Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews.

Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally.

Chapter 10

Once his parents finished gushing over the flowers he brought for Ally, they both kissed the baby on the top of his head and walked out the front door.

Ally looked shyly up at Austin and spoke softly. "So, where are you taking me?"

Austin smirked down at Ally as he placed a hand at the small of her back to guide her to the car. "That, Ally my dear, is a surprise."

They both felt the tingles that erupted from the touch of his hand on her back. She slowed down so she could enjoy that feeling a little longer. He started rubbing his hand in circles to extend that tingle running up his arm.

Suddenly Ally stopped and turned to wards Austin. "Oh, I forgot my bag. I'll just be a minute."

"But you already have your purse," Austin pointed out, gesturing to her small black clutch.

Ally smiled, "I know. But I need my bag, too."

She hurried back to the house while Austin waited for her on the sidewalk. He just watched her skirt swish back and forth highlighting her beautiful legs.

She returned with a large gray bag slung over her shoulder. "What's in the bag?" Austin asked slyly. "Are you planning an overnight stay?"

She blushed deeply and turned her head away for a moment before shyly meeting his gaze. His mouth completely dried up at the adorable look on her face. She seemed so embarrassed.

"No," she said quietly. "Not at the moment. But it does have some things that I might need later."

Austin quirked an eyebrow at her and smiled a slow, sexy smile. "Not going to share that info with me are you?"

"Nope," she said with a shy smile as she looked up at him. The smile grew a little wider and her eyes darkened slightly. "Maybe later."

She turned to walk down the sidewalk to the driveway but stopped as soon as she saw the car in the driveway. She looked confusedly from the car to Austin and back to the car again. "What's that?"

Austin laughed softly at her confusion. "That's my new car. I couldn't drive around in a rental forever and so I ordered this earlier this week. It just came in today."

"Wow," Ally exclaimed. "This has been kind of a big week for you. It's beautiful."

She walked over to the brand-new, bright blue Ford Mustang convertible and ran her hand over the hood. "Wow," she said again. The car looked amazing, almost as good as Austin looked tonight.

He pushed a button on his remote and the trunk popped open. He held his hand out for her bag and stowed it safely for her. Then he walked around the car and held her door open for her. She slipped into the luxurious leather interior and shivered. Austin brushed his fingers across her shoulder and Ally turned her head to look up at him. He got caught in for eyes for a second as he watched them darken slightly. He shook his head to clear it before he pulled her out of the car and kissed her senseless.

Austin hurried around the car and slid into his own seat. He turned to look at her and smiled, his hazel eyes twinkled at her. "I hope you're hungry," he said. "We have reservations."

Reservations where?" she asked not able to tear her eyes away from him.

Again he smiled, slow and lazily, making her mouth water in anticipation. She reached behind herself for her seat belt, but struggled to find it as she couldn't take her eyes off of Austin's.

He leaned closer to her and reached for her seat belt, which he slowly pulled across her and fastened securely. "There," he whispered. "All safe and sound."

He finally broke eye contact with her as her started the car and pulled out into the street. Ally took a shaky breath as she also turned from him and faced front. Well, well, well. Tonight was going to be interesting, indeed.

…...

They arrived at a small Italian restaurant downtown and after helping her out of the car he escorted her in. They were seated in a secluded booth. The interior of the restaurant was softly lit and the candles on the white tablecloth between them were setting a romantic mood.

Ally looked over her menu as she covertly watched Austin do the same. He ordered sparkling water for both of them and took a deep breath as their server set a basket of bread between them.

"Ally," he said nervously, scratching the back of his neck. "I feel like I owe you an apology. Again. I made a huge mistake and I really want to make things right."

Ally frowned slightly as she perused the menu. She looked up at him again and saw the truth of it in his eyes, he had always been easy to read. She nodded. "Austin, I know. I just need some time to process this, whatever this is. I need to try and do the right thing for my son."

"Our son," he corrected. "I want to be involved with him, too. Trish is helping me figure out what my legal responsibilities are. I want to start paying child support."

Ally nodded again and swallowed the knot in her throat. "I know he's your son, too. He's our son, but I guess I'm just scared. I have to be responsible, I'm not sure if you understand that he's there all the time. He always has to be taken care of."

"I can understand that you might be hesitant to believe me. To believe in me again. I know I won't always be here in Miami. I will have to tour again. This is the choice I have made. I make music, I perform music. I hope I have a better handle on the touring side of it now so can have some balance in my life."

