:I am sorry that I have not updated this but all is explained in my profile. One small update: I'm going to lose my job. I was a temp at the company I work for 12 months and they just turned around and told me that I'm no longer needed. I was a very upset girl a month ago. And pretty much everyone else who I work with is upset too. They never offered me anything else, after all this time. That's management for you. To them we're just a bit of paper that they can throw in the bin. No warning at all.

Anyway, this chapter is a warm-up to some of the stuff that's going to happen next. :

TOW the Auction

Chapter Six

Later that night, Monica and Chandler walked home in silence. Chandler's head was spinning in shock. What the hell were they thinking? They were in Michelle's bathroom for crying out loud!

He stole a glance at Monica, who was staring straight ahead, a slight flush in her cheeks. Was that embarrassment? Or was it the effects of the wine they had all consumed that evening?

He had to say something. The awkwardness between them right now was something new and unfamiliar.

He cleared his throat. "Um…Mon?" he asked quietly.

She glanced at him, her eyes meeting his in an uncertain way. "Yes?" she asked back just as quietly

"We…we need to talk." Chandler stuttered, stopping in the street.

Monica turned around and faced him. Their eyes met and they started to grin. "I think we do," she agreed.

"What happened tonight?" Chandler asked, running his hand through his hair.

"I think we just got a little carried away with the drinking and the whole situation we got ourselves into." Monica stated.

"You think?" Chandler chuckled.

"We should just forget about it." Monica suggested.

"I so agree." Chandler said quickly. "There's no need to get awkward about this at all."

"Right, so, we go back to the way things were this morning before this thing started." Monica decided, eyeing him warily.

"Yeah yeah, sure. Cool."

They fell silent and started walking again.

"Not that it was ever a 'thing' of course." Monica corrected after a couple of minutes.

"Yeah, we only kissed a few times today…"

"…and we were drunk in the bathroom." Monica added.

"It didn't mean anything."

They stopped outside their apartments.

"Of course it didn't." Monica assured him. "It was just the situation…"

"…and the wine." Chandler reminded her.

They gazed into each other's eyes. Monica fumbled around behind her for the door handle and turned it. "Right…um…good night then." She said quickly.

"Uh-huh…yeah…um…breakfast in bed?" Chandler blurted out.

"What?" Monica widened her eyes.

"No no! I don't mean me having breakfast in your bed," Chandler quickly corrected, blushing, "I meant the other thing. My-my next task. Do-do you want breakfast in bed again?"

"Oh right!" Monica widened her eyes at him, realisation crossing her face. "Breakfast in bed is a good idea, so long as you don't poison me again."

"6a.m?" Chandler's eyes twinkled at her.

"Oh make it 7," Monica grinned at him, "I wouldn't want you to miss your beauty sleep."

"Oh I do need it." Chandler agreed.

"Ok so… good night."

"Good night."

Chandler walked into his apartment, shut the door and leaned against it. This was getting out of control. Was this going to happen every time they were alone together? He'd seen the look in Monica's eyes – she'd wanted him as badly as he'd wanted her.

"Easy Chandler," he muttered, "you'll get through this. You will not let it happen again. You will not let it happen again…"

The problem was…he badly wanted it to happen again. And he was almost certain Monica did too.


"Ok, so what is really going on with you and Janice?" Rachel asked in the cab home she was sharing with Ross and Joey.

Joey rolled his eyes. "Nothing is going on."

"Oh come on, you blushed when I asked about her at the party!" Rachel grinned at him.

Ross, sitting in the middle, glanced between Rachel and Joey. "What are you two talking about?"

"Nothing," Joey snapped at him, staring out of the window.

"Joey has a crush on Janice." Rachel explained teasingly.

Ross widened his eyes in horror at Joey. "Oh…my…god."

"I do not have a crush on Janice." Joey denied hotly, "you know how I feel about her."

"Then why is it that none of us have heard you complain about her yet?" Rachel demanded. "You've just spent 12 hours with her. Isn't she driving you crazy?"

When Joey didn't answer, Ross studied Joey's face closely. "I don't think she is Rach."

"What are you two talking about?!" Joey blustered, "Of course she's driving me crazy! This is Janice guys. I hate her."

"What did you two do today?" Ross questioned. "And if you lie, we'll just ask Janice."

Joey groaned. "Why did I decide to share a cab with you two tonight?" he grumbled.

"Come on Joey, what did she make you do?" Rachel encouraged.

"We-we had breakfast at Café Nero's…"

"Café Nero's?!" Rachel shrieked. "That is the classiest coffee house in the city! Did she pay?"

