It's almost twelve when Tina drifts off, head packed with childish "nonsense". She spent almost two hours poring over the book that is now splayed across her stomach, she was so engrossed in the pages and the easy, light fluffiness of each fairytale that she neglected to change into pyjamas. As the digital alarm clock by her bedside strikes midnight, a distorted image… a dream… finds its way into her subconscious mind.

Tina looks around in this dream world she has created. She's in a large, gilded room with heavy diamond chandeliers suspended from the ceiling and big, Medieval-style windows revealing a clear blue night sky outside. The room is so classical and elegant that she is surprised to see a modern stereo with a tall stack of CDs next to it in the corner. There's a golden mirror tacked to the wall beside the audio unit.

"This is strange," she murmurs, reaching to run a hand through her hair. She's shocked, however, to find that her hair is now in what feels like an up-do. She hurries to the mirror, her jeans making a strange, delicate swishing noise as she pitter-patters across the room. When she is close enough to look into the reflective surface, she gasps. Her black hair, formerly limp and straggly, is piled into a glossy bun atop her head, and around her previously bare neck is a beautiful string of pearls. Tina's almond-shaped eyes widen as she surveys her attire; she'd fallen asleep in threadbare jeans and a black skull-print babydoll tank top. Now, she's wearing a long silken black dress that flares out from her hips to the hem. The sleeves are also flared out. Both the sleeves and the neckline are glorified by black lace. The front of the dress is adorned by a black flower pattern. Some people would think the dress is too dark and drab for conventional tastes. But Tina has never felt more beautiful in her life.

The set of double oak doors at the end of the room are pushed open and she whips around in her swishing dress and comfy silk black slippers, only to see Artie. Tina's face immediately burns at the sight of him, nicely dressed in a black tux, without his glasses and- astonishingly!- without his wheelchair.

Normally, Tina would shy away from Artie; from the feelings he evokes in her. But this is a dream and she is dressed to the nines, confident in the idea that yes, right now, she is drop-dead sexy. She moves toward him, not saying a word while her dress floats right along with her.

"Tina," Artie breaks down and speaks first. Her name sounds glorious coming from his beautiful lips. "Do you know where we are?" She stops when she is only a few inches from him planting a slender finger against his surprised mouth.

"Shh," she whispers, not stuttering. No, not at all- in fact, she feels more than a tad seductive and in control. "Do you want me?" The question is brazen, even for her dream-self, and she wonders if she may have gone too far.

But Artie only nods. "Yes."

"Okay." She's no longer worried about the mechanics of how courting goes. She has all the knowledge she needs: Artie really, truly wants her and she really, truly needs him. It's a win-win situation on both sides. And with her newfound gusto, she cannot lose.

Suddenly, the strains of a melodic song fill the room. Her head switches to the stereo, some invisible hand must have flicked it on. And when they both register the song that is playing, Tina's crafty spell of seduction breaks, they both end up giggling like first-graders.

"The Backstreet Boys?" Tina snickers. "Come on, now. I expected better than this."

"Yeah, I never thought I'd hear them in my sleep." Artie agrees thoughtfully. "I am asleep, right?"

"I think so. At least, I think I'm asleep."

"I'm not quite sure how long dreams last," Artie adjusts the prim bowtie around his neck. "But this one probably won't last long enough… would you like to dance?" He's holding out his hand and her ruby red lips are smiling and her beautiful head is nodding and she's taking his hand. He places one hand on her waist, the other on her shoulder, draws her close. She snuggles her head into the crook of his neck, cheeks sprinkled light pink, and sighs contently.

"You look beautiful," he says as they dance together. It's more than just swaying- they are actually circling tightly across the ballroom's floor.

"Really?" Her blush intensifies.

"Yeah." He blushes, too. Though she can't see it because she's still got her face against his neck. "I really like you, Tee."

She stops her dancing and looks at him, dark eyes shining like the bright stars outside of the windows. "I really like you too, Artie."

"Is that only because I'm not in a chair right now?" He asks. She frowns.

"Your chair makes no difference to me."

"Then how come… how come you said no when I asked you to prom? I figured it's because I have a disability, right? I can't blame you…"

"Artie, no." She cuts him off, appalled to hear him speaking about himself that way. "I adore you, chair or no chair. It's just…" she steps away from him, looks down at her hands. "I'm not a lovable person. I'm a loser. Nobody wants me."

"That's not true." Artie steps closer to her once more, puts two fingers under her chin and tries to lift her face so he can look into her eyes. She holds fast, stubbornly glaring at her feet. "Hey, Tina, look at me. It's not true." She makes the mistake of wilfully looking up then. His aquamarine eyes staring back at her are so earnest, she can't find a single lie within their depths. His voice lowers to a whisper. "I want you." He steps even closer, lips slightly puckered. She follows his lead and stretches out her own lips; they meet in a reunion of pure bliss.

Even with the knowledge that this is just a dream, and a '90s boy band playing in the background, Tina feels her life is perfect. No, better than that, she feels she could grow wings and fly. When they finally separate, she leans her forehead against his.

"Do you really like me?" She asks. "In real life, I mean? Then again, it's probably not a smart idea to ask you when I'm dreaming, you might not tell me the truth."

He kisses her again, his lips soft yet urgent against hers. "That is the truth." He tells her. "Believe it."

She wraps her arms around him in an unabashed display of affection. As she stands there, clinging to his solid, warm, upright body, she feels her dream world slipping away. She holds on even tighter, presses her face into his chest.

"You'll see me when you wake up, Tee." He kisses her hair, in spite of his words her fingers are locked around his waist.

Tina's eyes shoot open, prompted by the end of that magical dream. She's lying in the dark on her bed, back in her plain jeans and tank top, with a small weight on her stomach. She waits for her eyes to adjust to the darkness before she can make out the book of fairytales she'd been reading earlier before she fell asleep. Tina smiles as her dream floods back into her mind- it was like a mini movie, playing right in her head.

She removes the book from her stomach, closes it carefully and places it on the floor. Tina takes one last look at her bedside clock before sliding under the covers and closing her eyes, her whole body enveloped by the tingles.

She can't wait to see Artie at school the next day.


I was a little stuck with this story so I decided to sit down and write whatever came to mind. This... was what came to mind. I hope it's not too weird or unrealistic? A pretty, fluffy dream sounds like something poor Tina deserves, though. This is the last update I'll be making, fanfiction wise, until I get back from camp next week so please try to be patient. If you have any ideas of what could/should happen next, or any potential drama that would make the story interesting, don't hesitate to tell me! Remember, honesty is appreciated (: Please click the review button.

On a side note, I really think that someone should start up a forum (is that what they're called?) on here for Glee as a place for discussion about the show, but also as a place for people to suggest challenges. I know that Livejournal has one (thanks Goldstar94 for letting me know) but I think should have one as well. Meh. Just a random thought from my overly-tired brain.