Title: In the Arms of an Angel
Rating: PG
Pairing: Quinn/Rachel
Spoilers: none
Summary: Rachel had an awful day in New York City
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Fox and Ryan Murphy. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made from this work of fiction.

Rachel hitches her bag farther up on her shoulder as she stands, holding on while the subway train speeds towards her stop. Her fingers are numb; she had forgotten her gloves in her hurry to get out the door that morning and she is regretting it now. She breathes softly on her left hand to warm it and then stuffs it into her pocket.

The train slows and she glances up to squint through the window and read the station name. It's her stop so she maneuvers her way to the door and steps out when they hiss open. Rachel walks quickly to the exit and takes the stairs up to the street level. She trudges the seven blocks to her little apartment building and bites out a curse when her foot slips into a pile of cold slush she had been trying to avoid.

She shakes her foot to get some of the slush off and pulls her bag around to find her keys. Her numb fingers fumble with the key chain but she finally gets the right one, letting herself into the building. A quick glance tells her that the elevator is out of order, as usual, so she heads back to take the five flights of stairs to her floor.

When she finally lets herself into her apartment, all she wants to do is collapse into bed and sleep until the weekend. As it is, she'll be lucky to get five hours before having to head in for the early shift in the morning. She dumps her bag by the door, toes her shoes off her feet and tugs at the buttons of her coat, trying to get herself free. She drops the coat on the floor and moves to the small bedroom, pulling her shirt over her head to drape across a chair.

Trying to stay as quiet as possible, Rachel gently pulls down the covers of the bed and slips in. Most days, she'd wake up her girlfriend and chat a little about their days, but today she is just exhausted. She turns on her side and tucks her knees up almost to her chest, trying to get warm; the heating in their building has always sucked.

She shivers slightly and is relieved when an arms slips around her waist, pulling her back and into a cocoon of warmth.

"Rach, you just get in?" Quinn's sleepy voice nearly purrs in her ear and suddenly Rachel feels something break in her.

She chokes back a sob and buries her face into her pillow, gulping a deep breath to try and calm herself down. Quinn obviously notices because the blond is leaning up on one elbow, trying to get a look at Rachel's face. Gentle fingers wipe away a tear from her cheek and Rachel feels her shoulder being pulled, turning her over.

"Rachel, sweetheart, what's wrong?" Quinn's hazel eyes are still blinking themselves awake and her hair is mussed, tendrils hanging across her face.

"N...Nothing," Rachel stammers, but the look in Quinn's eyes tells her that her girlfriend is having none of it. "I just had a crappy day, that's all."

"Why don't you tell me about it and I'll see what I can do, okay?"

Rachel nods slightly and twists all the way around so she can tuck her head under Quinn's chin, wrapping her arms around a slim waist. "Well, I somehow forgot that my audition had changed locations this morning, so I was late and it was so embarrassing. Then they told me that they had seen dozens of girls who sounded just like me and they needed someone special." Rachel heard Quinn stiffen and suck in a breath, but she kept going before she lost her composure again. "Then I had the late shift at the diner and you know that night manager hates me. Whenever he saw me he'd just yell at me that I was moving too slow. Then this group of teenagers came in and they all put their tips at the bottom of their milkshake glasses. And they all just left a dime anyways. I forgot my gloves, so my hands froze and I stepped in slush. My head has been pounding all day and I'm tired. And I have to work the early shift tomorrow."

Rachel sniffles once more and twirls a blond lock of hair around a finger. "What if they were right? What if I'm not special enough to actually make it here? What if I'm stuck waiting tables for the rest of my life?" She could feel herself choking up again and so buried her face into Quinn's neck.

Quinn stays silent for a long moment and strokes Rachel's hair softly. When she feels Rachel begin to calm down, she says, "Rachel, I've heard a lot of people sing. I've gone to see far more Broadway shows than the average person, thanks to you, and we both know that you probably have the largest collection of musical soundtracks in existence. I know music, but I have never, and I mean never, heard anyone quite like you. You pour your heart and soul into everything you do, and you make your audience feel when you sing. If they turned you down, it's completely their loss, because obviously they have no taste at all. You'll get your big break, and it's going to be in the perfect show. Soon they'll be writing things with you in mind."

Quinn reaches to tilt Rachel's face up so their eyes can meet. "Rachel, you are special, never doubt that." She leans forward and presses a gentle kiss to Rachel's forehead, murmuring, "I love you."

Rachel gives a watery smile, now feeling rather emotional for a completely different reason. "I love you too, Quinn."

"Sleep now, Rach. I'll wake you up before I go in, ok? You'll blow them away next time." Rachel can feel Quinn smiling against her hair, and her heart warms.

When Quinn holds her close tells Rachel that she believes in her, Rachel always feels like she's in the arms of an angel.