Disclaimer: I do not own "Austin and Ally."

Fic 4: How Dez Wrangles a Kangaroo, Part 3 (Or How Dez Deals with Music Video Props)

Dez's fingers grip the bag and he takes a deep breath.

Time for another beat-down.

"Go!" He snaps the sack open.

A stab of pain travels from his injured shoulder down his arm, and in one crucial second, he rethinks his whole plan.

He screams like a girl, rushes out, pushes Ally into the closet, and closes the door behind her.

"Dez!" Her yell is muffled but her confusion and anger can be heard just fine.

"Ally, the kangaroo hates me, not you!" He clutches the door handle, keeping her inside, and he barely registers Trish's and Austin's stares. "Get the camcorder for me, please!"

"Dez, if you do not open the door right now—"

"He's not attacking you, is he?"

A pause. It is rather quiet in the closet.

"No," Ally says. "But—"

"Then get it, please, I'll make it up to you, I promise. A whole ham—two hams! Whatever you want!"

Dez can't tell if her silence means she's angry or seriously considering his bribe. Then she speaks up.

"Okay, kangaroo. Nice and easy…"

For thirty-six agonizing seconds, Dez keeps an ear pressed to the door, every shuffle and swish both a sound of hope and disaster. Then, the door budges. He stumbles back and Ally squeezes through the gap between the door and the doorjamb. In her hand is the camcorder, which he grabs the moment it gets through the door.

Dez doesn't dare yell out in happiness until after Ally has shut the door behind her. He doesn't care if his voice reaches pitches Austin only gets when he's scared, he has his camera back!

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Dez dives in for a hug but Ally puts her small hands up to stop him.

"You're welcome," she says, smile sincere. "But you owe me."

"Yes, I do," he replies, sending her one of his best smiles before examining his long-lost Sony.

By all accounts, it should have been smashed to pieces from the way the kangaroo ran around the mall and wriggled in the surfboard bag. But the whole thing is intact: the screen isn't cracked, the buttons all work, and the live feed and battery are still going strong. He can still use this camcorder for the music video.

The music video. How is he supposed to shoot it now? The kangaroo-generated chaos has zapped all his time away. He has no time or choice but to record the concert the way he thought was too boring earlier. There will be no music video before the concert: the music video will be the concert, whether he likes it or not.

Dez huffs. If he has to record a concert like everyone else, his camera angles will be one of a kind, thank you very much.

He perks up at the thought. He hasn't used a Dutch angle in a while.

Austin hands the sheet music back to Ally. He shakes off his nerves and then bursts out of the room. Dez, Ally, and Trish follow, cheering just in case the audience doesn't. Dez tenses when an impatient customer asks Austin where the kangaroo is, but Austin answers freely, oblivious to why the customer is asking, and immediately launches into song.

Dez jumps down the stairs as fast as he can, and makes it in time to record the performance. Austin is in top form, as always, giving no indication that he'd only memorized new lyrics ten minutes before. He even jumps over Dez and onto the cashier counter!

At the song's end, the crowd is cheering, the kangaroo seemingly forgotten. Austin isn't looking at the camera when he's done debuting "Billion Hits." He looks to his band, looks at the crowd, and then focuses on Ally, gratification written on his face.

Dez discreetly scans the crowd with his camera and catches Ally's smile, which shines against the changing colored lights. When Dez turns in a full circle to zero back in on Austin, the singer points and winks at Ally. The moment stretches and then Dez feels like he's intruding a little, which bums him out so he looks away.

Austin shares lots of things with Dez: passions for food, movies, music, and dance (albeit different types of dance - Dez prefers tap to hip hop), but this connection Dez just witnessed isn't the type of thing Austin can share with Dez. He can tell this is different. This isn't like the occasional ogling of a cute girl, which they can both relate to; this runs deeper. Dez will have to be on the outside looking in and he can't help but feel uneasy, not just because his best friend is experiencing something new without him, but because Austin is experiencing it with someone they've only known for a month, and he doesn't want Austin to fall head over heels for someone who, during that month, didn't seem to care for Austin or his career much. Sure, she's making up for it now, but he's still a little worried.

Austin starts up his next song, and Dez shoves the observations to the back of his head. Only time will tell if Austin and Ally will become a "thing," so he doesn't need to worry about it just yet.

Austin sings his first hit, "Double Take," and the concert set is over, the crowd satisfied, and Austin ecstatic.

Ally coaxes the kangaroo out of the closet and leads it to the first floor for picture-taking while Dez makes himself scarce by hanging out with the camel outside. The night air has cooled down and he sits on the rim of one of the large potted plants. Ally has somehow made the connection that the kangaroo doesn't like noisy areas, so Trish has silenced the entire crowd so that they could take pictures without spooking the animal. Sure enough, the kangaroo is calm as people take turns standing near him. Dez is impressed.

Before long, the zookeeper returns to pick up the kangaroo and the camel, and Dez leads him to the camel, giving Trish enough time to finish a few more photography sessions. The zookeeper brings the camel out of the alley and into a road transport vehicle in the parking lot. By the time the zookeeper returns to get the kangaroo, the photoshoot is done, Austin's band is gone, the customers are out, and Ally is closing up shop. Another zookeeper from the same company leaves with the kangaroo safely in another transport vehicle and Dez knows he will never forget this day for the rest of his life.

