An authors note-All my reviewers get a gold star this time! Char-Chan for being the first to review. Miss Maggie for being the first to get the tributes. Artemis Rayne for leaving me that beautiful review, I'm truly honored. And ARPfics gets two because 1. I feel bad that I made you cry and 2. you were watching Wheels which is my favorite episode. Last chapter here guys. Thanks to you all for making this experience so enjoyable.

Disclaimer-Glee is the property of FOX, the creators and the writers.

Training-wheels

Friday August 10, 2001 12:57 pm

It had been a month, exactly four week from the day the Abrams family's world had been completely turned upside down. Alicia and Art sat in the familiar room their son had called home for the past nineteen days since stepping down from the ICU, waiting anxiously for his return. Artie had been taken down to radiology nearly two hours ago, for what the nurse had claimed to be "a routine series of tests".

Art watched Alicia continuously look down at her watch then back up at the wall clock as if one, or both of them had suddenly stopped working. "Everything alright?" he asked casually, looking up from the magazine he was reading.

"No, everything is not alright Art," she snapped as she sprang from her seat. "Dr. Murphy's nurse said he wanted to meet with us today around noon, after Artie's tests were done. But now your lunch hour is almost over, the doctor hasn't even seen us yet and our son is nowhere to be found."

It wasn't an uncommon occurrence for Alicia to start to panic a little when she was forced to be separated from Artie for more than a few minutes. In fact, she's hardly left the boys side at all. In the past four weeks, Alicia had only left the hospital premises a total of five times-and only once for a span longer than the hour it usually took her to shower and repack her duffel bag. The rest of the time she was living out of Artie's hospital room, sleeping on the reclining chair next to his bed, using the attached bathroom as her own, eating her meals off the same menu as him. They kept each other in constant company, his job was to focus on resting and healing, while hers was to learn from the nurses how to care for her currently immobile son. Andy was brought up at least once a day by either Art, one of the grandparents, or whoever was watching him at that particular time. His visits never tended to last very long.

Alicia was pacing now and that was never a good sign. Art moved to be next to her and pulled her into an embrace. "Calm down Leesh. I'll call work and let them know what's going on. They'll understand. They know Artie comes first." He felt her nod against his chest but didn't bother to move otherwise. They held onto one another for a minute or so before Art broke away and moved to the bedside table where the phone was located. "Leesha-look," he called out, motioning over his left shoulder, a smile gracing his lips.

And before Alicia could turn around completely, Artie and his bed were being wheeled back through the doorway. "Hey Sweetie. How were your tests?" she asked, rushing to the side of his bed just as the orderly had finished locking it into place.

"Long and boring," he replied with an exaggerated yawn. Artie was just about to ask for his glasses, when his father stepped up and handed them to him. He smiled appreciatively, but it quickly turned to a frown when he placed them on his face and noticed how late it was. "Aww, did I miss lunch?"

Art chuckled as he ruffled his sons hair. "Don't worry Pal..."

Just then, a nurse stuck her head into the room and summoned. "Mr. and Mrs. Abrams? Dr. Murphy would like to speak with you now."

Alicia shot Art an apprehensive glance. He let out a shaky breath before turning his attention back to his son. "This should only take a few minutes and then we'll get you something to eat. Okay?" Artie just nodded silently and picked up the television remote.

The Abrams were both surprised to see Dr. Murphy standing by the nurses desk when they stepped out from Artie's room. "Ah Art, Alicia," he greeted pleasantly once he noticed them. He quickly finished what he was writing, then scooped up the files and folders next to him before leading them into a private conference room just down the hall. "I have to say, I'm very pleased with the progress Artie's making."

'What progress?' Alicia thought morosely.

"It never fails to amaze me at how quickly children seem to bounce back after a major trauma."

'Bounce? Not exactly' she mused angrily. 'All Artie's been able to do for the past month is lay in a bed and struggle with a casted left arm and an unresponsive lower half.'

