AUTHORS NOTE: I wrote the bulk of this a while back when I was feeling kinda down… and watching the solo scene with Laura at the end of 'Girlfriends & Girl Friends' made me feel like writing something a little less fluffy… so… I pulled this one out of my back pocket and jazzed it up a little. It also didn't help my mood any when we had to admit my mom into the hospital a day or two ago for some pretty serious heart issues. We are working on it now as a family to get her healthy enough to come back home, and obviously that's taking a toll as well. So, yeah.

I will warn you now… some of the music lingo may be wrong, I don't actually know anything about music writing and all that so I apologize if I made any stupid mistakes. And don't worry… it's not too dark… I'm a sucker for a happy ending. Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own, nor do I profit from, the Disney Channel program 'Austin & Ally' or the characters therein. They are simply used in the following story for my own entertainment. I also do not own 'Broken' by Seether featuring Amy Lee. I simply love the song. No copyright infringement intended.

x

Song: Broken by Seether featuring Amy Lee

- Picking Up The Pieces -

It was hard. Harder than Ally ever thought it could be and she was having an even worse time trying to deal with it. Worse than when Dallas fell for that other girl in school – whatever her name was – and started completely ignoring her, and worse than when she had to deal with her mother confessing that she and her father were going to divorce; right before she abruptly left for the jungle, leaving her practically motherless in her most precious years of development.

The pain she was feeling inside, it was a different kind of pain and it was completely new, and she herself hurt so much more than she ever thought she could. She was completely distraught with a deep sunken feeling in the pit of her stomach, an overwhelming sense of abandonment, a heated tension-type of pain on the back of her neck… and an actual weight on her chest that only seemed to press down harder the more she tried to ignore it. She had lost him.

She shook her head to herself, mad for not being able to get him off her mind no matter how long it had been since she'd seen him. Ally was so, so happy for him. He had found somebody that was perfectly compatible with him! But now she was alone… and to have lost him so quickly after realizing her feelings for him, it just made it that much worse for herself knowing in her heart what a wonderful bond they had shared together before he'd stopped coming around.

She tried to tell herself early on that it would blow over, that eventually things would go back to the way they were and they would be the happy, song writing duo they had once been, but they never did. Their friendship became awkward almost instantly, and she found herself making it even more awkward by trying to make it not awkward. Something she seemed to be really good at.

Every memory she had with him made it harder to accept the fact that he'd grown up and moved on. He had a girlfriend now, and his cheesy relationship with adorkable Ally Dawson was now a thing of the past. And so she wrote, and sang, and played all by herself again like she had before she met him. Only now, all of her songs seemed to somehow be about him. No matter how hard she tried to stay upbeat and think positive, she continuously fell back into the minor key, so to speak – like she had before he ever came around – and that seemed to suit her mood just fine.

The only problem was – she was burying herself deeper down into a pit of depression and she wasn't sure she would be able to pull herself back out, because every time she tried, the one thing she could do to ease the pain – forgetting him – well, even the thought of trying made her hurt.

Sighing and willing her chin to stop quaking, she scribbled down the first verse of her newest song, the one she couldn't get out of her head no matter how much she tried to ignore it. She had finally squeezed her feelings into suitable lyrics, and she needed to get them down on paper and out of her head as soon as possible, or she feared she might burst. Her eyes watered, and her throat stung as happy images of the boy she used to call her best friend flashed before her eyes. Each image of him smiling or making one of his goofy faces, or the memories of him wrapping his strong arms around her small waist had more tears forming on the brim of her eyelids. Swallowing down the burning lump in her throat she threw the pen across the room and gasped, throwing her hands over her mouth as she squeezed her eyes shut.

Ally took a deep breath and sat up straight, moving off of the bench and out of the practice room. She headed downstairs to the employee restroom, shutting the door behind her so no customers would see her upset. She needed to splash some cold water on her face and calm herself down. There was no use in crying over it. Her tears had never changed anything.

"Ally…" Austin called as he walked into the practice room, looking around for his brunette friend. "Are you up here?" he called again. The room was quiet, and cold. He got no response. Knitting his brows together in confusion he scanned the room, spotting her bag hanging on the coat hook on the wall, where she always kept it when she was here, and saw that the piano lid was open as if she had just been sitting on the bench.

So where was she?

He had been feeling particularly guilty. He knew he had pushed Ally away when he started dating Kira. He didn't mean to… it just sort of… happened. Trish and Dez had been quick to point out the neglect he'd been showing Ally; His songwriter… his partner… his best friend. They were both equally as concerned about Ally's feelings, but he didn't take them seriously. Whenever he saw her she seemed like she was the one who was too busy to hang out with him, always bustling about the store, avoiding his gaze. So maybe he hadn't been texting her or making an effort to make plans with her, but neither had she! Or, at least that's what he had thought in the beginning.

