JAR:

"Be happy, please," I whispered before falling into a restless sleep, the only sleep I could hope for at this point.

Edward's Point of View

Four Months Later

It has been four months to the day since…the event. Four months, and nothing has changed in Bella. Oh sure, she goes about her day seemingly normal to those who don't know her well. She cooks, she cleans, she talks to people, she has even taken an interest in photography, which she is amazingly good at. But she isn't my Bella. She is only a shell of who she used to be.

I try to make her happy. I try with everything I have in me. I play the piano for her, I cook and clean for her so she doesn't have to, and I set up romantic evenings on the beach. She just isn't happy. She tries though. Oh does she try, so hard that it actually hurts to watch.

I have tried to ignore the subject of…the event…these past four months. However, tonight I plan on bringing it to the surface. I have talked things over with Carlisle, and he thinks that Bella needs to talk. He thinks that her keeping everything bottled up is bad for her.

"It will even help you," he had mentioned much to my disapproval. I didn't need help. This was all about Bella. She is the one who was…pregnant, not me.

So there I sat on the living room floor, a blanket spread out beneath me. The lights were dim, the room illuminated by candles. I planned on trying to lighten the mood a bit before bringing up the subject of…the event.

I checked my watch quickly. Bella would be back from the store any minute now. And sure enough…

"Edward?"

"In the living room," I called quietly.

Bella walked around the corner, a few grocery bags in hand. She stopped in her tracks and looked at me oddly before looking around the dim room.

"What's all this?" she asked.

I smiled as best as I could and patted my lap. She put the bags down on the floor and walked slowly toward me before kneeling down and settling into my lap. She rested her head on my shoulder and closed her eyes.

"What's all this?" she whispered again.

"I just wanted to tell you how much I love you," I whispered in her ear, running my fingers through her hair softly.

She leaned forward and turned to look at me, confusion in her eyes. "You needed a blanket and candles to say that?" she asked.

I frowned. "Bella, I wanted to have a romantic evening with you. Please, for me?"

"I'm not saying we can't have a romantic evening. I'm just confused. I don't understand why you had to go and get out all the candles. Now we are going to have to clean it all up."

I frowned again. This was one of the "perks" of the event. Bella was so critical now. I let go of her and looked away.

"Edward?"

"Bella, we need to talk," I said still looking away from her.

"Okay…about what?"

"I know we have been trying to avoid this subject for a while, but I feel, and so does Carlisle, that we need to talk about this."

I felt her freeze on my lap before she dropped her arms from around my neck and leaned away. "You talked to Carlisle about this?" she whispered.

I looked down at her, confused by her tone of voice. "Yes, I talked to Carlisle."

A few tears slid down her cheeks and onto my legs before she looked up, hurt evident in her eyes. "How could you?" Her poor voice cracked.

"Bella?" I was truly confused. Why was she acting this way over me talking to Carlisle? I gently wiped away her tears leaving my fingers on her face.

"I have…I have been waiting for four months for you to bring this up, Edward," she whispered trying to look anywhere but in my eyes.

"I didn't know you wanted to talk about it," I said. "You could have brought it up too, you know."

"No, I couldn't!" she exclaimed. "You won't even smile at me anymore, Edward! How could I talk about it with you?"

"I smile at you," I said lowering my hands. "All the time."

"That isn't a smile, Edward. That's a grimace. I didn't want to torture you anymore by bringing this up."

"Well, at least I try to be happy!" I nearly yelled.

Her mouth dropped open, her eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. "And I don't try? You have got to be kidding me!" She jumped out of my lap and towered over me. "I can't believe you talked to Carlisle before you talked to me!"

I shook my head. "Stick to one topic, Bella! I know you are trying to be happy. You are trying so hard that it literally hurts to watch! But you aren't succeeding!"

