Quickly excusing herself, Buffy ran home to apologize to her mother for worrying her before hurrying back over to Angel's apartment. She had showered and changed into a new outfit, which made her feel a lot better. The bite marks were concealed by a scarf tied around her neck, and they were healing nicely just as Angel had said.

The only problem now was what to say to him. She wasn't sure if anything she could say would explain how she was feeling about their current situation, but anything was worth a shot.

She did know this: She wasn't ready to forgive him, not yet. Too much damage had been done and things between them would never be the same again. But that didn't mean she was willing to give up their relationship either.

Hearing a knock at his door, Angel stood up to get it. "Hold on!" Twisting the knob, he was surprised to see her behind it. "Buffy?"

"Angel."

He had changed into a white tee-shirt and black slacks, making him look more like the Angel she knew in the past, and she fought off the urge to take him in her arms and hold him. She knew the anguish he must be going through. He had talked about it before, the things he had done all those years ago. He wasn't proud of any of them.

"Come in." He stood back to let her in and closed the door softly behind her. "What can I do for you?"

She looked at him carefully, not sure how to begin...

"Look, Buffy, you don't have to say anything," Angel told her, his eyes looking down at the floor before back up at her. "I don't know how to explain it myself." Turning his head, he moved into the corner of the room and sat down on his bed.

"No, Angel." She sat down next to him, covering his pale hands with hers. On her left hand she wore a small silver ring. His ring. He glanced up at her and he found himself drawn into her sympathetic emerald eyes. "I know what I feel. I just don't know how to say it." Taking a deep breath to help clear her head, she began.

"I know you're sorry for the things you did and that it wasn't your fault. The demon took over your soul and you lost control of your body. I can understand that, sort of." Her brow furrowed in thought, not sure how to continue. "But you still did all those things and, if certain things occur, this could even happen again." She let out a soft sigh, and he looked down at the floor again before back up to her penetrating eyes. "And that's why things can't go back to the way they were between us."

Angel swallowed. "I know," he whispered, thanking whatever God was up there that vampires weren't able to cry. Still, he tried his best to keep his emotions in check.

Now Buffy was the one about to cry. She hated doing this to him.

"I-I still want us to be friends," she said, hoping the idea would cheer him up a little. "For now anyway. I've had about all the change I can take."

He nodded. Her words had given him something to hope for, but he knew if anything ever did happen between them, it would be a long way into the future.

"Of course. I'll always be your friend, Buffy. Never forget that."

"I know." She smiled at him, bringing the faintest glimmer of happiness into his eyes. "Well..." She stood. "I'd better get home. Mom was a little worried when I left so I figured I'd better spend some 'quality time' with her. I'll see you soon?"

He stood up after her, clasping his hands together as was his usual fashion. "Yeah."

They walked together to the door, and gentlemanly, he opened it for her and stood back.

"Well, bye." Standing up on her toes, Buffy gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek and walked out the door.

Letting out a relieved sigh, something of habit to vampires, Angel shut the door and leaned back against its cold surface. Closing his eyes, he let all the emotion he had been holding flow into him.

She didn't hate him. But she didn't say she loved him either. That ring had to mean something...

He was so involved in his musings, he never even felt the lone tear sliding down his cheek...