A/N: Okay, I have literally watched every clip, every sneak peek, and every promo for Chapters & Choices AT LEAST twenty times. Based off of them, this is my idea of what will happen on the 24th. Hopefully you can envision this as the real episode!

I don't know if Lester and Penny are still married or not, but because divorce makes me sad I'm going to keep them together for the sake of this story. Also I think people are being really mean to Kira, so know that she will NOT be made out as the quote 'bad guy' of Austin & Ally in this story. It's not her fault her boyfriend likes someone else!

Disclaimer: I don't own A&A or any characters, places, brands etc that you recognize. I don't even own the plot because I took some parts of it from Disney. Don't sue me!

Remember, I'm new to Fanfiction and this is my first story (that's why it's called Auslly & Amateurs). So please, nothing mean in your reviews, just constructive criticism! Thanks!

"Honestly Trish, paper does cover rock," Dez complained as he and Trish marched into Sonic Boom.

"Pfft! Maybe in your world!" Trish snapped at the redhead. "But I think you're a cheater for making me think you were going to do scissors and then doing paper!"

"It's not cheating! It's pure skill." Dez straightened his jacket with a faraway look on his face.

Trish rolled her eyes. "Well, it's not my fault that you-"

"Guys!" Ally said loudly from behind the counter, "it's just a game! You're making way too big of a deal out this."

"No we're not," Trish said. "I'm just fairly pointing out that Dez is a cheater, not to mention stupid!"

"Fine then!" Dez said. He turned to Ally with a hopeful look in his eyes. "Will you play with me?"

Ally sighed. "Sorry Dez. I have to work on something with Austin." She sighed again and picked up her book, starting to make her way up the stairs to the practice room. She stopped, turned, and sighed again before heading inside.

"What's with the sighing?" Dez said after she left.

"I'm not sure," Trish replied. "But I have a fairly good idea." She sat down on the piano seat. "Dez, has Austin said anything about Ally to you lately?"

"Yeah, he was telling me how much he likes her but that he doesn't want to hurt anybody's feelings, and he doesn't know if he should get with her or stay with Kira and-" Dez's eyes widened and he clapped a hand over his mouth. "I mean…uh-"

"Really?" Trish exclaimed. "Because Ally likes him too!" She stood up. "We have to tell them."

"No," said Dez. "We should let them figure it out themselves. If they really do like each other, they'll see it soon."

"You're right. Come on, let's go see what they're up to!" The pair jumped up and raced to the practice room.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

"If you wanna run, I'll be your road," Austin's fingers slid over the piano keys as he read lyrics out of Ally's book. "What's the next line?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows at the page.

"If you want a friend," Ally said carefully. She held the book up closer to his face.

"Right. Friend. I like that," Austin replied, nodding his head slightly. He looked back at the piano.

"You do?" Ally said, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "You don't think we should use a stronger word?" She knew it wasn't about the song anymore, but she couldn't let that on.

Austin shrugged. He looked nervous. "I dunno. Maybe." He shifted on the piano bench. "I just don't want to mess up our…song." He was about to say "friendship," but caught himself.

"Yeah, I'd hate to rush into a new song and change the great one we already have." Just then the door flew open and in skipped Trish and Dez.

"Hey guys!" Trish said cheerfully. "What's up!" She continued without waiting for an answer. "Anything new?"

"Nope, just writing a song," Ally said cautiously.

"So nothing's…changed?" Dez inquired.

"Well," Austin began, "we finished the third verse, but-"

"And would you say that some progress has been made and the two of you are moving in a positive direction?" Trish interrupted.

Ally bit her lip. "Trish, can I talk to you outside for a second?" She stood up and grabbed her best friend's hand, pulling her out and shutting the door.

As soon as the door swung closed Dez scurried over to Austin and plopped down on the piano bench. "Austin, we weren't really talking about the song, we were talking about you and Ally!" he said excitedly.

"Yeah, I kind of figured that out," Austin replied. He sighed. "Look, it's complicated. I really like Ally, but I like Kira too. I just don't want to hurt anybody."

"I get you, buddy. It's screwed up," Dez said. "Look, think about it this way. You, Ally, and Kira are a pizza. You're the dough, the obvious part. You can't be a pizza without cheese, but you can be a pizza without pepperoni. Which girl is which?"

Austin put his elbow on the piano and leaned his head on his hand. "I don't know, Dez. The thing is, I don't want Ally to know that I like her yet until I know for sure she likes me."

Dez was about to confirm the latter when he remembered his agreement with Trish. If they really do like each other, they'll see it soon.

"So would you say Ally is the cheese or the pepperoni?" he asked.

