A/N: I had to use Jessica and Vanessa, but no one sleeps with them both and gets an STD in this version.

Artie

With Alexa driving them in her trusty Pathfinder that could carry up to seven people, they headed to the Grand Canyon with four of Julie's closest friends from high school the next day. After Alexa and Julie picked up Artie from the hotel that morning, his continental breakfast a pleasant memory, they stopped to pick up each of her friends, one by one, for the road trip.

First, there were Jessica and Vanessa. Both were weird, artsy film girls, both were students at BFA. They seemed a little resentful of the fact that Julie had backed out of attending the Brooklyn Film Academy. Apparently, the plan had been for the three high school best friends to attend together, but at the last minute, Julie bailed to do synchronized swimming at Ohio State. It kind of seemed like they wanted to rub it in a little, just to let Julie know what she was missing.

One of the guys, Trevor, was nice enough. He seemed pretty laid back. He kind of reminded Artie of Joe Hart, but maybe that was just because this dude also had dreadlocks, only his were blonde ones. He'd apparently dated both Jessica and Vanessa, not at the same time. It seemed like he might have had a thing for Julie at some point, and possibly still did. Artie couldn't decide if he did, or if his personality was such that he just always seemed like he was flirting. Trevor was taking a "gap year," as he called it, just working and living at home while he decided if he wanted to do college or not.

The other guy was Patrick, a slightly beefy, curly-headed guy who actually did date Julie in high school. As a matter of fact, they'd attended both junior and senior prom together. Artie learned this just one hour into the trip, because Patrick found a way to bring it up over the course of conversation. Patrick had gone to Stanford, just like Julie was supposed to do. He seemed to be telling her all the great things about going there, in an effort to show her what she was missing. He disguised this as part of an ongoing conversation with her sister.

The unlikely crew was halfway to Phoenix when Artie got a FaceTime call from Sam, but the reception was pretty bad. He'd been expecting the call at some point, though he wasn't exactly sure when Sam was going to pop the question. It seemed he'd wasted no time, after getting Artie's blessing.

The previous night, Sam had called Artie right before he'd drifted off to sleep. Artie had been so tired and so very comfy in his hotel bed, that he nearly ignored the call. He picked up, however, when he noticed it was Sam.

"Hey, man, did I wake you up?" Sam had said.

"No, dude, I wasn't asleep yet," he'd mumbled, turning on his back and yawning into the phone. "Almost, but it's cool. What's up?"

"I meant to talk to you before we left for break," he'd started in. "But then we got busy, what with Amy coming to town and then Regionals, and I never got to really ask you."

"Ask me what?"

Sam had paused. "For... the honor your sister's hand," he'd said, rather formally.

"So, you'll ask me for her hand but not her uterus?"

"Dude!" Sam had exclaimed. "So unnecessary!"

"You had it coming," Artie had said, with a yawn. He sat up straighter, wide awake after the news of Sam's plan. "So, you're going to ask her to marry you? Of course... I'm supportive. Ask her."

"Really? Just like that?"

Artie had laughed. "Well, what did you think I was gonna say?" he'd wondered. "I mean, yeah, just like that. She's having your baby, afterall."

"Well, yeah..."

"But also," Artie had added, knowing that it was important that Sam realize he'd come around a little since the news had first hit him like a ton of bricks. "Listen, Sam, baby or no baby, I think you're good together. I honestly approve, okay? I see how much you love Amy, and I only hope I'm lucky enough to have what the two of you have someday..."

At this point, Sam had gotten a little choked up. Artie could tell, even though he tried to hide it over the phone.

"I have a ring," he'd said, after clearing his throat. "Not a new one... I really have to save for a car... but it's pretty meaningful, it's my grandmother's ring, and it's this really pretty blue sapphire that reminds me of her eyes..."

"She wouldn't even care if you didn't have one at all," Artie had told him. "That's just who she is, she's not fancy. You know her. So, that's it, is that why you called?"

He'd paused. "Well, yeah, that's it. I mean, I know it's still weird between us. But, well, I always wanted a big brother."

And Artie had laughed, mostly at the acknowledgment of him being the elder brother, which hardly made sense to him. No one, upon seeing them, would ever guess that Artie was more than a year older than Sam.

