(Recap from part 12)

A small noise escaped Joey's lips as his eyes took in the sight before him. Still on the floor, Chandler was on his side facing him, blocking all access to the man behind him. The tip of the knife glinted from its position by Chandler's throat as it caught a ray of sunlight streaming through the window. Chandler's eyes were barely open. Joey could tell that his friend was not going to last much longer. He looked like death. But the thing that scared Joey the most was Chandler's look of pure hatred, nothing else. He had never seen that expression before from Chandler, and it scared him just as much as seeing that knife to his throat. I lost him once, please don't make me go through that again, Joey pleaded in his head as he too, still had a gun to his back.

"You realize every exit to this place is swarming with cops, don't you?" one of the policemen said.

"That may be, but he'll be dead before I am," as he pressed the knife harder into Chandler's throat for added effect, "I guarantee you that."

---

"You're never going to get away with this," one of the cops said angrily.

"Probably not but I'm bringing as many people down with me as I can."

As he spoke, the other hostage couldn't take anymore. With a terrified shriek, she bolted to her feet and made a run for the exit. One of the remaining cops leaped for her, but it was in vain. Thief Number Two choked Joey tighter with his arm as he aimed the gun and fired. Chandler moaned as the back of her head appeared to cave in as the bullet impacted it. Her scream was short lived, and she was dead before she hit the ground. Joey gasped for breath, the grip his captor had on him closed off his windpipe. At the same instant, one of the officers fired back at his captor. The criminal had moved just enough to be able to get around Joey to shoot that he offered a target, the opportunity was not lost to the officers. A bullet went directly into the criminal's chest, and with a frantic yelp Joey pushed the wounded man away from him.

"Get out of here!" Chandler desperately hollered out from across the room. "Get out of here!"

Chandler's assailant began cursing, but did not let go of his hostage. It was all he had. He was losing and he knew it.

Joey heard Chandler's frantic shouts and stumbled to his feet. He headed blindly for the door.

Furious that it was going to end like this, Thief Number One stretched for his gun that laid close to his head. Chandler felt him move and immediately realized what he was trying to do.

"Bastard!" Chandler yelled. He shoved his own body against him, hoping to prevent him from acquiring his goal. To his dismay, instead of deterring him, his movement actually allowed him to grab on to the weapon he sought. He did little to aim it, he just trusted to luck.

The scream had already left Chandler's throat when the first bullet left the gun. Almost in slow motion, he witnessed Joey look back over his shoulder, a look of doom permeating his eyes. Like a moment out of a nightmare, Joey fell forward as one of the bullets found its target in his lower back. He went down hard.

"No!" Chandler screeched. "No!" He fought like a mad thing, having managed to knock the knife away from his throat. He would not let him get another shot off. He would not. The next shot would have to go through him. Deep down he knew that it very well might.

--

Rachel, Ross, Phoebe, and Monica were brought to what was deemed a safe distance from the backdoors of the building. Cops stood all around it, guns ready, but had been told to back off a safe distance thanks to the fiasco that had taken place inside. One of the men inside had his radio on, and sounds from the inside filtered over the speaker.

They all listened in pure horror as they head the sounds of a struggle. It simple couldn't be true. It couldn't be happening like this. They all stared ahead at the backdoor as they listened. Phoebe thought to herself that if they all concentrated hard enough, they could make them open, and make Joey walk out of there.

Just then they all froze as they heard a voice they weren't expecting to hear. Monica choked as the sound of Chandler's voice cut through the static of the speaker.

"Chandler's alive! He's alive!" she screamed joyfully as tears came to her eyes.

"Oh my God.. Oh my.. I can't believe this.. they lied to us.. you lied to us!" she said accusingly to Lt. Daniels who was standing near Rachel with the radio.

"That's what they told us.." he said somewhat frightened as Phoebe ran over to him in rage.

Rachel was breathing in and out, rapid and shallow.

"Put your head between your knees," Ross ordered as he came over beside her. A cop came over to her to lead her away.

"No!" she gasped out. "I'm all right. I'm all right! Just get them out of there, oh please get them out of there," Rachel said desperately.

"Look!" Monica shouted.

