Chapter 3: Running
Three days later, Rachel woke up next to Ross in bed. The phone was ringing, and she wanted to answer it before Ross woke. She quietly tiptoed out of the room and over to the phone.
"Hello?" she asked, clearing her throat.
"Miss Green, this is Officer Thomas at the NYPD. I wanted to let you know that your restraining order has been applied, and if Todd comes near you, he'll be sent back to jail for the violation. He's being released today on parole.
"Oh God," Rachel said. "Thanks for telling me. Um, all of his stuff is out. I think I sent it all with the officers."
"Yeah. He hasn't found anything missing. If he comes within three hundred feet of you, he will be taken in."
"Thanks," Rachel replied. She hung up and she felt a chill. She shivered and closed her eyes. She still didn't feel safe. She looked in the mirror. Her bruises were starting to fade, and the scratches on her face were clearing up. A chill passed through her once again, and she felt like something bad was going to happen.
A knock came to the door and Rachel jumped. She pulled a bathrobe on and tied it tightly around her body. She looked out the peep hole and saw Monica in the hall. Rachel breathed a sigh or relief, but tensed up again when she remembered that 'Ross and Rachel' wasn't an exclusive thing. Ross had stayed with Rachel in the apartment for the past few days. They hadn't left. They'd stayed inside and talked, held each other, made love, and talked some more. They had become so very understanding of each other physically, emotionally, mentally, and in every other aspect. Monica knocked again and Rachel unlocked the door. She opened it and looked at her friend in the hall.
"Hey Rach!" Monica exclaimed, pulling her friend into a hug. "I'm so sorry about Todd. What an asshole . . ."
"Yeah," Rachel said.
"Can I come in?" Monica asked.
"Yeah . . . no!" Rachel exclaimed, thinking about Ross in the other room.
"Why not?" Monica asked.
"Rach?" came Ross' voice from the bedroom. "Everything okay?" Monica's eyes went wide.
"Why is my brother's voice coming from your bedroom?" Rachel bit her bottom lip nervously.
"Don't get mad."
"Why would I get mad?"
"Ross and I . . . are kind of seeing each other."
"What do you mean . . . 'kind of seeing each other?'"
"Well, we're sleeping together. We're . . . we're in love."
"Oh my God!" Monica exclaimed. Ross walked out of the bedroom in his boxers. Monica averted her eyes. "Geez, Ross! Put some clothes on!"
"Monica!" Ross exclaimed. He threw a shirt on and waltzed over to the two women.
"I'm sorry you had to find out like this," Rachel said.
"You're in love?" Monica asked, starting to smile.
"Yeah," Rachel replied.
"Well, in that case, I'm happy for you!" Monica hugged her friend and her brother.
"Thanks honey," Rachel replied. "I'm glad you approve." They hugged again and Rachel brought Monica back into the apartment.
"I have some news," Monica said. "Um, Chandler and I are getting married."
"What?!" Ross and Rachel asked in unison.
"Monica, you just started dating him!" Ross exclaimed.
"I know. But we want to get married. We're not getting married right away, but we're engaged. We're going to get married within the next year."
"I can't believe this!" Rachel said with tears in her eyes. "I'm so happy for you."
"I'm going to kill Chandler."
"Ross, you're my big brother, and I love you, but I love Chandler too. He loves me. We're going to get married whether you like it or not."
"I'll kill him if he hurts you." Ross hugged his little sister and she started for the door again.
"Where are you going?" Rachel asked.
"I have to go for an interview at the mall. I need a job this summer to start saving up."
"Good luck," Rachel called as Monica left. After the door shut, she turned back to Ross. "Ross, let's get out of here."
"What?"
"I want to go for a walk."
"You do?"
"You don't believe me?" Rachel asked with a laugh.
"It's just early."
"I know. It's a perfect time to take a walk. Come on!"
"Alright. Hold on. Let me go get some clothes on." Ross walked into the bedroom and Rachel opened the door to wait in the hall. That was when she heard a gunshot in the hall. She shut the door for a few seconds, frozen in terror. A moment later she opened the door. That was when she came face to face with Todd once again. Her eyes grew wide with fear, and that was when she saw the blood on his hands. She looked down the hall and saw Monica's lifeless body lying still beside the elevator.
"No!" Rachel screamed, hurrying to shut the door. Todd forced his way into the apartment.
"I bet you're wondering how I got here so quick?" Todd asked.
"Go away! Leave me alone!" Rachel screamed. Ross ran out of the bedroom to find Rachel being cornered by Todd. He hadn't been able to get out soon enough because he tripped when he heard the gunshot and hurt his foot. But now that he had been able to get out, he was faced with this horrible sight.
