Author's Note: Hey guys! I can't tell you how embarrassingly happy I was when I checked out the traffic on my first story. This one you'll be reading in a bit (unless you skip A/Ns) was inspired from the other night's episode.

I TOOK SOME LINES FROM THE EPISODE. REMEMBER, I DON'T OWN THE SHOW OR THE CHARACTERS (but I wish I did). I JUST TOOK THEM FOR SOME CREATIVE FUN. IT'S PROBABLY SIMILAR TO THE SCENE(S) IN THE EPISODE, BUT I WANTED TO GO INTO IT A LITTLE DEEPER? IDK.

Hope you like this one. It's much longer. And I hope...I hope...that it isn't choppy. Once again, I don't think too highly of my writing and opposed from writing at 3 in the morning, it's 3.30 in the afternoon and I'm sitting the food court in the dorm complex I live in for college.

P.S - I wrote that stuff in caps in case you're one of those people who like to skip these things. I want to make it clear so I don't have copyright issues. Sigh. Even though it's so obvious that I don't own the show or characters...then I don't think I'd need to write fanfics to fullfill my need.

supergleek27: Thanks for reviewing :D I don't think I'll continue it, sorry. But I might in the future. I was kinda writing a continuation before my Psych class, but I ended up crossing it out because I didn't like it too much. I might rewrite it though. And I'm hoping you do more Artie and Brittany stories. I liked the one you wrote. ^_^

operacynic: Yay, my 2nd reviewer! Thanks for your kind words. :D

I'm sorry for this horribly long A/N. I'm sure most of you gave up and started reading the story...ah damn. (oh. it looked so much longer on Google Docs. nevermind)

Earlier before the competition, Artie was mad at her. She had no idea why and it hurt. It really did hurt. And that was weird. Before when Artie had accused her of using him...that hurt too. But with other guys, if they somehow got angry at her for whatever reason, she shrugged it off. And if she didn't understand why, she never bothered trying to get a reason out of them. Now that it hurt, it was just different, almost strange. The only other person who ever made her feel that was with Santana. Why Artie, too?

Brittany sat on the ground by herself to stretch before the New Directions' number. The fast footsteps of fellow teammates as well as from the Warblers and the considerably slower paces of the Hipsters created the only sound backstage. Everyone was nervous, those who did perform and those hadn't performed yet. It was nerve wracking...and for good reason, too. It also didn't help that Artie wasn't there to pull her through.

When he'd first approached her, she panicked, thinking he found out about the loss of his precious magic comb but after he wheeled away, she started thinking. Was it really just about the magic comb? If he cared about it so much, he wouldn't have offered it to her or even mention it.

She leaned forward, reaching for her feet.

Come to think of it, Tina wasn't being all too friendly either. She was being unusually cold to Mike. Brittany shook her head, "I probably wouldn't have noticed if Mike hadn't confided in me." Mike. She now found a new friend in him. Their routine together was pretty difficult. The thing she was most worried about was the flip in the end. It's not that it was difficult, it's just that the flip had to be executed after doing the mind numbingly awesome routine. But Mike had promised, "Don't worry. I'll be there for you." That made her feel a little better.

It helped since Artie had somehow had a flip switched and wasn't talking with her much. She'd turn to Santana but she was busy with practicing her solo performance. It was her first one and Brittany didn't want to distract her about someone she didn't really get along with. She considered talking to Quinn but they hadn't talked in the longest time and even though they were both Cheerios, they weren't the closest friends. Finn wouldn't be of much help, would he? Rachel was out too because she and Finn were having their own disagreement. She didn't know Sam to well and besides, he was busy rehearsing with Quinn for their duet. Puck? He was on the football team and they were friendly to each other on some accounts, but she didn't feel comfortable talking to him. Mercedes was a no. "I don't think I've ever spoken with her. Wai-no...no...yeah, I've never spoken with her. "

She mumbled to herself some more.

"Kurt...is with the Warblers. He doesn't know what's happening with us." She closed her eyes feeling sad and tired. She sat up only when she heard footsteps get closer to her and stop in front of her. She looked up to see Mike sit down in front of her.

"Hey."

"Hi."

"Any news on the Tina and Artie front? I just don't get it. Tina suddenly goes Asian crazy on me and she won't tell me what her problem is. I noticed Artie being harsh toward you earlier and when I asked her what was up with him, she called me a jerk!"

