"Failed at what? We defeated those demons." Stephanie reminded him, feeling the warmth of the alcohol soak into her muscles and bones. It felt good for now, though she wondered how she might feel in the morning after having another bottle as she was inclined to do right now. "At protecting me? I don't need a bodyguard. I need a husband. And you need, and deserve, a wife." She polished off the bottle.

"If you're talking about your mission, you can't win at that. There's no endgame to it. It's the struggle that matters. It's every life you save, every person who doesn't fall into the abyss- whether it's fucking demons or drugs. You save people almost every night. You can't save everyone. No one can.

But you can't save anyone if you're dead. And I can't make the world a better place if I'm completely burnt out.

So I say we take a vacation. So we can recover a little and actually face the things we have to face with some energy."