"Hey!" Ross yelled.
"Go away, Geller. This is between me and my slut of a girlfriend!" Todd warned. He slapped Rachel's face and Ross tackled him. He punched Todd and threw him against a wall. At that point, Todd pulled a gun from his jacket. Rachel screamed in fear.
"Rachel! Run!" Ross screamed. "Get out now!" Rachel didn't know what to do. She watched Ross and Todd struggle with the gun, frozen in fear. She didn't know whether to run or stay. "Rachel! Run now! You have to go! Do it for me!" At that point, Rachel ran into the hall. She knelt down beside Monica.
"Wake up," Rachel cried. "Wake up. Please wake up." Monica didn't move. She checked her friend's pulse but wasn't sure if she felt anything. She knew she wasn't breathing. Then she heard another gunshot. She heard a thud and then heard Todd's voice. He was obviously on the phone.
"I'd like to report a triple murder," Todd said with an almost maniacal laugh. That was when she saw him come around the corner with his gun aimed at her.
"Your boyfriend's dead. Your best friend is dead. It's your turn, sweet heart." Ross' voice echoed in her head, telling her to run. She got up and her feet pounded as fast and hard into the floor as they could possibly go. She wanted to run into another apartment, but she knew people had their doors locked out of fear with the commotion in the hallway.
Rachel ran out of the building and started for her car, but she knew Todd would find her in it. Instead of getting in the car, she ran straight for the bank, took all of the money out of her accounts, and proceeded to run to the police.
Awhile later, Rachel was sitting in the interrogation room at the police station. She had heard that Todd was on the loose. She was scared and she knew the police wouldn't find him.
"I don't want you to worry, miss. There's no way you can be held accountable for any of the events that happened today."
"What about Ross? What about Monica?"
"We haven't heard anything from the hospitals yet."
"Why should you . . . they're dead."
"Miss, we can put you into the witness protection program," the detective said with a calming voice. Rachel shook her head.
"He'll find me. He was . . . he was studying to be a private investigator too. I have to do this on my own." Rachel stood up and quickly left the police station. She wanted to go to the hospital and ask about Ross and Monica, but she knew that there would only be bad news. She had to leave. She had to change her name and her identity. She couldn't be Rachel Green anymore.
Three days later, Rachel woke up next to Ross in bed. The phone was ringing, and she wanted to answer it before Ross woke. She quietly tiptoed out of the room and over to the phone.
"Hello?" she asked, clearing her throat.
"Miss Green, this is Officer Thomas at the NYPD. I wanted to let you know that your restraining order has been applied, and if Todd comes near you, he'll be sent back to jail for the violation. He's being released today on parole.
"Oh God," Rachel said. "Thanks for telling me. Um, all of his stuff is out. I think I sent it all with the officers."
"Yeah. He hasn't found anything missing. If he comes within three hundred feet of you, he will be taken in."
"Thanks," Rachel replied. She hung up and she felt a chill. She shivered and closed her eyes. She still didn't feel safe. She looked in the mirror. Her bruises were starting to fade, and the scratches on her face were clearing up. A chill passed through her once again, and she felt like something bad was going to happen.
A knock came to the door and Rachel jumped. She pulled a bathrobe on and tied it tightly around her body. She looked out the peep hole and saw Monica in the hall. Rachel breathed a sigh or relief, but tensed up again when she remembered that 'Ross and Rachel' wasn't an exclusive thing. Ross had stayed with Rachel in the apartment for the past few days. They hadn't left. They'd stayed inside and talked, held each other, made love, and talked some more. They had become so very understanding of each other physically, emotionally, mentally, and in every other aspect. Monica knocked again and Rachel unlocked the door. She opened it and looked at her friend in the hall.
"Hey Rach!" Monica exclaimed, pulling her friend into a hug. "I'm so sorry about Todd. What an asshole . . ."
"Yeah," Rachel said.
"Can I come in?" Monica asked.
"Yeah . . . no!" Rachel exclaimed, thinking about Ross in the other room.
"Why not?" Monica asked.
"Rach?" came Ross' voice from the bedroom. "Everything okay?" Monica's eyes went wide.
"Why is my brother's voice coming from your bedroom?" Rachel bit her bottom lip nervously.
"Don't get mad."
"Why would I get mad?"
"Ross and I . . . are kind of seeing each other."
"What do you mean . . . 'kind of seeing each other?'"
"Well, we're sleeping together. We're . . . we're in love."
