Looking for help with cross platform communication app

I am hoping to find some help here. I will try to explain my situation in as much detail as possible to net the best results.

Me: BlackBerry Bold 9700
Wife: iPhone 4 (jailbroken)

We currently use AIM, which I absolutely dread, as a means of communication via wifi. She has no service at work, and depending on where I am at work, I often times have no service as well. We need something that works over wifi. I loathe AIM, because I cannot start a new message to a phone number from my BlackBerry. She can on her iPhone, which suits her fine. Most of my contacts do not use AIM, and will not use AIM. It is blocked on the computers at work so I cannot start the conversation at work. This leaves me frustrated beyond belief.

I just started using Gtalk, and I absolutely love it so far. I am trying to get her to jump on board with is, as we both use Gmail, and so do most of my contacts. She hates it. Gave it up in 20 seconds based on the horrific app on her iPhone for it. I don't blame her, it was terrible.

Is there a happy medium for both of us? I need to be able to "text" regular phone numbers from my BlackBerry, and she would like something that is compatible with AIM. At this point, I am not beyond purchasing an app, if it will work for what I need it to do.

If you want to use GTalk she could login to gtalk with Nimbuzz.