Chapter 4: Decisions & Needs.

First of all I wanna thank pumpkinking5 for the amazing reviews and your words, you really know how to make someone feel better, And just… THANK YOU. And to cncgrad02, you are my hero, I love every single one of your stories and you are an inspiration to me, hopefully I get to write as amazing as you do, thanks for subscribing to this crazy idea of mine :). Anyways, here's chapter four. It answers a few questions and situations, hope you like it.

A/N: I do not own Lady Antebellum or their music, lyrics are in italic and bold, the song is called "When you got a good thing." I've always imagined that it will be their wedding song and I just picture them dancing with it and Zac spinning her around, anyways … enjoy :)

"We need to talk." Zac said, sitting in the edge of the bed, facing Vanessa with their daughter.

Vanessa was determinate to talk with her mom and try to work things out, but as soon as she entered the house the pressure became too much, so the first thing she did was take Layla and locked the door of the master bedroom. To her surprise, a serious Zac was waiting for her, and the chatting seemed serious like his face.

"We already talk, Zac." She tried to avoid the unavoidable.

His lips released a sigh and he opened his arms as an invitation for his wife. "Come here." The tone was flat, not letting go a hint.

She tugged a tiny smile and she settled on his lap, her head resting on the crook of his shoulder, and soon his arms surrender her.

Layla was awake, watching the scene of her parents motions rolled in front of her. Blue and brown met her, and she tried to struggle for freedom just to get more attention for her daddy. Zac smiled at her. "She's definitely your daughter." He joked to light the heavy mood.

"Not funny." She whispered in her baby voice, looking back at the blue eyes.

He played a half smile. "C'mon, laughing wouldn't hurt you." His lips touched her temple trying to ease her nerves.

"Do we really need to do this?" She questioned.

Her thoughts crossed his mind, understanding what she was talking about. "You need to decide what you want." The flat tone came back.

Her cute pout adorned her face, causing Zac to smirk. "What about you?"

"I want what you want." He said with confidence.

"You wanna go back to Arroyo Grande."

Zac let out a heavy sigh, stroking his daughter's cheek. "Well… yeah, but I go wherever you go, if you want the same, then that's an extra bonus, but we're talking about Lay's life and your life."

Her face ducked again in his neck. "I want to forget."

His fingers caressed her long curls, taking in her scent; he was going to miss her so much. "I know baby, I know, but it's very simple just say yes or no."

Before Vanessa got the chance to even think straight, her mother stormed in.

"Vanessa Anne Hudgens!" Gina exclaimed, knocking the door as hard as she could.

Layla's lip started to tremble; scared by the sudden noise in the room, her mommy was the first to notice it. "Mom, keep your voice down, you're scaring Layla."

"Open up." She choked out.

Vanessa sighed "Only if you promise to calm down, I don't want Lay to start crying."

Through the door the sound of Gina taking air, get to the small family. "I'm fine, now open the door please."

The coffee eyes looked at the sky ones searching for an option. Zac give her a weak smile. "It's okay baby. Talk to her."

She groaned as she left the little girl in her playpen, tickling her belly, sharing a small smile. "I'll be right back, angel."

"Vanessa Anne, how could you dare to yell at a cop and then storm out?" Gina said raising her voice with every word as she entered the room.

"Mom, keep your voice down please."

"Give me an answer, Vanessa!" Her mother was staring to loosing it, she tried to stay calm and help her daughter but her patience was in the edge. "You could've been arrested and then what happens to your daughter, Vanessa? Did you think that? Do you even think before doing anything? That poor baby is an orphan already for your actions and what you're doing it's not a good example!"

"Of course I think about her! She's all I have left! You just can't storm in here and tell what I'm doing to my baby! I know what I'm doing!" Vanessa yelled at the top of her lungs, people could criticize her, and what she did in her life or marriage, but she'll never ever, let anyone to talk about her Layla, not even her own mother. "She's 4 months old mom, it's not like she's going to start to cut herself because her daddy is gone or I yelled at a stupid detective!"

