Here you go...as promised, before the end of October...a lot sooner than expected, actually, but it kinda just wrote itself...I've already got the first two chapters written, so enjoy! Please review! :D
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot line :(
Chapter 1
"Honey, I'm home!" Ally called as she walked through the front door of the small apartment she shared with her fiancé, Dallas Cipriano.
"Hey sweetie, how was work?" Dallas was all smiles as he approached her, arms open for a hug. She wrapped her arms around him and breathed in his sweet, homely scent.
"Stressful, as usual. Then again, what can you expect when you give a class full of thirteen-year-olds a bunch of musical instruments and tell them to 'experiment'?" Ally sighed, dropping her bag and kicking off her shoes. Dallas smiled fondly at her and slid an arm around her waist, almost unconsciously.
"Maybe you should be a little stricter with them." Dallas suggested.
"I try to be strict, but they're all so…they don't mean to be annoying. They're just kids. They like to have fun. And at the end of the day, they produce good work." I shrugged. He sighed.
"I still think you should be less of a pushover. Maybe if they had more respect for you…"
"They do respect me, Dallas. Look, just forget it. How was your day?" Ally changed the subject, not wanting to get into an argument. They sat side-by-side on the couch, Ally curling into Dallas's side. His arm went around her shoulders and his free hand picked up the TV remote.
"It was okay, not much to tell. What do you want to watch?" he asked her. She shrugged.
"I've got to get up in a minute to cook dinner anyway, so whatever." She sighed dejectedly. Dallas turned off the TV and wriggled around so he was facing her.
"What's wrong?" he asked her. She blinked at him, having no idea how he had figured it out.
"N-nothing's wrong. Why do you ask?" she replied. He sighed.
"Come on, Ally, we've been together for five years. I can tell when you're in a bad mood." He said softly. She sighed in defeat, leaning forwards to lean her head against his chest.
"I'm just…tired. And stressed. Lately it seems like everything is making me cry, like it's some huge thing. Like today, one of the kids dropped a drum and one of the decorative flowers came off. One decorative flower. And I totally blew up. I was really and, and I sent him out and everything. I apologised so much afterwards, but that kid is always going to be afraid of me now, and probably the rest of the class too. It wasn't even his fault he dropped it. Someone knocked him. God, I'm such a horrible person." She wailed, burying her head in his chest and balling up his shirt in her hand. He rubbed her back comfortingly, and after a minute or so the sobbing subsided.
"I'm sorry Dal. You're probably tired and hungry, and your job is probably a whole lot more stressful than mine, and here I am, falling to pieces in your arms." She muttered, angry with herself.
"Shh, Ally, don't be sorry. I'm not that hungry and we can just order take-out. I'm tired, sure, but so are you. And my job is usually pretty stressful, but right now I'm just dealing with a load of paperwork. But no matter how tired, hungry or stressed I am, you can always come to me when you need me. I love you, Ally, and I don't want you to feel like you can't cry on my shoulder. Ever. Whenever you need me, I'll be right here." Ally smiled, pulling away from him and wiping her eyes.
"Thank you Dallas. And I'll always be here for you, too." She smiled.
"Anyway, Ally, I have an idea. You're really stressed lately, and it's affecting your teaching, right?"
"Right." She confirmed, not sure where this was going.
"Well, why don't you take some time off work, and I'll do the same, and we can go on some sort of vacation?" he suggested. Ally thought it over for a minute. She was permitted two weeks' vacation time every year, other than the allotted school vacations, and she knew nobody would mind if she took some time off. The school she worked at was small, and all the staff are friends, and she knew they could tell she was going through a rough time. She finally made up her mind, nodding decidedly at her fiancé. He grinned widely.
"Great! Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to make a few calls…" he said, getting up from the couch and leaning down to kiss her quickly before turning to walk out of the lounge.
"Wait, Dallas! Who are you calling?" she asked. He glanced back at her, grinning.
"It's a surprise." He told her. She groaned, rolling her eyes.
"Come on, baby, please tell me!" she complained. Ally always hated surprises; she's one of the most impatient people Dallas has ever met. But he loves her for it.
Ally lay down across the couch and closed her eyes, listening to the muffled music coming from the apartment above theirs. She could just about make out the song to be Usher's Without You, and she smiled in happiness.
After a few minutes, she was fast asleep. Dallas came back into the lounge grinning, but his face fell when he saw that his fiancée was asleep. Then he smiled softly again, admiring her beauty. He chuckled a little when she snored softly, and walked over to pull her into his arms. She stirred but didn't wake up. He carried her into their bedroom and pulled the covers off the bed, gently placing her down. He curled up next to her and pulled the covers over her, smiling in content.