"And you are? Edward, you never smile anymore! You aren't ever happy anymore! How am I supposed to be happy when you aren't! How am I supposed to be happy when you are like a walking zombie, only surfacing every now and then to have a 'romantic evening' with me? I need more than just a romantic night with you! I need you to talk to me! Talk to me, Edward! Your wife! Not your father! This didn't happen to your father! This happened to me! This happened to us!"

I sat there looking up at her in complete shock. "You don't talk to me either," I whispered.

"I've tried," Bella croaked softly. "But every time I bring it up, you shy away from the subject and go play your piano or plan some romantic getaway."

"You have never tried, Bella."

"Yes I have. Every day. You are just too far gone to notice it."

"I'm not gone!" I shouted. "You sound just like my father! I shouldn't be depressed or sad or 'too far gone!' This was your baby! You are the one that carried him! Not me!"

"But he was yours too! You helped make him, Edward! Or do you not remember that little detail? Henry was yours too just as much as he was mine! You have every right to be upset! But you need to talk to me! Not just for you, but for me! I need you to talk to me, Edward! I need you!"

"I'm right here!" I yelled. "I'm right in front of you, Bella! You have never tried to talk to me! I think I would have noticed!"

"All you notice anymore is your stupid piano! You only notice me if you want something physical! Edward, I am not a freaking machine that you can use when you need me and turn off when you don't!"

It took me a moment to register my next movements, but when I finally did realize it, I stared at her in shock. I just slapped her! She grabbed her cheek and allowed a few tears to slide down her face.

My jaw popped open at the same time she grabbed her cheek. "Oh my gosh," I whispered. I tried to reach for her, but she backed away a step. "Oh Bella," I whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"How could you?" she whispered, her voice cracking.

"You just…it's just…you made me angry! How could you think I would use you like that, Bella? I would never do that!"

"Just like I thought you would never slap me," she whispered. I stared at her as she kept her hand to her cheek, clearly in pain. Had I really slapped her that hard? "I'm going to bed," she whispered. "Can you…you can sleep on the couch."

She walked away, picking up the forgotten groceries with one hand, never once looking back. I fell onto the floor and began to sob.

I awoke to the smell of something burning. My mind shied away from the smell, and I tried to keep myself asleep, but once I saw the burning blanket through my closed lids, I figured it was time to get up.

I jumped up and smacked the flames out with my shirt which I had torn off in my frenzy. The once lit candles lay on their sides on the floor, the cause of the fire. I stood there breathing heavily as I looked down at my watch. It was only one in the morning. Stupid candles!

Just then, I heard a quiet sniffle from the living room entrance. I looked up and found Bella standing there in her sweats and baggy T-shirt, her arms folded across her chest, her head bent slightly to one side in her sadness. Her hair was in knots around her head, but she still somehow managed to look beautiful as ever, even in the shadows of the darkness.

Very slowly, I walked over to her. She didn't move, but I could tell she wouldn't protest if I put my arms around her. So I did just that. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close to my chest. She kept her arms folded across her chest and began sobbing into me, her entire body shaking.

No words needed to be said in that moment. She knew I was sorry. I knew I was forgiven. We both knew we needed to do something, and fast. But now was not the time. Now, she needed me, and I needed her. I pulled her closer to me and breathed in her scent, trying to contain my slowly building sobs.

Eventually, she unfolded her arms and wrapped them around my waist, pushing herself even closer to me, trying to hold herself together. I stroked her hair gently, letting her know that it was going to be okay.

"We need to get some help," she whispered after a while, her head turned sideways into my chest.

"I know," I whispered back. "I'm sure Carlisle knows someone who could help us with this…situation."

"This doesn't mean I don't love you though," she said softly. "I love you so much that I want to do something to fix this. Because we obviously can't do it on our own."

"I love you too," I whispered. "Now can I come sleep upstairs with you? Maybe we can prevent the house from going up in flames that way."

She pulled away and smiled slightly up at me. I leaned my forehead up against hers. "I love you, Bella."

"I love you too."

Please Review. The numbers dropped last chapter. That's depressing. So please review a ton!