Chapter 11

"It wouldn't hurt if you got stuck in this situation. Who did this to you by the way?" she demanded.

"Uh... Um..."

"Elliot! I know you knew the person. You don't just pick fights with random people!" She dabbed harder on his cuts.

He let out a grunt of pain. "It's... It was Austin."

Ally stopped with her tending and looked at him.

"What?" she asked, incredulously baffled.

"You asked who did this... and I gave you my answer." Elliot fidgeted like a little kid caught in the act and he really couldn't look at Ally straight in the face. "It was Austin who left me like this."

"No. I don't believe you," Ally said, shaking her head. No way was this true, Elliot was lying to put a wedge between us. "Please Elliot. The truth."

"It was Austin, really," Elliot urged.

"No. Either you've mistaken... or ... or you made this up! You can't go making things up! Why do you even want us apart?!" Ally demanded, exasperated.

"Well... uh... because" This way I can protect you without revealing my part of the story, Elliot thought, his mind racing. He turned his head this way and that when he finally thought of a perfect excuse or change of subject. "Well.. um.. you see... Why can't you trust your older brother? Huh?" Elliot exploded all or a sudden. "Why are you even standing up for him You only knew him for a week!"

"One week is perfectly enough time!" Ally burst. There they were; two siblings who pretty much got along for most of their lives, now grown, shouting, strangling each other's throats. Ai, what has this world gotten to? "And Elliot.." she toned down, "For your information, I happen to know him and have learned more than the average person in the first week of dating! We've really opened up to each other!"

"Oh...? Really? Then what do you 'know'?" Elliot raised an eyebrow in amusement. The alcohol must be taking over him again.

"Well I know for a fact that he is one for the most amazing down-to-earth guys on the planet. Think about it, Elliot. Over the past ten years since I've been here, I've dated only two guys... and that includes Austin! That's just sad. And I know what happened in high school and I'm willing to forget what happened because Austin is... Austin. And he loves me."

"He loves you?!" Elliot asked incredulously. "Well in high school.." but he shut his mouth. He nearly let slip what happened.

Apparently Ally hadn't heard the last bit, but she was enraged the same. "Of course he loves me! And you..." Ally was going to spit back a astringent retort, but thought the better of it. She sighed, not knowing how the conversation got to that. "Okay, fine. If you don't want to tell me who did this, fine. But I'll take you to Aunt Nancy's place tomorrow. She will provide better care than I will plus I have work and I don't really trust you here," she stated.

Elliot gave her a death glare once more before he slowly closed his eyes. He grunted in agreement before the alcohol took him over again. Ally sighed and looked at her older brother. He really was something. Drunkard, and somewhat overprotective. But why does he not want me and Austin together? Something's off, Ally concluded. But she ignored the thought and went to bed.

After a sleepless night, Austin got up, looking like a nightmare. He had bags under his eyes and his hair was a rat's nest. He seriously looked like trash. He seriously did not get a blink of sleep. He couldn't stop thinking at last night's happening. And that wasn't good. He really wanted to know Ally's relationship to Ally and if she knew why he was acting the way he was last night. But at the same time he wanted to spend time with her... on a date!

He smiled and thought of a date that had just formed in his mind. He knew it was morning, but surely Ally was awake by now.

"Hello?" she answered after a couple rings.

"Hey, Ally. It's me, Austin."

"Oh, hey." She sounded down.

"So you want to go to our second date, today?" he cautiously asked.

"Sure," she accepted sounding much happier than she was a second ago. "But I go to. Bye." And just by that she cut the call.

This drove Austin to suspicion. Ally wasn't normally like that. And she just replied. She didn't even ask for the details. Even though Austin would text them to her, she would usually rant and be all bubbly and happy. But Austin was happy that she had accepted. He got up and dressed because he was going to spend the day preparing.

As he exited his apartment, he saw Ally's door open at the same time. He was going to shout and greet her, but what he saw only caused his fists to tighten and for him to narrow his eyes.

Ally was coming out with that Elliot guy. He was leaning on her for support and she was helping him. This sight activated Austin's imagination once again. What the hell are they doing coming out at the same time? What is their relationship? Is Ally cheating? Did they do something? Were all questions that raced through his mind. His mouth clamped tight at the sight of the two and he really wanted to beat the crud out of him, but he kinda already did that last night.

Austin closed his eyes and breathed in and out slowly, calming downing, thinking of Ally.

Like the last date, Austin worked hard with this one, too. Technically they've had more than just one date, but he preferred to call a date if its official. He already texted Ally where and when to meet him and he was just excited. He hoped this one would go well. But with Ally everything would go well.

It was now three thirty o'clock in the afternoon and Austin was getting worried for two things. One, the clouds were a dull grey and it hung low in the sky and a cool chill blasted through the air. Two, Ally was late. He had asked to meet her thirty minutes ago!

He looked left from right scanning the landscape for her. She was no where to be seen. He glanced down at his watch and it now read 3:42 PM. She was late! He looked up again and there she was running with her heels to him. "Austin!" she gasped, out of breath.

"Calm down. Take a breather," he said as he caught hold of her.

"So s-sorry," she gasped, taking in huge breaths. "Didn't mean for the meeting to go this long. And I had to visit my Aunt, but a brief visit though. And you weren't so descriptive in your message."

Austin sighed. Glad that she hadn't been with Elliot. And he smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, if I wasn't descriptive. So shall we have our date?" Austin stepped back and gestured to the picnic set under the tree.