The petite woman hissed. Nothing was going to defeat her. "Answer my question."

Zac reached his wife's hand and force her to look at him. "Van, stop it, you're not making it better, take a deep breath and calm down. Think about our baby. Calm down."

Her plump lips let a sigh again and look at the furious woman in front of her. "Mom, I'm trying to decide what I'm going to do with our lives, if you don't mind, please, I'll tell you everything later when you're calmed, I need to be alone for a while."

"Is that so?" Her child nodded. "Well, I already decide for you."

"What?"

"You are coming back to San Diego with me and your father." Gina said with a beamed smile.

"FUCK NO, I'm an adult, I know how to take care of myself! I have a baby now mom! WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO FUCKING UNDERSTAND?"

The baby blues of her husband bugged out. "Vanessa, calm down."

"NO ZAC! I won't calm down! She thinks that I'm still the idiotic naïve girl that was humiliated in front of the entire world, and she still thinks that I need her checking on me every 5 minutes but when that happened I didn't even want her help, I was with Starla the entire time!"

Gina's body froze, in her eyes, her baby girl was yelling at the air. "Honey…" She tried to speak but the words wouldn't roll down from her tongue. She was in pure shock.

But soon, Vanessa realized her actions and remembered the reality that was slapping her in the face. "I don't need your help mom, I really don't. I know that I'm talking to my dead husband and I seriously can't care less. All I've got is my angel and a house in the beach, All I need is my life back mom, that's all."

"Vanessa, you need help."

"No I don't." She was more calmed, it was like if the sea parted in two, like if heaven was shining above her, like if God wanted her to do the right thing. All the answers –which at that point, she thought was the right ones-, came to her mind. "I don't know if I'm hallucinating, or dreaming, but I need Zac, I need him and I'm going to keep him around as long as I can."

Gina was speechless. She didn't understand. Her lips parted to say something but nothing came out. She just stood there, looking at her baby girl.

Zac was proud, moved, happy, and a little shocked. He never thought that, his wife, the fragile girl, that one girl who was shy, and afraid, and only opened up when she thought things were getting out of control; Stood facing her mother, defending their family, their truth, their reality, their marriage, their baby, their love. She was stronger, much stronger. And it hurtled him, knowing all she went through just to get her skin a little bit ticker. She was making her own decision, and she didn't care to ask for an opinion. Zac was so proud.

Vanessa wasn't a monster either. She knew her mom was hurting. And it hurt her too. "Mama, I love you, I love you so much. And I still need you. Not as much as I needed you before but I still need you. I need your support Mama, I really do. But now, I'm not ready to let him go, I lost him. And I don't know if I really have him. I need to try this." Her smooth hands covered the shaky hand of her mother and both Hudgens start spilling tears. "I need to be on my own."

With her free hand, the elder woman wiped the small tears that rolled down the olive skin of her child. She contemplated the grown woman standing inches before her. Gina always scolded at her husband for being too over protective and worried about their oldest girl; she kept reminding Greg how much certain blue eyed boy loved to dear life their Baby V, and how big the smile in certain brunette was when that blue eyed boy was near around. And then her baby girl moved in with the boy and grower up wait too fast for her taste, and a couple of years later her daughter was walking in the sand wearing a white dress about to become an official Efron and left the Hudgens apart. And her little girl was becoming more dependent from the boy. Then her baby was having a baby. And now the blue eyed boy was gone. And all of that was in the brown eyes spelling tears. And it finally hit her. The only boy that could put that smile on her baby's lips, and that twinkle in the coffee orbs, and that bright pink in the tanned cheeks was gone. Her son was gone. The man that cared so much about her baby was gone. Gone. And her daughter was broken. How could she let it happen? "I'm sorry baby, I'm so sorry, I'm sorry I haven't support you through this, I'm sorry I didn't listen, I'm really sorry, Baby Girl. And I understand you, it's hard baby and I promise you I'll be with you every step of the way with you. I'm sorry." Gina didn't doubt on pulling her daughter in her arms and stroke her hair like when she was little. Her baby girl was all grown up.

