No, even if he were the best person to ever live, some people wouldn't be happy to see him. Some people are just jerks. But he has people who care about him, who want to be his friends, and that's a gift. Maybe he should be more careful about looking in the horse's mouth.

Bobbi learned young that good things come to those who are adorable.

"Hey." Her tone is gentle, as are her gaze and her hand on his shoulder. "I don't love the sight of you bleeding, but I'd rather a little more blood on my floor than a lot less of you around. I'll never turn you away."

Since her sense of permanence is shot to hell (and whose wouldn't be after their world got torn apart three times in a year?), it takes a lot for her to make that kind of promise. But she means it. She lets it hang between them long enough for him to have a chance to realize how serious she is before she withdraws her hand and looks away again.

"You know, if you need work, my boss knows a lot of people..."