Hello lovelies. Just so you know, when I write James I hear the voice of Fitz from Marvel's Agents of Shield: his accent, cadence of speech, all that. Not that it matters really, but that's what he's supposed to sound like. Just a fun little tidbit for you. Enjoy the chapter!

Derailed - Chapter 11

. . .

Monday morning Ally groaned as her alarm went off. She was exhausted and there was no way she was getting out of bed if it weren't for that test. She was proud of her perfect grades and she couldn't let anything ruin them now: not when she was a little over a year away from graduating. After turning off her alarm she stretched and looked toward the faint morning light streaming into her bedroom window.

She was having the best dream before she woke up. She had reconnected with Austin at his concert in Oxford and then spent the weekend with him, complete with flying to Dublin for a concert. There had even been kissing: lots of kissing. It was a wonderful dream.

Ally groaned again as she came back to earth and reality in the bright light of morning. She had several dreams of meeting Austin again after buying the ticket to his concert but none were that real, that thrilling and wonderful and heartbreaking all at the same time.

Why was she so tired? Her limbs were heavy and fought all attempts at movement. She never stayed out late on school nights. She didn't hang out with famous singers or fly on private jets or get home at 2am, ever. But if it was only a dream, why did her body ache like it had been real?

No, it couldn't be. She was boring, quiet little Ally Dawson. Her life was only exciting in her dreams: in her really good dreams where Austin was more handsome than ever with those eyes, that body, and his hair that fell just the right way. And he still liked her.

This wouldn't be the first time she dreamed of Austin. In fact, dreams like this had been the norm while she was in Africa, only decreasing over time.

Ally buried her face in her pillow to muffle her angry scream. She had tried, for years, to hold back her anger at her parents for ripping her away from life at 15. On a certain level she knew they did what they did because they cared and were worried about her. She had lost count of the horror stories her mom told about her own cousin's teenage pregnancy during that first year in Africa. Whenever Ally got homesick or tried to talk about dad or her friends Penny shut her down with another terrible tale of life-changing events all due to carelessness and teenage hormones, etc. . . She was sick to death of it all and this latest fantasy, a glimpse into how easy it would be to slip into a life with Austin again, wasn't helping her mood which quickly soured.

A light knock sounded on her door and Ally lifted her head from the pillow to see her roommate Katie poking her head through the door.

"Did you just yell?" Katie asked.

"Sorry, did you hear me?" Ally asked.

Katie nodded. "I don't think I've ever seen you get mad."

"I know, it's just my mom: some old anger resurfacing. Sorry." Ally said.

"It's okay to get mad, you just surprised me. Come have some breakfast before your big test. You'll need it since you didn't get much sleep." Katie offered.

"Thanks, I'll be right out." Ally said with a relieved smile. She loved her roommates.

. . .

Ally got back into her routine as she prepared for the day and went to her classes. She did well on the test and was able to focus while she took it, but during the rest of the day she couldn't shake the vivid dream she had. And she had to admit that part of her didn't want to forget it because it reflected her deepest wishes.

Her mood was still sour when she went to meet James, Hailey and their friends at lunch. She was recognizing that nothing was going to change and having such dreams was unhealthy so she should let go and it was all making her grumpy. She bought her food and carried it to the table where her friends sat. Maybe some familiar faces and good company would help.

"There she is! How was your weekend?" James greeted her happily.

Ally merely shrugged and sat down.

"What? No, no, no. We need all the details of your weekend with Austin Moon." James reproved her.

Ally's head snapped up. "What? How did you know?"

"How did I know?" James scoffed. "I only watched you stare at him longingly for two hours and then had to go pull you out of his dressing room in the dead of night to go home friday. That's how I know."

"Wait, that was real?" Ally asked.

"Are you okay? Did something happen?" Hailey asked, her smile fading into concern.

"You know rockstars: they're all into drugs. Did he give you anything?" Charlie asked.

Ally shook her head. "It was real? I thought it was another dream."

"Dream?" Hailey wondered.

"I used to have vivid dreams about seeing him again all the time. But you saw him too." Ally said, pointing to James but still looking disoriented.