Vanessa's lips drew a soft smile. "I know Mama, I know, and I'm sorry too, I shut you out, and didn't tell you what was going on with Zac. You just need to know that I still need you and I love you. You know that right?"

"Yes, I know. And I love you too."

After couple of more tears and apologizes, the duo smiled at each other promising to not let anything like this happening again. Vanessa was going to need all the strength from her family to walk away from this standing straight. Mrs. Hudgens obliged her child to take a nap after feeding Layla. Of course she didn't want to. The past was going to kidnap her dreams and made her feel more guilty than she already feels, but the tiredness was too strong and she surrender to dreamland. And like she predicted, the memories assaulted her.

"Van, look, I'm sorry, I know I'm a jerk and I understand if you don't want to see me or talk to me, but all I want right now is to see my little angel." Zac was begging in the phone to Vanessa; today was exactly a month since Zac move out from the house.

"Zac, do you realize that it had to past a month for you to want to see your daughter? Do you know that you've missed a lot of her life?"

"I wanted to see her but you kick me out… again." He defended himself, all he wanted was his family back and took care of his girls, not that some random maniac was washing his wife's brain. "Please you know that I love you and Layla, don't do this to me."

Vanessa looked up at the little girl in Jason's arms, smiling at him, holding his bruised nose in her tiny fingers. Zac missed the first time she illuminated the house with her soft giggle. "I haven't done anything Zac, you were the one who hide important stuff to me, you were the one who made us leave our home, and you were the one who didn't stay with us." She let out a groan remembering his past actions. "She was just 2 months old Zachary, and you leave me alone with her, you didn't even bother to call and try to arrange things with me on our anniversary, your job is more important, I get that, you've done it before, but it's not just you and me, Zac, we have a daughter now, she should be your priority. She needs you, you're her father, and I know that she misses you even if she's still little. You need to understand that."

"Van…"

"No, I'm not over, You can't be walking in and out of her life Zac, what's going to happen when she gets older? What if she thinks that you love more acting than her? What am I going to tell her? You can't be doing this Zac." Vanessa's voice was fragile. All she cared about was her baby, not what Zac wanted, At least not now.

His heart was aching, he had never heard so much pain in her voice, and he was the one that caused it. Just him. His fault. "I love her more than life; I would do anything for her. I want to be with you two again, if you could only give me one chance."

"I want many things too Zac, but still, I can't have them."

"Oh! But you could give another chance to Jason, right!" From nowhere, Zac shouted, he was sick of everything. He was so stressed, tired, lonely, and angry. And somehow he always found a way to let it all out in the worst way to his wife. He regretted it.

"Don't start, this isn't about me or you or Jason, this about Layla, and I need you figure out what are we going to do with our marriage."

"What are you talking about?" The simple thought of his life without Vanessa or Layla made him sick. "I'm not losing you, we're not divorcing, No, I'm not going to sign the papers. No."

He heard her gasp in the other line. "No, I'm not talking about that. I'm just telling you, about the press, they're starting all this rumors; I will never, ever, even consider a divorce Zac. That's not the solution."

"Good."

"Think about what I say, promise me that you'll think about Layla."

"I will. I promise."

Vanessa opened her eyes quickly, she found herself in between her husband's arms.

"You haven't slept much, right?" His husky dry voice reached her ears and look up at his face. His eyes were grey.

"Did you see it?"

"Yes." Was all that came out from his mouth. The grip suddenly became tighter around her stomach.

"I'm sorry." Came out in a whisper and the sheet covering her body became more interesting than his mood.

Zac frowned and looked at his wife playing with her wedding band. "Why?"

She shrugged.

"Vanessa, look at me." The tone of his voice turned as soft as the silk. The sudden chocolate orbs filled with water. "No, don't cry, It wasn't your fault. Don't cry." His lips pressed hard against her temple, and he lowered his head on her shoulder. "Don't."

