OMG I am so so so sorry! I have no idea how this happened, I was sure I got the right one...oh well, I hope you forgive me! I did upload the right one, just published the wron one. It wont happen again!

Thanks so much for all of the reviews guys! I love reading them so much! You make my day!

I hope you like this chapter, it's a little longer than usual but that's got to be a good thing, right?

Glad you like the story, thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot line.

Oh, and by the way, I sort of skimmed over this part too. i just couldn't imagine what this would be like, and I don't really want to try, so I've done my best and tried to be realistic as possible, and at some times this has made me tear up...hopefully that's a good sign...

Chapter 10

The doctor's had said mom had a week left, tops. I knew it was to be expected, obviously. But hearing them say that just tore my heart in two. She had hung on for longer than expected, and when they said she had a week it was almost two months after they said she had a month. So you never know, they could be wrong about this one too. But I doubt it. The last couple of times I have visited her I've noticed that she seems distant, and sometimes she looks at me like she doesn't know who I am.

Which is why I've started visiting her every night, and each time I have sat there, holding her hand and talking to her until the nurse comes in and physically makes me leave. I've been in tears a lot too. I've been sat in a lesson and something has reminded me for her and I have just burst out crying. Everyone seems worried about me, the teachers acting differently and students I have never spoken to asking me if I need help. Ever since the episode in the library, the news has travelled fast. Most people don't know what's wrong with her, but pretty much everyone knows my mom is dying. The one good thing that has come out of it, though, is that no-one has said anything to me about the Dallas thing.

I cried myself to sleep every night after the doctors told me that. Sometimes I even caught my dad crying too, and I knew that this was just the beginning. Once she actually died, things were going to be so much worse. I had only known her for a couple of months, but I loved her like a mother, and to have that taken away from me so soon would tear me apart.

When we got the call from the hospital telling us we might want to get there as soon as possible, we packed a bag each and left. I didn't care about school, and I didn't care about my friends. All I cared about was the apologetic tone of the woman's voice when she told us to go to the hospital. All I cared about was seeing my mom for one last time.

When we go there I had to wait outside for a moment to make sure I wouldn't cry when I got inside. I didn't want to worry her, make her sad and angry during the little time she had left. The nurse gave us a quick briefing, telling us not to be too shocked by her appearance. Apparently her condition deteriorated severely and they were doing everything they could. I braced myself before I walked through the door, and when I saw her looking at me I smiled like nothing was wrong. Surprisingly it was easy. Probably because I knew that if I showed my sadness and pain, it would hurt her more.

"Hey Ally." She croaked, her voice faint and weak.

"Hey mom. How you feeling?" I asked her.

"Not great." She sighed.

"I'm sure you'll feel better soon." I said, smiling at her comfortingly. She nodded.

"I'm sure. So, how has school been?" she asked me. I didn't remind her that she had asked me that when I visited the day before, and that it was Saturday today. I just told her school was fine, that I was doing really well. And as I was talking, she was smiling. And then her eyes drifted closed, and I had to do my best to keep talking like nothing was wrong, because I didn't want to upset her. I could tell that she was in pain, so I let her fall asleep. Once I was sure she was sleeping, I stopped talking. And then I watched the screen that showed her heart rate. I watched and watched as the beeps became less frequent, until, finally, they stopped altogether.

When I heard the elongated beep that I had come to know well from movies and TV I knew that was it. My mother was gone. And I finally let the tears fall. I wasn't just crying about my mom dying; I was crying about not having her around for all those years; I was crying about falling in love and having my heart broken; I was crying about people thinking the worst of me; I was crying because I had maybe lost my best friend; and I was crying about how my life has gone from just a little messed up to very messed up in the space of two months.

A nurse ran in and checked for her pulse, and then started asking me questions. I knew it was no use, though. I knew, deep down, that there was no saving her. She was gone. But at least now she wouldn't be in pain. She wouldn't have to live every day knowing that there's every chance it's her last. And she died happy. She died with me, her daughter, smiling and talking. That was all I could do for her, and I seriously hope it's enough.

