A/N: My pal, QuinnAbrams, wrote a good chunk of the second half here. I'm so glad she did, as she always puts a new spin on it!

"Ready?" Artie flashed a big grin at Quinn, trying his best to be as positive as possible today, as they finished giving their medical information to Guest Services, in exchange for the passes that would grant them their special access to rides.

"Am I allowed to get people to push me?" Quinn asked, as Artie gave her a nod. It was true, he'd sort of taken up the habit of teasing her when she got extra help with her chair from others, but on a day such as today, even Artie would accept some help. There was no shame in that.

"Then, yes," Quinn replied, as they headed out to join the others, who were waiting next to a map and making a game plan for the day.

Rachel, Finn, Mike, Tina, Mercedes, and Kurt had already formed their own small group that day and were waiting on Quinn and Artie. Given that they had two wheelchairs in their group, on the rides Quinn could handle, all six of them would be able to skip the lines.

Artie felt slightly less out of place with the group since Tina was there as well, making him one of (at least) two juniors who had skipped with the seniors that day. Both Sam and Blaine, also juniors, had really wanted to go, too, but Sam had a test he needed to take and Blaine was too serious of a student to skip school. Typically, Artie and Tina were serious students, too. In fact, Blaine, Tina, and Artie were locked in almost a three-way tie for Valedictorian next year. But they'd both made exceptions today, for different reasons. Tina and Mike were savoring every last minute together before he left for Chicago, he supposed. And Artie, of course, was going to support Quinn as she experienced the day as a wheelchair user in a theme park.

"What do you want to do first, Quinn?" In a rare moment, Rachel didn't have every aspect of the day planned out in advance. She seemed to know that Quinn's needs would factor in to the decisions that day.

Quinn directed her gaze at Artie, turning the question to him. They'd studied the Accessibility Guide together that week, so she was just as well versed as he was on what was safe to ride. But, being that she was the one who was still a bit fragile right now, it would come down to what she felt comfortable doing. So, he gave her a shrug and sent the question right back to her, without feeling the need to mention her limitations out loud.

"O-kay, well, that Charlie Brown themed log ride is pretty gentle, right?" Quinn began, still looking at Artie for confirmation.

"I think so, I did it before," Artie reminded her. "Just sit in the middle and have two people brace you from the front and the back. I hear there's a super long line..."

He'd added that last part with a laugh, always there to bring humor to an otherwise awkward situation, as the others felt a little uncomfortable with Quinn's needs, too. And maybe even his. He could tell. He could always tell.

Artie led the way as they headed up what was normally the exit ramp. He was trying not to think about eighth grade and Garrett's obnoxious comments, but it was a bit like déjà vu for Artie, with the notable exception that he was with people he liked this time.

"V.I.P.," said Artie, putting on a good show of being totally confident this time around, almost convincing himself in the process. "Very Important Para coming through."

"How can I help you?" Finn leaned down to say this as softly as he could, as they waited for some people to exit the ride so that they could get in the little log flumes. Artie was busy studying it, thinking through the various maneuvers he could use, and almost didn't hear the question.

"Just help Quinn, I've got it," he said, feeing the need to be a little bit of a show off here. Sometimes he just wanted to prove to himself that he could do something. He knew he could do a better job with the transfer now that he was three years older. Or at least he hoped so.

While Finn tended to Quinn, Artie, driven by his own stubborn determination to make it look easy this time, grabbed his leg and threw it over the seat. As expected, his leg shook like crazy as he manipulated it, but he ignored the shaking and make a grab for the side bars. He pulled his weight forward in one smooth motion, grabbed his other leg and put it into place, and finished the process by adjusting his other foot so that he was safely in place, straddling the seat.

"Smooth moves, Artie!" Mike exclaimed, climbing into the back as Tina situated herself right in front of Artie, who found himself in the middle of a Chang sandwich. Two summers ago, this would have been unthinkable. It didn't matter so much anymore, but it was still a tad awkward, the ex-boyfriend in the middle of the ride.

Meanwhile, Quinn had gotten a lift from Finn and was now sandwiched between Kurt and Mercedes. Finn and Rachel then got their own log. Even though Finn and Quinn were ancient history by now, he was sure Quinn would've felt weird sitting between Finn and Rachel.

"Yo, Kurt," Artie called to the three that were seated in the log behind him. He couldn't see Quinn's face, but he imagined she was a little nervous. "Hang onto Quinn, okay?"

