And so it begins again.

"Hey Austin?" Trish's voice came through the mirror.

Austin lay in his bed but it was now a bit more difficult because of his tail. He picked up the mirror, "What the hell do you want?"

Trish frowned at her former friend, "I just wanted to let you know I've been working really hard and I'll find a place for you to live soon."

Austin growled, "If this is still about helping then the only help you can give me is by turning me back to myself."

Trish ignored him, "I'm thinking your parents' old work place. Mattress kingdom or something?"

He growled again.

Trish smiled, "You'll also be getting a new tutor."

"I never had an old one."

"Just trust me you'll like him."

"Where are you anyway? Are you… are you in a bathroom?"

"What? Ha-ha, uh no. Why, why would an all-powerful sorcerous be in-in a bathroom? No I-uh gotta go. Bye!"

Austin tried to flip over but he was off balance and fell. When he looked back into the indestructible mirror Trish's reflection was gone.

Austin growled and went into the bathroom.

Two days earlier.

"Tell me again why you're trying to sell me this?" Jimmy said. He had figured out after a few weeks that Austin's appearance wasn't about to go away so he needed a place to keep him until what ever happened to him was fixed. After all he couldn't have Austin staying with him, Kira couldn't stand the sight of him and frankly it was hard for Jimmy to look at him too.

He had already informed the fans that he had to take a break from his tour and would be back after he was refreshed. He also said that Austin wanted to start school again after his few years off. And would be home schooled. So stay in school. Weak, weak, stupid, awful. But that was all his publishers could come up with.

"It's big. He can have ample room for everything his little heart desires," The real estate agent said.

"I'm sure, but this is an old mattress store. Why would I—" Jimmy was cut off.

"Austin's parents owned this place before it shut down. He can get back to his roots. A nice blast from the past. Some—"

"Alright! I get it!" Jimmy said, "Fine how much?"

"Rent or buy?" The Real estate agent said.

"The hell do you think? I'm buying this shit store." Jimmy was getting more irate and he began to walk into the crumbling store, "I'll have the down payment by the afternoon and the workmen come in by tomorrow."

"A real fixer-up ain't it?" The cheery real estate agent said who had followed him in.

"It's shit," Jimmy looked at the peeling paint and the rotting support beams, "No wonder they went out of business," He turned to look at the real estate agent, "Who should I—" But there was no one there.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+

Three days later

"Austin I have a surprise for you!" Jimmy said smiling as he came into Austin's room.

Austin sat up. He had been hoping for a distraction. He'd been staring at his arm for hours. The rose tattoo was still glowing bright and he'd again tried to cut it again and again and still it was like steal. He was getting more frustrated as well as seriously considering trying to end it all. He really needed a distraction.

"Come in?" Austin said as Jimmy was already in his room standing over him.

"I've got a place for you to stay!" Jimmy said.

"What?" Austin remembered that yesterday Trish had said that she was finding a place for him to live in soon. But he never thought he'd move out of Jimmy's big apartment. There was room for him and he figured that Jimmy and Kira would get use to his new appearance and then… something would happen. He never thought that Jimmy would make him move out. On his own. He didn't know how to do anything! How would he survive?

"Yeah, you know that old matrass place? I bought it and as we speak they're fixing it up. We'll have you moved in by Friday!" Jimmy was practically jumping up and down. He would finally get the freak out of his house! He-uh he means get Austin some space. Freedom.

"But Jimmy! I can't… I mean I…" How could Austin confess to Jimmy that he literally couldn't do anything, "Jimmy why can't I stay here?"

"Well I figured you'd need some space. After all you are going through some… stuff. And I figured that your old parent's Mattress Kingdom can help you feel more comfortable instead of being cooped up in this," Jimmy laughed gesturing around to his huge living/dinning/kitchen room area, "tiny apartment. You'll have the whole place to yourself! No one will bother you. Total freedom to do as you please."

