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Episode Summary
Buffy is back, but is she really all there? We join Xander, Anya, Willow and Tara assessing the damage left by the demon biker gang, The Hellions. Apparently, without their leader, Razor, the gang of nasties bail out of Sunnydale.
Meanwhile, back at the Summers’ house, Dawn attempts to re-familiarize Buffy with her life. While explaining to the Buffster about things that have changed since she was in the Hell dimension, a concerned Spike comes looking for Dawn.
Not only does he find Dawn, however, he also finds himself face-to-face with Buffy. Almost immediately, Spike notices that Buffy’s hands are mangled from digging herself out of her grave and attempts to patch her up.
Just then, the rest of the gang rushes to Buffy’s side and Spike exits the house and begins crying outside. Anya and Xander question whether or not Willow actually brought back Buffy right and an angered Spike slams Xander against a tree asking why he wasn’t told of the gangs’ spell.
As the vamp puts it, “The thing about magic? There’s always consequences. Always.” Later that night, strange things begin happening after Buffy sees a picture of her and her friends transformed into a picture of a bunch of skeletons.
Not long after that horrible sight, a possessed Buffy attacks Tara and Willow. Meanwhile, across town, a possessed Anya attacks Xander. The gang gets together and Anya informs everyone that an alternate dimension hitchhiker is haunting them.
After they decide that they have to kill the creature, Buffy enters and the Scoobies inform her that she brought back a demon from Hell with her.
As soon as Buffy decides to accept her responsibilities as a Slayer again and go on patrol, we see that Dawn has been possessed by the hitchhiker and blows fire out of her mouth at the gang.
Meanwhile, at Spike’s crypt, the vampire paces and punches the wall, when suddenly, Buffy comes to visit. Spike tries to be lighthearted and concerned, but The Slayer doesn’t really respond to him.
The Scoobies try to figure out how they can dispel the demon that they brought back to life and Willow decides that the creature lives because of Thaumogenesis: a side effect from performing the spell to resurrect Buffy.
Willow also tells the gang that the demon will dissipate unless it kills Buffy. Unbeknownst to Willow, however, the demon, possessing Xander, overhears her revelation. Almost immediately, the demon attacks The Slayer.
Xander and Anya rush to Buffy’s aid as Willow and Tara chant a spell at the Magic Box to make the demon solid so Buffy can kill it. In the nick of time, the spell works and Buffy decapitates the demon with an ax. Xander, Anya and Dawn watch in horror.
In the end, Buffy sends Dawn off to school and then meets the gang at the Magic Box to show her appreciation for bringing her back from the dead. After a group hug, Buffy exits into the Magic Box alley, only to find Spike waiting outside.
Buffy tells the vamp about her supposed horrible experience in the Hell dimensions, stating that the real world that she was brought back to is actually Hell and that her friends can never know what she has experienced.
Shooting Scripts
Teaser
EXT. SUNNYDALE STREETS – NIGHT (DAY 1)
XANDER, ANYA, WILLOW and TARA make their way home through the streets of recently-occupied
Sunnydale. They walk quickly past looted stores and cars with broken windows.
WILLOW
She’s at home. She has to be.
We just have to get there.
And she’ll be there.
TARA
This is the fastest way?
XANDER
Absolutely.
TARA
You’re sure?
XANDER
Hey, I’ve done a lot of fleeing
through these mean streets.
I know all the short-cuts.
ANYA
I don’t like this.
They pass a smoldering car fire. Anya points at it.
ANYA (cont’d)
That’s on fire. Fire is rarely a
sign of imminent safety.
WILLOW
I wish we were there already.
XANDER
Hey, hey, don’t worry, ladies,
I’ll get us there just fine. My
senses are primed for danger,
and nothing’s gonna HOLY CRAP!
A group of THREE DEMONS ON MOTORCYCLES roars out of an alley, nearly hitting Xander. He jumps
out of the way.
ANYA
Oh! Xander!
XANDER
(shaky)
I’m okay.
(counts silently)
Four. Four limbs. Doing good.
The group starts walking again. Xander, legs shaky, stumbles a little.
XANDER (cont’d)
(weakly)
Doing fine.
ANYA
At least the demons almost
hit you on the way out of town.
XANDER
Yeah, now that their leader’s
gone they seem to be making
with the big skedaddle.
WILLOW
It was Buffy, right? We saw her
and she was really Buffy.
TARA
Yeah.
WILLOW
And she was okay. She was Buffy.
ANYA
Sure, from what I saw before
she ran off in a completely
not-like-her way. Other than that
she was exactly Buffy.
WILLOW
Right. She was fine.
ANYA
I was being sarcastic. I think we
screwed it up and she’s broken.
WILLOW
No! She’s not broken! She’s
just disoriented from being
tormented in some kind of hell
dimension. Probably tortured and…
It’s like, we don’t even know how
much time passed there for her,
possibly years. That’s not something
you get over…
(suddenly)
Oh my God.
Xander jumps, looks behind him for motorcycles.
XANDER
What? Where?
WILLOW
What if she never gets over it?
ANYA
And you think of this now?
TARA
What are you thinking, Willow?
That she’s … that she’s not right?
Or maybe, like, dangerous?
EXT. BUFFY’S HOUSE – NIGHT
BUFFY stands in front of her house, looking up at it, her expression blank. DAWN stands nearby.
She’s not looking at the house. She’s looking nervously at Buffy.
DAWN
Home! See?
Buffy doesn’t answer.
DAWN
You’re back home. We’re
all okay now.
We PUSH IN on Buffy, looking empty and lost.
BLACK OUT.
END OF TEASER
Act One
INT. BUFFY’S HOUSE MINUTES LATER – NIGHT
Buffy is standing in the entryway of the house, very still, very quiet. Dawn enters after her and
closes the door behind them. She looks at Buffy apprehensively.
DAWN
Home again, home again…
(weakly)
Jiggety jog.
Buffy steps into the living room.
BUFFY
It’s different.
DAWN
A little. Willow and Tara
live here now, and we … we
didn’t do much…
Buffy looks at a PHOTOGRAPH OF JOYCE on a table.
DAWN (cont’d)
We moved the chairs … took
out some of the little tables–
Buffy has turned and headed into the dining room. Dawn trails after her.
The dining room has changed. One end of the table is set up as a computer work station.
DAWN (cont’d)
This is the same. Except the
computer stuff, that’s Willow’s,
obviously. We eat at the other end…
Buffy is already gone, heading up the stairs. Dawn looks after her, feeling that she’s not doing a very
good job as tour guide.
DAWN (cont’d)
(lamely)
Obviously.
Dawn heads up the stairs after Buffy.
EXT. STREET – NIGHT
Main street – the same one the Slayerettes walked through in the Teaser. Spike cruises through
slowly on his stolen MOTORCYCLE. He looks around frantically.
SPIKE
Dawn!
He keeps going.
SPIKE (cont’d)
Gotta be somewhere, gotta be
somewhere.
He accelerates …
SPIKE (cont’d)
Dawn!
INT. BUFFY’S HOUSE – UPSTAIRS BATHROOM – NIGHT
Dawn is standing with Buffy at the sink. Buffy is wearing casual clothes now, a button-up shirt hangs
open over a camisole. Buffy’s hair is combed and pulled back.
Dawn is washing the dirt from Buffy’s face with a washcloth.
DAWN
There you are. Knew you were
under that dirt somewhere.
Remember what Mom used to
say? “Either wash that neck or
plant potatoes.”
Buffy doesn’t react.
DAWN (cont’d)
Yeah… I never thought it was funny either.
Dawn looks at the shirt.
DAWN (cont’d)
You want to button that up, or…
Buffy looks down at her hands. Dawn looks down too, sees the damage to Buffy’s hands.
DAWN (cont’d)
Oh. Ow. We should take care
of that.
BUFFY
Okay.
DAWN
I’ll do the shirt. Then we can do
your hands …
Dawn starts to button Buffy’s shirt.
DAWN (cont’d)
Here we go. See how nice you look…
Buffy walks away, just pulling out of Dawn’s hands and heading into the hall.
INT. WILLOW AND TARA’S ROOM – MOMENTS LATER – NIGHT
Buffy enters and looks around the room.
It’s Joyce’s old room, refurnished per the two-part season premiere. AMY THE RAT is in her cage.
Dawn enters.
DAWN
Mom’s room. I know it’s really
different now.
BUFFY
Willow and Tara. This is their room.
DAWN
Yeah, well. It seemed like it made
sense. No one was using it, and it’s
the biggest. But, you know, now that
you’re back, we’ll have to figure out
what to do …
Buffy is already turning to leave, but Dawn gets in front of her, blocks the way.
DAWN (cont’d)
Buffy? You wanna, like, stop? We can
sit down and talk. I mean, I’m trying to
be all this-happens-all-the time about this,
but I’m really kinda freaking out and I
don’t know what to do.
