Ok guys here is Chapter 3. This one is a little longer than the other two, so I hope you all enjoy it! Thanks again for all the terrific reviews!


Monica and Rachel's Apartment

Ross opened the door and hobbled into the apartment. His knee was still bleeding, and his clothes were dirty and ruffled from the fall.

"Hi." Ross said in a low dejected tone.

"Oh my God! What happened to you?" Monica squealed as she rushed over to her injured brother.

Chandler and Joey also raced over, each one supporting one of Ross' arms and helping him walk over to the chair in the living room.

"It was this kid on a ten-speed." Ross replied angrily.

"Did the bully steal your milk money again?" Chandler asked.

Ross glared back at him.

"Ok, see I should really learn how to turn that off." Chandler stated after helping Ross into the chair.

Monica disappeared into the bathroom for a moment, before returning with a first aid kit. She sat down in front of Ross, and began cleaning the cut on his knee.

"Could somebody get me a plastic trash bag?" Monica asked.

"Why? Are you going to throw his leg away?" Joey replied worried, while Monica glared back at him.

"No, I just want to set it down so he isn't bleeding on the carpet."

Joey went into the kitchen to retrieve the bag.

"So what happened?" Pheobe asked putting a hand on Ross' shoulder.

"Well, I was out walking blowing off some steam when I walked past the copy shop that Chloe works at."

"Oh Ross you didn't?!" Pheobe looked horrified for a moment.

"What? No! No, of course I didn't!" Ross shook his head vigorously. "I was just walking past when I looked inside and saw Mark, kissing Chloe."

Monica and Pheobe stared at Ross in surprise, while Joey and Chandler looked at each other.

"Man, are we like the only two guys she won't sleep with?" Chandler asked as Joey nodded in agreement.

"Ok, guys, not seeing the big picture here." Ross shot back at them disapprovingly.

"Sorry man."

"Yeah, sorry about that."

"Ross, honey, you know I love you, but are you sure that it was Mark, I mean you didn't just see Mark because you wanted to right?" Monica asked trying her best not to sound like she didn't believe her older brother, but it did sound a little ridiculous. Especially for Mark to be cheating with the exact same girl as Ross, what are the odds?

"Look I know what I saw ok! It was definitely Mark." Ross looked at the group waiting for them to accept this before continuing. "Once I was sure it was him I ran back to the coffee house looking for Rachel to tell her, but you guys had already left. So I ran back here, and that's when I saw her and Mark outside. I tried to get their attention but that was when the mini Lance Armstrong ran me down. When I was able to get up they were already gone, and I couldn't run after them because of my knee."

After Ross finished telling his story everyone sat in silence mulling the situation over.

"Well, you have to go find them and tell Rachel. I mean there's no other option." Monica said definitively.

"Your right, you are absolutely right." Ross began to stand up, but crumpled back to the chair in pain. "Just give me a minute."

"Ross this is crazy. You are in no shape to go wandering the city looking for them, I mean we don't even know where they went, and there's like..." Joey thought about this for a moment, "well there's a lot of restaurants in this city."

"Joey's right man, even if you could walk, you might never find them." Chandler added.

"And at least you know she has to come back here right?" Monica said while finishing putting a bandage on Ross' knee. "So you should just wait here with some ice on your knee and you can confront them when they get back. With all of us here to support you."

"Hell yeah, and we can all beat him up when we're done supporting you!" Joey said with a mean look.

"Thanks guys. I just hope that Rachel won't get to hurt by all of this."

With that everyone settled in to wait for Rachel to return. Joey and Chandler ordered pizzas, which everyone ate except for Ross. Ross was very silent for the rest of the evening as he thought about how best to tell Rachel the bad news. She was definitely going to be upset. In a way Ross almost felt responsible for hurting her this time as well. Sure he wasn't the one cheating, but he was going to be the one telling her. Maybe he shouldn't tell her. She seems to be really happy with this guy, was it worth it to ruin a chance she may have at happiness? Maybe Mark was kissing Chloe good-bye? Not likely, unless people were using their tongues in good-bye kissing these days, which rules out any possibility that she is a relative as well.

Restaurant

Rachel and Mark were eating in a very fancy Italian restaurant. Mark was telling Rachel some story, while Rachel smiled and nodded every so often to make it appear like she was listening. In reality Rachel was think about her relationship with both Mark and Ross:

Look at him over there, cute, interesting, cares about me, I mean I am with a great guy. So why can't I get Ross out of my head? See, there you go, I just thought about him again.

Ok, not thinking about Ross. Thinking about Mark...what did he just say...smile and nod...there we go, he's smiling back...he has such a cute smile. Ross had an adorable smile too. Especially when he was getting all into talking about his dinosaur stuff, even though he obviously knew that no one was really paying any attention. I should have paid more attention to him.

"Don't you agree?" The question snapped Rachel out of her inner monologue.

"Hmm, what?"

"I asked if you agreed."

"Um, well that is an interesting question...do I agree?"

Do I agree with what? Damn I should have been paying attention.

"Rachel do you have something on your mind?"

"What? No, I don't have someone on my mind." Rachel said with a laugh.

"Someone?"

