CHAPTER 4

A/N

One more thing, in case it wasn't obvious. The Marley Rose in this story isn't the same Marley Rose in canon. There are many parts that are the same, but it isn't the exact same Marley from Glee. This Marley is the same age as Theo

Enjoy the following chapter!

8 months ago…

"Hey mom! We've arrived!" Marley announced cheerfully as her and Theo walked into Marley's house that afternoon. To say Marley's family was wealthy was an understatement. As Marley called out to her mom, her voice echoed from wall to wall, and it took some excellent hearing ability for the couple to be able to hear Marley's mom call to them from in the kitchen in the distance.

Theo and Marley walked into the kitchen, following the inviting scent that was wafting up their nostrils, and they saw Marley's mom inside, cooking up a storm.

"Hey! There are the newlyweds!" Marley's mom exclaimed, as the two teenagers walked over to her to greet her.

"Hi, Mrs. R." Theo greeted her with a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. In many ways, she was his mother as much as she was Marley's. He was certainly treated that way by the Rose family, by both Marley and her mother, accepted from the day he had just met them.

"Sorry we're late." Marley told her mom, giving her a hug.

"About time! You said you were going to be here an hour ago!" Mrs. Rose exclaimed. "What took you so long?"

"What can I say, Mrs. R? Your daughter has stamina." Theo joked cheekily, before squealing loudly as he ducked the slice of carrot Mrs. Rose flicked his way. As Marley threw another piece of carrot at him herself, still blushing as she did, Theo caught this one directly into his mouth. "Mmmm… delicious."

"You're an idiot." Marley rolled her eyes at him. Theo shrugged.

"Maybe. But I'm an idiot you decided to marry. Hate to break it to you, but you're kinda stuck with me." Theo smirked at her.

"Don't remind me." Marley groaned. Mrs. Rose couldn't help but beam as she watched the couple interact. She had never seen her daughter so happy, and she knew exactly the reason why.

"Is there anything we can do to help you, Mrs. Rose?" Theo asked, gesturing to the kitchen around them, where Marley's mom appeared to be preparing a very large quantity of food.

"Don't worry about it, sweetie. It's for tomorrow night. I'm almost done with the prep tonight." Mrs. Rose replied.

"Are you sure we can't help somehow with the meal prep?" Theo asked.

"You can help by enjoying it tomorrow." Mrs. Rose replied. "You're still coming, right?"

"Of course! I wouldn't miss it." Theo replied. January 1st dinner was a big tradition in Marley's household. It was a day where they'd all get together and discuss New Year's resolutions, highlights from the previous year, and where they hoped to see themselves on next January 1st. Theo had been invited into the tradition the first year he'd met them, but this year was different. It was the first time he'd be there, not as someone's boyfriend, but as someone's husband. And he was thoroughly excited for that. "Thank you for inviting me by the way. The foster parents are out of town, so it was either dinner here, or a frozen pizza in front of the TV."

Noticing the slightly troubled expression on Theo's face at the mention of his living situation, Mrs. Rose placed a comforting hand on his cheek.

"You're family, Theo. You're one of us. You always have been in a way, but as of last week, you officially are now. You're always welcome here."

"Thanks, Mrs. R." Theo smiled at her. "Are you absolutely sure we can't help?"

"No, seriously, it's all good!" Mrs. Rose told him. "So… are you kids excited for the party tonight? I heard it's going to be a blast."

"Not even a little bit." Theo replied in an instant. Mrs. Rose raised an eyebrow.

"Isn't it your party, Theo?" Mrs. Rose asked.

"No." Theo responded, to which Marley let out an indignant cough.

"It is." Marley told her mom. "Your son-in-law is too lazy to go to his own Championship celebration party. For a team, which he was the captain of!"

"Sue me. I saw those guys every day for 4 months. I'd rather spend New Year's Eve with my best friend." Theo remarked.

"I'm flattered." Marley said. Theo raised an eyebrow.

"I was actually talking about your mom. But sure, I guess you're okay." Theo joked, winking at his wife. Marley, her mom and Theo truly were family by now. Their casual bantering with one another was a regular occurrence, and it was a testament to just how close the three of them were.

