A/N: Hello hello. Here it is. The talk. Our two favorite lovers open up about how they've been feeling since the night of the attack. It's a bit emotional at times, but it needed to be done, and in the long run they will be better off and so will we.

THANK YOU to everyone who has been reviewing! I love hearing from you guys. And, I wanted to extend a warm welcome to our newcomers. Welcome, welcome, welcome! Happy you've decided to join in the fun!

Disclaimer: SM owns all things Twilight. I own nothing. Bummer.

Chapter 28: The Talk

EPOV

"Can we go home?" Her face had turned serious. After my little public display of affection towards her, she had been emotional and sweet, but now she looked serious, and I wasn't going to be the one to question her, not after all that we had accomplished today. I nodded in agreement thinking that this day had been too much on her, and was ready to get her home and put her to bed.

Then Bella said the four words I've been waiting for.

"I'm ready to talk."

My eyes met hers as I pulled us up, not wanting to waste a second if she chose to change her mind. I placed my hands on her cheeks with our foreheads touching looking into her eyes.

"Are you sure Angel?" Please say yes. I had been waiting for this for so long.

Those four words had been playing over and over in my head since the moment we left the hospital hoping for the day she would speak them out loud to me. I knew being patient would pay off, but I'm not gonna lie and say that it had been an easy road that we had been on.

She nodded into my hands. "I'm sure. I'm ready. Can we go?" She asked as she took one of my hands away from her face and intertwined her fingers with mine.

"Anything B. Anything for you." I kissed her head as we said our good byes to our family and walked back to the apartment. I didn't want to waste any time, afraid that she would change her mind and would be in zombie mode once more.

Jasper, knowing as usual, gave me a nod and winked at Bella. Ever since our bonding time in the hospital, Jasper and I were close. Closer than we had ever been, and I appreciated his presence in Bella's life more than I ever had. He didn't need to hear those four words that Bella had spoke to me just minutes ago, to know that this was the conversation I had been praying for, so we could finally move forward. Jasper was truly my other brother in all sense of the word and I loved him like I did Allie or Emmett.

The walk home unfortunately, took us past the alley from that dark night. But instead of walking faster away from it like I had tried, Bella stopped in front of the entrance of the alley staring down into the darkness. I wasn't sure if she was trying to prove something to herself or if she just felt that she had to face her fears, but I didn't like being here, tonight like this. I didn't want anything to interfere with our conversation and from the looks of her body and facial expressions she was about to break any minute.

I tightened my grip on her hand and took a step towards the apartment building, but she didn't move. For weighing a little over a hundred pounds, she was a force to be reckoned with and wasn't moving from her spot on that sidewalk.

"B. We don't have to do this. Not tonight." I spoke to late, she was already taking her first step in to the alley.

"Yes we do. I need this." I met her eyes, which were now filled with tears and I could only nod in agreement knowing that she needed to put some closure on what happened and there was no way in hell that I would leave her to do this on her own. I felt ill just standing here like this with her, reliving the last time we were down there together.

We walked down the dark alley hand in hand. The walk felt like I was on death row walking to my execution. Dramatic I know, but with Bella at my side it was definitely eery. If I was feeling like that, I couldn't even imagine what it meant or felt like for my Bella. My stomach churned with thoughts of what she was going through at this very moment.

She stopped midway through the alley and leaned against the apartment building. She shut hear eyes leaning her head back, her lips a tight line. I place my hands on her hips and held her there waiting until she was ready to talk.

To let me in.

She placed her hands on my chest and held me to her as I held her. We were supporting each other in more ways than one as usual. Without Bella, I was nothing, she was my rock and I was hers.

My mind went back to that night and the state I found her in. Bile rose in my throat at the thought of seeing my Bella beaten and battered, half naked and near death.

Tears filled my eyes at the thought and I braced myself for what I was going to hear next as her mouth opened and she began to speak.

"I don't know why I went by myself that night." Her voice came out as only a whisper. "I just figured that I was an adult and I could handle walking down the block alone. I mean, it was only one block. I only left you the note just in case you got home before I did, but didn't think anything more of it because it was a five-minute walk there and back. It wasn't a big deal. It wasn't supposed to be anyways. I didn't want to bother anyone because in all honesty, I felt like I had been a bother since all this bull with James started and I wanted to feel independent again. I thought I would be fine, but I was so wrong." Tears flowed down her cheeks as I tried to brush them away.

Her eyes met mine and I nodded for her to continue knowing that any words that I tried to speak would only come out in a squeak as the knot in my throat grew tenfold with every word she spoke. She took a deep breath and started again, her entire body shaking.

"I just wanted some ice cream." Bella stopped and a small laugh escaped her lips but it was a dry laugh. "I'd been on a roll writing that night, and as the night wore on and my craving got worse, I started writing about the chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream that was just minutes away. I'm still not sure how my female instincts didn't kick in and alert me that cravings and being pregnant walked hand in hand together. I don't know." I brushed a few pieces of hair behind her ears trying to make her as comfortable as possible, hoping she would continue. "And I thought that James was no longer an issue. I was almost home when I heard footsteps behind me. And then I heard his breathing and even though there were no streetlights, I could see his shadow. I could feel him closing in on me. A million thoughts ran through my head at that moment, and it came down to knowing it was the worst situation I could have put myself in, and I shouldn't have gone by myself or that late for the matter. That's when I called you, but as I was just about to speak, he grabbed me and dragged me into the alley."

I kissed her cheeks as she tried to control her breathing. She was working her self into a frenzy as her heart rate accelerated. I needed to calm her down so that she didn't have a panic attack, because she didn't need to be going back to the hospital right now. It killed me to watch her hurting so much, but I knew this all needed to be said if we were going to move on with our lives.

"I didn't know it was him at first…I mean when I was being followed, I didn't know it was James… and then he spoke, and he turned me around and..... I saw...his face. I tried to hit him, to get away at first, but he was to strong and I did nothing to him. I knew he punched and kicked me many times but that is all pretty foggy to me. He slammed my head into the brick wall so many times that I couldn't see clear. I begged for him to stop, but the more I pleaded, the harder his grip was on me. I almost got away when he was...taking.... my.... pants off, I kneed him in the crotch, but he pulled me back, dragging me by the ankle. That's when he ripped my shirt off of me and..... tried to...and then things were starting to go black...and then.... Jasper was there...and he was telling me you were taking care of James...and all I wanted was for you to be there...and..."

I wiped more tears from her eyes, then wiped my own. She was starting to hyperventilate and I needed to calm her, or at least get her off of the present thought that was going through her mind.

"Jasper said you were calling for me, and God B. I am so fucking sorry I wasn't there sooner. I tried to get there as fast as I could; I listened to your screams through the phone as I ran through the building trying to figure out where you were. And then I seen your phone and the ice cream and I heard your loud scream." I laughed ever so slightly hoping that she didn't think I was insane. " And your scream was the best thing I could have heard in that moment, because I knew you were still alive." I kissed her lightly needing to feel her connection.

She grasped at my shirt and held it tightly as she continued releasing all that she had been holding in.

"And....and then I heard you.... and James and I couldn't bear for you to be hurt. I begged Jasper to stop you. I knew you were stronger than him, but I couldn't let him hurt you E. Not because of me." She cried into my shoulder as I cradled her to my chest and flipped us so I was against the building, needing something more to hold us up than just my legs that were starting to feel like jello.

It was so like Bella to be worried about me instead of her. She was half naked, bleeding excessively, barely coherent, but she was worried about if James was going to hit me. I loved that she cared, but it was just so unneeded.

"It's ok baby. He didn't hurt me. And even if I would have gotten hurt, I would have done the same thing over and over again." She glared at me and I could tell that I was upsetting her, but I had to get my feelings out just as much as she needed too. Bella needed to know where I was coming from and how I felt about everything. "Just seeing what he did to you made the mad man come out, and if Jasper wouldn't have stopped me, I would have fucking killed him. I would have, and I wouldn't have even felt sorry about it! Not one bit! Emmett had to hold me back as I pleaded with him to let me go. He finally did and I continued pummeling James until Jasper gave me your words." I took Bella's face in my hands and leaned my forehead up against hers. "You Bella, you are the reason I stopped. You made me come back to reality because I knew that it wouldn't have mattered if I killed James or not, the damage had been done and I needed to take care of you."

I held her tightly to me as her little hands wrapped around my neck holding me to her. We stood there for several minutes just crying with each other enveloped in the memories of that night.

"I remember you carrying me, it hurt to breathe, and I had a hard time keeping my eyes open and that's when things went black completely. The next thing I remembered I was waking up holding your hand in the hospital. I missed a lot there in between I think." Her nose scrunched up as she sniffled looking deep in thought.

I nodded. "You did. I carried you out to the side walk to wait for the ambulance that Alice had called and held you in my arms begging you to come back to me." I tried to swallow the knot in my throat but it was unwilling to go away. "When the paramedics came, they had to pry me away from you so they could work on you. I rode with to the hospital, begging, pleading for one of the EMT's to give me some encouraging news about you. But they couldn't. I spent the next 6 hours pacing the waiting room not knowing what the hell was going on. Everyone was there. Everyone. No one left until Carlisle came out of surgery and told us you were going to be in recovery for a while, but that you made it through surgery and that you would come home to me."

The knot in my throat forced me to take a break, letting the tears come harder than I had before. Bella's body shook against mine as she took in my memories.

"I can't even tell you what I felt in that moment when he said you were going to be ok. I cried like a fucking pansy into my mom's arms as she held me. Jasper was beside himself, and the two of us went fucking crazy waiting to finally see you and the proof that you were in deed fine."

I ran my hand through Bella's hair before continuing, knowing how difficult it was for her to relive things from my point of view.

"When I first saw you B. I...I didn't know what to do. You were out cold, tubes down your throat, your body badly bruised, but I had to look. Please don't think of me as a pervert, but I looked at your body and what that monster did to you. I was sick with thinking that if I had just made it there a few minutes earlier; you would have never had to go through all of that. But after having weeks to come to terms with things, I know now that what's done is done. I can't live the rest of my life thinking of what may have been. I stayed with you night and day; Jasper did too, until I finally kicked him out to go home to Alice. Jasper and I had made a pack long ago that he would take care of my sister, as long as I took care of his, and I knew that you would want him with Alice. Carlisle told me that you would be out for a while, but I never thought that would equal to 7 days. Each day my hope began to dwindle as I watched your body wither away. You didn't wake, and you didn't eat, and in my mind you were dying. I couldn't leave you, I thought I wouldn't get to say good bye if I did."

I started to slide down the wall behind me tightening my hold on us, taking Bella with me. I cradled her in my lap as we held each other close, sitting in silence. You could hear the mosquitoes buzzing, the wind blowing stray papers around, and the cars driving down the road. Hell, you could probably of heard a pin drop, it was that quiet, before I spoke again.

"I waited and waited, and waited. And then finally you woke up. You squeezed my hand and you were there. Everything I had been praying for was coming true. You were alive. You were in so much pain and were in and out of consciousness for the next few days..."

"I remember." She cut me off. "I remember you talking to me. I remember hearing you and Jasper talking, although I could never make out the words. You never left, and your voice...your voice is what pulled me through. When I finally woke up and saw you there, my heart was on fire, and all I wanted was for you to hold me, and then I was out again. I remember waking up here and there, and you were always there. Always."

We stared into each other's eyes, feeling one another's pain, taking it as our own.

"Where else would I have been B? I told you I wasn't leaving until I took you home with me, and I meant it." I stared into her eyes before kissing her softly. "My life is nothing without you in it, Bella. I couldn't leave until you were by my side going with me."

She clung to my body as we held one another and took in what was being said. I would remind Bella as often as possible that she was my everything and that I was a lost soul without her presence in my life.

Bella shivered and I realized that it was getting late and dark, and this was not the place for us to continue this conversation.

"Come on B. Lets go upstairs, you're cold and I think we've had enough of this place for one night." I pulled us up and led us to our apartment.

As soon as we were in the door I pulled her to the couch and into my lap again. We were finally getting somewhere and I wasn't going to allow things to end here. We weren't leaving things open ended. This was all getting figured out tonight.

"I think I should start seeing a therapist again for a while." She was playing with the hem of my shirt not wanting to make eye contact as I rubbed her thighs through those silky dress pants she had on. I nodded in agreement. "Just for a few sessions. I mean, I'm feeling better about the situation, but it's just a lot to take in, ya know?"

"I agree. I think seeing a therapist would be a great idea with all that has happened over the past couple of months. But, would you let me come with you? I think this is something we could both benefit from." I so desperately wanted to be there for her in any way that I could. And, maybe I needed to talk to someone about my feelings as well. Being the guy, I didn't want anyone to know how badly this all affected me, but I needed Bella to know that we were in this together.

"If you like." She whispered.

"I would like nothing more. We are a team B. And I plan to do everything together with you. And I think it would be good for both of us to talk to a therapist. Not only about the attack, but about the baby as well." I muttered the last part, knowing this would open a whole new can of worms.

I felt her shoulders slump as more tears flowed from her beautiful brown eyes.

The baby was off limits until now.

She was hurting.

I was hurting.

And it needed to be brought out in the open.

I said the one word that up until today had not been mentioned. And even when she did say it earlier, it was a pet name for me, not the fetus she carried in her stomach for 3 months. That baby and that conversation were about to happen because I couldn't take one more day, one more hour, one more minute of the silence that subject brought to our relationship. We were a couple, about to get married. We needed to discuss this, and in all honesty, what better day to lay everything out on the table?

"I know." She let out a deep breath, surprising me with how easy it was to get her talking. "I didn't even think I could get pregnant. Although, you're the first guy I've ever had sex with unprotected. You are the only man that I'd want to have children with. And if it was a possibility then, I only wanted it to be with you. But the doctors said it wasn't in my cards, and I believed them. I guess I should have had a second opinion or more testing done back in Chicago."

"Thank you for wanting to have my children." It's all I could say without completely losing my shit and crying more than my girl.

There was so much more I wanted to say, but not at this moment.

"James had mutilated my body so badly all those years ago that even though all I've ever wanted was to be a mom, I just thought it wasn't supposed to be. But...when Carlisle came in and told us.... about the.... baby, my hopes were lifted and for a mere second I thought that some good came out of this. I would still have our baby… until Carlisle admitted that I 'was' pregnant."

Her body slumped forward as she let out another round of tears. I cried right along with her, knowing her pain, feeling her pain.

Her pain was my own.

I held her tighter trying to comfort her. "I know B. The thoughts that went through my mind when he said you were 3 months along, God; I was the happiest fucker, until he said you miscarried. I'm so sorry B. So fucking sorry. I wanted you to have my baby." I rubbed my hand over non-existent stomach thinking of how it would be to feel our baby kick or move. "I loved the idea of our baby growing in there."

She cried harder into my chest as I rocked us back and forth trying to calm us both down. It wasn't even worth trying to push the tears aside at this point. I cried along with her mourning again our loss.

I kissed her temple and nuzzled my nose into her hair letting her scent wash over me, calm me.

"I know it's not my fault that the baby didn't survive, but I still can't help but feel that I was weak. That if I could only have been stronger, I would still be pregnant. I would have gone to the doctor and done my pre-natal stuff, gotten the shot for my blood disease and all. Because, now, what are our chances? Are we going to have that option still? I just don't know."

"Yes, we will. We'll talk to Carlisle when you are ready and see what he can tell us, and if we can't get pregnant again, then we'll adopt. One way or another, we will have our family B. I promise you that." I placed my finger under her chin and connected our eyes, making sure she knew how serious I was about our future.

"I want to have your baby E. Only yours." She rubbed her hands over her stomach cradling it. "The thought of carrying your child...words cannot express how badly I want that. And I can't tell you how many dreams I have had about our children."

I hugged her tighter and kissed her once more as I let out a small giggle. "I've dreamt those same dreams sweet girl." I swallowed the knot in my throat and blinked my tear filled eyes clean. "Our children, our little girl that has big brown eyes and long flowing hair, a spitting image of her mommy, blushing in embarrassment at every compliment thrown her way, falling over her own feet, and someday falling in love with a guy that I'll shoo away with my shot gun."

We both laughed and cried at the thought.

"And our little boy, bronze haired and green eyed, a womanizer just out of diapers." We laughed together again at the images of our future children. "I dreamt that he would be just like his daddy."

I met her eyes once more and kissed her sweet lips passionately.

"It will all still happen Angel. And when you're ready, we can start trying that route again." She gave me a questioning look. "I'm ready to be a father B. I want to be a father just as much as you want to be a mother. I want nothing more." I rubbed her flat stomach. "And I can't wait to see your belly grow with my child, and I can't wait to go to a movie theatre, buy a ticket to get in just to get you an extra large tub of popcorn with their special butter. And I can't wait for the mood swings and the swollen feet. I want it all. I want it with you."

She laughed at my pregnant image of her before kissing me on the cheek.

"It's funny that you would say the movie theatre butter popcorn, because that totally sounds like something that I would want." She ran her hand through my hair and I moaned at her touch. "I can't believe you're ready right now to have children with me. I just thought that if it happened, it happened and we would let nature take its course. But now that I've been pregnant, and....not pregnant, there is nothing more than I want."

"When you're ready, love. I want you fully healed before I get you knocked up...again." I tried to make a joke of it, but realized that it may not have come off that way. But Bella just shrugged me off and I was so grateful that she wasn't so up and down anymore.

"I know what you're saying baby, and don't worry, I think it is a good idea to wait until I am fully healed until we go that route, again. And I think it would be even better for us to see that therapist first to, so that we can work on healing ourselves emotionally before we throw a child into the mix." This girl was amazing. I put my foot in my mouth and she helps me pull it out time and time again.

Sadly, even though I hoped and prayed that Bella would be able to get pregnant again, there was no definite that she would. But I would do anything; spend any amount of money if that's what it took. And even if we did adopt, they would still be our children, whether they had big brown eyes, or my green ones.

"If you were about three months pregnant, would that have been about the time we were in Vegas?" I had been wondering this for quite a while.

"I suppose you're right. A Vegas baby. Maybe even the night that we got engaged! Who knows. I guess we will never know. Even if it wasn't a Vegas baby, we can still think it was." She looked down at my chest. I really had no clue if we had gotten pregnant in Vegas, but it was a nice thought and one we decided to go with.

"Maybe we could go for a Jamaica baby. What do you think?" I tried to bait her, knowing damn well that she had no idea what I was talking about.

"Jamaica, huh?" I kissed her pouty lips as she took in what I was saying.

"I wanted to surprise you, but I booked our honeymoon. Jamaica, in our own private villa for 10 days. Full house, private pool, boat, all the goods. We leave the day after the wedding. What do you say to that?" I stared into her eyes waiting for her reaction.

"I say that your idea sounds awesome! But seriously, that is some major money, and I haven't finished my next book and I suppose we could dip into savings..."

I cut her off by placing my finger over her lips.

"You have nothing to worry about. Money is not an issue nor will it ever be. I don't think you realize the extent to what my grandfather Mason left me, on top of what my grandfather Vic Cullen left." She nodded for me to continue. "The shop is my toy. It is a toy for all of us. That's why we open and close it when we want too. I love to work on my art, it's my passion. And if I can help others in the process, then it's all good."

"This really isn't any of my business E. That's your money and I don't want to pry." She tried to shy away but I wasn't having it.

"No, in less than two months, it will be our money. So it is your business. Trust me when I say that you will be well taken care of the rest of your life. Write when you want to write, and I will work, as I want too. I have millions in the bank and CD's and investments, and also a few pieces of property that were left to me. My birth parents may not have given a shit about me, but my birth fathers family did apparently. But, not all of it is from my family; I used to sell paintings and saved all of the money. Believe it or not, I even composed several pieces of music back in the day that I sold off." Her eyes bugged out of her head. Yeah, I guess I kind of kept a lot to myself. Most people see the tattoos and put me in a category, and don't look past them. But they were just my way of expressing the things I had gone through in life, not how intelligent or business savvy I was. "So please don't think of me as the rich kid that has a trust fund. I have worked for some of it, and am very responsible with investments."

"Wow. I have a pretty good amount in savings, but I figured it was just for a rainy day. Doesn't sound like I need to worry so much. Ok...this is weird. I haven't ever lived off of someone else, and am not sue if I like the idea of it. I can take care of myself you know E." Always so stubborn, but I wouldn't have her any other way.

"Of course you can B. That's not what I'm implying. I just want you to know that if I want to take my wife on a nice trip or buy her expensive jewelry, I can, and I will." I kissed her nose as her lips turned into a smile.

"Just as long as you know I am capable." I nodded giving her the crooked smile she loved. "Jamaica it is for our honey moon then." She said, trying to get me off the money subject, then hugged me tightly around the neck. "But about the trying part..."

"Lets talk to Carlisle and see what our options are. But if you and I are ready for a baby, I don't see why we would need to use any precaution...when you're ready that is. We never have, so I don't see why we would start now." I cut her off quickly and then shut up so I didn't put my foot back in my mouth.

"When I'm ready, you will be the first one to know Cullen." She kissed below my ear. "And believe me when I tell you, it will be soon. I miss you as much as you miss me."

I gripped her in a tight hug holding her there without speaking for several minutes. It was nice to hold her like this again. Having to be careful with every touch because of her injuries was tough. I never got the full connection I was looking for. But it was back, and I held her in my arms, never wanting to let her go.

"Thank you B, for letting me in. I can't tell you how much it means to me to be having this discussion with you. Thank you." I placed a light kiss on her lips, then leaned my head into the crook of her neck.

"It was time. And after today, I felt it was appropriate for us to start moving on. Lets go to counseling together and work on more shit. But I'm ready to start moving forward. And although I won't ever forget our baby, I know that we need to be happy again."

I couldn't agree more.

Bella was still shivering pretty fiercely from our time outside, so I decided that a shower was in order. Even though it was summer, it was close to midnight and it was cold out. Slowly I stripped her of her clothes as we waited for the water to heat up. I kissed every inch of skin I could, dropping to my knees and showing the same love to her lower half. She pulled me up and did the same to me before we stepped into the shower and sensually washed one another. It was intimate and romantic, and as much as I needed a release, all I wanted was to hold Bella in my arms, let her know how much I truly loved her. We kissed passionately, making out like two teenagers, but minus the need for more. Right now, Bella in my arms, her lips on mine, was all that I needed.

A half hour later, the water started to run cold and we got out. I dried her body off and took the pajamas from her hands and throwing them on the dresser, wanting to feel her skin on skin for the rest of the night.

I brought Bella to bed shortly after, where we held each other for hours.

No words were spoken.

None were needed.

We held each other, stealing kisses left and right, enjoying our new openness with one another.

My Bella was back.

We were going to be ok.

Life was going to move forward starting today.

Our life would start.

A/N: Good tears, right? We kinda already knew how they both were feeling, but they needed to tell each other. And for all of you that have asked, yes, there will be children in their future, so cheer up!

Oh, and if you haven't read it yet, and are looking for something to brighten your mood, check out my new fic 'Give and Take'. It's got some laughs, smut, and obnoxiously overbearing best friends. Go on over and take a peak if you haven't already.

Reviews are like a taste of the sexin' that's going down in the next chapter. Yup, it's back and you're not gonna want to miss it! Push the button and give me some love.