"I've got her," Kurt called back.

Satisfied with the arrangement, Artie turned his attention to keeping his own balance, which took a lot of focus, in the seated straddled position. Mike seemed to sense that balance was an issue without him saying so, probably due to his own experience as a dancer, and kept his hands on Artie's waist without being asked. Artie couldn't help but replay the memory of Garrett complaining about this.

"Reminds me of the time we went here in eighth grade," Tina commented, thinking what he was thinking. Naturally, Mike didn't know about that trip, given that they hadn't met him until high school.

"Yeah, you saved me from that jerk I was with at first," Artie said, downplaying it a little for Mike's sake. He wouldn't have had any good memories of that trip, if it wasn't for Tina. And it was what made him realize how much he liked her.

"It was sort of the beginning of Tartie," Tina mused, as if reading his mind.

And Asian camp was sort of the end, Artie wanted to say but did not say, just imagining their reactions and amusing himself in the process. The boat took a sharp turn and he would have been knocked completely off balance if Mike hadn't been holding him like they were at an eighth grade dance.

As they turned the next corner, Artie could see the little log that contained Mercedes, Quinn, and Kurt. Artie saw something like fear in Quinn's eyes, even on the kiddie ride, and he silently hoped she hadn't pushed herself to do more than she was ready for.

Their boat climbed the small hill, as Artie got ready to brace himself for the short drop down the chute. He'd learned some tricks to tighten the muscles around his back, to lessen the impact of a sudden jolt, tips he'd shared with Quinn on the way to the park.

When he was a little kid, this was the sort of ride he didn't think twice about, but now every ride had to be analyzed, to make sure his body could handle whatever the attraction had in store. His very first time going to an amusement park after the accident wasn't a complete let down, but it was hard to pass up most of the traditional rollercoasters that he'd grown up doing without a second thought. It seemed miraculous that he was able to do some of them, though, and in those fleeting moments, he got to feel like a regular kid again.

The boat topped the hill and slowed down for a moment, hanging there before the drop that seemed much, much bigger when you didn't feel your whole body. Mike didn't forget to hang onto Artie as their little boat sailed down the chute, got them all a little damp, and came to a gentle stop. Artie turned to watch Quinn's log come down behind them and held his breath. From where he sat, their ride seemed uneventful.

It took the attendants at the bottom a moment to notice he was the owner of one of the two wheelchairs. After he'd pointed out which one and they'd brought it over, Artie needed a little assistance from Mike to get out, as it was more difficult when wet. Quinn waited on Finn for help, since neither Mercedes nor Kurt looked particularly comfortable, and he effortlessly lifted her.

Quinn was still laughing after the ride, and Artie took it as a good sign, that she wasn't hurting after that little drop at the end. "That was the most fun I've had in awhile," she declared.

Artie was glad he hadn't accidentally talked her out of coming, because he hadn't seen an ear-to-ear smile from Quinn in awhile. "Want to do another one like it?"

He had not done White Water Canyon since becoming disabled, and from what he read, it had the same guidelines as the log flume ride did. As long as you could hang on with two hands and maintain your balance (or have friends help with that), you were good. They'd go on a boat for six, and since there were eight of them, two of them would have to sit out. But they'd only all be able to skip the line if Quinn was up for it. As he explained the ride and referenced their accessibility guide, Quinn started nodding, just as eager as he was to be a part of the group.

"Okay, my weave is not up for that," Mercedes said, patting her hair. "I think I'll try to win the free throw shoot out for one of those stupid, giant stuffed animals. Who's with me?"

"I'm always with you, Mercedes," Kurt answered immediately, and Artie noticed he was wearing a crisp, fussy-looking white shirt that he probably didn't fancy getting soaked in. "I'll sit this one out, too."

"You okay?" Artie wheeled parallel to Quinn, as the rest headed up the exit ramp for their next ride. He double-checked with her privately, just in case she'd had any reservations before that she didn't voice with the group. Finn was pushing her chair but talking to Rachel, not paying attention to them.

"I'm really okay," she said, understanding why he asked. "But thanks for checking in. You know, without Finn pushing me, I don't think I'd be up for wheeling all over this place. I know you hear it a lot but I'll say it anyway. I admire you, Artie."