He and the team go to the dry-cleaner's (unlike Ally, Trish is still on the clock) and review the footage. Years of practice ensures that the "shaky-cam" is only minimal and Dez declares that he can upload a new MV tonight.

Ally is quick to celebrate. A little too quick.

"You really won all those people over," she says to Austin. "They came for the kangaroo but they stayed for the Moon."

"What do you mean?" he asks.

Dez pretends to study the footage again, to give Ally and Austin some space, but he keeps his ears open to the conversation.

Ally explains why the audience went to Sonic Boom. She points out that the ends justify the means; the audience knows him now, and at this stage of his career, building an audience is what's important. Austin accepts this with a shrug and a smile, his ego intact.

"As long as you keep performing like that, there will always be Austin Moon fans," Ally says.

"Thanks," Austin says. "But as long as you keep writing songs like that, I'll always be an Ally Dawson fan."

"Thanks."

Dez takes his gaze off the camcorder to check for any indication that Ally understands the undertones of Austin's statement (he's her fan, can he make his admiration any more obvious?), but the musical duo is back to their usual dynamic.

"Um, guys?" Trish draws attention to a new jacket in her hand.

From the stud detailing on the collar, Dez recognizes it as Facepuncher's jacket. The professional washing machine was able to remove the caramel, but that wasn't all it did. It shrunk the jacket and dyed it pink! But another thing is different about it now, and Dez can't pinpoint what.

He has no time to figure it out because a tattooed biker menace enters the store, at least five inches taller than him with arms twice the width of his own, demanding to get his jacket back.

He doesn't need anyone to tell him that the customer is Facepuncher.

Trish approaches him like she's afraid he'll bite her and slides the small, pink jacket on the counter. The man holds the jacket, shocked and upset, and Dez tries to lighten the mood (and figure out what is so off about the jacket's new look). Facepuncher does not take his attempt well. A split-second is all Dez has to jump away from the man's outstretched, meaty arms. Dez knows that look in Facepuncher's eyes. Only the store counter separates him from bodily harm.

Austin steps in front of Facepuncher, facing the man much like he would in middle school, with a calm voice and a sincere apology. He even offers to be the one who gets punished for damaging the jacket. But while past bullies were gangly and only formidable in numbers, this threat is a solid wall of muscle, and no authority figure is here to stop him from grabbing Dez's best friend and readying a fist to his face.

Except, apparently, Facepuncher's daughter, a little girl in a pink ballerina outfit standing at the entrance of the store. Her nickname is Mad Dog.

Facepuncher's fist is brought down when Mad Dog spots the jacket on the counter. She gasps, takes the jacket in her hands, and tries it on, thinking that her father had bought it for her. It fits her perfectly, and she gushes about how much she loves it and how Facepuncher is "the best daddy ever." Facepuncher's bared teeth are framed by a smile as he picks Mad Dog up and holds her against his chest.

He doesn't have it in him to punch someone who has accidentally made his daughter happy, so he makes to leave, carrying Mad Dog to the exit, her white stockings contrasting with his dark clothing and tattoos. But Mad Dog recognizes Austin as "Austin Moon" and asks him to autograph her jacket. The tension is gone, and Austin gets to meet and greet his first fan and have his first signing all in one day.

Without his anger to cloud his vision, Facepuncher recognizes Dez as the winner of the hamburger-eating contest. Dez happily indulges the man, taking out the ketchup bottle from his backpack underneath the counter and signing Facepuncher's shirt with it.

The man's rough voice stops him from perfecting the "z" in his signature. "I didn't ask for an autograph."

"Uh oh." Dez puts the bottle down and scrambles.

Facepuncher bypasses the counter and Dez breaks for it, escaping the dry cleaner's as the older man runs right behind him.

Chasing victims through the mall was one of his middle-school bully's favorite past-times, but Dez learned how to outfox him eventually. He only hopes he can do the same on a much larger enemy. Dez dodges behind familiar stores and corners, aware of the thundering footfalls behind him. Facepuncher is close. Dez speeds up, lungs working frantically to keep up with him.

Dez runs through a narrow alley, knowing it will slow down a broad man like Facepuncher. The plan works and Dez jumps over a hedge, barely sticking the landing. He hears Facepuncher's angry yell from a longer distance than before.

The chase is not over. Dez is over the hedge, but Facepuncher's roar is louder, telling Dez that Facepuncher is out of the alley. Dez continues to run, back into the crowd so Facepuncher is forced to follow. Once Facepuncher follows and Dez feints a left, makes a right, and the bee-line path slows the older man down. Dez stops the bee-line and shoots forward, right past Sonic Boom, creating a sizable distance between them.

