A/N: I can't believe I only have three more chapters to write! I'll make them the best I can. :) Also, if you haven't read the first chapter of my latest fanfic "Things Unspoken" yet, and you're a Hunger Games fan, go do it! :D I have yet to receive a review, and I plan on posting the second chapter really soon. Thanks so much for sticking with me through this entire story, guys. You're all amazing, dedicated readers. :') Much love.


DISCLAIMER: I do not own Austin&Ally nor am I associated with it in any way. All characters belong to Disney, however, I created Ian, Leah and Tenley. All I did was twist the story line. I also don't own the song "Never Say Never" by The Fray, nor am I associated with The Fray.


Ian's eyes are sad yet excited as he carries his and Tenley's last bags out the door and piles them in to the car. Tenley is busy embracing me, tears in her eyes. "I'm so blessed to have gotten to meet you, Ally. I hope you come for the wedding and be a bridesmaid." She sniffs, holding back tears. I nod in to her shoulder. "Ditto." I murmur.

Tenley moves to Austin, and Ian moves to me, wrapping me in a hug just as Tenley had done moments before. "Well, Ally..." He sighs, "Goodbye, again. I hope to see you real soon." He pulls back, giving me a genuine smile. I return it. "Of course." I reply.

Tenley is now having a conversation with Austin and Ian's parents, and Ian and Austin are saying their goodbyes with say eyes. "I know... Wedding... See... Soon." Were the only words I could catch from Austin's mouth. Ian was talking to quietly. Not in a secretive kind of way, just in that quiet voice he often has.

Trish and Dez said their goodbyes last night to the couple, when they had come over for their "going away" party. It was a happy time, of course, but sadness hung over our heads like a dark cloud. It was depressing to see the two go. They could always lighten a mood, especially Tenley. I knew we would see them in a year or two for the wedding.

We all watched Ian opened the passenger door for Tenley, she climbed in, he shut her door. He then proceeded to go to the driver's side, wave to us one last time, and climb in himself. Tenley waved as they backed out the driveway. My heart sank as they went around the corner, out of my sight.

I leaned on Austin's shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around me. His expression was blank. He shouldn't be so upset, though. Him and his brother will soon be reunited, in about three weeks. And I'll be left here in Miami.

No, I tell myself, I'm not being sad anymore. I already established that about a week ago. The present is a gift, I repeated to myself. The present is a gift.

To get rid of the melancholy mood, Austin and I go out for ice cream. Once we're seated , Austin sighs and taps his fingers on the table. I place my hand in my chin. "What's up?" I ask him.

He shrugs. "It's just that... I'm going to California in just three weeks, and... Well, you saw how hard it was for Ian and Tenley to say goodbye... I have no idea how I will cope. Because, they have each other. I'm going to be the third wheel the next four years of my life."

I swallowed. A part of me wanted to say to him, it's okay if you need to forget about me, and go over there and find you someone new, because I know this will be unbearable. But, me being my selfish self, know that there's no other boy in Miami I want. I have to live here for another year, and if I don't have Austin to cling on to, even if he's three thousand miles away, I don't know how I'll manage.

I just nod instead. He sighs. "I'll just have to find a friend over there, I guess." I agree with him, and we talk about other things the rest of time time we're at the ice cream shop, avoiding that conversation.

We walk out, holding hands, laughing. We instinctively begin walking the block to the beach. The sun is beginning to set. We kick off our shoes and carry them in our hands as we walk in the sand, still hand in hand.

"I'm so glad that we've been able to keep our relationship... Well, respectable." Austin says out of nowhere. I raise my eyebrows at him questioningly. He shrugs. "I guess I'm trying to say... I'm glad we were never 'active' so to speak."

I'm shocked by Austin's words, but I just nod. I can honestly say I've not wanted, as long as we've been dating, to have that kind of relationship with him. I just wasn't ready for it, and I honestly didn't believe he was either. Sure, he'd done the deed before, but if was while he wasn't in his right mind, and from what I've heard, he regrets it with all he's worth.