"We screw it up Zac." Her little nose rested in his cheek. She didn't know why she was crying. Maybe because that day she pushed to the back of her mind that she give Zac a reason to believe that she wanted a divorce, maybe the guilt, maybe the taunting memories, or… nothing in specific. 'I'm so dumb.'

"No, you're just a little bit silly." Zac chuckled, and kissed her nose. "I was paranoid, I know that you didn't want a divorce, I know."

Vanessa dared to look at her husband and she found the shade of grey in the deep blue pools she's in love with. "There's something bothering you."

His eyes shifted to the sleepy small girl lying in a bassinet. "It's nothing."

"Zachary, look me in the eyes in eyes and say that again." Her eyebrows furrowed and the tears stopped. If she couldn't keep her thoughts to herself, he wouldn't either.

"I just have a doubt." His hands ran through his messy hair with a long sigh. He did miss a lot. "Was he the first one to make her smile?" He loves his angel a lot, from the moment Vanessa confessed him about the little miracle inside her, he loved her more when he found out she's a girl, he felt an enormous amount of happiness when he felt her first kick, and the whole world stopped when a pink little bundle was in his arms for the first time. He had been with Layla every important the moment since she was conceived, and one day, he walked away. Just like that, leaving his wife and daughter in Jason's reach, and now. He was dead. He really is dead.

"Yes." Simple and straight to the point. She knew him very well. It was eating him alive, much likely dead.

He didn't even recognize himself, how could he let it happen? "I can't believe how much of an asshole I was."

They stared at each other for a minute, Vanessa was trying to identify the feeling that his eyes give away without wanting. Hurt was one of those feelings, anger and sadness were present too, not to mention a blank, one she wasn't able to name, guilt, probably disappointment. "Zac, you've been telling me to always talk to you about what I'm feeling, talk to me."

"I don't understand you." He said bluntly, looking anywhere but her eyes.

"What you mean?"

"I don't understand how can you still love me after all the stuff I've put you through, how I treat you, all the stupid things I did, look at you, here lying on your dead husband's chest, always taking care of me like if I'm still a teenager." His word came direct from his heart; he really didn't want to say it because he knew that it would cause a reaction on the decision his wife had to make. All he wanted was Vanessa and their daughter to be happy; even if that means that he can or can't be with him.

Maybe she couldn't see what was going through his mind, like he did, maybe she couldn't hear his heartbeat anymore, but she could always see the truth in his eyes. "I see what you're doing."

He then finally looked at her eyes. The fact that he could read her was useful, but before it, he didn't needed it. Those brown eyes told him everything he needed to know. It didn't matter that she was the best actress in the whole world; her eyes were the window to her heart. "You don't have to do it."

"I already decide it, I love you, I don't care about anything else than be with you." She looked directly at him. "I won't lose you again."

"You won't, I've told, I'm always going to be with you." He reassured her and caressed her cheek.

Her eyelids shout down for a moment, enjoying the touch of his hand. "I love you, Zachary."

His golden locks rested against her midnight bangs, also closing his eyes when her little palm covered his side.

"Don't you ever, EVER, doubt it I love you so much." She whispered.

"I love you too, I don't want you to forget it, and I know I didn't say it as often as I should, but I really love you, Vanessa. Don't forget it; I'll make sure you won't." He whispered back.

"I won't, promise."

It wasn't easy, since the very begging a September 1st of 2005, everything was against them and their love. But they never give up, not once. Once that they both make sure that their spouse knew how much they meant to each other, Vanessa climbed on his chest again, finding the spot that always made her remember their first love making, feeling safe and love in his arms she let herself go, and enjoy the calm moment, cuddling as close as she could. "My favorite place in the world." She thought giggling; causing her husband to laugh realizing how much she missed that sound.

Silence appear, along with the peace and comfort they were both longing since the chaos and hate that accompany them since they left the calmness of their home. All seemed so easy when they were in their arms and nothing else mattered, if it could only stay that way.