Then Dez sat him down and talked to him one night. Dez! There were very few times in Austin and Dez's friendship when Dez would go completely serious, and this time was one of them. Dez had begrudgingly confessed to Austin about Ally's feelings… and the terrible timing she had realizing those feelings. He explained the weirdness of her actions, and that she wasn't trying to avoid him. She was simply trying to give Austin the space he needed for his new relationship to work. Obviously Kira had been intimidated by Ally's presence, and so Ally decided it would be best for Austin's sake if she stayed out of his way. She just didn't expect that he would let her disappear so easily, and so completely.

Austin had thought long and hard about what Dez had told him, and it finally all clicked into place. Ally was the best friend a guy could ever ask for, and he hated himself for hurting her. A few days later he called it off with Kira, not giving her a lengthy explanation, he didn't want her to be catty around Ally if she ever ran into her, but just said he wasn't really feeling it anymore. She hadn't questioned him, just gave him a sad smile and went her own way. He waited for some kind of backlash from Jimmy about it, but nothing ever came. He was relieved that they could at least all be mature about it.

It had taken him a few days to work up the courage to come see Ally, and he had about a million and one different speeches planned out – none of which spilled the beans that Dez had told her secret to him – but that all basically ended with him realizing he returned the feelings she had. Like herself, it had just taken him some time to figure out he'd loved her all along.

Austin sighed and walked into the room, looking sadly at the empty piano bench where he used to sit and write songs all day and night with Ally. He missed her, and he was glad he and Kira were now over so he could spend time with his Ally again. That is… if she'd take him. He knew didn't deserve it after the way he'd acted. He knew she had every right to refuse his company if and when she would show up here again. He could only hope and pray she wouldn't.

His eyes fell on the open song book propped up at the piano. She was definitely here somewhere, she would never leave that book unattended if she ever thought she wasn't going to be back in just a few moments or if she thought there was any possibility of anyone showing up unannounced.

That thought alone made the sinking feeling in his stomach even worse. She left it out in the open because she knew he wasn't coming for their practice session she had planned more than a month ago. Why would he? He hadn't shown up for any of the others while he had been with Kira.

Ally had given up on him. That much was clear.

Slowly he walked his way over to the piano, looking down at the few things she had scribbled on a piece of paper on top of it, then let his gaze fall to the lyrics and music she had written on her precious pages. She was writing a song… a meaningful one by the looks of it. Were those… tear stains on the pages?

Austin knew he shouldn't look at those pages – after all he'd done that to her once before and it had backfired on him. She was mad, but she forgave him for it that time. She would not forgive him for it if she were to catch him again. But… the music notes she had written in the margins… and the few words that looked like she had bolded them with her own pen caught his eye. It was the first verse and chorus of a new song. God, he missed writing and singing with her. She would always leave her book propped up, the page open on her songs for him to see, just not the journal entries. So… with that logic in mind, it wouldn't be so bad if he read the lyrics, right?

Austin sat at the piano bench, noting to himself how large the physically small bench felt without her pinned next to him, and looked down into the book. Sadness filled him immediately when he read the words, but he had an overwhelming need to hear them coupled with the music she'd written down.

Scanning the room he spotted his old black acoustic guitar hanging in its stand on the wall and he stood momentarily just so he could reach it, not bothering to pull the strap over his shoulder as he sat back down and put his fingers in place.

Austin took one last quick glance around the room before licking his lips and strumming the first few chords with ease, letting himself absorb the music pouring out from his instrument. Music Ally had conjured up in that pretty little head of hers. As instructed by her self-intended notes, he began to sing her lyrics, frowning more with each word passing through his lips.

-I wanted you to know that I love the way you laugh
-I wanna hold you high and steal your pain away
-I keep your photograph and I know it serves me well
-I wanna hold you high and steal your pain

-Because I'm broken when I'm lonesome
-And I don't feel right when you're gone away

-You've gone away, you don't feel me, here anymore

Ally emerged from the bathroom carefully working her way towards the stairs, and stopped. She heard strumming, her song… and his voice… She knit her eyebrows together and willed her heart to stop beating so fast. She hadn't seen him in almost a month. What was he doing here now? What did he want? Swallowing hard she moved quicker up the stairs to the practice room and turned the corner, letting her eyes fall on the handsome blonde sitting on her piano bench, losing himself in the song she'd only just written to try and get her feelings off of her chest.

She never meant for anyone to see it or hear it. It would have been another one of those Ally Dawson originals that got recorded and stuffed into a shoe box somewhere, but there he was, bringing it to life and looking distressed as he did so. Did he know it was about him?

Austin continued to strum his guitar, following the notes Ally had written and feeling an incredible sinking feeling in his gut. There was space on the page for more lyrics but she hadn't written any down. When had she written this? What was she feeling when she wrote it? A heavy feeling of guilt settled on his chest as his eyes scanned the notes, his fingers strumming the guitar strings, not noticing the petite girl standing in the doorway as he let the guilt wash over him.

