I cannot believe I'm writing Glee again! I'd almost given up this fandom, because for some reason Rachel and Finn aren't as inspirational as they used to be. But purely by chance I stumbled on the "Some Nights" video and that was enough to spark at least an interest. So I watched season four, and I'm loving Marley and Jake, and it feels like I'm loving them even more than Finn and Rachel. I really hope you all like it, because it's been sooooooo long!

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of it's characters

Marley ends up in the hospital the summer after her sophomore year. It's not a relapse, exactly, because she has been eating. The whole Glee club, several alumns, and especially Jake have been making sure of that. But something happens because she wasn't fully recovered maybe and the dance workouts she's been obsessed with all June took their toll.

All Jake knows is he hates the smell of antiseptic and he hates the nurse who won't let him in Marley's room even more.

He rakes his hands over his face, and tries not to go insane. He'd been woken up at three am with a phone call from his mom who'd been working the night shift at the hospital. Mom checked the unconscious Marley in, and then called him. He was there in five minutes flat. She was now in another part of the hospital, and he'd really like to a good hug from his mom but there was no way in hell he was budging from his spot outside her door. The noise of the hospital grates on his nerves, and he takes deep breath after deep breathe trying to regain his equilibrium. Nothing is working, and his head is killing him, and he just can't think in the deserted hallway with it's disembodied voices and beepings and wails of grieving family members.

A hand on his shoulder startles him. It's Ryder, and he looks down at him sympathetically for a second before he pulls up another chair and sits next to him.

"How's our girl doing?"

Our girl? Jake's head snaps up and he nearly lunges at his friend. "My girlfriend is getting electrolytes or some shit pumped into her unconscious body, and they won't fucking let me in to see her."

Ryder's eyes flare and he snaps back, "Don't take your guilt out on me, man. I've all you got right now."

He groans and shoves his face into his hands. "This is all my fault. I should have made her rest more." Jake looks back up. Ryder is staring at the closed door. "Look man, I appreciate you being here, but I can handle being alone. Get some sleep."

His friend glares at him. "I'm here for Marley too. You're not the only one who cares about her."

Something in Ryder's voice cuts through the fog in his brain. "You...You still feel for Marley?"

Ryder's lips tighten and he looks hard at Jake. "It's impossible not to. You know how she is. She's just special."

"Shit," Jake breathes out, leaning his head back until it hits the wall behind him. "She's gotta be okay."

The minutes tick by. No one goes in or out of Marley's room, and Miss Rose hasn't appeared to give a status update.

Finally, Finn Hudson appears around the corner, Santana on his heels.

Jake raises his head to stare blankly at them, half surprised to see them. He still forgets Glee is a family. He is less surprised to see Noah, Rachel, and Kitty appear a minute later. Over the next fifteen minutes, all of last years Glee club is there, in addition to Kurt, Quinn, Mercedes, and Mike, all home for summer vacation.

For a second, Jake is pulled out of his own head by the sheer amount of love surrounding him. Noah has only said a few comforting words to him, respecting his Puckerman sense of stoicism.

Kitty is in tears in the corner. "This is my fault."

"No it's not. It's nobody's fault." Quinn comforts her. Jake doesn't know what to say, so he remains silent. It kind of is her fault. But it's also his. His stomach churns and he feels like he can't breathe.

Finn, the leader even with Mr. Shuester back, hands him a bottle of water, then returns to his seat next to Rachel. She's rifling through her giant purse, looking for something, and muttering about excellent vegan protein bars.

Jake takes a slow sip of water, and lets out a shuddering breath. He's able to think more clearly now, and he's not sure that's a good thing because it's really concerning him that no one has told him anything about her condition.

He looks helplessly around the now-crowded hallway and catches Santana's eye.

She gives him a dark, confident smirk. "Jake, you do know Marley lives in Lima heights right?"

He nods in the affirmative, and she continues, "A little bout of faint isn't enough to even phase someone out of the Heights. You'll see."

He bites his lip, but nods again. Marley is tough. Jake pictures her face from a few nights ago when they'd been out late. They had sat under the full moon in the bed of his truck and laughed and made out for hours. Her face was rosy and warm, wasn't it? Maybe he missed a warning sign. He remembers how she looked after the disastrous Sectionals, wan and pale. No, she didn't look anything like that. If she had, he would have driven him here himself.

"Would you have noticed?" He whispers under his breath to Ryder, who has sat silently next to him this entire time. "If something were wrong with her, you would have noticed, right?"

There's a pause. "Yeah I would have noticed."

"Maybe you should be her boyfriend." Jake's shoulders jerk, an involuntary reaction like his body is trying to brush off the thought.

Ryder punches him in the shoulder, maybe a bit harder than necessary. "Shut up, Jake. You're not thinking straight."

He automatically punches back, catching the other boy by surprise with a quick clip to the cheek. Then he stares at his bleeding fist in surprise and some amount of horror. He hasn't hit anyone since...since he started dating Marley. In an instant, Noah has him around the shoulders and Finn is holding back Ryder.

The entire group is silent, staring at them. Jake shakes off his brother and for the first time that night leaves his chair. He storms off around the corner, desperately needing a moment alone. Of course, he doesn't go far, and he's glad he didn't when he hears the doctor ask for him.

Out of sight, Jake hears Finn say "He just went for a walk. Do you have news?"

The doctor clears his throat, and answers, "Miss Rose is awake. She was dehydrated. It frequently happens during the summer, especially with athletes. She's going to be fine, as long as she takes it easy for a few days."

Santana speaks. "Can I see her?"

"Miss Rose is very tired, but has been asking to see you people. You may go inside her room in groups of three and four."

