"Don't take this the wrong way, Laura, but she'll be much more comfortable at my place. She's been there before and-"

"Are you planning to leave her alone?"

"Of course not! How could you even ask that?"

"I'm sorry, but the other day I thought Toni said you were going on holiday."

"Oh, crap," Kris said. "With all the commotion, I totally forgot about that. We fly out tomorrow afternoon."

"So that leaves us with only one option."

"No, it doesn't. I'll call Robin and have her cancel the tickets."

"You can't do that."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because earlier today, Toni found out that I had turned down some dates. I didn't want to disrupt our normal coffee outings by having to cut them short, so I said no a few times. She was more than just a little angry. She accused me of babysitting her, so if you cancel your holiday-"

"She's going to think I'm doing the same thing."

"Exactly."

"Okay, so any idea how we're going to do this?" Kris said, heading in the direction of the bedroom.

"Absolutely none," Laura said, following Kris to the door. "Let's just play it by ear."

After glancing at Laura for a moment, Kris held her breath as she opened the bedroom door. It was the first time Laura had seen Toni since she arrived, and it was all Laura could do not to cry. Toni had pressed herself into the corner of the room. Sitting on the floor with her knees pulled tight to her chest, she was staring off into space as she lightly tapped her head against the wall, over and over and over again.

"Find the suitcase," Laura whispered over her shoulder as she took a hesitant step toward Toni. It was as if she had stepped on an invisible switch, because as soon as she took that step, Toni began knocking her head harder against the plaster. Pained by the sound, Laura grabbed a pillow from the bed, and slowly placed it behind Toni's head. Unsure of what to do or what to say, Laura knelt down and gently touched Toni's arm. It was the wrong thing to do.

Toni came to life in a fury, and before Laura could react, she found herself being shoved away, the force so strong it sent her stumbling backward across the room. With a thud, she landed at Krista's feet.

"Christ, are you all right?" Kris asked, kneeling by her side.

"Yes, I'm fine," Laura said, getting to her feet.

"For a string bean, she sure is a strong bugger, isn't she?" Kris said with a snigger.

Laura glared at Krista. "You think this is funny?"

"Sorry. When I get nervous, I tend to make jokes."

"Right," Laura said, taking a deep breath. "Have you found the suitcase?"

"No, I was too busy picking you up off the floor."

"Krista!"

"Sorry."

Laura looked in Toni's direction and then back at Kris. "Let's try this again, shall we?"

Cautiously, Laura approached Toni again, and as carefully as possibly, she knelt by her side making sure she wasn't close enough for them to touch. Concentrating on her proximity rather than the woman's reaction, Laura didn't notice that Toni's hands had turned to fists until it was too late.

In an attempt to dodge the blow, Laura scrambled to get to her feet, but her movements were slow and Toni's, unfortunately, were not. Laura had never been hit before-not really. Playful slaps between friends were one thing, but a solid punch to the jaw was quite another. Again, Laura stumbled across the room, but this time Kris caught her before she hit the floor.

Her Scottish temper now at a rolling boil, Laura rubbed her jaw and gave Kris a cold, hard stare. "If you make one sodding joke-"

"Wouldn't think of it," Kris said, holding up her hands. "Are you okay?"

"Oh yeah, I'm just peachy!" Laura said through clenched teeth.

"If it means anything, I've never seen her like this. Back in the day, she did have quite a temper, but that was more just shouting and tossing books about. I don't think she's ever hit anyone before."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Laura asked, moving her jaw left and right to work out the ache.

"No, I just thought you'd want to know." Seeing Laura take a step in Toni's direction, Kris pulled her back. "What are you going to do?"

"Give her a taste of her own medicine!"

Three quick steps and Laura was at Toni's side again, but this time, there was no hesitation. Anger set the pace, and it was quick and unexpected. Dropping to her knees, before Toni had a chance to react, Laura grabbed her wrists and held on tight. Eyes, now dark and smoldering with anger, stared back at her as Toni began to struggle to free herself from Laura's grasp.

"Knock it off, Toni," Laura shouted, tightening her grip. "I'm not going to hurt you, and you know it!"