Artie blushed at the surprise affirmation. "Well... thanks," he said. "I'm glad we're doing this. Even if I am a little worried that me and Tina are gonna get in trouble somehow, because we're juniors, it's totally worth it, to see you realize people like me can still have fun."

The loading process for White Water Canyon was much more complicated, for the big round boats that seated six. Even if he and Quinn did grab the seats closest to the dock, it was necessary to step down into the boat, which wasn't on the same level as the dock. Accessible didn't always mean without help, that he knew.

"Practice with me first," he told Finn, before the other could ask if Artie needed his help this time. Finn lifted Artie out of one seat and carried him into the boat in as the others watched. Once he'd gotten Artie settled, he repeated the same process with Quinn. As the rest piled in the boat, they seated themselves strategically, so Quinn was by Finn and Artie was by Mike, in case either needed help.

When their little boat launched into the water, Artie made a point of showing Quinn how he held on to the bottom of his seat. His legs were still gonna go flying when they'd hit a bump, but at least his butt would remain securely planted. Quinn had more balance and sensation than he did, so she would be at an advantage in that sense.

None of it mattered all that much, in the grand scheme of things. It was just great not to be counted out of the activity. Even if Artie's legs did go flying around like the limp limbs of a puppet when they slammed into the rapids, he just laughed it up and let the others have a laugh right along with him. Rachel and Tina ended up being the two members of their group to get the most soaked. You never knew who it would be. Tina had eyeliner all over her face and looked like a drowned raccoon.

Artie was so busy laughing at Tina and Rachel that he almost didn't notice Quinn's pained expression when the ride finally came to a stop and they awaited getting off the boat. When they finally did clue into her discomfort, she immediately tried to play it off.

Finn hurried to lift her out of their boat first and put her in her chair. Artie couldn't properly see her expression because a couple of employees came over to check on her. In fact, everyone almost forgot about the other person in a wheelchair, but luckily, Mike remembered Artie couldn't get out on his own and promptly took over the job of lifting him out without being asked while one of the employees that had been tending to Quinn stopped to get his chair for him. When he could see her again, she was drinking her water, red-faced probably out of embarrassment, and laughing at something an employee was saying.

"Thank you so much for checking on me," he heard her telling the employee. "I'll be fine."

When he was back in his seat, he joined his friends in surrounding Quinn. "I'm sorry I suggested that," he said, quickly. "I didn't think it would be that rough."

"It's okay, Artie," she assured him, adjusting her position in her seat. "It was still fun. C'mon, I'll sit the next one out. I want to see you do that one you missed out on last time you were here."

She was, of course, referred to the one he'd backed out of doing, when Garrett and the other guys had laughed at him. As they approached The Bat, Artie's stomach turned. His Kings Island trip from eighth grade had been on his mind a lot lately after recounting the story for Quinn a few days earlier, and for such an adrenaline junkie, he didn't expect any of the rides to make him the least bit anxious. Although, to be fair, it wasn't the ride itself that gave him the bad memories, it was the people he'd been with that day. And, looking around him, Artie already knew that that wouldn't be an issue today.

"Dude, that thing is awesome!" Finn yelled, shielding his eyes from the sun as he gazed up at the ride. "We're doing that. All of us. Oh, uh, I mean... s-sorry, Quinn."

"No, really, it's fine," Quinn insisted, coasting to a stop beside Artie's chair. "I'm not totally sure that I'd want to ride anyways. Seems scary. But the rest of you should go. I want to see you all scream your heads off."

"I'll keep you company, Quinn," Mercedes told her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Rollercoasters have never been my thing either."

"Well, okay then, that settles that," Rachel said, clapping her hands. Her willingness to ride every ride, no matter how high or fast, had surprised Artie. He never would have picked her for an amusement park feen. "Who's ready to ride?"

Artie looked at the five of his friends that were still planning to board the rollercoaster, knowing that he could only bring three of them along to bypass the line with him.

"Well, sorry y'all, but the Artie Express pass only covers four out of the six of us," Artie reminded them, holding up his all-access pass that he was wearing on a lanyard around his neck. "We can all go on, but two will have to wait in the long line with the common folk."

It wasn't everyday that Artie's disability worked to his advantage, so on days that it did, he liked to milk his royal treatment as much as he could.

