Anything for Love

Chapter 19: The One Where Joey Finds Out

Joey was miserable. He didn't know how he was going to be able to go back to work knowing that the love of his life and his best friend was pregnant with another man's baby. She had just met the dude! How was this even possible? Talk about a fast mover!

He regretted the day he even agreed to be in this movie. He never should have left Phoebe. If he had just stayed on his little soap opera and enjoyed what he already had, he would be married to Phoebe by now. They could have gotten by just fine on their salaries. But, no. He had to get greedy and sign up for a movie that meant six months away from Phoebe. True, he had done it for their future, but it had backfired. Instead of securing their future, it had ended it.

He sighed. He wished so badly that Phoebe was pregnant with his baby instead of with that Biff, Jiff, whatever the heck his name was. It was a stupid name, whatever it was.

He knew he had said on The Early Show that he couldn't see himself having children with anyone, but that was only the case because he just didn't want to hurt Phoebe's feelings since he thought she might not be able to have children. He didn't want her to see her on television and feel bad by him saying he wanted to have children with her when he knew darn well she might never be able to have any. Or so he thought. He had also said it because he wasn't back together with Phoebe, and if he couldn't have children with Phoebe, then he didn't want them at all.

If he wouldn't be sued, he would have quit the movie right then and there. He now hated the movie for what it had done to him and Phoebe. However, he didn't want to screw his co-workers over. He also knew a law suit would wipe him out. It was a huge production studio, and if they sued him, their lawyers would make sure he didn't win the lawsuit, no matter how many magazines he was on. He had no choice but to suck it up and go back to work. At least he only had three more months left. He could handle it if he really pushed himself.

He managed to drag himself out of bed, shower, and get ready for the day. He had promised Chandler and Ross he would go with them to the gym.

"I can't believe she is getting married," Joey grumbled as he ran the treadmill in the middle of Ross' and Chandler's treadmills.

"I wouldn't worry about it. It came up so fast, I doubt it will last. They'll probably break up before the wedding even gets underway," Chandler said reasonably. "Heck, look at how many times Ross has been married. I'm sure she's learned from his mistakes."

"Haha," Ross said, unamused. "Bottom line is Rachel and I had some obstacles in our way, and it took several years for us to get back together, but we eventually were able to find our way back to each other. You will too with Phoebe. You two have known each other for so long. You're soul mates. I truly believe that."

"I thought so too, but now she's pregnant with his twins." Joey felt sick suddenly, and got off the treadmill. I shouldn't have come. I'm too depressed to work out."

"What you need is a woman to get your mind off of Phoebe. She moved on and so should you," Chandler said to him. He pointed to a busty, curly haired brunette in turquoise spandex leggings, a Barbie pink leotard, and Barbie pink leg warmers with white sneakers. "She's a little stuck in the eighties, but she's cute."

Ross smirked. "And stacked."

The girl as if sensing she was being admired, looked over their way. She smiled at Joey, and Joey nodded at her, barely smiling. "W'sup?" he muttered, turning away before she could even answer.

"'W'sup?'" Chandler asked. "No 'How you doin'? You really are bummed out!" He got off his treadmill as well.

Ross followed suit.

"Phoebe's the only woman for me," Joey said.

Just as he said that, Cliff entered the room to see if anyone needed his help. He smiled when he saw the guys and walked right over to them. "Hey, guys! How's it going? It's Ross, Joey, and… I'm sorry, for the life of me I can't remember your name."

"It's Chandler. Don't feel bad. My name isn't a very common name. I forget it myself sometimes," Chandler joked.

Cliff laughed. "You're the funny one!" He then turned to Ross. "You're the smart one." He looked at Joey. "You're the sexy, mysterious, cool one."

Joey perked up. "Did Phoebe say all that?"

Cliff shook his head. "No, it's just my own observation."

Joey's face fell. "Oh." He cheered up a bit then and managed a smile. "I am, aren't I? You can tell that after having met me only once!"

"I'm sorry if dinner was awkward. I know it must be hard for you to see Phoebe with another man and pregnant with his children so soon after you two broke up. Honestly, I never would have started something with her if I had any inkling that you were still together," Cliff apologized to Joey.

Joey felt his anger toward Cliff start to fade a little. "It's okay. I'm sorry I was rude to you. I guess it's just hard for me. She and I were such good friends, and now we're broken up. It's rough."

"I understand." Cliff placed his hand over Joey's shoulder. "I've been through my own share of breakups. Seeing an ex for the first time with someone else is always hard. I can imagine how much worse it is with a sudden wedding and pregnancy involved. I promise you though, I love Phoebe so much, and I will be the best husband and father to our children I can be to her and them."

