Author's Note: Thank you so much for all of the amazing reviews! This chapter titles comes from "Crash and Burn" by Savage Garden.

Also, I have a new one-shot up (yup, I'm pimping my stories. Don't mind me). It's called "As You Wish" and it's based off of The Princess Bride, which happens to be my favorite movie of all time. It would seriously mean so much to me if you could check it out and tell me what you think. Thanks! :)

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.

It was nearing dinner time when Rachel got a phone call from Quinn. She had just been getting out of rehearsal when she took the call.

"Hello, Quinn!"

"Rachel," Quinn said before Rachel couldn't continue talking. "Puck is on a call."

As always, Rachel immediately hailed a cab and gave him Quinn and Puck's address. Whenever Puck was on a call, Quinn would call Rachel and she would go sit with her sister. This time, Rachel's worried was amplified a million times over. Because if Puck was on a call, that meant that Finn was on the same call.

"I'll be there in five minutes, Quinn," Rachel said. She hung up the phone as she settled into the cab. She tried to control her breathing as she stared down at the phone. She willed Finn to call or send her a text, but she knew that he wasn't going to. Not until he was back at the station, anyway.

The cab pulled up in front of Quinn's apartment and Rachel got out. She quickly made her way up to the apartment and let herself in. Quinn was curled up on the couch, wearing one of Puck's sweaters as she watched the news report on television. She jumped up when she saw her sister and hugged her.

"Thank you for coming over so quickly," Quinn said. "Beth is over with another friend for now, which is good. It's a four-alarm fire at an apartment in Brooklyn, and… it looks bad, Rachel. I'm just really worried right now."

"I know," Rachel said as she hugged Quinn in return. "I know. But this is Puck's job. He's been doing this for almost four years. We just need to trust that everything will be okay."

And as Rachel spoke, she tried to get herself to believe the same thing. Finn was equally as good at his job, and he had been doing it for just as long. Rachel just had to have faith that everything was going to turn out just fine.

Quinn and Rachel settled on the couch. The longer the news report was on, the more anxious Rachel got. It was half an hour later when she finally snatched up the remote and quickly changed the channel.

"It will be good a way to take your mind off of what's happening," Rachel said. Quinn just nodded her head, and Rachel stood up and disappeared into the kitchen for a moment.

She had never been this worried in her life. Rachel was so afraid for Finn, but she tried to calm herself down. Rachel leaned against the counter and took several deep breaths. She ran a hand through her hair and gave herself another moment before she went back out into the living room.

"They're just clearing everything up," Quinn said as soon as Rachel walked in. "But I think that there was some sort of accident. They're not saying a lot about it, though."

Rachel's heart shot up into her throat. "Was it someone from the apartment complex, or was it… was it a firefighter?"

"I don't think it was someone who lived in the building," Quinn said. "And if it were Puck, I would have gotten a call by now."

Rachel exhaled slowly. If something had happened to Finn, Kurt would have gotten a call, and Rachel had no doubt that she would have heard about it by now. So she could feel marginally better just by knowing that she hadn't gotten a call yet. Her worry wouldn't be completely abated until she saw him again, however.

It was another half an hour until Puck came back to the apartment. He dragged himself through the door, tired and smelling of smoke. But he was safe, and Quinn jumped up and hugged him tightly when she saw him.

"I'm glad that you're okay, Puck," Quinn said.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Puck mumbled. He kissed her gently and hugged her in return.

"How are you? Is everyone else okay?" Quinn asked.

Puck rubbed the back of his neck. "We lost someone today," he admitted. "He was part of our engine. It was an accident but… we all took it pretty hard."

And in that moment, Rachel knew that she had to go to Finn's apartment. She stayed with Puck and Quinn for a few more moments before she said her goodbyes and left. She immediately hailed another cab and jumped in, giving the driver Finn's address.

It was another ten minutes before she got there. Rachel scrambled out of the cab and quickly climbed the three flights of stairs to Finn's apartment. Without wasting any more time, she knocked on the door. Several long moments passed before it opened, revealing Finn. He had the same tired look that Puck had been wearing, and he had soot smeared on his face.