The Efron marriage spend the most of the afternoon just like that, holding each other to dear life, but as the time went by, Zac couldn't help to recognize that there were still holes and unsolved issues that had to be solve so they could start from zero. "We need to fill the spaces, princess. " He said softly, trying to not perturb their perfect bubble.

"What spaces?" She asked confused.

Zac tried to choose his words carefully, just one word wrong or an uneven tone of voice and the chaos will begin and she will completely shut him out. "I know that there's something you don't want to speak of, and if you don't tell me, I'm going to get inside of your mind and you and I know how much you can hate it." He explained slowly.

His ears catch her trying to suck air and then let it out, her head shifted to the other side of the room where their little pink bundle was laying, who was soundly asleep. She did look like an angel. "I still feel guilty."

His brow narrowed and he started to curl in his finger a piece of her hair. "Why you feel guilty?"

"Have you seen Ben?" She asked in her little fragile voice.

Zac let out a breath and kissed her temple. "No, princess, I haven't seen him."

"Do you think he hates me because I had another baby?" She tried to pull apart her gaze from Layla, but she simply couldn't do it.

As soon as the words rambled in her mind and echoed in his ears, he felt like if someone was squeezing his heart and tried to make it explode with pain. He was speechless.

Again silence filled the room. Only her small sobs ran around every two minutes.

He tried to come up with an answer soon. But he couldn't help to feel guilty too. He should've had take care of her. "I need you to listen to me and stop crying for a second."

She did her best to look back at him but it didn't work.

"Van, it's not your fault. You did your best job to take care of him, just let him go, it's two years now."

"I was supposed to carry him for 9 months, not 5, I know you've always wanted a boy and when we got him, I lost him."

2 years ago, before having kids crossed their minds, Vanessa got pregnant in the middle of shooting an action thriller. It was a surprise but they start feeling excited since a little pink cross get in their sight. On their first appointment the doctor told them to not keep their hopes up, the pregnancy was a risk for her and the baby, and gave them strictly directions for Vanessa to rest as much as possible. And somehow, the idea that her bump was going to star to notice soon and that it would get in the middle and stop her from doing the job she had to do flawlessly since it was the first time she did a project like that. So she pushed herself over the edge despite what everyone and everything was telling her -especially Zac and her body- And just like that, a week after finding out that a little boy was growing inside her and choosing a name to their child, Vanessa had a miscarriage one night. She didn't take it too well, and when she begged Zac to try again and build a family together, it just would not happen. Layla was a miracle. The doctor had told them after a year of trying, that she wasn't going to be able to have children. And one morning, probably a month after the bad news, the symptoms she once feared, appeared magically. Eight months later, Layla was born.

That's why she was so upset when her husband picked work over family. That why she didn't act anymore. All she wanted was a family of her own.

A few tears escaped from Zac's eyes. He would never forget the look on her face when she realized of the blood streaming down her tights, stained the white sheets. "Our son does not hate you because we had another baby, it wasn't your fault, and the doctor said that there were 90% of chances that it would happen. It was not your fault."

"But we never met him." She cried.

"I know we can't replace him, but we have to let him go."

Vanessa nodded, choking a few sobs. Zac talked to her about their boy whenever he got a chance since she refused to see a therapist but he knew that she won't let him go soon. But it helped to ease their pain.

"You want to talk about Jason?" He dared to ask.

"No." She hurried to say. "I don't want to, no, not now, no."

"Shhh… Its fine, its ok, don't worry, we don't need to talk about him, not yet." His soft hand smoothed her ebony hair. "There's something else you want to talk about, talk to me, you know you can do it, baby."

But Vanessa refused to let go more information, she was still hurt, she still felt dirty, she was soared, real pain, but she had to keep her mind in the goal. Bring Zac back. Yes, he was there and she could feel him, but this wasn't the life she wanted, not for Zac, not for Layla, not for Starla and David, maybe she deserved it, but not her family. She was going to fight to get their lives back, because maybe she is crazy and her mind is playing a sick joke to her heart and she was hallucinating Zac, that's what she had to fight, she was not going to give up.

