Before I begin this chapter, I just wanna say thanks for all the reviews, favorites, and alerts. You guys really are my motivation to keep writing. :)

And I think a few of you mentioned how the sonogram having Austin's features back in chapter 2 to be a bit unrealistic, which I guess it could be. Although I do recall in an episode of 16 & pregnant one of the girls saying that the sonogram of her baby looked like the father. Also in Juno, Juno says that she thinks the baby looks like Bleeker before its born. But oh well, perhaps that was a bit realistic. Personally I've never been pregnant myself, but hey...I'm trying to make the story sound realistic, and despite that minor detail, I'm doing pretty good - right? ^.^

- And I just felt the need to get these feelings out somewhere - I just got done watching the new episode where Austin has that crush on the waitress lady. I was just sitting there like, wtf? He's into her because she's pretty and she has a passion for music. And Ally is into Dallas because he has 'kind eyes', a 'nice smile', and 'hair that flips just the right way'. Heeelllooooo? Austin, Ally's pretty and has a passion for music; Ally, Austin has every single one of those qualities! Why won't these two wake up and realize they're meant for each other and nobody else?

Haha, but anyways (now that I've got that off my chest) thanks to all of you, and now for the stupid disclaimer...

Disclaimer: I do not own Austin and Ally or any of its characters.

***Read, Enjoy, Review***

"How long do these things normally take?" Austin asked Ally as they sat in the waiting room of the clinic. Ally looked up from her magazine, a bit annoyed.

"Austin, we already discussed this. It depends. First she'll ask about my health history, like to make sure my diet is healthy and I'm taking my vitamins and all that stuff. Then she'll run a few tests, we'll get to see the baby, and boom - we're done." She turned her attention back to the page where she left off.

"...and how often do we have to come here again?" Austin interrupted again, earning an eye roll from Ally.

"Let's see...right now I'm sixteen weeks along, and the doctor told me to show up every four weeks until I'm about thirty-eight weeks along, then I'm supposed to visit once or twice a week until the baby's born. So in about twenty-four odd weeks we can pretend like none of this ever happened."

Austin didn't respond, just rested his head on his palm and tryed to get in a nice nap.

He hated the clinic. Not only because of the odd way it smelled or how the mints they had set out on the tables were most likely stale, but because of the way everyone kept staring at him and Ally. Austin never minded being the center of attention, but he couldn't help but feel a little annoyed at the grown up couples sitting in other areas of the room, whispering things while looking directly at Ally. It took everything in him to sit there and pretend like he didn't feel the negative attention.

A few minutes later - when Austin was just about to fall asleep - a young nurse walked into the room, calling Ally's name.

"That's us," Ally said, tapping Austin on the knee. Austin did a little stretch and followed her into a room down the hall. He was greeted by a short woman with kind eyes and long hair.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Wesburg," the woman said, offering her hand.

"Hey I'm Austin," Austin said politely, shaking her hand. "I'm the - "

"He's my friend!" Ally bumped in. "My best friend, my other half, here to offer me moral support during this tough time I'm going through." Austin rose an eyebrow quizically at her, and Ally shot him a knowing glare in return. Dr. Wesburg merely smiled - seeming clueless to it all.

"Nice to meet you, Austin. It's very nice of you to be here to offer your friend support." Austin flashed her a genuine smile before taking a seat on the chair next to the clinic bed.

He stared off into space as Ally was given a full body examination, wondering why Ally had introduced him as her best friend, rather than the baby's father. They were supposed to be going through this together - which meant both of them were equally supposed to be taking the blame - right? He'd tried to step up and take responsibility for his actions. In fact, he was supposed to go job hunting with Dez later on so that he could help pay for the medical bills Ally found in the mail a few days ago. She was glad she'd found them before her father could, being that she still hadn't gotten the nerve to tell him about the lovely situation she was in.

And Dez...oh Dez...unfortunately the guy was sixteen years old and still unaware of how babies were made. Ally tried to explain it to him softly, but wound up getting tongue-tied, so Trish took over. She spoke in a rather harsh and straight-forward tone, leaving Dez emotionally scarred. Afterwards, the poor guy didn't sleep for two nights straight.

"Now would you like to see your baby?" Dr. Wesburg finally asked, snapping Austin out of his daze. He perked up, growing a bit excited.

"Are we ever!"

Dr. Wesburg smiled at his enthusiasm, then turned to Ally. "Alright, lift your shirt."