"Anyways, we've probably got to get going soon." Marley told her mom. Mrs. Rose nodded and turned to Theo.

"Make sure Marley doesn't get too wild, okay? And if she does… get a picture." Mrs. Rose remarked. Theo chuckled and saluted.

"Yes, ma'am. I guarantee you, there will be plenty of photos. Only so much you can do when you're the sober one at a party."

Mrs. Rose nodded, before her motherly, firm expression appeared on her face.

"Have a good time tonight, but don't do anything stupid tonight. Remember, if you're going to drink, take a cab home. Don't drive."

"Don't worry, Mrs. Rose." Theo reassured her. "We'll be okay."

As Theo found himself standing face to face with someone he hadn't seen since that very night 8 months ago, he immediately began to move to leave. He knew that everything had changed that night. He was no longer family. How could he possibly be, after what he had done?

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Rose. I was just leaving. I'll let you talk to her." Theo stammered, gesturing to the headstone beside him, unable to even look his former mother-in-law in the eye. He started to turn around, ready to walk away. But before he could, he felt Mrs. Rose catch his arm and gently hold him back.

"Wait, Theo. I'm actually here to talk to you." Mrs. Rose told him, in a surprisingly unhostile tone. She then proceeded to sit down beside Marley's headstone just as Theo had, patting the ground beside her in a gesture for him to join her. He did, and the pair now sat side by side. It was a blessing in disguise for Theo, as there was no way he'd be able to willing himself to look Mrs. Rose in the eye.

"How'd you find me here?" Theo murmured.

"I heard you were being released from juvie today so I swung by an hour ago to pick you up. I figured after 8 months, you might want to see a familiar face." She said. "When they said you had already left, I figured this would be the first place you'd come to."

Theo took a deep breath, his head hanging low in shame.

"Look, if you're here to yell at me, hit me, or anything like that, please go ahead. I deserve all of it." Theo murmured. That's not why she was here though. A long silence overtook them before she finally spoke again.

"After what happened, I was furious." She began, her words ringing around the open meadow. "I was furious at you. But more than that. I was furious at the world. I had lost my little girl."

Theo took a deep, shaky breath, desperately trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to overtake him again as he listened to his wife's mother speak.

"But the anger passed." Mrs. Rose continued. "Pretty quickly actually. And while I initially thought that was a good thing, now knowing what came next, I would give anything to revert back to that angry stage. Because the pain… the pain was so much worse than any anger. Every morning after it happened, I'd wake up and I'd have forgotten about it. I'd lie in my comfortable bed. I would see the sun's rays shining through the blinds. I would hear birds cheerfully tweeting and chirping outside my window. And for a moment, everything would be fine. But then I would remember what happened, and it was like a crushing weight would slam down on my chest and clamp around my heart. The only thing worse than the first day was the second day. And the only thing worse than the second was the third. Each day was more and more painful, as it was a cruel reminder that she wasn't ever coming back."

By this point, Theo was crying. The tears had overwhelmed him.

"I'm so sorry. It should've been me." Theo sobbed, his head in his hands. But rather than berating him, Mrs. Rose placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I don't say this to hurt you. In fact, it's the opposite." Mrs. Rose told him. "Do you know when things finally got ever so slightly easier? When I finally plucked up the courage to go into her old room. I was meant to pack it all up, donate all that needed to be donated, but I didn't have the heart to do that. I did look around though for a while, and I took a few things that I figured you might appreciate."

At that moment, she reached into her handbag and pulled out a collection of photos. Upon handing them to Theo, Theo couldn't help but smile faintly as he recognized them instantly. They were a collection of photos of him, or of him and Marley together, and he knew exactly where Mrs. Rose had gotten them.

"They were everywhere in the room." She told him. "Everywhere I turned, I was greeted by a reminder of just how happy you made her. Those 4 years you two were together, she smiled more than the rest of her life combined. There's a reason for that. You're the reason for that. You made her happier than I thought was even possible for my daughter."