"Give me your phone." James commanded. Ally pulled it from her bag obediently.

"You dream about Austin Moon?" Charlie looked sad. How was he supposed to compete with that? No wonder he never got a second date with her.

Hailey patted Ally's hand soothingly. "You really like him, don't you?"

"I . . ." Ally began.

"Ha, there it is." he held up the phone triumphantly. "I watched him put this in your phone." he showed the screen with Austin's cell number for everyone to see.

"I really spent the weekend with Austin?" Ally asked, earning a groan from Charlie.

"What did you do all weekend?" Hailey asked.

"On Saturday we just wandered around here and I showed him some sights in London. Then we wrote a song and he asked me to come to Dublin for his show. Sunday morning we flew in a private jet and he performed then put me on a plane home late last night. I think." Ally listed the events of her weekend.

"Let's prove it shall we?" James mused and pressed a button on her cell. Soon they could all hear the line ringing on speaker phone.

"James, what are you doing?" Ally reached for the phone but he held it up high out of her reach. After three rings it was picked up.

"Ally?" Austin answered.

"Oy, hello Austin, it's James from the Club on Friday."

"Hi James, why do you have Ally's phone? Is she okay?" Austin asked.

"She's right here having lunch along with my girl Hailey and our friend Charlie. Say Hello." James instructed. Hailey and Charlie chorused a weak 'Hi'.

Austin chuckled. "Hi guys. Don't give Ally a hard time about me okay? Oh, and you should believe what she tells you, she's the most honest person I know."

Hailey's mouth dropped wide open and she shook Ally's hand. "You really know Austin Moon!" she squealed.

"Hailey!" James complained at her fangirling.

"You'll treat Ally right, won't you? None of that sex, drugs and rock and roll stuff." Charlie spoke up, voice quavering slightly with nerves as he made his demand. Ally's face turned bright red.

"I'll treat her right." Austin promised. "Are you sure everything is okay Ally?"

"I'm fine, just overwhelmed I guess, and tired." she answered.

"How did your test go?" Austin asked.

"Aced it." Ally confirmed.

"I knew you would. Hey, Scarlett is giving me a kind of death glare here so I better go. Oh, Andrea says hi. I'll call you tomorrow alright?" Austin said.

"Great. Bye." Ally said.

"Ally?" Austin said, his voice quieter.

"Yes?"

"I can't wait for Saturday. Everything is gonna suck until I see you again." Austin said.

"Same here." Ally agreed and the call ended.

Ally's friends all gaped at her.

"You . . . are dating . . . a rockstar." Hailey said, completely awestruck.

"He sounds like he likes you." Charlie admitted grudgingly.

"I knew he was going to fall for you: he was halfway gone already on Friday night." James gloated.

"No wonder you thought you were dreaming: you seriously spent all day with him and he just flew you to Dublin and back because he wanted to?" Hailey asked.

"What's going on Saturday?" James asked.

"He wants me at his show in Amsterdam. He's touring Europe for the next three weeks doing shows." Ally said.

"You are so lucky." Hailey said.

"What, do I need to go start a band now if I want you to get all dreamy about me?" James looked offended.

"You know I love you, but this is so romantic. Can't you just be happy for Ally and bask in her glow? She's getting that second chance with the love of her life." Hailey said.

"She never called him the love of her life. They're just old friends, reconnecting." Charlie said and they all turned to look at him.

"Well I hope you have a great time on Saturday." Hailey said.

"Thanks. I'm pretty sure I will." Ally said.

. . .

The rest of the week passed quickly and Ally made sure to stay caught up on all her schoolwork so she wouldn't have to worry about it on the weekend. True to his word Austin called her on Tuesday evening and then again on Thursday. The calls turned into 2 hour long chats during which Ally locked herself in her bedroom for privacy. Both times when she finally emerged to eat a late snack before bed her roommates Katie and Peg teased her a bit. They loved that they finally had some dirt on squeaky clean Ally Dawson. She opened up to them quite a bit about Austin and their past so they would know this was more than some infatuation with a star.

