Title: Safe In My Arms

A/N: Do you ladies remember the good old days? You know, the days when I used to be able to update every few days (or at least once a week). I wish that I had those days back! No, I haven't given up on this story and I promise that I will finish it - however slowly that may be :D I can't even begin to list all the things that have kept me busy, but I do apologize for the long time between updates. Hopefully there are still a few of you that actually still remember what this story is even about - much less want to still read it ;D Thanks in advance for all that do take the time to read. I make no promises on when the next update may be - but I do promise that there will be an update! Hope you ladies enjoy this chapter!


Tim smiled at the girls gathered around him as he took a drink from his bottle. He didn't know who they were and he really wasn't listening to what they were talking about – just smiling occasionally to make them think he gave a damn.

Not that he was complaining.

He liked the female attention, but his mind was somewhere else as his eyes scanned the party.

Dillon had defeated Laribee in a close game. A game that Tim had almost not been a part of due to his sore ribs and bruises already sustained from the jackasses. But thankfully he had been able to talk Coach into putting him in for a while. Not as much as Tim would have liked, but at least long enough to let out some of that aggression on the four particular Laribee players that he had a beef with.

He had been tired after the game, but not too tired. While Mrs. Coach had tried her best to convince Tim and Julie to attend the school dance, both had adamantly refused. Julie had given her mother some excuse about doing something with Lois, while Tim had just said that school dances really weren't his thing.

While in the locker room after the game, Tim had heard about the party at a teammate's house, stopped to buy a couple of six packs, and headed to the party. Now here he was, four beers into his first six pack, tapping his foot to the music and surrounded by a group of flirtatious females.

The only problem was that Tim's mind was intent on focusing on one thing and one thing only – little Julie Taylor. She had somehow managed to worm her way into his thoughts, hell into his life he was being honest, and he wasn't real sure what to do about it.

It had been just a few nights ago when they had sat on her parents' couch for hours just talking and holding hands. That in itself was pretty fucking remarkable. Tim didn't hold hands with girls.

He kissed girls. He felt them up. He screwed around with them. But he didn't hold hands.

At least not 'til now. Not 'til Julie.

And the real funny thing was that he had enjoyed it. Probably a little too much. He and Julie seemed to have formed some kind of bond, something more than just a friendship. And while he was happy with that, he was also scared. Scared that he was going to do something to screw it all up – his relationship with Julie and his stay at the Taylor's.

Starting something with Julie that was more than friendship could mean death, or at the least getting kicked out if Coach and Mrs. Coach found out about it. And as much as he had enjoyed holding her small hand in his and as many times as his mind had contemplated what would happen if he just leaned over and kissed her pouty lips, he didn't know if it was worth it.

They had a good thing going. For the first time probably ever, Tim felt like he was accepted for who he was, but at the same time being around Julie and the rest of the Taylor family made him want to do better.

And he was happy. He wasn't one to feel sorry for himself, but he knew that he hadn't exactly had an ideal childhood. He'd grown up in a house with an alcoholic mom who had cut out when he'd been a little kid, leaving him and Billy with an abusive alcoholic father who was gone more than he was home. Billy had done his best, but there were a lot of hard times.

People sometimes wondered why he was quiet and withdrawn sometimes. Well, if they'd been through half the shit he'd been through they would need those quiet moments too. But he hadn't needed as many of those moments lately.

Things were going pretty darn well for him, and he was happy. But doing something crazy like falling for Julie Taylor could very well be the end of that happiness.

"Are you even listening to me?"

Tim turned toward the tall brunette who had asked him the question, pulling his thoughts back to the group around him. "No." He answered with a smirk, causing the girls to giggle. "If you ladies will excuse me, I'm gonna go grab another beer." He said, holding up his empty bottle.

"Hurry back." One girl said, giving him a smile.

Tim just grinned, turning and making his way through the crowd of people toward the kitchen. He was thinking that maybe it had been a mistake to come to the party. While he was enjoying the beers – something he had severely been missing since living with the Taylor's – he wasn't much in a partying mood.

He had all but made up his mind to grab his beer and head out to the cliffs for some alone time when he heard her laugh. He'd recognize that laugh anywhere. He'd become accustomed to hearing it often, but each time it still managed to make him smile –especially when he was the one making her laugh.

He turned toward the sound, spotting Julie sitting on a nearby couch, some brown-headed guy sitting beside her. Sitting extremely too close for Tim's liking.