"We didn't think you'd have the results so quickly." It was Art's voice, and it startled Alicia out of her previous introspection. She looked up from the hands she was wringing in her lap to find the doctor spreading out his folders and opening up the thick, paper filled manila file she suspected to be Artie's medical records.

"I was able to consult with the radiologist and specialist as the scans were taking place," he explained, flipping the switch to light the frames on the wall behind him. "But before we get to those, I would like to start with the x-rays of Artie's arm. Please sit."

Alicia could feel the dread building up in her and grabbed Art's hand, holding on for dear life.

"As you can see the bones are healing nicely, almost completely and it's only been four weeks. We are, however, going to keep it casted for the recommended full six weeks. This may hinder Artie's rehabilitation, but only very slightly. We want to make sure the arm will be strong enough to handle the kind of pressure Artie's weight will be exacting on it."

With that, Dr. Murphy changed the subject focus, as well as the film slides. There were three this time, all side by side. The first one was an x-ray of Artie's torso, that much was certain...a long line of strong healthy bone until you looked below the waistline and it became a shattered and splintered mess. Alicia felt sick to her stomach. "With these, we can see how well the bone fragments and grafts are fusing together." The doctor pointed between the next two scans. The second of the trio was recognizable as the one taken immediately after surgery while the third was obviously that of today's run of tests. It was quite remarkable to see such a transformation and the last scan may have looked near normal if it wasn't for the vast array of hardware holding Artie's spine together.

"Now on the CT-," Dr. Murphy paused to pull those readings up onto the laptop computer in front of him. He turned the screen around to face the the overwhelmed parents, "-we can not only see the fracture repairs, but also the substantial reduction of swelling around them." He used the cap of his pen to circle the area in question, but Alicia wasn't paying attention anymore. "I'm confident to say that with everything I've seen today, we can head for that next level in Artie's recovery."

"Rehab?" Art inquired curiously."When?"

Dr. Murphy lifted his brow and grinned. "Well if all goes well this weekend, I think we can prep for transfer on Monday."

Pleased with what was about the first piece of good news since he was told that Artie made it through the surgery that first night, Art smiled. He could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Artie was finally getting out of the hospital, next was rehab, then home. They would soon be a whole family again.

Blankly, Alicia looked up at the doctor. "You're talking about bone repair, reduction in swelling, rehabilitation and recovery-but what exactly does this mean for my son."

The desperation in her voice was evident. Art stepped behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders while Dr. Murphy took a seat across from her. "It means that Artie will continue to heal. That he will learn the skills needed to guarantee the best quality of life. And that soon, he'll be a happy, active eight year-old again."

"But he'll never walk again." The words were on constant replay in her head but this was the first time she'd actually said them out loud. That made it real. It was real. And she began to cry.

Equally distraught but determined to stay strong for his wife, Art rested his hip against the arm of the chair she was sitting on and wrapped his arms around her. Dr. Murphy scooted closer and reached out comfortingly. "From early on, given the extent of damage, we were fairly certain that this would very well be the outcome. And while there is room for much improvement in certain areas, the chance that Artie will regain any motor function or sensation below the level of injury is less than one percent. I know you were praying for a miracle Alicia, but this is not likely to ever change. I'm sorry." He patted her hand and stood, offering Art a nod of compassion as well.

"When will you tell him?", Alicia managed to sputter through her tears.

"As soon as possible." The kind doctor met her gaze and gave a small sympathetic smile."But Artie is very bright, intuitive little boy-so I'm pretty sure he already knows."

And Alicia realized, that deep down inside, she'd always known too.

Artie was mindlessly flipping through the channels when the trio walked into his room. The first thing he noticed was how awful his parents looked. The second thing was that Dr. Murphy was with them, and he didn't look much better. He watched as his mother took her permanent place next to his bed while his father stood between her and the foot of the bed where Dr. Murphy was.

