How the Glee Club Lost Its Voice (F/F, Faberry aka Quinn & Rachel)

[wannablessedbe]

Hey all,

so I'm sure I'm not the only one who read about how Glee production was temporarily shut down this week due to Dianna (Quinn) and a few others coming down with tonsillitis. She even tweeted about it, saying she should've gotten a flu shot, and posted a pic of a teddy bear with a sad face and a thermometer in its mouth (http://felldownthera...post/2169034962). I melted. Then my anonymous fan sent me this link w/ a pic of her sneezing from sunday: http://s1.zetaboards...c/3905165/1151/. Poor Dianna! Obviously, this is a story waiting to happen. I know I did write a "real life" fic about Lea & Dianna early on, but now I feel so much more invested (and comfortable with) their characters' relationship versus the real-life voyeurism, this ended up being a Faberry (Quinn & Rachel) rather than an Achele (Lea & Dianna) fic. Sort of a mash-up of this week's news with the episode "The Substitute," when Gwenyth Paltrow is their substitute teacher 'cause Mr. Schue is out sick with the "monkey flu" that's going around school. Hope you guys enjoy this! Holla if you want me to keep going...

<3,

WBB

How Glee Club Lost Its Voice

By WannaBlessedBe

Chapter 1

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"For fuck's sake, Rachel, we're all perfectly healthy. Now will you put all that crap away so we can rehearse?" Quinn tapped her foot impatiently, gesturing to the pile of vitamins, herbal supplements and throat sprays that her girlfriend had just piled on top of the piano. Rachel gave her a withering glare and put her hands on her hips. Quinn sighed inwardly, knowing that it had been futile to try to derail the little diva when she had her mind set on something she thought would benefit glee club.

"Quinn, as you very well know, there has been a virulent flu virus circulating the school for over a week now. Mr. Schue has been absent for five consecutive days already, and since I know I'm the only one here who actually bothered to get a flu shot this year, it's just dumb luck that's kept the rest of you healthy so far. We can't afford any more illness in our ranks right now, and short of everyone wearing the regulation hospital masks that I recommended, a strong assault of natural remedies is the best chance we have of keeping all your singing voices intact. Since I've already purchased the necessary supplies for the entire team, I see no reasonable argument against my very simple, and rather selfless request." The dark-haired girl swept her eyes around the choir room, glaring at each of her teammates in turn until, one by one, they rolled their eyes and approached the piano to take their vitamins. "Thank you," she finished graciously, until only Quinn was left.

"Whatever, this stuff doesn't even work," the blonde girl grumbled, taking the last little Dixie cup filled with vitamins and swallowing them with a gulp of orange juice (also poured out in precisely equal servings next to the vitamin cups). Rachel smiled triumphantly and turned back to the group.

"Thank you, everyone, I'm certain this will improve our chances for a win at Sectionals. Now, since Mr. Schue is still absent, I thought we could use this time to explore some of our own song ideas that he's been less than willing to entertain in the past. I've taken the liberty of preparing some sheet music…" While Rachel prattled on, Quinn shivered and zipped up her Cheerios jacket. She didn't understand why they would cut back on the heat at a time like this, with half the school sick, and freezing rain pelting down outside. She wrapped her scarf around her neck, grateful for its soft warmth, and followed Brittany and Santana to the corner of the room to learn their part.

As they all gathered their bags to depart two hours later, Quinn felt a small, warm hand on her back, and she smiled as she turned to face Rachel. "Hey," she said wearily, slinging an arm around her girlfriend's shoulders. "That was a really good rehearsal, Rach. It's too bad you can't be our director, for real—you're better than Mr. Schue, honestly."

"Thank you Quinn, that's very sweet of you to say—though, as my girlfriend, it's possible that you may be a bit biased." Rachel leaned into Quinn's arm, and kissed her on the cheek. "I have to say, though, you were a bit sharp today. When we practice alone, you're always perfect; but I can't give you as much attention here with the group as I do when it's just the two of us. You may want to consider investing in a tuning device of some kind for future practices."

"Sorry I'm not perfect like you," Quinn grumbled, turning her face away so Rachel couldn't see her pout. "I do have other things to juggle besides glee, you know."

"I know baby, and I certainly didn't mean to insult you—I think you're one of the most talented people in here besides me, you should know that by now. I merely meant that you didn't sound your best today, and I know you can do better."

"Gee, thanks, now I feel great," Quinn grumbled, kicking an empty Snapple bottle lying on the floor.

"Quinn," Rachel frowned, a placating note in her voice as she looked up at her girlfriend's pouting face. But something in the blonde girl's expression made her pause. "Are you okay?"

"Uh-huh," Quinn nodded, raising her free hand to her face as her hazel eyes fluttered, and she stopped short, bringing them both to an abrupt halt in the middle of the hallway. "Ihh-tssch!" Quinn bent forward with a soft, breathy sneeze, one hand cupped to her face as a barely detectable shiver ran down her spine. But Rachel, with her arm around her girlfriend's waist, noticed it easily, along with the whisper-soft sniffle as Quinn wiped her nose on the end of her sleeve.

