Hey guys. I know it's been a while and I haven't updated WOSA or R&R but I had to update my 9/11 story on 9/11. It's just too important. Sorry to say this chapter isn't about 9/11 specifically like last year but it's not been too long in the actual story since that took place. But at least I'm updating!Hopefully I'll have more chances to do that soon.
NoName (Guest): Don't worry I'll never give up on my story :) Thank you!
This is unedited so I hope it makes sense!
I don't own Austin & Ally
"This isn't working!" Trish yelled in frustration. She was sitting at the edge of the couch, sifting through several papers on the coffee table. Dez was laying on the loveseat with his head on one armrest and his legs hanging off the other. He was currently editing a video on his tablet.
"What isn't?" Austin asked from the floor. He was busy teaching AJ how to play Mario Kart*, and he was also amazed to see the kid was about four places ahead of him.
"This! Everything!" Trish shouted. "I don't work. I don't know how to get so many things together in perfect working order. I don't plan things. I go with the flow. I speak my mind. But trying to book you a concert four months in advance….it's dang near impossible."
"It's usually like a year in advance," Austin said, but he wasn't much paying attention. "Take that Baby Luigi!"
"You're Baby Luigi," AJ said. "What are you even looking at? You're in twelfth!"
Austin had to smile. "Oops, I was looking at your screen. I usually play Mario."
"Keep it down in there. I'm trying to learn!" Cam yelled from the kitchen where Ally was trying to teach her about the times when electricity was invented. Austin had never felt so old as when Cam asked him if that was when his parents were younger.
"If you think it's so easy," Trish sneered, "why don't you get off your lazy butt, superstar, and come do it yourself."
Austin shrugged, not turning around. "Just call Reggie. He owns the building and can get us in any night of the week that isn't booked."
Trish was glowering at him. "And you couldn't have told me that three hours ago!?"
"You said you had it handled."
"That's it!" Trish threw her hands up. "I've had it. You call Reggie and get me a list of things I need to do, and how to do them. I'm taking a break."
And she flounced off down the hall. Dez snorted. "What's her problem?"
"Can you believe them?"
"Give them a break Trish." Ally laughed at her friend in exasperation. When Ally had finished Cam's history lesson, she'd announced that she was going shopping, and Trish had nearly barreled over her to get to the door, begging to go with her, claiming she needed to get out of the house.
They'd left both kids at the house, and Ally had to admit that as much as she loved Cam and her little boy, it did feel good to get away for a while, just her and Trish.
"Why should I?" Trish whined.
"They're trying," Ally said reasonably. Although, this wasn't strictly true. Ever since Trish had gotten Austin out of his contract with Jimmy, the boys hadn't been very keen on doing anything involving actual work. Austin played games all day with AJ and Dez, and he even coorsed Ally into letting Cam out of her lessons early to play with them. He's use the excuse "But I'm never home to see my niece" so many times Ally wanted to hit him. He may be Cam's legal guardian while she's only her nanny, but Ally knew Cam needed to learn something. And Austin wasn't letting that happen.
Trish shot Ally a "You're kidding me right?" look. Ally sighed. "Okay, maybe Austin's not really trying, but Dez has been editing a lot and calling around to get more equipment. You have to admit that much."
Trish said something along the lines that'd she rather die than admit that about a 'over-grown man-boy' like that. Well, she'd used a few more colorful words than that, making Ally smack her.
"Well!" Trish huffed. "He's so annoying. One day, one, out of all the time I've been at that house, have I seen him act even remotely normal, and that was possibly the most depressing day I've had in three years."
Ally didn't have to ask what day she'd been referring to. The last anniversary of 9/11, the first they'd all experienced together just a few short weeks before, had most certainly been a sad a depressing day for all of them. Ally had learned so much about Austin that day, and he'd learned a lot about her as well.
Now, they weren't exactly as close as they had been that day, but they were getting there.
"Trish, you have to be patient. Not everyone thinks the same way. Why do you hate him so much?"