Artie felt the tension in the room, just like every morning the doctors came in with their instruments, poking, prodding and percussing. Every morning he tried his hardest to feel something or move anything. But every morning was the always the same. And every morning his mother cried.

This was no different, and with his mother sobbing at his side, Artie listened carefully to what his doctor had to say.

"So, I'm not gonna get any better," he reasoned during a short pause.

"Sure you will," Dr. Murphy reassured. "You'll continue to get stronger and heal."

With all the wisdom and innocence of his eight years, Artie clarified,"I'm just not gonna be able to walk, run or ride my bike anymore, like the other doctors said."

Dr. Murphy shook his head. "No Son, I'm afraid not."

Artie sat contemplative, his lips twisting to the side as they always did when he was deep in thought. "But I'll get a really cool wheelchair, right?" he asked looking up at his father.

Art couldn't help but smile at his little boy as he brushed away the tears that were falling from his own eyes, "The coolest we can find Pal."

Alicia, overcome with emotion, rushed from the room. Art was torn between going after his wife, and comforting his son. Luckily Dr. Murphy was there to make that decision a little easier. Artie sighed heavily against his fathers chest, "I wish Mom wouldn't cry so much." He hoped that something would happen to make his mother happy. It didn't matter what, anything to see her smile again.

"I know Pal", he soothed, gently holding his son...until a commotion outside caught his attention.

Alicia's eyes slowly fluttered open. "Oh God," she groaned from the bed she was propped on, and was immediately transported back a month. The same feeling of panic returned. "Artie?"

"A little shook up that his Mom passed out right outside his hospital room."

"I fainted?"

Art gave a serious nod, but managed to crack a smile. "He's okay now, finally getting something to eat I think. Poor kid was starving."

"I'm sorry."

Art turned serious again. "You need to take better care of yourself Alicia."

Alicia knew her husbands statement came from the heart, out of deep love and concern. But the words only seemed to add to the guilt that was tearing her up inside. "I know," she whispered.

"You're not eating right, not sleeping. How are you supposed to take care of Artie if you don't take care of yourself first?"

A sudden knock on the cubicle wall paused the conversation. "Mrs. Abrams?"

Alicia glanced up to acknowledge the nurse standing in the doorway. The woman stepped into the room wearing a smile the size of Texas. "Well, I hear congratulations are in order."

"Excuse me?" Alicia asked incredulously.

"Congratulations," the young nurse repeated, confusion lacing her voice.

Alicia scoffed angrily. "My eight year-old son just found out that he's never going to walk again, and you're congratulating me?"

"I'm so sorry about your son. I didn't know," she apologized. "I was just given the orders to release you. I thought the doctor explained..."

"Explained what?" Art inquired. "We haven't seen a doctor yet."

"Then you don't know." The pair stared at her blankly as they watched her smile return. "Well, aside from being mildly anemic and suffering from exhaustion, your blood work showed that you are pregnant."

Art gasped. "Pregnant?"

"That's impossible," Alicia retorted. "I can't be pregnant. I can't get pregnant. We tried after our second son was born. I suffered a miscarriage and was diagnosed with endometriosis. I'm on the pill..." Only she wasn't, she hadn't taken her birth control pills since the morning of the accident. But it was impossible, the doctors said it wouldn't happen, couldn't happen. Besides, her and Art hadn't been together in...well, just that one time almost two weeks ago. The first time they'd been home together since the accident, and ultimately found comfort in one another.

The nurse could sense their bewilderment. "I'll get the doctor for you."

Alicia turned to her husband. "I don't know if I can do this Art," she muttered apprehensively. "Not now. Not with Artie and everything."

"What are you saying?" he asked incredulously. "Of course you can do this Leesh. And you'll do it for Artie and Andy...," he rested his hand on her abdomen "...all of our babies."

Alicia looked down and placed her hand over Art's. "Our babies." Tears began to slip from her eyes again, but for the first time since that day one month ago, Alicia Abrams smiled.