Buffy’s attention drifts inward. Then she shakes herself out of it, tries to focus.
BUFFY
What else is different?
DAWN
You mean, with the house, or…
Buffy shrugs.
DAWN (cont’d)
Um. Let’s see … Giles. It’s so
weird. He left. Today. Because
you were– He’ll come right back.
I’ll call him. Someone will call him.
BUFFY
Okay… what… Um…
Buffy loses focus again…
DAWN
What what?
BUFFY
What … What will you say to him?
DAWN
I dunno… It’ll be interesting.
We could do it now, put you
on the phone, “Hi, Giles, guess
who this is?” Give him a heart
attack.
Dawn starts laughing from the image, but mostly from the tension, on the edge of losing it. Buffy
doesn’t laugh, just watches. Dawn’s laugh peters out.
DAWN (cont’d)
Or, you might not be in the mood for
prank calls.
There is the sound of the front door opening below them, rushed heavy footfalls … Dawn stops
laughing. And Buffy is, instantly tense and alert.
BUFFY
What’s that?
DAWN
It’s okay.
SPIKE (O.S.)
(called, urgent)
Dawn? Dawn! You here?
DAWN
See? It’s just Spike.
(calls)
I’m here!
Dawn heads for the stairs. Buffy follows.
INT. BUFFY’S HOUSE – FOYER – CONTINUOUS – NIGHT
SPIKE is standing in the entryway as Dawn comes downstairs. He’s out of breath, just recovering
from near-panic.
SPIKE
(to Dawn)
Thank God. You scared me half
to death… or more to death. I
could kill you!
DAWN
Spike.
SPIKE
I mean it. Could rip your head
off one handed and drink from
your brain stem.
DAWN
Look.
He sees Buffy coming down the stairs behind Dawn.
SPIKE
Yeah? I’ve seen the bloody bot
before. Didn’t think she’d patch up–
He stops. Stunned, staring at Buffy. For a very long beat.
DAWN
She’s kind of– She’s been through a lot,
with the … death. But I think she’s okay.
Spike is still staring.
DAWN (cont’d.)
Spike? Are you okay?
SPIKE
I’m… what did you do?
DAWN
Me? Nothing!
He looks Buffy up and down, making sure she’s okay.
SPIKE
Her hands.
DAWN
I was gonna fix ’em. I don’t know
how they got like that.
SPIKE
I do. Clawed her way out of a
coffin, that’s how.
(to Buffy)
Isn’t that right?
Buffy looks at her hands as if they belong to someone else.
BUFFY
I … Yes. I had to do that.
SPIKE
Done it myself.
He’s just looking at her, lost in it. He pulls himself back.
SPIKE
We’ll take care of you. C’mere …
Spike leads Buffy into the living room.
SPIKE (cont’d)
(to Dawn)
Get me some stuff, mercurochrome,
bandages.
DAWN
‘kay.
Spike leads Buffy to the sofa. They sit. Spike reaches for her hands, and we see that his own are
shaking. He takes her hands, but he doesn’t look at them. Just holds them and looks at her face.
BUFFY
How long was I gone?
Spike has to clear his throat, find his voice.
SPIKE
Hundred forty-seven days yesterday… um,
one-forty-eight today. ‘Cept today doesn’t
count, does it?
Buffy nods.
SPIKE
How long was it for you…
where you were?
BUFFY
(thinks, then:)
Longer.
Dawn steps in carrying a box of Band-Aids and a tube of disinfectant.
DAWN
Got the stuff.
Dawn is putting the first-aid stuff down on a table next to Spike where Xander, Anya, Willow and Tara
enter through the front door and enter the living room.
WILLOW
Is she here?
Buffy stands up, startled. Spike backs to the edge of the room.
ANYA
She’s here!
WILLOW
Buffy!
TARA
Are you okay?
DAWN
(to the others)
You knew she was back?
How did you know?
Spike exits, but no one is looking at him.
EXT. BUFFY’S HOUSE – FRONT YARD – CONTINUOUS – NIGHT
Spike emerges from the house. He looks fine as he steps off the porch, starts to cut across the lawn.
But when he reaches the tree, he stops, leans his back against it … He starts to cry.
INT. BUFFY’S HOUSE – LIVING ROOM – NIGHT
Willow, Tara, Anya, Xander and Dawn are gathered around Buffy.
XANDER
What do you remember?
WILLOW
Are you in pain?
TARA
What do you know about what
happened?
Buffy cringes backwards from the onslaught.
DAWN
Hey!
Startled, everyone looks to Dawn.
DAWN
Back off! Let her breathe!
Dawn gets between Willow and Buffy, stares Willow down.
DAWN
You did this. What did you do?
WILLOW
A spell. We did a spell.
DAWN
Is she going to be okay?
BUFFY
I’m okay.
Again all heads turn back to Buffy.
BUFFY (cont’d)
I’m going to be fine. I remember–I
was– You brought me back.
XANDER
How long were you gone? I mean, how
long for you?
BUFFY
It … it seemed like forever.
TARA
Oh, Buffy, I’m so sorry.
DAWN
What are you saying? Are you saying
she was somewhere? Like, in hell?
ANYA
A hell-dimension. Same torture, less religion.
(to Buffy)
What was it like?
DAWN
No! She shouldn’t have to talk about it!
BUFFY
It was … I can’t — I couldn’t leave.
XAN’DER
It’s okay. You really don’t have to
do this, Buff.
Buffy looks at him helplessly. He feels the pressure.
XANDER (cont’d)
Hey, do you want something?
Anything? Pizza? I’ll get you pizza.
ANYA
Mmm. Saucy. Buffy likes pizza.
WILLOW
She doesn’t want pizza.
Dawn sees how overwhelmed Buffy is.
DAWN
Guys. Back off.
WILLOW
Dawn’s right. Let’s just be quiet.
Let Buffy tell us what she needs.
They all fall silent and stare at Buffy. She shifts uncomfortably.
BUFFY
I think… I want to sleep.
TARA
That’s a good idea. You should sleep.
WILLOW
Yeah. Long day. But, Buffy… be
happy. We got you out. We really
did it.
Buffy looks at Willow. Is she going ‘to say “thank you”? A beat.
BUFFY
Tired.
ANYA
Well, yeah. The jet-lag from hell has
gotta be, you know, the jet-lag from hell.
BUFFY
My room is still …
DAWN
Yeah. Yes. It’s your room.
Buffy heads up the stairs. The others look at each other.
WILLOW
She’s fine! Normal! She used to go
to bed all the time!
EXT. BUFFY’S HOUSE – FRONT YARD NIGHT
Spike leans against a tree near the porch, in the shadows, crying with confusion and relief.
Xander and Anya emerge from the house onto the front porch.
ANYA
(to Xander)
I think Willow’s wrong. I don’t
think she’s especially normal at all.
XANDER
She just got back. Give her time.
I bet, in a week, she’ll be our little
Bufferin again.
ANYA
Oh yes, because six or seven days,
that’s really all you need to get over
eternal hell experiences.
Xander notices the figure by the tree.
XANDER
Who’s that? Spike?
Covering quickly, Spike dries his tears as they get closer.
XANDER (cont’d)
What are you doing out here? I hope
you’re not going to start up your
whole obsession thing now that she’s
around–
Without warning, Spike grabs Xander and slams him up against the tree, leans into him. Spike
winces with chip-in-head pain.
SPIKE
Ow!
XANDER
Ow!
ANYA
Hey!
SPIKE
You didn’t tell me. You brought her
back and you didn’t tell me.
XANDER
Well, now you know.
SPIKE
I worked beside you. All summer.
Hundred and forty-seven bleedin,
days. I saved your sorry lives, all
of you.
ANYA
Um… thank you and please stop
pressing against my boyfriend?
XANDER
We didn’t tell you. It was … we
just didn’t, okay? Maybe you should
stop being a problem for a second
and just be glad that she’s back..
SPIKE
Listen. I’ve figured it out. Maybe
you haven’t, but I have. Willow
knew there was a chance she’d come
back wrong. So wrong that you’d
have to– that she’d have to get rid of
what came back. And she knew I
wouldn’t let her. If any part of it was
Buffy, I wouldn’t let her. That’s why
she shut me out.
XANDER
What are you talking about? Willow
couldn’t do that!
SPIKE
That right?
XANDER
Look, you’re just covering. You can’t
tell me you’re not happy. Look me in
the eyes. Tell me that seeing Buffy
alive wasn’t the happiest damn second
of your whole existence.
Spike doesn’t have an answer for that. He lets Xander go. Spike turns to walk away. He heads for his
MOTORCYCLE, parked at the curb. As he goes:
SPIKE
The thing about magic? There’s
always consequences. Always.