Before anyone else could stop him, Ross broke into a run.

--

Joey laid on the ground paralyzed by the sudden pain. He couldn't think, he didn't know anything but the pain that stabbed through the back of his lower torso. He saw the door in front of him, it was so close but seemed so far away. He had to get to the door. He slowly picked himself off the floor. He staggered toward the door behind the shelves, not a thought going through his head. His eyes were wide with terror. He used the shelves for balance as he walked toward the door. He was almost there. The seconds stretched out into an eternity, and it seemed like forever before he actually reached it. He threw himself through it, and breathed deeply the fresh air that surrounded him. As soon as his feet his the concrete, he could no longer support himself, he fell down to his knees, fighting for breath. He couldn't think, he couldn't breath. All that mattered was that he was no longer in that building. He never heard Ross yelling for him. All he knew was that all of the sudden a strong set of arms had wrapped themselves around him. Panic closed over his throat and engulfed him in a terror unlike anything he had ever known. He screamed aloud, a terrible sound that shook Ross to the very core, and tried to push him away. All he wanted was to be out of danger.

Ross couldn't believe the sight that greeted his eyes. Joey looked like the walking dead. He was covered in blood, absolutely covered . He was white with fear, and deep brown eyes seemed to bulge out of his head, filled with desperation, blotting out the rest of his face.

"Joey!" Ross cried, trying to bring him back to reality. He had never seen anyone this afraid in his entire life. "Oh , God, Joey it's me. It's Ross. Answer me, oh God, please.. not this. Joey!"

Joey looked up into Ross's eyes, and registered at last what was happening. He leaned hard into the embrace Ross offered.

"Ross, it's really you. It's really you." he said trying to convince himself this wasn't a dream.

Monica, followed by the other two girls, rushed breathlessly up beside them, and joined the hug. Tears streamed down all of their faces at the joy of seeing their friend alive. Joey closed his eyes and reveled in the sudden security that surrounded him. It didn't last long.

"You need to see the paramedics," one of the officers told him as he walked over to the group.

"No fucking shit!" said Phoebe angrily. She was still mad from earlier.

"My God, Joey You're bleeding from all over," said Rachel as she looked at her friend in pain, "and you've been shot.." her voice trailed off, and her eyes were wide with concern. She and Ross slid their arms around him to support him.

"Joey are you ok?" Monica asked. "What did they do to you?"

Joey paused as icy fear once again latched on to his soul. "Chandler," he said brokenly, staring back at the exit from which he'd come. The surrounding cops exchanged glances.

"I have to get Chandler. He's still in there. I can't leave him. He's hurt badly," he said frantically.

"They're trying to get him," Monica tried to sooth him. "They'll get him. We need to get you to an ambulance."

"No!" he shrieked. He ripped away from his friends and made a run back for the building.

"Joey, no!" Ross cried out desperately. He went to chase after him but was held back by the girls. The cops began to run after Joey but they couldn't get to him before he entered the building.

Joey never heard him. Every fiber in his being told him he had to reach Chandler. He had to get him out, he had to help him. He couldn't leave him alone like that, he couldn't. He knew that Chandler had made him promise to get himself out if he could, but this was a promise he couldn't keep. He thought he lost him once, and he wasn't going to lose him again. He would never be able to live with himself if Chandler died because he'd left him alone to save himself.

--

Chandler almost cried with relief when Joey disappeared from his vision. He couldn't dwell on it long however. He was caught fighting a knife and a gun, and e didn't like the odds. A mad rage had enveloped him as visions of Joey whipping around as the bullet he had let escape tore through his flesh refused to subside. Just because he had run to the door didn't mean he was still alive. He didn't know the true extent of the injury that had been inflicted upon him. He was going to kill the bastard who shot Joey. He just needed to get the gun away from him. His own strength surprised him: he was not a large man, but his furious drive and determination powered him on. He could feel the two gun shot wounds digging deeper into his already broken body, but he didn't care. Nothing mattered. All he knew was that this man had tried to kill Joey and he was going to kill him.