"A picnic? Like the last date?" She looked at him.

"Yeeaahh..." He looked uncertainly at her.

"It's sweet! Plus picnic dates are our thing! And glad you brought food, I skipped lunch. Thank you so much Austin." She gave him a quick peck on the lips and settled down on the picnic blanket. "So what do we have?"

He brought out a jar and a plate. "Pickles and pancakes as usual." He grinned broadly as Ally's laugh rang out. "And I've been learning how to cook your famous crab cakes."

"Crab cakes?"

"Well, yeah. I've been learning to cook them. And I think I've found a new favorite food."

Ally laughed at that comment. "I don't believe that. Pancakes will always be your favorite food."

Austin tilted his head. "I don't know. I think pancakes have huge competition with your cooking."

"Awww! Thanks." Ally blushed.

Thirty minutes later as the cool autumn breeze blew leaves into the air Ally had laid down on Austin's lap as he leaned against the tree reading. He had surprised her with the book. He had run down to the library and borrowed the book intending for both of them to read it. Now it was more of him reading and Ally listening. But she was still eager and he was fine with the arrangement.

"Allie watched him walk away and noticed the tension she'd felt when telling him about her engagement beginning to fade. Closing her eyes, she ran her hands through her hair and let the breeze fan her cheek. She took a deep breath and held it for a moment, feeling the muscles in her shoulders relax as she exhaled. Finally, opening her eyes, she stared at the beauty that surrounded her. She always loved evenings like this, when the faint aroma of autumn leaves rode on soft southern winds. She loved the trees and the sounds they made. Listening to them helped her relax even more. After a moment, she turned towards the dock and looked at Noah.

"God, he looked good. Even after all this time.

"She watched him as he reached for a rope that hung in the water. He began to pull it, and despite the darkening sky she saw the muscles in his arm flex as he lifted the cage from the water. He let it hang over the river for a moment and shook it, letting most of the water escape. After setting the trap on the dock, he opened it and began to remove the crabs one by one, placing them into a bucket.

"She looked around and realized she had forgotten how fresh and beautiful everything seemed here. Over her shoulder, as she walked over to join Noah, she saw he had left a couple.." Austin read, but Ally interrupted, yet again.

"You know its weird hearing my name from a book," she commented.

"You've said that every five minutes," Austin said.

"I know. But I haven't gotten used to it yet. And by the way you sound funny describing a guy's beauty from a girl's point of view." Ally giggled.

"I know!" Austin agreed. "So you want to read it?"

"So you want me to read that another guy looks good?" Ally teased.

"Um... Never mind." Austin set down the book and looked directly down at Ally's face, stroking her hair. "Can I ask you something?"

"You already did."

"No that." He avoided that smart-aleck comment. "What is your relationship with Elliot?"

"Why?" Ally sat up next to him.

"It's just that I've seen you around him time to time. And I can't help thinking... Or feeling..." Austin blushed.

"That I'm cheating and that your jealous," Ally finished for him.

"Exactly."

"Well two answers. One, I'd never cheat on you. And Elliot's my brother," she stated.

"Your brother?!" he gasped.

"Yeah. But I never though you'd be jealous of my brother." Ally chuckled.

"I didn't know he was your brother!" Austin defended himself. But in his head, away from his cheery spirit the gears in his head were spinning, fast.

So Elliot that dump was her brother?! I'd never thought trash could be related to someone like Ally. They're so different from each other. And with his hate red for Elliot he couldn't help but wonder if this new fact would affect their relationship. But he couldn't forgive Elliot. For what he did. Sure, he should have forgave and forgotten, but he just couldn't.

"Austin!" Ally waved her hand over his face.

"What?"

"You spaced out for a minute."

"Oh, sorry."

"But why do you ask?" she inquired.

"Well.. I wanted to make sure so I don't have false accusations," he partly lied.

"Oh. Last night someone called me up that Elliot had gotten into a bar fight..."

Oh, no. Austin thought. He was in deep waters.

"... So I went to that Spartan Devil Bar in town and he was beaten up badly. Do you happen to know what happened? Or who did it? I tried asking him... but I think he gave me false answers. He said you beat him up. I couldn't believe he make that up!"

Austin's eyes grew big. He really wasn't prepared to answer that. Should he come clean? Or lie to her yet again? Austin sighed. "He wasn't making that up."

"Wait? What? I thought you said you did it," Ally said.

"I did," he admitted. "I beat him up."

"Why? Were you okay? But first of all, why'd you do it?"

"Because! He was saying all those ugly things!"

"That doesn't matter! No matter how much someone angers you, you don't hit back!" She got up. "I can't believe you did that to my brother."

"I didn't have a choice!" he yelled. "I wanted to beat the crap out of that jerk!"

"Of course you did! You either fought him or not! You shouldn't have taken the bait! And don't you dare call my brother a jerk!" she shouted and picked up her bag. "I-I got to go. I just for-forgot I had to do something." Ally ran. She needed time and space to think. She couldn't handle things for the minute.

"Ally!" Austin called after her. "I'm sorry!" But she didn't look back, once. Nope, not at all.

A/N: First of all, I don't own the Notebook and I've still yet to read it. Second of all: Hey, there readers! Thanks you for following this story! Tell me what you think... :)

Review, follow, favorite?

As for Elliot questions. He is Ally's brother... but he wants Auslly apart for a reason. You can guess if you want, but you'll read in the next update which will be this weekend or in a week.

So until next item, beannacht! (Irish)