AN: Well, I have to say. I never expected to watch, let alone write, anything from Disney Channel. Yet, I'm an avid Disney XD watcher, plus I watch Jessie, so why not? I'm new to Austin & Ally, so sorry if they're out of character. Hope you enjoy, or not, because I know you guys are like 'they're together now, what the heck is this? O.o'

oh, and this is rated T because of the theme. This is the first fic I ever wrote without any foul language. (Congrats, gabs. You can be family-friendly for once!) but if it deserves a lighter rating, then I'll do that too.

Edit 06/10: Also, if you're a fan of my work, please vote on my poll. It will take you only one minute (or less) to do. Up to three choices.

Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally.

Austin Moon never thought it would be possible. The thought itself, at first, was paranoid, but as serious as it's getting, he would never see how it affected the people around him, especially his team of wonderful, talented people.

He watches as his best friend applies her concealer on the new and fresh bruise on her face. He never thought that his best friend and partner, Ally Dawson, would be another statistic on the issue of abuse. Relationship abuse, that is. Ever since her new relationship has blossomed, he has seen his best friend change. She's wearing way more makeup than she was before, and if his eyes weren't mistaken, Ally sports a very stuffy kangaroo pocketed hoodie ever since last week. When asked to take the stuffy piece of clothing off, she replies with a simple 'I can't'.

Austin asks her again, in private, and she replies 'I'm cold.'

It's Miami Beach; it's never cold here! Yet, the air conditioner in Sonic Boom is always on full blast, so maybe she really is cold. However, that has never been the problem.

Before she puts on her hoodie again, Austin sees the marks on her arms, the reason why she's wearing those hoodies.

They're bruises; some black and distinctively purple for the new ones, and yellow for the fading, old ones. Plus, she's losing weight.

Before her relationship, she wasn't fat - she was always thin, but beautiful to look at. Now, she's sickly thin. Austin never understood why girls have a problem with body image; everyone's beautiful in their own way, especially Ally (in a best friend way) but now, it almost makes Austin sick himself because he never thought that the confident Ally would take that route.

Whatever this is, she needs to get out of it, because not only is Austin worried, her friends also are getting worried. Trish complained yesterday about her weight and constant hoodie wearing, and Dez observed her lack of songwriting. Austin noticed those as well, but now it's more of an issue because he thought he was just going crazy. As the songwriter turns around towards the door, Austin tries to hide himself, away from sight's eye.

It doesn't work. "Austin? How long have you been there?"

"Uh, um—" Austin stops himself, in fear that he may say the wrong thing. He doesn't want Ally to think he's some creep or something, although that may already been established; they've known each other for so long that Austin's peculiar personality is another reason for Ally to love him. "I wasn't looking. I was actually about to come in but then you walked out so…yeah."

Ally doesn't buy it. "Don't lie to me."

"I'm honest," he keeps lying, in spite of the honesty they keep with each other. Creep or not, if Ally catches Austin staring at her, it would spark some type of argument between them. However there needs to be a confrontation about this. "What's with the hoodie again? Your dad turned down the air conditioner two days ago."

"I'm still cold," Ally replies, with a false shiver. Hiding her inflictions from everyone is getting harder, especially since it's getting hotter down here, and her boyfriend gets even more tough on her, because of 'stress'. Austin knows that's further from the truth. "But whatever, it's not like it matters."

"It's getting hotter," Austin points out. "As a matter of fact, it's ninety degrees outside." If he keeps pestering Ally about the situation, maybe she would take it off and tell the truth about how her crappy boyfriend treats her. "Why can't you take it off?"

"I can't do that!" She raises her voice, and for a minute, Austin sees a flicker of fear flash before her very own eyes. "I just can't, Austin."