Toni continued to fight until Laura's temper finally got the best of her. Shoving Toni hard against the wall, Laura said, "For Christ's sake, stop acting like a goddamned child! I know you're scared, and what happened tonight was shit, but this isn't helping! I didn't come here tonight to become a punching bag. I came here because I'm trying to be your friend. Now, will you please just calm the fuck down and listen to me!"

Toni tried to pull away again, but she had run out of steam and Laura had not. Giving Laura a menacing glare, Toni stopped fighting and rested her head against the wall.

"That's better," Laura said, letting out the breath she had been holding. "This place is a mess, so I've asked Kris to gather some of your things, and we're going to take you back to my house."

Instantly, Toni's eyes widened in fear, and she struggled to get away.

"Goddamn it, Toni, will you please listen! I'm not going to sit here and fight with you about this. Your flat is a wreck, and the front door is broken. You cannot stay here. It's not safe!"

Toni wondered how Laura could believe she was that stupid. Toni knew it wasn't safe. Although most had acted like she didn't exist, or she couldn't hear or comprehend, she had heard every word. The constables had offered apologies and asked for explanations. The medics had suggested drugs, doctors and observation, and her two friends, or the ones that professed to be her friends, stood by and listened intently. But none of them knew what had happened. None of them understood. They were guessing. They were clueless. They weren't the one awoken in the middle of the night by the sound of splintering wood. They didn't smell the foul body odor mixed with alcohol and cigarettes that permeated her flat when he crept inside. They had never experienced the sheer helplessness of having no escape...again. They had homes, secure and warm with thick doors to shut out the cold and the danger. She had nothing, at least not anymore.

Toni felt Laura relax her grip, and for a second their eyes met, and they both knew words were no longer needed. Sensing the argument had ended, Laura got up and walked to the door, and looking back at the woman cowering in the corner, she said softly, "I'm sorry, Toni, but you don't have a choice."

Laura was halfway across the lounge before Krista caught up with her. Grabbing her by the shoulders, Kris spun her around.

"Who the fuck do you think you are speaking to her like that? Do you have any idea what she's been through tonight? She's not just scared, Laura, she's fucking terrified! When I got here, she was hiding in the goddamn closet, for Christ's sake! I called you because I thought you could help. I thought you wanted to be her friend. But I don't think you know what that means. Rain or shine, rich or poor, for better or for fucking worse, that woman in there is my best friend, and I will never give up on her, but apparently you have! So why don't you get the fuck out of here before I take up where she left off!"

Although she was caught off guard by Krista's outburst, Laura couldn't blame her. Laura's day had gone from bad to worse and getting punched in the face had been the last straw.

Laura had spent the entire day up to her armpits in paperwork, followed by her argument with Toni and ending with her date with George Portman. Prior to that night, she had only known George as an accountant who worked for the Home Office, and after spending an enjoyable lunch together while attending a conference, going out on a date seemed like a good idea. Not an extraordinarily handsome man, he was of average height and weight, had average brown hair and brown eyes, and drove an average car. Look up average in the dictionary and you would see George Portman's face. But he had a nice smile and a hearty laugh, so when he called, Laura couldn't think of a reason not to accept his invitation.

Hindsight being twenty-twenty, when he showed up at her door promptly at seven and then huffed when he found out she wasn't ready, Laura should have called off the date then and there. But hindsight is called hindsight for a reason, so the date proceeded as planned...all the way down the hill.

Laura liked coupons. She liked them a lot. They saved her money on groceries, books and even greeting cards, but when it came to choosing a restaurant, they had never been her first priority. It was your typical sports bar, with a hundred flat-screen LCD televisions hanging on the walls, each flickering with images of sporting events from around the world. Sportscasters dressed in garish ties and loud jackets, had their words inching across the bottom of the screens, and patrons sat with heads at odd angles, trying to read each and every syllable.

Walking into the noisy pub, Laura looked down at the pale green dress she had chosen to wear and sighed. It was a dress meant for a quiet dinner and relaxing conversation amidst candlelight, and her shoes, although modest in style and height, were meant for dancing the night away. As she slipped into the booth, across vinyl cracked and repaired by strips of colored tape, she found herself missing her trainers and jeans.

