"Sorry, Toni, that's not an option," she said, handing her back the list.

"I can't do this, Krista. Just get me a pair of jeans and a few shirts. That's all I need."

"No."

"Please-"

"No."

"Krista-"

"It's not happening, Toni."

"I can't do it."

"Yes, you can."

"No, I can't!"

"Yes-you-can."

"Why are you doing this?"

"I'm doing this because last night, you said you wanted to go shopping, and I didn't get my arse out of bed early on a Saturday so I can go out and buy you knickers! Now, get it together, Vaughn, because you and I are going out!"

Kris held her breath and prayed she hadn't pushed too hard. Even though over the past several weeks she had seen brief glimpses of her old friend reappear, she was also well aware of how easily Toni could pull back into herself. She was obviously scared, but she was talking, and shouting, and whether she knew it or not, she was becoming Toni again.

Less than an hour later, after spending ten minutes convincing Toni to get out of the car, they entered a small shop that offered its clientele the most basic of clothing. Its shelves were filled with jeans of every size and color, and racks bulged with T-shirts, Oxfords and the like. With only one other customer in the store, even though Toni was visibly nervous, Krista remained at her side while they rummaged through the stacks of denim. Feeling more like a bodyguard than a friend, Kris, nevertheless, stayed by Toni's side, and when clothes had to be tried on, Kris stood guard outside the changing room door.

Having already found a pair of jeans and two Oxfords, as they roamed the aisles, Kris noticed that Toni seemed to have lost interest in what the store had to offer. Browsing through the racks aimlessly, Toni hadn't stopped to look at anything seriously in over five minutes.

"Toni, what's up? I always get your clothes here."

"I...I just thought, well I mean...I...I-"

"Spit it out, Vaughn."

Hanging her head, Toni raised her eyes. "The other day at work, I noticed that most of the staff...well, I mean, Laura wears rather professional-looking clothes, and I'm always in jeans and T-shirts. So, I thought maybe I could try to look a bit more...a bit more proper, considering I'm a teacher and all."

Failing at hiding her excitement, Kris snatched the clothes from Toni's hands. "Why don't I go pay for this lot, and we'll go somewhere else? There are few shops down the street I think you might like."

With Toni's credit card in hand, Kris quickly paid for the purchases, and then hooked her arm through Toni's as they left the store. Less than two blocks later, they walked into another shop; however, this one was upscale and trendy, its racks filled with the finest blouses, cardigans and trousers.

A bit busier than the last, Krista watched intently for any sign that Toni was beginning to feel tense. When she saw her hands turn into fists or her face pale, Kris would move in close, silently offering Toni her assurances that all would be okay, and all was.

While Toni moved through a rack filled with trousers in the finest fabrics, Krista stood opposite, fingering through one filled with leather. Pulling out a pair, she held them up. "How about these?"

"I don't think they're proper school attire."

"You used to wear them all the time when you worked at the university."

As soon as the words came out, Krista wanted to die. Promising Toni years before never to talk about her past life, Kris was afraid to look up and view the damage she had just caused. Several seconds passed, and then she heard Toni say, "Back then I was always on the pull."

Relieved that her misspoken words hadn't spoiled the day, Kris breathed easy. "That's true, but you never know when you'll need something for a special occasion."

Remembering Laura's suggestion about dinner, Toni glanced at the leather trousers and sighed. It had once been her favorite material, and before going to prison, half her wardrobe consisted of leather trousers, waistcoats and jackets, but that was when she cared. That was when she was alive.

"No, these are fine. I'll just try them on," Toni said quietly, holding up some dress trousers. Her mind occupied with thoughts of a life she no longer had, she walked to the dressing room.

Krista knew instantly that there was something on Toni's mind other than clothes for work. The woman was terrified of strangers, and she had just meandered through a boutique now filled with people as if they didn't exist. Trotting over to the changing area, Kris stood outside the door. "Toni, what's going on?"

Opening the door a few inches, Toni peered out, "What do you mean?"

Rolling her eyes, Kris said, "I wasn't born yesterday, Toni. You just walked through a crowded shop without batting a bloody eye. That tells me that there's something on your mind. Now, what is it?"

"It's nothing," Toni said, closing the door in Krista's face.

"You're lying and we both know it," Krista said as she tried the knob. Finding it locked, she stomped her foot. "Damn it, Toni! Open the sodding door and tell me what the hell is going on."

A few seconds later, Toni peeked out again. "Look, it's really nothing. It's just something Laura said."

"Oh yeah? What?"

"Well, she thought, I mean, she suggested that I could pay her back for helping me...by taking her out to dinner."

"Dinner?"

"Yeah, and if I did, not that I would, mind you, but if I did, I'd need something nice to wear."

"Are you thinking about it?"

"What's to think about, Krista? You and I both know it's impossible."

"You're managing to get through today, aren't you?"

"Sure, but I'm with you, and I trust you. You know how I am."

"And she doesn't?"

"Well, no, I'm sure she does, but you and I have a history together. If I freak out around you-"

"It's not as embarrassing as doing it in front of a stranger."

"Exactly."

"I don't know about you, but if someone came to my flat in the middle of the night to patch me up, I don't think I'd consider them a stranger."

"Yeah, but-"

"Toni, Laura seems really nice. If she's the one that suggested dinner, and she already knows how uncomfortable you are around people, it sounds to me like she's willing to take a chance. From where I'm standing, I think that makes her a friend. Don't you?"

Kris was right, and Toni knew it. Somewhere over the past weeks, Laura MacLeod had crossed the line between stranger and friend. Even though Toni still tensed when Laura walked into her classroom, and even though her palms would sweat and her heart would race, in the inner depths of her soul, Toni knew that Laura was no longer a stranger. Thinking for a moment, Toni said, "Kris, I don't know what to do."