"Oh, dear. Bless you sweetie. So that's why your voice sounded funny today…you're getting sick. I told you to get a flu shot last month, didn't I?" The blonde cheerleader glared at her girlfriend, taking her arm back from around her shoulders.

"Keep nagging, Rach, that's really sexy. Nothing makes me want you more than when you bitch at me like we've been married fifty years already."

"Well since you seem determined not to look after your own health, you leave me no choice but to take direct action on your behalf. If you'd just gotten a flu shot like I told you to"—

"Arrgh!" Quinn yelled, regretting it slightly when her throat flared painfully. Maybe she was a little under the weather…but she could handle it herself. She wasn't going to let glee club down, and she wasn't a child who needed looking after. "Back off, Rachel! You're my girlfriend, not my mom. I don't need you telling me when to eat, sleep and wipe my nose, okay?"

"I will ignore your impertinent tone right now, as I know how grouchy you can get when you aren't feeling well. However, I will remind you that I'm only trying to help you, and you're never too old to have someone who loves you take care of you when you are sick."

"I'm not sick," Quinn grumbled, her annoyance deflated slightly by Rachel's subtle, slightly sneaky way of saying I love you. "It was one stupid sneeze, okay? I don't think we need to call in the paramedics quite yet." Rachel sighed and shook her head sadly. Most of the time, she was glad her girlfriend was so strong-willed; she needed a partner who could stand up to her and match her strength of character, and Quinn certainly fulfilled that requirement. But at times like this, when she was obviously right and had Quinn's best interest at heart, she wished her girlfriend would just shut up and listen to her.

"Fine," the dark-haired girl sighed. Then she unzipped her backpack, and pulled out the pharmacy bag containing all the rest of the vitamins she'd bought for glee club. "Just take these, please Quinn? I can't force you to take them, but I'll feel better knowing you have them. Just in case." Quinn rolled her eyes, but took the bag.

"Fine, if it will make you feel…" Quinn's eyebrows quirked, and she picked up the end of her scarf, hastily pressing it over her nose and mouth. "Hht-tssch! Ughh…*sniffle.* Sorry."

"Bless you," Rachel sighed, a tiny smirk emerging at the corner of her mouth. "Honestly, Quinn. Of all the things you could apologize for, you always pick the one that's unnecessary." She leaned in and kissed the blonde girl lightly on the lips.

"Rachel, don't! You might catch…I mean…" Quinn blushed, trying to backpedal, as Rachel's smirk widened in satisfaction. "I'm not saying I'm sick, okay? I'm just admitting that it's possible. And if, hypothetically, I were to come down with something, I wouldn't want you to catch it too. That's all."

"Your chivalry is much appreciated as always, but you needn't worry in this case, Quinn. I told you, I got my flu shot a month ago, so I'm quite safe from any germs you may or may not currently be in possession of." Quinn giggled at Rachel's trademark loquaciousness, a small smile finally emerging on her slightly-paler-than-usual face.

"Okay, my little star. Thanks for the care package. I promise I'll take them if I start to feel sick, okay?"

"Okay, sunshine." Rachel kissed Quinn on the cheek and slipped her arm back around the blonde girl's waist, feeling the nervous knot in her stomach ease slightly when Quinn's arm went back around her shoulders. Maybe she was being a nag…maybe Quinn was telling the truth about feeling all right.

"Iht-tchhew! *Cough, cough.*" Then again, maybe not.

[*LL*]

I thought I'd take the opportunity to say I have read all the stories ever posted on here by you and they always manage to impress me

Quinn and Rachel in general are cute add sneeziness to the mix and it must be love I'll eagerly anticipate an update!

[sneeze@me]

cute. i love quinn's deniel.

[Katsuo]

That was great! I need more

[Whysprr]

So great! I love this pairing!!! Please continue!

[Rolling Rebel]

This is great - there's nothing cuter than a sick cheerleader, except a sick cheerleader in denial.... Please continue!!

[Alexandria]

i love glee stories! I can't wait for more!

[Unsweetened]

Love Quinn's denial! Rachel is too cute also, with all her vitamin distribution. I can't wait for more!

[Guest Jess Squared]

You always do such a great job with your stories, regardless of the 'verse you're writing in. You manage to blend canon and non-canon relationships in, along with some sneezy illness or whatnot, without breaking the tone of the show's 'verse or the characterization of whoever you're writing about. Nothing feels forced or contrived.

(I have a cold myself right now because it's freaking *freezing* in my research lab so sorry if this is mildly incoherent sounding.)

[Zwee]

Oh, this is adorable so far! I can't wait for the next part! <3

[Bluebird]

As always WBB, you're able to make me so happy! This is really adorable & I enjoyed reading it a lot. =)

More please?

[wannablessedbe]

wow, thanks you guys! I'm thrilled so many of you are enjoying this Since you asked so nicely...here you go!