She didn't plan to spend the evening watching sports in a noisy bar, having little if any conversation with her date. She had wanted to unwind, relax and have a few drinks, but George wasn't interested in unwinding, and he certainly wasn't interested in drinks. A frugal man, he preferred water with lemon, and as soon as they sat down, he ordered two, stating that alcohol in bars was overpriced and overrated. Laura's dinner selections were also limited due to the crinkled coupon he proudly held in his hand, and reaching over, he eagerly pointed to the six items from which she had to choose. It was past eleven before he brought her home, tired, cranky and totally sober, and as Laura walked up the steps to her house, there was only one thing on her mind...the location of her corkscrew.

Closing the door on one of the worst nights of her life, Laura opened a bottle of wine, poured herself a large glass and wearily trudged up the stairs. Changing into her most comfortable pajamas, she settled under her warm duvet for a much-needed rest. The horrible day had finally ended...at least that's what she thought. Two hours later, Kris called.

Laura felt like shit, and the pain in her jaw was the least of her worries. She had let the anger of the day creep into the night, and Toni had just paid the price. Her words and actions, no doubt, had done more harm than good and there was no taking them back. Life doesn't have a rewind button.

"Laura, did you hear what I said?" Krista shouted. "I told you to leave!"

"Is that what you want to do, Laura...leave?"

Both women turned and saw Toni standing in the bedroom doorway, her blue pajamas crumbled and askew, and her face pale and streaked with dried tears.

"Toni," they said in unison, both wondering if she had heard their argument.

"Answer the question, Laura. Do you want to leave?"

Pulling away from Kris, Laura walked toward Toni. "No, I don't. I want to be your friend and help you through this, but you've got to trust me. You've got to trust us. We care about you, Toni, and neither one of us is going to give up. What I said in there, what I did in there was wrong, but I did it for all the right reasons."

Toni's eyes were glassy, filled with tears she refused to let fall, but as she stood in the doorway looking back into faces filled with sorrow and worry, she knew if she was to live again, she needed their help.

"My suitcase is under the bed," she said in a whisper, and then she turned, returning to her corner where she sat in silence while they packed up her world.

They hadn't had much sleep, but that didn't factor into the night. They moved slowly, packing up Toni's life. The fabric suitcase, worn and tattered, was found under the bed and filled with the items from the dresser, and the clothes hanging in the wardrobe were carried down the stairs and placed in their cars. Laura gathered the papers, pencils and pens that had been scattered by the scuffle, placing them back into Toni's attache, and toiletries were collected, along with shoes, a jacket, and a carton of cigarettes that had been sitting on the counter. They had worked quietly, one or the other checking on Toni every few minutes, but she remained in the corner of the bedroom, shivering under the blanket that Laura had wrapped around her an hour before.

Finally, Kris returned to the bedroom, and cautiously approaching Toni, she sat on the floor and held up a pair of trainers and socks. They had already asked her if she wanted to change, but Toni didn't have the strength. So, a few minutes later, dressed in wrinkled pajamas, trainers and an overcoat, Toni Vaughn left her flat...and her world.

Laura drove down her street, the pavement glistening from the rain which had fallen hours before, and as she pulled into her drive and climbed out of the car, the only sound she could hear was the low hum of the streetlamps. Like a patient just released from the hospital, they guided Toni up the path and into a house that was warm and smelling of vanilla. Laura turned on some lights and her shoulders instantly fell. Not one who could be labeled either neat or sloppy, but rather somewhere in between, the work Laura had brought home still covered the coffee table and the sofa. She weakly grinned in Krista's direction, and the woman replied with her own feeble smile.

They led Toni to a chair, and she sunk into its softness, and while Kris remained at her side, Laura went about gathering fresh sheets and towels. The guest room off the lounge had an en suite bathroom, so after changing the linens and turning down the duvet, the two women practically carried Toni into the room.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Toni blurted, "I need a book!"

"I've brought one," Krista said, opening her bag and pulling out a small, hardcover book. Paying no mind to the confused look Laura was giving her, Kris placed the novel on the nightstand. "It's there if you need it."

More concerned with her houseguest than the reasoning behind the book Toni didn't have the strength to read, Laura stepped in and cupped the woman's head, gently lowering her to the cool linen, and as Toni's head hit the pillow, their eyes met. Seconds ticked by as they stared at each other, and offering Toni a soft smile, Laura stood straight and tucked the duvet around her.

