Buffy walks in the front door at the Summers home. Dawn's waiting for her, with an arch, pissed-off look on her face. She kicks Buffy in the shin. Hee. I know the feeling. And those pointy-toed boots she's wearing must've hurt. Hee. Dawn calls Buffy a "dumbass." I know that feeling too -- I think Dawn is my stand-in at the moment. Buffy's boggled and then realizes that Xander is back too, sitting in the dining room with Anya petting his hair. He shrugs off Dawn's kick as a violent "Summers thing." "If you get killed, I'm telling," is Buffy's response to Dawn, and another conflict gets brushed under the carpet. Impending apocalypse is a wonderful way to get off the hook for annoying behavior, isn't it? I wonder how much Buffy will actually enjoy her normal life after this episode, when people around her won't have such a pressing reason to forget her snitty conduct. No! I take it all back! I'm happy! I love Buffy! Willow and Giles are also in the dining room, and Willow wants to know what Buffy has discovered about the axe. Wow, I forgot that that little mission is what led up to all the Angel-dorking. Buffy shares that she "julienned" Caleb, and the gang is excited. "Hey, party in my eye socket and everyone's invited," enthuses Xander, and if you've ever read that one James Ellroy novel, your mind just went to a very bad place. In fact, even without the Ellroy, that line's no picnic.