Lullaby

Chapter Four

Ally exhaled a breath as she laid on her bed, eyes staring at the white ceiling of her bedroom as she contemplated kicking the sheets from around her legs or just lying there until her alarm went off in fifteen minutes. If she got out of bed now, she could take a ten minute shower, start breakfast for Colton than wake him for school. Closing her eyes, she kicked the sheets from around her legs and pushed herself out of bed. Silently she padded to her adjacent bathroom, pulling the thin tank top over her head and dropping it to the floor. She slid the boxer shorts down her narrow hips, kicking them and her sleeping shirt into the corner. She flicked the taps on, allowing the water to heat up before stepping under the spray. She had a feeling today was going to be long, dragging on. And she knew that her current employer would be at fault for the stress she would be feeling when she came home.

Austin's chocolate brown eyes were reading over the personal file of Allyson Marie Dawson, taking in the new information with fresh eyes. She had been employed three months before her twenty first birthday, six months before the end of his tour. She had been granted sole custody of her brother, Colton Anthony Dawson, when she was just eighteen years old. Their father was out of the picture, walking away from his family when Ally was just fifteen. He hasn't been in contact with either of his children since the day he left. Her mother was an alcoholic, the reason she had been denied custody of her son. Austin paused, setting the file down for a moment to sip his rapidly cooling coffee.

"Something bothering you Buddy?" the lanky red head questioned his childhood friend. Austin glanced at his friend, a frown furrowing his brows as he thought over the best way to phrase his words.

"How responsible would someone have to be in order for a judge to grant them sole custody of a child?" Dez frowned at the question, clearly considering it.

"They would have to be able to provide for the child. They would need a home, a job, show they only have the child's best interests at heart, and of course be of legal age," Dez answered after a moment, shaggy red head falling across his forehead as he cocked his head to one side.

This was the reason he and Austin were such good friends. No one truly knew just how intelligent the quirky red head truly was.

"So, an eighteen year old would have to provide proof of residency, proof of employment, as well as convince a judge they only have the child's well fare at heart?" Austin clarified, truly impressed with Ally Dawson when his friend nodded.

"Yeah, basically," Dez stated, ice blue eyes narrowing a fraction of an inch as he thought of Austin's odd questions.

"Why? I mean you never bothered asking these questions before considering you had attorneys fighting your case over your niece," Dez stated, watching as Austin leaned back against his seat, eyes focused intently on the file sitting before him.

"Allyson Dawson had been granted sole custody of her brother on her eighteenth birthday. The judge had only taken a few minutes to decide whether she was fit to raise him or not. She had been adamant about him staying with her, stating no one else would understand his needs better than her," Austin informed his friend, clearly looking at Ally Dawson with a new found respect.

"Promise to behave?" Ally questioned her brother, sienna brown eyes meeting Colton's similar colored irises in the rearview mirror of her Ford Focus. Colton exhaled a loud sigh before nodding his head.

"I always behave Als. You worry too much Big Sister," Colton teased his sister as he unhooked his seatbelt.

"Colt, please, just don't make your teacher call me because you got in to a fight," Ally stated, following her brother out of the car and dropping into a crouch in front of him until she was eye level, resting her hands on his shoulders.

"I know we don't have the ideal situation. I know you aren't like the other kids since your big sister is the one raising you. Just don't let them bother you. They're kids, and you Baby brother are better than them," Ally stated, placing a kiss to Colton's forehead before leaning back and straightening to her full height of five feet eight inches. Colton nodded, shrugging his back pack higher on to his shoulder before hugging Ally's waist.

"Trish going to pick me up?" Colton questioned, stalling before he would need to get in line for class. Ally chuckled, used to his stall tact as she ran her fingers through his espresso colored curls before nodding.

"As long as I don't get a call, yeah. Trish will pick you up from school and then bring you over to see Rose," Ally stated, watching her brother nod before releasing her waist and turning to head to his line up spot.

"See you later," she called as he crossed the parking lot. He glanced over his shoulder, offering her a wide toothy grin before racing through the school gates.

