Hi! So it's been FOREVER since I've updated, and I'm super sorry about that. This chapter is going to line up a lot of different plot lines for the story and I'm really excited to see what ya'll think about it. I know that one of the story line has nothing to really do with Marley and Ryder, but I promise that in the end, it will all make sense. I also want to mention once more, the characters I create are based off of my best friends... so, please as you have already been doing, respect that they are real people who mean a lot to me.

Thanks!

MiggieMoo1014

Chapter 7

MarleyPOV

"So, you're telling me that Beiber has had a kid all these years and you didn't know about it?" Santana asks as she sorts sheet music, helping me get ready for this week's lessons.

"He didn't know either, Santana…" I defend as I walk out of my office.

"How do you really know that?"

"Santaaaannnnaaa…" I whine. "You promised this time would be different!"

"I know, I know… I know I said that I would support you guys but that doesn't mean my inner high school Head Bitch spirit doesn't come out every once in hopes of causing a little trouble."

"Can you not play devil's advocate for once? Please?"

"Okay, Okay, what do you want me to tell you?" She asks throwing her hands up in surrender.

"I have no idea how to handle this, at all."

"Well, how is Ryder handling everything?"

"I'm not totally sure to be honest… He sort of just shuts down every time I try and talk to him about it."

"Rosie… You've got to get him to talk about it… he's got to know that he can't hide from this. He can't avoid this kid… he can't pretend he's not that kid's father because this kid seems smart." Santana advises me.

"I don't know how to get him to talk about it though! He won't listen to me!"

"Marley… Don't you know that if Ryder is going to listen to anyone, it's going to be you." She tells me softly.

"I guess you're right… Okay… I'll try and talk to him. I just don't know what good it's going to do." I mumble and turn towards the door as I hear soft footsteps and find Mary Kate standing in the doorway.

"Ms. Rose? Can I talk to you? Ryder told me I could find you here… I need to tell you something." She says.

"Yeah… come in, take a seat… when did you speak to Ryder?" I ask as she sits in her usual seat and I sit on the left, leaving Stephen's usual seat open.

"I… I went by your house, because I wanted to talk to you before…" Mary Kate started, choking up before she could finish.

"Before what, MK? What's wrong?"

"Before… Before I see Stephen… because I need to tell him… and everyone… something and I don't know how to…"

"What do you need to tell him?" Santana asks, sitting down in Stephen's seat… I laugh softly as MK glares at her quickly.

"Ms. Rose… I… I have… " she began to cry and stopped speaking.

"Tell them Mary Kate. They need to know." I turn around and see Ryder standing in the doorway.

"Ryder… what's going on…" I ask him.

"I have…I got really sick last week, remember?" when I nod, she continues. "Well, I've been getting really sick a lot recently and then the other night I found a bruise on the back of my hips and my mom and I went to then doctors and they did all these tests and…" She stops and takes a shaky breath. "They found out that I have… I have cancer."

"Oh… Mary Kate… sweetheart, you have to tell Stephen about this… you know that, right?" I tell her while trying to comfort her.

"Tell him what? That I'm probably going to die? That I can't be with him any longer because I'm terrified of breaking his heart by keeping him in our relationship? That I love him so much that even if it breaks my heart… I have to set him free because I don't want him to have to see me die?" Mary Kate breaks and lets out all her frustrations. We all hear more footsteps and look up to find Stephen walking towards us.

"MK… why would you die?" He asks softly… kneeling in front of her.

"Stephen… I… I have cancer, Stephen…" She says, grabbing onto his hands which rest on her knees.

"You what? Mary Kate… it's going to be okay… I- I promise…" He tells her as he pulls her to him.

"Stephen… please don't make promises you can't keep…"

"Mary Kate… I'm not making promises I can't keep… It's all going to be okay

After Mary Kate's confession, I excuse both her and Stephen for the rest of the day, once I got her to explain to Mr. Shue what was wrong. Then I told the rest of the New Direction that she and Stephen had come in early to rehearse, but that MK had gotten a headache and felt sick so Stephen took her home. Later that night, I sat at the kitchen table while Ryder cooked and I stressed.

"I can't imagine how they all feel…" I say.

"You've gotta stop thinking about it, Marls… it's just going to make you sick with worry." Ryder says not turning to look at me.

"Ryder… these students are like my children… I worry about them almost as much as Mike and Rachel."

"I know you do… but Stars… this is something you can't let eat you up… you can't control Mary Kate's cancer."

I know I can't… but I can offer support and be there for her… and Stephen… That poor boy…"

"I know… He's going to have be her rock, now more than ever… I hope he realizes that."

"They're both strong… Stephen especially… he'll pull through." I assure Ryder.

"And Mary Kate?"

"I don't know… but that's only one of the things we need to worry about though."

"What else do we need to talk about?" Ryder asks sitting down next to me once he's lowered the heat setting on the oven.

"Austin."

"Oh… I called Marissa today."

"And? What did she say?" I ask him eagerly.

"She's glad that he's here and not lost somewhere… she is upset that I didn't contact her as soon as Austin show up, but she's appreciative that we've- more you- have open the house to him."

"Why wouldn't we? He's your child, of course we would step and take care of him."

"Well, she seemed to expect that we'd dump on the side of the street. Anyway, she's going to come down and pick him up and take him home later this week." Ryder finishes explaining.

"Well… do you want her to take him?" I ask him concerned.

"I don't know… I don't know what to do about this whole thing Marls… I want to be in his life, but I don't want to mess up his life."

"Why on earth do you think you're going to mess up his life?"

"It's going cause trust issues… what kid whose parent disappears when they're young ends up perfectly normal when that parent shows up all of a sudden?"

"Ryder… it's all going to be fine, I know you don't believe it, but it will… You being in Austin's life now is going to help the trust process. If this was ten years from now, when you totally completely have a big, new family, that would mess him up. You, reaching out now, while he's young is going to give him the support to learn to trust you."

"A big family, huh?"

"Shut up, Ryder."