Disenchanted

OK so this bunny has been eating at me for some time now. I know I've read countless other 'What If' alt-verses that are variants on this theme and sorry in advance if it seems that I'm stepping on toes. Anyway I don't know how long this piece will be though knowing my muse and it's feelings for the characters it could be another fic that doesn't want to end…though that also depends on the reviews…. Anyway don't own GLEE if I did we'd get more of certain characters…NOTES: all Tarot card references came from Wikipedia I make refrence to the canadian series Being Erica as well as Disney's version of Little Mermaid and as far as timeline goes everything up through Dream On happened the rest is AU… anyway enjoy


As he watched her dancing with Mike Chang he let out a sigh of jealousy.

Was he bitter, of coarse not after all he was the one who told Tina to dance with someone else in the beginning though a part of him seriously thought she'd go into a lecture about how he was the only one she'd dance with, instead she sadly nodded and said that at least he had to be the one to sing the song.

Looking at his lifeless legs as he sat within the confines of his wheelchair outside of McKinley High a few days later Artie Abrams let out a sigh.

Did he wish the accident never happened eight years? Yes he did, however he constantly reminded himself that if wishes were horses then beggars would ride. Besides normalcy was vastly over rated and without the accident happening he doubted he'd be the man he was today…would he have glee? More importantly would he have Tina Cohen Chang in his life? No he rarely thought of the past and felt it necessary to press on and think of his future where he'd get out of Lima, Ohio and perhaps one day with the marvels of modern medical advances be able to walk.

It was as he was sucking his mind into one of these walking daydreams that she approached, a smile crossing her lips.

"Hey Tee what's up," he said as the young Asian approached him.

"The carnival is in town, " she simply stated as she took a seat on the curb looking up into his eyes, after a few seconds of silence Tina decided to clarify, "do you want to go with me?"

He was about to ask her if she was in fact asking him out on a date when she began to ramble (a trait she only did in his presence which he thought was quite endearing) about her parents on a business trip and Kurt and his dad having 'traditions' and Mercedes being on Quinn duty.

"So I'll be at your place at dusk," she finished.

He simply nodded mentally counting down the moments until dusk fell.

XXX

Walking down the makeshift midway he couldn't help but look at the way the light of the full moon reflected off the blue colored streaks that adorned her hair as she turned and looked at him with a devilish grin.

"Look Artie a fortune teller," Tina said as she pointed to a sign reading 'Madam Larue', "…we should go…it'll be fun."

A Fortune Teller? Fun? Maybe fun for the Goth girl with a quirky obsession of the macabre but not for him. For him the whole idea of it was creepy but if there was one thing he learnt while in glee club it was taking one for the team.

"Fine, but if she starts talking to Elvis I'm wheeling myself out of there."

She playfully flashed him a pout.

"But I thought you were a fan of the King?"

Well she got him there as they walked, or wheeled as the case may have been for him into a large purple tent on the far side of the grounds.

Inside the tent seemed vastly more spacious then either one of them had thought. To one side of the room sat a table that housed a stack of cards and what looked like a crystal ball.

"Crystal Ball, how cliché," Artie mumbled as a voice rang out.

"You may be a skeptic now but just you wait."

Then out of nowhere an old woman appeared draped in a crimson colored robe causing them to jump.

"Come my child, take a seat," she said as she motioned for Tina to sit, "and you wheel right on up next to her and we'll see what's in the cards."

They did what the woman said and took a seat as she sat across from the table and began to shuffle her cards while being lost in some kind of trance like state. Before placing down a card.

THE LOVERS

Artie and Tina looked at one another in an odd kind of way.

The woman began to explain about how this card represented the themes of relationship and choice before flashing a smile that couldn't help but creep the two teens out.

"So in essence it means one of two things, one being you two are soul mates or the other more tragic…"

"Did she say Tragic," Artie thought as she went on…

"Being that one of your hearts will be broken as the other finds their soul mate in another."

