Back at Der Zauber Kasten, Buffy is in the back room, beating the crap out of a punching bag. Giles walks in and warns her not to strain herself. He tries to facilitate a little therapy session and explains that he's "sworn to protect this sorry world, and sometimes that means saying and doing what other people can't." Buffy warns him that to get to Dawn, he'll have to go through her, but softens as they take a seat on the couch. They reminisce about their apocalyptic salad days. Buffy muses that she's always come out ahead. She recalls how she killed Angel even though she "loved him so much." ["Sniff." -- Ace] She was able to do it because she knew what was right. She goes on to tell Giles that she doesn't have that anymore, and how much she misses her mommy. SMG does a really good job of selling this speech. Buffy presses her lips together, bites back some tears, and gets up. She tells Giles about how the spirit guide told her that death was Buffy's gift, and that means that she really is just a killing machine. Giles disagrees, but she says it doesn't matter because "if Dawn dies. I'm done with it. I'm quitting."

Back at the wacky factory, Dawn is wearing her dress for the ceremony, and she folds her clothes neatly and puts them on the chair, arranging her shoes under it. Oh man. That really got to me. Glory sits writing…something. What? What the hell would she have to write about? "Dear Mom and Dad. Camp Sunnydale has been real fun. In arts and crafts I got to stick my hands in people's heads and suck their brains out. I kan run reel fast. I beat all of the other hell gods in the Key race. You have to slaughter a whole bunch of knights and make it back home all without letting go of the Key or spilling any of her pure green energy. Tonight we are going to sing songs, toast marshmallows, and open a portal to all the other dimensions. If it's okay with you I'm going to bring my friend Ben home with me. I promised to make him immortal. Love, Glory." A minion approaches to whisper in her ear that it's time for the ritual. She gets up and claps excitedly, saying that it's "almost stab time" Two of the minions grab Dawn to take her upstairs, and she screams. A lot. Real loud.