"I don't hate him," Trish said immediately. This was a shock to Ally, who'd seen Trish threaten to bite Dez if he didn't hand over the milk for a bowl of cereal she didn't even eat.
"Really?" Ally asked, disbelief coloring her voice.
"Not at all." Trish shrugged. "He just gets on my nerves. Like a puppy that's hard to train, or a really sucky song that you catch yourself singing because it's unfortunately catchy, or your son-"
"My son?" Ally cut her off, definitely offended.
"Well, of course your son. Half of you and half of Aiden? The kid was bound to be at least a little bit annoying. But I love him, and I don't mean that in a mean way, Ally. I mean it in the way that I find you annoying, and how I always found Aiden annoying. I love you guys."
"So you're saying you love Dez?"
Ally had to say that, just to see the look on her face.
"I'm saying I don't hate him and that's all you need to know."
Ally laughed. Trish rolled her eyes and pushed her forward.
"Austin Monica Moon, I think it's high time you get off your lazy butt."
Austin blinked. "Well Camryn, whatever do you mean?" Austin asked her in the same, bossy tone she'd used.
"I mean," she said sassily, "that since you quit your job, you've been doing nothing to help Uncle Dez, Ally and Trish with the new studio stuff they're trying to build up for you. The least you could do is help Ally write some of your songs."
Austin was shocked. "Is that what you think?"
"It's what we all think, Uncle Austin. I'm just the only one blunt enough to say it. Adults. They care too much about hurting people's feelings when they should be putting them in their place."
Austin couldn't help wondering if Ally thought that about him too. "Well….where is everyone?"
"Uncle Dez took AJ outside to play in the back yard. He's been working all day on your videos, and I told him he needed a break. He said I could come out there when I wanted, and I think I will, but first I wanted to tell you that. 'Kay bye!"
And she skipped off. Austin stared after the little girl, shaking his head. Although, he had to admit, he may have been milking his last several days off more than was necessary. But that didn't mean he wasn't busy working.
Austin had a surprise in store for everyone, so if they wanted to think he wasn't doing anything he wouldn't stop them.
With that in mind, Austin checked to make sure Cam had gone outside with Dez and AJ before he slipped downstairs to the sound studio. Locking the door, he grabbed his phone and dialed.
Cam was sitting on the swings in her backyard when she heard the scream. Uncle Dez had just left, saying someone had called and a new sound system part was on sale at Best Buy* that he just had to get. Since he couldn't take kids with him to negotiate a proper sale and they couldn't find Uncle Austin, he'd left Cam in charge of AJ. The adults might be upset about that, but Cam had been all for the idea.
Now that she heard AJ's shrill scream, however, she had a feeling she would regret that.
"AJ!" Cam jumped up mid swing, landed on her knees, and took off at a run towards the slide where AJ was playing. "AJ, baby, what's the matter? What happened?"
"I hurt my elbow."
He held up his right arm to show he'd skinned his elbow. It wasn't bad, but there was still blood. Cam felt sick.
"Okay buddy, it's okay. Let's go in the house and I'll find the first aid kit and get you all fixed up." Camryn smiled at him and took his hand, acting much calmer than she was feeling on the inside. What was Uncle Dez going to say? he'd left her alone with AJ, something he was almost certainly not allowed to do, and she let this happen? And what about uncle Austin? He'd never let her babysit again, and he might be really angry at her.
That thought made Cam's skin crawl. Her Uncle Austin was almost never angry at her. When he was, Cam always knew things were bad. And if he started yelling at her…..Cam didn't think she could handle that. She hated disappointing her uncle.
then, an even worse thought came. What would Ally say? This was her son, her only child. AJ was the most important person in Ally's life. How would Cam ever face her, knowing she'd let her poor, innocent son get hurt on her watch?
"I'm sorry AJ," Cam said as she helped him up onto the counter. "I should have been watching you better."
"Not your fault," AJ said. He was no longer crying, but there were still tear stains on his face and his lip was trembling slightly.
