A/N: Last chapter! Love Actually references galore, because it's my favorite movie. As always, please let me know if y'all dig it/hate it/anything else you'd like to see/etc. Thanks!

"Even the best fall down sometimes;
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme.
Out of the doubt that fills your mind,
You finally find
You and I collide."

-Howie Day

Austin stares pensively out the window of his limousine as it weaves through the crowded holiday traffic. He and Ally have barely talked since that night at her apartment; yesterday was filled with last-minute emergencies and preparation for tonight's gala, and it just never seemed like the right time for another conversation. He knows he's just supposed to pretend that everything is the same, knows that that's what they agreed. But still, it feels like a loss, and he feels like a coward: like he let something amazing slip through his fingers. The car pulls smoothly up to the back entrance at the Park Plaza, and he hears someone clear their throat politely. It shakes him from his thoughts and he straightens in his seat, realizing they've come to a stop.

"We're here, Mr. Moon."

Austin opens his wallet to tip the driver and as he pulls out a few bills, a wrinkled paper napkin falls out. He smooths it out on his knee and breathes out slowly. It's a rough sketch of a smiling snowman, with L.A. Burdick's logo in the left corner, and Ally's words come back to him in a rush.

To remind you that snowmen are what you make of them. Like Christmas.

"And like us." Austin murmurswonderingly. He folds the napkin gently and tucks it into his pocket as his mind whirs with new inspiration.

"Did you say something, Mr. Moon?" The chauffeur inquires politely.

"No, no, sorry." Austin hands the driver a ten with a smile and a quick thank you before he practically leaps from the car. "Happy holidays!" He says brightly as he slams the door shut and sprints to the hotel.

The driver nods to Austin. "Happy holidays to you too, Mr. Moon." He remembers a snippet of an Austin Moon interview his daughter had shown him back in November, and as he pulls away from the curb, he wonders at the kind of inspiration that can change a person so completely in a month.

The auction is in full swing, and everything's gone off pretty much without a hitch. The ballroom looks beautiful, dinner's been delicious, and the house band's set the perfect mood for light conversation. Ally's wearing a gorgeous vintage red Dior dress and Jimmy Choos (an early Christmas present from her mom) and the swirling skirts make her feel a little like a princess. Her to-do list is almost done, the night's approaching an end, and Sam's already spoken to Ally about a potential raise. The Boston Conservatory's board of directors dropped by her table with effusive praise, and they've raised more money than any previous year. The gala's already been declared a resounding success. And Ally is miserable.

Austin's performance is right after the auction finishes, and despite knowing that he's here, Ally hasn't caught more than a glimpse him all night. She's made a concentrated effort to seek him out: she'd hoped two days was enough time for things to go back to normal, but it almost feels like Austin is avoiding her. Anytime she started walking in his direction, she was intercepted by a waiter, or a sound technician, or someone else with an emergency, and she's at her wit's end.

Collapsing against the back wall with a sigh, she notes absently that the auction is coming to a close. The podium is quickly carted off the stage, and in a matter of minutes, Austin's on stage with a familiar grin and his guitar. Her heart skips a beat as she tries to catch his eye, but he's determinedly not looking in her direction. Her stomach sinks. She knew she was going to have to let him go at some point; that was her own reasoning that night. But this seems too early, too fast, and she finds herself desperately clinging to the hope that there's something left of them to salvage.

Austin opens with I'll be Home for Christmas and his voice is rich and bluesy, and her heart aches when she remembers that his home is three thousand miles away.

Austin's sung his last song, and almost everything's been moved off the stage when he whispers something briefly to a stagehand, who nods and hands him the microphone again. He clears his throat and the crowd bursts into hushed whispers about a potential encore. There's not another song scheduled, and Ally wonders she's the only one looks surprised that Austin deviated from script. She'd be worried if it were anyone else, but no matter what's happened between them, she knows that Austin would never do anything to mess up this night. So she waits quietly for the hubbub of the crowd to die down, as Austin begins to talk.

"So, as many of you might know, I wasn't the biggest fan of Christmas a month ago." There's a ripple of laughter in the crowd and Austin chuckles. "In fact, I pretty much thought the entire thing was a waste of time." He pauses. "Then I got here and things started changing. See, there's this girl. She's an optimist, a planner, and she loves Christmas. Pretty much the opposite of everything I am. But the thing is, she's shown me a side of the holiday that I guess I never appreciated." He slides his guitar off his shoulder and hands it to a technician in return for a wooden stool as he continues. "Her Christmas is about ugly Christmas sweaters and peppermint hot chocolate and traditions. About tree decorating and goodwill and hope, friends and family and spreading cheer. But most importantly, she's taught me that Christmas is about love. Hence the arrangement I'm about to sing." He meets Ally's eyes from across the room and grins at the shell-shocked expression on her face. "You all know her as the person who organized all this. Pretty incredible stuff." There's scattered applause and Ally blushes as she looks down. Her heart skips a beat at Austin's next words. "But I think she's also kind of a Christmas miracle. Because somewhere between hot chocolate and mistletoe, you've become my true north, Ally Dawson."

His eyes are piercing and for a moment, Ally forgets about the fundraiser, forgets about the concert and the hundreds of other people and the checklist in her hands. The room fades away as Austin looks straight at her. "So this song's for you." He picks up the microphone. "I'd also like to send a huge thank you out to the amazing group of people who are about to help me with this." He winks at the crowd. "And some of you, who might be familiar with this one."

Love, love, love.