"See Mom, we got our miracle," Artie's voice was sweet and sincere.

Alicia smiled at her son. It wasn't exactly a fair equivalence exchange, the use of Artie's legs for Abbey. But Alicia knew that if ever given the choice, Artie would choose his baby sister every time. "We sure did," she agreed, cupping his cheek with her hand.

Artie could see his mothers eyes start to mist again and that made him sad. She quickly turned away, busying herself with the task of clearing the sticky mess they made, off the kitchen table. "Mom?" She turned at the sound of his soft voice. "I'm sorry about the driving thing. I just wanted to get some information. I should have told you." His gaze heavy on the envelope still on the table.

But he didn't tell her. And the realization why hurt her more than anything. Her fears were what was holding Artie back from doing all the things that he wanted to do, not his disability. This was something she never wanted for her son. She wanted him to be that sixteen year-old boy who was just like everyone else his age. And right now, besides the wheelchair, the only real difference was that most of the kids his age were already driving or at least close to it. "What do you say we see if we can get that schedule of yours switched around a bit for next semester to fit in a drivers ed class?"

Artie beamed up at her with a hopeful glint in his eyes. He wasn't sure he'd heard her right. "Really?"

The look on his sweet face was priceless. Alicia nodded guardedly, but smiled as she stacked a pile of dishes to be washed.

Artie knew this couldn't be easy for her, seeing as his mother was overprotective and borderline obsessive when it came to the safety of her children, of all her children-but especially of him. But before Alicia had a chance to make it back from the sink, Artie was behind her tugging at her hand and pulling her into a hug. "Thanks Mom."

"You're welcome Sweetheart," she whispered back, lingering the embrace just a second longer.

"Okay. So I can probably get in to see Ms. Pillsbury first thing tomorrow morning to change my schedule. Then I need to got down to the DMV to take my permit test and to see when they offer adaptive driving lessons. Then I have to price out modified vehicles and get a part time job to pay for-."

He was rambling worse than a kid on Santa's lap at Christmas. "Baby steps Artie," Alicia warned playfully.

"Right," he beamed, heaving a giant sigh of relief. He eyed the envelope for a moment before picking it up and tossing it into his lap. "This is so awesome."

Suddenly, he was that eight year-old little boy again, standing in their garage, seeing his brand new bike for the very first time and uttering those very same words. Alicia's chest clenched violently. "Artie?" He slowed and spun to face her, an expectant look on his face. Her heart was heavy with years of pent up emotion. Sure she felt guilty about the accident. Was sorry that he'd never walk again. Felt pain for all he had to endure during all those months in the hospital. Worried herself sick with all the potential issues and complications that could arise from his condition. But there was one thing that plagued her most during this time. "I'm sorry you never got to learn how to ride your bike."

Her apology took him by surprise at first, but then his confused expression softened into a true Artie grin. "I'm not," he confessed in all honesty. "I'm not sure I would've ever gotten the hang of it. Coordination has never been my strong suit."

Alicia smiled in spite of herself. That may have been the truth, but still, she wished he would have at least had the chance. "I know it was difficult for you, that summer after the accident when Andy got to go outside and play and you were stuck in the house most of the time with me and a newborn."

He'd be lying if he said it hadn't stung a little to watch Andy learn to ride that prized blue bike, but that summer after turned out to be one of the best of Artie's life. "I got to learn how to do so many other things though," his smile widened and lit up his entire face. "I learned how to change a diaper, how to play guitar and sing. I learned how to swim-how to do this..." Effortlessly, Artie showed off his practiced skill. Performing a double spin precariously balanced on only one wheel.

"Arthur John, you know it scares me to death when you do those crazy tricks," Alicia stated in mock scolding. Artie's grin was impossibly wide now. Ruffling her fingers through his hair she decided, "You need a hair cut." Artie let out a lighthearted chuckle. Alicia joined in too, then pressed a kiss to the top of his head. "It's getting late," she commented, just now catching a glimpse of how much time had really lapsed.