Cam let it go for the moment. There was no point in arguing with AJ. You could never win.
"Stay here and don't move. I'm going to run up to the bathroom and grab the first aid kit. You're in big trouble in you move off that counter, got me?"
AJ nodded, now sucking his pointer and middle finger. Cam dashed for the staircase and was back in less than a minute. AJ hadn't moved a muscle.
"Good boy," she said, setting the stuff down beside him on the counter. "I'll get you some ice cream as soon as we get your elbow all fixed up okay?"
"Okay." He sniffed. "Where's Mama?"
"She'll be home soon," Cam assured him. "Did you get any gravel in your elbow when you fell?"
"No. It just bleed a bunch," AJ said.
"Alright, good," Cam said. She was looking at the instructions Ally had taped to the cabinet the day after she moved in, just in case anything happened to AJ when she wasn't there. Like today.
Five minutes later, AJ was all bandaged up, only sniffing a little when she had to clean the wound. Now Cam was handing him an ice cream cone from the freezer and praying this wouldn't cause Ally to move out.
"We're back!"
Cam's heart had started racing. Ally was here. Crap.
"There's your Mama," Cam said smiling at AJ. She was a great actress, Cam had to admit, in times of crisis.
"Well what happened in here?"
"Mama!" AJ shouted. He started to jump down off the counter, but Cam made him while she helped him down herself.
"Hi sweetie." Ally laughed and lifted him into her arms. "What happened to your elbow?"
"I fell on the slide. Cam fixed my boo-boo." He showed Ally his elbow again. Ally smiled.
"Thank you Cammy, that was very sweet of you. Where are your uncles?"
Cam didn't say anything. She didn't want to get her Uncle Austin in trouble, considering they didn't even know where he was. And she definitely didn't want to say that Uncle Dez left them there alone. That would make Ally very upset.
"Austin's missing and Uncle Dez left," AJ piped up. Camryn groaned.
Ally looked worried. "Cam, is this true?"
Time to panic. "We just don't know where Uncle Austin went, and Uncle had to leave immediately and he couldn't take us so he told me to watch AJ. Please don't be mad at them. It's my fault! I didn't mean to let AJ get hurt. I should've watched him better, Ally. I'm so sorry!"
Ally blinked, looking surprised. "Austin's missing and Dez is gone? You two are here alone? Is that what you're saying?"
Cam nodded and looked down. She couldn't look at Ally. How had things gone so wrong in such little time?
"Well then, I guess we better find Austin and wait for Dez to come home then, don't you think?" Ally said simply.
Cam's head shot up. "You're not mad?"
"Why would I be mad?"Ally asked.
"Because my uncles were supposed to be here watching us and they're not and now AJ's hurt."
Okay, so Ally was angry about that. But she let it go for Cam's sake. The poor child looked terrified.
"Camryn, you did everything you were supposed to do. It is not your fault AJ got hurt. He could have fallen when Dez was with him, or Austin, or even me and Trish. How did you know what to do?"
"You've had first aid instructions on the cabinet since you moved in," Cam said immediately. "I read them."
Ally smiled. "See, you did just fine. You'll make a great babysitter in a couple of years, kiddo."
"Yeah, because everyone likes the girl who let a little boy fall off a slide the first time she was ever left alone with a kid. Some track record."
"Enough of that," Ally said sternly. "You got him inside, fixed him up, calmed him down and gave him an ice cream. I only left instructions on fixing an injury. You knew how to do the rest."
"She's like her mama in that way," said a voice from behind them.
Ally turned to see Austin standing there, a guilty expression on his face. "I'm sorry I wasn't here. Last I saw, Dez was watching the kids. I was, er….working."
"Working?" Ally and Cam asked at the same time.
"Austin works at home now," AJ said matter-of-factly.
"What were you working on?" Ally asked.
"A surprise."
Ally didn't know what to say to that. Instead, she turned to the kids and grinned as convincingly as she could. "Who wants to watch The Lion King*?"