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How the Glee Club Lost Its Voice

Chapter 2

By WannaBlessedBe

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After a quick kiss goodbye, Quinn left Rachel at her locker and ran off to Cheerios practice. Truthfully, the dark-haired girl didn’t particularly approve of her girlfriend subjecting herself to the Sue Sylvester workout routine from hell when she was obviously coming down with something; but she knew that they’d just end up arguing if she tried to talk Quinn out of it, and she’d probably end up going anyway, so what was the point? Rachel didn’t want to be in the doghouse. She wanted to go home and get some nice hot soup ready for when Quinn came over to study later. There was no way she could make herself touch raw chicken—not even for love—but perhaps Quinn would enjoy some nice miso soup, which was highly nutrient-rich and would definitely help her just as much as chicken soup. Even if she was the second most stubborn girl in Ohio.

With her coat buttoned up to her chin and her enormous gold star umbrella in hand, Rachel headed for the parking lot. Before she got to her car, however, she glanced out at the football field and saw, through the pelting rain, a blurry mass of red and white figures running up and down the field. “Oh, no. Absolutely not!” she exclaimed indignantly to no one, spinning on her heels and heading away from her car and towards the athletic fields.

As she got closer, Rachel could see that Coach Sylvester was, of course, quite warm and dry herself under her vast red umbrella; but the Cheerios were all getting soaked, and frankly they all looked miserable. The little diva marched straight up to her girlfriend, who was currently waiting in line to do wind sprints. The blonde girl had her arms wrapped tightly around herself, rain dripping from her hair and off the end of her nose, which had turned a delicate shade of pink in the cold. She was shivering violently, teeth chattering behind blue lips. Rachel had to control the impulse to shove the tip of her umbrella through Sue Sylvester’s eye.

“Quinn, what on earth are you doing out here? You’re supposed to be practicing in the auditorium!” The little diva ran up to her girlfriend’s side, sharing the shelter of her large umbrella. Quinn was so wet already that it hardly mattered; all it really did was make her feel the cold air more sharply against her damp skin.

“It’s b-being f-fumigated,” the blonde girl stuttered, smiling ruefully at a few of her teammates as they nodded in miserable agreement. “You sh-shouldn’t b-be out here, Rach…you’re gonna get me in t-trouble.”

“I’m going to get you in trouble? You’re going to catch double-pneumonia out here, Quinn! Honestly, have you completely lost your mind? You’re already coming down with something, and to willing subject yourself to this heinous weather will only serve to further”—

“Mini-Streisand! Off my field!” Sue Sylvester’s voice barked out through her ever-present megaphone. Quinn glanced anxiously from her coach, back to her girlfriend.

“Rach, please. Go home. I’ll be over in a couple of hours, ohh…okay? Hht-tssch! Iht-tchiiew! *Sniffle.*” The dripping, shivering blonde girl snapped forward, releasing two congested sneezes into her wet hands. Then she sniffled, and broke into a deep, rattling cough.

“Absolutely not, Quinn. And, God bless you. You’re sick and you have no business being out here in the rain, and you’re coming home with me this minute.” Rachel grabbed Quinn’s icy hand, and attempted to drag her forcibly off the field. There were a few snickers from the surrounding Cheerios, coupled with a few awwws and other more approving sounds. None of it had any impact on Rachel; she had eyes for Quinn only.

“Rachel, stop it! You’re making me look like a wuss in front of my squad!” Quinn yanked her hand back, and it slipped easily from Rachel’s grip in the slick rain.

“I fail to see how catching your death for no good reason makes you a better captain,” Rachel huffed, her cheeks going red with a combination of fury and protectiveness. Then she softened, her big brown eyes pleading as she took Quinn’s hand back, warming it against her cheek. “You look like you’re about to keel over, honey. Please, don’t do this to yourself. Santana, doesn’t she look awfully sick to you?” Rachel turned imploringly to Quinn’s second-in-command, who smirked through her own dripping-wet misery at her two bickering friends.

“Yeah, pretty much. But don’t worry, Q, I’ll totally step up and assume command if you die.”

“San, that’s mean,” Brittany piped up, patting Quinn’s arm with a small smile of encouragement. “Don’t worry, Quinn, I’m sure you won’t die.”

“Will you guys please shut up, we’re gonna get in…huhh…” Quinn’s breath quivered as she raised her hands, hovering a few inches in front of her face. “Hh…hh…hht-kschhew! Uhhh, fuck…” The blonde girl whimpered behind her hands, before turning away from the many eyes upon her to wipe her hands on her already soaked skirt. Then she turned back miserably to her girlfriend, rubbing a finger along the brilliantly pink underside of her clogged nose.

“All right, that’s it, you whiny little babies!” Sue approached the group of cheerleaders (plus one small interloping diva) who were not following instructions, still shouting through her megaphone though she was only a few feet away now. “You think this is hard? I’m passing a kidney stone as we speak, that’s hard! Twenty laps now, and I mean move it!” There was a groan of misery from the collective Cheerios, but they all moved off to start their laps, except for Quinn, who was looking at Rachel like she might burst into tears any second. Her lower lip, in addition to being almost blue with cold, was quivering.

“Ms. Sylvester, Quinn isn’t feeling well today. I’m sure you won’t mind excusing her from the rest of practice so she can go home and attend to her illness,” Rachel said as commandingly as she could to the terrifying woman towering over her. Sue blinked, her measured gaze traveling from Rachel to Quinn, whose teeth were chattering again.

