Author: eday69
Rating: NC-17
Feedback: Yep I love it. Please leave feedback on the Class of 99 thread on the Kitten Board.
Distribution: Anyone can have it if they want. Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer characters are the property of Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy.

Willow sat under a light in the deserted parking lot. She was cold having left her jacket in her car. She thought back to her interaction with Oz. It was so weird, she wasn't sure if she overreacted, but he was really freaking her out. She couldn't imagine Oz would ever do anything, but she knew how she felt in his room. Her terror quickly turned into anger at Oz and how he was acting. She had since stopped crying knowing Tara was on her way. She sat hunched over until she saw lights from a near by car. She breathed a sigh of relief seeing it was Tara and not Oz. She stood up as Tara's car flew through the parking lot and stopped in front of her. Tara jumped out and ran to Willow and engulfed her in a hug. Willow started crying again at the contact as Tara whispered soothing words and ran her fingers through her hair.

Tara pulled back and looked at Willow, it broke her heart to see tears in the green eyes.

"Oh baby." Tara said leading Willow to the car. "Come on, get in." She said opening the door and guiding Willow to the seat. Tara moved to the drivers side and got in. She turned to look at Willow and grabbed her hand. "What do you want to do sweetie?"

"Can you take me home?" Willow asked.

"Sure." Tara said turning and starting up the car. Once they had started driving Tara picked up Willow's hand again and gently squeezed it.

Willow looked in amazement at the blond next to her. No one had ever been there for her before. She hadn't been able to count on anyone, yet this girl next to her, was willing to get out of bed and pick her up. She brought Tara's hand to her lips and kissed every knuckle. She vowed then and there to do everything she could for the woman next to her.

Tara smiled when she felt Willow's lips on her hand. She had never seen someone look so scared in her life and it in turn made her scared. She pulled up to the gate of Willow's house and waited for Willow to open it. As she pulled up the drive she wondered if Willow wanted her to stay or leave. She really wanted to know what had Willow so upset. She parked the car, but left it running and turned to look at Willow. Willow was looking down at her lap where their hands intertwined.

"Do...Do you want me to stay?" Tara asked softly.

Willow nodded, but said nothing. Tara reached over and turned the car off with her left hand. Willow looked at Tara and smiled, but the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. Both girls got out and walked into the house. It was dark and eerily quiet. Tara felt bad for Willow having only this to come home to at night. Willow took the lead and walked up to her room with Tara's hand in her own. Willow walked over to the bed and sat down, she watched Tara walk into the room and lean against the wall. Willow internally chuckled at their positions, remembering how Oz sat on the bed while she stood against the wall. She shivered as she remembered what had transpired. She closed her eyes and sighed. She motioned with her head for Tara to join her on the bed.

Both girls sat cross legged facing each other. Tara's eyes were on Willow, while Willow toyed with their intertwined hands. Tara patiently waited; she would give Willow anything she wanted at that moment.

"Thank You." Willow finally said and looked into Tara's eyes.

Tara cocked her head not understanding.

"For coming to get me, for giving me space, but also being there. I don't know how to explain it, but you just made this horrible situation a million times better."

"I'll always be here for you. What happened?"

"Well it all happened so fast, and I'm not even sure what happened really did happen. I mean I'm sure it did, but I just can't believe it. You know like it should have been a nightmare, but I could just be overreacting, I mean maybe it wasn't that bad."

"Why don't you start from the beginning?" Tara said trying to make sense of Willows babble.

"Ok, well. Xander and Oz came into the store after I talked to you. Xander said they were having a jam session at Oz's house and invited me over. I went there after work and Xander wasn't there. Then Oz was acting all weird, and giving me really weird vibes." Willow paused to take a breath and compose herself. "Then I tried to leave and he grabbed my arm and it hurt so I pushed him off and he said he was sorry and just wanted to talk. I was really freaked out and I wasn't sure what to do so I just stood there and he was asking questions about us then before I knew it he was right there in my face." Willow felt tears form in her eyes. "He...He had his hands on the wall behind me and I felt like I couldn't move. He was saying he" Willow paused again and took a deep breath. "That he could make love me like no one else had. I don't even remember what happen, I just remember running to my car and trying to start it but it wouldn't. Oz was coming out of the house so I just ran. I ran until I couldn't feel my legs and had to stop, that's when I called you."

Tara felt her jaw clench while Willow was telling her story. She was definitely going to punish Oz for making Willow feel that way. Then anger quickly took on a different form as she saw Willow's tears. She pushed down the anger and tried to console her girlfriend. Willow doesn't need you acting all butch right now, she just needs you.

"Sweetheart, I am so sorry. I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you. Tara brought her hand up to play with Willow's hair." She saw Willow flinch slightly, and quickly brought her arm down.

"He touched my hair Tara. I don't want anyone touching my hair but you." Willow said.

Tara felt her bottom lip start to tremble as she gathered Willow in her arms and the girls just held each other.