Both kids wanted to watch it; however, Cam said so a little dejectedly. "Buck up kiddo," Ally said, hugging Cam to her side as AJ ran in front of them. "I'll play Just Dance* with you later if you want."
Cam laughed loudly. "Okay, now I have to see that!"
"And you're sure you can get it all here by Friday? I know it's a little sudden," Austin said into his phone.
"Yes, of course. And are you sure you'll have a song ready by then? You've never actually written a song, you know."
"Shut up Josh," Austin muttered. "I'm just going to do some covers and some of my old songs. The original ones, not the ones from the last year or so, or the ones Ally wrote for me."
"Yeah, that'd kind of defeat the purpose if you played Ally's songs at her party Not as special. You better pick a good one if you ever want to get with that."
"Josh, no," Austin said forcefully. "That's not why I'm doing this. Ally's my friend, and it's her birthday. She deserves something special."
"How old is she turning?" Josh asked.
'"Twenty-four."
"She's older than you?" Josh started laughing.
"Only by a month," Austin said defensively. "It doesn't even matter. What's a month?"
"Why does it matter if you say you don't like her like that?"
Austin wouldn't even consider the question. Josh, his cousin from California he hadn't known existed until he was twelve, always teased Austin whenever he got the chance. He was twenty-six, so he'd always been between the ages of Austin and Connor. They hadn't officially met until after Austin's parents had died, but Connor knew Austin always wanted to meet their mysterious family so he and Sarah surprised him with plane tickets to California the first day of summer vacation after they'd come to live with Sarah and her family.
After that, they'd somehow managed to track down their relatives from his mother's side. Austin's mother knew about her brother's two kids, Josh and Felicity, but she'd never met them because of a feud she'd had with her brother many years before he ran off with his bride straight out of high school, got married in Vegas, and sent word to Austin's grandparents that he and his wife would be having twins several months later.
Austin never knew his uncle. He left his wife with their two kids after just two years, and only visited his kids at odd times, often showing up drunk and in need of money. Josh's mother was nice enough, but she was an actress and was rarely around.
But Austin and his brother had always remained close to their cousins after their first meeting. Josh grew up to become the owner of a very successful nightclub owner. Josh had always been a good dancer, so that's why he opened the club. What Austin found great about the place is that it was an all ages club, and they didn't sell alcohol.
Felicity was a different story. She'd gotten close to Sarah when they visited, and they stayed friends throughout the years, calling and texting, video-chatting and emailing. Most people would never know they lived halfway across the country from each other, that's how good of friends they were. She'd been there when Connor and Sarah got married, and was so proud to finally call Sarah an official member of the family. She visited the house right after Cam had been born, and hadn't left for an entire month. To say she took Sarah and Connor's deaths hard would be an understatement.
Josh had called often, worried about his sister. Felicity hadn't spoken for two weeks after the event, and when she finally said something, her mom and Josh had not been happy about it.
She had joined the military. She said she would fight all her life if she had to, just to keep others from losing friends and family members in terrorist attacks like she'd lost her best friend and cousin.
Austin could remember having mixed feelings about this. He didn't like the idea of his cousin putting her life on the line all the time, but he certainly respected her reasons. He'd lost his brother and sister-in-law. He'd lost his parents. He'd lost everything but Camryn and Dez, and Austin couldn't say he wouldn't have done the same thing if it hadn't been for them.
After a while, Josh and his mother grew to accept the fact that Felicity was a soldier now, though they still weren't all too pleased about it. Josh had just gotten married when Felicity shipped off, and now he had a son of his own, and his wife was pregnant with their second child.
"Do I need to come get the stuff for Ally, or are you bringing it here?" Austin asked.
Josh laughed. "We're all coming to visit. Krista and Parker will be happy to go on a vacation, and we've been wanting to meet your new house guests for a while."
Austin could only imagine what that visit could bring, but he wouldn't say no. Truth be told, he missed his cousin too, and Cam liked playing with Parker, who was only half a year younger than AJ.
"You staying in the basement or in my room? Gotta know whose stuff to move."