Ally did so, lifting her shirt just so her stomach was showing. Blue goo was squeezed across her abdomin, causing Ally to shiver a bit. Then a device was run over the goo and in a few short seconds, the black and white image of a small unborn baby was shown. The doctor showed images of the baby at all different angles. Ally smiled casually, talking to the doctor a bit as the little slideshow was given.

Austin - on the other hand - was lost for words. He stared at the screen, smiling from ear to ear as he stared mindlessly at the image of the baby. His baby.

That's when everything became so intensely real.

A few minutes later the pictures were taken off of the screen, and one was given to Ally for keeps. Dr. Wesburg gave Ally a towel so that she could wipe the blue goo off of her tummy.

"You can come into my office when you're ready," the doctor said before leaving the room.

"Come into her office for what?" Austin asked.

"You'll find out. Just follow me," Ally answered, covering up her stomach and hopping off of the clinic bed. Austin did as he was told, following Ally into an office across the hall.

Dr. Wesburg sat at a desk in the small room, filling out a few papers. She looked up to see Austin and Ally standing in the doorway. "Please, take a seat." She shoved the papers into a filing cabnet and turned her attention towards them as they each took a seat on the opposite side of the desk. "So, Ally's told me you're both looking into adoption. Is this correct?" she locked eyes with Austin.

Austin frowned, looking away. He'd just slightly fallen in love with a small picture of his unborn child, only to be reminded that it wouldn't be his after all. It would be which ever couple to sign the stupid adoption papers. Life was cruel.

Ever since Ally brought up the idea of adoption, Austin hadn't been so sure about it. His feelings have remained that way ever since, and now that he's seen his child and felt how real this situation was becoming, he couldn't help but feel a little attached. He looked at the picture Dr. Wesburg had set out on her desk. It was of herself, a man whom he assumed to be her husband, and two kids - a boy and a girl. The picture was taken in a green field, and they all looked so happy it made Austin want to puke.

Because of this adoption, he and Ally wouldn't be able to feel that unbrital joy that kids seemed to bring to their parents. He wasn't ready for a child, but at the same time he felt like that joy of being a parent could trump anything - including the fact that he didn't have a stable job, or that he was still in high school, or that he and Ally weren't together, or even that it could put his rising career as a rockstar at risk.

But...Ally wanted to go through with the adoption, and he'd promised her he'd go along with whatever she wanted.

Ally and Dr. Wesburg stared at Austin suspiciously, both waiting for a response. Ally kicked his foot, knocking him back down to earth.

"Oh!" Austin said, shaking his head. "...yes, we're looking into adoption."

"Okay, because there are agencies that can help you plan an adoption," Dr. Wesburg explained. "You can get to know the couple to make sure your 100 percent comfortable with giving your child to them. I'm sure you'd want what's best, right?"

"Of course," Ally beamed. Austin sat there, pretending the fact that they were both so eager to give his kid away didn't bother him at all.

"Alright," Dr. Wesburg said with a bright smile. "Here are some adoption flyers, and on the inside there's a number that you can call if you wanted to schedule an appointment to meet a nice couple."

"Thank you," Ally responded as her and Austin got up to leave. "I really appretiate it."

"No, thank you." Dr. Wesburg smiled. "This really is a generous and selfless thing you both are doing." Ally smiled in return, not even noticing that Austin was already halfway out the door.

Austin and Dez sat down at the local pretzal place in the mall, both munching on soft pretzals and taking sips of their drinks. Dez babbled away about his crazy adventures earlier that day, while Austin pretended to listen.

"And then I was like...um, Austin?" Dez waved a hand in front of his friend's face.

"Oh!" Austin shouted. "Uh, sorry Dez...it's just, I've got a lot on my mind right now."

"I understand, buddy," Dez consoled. "Must be hard. I mean, you and Ally are bringing a real live kid into the world. I don't think it gets any more serious than that."

Austin sat there, mindlessly picking at his pretzel. "...Dez?" he spoke up.

"What's up?" Dez asked, swallowing a sip of his drink.

"Have you ever wanted something so badly you think you might explode if you couldn't have it?"

"Austin, I feel that way every time I lay my eyes on a brand new can of chicken pot pie," Dez said casually. "What do you want so badly you think you'd explode if you couldn't have it?"

"Well ya see," Austin began. "I went to Ally's doctors appointment this morning thinking it'd be no big deal. I just thought she'd get checked out, we'd see the baby for two seconds, and boom - I could go on and live the day like I usually would...but something happened that I didn't expect."

"And what's that?"

"When we saw the baby, at first it was like I couldn't get my eyes off of it. There somewhere in the deepest bowels of Ally's stomach...was my child. It just hit me that this really is happening...Ally's having my baby."