Would now be a great time to tell her, of course it would. The squabble between confronting her and not confronting her is a battle in Austin's head; he doesn't want to because that would be imposing. But for Christ's sake, this is his best friend. Of course he needs to confront the issue front and center, especially now that Dez and Trish are also confused and worried about Ally's sudden change. It may be just a random change for everyone else, but for Austin, it's a big deal. The warning signs are so visible that it's almost impossible for others not to pick up on it. Of course, he can excuse Dez, and maybe her father, but Trish…well, maybe her too.

"I know what he does to you," he says lowly, with sudden anger. "You've been silent, and distant lately. You're wearing makeup and big sweaters, and you don't write songs anymore. He's destroying you."

Ally hesitates. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Austin knows she's playing dumb to avoid the subject. Of course, that's anyone's defense mechanism, and the fact that Ally is using it makes no difference. However, it bothers him to know that Ally is hiding something this life-threatening…and for what? The sake of her pathetic excuse of a boyfriend that uses her as a punching bag almost everyday? The thought of envisioning Ally being attacked repulses the blond singer. "Don't play dumb with me. You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"Well, you don't know him like I do—"

"Yeah, the overused cliché for every girl, that constantly gets battered by their boyfriend," Austin interrupts, with a coldness evident in his voice. "I may not know him, but I know he's an idiot for thinking about laying a finger on you."

Ally shakes her head rigorously. "He doesn't mean it—"

"Really? He doesn't? Is that what he tells you every time he hits you, and then he magically 'forgets' after you 'make him mad'?" The blond teen asks. To say he could barely understand why she would take that monster's side is an understatement. Despite being clueless from time to time, Austin Moon isn't stupid, especially when it comes to his friends. "Then what? What if you really get him angered up? Ally, he can kill you if you're not careful. You need to find a way out if this relationship, before he hits you so hard that you end up in the hospital."

"It wouldn't be the first time," Ally mutters under her breath, remembering the day she was pushed against the room roughly for a stupid, petty problem (missing guitar pick) and she had to be taken to the hospital because she couldn't wake up. It's the worst he has done to Ally, but she's too wrapped in love and affection that she can't simply leave. Austin's words are easier said than done.

Luckily for the songwriter, Austin didn't hear her, and probably didn't want to either. "I can't exactly do that," she speaks lowly, after the small silence. She leans against the wall, and slides down on it, sitting on the floor. "I know it's pathetic, but he's the first guy to ever say that he loves me. Yeah, he doesn't like the fact that I'm a songwriter, or that you're my best friend, and sometimes he calls me names, but I - I still love him, and he loves me."

To death, Austin thinks. "No, he doesn't. He would support your decisions to be a songwriter, he wouldn't be jealous of me, or anyone else for that matter, and he definitely wouldn't call you names. Except for pet names, which in retrospect, no one should ever call each other pet names. You're wrong. You may love him, but he has no respect for you. You're better than that."

Hearing those words come out of his mouth almost enlightened Ally to move on from her destructive life. There's a lot that Austin doesn't know about the relationship; all he knows is that she's been attacked countless times. Austin doesn't know, or doesn't need to know, that she hasn't eaten a decent meal in a week, or that she's cold because her body can't produce heat anymore due to her inadequacy of meals, or that she's been close to being date-raped twice, or that she's been in the hospital countless times in the hands of her boyfriend, or that her songbook is now a filthy pile of ash - and the worst part of it all, she lets him destroy her wall of innocence, and her relationships around her. She lets it happen, but if she can stick by her best friend's side, she may see the light again. "You're right. There's so much that he's done to me, that I can't find another reason to stay. I just - how can I get out of it? He practically has me on a chokehold."

"First, we make sure that he never gets to see you again, or contacts you ever again." Austin helps the fallen teenager from the floor, and hugs her tightly. "And he's not the only guy that loves you. Team Austin, we all love you, and one day, you'll have that special guy that will tell you how much he loves you." He lets go for a moment, and looks into her eyes. "Or girl, whichever you prefer. I won't judge," he jokes, with a goofy, idiotic grin.

And for the first time in a long time, Ally Dawson laughs.