ActionScript 2.0 :: Three Main Keyframes - How To Control Loop Function

I have a flash piece with 3 main keyframes/story ("story1", "story2" & "story 3") that cycles (and loops) from story to story, and 3 buttons that stop the cycle and take you to one of the stories

So on my first frame I have:
_root.mainMC.playing = "true";
function playOn(frame) {
/gotoAndPlay(frame);
}

Then on each keyframe I have:
stop();
setTimeout(this,'playOn',2000,"whatever the next frame is")

Then on button I have:
on (press) {
_root.mainMC.playing = "false";
gotoAndStop("story3");
}

I think somehow I have to have the button clear the function because for example, if I am viewing story 1 during the cycle and click 3, it goes to 3 and then quickly goes back to 2 and then stops on 3.