The cops inside with him fought to get a target, but with the two struggling the way they were, they couldn't get a clear shot. Either of them were likely to hit Chandler if they tried. The struggle ensued, both fighting for their lives. Chandler had managed to get an arm free from his vise-like grip, and he used it to his full advantage. He swung it wildly, blocking the arm with the knife. By twisting cleverly, he managed to get access to the knife hand, and he knocked it away. He kicked out with is foot, and he got a satisfactory grunt in response. In return, Chandler received a heavy blow to the chest. It was enough, Chandler went down hard, gasping for breath, but anything, his rage doubled. He was like a wounded animal one that wouldn't go down quietly to death's door. His tormentor slammed the gun barrel into his back, digging it painfully into his flesh. He heard the shuffle of the officers, who now had a clear shot.

"He'll be dead before the bullet hits me, I swear to you."

"Let him go."

"I don't think so."

"Chandler!" A new voice, one full of torment and horror echoed in their ears. Chandler looked in time to see Joey, who was no longer able to support himself, collapse down to the floor. Immediately he began to drag himself back to his feet., determined to do something to help out his friend.

His entrance, horrific as it was, provided the distraction Chandler needed. With a howl that reached inhuman proportions, he flung his head and body up, praying that the thief's finger wasn't on the trigger. As he did this, he jabbed his elbow cruelly into the gut of his assailant. He somehow managed to shove the man off, and planted his hands on the floor as he rocked his body forward and leapt to his feet. Free now, his eyes frantically searched the room for the gun that had also been dropped during the struggle. Spying it a few feet away, he ducked and rolled to it, and quickly pounced on the crook. He planted his foot harshly against his stomach, and leaned hard. He leveled the gun so it was lined up with his forehead.

"You son of a bitch." The words were sharp as knives and dripped with hate. He cocked the lever.

Joey looked at the scene in front of him. Chandler's eyes were filled with nothing but complete and absolute hate. He paused a moment as chills ran down his spine, but he quickly called out. "Chandler don't!"

"Why the hell not," he said coldly.

"He's not worth it. Let the police handle him."

"He tried to kill you." He spat out the words angrily.

"I know," Joey said softly. He could see the terrible battle Chandler was fighting with himself. He also knew that the only reason he was so hell bent on pulling the trigger was because of him. He couldn't let Chandler ruin his life for that. Joey had to stop him.

"If you kill him like this, people will think you're a murderer. You'll be just as bad as them. That's not who you are, Chandler. This is not who you are. Please put the gun down, you're better than this. It could ruin your life. You'll have to live with the fact that you killed a man for the rest of your life. Do you really want that?"

"I don't care, what happens to me doesn't matter," he said flatly. Joey's words weren't having any effect on him. His blue eyes were still cold and hateful. "He deserves to die. He tried to kill you."

"He may deserve it, but that doesn't mean you have the right to kill him. And he didn't kill me, I'm still here. And what happens to you does matter. It matters to me, it matters to Ross, it matters to Monica, and it matters to Phoebe and Rachel. They're waiting outside for us. They're waiting for us to walk out of here."

"Are they?" There was a hint of a quiver in his voice, and Joey exploited it. His eyes softened a little at the thought of his friends.

"Yes. You know they are. They're about to come unglued out there. All you have to do is put the gun down."

The officers marveled at the serenity and strength in the voice that was coming from a man who had just been shot and tortured to the point that he couldn't stand alone. The rest of him looked ready to go at any second, but the soothing peace and heartfelt words that resonated from his voice were spellbinding.

"Why did you come back?" Chandler whispered. "You got away. That's what we planned, that's what I asked you to do. Why did you come back?"

Joey choked back tears. He couldn't take much more of this. "I came back for you. I couldn't leave you here. I would have never left you here alone."

Chandler said nothing for a moment, and then slowly turned his head to face his friend. His hate relinquished and Joey finally saw the real Chandler come back to life. Tears glistened in Chandler's eyes, and one fell gently down his cheek. As he did this, his victim seized the opportunity. He lurched toward Chandler, knocking him forward as he lost his balance. The criminal grabbed the gun, pointed and fired at the only hostage he had left. Chandler. As Chandler was falling, one of the officers took his chance. He fired his weapon, praying that he did not hit the very one he was trying to protect.