A/N

This is only my second one shot. Please R&R I want to know what you think. It's a special Halloween inspired. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Austin and Ally and never will.

It's October 31st, Halloween, the only day the girl I love has any physical substance. Why, you ask? Halloween's the day that the line between the mortal and the spiritual worlds blur. Yes, Ally is a spirit. She died seven years ago at the hand of a psychotic gunner who came into our school. The man killed six people and injured nine others including the teacher before he ran out of the bullets, the police came and tazed him before arresting him. He just happened to choose the room where Ally had Trigonometry, the one class I didn't have with her. I feel like if I was there back then I could have somehow protected her; or at least died with her. It was later that day that we found out who the victims were. I stopped hearing though after they said Ally's name. That day I went home furious at the gunner, myself, my life, whoever made guns, whatever destined Ally to die; everything. I had thought that we would graduate together. I thought we'd go somewhere with her songwriting and my singing. I thought I might even marry her one day and make a life with her, but all that was taken away. I cried myself to sleep that night, a very girly thing to do, but I had to let out my emotions. School was closed for the next two weeks and so I just stayed home, moped, ate, slept and played video games. I went to her funeral during that time as well. It was silent and depressing, so unlike Ally. It was terrible. I was that silent person in the very back in a black hoodie covering my face; covering my bloodshot brown eyes, tear streaked face and unkempt blond hair. The night before school started up was the first night I saw her again. Her glowing form hung over me, translucent and constantly moving and yet still recognizable as Ally.

Since then, Ally visits regularly, almost every night. She helps me write my songs by telling me lyrics and notes since she can't write them herself. I've become a famous singer although no one knows who writes my songs, seeing as to the world I don't have a songwriter, but don't claim them as my own either. I guess they just assume that I write them myself. I watch out my window as the sun inches below the horizon. Right as the last rays disappear, Ally's form appears next to me on my bed. She touches my arm, sending a chill down it. I turn and face her. Ally's skin is slightly paler than in life and emits a soft glow, but her brown doe eyes are the same. The eyes I fell in love with the instant I saw them. I reach out and brush my thumb against her chilly cheek. She looks almost exactly the same as she did when she was seventeen except for the fact that now she looks ageless and seventeen at the same time. Ally holds her hand to mine on her cheek, still staring at me.

She sighs lightly, "This is the seventh one, huh." It wasn't a question. I scoot towards her and hold her, sharing my body heat and comfort. My arms are wrapped around her petite waist. She's cold, but I can withstand it.

I whisper in her ear, "Let's make the most of it then, shall we?" my voice slightly husky. She shivers in my grasp.

"Mmm…" Ally gets off my lap and turns so she can face me. A small smirk plays across her lips. I lean forward and crash my lips on hers. In science, I remember learning at some point that when a hot front of air collides with a cold front, there's a thunderstorm. Well, that's what basically happened here. We break away, breathing heavily. I smile at her and she smiles back. It's the only time she truly smiles now. I sigh silently, why couldn't things have been different? There's a loud knock at my door. Dez, my best friend and music video producer is also my housemate.

"Stay here, Als," I mumble to her and walk over to the door. Not fully opening it, I pop my head out and sure enough, Dez is standing there. My face is slightly flushed, I can feel the heat in it; I just hope Dez doesn't notice in the darkness. Usually, the house isn't this dark, but we keep it this way on Halloween. "What do you want, Dez?"

"Can we go out or something? I mean it's Halloween, we should go to a party or go trick-or-treating or a fright house or something! You aren't going to stay locked up in your room again are you? I've been your friend and video producer for five years now and haven't once seen you celebrate Halloween. Do you have something against it?" he says.

I shake my head, "Nah, I don't have anything against it Dez. Just better things to do I guess…" I trail off. Yes, much better things to do then dress up in a weird costume and hang around even if fright houses are super fun.

He gives me a weird look. "Like what? Writing songs?" Dez asks me.

Thank goodness he gave me an excuse himself otherwise I'd have to come up with one myself. "Yeah! I have to write songs!" I respond a little too enthusiastically.

"Why do you have to write them on Halloween though? Couldn't you take a break?"

"Um…" My mind is reeling. I already told him that I don't have anything against Halloween and he bought that I have to write songs, but asked if I could take a break! I could say that I have a concert coming up soon and have to sing a new song, but then he'd just go and ask Trish, my manager, about it and he'd know I lied. If Dez knew I lied, he'd cry or something. One time, he went on strike by replacing me with a clown in each of my videos. Thankfully he edited it out later.

"I'll take care if it, Austin," I hear Ally whisper in my ear. Halloween just allows her to have physical form; she can still act as a spirit if she wishes. I nod, knowing that she'll see it.

