Frank and Tom didn't exchange any words on the way to Michael's flat, they were too wrapped up in their thoughts. They didn't think that Julia's thing with Michael was that serious, and they were both hurting. In the elevator they finally exchanged glances.

"What do we do when he opens the door ?" Tom asked.
"I have no idea." Frank looked at the elevator's doors, waiting for them to open.

When it finally did they both came out and heard voices further down the corridor. One quick look made them stop and quietly take one step back. Michael was standing in front of his door holding his son. His wife was standing in front of him with the toddler's bag on her shoulder. It didn't look like a pleasant talk.

"Michael, we have already been over this. You are the only one to blame here ! If you had thought about Artie earlier maybe you wouldn't be in this mess."
"I know I did wrong, but you can't keep me from seeing my son !"
"I know. That's why I brought him to you this weekend, but you can't expect more from me."
"Monica, please..." He looked at her, begging her with his sad translucent blue eyes but she didn't fall for it, not after what he had done to their family.
"No Michael, I really can't. Now give him back to me, we have a plane to catch."

He reluctantly complied, having no other choices, but his heart broke when he saw his son's big blue eyes full of tears looking at him over his mother's shoulder as she left him standing there, with nothing left. Behind him was only an empty flat where he couldn't bear to spend all his nights alone. But to be completely honest the woman he would have wanted to find in this apartment wasn't Monica. It was the woman who already occupied all of his mind, that red-headed woman he could never have, that incredible woman who wasn't his.

He was interrupted in his thoughts by the surprising vision of Tom and Frank walking right towards him.

"Frank ? Tom ? What are you doing here ?"

Frank and Tom looked at each other, wondering what to say and who would say it. Finally Tom took the first step as he was the most relaxed of the two.

"We were wondering if by any chance Julia wasn't... er... staying at your place ?"

The surprised look on his face was even stronger than when he first saw them in the corridor. Why would they think that ? There was obviously something he didn't know and he couldn't say if it was good or bad.

"No. Why ? Is she okay ?"

The three of them were still standing in front of the door, you could feel the embarrassment in the air. Frank couldn't get the words out of his mouth. With Tom it wasn't such a big deal because he knew he was on his side, at least on that particular point. But with Michael it was a big deal, it was admitting he had lost her, and probably to him. Yet, if they wanted this encounter to be useful, they probably should play the honesty card.

"She left."
"What do you mean she left ? She left town ? She left the show ?" Michael wasn't really trying to make this easier on Frank.
"She left me, Michael. Happy ?"
"Of course not, I... I want her to be happy and you and Leo seem to be what makes her happy." He was lying of course. He had so many feeling rushing through his head and happy might have been one of them, even though he wasn't sure what it meant to him. She had left her husband, it could only be a good sign for him. But how come she hadn't came to him ? He suddenly became aware of Tom and Frank staring at him and invited them in. They all went to sit down in the living room.

"And you don't know where she is ?"
"Do you really think we would have come here if we knew ? You're the last person I want to see !" Frank was beginning to lose his cool.
"I'm sorry, Frank. I really am."
"You know what ? I don't want to hear it. I didn't came here for that. I came here to find my wife and she obviously isn't here so we'd better go."

Frank and Tom rose and turned to leave. But Michael couldn't just stay there wondering what had happened so he took a chance.

"Wait... Can I... come with you ?"
"There is no chance in hell you could..." But Frank couldn't finish his sentence as Tom, who had been very discreet up until now, interrupted him.
"Yes."
Frank suddenly turned to Tom, stunned. Michael took advantage of his confusion to argue his case.
"If something really is wrong with her I want to be there. Before being anything else we are friends, you know that, Frank. What we did was stupid and we both agree on that." Another lie. Two actually. They didn't really begin as friends and he wasn't at all sorry for what he had done. Even if he kept assuring everybody of the contrary, his feelings for Julia were sincere. Anyway Frank didn't seem at all convinced. Who would be ? So he tried another approach. "If you let me go with you, I promise this will be the last time I see her. Just let me have this last one."

Frank still wasn't really convinced but he agreed anyway, since he had reached a point where nothing could be worse. A little more weirdness couldn't kill him. And maybe Julia would be more inclined to tell the whole truth if everyone was there to uncover the parts where she was lying, as they all knew a different part of her.

However the problem of where to look for her still remained. So Frank reluctantly decided to ask Leo. He knew his son was aware of his mother's location, as he had visited her a few times. He hadn't dared to ask him though because he didn't want him to get in the middle of all this, but he had no choice left. So the three of them went back to the Houstons' house and found a Leo who couldn't believe the association of his dad and his mother's lover. He couldn't resist for long at that and quickly gave up on covering his mother.

"She is with an old friend from college, Will... something. I'll take you there."
"Will... Truman ?" Frank couldn't believe it.
"Yeah exactly, do you know him ?"
"Oh yes, unfortunately I do. He hates me with every fiber of his being."

And here is chapter 3 ! It might be a little bit unrealistic but I really wanted to come to the point where the three of them united. Please review !