Tim leaned his shoulder against the door jam, crossing his arms as he watched Julie giggle at something the kid said before taking a big drink from a red plastic cup.

Tim grimaced. He knew what was in that cup. And he knew after just a few seconds of watching her, that she was wasted. The kid obviously knew she was wasted too from the way he was looking at her, seeing her as any easy lay.

Tim watched as Julie talked animatedly, moving her hands around before stretching her arms above her head. Tim's eyes were drawn first to the fabric of her green top pulled tightly over her generous curves before sliding down to the expanse of milky skin exposed between her top and her jeans. Tim flexed his fingers, liking what he saw and wanting to see if that skin was as soft as it looked.

Those thoughts were quickly forgotten as he watched the kid place his hand on Julie's leg as he leaned closer. Tim had seen enough as he pushed off from the door and sauntered toward the pair.

"Hey Jules." Tim said, coming to a stop in front of her.

"Tim!" Julie said loudly, blowing her hair out of her face as she smiled up at him. "I didn't know you were here." She said, her words slurring slightly.

"I didn't know you were here either, Jules." He said, watching her with a bemused smile before turning his gaze to the guy sitting beside her with his hand still on her thigh. "You – come with me." Tim said, motioning toward the guy.

"Hey, where are y'all goin?" Julie asked loudly.

"We're goin' to get some more drinks." Tim replied quickly, lying all the while.

"Oh, okay." She said, satisfied with that answer. "Hey, bring me some more punch."

Tim nodded before leading the way through the crowd, coming to a stop several feet away from Julie.

"You havin' fun?" Tim asked casually, motioning his empty beer bottle toward Julie.

"Yeah." The brown-haired guy replied, looking confused as to why Tim was talking to him.

"You gonna get some of that tonight?" Tim asked with a smile, motioning once again toward Julie.

"Yeah. I hope." The guy answered with a grin.

"What's your name?" Tim asked, trying his best to sound casual – when all he really wanted to do was punch the little prick in the face.

"Uh, Riley." He replied.

"Riley what?"

"Uh, Riley McDaniel." Riley replied a little cautiously.

Tim nodded slowly. "Well, Riley McDaniel – if you so much as talk to her, look at her, breathe the same air as her – I will end you." He said quietly, leaning down on eye level. "You got that?"

Tim watched the guy nod, his adam's apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed nervously. "Now get out of here." Tim said, giving him a shove in the other direction before heading back toward Julie.

"Okay, Jules. Time to go home." He said, sitting his empty bottle on the table as he took her arm and began to pull her up.

"What? Where's my punch?" She asked, scrunching her nose as she allowed him to pull her up.

"I think you've had more than enough." Tim replied, grinning as he wrapped his arm around her small waist, his fingers brushing her skin.

Tim swallowed. Yes, it was just as soft as it looked. And damn it all if he didn't want to let his fingers keep traveling over her skin.

"But I don't want to go home." Julie whined, snaking her small arm around his waist as they made their way through the crowded house and out the front door.

Tim listened to Julie whine about leaving as they made their way across the lawn and to Tim's truck. He knew he was probably holding her a little closer than he really needed to.

And he knew that he probably shouldn't be leaning his head closer to her's just to smell the fruity scent of her shampoo.

And he sure as hell knew he shouldn't be getting turned on when he was just supposed to be helping a friend out.

But he couldn't help himself. Julie Taylor – drunkenness and all – was making his mind wander to places that it had no business going.

"Can I drive your truck?" Julie asked, apparently deciding that no amount of whining was going to convince Tim to let her stay at the party.

"No." Tim replied quickly, pulling open the passenger door. "I don't let girls drive my truck."

"Uh, come on, Tim." Julie said, turning toward him and placing her hands on his chest. "I drove it the other night."

Tim swallowed, settling his hands on her waist to hold her steady. She was so damn pretty, looking up at him with those half-lidded eyes and a pout on her full lips. God was obviously testing him tonight – or that's sure as hell what it felt like.

"That's only because I was half dead, Taylor." He said with a smirk, quickly sliding one arm around her waist and the other behind her knees as he picked her up. "And besides, I don't think you're in the best shape for drivin'." He said as he settled her onto the seat.

"I don't know what you're problem is, Tim. I'm fine." Julie replied, plopping her head back against the seat dramatically.

