Hehehe, I thought of the idea for this chapter like 3 weeks ago and I've been really looking forward to writing it since…so here it is! Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.

It was 10pm on Friday night, and the party was just beginning to liven up. Ryder was relatively merry, and he and the other jocks were immersed in a competitive game of beer pong whilst the house was quickly filling up with rowdy teenagers. Ryder was having a good time, but at the back of his mind, something was bothering him- Marley still hadn't arrived, and, given that she didn't seem like the kind of girl to still not be here at this time, he thought she might not be coming at all. He pulled out his phone, and tapped in a text message.

Hey Marley. Are u stil coming tonite? x

He didn't have to wait long for a response.

On our way now! Went to Unique's after school to get ready, we're coming together :) x

Ryder shrugged, but smiled. She hadn't had a change of heart. Downing the rest of his beer, he abandoned the game, and went to stand by the open front door, hoping to intercept Marley when she arrived. After about 5 minutes, a car pulled up, and Ryder watched Unique Adams get out, followed by the girl he really wanted to see. Marley spotted him immediately and gave him a shy smile and a wave. She had certainly made an effort, perhaps more effort than was required for a boozy house party, but Ryder didn't care. She looked absolutely stunning in a green floaty dress which accentuated her beautiful figure perfectly, and her hair had been straightened. She skipped over to him, followed by Unique.

"Hey Ryder!" she greeted him enthusiastically.

"Hey!" He replied, pulling her in for a big hug.

"Hi…" Unique said.

"Um…hi." He responded, as politely as he could, before turning back to Marley and grinning once again.

"Come on in, I'll get you a drink!" He exclaimed, and she eagerly followed him through the door and the hordes of drunk high schoolers, into the kitchen.

"Um…I think Greg only has beer to spare…" Ryder said apologetically, opening a green bottle and handing it to the brunette. "I know it's not really a girl's drink, but you could try it."

"Who says it's not a girl's drink?" She teased. "I bet I can drink it easily…" she announced, not even convincing herself.

"Go on then!" he challenged, with a wicked grin. Marley obediently put the bottle to her red lips, and took a swig, wincing and spluttering as the bitter liquid ran down her throat. Ryder burst out laughing.

"You'll be able to bear it more if you take small sips." He advised.

"No," she protested. "It'll be better if I drink more in one go and get rid of it quicker."

"Ok but, be careful," he warned, correctly believing that Marley probably wasn't very used to drinking. He obligingly opened another one for Unique, who then asked Marley to find the bathroom with her. Marley sighed and looked apologetically at Ryder.

"I'll…talk to you in a couple minutes, yeah?"

"Sure," he said; his voice failed to hide his frustration and, just as Marley was beginning to follow Unique, whispered in her ear; "make sure you do." Marley blushed and smiled at him, before following her friend.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Unfortunately, they did not talk in a couple of minutes. Ryder got distracted by another intense round of drinking games, and Marley, well, who knows where Marley was, Ryder hadn't seen her since she went off with Unique, and he didn't realise this until half past midnight. The majority of the jocks had become too paralytic to focus on the games, and Ryder, who was not quite so drunk, realised that he hadn't seen the brunette in a long while. He left the living room to go on a hunt.

After climbing up the stairs with great difficulty, having to step over couples making out and less fortunate part goers who were passed out or vomiting, Ryder noticed a familiar figure stumbling around in one of the dark bedrooms.

"Marley?" he called out, walking into the room and switching on the light.

"Oh, helloooooooooooo you!" She slurred excitedly. She was alone, and appeared to be dancing by herself to the music which was booming from downstairs.

"Marley are you drunk?" Ryder asked, half amused, half concerned; she seemed pretty far gone.

"NO!" She shouted loudly, throwing her arms dramatically in the air and giggling hysterically. Ryder gave a wry smile and raised an eyebrow. "Ok…" she admitted. "Maybe a little bit…" Ryder snickered as he sat on the bed to stop the room spinning from his own slight drunkenness.

"I only gave you one beer, lightweight!" He teased. Marley giggled and looked down guiltily.

"I stole some more…" she confessed, with a wicked grin.

"Marley Rose!" Ryder started, feigning shock. "Such a rebel!" Marley laughed, and continued to dance, swaying around in circles.

"Why are you on your own?" Ryder asked, becoming slightly more sobered up by the realisation that Marley's friend was no-where to be seen, and that he could have inadvertently left her alone for hours. "Where's Unique?"