“Q, are you sick?” Sue demanded, eyebrow raised in mild curiosity. Quinn glanced from her girlfriend back to her coach, with the weak, vaguely unfocused expression that suggested she’d just been caught mid-sneeze.

“I…uhhh…” she shivered, her eyes squeezing shut as it quickly got the best of her. “Iht-tssch!”

“Oh, for pete’s sake, you can’t even talk, can you? Go on, get out of here Q. You’re no good to me now anyway.” Sue shook her head ruefully. Quinn and Rachel both stared, frankly amazed. “Well? Get out of here, and take your miserable germs with you!”

“Th-thadks, coach,” Quinn squeaked. Then she grabbed her girlfriend’s hand and scurried off the field as fast as her numb legs would carry her.

[Katsuo]

more, more, more *runs around screaming* pleaase?

[Bluebird]

Ahh, brilliance! Sheer and utter brilliance! I cracked up so hard at "Mini-Streisand" XD it's brilliant! Love it, can't wait for more

[Whysprr]

This is sooooooo good!!! Thanks for the update!! I can't wait for more!

[Alexandria]

I like this story. Ypu should definitley write more. I really like the whole idea of rachel caring for quinn!

[Zwee]

Aw, so cute! This is really in character, more so than all the stories I've attempted to write for Glee. I'm loving this. I also loved "Mini-Streisand". Thanks!!

[wannablessedbe]

merry christmas, yo!!! thanks for the happy reviews all. I just wanted to post this short scene as a lil' stocking stuffer for y'all, cause you've been very good this year, haven't you? (sorry. I'm already a little drunk on vegan eggnog. it's just called nog. but I wasn't drunk when I wrote this so it should be coherent!)

xoxo,

--WBB

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As soon as they were in the car, Rachel wriggled out of her coat and threw it over Quinn like a blanket. "Aren't you g-gonna be c-c-cold now?" Quinn stuttered, curling up tightly with her knees to her chest under the snug coat, already warmed by Rachel's body heat.

"I'll manage. I'm dry and we'll be home in a few minutes, anyway. You're sick and soaking wet. What kind of girlfriend would I be if I just let you suffer?"

"You're the best," Quinn tried to smile, but her face was stiff with cold and she couldn't quite manage it. "Uhh, Rach, do you have any...*sniffle*...any, uh...t-tissues?"

"Oh, crap...um, maybe in the glove box?" Quinn nodded and reached one hand out from under the relative warmth of Rachel's coat to open the glove compartment, her eyes already half-closed with a hazy, distracted expression.

"Hht-tschh! *Sniff, sniffle*...ughh, sorry," Quinn squeaked, grabbing the handful of Starbucks napkins she found in the glove box and trying to wipe the spray from her sneeze off Rachel's coat.

"Aww, bless you sweetie pie. Don't worry about the stupid coat, okay? Let's let the dry cleaners take care of the coat, and I'll take care of you." The dark-haired girl smiled warmly, reaching over to stroke a lock of her girlfriend's wet hair back from her face.

"You are so...*sniff!*...so awesombe," Quinn sniffled, rubbing her pink nose on the scratchy napkins and blowing softly into the bundle. "Ughh, and I'b so gross," she whined miserably.

"Don't be ridiculous Quinn, you are not gross. You've just got a bad cold, and you can't help it. Running around out in the rain certainly wasn't any help to the situation, but even under the best of conditions, everyone gets sick once in a while. It doesn't make you any less adorable, believe me." Quinn snorted weakly in disbelief.

"Yeah, right. I'm sure I'm really...huhh...really cute righh...*sniffle*...right now..." Rachel glanced at Quinn from the corner of her eye, half her attention on the road and the other half on her girlfriend's helpless expression as she tried to fend off another sneeze.

"Honey, don't try to hold it in, you're making yourself even more miserable than you need to be. If you feel a sneeze coming on, just let it come, okay? Forget the stupid coat."

"I...uhhh..." Quinn's breath caught, quivering in her chest, as her nose began to run again. Her little pink nostrils flared involuntarily, irritated by the dripping wetness. "Iht-chshh! Hht-kshhiew! *Sniff, sniffle.*" Quinn shuddered helplessly with each sneeze, pressing the now-damp bunch of napkins to her tender nose.

"Bless you, my little angel. Poor baby, your nose is getting all red...we'll get you some better tissues at home."

"'Kay," Quinn mumbled, giving her nose one more tentative blow into the shoddy paper napkins. All she really cared about at this point was getting warm again. Clearing out her stuffy nose would just be a bonus.

They made it home in just a few minutes, making a beeline for the upstairs bathroom, where Rachel immediately began peeling off Quinn's wet cheerleading skirt and top. Quinn was left shivering in her underwear as Rachel leaned across her to turn on the shower, making sure it was hot but not scalding-- she didn't want Quinn to go straight from freezing to burning, either. "Okay, there we go baby. Let's get you warmed up now."

"Th-thadks, Rach...hht-ktchh! *Sniffle.*" Quinn wiped her nose on her arm, stumbling as she pulled off her soaked underwear and bra, her skin even paler than usual because she was so cold. Her groan of appreciation when the hot water hit her skin made Rachel smile, despite her worry over her sick girlfriend. She began pulling off her own clothes to follow Quinn into the shower, determined to help as much as she could to make her sweet angel feel better.

