After thinking it through, the title "Breaking Novikov" makes a lot of sense.

In Dawn's original timeline, if you take the retroactive Key memories as pseudo-time-travel, her existence was self-consistent. Once she existed in 2000 the monks of her timeline knew what they had to make the Key into in 1986, and she existed in 2000 independent of any causal loop - from the monks of the Dawnless timeline of the first four seasons - so there's no issue there.

However, in the new timeline, Dawn intentionally used her previous nonexistence to change her own past and break self-consistency.

Angel is such a douche. I started watching Buffy from the beginning with my daughter, introducing her to the 'verse, and by s1:ep4, she wanted Buffy to stake him.
Could totally see this sort of hissy fit.

I'm thrilled to see Buffy stand up for herself with Angel. It really was an unhealthy relationship. And I'm glad the sisters are slightly reconciled too. And Spike's getting crumbs even if he doesn't realize it. :)

So glad that she dissed angel

I'm kinda curious what buffy would do if she was the one that went back instead of dawn

Noooooooooo! Why? Why? Although, I knew it would happen, so not surprised, but still! Why?

Somehow I completely forgot about Spike's soul. I used to think that the soul would be the ultimate thing to make a spuffy relationship possible but now I'm not so sure. Just seems as if it would just muck up everything...
Great chapter, as always. And man, this arc is emotional!

I absolutely loved the Spuffy interaction in this chapter and Spike as Dawn's champion with Buffy when she's finding it easiest to blame the most convenient person. Spike losing days to the temporal fluctuations is worrisome though. Great work as usual.

Love the role reversal of Buffy and Dawn then how it reversed right back to slap.

Great chapter I can't wait for spuffyness :)
-Spec!al

Ouch! Poor Dawn! I mean, poor Buffy too but Dawn's living through all this a second time and then having to try to explain why when there really is no good explanation other than sometimes things just happen. Thanks for the quicker updates through this part. It helps not having to drag it out too long.

Great chapter cannot wait until the update
-Spec!al

I love you for making buffy's frustrating ignorant behavior better and I hope I cry next chapter like I cried when I saw the episode.

God these last two chapters destroyed me! very well written. excited for the next!

It is good that it was short, since it was heart breaking.