"Oh my God!" Monica exclaimed. Ross walked out of the bedroom in his boxers. Monica averted her eyes. "Geez, Ross! Put some clothes on!"
"Monica!" Ross exclaimed. He threw a shirt on and waltzed over to the two women.
"I'm sorry you had to find out like this," Rachel said.
"You're in love?" Monica asked, starting to smile.
"Yeah," Rachel replied.
"Well, in that case, I'm happy for you!" Monica hugged her friend and her brother.
"Thanks honey," Rachel replied. "I'm glad you approve." They hugged again and Rachel brought Monica back into the apartment.
"I have some news," Monica said. "Um, Chandler and I are getting married."
"What?!" Ross and Rachel asked in unison.
"Monica, you just started dating him!" Ross exclaimed.
"I know. But we want to get married. We're not getting married right away, but we're engaged. We're going to get married within the next year."
"I can't believe this!" Rachel said with tears in her eyes. "I'm so happy for you."
"I'm going to kill Chandler."
"Ross, you're my big brother, and I love you, but I love Chandler too. He loves me. We're going to get married whether you like it or not."
"I'll kill him if he hurts you." Ross hugged his little sister and she started for the door again.
"Where are you going?" Rachel asked.
"I have to go for an interview at the mall. I need a job this summer to start saving up."
"Good luck," Rachel called as Monica left. After the door shut, she turned back to Ross. "Ross, let's get out of here."
"What?"
"I want to go for a walk."
"You do?"
"You don't believe me?" Rachel asked with a laugh.
"It's just early."
"I know. It's a perfect time to take a walk. Come on!"
"Alright. Hold on. Let me go get some clothes on." Ross walked into the bedroom and Rachel opened the door to wait in the hall. That was when she heard a gunshot in the hall. She shut the door for a few seconds, frozen in terror. A moment later she opened the door. That was when she came face to face with Todd once again. Her eyes grew wide with fear, and that was when she saw the blood on his hands. She looked down the hall and saw Monica's lifeless body lying still beside the elevator.
"No!" Rachel screamed, hurrying to shut the door. Todd forced his way into the apartment.
"I bet you're wondering how I got here so quick?" Todd asked.
"Go away! Leave me alone!" Rachel screamed. Ross ran out of the bedroom to find Rachel being cornered by Todd. He hadn't been able to get out soon enough because he tripped when he heard the gunshot and hurt his foot. But now that he had been able to get out, he was faced with this horrible sight.
"Hey!" Ross yelled.
"Go away, Geller. This is between me and my slut of a girlfriend!" Todd warned. He slapped Rachel's face and Ross tackled him. He punched Todd and threw him against a wall. At that point, Todd pulled a gun from his jacket. Rachel screamed in fear.
"Rachel! Run!" Ross screamed. "Get out now!" Rachel didn't know what to do. She watched Ross and Todd struggle with the gun, frozen in fear. She didn't know whether to run or stay. "Rachel! Run now! You have to go! Do it for me!" At that point, Rachel ran into the hall. She knelt down beside Monica.
"Wake up," Rachel cried. "Wake up. Please wake up." Monica didn't move. She checked her friend's pulse but wasn't sure if she felt anything. She knew she wasn't breathing. Then she heard another gunshot. She heard a thud and then heard Todd's voice. He was obviously on the phone.
"I'd like to report a triple murder," Todd said with an almost maniacal laugh. That was when she saw him come around the corner with his gun aimed at her.
"Your boyfriend's dead. Your best friend is dead. It's your turn, sweet heart." Ross' voice echoed in her head, telling her to run. She got up and her feet pounded as fast and hard into the floor as they could possibly go. She wanted to run into another apartment, but she knew people had their doors locked out of fear with the commotion in the hallway.
Rachel ran out of the building and started for her car, but she knew Todd would find her in it. Instead of getting in the car, she ran straight for the bank, took all of the money out of her accounts, and proceeded to run to the police.
Awhile later, Rachel was sitting in the interrogation room at the police station. She had heard that Todd was on the loose. She was scared and she knew the police wouldn't find him.
"I don't want you to worry, miss. There's no way you can be held accountable for any of the events that happened today."
"What about Ross? What about Monica?"
"We haven't heard anything from the hospitals yet."
"Why should you . . . they're dead."
"Miss, we can put you into the witness protection program," the detective said with a calming voice. Rachel shook her head.
"He'll find me. He was . . . he was studying to be a private investigator too. I have to do this on my own." Rachel stood up and quickly left the police station. She wanted to go to the hospital and ask about Ross and Monica, but she knew that there would only be bad news. She had to leave. She had to change her name and her identity. She couldn't be Rachel Green anymore.