Chapter 21:
Panicking
The next day… in Monica and Joey's bedroom…Monica and Joey woke up in each other's arms. Joey looked at his new fiancé and smiled widely.
Joey- good morning honey
Monica- good morning…
Joey- did you sleep well, Mrs. Tribianni?
Monica suddenly started feeling very nervous. She was really going to be Mrs. Tribianni... she was going to become Joey's wife. Joey, noticed her nervousness and winked at her and kissed her softly on the lips.
Joey- I just called you that to practice for the future… are you scared about us getting married?
Monica- I guess I'm a little nervous…
Joey- I understand, Mon… you know what's weird?
Monica- what?
Joey- I'm not nervous at all… I feel great! I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you… it will be great waking up next to you every morning for the rest of our lives…
Joey was holding her and he sounded so happy… Monica suddenly felt a tightening sensation in her throat… she was feeling her throat getting more close with each passing second… what was wrong with her? She got up the bed abruptly to recover. Standing up, Monica took a deep breath and she went back to feeling normal.Joey- what happened, Mon?
Monica- nothing… I remembered that I have to meet Alex right now… we are going to by some dresses for tonight's party.
Monica started getting dress as Joey watched her from the bed.
Joey- oh… that's nice… you really don't mind that Alex is coming to the party with us?
Joey was now the star of a new TV show called "Deep Powder"… and that night they had to go to the show's premiere and to the big celebration party afterwards. Since Alex had been very depressed because she had some problems with her husband, Joey invited her to the party.
Monica- of course I don't mind! It will be good for Alex to come with us to that party… she's been so depressed lately…
Joey- I can't believe how her husband is treating her! He treats her like crap!
Monica- I know… she deserves better… I will try to convince her to talk to him…
Joey- thank you… you are the best
An hour later…Alex and Monica were already in the shopping mall looking for some dresses.
Alex- I don't know if I should go… I mean… Erick will be home tonight…
Monica- but he won't come until 4 o'clock in the morning… you can't just stay home doing nothing and waiting for him… plus… you can leave the party early… the important thing is that you do something to distract you…
Alex- you are right…
Monica- and you should really talk to him when you see him…
Alex- I think I'm planning doing everything with him but talking… I'm very horny… and watching four episodes of "E.R." last night didn't help… Noah While is so hot!
Monica- I know! But Alex… you and your husband have serious problems… he travels all the time and he barely pays attention to you when he is home…
Alex- ok… I promise I will talk to him…
Monica- good…
Then, the girls focused on the dresses. Monica chose a simple light pink dress and Alex chose a blue one… both dresses were long. After buying them Alex noticed that the store also had wedding dresses and she saw one that was very beautiful. She showed it to Monica.
Alex- hey, Monica… why don't you try on this wedding dress?
Monica- isn't too soon? Joey and I didn't even set the date for the wedding yet…
Alex- you don't have to buy it… just try this on for fun…
Monica- (smiling) that does sounds fun…
Monica tried on the dress and walked out the dressing room with it…
Alex- oh my God… you look beautiful!
Suddenly they hear a very unexpected voice… Chandler- you do look great…Monica startled and she started feeling problems breathing again but somehow she managed to speak normally and with her face showing no emotion…
Monica- Chandler… what are you doing here?
Chandler- I went to your place…Joey wasn't there but a young boy who was with the twins said that you would be here…
Monica- but… why did you come to L.A.?
Chandler- I just wanted to tell you… I just wanted you to know… I just wanted to say…
Chandler wanted to tell her that he still loved her, that he couldn't live without her…. That he needed her back… that she belonged with him… but when he saw her in that wedding dress he couldn't say those words.
Monica- what?
Chandler- I wanted to say… congratulations… and you do look gorgeous…
He gave her a hug and then he left devastated. Monica seemed happy and he couldn't ruin that.
After Chandler left, Monica wiped the tears in her eyes and looked her self in the mirror. She really looked beautiful in that weeding dress, but somehow she didn't notice that.
In the minute she saw her self in a wedding dress she had serious problems breathing again… she started shocking and sweating. She managed to say…
Monica- Alex… something is wrong… I need to take off this dress…Monica suddenly felt a horrible pain in her chest… she couldn't breathe, her face was red, her whole body was trembling and she was sweating like a pig. Alex tried to help her but Monica passed out in her arms. A shop assistant saw everything and called 911.
At the hospital where they took Monica…One hour and a half later, Monica was feeling normal again…. Thanks to the doctors and paramedics. She was now in the hospital bed and the doctors had told her what was wrong with her and she couldn't believe it. " Did I really have a panic attack? That's not possible" she was thinking that while Joey walked inside her hospital bedroom very worry…
Joey- hi! I came as soon as I could! How are you?
Monica- I'm fine now…
Joey- Alex told me everything… She said that you had a panic attack while you were trying on a wedding dress…
Monica- yes… apparently that is what I had… I'm sorry Joey…
Joey- she also said that you saw Chandler…
Monica- he just congratulated me and gave me a hug…
Joey- don't you think is weird? That he came to L.A. just to congratulate you…
Monica- maybe he just needed a closure… anyway… I'm sorry I panicked over a wedding dress…
Joey- it wasn't your fault… it was mine because I didn't realize how you were feeling…
Monica- is not you Joey… is me… I'm very scared of getting marry again…
Now, Joey was the one freaking out…
Joey- you want to break up with me?
