Later, Willow is sitting on her bed, wrapped in a blanket. Buffy comes in and explains that Dawn's arm is fractured and will take some time to heal. Crash! Smash! Plop, plop, plop! Do you get it? Things amongst the friends are "fractured" and will "take time to heal." Apologies from Willow. Buffy, arms crossed, says she can't understand what Willow is doing and why she took Dawn. Quietly, Willow admits that she thought she controlled the magic, but instead the magic controlled her. Because that's not at all a painful cliché. Her problem began before Tara left, and she realizes it's why Tara left. "If you could be plain old Willow, or super Willow, who would you be?" says Willow, and Buffy replies, "You don't need magic to be special." Okay, this insecurity is a little more touching and more in keeping with Willow's basic character, but she did help before with her hacker skills and, like Xander, with her love, loyalty, bravery, and dedication to the good fight. Willow claims that without the magic, she was just "some girl" that Tara didn't even know. That's a nice point, too. Willow's incredibly deep insecurity leads her to believe that her witchiness, rather than her Willowness, was what Tara loved. Buffy assures Willow that Tara loves her, and I wish she'd toss in that she loves Willow too, because I miss the way they used to tell each other that, but I guess you can't go home again. The script missteps again when Willow says, "It took me away from myself," which sounds like escapism. I buy the magic making her feel special and that being compelling to her, but not that Willow needs escapism. Buffy says she understands the need to escape, but "it's wrong. People get hurt." She sits on the bed with Willow, who says she was out of her mind. "It won't happen again, I promise," she continues, and Buffy agrees, "I think it's right. To give it up. No matter how good it feels." Or how cute, muscular, blond, and hung it is. Oops. Willow says she won't miss the headaches, nosebleeds, or "keeping stinky yak cheese in [her] bra." My grandma used to keep money in her bra, or as she called it, her "budge." "Don't ask." Buffy is happy not to. They both say, "It's over." Later, we see Willow tossing and turning in bed, seemingly going through symptoms of physical withdrawal. Buffy sits wide awake in her room. Strings of garlic festoon every window and she holds a cross in her hands.

Sep: "Uh, Buffy? It's not your room you need to keep Spike out of."
Ace: "Yeah, Buffy, did you stick any garlic down your pants?"