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"Dallas?" Ally's voice was muffled by the blankets, but Dallas jolted awake nonetheless. He smiled at her and she smiled back.
"Did you sleep well?" he asked. She nodded, turning to glance at the alarm clock. Seeing she had an hour before she had to leave, she groaned and threw off the covers.
"I'm gonna go shower. I can't be late for work." She told him. He nodded.
"Are you gonna ask about taking the time off?" he asked her.
"Sure. How long?"
"A couple weeks, if you can. As long as possible, really."
"Okay, I'll ask." She promised, kissing him on the cheek and grabbing some clean clothes, before making her way to the small bathroom to get ready for work.
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"Hey babe! I'm home!" Dallas called, shutting the door behind him softly. He works late on Fridays, so he got home after Ally.
He frowned in confusion when Ally didn't come running at him. Shaking off his coat and boots, he cautiously made his way into the lounge, feeling his heart break a little at the sight before him.
Ally was sat on the floor, back against the couch, eating ice-cream and bawling. He ran over to her, pulling her into his arms and rocking their bodies back and forth.
"What's wrong Als?" he asked, wriggling out of his crouch and sitting beside her on the floor. She hiccupped a little, which he couldn't help but find adorable, and rested her head on his shoulder.
"R-remember I told you that I blew up at that student yesterday?" she choked out. I frowned.
"Yeah, I remember."
"Well, it t-turns out that his d-dad is a member of the school-b-board. And when he heard about it, he p-pulled some strings and got me f-fired!" she wailed. Dallas froze, feeling his blood boil.
"They can't do that! They can't fire you with no good reason!" he shouted. She winced.
"They had a reason, Dallas. I scared a kid. He was really, really upset when he got home." She explained. Dallas shook his head.
"Well, you said that you apologised! And he did something wrong!"
"He didn't though. It was an accident, and I overreacted. I terrified all the kids. They think I'm unstable. I can't be around kids if I'm mentally unstable." She sighed.
"But you're not unstable!" Dallas cried. She smiled softly, finally managing to stop crying.
"I know, Dal, I know. But they think I am, and none of the kids in that class will ever forget about it. It's okay though. I'll find another job." She shrugged, putting on a brave face for the sake of her fiancé who was now visibly shaking with rage.
"No, it's not okay, Ally! I am going down to that school right now to give them a piece of my mind!"
"Dallas, come one, that won't help!" she protested.
"Als, I'm a lawyer, of course it will!"
"Dallas, it's almost midnight! Nobody will be there!" she told him, and he relaxed a little.
"Well, I'll go down there in the morning instead."
"Good luck with that. I think the janitor's might be there." she muttered. He frowned in confusion. Ally rolled her eyes.
"Tomorrow is Saturday, dumbass. Come on, Dallas, just forget it. I'll find another job. But right now…I just want to relax. Can we just go on this vacation and deal with the consequences when we get back?" she pleaded. Dallas thought for a moment, but then his tense muscles relaxed and he nodded. Ally sighed in relief and hugged him tightly.
"You're right. You were going to take some time off anyway. I'm sorry I overreacted. I just…I hate to see you upset, Als." He muttered. She laughed a little and kissed him. He kissed her back and they pulled away smiling.
"So…are you going to tell me where we're going now?" she asked. He grinned.
"Nah, I think I'll make you wait a little longer." She groaned.
"Ugh! Please Dallas?" she begged.
"Well…I wanted it to be a surprise…"
"But you know I hate surprises…and don't you think I've had enough surprises already today?" she hated doing it, but she knew that the guilt-trip always worked with Dallas. One of the benefits of knowing him for five years.
"Fine. We're going to visit my family in Texas." He told her. She froze.
"I, erm…what?" she choked out, shocked. He frowned.
"Is there something wrong with that?" he asked, concerned. She shook her head, expression slowly changing to one of happiness.
"No, of course not! Not at all! I was just surprised. I've never met any of your family, is all." She explained. He looked relieved.
"Good, I was worried for a second. So are you happy about this?" he asked her. She nodded, smiling.
"Very. I can't wait to meet the rest of the Moon's. If they're anything like you, I think I'm going to get on with everyone just fine." She said, grinning. Underneath that smile, though, she hid her true feelings. She was happy to be finally meeting them, of course. But, being Ally, she was worried too. What if she didn't like them? What if they didn't like her? She was excited, of course, but she couldn't help feeling nervous at the same time.
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"Hurry up Ally! We'll miss the flight!" Dallas yelled at her. She was currently stood at the end of her bed, suitcase open in front of her, trying to decide between her favourite blue shirt and an extra five pairs of pants. She rolled her eyes at her fiancé's impatience.
"We won't miss the flight! We still have an hour before we need to be there, and it's only a twenty minute drive." She shouted down to him. Dallas had always been a worrier, even more so than herself. Sometimes it was frustrating.
"Why didn't you pack earlier?" he asked her, frustrated.
"Because you refused to tell me where we were going until yesterday! And I didn't have time last night! Ten minutes after you actually told me, I was asleep." she explained. She heard a grunt but he didn't reply, and she smiled in satisfaction. She had won this one. Glancing between the shirt and the underwear, she sighed in defeat and threw them both in. The case was already over-full, and she still had a huge amount of stuff to pack.
Twenty minutes later, Dallas was dragging her cases down the stairs. She had managed to convince him to let her have an extra bag, promising to make up for the extra money it would cost. She followed him down the stairs with the hand luggage, lost in her own little world. She was imagining what it would be like to meet Dallas's family, whether they would be nice or hostile. And yes, she was worrying about her appearance as well. Being a 21-year-old, you would think she would be over her insecurities, but she was still as self-conscious as ever.
The drive to the airport was short and silent, and so was checking in. They sat together in the waiting area, Ally's leg jiggling with nerves, Dallas tapping his fingers impatiently. They knew they probably looked like idiots, but were too caught up in themselves to care.
Finally, after a slight delay, they took their seats beside each other on the plane. Dallas took Ally's hand, knowing she always got scared at take-off. She smiled at him gratefully, pulling out her iPod and slipping her headphones over her head.
Once take-off was over and done with, she took her headphones off and turned to speak to Dallas.
"Are you excited?" she asked him. He grinned and nodded.
"I haven't been home for four and a half years, Als. Of course I'm excited!" he exclaimed. She chuckled, squeezing his fingers sympathetically.
"I feel for you. I mean, dad only moved to England a couple years ago, but I still miss him like crazy. I can't imagine how I'll feel in two years' time. Hopefully I'll have seen him again by then, though." she sighed.
"Don't worry, Als, we can go visit your dad soon. I just really wanted to visit my family, and now that we're engaged…it just seems like we've been putting it off for too long." He explained. Ally nodded, smiling.
"I know. I've been wanting to meet your family for ages." She sighed.
"You want another run-through of the names?" he offered. She bit her lip and nodded guiltily; she had already forgotten names. He smiled.
"Well, my mom is Addison, and she lives in a big house with my dad, Tom, my adopted brother Austin, 17, and my adopted sisters Alice, 12, and Charlotte, 21. Charlotte goes to university, but she's on a short break so you'll get to meet her. Alice is still in school, and she's really shy, but I think you'll like her. Austin is…well, he's a bit of a head-case. Most of the time mom doesn't know where he is, like she might think he's in his room and then she'll get a phone-call asking her to pick him up from a party miles away. I've told her that she needs to be stricter with him, stop being such a pushover, but he's always been a troubled child, adopted when he was 12 from a family that beat him and starved him, and she doesn't want him to think she's starting to treat him the way they did." He explained. Ally smiled, nodding. This was the first time that he had elaborated. Usually he just told her their names and ages.
"Wait, wasn't there another brother? Gary, no, Grady, no…Graham?" she asked. He nodded.
"Yeah, Graham. He's 28 and he lives separately, but he should be there. You'll get to meet them all, don't worry." He reassured her. Ally smiled, nodding as she leant back into her seat and closed her eyes, suddenly tired. She hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, due to the worry over whether Dallas's family would like her or not. Dallas smiled, squeezing her hand gently. She squeezed back, showing him that she was okay.
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When Dallas eventually woke Ally up just over two hours later, she was surprised, and a little relieved, to find that they were already at the airport in Dallas. She had always hated flights, all that time with nothing to do but sit there and think. Well, she knew she could have watched a movie, or read a book or anything really, but somehow those things seem less fun when they're her only options. She was tired still, though.
The couple took their time getting off the plane and collecting their luggage, because Dallas told them that Charlotte was coming to pick them up, and she's always late. For everything. And sure enough, when they finally got themselves out to the car park, she wasn't there.
Ten minutes of anxiously waiting later, a blue car pulled up in front of the pair and a blonde, smiley young woman jumped out. She squealed loudly and ran over to us, throwing herself into Dallas's arms and kissing him on the cheek. He hugged her back, grinning.
"Dally! Oh, gosh, I've missed you so much! How are you?" she asked loudly. Ally smiled at the reunion, even more so when she noticed that Dallas had tears in his eyes.
"I've missed you too, Charly. I'm good, thanks, how about you?" he replied, pulling away and wiping his eyes. She grinned.
"I'm great, now that you're here. Why did you have to move all the way to Miami? A girl needs her big brother!" she complained. He chuckled.
"You've still got Graham." Dallas pointed out. Charlotte rolled her eyes.
"C'mon, Dally, you know Graham moved out years ago."
"Yeah, but he only lives a few minutes away."
"He never visits, though. I barely ever see him. And he's a lot older than me. I miss you, Dallas." She sighed. Then she spotted me, and her expression instantly perked up.
"Oh my God, I completely forgot! I'm so sorry! You must be Ally! We've all been so looking forward to meeting you! Everyone wanted to come here to pick you guys up because they're all so excited, but the house was a mess so I came alone. I'm Charlotte, in case you didn't know, and I am so excited to finally be meeting you!" the young girl babbled, surprising Ally by throwing her arms around her neck. Ally was frozen in bewilderment for a second, but soon enough she was hugging back.
"Hi Charlotte. I've been looking forward to meeting you, too. It'll be nice to have a girl my own age to talk to." She said. Charlotte beamed.
"Oh my Gosh, I forgot you were my age! You look so much more mature! Oh, this is going to be so much fun!" she squealed. The three of them piled into the car, Charlotte forcing Dallas to sit in the back to allow Ally to sit next to her in the passenger seat. The two girls chattered away the entire drive, leaving Dallas to listen in, not understanding a word of what they were saying.
By the time they pulled up outside the huge house, Ally felt like she had known Charlotte her entire life.
"I can't wait for us to be sisters, Ally! It's going to be so awesome!" Charlotte exclaimed as they all got out of the car. Ally nodded in agreement, and they started talking about the wedding as they made their way down the drive towards the front door. Dallas stayed quiet, and even if he had wanted to speak he wouldn't have gotten a word in edgewise.
When they reached the front door Ally suddenly went silent, and Charlotte and Dallas both glanced at her, confused. Charlotte smiled sympathetically and Dallas took her hand, squeezing it comfortingly like he had done on the plane. Ally took a deep breath as Charlotte opened the door, and then followed her inside.
Dallas's family were waiting for them in the lounge. His mom was the first to rush over, pulling Ally into a bear hug. Ally hugged back, smiling as she breathed in the scent of lavender and something else that she couldn't quite place.
"Ally! Oh my gosh, look at you! You're so beautiful! Dallas really did well with you, didn't he? It's so nice to finally meet you, we've all been telling Dallas to bring you here for years but he's always been 'too busy'. Busy my ass, I say, but we didn't want to push him. My son's always been a stubborn one, but you probably already know that, am I right?" she asked. Ally smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, he is. Its one of the few things I love about him." She joked. Dallas faked a look of hurt, so Ally turned to him and kissed him quickly.
"She's only joking, son. It's obvious the girl's infatuated with you, even to an old geezer like me." Said a grey-haired, tall guy that Ally assumed was Dallas's father. Dallas smiled and went over to hug his dad.
"Hey dad. I missed you." He said.
"I missed you too son. But at least you've had a beautiful woman to keep you company." He said, nudging Dallas. Everyone laughed except for Addison, who placed her hands on her hips and glared at him angrily.
"What's that supposed to mean?" she huffed. Tom smiled and pecked her on the cheek.
"I was only joking, pumpkin. You're the only beautiful woman I need in my life." He said, and Ally couldn't help but smile at the sweetness of the moment.
Dallas went on to introduce her to his father, his older brother Graham and his little sister Alice. Graham looked exactly like Dallas, only taller and older. He still looked young, though, which he should at only twenty-eight. Alice looked exactly like Charlotte, and she later explained to Ally that the Cipriano's adopted the two of them after their parents died in a house fire when Alice was two and Charlotte was eleven. Alice was just as shy as Dallas had said she was, but Ally managed to get a cautious handshake and a smile out of her.
Once all the introductions were done with, Dallas's mom announced that dinner would be ready in two hours and people began to disperse. Dallas grabbed Ally's hand and led her to their room, and the two of them spent the next half-hour unpacking. When they were done, they sat side-by-side on the bed and smiled at each other.
"So…how did you think it went?" Dallas asked her. She grinned.
"Amazing. Your family are the nicest people I have ever met. Only, isn't there one more? I counted six earlier and there are only five here…" she asked. Dallas sighed and nodded.
"Yeah. Austin's not here. I asked mom; she said he was out with his friends. That could mean anything. You're not missing much. Even if he had been here, he probably wouldn't have bothered leaving his room to come say hi to us."
"Oh, okay. Well, it still feels weird. Like, until I've met him, I haven't really met everyone in your family…" she said.
"I know. Well, he should be home at some point. Knowing him, he'll be back for dinner. He is a teenage boy." Dallas sighed, and something in his tone made Ally drop the subject.
Review? Please? :D