I didn't want to lose my virginity until after marriage. First of all, it's just my personal beliefs. Second, I want it to be with the right person.

We find a cozy spot in the sand as the sky begins to turn different shades of orange, pink, and red. I put my head on his shoulder and he wraps his arm around my waist. The way he's sitting, his shirt comes up a little near his waistband, and I can just begin to make out the A on his tattoo.

Long after it's dark, we're still sitting in the same position, chatting away. It's starting to get cold, though, so we stand up and brush off the sand that is clinging to our clothing and legs. We begin walking back the way we came.

He's humming "Never Say Never" under his breath. It's barely audible, but I would know that song anywhere. I smile, and squeeze his hand a little bit. He winks at me.

I don't know how, after all these months, I'm still able to remember that the first sign of flirting Austin gave to me was a wink. Just a simple, quick one. Yet, I knew he was flirting, nonetheless. It was when I was getting out of his car, when he dropped me off for the first time at my house after the party that night. Well... I begin to wonder if he could have been flirting when he pulled me in to the ocean, too? Or when he grabbed my hand to pull me to safety when we were running from the cops? Maybe Austin has genuinely cared for me from the moment he first met me. Though the chances are slim, I grasp to the hope. Maybe he'll still genuinely care for me five years from now.

By the time we reach Austin's car, the moon is risen and full. "Wanna go for a drive?" He asks, and I nod. I want to spend every precious moment with him that I can. The present is a gift.

I'm not too surprised when he starts taking the route to our bonfire location, where the cops came that night of the party and everything. During the drive, we sit in comfortable silence. Once there, he turns off the car, and steps out. I follow suit. We won't need a flashlight, the moon illuminates the entire beach. I can even see the waves lapping the shore from here. Austin puts on a jacket, and wraps an extra one around my shoulders for warmth. I smile at him in thanks.

Where I stand, I can remember what it looked like almost a year before, the first time I stepped out of Trish's car. Teenagers strewn everywhere, the sound of an acoustic playing, the fire out on the sand. It seemed so different now, with no one on the sand, only the sound of the light wind and the water, and some burnt out logs where the fire once burned.

We gently walk down the bank, and we find ourselves in the sand for the second time tonight. We lay down, gazing at the stars. The stars weren't often visible in Miami, thanks to all the city lights. Out here was about as rural as it got.

"I know it's crazy," Austin sighs, "but I actually thought I may propose to you before I left for California, just so I could know you were mine."

I swallow hard. As much as I'm flattered, he knew I would never accept at this age, no matter how much I loved him. And he knew as well as I did that my parents would certainly be apposed. Maybe that's why he said it was crazy though.

I just giggle lightly. "You were right. It's a tad crazy."

He nods, chuckling. "Maybe you'll still be mine when I see you again. I know there will be plenty of guys after you when I'm gone."

I, personally, think he's crazy. I don't know what he sees in me. I never will. I don't find myself ugly in any way. I actually find myself beautiful, physically. But I have so many emotional flaws. I'm so awkward, I'm a terrible liar, I laugh too loud, and the list goes on. But, whatever he saw in me, I appreciated it. I really did.

"You're the one to worry about." I murmur. I think he knows as well as everyone that he is attractive and certainly a heartbeat. If he weren't, Leah wouldn't have gone to such crazy extents to win him over from me.

He snorts. "You have nothing to worry about, Ally. I'm not going anywhere. If one of us were to leave the other, it would be you leaving me, and that's a fact. I'm not saying you will, and I certainly hope you won't, but I just know that you're the one for me."

I blush in the darkness. "I don't see myself going anywhere, Austin."


A/N: This was a fun chapter to write, I'll admit. :) I'm sorry that Ian and Tenley had to leave for the last three chapters. :( Sad, sad, sad! There's actually some foreshadowing in this chapter. Leave me a review when you review, favorite, and follow to tell me where you think it is? Hint: It is a foreshadowing for the sequel. ;) Thanks everyone!