so I came here to ask Monica where she moved to."
"She didn't move," Chandler said coldly, "But I don't think you should talk to her."
"Look, Chandler, I-"
"Save it, Ross. I don't even want to hear it."
"Chandler, you have to understand."
"Ross, you know, even if you have a good excuse, I don't want to hear it. Because a good excuse might explain why you left for, oh, maybe two weeks. No excuse justifies leaving for eight years."
"I understand that," Ross hung his head, "But I have to talk to Rachel." "We'll see," Chandler said.
"What happened to this place?" Ross asked, "It's so much bigger."
"Monica got married," Chandler said, "and needed more space." "Monica got married?"
"Yeah," Chandler said, and he held out his hand to show his wedding band, "And so did I."
"Who did you marry? And who did she marry?"
"We married each other."
Ross stared at Chandler for a little while, "You guys got married?"
"Yeah. After you left, we fell in love.we got married about a year later." "Wow." Ross said, "Do you guys have kids?"
"Yes," Chandler said, pointing to the top of the television where pictures of his children sat, "Zachary's four and Emma's six."
"Congratulations," Ross said, "Are you guys happy?"
"Very," Chandler said, "But Rachel sure as hell isn't. I'm not gonna sit here and fill you in on everything that's happened, Ross, because you should have been there to see it yourself. Do you know that Gracie and Josh are ten now? Or that Ben's twelve? Or that Ben and Josh both want a dad who does guy stuff with them, but they have to settle for Joey and me because their dad skipped out? Huh? Do you know all that stuff?"
Ross stared down at his feet, "Please," he said, pleadingly, "Just tell me where Rachel is. That's all I want to know."
"No," Chandler said angrily, but at that very second, the door to the apartment opened and Zachary and Emma ran in, with Josh and Gracie trailing them and Rachel bringing up the rear.
"Daddy!" Zachary and Emma shrieked and ran over to Chandler.
"Hey, guys!" Chandler said, completely ignoring Ross, "How was your day?"
"Great!" Zachary said, and Emma nodded the same.
"Hey, guys, why don't you take Josh and Gracie and show them that new board game in Zachary's room?"
"Okay!" the four kids ran off, though Josh and Gracie were clearly confused by the man on the couch's presence.
Rachel was standing by the door, with her mouth hung open. "Ross?" she finally said, disbelievingly.
"Yes," Ross nodded, "I need to talk to you."
"Rachel?" Chandler said, "I'll take the kids. Why don't you go back to your apartment." Rachel nodded, left, and Ross followed her. Chandler stared coldly at the man who used to be his best friend. He could only pray he wasn't here to hurt Rachel again.
Chandler figured that the board game would occupy the four kids for about ten more minutes and he went in to check on his wife. She was sitting up in bed, and looked somewhat better. He discovered her temperature was down to 100, and he sat down on the bed. He had to tell her about Ross.
"Mon?" he said softly, "Ross is back."
From the way Monica looked at him, Chandler thought she might have a heart attack. "Ross.is back?" she said softly.
"Yes. He's talking with Rachel right now. Josh and Gracie are over here."
"Did Ross tell you anything?"
"Like where he's been?" Monica nodded, "Nope. But he'll probably tell Rachel."
Monica was still somewhat in shock. For weeks after Ross had left, she'd expected him to call her, to write her or something. But he never had. She'd always tried to make clear to him, that no matter what he did wrong, she would always be there for him, that he could always call her. But he hadn't.
Chandler interrupted her thoughts, "Enough about Ross," he said, "How are you feeling?"
"A lot better," she admitted. Chandler helped his wife out of bed and she sat down in the barcalounger while he entertained the kids.
Rachel and Ross walked in silence to the apartment. When they reached it, Rachel sat down on the couch and waited for Ross to talk.
"So.you never moved?"
"No," Rachel said coldly, "I figured if you ever came back, and we weren't here."
Ross nodded, but didn't say anything. Finally, Rachel spoke, "Are you going to explain why you're here, Ross? Because it'd better be a damn good reason. And I'd better get a good explanation as to where you've been."
Ross took a deep breath, "Rachel." he began, "The reason I left is because I cheated on you. The reason I came back is because I'm dying."
"What are you doing here?"