Austin suddenly understood Jimmy's true intentions. Though, in the far reaches of deeper depth of his still shallow mind, he saw this coming, it still hurt. It hadn't even been a week. Or had it? He hadn't left his room for anything but to eat and stuff. So his days and nights were off. And he was pretty sure he wouldn't be allowed to leave the Mattress kingdom any more than he could leave the apartment, "But Jimmy, what about food? I still have to eat and stuff."

"Don't worry I'll take care of everything," Jimmy smiled widely looking over Austin's shoulder and waving the question away with a pat on said shoulder, "Now pack your stuff. I want to show you your new house."

He sighed and stood. He grabbed his coat, hat, gloves, and any other article of clothing that would cover his deformities.

The Mattress Kingdom looked like it had died, been eaten and thrown up again. Now workers were trying to put the barf back together in to the food it had been before. The Mattress Kingdom had a large land plot that surrounded it. Little tuffs of sickly green grass popped up every now and again on the dusty ground that surrounded the gutted building. Mattress Kingdom did look like shit at the moment. But Jimmy kept reassuring Austin that the workers could have it finished by next week.

The person that seemed to be the one who was looking out over the job was a tall but fat man yelling at the other men running around kicking up dust.

Jimmy walked over to the man, "Robert!" Jimmy called to him.

The man turned and gave a horrible looking grin, "JIMMAH!" Jimmy reached the man with Austin close behind. The sweaty halitosis ridden construction worker hulled a meaty arm around Jimmy's shoulder. It was then did Austin realize how tall this guy was. He toward over Jimmy a good head and shoulders and had put Jimmy in a head lock.

Jimmy completely shocked and disgusted with the workman quickly struggles to be released.

The man laughed, "Jim my man you are too easy!"

Jimmy forces a weak laugh and straightens his suit jacket, "yes, well how is the work coming Robert?"

"Aw just great! These workers are like a well-oiled machine!" Robert said putting a greasy dirty hand on Jimmy's suit jacket shoulder, "And I've told you before, call me Bob," He gave Austin another hideous brown toothed smile. Austin quickly looked down, to get away from the sigh first, but then he had to remember he was hiding a tail.

Austin's dim mind began to form an idea. This man had to obviously know he had rotten teeth? Right? The man couldn't possibly not own a mirror so he had to see those brown cavity ridden teeth every morning when he woke up. Why wouldn't he take care of them? Why wouldn't he have a dentist pull them and get drenchers? Why not get a decent set of teeth? Maybe, he didn't have the money. Maybe he was just getting through a bad divorce. And yet this guy smiled with no fear of being judged about his awful colored teeth. He didn't give two shits about what people thought of his teeth. He smiled anyway.

Sadly Austin's thought bubble was popped long before he could ever reach that conclusions, "I heard I was working for the famous Austin Moon! Tell the kid that my daughter's a big fan."

"Don't worry I will," Jimmy said pulling Austin away.

Austin looked back at the man, still smiling and waving seeming completely oblivious to Jimmy's distain.

"Let's go inside," Jimmy said.

Jimmy showed him everything around the house. The west part of the castle shaped building would be all his. His bedroom, bathroom and any other room he wanted. The next half would be for the other things that Jimmy honestly didn't know what to do with. But he didn't care. As long as Austin was out of his house he'd be happy.

Austin nodded absently and agreed with whatever Jimmy as saying, not paying attention. Austin just kept looking at the gutted building of his parents' old shop. He remembered this place. Old, fond memories floated around bumping into one another as he recalled each good time sitting at the front desk with his father and mother sharing his dream of becoming a big time rock star and his one big goal to play at Time Square New Year's Eve. Which, he had already accomplished. Had his mother saw that? Her son a success and playing Time Square. His father had said he'd seen all his concerts. Had he seen that one?

"Am… Am I going to be alone here?" Austin suddenly asked.

Jimmy abruptly stopped talking, "What? Well I just thought you'd want some space."

Austin shook his head. Space wasn't what he needed. What did he need? He couldn't quite put his finger on it.

