A/N: alright my lovely readers: I'm back. I meant to post this chapter sooner but my husband was out of town for work and my sweet 7 year old had some health problems that caused me to miss work while we were in and out of the doctors office and hospital for testing. All is well now and I have some time to breathe again.

So, I fleshed out the outline I had for the rest of the story and thought I'd give it a shot. I don't know if this chapter is as good as earlier ones, but this is the path I've had in mind since I started the story.

. . .

Derailed Chapter 13

. . .

Ally was having the best summer of her life. She worked with her dad Monday through Thursday, then got together with Trish sometime during the weekend. Austin took her out every Saturday and every other Sunday the Moons had her and Lester over for dinner. By mid July Ally was blissfully happy and actually questioning going back to London. But she also knew the summer couldn't last forever and she wouldn't stop her schooling when she only had one year left to graduate.

Austin came over Wednesday night after Ally got home from work at Sonic Boom and slumped on the couch in the living room after kissing Ally hello.

"Where's your dad?" he asked conversationally.

"Closing up the store. He will be home later."

Austin nodded and looked around the room, slightly distracted.

"You look tired." She commented. She knew Austin's label was beginning to pressure him to get working on new music.

"Midterms are kicking my butt." He said and rubbed at his face.

"Midterms? What are you talking about?" Ally asked.

Austin sat up straighter, jolted by his own unplanned confession. "Oh um, I'm taking online classes and I've got tests all this week."

"Why didn't you say anything before?"

He shrugged. "It's kind of a surprise I guess. I've never told anyone."

Ally looked at him, waiting. He sighed.

"I didn't want to get anyone's hopes up in case I didn't finish or something. I wasn't exactly the best student ever you know? But I've been slowly working on a business degree for a few years now so I could help my parents with the mattress store when they get older. It started with a class here and there and I haven't been totally consistent because of my schedule and touring. I took a bigger class load than normal because I'm hanging out here all summer."

"Austin, that's amazing!"

"Yeah but now Jimmy wants more music and I don't have time." He said.

"Let's figure this out then. When you aren't studying, what are you doing?" Ally asked, getting down to business.

Austin grinned at her. "Hanging out with you. Or catching up with my parents and making up for lost time. I've filled in a few times at the store when they are short handed and I've never seen my dad so happy."

"Okay. So what if we multi-task?" She said.

"How?"

"Well I don't think either of us is willing to give up any time we spend together." She began and Austin shook his head to confirm that wasn't an option. "So what if we write some music together? It will give us the time we want, make Jimmy happy, and not detract from your study or family time." Ally concluded.

"That could work. But I don't want to stop having fun with you because it all turns to work."

"It won't. Writing with you was never work. And besides, I have a few ideas." She said and got off the couch. She crossed the room to the piano in the corner and pulled her old notebook from the inside the piano bench. She brought it back to show Austin several pages near the back with scribbled lyrics and snippets of melodies.

"Ally, this is great! We could make it all work." Austin said happily. "You are the best, you know that?"

Ally shrugged modestly but had a huge smile on her face. Austin set the book on the coffee table and pulled her into his arms. Their hug quickly turned into kissing and some time later they picked up her book and got to work. By the time Lester got home and Austin left that night they had half a song they were pleased with even though it needed a bit more work. Ally was sure they could finish it that weekend.

. . .

With Ally's help and support Austin kept everything under control for the rest of the summer. They wrote four songs that Jimmy insisted they record immediately, Austin passed all of his classes, and he worked at the Mattress store once a week with his parents which both surprised and pleased them. Ally spent as much time as she could with Trish in person. At the same time she limited the length of her calls with her mom. Penny called Lester frequently as well, worried that he wasn't monitoring Ally's behavior enough which Ally found ironic since she'd been living on her own away from her mom for a few years at Oxford and Penny wasn't as worried about her 'behavior' there. Ally wondered if it was because of Austin in particular, or had to do with Ally finally having a boyfriend.

The first week of August Dez came back to Miami as well. His little sister Didi and her husband Dan were celebrating the birth of their son Derek. Dez came to meet his nephew and see Austin and Ally together again on their home turf. They got together as much as they could that week before Dez went back to Hollywood and work.

As August drew to a close Ally's return to London loomed over them. Lester soaked up every moment he had left with Ally before she flew across the ocean again. He and Ally spoke a lot over the summer and worked out some of her pain and answered a lot of questions. They both promised to talk more often than they had in the past.