[ichixshiro14]

awww soo adorable =]

[wannablessedbe]

hey guys! normally I'd wait a bit before posting another part (to see if people are reading & commenting & want me to continue...) but we got our first snowstorm of the year today, and inspiration struck! Comments are, of course, still greatly appreciated Enjoy!

--WBB

ps-- this note is to my anonymous fan, you know who you are. I am so glad you're enjoying my writing so much, but I still don't get why you won't just register and get an account so you can post publicly! You'll still be anonymous...it's not like any of us are using our real names here. And I have a separate email address that I use for fanfic, that's completely separate from my real life and has no danger of ever compromising my anonymity. Seriously, posting and talking publicly here is fun. You should try it!!!

How the Glee Club Lost Its Voice

Chapter 4

By WannaBlessedBe

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The hot shower seemed to make Quinn feel a lot better; but it also made her warm and drowsy, and she fell asleep as soon as she was dried off and dressed in Rachel’s favorite argyle flannel pajamas. Rachel was annoyed with herself when she came back from the bathroom with a cup of cold medicine and realized she was too late; she should’ve given Quinn the medicine before anything else. But she hadn’t wanted her to get a fresh chill from sitting around in nothing but a damp towel, either. She supposed she could save it for when she woke up from her nap…hopefully that wouldn't be too long, anyway. Sighing, Rachel placed the little cup on the bedside table and pulled the covers up over her sleeping girlfriend, leaving a soft kiss on her forehead. Was she feverish, or just warm from the shower? It was too soon for Rachel to tell.

She decided to get her homework done while Quinn was asleep, so she’d be able to spend all her time and attention taking care of her sick baby when she woke up. Retrieving her backpack from where she’d dropped it in the front hall made her realize they’d left all Quinn’s stuff in the Cheerios’ locker room—once Coach Sylvester had said they could go, they had practically left a cloud of dust behind in their eagerness to get out of there before she changed her mind. Rachel thought about making a quick trip back to school to pick up Quinn’s stuff while she was sleeping; but the idea of leaving her for even a moment was painful. What if she woke up while Rachel was gone, feverish and disoriented and all alone? The backpack would just have to wait till tomorrow.

Rachel got her own school things and came back upstairs, settling herself beside Quinn’s peacefully sleeping body in bed. She finished her math assignment and was halfway through her English reading when Quinn began to whimper and cough in her sleep; heavy, congested coughs that made Rachel wince in sympathy. She’d been hoping that Quinn had just caught a cold out in the rain; but it sounded like she was definitely coming down with that awful flu bug going around school.

“Poor little lamb,” Rachel murmured, stroking a lock of blonde hair back from Quinn’s flushed face. She was definitely getting a fever now. Rachel wondered whether it would be worth waking Quinn for her medicine, rather than waiting till she woke up on her own, when the doorbell rang. “I’ll be right back, baby,” Rachel whispered in the sleeping girl’s ear, leaving a soft kiss on her hot forehead before slipping out of bed to answer the door.

Much to her surprise, Rachel found Brittany and Santana on her doorstep, huddled together under a large red umbrella. Brittany gave her a sweet smile, but Santana just growled at her as usual.

“Q forgot her backpack,” Santana grumbled, thrusting it out toward the little diva. It immediately became coated in white flakes, which in turn made Rachel realize it had stopped raining and started snowing.

“Oh, thank you Santana! Come inside, you must be freezing. I was just about to make some tea.”

“In your dreams, hobbit. I’m only here ‘cause Brit made me bring Q her stupid backpack, and we’re not about to get your dorky argyle cooties on our Cheerios uniforms. So, later.” Santana dropped Quinn’s backpack into Rachel’s arms and turned to go, but Brittany tugged on her girlfriend’s arm and gave her a sad puppy look.

“San, I’m cold…I want tea.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake…” Santana sighed and rolled her eyes. Rachel bit her lip, smirking quietly. It was nice to be reminded every once in a while who really called the shots between the two Cheerios.

“Make yourselves at home,” the little diva said graciously, stepping aside to let the two red and white clad figures pass.

Rachel put the kettle on, and had just laid out the tea cups when they all heard the sound of Quinn coughing and calling out for Rachel from upstairs. The dark-haired girl immediately abandoned her tea, running straight for the stairs. She found Quinn curled up against the pillows, awake but looking sleepy and disoriented, her eyes glassy and fever-bright as she coughed weakly into her hands.

“Shh, I’m right here baby,” Rachel cooed, slipping into bed beside Quinn and gathering her warm body close.

“How did we get here?” Quinn asked faintly, rubbing her eyes as she curled up automatically against her girlfriend’s body. “I’m s’pozed to be at practice…gonna get in trouble…”

“Shh, you’re not going to get in trouble. We left practice early, remember? Coach Sylvester said it was all right. Because you’re sick, honey. You just need to rest, and let me take care of you…everything’s okay, I promise.” Rachel rubbed Quinn’s back in soothing circles, and kissed her hot forehead.