"The…the…" Austin said slowly, "…the cheese, I think."

Dez clapped his friend on the back. "Good decision man. Now go break up with Kira and tell Ally you love her!"

Step one of Operation Auslly: Officially Complete!

"No, I can't," Austin said. "If I break up with Kira, Ally will know I like someone else. She'll get all suspicious and she'll figure out it's her in no time."

"Riiiiiight," Dez said. "I get it."

Correction: step one of Operation Auslly is officially Work-In-Progress.

••••••••••

"Ally, we weren't really talking about the song, we were talking about you and Austin!" Trish said, equally excited.

"Really?" Ally said sarcastically. She wrung her hands. "Look, I know Austin likes me, but for all I know he still wants to be with Kira."

"Well, boo hoo, he's going to have to deal with this at some point," Trish replied.

"Well, I'm not sitting around waiting for him to decide who he wants to be with. My mom's coming home from Africa today and I want to focus on her."

"Good for you! Never wait on a guy! Actually, never wait on anybody. That's why I'm a terrible waitress."

Ally ignored her last statement. "I'm just going to forget about this whole Austin thing for now. Honestly I am so over it."

Well, not honestly. That was a total lie.

Trish raised her eyebrows.

"Okay! I'm not over it! But what do you think they're talking about in there?"

Trish put her ear up to the door. "I dunno. It's really quiet."

"I dunno," Dez said to Austin, his ear pressed against the door, "it's really quiet."

••••••••

"Mr Dawson, your car is too small," Trish grumbled as Team Austin plus Lester piled into his outdated Ford.

She winked at Dez, who winked back. They both went into the car together and sat at one end, so that Austin and Ally would be forced to sit pressed against each other.

As Ally clambered in after Austin, she hit her head on the ceiling of the car. (How many of you ever done that before? I know I have.) She slipped and fell into her seat, and would've hit her head again if there hadn't been a strong shoulder in the way.

Austin's shoulder.

"Ow!" she squeaked, rubbing the back of her head. She realized what she was leaning against and quickly look up. But she hadn't counted on his face being as close to hers as it was.

They both sat frozen for a moment, Ally tilted back and on his chest, him leaning slightly downwards, lips only inches apart.* Austin wanted to kiss her so badly. She looked so pretty, her curls falling backwards and her face a mixture of surprise and pain. He gently pushed her upwards, helping her back into a sitting position.

"You okay?" he asked softly.

"Yeah. I'm fine, thanks."

What the pair didn't see was the quiet high five their two best friends were exchanging.

•••••••••••

"Mom!" Ally squealed as Penny Dawson stepped out of the African Airlines** plane.

"Oh, sweetie!" Penny hugged her daughter tightly. "Look how much you've grown! You're nearly as tall as me!"

Ally blushed and let go of her mother just as her father came rushing towards her. "Lester!" Penny cried. She flung her arms around her husband's neck and they shared a long kiss. Ally couldn't help but picture Austin and herself that way.

She stepped back towards Trish, Dez and Austin. "She's just as I remembered her," Trish whispered to Ally. "Chatty, nice, and a replica of you."

Penny pulled away from Lester and stepped back to examine the rest of the group. "Oh Trish, it's so wonderful to see you again!" she said, giving the Latina a brief hug. She turned back and looked at Dez and Austin. "Hello," she said kindly, holding out her hand. "I'm Penny."

"I'm Dez!" Dez said happily, flashing Penny a huge grin as he enthusiastically grabbed her hand a shook it up and down. "I'm Ally's friend!"

Penny winced as she pulled her hand from the redhead's strong grip. "It's a pleasure, Dez," she said, flexing her fingers.

"And I'm Austin," Austin said. He was being shy about meeting Ally's mother. And Austin Moon was never shy. "I'm Ally's…" He paused and glanced at Ally, unsure of what to call himself, "…friend, too."

"I've heard so much about you!" Penny said. "You should know that the only way I can calm Ally and Trish Gorilla down is by letting them listen to your album. I'm a huge fan!" She shook Austin's hand. "And of course I'm very proud of my Ally-gator."

Ally didn't mind Miss Suzy calling her that. In kindergarten. She was almost seventeen now and she could not have Austin know that her mother still called her that.

"Anyway, to Sonic Boom we go!" Penny cheered as they filed back into the car and the engine rumbled to life.

•••••••••••

"So then, the gorilla says to the ape, 'What do you need to open the door?' And the gorilla goes, 'A monkey!' Get it? Get it?" Penny Dawson chattered away to nobody in particular they she lounged in the practice room at Sonic Boom.

Dez started to shake with laughter, receiving confused looks from Penny.

"Anyway," she continued, "Ally, would you sing me a song on the piano? I haven't heard you play for two years and I remember you were very, very good."

"She's more than just good," Austin said. "She's amazing!"

"Thanks Austin, but I'm not sure I can play," Ally told them.

"Aww, but we're your friends!" Trish whined.

"One song? Please? You performed on Halloween in front of everybody!"

"Yeah, but they all thought I was Taylor Swift." To her mother's even more confused look she added, "Long story. Besides, mom, what if I'm not as good as you think I am?"

"Alls, don't be silly," Austin said. "Here, we'll play together." He plopped himself down next to her on the piano bench and started to play. And Ally recognized the song as one of her own.

"Sometimes, I get in my own way, I need someone to say, hey, what are you thinking," Austin sang.

"Your words, they're always just in time, just like a perfect rhyme, like you're not even trying," Ally continued, placing her own fingers on the keys and playing along.

"Like pieces of a puzzle, without each other, we're in-"

"-trouble, trouble!" Ally sang a harmony.

"Hey, I will always stay by your side forever, because we're better together…"

They sang perfectly, their voices melting together into one.

"Hey, there's no other way, we'll make it through whatever, cause we're better together-***" On the word together, their hands overlapped on the piano and they stopped, both looking at their accidentally interlocked fingers.

"That was beautiful!" Penny breathed. "You two are very talented."

"Thanks Mom," Ally replied, her hand still touching Austin's. "I just wish I could do it in public."

"Ally, maybe you can," Austin said. "Maybe you should try it."

"It is about time I got over my stage fright," Ally said thoughtfully.

"Well, we could use some entertainment at my book release party tomorrow," Penny said. "Any volunteers?"

"We'll perform a duet together!" Austin said excitedly, earning a "yes!" from Ally and a small thrill in the pit of his stomach as she threw her arms around him in a hug. He put his face in her hair and held her tightly.

They suddenly realized that they must look…well, obvious. Ally let go of him, but he was still holding on to her, so she started to hug him back again as he awkwardly pulled away. Finally they quickly separated.

"We'll leave you two alone to catch up," Trish said, standing. Austin and Dez followed her out the door.

"Honey, you don't know how wonderful it was to hear you play music again. I couldn't be more proud of you for saying you'll perform," Penny told her daughter as she made herself comfortable in her chair. "Now, I want chat. We haven't chatted in such a long time."

"What do you want me to say?" Ally asked.

"Tell me about your new boyfriend, for instance."

"Boyfriend? Mom, I'm not dating anyone."

"What about Austin? You look like a couple." Penny shared her daughter's love for romance and would happily play matchmaker whenever she could.

Ally sighed. There was another person who thought she and Austin should be together. That was officially everyone she'd ever met.

"Okay, I do like him and he likes me back, but I don't know if he still wants to be with his ex girlfriend. They only broke up yesterday and I know he still likes her too. We're just friends, mom."

"Pity," Penny sighed. She stood up and walked out of the practice room, leaving a confused and sad Ally behind.

••••••••••••

Austin nervously twiddled his thumbs as he sat in the food court to meet Kira. He had memorized what he would say: "Hey Kira, I thought about it and I want you to be my girlfriend!" Yes, he felt bad about lying to her, but he felt even worse about lying—in a sense—to Ally. It was a fork in the road: he could lie to his best friend or he could break her heart. And he really didn't want the latter to happen.

Kira joined him at his table soon after. "What is it you want to talk to me about?" she asked him.

"Well, I…" he began. The script, Austin, the script! "I thought about it, Kira, and I really do want you to be my girlfriend again. You were the best one I've ever had. Hey, did you know blue is a great color on you?" he added, figuring an extra compliment or two couldn't hurt.

"Flattering, Austin, but I can't be your girlfriend again," she replied coolly. "I never know if you mean what you say, because tomorrow you'll tell me that blue is just okay on me."

"Come on!" Austin pleaded. "Give me one chance, Kira, please!"

She sighed in exasperation. "Fine. I'll think about it." Standing up, she slung her purse around her shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow at the book release party, okay?"

He nodded, and as she rounded the corner he jumped up and did a fist pump. He was saved! For now anyway.

•••••••••••••••

"Are you nervous?" Trish asked Ally as they set up two microphones on the stage of Penny's book release party venue. "You look kind of like you're sweating."

"Am I nervous? What? Why would I be nervous? The worst thing that could happen is that I mess up and totally embarrass myself in front of everybody! No reason to be nervous at all! Ally Dawson is so not nervous! Never going to happen!" Ally babbled anxiously.

"Yeah, there's the attitude," Trish patted her best friend's shoulder and left to check the stage lighting.

"I am so nervous!" Ally admitted aloud to herself, burying her face in her hands.

"Nah, you'll be fine," a familiar voice said.

She looked up. "Hi Austin," she mumbled.

Austin smiled and drew her in for a hug. "Come on, Alls. Performing's easy. Just pretend it's just us two, in the practice room."

Ally shrugged. "I don't know why I said I'd perform. I just don't want to let my mom down. Or you."

"There's nothing to be afraid of Ally. You're amazing. You'll do great."

"Thanks Austin." She smiled. "Well, we've got half an hour. Let's do this!"

He grinned back at her. "There's my Ally," he said. She raised her eyebrows. "I mean, there's the Ally I know. Come on, let's go."

•••••••••••••••

"And now, we have a little surprise!" Penny announced through her microphone. "Our special guest Austin Moon will be performing a duet with my daughter Ally Dawson. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Austin and Ally!" The curtain drew upwards and Austin felt the familiar glow of the spotlight slap his face. He cast Ally a sideways glance to make sure she was okay.

"You can do it," he whispered. And with that he began to strum the guitar.

Ally clutched nervously at the microphone. Taking deep breaths, she listened for the soothing rhythm of Austin's guitar, her heart ba-bam, ba-bamming out of her chest, and started to sing.

"When you're on your own, drowning alone, and you need a rope that can pull you in, someone will throw it," she sang gingerly.

"And when you're afraid that you're gonna break, and you need a way to feel strong again, someone will know it," Austin continued smoothly.

Ally had never done anything so scary that felt so right. It was perfect. She sang loud, she let her music fly her out, and then she got so carried away that suddenly her face was half a foot from Austin's and the only thing between them was her microphone. That was when she started freaking out.

Austin was freaking out.

He was this close to Ally and they were the center of attention. If they were going to kiss, he didn't want to kiss now. Not in front of her parents, their friends, and a dozen cameras that would make sure this was the headline of CheetahBeat**** or on Entertain Me Tonight***** tomorrow.

"You can come to me,****** yeah," Ally finished softly.

The audience rose to their feet in a roar of whistles and clapping. Austin grinned at her, grabbed her hand and pulled her off the stage.

"Oh!" Ally cried as he hugged her backstage. "I did it, I conquered my stage fright!"

"I always knew you could do it," he replied proudly, still holding on to her waist.

"I'm just glad you were up there with me! That was incredible, I feel like I can do anything!"

"I know I can do anything," Austin said softly, "as long as I'm with you."

They gazed into each other's eyes, leaning closer and closer, noses touching.

Austin closed the gap and sparks flew. Feelings gushed out of the kiss, of all the times she could've kissed him but didn't, all the times he should've kissed her but hadn't. And he had to admit that it was a perfect kiss.

••••••••••••••

Ally thought performing would be the best thing she'd do all day. She was wrong. Kissing Austin was better.

It was only a few seconds, but still. She kissed him, he kissed her, each of them had kissed the other! It was brilliant!

As they let go of each other, smiles spreading across their faces, she heard a light patter of footsteps. Looking around she saw Kira, grinning just as widely as she was. She hurried between her and Austin and said, "Austin, I thought about it and…yes, I'll be your girlfriend!" She flung her arms around Austin's neck, contentedly sighing.

Ally swore she heard her heart falling and shattering in to a million pieces. She gathered that Kira had no idea about the recent interaction between herself and Austin, who was looking at her with the most horrified look on his face. So she did the reasonable thing there was to do: she took off, a single lonely tear streaking down her face as she went.

••••••••••••••••

Austin watched her go, a sharp pain rising in his chest. He wanted to shake Kira off of him and run after her, but he didn't; the only thing he could do was stand there frozen in shock, thinking, What have I done?

A/N: Yeah. So I'm new to fanfiction and all, and this isn't my best work. But please keep on reading! I hope you all enjoyed it! I might continue this story as my version of Partners & Parachutes, Couples & Careers etc. Let me know what you thought if this and I just might!

* Think classic Disney pose.

** I don't know if this exists, but it probably does. If so I don't own it. I just like the whole AA theme we have going on here.

*** Better Together from the Austin & Ally episode "Managers & Meatballs."

**** Not mine.

***** In "Crybabies & Cologne" this was the celebrity news channel they were watching. I don't own it.

****** Yeah, so you're getting annoyed with my footnotes. Last one: Come To Me, don't own it.

So, whatcha think? Should I continue?

~Mia

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