An authors note---Much appreciation to everyone who read, reviewed, alerted and favorited Trainingwheels. Thank you all. I hope this story interests you as much as the last one. It will be a multichapter piece that starts up a few days after Sectionals, and carries us through the rest of the school year(possibly beyond, I don't know, I haven't got there yet). And now before I go any further, I must first confess---I've been a pretty strong Tartie supporter from the very beginning, that hasn't changed much, but the more I see the Artie/Quinn interaction in the show, the more I love the idea of a Quartie friendship/possible pairing. So please, even if you aren't a fan of that, let me know what you think of the story as a whole.

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

Lean on Me

"Kinda sucks, doesn't it?"

She hadn't heard him approach, nor had she noticed the plastic choir chair he'd set behind her until she glanced over her shoulder to find him staring up at her expectantly. "Yeah it kinda does," she agreed, unable to resist returning his grin despite her sour mood.

Quinn Fabray wasn't sure when it happened---when she started to enjoy, even prefer the company of Artie Abrams over anyone else in glee club. Maybe it was when she was about to loose it during that 'Keep Holding On' number and he gave her the sweetest, most sincere smile she'd ever seen. Or maybe it was that genuine appreciation he showed after the group spent a week in wheelchairs just to do a number where he wasn't the odd one out.

Only now, she mused, they were both the odd ones out. With a small sigh, Quinn sank down into the chair next to Artie, arms still folded over her chest. The pair sat there, watching from the sidelines as the choreography was worked out for their next group number---forced to wait while the others figured out exactly what they were going do with them.

"Sorry you got stuck with me again," he muttered apologetically, eyes cast down on his lap.

Quinn glanced over. There he goes apologizing again. She inwardly rolled her eyes at his sometimes self-consciously timid tendencies, but also found them quite endearing and almost cute. "Don't be silly Artie," she replied with a soft giggle. "I really enjoy being your dance partner."

Artie found himself blushing at her revelation, even if he wasn't completely convinced she was telling the truth. Either way, it made him feel good. Grinning, he conceded, "I enjoy being yours too."

He flashed that same excitedly quirky expression he wore that day he pulled her named out of the hat for the ballad number. Quinn had to smile. It was quite ironic if you really thought about it, but after that day, they had been paired with each other for nearly every number.

"Things okay at Brittany's?"

"Hmm?" she asked after his question broke her from her previous train of thought. "Oh---um no, not really." Quinn would have been happy to leave it at that, but the imploring gaze Artie was giving her made her blurt out, "I'm not staying there anymore."

"Oh", Artie muttered softly. He clearly remembered last Saturday in the school parking lot, after they got back from their sectionals win. Quinn was obviously crying as she took a large duffel bag from Mrs. Hudson's trunk. Wordlessly, Finn got into his mothers car and they drove off, leaving Quinn sobbing in Brittany's arms. The two of them left together shortly after that.

Not that Artie was watching or anything.

"Sorry, I didn't know."

"That's okay," she shrugged indifferently, trying to pretend that her current state of being a pregnant, sort of homeless, almost orphan teenager, had absolutely no effect on her what-so-ever.

Artie could see differently though. He leaned to his left, elbow resting on the arm of his chair as he quipped playfully, "Must've made for an interesting weekend though."

Quinn met his gaze and smiled, "You have no idea."

"Was it like something out of the Twilight Zone?" he pried jokingly.

"Crazier." She paused a moment before letting a small giggle escape, "It was more like the Twilight Zone meets the Muppets."

The unexpected chuckle that burst from Artie caused a sea of eyes to suddenly be upon them; the ten other ten glee clubbers, Mr. Shue, Brad the piano guy as well as the band members who were there supplying instrumental backup today. Artie flashed an apologetic grimace, then hung his head down and blushed with embarrassment. Quinn waited for the others to get back to work before leaning closer to him before letting out a quite laugh of her own. "Sorry," he whispered breathlessly.

