DISCALIMER: Lilly5603 does not own A &A or any of the characters used in this story.
"You're leaving?!" Penny asked not believing it for one second.
"Yeah," Lester said forking a broccoli and putting it in his mouth, "It's obvious that I'm not wanted," he said chewing.
"Lester, honey, we want you here, not your attitude," Penny reminded him.
"Yeah dad, after all you're still my father," Ashley added.
Ally just sat there playing with her food. Did she love her dad? Not really anymore. Did she want him to leave? No, she still had that little speck of father-daughter love in her heart although all he did was provide a roof to stay under, and food, and money. Okay she has some reasons to like him.
But did she want mother to fall apart? No and him leaving is going to do exactly that. Don't matter how Penny tried, she could never hate her high school sweetheart.
He gave her multiple reasons to hate him, but she never could. But yet again he does nothing to her, just her children.
That should be a BIG reason to hate somebody.
Ally still didn't say anything, it was like the entire table wanted her to pitch in, but she had nothing.
"Please stay, I'll miss you," she murmured playing with her mashed potatoes.
"No you won't. You're just saying that," he said with a tight smile.
"No, I'm not" she said voice breaking.
"You hate me. I-I don't hate you. I just think that you can be a better dad," she confessed avoiding eye contact with anyone.
"I was only hard on you because you show potential!" he defended
"And you did that by ignoring me my whole life?!" Ally shouted.
"I didn't! I work with Ashley because I want her to have a future. With you, Ally, you had everything cut out," he told her this time, with eye contact, "You were a dream child," he added softly.
"Well you didn't treat me like that! You left me to fend for myself, and you had my mother under your spell too! Thank God she broke free!" Ally yelled voice going hoarse.
"I admit that maybe my tactics weren't the best,"
"Unbelievable," Ally muttered.
"Look I knew you would be a success don't matter what happens," he said getting up
"And I love you guys, but I need time to think," he said.
"What about me, for the person being deemed as a big doo-doo head, I need you," Ashley said. I tried not a laugh, but I ended up snickering anyway. I always knew I was better than her, not to be mean.
"That's not funny shorty," she snapped. Oh, yeah, there's old, non-helpful, mean bitching Ashley.
"You need me for the wedding, I'll be back by then," he clarified giving Ashley the look.
"What about us?" mom asked quietly, Ally was so sure that no one even heard.
Mr. Dawson gave a sad look and tears threatened to spill over. This, Ally thought, is the first step to the end.
"I just need some space," he replied equally as soft.
"We need you, I need you," she said close to tears, "I don't want this to be the end."
"It is not. I'll be back. I love you," he said looking and taking in everything one last time as though this was the time.
And then he was gone.
"Ally," someone whispered.
"Ally," it called again.
Who the hell wakes someone up at 2 in the morning?
"Ally, I know you're there," it called again.
"God? Is that you?" I joked although I guessed who it already was.
"Don't be playing games here, open the damn window," Austin said clinging on the fire escape ladder.
I rolled my eyes, "So demanding," I said while opening the window giving him the space to crawl in. then he let it shut with a bang.
"Hey, easy there. We don't want my parents waking up.
"Sorry," he whispered pulling me in for a hug.
"I missed you," he mumbled into my hair.
"Same here," I said into his shoulder.
"I would have come earlier, but I got held back at a press conference," he said guiding me to sit on the bed.
"It's a good thing you didn't come," I said sitting crossed legged on the bed facing him.
He raised an eyebrow.
"Rough night," I explained.
"What happened?" he asked.
I explained and broke down in the middle of it. He took me into his arms and tried to calm me down from my hysterics.
"Shh, Shh, don't cry. I love you and this is going to work out I promise you," he said wrapping his arms around me.
"No it's not," I said all teary, "They're going to get divorced and it's-it's all because of me. If I hadn't run away, this could have never happen,"
"Listen to you. Could. It was gonna happen, it just did sooner. And it is not your fault," he reminded.
"It is-"
"Ally, I don't hear this. This is not your fault. And I'm not gonna sit here and let you blame yourself," he said looking me into my eyes.
"Your right," I said leaning in. "Great," he said kissing me all the way.
"I should go," Austin said kissing me
"Yeah, you really should," I said kissing him still
"I'm going," he said coming on top of me.
"Well leave," I giggled as he kissed down my neck.
"Okay, okay. I'm going," he said attempting to get up.
After a while he did. And then he had to find his shirt that somehow some way came off. We'll never know.
"I'll see you tomorrow Als," he said giving me one last kiss.
"K, bye," I said reluctantly letting him go.
And that was the night that I remembered what seemed to spark a problem that will surface in the future.