My dad had been sat in a chair at the end of the bed all the time I was talking. He didn't say anything, he just sat there and stared at her. Even when she died, I saw his eyes well up and tears start sliding down his cheeks, but he didn't say anything and he didn't move a muscle.

And that was how we sat, just looking at my mom, while the nurse bustled around doing God-knows-what.

Eventually they made us leave, and dad had to go into some office and sort something out. Funeral arrangements, I think. After about ten minutes he came back out, looking upset and stressed.

"Look, Ally, there's a lot to sort out here and it's going to take a while. I could leave it and come back tomorrow, unless you want to get someone to pick you up?" he suggested. I shrugged, not really listening. He sighed.

"Ally, give me your phone. Can Trish drive?" he asked me. I shook my head.

"Okay, what's his name. I'll call him." He said.

"Austin." I mumbled. He found my contact list and, after a little fumbling, managed to call him.

"Hello, this is Lester, Ally's dad. Could you come pick her up? Yeah, we're…" I zoned out, not caring about what he was talking about. I vaguely picked up on the fact that Austin was coming to pick me up and he was going to take me home. Then I fell asleep.

…

I woke up to the sounds of a car engine and a stereo playing softly. I was disoriented for a moment. Then I saw Austin smile softly at me and I remembered.

"Hey Als. Are you okay?" he asked.

"My mom just died. I'm peachy." I said sarcastically. He winced.

"Sorry." Then he reached across me and opened the glove compartment, pulling out a white box. I wondered what it was for a second, but then he opened it and pulled out a cigarette. I rolled my eyes.

"Do you have to smoke?" I asked him. He looked at me.

"Do you really care?" he asked. I sighed, shaking my head.

"Usually I would, but right now, I can't be bothered to give a shit about whether you keep killing yourself or not." I shrugged. He sighed, but put the cigarette back anyway. I smiled softly.

"So, how are you holding out?" he asked me.

"I just want to cry. But I can't." I sighed. He frowned for a second, then smiled like he had an idea. I looked at him, confused, as he pulled the car up on the side of the road ad turned to me, holding out his arms.

"What are you doing?" I asked him.

"Come here, Ally. You need a hug. You need someone who cares, to comfort you. I'm here, and I'm offering to be that person." He said, looking at me hopefully. I was doubtful

"Come on, Ally. Don't leave me hanging." He said softly, joking. I appreciated his effort, and I leaned forward to hug him just because he was there for me, and I was so incredibly grateful. But as soon as I felt his comforting warmth, I broke down. I buried my face in his chest and cried. He pulled me over so I was sat in his lap, which was a lot more comfortable than leaning over the hand break. I curled up, holding him tight, and cried my eyes out. He sat there and let me cry, stroking my hair comfortingly. I knew that if she could drive, Trish would be here for me right now, argument or not. But the point was that she wasn't, and Austin was, and right then Austin was my best and only friend in the entire world. I had felt so alone when I heard that machine beep, telling me I had lost my mom for good. And now here he was. I wasn't alone anymore. So it only felt right that once I had managed to stop crying, I turned my head up and kissed him. He froze in surprise for a second, before relaxing and kissing me back. I sighed. This wasn't like the last time; that had been lust, pure and simple, with maybe a couple other confusing feelings mixed in.

This, however, was so much more than that. I could taste the salt of my tears, and I could feel Austin's comfortable warmth. This was a comfort kiss. This was his way of making me feel better. His hands stayed firmly on my waist, and mine stayed wrapped around his torso. We weren't looking for anything more than each other. And that was what we had.

…

I vaguely remember us pulling away and smiling at each other. Then I think I must have got back into the passenger seat and gone to sleep, because the next thing I knew we were pulling up outside my house. Austin looked at me, and smiled comfortingly.

"We're here. Erm, your phone went off while you were asleep. I think it was a text. I didn't want to wake you up…" he said sadly. I nodded, unlocking it and opening my inbox. It was from dad.