Ally whips around as she sees a group of the technicians stand.

Love, love, love.

Half the catering staff joins in and she laughs helplessly. "Austin Moon, you are unbelievable." She murmurs as she turns back to the stage, a smile spreading across her face as Austin starts the achingly familiar first lines.

There's nothing you can do that can't be done.

There's nothing you can say that can't be sung.

There's nothing you can say, but you can learn how to play the game,

it's easy...

All you need is love.

Ally claps along with the crowd as he gets to the the chorus and a few members of the dinner band stand with their trumpets. She knows she's falling for this boy: with his songs and his jokes and his smile, knows it with the surety of a favorite lyric or the lilt of piano keys.

All you need is love.

And as she watches Austin sing her favorite song from her favorite movie about her favorite holiday, she can't remember a single reason not to let herself fall.

Austin finds her as the gala is ending. The ballroom is emptying and Ally's sitting in a corner of the balcony when he joins her.

"Hey."

Ally turns to stare at him. "You just serenaded me."

"Yup."

"You just serenaded me in front of hundreds of people."

"Uh huh." Austin looks a little amused at her struggle for words.

"But why?"

"Why not?" He says lightly. He shrugs as his voice grows serious. "Look, Ally. I know you have all these reasons we shouldn't be together, all these rationales as to why we'd never work." He pauses. "But have you ever thought about why we should be together?" He looks at her hopefully as he continues. "We could be amazing. And we'll never know unless we try." He looks at his hands. "I'm not a big fan of regrets, most of the time. I try to make my decisions and move on. But Ally, this is one regret that I don't think I could move on from."

There's a moment of silence as they both mull over his words, before Austin speaks again.

"I guess it really all comes down to the first question I ever asked you."

"The first question?" Ally repeats. Her world's been off-kilter since the serenade and the mistletoe kiss-and if she's being honest with herself, since Austin Moon waltzed into her life. She's hard put to remember her own name right now.

He smiles crookedly as he extends a hand to her. "Do you trust me?" Do you trust us?

Ally blinks at the words, an echo that sinks into her skin and sets off a rush of memories: pancakes and stuffed dolphins and window tables. Austin's breath catches in his throat as he waits for her response, heart sinking as the silence extends. Then, like a cloud lifting, Ally's face suddenly brightens and she takes his hand.

"Ally?" He asks, confused as she unceremoniously drags him towards the doors. "Where are we going?"

"To my answer." Is her cryptic reply. She pulls them outside, into the chilly night air, and turns to face him, breathless. Snow drifts lazily in the air, caught in the ambient light of the hotel. Austin's tie's loosened and his hair's mussed, and Ally thinks that this boy in front of her-charming and bewildered and achingly handsome-feels all at once like music and magic and coming home. Her fingers slope across his shoulders, almost of their own accord, and she swallows past the lump in her throat. She's not sad, not really. It's just that for the first time in her life, she's leaping without a parachute, and it's terrifying. But this is Austin. This is us. And we're falling together.

With that reminder, she tilts her head back to meet Austin's worried gaze. He looks tired and a little impatient, but mostly, adorably concerned.

"Ally, what's going on? Are you okay?"

"Look up." Trust me, Austin.

"What?"

"Look up. That's my answer."

They both look up, into eddies of swirling snowflakes and light spilling from the hotel lobby, and a single bunch of mistletoe dangling in the arc of the doorway.

And as Austin turns back to Ally, she beams at him through vision hazy with tears.

"Austin Moon." Despite the tears, her voice is steady as she slips her hand into his. "You're my Christmas miracle too." He opens his mouth to reply and she stills him. "Just wait. Let me get this out first." She moves closer, eyes bright with emotion. "I've been so ridiculous, because I've been trying to be practical, and sensible, and levelheaded." She laughs a little. "But that's not how hearts work. That's not how love works. So even though this might be the scariest thing I've ever done, I want to take a chance on you. On us. On long distances and fame, on new beginnings-" She says softly. "But also hot chocolate kisses and New Year's resolutions and making traditions and just being together." She shrugs lightly. "I want to see what summer looks like with you, Austin."

There's a long pause as she waits for a reply. He's gaping at her, stunned, and she continues uncertainly. "Is tha-I mea-Is that alright?"

"Huh." Austin breathes. Ally steps back a little as she starts to ramble nervously.

"You look surprised. Or worried. Or something. I'm sorry if that was heavy; I promise I'm not, like, waiting for you to propose already, I mean we've only known each other a month and summer is a long way away I realize that might be thinking really far into the future and that's probably really silly of me to do considering it's onl-"

She's interrupted as Austin lets out a whoop and lifts her easily into a tight embrace, before setting her down gently and cradling her face in his hands.

"You know, Ally Dawson." He says conversationally, as she loops her arms around his neck. "You think too much." His voice is teasing, but there's an undercurrent of wonder in his voice as he pulls her in for a featherlight kiss. When he pulls back, Austin's looking at Ally like she hung the stars and she laughs giddily as he presses his lips against her forehead.

"Ally Dawson, would you like to see the fireworks with me?" He grins, tucking her arm into the crook of his elbow as they turn to walk back into the warmth of the hotel.

"Will you still be here for New Year's?"

"Those too. But I was talking about the Fourth of July fireworks. This summer."

Ally's silvery laugh echoes throughout the lobby. "Of course."

And so, backlit by snow and mistletoe and moonlight, the boy with lost eyes and the girl with starlight dreams fall just a little more into each other.

Finis! Thank you all so much for reading. Happy holidays!