Monica- no! I want to be with you… but I don't want to get marry any time soon…
Joey- I understand… but in the distant future…
Monica- in the future I will be your wife… I promise you that someday I will want to marry you…
Joey- ok…
But Joey looked extremely disappointed and Monica hated her self for doing this to him. Joey was so good to her and he was very looking forward to give her a family… it was weird, but for once Joey wasn't afraid of commitment… he was actually willing to make the ultimate commitment with Monica. Joey was behaving just like Monica had wanted Chandler to behave… and now Monica was behaving just like Chandler. That thought made her feel very guilty.Monica- Please… Joey… don't feel bad about this… I love you and I want to be with you… I'm not scared of marriage because of you… is because of what Chandler did to me… I'm so afraid of getting hurt again…
Joey- is that really the only reason? Mon… do you love me?
Monica- yes… I love you very much… come here!
Monica pulled him into an embrace and kissed him softly on the kiss.
Joey- doctors say you can go home now… since there is nothing wrong with you, physically…
Monica- good… because I want to go home with you and go to the party tonight…
Joey- Do you really want to go to the party? Because we might just stay home and order pizza instead. You know I love pizza!
Monica- nonsense! I feel good now and you can't miss that party… so… we both will go…
Four o'clock in the morning… in one of L.A.'s beaches.
After the party, Alex went to his house and Joey and Monica went to take a walk on the beach. They wanted to stay on the beach the rest of the night and watch the sunrise… they were laying on the sand after making love on the beach. And Joey suddenly stood up and said:
Joey- I have an idea! Lets go to Las Vegas right now and marry right there…
Monica looked at him as he was crazy.
Monica- what? don't you remember anything we talked today at the hospital?
Joey- yes… I know you are afraid of getting marry… that's why I think we should do it right now! Does it make any sense?
Monica- none!
Joey- just listen to me, darling… we can just go to Vegas and have a quick wedding… in a few hours we will be married… you won't have time to think about it… before you even know it we will be husband and wife and the scary part will be over.
Monica- but Joey… I told you I don't want to get marry so soon…
Joey- you are scared… but all we have to do is take each other's hand and take that big step together… you will feel so much better after we finally do it…
Monica- I don't think so… please, Joey… stop pressuring me!
Joey- but Mon… if you don't want to marry me now you'll never want it…
Monica- that's not true…
But Monica's tone wasn't convincing at all.
Joey- Mon… you said you love me
Monica- I do love you…
Joey- then what's the problem? Is just a piece of paper!
Monica- if is just a piece of paper then why do you care so much about it?
Joey- because I need it!
Monica- you NEED it?
Monica felt like she was in a very weird and bad dream. Joey Tribianni felt such an urgent need to marry her? That was material for Science Fiction writers.
Joey- Mon… I love you… and I had a lot of girlfriends but this is the first time I actually want a wife… and I want to spend my entire life with you, but I need a demonstration that you feel the same way… I need a proof that you belong to me… that you want to be with me…
Monica- but I'm with you!
Monica didn't understand why Joey was being so stubborn. Then he looked to the ocean and with a very sad look he said…
Joey- but you love somebody else… that's why you won't marry me…
Monica- you are crazy! Who else could I love?
Joey gave her an "is so obvious" look and Monica understood everything.
Joey- you know very dam well who!
Monica- oh my God! Is that why you want to marry me so badly? Because you think I still love Chandler and you think me marring you would prove otherwise… I do not love Chandler!
Joey- I would feel better if you married me… I would really believe you in that case…
Monica had tears in her eyes… she looked at Joey still in shock for what was happening.
Monica- I'm sorry Joey… but I can't marry you just to get your trust…
Later… In Joey's apartment…Joey walked in his apartment alone and feeling very angry… he couldn't believe how silly he had been this whole time. He was incredibly mad at him self… he shouldn't have let this happen… he should have left Monica a lot sooner… he was so angry that he started throwing everything he saw around him to the floor.
Then Alex entered in his apartment very unexpectedly …
Alex- Joey…Joey- not now Alex! I want to be alone…
But after saying that Joey noticed that Alex was in tears… in the middle of sobs she explained:
Alex- I talked to Erick… we talked about everything… and we are getting separated…Joey- oh… I'm so sorry…
Joey walked towards her and pulled her into a big embrace and hold her while she cried in his arms and Joey felt free to cry as well… they both had just lost great loves and understand each other.
Meanwhile… at the beach…Monica was sited in the sand with her knees in her chest and her hands covering her face. She was crying a river, which unfortunately wasn't new for her. Without Chandler she hadn't been able to find true happiness. Surely the twins brought her a lot of joy and she was very happy because she had them. But deep down in her soul something was very wrong… she felt empty… incomplete… like something was missing.
Being with Joey made her mind forget about that. Because he was great and he was the perfect man: sweet, charming, nice and very good looking. But her heart… her heart couldn't let Chandler go… she loved him… she needed him, and that was no shocking news to her… but another realization surprised her: she was willing to leave the whole situation with Andrew behind her… for real this time. She was willing to spend the rest of her life with Chandler and truly forgive him. She was willing to forget the past and trust Chandler completely again.
But now it was too late… Chandler simply came to L.A. congratulated her and got his closure. He was probably in the plane to New York by now… and Monica was very cold and she was alone in the beach… no other human being was on that beach. It was too early in the morning besides some dark clouds started to cover the sky and it looked like it was about to rain…
Suddenly, Monica while was crying and feeling colder than ever, she felt a pair of arms around her.
To be continued…Well… I guess you can all guess who else is in that beach….
There is only ONE chapter left! Please… tell me what you think… I need reviews!
Thanks to the people who are reading this and thanks so much to those who did review last chapter!