Overall, Ally's trip home had been much better than she originally anticipated. The very best part by far, however, had been her reception by the Moons. Not only was she finally able to go out with Austin, but his parents had welcomed her home with open arms as if no time had passed at all. Austin had warned her that Mimi was ready to make Ally part of the family but this didn't bother her one bit since she and Mike had always felt like relatives. With the drama she encountered from her own parents, it was a nice change to go to the Moons and find a stable loving home where she was welcome any time.

. . .

Austin took Ally out on their last date August 20th, just three days before she was due to fly back to London. The mall pond where they had their first date no longer existed, but he still took her out on a picnic at a nearby park with a pond. Once again they were both avoiding the topic of her leaving and trying to enjoy their time together.

They sat together on a blanket on the grass and ate the food Austin made. Ally had finished her sandwich and was munching on some grapes when Austin cleared his throat.

"So what would you think about me following you to London in two weeks?" he asked.

"To visit? For how long?" Ally asked, her melancholy at being separated again lifting.

"Nine or ten months, however long the school year is." he said casually.

"What?" Ally sat up, getting excited. It sounded too good to be true.

"I had Scarlett look into an apartment for me. I thought London could be fun for a while." he laced his fingers with hers. "And I'm selfish and don't want to deal with the long distance thing again."

"That's perfect! I can't believe you'll come to London for me." Ally said happily. "But what about your school and music?"

"My classes are online so I can do that anywhere, I've proven that on tour. And my music is where I am. I'll have contact with Jimmy and probably have to fly back here on occasion, but its nothing I can't handle." Austin explained.

Ally sobered and studied Austin briefly. "You really do love me."

"Didn't you believe me when I said it?" he asked with a nervous laugh.

Ally shook her head. "I believed you, but this, it's huge that you'll move across the ocean to be with me. I don't know what to say, but, wow."

"I'll take 'wow', or 'Austin you are amazing and I love you', or 'you're the best boyfriend in the entire world', anything along those lines." he said with a grin and got onto his knees, moving in front of her and pulling her into his arms.

Ally looped her arms around his neck and returned his smile. "You are amazing and the best boyfriend and I do love you very much." she confirmed and then kissed him.

"See, that wasn't so hard." he teased.

Ally shook her head but the smile didn't falter on her lips. Then she squeezed him tight again. "I'm so glad you're coming to London!"

. . .

The next day Ally and Trish were sitting on the beach soaking in a little more sun.

"So do I have to move to London too or wait another 7 years to see you?" Trish asked after Ally told her the news.

"No. I'll come back sooner. I graduate next June and I don't know what I'm going to do yet, but I'll come visit again. I already promised Dad and now I'm promising you too." Ally answered.

"Good." Trish said, pleased.

"You have a great thing here though, Trish. Your job, apartment with fun roommates, your family close by . . . you are really lucky." Ally said.

"Don't forget my hot boyfriend." Trish added.

"What?" Ally demanded.

"Oh, there he is." Trish sat up as a tan, dark haired man approached them.

"Hello, my darling." he said in a deep accented voice and Trish stood up and took his arm. "Is this the infamous Ally?"

"It is." Trish answered. "Javier this is Ally, Ally meet Javier. He's from Spain."

Ally stood and extended her hand to shake his. He took her fingers gently instead and kissed the back of her hand.

"It is my pleasure. Trish has told me about your lifelong friendship." Javier said.

"She's a great friend who stuck with me through it all." Ally said.

"She is lovely as well, is she not?" Javier said, looking at Trish and making her blush.

"How long have you two been dating?" Ally asked, surprised that Trish had kept this secret.

"We met a few months ago and went out a few times but we only got serious last month." Trish said.

"Well, congrats you two." Ally said. Javier joined them for the next hour until Ally had to leave. She was thrilled to see that Javier treated Trish well and her friend was happy.

. . .

Austin drove Ally to the airport after she said a tearful goodbye to his parents and her dad. He kissed her in the terminal one more time and watched her walk off toward her gate.

Penny was waiting on the other side of the ocean and drove Ally home from the airport. This was the part Ally was most nervous about, dreading a lecture from her mother. Instead, Penny seemed to be on her best behavior and merely asked about Austin in passing while she focused on how Ally was and what it was like to live with Lester again. The two of them caught up quickly and parted for the night. Penny went back to a hotel room and would leave for Berlin the next morning.

Back in London Ally settled back into her little house with her roommates. She exchanged some texts with her friends to let them know she was back and they planned to meet up for lunch the first day of classes. And before bed she called Austin just to chat and wish him goodnight while he wished her good morning.

Ally walked to the usual lunch spot and was happy to see James and Hailey already there.

"Hi guys." She said as she sat at the table.

"Who is this girl, Hailey? She is far too tanned to be from England." James commented with a sly grin.