Facepuncher may be a body-builder, but he isn't built for bursts of speed. He has trouble catching up, so Dez banks a hard right, into an alley between stores. Dez knows Facepuncher won't wait until he reaches Dez's corner to turn and will turn immediately to trap him, so Dez doesn't reach the end of the alley. Instead, he doubles back and hides in the second store he passed. The first would be too obvious. The store he chooses is His & Hers, which has two entrances instead of one. He takes advantage of it by hiding in the women's section, deep enough in the store so that people can't see him through the entrance's glass wall. He'll exit through the doors he didn't use earlier after Facepuncher passes the store.

He tries to cover the sound of his heavy breathing by muffling his mouth with his jacket. A younger girl gives him a weird look and he smiles. A drop of sweat drips off his nose. Grossed out, she looks away.

In seconds, he sees Facepuncher's red-strained shirt through the glass, so he moves into the clothes rack. The hangers rattle around him and he is partly camouflaged in a row of yellow cardigans. He doesn't peek around the sleeves to check if Facepuncher is still there; he knows from experience that his red hair makes him easy to spot. So he waits.

Timbaland's and Katy Perry's song, "If We Ever Meet Again," flows from the speaker and drowns out footfalls and conversations.

Dez scoffs at the irony. "I'll never be the same, if we ever meet again," indeed.

The song ends without incident. Emboldened, Dez steps away from the clothes. He ventures out cautiously, hoping that Facepuncher gave up so that Mad Dog would not be kept waiting.

Dez avoids the parking lots and the food court as he takes the back alleyways to Sonic Boom. He has a feeling Austin will be there with his stuff. Sure enough, Austin is there, Dez's backpack in one hand and blue jacket in the other.

Austin smiles when he notices Dez. "You don't look face-punched."

"Always a good thing." Dez takes off his sweaty cardigan and wraps it around his waist.

Austin hands him his backpack. "Facepuncher came back to get Mad Dog, but still looked a little angry. Ally got Trish to offer him a free shirt-washing so that he wouldn't keep looking for you." He leans against the glass doors of the music store, posture relaxed. "It worked. He'll pick up the shirt tomorrow morning."

"That's great."

"Yeah, don't sign anything with ketchup anymore."

"You don't have to tell me twice." Dez is about to unzip a side pocket of his backpack.

"Don't worry, I called your mom. She'll be here to pick us up."

"Thanks." He takes his hand off the cell phone pocket and shoulders his backpack. He pauses. "Pick us up? You're not going to hang out with Ally and Trish some more?"

"Ally got a call from her dad. It sounded like he got injured, so Ally took the bus to the hospital to see him."

"Is he going to be okay?"

"Probably. It shouldn't be so bad if he can give her a call."

Dez nods. Austin shifts against the glass, as if trying to get comfortable.

"Hey," Austin says, in a small voice. "Facepuncher didn't hit you, did he?"

One look at his best friend's face and Dez knows exactly what Austin feels guilty about. "No! I lost him before he could even touch me."

Austin nods and takes a deep breath. "Dude, I—"

"You've stood up for me enough times, Austin. I can get myself out of trouble when I need to." Dez forgives him before he even apologizes. "Besides, I can outrun you and Facepuncher any day. You wouldn't be able to keep up."

The star-quality smile is back, and Austin pushes off the glass doors and heads for the parking lot. "Nuh uh. I could totally beat you in a race."

"Says the guy who still can't run a mile in under ten minutes."

"Hey, I can run a mile in nine minutes! The timing system's dumb, that's all."

"Uh huh." Dez walks after him, not impressed.

"Mr. Marley's the worst gym teacher in the history of gym teachers. He makes us line up to get our times, so I'm waiting for a minute just for him to take down my time."

His camcorder has been through too much today for him to risk jostling it around, so he doesn't challenge Austin to a race. He fills Austin in on his kangaroo hunt and Austin listens, both laughing and cringing at his pain. Dez is not ready to laugh at being beaten up by a kangaroo yet, but he exaggerates his tale for Austin's entertainment.

All that exercise leaves Dez with enough energy to edit the footage. Two hours of non-stop editing make his eyes tired, so he takes an hour break before making the final edit. A few more tweaks and he uploads it to MyTewb.

The next day, "Billion Hits" gets over 3,000 views. It's not much, compared to Austin's viral debut, but it gives him hope that Austin is still on the map. One day, "Billion Hits" will get a billion hits. Until then, Dez can only wait.

At the mall, Ally announces that the window is fixed! Trish is no longer the dry cleaner's employee, but with Dez's 006 espionage skills, he learns that Facepuncher got his shirt back in spotless condition. And Austin isn't bothered by the Ralphie Hayes ads anymore.

Dez is still broke. But when he looks back on Austin's kangaroo-photo-funded concert, he thinks it's worth the money.

The kangaroo helped him make the music video, after all.

But the caramel and the camel didn't.

Neither did the dog food. Or the can opener. Or the pink pair of—he has got to work on his budgeting skills.

A/N: If anyone wants to know what I think Ally may have written on that scrap of paper, here are the legible lyrics. The tune is the same as "Billion Hits."

I like it when you hang around and,

Make my head nod to your

Sound x 4

I like your song, can you make it any louder

Till the bass makes my heart

Pound x 4

Thank you so much for waiting, you guys! Your patience is unrivaled!