Captain Annie Summers had been too close, in some ways, to Faith. And all her anxieties about becoming the bad Slayer had been exacerbated. That careful line every Slayer had to walk...it wasn't even the Shift that was the problem. It was the chilling reminder of what her power and confidence could achieve if misapplied.

And Buffy liked guilt. O-or...not liked. Expected it, at least. She eagerly welcomed the weight of many worlds on her shoulders. Things were, paradoxically, more comfortable like that. Her shoulders were strong; she could survive it.

"It smacks of the cautionary tale, doesn't it? Jack used to always talk about what a great pirate I'd make. Or how great I'd be, in his world. And then I go there and then I...talk about having to be careful about what you wish for."