"Rachel," he muttered.

"Oh, Finn." Rachel reached up and touched his cheek. She brushed her thumb across the soot, wiping it off.

He stepped aside to allow Rachel to walk in. She kept her hand against his cheek and turned his face towards hers. He closed his eyes and slid his hand over hers, giving it a squeeze. Rachel's heart broke a little at the look of pain on his face. She stepped closer to him and he wrapped his free arm around her waist.

They stood there like that for a long time. Finn kept his eyes closed as he breathed in and out, and he held Rachel to him like his life depended on it. Rachel rested her cheek against his chest, listening to the reassuring thud of his heart. Wrapped up in his arms, she felt infinitely better than she had all day.

Eventually, he pulled back and opened his eyes. Rachel stood on her tiptoes and brushed a gentle kiss across his lips. Taking his hand, she pulled him through his apartment and into the bathroom. Turing the shower on, she waited until he stripped down before she guided him under the spray. Rachel sat down on the edge of the tub and just watched as he stood under the water. His back was turned towards her, his shoulders tense as he let the water wash over him. He pressed his hands to the wall, resting his forehead against the tile.

"Finn," Rachel whispered. She wished that there was something that she could do or say to make this better, but she was at a complete loss. She was just so glad that Finn had returned physically unscathed. Emotionally, however, he wasn't okay. Rachel just wanted to help him more than anything.

Finn's face turned towards her and he held his hand out. Rachel took his hand, entwining their fingers as she stepped into the shower, clothes and all. She wrapped her arms around him, pressing her cheek to his wet back. Finn's hands settled over hers, thumbs rubbing against her skin.

They stood there until the water ran cold. Finn eventually turned the water off and helped Rachel out of the shower. He grabbed a towel and dried her off first before he wrapped one around his waist. Rachel simply watched him as he tugged her shirt and skirt off with gentle hands. Once she was completely naked, he ran the towel over her body again. When he was finished, he took her hand and led her towards the bed.

They climbed in together and Finn wrapped his arms around her. Rachel pressed her fingers to his chest as she rested her head against his shoulder. His eyes were closed once again and he was holding her just as tightly as he had before. Rachel traced little patterns on his chest and reveled in the feeling of her bare skin against his.

Rachel closed her eyes as well. It wasn't long before they both fell asleep, wrapped up in each other's arms.

When Rachel woke the next morning, she was still wrapped in Finn's arms. He was awake and watching her, and she gave him a sleepy smile. His lips curled up a little and he smoothed a hand over her hair.

"Good morning," Rachel murmured as she stretched. Finn held her closer, pressing his cheek against her hair. He didn't say anything; instead, he just let the feel of her being in his arms wash over him. He felt like it had been a long time since he had been this relaxed.

Finn's stomach chose to interrupt the moment by growling loudly. Rachel looked up at him before she dissolved into laughter, and Finn's face relaxed into his first real smile in twenty-four hours. Her laughter immediately made him feel so much better.

Rachel rolled out of bed, and Finn took a moment to admire her naked form as she looked around for something to wear. She eventually found one of his FDNY t-shirts and pulled it on.

Finn tucked his hands behind his head as he watched her. "My shirt looks great on you."

A sultry smile crossed Rachel's face as she posed for him, arching her back. "I'm keeping it."

"You won't be hearing any complaints from me."

Rachel found a pair of Finn's shorts and tossed them to him. "Come on. Let's go make some breakfast."

Finn tugged on his shorts as requested and they made their way into the kitchen. Rachel pointed to the chair at the kitchen table, and Finn sat down. She then proceeded to rummage through his fridge, pulling out a carton of eggs and a pack of bacon.

"There's some fresh fruit and vegan yogurt in there," Finn suddenly said.

Rachel paused and looked over her shoulder. "Really?"