"Well…yeah." Joey replied quietly.

"Well you've certainly been suffering," Ross said, smirking.

"Hey, she got me out at 6a.m!" Joey exclaimed.

"Wow, I feel for you Joe, I really do." Ross continued sarcastically.

"Ignore him Joey," Rachel instructed, "what else did you and Janice do?"

"I'd rather not say." Joey muttered, blushing.

Rachel widened her eyes. "You didn't…"

"No, no!" Joey shook his head violently, "I didn't sleep with her."

"Well, what then?" Rachel gripped Ross' shoulder tightly and leaned over closer to Joey, eager to get this new piece of information from her friend.

"Ow Rachel, easy with the hand." Ross pushed Rachel away. He glared at Joey. "Just tell her dude."

"Ok, ok, we went to a Knicks game. Happy now?" Joey folded his arms, refusing to meet his friends' eyes.

"You went to the Knicks game?!" Ross and Rachel yelled.

"Hey, can you three keep it down back there?" the cab driver complained.

"Sorry man," Joey looked at the driver apologetically, "this conversation wasn't my idea."

"You're in love with her." Rachel teased.

"I don't think so." Joey laughed.

"I think you are." Rachel persisted in a sing-song voice.

"I don't think I am." Joey mocked Rachel's sing-song voice.

"Well, if you're not in love with her, then you're at least attracted to her." Rachel pointed out, "I saw the look on your face earlier. And the look you're wearing now."

"And what is this look that I'm wearing now?" Joey asked sarcastically.

"You're blushing and your eyes are hiding something. You're in complete denial." Rachel explained expertly.

"That is a load of garbage." Joey muttered.

"Oh just admit you like her!"

"I don't like her!"

"Yes you do!"

"No I don't!"

Ross leaned forward to the cab driver. "I promise I will give you a tip when this is over." He whispered in his ear.

"It had better be a big one." The driver muttered irritably.


"So when are you coming round tomorrow?" Phoebe asked down the phone. She checked her bedside clock. 3a.m. Wow. She had been talking to Mike for two hours.

"That's for you to decide." Mike pointed out, laughing.

"I thought I would go easy on you and let you pick the time." Phoebe said teasingly.

"That is very thoughtful of you Miss Buffay."

"Don't get used to it." Phoebe warned, smiling to herself.

"Ok, how about not in the morning at all." Mike suggested.

"Oh I see…is that a hint you've been on the phone way too long tonight?" Phoebe pouted.

"No. I like talking to you." Phoebe heard Mike's soft, sincere voice down the receiver.

She couldn't help but agree with him. This wasn't supposed to happen. She wasn't supposed to be on the phone to her slave, a complete stranger, at 3 in the morning. She wasn't supposed to be falling for him.

No. No, she wasn't falling for him. She wasn't going to let that happen.

"Um…I guess I'd better let you sleep," she told him now, swallowing hard.

"Are you ok Phoebe?" Phoebe's stomach pulled at the genuine concern in Mike's voice.

"I'm fine. I'm just tired, that's all." She tried to assure him. She let out a giggle. "It is 3am you know."

"Really? Because I so did not know that!" Mike quipped.

"Good night Mike. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon." Phoebe laughed and hung up.

She leaned against her pillows and bit her nails, something she hadn't done in years.

"I'm not falling for Mike…I'm not falling for Mike…" she whispered to herself as she switched off the light.

So why couldn't she stop thinking about him?


Ross stared down at his cup of warm milk blankly. Nothing was going to make him fall asleep tonight, he realised that long before the clock struck 3a.m.

Did Rachel really still love him?

He got up from his couch and walked over to a small cupboard in the corner of the room. He opened it and pulled out a photo album. Inside it were pictures of Ross and Rachel at a happier time. One of the pictures showed the two of them on a double-date with Monica and Richard.

What a weird night that was. As much as Ross liked Richard, he had never been able to get used to the fact he was dating his little sister. Richard belonged on a racquetball court with Ross' dad, not in a nightclub, where the four of them had ended up that night.

Still, in the end, they'd had a pretty good time. Ross was able to forget who Monica was with when he started to dance with Rachel. She'd stared into his eyes so deeply…so lovingly…Ross remembered wanting to stare back into those eyes for the rest of his life.

Why had it all gone so wrong?

"Awww, crap," Ross moaned to himself, slamming the album shut. "This stuff is driving me crazy. Get over her man!"

End of Chapter 6

:please review!: