Sorry this chap took so long. I've been supper busy. I feel bad for the long wait. :( so here's our Remus' reaction to his better halfs request. Hope you enjoy.

Remus felt lost. His mind was whirling in a restless torment. It had been like this since she had declared what it was that was bothering her.

"Remus, I want to have a baby."

He had been prepared for anything, for her to say anything else but that. The admission seemed to come from so far out that he hadn't been able to really focus as she had continued on, trying in vain to fill the void of silence that filled the air after her statement.

"I've really thought about it a lot. I mean like I said before, I've been thinking about it for years, since the Crowle case actually. There's just this feeling that I get, I don't know how to explain it. But when I see other people with their children, see how they interact with them, I think I could do that, you know. That we could do that." She stopped then and looked at him desperately.

"Say something. Please."

Remus closed his eyes and leaned against the hard stone behind him. How long have I been sitting here? He wondered idly, before deciding that it didn't matter.

He had apparated to the graveyard where his parents were buried, not really sure where else to go. Now he sat on the hard ground leaning against his mother's stone. He knew what she would say if she were alive.

Sarah would tell him, in the no nonsense tone her lilting voice took on when she disapproved, that he was being a fool. Wasn't this what was normal? You got married and had children, if that was what you wanted. Hadn't she strove to make him believe that he could have what other people had, despite his condition? Hadn't he always wanted to be normal?

Then there was the voice that sounded like his father, the one that warned that he had let things get too far as it was. His kind did not have children. It would be selfish and inconsiderate. It was this voice that had entered his mind as Dora had stood in front of him on the windy beach, arms crossed, fists clenched, looking like she was afraid but determined to get what she wanted. It was this voice that he had listened to.

"What do you want me to say?" his voice came out in barely a whisper, lacking emotion, and her brow had furrowed in consternation.

"I don't know Remus. Anything. I want to, no, I need to know what you think."

He pushed a hand through his hair in frustration and shook his head. "We can't Nymphadora." He was pacing now, leaving her standing there watching him wearily.

"Why? Give me a reason why exactly we can't have a baby? We're both young and healthy, so I know it's not that. We're both working, and even after you're not tutoring Leona anymore I know you can get another job. We may not have a lot of money, but we have a roof over our heads. And we love each other." Her voice was strong, determined.

He knew she wouldn't give up on this. But wasn't that one of the reasons he had fallen in love with her in the first place? Because she was so strong?

"I'm a werewolf," he snapped back, trying to keep himself contained. "And before you say that that's a ridiculous reason, it is in fact a very good reason. Werewolves don't breed well Dora. Our children, if they even survive to be born, carry part of the wolf in them. Some are lucky and will never have to experience the effects of the moon and others…" he swallowed convulsively."I saw them when I was trying to convince the others to join Dumbledore. They were feral. At first I thought they had been bitten young, but I soon learned that they had in fact been born that way."

He looked at her and saw the fear in her eyes, but still the determination. Good, he thought grimly. She should be afraid.

"What do I do mum," he asked into the still night air. "How do I fix this?" he received no answer, as he knew he wouldn't, but it helped to speak his thoughts aloud. He needed to untangle the agonized knot that had formed. He needed to work this out so he could go back to her. He couldn't run from this, no matter how much he wanted to.

"I know you're scared," she said softly. "So am I. I know about werewolf children Remus. I've done some research into this, I wouldn't ask this blindly. So I know there is a chance this might not work, or that our child would be born with wolfish tendencies, but what if it wasn't? Isn't this worth trying for? I know you want children Remus and that you've always thought it was another unattainable goal. But it's not. I'm offering it to you now."

Her arguments were working on his logical self, but he warned himself to stay rational. This was one argument that he would not sway on. He couldn't. He knew what it was like to suffer, knew what that did to a child. He wouldn't do that to an innocent child. He would hate himself.

"Just because I may want a family, doesn't mean I should have one." He reasoned, voice heated. "I will not do that to an innocent child Nymphadora. I will not take the chance that they would have to suffer because of what I am. And they would, whether they were born with 'wolfish tendencies',as you charmingly put it, or if they were born normal and healthy. It is one thing for you to take on the stigma and prejudice. You did so willingly, despite how much I wanted to spare you from it. But do that to a child that has no choice," he stopped pacing and looked into her eyes, which were swimming with forced back tears. He hated that he was the one causing her this pain, but what could he do? What she asked was impossible.