"That's okay," Tina shrugged. "I don't need to ride. I'm still wet from the log ride, so I might chill here with Quinn and Mercedes and hope the sun will dry me off some." She took a seat on the bench next to Mercedes before reaching her hands out to her boyfriend. "Mike, will you go get me a water? I'm parched."

The group quieted then and all eyes turned to Mike Chang, wondering what his response would be. Mike briefly looked between his often-needy girlfriend and the cool rollercoaster and sighed before nodding.

Poor, non-confrontational Mike, Artie thought to himself as Mike headed off towards the closest concessions stand. If they decided to go for round two on The Bat, Artie decided he'd make sure that Mike was one of his lucky three guests of honor.

With that, Artie, Finn, Rachel, and Kurt headed around the back of the ride to board.

"This line-skipping thing is so cool," Finn commented as they waited for the ride attendant to come check out Artie's pass. "This must never get old."

Artie shook his head and smiled. 'Cool' probably wasn't the first word he would have chosen, but that did seem to be the way his friends were viewing it.

"Definitely one of the better wheelchair perks," Artie agreed. He didn't mention that sometimes he would have wanted to wait in the longer line, as it gave him more time to rest his arms after hauling ass from one end of the park to the other.

The teenage ride attendant came over just then, and after nodding at Artie's pass, she opened the gate and allowed the foursome entrance onto the ride as the riders before them were exiting.

"Hey, since we're the first ones in here, we get to choose which car we want to go on!" Rachel observed. "Let's go to the very front!"

"Oh God, am I going to die?" Kurt wondered out loud as a nervous expression crossed his face. He wasn't as enthusiastic about the rides as his step-brother and his girlfriend were, and it was beginning to show.

"You'll be fine," Artie assured him as Kurt settled himself in the car at the very front and Rachel climbed in directly behind him. Finn waited patiently for Artie to transfer from his chair into the ride seat beside Kurt before taking his own seat next to Rachel.

"Are you good? Um, do you need any help?" Finn asked, for the third time that day as Artie aligned himself at just the right angle with the car.

After the previous rides they'd already been on that day, all of his friends were starting to catch on that the transfers from chair to ride were often tricky and awkward.

"I've got it," Artie assured him, setting his brakes. "But thank you," he was sure to add.

Artie removed his feet from the footrests and scooted forward in his seat before lifting one leg and placing it into the car, gripping the edge of the car and his other leg to steady himself as his left one began to spasm. Sometimes, when others saw him in the middle of a transfer, they figured they would be 'helpful' and attempt to assist him. Little did they realize that actions like that threw him off even more. Artie appreciated that none of his friends did this, and let him figure it out on his own, knowing he'd phone a friend if he needed help. Artie completed the rest of the transfer quickly and easily before readjusting his legs into a comfortable position and pulling the shoulder restraint down until it securely clicked.

By the time he was safely seated and strapped in, the other riders were all getting settled in their cars as well. Finn took Artie's chair by the handles and steered it over to the exit gate that they'd entered through so that it would be out of the way, and he would be retrieving it at the end of the ride to bring it back over for Artie.

"Thanks, Finn," Artie told him as Finn returned and took his seat behind Artie, next to Rachel.

"Anytime," Finn assured him, and Artie believed him. "It's no problem."

The ride attendant came by and checked that everyone's restraints were properly buckled before giving a thumbs up to her co-worker who pushed the button to start the ride.

"Oh geez, I'm not so sure about this one, you guys," Kurt said as the ride lurched forward, earning him laughs from the three others.

"Look, there are the girls!" Rachel pointed, as they began the rollercoaster's ascent and saw Quinn, Mercedes, and Tina at the bench where they'd left them. Poor Mike must've still been in line getting Queen T her requested water bottle.

"Smile, Artie!" Artie heard Quinn call, and he looked down as she pointed to her cheeks, which told him that he must've appeared more scared on the outside than he actually felt on the inside. Artie grinned and gave her a wave as Mercedes snapped a picture on her cell phone.

When they reached the top of the hill, Artie held his breath for only a second before the ride quickly descended, sending the cars twisting and turning around in the air, the four friends screaming the whole way, just as Quinn had predicted.

When they rejoined their group, Finn announced it was time for an early lunch. Here, Artie reminded them, was the one place he couldn't skip the line, so it did make sense to beat the crowd. As they waited for their overpriced junk food, he checked on Quinn once more.

"You good?"

"Never better," she declared.