Finn nodded his head. "I picked some up when I got some food yesterday. I just figured…"

A bright smile came to Rachel's lips as she practically danced over to him. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she leaned over and pressed a soft, loving kiss to his lips. Finn's hands came to rest on her waist, and he smiled when she pulled away.

"Thank you, Finn," Rachel said before she gave him another quick kiss.

"I can't have you starving, Rach," Finn said. But he knew how much this meant to her, and he was glad that he had done it. He loved seeing her this happy, and it was amazing to know that he was making her that happy.

She brought her hands up to cup his cheeks, her eyes soft. "I wish that there was something I could do to help," she said quietly.

It took Finn a moment to realize that she was talking about what happened the previous night. He sighed before he took her hand and tugged her on to his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and brushed his lips against her cheek.

"Rachel, you… When you came over here last night, I… Seeing you made everything better." His grip tightened on her, his fingers stroking her thigh lightly. "You already helped me."

Rachel bit her lip and rested her forehead against Finn's, closing her eyes. And in that moment, Rachel knew that she was way past just falling in love with Finn. She already loved him, wholly and completely.

She kissed him again, and Finn's face relaxed into a smile. In fact, his entire body relaxed under hers. He dropped kisses along the side of her neck before Rachel squeezed his hands and stood up.

"Still hungry?" she asked.

"I am," Finn admitted. He got up and went into the fridge, pulling out the yogurt and fruit. As Rachel fried his eggs and bacon, Finn set up her yogurt and fruit in a bowl. As he walked by her to get a spoon, Finn dropped a kiss to Rachel's cheek.

Oh yeah. There was no doubt about it. She loved him.

It was two days later that Rachel walked into a church with Finn, her hand securely tucked in his. He was dressed in his uniform and she was wearing a simple black dress. They made their way towards one of the pews in the back, and they settled into their seats.

After they had breakfast two days ago, Finn had told Rachel about the funeral for his coworker. Finn had quietly asked Rachel if she could go with him. Of course, Rachel had agreed. Finn had always been great at sensing other people's emotions and helping them. But when it came to himself, Rachel knew that he didn't want to appear vulnerable in front of anyone. It was a big step for Finn to ask Rachel to come with him, and she wanted to be there for him.

Quinn and Puck were also there, up at the front. But for once, neither Finn nor Rachel worried about anyone seeing them together. Finn just concentrated on the feel of Rachel's hand in his, or her head on his shoulder. Rachel just made sure that she was there for him in whatever way he needed her.

After the service, Finn and Rachel made their way up to the front to pay their respects. Finn paused for a moment to talk to a few of his coworkers. Rachel stood off to the side, and she couldn't keep her eyes off of him. A woman coming up on her other side caught her attention, however.

"You must be Finn's girlfriend," the woman said. Seeing the look of slight surprise on Rachel's face, she smiled and said, "Don't worry. Not a lot of people know."

"Oh." Rachel shook the woman's hand. "I'm Rachel."

"Shannon Beiste."

"You're Finn's chief," Rachel realized. "It's nice to meet you."

"Though I wish it was under better circumstances." They both turned to watch Finn. He was speaking quietly with a few other men and their families. As if he knew that Rachel was watching him, he turned and caught her eye. Finn gave her a small smile, and Rachel smiled at him in return.

"Does it ever get better?" Rachel asked Beiste.

"The worry?" When Rachel nodded her head, the older woman smiled sadly at her. "Not really." Putting a hand on Rachel's shoulder, Beiste continued. "But all you can do is continue to be there for him. Just like you're doing now."

Rachel smiled in return at the reassuring words. It wasn't long after Beiste walked away that Finn came back over to her. He took Rachel's hand and pulled her into his side, pressing a kiss to her temple. Rachel laced their fingers together and rested her head against his chest.

"Thank you," Finn whispered in her ear.

Rachel stood on her tiptoes to press a soft, loving kiss to Finn's lips. "Always, Finn."

Author's Note: I really wanted to show Finn being vulnerable, and then Rachel being there for him. And I kind of wanted to touch on Finn's job as a firefighter, too. Thanks for reading!