“Oh…right…I remember.” Quinn sniffled, then raised a hand to rub her nose, and sniffled again. “Sorry.”

“You don’t have to be sorry, angel. Here, we’ve got plenty of nice soft tissues for you now.” Rachel reached for the box of tissues from the bedside table, depositing them in her lap so Quinn could easily reach.

“Thadk you,” Quinn murmured sleepily, pulling one out and folding it wearily around her nose for a good, deep blow. The heavy, wet sound erased any doubts Rachel had about just how congested the poor girl was.

“Damn, Q, you sound like shit,” Santana remarked, waltzing into the room with Brittany on her heels, each of them carrying two cups of steaming tea. “Here, I guess you really do need this.” She placed the tea on the bedside table, then sat on the end of the bed by Quinn’s feet. Brittany mimicked her, leaving one cup of tea on the bedside table for Rachel and keeping one for herself.

“Hi Quinn. I’m sorry you don’t feel good. But I know Rachel will take really good care of you, ‘cause she loves you so much.” Brittany smiled her sweet, trusting smile, and gave Quinn’s leg a soft squeeze through the blanket. Quinn smiled sleepily.

“Thadks, Brit,” Quinn murmured, yawning. Then she pulled out another tissue and pinched it around her pink nostrils, eyes already closed in anticipation. “Hh…hihh…hht-kishhu!”

“Bless you,” Chorused the other three girls. Quinn drew a sharp, quivery breath and immediately sneezed again.

“Hh-tshhuh! Hihhh…” she was about to sneeze a third time, but at the last second her breath relaxed, and she whined softly. Blinking slowly, she sniffled and gently rubbed the pink underside of her nose through the now damp tissue.

“Bless you, Quinn.” Brittany patted her leg. “Poor thing, she sounds really stuffed up.”

“Yes she does, and that reminds me—Santana, could you hand me that?” Rachel gestured to the little cup of medicine still sitting on the bedside table. Santana rolled her eyes, obviously less inclined to carry out Rachel’s requests than Brittany’s; but then she glanced at Quinn, and with a sigh, reached over to hand Rachel the little cup of red liquid. “Thank you. Here baby, this will make you feel a little better…can you sit up and drink it for me?”

“’Kay,” Quinn nodded groggily, pushing herself up a bit against the pillows absentmindedly. But before she could take the little cup from her girlfriend’s hand, the last elusive sneeze came back upon her, and her eyes quickly welled up as she groped for a fresh tissue from the box in her lap. “Iht-tchhu!” Quinn rocked forward in the grip of the overpowering sneeze, just barely catching it in the tissue cupped to her pink nose. Rachel had to shield the little cup with both hands, barely saving it from spilling all over the comforter.

“Bless you!” Rachel and Brittany both exclaimed, while Santana rolled her eyes and looked away, clearly uncomfortable expressing any sympathy or warm emotions in front of anyone but Brittany. But then the blonde in question caught her eye and glared, and Santana caved almost instantly.

“Ugh, fine. Bless you Q. See, I can be nice!” Brittany crawled across the foot of the bed to give Santana a kiss, and Rachel smirked at the pair of them while Quinn sniffled wetly and blew her nose again.

“Ughh, I dod’t feel good,” she sighed absently when she’d finished clearing her stuffy nose into the tissue, eyes still half-closed. It was unclear whether she was really awake and aware of her surroundings, or just talking to herself.

“I know, baby. Drink this, it will help…” Rachel cupped her free hand to the back of Quinn’s head to hold her steady, and pressed the little cup to her bottom lip. Automatically, Quinn opened her mouth and let her girlfriend pour the NyQuil down her throat. “Good girl,” Rachel cooed, kissing Quinn softly on her cheek.

“Ugh, okay, I’ve had enough of this mushy stuff. Brit, drink your tea so we can go home, okay? Then I’ll really warm you up.” She winked, and Brittany flushed pleasurably.

“Okay, San. But we should ask if they need anything first. Quinn’s too sick to be left alone, and we could go to the store for them before we go.” Santana groaned and gritted her teeth.

“Rachel. Do you need anything from the store?” The look on Santana’s face as she growled her question made it perfectly clear what answer she wanted, and Rachel had no wish to push her luck any more with the short-tempered Cheerio.

“Thank you for asking, Santana, but we have everything we need here.”

“Great, let’s go Brit.” Santana gulped back the last of her tea as she stood, reaching for her girlfriend’s hand.

“But you didn’t ask Quinn,” Brittany pouted, nodding to the half-asleep girl curled up against the pillows, her forehead resting against Rachel’s shoulder. “Maybe she wants some ice cream or a special kind of soup.” Santana closed her eyes, letting out a quiet groan of frustration.

“Q,” she sighed reluctantly, “Do you want anything?” Quinn rubbed her eyes, blinking blearily at her slightly-out-of-focus friend.

“I…I…uhhh…” Quinn raised a hand to hover a few inches in front of her face as her little nose twitched. A thin, clear trickle began to stream from one pink nostril down her upper lip, irritating the sensitive skin all over again. Her eyes fluttered involuntarily.

“Oh, for pete’s sake,” Santana grumbled, rolling her eyes.