Joey nodded. "Then you're okay in my book. That's all I could ever want—for her to be happy and well taken care of." He just wished he could be the man to do that for her. Even though the babies weren't his, he would love them like his very own because they were part Phoebe.

"I have to get back to work, but take care." Cliff pat Joey's shoulder. He addressed them all then. "It was good seeing you all again."

"Ross, Chandler, and Joey, all said it was nice seeing him too, and then he disappeared into the back room.

"That dude is totally gay," Chandler said with a snort.

Joey snorted himself. "And I thought I was the dumb one! He's married to Phoebe, and he got her pregnant. That doesn't say gay to me."

"The dude said you were sexy! What guys says that to another guy?" Ross asked.

"Not to mention the way he kept putting his hand on you," Chandler added.

Joey made a face. "You guys are sick!"

Chandler shrugged. "I'm just saying', maybe the dude swings both ways."

"Cheer up! At least that would mean he might be open to letting you be included in his and Phoebe's sex life," Ross joked.

Joey made an even more disgusted face. "You guys are both disgusting! I'm outta here. I'll see you later."

He started to head out, but then the cute girl from earlier stopped him. "Hi! My name's Cathy. I usually don't do this, but you're really cute, and I have watched everything you've ever been on."

"Would you like a picture or an autograph?" Joey asked; used to this by now.

She blushed. "Actually, I was kind of hoping you'd be free for lunch? My treat?"

He smiled. "Sure." He hadn't meant to say it, but it just came out. Anyway, Phoebe had a new man now whom she was going to marry and have his twins. Maybe Chandler was right, and it was time for him to move on too. "But I'll treat. Joey Tribbiani doesn't make a woman pay. At least not anymore." He then gave her his famous grin that drove all the woman wild. "How you doin'?"

She giggled.

"Just let me hop in the shower, and I'll be out in ten minutes. I'll let you pick the place," he said.

"Sounds good! I have to shower too, but give me fifteen minutes. I want to make sure I'm extra fresh for you." She smiled and winked at him.

He grinned. "You got it!"

They then headed off to their separate locker rooms.

Later that day, Phoebe had finished her massages early, and was just sitting down in front of her couch ready to binge watch Grey's Anatomy with some Chinese food, when Cliff called her.

With a sigh, she set aside her lo-mien and picked up the phone.

"Hey, Babe, what are you wearing?" Cliff teased.

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Ha, ha. What's up?"

"I spoke to Joey today. He and your other two guy friends came into the gym."

Phoebe was instantly on alert. "You didn't tell him anything you weren't supposed to, did you?"

"Only that I'm actually gay, and not really into you," Cliff said seriously.

"Cliff!" Phoebe snapped.

Cliff laughed. "Will you relax? I didn't tell him a thing other than I loved you so much, blah, blah, blah. I must have been pretty convincing because he stopped being so cold and warmed up to me. He said all he cares about is that you're happy and well taken care of. He seemed so sad though. I really do think he loves and misses you."

"Did he say he did?" Phoebe asked.

"Na, but he didn't have to. I could tell from the look on his face and the tone in his voice."

Phoebe didn't say anything as she contemplated this.

"You still there?"

"Yes. Sorry. Look, thanks for calling me, but I have to go. I just ran a bath and the tub is full," Phoebe lied. Honestly, she just didn't want to talk anymore.

"All right. Have a good night then. And Phoebe?"

"Yes?"

"He's really hot—even more so now that he's not acting like the ice king around me. Would you mind if I asked him out?"

Phoebe laughed out loud. "Good luck with that! I'm sorry, but he is as far from gay as one could possibly get!"

"That's only because he's never been with me before," Cliff teased.

"Good luck with that," Phoebe said with a smirk.

"Don't worry, I was only teasing. But he really is hot!"

"Goodbye, Cliff," Phoebe said, still smiling as she hung up.

She then sighed as she thought about what Cliff had said that Joey had said. She wondered if maybe it was time to talk to him after all.

Joey tried to wine and dine his date, but his heart wasn't in it. He wanted Phoebe, and as hot as this woman was, she just wasn't her.

"So what do you think?" the busty brunette asked him.

"I'm sorry, Callie, what did you say?"

The woman smiled. "It's Cathy."

Joey blushed. "So sorry. Callie. My bad."

"I was just asking if you wanted to come back to my place for some coffee and pound cake," Dana repeated.

Joey nodded. "Sure!" He was never one to turn down food, or going to a beautiful woman's home. "Do you live alone?"

"I do for a couple of days. My roommate is out of town. She travels a lot for her job. She's a talent scout," Cathy explained.