Brittany looked at him with an encouraging face. "We can work it out somehow. But first we gotta do this set. I feel like we're going to lose because of me. I lost Artie's magic comb! It's for sure we'll lose!"

Mike stared at her blankly. "Err. Magic comb?"

"Yeah! You don't know about the magic comb?" She look at him incredulously and continued before letting him respond. "You have to comb your hair with it and it's a good luck charm of sorts. Artie used it during last year's Sectionals and we won. I think that's may be why Artie's mad at me. It was really important to him, but I was thinking earlier that that might not be it because if it was really, really important to him, he wouldn't have given it to me. I committed adultery and-"

"Wait." Mike looked at her pointedly. "Adultery? Brittany, wha-?" He cut his words short as he saw Artie pushing himself towards them and nodded at him. As they passed each other, Artie muttered, "Tina's on the other side of the stage. We decided to talk to our respected other." Mike nodded again and patted Artie on the shoulder.

He was behind Brittany and looked at her form. Her head was down and her shoulders were sagging. He licked his lips, it was now or let it get worse later.

"Just tell me why you would cheat on me."

"I don't know. Why would I cheat you? Is this a mad-lib or something?"

"You cheated on me with Mike. You admitted it to me in the green room."

"When?"

"When I was accusing you of adultery in the green room."

"What does that have to do with me cheating?"

"Adultery means cheating."

"I thought that meant being stupid. Like being a dolt."

Artie looked at her replaying their conversation in his head. He mulled it over. If she didn't know adultery then...wait a second. "Why were you avoiding me and stuff? What were you thinking of?" She looked back at him, "Why would you think I'd cheat on you with Mike?"

He sighed. "I don't know. I was at my locker a couple days ago and Tina comes up to me and tells me her doubts. How she's convinced that you and Mike were cheating on me and her." He took her hands as she was kneeling in front of him to be eye level, "Look. I'm sorry. I didn't have any doubts at first but what she was telling me were logical. And I let myself believe her. But...", Artie smiled at Brittany, "I'm sure Mike and Tina have cleared up this horrible...", he grimaced, "...horrible misunderstanding."

Brittany smiled. She leaned in for a kiss and as Artie leaned forward, he stopped. Frowning, Brittany sat back, "What's wrong?" He looked at her intently, "I know I probably didn't make you feel better by not being there for you, but...what did you think I was mad at you for?"

"Oh." She pouted before looking away. "I lost your magic comb. I know. I know. It was a stup-." Artie interrupted her, "Stop. Brit. Stop. You are not stupid. Stop calling yourself that. You just have a different outlook than everyone else. That's what I like about you." He scratched his cheek awkwardly, "And, um, the magic comb is a made up story. I found it on the floor and for some reason there wasn't any trash can that was close to me so when I was going to throw it out elsewhere, I saw you."

She made a face at him, "And you let me comb my hair with it?" Her eyes widened in realization, "I even let Santana use it! I didn't tell her it was a magic comb though..." She looked back at him and grinned, "Maybe she doesn't have to know..." Artie laughed, "Yeah, I think that's just fine."

One of the stagehands called out, "Okay. New Directions! Get ready! You'll be performing in five!"

As Brittany was standing up, Artie grabbed hold of her hands. Looking down to see why, she made eye contact with him. He smiled, "Deep down. I know you know this. Hell, even Britney Spears told you this. You're talented. And you're going to kick butt in this performance. The way you get into the music...every...single...time. You're amazing because you just go for it. I want you to do that, don't worry. You can kinda think of me being with you in spirit as you dance...not just behind you vocally. Besides, Mike's there. And I trust him as a dancer." He squeezed her hands, "I don't know why I even doubted him too. He's a good guy. Tina's happy with him."

Brittany kneeled down again. "Thanks Artie. You're the best boyfriend I've had...ever. And when I'm out there dancing. I'm not going to do it for the team, or for the crowd. It's going to be for you."

They both smiled, glad to have cleared the air around them. Suddenly remembering, the simultaneously went for a kiss. Looking to the other side, Artie saw Mike and Tina smiling with each other. Now confident, Artie looked around at Brittany and the rest of the team.

"LET'S DO THIS!"

EDIT:
aaa: Thanks for the review regardless :D I also hadn't noticed my mistake and yes, it probably should have been "a dolt" not "adult". I fixed it in my story. ^_^