"Dez, I need to think about it real quick, 'kay?" I close the door and sit down on my bed. Ally's now translucent body passes through the door. I assume she turned invisible so he didn't see where she came from originally. I wait patiently for about five minutes before I hear Dez scream and the thump of his feet as he ran off. Ally returns to my room and sits down on my bed, physical once again. "Tell me what happened!" I urge her.

She giggles and starts, "Well, I went out invisible and came up behind him. It's always better if you spook them a little first rather than just coming straight on. I floated past him creating a cold wind. He looked around; looking for me, but of course didn't see me. I made some howling sounds from different corners and a high pitched giggle really close to him. By that time, he was really scared. I made myself visible and said, 'Boo'. He screamed like a little girl and took off. After that, I just came back in here."

"Sounds like you have practice at this," I chuckle.

Ally's cheeks are now tinted red as she responds, "Some." She smiles and puts her hands around my neck. I smirk and tease her, kissing her forehead, nose and temple. There's a glint in her eyes now as she leans forward and kisses right next to my mouth. "Two can play at that game," she mumbles. Her fingers play with the hairs at the nape of my neck. They travel down to my shoulders and back up again.

"Let's stop playing games," I murmur to her. Ally smiles and presses her lips against mine briefly. After just a few seconds, I close the gap between us again. I pull away and look into her eyes. I trace the shape of her lips with my finger. I love being able to feel her, to hold her.

"Austin Monica Moon!" a voice yells and my bedroom door slams open. Ally turns invisible and the blissful feeling I have is replaced by a scowl as the short Latino walks in. I sigh, I had some distractions other years, but they were easily put aside. I only hired Trish last year and it was after Halloween. There's no way I can stop her when she's in a bad mood.

"What do you want, Trish," I almost growl. This is my time with Ally! Get the heck outta here!

"What's wrong with Dez! I mean, what's more wrong with him than usual?! He came downstairs bawling and whimpering about ghosts or something! Did you prank him?" Trish shouts.

"It's Halloween. Maybe there was a ghost. I didn't prank him though," I respond. Why doesn't this woman understand this thing called personal space?

"Are you sure? He's sure he was talking to you. You went back into your room and then he started getting weird feelings!" she rants.

"Why do you care?" I ask lowly. She and Dez absolutely hate each other. I don't know how I even get them to work together.

A thoughtful look passes across Trish's face, "I don't. I just don't want to have to deal with the sniveling man. I heard you haven't gone out in at least five years though so you're coming with me!" She grabs my arm and starts yanking me out. She's surprisingly strong.

"Trish De la Rosa, let go of me this instant or you're fired!" I yell.

Her grip only tightens as she shrugs, "You'll thank me later." I see that whiteish blue glow for a second before Trish stops and she releases my arm. I rub the part she was grabbing, a purple bruise already forming. The look in her eyes is different somehow. She robotically walks out the door, down the hall and away. I see the glow again and Ally is next to me.

"What'd you do?"

"I took momentary control over her body to get her away from you. You wanna go on a walk on the beach since we seem to keep getting interrupted here?" I nod and climb out of my window. I live in a small town in California. No one knows where I live and I like it that way; it's a getaway from all the pressure of fame and fans. The moon is perfect tonight, it's completely full. Some wispy clouds sometimes blow across it. Ally and I hold hands, silently enjoying each other's touch. Waves lap at the soft sand that shifts under our bare feet. Ally's dark brown hair and white knee-length dress flutter in the gentle breeze blowing off the sea. "I've been here for two hours already. Do you want me to stay as long as possible, Austin?" she breaks the peaceful quiet.

"Of course I do, Als. Stay as long as possible. How much longer do we have?"

"Nine hours. It's plenty and not enough at the same time."

"I know what you mean." I spin Ally and pull her close to my chest. She giggles and starts humming the tune to the latest song we wrote. Her arms around my neck and mine around her waist we sway to her humming in the silver moonlight. The light caresses her cheeks and bare arms making her appear more spectral and beautiful. I start singing the lyrics along with her, "Oh, I'm not sure what this is gonna be, but with my eyes closed all I see is the skyline, through the window, the moon above you and the streets below."

Ally stops humming and sings along with me, her amazing voice flowing into the night, "Hold my breath as you're moving in, taste your lips and feel your skin."

"When the time comes, baby don't run, just kiss me slowly. Don't run away..."

"And it's hard to love again, when the only way it's been, when the only love you knew, just walked away..."

"If it's something that you want, darling you don't have to run, you don't have to go ...Just stay with me, baby stay with me…" We slip into silence again, still swaying. Wherever her hands touch leaves my skin tingling and goose bumped and yet at the same time firey. It's almost like a icy-hot or Tiger Balm or any other numbing medical product. It's a sensation I've come to love dearly. It's a sensation I crave and yet can only receive once a year. I look into her eyes and see it also, the way she needs this; the way she waits for this day every year. As one, we lean forward and our lips meet again; cold against hot. Instead of a storm though, this collision becomes a dance as the temperatures swirl together. I take in her scent; I'll have to remember it all year. She smells like pond lilies and a fresh rain in autumn, like frozen dewdrops and moonlight. I take it all in, her touch, her smell, the sound of her breath, her eyes and the taste of her lips against mine. We break away, taking a breath. I cup her cheek in my hand and memorized every inch of her face. I can see her during the rest of the year, I can hear her too, but she's translucent then and her voice is sadder, hollower.

"I love you, Als," I breathe.

"I love you too, Austin," she replies. She nibbles on her lip and I lean down again for another kiss. From an invisible pocket, Ally pulls a bar of chocolate. She breaks a small piece off and puts it in her mouth allowing some to smear on her lips. Ally breaks off another and pushes it past my lips. Again, we're kissing. Chocolate and Ally invade my mind and that's all I can think about. It's wonderful. I'm disappointed when she pulls away, her form flickering to translucent for a moment. "Seven hours." How could someone do this to someone so caring, so nice, so funny, so talented, so beautiful? I ask myself as my thoughts wander to her being only a ghost. She told me once about how it happened. It was the first Halloween. She was sitting in class, just a regular day. There was a knock at the door and a student answered it letting in a man. The student who answered the door was the first to die. It was then that the lockdown warning came, but it was too late. It was the first three students shot that died, that was when the man seemed conscious to what he was doing. After that, he went crazy, grinning and tears running down his face at the same time. He shot wildly which is what caused the injuries. That was when the police arrived and intervened. My anger starts boiling in the pit of my stomach. The look in Ally's eyes stops me from yelling or lashing out though.

"Sorry, Als. I just can't forgive the man who did this."

"It's ok, Austin. Just try to though, it's been seven years. I-I have as hard as it was to. W-we still have each other despite the bad circumstances," she whispers. "At least we have each other. That man doesn't have his freedom, his sanity or love." Sparkling tears slip from her eyes and down her cheeks. It's so like my Ally to feel sorry for the scum that killed her because he got what he deserves. I know she lives with it though and I can tell from the conviction in her voice that she has forgiven the man, but it still hurts her. She still wishes it didn't happen. She wishes there was a way out of it; a way that we could actually be together, a way could be my girlfriend and songwriter publicly. I give her a quick peck and proceed to kiss the tears from her cheeks. The flavor of salt from her tears lingers on my lips as I lick them.

"Shhhh…" I hush her. I lay down on the sand and pat a spot next to me. She smiles sadly and lays down, her head on my chest. I look up into the starry night sky and fiddle with her hair. I feel her tracing small circles on my abdomen. Kiss Me Slowly is still playing in my head and I start to feel my eyelids grow heavy.

I try to keep them open, but Ally's voice soothes me, "You can sleep, Austin. I'll be right here."

Despite my resistance, I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I know, I'm opening my eyes and there's a slight glow in the eastern sky. Ally is still in my arms. "How much longer do we have, Als?"

She flickers before answering, "Ten minutes."

"Why didn't you wake me up?!"

"You were tired. I stayed with you the entire time. I watched your face, felt your breathing, and enjoyed your touch. Austin, it's incredibly hard for me to say this," she pauses her voice cracking as a few tears drip off her chin, "I think you should move on from me. You…we…we'll never work out. I'm stuck like this. You need to find new love, Austin. It's what's best for you and if you can be happy, I'll be happy too."

I sit up and hold her to my chest, "No, Als. I'll never stop loving you. Even if I did find someone else, there would always be you in the back of my mind. I can't be happy without you. We'll just keep on doing this. It'll work out. I have this love, a haunting love that'll never fade. I love you."

A small smile spreads across her face and she flickers again. "Three minutes."

I pull her into our last kiss of this year. I run my fingers through her hair. Ally rests her hands on my shoulders, the effect she has reaching my skin through the thin t-shirt material. It's filled with longing, grief and the passion we still have for each other. I kiss her slowly and slowly time slips away. We pull apart every little bit for a breath before returning. I feel her start to flicker more and then disappear.

I sigh and hear her voice one last time for the day, "A haunting love, huh? I like it." I feel something cool touch my cheek and leave.

Yes, it's a haunting love; love for a ghost, the spirit of my Ally.

A/N

I hope you liked it :) Reviews and Favorites are appreciated!

~Maggie