Spike gets onto his cycle. Starts it. Xander and Anya exchange a worried look.
INT. BUFFY’S HOUSE – BUFFY’S ROOM – NIGHT
Buffy stands motionless in front of a mirror. She doesn’t seem to register her own face in front of her.
She startles at the sound of footsteps in the hallway, gasping and stepping away from the door.
INT. BUFFY’S HOUSE – UPSTAIRS HALLWAY – NIGHT
Willow, in pajamas, walks casually down the hall to her own room. She enters and closes the door.
INT. BUFFY’S HOUSE – WILLOW AND TARA’S ROOM – NIGHT
Willow enters to find Tara in her nightgown, brushing her hair.
WILLOW
Hey.
TARA
Did you get through to London?
WILLOW
Yeah. He’s going to head back as
soon as he can. Probably… I’m not
sure, maybe a couple days.
TARA
How’d he take it?
WILLOW
Um. I’m not sure. Glad, but … kinda
weirded out, you know? Which I get.
Lots of “dear lords… I think I actually
heard him cleaning his glasses.
Willow gets into bed. Tara looks at her.
TARA
Are you worried?
WILLOW
Worried? Tara, it worked fine. It’s
all good.
TARA
Hey, Will. This is me. It doesn’t all
have to be “good” and “fine.” This is
the room where you don’t have to
be brave and I still love you. If you’re
worried you can be worried.
Tara turns out the light and gets into bed next to Willow.
WILLOW
I’m not … unworried. What happened,
that’s gotta be intense. That has to
change you. When Angel came back?
Buffy said he was wild. Like an animal.
TARA
Buffy isn’t like that.
WILLOW
Yeah.
TARA
But?
WILLOW
But …everything. I guess …
Willow points at her head.
WILLOW
It’s just a little noisy in here
right now.
TARA
Yeah? Let me hear?
Tara puts her head next to Willow, cheek-to-cheek, listens. Willow smiles gently. Tara pulls back,
returns the smile.
TARA
I can’t hear it. Tell me about it.
WILLOW
Well, there’s a little voice that’s so
proud of what I did. And there’s
one that says it was a huge mistake,
that she’ll never be right again. And
then the first one — it’s a chatty one –
it says that people get over all kinds
of things, and Buffy’s way stronger
than people. And then the second
voice is all like, “Oh yeah? Sez who?”
and then the first voice gets all
defensive–
TARA
Wow. I have this voice that says
you’re not gonna get much sleep
tonight.
Tara wraps herself around Willow.
TARA
Is this good?
WILLOW
Yeah. I think it makes it quieter in here.
They lie quietly for a beat.
TARA
You know what I think? I think we
were all assume-crash-positions.
WILLOW
What-huh-now?
TARA
It’s, it’s, it’s like … we were all
tensed up, like we were expecting
it to screw up. We weren’t prepared
for it to actually go right.
WILLOW
Yeah.
A beat, then:
WILLOW
Tara?
TARA
(sleepy)
Yeah?
WILLOW
If it did go right? Wouldn’t she
be … happier? Like, wouldn’t she be
so happy we brought her out?
TARA
I’m sure she is.
WILLOW
(not buying it)
Yeah…
TARA
You thought she’d say thanks? Be
more grateful?
WILLOW
Am I a terrible person if I say yes?
TARA
Give her time. She’ll get there.
WILLOW
Right. No need to be in a big furry hurry.
TARA
Exactly.
They lie quietly.
TARA (cont’d)
Are you listening for her?
WILLOW
A little. She’s right next door.
If something wasn’t okay… I
need to know if something isn’t okay.
TARA
I’m sure it’s okay.
INT. BUFFY’S HOUSE – BUFFY’S ROOM – NIGHT
Buffy is still fully dressed. She’s sitting on the edge of the bed. Back straight, hands folded, like she’s
in a doctor’s waiting room.
There is a framed photograph on the dresser: a picture of Buffy, Willow and Xander. Buffy gets up,
picks up the picture. She carries it over to a wall where other snapshots are taped up, or hanging in
frames — these include a number of pictures of Buffy with Xander and Willow and also Tara and
Anya. She looks at them, trying to connect herself to the girl in the photos.
She is looking at the framed photo when THE FACES CHANGE. They turn into faces of death:
decayed, skeletal, empty eyed. She looks up at the other photos. The same thing is happening in
each of them. Buffy and her friends become corpses.
Buffy closes her eyes for a second. When she looks again, the pictures are normal. Buffy continues to
stare at them, expressionless.
BLACK OUT.
END OF ACT ONE
Act Two
INT. BUFFY’S HOUSE – WILLOW AND TARA’S ROOM – NIGHT
Later that same night. The room is dimly lit by moonlight. Willow and Tara are asleep. Suddenly
something hits the wall over their heads with a crash — a candle in a glass candle holder. It showers
glass on them. Tara screams and they both sit up, terrified.
Buffy, still dressed, stands in the darkness at the foot of the bed. Hands clenched, body tense.
WILLOW
Buffy?
BUFFY
What did you do? Do you know
what you did? You’re like children!
Your hands smell of death! Bitches!
Filthy little bitches, rattling the bones,
Did you cut a throat? Did you pat its head?
Buffy grabs a crystal ball off the dresser and throws it at them. Willow and Tara just manage to duck
it, and it smashes against the wall.
BUFFY (cont’d)
The blood dried on your hands, didn’t
You were stained. You still are.
TARA
Oh God, oh God, oh God.
BUFFY
I know what you did!
Willow jumps out of bed and hits the lights.
The room is empty. No Buffy.
The candle in its holder and the crystal ball are whole, sitting where they started. Tara looks around
her in the bed.
TARA
No glass. There’s no glass.
INT. BUFFY’S ROOM – MOMENTS LATER – NIGHT
Darkness. The door cracks open, letting in a bright trapezoid of light from the hall.
It falls across Buffy, lying sound asleep in bed in her pajamas.
Willow and Tara look in from the doorway, confused and frightened.
INT. WILLOW AND TARA’S ROOM MOMENTS LATER NIGHT
Willow and Tara reenter their room.
WILLOW
Okay, what in the frilly heck is
going on?
TARA
Maybe we dreamed it.
WILLOW
Right. Right.
(realizing)
Wrong.
She points at their heads.
WILLOW (cont’d)
Different brains.
TARA
Oh, yeah.
(beat)
What was it talking about? Did you
understand it?
WILLOW
I understood the words, but … no.
TARA gasps, looking at something over Willow’s shoulder.
Willow turns to see …
WILLOW’S POV: A SHADOWY DISTORTION ripples across the wall of the room, toward the door. It
disappears.
WILLOW
What was that?
TARA
There’s, there’s something in the house.
WILLOW
What is it? Could it hurt Buffy?
TARA
I don’t know.
WILLOW
I’m gonna call.
Willow grabs the phone, dials.
WILLOW (cont’d)
I hope Xander’s up.
INT. XANDER’S BEDROOM/WILLOW AND TARA’S BEDROOM – NIGHT
Xander and Anya lie in bed.
ANYA
(softly)
Xander? Are you up? I can’t sleep.
Play a word game with me.
No answer from Xander. He’s sleeping fine.
ANYA
(little louder)
Xander? You awake? I’m going to
describe an adjective with accurate
but misleading clues, and then you
have to guess it.
(then)
Xander!
Nothing. The PHONE RINGS.
ANYA (cont’d)
Well, that oughtta do it.
Xander is awake, fumbling for the phone.
XANDER
Huh? What? Do what?
(into phone)
Hello?
INTERCUT WITH WILLOW IN HER ROOM.
WILLOW
It’s me, Willow. Tara and I were
just attacked.
XANDER
Attacked? A vampire?
Xander sits up, on the edge of the bed. Behind him, we can see Anya getting out of bed, heading
casually for the door.
WILLOW
It was Buffy. Or something that
looked like her.
Tara is leaning in close to the phone as Willow holds it …
TARA
Like she was possessed.
WILLOW
Then she just disappeared. And we
saw something… a little … there’s
something in the house.
Back in Xander’s room…
XANDER
(intense)
In the house? All right. Willow. You
need to get out of there. Get everyone out.
Anya steps back into frame in the doorway behind Xander. (NOTE: The shot is not framed in such a
way to make us anticipate her appearance.)
HER EYES ARE BLANK-WHITE AND SHE IS CUTTING HER FACE WITH A BUTCHER’S KNIFE.
SHE FLOATS TOWARD XANDER [NOTE: this is not a wire gag, just a close-up of Anya gliding toward
camera.]
She starts laughing…
XANDER (cont’d)
(into phone)
Go wake up Buffy and Dawn. Don’t
make a big deal, just-
Xander, hearing Anya laugh, looks around behind him and sees her.
XANDER (cont’d)
Gahhhhhh!