“Aww, poor thing’s gonna sneeze again,” Brittany cooed. “Be nice, San.” Quinn groped for a tissue, hastily pressing it to her damp, helplessly flaring nostrils.

“Hht-kshh!” Quinn shivered against Rachel’s side as the wet sneeze overwhelmed her.

“Bless”—Brittany started to say, but Rachel didn’t bother. She could tell by the ticklish hitch in Quinn’s breath that she was going to sneeze again, probably immediately.

“Iht-tchhu!” Yup. “Hh-ihchhsh! …*Sniffle*…Ahh, ahhh…hihh…hht-ktshh!” After the fourth intense, quivering sneeze, Quinn sighed wearily, the itchy sniffle in her nose temporarily mollified.

“Bless you, sweetheart,” Rachel cooed, stroking Quinn’s hair and kissing the top of her head as the sleepy blonde girl pinched a fresh tissue around her pink nose, blowing softly into it.

“Thadk you,” Quinn croaked, her voice sounding raspy and hoarse now as well as congested. “I dod’t wadt adythidg fromb the store, guys. Thadks…*sniffle*…thadks adyway.”

“Cool, so we’re outta here. C’mon Brit, get your coat.” Santana was already off the bed and waiting in the doorway, hand extended expectantly for her girlfriend. Brittany nodded, then crawled up the bed and kissed Quinn’s forehead.

“Feel better, Quinn. Take good care of her, Rachel.”

“I will,” Rachel smiled, glad that at least one of Quinn’s supposed best friends had a heart. Santana just huffed impatiently.

“I dunno why you’re being so mean, San,” Brittany said, sounding genuinely perplexed as she finally scooted off the bed to join her girlfriend. “You always like it when I take care of you like that when you’re sick.” Santana’s face immediately turned bright red.

“Okay, we’re leaving now!” the dark-haired Cheerio squeaked, avoiding all their eyes. But she still heard Rachel’s giggling behind her as she dragged Brittany out the door.

[Sawyer]

This is SO ADORABLE. You write these couples so well! Your characterization is perfect and the little narrative comments are super funny and cute. Quinn's sick mannerisms are lovely and Rachel is SUCH an excellent caretaker. I love her pet names and soothing words. It's all so lovely. I love reading it.

[Alexandria]

This is SO ADORABLE. You write these couples so well! Your characterization is perfect and the little narrative comments are super funny and cute. Quinn's sick mannerisms are lovely and Rachel is SUCH an excellent caretaker. I love her pet names and soothing words. It's all so lovely. I love reading it.

totallt agree and i really enjoyed reading the last bit where brittany is confused about y santanna is being mean

[wannablessedbe]

Happy new year, everybody! Thanks for the positive reviews, they make me squee. This chap goes out to gleeky11! Hope you'll all enjoy

--WBB

How the Glee Club Lost Its Voice

Chapter 5

By WannaBlessedBe

………………………………………………………………………………………………

After Brittany and Santana left, Quinn was too achy and congested to fall back to sleep right away; so Rachel brought her downstairs and bundled her up snugly on the couch to watch a movie. It was no surprise to the dark-haired diva that her girlfriend chose Bring It On, one of her favorites when she needed cheering up—Quinn insisted it was the high-caliber cheerleading action that got her excited, but Rachel was pretty sure that Eliza Dushku as the rebellious, lesbionic cheerleader had something to do with it, too. They were halfway through the movie (with Rachel gently teasing Quinn about how she’d show her some “spirit fingers” when she was feeling better) when the doorbell rang again.

They looked at each other in mild surprise; but Rachel disentangled herself from Quinn and the warm nest of blankets on the couch, and went to answer it. A moment later, she ushered Kurt and Blaine inside, toting a bag from Whole Foods.

“Looks like we won’t have to send my dads out for chicken soup, after all,” the dark-haired girl said graciously, dropping back down on the couch beside her sniffling girlfriend and smoothing the hair back from her face.

“Hi guys,” Quinn smiled shyly, just barely lifting her head off the pillow in greeting. “You…*sniffle*…you brought be soup? You dided’t have to do thad. *Sniff!*”

“Oh, honey, you sound positively dreadful,” Kurt tutted, perching himself on the arm of the couch beside Quinn, and smoothing back a damp lock of blonde hair from her flushed face to feel her forehead. “And you’re burning up, poor little thing.”

“We were supposed to go ice skating,” Blaine explained as he sat on the loveseat across from the girls, “but when I picked Kurt up from Cheerios practice he mentioned that you went home early with the flu; and we just couldn’t dash off for our date night without checking on you. We thought some nice fresh chicken soup would be just the thing to make you feel better,” Blaine offered with a flourish, gesturing to the bag on the coffee table. “And as Rachel reminds us every day that she’s vegan, we figured there wasn’t likely to be any hanging around your house.”

“Just because I don’t eat meat, doesn’t make me any less capable of making a trip to Whole Foods,” Rachel bristled, looking slightly offended at the implication that she wasn’t taking proper care of her girlfriend.

“Yes, but now you don’t have to,” Kurt shrugged, unpacking the grocery bag to reveal not only the container of soup, but also a jug of fresh-squeezed orange juice and a bag of organic cough drops. “I’ll just put this stuff in the fridge for now. You can have it whenever you feel up to eating a little something.”