"Don't leave." She heard Willow say into the crook of her neck.

"I won't my Willow." Tara held the other girl for a while until she felt Willow relax in her arms. She laid the girl down on the bed and started to move away when Willow grabbed her arm. "Please don't leave me."

"I just have to call my mom ok."

"Ok, just leave the door open."

"Ok." Tara said placing a kiss on Willow head and walking into the hall with her phone.

"Tara." Her mom answered the phone.

"Hi mom."

"How's Willow?"

"She's ok, I mean she was attacked by this guy."

"Oh my god, is she alright."

"Yeah she's fine, I mean really freaked out, but I think she's ok."

"Ok, you going to stay there?"

"Yeah, she needs me here." Tara said knowing her mother would understand.

"Ok, just make it to school on time."

"Sure." Tara hung up and quickly set the alarm on her phone while walking back into the room. Willow was sound asleep and Tara slipped in and spooned Willow from behind until she herself fell asleep.

Tara woke the next morning to the buzz of her cell phone going off next to her head. She quickly picked it up and silenced it and returned to holding Willow. She could smell the redhead's shampoo as her face rested close to Willow's hair and her arm draped around the slim girls waist. She held Willow for a few more moments before she realized she needed to get up and go home to change for school. She tried to untangle herself, but was met with protest from a still sleeping Willow. She smiled and nuzzled into Willow's ear and whispered.

"I have to get up baby."

"Ugh, don't wanna." Willow said rolling on her back and finally opening her eyes to look at Tara.

Tara was mesmerized by the emotion that showed beneath the green of Willow's eyes. She brought her hand up and ran it through Willow's wild hair.

"How you feeling sweetie?" She asked concerned.

"A little silly actually." Willow said sitting up.

"Why?" Tara said following Willow into a sitting position.

"I don't know. I mean was Oz really being an asshole last night, or was I just freaked for no reason. It kind of seems stupid that I ran away from him, now that I see it from the light of day." Willow said swinging her legs over the bed and looking out the window. "Well I guess it's not really the light of day yet." She commented noticing it was still dark outside. She looked at the clock in her bedroom which said 5:38. "Tara it's like wicked early."

"I know, but I need to go home and get ready for school. Do you want a ride?"

"Yeah, give me 10 minutes and I'll be ready. Can you drop me off at my car before you head home?"

Tara thought for a moment. "Are you sure? It's still at Oz's house right?"

"Yeah. I know what's wrong, it's that stupid connector to the battery. I should just buy a new one. God I should have just fixed it last night, I don't know why I was acting like such a freak." Willow said now ashamed at her behavior.

"Baby no." Tara said getting up and hugging Willow from behind. She turned the other girl in her arms. "He had no right to do what he did, say what he said. You were scared, and he was scary, you had every right to act exactly how you did."

Willow sighed. Tara's words made sense; she was really scared last night. Now she was just angry. "I should have just punched him in the face." Willow commented.

Tara laughed. "Yeah you should have."

"Please don't tell anyone what happened." Willow said now scared that someone would find out about her embarrassing encounter.

"Well I had to tell my mom, but I promise no one else will know." Tara said leaning in to kiss Willow.

Before the kiss could escalate, Willow pulled back. "Give me 10 minutes." She said making a break for the bathroom.

True to her form Willow was showered and ready to go in 10 minutes. She wore a black shirt that said 'There are 10 types of people in the world. Those that understand binary and those that don't'. Tara smiled and the girls walked out hand in hand to Tara's car.

"I can't believe you got ready that fast." Tara said opening the door for Willow.

"Well I'm not really a morning person so I learned to get ready quick, that way I have more time to sleep." Willow said.

Tara dropped Willow off at her car, she was reluctant to leave Willow there, but Willow promised her she was fine. Tara arrived at school and searched around for Willow. Not seeing her, she sat down with her clan and idly chatted with the others, keeping one eye on the door Willow usually came through. She saw Oz and Xander sitting at the band table and narrowed her eyes. Finally the first bell rang and Tara started gathering her things. She walked down toward her class, but noticed Oz standing at his locker across from her classroom. She looked around, there were a few students milling about, but most had already gone inside their classrooms. She felt the anger well up inside her that someone could try and hurt the one thing that was precious in her life. She walked over to Oz with determination on her face. She spun him around, grabbed his shirt and shoved him into the lockers. His eyes went wide, while Tara's narrowed. She easily towered over the shorter man.

She leaned close into his face and whispered. "If you ever touch Willow again, I will make sure you regret it."

"I...I didn't mean to." Oz said his face had the look of a scared dog. "It was all a misunderstand..."

Tara grabbed his shirt and pulled him off the lockers only to immediately slam him back into them. "No you don't get to talk. You fucked up bad, and I can guarantee you if I say the word the entire football team will be more than happy to mess you up." Tara was surprised by her actions, she had never threatened another human being before. She let go of Oz and before he could say anything she walked into her class.