Thanks to all of you for your enthusiastic reviews. I really enjoyed writing chapter 3. Please enjoy Chapter 4. As I wrote this chapter I discovered that it would probably be incredibly long for just one so I decided to spread the subject between two chapters (this one (4) and a future chapter 5). I hope you, my FRIENDS friends enjoy this and the next chapter. I already have another chapter planned after that … this is all for you.

It was late.

He was tired.

He had a good time but now it was time to sleep.

"Sleep, wonderful, blissful sleep." He thought as he walked up the flight of stairs to his apartment.

As he entered the hallway outside his apartment the lighting was dim, making it difficult to see. It was almost 1:00 in the morning. He turned the corner with his key in his hand, ready to insert it into the lock. But then he noticed something. He was tired, the lights were low and he couldn't see straight but it looked like a lump with blonde hair.

As he slowly knelt down he gently put his hand on her shoulder. "Hello, miss."

He couldn't see her face but he could tell she was asleep.

"Miss, are you OK?" He asked, gently shaking her shoulder.

"Huh, eh, oh hi." She said, slowly waking from her slumber as she turned her face to his.

"What are you doing here out in the hall? Are you locked out of your apartment?"

"No … no, I'm waiting for my sister. I've been waiting here for hours but she hasn't come home yet." She replied.

"Please, let me help you up. Come in and be my guest until your sister arrives." Lifting her petite frame gently from the floor. "Hold on, let me get the door."

As they entered the apartment Ross turned on the lights and guided the mystery woman over to the couch. Helping her off with her coat he prepared to be the host.

"May I get you something to drink?"

"A glass of water would be nice, thank you." She replied.

He had seen her face before. The face looked so familiar but he just couldn't place it. He searched through his memories, his mind shuffling through images as on an infinite Rolodex machine. It finally came to him …

"Jill?"

She was older, more mature and had gained some weight but she was still the cute younger sister of the woman he loved. She was his sister-in-law.

"Yeah, my name is Jill." She replied. "Have we met before? I think I would have remembered you if we had."

She had not yet fully awakened. Her senses were just then reconnecting with her brain. It was her first opportunity to view her host under adequate lighting conditions. "He's very handsome." She thought. "I could really go for him. I hope he's not already taken."

"Yes, we have met before. Don't you remember?" He asked.

"Give me a minute. I've been asleep in your hallway for hours." She had absolutely no clue as to who this guy was but she had already made the decision that she wanted him. "Be cool Jill" She thought, "Relax and be yourself." After an appropriate pause she replied "OK, I give up. I'm sure I would remember you if we had actually met before. Who are you?"

"Ross … Ross Gellar." He replied. "Remember? I grew up on your block."

"What? You can't be Ross! You're so very cute. Ross had that curly afro and stupid mustache."

"Thanks, I think." He replied, "That was me Jill."

"I can't believe it! What did you do to yourself? Well, whatever you did you did a good job."

"It's a long story Jill. It's too much for two exhausted people to discuss at 1:30 in the morning . Before, when we were in the hallway you mentioned that you were looking for your sister. Are you looking for Rachel?" He asked.

"Yes! I heard that she had moved out of her old apartment because her roommate had decided to live with her boyfriend. This is the address I was given. When do you expect her in?"

"She doesn't live here Jill. I'm sorry. She lives with a friend over on Morton Street."

"Oh." Jill replied, somewhat disappointedly. "I was hoping to crash at her place tonight. I have no place to go."

He could foresee it, the problems that the offer might cause him. But he was a gentleman and a gentleman would not turn her away. He just hoped that he would not live to regret his decision.

"Jill, you are welcome to stay here tonight. I have a spare bedroom and you can crash here until you can get in touch with Rachel."

"Are you sure Ross? Thank you. You are such a good friend!" She replied.

"You're welcome. You are my guest. If there is anything you need, please let me know. The kitchen is through there and the bathroom is in the hallway." Raising himself from the couch her escorted her to the guest bedroom. "Are you hungry, I can fix you something?"

"No, I'm fine." She replied.

"If you feel like a snack, please help yourself. I need to get some sleep; I usually don't work on the weekends but I have an early day tomorrow. If there's nothing else then I'll bid you good night."

"Good night and thanks for saving me." She replied.

"It's nothing." He replied as he closed his bedroom door and prepared for bed.

"Oh my God!" She thought as she threw her belongings on her bed. "Ross Gellar. I can't believe how much he's changed. He's so gorgeous! I have to play this just the right way."