"She did the same for me, you know? She made me happier than I ever thought I could be. Happier than I ever thought I deserved to be." Theo murmured.

"I know, sweetie." Mrs. Rose chuckled. "When I saw these photos, when I was reminded of all of this, I was finally able to let go of all of my anger, my guilt. I saw her for the life she lived, not for how it ended. For the first time, I was able to properly say goodbye to my daughter. It was only then when I started to be able to move forward."

"That's great. I'm happy for you." Theo murmured. "But it's different for me. All of this… it was my fault. How can I possibly ever move forward? She was my whole world, and I'm the reason she's not here right now. I can't just move on."

"I know it's not what you want to hear, but you're going to have to, sweetie." Mrs. Rose gently replied. "That was the hardest part for me. Realizing that even though my life was torn to shreds, for everyone around me, it was just another Monday, just another Tuesday, just another Wednesday. I'm not saying you have to magically forget about her tomorrow. But life only moves one way. If you refuse to move with it, you're going to get stuck and get consumed, and then start drowning."

Mrs. Rose paused for a moment before she continued speaking.

"I love you, Theo. I love you like my own son, because in so many ways, you were my son. You would eat 3 meals a day with us. You celebrated with us during our highest points. You comforted us during our lowest points. Even before you two got officially hitched, you were a member of the family. You need to know that I say this from a place of love. You can't allow yourself to drown, Theo. If not for yourself, then for her. Because you know that isn't what she would've wanted for you."

"What she wanted?" Theo scoffed mirthlessly. "You know, I used to think I knew exactly what she wanted. It used to be like a voice inside my head, always there. Like we were tethered, connected. But now… now it seems like that voice is starting to fade. Like I can hardly hear her anymore. The therapist in juvie tried to tell me that that was a way of me moving on, but it's not. I hate it. I absolutely fucking hate it. There's only one time that I can ever clearly see her anymore."

"When you sleep." Mrs. Rose interrupted.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Theo raised an eyebrow, taken aback. Mrs. Rose sighed.

"You're not the only one who lost someone, Theo." She murmured.

Theo looked down again, his face burning in shame. Of course. How could he be so foolish? When he had lost his wife, he felt like his entire world had been ripped apart. But Mrs. Rose had also lost someone. She had lost a daughter. A parent had been forced to bury their own child, a pain nobody should ever have to be put through, least of all someone as loving as Mrs. Rose. But she was, and that was all his fault.

"What happens in these dreams?" Mrs. Rose asked him quietly. "Does she talk to you? Touch you?"

"She talks to me." Theo mumbled, in a voice no louder than a whisper, still staring at his feet as he spoke.

"What does she say?" Mrs. Rose gently questioned. Theo finally looked up, and looked her right in the eye as he responded.

"Join me." Theo admitted. "She calls to me. She tells me that we can be together again."

"Is that what you want, Theo? To join her?"

"More than anything." Theo stated, without a sliver of doubt or hesitancy in his voice. "But I… I can't do it myself. I am looking forward, more than anything, to the day I'm finally reunited with her, but I'm not going to be the one to punch out my ticket."

"Why not?"

"Because I know that if I did, she would be ashamed of me." Theo whispered. A long silence fell upon them once more, before Mrs. Rose slowly rose to her feet. She began to walk away from Theo, before turning to him.

"Come with me, Theo."

Theo obliged, following Mrs. Rose out of the cemetery. But before he did, he turned towards the headstone once more, his fingers gently tracing Marley's name on the cold marble.

"I'll talk to you again soon."

With that, Theo turned on his heel and followed Marley's mother out of the cemetery.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

They drove to Mrs. Rose's house in dead silence. Theo knew exactly where they were going, recognizing the familiar roads despite the 8 month gap. And with every meter they drew nearer, Theo could feel his hands trembling more and more violently. He couldn't do this. He couldn't go back to the house where he had fallen in love with his wife. He couldn't face all of the memories, memories that once brought him endless joy, but now brought him nothing but excruciating pain.