Early Saturday morning Hailey dropped Ally at the airport where a ticket was waiting for her, courtesy of Austin. An hour and half flight later she was met at baggage claim by a driver holding a sign with her name. She was a little disappointed not to see Austin, but she was still closer than before and knew from his texts the night before that he was just as anxious to see her again. Ally followed the driver out the doors to a black car with dark windows. He opened the door and she climbed into the not-so-empty back seat. A certain blond singer was waiting for her there and instantly pulled her into a hug.

"I missed you." he said into her hair.

"Austin!" she said in surprise and hugged him back as the car started moving.

He sat back and looked into her eyes while his arm remained around her. "Thanks for coming."

"Of course. Thanks for the plane ticket. But I feel bad that you keep spending money on me." she said.

"Don't feel bad. I want to do it, and besides, I'm just getting us back on track." he said.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if you had been my girlfriend when I started to get famous back when we were 16, I would have wanted you at all my concerts." he explained.

"Aww." Ally said, touched by his words.

"I know, I'm a nice guy." Austin replied with a shy smile.

Ally pushed his shoulder and they laughed together.

"Seriously though, I'm glad you are here now. Better late than never." he said.

"I still wish I wasn't late at all." Ally said and then sighed deeply. "I keep thinking I need to call my mom but I'm afraid I'll just end up yelling at her so I don't call at all. We normally talk every week but I couldn't call her this time. I feel like a terrible daughter."

"You aren't, though. I know why you're upset and I am too, but getting mad won't change anything. We have to enjoy what we have now and believe me, I plan on enjoying every second with you." Austin said.

The look he gave her made Ally's stomach flip. Then he leaned in and kissed her softly, almost hesitantly. She kissed back, letting him know she was more than okay with what was happening between them. Once again, they were both surprised when the car stopped at their destination twenty minutes later, both a little reluctant to leave the car and deal with other people. Austin stole a final kiss before opening the door so they could get out of the car.

They entered the venue hand in hand and Ally was soon greeted by Scarlett and Andrea. She left her bag in Austin's dressing room and since they had most of the day ahead of them, ventured out into the city to explore and have more time together until the concert that night. They wandered a route Scarlett had researched ahead of time for them, giving a small map to Ally who was delighted to see several historical sights listed. Austin didn't seem to care where they went as long as Ally's hand was firmly attached to his. They ended up having dinner very close to the venue so Austin could be back in time to get ready for the show. He was recognized a few times during their ramblings through the city, but for the most part they were able to act like any other couple out doing some sight-seeing.

Ally and Andrea got set in their area just off stage to watch the show. Ally was impressed that the assistant remembered the snacks she had asked for last time and had plenty of those on hand. And just like Dublin, Austin quickly kissed Ally's cheek on his way to the stage.

After the concert Ally went with Austin, Scarlett and Andrea to a hotel for the night. She was staying over so they could have part of Sunday together before she had to go home again. Austin complained, but Ally was actually a little relieved when she was told she would share a room with Andrea for the night. Ally was loving how well she and Austin were getting along and she wasn't about to complain about all the kissing they'd been doing lately to make up for lost time, but she wasn't ready to have a certain conversation with him yet. The conversation involving her lack of a love life, limited dating experiences, and no history of physical intimacy. Well, nothing intimate beyond the fateful moment she shared with Austin which spurred Penny's desire to take Ally across an entire ocean. Her parent's reaction to that had soured any desire Ally had to pursue a physical relationship with anyone ever again. Austin was breaking through that a little now with the kissing and her comfort in his familiarity but her fear was kind of hard-wired at this point.

So they shared a kiss goodnight at her door and went to bed. They all met up for breakfast in the morning and Austin was eager to steal Ally away for a few more hours of freedom before they were separated for another week. He surprised her with a canal tour through the city. They snuggled up close on some seats in the back of the boat and took in the city from the water. Near the end of the boat ride Austin squeezed Ally's hand and she looked at him.

"So, I hope this is a bit better than a text like last time. Ally, will you be my girlfriend again?" he asked.

"I'd love to." she said and kissed him.

"Good. Because I already asked Andrea to set up your plane ticket for next weekend. This would have been pretty awkward if you said no." he said.