After changing, Jill exited her bedroom and proceeded to the bathroom where she narrowly missed colliding with Ross.

"Sorry." He said as he left the bathroom. "I didn't see you, I'm half asleep. See you tomorrow. Remember; if you need anything just take it."

"Thanks again." She replied. "Good Night."

She was blushing and feeling faint. Luckily for her he actually was half asleep and didn't notice. He had exited the bathroom dressed only in a pair of sweatpants, his chest as bare as it could be. She had tried to lower eyes but she had been too late. Each of his muscles were well defined and distinct. His arms were well toned and bulging. "I've got to take a cold shower!" she thought as she quickly closed the bathroom door.

Jill was not prepared to play the part fate had in store for her. Yes, she had played many parts, the princess, the man-eater, but none would be as alien to her as the innocent. She was just being Jill …

The knock on the door came with a whimper, the tiny hands barely making enough contact to be audible. She waited a few seconds and then tried again. No response came from the other side of the door. She sighed and decided to ring the doorbell.

"Hold on ... just a minute!" was the response from the apartment.

Rachel froze; it was a woman's voice. "My God! He's got a woman it there! He told me how much he cared and then he spends the night with some slut!" She thought to herself.

Just then the door swung open. Rachel didn't know what to do "Do I run or kill?" She thought.

A short blonde figure stood in the doorway, her face covered by her hair …

"Yes, what can I do for you?" She asked, pulling her hair to the side and opening her sleepy eyes.

"Um, .." Rachel was at a loss for words.

"Rachel! There you are." Jill replied as she wrapped her arms around her sister.

"Jill, what are you doing here?"

"I came here last night looking for you. Daddy kicked me out and I had no other place to go. I was given this building as your address so I came here looking for you and a place to stay." She replied. "But when I got here there was nobody home." She continued, "You are not going to believe this but at about one in the morning the most gorgeous guy woke me. Do you remember Ross Gellar? I had no place to go so he let me stay the night!"

By now the picture had become clear and Rachel was feeling a bit uncomfortable with it. She could picture it in her mind ... it started to make sense. She trusted Ross and knew his intentions were honorable but Jill was another matter altogether …

"Jill, may I speak to Ross please?" She asked as she walked past her sister and into the apartment.

"I don't think he's here right now. He said something last night about making an early day of it."

"Alright then. Why don't you get yourself cleaned up and I'll take you to breakfast. It will be my treat." Rachel replied.

"Great! I'll go get dressed." Jill replied as she walked off into her bedroom. "Hey Rach …" Jill queried from behind her door. "Do you know if Ross is seeing anyone right now?

"Why do you ask?" Rachel asked, not looking forward to the answer.

"I'm just curious. We really hit it off last night. He was so nice and sweet to me and he is so incredibly gorgeous too!" She replied.

"This is going to be fun." Is all Rachel could think at that moment.

After what seemed like hours of incessant questioning about her husband and his dating availability Rachel was finally able to get her sister to shut up and go to breakfast. The time at breakfast gave Rachel an opportunity to discover Jill's true intentions. She chose her words well …

"So why did Daddy throw you out Jill?" Rachel began.

"It was something stupid. I don't want to talk about it." Jill replied, embarrassed.

"No, come on. I'm your sister, you can tell me." Rachel exhorted, trying to get her sister to talk.

"Ok, alright. Do you promise not to laugh?"

"Sure. I won't laugh." Rachel replied.

"OK … I bought a boat."

"You bought a boat?"

"Yeah. But it wasn't for me it was for a friend. I know I was stupid and I know I shouldn't have done it but she bought me all of these CDs and she said I had a really nice haircut."

Rachel struggled to compose herself. Inside she was dying a quick death by laughter but she couldn't hurt her sister by letting her know.

"So let me get this straight. You bought a boat … for your friend … with Daddy's money … and he threw you out?" Rachel struggled to get out.

"Yeah. Then he told me to come here to learn the value of money from the one daughter he is actually proud of."

As much as she feared her father she still loved and respected him. She felt vindicated … the decision that changed her life six years ago had been the right one.

After lunch, Jill enthusiastically suggested that they go shopping.

"Sure, we can go shopping." Rachel reluctantly agreed. Since Jill probably had no money it would be her wallet that would take the brunt of the damage.

Hours later and with several bags in-hand the sisters trudged up the stairs to Ross's apartment. While they hadn't thought about it neither had a key to gain entry. Rachel hoped that he was home.

"Rachel, can you take these bags please?" Jill enquired.