He needed people around him who'd actually care about him. But he couldn't grasp that concept. Not yet at least.

Well, a sudden thought occurred to him, Trish. Trish had said something about a Tutor maybe? Hadn't Jimmy gotten him one yet… hm…

"What about a teacher… or something," Austin said, "I've missed two years of school and since this isn't going to clear up any time soon why not?"

Jimmy thought for a second then his phone rang, "Hello?" Jimmy went a little pale, "Right, right," He looked at Austin with a forced smile, "I'll be right back."

So Austin simply wandered around the old store for an hour or two.

"What do you mean?" Jimmy hissed.

"Sir I'm sorry but you've got to understand not many would be willing to… stay with him," A voice from the phone said.

"I know that, that's why I want him out, and now he's asking for a teacher! What the Hell am I supposed to do? It was fine when he was making me money, but now I need him out. Can't you do something?"

There was a pause then, "I was hoping you'd say that."

The line went dead.

"Is this Desirae Worthy?" a sarcastic playful voice came into his speaker, "I'd like to speak to him."

Dez laughed, "W-what makes you think a guy would be named Desirae?"

"I don't know Dez? Maybe because that's your name."

"It's good to speak with you again Trish."

"As much as I'd hate to admit it Dez, I feel the same."

Her voice was sincere enough but it also sounded drained and tired like she wanted to get this conversation over with as quickly as possible.

"Are you feeling well Trish?" Dez asked only mildly concerned for his long time Frenemy, "You're happy to hear my voice?"

He heard a chuckle on the other end and he wasn't sure what surprised him more.

"I forgot how stupid you were. How's everything there in Miami?" There was the old Trish.

"Hot and sticky. I've actually been away for a while and just found Ally."

There was a pause and he imagined that if she was right in front of him he would have guessed she'd just nodded, "How is she?"

"It's bad Trish."

"I know. I've been trying to get a hold of Austin but, well… you know."

"No luck? He is a big star with big plans. But didn't Jimmy just say he was taking a break? I'd say that this would be the best time. We could even have a Team Austin reunion," Dez was beginning to hope, "That would defiantly cheer Ally up!"

"Actually Dez, I have a job for you."

And that was how Dez found himself standing in front of the old mattress shop two days later after receiving a professional call from Jimmy. And he tried not to gawk at the producer for raising stars.

He stared up at the Mattress Kingdom remembering all of its soft mattresses. He didn't have his eye sight when it had officially closed down and he could only imagine what it looked like now as it was being remodel into a house fit for a king, as he had been told it would still have its castle like shape and structure.

Trish had been very vague about all of this but he knew eventually it would all come to light. Fifi sat on his shoulder and barked to help him maneuver his way around the various workers and swinging logs. Fifi would every so often allow him to bump into a wall but she did this so rarely lately he didn't fear his every movement. In fact he felt somewhat like Garrett from Quest for Camelot.

That's usually what he tried to think about when he had to face the fact that he couldn't see. This disease he had had sobered him up quite a bit. He matured much faster with just Ally to hang out with but somehow he'd managed to keep his boyish immature sense of humor and only allowed it to come out around Ally when she needed is nonsensical randomness to cheer her up. Because she needed a cheerful friendly face to keep her from depression.

It wasn't like he had Austin around to help him feel as if he could be his crazy self but after Ally saw Dez lose his best friend, she did her best to fill the void.

He was still her Best Freckled Friend.

They also only had each other now since Trish could rarely speak to them because of her job she still refused to mention to Dez. Which seemed very odd because he specifically remembered her always announcing it in the loudest fashion. Ally probably knew and Trish had thought him too stupid to tell him. He didn't mind though. It wasn't like his curiosity had him reeling at the prospect of a mysterious friend he hadn't heard from personally in over two years… Okay maybe it was, but he couldn't help it! She'd been so vague.

"So Fifi, what do you think?" Dez asked his monkey side kick, as he liked to think of her, "We gonna be happy here?"

