WWDD: S2E21 “BECOMING PART 1”

Xander meets Buffy at her house before patrolling. When Dawn eagerly asks to come, Buffy snaps, “No.” Dawn brightens when Xander tells her she’ll be patrolling in no time, but Buffy practically drags him out the door, shouting “Never!” over her shoulder. It reinforces her decision not to tell Buffy about the charm—she would never let Dawn help.

In the flashback of Buffy crying while her parents fight in LA, Buffy leaves the bathroom to find Dawn waiting by the door. Buffy hugs her and promises they will always have each other.

The morning of Buffy’s immolation-o-gram, Dawn’s teacher is absorbed in a newspaper article about a big rock dominating the front page. Dawn finds Cynthia, proudly proclaiming that the charm is ready--they just have to wait for the full moon. Cynthia smiles, but appears down. She reveals her mom got a new job and they’re moving to LA at the end of the week. Dawn is surprised to find herself disappointed.

That night, Buffy sneaks through her window for supplies before facing Angel at the cemetery. Worried that Buffy is searching for her missing cross, Dawn steps into the room to distract her. Buffy is visibly shaken and clutching an extra-pointy stake, prompting to Dawn to ask “what’s wrong?” Buffy tells her not to worry about it. “It’s Angel, isn’t it? You only get like this when it’s Angel!” Dawn presses when Buffy brushes past her. “You never tell me anything!” “Dawn—” Buffy snaps before Dawn cuts her off. “You already died once!” Buffy freezes and her expression softens. She crouches to Dawn’s height and pulls her into a powder-blue hug. “Dawnie,” she says quietly before promising to come back.

After Buffy leaves, Dawn decides the charm can’t wait any longer. A waxing gibbous will have to do. Unable to find sage, she pours poultry seasoning into a bag alongside a quartz from Cynthia and Buffy’s cross. As Buffy confronts Angel, Dawn buries the "charm" in the backyard, relieved she can finally do something to help her sister.