Xander drops the phone. He jumps to his feet, grabs for the knife, gets it away from her.
Anya collapses, unconscious at his feet. If we see her face, we should see that the cuts aren’t there
any more.
A LITTLE BULGE ZIPS AWAY FROM THEM UNDER THE CARPET. It’s gone.
EXT. BUFFY’S HOUSE – BUFFY’S BACK YARD – MORNING (DAY 2)
Willow, Tara, Xander and Anya are gathered in Buffy’s backyard. Tara and Xander sit on the only two
lawn chairs. Anya tries to balance on the arm of Xander’s chair. Willow is perched on the edge of a
decorative planter or wall.
XANDER
It was very bad. Very very very very
very very bad. Bad.
ANYA
(re: Xander)
He’s all traumatized.
WILLOW
Well, whatever it is, it’s not a
traditional haunting, ’cause it’s
not limited to one specific place
and there’s not, you know, a dead
person.
TARA
Not anymore.
ANYA
I bet it’s a hitchhiker.
XANDER
A hitchhiker?
ANYA
Standard way to travel between
alternate dimensions. Some
thing-ama-demon sees someone
moving between worlds, and grabs
on for the ride.
WILLOW
You mean some Hell beastie rode
back with Buffy. Like … we’re
responsible for this.
TARA
Assume crash positions.
XANDER
What?
TARA
Nothing.
ANYA
I think we shouldn’t’ve brought Buffy
back. I knew it was going to go badly.
I should’ve said something.
WILLOW
Hey, you know what, yeah! You
should’ve! At least you could’ve
mentioned the “highjackers” so
we could stop ’em!
ANYA
They’re hitchhikers, not highjackers,
and I thought you knew! It’s basic
stuff! You’re supposed to be the
all-powerful witch, which–
XANDER
Witch-witch?
ANYA
Witch, which raises the question,
why are you having us skulk around
and meet in the backyard like …
like conspiracy squirrels? Sitting on
this arm is making my buttocks hurt.
WILLOW
Buffy’s still asleep.
TARA
We want her to get all the rest she can.
XANDER
Okay, fine. But what are we going to
do? I mean, I’m feeling the need for
some vigorous doing, you know?
WILLOW
It’s okay. We kill the beastie and
all is good, we’re rolling in puppies!
(then)
Right?
XANDER
Can we do that? Kill it?
BUFFY (O.S.)
Are we killing something?
They look up to see that Buffy has entered from the house, holding a mug of coffee. She’s wearing
jeans and a t-shirt.
Her fingers have band-aids on them now. Willow and Tara are still jumpy from their encounter last
night.
WILLOW/TARA
Yah!
They recover.
WILLOW
Buffy! You’re not supposed to
be up!
TARA
How are you feeling? Are you okay?
ANYA
It’s all right if you’re still plagued with
nightmarish visions of Hell.
Buffy, smiles, seems like her normal self.
BUFFY
I’m fine. I’m really…
Buffy takes a long pause, loses the smile, gets it back — it’s suddenly clear that it’s an effort.
BUFFY
I fixed my fingers. Used little Band-Aids.
WILLOW
Oh, we should’ve done that. Sorry.
BUFFY
Uh-huh. So what are we killing?
ANYA
A demon you brought back from Hell
with you.
BUFFY
Oh.
WILLOW
It’s not like she’s making it sound.
A little haunting-type stuff. Boo-
scary, then everything’s normal.
TARA
You shouldn’t worry about it.
BUFFY
Wait. Last night. Something
happened–
She loses focus. Xander goes to her, touches her on the arm to try to bring her back.
XANDER
Buff?
BUFFY
Um… the photographs. Of us.
They changed.
TARA
How did they change?
BUFFY
They were dead. I mean, we were
dead. Like dead bodies. Then
they were okay. I thought maybe it
was me. That I was going crazy.
ANYA
Maybe you are! Because of Hell!
(Off Willow’s glare, meekly)
No. You’re fine.
WILLOW
You are. Buffy, we’re so glad.
XANDER
Yeah. This thing, this haunting thing,
we’ll fix it, and then we’ll still have you
back, which is … it’s so important.
WILLOW
Yes.
TARA
It’s wonderful.
Willow and the others look expectantly at Buffy, anticipating her happiness.
BUFFY
We should work and figure this thing out.
Well-hidden disappointment all around — no happy gratitude from Buffy.
WILLOW
Right.
ANYA
Can we go somewhere with cushions?
Let’s go somewhere with cushions.
INT. MAGIC BOX – NIGHT
Buffy, Xander, Anya, Willow and Tara doing the research thing. Anya’s chair has a cushion. Buffy is
staring at a book, but doesn’t seem to be seeing it. Dawn looks over Tara’s shoulder at a legal pad
with a hand-written list on it.
DAWN
What’s the list?
ANYA
Possible hitchhikers.
XANDER
(explaining)
Demons that might have come out of
Hell at the same time Buffy did.
DAWN
(reads)
Skaggmore demons, Trellbane demons,
Skitterers, Large and Small Bone-
Eaters …
Dawn thinks about that.
DAWN (cont’d)
If we get to pick, I say we go with
the Small Bone-Eaters.
ANYA
That just means they prefer eating
things with little bones.
(beat)
Like you.
WILLOW
That’s just what we have so far.
Five species of demons that have
been known to move transdimensionally.
Two of them may be invisible in
this dimension and two others can
perform spells to alter perception.
ANYA
That’s four. What’s the other one like?
TARA
Kinda like the others, only dripping
with viscous fluid.
DAWN
Eww.
XANDER
So should we concentrate on how to
kill those or should we try to find more?
WILLOW
I’m not sure. I guess … Maybe some of us
could keep going finding more, and the others–
BUFFY
I miss Giles.
WILLOW
Oh. He’s coming back. I talked to him.
I know I’m a kinda poor substitute, but
until then, we’ll get it done …
Buffy stands up.
BUFFY
I think I should patrol.
Willow flinches a little, taking it as a sign that Buffy doesn’t have faith in her research.
WILLOW
I know we’ll find something soon!
BUFFY
Yes.
Buffy is already heading for the door.
XANDER
Do you want us to go with you?
ANYA
We could do that.
BUFFY
No. I need to go. Um, I know you’re
worried. But I … I feel like I have to
get out. Sorry.
DAWN
You should go.
Dawn turns toward the exiting Buffy, back to the others.
ANGLE ON: DAWN
DAWN (cont’d)
(calling after)
Don’t worry about me. I’ll be safe
here with the others.
Unseen by anyone (except, you know, the TV viewers), Dawn SLOWLY SMILES. HER EYES ARE
WHITE.
BLACK OUT.
END OF ACT TWO
Act Three
EXT. CEMETERY NIGHT
Buffy patrols alone. But she doesn’t have a stake in hand, and she doesn’t scan her surroundings.
She just walks.
INT. MAGIC BOX – NIGHT
It’s very late. Willow, Tara, and Xander are still researching, exhausted — heads on hands. Dawn is
looking at the shelf of books. Anya enters, carrying take-out cups of coffee.
ANYA
I found a 24-hour place for coffee.
Remember that bookstore? Well
they became one of those books-and-
coffee places and now they’re just
coffee. It’s like evolution only without
the getting-better part.
She sets the drinks out on the counter.
ANYA (cont’d)
(as she sets out the drinks)
Coffee, coffee, coffee and
(ta-da)
Hot chocolate for Dawn.
(to Dawn)
You’re too young for coffee.
Dawn whips her head toward Anya. Dawn’s eyes are WHITE.
DAWN
Idiot.
Startled, everyone turns to look at Dawn.
ANYA
(quickly)
You can have my coffee.
Dawn’s blank eyes scan the group.
DAWN
All of you did it, Stupid children,
Did you think the blood wouldn’t
reach you? I smell the death on you,
LOOK AT WHAT YOU’VE DONE!
Suddenly Dawn ROARS FIRE AT THEM. They dive to the side, and the flames CATCH SOME OF THE
BOOKS ON THE TABLE ON FIRE.
Dawn collapses to the floor, unconscious.
TARA
Dawn!
XANDER
Fire, fire, fire.
Xander grabs the cushion from Anya’s chair, uses it to smother the flames.
WILLOW
Oh my God, oh my God.
As in Xander’s apartment, a (CGI) bulge zips away… only now it isn’t under a carpet. The bulge
forms in the store’s linoleum floor, and ripples away, leaving the floor undamaged.
Willow and Tara are helping Dawn to sit up. Anya watches as Xander puts out the last of the fire with
the now-singed cushion.
ANYA
(sadly)
I liked that cushion.
WILLOW
That was it. Like Buffy. Only with fire.
XANDER
Is she okay?
ANYA
Did I look like that? I hope I
didn’t look like that.
WILLOW
No, I’m sure you looked really
glamorous cutting up your face.