Staying overnight. Turns out there's a lot of paperwork involved in funeral arrangements. I'll be back late tomorrow. Tell Austin to stay the night…I'm trusting you, though, Ally. Don't do anything stupid. Love you.

I text him back a 'yeah, fine, love you too', and turned to Austin. I opened my mouth to ask him, but I couldn't get the words out. Instead I just handed him the phone. He read the text and rolled his eyes.

"As if I was planning to leave you. Who does your dad think I am?" he said I a 'duh' tone of voice. I smiled.

"Thank you, Austin. For everything." I said, looking him in the eyes. He smiled, blushing a little.

"It's nothing. What are friends for, right?" he said, punching me on the shoulder lightly.

"You're more than a friend to me, Austin." I muttered quietly.

"What?" he asked. I was relieved that he hadn't heard me.

"Nothing. It doesn't matter." I shrugged, and he obviously decided not to push me.

"Come on then. Let's go inside." He said, opening the door and climbing out. I did the same and slammed it closed. He winced, but said nothing. He knew I needed to get my anger out somehow, and I guess he was just glad it was his car and not him.

We went inside, him wrapping his arm around my waist protectively, and he made me sit down on the couch in my room.

"Okay, now, I am going to get you some ice cream and hot cocoa. Then we are going to put on a movie, any movie you want, and we're going to snuggle up under some blankets and you can cry as much as you want to, okay?" he said, and I nodded, already feeling the tears start spilling.

"You act like you've done this before." I smiled. He frowned.

"Well…I have." He admitted. I was shocked; he had never told me this before.

"What? When?" I asked him, voice low and guilty.

"When my sister died. My mom was exactly like you are now." He told me. I got up and hugged him then, tightly. I was shocked, but I knew asking questions would just upset him.

"I had no idea your sister died, Austin. It's one thing to have to help someone through this kind of thing once, let alone twice. You're amazing, Austin." I told him. He shrugged.

"It's nothing. I mean, sure, it hurts. I hate the fact that I've had to see two girls I love cut up like this. I wish I didn't have to see one. But I'm not going to leave someone I love to deal with this alone, Ally." He whispered. We were still holding each other. I smiled.

"You love me?" I asked him.

"More than I ever thought I would love anyone." He whispered.

"I thought you didn't believe in love?" I asked him.

"I didn't, until I saw your face when I picked you up. Your make-up had run, your eyes were red and puffy, you were deathly pale…and you were still the most beautiful girl I have ever seen." He told me. I felt a fresh bout of tears pour down my face.

"You can't be in love with me, though. We've been friends for two months, Austin." I whispered disbelievingly. He shrugged again.

"Love doesn't work to a schedule, Ally. Love follow's its own rules. Sometimes it's late, sometimes it's early. But it always knows how to make an entrance." He explained. I giggled.

"Sounds a lot like you." I pointed out.

"You're right." He said, surprised.

"I'm glad you feel that way, anyway. Because I think I love you too." I said softly. He finally pulled us out of our embrace to look me in the eyes, searching for any trace of doubt. He found none, as I knew he would, and grinned. Then he kissed me, and pulled away.

"I'm going to go get you your ice-cream." He said, smiling. I smiled back.

"Don't forget the hot cocoa!" I replied. He saluted me.

"Right you are, ma'am. Mustn't forget the hot cocoa. The survival of the planet depends on it." He joked, and I laughed. Then, once he left the room, I cried again. I felt guilty about smiling and being happy when my mother had died only a few hours ago.

I curled up in a ball on my couch, before deciding that I couldn't just sit here and feel miserable. This was exactly what my mother wanted to avoid, and she separated herself from the ones she loved the most for all those years to avoid it. I knew it would kill her, (again), to see me like this, so I grabbed some comfy clothes and stripped down to my underwear. Of course, Austin chose that moment to walk in. I would have been embarrassed, but he had seen, and felt, it all before. I just smiled at him as his eyes widened and pulled on my sweats and a baggy McKenzie shirt.