"She went…" Marley replied, pouting melodramatically. "She was hung up on some guy who she was texting, but now he's barely interested cos he's into some other girl and blah blah blah... So she left early…BORING!" She yelled, barely comprehensibly. "So yeah…" she paused to hiccup… "I've just been here, dancing by myself and shit…" Ryder's eyes widened and his chin dropped. He had never heard Marley curse before. He was kind of impressed.

"Wow, you're really smashed Marley…" Ryder remarked, and Marley proved him right when she tripped over her feet and went crashing onto the floor, banging her head on the bedside table.

"Shit!" Ryder muttered, and jumped off the bed to try and help her up. She was fine, and apparently found her fall absolutely hilarious, but she couldn't get up.

"Ok," Ryder sighed. "I think we need to get you home."

"No Ryder! I'm having so much fun!" She argued, but Ryder was by now much more sober, and much stronger, so, despite her protestations, easily swooped her up and over his shoulders, and carried her out the room and down the stairs as carefully as possible, and then towards the front door. On the way out, Jake noticed.

"Dude!" He shouted, an impressed grin on his face. "Getting her drunk then banging her! Classic move bro! I underestimated you man!" he held his hand up for a high five, which Ryder did not return, but instead glared at him angrily.

"Jake don't be such an asshole! I'm just helping her out, I'm not gonna take advantage of her while she's drunk!" He spat out, angry that Jake would think he would do that to Marley and embarrassed at himself that he might indeed have considered such an approach before a girl like her had come into his life.

"What did he just say about me?" Marley yelled angrily.

"Nothing Marley, just ignore him." Ryder advised. He walked away from the house and down the road, where he lifted Marley down from over his shoulder. "Ok Marley, you need to help me," he told her. "I'm gonna have to walk you home-"

"But Ryyyyydeerrrrr," she started. "Then you'll have to go to Lima Heights Adjacent, rich boy…"

"Yeah, but I sure as hell aren't letting you walk there by yourself, not that you'd probably even manage to get that far…Look Marley, you're gonna have to guide me there, and I'll help you walk, and keep you safe. Deal?" He asked, knowing that her answer was irrelevant- he was helping her get home whether she liked it or not. Luckily he didn't face any more protestations.

"Deal-io smealio whealio," she affirmed, spinning herself around in circles at dangerous speed.

"Marley, stop it be careful-" he warned…it was too late. Marley fell onto the hard pavement with a thud, her dress riding up and revealing her slim legs –and underwear. Ryder turned red and reluctantly averted his eyes. Marley was ok; again, she was roaring with laughter, apparently finding her fall the funniest thing on the planet.

"This is going to be a long night," Ryder sighed.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

No less than two hours later, Ryder and Marley were finally stumbling up to what Marley claimed was her house. Marley had by now peaked, and was in the much less fun stage of drunkenness- she was exhausted and felt sick, and Ryder had spent the last hour carrying her, as she simply could not walk.

"Are you sure this is your house, Marley?" Ryder asked, not wanting to anger a resident of the notorious crime hotspot of Lima if Marley had got it wrong.

"Well, is my Mom's car in the drive?" Marley slurred wearily, by way of reply. Ryder looked, and Millie's small car was indeed parked in the tiny house's driveway. He then grimaced at the thought of how Millie might react if she found out, and walked reluctantly up to the front door. With his free hand, that is to say, the hand that wasn't making sure the paralytic girl wouldn't fall off his shoulder, he tried to open the door, hoping that Millie might have left it open for Marley when she got home.

"It'll be locked Ryder, I was supposed to be staying over at Unique's 'til she bailed on me…" Marley explained. It was indeed locked. Ryder swallowed hard. He would have to ring the doorbell and wake up Mrs Rose.

A couple minutes went by with no answer, so he ran it again, a couple of times.

"Mooooooommmmmmmyyyyyyyy," Marley whined loudly up towards the upstairs window, parading her drunken state for the rest of the street to potentially hear.

"Marley shh, you'll wake up your neighbours," Ryder chastised.

"But she's taking so looooong," she moaned grumpily.

"It's gone 3am Marley, she'll be asleep! She needs to wake up before she answers the door."

"Ring it again!" She ordered bossily, and just as Ryder was about to oblige, the door opened, and a very cross, very tired looking Millie Rose stood at the door.

"What on Earth is this?" she asked furiously, then, upon seeing her daughter lying limply over Ryder Lynn's shoulder, understood what was wrong. "Oh dear…" she said, standing back to allow Ryder to carry Marley into the house, before shutting the door. She directed Ryder into the small living room, and he lay Marley down on the couch. "Marley, you silly girl! I told you to be careful!" she scolded her, despite her daughter being 17 years old. She turned to look at Ryder, and glared. "Did you give her alcohol?" she asked, angrily.

