Author: EndlessD
Disclaimer: As many of you can probably tell, and with this being the fan fictio section of the site, I do not own Buffy in any way.
Rating: PG-13.

Tara burst through the door, startling her father. She must have looked somewhat maniacal, because that look on his face...

Giles jumped up and rushed to his daughter's side. "What is it Tara? Did something happen?"

The blond managed to calm herself down. "Sorry. Nothing's wrong."

Giles sighed in relief. "Then what the bloody hell were you doing?"

"I... um... sorta met someone today."

"What's her name?" She had told him years ago that she was gay. He had known years before that though.

"I... don't know."

"Let me get this straight," he paused a moment, "you like her," a nod, "but you don't know her name."

"Yeah." Tara smiled sheepishly.

"Where'd you meet her?"

"School."

"I thought you said that you hadn't met anyone." Giles gave her a small smile.

"I hadn't. I mean, until today I'd never seen her."

Now Giles went into parenting mode. "Are you sure she goes there. Where exactly did you two meet?"

"You know that tree I told you about?" a nod, " That's where I met her. She was um... sleeping in it."

"Sleeping in it?"

Blush covered the blond girl's face. "Yeah. I kinda startled her. And then with the staring... "

"Oh Tara, she could be dangerous."

For some unknown reason, she found herself wanting to defend the mysterious redhead. "No. She's not."

"But how can you know for sure?"

She looked her father in the eyes and smiled. "I just do."

Two-fifteen. Tara looked at the clock again. Still two-fifteen. She sighed. For once I'm actually in a hurry to get to school. Kinda funny. She looked again. Two-sixteen.

She knew why she wanted morning to come. She wanted to see that girl again. Please let her go to my school. Please!

At long last, sleep finally claimed her and she drifted off into dreams of beautiful redheads, kitties, and... pancakes.

Tara walked through the door to her 'home'. The day had been a total bust. No sign of the redhead. She was beginning to think that maybe she'd never see her again.

She went to put her backpack down and... something wasn't right. The house was... different. The blond made her way over to the dining room and saw that some of their good plates were missing. Then she heard the crash.

Someone's upstairs. Fear filled her body. She quickly made her way to the stairs and began to climb, grabbing a frying pan as she got to the top.

She heard more noise coming from her dad's room. She made her way there. Tara paused at the door a moment before charging in. Seize the day.