Used to be a one-shot, but I decided to make it a two-shot. This is the end for sure, though.

As the day progressed, Rachel's coughs got worse and worse. It started out with a small cough here and there, but she came out of English class openly wheezing. During Spanish, Rachel's next class, her coughing was nonstop. Every other word Mr. Schuester said, there would be a cough coming from the small girl.

Coughing into her arm for the hundredth time, Mr. Schuester finally told her, "Rachel! Don't you think you should go home to rest? You are disrupting this class."

Rachel had been coughing all day. She couldn't even respond. Standing up, she just left without a word.

Rachel's fathers wouldn't be home that day. They left so early that morning because they were leaving to go out of state. Walking through the halls mindlessly, Rachel didn't have the energy to walk all the way home. She would have fainted on the way there. The only place she could go was the nurse's office.

Arriving to the nurse's office, Rachel said, "Hello?" No answer. "Great. The nurse isn't even here," Rachel thought, as she collapsed on the clean white bed. Curling up into a ball, Rachel closed her eyes, and tried to sleep.

Shake. Shake. Shake.

Rachel slowly opened her eyes, but quickly closed them again due to the bright lights coming from above. Hearing a soft voice, "Rachel, wake up," Rachel tries to open her eyes once again. Eyes half open, she sees a blurred figure with blonde hair. "Quinn?"

Voice still soft, Quinn says, "Yes, Rachel, it's me. Where's your bowl?"

"I think I left it in Mr. Schuester's class."

"Okay, I'll get it for you later. Right now, it's time to go home."

Unable to keep her eyes open, Rachel gives up. "Is school over?"

"No, but it's lunch now, and I can drive you home, okay?"

Nodding, Rachel says, "All right."

After hearing confirmation that she will be driving Rachel home, Quinn puts both her arms under the girl, and lifts. Rachel squeaks and finally opens her eyes to look at Quinn. "What are you doing?"

"Carrying you to my car."

"Quinn! I can walk!"

"But I'll feel better if you're in my arms. I can't take the chance of you tripping or falling. If you're worried about you being heavy, don't. I'm a Cheerio, I can take a little Berry weight."

Nuzzling her face into Quinn's neck out of embarrassment, Rachel mumbles, "Fine." Quinn smiles brightly, and starts walking towards the school parking lot.

Once they're at Rachel's house, Quinn picks Rachel up again. Rachel opens and closes the doors for Quinn because her hands are a little full. Ascending the stairs to Rachel's room, Quinn enters and places her on the bed. She lifts the covers and places them back onto Rachel's body, tucking her in.

As Quinn leans down to brush away loose strands of brunette hair, Rachel asks, "Will you be coming back?"

"Yes. Aren't your dads out of state? Why don't I stay the day?"

Rachel beams at this. "Please?"

"Okay," Quinn says while giggling.

Looking at the clock on Rachel's nightstand, Quinn says, "Well, I'd better get going. Lunch is almost over. I don't want to be late." Leaning down once again, Quinn kisses Rachel's forehead. "Get some rest, okay?"

Elated from the kiss, Rachel shouts, "Okay! I love you!" as Quinn starts to walk away.

Laughing, Quinn says quietly to herself, "I love you, too."

Quinn said no kissing, but she couldn't help it. Rachel looked adorable tucked in her bed sheets. It's okay if it's just on the forehead, isn't it?

When school is over, Quinn goes to her locker, and leaves the school as fast as possible. In every class Quinn had that day, she couldn't concentrate. All she could think about was how Rachel was doing, if she was okay or not.

On the drive to Rachel's, it seemed a lot longer. But looking at the clock before leaving the car to head into the house, it was 3:21. The usual time Quinn and Rachel would find themselves kissing goodbye.

Heading into the house with the spare key Rachel gave her, Quinn, yells, "Rachel?" Hearing nothing said back to her, she quickly ran up the stairs. Quietly opening the door to Rachel's room, Quinn whispers, "Rachel?" With the door fully open, Quinn sees the sleeping figure of her girlfriend on the bed. Walking closer until she's by her side, Quinn rests her palm on Rachel's forehead. Quietly to an unconscious Rachel, she says, "Rachel, you're burning up."

Quinn leaves the room to get a bowl of cold water, and a face towel. Going back into Rachel's room, she dips the towel into the bowl, and squeezes the excess water out before putting it on Rachel's forehead. At the contact, Rachel slowly opens her eyes to see Quinn staring at her with a worried look on her face.

"Quinn, I'm fine, it's just a fever," Rachel says smiling.

"Yeah…" Quinn says weakly.

"Come sleep in bed with me?"

Quinn grins then. "Yeah, scoot over."

Rachel moves over as Quinn lifts the covers and enters the bed, taking Rachel's hand in hers. A few minutes pass by as they lie together, and Rachel starts to rustle.

"I don't think you'll be sitting through a thoroughly thought out power point tomorrow. I have no time to prepare it. I'm so sorry, Quinn, I've let you down."

"It's okay, Rachel," Quinn says, laughing quietly to herself.

After a while, Quinn looks over to Rachel. The girl's chest was moving slowly up and down, and her breathing was going at an even pace. Taking one of her hands out from under the cover, Quinn takes the now warm cloth from Rachel's head and places it into the bowl. Hand back in the warmth of Rachel's blanket, she smiles. Closing her eyes, she leans in to kiss Rachel on the temple. Pulling away just a bit to get to Rachel's ear, she whispers, "I love you."

End

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