"Ally! Welcome back!" Hailey hopped up from her seat to give Ally a quick hug. "How was Miami?"

"It was great, but it's good to see you again. How was your holiday?" she asked the pair.

"Wonderful! I met James' brother and we went to the lakes. It was so relaxing and I'm dreading having homework again." Hailey said.

"And writing essays. Don't forget that." James added with a frown.

"I'll read through them for you again this year. We can't have you failing anything." Ally said.

"I wouldn't have failed, just gotten lower marks." James defended weakly.

They were joined by Hailey's friend Gretchen and a few others then. They spoke of their classes and professors they dreaded or looked forward to and how their first classes were going.

Ally quickly fell back into the rhythm of campus of life and before she knew it two weeks had passed and Austin arrived. His flight arrived when she was in classes and she was disappointed she couldn't meet him but he had a rental car waiting. It also gave him a minute to check out his apartment and unpack a little. He went to Ally's place for dinner that night at her insistence and very little resistance on his part.

When Austin arrived at Ally's house that evening he was quickly pulled into her house and engulfed in an enthusiastic hug.

"Hi." he chuckled into Ally's hair as he hugged her in return.

"I've been dying to see you since I got your text that you landed. I had the hardest time concentrating in my afternoon classes." she said, not letting go in the slightest. "What took you so long to get here?"

"I went to my apartment and unpacked a little." He answered.

Ally pulled back to look him in the eye. "I've got to see your place. Can we go now?" she asked excitedly.

"Who says I'm going to show you? What if I want to keep it a secret?" He joked with a mischievous grin.

Ally smacked his shoulder. "You stop teasing me Austin Monica Moon." she warned.

"Shhh! I don't want your roommates to find out my middle name! Next thing I know it will be all over London." he hissed.

"You should have thought of that before you messed with Ally Dawson." she said with mock severity and then she began to laugh. He laughed with her and pulled her close again.

"Forgive me?" Austin asked, giving her his puppy dog eyes.

Ally rolled her eyes, attempting to resist his charms but it was useless. "Fine. But only if you kiss me right now so I know you missed me."

"Oh, I did." he said an instant before his lips were on hers in a loving kiss.

Austin stayed and ate dinner with Ally and her roommates. Katie took it in stride but Peg was a bit awestruck by their guest. Ally walked with him out to his car and they paused in the darkness under starlight.

"I'm so glad you are here." Ally said happily.

"Me too. I took another large load of classes so I can study while you are busy during the day and we will have free time together." Austin said.

"Don't forget the song writing either. Jimmy wants two more songs." she reminded him.

"I won't forget." he said and hesitated before opening the car door. "I wish I didn't have to go."

"I know, but it's better this way."

"I don't know: I kind of liked waking up to you in Madrid last spring." he said.

"Until I freaked out." Ally said.

"Hmm, good point. Going home is better." Austin said teasingly. Then he pulled her close for a final kiss that night. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Can't wait." Ally said and watched him get in his car. She went back inside as he drove off to his apartment. She still had a little reading to do for her classes before bed.

. . .

Austin easily inserted himself into Ally's social circle at Oxford, joining her group of friends on the weekends. September flew by and Ally was grateful that Austin had school during the day as well so she wasn't tempted to drop everything to spend more time with him. They made their schedules work and both were supportive of the other. Ally did get to see Austin's apartment a few days after he arrived and they divided their time between their places, opting for Austin's when they needed to work on music since he had the instruments. Austin was still in regular contact with Jimmy and Scarlett and they were already talking about shows for the next summer.

In October Austin turned 23 and insisted on a night out alone with Ally instead of a big party with friends. He got calls from Dez and his parents, but otherwise he just wanted to be with his girlfriend.

Penny had a new habit of dropping by without warning once a month, showing up in both September and October to surprise her daughter. Ally wasn't a fan of this kind of surprise, especially since she didn't have time to spend with her mom when she showed up unannounced. In September Ally already had plans with Austin that evening which they didn't want to change. So Ally spent a little time with her mom in the afternoon, foregoing some studying that she had to make up later. Next Penny showed up in early October the day of an important test for Ally. Penny showed up just after breakfast and Ally felt bad but she sent her mom away so she could do some final studying for the test and promised to meet up with her later that afternoon.

Penny called and texted more often now than she did when Ally began at Oxford. Of course that was mostly because Penny used to get lost in her work and forget to call but things were currently running smoothly at the zoo and she needed a new project to keep her busy.

. . .

Ally was finishing up her studying for the night in early November when her phone rang.

"Hi Dad." Ally said after seeing his face flash on the screen of her phone.