The patas barked and jumped a little on his shoulder.

Dez chuckled, "I can't wait either."

"What your head little fella!" Came a gruff voice.

Dez ducked then bend backwards stepping away close to the edge of a ditch that would soon have a pipe filling it.

Whoever belonged to the gruff voice and heavy foot falls now stopped and Dez guessed that it was right in front of him.

"You're quick," The voice said.

Dez gave the voice his quirky smile, "Well, thank you!" He bowed to the voice.

The voice laughed.

Dez straightened and stared at where he believed the voice to be.

The voice paused, "You know I've never had someone stare so intensely at my chest. Do I have something written there?"

Dez smiled and gave the voice a mirthless chuckle, "Ah, no. Even if you did, I wouldn't be able to see it. I'm blind."

The voice became startled, "Oh! Gosh I'm so sorry, man. I hadn't realize!"

"It's alright," Dez said, "No harm done right?"

Dez took a step backwards and felt his foot not meet ground. Fifi barked once and Dez felt himself fall back.

There was a swish and a hand caught his wrist, "That's a ditch," The voice said. It helped Dez regain his balanced.

"Thanks," Dez said, patting Fifi on her head.

"Not a problem, um…" The voice said.

"Dez," Dez said.

"Dez. I'm Robert. But please call me Bob," The voice said.

"Well thanks again Bob," Dez repeated.

"So Dez, if you don't mind my askin', why ya here?" Bob asked.

"Don't mind at all, I'm here because I'm going to be a tutor to the kid that's going to live here," Dez said.

"Oh yeah? Cool man," Bob said giving Dez a playfully hard smack on the back.

Bob was already off and didn't see Dez stumble. Fifi crawled onto his head making him even more unbalanced.

He stumbled around for a little bit then ran into a plastered wall. He went right through and landed at the feet of his bosses.

Fifi barked loudly in his ear, "Alright, alright I'm getting up!" Dez chuckled.

He didn't see Austin try to reach down and help his old friend up. He also didn't see Jimmy pull Austin back up before he could help him.

"Well hello," Jimmy said from behind his teeth.

Dez had spent two years learning to decode moods by listening to the voice. He recognized Jimmy's voice and he could tell Jimmy was a bit pissed. This made Dez stand quicker and force a smile and act as if he didn't know about Jimmy's foul mood, "Hi!" Dez pushed for an upbeat voice. But it really wasn't that hard to fake a happy tone. He'd done it nearly all his life with Trish.

"Dez, with me is your new student. Aust—" His voice suddenly stopped and he grunted.

Dez hid a smile. He didn't know who the 'student' was. But it seemed humorous they were still unsure themselves. He then had to hide a chuckle as he thought of that.

"Adrian," Jimmy growled, "My nephew. I want you to tutor him."

Dez nodded, "Cool."

"You will also be staying here with him," Jimmy said.

Dez's blind eyes went wide behind his shades, "W-what?" He had been expecting to stay at his own home.

"Yes, that won't be inconvenient for you will it?" Jimmy's tone told Dez if he said that it was inconvenient he'd lose this job, and Jimmy would care less if he did.

Dez gulped, "No, it's cool."

Jimmy gave a tight lip smile that Dez couldn't see, "Wonderful, come I'll show you your rooms."

Dez followed the two up the stairs.

. . .

So that is how Dez ended up going to Ms. Suzie's Soups to tell Ally he wouldn't be able to see her anymore.

He'd miss her.

He didn't have to move into the house right away. The house wasn't quite finished yet. It still needed the basic furnishings and the kitchen still needed to have the insulation put in. But whether it was done or not he was scheduled to move in Monday. He just hoped that whatever was to come would be good.

Oh wow I got this done. Okay so the next chappie will be more about Bob the construction worker and how Dez starts to recognize Austin. Hopefully that chapter will also be about the others that will come into play soon. Ally won't meet Austin for a while. But it will come. Like they say Absence makes the Heart grow fonder.