He continued speaking, "I know that I had a hard time adjusting to touring last year and by the time I had figured out how to manage my time on the road, I had already lost you. I just want a chance. A chance to prove to you that I have changed."

She set down the menu and was stopped from answering by the waitress's arrival. The waitress was annoying because she realized who Austin was and she could hardly be bothered with Ally.

"Oh. My. God!" she exclaimed. "You're Austin Moon! The Austin Moon is here! In my section! I can't believe this." She was starting to draw attention from the other diners as she continued to get louder.

Austin frowned up at the waitress who was gushing over him and he glanced at Ally. He watched Ally's demeanor change from relaxed and calm to agitated and annoyed in a split second. He held up a hand to the waitress.

"Excuse me," he said softly. "I'd be glad to sign something for you, but I'm trying to have dinner with a good friend of mine and if you can't treat her as well as you are trying to treat me, then I'm going to have to request another server. I was assured that the service here was excellent and that I wouldn't be bothered during this private dinner."

The waitress looked taken aback for a moment. She took a deep breath, looked over at her manager who was frowning at her, took a moment to collect herself and turned to Ally, "My apologies. May I take your order?"

As Ally ordered she looked at Austin and couldn't help but be impressed. The Austin she used to know would have flirted with the waitress not asked for better service. And he used to take any opportunity to promote himself, as well. She had watched him leave the table and sign autographs for anyone who wanted them. This new Austin was becoming more and more intriguing.

After the waitress left with their orders, Ally folded her hands into her lap and leveled her gaze at Austin. "That was impressive. I'm not sure you would have handled that as well a year ago. No, I know you wouldn't have."

Austin laughed. "No, you're right. I wouldn't have handled that well at all. But I had a lot of time to think on the road. I'm prioritizing much better now. And you are a priority to me."

She blushed and ducked her head. He was getting better and better, she thought to herself. It was getting really hard to keep her emotions in check.

"You know, I never asked you," he said drawing her eyes back to his. "Where are you working now and are you on maternity leave?"

She smiled at him. "I"m working at Starr Records. Jimmy released me from my contract when I asked him to, because of the pregnancy. We both thought it was the best thing. He didn't really want a teenage pregnancy as the face of his company and neither did I. I work for him as a song-writer. And, I guess, technically, I am on maternity leave."

"Technically?"

"Yes, Tyler came about a week before we thought he would, just excited to see the world I guess, and I was working with Kira on a song. We hadn't really finished it and her second album will be coming out soon, plus she's the boss's daughter. That's why I had to go in on Friday."

Austin looked at her thoughtfully. "Don't you wish..."

She cut him off with a look. "No, Austin. I don't wish. I know I was young when I found out I was pregnant, heck, I'm still young. I know I had to struggle with a lot of people's opinions about it, including my own father's. But Tyler was worth it."

Austin nodded at her. He looked sadly at her. "Again, I'm really sorry. You shouldn't have been alone for any of that."

She smiled sadly back. "I know you're sorry Austin, but I wasn't alone. I had Dez. I had my mom. I had your parents. Even if you had known, it wouldn't have changed anything about that. You would have still been on tour. You couldn't have left just to be here with me. It's the reason that neither Jimmy or Kira told you about it when they saw you."

Austin agreed with her but he had a hard time reconciling that. Finally he nodded again. "You're right. I couldn't have been here physically, but I still should have been here emotionally."

"I know, but you weren't and we can only go forward from here." Ally took a deep breath and said something Austin wasn't expecting. "I think it's time to move on from this. I am forgiving you for what happened last year. I am trying to move forward, but we have to stop dragging it all out."

She stopped Austin from speaking with a look. "Just listen. Let's just say that you were wrong and try to move forward and find out how to be friends again. After the last two days, I don't think we'll have any problems with that. Besides, I really want to forgive you."

Austin just looked at her in shock for a moment. He was absolutely floored by how amazing she was. "Is that really how you feel?"

Ally smiled at him. "Yes, that is really how I feel. Just don't walk away from us again. Or there won't be any coming back from that."

He took a deep breath, because he knew she was right, he could never do that to her again. He looked into her eyes and smiled that slow, lazy smile again. "I am not going anywhere."

That was the first time that she really believed him when he said something like that and her heart swelled in her chest. Hope, which she thought had disappeared from her life, had sprung back up into her.

As their salads were served, they began to talk to each other. They talked about everything. They talked about nothing. They just talked. And talked. And they both began to feel as if things were going to be alright again. Their friendship was going to good again.

What came next between them was still a mystery, but they would be friends while they figured it out.