"Cool. She helps people like me get roles!" Joey said.

Cathy smirked. "That's usually what a talent scout does."

Joey paid the bill and helped her with her jacket, and then they headed out. They took the subway to her apartment on the upper west side.

"It's a nice place you got here," he commented. Her apartment was about as big as Monica's, and maybe even a little nicer.

"Thanks! Make yourself at home. How do you like your coffee?" Cathy called from the kitchen.

"One sugar and a little cream please," Joey requested.

Cathy brought his coffee and pound cake over to him, and he thanked her.

She sat down next to him and they drank their coffee and had their pound cake while making small chat.

"So what's it like being in the movies? Is it as glamourous as is seems?" she asked.

Joey shrugged. "It's cool. It is thrilling to get to play so many different characters. It's also very cool to act with celebrities I've grown up admiring. Though it doesn't take long for the thrill to ware off. Soon you realize they're just like anyone else. They're just normal people like me. Well, maybe I'm not quite as normal as they are." He grinned to show he was teasing.

Cathy laughed. "I love a man with a good sense of humor."

"The pay is good too," Joey continued. "I'm not going to lie, I came to the city with hardly enough to live by. It's very nice to be financially stable now. I'm hoping for a few more movies, and then I'll feel a hundred percent secure. I also plan on going back to my soap, Love and Freedom, when this movie wraps.

"Sounds like a good plan! It sounds way more exciting than my job as a waitress," Cathy replied.

Joey had to wonder how she could afford such a lavish apartment just being a waitress. He suspected her roommate paid the brunt of the rent. Either that or Cathy was also secretly an exotic dancer. He kind of hoped the exotic dancer was it.

They finished their coffee and pound cake, and set their dirty dishes on the coffee table.

Cathy then grabbed a remote and dimmed the lights. She then grabbed another remote and turned the stereo on to a light jazz station.

She moved closer to Joey on the couch. "So, you like pretending to be someone else, don't you?"

Joey blushed. "I—I guess so, yes."

She moved even closer yet. "I can be anything you want me to be, she purred into his ear. "A nurse, a dominatrix…" She licked up his ear, slow and sensual. "I have the costumes for both men and women. You could be a doctor, a fireman, or even Tarzan. You Tarzan, me Jane." She grinned.

Joey grinned too. "For now, let's just be me and you."

"We can do that," she said.

She then leaned in to kiss him, but he quickly backed away.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I'm sorry. I just got out of a relationship," Joey apologized. He was mentally kicking himself. What was wrong with him? Phoebe had already moved on and then some. So why couldn't he?"

Cathy shrugged. "It's all right. I can make you forget all about her." She pulled him close and kissed him hard.

He moaned, and kissed her back with only slightly less passion.

She then placed her hand over his crotch and began to massage him.

He moaned, but quickly pulled away from her. "What are you doing?"

She looked surprised. "Trying to turn you on, but it doesn't seem to be working. I guess either you're gay or I'm not as attractive as I think I am."

"Joey Tribbiani is not gay!" Joey said instantly, holding his hands up.

Cathy's face fell. "Then I guess I'm just not as attractive as I thought I was."

"It's not that. I'm sorry. I'm just trying to get over my fiancé too soon. I'm not ready to date anyone else yet," Joey apologized.

"Didn't I read that she moved on with someone else already?" Cathy asked.

"Sheesh! Word moves fast," Joey grumbled.

Cathy shrugged. "When you're in the public eye, anyone who is or was a part of your life is part of the public eye as well."

Joey nodded. "I guess that's right." He placed a hand over her shoulder. "Don't get me wrong, you're a gorgeous woman. Heck, the old me would have been all over, you, and I do mean all over you."

"But you're still in love with someone else," Cathy said in understanding.

Joey nodded. "And I think I always will be."

Cathy kissed his cheek. "You're a good man, Joey Tribbiani. I'm just sorry we didn't meet before you met your ex."

Joey smiled at her. "A beautiful girl like you will find someone else is no time."

Cathy nodded. "That is true."

They both laughed.

Cathy then got up and showed him to the door.

"Thank you for the coffee and pound cake, and for being so understanding," he said in the doorway.

"And thank you for dinner, and for the honesty." She kissed his cheek again.

He smiled at her, and then left.

Cathy shut and locked the door behind him, and then she leaned against the closed door and smiled. "So the date hadn't gone as she had hoped it would. At least she could still say she went on a date with Joey Tribbiani and made out with him…for a few seconds.

She grinned, and headed off to bed to watch some television. It was a night she would never forget, for sure. She just hoped his ex knew how foolish she was for letting him go.