Artie nodded in agreement and took hold of his wheel rims. "G'night Mom. Love you."

"Love you too Sweetheart," she called out as she watched him diappear from the kitchen. Alicia let out a tired sigh, emotionally drained from the evenings proceedings, but feeling more at ease than she had been in a long time. Which was a good thing considering there was a full sink calling her name.

"I come bearing gifts," Art announced as he entered.

Alicia glanced over her shoulder and rolled her eyes playfully. "Great, more dirty dishes."

"Thought I'd wait 'til you two were all done in here before clearing the table," he replied courteously. Alicia smiled appreciatively and snaked her arm around his waist. Art gave her as squeeze as he asked, "You and Artie okay?" Her eyes shone as brightly as their sons did just as few minutes ago when he'd slapped his father a high five as they passed each other in the hallway. And that was confirmation enough. "Any ice cream left?"

Alicia shook her head and let out a soft giggle. "No, just half a pie."

"That carton was full," Art gasped in mock indignation.

Alicia smiled innocently. "It was full when we started, but to quote Artie..."it was that kind of night"."

Art nodded. "I know what you mean."

"Did the kids give you trouble?" she inquired apologetically.

"No, not at all," he assured her. "Got Abbey bathed, dressed and into bed, and all by eight-thirty." Art noticed the skeptical look his wife was giving him. Abbey never went to bed without her important nightly ritual which consisted of a bedtime story read by her favorite storyteller and a song sung by her favorite vocalist, which conveniently happened to be the same person...Artie. Art chuckled. "I had to read her three stories and play an entire cd before she finally fell asleep."

That made Alicia's smile return. "And Andy?"

"Well he watched about an hour of tv, then played an hour or so of video games before announcing around nine-thirty that..."now would probably be a good time to start my homework-."

Alicia let out a small groan and shook her head in disbelief. "What are we going to do with him?"

Art chuckled in reply. "We'll figure that out tomorrow. Why don't you go to bed? I got this."

"You sure?" Alicia asked tentatively.

Art nodded. "Yes, you're tired." And she was.

Alicia had just finished planting an appreciative kiss to her husbands cheek, when she let out a small shriek of disappointment. "The commercial, we missed it."

"I Tivo-ed it," he returned, and reciprocated the kiss. "We can all watch it tomorrow."

"How was it?" she queried playfully, knowing full well that he'd already watched it. Busted.

"It was good," he answered, blushing slightly. "Those kids are amazing."

"Yeah, especially that adorable one with the dark hair and glasses," she boasted irrefutably.

Art's proud smile proved he couldn't agree more. "Go Leesh. I'll be up in a few."

Alicia shuffled from the room, heading for the stairs via the dinning room, when something shiny caught her eye. She walked over to find Artie's phone still sitting on the table. As she grasped it, a random button was hit and up popped the photo of Artie 'jumping' on a large mattress. With as smile gracing her face, Alicia scrolled through the other pictures in gallery as she walked down the hall to return the phone to Artie's room.

Alicia wasn't sure what to expect when she opened the door to her oldest sons room, but what she saw when she got there, warmed her heart. She couldn't help but back out of the photo gallery and add this sweet, innocent image to it. Abbey snuggled up against her brother, an open book at their side, and a shared melody floating between them.

Let it Be.

Once she snapped the shot, Alicia set the phone on the nightstand and proceeded to lift the book from Artie's limp hand. She then set out to carefully remove his glasses from his face, and gently pluck the earpieces they were sharing from each of their ears, before lifting Abbey into her arms. Both stirred, but neither woke and Alicia carried her daughter back up to her room, softly humming the familiar tune.

ANx2-Gah, it's done. And my longest chapter ever. Sorry for the delay, but again this one morphed into more than it originally was. I'm currently in the process of writing another fic, heavily featuring Artie(and this family I've created for him), but not with him as the main character. Curious? I sure hope so! That will be coming out shortly.