"Hi sweetie. It's not too late there is it?" Lester asked.

"No. I'm still studying then I'll go to bed."

"Ok."

"How are you doing?" Ally asked.

"Fine. The store is doing well. Things are good here. I was cleaning the house a bit yesterday and when I dusted your room I realized the holidays are coming up. Do you think you can come back to Miami for Christmas?" Lester asked.

"I don't know. I haven't even thought about the break yet because of projects and papers in my classes right now. But I'll give it some thought okay?" Ally said.

"Good. If you need help paying for a plane ticket just let me know. It's been a long time since you were here for Christmas and it would be nice."

"It would be nice. I miss you dad."

"I miss you too. So is school going alright?"

"Yeah. I'm busy but I think I have it under control." Ally said.

"And you and Austin?"

"We're great. We go out almost every week and he gets along with my school friends. We've been writing some music on the side which I missed. I'm really happy."

"That's good. You deserve it sweetie."

They chatted a little longer before saying goodbye so Ally could get to bed. She was grateful that her relationship with her father was so easy these days since her mom was only getting more clingy.

The following day when Ally finished her classes she asked Austin about his plans for Christmas.

"I haven't made any yet. I'd rather spend it with you, wherever you want." Austin said.

"Really?"

"Of course. I just want to be with you. So when you have your break from classes we can stick around here, go to Germany, Miami, the North Pole, you name it and I'll make it happen." Austin said.

"Last night my dad was asking if I could come back to Miami so why don't we go there? It will be like old times when we were kids with our parents and everything. Except my mom of course." Ally said, starting to get excited about the idea.

"Sounds good. Miami it is then." Austin agreed.

. . .

Austin and Ally decided to celebrate their own little Thanksgiving together since Austin declared it a crime to let the day pass without eating crazy amounts of food and ignoring some sort of sporting event to play music together like they did when they were kids. Ally happily agreed to the plan and they went shopping together to make sure they had the essentials.

As soon as Ally got out of classes that Thursday she hurried home to find Austin waiting on her front step. They went straight to the kitchen and Ally pulled out the recipes they decided to use. Together they baked a very small turkey with stuffing, green bean casserole, yams and apples, they made mashed potatoes and gravy and they even had a pie for dessert that Ally made the night before. While the turkey was baking they turned the tv to a sports channel, muted the volume and sang songs together accompanied by Austin's guitar which he had in his car. Ally's roommates stopped to listen as they each came home and commented on the good smells from the kitchen. When it was all finally ready that night they offered to share with Ally's roommates who thought it was funny but joined in. They ate and talked and had a nice and simple Thanksgiving together.

That night when Austin got back to his apartment he called his parents to talk a little and wish them a happy holiday.

Mimi answered and sounded a bit frazzled. "Austin, is that you?"

"Hi mom. How was your Thanksgiving?" Austin asked.

"Um, it's been . . . different." she answered hesitantly.

"What's going on?" Austin asked.

Mimi sighed. "I was at the hospital all day and it doesn't feel much like a holiday."

"What happened?" Austin asked as dread settled in his chest.

"It's your father. He complained of some chest pain yesterday so we went to get it checked out and," she took a shaky breath. "There's a blockage in his heart. They caught it just in time and operated last night. He's recovering okay now but it was scary for a while there. There are other veins which are almost blocked as well. They'll have to watch him for clots and other complications for a while and we are going to talk about a course of treatment tomorrow."

"Mom."

"I'm sorry, honey. I didn't mean to burden you with this. I'm just really tired. It's been a long two days for us." Mimi said.

"Is there anything I can do?" Austin asked.

"I don't think so. The doctors will tell me about the care he needs when he gets released from the hospital in a few days. For right now I have others watching the store and I guess I just have to hope nothing goes wrong there." she sounded exhausted and it broke Austin's heart. Without thinking he said the first thing that came to his mind. It was the only thing that felt right.

"Do you want me to come home to help you with dad and the store?" Austin asked.

"I can't ask you to do that honey." Mimi protested.

"You didn't ask but I'm offering. Be honest with me mom: do you need help?" Austin pressed. He knew the answer already and in his mind there was no other option.

Mimi sobbed on the other end of the line. "Yes." She admitted.

"Give me two days and I'll be there. I don't have an apartment anymore so can I stay at home?"

"Of course." Mimi said.

"I love you Mom. See you soon." Austin said and hung up. He took a deep breath as he thought about what he'd just done. It felt right. His parents needed him and he couldn't sit around and ignore what they were going through.

Now he just had to break the news to Ally.

. . .

alright my friends, tell me what you think of this!

weesh