"I would hate myself Nymphadora and they would resent me I'm sure. What right do we have to do that?"

She whipped angrily at her over flowing eyes and turned away from him, the look on her face as if he had just slapped her. "I never thought you of all people would turn out to be a coward. So you're afraid. So is everyone Remus. You always say that you don't want to hurt me, but right now, you're breaking my heart."

She was so obeisant, so sure that this was worth the risk. Was it though? Could he really agree to it?

Part of him wanted to more than anything. He knew Dora would be a good mother; he had not lied to her when she had asked. He could see her with a child. What he could not see was himself being a father.

Sighing deeply Remus stood and started to walk away from the stones, out of the graveyard. He didn't know where he was going, just that he couldn't sit there any longer.

"They could be like me," he spoke aloud to himself, his breath coming out in puffs that lingered and then dissipated. "But they might not be. And if they're normal…" he sighed again, this time in frustration. Going over the same arguments was not helping him.

He could still see the disappointment and hurt that had lingered in her eyes. It was so clear and would not seem to leave him alone, no matter how hard he tried to focus. That's what it came down though, wasn't it?

He hated hurting her. As cliché as it might sound, when she was hurting, it hurt him. Knowing that he was the one that put that look of sadness on her face was a torment.

And in some part, if he was being completely honest, he felt that he was being selfish. She made him happier than he had ever hoped to be. He knew that they could be together for the next thirty years and still he would be amazed that she had chosen him. And now here she was telling him what she wanted, what would make her happy and he was saying no. No. As in the topic is closed, the answer is always going to be the same, don't bother with it again.

A resolve came over him then and he knew that he had the answer to his dilemma. He may not think this was a good idea, but she did. And she had never steered him wrong before.

She's given me so much, he thought as he prepared to disapparate. It's time that I gave back in return.

When he landed outside of the house the wind was howling, whipping a cold current off of the sea. Soon it would turn into a full-blown storm. All the lights in the house were off, but he knew instinctively that she was there.

He entered quietly and discarded his cloak before making his way up the stairs. He stopped in the bedroom doorway and simply watched her for a few moments. She was facing toward the door, lying on her side legs slightly curled in.

He strode quietly toward the bed then and sat on the edge, turned toward her. Gently he reached out and brushed a stray strand of brown hair off of her face. She moved slightly and murmured unintelligibly her brow furrowed.

"Dora."

Her eyes opened then and she blinked confusedly a few times before finally focusing on him.

"Where you been then?" She sounded tired and the question came out with a lack of curiosity. As if she was only asking because she knew she should. He had been gone for twelve hours.

"All over. Thinking. Trying to justify to myself that I was right."

She raised a brow and sat up a bit. "How'd that go?"

He laughed without humor. "As well as could be expected. We both know that it doesn't matter if I was right or you were. That's not going to help anything. This is just going to keep coming up. Getting between us."

They were silent then, each in their own thoughts. She reached out and put her hand over where his rested on the bed, causing him to jump slightly at the contact.

"I don't want it to." She told him sadly.

"Me either." He paused and forced himself to go on. There were things that still needed to be said.

"So I forced myself to really consider everything. I've taken so much from you Nymphadora."

She opened her mouth to protest, but he shook his head. "You may not think so, but it's the truth. You shouldn't have to lie all the time. You shouldn't have to go through what I put you through. But you never complain."

"There's nothing to complain about Remus. I'm happy."

He shook his head, "No you're not and that's my fault. I want you to be happy Dora. I want you to have everything life can give you. I realized, while I was wandering around out there, that my father was right all those years ago. I am being selfish. You give me so much and the one thing that you ask of me, I immediately refuse."

His eyes locked with hers and her hand over his tightened as if she was afraid he would run.

"I'm afraid Dora. Of what could happen to you, of what could happen to our child. What we would be subjecting it too. But this is what you want. What I want, even though I feel that I shouldn't."

She looked at him searchingly, barely hoping to believe he was saying what she thought he was.

"What're you saying?" her voice was barely a whisper.

Remus took a steadying breath. "I'm saying that if you want to have a baby, if you think we can do this, than I want to too. I'm saying that I am willing to try despite what could happen."

She seemed to let out a breath then and moved closer, wrapping her arms around him and settling against him. "Thank you. I promise love, that no matter what happens we will never regret this."

Remus didn't reply, just held her.

How could he tell her that part of him was already regretting it?