Dawn opens her eyes. They’re normal again.
DAWN
What happened? What’s going on?
WILLOW
You’ll be okay.
ANYA
I bet you experience some dry-mouth.
(explaining)
Fire.
DAWN
Was it … did the demon thing have me?
TARA
It’s okay. It’s okay.
XANDER
Yeah. It’s gone.
ANYA
Yes. But where did it go? I mean, evil
things have plans. They have things to do.
INT. SPIKE’S CRYPT – LOWER LEVEL – NIGHT
Spike is in the lower level of his crypt, where the Buffyshrine used to be. It’s decorated like an
apartment now: chairs, tables, etc.
Spike is pacing, leather coat billowing and snapping as he turns.
Without warning he spins toward the wall. HE PUNCHES THE WALL.
SPIKE
Dammit!
His hand is scraped and bleeding. He looks at it. A sound escapes him… a sob? He starts to laugh a
moment of relief and release.
Suddenly, there is a noise upstairs. He tenses, looks up.
He grabs a nasty-looking knife from a wall-mounted collection of arms. He heads for the ladder,
starts to climb.
INT. SPIKE’S CRYPT – UPPER LEVEL – NIGHT
Spike emerges at the top of the ladder. He sees Buffy standing, back to him, looking around at the
new furnishings. Spike goes over to her, stands directly behind her.
SPIKE
(softly)
Buffy?
She turns around, sees him standing there, notices the knife in his hand, but doesn’t react to it.
SPIKE (cont’d)
(gentle)
You should be careful. Never
know what kind of villain’s got
a knife at your back.
BUFFY
Your hand is hurt.
SPIKE
Same to you.
BUFFY
Right.
Spike puts down the knife.
SPIKE
Willow’s getting pretty strong, isn’t
she? Bringing you back. Hard to
get a good night’s death ’round here.
Nothing from Buffy — Spike can’t figure out how to fill the pause.
SPIKE (cont’d)
You can sit, if you want. Got
furniture. You should see the
downstairs, too. Quite posh.
Buffy sits. Spike sits opposite her. She keeps staring at him. He takes it as an accusation, responds
to it …
SPIKE (cont’d)
I do remember what I said. The
promise. To protect her. If I’d
done that … even if I didn’t make
it, you wouldn’t’ve had to jump.
(beat)
I want you to know I did save you.
Not when it counted, of course.
But after that. Every night after that.
I’d see it all again, do something
different. Faster or more clever, you
know? Dozens of times, lots of
different ways …
(beat)
Every night I save you.
He looks at her again. Her stare is the same, vacant. He realizes she’s not there to accuse him.
They sit quietly. Not talking.
INT. MAGIC BOX – NIGHT
Anya and Dawn have both fallen asleep, heads down on their books. Tara and Willow are still paging
through books. . Xander is looking toward the windows. Tara takes a break, comes over to the
windows by Xander.
XANDER
It’s getting light out. Buffy’s probably
on her way home from patrolling.
TARA
I like sunrise better when I’m getting up
early than when I’m staying up late, you
know? It’s like I’m seeing it from the
wrong side.
XANDER
Mmmokay.
(then, softly)
Hey, Tara. This is probably crazy,
but I was talking to Spike …
TARA
(smiling)
Really? You two mix about as well as
Satyrion seed and powdered turtledove.
XANDER
Mmmokay again. But, thing is,
Spike made me think. The spell
we did. It’s having consequences,
isn’t it? I mean, it sure seems like it.
And I was wondering… did you know
this might happen?
TARA
No!
Xander glances back toward Willow.
XANDER
Do you think… could someone have
known?
TARA
Willow’s a talented witch and she’d
never do anything to hurt anyone.
XANDER
I know, I know. Backing off quickly,
see, hands in the air, I just mean–
WILLOW
Thaumogenesis!
Startled, Xander and Tara look over at Willow. Dawn and Anya are both jolted awake.
ANYA
She’s possessed!
WILLOW
Thaumogenesis.
DAWN
(to Anya)
You’re right.
WILLOW
I’m not possessed. It’s just, I
think I figured it out. This isn’t
a demon we let out. This is a
demon we made.
XANDER
We made a demon? Bad us.
WILLOW
Thaumogenesis is when doing a
spell actually creates a being. In
this case it was, like, a side-effect,
I guess. Like a price.
DAWN
What?
WILLOW
Think of it like, the world doesn’t
like you getting something for free.
We asked for this huge gift -Buffy –
and the world said, fine. If you get
that, you have to take this too … and
it made the demon.
ANYA
Technically, that’s not a price.
That’s a gift with purchase.
DAWN
If you made a demon how come
we don’t see it? I mean, we just
see us. Doing stuff.
WILLOW
I think it’s out of phase with this
dimension. Its consciousness is here,
but its body is caught in the ether
between existing and not existing.
TARA
It doesn’t have a body… so it’s
borrowing ours … It borrowed
Dawn and Anya …
WILLOW
Or it’s manifesting copies of them,
like it did when Buffy came at us …
TARA
It’s using them to do stuff. To scare
us, attack us.
XANDER
So we need to uncreate it, right?
Get it the rest of the way out of our
world.
ANYA
He’s right. Return the unwanted gift.
Metaphorically it works out exactly right.
Willow is looking through the books …
WILLOW
Uh-huh. Except … it’s linked to the spell.
When we send it away, it’s like the spell
doesn’t exist. Like it never happened.
DAWN
(softly)
Like it never brought Buffy back.
WILLOW
Yes.
Dawn is in control here, quietly hurt, demanding attention.
DAWN
You can’t do that. You can’t think for
a second that you’re going to do that.
ANYA
Dawn–
Dawn doesn’t take her eyes off Willow.
DAWN
If you think you can give her back to
me and then take her away again… No.
That’s worse than if you’d never brought
her back. You can’t mess with people’s
lives this way! What about what would
happen to her? You’d send her back to
where she was, hell or whatever?
WILLOW
No. Dawn, we’re not going to do it
that way.
Dawn turns to the others, appealing to them.
DAWN
How can you let her do this? How can
you even talk about letting her go? I
thought you loved her too!
TARA
We do. Honey, you’re not listening.
She said we’ll find another way.
XANDER
We will.
DAWN
Then do it!
Willow is looking through the book again.
WILLOW
Wait. Dawn. Everyone hold on.
She looks up, smiles.
ANYA
What? Why are you smiling?
(to Xander)
That’s inappropriate.
WILLOW
Because it’s temporary.
XANDER
What is?
WILLOW
The demon. It’s going to dissipate.
The only way it can survive on our
plane is if it was to kill the subject
of the original spell.
TARA
It would live if it killed Buffy?
WILLOW
Right, but that’s not gonna–
ANGLE ON: XANDER
HIS EYES ARE WHITE.
XANDER
Thanks for the tip.
Xander collapses to the ground, unconscious. Another CGI bulge zips away.
INT. BUFFY’S HOUSE – FOYER – NIGHT
The empty foyer. There is the sound of a key in the lock. The door opens. Buffy enters, looking tired,
emotionally empty.
She heads up the stairs. After she clears the frame, something (CGI) forms in the entryway, a
swirling milky-white cloud. It wafts up the stairs, becoming more solid as it rises, resolving into the
still-misty form of a woman.
BLACK OUT.
END OF ACT THREE
Act Four
INT. BUFFY’S HOUSE BUFFY’S ROOM – NIGHT
Buffy enters her room. She still looks detached. She goes to look at the photographs again. As she
takes a step toward them…
The white woman-demon attacks her. At first it’s nothing more than a cloudy white arc that slams
into her chest, driving her back.
Buffy hits at it, but her fists just scatter the mist, harmlessly.
The demon speaks in a watery female voice.
DEMON (V.0.)
You don’t belong here.
Another arc projects from the mist, this time becoming more solid… a clenched white fist that whips
Buffy head around.
DEMON
Did they tell you you belonged here?
Did they say this was your home again?
Did they say there would be room for you?
It strikes at her again. This time Buffy catches at it, has it in her grasp for a second before it
dissolves.
DEMON (cont’d)
Were you offered pretty lies, little girl?
The mist swirls around Buffy, surrounding her. We get the impression of two thin arms forming to
crush her like a coiling snake.
DEMON (cont’d)
Or did they even give you a choice?
INT. XANDER’S CAR – NIGHT
Xander, Anya and Dawn in Xander’s car. Xander drives. Anya is in the passenger seat, Dawn in the
back.
DAWN
Xander! Drive faster!
XANDER
I can’t!
DAWN
I could drive faster and I can’t drive!
ANYA
She’s right. You’re like a snail. A
snail that is driving a car very slowly.
(urgent)
Come on! Give it the lead foot! We’ve
got to help Buffy with that demon you
sent after her!