Snuggling into the crisp scent of her surroundings, after one quick glance at the book on the nightstand, Toni allowed exhaustion to take her to darkness.

Early the next morning, Laura called Calloway and spoke to Irene, apologizing for her absence and that of Toni Vaughn's. After hearing what happened, Irene took control. Before Laura hung up the phone, Irene had figured out how to rearrange the teachers' schedules to cover Toni's absence, and she promised that within the hour, Laura's appointments for the day would either be cancelled or moved. Hanging up the phone, Laura returned to the sofa and fell asleep...again.

Two hours later, Laura's eyes popped open, and she quickly went to check on Toni for the umpteenth time. Finding herself an inch between awake and asleep throughout the night, she'd climb off the sofa to peer through the shadows, making sure Toni hadn't woken up, and then she'd return to the couch to toss and turn some more. Her bed was comfortable and warm, but it was one floor up, too far away if Toni cried out in the night or stumbled in the dark, but Toni had hardly moved. With her black hair peeking out from under the duvet, she had remained asleep, eerily quiet for a woman who had gone through hell only hours before.

Seeing that Toni was still in the same position she had been the entire night, Laura quietly closed the door and yawned. Looking at her less-than-tidy lounge, she straightened up a bit, made a pot of coffee and then checked on Toni again. Convinced that she was still asleep, Laura ran up the stairs for a much-needed shower. Normally one who took great pleasure in long, steamy showers, Laura was in and out in an instant, quickly pulling on jeans and a T-shirt before jogging down the stairs to make sure Toni was all right.

Going to the kitchen, Laura sat at the table, drinking endless cups of coffee as she thought about her houseguest. When she was about to make another pot of coffee, the doorbell rang, and sprinting toward the noise, she opened the front door before the bell rang again.

Introductions were made with weak smiles and whispered words as Laura led them to the kitchen. Krista's partner appeared to be in her early thirties and matched Laura's height and weight almost exactly. Her dark brown hair was wavy and cut short, and her steel blue eyes were framed by gold wire-rimmed glasses that made her appear bookish and smart.

Coffee was poured and they gathered around the kitchen table, talking in hushed tones as they discussed the possibilities. They knew Toni couldn't return to her apartment. Even if the door was repaired, the damage had been done. Toni would never feel safe there again. Robin and Kris volunteered to change their plans, but altering their holiday was out of the question. With the babysitting argument still fresh in her mind, Laura wouldn't allow them to make the same mistake. Toni needed a roof, a bed and a friend, and until Robin and Kris returned, Laura would offer all three. Finishing their coffee, they spoke itineraries, giving Laura all their information, and then Krista crept into the bedroom and placed a soft kiss on Toni's forehead, and in a whisper, they were gone.

Chapter Twelve.

Laura looked up from her book when she heard the bedroom door open, smiling instantly at the woman in the rumpled sleepwear. "Hey there. How you feeling?"

"I'm...I'm okay," Toni said quietly. Seeing a bunch of her clothes stacked on a nearby chair and her small suitcase sitting next to it on the floor, she asked, "Why's my stuff here?"

"Kris and I didn't think you'd want to go back to your place, so we grabbed everything we could carry last night and brought it over here for safekeeping."

"Oh."

It was clear to Laura that Toni was totally out of her element. Her eyes darted around the room as she continued to clutch her pajama top tight against her bosom, and her face, already pale, grew more ashen. Believing that the last thing the woman needed was to be mothered, Laura stayed on the sofa, giving Toni a few moments to get used to her surroundings, but when Toni began to sway, Laura jumped up and ran to her side.

"I think you had better sit down before you fall down," she said, guiding Toni to the couch.

"I'm fine," Toni said, sinking into the sofa.

"So you're saying you always sway like that."

"Just a bit unsteady. Still waking up. What time is it?"

"Almost five."

"Oh. I...I should get ready for work," Toni said, trying to stand. "Can you take me to get my car?"

"Toni, it's Friday night."

"What?"

"You were exhausted and I didn't see a need to wake you. I called work this morning and had Irene rearrange our schedules."

"Oh...okay," Toni said, staring off into space. "That's fine."

Eyeing the woman for a moment, Laura tried her best to remain nonchalant. "Hey. You hungry?"