"I got you some fruity mint swirl and some of your favourite hot cocoa." He said, eyes sparkling as he held out the mug and tub of ice cream. I beamed.

"How did you know these were my favourites?" I asked him.

"Well, the ice-cream was easy. The fruity mint swirl is colourful and fun and delicious, just like you. I just kinda sensed it was your favourite. With the hot cocoa, I kinda figured your dad wasn't one to drink a lot of hot cocoa, so I guessed that yours was the tub with the least in it. Was I right?" he asked, looking at me hopefully as I took a cautious sip. Not only was it the right one, but he had put cold water in it too, just like I always did. I smiled.

"It's perfect." I sighed. He laughed.

"You have a moustache, Ally." He laughed. I grinned, putting down my drink and ice-cream and stepping towards him.

"You want a moustache too?" I asked him, then without waiting for and answer I kissed him. When I pulled away, he also had a chocolate moustache.

"Al-ly." He groaned. I giggled.

"Don't worry, it's easy to get rid of it. Just lick it off. It tasted divine." I smiled. He leant towards me and I thought he was going to kiss me again. Instead, he licked my upper lip. I squealed.

"Eww!" I jumped back, wiping my mouth.

"What? You told me to lick it off…" he said, playing innocently.

"I meant yours!" I gasped. He smiled.

"I can't quite reach, though." He complained, pretending like he couldn't reach it with his tongue.

"Then I guess you're screwed, bad boy, because I'm not licking you." I told him, laughing. He looked sad.

"Aw, but Al-ly…!" he moaned. I rolled my eyes and turned around.

"Come on, I wanna watch a movie." I sighed. I thought of my mom again, and felt myself tear up. I stopped myself from crying, though, by repeating 'don't let her down, don't let her down, don't let her down' to myself. I grabbed my comforter and tossed Austin a couple of blankets, then sat down on the couch and gestured for him to sit next to me.

"Let me put the movie on first." He said, laughing as I blushed.

"Oh, yeah. Movie…forgot." I murmured.

"Which one?" he asked, walking over to my collection. I thought for a moment, but there was never really a question in my mind.

"Music and Lyrics." I said. He looked at me, raising one eyebrow in question.

"What?"

"That seems like a strange choice…I was expecting something like Titanic." He shrugged. I groaned.

"I love Titanic, but I am not watching such a sad movie right now. Besides, Music and Lyrics has always been one of my favourite-scratch that, my favourite-movie of all time. Don't you like it?" I said, smiling brightly.

"I've never seen it." He shrugged. I gasped.

"Oh my God! Then it's settled; we're watching it." I sighed. He didn't complain as he put the movie on and settled down next to me to watch it. About halfway through, I couldn't do it anymore, and I found myself breaking down again. Austin wrapped his arms around me and rubbed my back.

"Finally." He whispered. I frowned, confused.

"Finally what?"

"I've been waiting for this since I put the movie on. Ally, I know people always say that your mom wouldn't want you to be like this, to be heartbroken, but they're wrong. Well, they're not wrong; of course she wouldn't. But you still get to cry, Ally. No matter how much it would hurt her, it's going to drive you mad if you hold it all in and refuse to be weak. I know from experience…that was what my mom did. After the first couple of days, she stopped crying. She tried to forget about Addison, didn't even go to her funeral. But it cut her up inside. She eventually turned to other things to ease her pain…like alcohol. So did my dad, eventually. They stopped loving each other, but they're still together for some unknown reason. Every day, I see her die a little more. I can't let you do that to yourself, Ally. I just can't. Your mom would rather see you cry than see you go insane." He explained.

I was crying even harder, for him and for his parents and for Addison, his sister whom I had never even met, never even heard of, but I cried for her anyway. Eventually I ran out of tears and I just lay there. I heard his heartbeat slow and when I knew he was asleep, I finally let myself drift off to the sound of his breathing.

Ooooh...finding out more about Austin now! Gotta love that! Hope you think I did the death scene justice...it was so hard to write, I hope I did okay :)

Please review! :D