XANDER
I did not send the demon — I was
possessed! The demon used me to
eavesdrop on our conversation-
ANYA
Great. So now what? We can only
talk in anti-demon secret code?
XANDER
Good-gay idea-yay, An-ya-ay
DAWN
Stop talking in wrong Pig Latin and
drive! Buffy’s in trouble!
XANDER
It’s okay, Dawnie. Willow and Tara
are doing a spell.
DAWN
It’s not gonna send Buffy away, is it?
XANDER
No, of course not. It’s just that she
can’t fight this thing while it’s all …
misty. So they make it more solid,
and then Buffy can kick its newly-
corporeal ass.
DAWN
You sure it’ll work?
XANDER
You bet. Piece of cake.
ANYA
Right. Easy peasy.
(under breath/to Xander)
Hurry.
INT. MAGIC BOX – NIGHT
Willow and Tara sit on the floor in the darkened room. Their hands are joined. They chant.
WILLOW/TARA
Child of words, hear thy makers.
Child of words, we entreat.
With our actions did we make thee,
to our voices wilt thou bend…
INT. BUFFY’S ROOM – MOMENTS LATER – NIGHT
Buffy is being gripped by the bands of mist. They solidify, turning into thin white arms. Buffy breaks
the grip and spins to face the demon.
It’s half-formed, limbs solid, but the head and torso still swirling and cloud-like. It is thin and female.
But it’s strong. It knocks Buffy to the ground with a punch. She lands sprawling, one arm going
under her bed.
The demon takes a menacing step toward her — its foot is bare, its ankle thin and bone-white.
INT. MAGIC BOX – NIGHT
Tara and Willow continue:
WILLOW/TARA
With our potions thou took motive,
with our motions came to pass.
We rescind no past devotions,
give thee substance, give thee mass.
(repeating… )
Child of words, hear thy makers …
INT. BUFFY’S HOUSE – BUFFY’S ROOM – NIGHT
The demon continues to advance. Curls of dusty white smoke rise off its thin still-misty body. Buffy
brings her arm out from under the bed. She’s holding a battle-ax.
Buffy sweeps the ax through the cloudy body. The demon laughs a female, bubbling, disembodied
laugh.
DEMON
You’re the one who’s barely here.
Set on this earth like a bubble.
Buffy cuts through the demon, which is more solid this time, the mist seems heavier, like oily smoke.
DEMON
You won’t even disturb the air when
you go.
ANYA, DAWN AND XANDER BURST IN.
The demon turns its half-formed head to look at the newcomers.
BUFFY
Go! Take Dawn out of here!
Anya and Xander turn to try to move Dawn away. Dawn doesn’t move.
INT. MAGIC BOX – NIGHT
Willow and Tara continue:
WILLOW/TARA
… we entreat …
Tara breaks off, gasping, as a nimbus of light surrounds Willow. Tara looks at it, stunned. Willow
opens her eyes.
They are DARK WITH MAGIC.
WILLOW
Solid.
INT. BUFFY’S HOUSE – BUFFY’S ROOM – NIGHT
As it turns back to Buffy, the Demon becomes completely solid. It looks like a drowned woman. It is
deathly white, with a cracked surface, brown corpse-like teeth, deep blackshadowed gorey-like eyes
and floating tangled white hair.
DEMON
(triumphant)
I am here!
Buffy SLAMS the demon with the broad side of the ax blade. For the first time it takes a solid blow.
Buffy lunges after it and hits it with a flurry of kicks.
The demon knocks Buffy back. Buffy struggles to keep a hold of the ax.
Buffy pops back to her feet, raises the ax…
DAWN
Buffy! Kill it!
Buffy swings the ax.
We hear it hit the solid body.
ANGLE ON: XANDER, ANYA AND DAWN
As their eyes follow the arc of a severed head falling. (We don’t see the head.) They react to what
must be a pretty gory show: Xander and Anya turn away.
XANDER
Ooph.
ANYA
Oh.
DAWN
Huh. That’s probably the sort of
thing I’m not s’posed to see, right?
EXT. BUFFY’S HOUSE – MORNING (DAY 3)
Days later. Beautiful sunny California morning. Dawn emerges from the house, wearing a backpack,
ready for school. She heads toward the sidewalk. Buffy, carrying a brown lunch bag, runs out of the
house after Dawn.
BUFFY
Dawn!
Dawn turns back, a little alarmed.
DAWN
What’s wrong?
BUFFY
Lunch.
DAWN
You made me lunch?
Buffy nods. Dawn takes the lunch.
DAWN
Wow. Thanks.
BUFFY
You better go. You’ve been out
since I … got back. Go catch up.
Buffy tries a smile and a teeny joke:
BUFFY
You know what they say, those who
fail history are doomed to repeat it
in summer school.
Dawn smiles back, then hugs Buffy, grateful for the effort more than the lunch.
DAWN
Thank you.
Buffy shrugs. Dawn looks at her closely.
DAWN
Are you okay?
BUFFY
(smiles)
I’m going to start charging people
money to ask me that.
DAWN
Everyone’s been doing that, huh?
BUFFY
Lil’ bit.
DAWN
They care about you a lot. When
you were gone … it was bad when
you were gone. But it’ll get better
now. Now that they can see you
being happy. That’s all they want.
Buffy nods, takes that in as Dawn heads for the bus.
INT. MAGIC BOX DAY
Anya is at the cash register. Xander leans on the counter near her. Willow and Tara look
casually at the merchandise.
Buffy enters.
Everyone looks up eagerly.
WILLOW
Buffy! Hey!
XANDER
You get Dawn off to school okay?
Cuz I was thinking if you need me
to pick her up–
BUFFY
That’s okay. I’ve got it. Look, guys …
There’s this thing. And I’m just gonna
say it.
They look at her, waiting.
BUFFY
You brought me back. I was in a place …
I was in Hell. I don’t … I can’t think
much about what it was like. But it felt …
I felt like the world abandoned me there.
And then suddenly you guys … You did
what you did.
TARA
It was Willow. She knew what to do.
Buffy smiles. The others smile gamely back.
BUFFY
So you did that. And the world came rushing
back. So… thank you. You guys gave me the
world. Thank you. I can’t tell you what it
means to me.
Willow and Tara have some tears. Xander, too, possibly, in a manly way.
BUFFY
I should have said it before.
WILLOW
(through tears)
You’re welcome.
XANDER
Welcome home, Buffy.
Willow and Xander hug Buffy.
EXT. ALLEY – CONTINUOUS – DAY – MINUTES LATER
Spike is in the alley, leaning against the wall, having a smoke. Buffy enters from the store’s side
door.
SPIKE
Buffy.
BUFFY
Spike. It’s daylight and you’re …
SPIKE
Not on fire? Sun’s low. IS shady
enough here.
Buffy nods.
Spike sits on a packing crate, gestures to the space beside him. She sits down next to him.
SPIKE
I was gonna go in, but I overheard
you and the Super-friends sharing
“a special moment” and I came over
a bit queasy.
He throws down his cigarette butt.
SPIKE
Say, aren’t you leaving a hole in the
middle of some soggy group hug?
BUFFY
I wanted a little time alone.
SPIKE
Oh. Right then…
He heads for the alley entrance. He reaches the edge of the sunshine — realizes — turns back.
BUFFY
That’s okay. I can be alone with you here.
SPIKE
Thanks ever so.
BUFFY
Right.
SPIKE
Buff? Slayer? You okay?
She looks at him, blinks, tries to pull it together.
BUFFY
I’m here. I’m good.
SPIKE
Buffy, if you’re in– if you’re in
pain. Or if you need anything… If
I can help you…
BUFFY
You can’t.
SPIKE
Well, I haven’t been to a Helldimension
just of late, but I know a thing or two
about torment
BUFFY
I was happy.
Beat.
SPIKE
I don’t …
BUFFY
Wherever I … was … I was happy.
At peace. I knew that everyone
I cared about was all right. I knew it.
Time didn’t mean anything, nothing
had form… but I was still me, you
know? And I was warm and I was
loved… and I was finished.
Complete. I don’t understand about
dimensions or theology or any of …
but I think I was in heaven.
Spike stares, takes it in. She looks at him.
BUFFY
And now I’m not.
SPIKE
Buffy–
BUFFY
I was torn out of there. My friends
pulled me out. And everything
here is bright and hard and violent…
Everything I feel, everything I touch…
this is Hell. Just getting through the
next moment, and the one after that…
knowing what I’ve lost …
She’s said too much. He’s speechless as she rises, starts out of the alley. She pauses, not even
looking back.
BUFFY
They can never know. Never.
She looks at him. He nods almost imperceptibly.
She goes.
BLACK OUT.
END OF EPISODE
Transcripts
Teaser
GILES VOICEOVER: Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer…
SPIKE: I love you.
BUFFY: The only chance you had with me was when I was unconscious.