"I do. Stay right there," Kris said as she disappeared back into the store. A few minutes later, she returned with a pair of leather trousers, two silk blouses and a rather large grin.

"What's this?" Toni asked, looking at the shimmering red and blue shirts.

"There's no harm in being prepared, is there?" Kris said as she handed the clothes to Toni. "And you can't very well wear cotton Oxfords with leather, Toni. It's tacky. Now go try these on." The changing room door had barely latched when Kris added, "And I want to see them!"

Chapter Eight.

By the middle of the next week, Toni was a bundle of nervous energy. Her daily routine hadn't changed, but her mind was occupied with thoughts of venturing outside of her safety zone, and it was turning her head around. And if that wasn't enough, she had worn some of her new clothes to work, and all day long she had been receiving whistles and high-fives from her students.

Glancing at the clock, she gathered her belongings, took a deep breath and hesitantly went downstairs to Laura's office. It was a short walk, taking less than a minute, but by the time she stood outside the door, all of her courage had disappeared. She was about to turn and run when the door opened, and Laura stepped out.

"Toni, what a pleasant surprise!" Laura said.

As nice as it was to see Toni standing just outside her door, Laura couldn't contain her smile when she noticed Toni's new clothes. The blouse was still the woman's standard Oxford style, but this one was bright white, crisp and fitted, the side darts pulling the shirt tight against her skin. The gray tweed trousers were low on her hips, held in place by a narrow black belt, and her black boots were polished and new, with heels that pushed Toni slightly over six feet in height.

Nervously, Toni stared at the floor. She had practiced the words. She had even written them down, but now with Laura standing right in front of her, Toni couldn't think of a syllable. Luckily, Laura could.

"I'm sorry that I haven't been up to see you this week," Laura said, motioning for Toni to come into her office. "With John out, it gets a bit hectic at times."

Seeing the stack of papers on Laura's desk, Toni turned to leave. "I'm sorry. You're busy. I don't want to keep you from your work."

"No, Toni," Laura called out. "I was just coming up to see you. How's the arm?"

"It's fine," Toni said, once again staring at the floor.

"Yeah?"

Her fists tightening with determination, Toni raised her eyes. "Look, I just wanted to ask you, I mean, well I thought it was time that I pay you back for taking care of me."

"Okay?"

"Would you like to...would you like to have dinner on Friday night...with me?"

Without hesitation, Laura said, "Yes, I would, very much."

"Really? I mean...that would be great."

"So, where are you taking me?"

"Oh, I hadn't thought about that," Toni said quietly. "I don't really know-"

"I have an idea," Laura said, sensing the woman's dilemma. "Since you don't get out much, why don't I pick you up at six, and then we'll decide together. How's that sound?"

"That sounds good," Toni said, turning quickly to leave. "Well, I'd better let you get back to work now. See you on Friday."

"Toni."

"Yeah?"

"You look nice. I like your new clothes."

Toni acknowledged the compliment with a nod and then bolted from the room, leaving Laura sitting on the edge of her desk positively glowing. She had never seen Toni Vaughn blush before.

Immediately after her last class of the week, Toni raced home, showered and was partially dressed by the time Kris arrived with her groceries. After putting away the food, Kris walked to the bedroom and stood in the doorway as Toni debated on what to wear. Fifteen minutes later, Kris watched as Toni tried on the dark blue blouse for the third time.

"I like the red one," Kris said, watching as Toni took off the shirt.

"What the hell am I doing?" Toni muttered. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she tossed the blouse on the floor.

"You're just nervous," Kris said, picking up the shirt. "You haven't had a date in a long time."

"A date!" Toni shouted. "Krista, this isn't a date! This is just to thank Laura for what she did. Christ, you don't think that she thinks this is a date? Oh, that's not what I want...what I meant! Shit! I need to call her-"

"Toni, calm down. It was a poor choice of words on my part."

"But-"

"Relax, I'm sure Laura isn't thinking of tonight as a date. Just two friends going out to dinner. That's all."

"I don't know, if she thinks-"

"Will you please relax," Kris said, raising her voice just a tad. "Stop looking for excuses to call the whole thing off and get dressed. She'll be here in ten minutes, and I'm fairly certain that she'd appreciate it if you weren't half-naked. Then she'd definitely get the wrong idea."

Laura stood in her bedroom wearing nothing but her underwear as she tossed yet another outfit aside. She had tried on and removed three different dresses, and as she stared at the clothes in her wardrobe, she laughed. "What the hell am I doing?"

Quickly, she grabbed the next in line and slipped it on, smoothing the fabric and pulling up the zip before stepping into her shoes and returning to the bathroom. Glancing in the mirror, she brushed her hair, checked her makeup and then stopped and stared at her reflection. She was nervous, and she had absolutely no idea why. She knew that tonight would be difficult for Toni, but why was she feeling this way? She liked dining out. She liked having dinner with friends. She liked the restaurant she had chosen. She liked Toni.

A thought popped into her head, and Laura immediately pushed it away. She liked Toni. No big deal. She liked Abby and Susan and Irene. No big deal. They were her friends and so was Toni, but then the thought returned, and Laura gritted her teeth. "Stop being daft," she said, glaring at her reflection as if it were to blame for what she was thinking. "She's a woman, for Christ's sake!"

Having spent the better part of the thirty-minute drive to Toni's convincing herself that she thought of the woman as a friend and nothing more, by the time Laura reached Toni's flat, she was calm, cool, and collected.