Ally elbowed him softly. "You knew I'd say yes."

"Yeah, I did." he admitted with a smile. "But it's still nice to hear you say it."

Their boat docked and they disembarked. They walked slowly to a cafe where they met Scarlett and Andrea for lunch. Then a car took Ally back to the airport while Austin headed toward his next show a few days away in Milan.

. . .

"You are making headlines." Hailey plunked a magazine on the lunch table the following Tuesday.

"What?" Ally asked around a mouthful of salad. She quickly chewed as she picked up the magazine. One corner of the cover had a picture of her with Austin and the question "Who is Austin Moon's new girl?" Ally looked up at Hailey in shock while James grinned at her and Charlie looked dismayed. He frowned at his phone as he scrolled through something.

"Oh, I heard about that." Katie intoned from across the table.

Ally quickly flipped to the page number listed on the cover and saw a small spread of photos of varying quality. A few were grainy and dark, some were bright with natural sunlight, and all of them featured her standing very close to Austin: holding hands, his arm around her, or kissing.

"You two weren't planning on keeping this a secret were you? Because you aren't being very discreet." Hailey said with a grin. "You two are so cute together. When can you bring him by to get your friend's approval?"

"They are sickeningly sweet." James agreed.

"Guys! What do I do?" Ally asked.

"Looks like you've done enough to me." Charlie grumbled and held up his phone to show a grainy video from the darkened hall in Dublin just before the concert. There was no sound because the person filming was far away, but there she was at the piano on stage with Austin. Then he kissed her and pulled her close in a hug.

"Oooh, you did have a good time with Austin, didn't you?" Katie said as the video ended.

"It's not, we were just singing and then he said something that made me sad so he comforted me." Ally tried to explain.

"He upset you?" Charlie was right on top of that.

"No! It's just, all the lost time, and, urgh, he's good to me, I swear." Ally said.

"I can see that." Hailey said, pointing to a photo of the magazine of them cuddled up and kissing in the canal boat.

"Okay, did anyone notice the ones where we are walking around and sight-seeing?" Ally complained. "Yes, we've kissed a few times but we've also done a lot of talking and getting to know each other again. You know that if my mom hadn't freaked out when I was 15 we would have been together for the last 7 years, right? And from the start everyone would have known that Ally Dawson is Austin's girlfriend and songwriter. None of this would be news at all! But no: I got dragged to Africa and Germany and everywhere in the world except where he was, so can you blame me for wanting to be with him now?" she ranted. Loudly. When she stopped she realized what she had done and looked apologetic while her friends looked on in surprise. Ally never raised her voice or complained about parents, but clearly this had been building for a while.

"Ally," Katie began.

"Sorry." Ally said meekly.

"No, that was great!" James said. "I knew there was a little firecracker inside you!"

Ally blushed.

"If you want to be with him then do it. Be happy Ally." Hailey said.

"Thanks."

"You've loved him this whole time haven't you? No one else ever had a chance with you, did they?" Charlie asked.

"Sorry." Ally confirmed his words.

"So, where is he flying you this weekend?" Katie asked.

. . .

Wednesday afternoon Ally was studying at home when her phone rang. She saw her mom's picture fill the screen on her phone and she took a deep breath before answering.

"Hi Mom."

"Allison Marie Dawson why haven't you called me in two weeks? Oh, I know: it's because of Austin Moon isn't it?" Penny began, hitting hard from the start.

"Mom,"

"No, don't mom me. One of my co-workers showed me some photos online and Dr. Stephens, do you remember him from the camp in Gabon? Well he sent me a link to a video of you and Austin. A video! Just what have you been doing and how long were you planning on hiding it from me?" Penny demanded.

"Okay just stop!" Ally said loudly. "I haven't called because of this - because I knew you'd react badly and I would yell back and I was putting it off okay? Will you listen to the truth, to my side of the story, or have you already made your mind up about things you aren't a part of?" Ally challenged.

The two of them took some deep breaths to calm down and then Penny spoke again. "Fine. You tell me what's happening and why my daughter is splashed all over magazines and the internet with a singer."