"I always wanted a brother, too, man," he'd said. "And I'm glad it's gonna be you."

A FaceTime call from Sam the following day could only mean that he'd wasted no more time before asking. The reception was been bad, on either their end or his, and Artie groaned when the call got dropped.

"Who was that?" Trevor wanted to know.

"My roommate," Artie explained, trying to redial the number with no luck and exhaling loudly in frustration. "He knocked up my sister around Thanksgiving, and now he's asking her to marry him."

"Your roommate knocked up your sister?" echoed Patrick, with a chuckle. "That's messed up, dude."

"I thought so too, at first," Artie said. "But now, I don't know, I guess I'm getting used to the idea. He called me last night, to ask if he could ask her to marry him, and I told him to go for it."

"That's... weirdly romantic," said Alexa, glancing at Artie in the passenger seat and smiling at him. The three girls in the first row of the backseat all giggled in agreement with her sentiment.

Five minutes later, he was finally able to get a call out, right as a picture that they'd sent of Amy's left hand and the blue sapphire ring came through as well.

"That's awesome!" he shouted, hoping they could hear him on the other end of the line. "Sam, so she's got the ring, does that mean she said yes?!"

Alexa, Julie, Jessica, and Vanessa were hanging on every word. Trevor and Patrick looked mildly interested, in the very back. Artie gave them an enthusiastic thumbs-up, when he got the confirmation. A loud cheer went up from all the girls in the SUV.

"And on that note, time for lunch," Alexa said, as she pulled into the parking lot of Subway, taking the handicapped spot and hanging the placard Artie had given her in the window.

He'd never seen Julie turn as red in the face as she did when they finally stopped, at the halfway point just outside of Phoenix, to get some lunch on their way to Grand Canyon National Park.

Her family, yes, they'd been told all about Artie and his chair. Her friends, on the other hand, had no idea that the new boyfriend sitting in the front seat used a wheelchair until Julie pulled it out of the back for him, assembled it, and waited for him to get in it. Her four friends stared in a manner most obvious for about three seconds, then went about talking to one another as though they hadn't just done that.

Artie considered his next move. If it were Kitty, he would have called her on that one in a heartbeat. But sweet and sensitive Julie was likely to cry or something, if he said anything, so he quickly decided was going to pretend he hadn't noticed a thing.

Except Julie didn't give him that luxury. "I'm really sorry," she said, stopping him before he could follow them into the sandwich shop. "I honestly forgot to say anything until we were already on the way, and then there wasn't really a good way to do that..."

"Julie, it's fine," he assured her. "I'm not offended that you forgot to say anything. Actually, it's kind of refreshing, that you forgot..."

"What do you mean?" And she frowned.

"Just that you weren't thinking about it yourself, for a change."

Julie looked confused, possibly offended, and Artie thought it would have been better had he not made that last comment. He bit his lip, then did a quick pivot and headed inside to follow the rest of the group inside.

The Grand Canyon really was larger than life. And once Artie realized that it was more about the road trip, that none of these people were avid hikers, and that he wasn't wrecking anyone's trip because they couldn't go down into the canyon, he relaxed a little.

He supposed he couldn't fault Julie for being worried about the very thing that he always found himself thinking about, too. It was totally messed up, in fact, that he'd ever made her feel bad for being such a caring, sensitive person. He'd noticed, too, that she'd been unusually quiet ever since.

So, the chair wasn't ruining anyone's time today. It was just him.

"This is really a lot prettier than the pictures," he said, coming up beside her on the perfectly adequate, accessible platform with a great view into the canyon. Julie was busy snapping pictures, and it reminded him a little of Amy and her photography hobby.

"It is," she said. He noticed her friends were busy, that they were finally sort of alone for a minute, and he remembered what she'd said the night before to him.

Which would have been great, if he hadn't ruined the mood. But maybe it could still be salvaged yet...

"Hey, uh, you wanna take a seat?" he asked, patting his lap. She hesistated, then lowered herself gingerly into his lap.

"Am I too heavy?" she wondered, rising again slightly. "I mean, ah, you know, because of your scoliosis? Is it okay?"

"I wouldn't offer if it wasn't," he told her, and she gave a curt nod before settling onto his lap once more. "Listen... I'm sorry. I've been a jerk to you."