"I'm tired." Her voice whispered.

Concern filled his brain, something in his mind clicked and remembered that she haven't sleep much since they moved back to L.A. "My fault." He thought, feeling incredibly guilty for all the repercussions his actions and selfishness caused to his family. "Don't worry, we can talk later, go to sleep, I'll take care of everything." His lips pressed against the tanned skin of her hair line.

"I can't."

Right. The memories. "Just close your eyes, and relax, I'll make it go away, just focus on my voice and everything would away, I promise."

Her eye lids hided her brown orbs as she let go a big breath trying to relax her body. The only sound that filled the room was the calmed breathing of Layla and Vanessa, and out of nowhere his husky whisper eased her fears. He started the soft chords of their wedding song.

"So baby hold on tight and don't let go, hold on to the love we're making cause baby when the ground starts shaking, you gotta know, when you got a good thing. You know you keep on bring out the best of me, and I need you now even more then the air I breath."

Vanessa opened the door of the plain white nursery that was set up for her daughter, the smell of lilies filled her noise. Pink, purple and red adorned the room and a simple card was resting in the mattress of the crib.

V,

I've think about it, I'm sorry, you're right,

I'm going to fight to get you and our daughter back .Give Layla a kiss for me and tell her that I love her

Love you, Z xxoo

Jason came in the room with the baby in his arms, he read the note over her shoulder and rolled his eyes. "He did this?" He walked over the tiny bed and placed the baby there, on his way back the enormous grin plastered in her features almost made him puke.

"I need to call him." Her petite body rushed to the kitchen to find the phone and pressed the 1 on the speed dial. In less than 2 seconds the device was shoved off her hand. "Hey!" She shouted frowning.

"You can fall over stupid flowers; he's trying to get you back!"

"Duh! I know that's why I'm calling him." Her hands grasped the phone and pressed it against her ear.

After 2 rings, his voice greeted her. "Hello?"

"Hi." She said shyly, the smile coming back to her face.

"Hey." His voice was filled with happiness.

"Are you busy? I can later if you want to."

"No! No!" Zac hurried to say. "Umh… the director kind of gave me the day off so I can talk, we can talk, if you want to, of course."

Vanessa giggled at his nervousness, practically seeing the redness creeping on his beautiful face. "Kind of?"

"Well… yeah. I couldn't focus on my lines so he send me to my trailer to study them, then he made me rehearsal with Robert, but he kept mocking me in his British accent and then Mark forced me to take the day and part of tomorrow off." He confessed a little annoyed of his co-star antics.

She let a small giggle again. "We really liked the flowers Zac." Soon the magic bubble surrender her and all she could think of was how cute her husband is. "Thank you."

"I'm glad you like them, it made it easier sneak in the house while you weren't there. Where were you? I wanted to talk to you in person."

"At my mom's, she and dad wanted to see our little angel." She felt like a teenager again when she pushed her body on top of the counter and started to play with a little piece of her hairs, with her goofy smile and a small hint of pink on her cheeks.

Jason hissed. No matter how much he tried, he would never, ever, make Vanessa act the way she was acting.

"So ohm… yesterday you said you wanted to see Layla, why don't you come over for a while, she's taking her nap right now."

"Yeah! I can come over; I'm missing you both so much."

"We miss you too."

"I can pick up dinner if you haven't eaten, or I can bring you chocolate frosting if you want to, I know how much you love that stuff." He said with a huge smile making his cheekbones hurt.

"Frosting sounds good, pizza will be fine too. I'm craving for Hawaiian pizza for weeks now."

"Ok, I'll see you in an hour then, let just take a quick shower and grab your frosting and pizza, okay?"

"Perfect. I'll see you later."

"Oh and Van"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"Love you too."

Hope you like it, next chapter will have a little bit of more fluff yay! :) If have any questios just ask an I'll be happy to answer them.

Review ;)