"I told you Mister Moon, Miss Ally is a special girl," Carla stated, arms crossed smugly over her chest as she watched her employer nod, lazily drinking his coffee as he closed the personal file in front of him.

"I know. I still don't understand how she connected to Rosalie so easily," Carla only shrugged, moving to answer the door after hearing the bell.

"Miss Ally, you're early," Carla stated, obviously surprised to see the young woman thirty minutes before she was scheduled to show.

"I know, I just… I woke earlier today and dropped Colt off at school. I figured I would be able to help you get a few of your chores completed before Rosie demanded her piano lesson for the day," Ally stated, a nervous note evident in her voice.

"You seem a bit on edge Miss Dawson," Austin commented from his place. He had followed Carla as soon as she announced who was at the door, drawn for some odd reason he couldn't name. His shoulder was resting against the door frame that led from the foyer to the dining room.

"Just trying to keep busy," her voice was snarky as she entered the foyer, biting the inside of her lip to refrain from insulting the man who signed her checks.

Austin didn't say anything, shrugging away from the door frame and sauntering to the staircase, knowing Carla would keep Ally busy while he spent some time with his niece before she demanded to see her best friend.

"You're mother has been bothering you again hasn't she?" Carla's question caught Austin's attention, forcing him to pause mid step. He was truly curious about this woman who had captivated his niece, this woman who had convinced a judge she was the proper choice to raise her three year old brother when she was just eighteen years old.

"She's been coming around more lately. Nothing for you to worry about," Ally answered carefully and Austin could practically see Carla raising a skeptical eye brow at the young woman's words.

"Ally, if you need help dealing with your mother, just let me know, I'm sure I could help you," Carla offered, and Austin could hear a note of motherly concern for the nanny in his house keeper's voice.

"I'd rather not involve you in my family drama, Carla. I appreciate the offer though," Ally brushed the concern off with a practiced ease that surprised even Austin. Breathing a sigh, he shook his head, deciding she wasn't his concern as long as her 'family drama' didn't reach his family.

Ally exhaled a breath as she collapsed on the familiar couch in the music room Rosalie spent so much time in, exhausted from the energy the five year old girl possessed. Her sienna brown eyes fluttered shut as she took a moment to catch her breath, knowing the young girl's nap would only last an hour before she was full of energy once again and begging Ally to play another make believe game she had invented. Her cell phone ringing broke her from her blissful silence. With a groan, Ally leant forward, sliding the small device from her back pocket and pressing the answer key before holding the receiver to her ear.

"Hello?" her voice was breathless after being chased by the energetic five year old, and she silently prayed the person on the other end wouldn't comment.

"Ally, you seem short of breath," silently she cursed her luck when Elliot's voice drifted to her ears, obviously wary.

"Elliot, hey. Yeah, I was playing chase with Rosalie," Ally explained, falling back against the cushions.

"Rosalie? You're her nanny, right?" he clarified, and Ally detected a nervous note in his voice.

"Yeah, I am. So why the sudden phone call?" Ally questioned, running her slender fingers through her wild espresso curls.

"I was wondering what you were doing tonight?" Elliot questioned, and Ally knew exactly where this was going.

"I'm staying in, having dinner with Trish and Colton," She answered, her voice was almost emotionless. She heard Elliot breathe a sigh over the other end of the receiver, clearly upset by her answer.

"Oh, are you free, this weekend?" a new hopeful note rang loudly in his voice and Ally silently groaned, closing her eyes.

"Um, yeah. Yeah I'm free. What did you have in mind?" Ally had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that she was going to regret agreeing, but she couldn't say no.

Austin stood outside the music room, silently listening just before the open door to a one sided conversation. Ally was obviously on the phone, and from the sound of it, she was talking to her boyfriend. He didn't understand why that thought upset him, yet it did. He inhaled a deep breath, attempting to force his tense muscles to relax as his fists clenched and unclenched at his sides. He was screwed. There was something about this woman he couldn't put his finger on it, but she just seemed to call to him. He was so utterly screwed and for some reason, that thought didn't entirely bother him as much as he thought it would.

A/N: It's been two years and I finally found my muse once more. Sorry to keep everyone waiting. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, feel free letting me know what you thought of this chapter.