Thankfully, they didn't enter the house. The closest they got was the driveway, where Mrs. Rose parked the car and gestured to him to follow her. Theo did so, trailing behind, his mind spinning as he tried his best not to fall flat on his face. Theo followed her to the garage, which Mrs. Rose opened to reveal an incredibly surprising site…

On the ground in the garage was a duffel bag, and Mrs. Rose quickly picked it up and handed it to him. Opening it, Theo was shocked to see a lot of his belongings that he had left at Marley's place all those months ago. Clothes, shoes, photos, a wallet… it was all there.

"Wow. Thank you. I didn't realize you kept all of this stuff. I kinda figured you'd have burned it or something." Theo murmured. Mrs. Rose chuckled and shook her head.

"Come on, Theo. You know I'd never do that." She replied. "This is all the stuff you left around here. There was quite a bit, as you were practically living with us towards the end."

Theo nodded.

"Definitely beat living at the foster home, that's for sure." Theo commented.

"I bet." Mrs. Rose murmured. "There's some money I put in the wallet. I want you to take all of this stuff and get a fresh start somewhere. Somewhere away from this city. Away from Florida. Away from all of it. Get as far away as possible for a while because for as long as you're here, I know that you'll never truly be able to move on."

"Where am I supposed to go? In case you've forgotten, Mrs. Rose, I had no life apart from Marley. I had nothing until I met her. She changed everything for me. My dad… who knows where he even is? And my mom… well, you remember what went down with her. I'm not about to go and stay with her after that. Foster care's also out of the picture as I'm 18 now."

Mrs. Rose nodded.

"I figured you'd say that. That's why, when you were in Juvie, I made contact with an old friend. I made arrangements with an old friend of mine from medical school and residency to take you in for the next little while. It's August now, so given that you left school last January in the middle of your senior year, you're going to repeat your senior year again. You're going to graduate, go to college, and live up to the potential that Marley and I both knew you had."

Theo very quickly shook his head.

"No… no… I can't do that. I can't go back to my old life if she's not there. I can't go back to school, back to regular life like nothing happened, when…" his voice trailed off, tears ready to return in full force, but before they could, he felt Mrs. Rose's arms wrapped around him in a comforting embrace.

"I know. That's why my friend you're going to stay with is out of state. In small-town Ohio. I called in a couple of IOUs with my friend, and I vouched for you. I know how good of a person you are, and they agreed to take you in for the year. I didn't expose anything about what happened with Marley to them. Not that there's anything to hide. But I felt like it's your business to tell them, if you choose to."

Theo pondered this for a moment, before shaking his head again.

"No. Thank you so much for trying, but no. There's no way I can leave Marley and go to Ohio." Theo said.

"She'll still be here when you come back, Theo." Mrs. Rose reassured him. "But this is a fresh start for you, Theo. An opportunity to live the life that she always wanted you to have, even if she's not there to enjoy it with you. Let go of the past and start anew. You have your whole future waiting for you."

It took a while, but eventually, Theo accepted the offer. He knew that this was going to be easily one of the hardest things he had ever done, but at the same time, he needed to do this. He needed to do it for Marley. To show her that she had been right to gamble on him in the first place. That he could still be the man who made her proud, even if she wasn't there to see him. He knew that would be impossible to do here in Florida where she was: he simply wasn't strong enough to face her, and face his past here. But Ohio? Who knows? Maybe this could be the start of something…

An hour later, Theo was sat at the back of an extremely rattling bus, watching road sign after road sign go by, waiting for the one that finally read Lima, Ohio. Meanwhile, Mrs. Rose remained in Florida, holding a certain piece of paper in her hands…

She had debated telling Theo about it before he left, but had decided against it. She knew how much was already on his mind, and figured that she could tell him about this another time, once he was a little more settled in Ohio. He didn't need to know right now that his wife had been doing some digging on his father's identity behind his back. He didn't need to know yet that Marley had found him right before her death, and how he lived in Lima, Ohio, the very city where Theo was headed right now. That could all wait. For now, Theo had bigger things he needed to worry about. Like what the next year of his life was going to be like living in Lima, Ohio…