"Looking for Rachel," Ross said quietly, "I figured she might have moved, so I came here to ask Monica where she moved to."
"She didn't move," Chandler said coldly, "But I don't think you should talk to her."
"Look, Chandler, I-"
"Save it, Ross. I don't even want to hear it."
"Chandler, you have to understand."
"Ross, you know, even if you have a good excuse, I don't want to hear it. Because a good excuse might explain why you left for, oh, maybe two weeks. No excuse justifies leaving for eight years."
"I understand that," Ross hung his head, "But I have to talk to Rachel." "We'll see," Chandler said.
"What happened to this place?" Ross asked, "It's so much bigger."
"Monica got married," Chandler said, "and needed more space." "Monica got married?"
"Yeah," Chandler said, and he held out his hand to show his wedding band, "And so did I."
"Who did you marry? And who did she marry?"
"We married each other."
Ross stared at Chandler for a little while, "You guys got married?"
"Yeah. After you left, we fell in love.we got married about a year later." "Wow." Ross said, "Do you guys have kids?"
"Yes," Chandler said, pointing to the top of the television where pictures of his children sat, "Zachary's four and Emma's six."
"Congratulations," Ross said, "Are you guys happy?"
"Very," Chandler said, "But Rachel sure as hell isn't. I'm not gonna sit here and fill you in on everything that's happened, Ross, because you should have been there to see it yourself. Do you know that Gracie and Josh are ten now? Or that Ben's twelve? Or that Ben and Josh both want a dad who does guy stuff with them, but they have to settle for Joey and me because their dad skipped out? Huh? Do you know all that stuff?"
Ross stared down at his feet, "Please," he said, pleadingly, "Just tell me where Rachel is. That's all I want to know."
"No," Chandler said angrily, but at that very second, the door to the apartment opened and Zachary and Emma ran in, with Josh and Gracie trailing them and Rachel bringing up the rear.
"Daddy!" Zachary and Emma shrieked and ran over to Chandler.
"Hey, guys!" Chandler said, completely ignoring Ross, "How was your day?"
"Great!" Zachary said, and Emma nodded the same.
"Hey, guys, why don't you take Josh and Gracie and show them that new board game in Zachary's room?"
"Okay!" the four kids ran off, though Josh and Gracie were clearly confused by the man on the couch's presence.
Rachel was standing by the door, with her mouth hung open. "Ross?" she finally said, disbelievingly.
"Yes," Ross nodded, "I need to talk to you."
"Rachel?" Chandler said, "I'll take the kids. Why don't you go back to your apartment." Rachel nodded, left, and Ross followed her. Chandler stared coldly at the man who used to be his best friend. He could only pray he wasn't here to hurt Rachel again.
Chandler figured that the board game would occupy the four kids for about ten more minutes and he went in to check on his wife. She was sitting up in bed, and looked somewhat better. He discovered her temperature was down to 100, and he sat down on the bed. He had to tell her about Ross.
"Mon?" he said softly, "Ross is back."
From the way Monica looked at him, Chandler thought she might have a heart attack. "Ross.is back?" she said softly.
"Yes. He's talking with Rachel right now. Josh and Gracie are over here."
"Did Ross tell you anything?"
"Like where he's been?" Monica nodded, "Nope. But he'll probably tell Rachel."
Monica was still somewhat in shock. For weeks after Ross had left, she'd expected him to call her, to write her or something. But he never had. She'd always tried to make clear to him, that no matter what he did wrong, she would always be there for him, that he could always call her. But he hadn't.
Chandler interrupted her thoughts, "Enough about Ross," he said, "How are you feeling?"
"A lot better," she admitted. Chandler helped his wife out of bed and she sat down in the barcalounger while he entertained the kids.
Rachel and Ross walked in silence to the apartment. When they reached it, Rachel sat down on the couch and waited for Ross to talk.
"So.you never moved?"
"No," Rachel said coldly, "I figured if you ever came back, and we weren't here."
Ross nodded, but didn't say anything. Finally, Rachel spoke, "Are you going to explain why you're here, Ross? Because it'd better be a damn good reason. And I'd better get a good explanation as to where you've been."
Ross took a deep breath, "Rachel." he began, "The reason I left is because I cheated on you. The reason I came back is because I'm dying."