"Don't care. But hey, don't put anyone out for us. We can stay at a hotel or something."
"No, you're staying with us. Don't be ridiculous." Austin rolled his eyes. "Y'all can stay in my room. That way the kids will all be on the same floor and I won't have to move all of Dez's weird crap."
"Cool. I guess we'll see you Friday then. And make sure that girlfriend of yours isn't in the house when we're moving the stuff in."
"Will do," Austin said, though he had no idea how he could convince Ally to stay out of the house.
"You left them here alone!?"
Ally, Cam and AJ could all hear Trish's loud, angry voice the second Dez had walked through the doors. "Trish," Ally sighed, standing up.
"No, don't say anything to defend him Ally. That was very irresponsible, leaving AJ alone with an eight year old, no matter how responsible she might be! If an adult has to watch Cam at all times, what makes you think she's old enough to watch a little boy all by herself?"
"Austin was somewhere in the house," Dez said in a small voice.
"It doesn't matter!" Trish shouted, and went on in a tirade about how this was the most stupid thing he'd done, which was pretty bad considering he'd done nothing but stupid things since she moved in.
"He didn't know AJ would get hurt! Don't yell at him!" Cam was suddenly full of rage as she rushed over and glared at Trish.
After Cam said that, Dez felt horrible. He kept going on about how sorry he was, and how he'd never leave the kids alone again and he'd wrap them both in bubble wrap if he had to.
Despite the fact that she was still kind of angry with Dez, Ally had to laugh. "Dez, honey, just make sure an adult is within hearing/seeing range of them the next time you have to leave, okay? He just skinned his elbow, he'll be fine."
He seemed to calm down a little when it became clear Ally wasn't that mad at him, at least. He still felt bad AJ got hurt, but other than that, he seemed fine. What was funny was that nothing Trish said even made him react.
"I give up!" Trish screamed, stomping up the stairs. "You people are impossible!"
Everyone laughed. They finished watching The Lion King* together, and even got through most of Toy Story* before AJ fell asleep. They paused the movie while Ally took him up to bed, and then they finished the last twenty minutes before Dez went down to his room and Ally joined Cam upstairs for their promised game of Just Dance*, which Ally knew she'd be terrible at.
And she was. Cam was a pretty good dancer, and she won every single time. She also laughed every time Ally fell on her butt, and even videoed half the dances Ally did, with the promise she wouldn't post any of them on YouTube.
By the time Ally got into bed herself, she was exhausted and sore all over. They hadn't even had dinner because of the three things of popcorn they'd consumed during the two Disney* movies. They saw Trish and Dez a few times when neither of them could pass up the opportunity of seeing Ally's horrible dance moves, but they never saw Austin again that night. He stayed holed up in his bedroom, where he'd gone after only ten minutes in the kitchen earlier that day. No explanation of what he was doing, and he just kept saying it was a surprise when they asked where he'd been when Dez had left. Ally was beginning to grow worried. What could that man be up to?
Hey guys! I know it's been a while since I updated anything, but I promise I'm trying to be better at that. And of course, I just had to update today. This chapter is unedited, because I had to post it before it got too late. Hopefully I can go back and fix that in a bit.
To all victims or family and friends of the victims of 9/11, I offer my condolences. I hope to honor all the victims with my story, even though it's fiction. We will always remember what happened fourteen years ago. #WeWillRemember9/11
To those of you wondering why I haven't updated WOSA, I will say this. I'm almost done with the chapter. I will post in an author's note other reasons I haven't updated, but the main reason is because I lost my notebook that has the end of the chapter in it. Trust me when I say I can't finish the chapter without that. it is the only way I will end that chapter, and the only way I think my readers will want me to end it. So I'm sorry it's taking so long but I promise I will post the chapter as soon as I find the notebook. I know it's somewhere in my room, amid my other notebooks and books, so hopefully it won't take long. Thank you so much to those of you who stuck with me anyway! Love you guys!
*I don't own any of this.
God bless you all!
-Daddysgirl11