Ally let her eyes soak him in for a moment. She hadn't laid eyes on him in what felt like forever now. She wanted to slap him, hug him, kiss him, and kick him out all at the same time. She knew he would stop playing in a moment… there were no other lyrics written, oh but she knew them. They were in hear head, itching to be sung out loud now. She took a deep breath and stepped forward into the practice room.

-The worst is over now and we can breathe again
-I wanna hold you high, you steal my pain away
-There's so much left to learn, and no one left to fight
-I wanna hold you high and steal your pain

Austin turned his head at the sound of her voice, watching her as she slowly walked toward him, pouring her heart out into her lyrics. He clenched his jaw and listened to her pained voice, coupled with that sad look in her eyes. Was he really the cause of all this grief? Had he made her feel this way? He never wanted her to feel any kind of pain, certainly not enough that she felt she had to pour her heart out on paper for it. Looking away from her pained eyes he looked back down at the chorus she'd written, singing it again, this time, with her.

-'Cause I'm broken when I'm open
-And I don't feel like I am strong enough
-'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome
-And I don't feel right when you're gone away

Austin felt an unmistakable rush of excitement and adoration as he listened to the way their voiced melded together so perfectly. He had missed this, more than even he realized, and he would give anything to continue on with her like this for the rest of his existence.

Austin looked into her sad yet hopeful eyes as he created his own solo with the guitar, almost afraid to stop playing for fear of what she would have to say to him, or what he might admit to her.

She sat next to him on the piano bench, closer than she'd gotten to him in weeks. She had been angry with him, saddened over the loss of companionship when he began to spend all his time with Kira. But she hadn't said anything to him, of course, she was too polite for that. He was happy with Kira and she refused to get in the way of that and seem jealous. Typical Ally – thinking of everyone before herself. Oh how she wished she would have just spoken up. Perhaps it wouldhave made a difference.

She couldn't help the uplifting feeling in her stomach, though, when he smiled at her. She didn't dare tear her eyes from his. He was sorry, she could tell. After all, she always had been able to read him. He was an open book, and he never hid himself from her. He was sorry, and for that, she was grateful. She smiled back, ever so slightly, and sucked in a sudden deep breath for the chorus.

-'Cause I'm broken when I'm open
-And I don't feel like I am strong enough
-'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome

-And I don't feel right when you're gone away

Ally looked down at the keys and played a small tune along with his strumming, loving instantly the way they fit together perfectly.

They did it again. They created the song she envisioned in her head once again and made it beautiful. The question she was asking herself now, was how long would it last?

-'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome
-And I don't feel right when you're gone away

She looked at him again and sang her last words, hoping they would hit home and make him truly understand what she had been going through without him.

-You've gone away
-You don't feel me here anymore

Austin stopped playing, and stared into her eyes, feeling sad and responsible. Responsible for the grief in her eyes, feeling guilty about the hope that was hiding behind them, and knowing there was only one thing he wanted to do right then.

Without warning Austin leaned forward and captured her lips in his, holding her there with his fingers on her chin, instantly feeling every cliché imaginable rise up within his chest. He never wanted to let go. Here he was, Austin Moon, kissing Allyson Dawson, and he never wanted to stop…

Ally froze in place, shock and surprise written all over her form as she stayed perfectly still, merely breathing in through her nose as she felt his soft, warm lips press against her own. He was firm, yet gentle with her as he slowly rolled his head and captured her lips between his own, deepening the kiss only ever so slightly, conveying to her, just enough, that this was not just an ordinary kiss between two people who had any intentions of being just friends.

Ally pulled back and let her large doe eyes search his hazed ones. She shifted her gaze back and forth between his two eyes and swallowed hard. "What are you doing?" she whispered to him, trying hard to fight the tears evident in her voice.

Austin swallowed and licked his lips, looking down at her with a hazy smile. "Picking up the pieces."

Ally flicked her gaze to his lips and nodded slightly, suddenly feeling an overwhelming sense of giddiness and comfort, her voice running away from him as she whispered back, "Okay." What the hell… she'd make sense of all the craziness later. Right now she just wanted to feel him again.

Austin pulled Ally to him and crushed his lips against hers once more, this time, not letting go.

FIN.

So because of the craziness going on in my household right now One More Night had been put on temporary hold. I promise I will continue to work on it but I just simply don't have as much time right now as usual, between visiting my mom at the hospital, working my full time job, and to top it all off I was summoned for jury duty starting Monday, so we'll see how that all goes. With any luck I'll get stuck in the waiting room forever and have plenty of time to write. We'll see…

Please review! I'd like to know your thoughts since this is a little bit out of my comfort zone. Follow me on twitter! beauftiflxoblvn !