Buffy running down the walkway atop the tower.
DAWN: Buffy, no.
Buffy jumping into the wormhole.
The Scooby gang gathered around Buffy’s dead body.
DAWN: No!
XANDER: You’re talking about raising the dead. It feels wrong.
TARA: It is wrong.
WILLOW: She could be trapped!
The foursome doing their resurrection spell.
WILLOW: I’m not gonna leave her there.
Willow pouring blood out of the jug, putting it on her face.
WILLOW: Osiris, master of all fate, let her cross over.
Buffy’s corpse reviving.
Shot of Buffy’s gravestone.
Buffy digging her way out of her grave.
WILLOW: Buffy?
ANYA: What’s wrong with her?
WILLOW: She’s in shock.
The Hellions destroying Sunnydale.
DAWN: Who are they?
SPIKE: Road pirates. They raid towns, use ’em up, burn ’em down.
Buffy beating up demons.
Dawn hugging Buffy.
DAWN: You’re alive, and you’re home. You’re home.
Episode opens on Willow, Tara, Xander, and Anya walking through the dark alleys.
WILLOW: She’s at home. She has to be. We’re, we just need to get there, and she’ll be there.
TARA: This is the fastest way?
XANDER: Absolutely.
TARA: You sure?
XANDER: Hey, I’ve done a lot of fleeing on these mean streets. I know all the shortcuts.
ANYA: I don’t like this. (points to something they pass that’s on fire) Look, fire. Fire is rarely a sign of
imminent safety.
WILLOW: I wish we were there already.
XANDER: Hey, hey, don’t worry, ladies, I’ll get us there just fine. My senses are primed for danger, and
nothing’s gonna-
Xander yells in surprise as three demons on motorcycles come roaring up behind them. The demons ignore
them, just ride around them and on down the alley.
Xander stumbles back, rattled. The girls steady him.
XANDER: (shaky) I’m okay. (pats himself) Four. Four limbs.
ANYA: Well, at least the demons almost hit you on the way out of town.
XANDER: Yeah, now that their leader’s gone they seem to be making with the big skedaddle.
WILLOW: (looks around nervously) I-it was Buffy, right? We, we saw her and it was really Buffy?
They resume walking.
ANYA: I think we screwed it up. She’s broken.
WILLOW: No! She’s not broken! She’s just …. disoriented from being … tormented in some hell dimension.
Probably tortured and … It’s like, we don’t even know how much time has passed there for her, uh, possibly
years. That’s not something you just get over. Oh my God. What if she never gets over it?
ANYA: And you think of this now?
TARA: What are you thinking, Willow? That-that she’s … that she’s not right, or, or maybe like, dangerous?
Cut to Buffy and Dawn standing on a sidewalk. The street behind them is littered with debris from the demons’
attack.
DAWN: (nervous) Home! See?
We see they’re standing in front of their house, looking at it.
DAWN: You’re back home. We’re all okay now.
Buffy just stares, looking disheveled and unhappy.
Wolf howl. Opening credits.
Guest starring Amber Benson as Tara. Written by Jane Espenson, directed by David Solomon.
Act I
Open on Buffy in the foyer as Dawn closes the front door behind them. Buffy moves toward the living room.
Dawn turns on a light and Buffy winces in pain.
BUFFY: Ow.
Dawn watches anxiously as Buffy surveys the living room.
BUFFY: It’s different.
DAWN: A little. Uh, Willow and Tara live here now, and, uh, we …
Shot of a photo of Joyce, in a frame on a table.
DAWN: …we didn’t do much…
Buffy stares at the photo.
DAWN: We moved some of the chairs, and took out some of the little tables, but…
Dawn trails off as Buffy turns and heads toward the dining room. Dawn turns and follows, turns on the light in
the dining room.
DAWN: This is the same. Except the computer stuff.
Shot of a laptop computer set up at one end of the dining-room table.
DAWN: That’s Willow’s, obviously. We eat at the other end…
Buffy has already turned and walked off. Dawn turns and notices.
DAWN: (softly, with self-disgust) Obviously.
Dawn looks up the stairs after Buffy for a moment, then follows.
Cut to a sink with faucet running, hands squeezing out a face-cloth. Pan up to reveal it’s Dawn. She turns off the
faucet and turns to Buffy, who stands staring at her reflection in the mirror. Buffy no longer wears her black
coffin dress, but a loose white button-down shirt that is unbuttoned with a camisole underneath. Her hair is
pulled back neatly.
Dawn very carefully begins wiping Buffy’s neck with the cloth.
DAWN: There you are. Knew you were under that dirt somewhere. (nervous laugh)
Buffy doesn’t react, just stares at her reflection. Dawn looks nervous, turns back to the sink, then back to Buffy.
DAWN: (false cheer) You remember what Mom used to say? “Either wash that neck or plant potatoes.” (Buffy
still doesn’t react) Yeah, I never thought it was funny either.
Dawn indicates Buffy’s shirt.
DAWN: You want to button that, or, um…
Buffy looks down. Shot of her hands, which are still bloody. Dawn notices them for the first time.
DAWN: Ohh … ow.
Dawn gently lifts Buffy’s hands to look at them. Buffy jerks them back.
DAWN: Um, we’ll … take care of that after.
BUFFY: Okay.
DAWN: Here, I’ll do the shirt. (begins buttoning the shirt) And then, then we’ll do your hands.
Buffy frowns, looks around.
DAWN: See how nice you look…
Buffy walks away before Dawn can finish buttoning. Dawn watches her go, looks upset.
Cut to Buffy walking into Willow and Tara’s room. Dawn enters behind her, turns on the light. Again Buffy
winces.
DAWN: Mom’s room. (walks closer to Buffy) I know it’s really different now.
BUFFY: Willow and Tara. This is their room.
DAWN: Yeah, well, it seemed to make the most sense. No one was using it, and it’s the biggest. But, you know,
now that you’re here, we’ll have to figure out something to do.
Buffy has turned to leave again. Dawn sighs, moves to block her way.
DAWN: (frustrated) Buffy? You wanna, like, stop? (hopeful) We can … we can sit down and talk.
BUFFY: What else is different?
DAWN: (sighs) Do you mean about the house, or…
Buffy kind of shrugs, doesn’t look at her.
DAWN: Um. Let’s see … Giles. It’s so weird. He, he left today. Because you were … (Buffy doesn’t appear to
react) He, he’ll come right back, I’ll call him. Someone’ll call him.
BUFFY: What…
DAWN: What what?
Buffy seems to be drifting in and out of attention. She snaps out of it again.
BUFFY: Uh … What, um … will you say to him?
Sound of a door opening downstairs. Buffy goes on full alert, looks around anxiously.
BUFFY: What’s that?
DAWN: It’s okay. It’s okay.
SPIKE:(O.S.) Dawn! Dawn! Are you there?
DAWN: (to Buffy) It, it’s just Spike. (calls) I’m here!
Dawn gives Buffy a look, heads out. Buffy follows.
Cut to the foyer. Shot from above as Spike slams the door angrily, looking up the stairs at the camera.
SPIKE: Thank God. You scared me half to death … or more to death. You – I could kill you.
Dawn walks slowly down the stairs, giving Spike a look, trying to clue him in.
DAWN: Spike.
SPIKE: I mean it. I could rip your head off one-handed and drink from your brain stem.
Dawn reaches the bottom of the stairs. Spike finally realizes something is up.
DAWN: Look.
Dawn turns back and we see Buffy coming down the stairs behind her.
SPIKE: Yeah? I’ve seen the bloody bot before. Didn’t think she’d patch up so-
He breaks off, staring at Buffy. She continues down the stairs, returning his gaze.
DAWN: She’s kind of, um … She’s been through a lot … with the … death. But I think she’s okay.
Buffy suddenly notices her shirt is still unbuttoned, begins buttoning it. Dawn looks at Spike, who continues
staring in disbelief.
DAWN: Spike? Are you okay?
SPIKE: I’m … what did you do?
DAWN: Me? Nothing.
Buffy clutches the top of her shirt closed, looks up at Spike a little fearfully.
SPIKE: Her hands.
Buffy lowers her hands, puts them behind her back, looks uncomfortable.
DAWN: Um, I was gonna fix ’em. I don’t know how they got like that.
SPIKE: I do. Clawed her way out of a coffin, that’s how. (to Buffy) Isn’t that right?
BUFFY: (quietly) Yeah. That’s … what I had to do.
SPIKE: Done it myself.
Throughout this, Spike continues staring at her as if he thinks he’s dreaming. Now he snaps out of it.
SPIKE: Um … We’ll take care of you. Come here.
He puts out his arm and guides Buffy into the living room.
SPIKE: (to Dawn) Get some stuff, uh, mercurochrome, bandages.
DAWN: Okay.