"You are that." Tim muttered to himself, a smirk on his lips as he closed the passenger door and walked around to the other side.

He climbed inside, starting the truck and pulling out onto the highway headed toward home. Well, the Taylor's home. He wasn't sure when exactly he had started referring to that as home, but he kind of liked the sound of it.

By the time Tim pulled up at the house, he was having to try really hard to keep from laughing out loud. He wouldn't have guessed, but Julie Taylor was a pretty funny drunk.

She had rambled on aimlessly about everything from his driving to space travel, with little random bouts of singing thrown in the mix on the way home. While he had been amused, he had also been wondering how the hell he was going to get her inside without her parents waking up.

"Listen Jules." Tim said, killing the engine and turning toward her. "You've got to be extremely quiet when we go inside. If your parents see you wasted like this we're both gonna be in some deep shit." He said seriously.

Julie laughed, rolling her head on the seat behind her. "Why do you think they call it wasted? I'm not wasting anything. That saying really doesn't make sense."

Tim shook his head, not bothering to answer as he hopped out of the truck and made his way around to Julie's side. He pulled her out of the truck, once again wrapping his arm around her waist tightly. Ever so slowly, the pair made their way across the lawn and to the front door.

"Remember what I said, Jules. Be very quiet." Tim whispered slowly, like he was talking to a child.

Julie nodded, making a motion with her fingers over her mouth as if she was locking her lips shut with a key before throwing the imaginary key behind her back.

"Good girl." Tim said with a chuckle, quietly opening the door.

They managed to make it inside the house and all the way to the hallway before the drunkenness got the best of her.

"Oh, I left my purse in your truck!" Julie said loudly, turning back toward the door.

Tim quickly tightened his hold around her waist with one hand while he placed his other over her mouth. He waited, scared to even breathe as he waited for Coach and Mrs. Coach to come barreling out of their room, demanding to know what was going on.

"Mmm…" Julie mumbled, her words muffled by Tim's hand.

Tim shook his head, not understanding her but not risking removing his hand from her lips. "Come on." He said quietly, maneuvering her down the hall and into her room.

They slowly made their way to her bed. He removed his hand from her mouth, once again telling her to be quiet as he helped her sit onto the edge of the bed. Julie quickly flopped back, staring at the ceiling as he moved to take off her shoes.

"The room is spinning." She said after a few seconds, not sounding so well.

"I know it is." Tim said with a small smile, setting her shoes beside her bed as he looked down at her. Even drunk and looking like she was about to puke, she was still cute.

"Let's get you straight so you don't fall out of bed and you can get some sleep." He said softly, wrapping his arms around her to move her toward the center of the bed.

Tim pulled Julie's upper body up as she wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing her generous curves flush against his chest. He exhaled, once again thinking that God was truly testing him tonight. With one swift move, he pulled her small body toward the center of the bed and slowly leaned her back down.

"There you go." He muttered, starting to pull back – only to be stopped by Julie's arms still around his neck, pulling him toward her as she leaned up and placed her lips on his.

Tim froze for about half a second, shocked at the feel of Julie's soft lips pressed against his own. A half second was all it took for him to realize that if God was testing him – he was going to fail.

Because as he pressed his lips against hers, he knew he'd never tasted anything sweeter than Julie Taylor. She was mixture of liquor and punch, and a taste that was all her own.

And he was kissing her.

And she was drunk.

And he was kissing her.

Slowly, he pulled back, despite her sound of disappointment and her arms trying to pull him closer. Yes, he wanted to kiss her. But he didn't want to kiss her like this. Not when she didn't fully know what she was doing.

He gently removed her arms from around his neck, laying them across her chest. "Get some sleep, Jules." He said softly, his voice sounding gravelly to his own ears.

Julie sighed deeply, turning on her side and facing the wall. Tim grabbed a blanket from Julie's chair, gently settling it over her body as he listened to her breathing deeply, realizing that she was already asleep.

"G'nite, Jules." He whispered, turning off her light and closing her bedroom door behind him before making his way to the living room.

Tim kicked off his shoes and laid on the couch, not bothering to change clothes before pulling a blanket over his body. He sighed, replaying the night's events in his head, wondering what he could have and should have done differently as he stared at the ceiling.

He licked his lips. He could still taste her as he ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

He sighed again, closing his eyes for what he knew was going to undoubtedly be a long, restless night.