This is one of the more well known examples of foreshadowing in the show but also the most intricate. Dawn’s presence is first hinted at in 3x22 (“Miss Muffet”) by Faith and is then referred to as such again by one of Glory’s victims in 5x2. The 730 stands for the number of days in two years. Two years pass exactly between this episode and 5x22 (withing the show) when Dawn is destined to die (hence the countdown). This number shows up on Buffy’s clock in 4x22, however Tara points out that it is “completely wrong” as one year has passed and now only one year remains of the “countdown”. Faith mentions “little sis” in a dream in 4x15. Both these scenes take place in Buffy’s bedroom which is the first place the audience ever sees Dawn. And Tara’s warning (originally intended to be delivered by Faith for continuity) “be back before Dawn” is given in the previous episode to Dawn’s first appearance. Faith is also responsible for foreshadowing the time of Buffy’s death. During the bodyswap of 4x16, Faith uses a credit card (either Buffy or Joyce’s), with the expiration date of May 2001. Buffy’s death takes place in the same month of the same year and this episode (5x22) aired on May 22 2001, almost 730 days (so roughly two years) after 3x22 first aired on television.
headcanon. when buffy was fifteen years old, she was given the responsibility of babysitting dawn alone for the first time. hank and joyce had mutually decided that she was old enough to take care of things, and after giving her a set of detailed instructions and a list of phone numbers, the left the summers daughters alone to head off to a dinner meeting with some corporate big shot. though the sun was dipping below the horizon, the girls ventured to the backyard where dawn demanded buffy push her on the swing. (and buffy was incapable of saying ‘no’ to those big doe eyes of hers.) however, buffy didn’t know yet that she was the chosen one; didn’t know that she possessed super human strength. when dawn requested to go higher, buffy pushed harder – too hard. her little sister flew from the swing, falling face first and landing on her arm. though dawn was the one with the broken arm, it didn’t compare to the pain buffy felt from hurting the one person she cared most about in the world. buffy stayed up all night at the emergency room with her, and dawn even allowed her to sign her cast the next day:
dawnie, i’ll never let you fall again. love buffy. xo ♥
dawn’s arm healed, but the pain from the most prominent memory the monks gave buffy never did heal.
Dawn AU: Dawn thought that Buffy had been acting strangely for days - even more strangely than she usually did in the face of an apocalypse. It wasn’t until after graduation that Buffy finally broke down and told her what was wrong.