"There are pictures of me and my old neighbor and best friend all over because he played a concert here in Oxford a few weeks ago and we reconnected. Since then he's been flying me to his weekend shows until his European tour ends next week. Yes, we've kissed, and he asked me to be his girlfriend again." Ally told her mom.

"Sweetheart, you've got to be careful. . ."

"Mom, this is Austin, the kid who grew up next door who I've known most of my life. You know him too. Can't you just take off your blinders and stop freaking out about this? He's a good guy. You know Mike and Mimi, you watched Austin grow up and you know what kind of person he is. Doesn't that matter at all? I could seriously do a lot worse than fall in love with a great guy who is also a great friend."

"Love? Ally, you told me yourself you only met up with him again a few weeks ago. Don't you think it's early to use such strong language?" Penny asked.

"I always loved him, Mom. I loved him when you made me leave Miami 7 years ago. And I love him now when he is trying hard to make this work and keep us together."

"But he broke up with you, and you lost touch." Penny said weakly.

"I broke up with him when it was clear that you would never let me go back home. I felt bad for holding him back like that. But he was against it the whole time." Ally said. "I've tried not to be mad at you for years, but being with him now - it's so easy and so right Mom. You should have let us be together. I'm happy with Austin. I forgot what it felt like to be so happy."

"But he's famous and people like him don't always have a good lifestyle. They aren't known for having long term relationships. I know this seems fun right now but. . ."

"Shut up mom! You don't know what you are talking about. When are you going to realize that this is Austin, not just some faceless anonymous famous singer? He's not like that at all and if you ever open your eyes you will see it."

"I'm just worried about you."

"Well don't be. I'm an adult now and I'm going to date Austin and go back to Miami with him this summer."

"What about school? This is exactly why. . ."

"I'm coming back in the fall. Seriously, when are you going to trust me? I did your homeschooling in record time. I've done great at Oxford without any parental supervision. I've been taking care of myself for years while you did your studies and projects and you should know by now that I can be trusted. But you know what? I don't need your approval because I know I can do these things. When you decide that you can be supportive, give me a call. Until then though, give me space and know that I love you but I can't talk to you like this."

"I . . . okay Ally. I love you sweetheart."

"Love you too. Bye mom." Ally said and ended the call.

She took a deep breath and felt tears pricking her eyes. She never dreamed she would talk to her mother that way but she wouldn't back down on this. Austin was too important to her and she hoped her mom would calm down and accept that in time.

There was a light knock on Ally's door and Peg popped her head in. "Are you okay Ally? I thought I heard you yelling at someone."

Ally shook her head. "Just a disagreement with my mom. Everything is okay. Thanks."

"Alright, well, if you need anything Katie and I are out here. We don't have much schoolwork so we were thinking of watching a movie. Are you in?" Peg asked.

"I'm almost done here and a movie sounds great." Ally smiled warmly at her roommate.

"Great." Peg said and disappeared, closing the door again.

Ally looked down at her books and knew she wasn't going to remember anything she read now. She leaned back on her pillows and picked up her phone again.

"Hello?" Austin answered.

"Hi it's me."

"Hi Ally!"

"Can you talk to me for a few minutes?" she asked.

"Sure. What's going on?"

"I just want to hear your voice. So tell me about anything: where you are, your favorite guitar, even a lecture on amps and what they do and how they work would be great." Ally said.

Austin laughed. "That bored with homework?"

"I just talked to my mom. It's wasn't great. But I don't want to talk about it and I don't want you to try and cheer me up either. Hearing your voice is all I need until I can see you this weekend. So please, just talk to me for a minute." she said.

"Alright. I'm in Milan right now and I have a show tomorrow night. Then we are driving for the next two days to get to Madrid where I'll see you Saturday. I've been to Milan before and it's great, all the food is excellent in Italy. But someday, soon, I've got to take you to Rome. There are ruins and museums everywhere and I know you'll love it." Austin began.

He rambled for the next ten minutes or so like Ally asked him to and she was right: she did feel better simply hearing his voice. They ended the call with a promise to see each other soon and then Ally went out to the front room to eat ice cream and watch a movie with Katie and Peg.

. . .

There you go! Did you like it?