And then his mind flickered back to Mike Chang whom she had far more in common with then just an ethnicity and mad dance skills and Artie knew it in his bones.

"Now, I'd like to read you individually if that's alright."

Tina nodded as Artie gave a wary look.

"I promise you Mr. Abrams I'll make a believer of you."

A chill ran down his spine.

How did she know his name?

He wheeled out for a brief moment as he took in all the sights and sounds of the carnival wondering just what Tina was being told in that moment.

XXX

A brief moment passed when the young women emerged. From the look on her face he couldn't tell if her news was good or bad and he was just about to ask before Tina held out a hand to stop him.

"Madam Larue told me not to tell," she replied and although it was a lie the look on Artie's face clearly bought it and so she went on, "anyway the smell of that funnel cake is intoxicating, want me to get us one to split while your future is being told."

"That would be great woman," he said mentally kicking himself for doing that. He always did that…called her 'women' trying to sound all gangster when he just knew it was coming off as possessive.

XXX

"You weren't always in that chair," Madam Larue spoke matter of factly as opposed to asking the young man, "sometimes you wish you were never confined to it but other times you think it happened for a reason."

'Man', he thought, 'this women was scary good…. maybe she was for real and not some Lima community theater actress after all.

"Interesting, interesting indeed," she explained placing down a card."

WHEEL OF FORTUNE

"This card means an element of change is coming which makes perfect sense considering…."

"Considering what?" he asked.

"Considering you're about to get a second chance Artie Abrams."

Second chance…what did she mean by this. Did she mean that Madam Larue was going to be like 'Dr Tom' from that one show he sometimes watched with his mom, and send him back into the body of his eight year old self with his present knowledge in hopes that he could prevent the accident? The old woman must of read his mind (she was a psychic after all) and shook her head.

"That came out wrong, what I mean is you dream of being able to walk…to dance… what if it could become a reality?"

He thought of all the treatments Tina had researched for him a few weeks back how optimistic he was until Miss Pillsbury told him that even with the advances the way his injury was still most likely would be years if even for something to be done.

"Well, I'd ask how much and what's the catch? Cause if you're going all Ursula the Sea Witch on me and want me to give up my voice it ain't going to happen."

The fortuneteller flashed him a mysterious looking smile as she shook her head.

"You don't have to pay the price of your voice or any monetary amount…"

"I sense a but coming on."

The fortuneteller nodded thinking back to her moment with Tina earlier….

"I felt something in there when I pulled that last card….your torn aren't you."

The young girl nodded thinking in more ways then one. She was falling in love with her best friend and it was scaring her half to death. They had already almost lost their friendship after stutter gate and who knew what would happen if they were to date and then inevitably split up after all she could see the way Artie's eyes would fall upon Quinn Fabray from time to time. Despite being seven months pregnant the pretty blonde would always trump freaky best friend right? Then on the other hand there was Mike who she always had a blast hanging around and whom her control freak parents would most definitely approve of (sure they liked Artie but the thought of their only daughter dating another Asian well it would be like Christmas came early in the Cohen-Chang home.)

"What I can say Tina is that the one your meant to be with is the one that you least expect it to be."

She simply nodded.

'But,' she said to Artie knowing what she knew, that Tina was going to pick the other man at least for now, "fate works in mysterious ways and everything is not as it seems."

That definitely seemed ominous and yet…

"What do I have to do?" he asked as he watched the woman reach over and brush her hand through his hair pulling a strain of it out a smile spreading on her lips, "it's been done, enjoy tonight because tomorrow the wheel of fortune will of made it's turn.

XXX

Tina watched as Artie exited the tent and handed him his half the funnel cake along with a bottle of water.

"Thanks," he said.

"So, what did she tell you."

"I'm not at liberty to say," he replied to her withholding his own truth all the while wondering what tomorrow would bring.

XXX

TBC

Ok thoughts on this? Let me know if I should keep posting this here or not