"I…I gave her one beer Mrs Rose, that's all, I swear." Ryder implored, looking her straight in the eye.

"Hehe…I stole the rest…" Marley giggled sleepily but boastfully, still clearly proud and showing little remorse for her rebellious achievement. She closed her eyes, so didn't see her Mother turn to glare at her with her hands on her hips.

"Oh dear," she sighed again hopelessly. She turned back to face Ryder. "Mr Lynn…you know well that I don't particularly like you and you know exactly why, and I certainly don't approve of your friendship with my daughter, but…thank you. I dread to think what might have happened to her if you hadn't brought her here." She gave him a small, grateful smile.

"Oh…that's ok Mrs Rose. I was just doing what any decent person should." He replied.

"Could you help me put her to bed?" Millie asked. Ryder nodded, and carefully lifted Marley up again, and with her, followed her Mother upstairs and to her bedroom, which was small, cosy and cute…it was typically Marley. He laid her down on the bed, and Millie covered her with the duvet. Feeling Millie's stern gaze watching him, he reluctantly left the room. Millie came out a couple of seconds later.

"Well…I guess I should get going Mrs Rose-" he started, but trailed off when Millie shook her head.

"Oh no, you're not walking home alone from this neighbourhood at this time of night," she told him, pointedly. "You can spend the night here. We don't have a spare bedroom but you can sleep on the couch. I can drive you home in the morning." She told him, kindly.

"Oh…thanks Mrs Rose, that's so kind." He said with a warm smile.

"Well…it's the least I can do to say thank you." She explained. "My daughter could be lying dead in a ditch if it weren't for you."

"I wanna say goodnight to Ry-Ry!" came a semi-delirious shout from Marley's room. Ryder sniggered at her apparent new nickname for him, then looked at Millie, asking permission.

"You have two minutes before I come in," Millie told him sternly. Ryder smiled gratefully and went into Marley's room, where she lay contentedly in her bed, her face lighting up when she saw him.

"Heyyyy Ryyyyyy…" she slurred. He smiled, and crouched down right beside her bed.

"Hey there, raging drunk," he teased playfully. She smiled, and sat up slightly, narrowing the distance between their faces.

"I should have said yes…" she told him sleepily, hardly knowing what she was saying, but being truthful, all the same. Ryder raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Should have said 'yes' to what?" he asked, confused.

"To going on a date with you…I should have said yes." She lay back down and her eyes flickered shut. "I'm a silly billy," she yawned adorably, almost asleep.

Ryder sat gobsmacked at what he was hearing. Marley seemed now to be asleep. He only hoped she would remember saying this in the morning, although it was touch and go.

"Ten seconds," came an impatient voice from the other side of the door. Ryder leaned forward and gently placed a chaste kiss on the sleeping beauty's forehead, before getting up.

"Night Marley," he whispered, and left the room, a million thoughts going through his mind.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ryder awoke the next morning, and went to find Millie cleaning in the kitchen.

"Morning…" he started awkwardly. She turned around with a start.

"Oh. Morning Mr Lynn," she said formally. "Shall I run you home, or would you like a glass of water first?" She asked kindly.

"Oh, I'm ok thanks. Could I maybe go see Marley before we leave?" he asked, crossing his fingers. Millie gave him a wry smile.

"I went to see Marls about a half hour ago. Let's just say she won't be in any fit state for visitors today…serves her right for getting in such a state," she chuckled. Ryder thought about protesting, but he didn't want to get any further in Millie's bad books, so simply nodded and followed her out to her car. He would have to interrogate Marley about what she had said last night at school on Monday.

Tada! I think this is my favourite chapter so far- how about you? I hope you found it funny, I was trying to make it funny! Also, I know I had a couple requests for a kiss in this chapter and I'm really sorry, I would have loved to put it in for you but I've had all the details for it planned out for a while, and look on the bright side…you may not have to wait much longer and it may be a lot more romantic than a slobbery drunken snog! Let me know what you thought of the chapter below!

To my reviewers:

Ember411: Sorry sorry sorry! SOON! There was still some Ryley cuteness though, so I hope you enjoyed that! Also, you should get yo'self on tumblr girrrrllll! (assuming you don't have it as you anon me but tell me who you are? Forgive me if I'm wrong!)

GabGaspard: I'm so glad you did! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Savannaramirez35: I feel like that, haha, we're so delusional :p Hope you enjoyed this update, too

Gleeatic713: You have no idea how excited I got when I saw all your reviews coming in- you are rylazing! And you were so nearly correct with your predictions- you got the Marley getting drunk bit totally right! Sorry they didn't kiss, but stay tuned!

Hope you enjoyed!

Lauren xxx