"Something. I meant something! You know how I get when I've had a couple glasses of wine." Rachel giggled nervously as she took a big gulp of wine from the glass sitting in front of her to keep her from putting her foot in her mouth again.

A lustful little smile emerged on Mark's face. "Oh I know how you can get when you've had a couple glasses of wine."

Nice one Rach now instead of thinking that you weren't paying attention he thinks that you are an easy drunk!

Monica and Rachel's Apartment

Everyone except Ross had fallen asleep. Monica was lying on the couch, Pheobe draped over a chair, and Chandler was on the floor next to Joey, who had curled up holding a pizza box like it was his childhood blankie.

Ross sat staring at the door, not even blinking until his eyes were so dry that he had no other choice.

Then there was the sound of voices outside, it was definitely Mark and Rachel. He heard the key in the door, and saw the handle begin to turn. Ross got to his feet wincing in pain from his previous injury. The door swung open and Mark and Rachel walked in.

"Oh! Ross you scared me!" Rachel said with a jump "and hello guys." Surprised at finding the whole group still hanging out this late.

Everyone groggily started to wake up and get to their feet staring at Mark and Rachel not saying a word. Joey put on the most threatening face he could manage, which was somewhat diluted due to the bit of pizza sticking to his face.

"Hey Joe, you got a little pizza on your face there." Chandler pointed out. Joey searched his cheek until he found, smiled, popped it in his mouth, then looked threatening again.

"There ya go." Chandler said rolling his eyes.

"What's going on guys?" Rachel asked looking a little worried.

"You should ask your pal Mark that question." Ross said taking a step towards them, and having to limp on his sore knee.

"Ross! Stop embarrassing me, and yourself ok. Stop trying to get between me and Mark."

"Look Rach, I know I screwed things up for us, and this isn't about me trying to get you back. After I say what I have to tell you, I don't expect you to come running back to me, but I just can't sit by and let it happen!"

"Let what happen Ross?"

"Yes Ross, what is happening?" Mark asked seeming nonchalant.

"Oh you know! Rachel I know this won't be easy to hear, but earlier tonight I saw Mark kissing Chloe down at the copy store."

"What?! Oh Ross come on!" Rachel was getting very angry.

"Go ahead Mark try to deny it!" Ross yelled limping even closer to them.

"Ok, it isn't true, I don't even know anyone named Chloe." Mark said looking confused.

Rachel turned back at Ross, she was looking more angry than he had ever seen her before.

"Ross I thought that we were still going to be able to be friends, but you aren't making that easy on me!"

"Rachel, Rachel calm down." Mark put his hands on Rachel's shoulders to try and settle her down. "Maybe Ross and I just need to have a little talk, I mean we never really did that." Mark turned to Ross. "What do you say Ross? We can go get coffee sometime, and figure out our little situation."

"I'm fine to talk right here, right now." Ross tried to stand as tall as he could.

"Very well, shall we take this out to the hallway for a little privacy." Mark looked around the room at everyone staring at them.

"Ok, but only because if I have to kick your ass, I don't want ladies present." Ross said and gallantly limped out the door.

"Whatever you say." Mark said as he held the door for Ross. He then turned to Rachel. "We'll only be a minute sweety." With that, he closed the door.

Everyone in the room stared at each other for a minute.

"I think I might just..." Rachel said as she moved closer to the door.

"Oh yeah, we definitely got to listen in on this one." Joey said running as quietly as he could over to the door, while Rachel opened it just a crack.

Outside Mark pulled Ross into a corner where he hoped nothing would be over heard.

"Look Ross, the two of you are through! I don't know what you hope to achieve here, but drop it, unless you want to be limping for the rest of your life!"

Ross could see that the door to the apartment was cracked open, and knowing his friends like he did, he knew that they would be listening in.

"Ok Mark. I will drop it entirely, on one condition."

"What?" Mark was obviously getting tired of this.

"Admit it to me now. Admit that you kissed Chloe to me, and I will walk...hobble away right now."

Mark thought about this for a minute. It certainly would be easier than beating the hell out of Ross, and he wouldn't have to explain anything to Rachel.

"Fine." Mark said with a smile. "Hell as long as it is just between you and I, not only did I kiss her, but any night I haven't spent with Rachel, I have been with Chloe. And you know what the best part is? I got the idea from you!"

Ross just stared at him for a minute.

"Yeah that's right" Mark continued "I heard about you and this Chloe, and I had to see who this girl was that you would be willing to cheat on Rachel with, and I have to tell you, you were right, she is good."

Ross heard enough, he took a swing at Mark, that hit nothing but air, and Ross lost his balance falling to the ground. Mark stood over him laughing.

"I didn't mean to cheat on Rachel. I was drunk, I was out of my mind with grief, and I made the stupidest mistake of my life! I didn't intentionally go out and do it, and if I could go back and do things differently I would because no woman even comes close to comparing to Rachel!"

"Shhh!" Mark said trying not to laugh too loudly at the image of Ross on the floor. "We don't want anyone to hear you."

"Too late!"

Mark spun around to see Rachel and the rest of the group in the hallway staring at him.

In a fit of rage Mark spun around and punch Ross in the face.

Ross hit the ground unconscious, and all was darkness.


Ok, end of this chapter, hope you liked it, let me know what you thought.