“Thadk you,” Quinn croaked weakly, swiping a crumpled tissue under her nose with a soft sniffle. “That’s really sweet of…*sniff, sniffle*…of you both…” Kurt leaned back slightly on the couch arm as Quinn pressed the wadded-up tissue to her flaring nostrils, her eyes falling half-shut in time with the soft catch in her breath. “Ahh…ah-chshh! *Sniffle.*”

“Bless you!” The boys chorused promptly, while Rachel reached out and moved the tissues closer to her on the coffee table.

“Tha…thadks…hht-chshh!” Quinn grabbed a fresh tissue from the box just in time to catch another soft, damp sneeze in its folds. “Uhhh, fuck. *Sniffle.*”

“Bless you, honey,” Rachel cooed, feeling the slight shivers coursing through her girlfriend’s feverish body as she rubbed her back. Quinn coughed and blew her nose, her face scrunching up adorably with the effort of expelling the wet, persistent tickle from her head.

“Ugh, sorry guys. You probably shouldn’t get too close if you don’t want to catch my cooties. My nose just won’t stop running, and…*sniffle*…and I…chshh!” Quinn pinched a fresh tissue to her damp, pink nostrils as her shoulders snapped forward again; then she sighed heavily, rubbing her nose even harder.

“Goodness, Quinn! God bless you,” Kurt said graciously, returning from the kitchen and retreating to the loveseat with Blaine, a bit further away from the range of Quinn’s wet sneezes. “I’m glad you got her to come home early, Rachel. It looks like she hasn’t stopped sneezing since Cheerios practice. I told her to blow off Coach Sylvester and take care of herself, but she wouldn’t listen to me…aren’t you glad you’re home now, Miss Q?”

“Uh-huh,” Quinn agreed absently, too weary to argue anymore as she closed her eyes and cuddled up to Rachel’s side.

“Mm…I do think the hour spent running around in the freezing rain may have sped the sniffles along,” Rachel agreed wryly, tapping the pink tip of Quinn’s nose affectionately. The blonde girl pouted and sniffled resignedly. “But I think we would’ve ended up in the same place eventually. I went to see Mr. Schue yesterday to get my rehearsal schedule approved for the week, and he looked just as badly off, really. I hope you’re both taking your vitamins, because we don’t want anyone else coming down with this if we can avoid it.”

“Aye-aye, Captain,” Kurt said jokingly, with a formal salute.

“You should go hobe before you cadtch by germbs,” Quinn murmured woozily, rubbing her eyes as she curled up against Rachel’s side. “If you get sick dow, it’ll be…*sniffle*…all by fault.”

“Shush, it’s not your fault that this flu is going around, Quinn,” Rachel half-scolded, feeling the blonde girl’s breath starting to hitch again as she rubbed her back.

“Yeah, but…I, uh…*sniffle*…ahhh…” Quinn groped for a fresh tissue, holding it shakily a few inches in front of her face as her breath caught and her little nostrils quivered helplessly, a fresh trickle of wetness glistening as it slipped down the divot in her upper lip. “Ahh…iht-tchshh! Hht-chhiew!”

“Bless you,” Rachel, Kurt and Blaine all chorused sympathetically in tandem.

“Th-thadks…*sniffle*…chshh!” Quinn’s bleary eyes snapped shut again as another soft but insistent sneeze overtook her, making her shiver from head to toe. “Ughh…fuck, fuck, fuck.” She yawned, her eyes sliding slowly shut again—but this time she looked relaxed, like she might actually be falling asleep, instead of gearing up for another exhausted sneeze.

“Poor thing’s finally nodding off…we should let her sleep,” Blaine murmured, nodding significantly at the limp figure curled up on the couch.

“You don’t have to leave,” Rachel murmured back, her voice equally soft as she ran her fingers through Quinn’s silky blonde hair. “She falls asleep easier with a little bit of background noise, anyway. Would you like to stay and watch the rest of Bring It On? We’ve got popcorn and vegan cocoa.”

“Ooh, gay cheerleading movies and vegan snacks? Sounds delightful,” Blaine winked, while Kurt smirked and rolled his eyes.

“This loveseat is quite cozy,” the younger boy agreed, leaning in to give his boyfriend a playful kiss. “I suppose I could be persuaded…as long as you’re sure we’re not keeping Quinn from her rest.” A soft, congested snore from the couch answered Kurt’s question, and they all shared a knowing smile.

“I think at this point, a Metallica concert wouldn’t keep her from her rest,” Rachel joked, snuggling up closer to her sleeping girlfriend and turning the movie back on. Then she picked up her phone from the coffee table and texted her dad: Nevermind about the whole foods run. Glee club is taking care of everything!

[Bluebird]

Oh dear. Miss WBB, you've succeeded in making me giggle at each of Kurt's lines. The lines you've written for him are perfectly on-model. And I appreciate that. <3

Lovely chapter as always

[Unsweetened]

Aww! I love how Blaine and Kurt just decide to show up to check on Quinn! They are such a cute couple...great chapter!