Jake hears the doctor walk towards him, and he flattens himself against the wall. He isn't noticed.

There's a flurry of whispers around the corner, and his name is mentioned a few times, but apparently he's going to be left alone because the only movement is into Marley's room.

His phone buzzes. It's Tina letting him know what the doctor said. Swallowing, Jake chooses to wait. His emotions are still running hot, and he is wondering if maybe Marley would like to see Ryder. The thought makes him sick. It doesn't matter; Jake is done with pretending not to care. He cares about Marley and he'll be damned if he lets Ryder take the best person in his life.

Rachel, Mike, and Mercedes are the first ones out and around the corner.

"I'm going to wait for Finn," Rachel announces, not making eye contact with her companions.

Jake clears his throat. "Hey guys."

Mike gives him a nod, and Mercedes smiles. "You heard she's all right?"

He nods.

"She'll want to see you." Rachel says bossily. "Don't keep her waiting."

So he goes around the corner and stares at the door. The rest of the Glee club leaves in a trickle. He lets Finn know Rachel is waiting for him, and ignores the half-hopeful look in his eyes. Kitty leaves, clutching her sweater around her, trying to stop the shivers.

"I'm sorry, Jake." She whispers, not facing him.

Jake starts. She's never apologized officially for anything. "What for?"

Kitty laughs softy. "Everything. I can't believe how I acted this year. I was so wrong."

He keeps his eyes on the door. "You heard the doctor, this was dehydration. No one's fault."

The only sound heard for a second was the soft hitch of her breath. "Including yours. Goodnight, Jake."

"Goodnight, Kitty."

Santana, Unique, and Sugar are what he thinks the last people out of the room, and he only gives them a slight head jerk of recognition. Unique and Sugar clasp his shoulders briefly in an awkward three way hug that somehow raises his spirits enough to allow him to say goodbye and smile at them. Santana smiles back; and Jake is glad Marley has a pseudo-sister like her.

Waiting until they turn the corner to approach the slightly ajar door, he is stopped by the low murmur of voices inside. Peeking around the door, he sees Marley, face pale and drawn but eyes still sparkling, - and Ryder.

His heart pounds again. Ryder who likes, if not loves, Marley; Ryder who's a good student, a good athlete, a good singer; Ryder who doesn't have the relationship learning curve he does because Ryder has a normal family who supports him through his troubles.

When the voices start again, he holds his breath to hear better.

"I don't understand why Jake isn't here. My mom said he's been sitting outside since I was admitted." Marley. She sounds so sad and confused, he just wants to hold her.

Ryder clears his throat, "We may have gotten in a fight. It's my fault, I'm sorry Marley."

Jake clenches his fists. What a good fucking guy. Then he reminds himself that Ryder is a friend, and he needs to calm the hell down.

"Wait, a fight? What on earth could you two possibly fight about?"

Silence. Then, apparently it dawned on Marley. "Me? Ryder, why?"

Yeah why? He leans closer.

"I told him I was here to support you."

"Why would that have upset him?"

Ryder laughed. "I may have implied I had more than friendly feelings towards you."

So he didn't? Jake almost missed Marley's reply, he was so lost in confusion. "That's mean! You know how he gets!"

"Hehe" Ryder sounded sheepish. "That's the fun part. Didn't quite expect him to deck me though. Marls, you're gonna get better right? Stop pushing yourself so hard and all that?"

"I'll be fine. I promise." She's got a smile in her voice. "But I'm really tired, and I want to see Jake. Will you please find him?"

"Of course princess."

A second later, Ryder exits the room, shaking his head and sighing, and Jake isn't sure of anything about him anymore.

"Dude" Ryder says when he sees Jake. "She wants you."

He stands a little straighter. Damn straight she wants him. "Yeah, I'm, uh, I'm going in now."

His friend pauses again, as if he wants to say something, but only says goodnight.

Finally, Jake slips into Marley's hospital room, and closes the door behind him.

"Hey baby." He's glad his voice doesn't crack.

There's a chair next to her bed, probably where Ryder was sitting a moment ago, and he doesn't hesitate to take both the seat and her hand. He checks to make sure it's not the hand with the IV in it.

"Hi Jake." Marley sounds weak but she's smiling and she squeezes his hand in hers. "I'm glad you're here."

"I was the first one here." Then he winces because caring about Marley is not a competition. It's not anyone else's fault he loves her the most. "I mean, my mom checked you in and called me. Everyone else came pretty quickly afterwards."

She laughs a little. "Yeah, nothing like a good old fashioned health scare to bring the whole family together."

"Well when it's you." Jake looks into her blue eyes and feels his heart constrict. "Marley, please be more careful, baby, I can't stand another night like this. White is not your color."

"That's what Sugar said." She sticks her tongue out at him and grins. "Look, I wasn't as careful as I should have been, but I am okay. And I'll make sure to drink more water, I promise."

That's really all he needed to hear, so he brings their joined hands to his mouth, then leans over and kisses her cheek, her forehead, her other cheek, and finally her mouth. And this is the most perfect kiss ever.

They both sigh when they break apart. She lays back against the pillow, but keeps her eyes on his.

"I love you so much." He whispers roughly.

She squeezes his hand again. "I love you too."

Ryder who?

There.

Quick notes: I like Ryder, I don't think that Ryder, Kitty, or Jake are lame repeats of Finn, Rachel, and Puck, Kitty is so much worse than Quinn ever was, I want her to be nice, like now, and I hope you all enjoyed this story!

Please take a sec to review with any comments or constructive criticisms you may have. Thank you for reading! And PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE write more Jake/Marley!