Phoebe had decided to finally talk to Joey. She grabbed her purse, and slipped on her jacket and shoes, and then headed over to Monica's city apartment where she knew Joey was staying.

When she got there, she found that Monica was clearing the lunch plates. She and Chandler had just finished dinner.

"I didn't expect to see you here," Phoebe said after greeting Monica and Chandler with a pleasant hello.

"It started to slow down a little, so I decided to take a late lunch break and let my sous-chef take over," Monica replied. She then smiled. "If you didn't expect to see us here, does that mean you came to see Joey?"

Phoebe smiled shyly and nodded. Chandler didn't even know that the babies were Joey's, so she didn't want to say much. "I just wanted to talk to him about something."

Monica got the hint. "Chandler was just leaving to go visit Ross."

Chandler raised an eyebrow. "I was?"

Monica gave him the look that he had learned by now meant to listen to her or suffer the consequences.

"Tell Rachel to come over if she can," Monica ordered.

"I don't know why I have to leave," Chandler grumbled. "Joey's not even home. He's still out with that chick we guys met at the gym."

Monica loudly cleared her throat.

Chandler shrugged. "What? She's getting married to another man and is having his twins. What does she care?"

"Chandler, just go. Now. Please?" Monica said through clenched teeth.

"All right, all right! But what about the chocolate lava cake? I didn't even get any yet!"

Monica let out an exasperated groan, and quickly got a big to-go container. She placed two lava cakes in it and handed the container to him. "Take some to Ross too. Now just go."

Chandler did as told, finally.

"I really shouldn't have come. I was a mistake. Joey has already moved on, so why tell him now?" Phoebe asked as soon as Chandler had left.

"Phoebe, he's only trying to move on because he thinks you've moved on. Regardless, he deserves to know he's the father of these twins," Monica said.

"He doesn't even want kids!" Phoebe snapped. "I highly doubt he'll want these." She placed her hands over her stomach. "We don't need him."

Monica rolled her eyes. "Of course he'd be thrilled to have children with you, and of course you need him! Don't be stupid!"

"Real nice, Monica, calling me stupid!" Phoebe snapped; offended.

They continued to argue about it until Rachel showed up.

"Whoa! What are you two arguing about? I can hear you all the way down the hall coming in!" Rachel said, shutting the door behind her.

"Phoebe here refuses to tell Joey that the babies are his!" Monica said.

"He's currently on a date with another woman. He also said he didn't want children. It's better for both of us if he never knows!" Phoebe snapped.

"Being on a date doesn't mean he's over you. I'd say it's more like he's trying to forget you," Rachel assured her.

"Oh and that is so much better!" Phoebe snapped with an eye roll.

Rachel glared at her. "You know what I mean! He loves you, Phoebs! You need to grow up and stop playing games."

"Oh, so to Monica I'm stupid, and to you, I'm immature. What nice friends I have!" Phoebe said.

"Phoebe, you know that's not what either of us meant. You're not stupid or childish, but your actions are," Monica said calmly.

Rachel nodded. "Phoebe, she's right. Think about the twins. Are you just going to lie to them their whole life about who their father is? Is Cliff always going to have to be around? Never get married because he has to pretend to be married to you and the father to your children?"

Phoebe thought about it for a moment. "We could have a break up."

"Still, he'd still always have to be around if he is supposedly the twins' father," Monica said. "You're not thinking this through rationally."

Phoebe shrugged. "Look, it's not your decision, all right? I know it's going to be a tough situation, but I'll figure it out when the time comes. I'll pretend Cliff dies, and if Joey ever sees him, Cliff can pretend to be Cliff's twin brother Biff. You know Joey, he'll never know the difference!"

"And what? Have the twins believing their father is dead? What happens if they ever find out the truth? They'll resent you forever!" Monica snapped.

"Yeah, well, no one's going to know the twins are Joey's unless one of you tell him! And if you do, believe me, our friendship is over for good," Phoebe warned.

"The twins are mine?" Joey asked.

All three women jumped at the sound of his voice. They had been so wrapped up in their argument, and they hadn't been facing the door, so they hadn't even heard or seen him come in.

Phoebe looked at him and her face instantly flushed. She was stunned speechless.

"Phoebe, answer me. Are the twins really mine?" Joey demanded.

Phoebe felt her resolve give in. Well, no one had ratted on her after all. She had ratted on herself. With a sigh, and slumped shoulders, she nodded. "Yes. You're the father, Joey."

"Are you sure?" Joey asked.

Phoebe nodded. "Cliff and I aren't even a thing. I never slept with him. He's not even straight. I never slept with anyone else since being with you. Without a doubt the babies are yours."

Joey just stared at her, too shocked to speak.