I apologize for the shortness of this chapter.

I don't own Austin and Ally...I just watch it on tv and on my computer.

Summer of Love and Loss

Chapter Fifteen: Loss

Ally smoothed the tule skirt of her dress down for what seemed like the hundredth time, it was obvious that she was nervous. Her mother had assured her that periwinkle looked fabulous on her and while she had to agree she was still worried that Austin wouldn't like it. Austin had given her the invitation to his cousin Emma's sweet sixteen a week before the day of the party giving her little time to find a dress. So when she told her mother she insisted they go on a shopping trip, they took Kelsey and the two of them had used her as a live mannequin. It had been a couple of weeks since she and her mother had talked and they were slowly developing a relationship where talking to each other wasn't awkward or didn't consist of yelling.

"You look fine Ally." That was new too, her mother had stopped calling her by her full first name. "I'm sure Austin will agree."

"Well we're about to find out because the jeep just pulled into the driveway." Erik said from the doorway. Not a minute later the doorbell rang. "We'll go get it, don't come down until we call you."

"It's not prom guys." Ally said unintentionally rolling her eyes.

"Well since you're not going to be here for prom we'll treat it as if it were. Which means tons of pictures." Erik said holding up his camera.

Ally didn't have it in her to tell them not to fuss they were right, she was going to be alone during her senior prom. She waited patiently for them to call her all the while wiping her sweaty hands on her comforter. Her mother's voice floated up from downstairs telling her that Austin was there to pick her up. Since she wasn't the most coordinated person out there she just hoped that she wouldn't trip on her way down. Austin's eyes widened at the sight of her and a smile broke across his face. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of him, he looked positively dashing in his dark wash jeans, black dress shirt, a thin periwinkle tie, and black boots. His hair was perfectly disheveled and his brown eyes rested only on her as if she were the only girl in the world.

"You look...wow." Austin said lowly.

"You look pretty wow yourself." Ally said failing to keep her blush from spreading across her cheeks.

"Pictures." Her mother said.

For the next fifteen minutes they posed while Erik snapped thousands of pictures. Finally her mother took the camera away from her husband and they walked out of the house. Ally asked if she could drive causing Austin to laugh and she knew that was his way of telling her that she wasn't going to drive. She scowled at him, he pressed his lips to her forehead and her scowl disappeared.

Austin lifted Ally onto his feet and swayed to the music. She looked up at him clearly embarrassed that she couldn't slow dance and that he had to help her. He smiled reassuringly at her, he didn't mind that she couldn't dance. As the song began to end she had stepped off of his feet and was dancing on her own. He spun her and dipped her just before the song ended and a faster more upbeat song began to play. They dance to a couple of songs, well he danced she just did this really strange movement of arms and legs, before he took her by the hand and led her to their table.

"How are you enjoying the party Ally?" His grandmother asked her. "More importantly how are you enjoying the company of my grandson, I do hope he is being a gentleman."

"The party is amazing you guys sure know how to throw a party and how to party." Ally said sweetly. "As for Austin, he is being a perfect gentleman."

"What do you see in this hoodlum?" His grandfather asked. "He's nothing but a screw up."

"Grandfather I think you've had one glass of wine too many." Austin said through clenched teeth. He took Ally by the hand and led her out of the ballroom. They walked into the tropical fish exhibit and Austin sat down on the floor. "My grandfather is very blunt when he's had too much to drink. He'll start saying things that really hurt, I've learned to ignore him but other people take it personally."

"Oh." Ally said sitting down beside him. She took his hand and laced her thin fingers through his. "Well I don't think you're a screw up."

"Really?" Austin said.

"Yeah." Ally said looking up at the fish in the overhead tank. "I like this exhibit it's like being underwater."

"Its one of my favorites too." Austin said.

They lay back onto the cold linoleum floor and watched the fish swim. He wrapped his arms around her and they remained silent for a long time. Austin broke the silence by singing She Will Be Loved to her. Both of them knew that they should get back to the party but neither of them wanted to leave their solitude, their time together was slowly coming to an end and they wanted to spend as much time together as they could. When they made it back to the party the cake had been cut, Austin grabbed two plates and led them to an empty table.

Austin dropped her off at her house kissing her long and slow on the porch. They only broke apart because Erik and her mom were nosily watching them through the window. Austin tugged on one of her stray curls before kissing her forehead and walking off in the direction of the cove. She walked into the house and told her parents the details of the night before walking upstairs. She took a long shower and when she returned to her room she was more than a little surprised to see her mom sitting on her bed tears streaming down her face.

"Why are you crying?" Ally asked.

"He's dead Ally."

"Who?" Ally asked her heart feeling as if someone was squeezing it.

"Your father." Those two words shattered her entire world.

"No he can't be, I talked to him this morning." Ally said shaking her head in disbelief.

"We just got the call Ally, he died in a car accident."

She didn't care that she had just gotten out of the shower and was wearing only her pajamas, all she wanted was to run from what no doubt was the truth. Her father the person who for so long was the only person who loved her was gone. She was never going to roll her eyes at his cheapness or do their silly little handshake or have Fruity Mint Swirl ice cream on the boardwalk with him ever again. He wasn't going to see her graduate high school or drop her off at her college dorm. Never again was she going to hear him talk about the many music conventions he attends while she's stuck working at Sonic Boom. Her father wouldn't be walking her down the aisle at her wedding, he was gone forever. Her legs gave out and she fell down onto the sand, where she curled up into a ball and cried heavily.

"Ally." He would find her then again she had been running toward the cove to find him. "Your mom texted me through your phone and told me what happened. I am so sorry Ally-cat."

"He's gone Austin." Ally sobbed letting Austin pick her up off of the sand.

He didn't say anything, he just took her into his arms and let her cry into his chest.

So there it is chapter fifteen. What did you guys think? Did you love it? Did you hate it? You guys are all amazing for reading and reviewing. Please do review (: you guys will make my day