“Angel, I can’t do this right now.” Buffy sighed, stressed.

“Why not, Buffy?” He tried to press the matter, reaching out to touch her arm.

She whipped around and away from him, “Because you left me! And now you waltz right back in here like you own the place? How can you do that?” The last part was said weak. She was trying to hold back some tears. She hated uprooting the skeletons from her past.

“Listen, I know I have no right to come back into your life. But I miss you. And Spike and I have been doing our own kind of fighting-evil thing.” He paused, wishing she’d turn back around and look at him. “We’ve both missed you. We want you to be apart of the team as well.”

Buffy closed her eyes, not believing what was happening. “Look, Angel. I’ve been going through some tough times here. I’m still not over her death. This is just too much.”

“So it’s true? About Dawn, I mean? Buffy, I’m sorry. I should’ve-”

“Been here for me? Well, you left me way before then. She has nothing to do with us. Except for the fact that she never really had all of her sister. I was too busy trying to get over you leaving to fully be there for her.” Tears played on her eyes, daring to fall. She wouldn’t let them. “Listen, I need to clear my head a bit. Lucky for me Sunnydale has a new protector. So I have some free time. I never thought someplace like San Francisco would be boring compared to small ol’ Sunnydale.” She chuckled and retreated into her apartment, “And no. You’re not invited.”