Austin couldn't help but smile a little at these next few words. "And as I sat there, lost for words, I realized something...Dez, I want this kid more than anything."

"Did you let Ally know about this?" Dez questioned.

"No," Austin murmured. "After the appointment Ally's doctor led us into her office, and introduced us to the whole idea of adoption. She said we could get to know the adoptive parents so that we can get comfortable with the idea of actually giving the baby away. I tried to stay positive about the whole thing, but the entire time we were there I had the worst feeling in the pit of my stomach. I just have a feeling that no matter how comfortable I get around these people, I'm still never going to get comfortable with the idea of giving this baby up."

"You need to let that out to Ally, man," Dez said. "You can't just keep these feelings bottled up inside."

"I know," Austin replied. "It's just...I promised Ally I'd stand by her, no matter what decision she made. As of right now she has her heart set on adoption, so I've got no choice but go along with it."

"That's rough." Dez finished off his food and chucked the remains in the nearby trashcan. "Now let's say we go for a bit of job hunting, get your mind off of everything?"

"Yeah," Austin smiled. "Let's do it."

Austin and Dez emerged into Sonic Bomb later that day, smiles lighting both of their faces. Austin jogged straight for the front desk. "Hey Ally, guess wha - "

He was taken by surprise when Trish popped up from behind the desk, a sleepy look gracing her features and a blanket wrapped around her form. Austin rose an eyebrow at her.

"Uh, Trish...where's Ally?"

"She said she had to go look for something upstairs," Trish yawned. "She asked me to watch the store for five minutes."

"You mean," Dez appeared behind Austin. "You can't even watch the store for five minutes without falling asleep on the job?"

"Watch it, Dez." Trish shot a warning glare at the red head. "We all know I'm not the working type, if anything it's Ally's fault for leaving me in charge."

Austin and Dez looked at each other, both shrugging in agreement. "So Ally's upstairs?" Austin asked. Trish gave him a yes in response and he bolted for the stairs.

"Ally guess what! I - "

Austin stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of his best friend looking frantically around the practice room, throwing things everywhere in a desprit need to find something. "Ally are you oka - "

"No!" Ally screamed, turning to Austin with a beyond horrified look in her eyes. "Austin, my songbook is gone. I can't find it anywhere. Not in the store, not in the mall, not in my house. It's gone." Tears started to form at the corners of her eyes.

"Calm down, Ally," Austin said soothingly, placing his hands on her shoulders. "We'll find your book, it's been lost before, hasn't it? It's got to be around here somewhere."

"No, Austin...you don't understand." Ally hated the fact that her voice was cracking. "That book doesn't just have song ideas and a few embarrassing diary entries about my old crush on Dallas anymore. Now there's entries about doctor visits, my pregnancy, and I think I might have left the sonogram from earlier in there. If anyone reads it, it'll be the end of me." Tears started to run down her cheeks, and Austin cupped her face in his hands so he could wipe them away with his thumbs. Ally tried to fight the blush spreading across her cheeks at this nice - yet intimate - gesture.

"Come on, Trish isn't the best person to leave in charge," Austin said calmly. "You should probably get back to the register. Your songbook will be found eventually, you just have to calm down." He gave her a reassuring smile, and they both walked to the bathroom so Ally could wash her face of any remaining tears.

"So, what were you going to tell me?" Ally asked as she ran a towel over her features.

"My interview today at the local pizza place went really well," Austin grinned, crossing his arms and leaning against the door frame. "They said I should be able to go in for training on Monday. It doesn't pay much, but hey - at least it's something. Your doctor bills should be payed off in a matter of weeks."

Ally smiled, walking over to wrap her arms around her best friend. "You're the best," she muttered against his shirt.

"I know I am," Austin responded, accepting the hug. "But I must admit, there is something that's been bothering me."

"What's that?" Ally asked, looking up at him.

"At the doctor's office, why'd you introduce me as your best friend, rather than the baby's father?"

"Oh," Ally said, pulling away from him and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"You see Austin, I have faith in you. A lot of faith in you. Probably more faith than anyone I've ever known. And I have faith that after this is all over, you will go on to do great things. You'll live out your dreams and become a rockstar. But you know that if you want to be a rockstar, you'll have to live the rockstar lifestyle. Parties, girls...and a ton of fame. You'll have papparazzi on your tail 24/7, and if important people like doctors knew that you had a baby young, that could come back to bite you in the butt later on in life. And our kid could be tormented because of it." She looked at the ground sadly.