Dawn goes off. Spike follows Buffy into the living room. She sits on the sofa and he sits on the coffee-table
facing her. He takes her hands in his and looks at them. Then he looks up at her face and their eyes meet.
BUFFY: How long was I gone?
SPIKE: Hundred forty-seven days yesterday. Uh … hundred forty-eight today. (smiles a little) ‘Cept today
doesn’t count, does it?
Buffy doesn’t respond. He looks at her hands again, then back at her face.
SPIKE: How long was it for you … where you were?
BUFFY: (pause) Longer.
Dawn reappears from the kitchen carrying medical supplies.
DAWN: Got the stuff.
As she enters the living room, the front door bursts open and the others rush in.
WILLOW: Is she here?
ANYA: She’s here!
WILLOW: You’re here.
XANDER: We didn’t know where you were.
ANYA: You ran away.
WILLOW: Buffy!
TARA: Are you okay?
The above goes by very fast as Buffy and Spike are standing up. Spike moves aside with a disgusted expression.
DAWN: (shocked)You knew she was back?
In the background we see Spike exit out the front door, but no one notices.
DAWN: How did you know?
ANYA: (to Buffy) You’re not a zombie, are you?
XANDER: Anya!
WILLOW: Are you in pain?
XANDER: What do you remember?
TARA: What do you know about what happened?
Buffy sits back down, looks like she can’t handle the barrage of questions.
DAWN: Hey! Back off!
The Scoobies look at Dawn in surprise.
DAWN: You did this. What did you do?
WILLOW: A spell. We, we did a spell.
ANYA: We didn’t think it worked, but-
DAWN: Is she going to be okay?
BUFFY: I’m okay.
Everyone looks at Buffy. Shot of the Scoobies from her perspective: towering over her, looking a little
menacing.
BUFFY: I’m gonna be fine. I remember. You brought me back.
ANYA: What was it like?
BUFFY: I, I can’t…
XANDER: It’s okay. You don’t have to talk about this, Buff. Hey, do you want something? Anything. Pizza. I’ll
get you pizza.
ANYA: Buffy likes pizza.
TARA: Yeah, something to eat-
WILLOW: She doesn’t want pizza.
TARA: I just meant-
DAWN: (sharply) Guys! Back off.
Beat.
WILLOW: Right, uh, Dawn’s right. We should just be quiet, and let Buffy tell us what she needs.
Another shot from Buffy’s POV of the foursome staring down at her. She looks uncomfortable, gets up.
BUFFY: I, I think I … just wanna go to sleep.
TARA: That’s a good idea. You, you should sleep.
WILLOW: Right. Long day. But, Buffy … be happy. (big smile) We got you out. We really did it.
Buffy looks at them, still uncomfortable.
BUFFY: (apologetically) Tired.
ANYA: Well, yeah. I mean … jet-lag from hell has gotta be, you know, jet-lag from hell.
BUFFY: (toward Dawn) My room is still…
DAWN: Yeah. Yes. It’s your room.
Buffy exits. The others watch her go, then look at each other.
WILLOW: (defensively) Well, she, she’s fine! Normal! She used to go to bed all the time!
Cut to: exterior Summers house, night. Anya and Xander come out, cross the porch and begin down the stairs.
ANYA: I think Willow’s wrong. I don’t think she’s particularly normal at all.
XANDER: Well, she just got back. Give it time. I bet in a week she’ll be our little Bufferin again.
ANYA: Oh yes, cause six or seven days, that’s all you really need to get over eternal hell experiences.
Xander hears something, looks off to the left.
XANDER: Who’s that? Spike?
We see Spike leaning against a tree, his back to them. He lifts a hand and wipes his eyes. Xander and Anya
come closer.
XANDER: What are you doing out here? I hope you’re not going to start your little obsession now that she’s
around again.
Spike grabs Xander and spins him around, slams him up against the tree and holds him there.
ANYA: Hey!
SPIKE: You didn’t tell me. You brought her back and you didn’t tell me.
XANDER: Well, now you know.
SPIKE: I worked beside you all summer.
XANDER: We didn’t tell you. It was just … we didn’t, okay?
SPIKE: Listen. I’ve figured it out.
Spike lets go of Xander but doesn’t move away, continues glaring at him.
SPIKE: (angrily) Maybe you haven’t, but I have.
Spike still has tears in his eyes. He points toward the house.
SPIKE: Willow knew there was a chance that she’d come back wrong. So wrong that you’d have … that she
would have to get rid of what came back. And I wouldn’t let her. If any part of that was Buffy, I wouldn’t let her.
And that’s why she shut me out.
XANDER: What are you talking about? Willow wouldn’t do that.
SPIKE: (sarcastic) Oh. Is that right.
XANDER: Look. You’re just covering. Don’t tell me you’re not happy. (Spike scoffs) Look me in the eyes, and
tell me when you saw Buffy alive, that wasn’t the happiest moment of your entire existence.
Spike gives Xander a “you just don’t get it” scowl, turns and walks off.
SPIKE: (as he walks) That’s the thing about magic. There’s always consequences.
We see the motorcycle that Spike acquired in “Bargaining” sitting on the street in front of the house. Spike gets
on it.
SPIKE: Always!
He starts up the bike and rides off as Xander and Anya watch.
Cut to Buffy’s room. She stands in front of the mirror, still dressed, staring blankly at her reflection. Sound of a
door closing. Buffy starts, looks toward the hallway.
Cut to the hallway. Willow, wearing pajamas, walks from the bathroom to her room.
Cut to Willow and Tara’s room. Tara is brushing her hair in front of a mirror. Willow enters.
WILLOW: Hey.
TARA: Did you get through to London?
WILLOW: Yeah. He’s gonna head back as soon as he can. I’m not sure, like maybe a couple days.
TARA: (stops brushing hair, turns to Willow) How did he take it?
WILLOW: (rubbing lotion on her arms) Um … I’m not sure. I mean … glad, but … kinda weirded out, which I
get, you know? Lots of “dear lords”. And I think I actually heard him cleaning his glasses.
Tara smiles, turns and takes off her robe.
TARA: Are you worried?
WILLOW: Worried? Tara, it worked fine. (not convincingly) It’s all good.
TARA: (gets into bed) Hey, Will, this is me. It doesn’t all have to be “good” and “fine.” This is the room where
you don’t have to be brave. I still love you. If you’re worried you can be worried.
WILLOW: Well … I’m not … unworried. I mean, what, what happened, that was intense. (closes the door) That’s
… gotta change you.
Willow turns off the light, gets into bed with Tara.
WILLOW: When Angel came back … Buffy said … he was wild. Like an animal.
TARA: Buffy’s not like that.
WILLOW: Yeah.
TARA: But?
WILLOW: (points at her head) It’s just kinda … noisy up here tonight, you know?
TARA: Yeah.
Tara snuggles up to Willow, puts her face next to hers and an arm across Willow’s middle.
TARA: Is this better?
WILLOW: (smiles) Yeah. I think it makes things quieter in here.
They lie cuddled up together. Willow lightly stroking Tara’s bare arm.
TARA: You know what I think? I think we all just assumed crash positions.
WILLOW: Huh?
TARA: It’s, it’s, it’s like … we were all tensed up, like … we were expecting it to screw up. We weren’t prepared
for it to … actually go right.
WILLOW: Yeah.
Beat. Willow continues staring at the ceiling.
WILLOW: Tara?
TARA: Yeah?
WILLOW: If things did go right … wouldn’t you think she’d be … happier? Like, wouldn’t you think she would
be so happy that we brought her out?
TARA: Sure she is.
Willow isn’t convinced.
TARA: You thought she’d say thanks. Be more grateful.
WILLOW: Would I be a terrible person if I said yes?
TARA: Give her time. She’ll get there.
WILLOW: Right. No need to be in a big furry hurry.
TARA: Exactly.
Cut to Buffy’s room. She is now sitting on the bed, still dressed.
TARA VOICEOVER: I’m sure it’s okay.
Buffy gets up, picks up a picture from the bedside table. Close shot of the photo of Buffy, Xander, and Willow
all smiling.
She puts it back, goes over to the wall. There’s a bulletin board covered with more pictures of the Scoobies in
various combinations, all smiling.
Suddenly the images change: all the flesh melts away and the smiling faces become dead skeleton faces.
Buffy closes her eyes in anguish, opens them again. The photos are back to normal. Buffy stares at them.
Blackout.
Act II
Open on the Summers house, night. Shot of Willow and Tara’s bed. They are asleep.
Suddenly something crashes against the framed picture above the bed. The glass shatters and falls on Willow
and Tara. They both sit up.
WILLOW: Buffy?
We see Buffy silhouetted at the foot of the bed, lit by moonlight.
BUFFY: (low hoarse voice) What did you do? Do you know what you did? You’re like children. (Willow and
Tara sitting up in bed staring in fear) