A/N: Yay. More Auslly-ish fluff. I can't help myself sometimes.

First disclaimer: This does have its unrealistic parts. And I am dreadfully sorry if I have missed over a glaring detail. Feel free to point it out to me. I just wrote this for fun, so I hope you enjoy despite any mistakes I may have made.

Second disclaimer: bit of a cheesy ending, I admit. Sue me.

Third disclaimer: Yes, I use "You Can Come To Me" again. I love that song, and it is so Auslly that I can't help myself. It's just amazing.

FINAL DISCLAIMER: Yeah, do I even have to say it? I don't own Austin & Ally.

….

Austin Moon strutted into Sonic Boom, a confident swagger in his step as he slid up to the counter. "Hey, Mr. Dawson."

The older man looked up from the clarinet he was polishing. "Oh. Hello, Austin." He seemed different to the rising pop star. A little sad, actually, and also a little confused. Austin felt his brow furrow a little.

"Is Ally here?" he asked, noticing that the empty store suddenly seemed…heavy. It was an unusual way to describe a location, especially one so light and full of music, but it was what stuck in Austin's mind as he asked the question. Mr. Dawson half-squinted at the blonde boy, puzzled.

"Ally's at home," he answered with a peculiar slowness. Like he was testing the words as they came out of his mouth.

"Oh," Austin said easily, becoming increasingly confused at the other man's confusion. It wasn't unusual that he came in here looking for Ally. Actually, he did it practically every day. Granted he didn't often come alone, but Trish was "working" at the A Little Bit of Lace store and Dez had a dentist's appointment.

Mr. Dawson sighed. "Austin…Has Ally called or texted you at all today?"

Austin pulled his phone out of his pocket to check. "No." He looked up. "Is something wrong?"

There was that sigh again. "She'll hate me for telling you before giving her the chance to, but…Ramone dropped her from the company."

There was a beat of silence.

"What?" Austin asked eventually, dumbfounded. "Why?"

Mr. Dawson shrugged. "Ramone apparently told her that he wanted more gender balance to avoid getting a reputation, and since Ally was his most recent sign-on…"

"He dropped her from the record? That's stupid!" Austin burst out angrily.

"I know. Ally was heartbroken. I let her take the day off."

Austin let out a frustrated breath. "Can he do that? Is that legal?"

Mr. Dawson shook his head, shrugging his shoulders helplessly. "I'm not sure, Austin. We're having a family friend who's a lawyer look at the contract as we speak."

Austin was quiet for a minute, caught between anger and sympathy. "I…don't know what to say, Mr. Dawson." Ally's dream had just been ripped out from under her feet and all because she was a girl? That was sexism, wasn't it? Wasn't it?! "That's terrible."

"It is…" Mr. Dawson looked at the young teen before him. "Austin, she won't admit it, but she could use somebody right now."

"I'll go," Austin said immediately, not even thinking twice about it. "Of course. But…do you think she'd want to see me?" Maybe it was ridiculous, but Austin couldn't help but feel like he might simply be a reminder of what was just taken away from her. He was on his way to his dream, and she had just hit a wall.

Mr. Dawson gave him an oddly soft look. "I think you'd be surprised, Austin."

The blonde boy offered a sad smile. "Okay. Thanks for telling me."

The older man simply nodded and waved the younger off. Austin turned on his heel and walked out of the store, the happy bounce in his steps from earlier gone. He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text.

Hey, Als. Your dad said I could swing by, so what kind of ice cream should I bring?

She texted back immediately.

Fruity Mint Swirl.

Like he would have brought anything else anyway.

….

When Ally opened the door, Austin immediately pushed the tub of ice cream into her arms. Her hair was swept up into a messy, tangled ponytail. She was in light blue jeans and an oversized light purple sweatshirt. Austin pretended he didn't notice the ever so slightly red tint to her eyes.

"Hey, Ally."

"Hi, Austin." Gosh, even her voice sounded hurt and small and sad. Austin resolved that he was going to fix that, that he would not leave before getting a smile out of her.

"Can I come in?" the blonde boy asked, smiling as if everything was perfectly normal.

Ally nodded, stepping aside. "Yeah. Sorry."

Austin walked into the family room, noticing that the coffee table in the center of it was covered in papers with small text, highlighters and pens strewn frantically across the table. He caught sight of a boldfaced title on one page that read Ramone Record Contract. He heard Ally close the door softly and padded her way past him and into the kitchen, grabbing a spoon and a bowl.

"Do you want any, Austin?" she asked.

"Nah, I'm good." Austin suddenly felt awkward, unsure of whether he should confess that he knew already, or wait for her to tell him herself. The silence stretched on, only increasing the uncomfortable feeling, before Ally spoke.

"I'm surprised you're not with Dez today." She said it lightly, conversationally. Austin breathed a sigh of relief and followed the brunette into the kitchen.

"He had a dentist's appointment. It won't be over for a while. His mom is making him get a cleaning and some x-rays. You know…." Austin left the generic statement without an ending, instead trailing off.

Ally placed the remaining ice cream in the freezer, shutting the door with her foot as she turned back around. "Yeah. Thank you for bringing me ice cream, by the way. You didn't have to."

"I know." Austin wanted to say more than that, but words failed him. Even though Ally didn't know that he knew, he knew. And Austin, as much as he tried, couldn't tell how fragile his songwriter was. She seemed okay, actually, and Austin didn't know why he didn't expect that.

He also didn't know why he didn't trust that.

Ally cut into his thoughts. "You're being unusually quiet. You okay, Austin?"

"Yeah. Are you?" The pop star instantly wanted to smack his forehead. The intensity with which he asked the question gave him away and he knew it. Way to be subtle, Austin, he thought to himself.

Ally gave him a long look over her shoulder, her brow furrowed in concern and confusion, as she walked back into the living room. "Um…more or less." Austin followed her.

"That's…good, I guess."

Ally sat down on the couch, still looking at the other teen oddly. "Yeah…I guess."

"I guess…" Austin repeated quietly.

She sighed. "Austin, what's on your mind?"

The singer sat down next to Ally, avoiding her questioning gaze as he sifted through the contract sprawled across the coffee table. "What's all this about?" he asked, deciding that perhaps it'd be best if he just prompted Ally to tell him on her own.

Ally leaned forward and started collecting the papers hurriedly. "It's nothing. I'm just looking over the contract."

Austin snatched the only page that had some of the text highlighted in yellow. "What's this?" He started reading it, moving it away when Ally reached out to grab it.

"Austin!"

Austin didn't reply, feeling his brow furrow as he continued to read. Ally grew quiet, continuing to gather the strewn papers and cast fleeting glances at him, carefully watching his expression change as he read. After a moment, Austin looked up at Ally with wide eyes.

"So it is legal?"

Ally looked confused for a second—she hadn't expected Austin to understand how the highlighted part mattered—before she realized. "My dad told you?"

He nodded, still staring at the paper.

Ally sighed. "Yeah. It's legal. I was stupid and signed before reading it all the way through."

The blonde boy shook his head, a combination between disbelief and helplessness. "I'm sorry, Als." I wish there was something I could do…

Ally gave him a weak smile. "Thanks, Austin."

He nodded absentmindedly, looking back at the contract. "Did you tell Trish?"

The brunette's smile faded and she set aside the bowl. "Not yet."

Though he had guessed as much, the answer still surprised the pop star. "Why not?"

There was a pause. "Because it's embarrassing," Ally finally confessed, shifting uncomfortably. "I got dropped from the record, Austin. I had a shot at something big, and I blew it."

She let out a frustrated sigh, and if the blonde had looked at her, he would have seen the embarrassed blush spreading across her face. Instead he remained staring at the paper intently, as if hoping the words would change the longer he stared, as he listened to his friend.

"The more I think about it," Ally eventually continued, "the more I think that Ramone was probably just being nice."

Austin felt his brow furrow in confusion. There was nothing nice about what Ramone did. "What?"

Ally's voice was incredibly quiet. "Maybe I'm just not good enough for this life. Maybe Ramone saw that, and that's why he cut me out. He knew I wasn't good enough, and was trying to find the nicest way to let me go."

"Ally," Austin said firmly, putting the paper down on the coffee table before turning fully to his friend. "You don't honestly think that, do you?"

She didn't need to say anything. Austin could tell by the uncertainty in her eyes that she really did believe she wasn't good enough.

He continued earnestly. "Ally, you're amazing. You're honestly, like, the most talented singer I know."

The brunette gave him a small smile. "Thanks, Austin," she said, in the way that you're supposed to say when someone compliments you. In that I-know-you're-being-nice kind of way, that's more acknowledgement at your attempt than actual sincerity in thanks.

His eyes were pleading with hers. "I mean it, Als. You're incredible. Your songs touch and move people in ways I never could, never can, on my own. Were you even looking at the crowd when you got up there and sang "I'm Finally Me"? People loved you. And your voice is beautiful." Ally blushed, but Austin either didn't notice, or pretended not to.

"Half the guys in school have a crush on you, which is kind of weird. Not that you aren't good enough or anything," Austin quickly added, "just that they don't know you half as well as I do. But they all think you're pretty and smart and an amazing singer. It's kinda funny, 'cause they don't even really realize how right they are."

Ally was caught off guard for a moment, staring at her friend, before swallowing and attempting to shrug off the way that made her heart pick up a bit. "Um…" something about her voice sounded odd, even to Ally.

Austin suddenly felt embarrassed, but what was he supposed to do? Take back the compliment? He certainly meant it. He shrugged, playing the surprisingly intense silence off casually. "I mean…it's the truth."

Her voice sounded so soft and quiet that Austin almost missed what she said. "Really?"

The blonde boy looked at her straight in the eyes as he answered, "Yeah, Ally. Really." Austin's voice was suddenly softer than Ally had ever heard it as she glanced down at her lap. "Ramone might've let you go, but…you've got wings."

Austin's hands were shaking for reasons he didn't want to think too much on, and he clasped them together between his knees. "And if you wanna fly… I will be your sky. Remember?"

Ally finally—finally—glanced back into his eyes. "Austin…" Her vision started to blur with tears, but for the first time that day, it wasn't from heartbreak or sadness or loss of a dream. Austin didn't say anything, had no idea if and what to say, and simply looked back.

He saw something light up in her eyes.

"What?" he said, knowing that she had just thought of a terrific idea because only then did she get that look in her eyes.

"I have an idea for a song." Austin marveled at how much energy she suddenly was filled with as she jumped to her feet, at how quickly she went back to the Ally he knew.

"Really?" Austin asked, feeding off her excitement. Ally held out her hand and helped—though needlessly—Austin to his feet before dragging him to her piano in the other room. Austin sat next to her as she immediately began playing, the two of them just a little bit closer than usual.

And as he looked at her, he saw that he finally got that smile out of her.

A/N: Well, that's it for this one. Hope you enjoyed. Please leave a review! I really do love them, and they let me know what you guys thought of it. :D Love you all. Thanks for all the support.