"I guess I never thought of it that way," Austin murmured, avoiding eye contact. "Als, are you totally sure you want to give the baby away?"

"Yes," Ally said, although there was a ring of doubt in her voice. "Why are you asking?"

"It's just - " Austin was interrupted by a loud crash and a yell from Trish coming from downstairs.

"Uh-oh," Ally muttered. "Hold that thought for some other time Austin. I've got to get back to work."

And with that, she pushed past him and ran downstairs.

Ally opened the front door of her house later that night, only to find her dad sitting alone in the kitchen. He looked angry, yet sad - as if he was trying to fight having a nervous break down or something. Ally cocked an eyebrow at this suspicious behavior.

"Dad I'm home," she tried to get his attention. Lester simply ignored her, burying his head in his hands.

"Daddy?" Ally whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?" The two were engulfed in a strange silence as Ally stood there, worried.

"Ally, how long did you think you could keep this a secret?" Lester finally spoke, lifting his head and looking at his daughter with the most hurt look he could possibly give.

Ally felt her heart beat pick up a pace, and she swallowed hard. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Ally, don't play dumb," Lester said. "What happened to my honest, innocent little girl? You know exactly what I'm talking about."

Ally felt lost for words, as another strange silence took over the room. He knew.

"How did you find out?" Ally finally asked, her voice shaking.

"Your songbook," Lester admitted.

"Dad, I've been looking for that book all day. I thought someone stole it. And not to mention that's a total invasion of privacy! How could you!" Ally spat.

"Honey," Lester's tone was suddenly soft as tears started to form in his own eyes. "I was worried. You've been acting very strange lately with canceling work and constantly being sick. I grew suspicious, so I read a few recent entries in your book. It was only because I cared."

More loud silence filled the room.

"I was planning to tell you as soon as you got back home from that business trip a few weeks ago," Ally spoke. "...but I just couldn't seem to find the right words."

"I just always thought you were the type of girl who knew right from wrong," Lester muttered. "And doing adult things when you're still a teenager is a very wrong thing to do, Ally. How could you? And with Austin of all people? I trusted him, only to find out that the two of you have been sneaking around behind my back."

"Dad, it wasn't like that," Ally assured him. "We haven't been sneaking around, it was one time. There was a party, I should've stayed true to myself and resisted drinking...but I wanted to let loose for a night. So I did, and things got out of hand. It's just as much my fault as it is his, so please don't kill him, Daddy. Please."

"I'm not going to kill anyone Ally," Lester said, causing Ally to sigh in relief.

"He's surprisingly taking responsibility, Dad," Ally spoke softly after yet another lingering moment of silence. "Austin has been there for me ever since I first told him. He's catered to my constant cravings, dealt with my mood swings, taken me to my doctors appointments. He even got a new job at the local pizza parlor so he could help me pay for medical bills. We may not be together, together...but believe it or not Daddy, Austin Moon is a good guy. I feel very lucky that it's him of all people."

"Well I'm happy to hear that," Lester smiled ever so slightly, making Ally relax a little. "Because after all, you're still my little girl, and you deserve the best." This made Ally smile. Her father was taking this a lot better than she'd expected.

"But still," Lester spoke. "Do either of you have any idea of what it's like to be a parent? Because let me tell you, it's no walk in the park. It takes hard work, dedication, sacrifice. You have to be there for your kid no matter what - make sure that they're well-cared for, make sure that they're happy. And most importantly, you have to give up your childhood. You can't be a teenager anymore."

"I-I know," Ally stuttered. "And that's why I'm thinking I'm going to give the baby away to a good family who will love and care for it. I already know I'm not ready to be a mother."

"Honey, that's a very tough thing to do. Probably tougher than you can understand. While keeping a baby is very hard, I'm sure giving one away is much harder. The bond a mother has with her child is strong, whether you're giving the baby away or not."

"I know, I just want what's best," Ally whispered, trying to fight the doubt in the back of her mind.

"That's good." Lester placed a hand over his daughter's. "Just know that you're still my baby girl, and I'm here for you - no matter what your decision." He smiled brightly, causing Ally to do the same. "We're going to get through this, as a family. It'll be okay." He wrapped his arms around his daughter for a warm hug, which she accepted. She allowed a few silent tears to trickle down her cheeks. Maybe her father was right, maybe things would turn out to be okay.

Sorry this update took a little longer than my others, I just hit a little bit of a brick wall midway through the chapter. Those brick walls may happen often, so I wouldn't expect constant updates, although I promise I'll try my best to update as soon as I possibly can.

Now with that said, tell me what you think! :)