Heartbeat || j. tribbiani (completed)

XVI. THE ONE WITH THE APOLOGY

"hree steps for dressing as a guest for a wedding" Katrina remembered her mother saying as Nora brushed her hair looking at her through the mirror.
"step one, nothing white it is un traditional to wear something white if you are not the bride. step two, where something to show off your best features. Nothing too slutty, but sexy. Finally, Never out shine the bride or godzilla will attack just like your aunt did when she got married."
"who out shined her?" young Katrina asked.
"me." Spotting Chandler running down the hallways Nora groaned, "Chandler for god sake, stop running in the house!"

Smiling at the memory as she brushed out her last strand of hair the sound of a knock echoed through the room. Katrina opened it to see Joey in a suit ready for the rehearsal dinner.
"Wow." Joey stated in awe.

"What do you want Tribbiani?"
"I wanted to apologize, I shouldn't have snapped the way I did, I don't know why I did I didn't have an excuse to."
"Your right you don't."
"Please forgive me, so we can go back to the way things were."
"You mean constant sex? You would like that wouldn't you?"
"Please like you didn't like it as well." he smirked kissing the girls neck.

"Joe the reception is in twenty minutes."
"So?"
"Oh screw it. But don't mess up the hair, or I will end you."
"The hair got it." Joey said closing the door as he took off his jacket.
"Kiss me."
~~
"Hi, yes hi. I'm here. Mr. and Mrs Geller nice to see you again. Ross you look dashing, Emily you look beautiful. I need champagne." Katrina greeted, Joey sent them a sly smile and disappearing after the young girl.
"You need to calm down, your going to get us caught." Joey told her.
"Would that really be a bad thing?"
"You're kidding me right?"

"Champagne?" the waiter asked as Katrina sent him a smile and grabbed two, which caused Joey to grab one.

"What's going on with her?" Chandler asked approaching.
"Katrina, are you alright?" Chandler asked shaking his sister.

"Fine fine, just very very happy about this wedding, I'm going to go find Mon."
"Sir?" the waiter asked Joey.
~~
"I'd like to toast, Ross and Emily. Of course, my big toast will be tomorrow at the wedding, so this is kind of my little toast or Melba toast, if you will. Okay. I known Ross for a long time. In fact, I knew him when he was going out with his first girlfriend.And I thought things were going to work out for him..Until the day he over inflated her. oh dear god." Chandler pauses "And I'm sure we're all very excited that Ross and Emily are getting married at Montgomery Hall. I mean to think, my friend getting married in Monty Hall Ohh, come on!! Monty Hall!! Lets make a Deal!! Come on, you people!! All right, forget it!! Congratulations, Ross and Emily."
"Hey, best man number two, Joey Tribbiani. Now I'm not good with the jokes like Chandler here. Boy...but ahh, I just want to say congratulation to the happy couple. I first met Ross in this coffee house back home...Home...New York City...Where everybody knows my name. Well anyway, I love you guys but not as much as I love America." Joey tells everyone looking at Chandler, "could we please go home now?"

A bridesmaid puts her arm around Joey.
"Are you going home? I was hoping to get to know you better."
Joey put his arm around her. "I'm not going anywhere sweetheart" this causes Katrina to break the silence.
"I'm gonna use the bathroom."
"Strange. Strange girl." Mrs. Waltham shakes her head as Katrina exits the room. Monica follows after shorty excusing herself.
~~
Katrina sniffles in the stall as she places her face in her hands.
"Kat?" Monica wondered walking in.
"I just forgave him Mon, how many times am I supposed to forgive him?" Katrina asked her as Monica leaned against the door of the stall.

"Who are we talking about Honey? Is it Joey."
"Yes it's Joey! I don't know why, but he makes me so happy, it's like I can't let go."
"You don't give up on the people you love Kat, it he makes you happy go tell him, go tell him you want to be with him for real. Chandler only wants you to be happy. How long has it been?"
"six months, about."
"and he's still with you?"
"Did you not see what he did with that bridesmaid."
"That's classic Joey, Kat-"
"But I don't love Classic Joey! I love the Joey who is funny, sweet, loving, and caring."
"Katrina can you please come out so I can hug you? Your not the only one who could use a little team mina." Monica told her causing Katrina to smile and get up opening the stall door and hugging her. After exchanging the hugs Katrina whipped her tears, fixed her makeup and headed out the door.
~~
"Dude what are you doing?" Ross asked pulling Joey away from the Bridesmaid.

"What do you mean?"
"Katrina you idiot! The woman you love!"
"look I may love her but she certainly doesn't love me."
"are you insane? You may not be her first, her last, or her only. She loved before she may love again. But if she loves you now, what else matters? She's not perfect—you aren't either, and the two of you may never be perfect together but if she can make you laugh, cause you to think twice, and admit to being human and making mistakes, hold onto her and give her the most you can. She will give you a part of her that she knows you can break—her heart. So don't hurt her, don't change her, don't analyze and don't expect more than she can give. Smile when she makes you happy, let her know when she makes you mad, and miss her when she's not there. Because she may be the best damn thing that ever happened to you. So for the love of god, just go talk to her!"
"Okay, okay. But if this goes horribly wrong don't think twice I won't set a wild animal to your wedding."

"I need to talk to you." Joey and Katrina said, Katrina sighed and pulled him into a hallways.
"Joey I'm not some bed toy you can just sleep around with, okay? I am a person with feelings-"

Joey cupped her cheeks with her hands causing her to stop talking the two looks into each others eyes before he dropped his hands.
"what did you do that for?" Katrina asked confused.
"I needed you to stop talking and listen to me."
"and there was no other way of doing that?"
"i'm sorry but I need to tell you this now. I'm not good with commitment; I'm not good with long relationships. This is the longest relationship I've ever had and I am aware your not a sex doll or whatever you called it. Your a strong powerful woman who can do anything she sets her mind to, your determined, beautiful, loving, caring and have a heart of gold. You don't even known how many times I tried to think of ways to forget you and yet here I am, still feeling like I can't live without you. I love you. I'm in love with you. I have tried to kill it, to run away from it, but I can't and I don't want to anymore. It's always been you since the beginning we've met, When we're together you're all I think about I love you so much, it consumes me."

"Joey. I love you too, so so much." Katrina said tears brimming her eyes as Joey smiled bending down and kissing her gently.

And that exact moment, Katrina realized, he was no longer just her world, but he was her entire universe and it all started with a heartbeat.