Quinn shook her head dismissively. She wasn't sure if Artie was apologizing for the circus that was her stay at casa Brittany, or rather his obvious amusement by it. Either way, he looked completely adorable. "That lasted all of two days. I've been staying with Santana ever since."

"Well that must be awkward." Artie immediately clamped a hand over his mouth when he realized he'd actually said what he was thinking out loud.

Quinn figured she could just lie and say that no, everything was fine, and that would be the end of the conversation and this uncomfortable subject. But she knew that wouldn't work. Something strange happens to her whenever she talks with Artie and she always catches herself spilling her guts to him. Maybe it's because he listens to her, and really listens, without judging. He doesn't lie and that makes her not want to lie---makes her want to be more like him. "It is, a little---but it's not like I have much of a choice right now," the last part came out more a little more bitterly than Quinn had intended.

Without hesitation, but with a sudden case of new-found confidence, the words were out of Artie's mouth before he even realized he was speaking. "Ya know Quinn, if you ever need a place to stay---I mean if things ever get too weird. You could always stay at my house."

For a split second, Quinn resented the charity offer. Questioned his intentions and wrote them off as another person feeling sorry for the poor, displaced, pregnant ex-cheerleader. But when the words floated back through her head, she found them to be straightforward and sincere without the slightest hint of sympathy. It was then she realized that he would never feel that way---because if there was one thing she knew about Artie Abrams, it was that he does not do pity.

Quinn blinked back tears. "Thanks for the offer Artie. I really appreciate it, but this isn't your responsibility." She watched him lower his eyes in disappointment and that made her chest tighten, but she didn't back down. "And it isn't Santana's either." There was a pause as her gaze shifted beyond her former best friend. "Puck needs to man up and do what's right."

Artie looked over at the insolent jock, currently bumping and grinding against Brittany, and sighed. "Okay, but if you need anything---my door is always open."

A smile lit her face and she nodded as she enveloped him into a hug. "Thank you Artie." The hug must have lasted longer than necessary, because when the two broke apart, the entire room was staring awkwardly and Kurt was standing over them.

"This is what we came up with," he explained, brow raised, smirk ever widening. They each took a copy of the choreography page he was offering. "Look it over. We'll be ready for you both tomorrow." And with a practiced pivot, Kurt was gone.

Quinn barely met Artie's gaze as she sprang from her seat to catch Puck before he left. "Noah, wait. We need to talk."

Puck spun on his heel to face her. "That can't be good," he muttered sarcastically.

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at his attitude, instead she decided to use the energy to speak her mind. "You need to take responsibility for your actions. It's only been a week and I've already been shuffled around twice. So, I think it's time we discussed my current living arrangements."

After returning the chair Quinn vacated to the riser, Artie looked around to find the others had already gone. He was left alone in the choir room with the bickering pair, his chance for a discrete exit virtually impossible.

Puck shifted from foot to foot, an obviously annoyed look on his face. "Look, I'm workin' on it", he sighed impatiently. "But like I told you before, my mom's not really comfortable having a girl stay at our house."

"What does it matter? I'm already pregnant," Quinn scoffed, "---with her grandchild."

"Exactly," Puck concurred densely.

Quinn glared at him incredulously. Maybe it was the hormones, but her alpha-bitch disposition instantly returned, and at full force. "Ya know what Noah? You will work harder---tonight. You will convince your mother to let me stay at your house. And come tomorrow, I will be arriving to school with Santana, and going home with you."

Her storm out was oddly similar to one Rachel gave yesterday.

Out of the corner of his eye there was movement. Puck shifted to his left to find Wheels hunched and glancing back at him over his shoulder. Their eyes met for the briefest of seconds until Artie turned his attention back to his guitar case. Puck didn't bother with words, he just grunted and frustratedly kicked at the air before rushing the room.

Artie mused that Puck's was too.