"Sure, give them to me." Rachel, now thoroughly overloaded replied.

"OK could you hand me the key?" Jill asked.

"Jill, I don't live here. I don't have a key!" Rachel replied trying to keep from dropping any of the bags she was carrying.

"Then how are we going to get in Rachel?"

"Jill, look at your right hand, do you see it?"

"Sure, so what do you want me to do with it?"

"OK, make your hand into a fist."

"Alright, now what?"

"Now turn around and hit the door with it." Rachel replied.

"Oh, oh sure." As she knocked.

Within a few seconds movement could be heard from the other side of the door.

"One second … I'll be right there." He replied.

As Ross opened the door he could hardly keep a straight face. To the right was Jill, smiling, bubbly and unencumbered by shopping bags. To the left he spied either his wife or a giant shopping bag monster, he couldn't decide which. Whatever it was it didn't look happy.

"Could I get some help here please?" Rachel demanded, not looking at all pleased with the look on his face.

"Sure, sorry. You just looked funny." He replied, taking most of the bags from her.

"I'm glad that you found it so amusing!" Rachel replied, walking into the apartment and plopping down hard on the couch.

"Can I get you both something to drink?" Ross asked.

"How about a diet coke please." Responded Jill.

"Rach?" he continued.

"That'll be fine, thanks."

Ross entered the kitchen and went right to work. As he worked he felt a presence behind him. He hoped it was her …

"Rach?" he asked, too busy to look around.

"Yes, it's me." She replied. "So what's going on between you and my sister? Were you ever going to tell me?"

"I got home last night after our walk, totally exhausted, to find Jill sleeping in the hallway. I couldn't just leave her there. She had no place to go. Rachel, that is my sister-in-law out there." He replied.

"So Ross, nothing happened between the two of you?"

He turned quickly but with no intended threat to her. His stare was intense, a combination of frustration and sympathy for the one he loved, the one he hurt. It was the fact that he was responsible for that pain that he did not explode at her at that moment. He stared into her eyes for only an instant before saying "I thought I had an idea of how much I must have hurt you. I guess I was wrong. If you have to ask me that question then my words and actions have failed to convince you of my feelings for you and my commitment to "us". I want to make this very clear to you, if we never are "we" again then it will not be because I don't love you or haven't tried. It will be because of that night so long ago that I lost one of my valuable possessions, your trust. Do you have your answer?"

"I have." She replied, inwardly disappointed with herself for even thinking they were involved.

Leaving the kitchen and returning to the couch Ross handed the sisters their drinks.

"Relax you two. You've obviously had a hard day. Take a load off before dinner." Ross suggested, trying to alleviate the tension with Rachel.

Finding himself in another uncomfortable situation, Ross considered how to deal with the issue of where Jill would stay that night.

"So what plans have you both made for tonight?"

"Jill is going to pack her stuff and stay with Phoebe and me at our place." Replied Rachel.

"What … why?" retorted Jill. "I like it here and I have my own bedroom."

"Jill!" snapped Rachel. We have plenty of room over at our place." Calming down she continued "It will give us some time to catch up and talk about what you want to do from now on. How are we going to talk about these things with you staying over here?"

Ross was exhibiting a calm and cool exterior but inside he was sweating bullets. He was concerned about where the conversation was going. He was dreading the call of his name. He prayed the sisters would not pull him into this …"

"Ross, what do you think?" asked Rachel.

"Think Ross, think … come on, come on … you can do it." He was grasping at any settlement that would be satisfactory to both. With no way out he thought of a way to buy some time …

"Ladies please, please don't argue. How about we go down and grab a pre-dinner coffee at Central Perk and then perhaps a relaxing dinner at a restaurant of your choosing … my treat! So what do you say?"

King Solomon could not have done a better job at diffusing the situation. Both sisters looked at Ross, then at each other, then back at Ross before agreeing to the terms of the cease-fire.

"Agreed." They replied in unison.

"Let's get cleaned up and put on some fresh clothes over at my place Jill." Rachel urged.

"But my stuff is here Rachel, remember? Why don't you go change at your place? I'm going to shower and do my hair before changing. Ross and I will meet you at Central Perk, OK?

"You little $& )$ $!" is all Rachel could think of saying, but she didn't. It would have blown their cover. Instead, she glanced at Ross who was trying to tell her to go, it would be all right, there would be nothing to worry about.

Defeated yet confident in her husband's dedication to her, she withdrew through the door …

"OK, I'll see you both in an hour for coffee." And she was gone.