"Thanks for telling me where to find you," Kim said, appearing next to Faith.
"That's ok," Faith replied, looking over at him. She smiled faintly. "You sounded pretty pathetic, so I thought I should probably help you out."
"Gee, thanks," he grinned, then seemed to sober up. "I guess... I was just... it's my Mom's... well it would've been my Mom's birthday today."
"Ah." She paused, then glanced at him again. "Mom issues?"
"Sorta." Kim looked at his feet, avoiding her eyes. "I guess I just need to understand the Slayer thing. I mean, I told you what happened with her, didn't I?"
Faith nodded. "Yeah. You did."
"I just don't... I feel like there's no closure on the issue, you know?"
"Closure is overrated," she commented.
"Faith..."
"I know what you're going to ask. You're going to ask why I went kinda mental as well and started killing people, right?"
His silence was her answer.
"The first guy was an accident," she said softly, eyes glazing over. "He came out of nowhere. I didn't realise until it was too late. The others... I guess... I got a taste of power. And I felt like I could control it. I felt like some sort of God, I guess. I don't know, it sometimes feels like a blur."
Kim nodded. "I need to know... the reason I came to you was because I knew you wouldn't mince words. You'd be honest, even if the truth sucked, so I just need to know, was it lonely?"
"Yeah."
"For her, as well? Even though... even though she had us?"
Faith looked over at him sadly. "Yeah. It would've been."
They sat in silence for a long moment, while Kim tried to digest that.
"But why?" he asked.
"I..." she struggled for a second, trying to find the words. "I mean, I guess it's easier for them now, there are hundreds of Slayers and the ones at the school, they're all going through this together. They can share their stories, they don't have to hide the truth for fear of putting people in danger. But... it's lonely work, Kim."
"I don't understand, Faith."
"You can't tell anyone," Faith said simply, before expanding. "Because you put them in danger if they know. People don't always understand, they can't always accept it, so you just... isolate yourself. I mean, I know everyone is alone, you know, life is a lonely thing, but being a Slayer? It's a burden that you can't share."
Kim glanced at her. "Do you still feel that way?"
She nodded. "Don't get me wrong, I love slaying. When I'm fighting it's like the whole world goes away and I only know one thing. That I'm gonna win and they're gonna lose. But then there's moments, you know... when you're the only one who knows someone is trying to end the world and you've gotta be the one who stops it. And you can't just call in sick to that sort of stuff. It's..."
"The weight of the world," Kim finished.
"Yeah."
"But my Mom, she... well, she had a different life. She had us..."
"I'm sure she loved you," Faith reassured him. "And was grateful for you and your family. I'm sure of it. But... when everyone is looking at you to lead, to make the hard decisions... it's something non-Slayers can't understand. And that's the price of being a Slayer."
Kim fell silent.
"I'm not really talking up the Slayer gig, am I?" Faith asked, trying to lighten the mood.
"No no," he replied, nodding. "I appreciate the honesty."
"Like I said," she repeated. "Closure is overrated."