"No, what?" she shook her head, vehemently. "I'm the one who doesn't know how to act around you. I'm sure that gets really old."

"The only part that gets old is the part where I keep getting it wrong," he assured her. "And I end up pushing people away, when it's the last thing I intend to do. Julie... you're... really great. Don't change, like, anything. You did everything right."

Julie's smile finally reached her huge, brown eyes. Artie's reached his blue ones, too. She brushed her hand against his cheek, holding his gaze for a moment, before leaning in for a soft kiss. And it was perfect, in the moment, even if it was a little bit G-rated. Artie got the sense that their levels of experience in the sex department were vastly different.

"You got that part right, too," Artie added, as they parted. "This is a great spot for a first kiss."

"So, you finally kissed her," Amy was saying later, as they continued their tradition of evening phone calls, once Artie was back in his swanky, private room. "And at Grand Canyon, no less. Please tell me there are pictures."

"Well, not of our kiss," Artie replied, laughing. "That was private. Semi-private, anyway. Her sister and her friends and these two guys from her high school who are probably both obsessed with her were nearby..."

"Taking notes, I'm sure," Amy mused.

Artie smirked, but fell silent long enough for Amy to guess what was still bugging him.

"But," Amy went on. "She's not Kitty."

"What? No, no," Artie countered. "I wasn't going to mention Kitty. That's not even what I was thinking."

"Alright, alright, new subject," Amy conceded. Artie knew she didn't believe for a second, that he'd stopped comparing his current girlfriend and his ex, but she'd let him go on trying to convince himself that he wasn't doing it. "Sam and I have been talking about setting a date."

"Yeah? That was fast."

"Well, we don't exactly have the luxury of time," she reminded him, chuckling. "Anyway, I wanted to make sure I had it right."

"Had what right?"

"Your surgery date," she clarified, as Artie cringed. "I wanted to make sure we shoot for the weekend before. June 9th, right? It's a Monday?"

"Thank you for the reminder, I was perfectly happy not thinking about the summer break I'm not gonna get this year," he said.

"Sorry!" Amy exclaimed. "I'm just asking because it's pretty much our only window of opportunity. We're too busy all spring. I wanted to make sure I had it right before we start making plans."

"You have it right," he said. Then he thought of something else and cringed. "You just reminded me that I have to break up with Julie before then."

"What, why?" She didn't actually have to ask, though, she knew why. "Oh, please, Artie. Don't do this again. You've been down this road before. With Tina, remember? It was wrong of you then and it's wrong of you now."

"And when I want your advice about that, I'll ask," he replied, coolly.

"For better or worse," Amy pressed on, ignoring the last thing he'd said. "Look, I know you're not getting married, but as someone who is, take it from me. It's important that your relationship be based on more than just the good times."

"I didn't realize that being engaged for all of one day made you a marriage expert," he scoffed.

"I'm not," Amy said, sounding hurt. "But you know who is? Sam's parents. I was talking to his mom today, after we called them to tell them our news. They've endured an unplanned pregnancy in high school, homelessness, I mean, talk about for better or worse..."

"Well, that's marriage, isn't it?" Artie didn't mean to sound as cynical as he did. "Dating doesn't have to be for better or worse."

"It does if you ever want it to last," she said, sounding exasperated now. "Artie, you have got to stop this pattern of dumping the girl you're with anytime they might have to endure something hard with you."

Artie fell silent, as did she. In the long pause that followed, Artie considered how very right she was, though he'd never admit he knew it. He preferred not to take anyone else along for the ride, though it would have been nice to open his eyes after surgery this time around and find the girl he loved holding his hand.

"So, June... 7th then?"

"June 7th," she confirmed. "That gives me about twelve weeks to throw something together. It'll be pretty simple, so that's enough time. I just hope I can handle coaching the kids for Nationals, planning a wedding, and getting ready for this baby."

"Plus, Sam has his synchronized swimming competition before then, too," Artie added. "And then he'll have to move out of the dorm. I guess I'm living alone after the semester ends..."

"Sorry," she said, ruefully.

"Actually, don't be," Artie said. "Look, I've been taking stuff from you for a long time now. Yes, I have, I heard that." (For she'd made a small noise in protest.) "It's time you took something from me."

"Even Sam?"

Artie laughed. "Especially Sam," he said. "He's all yours."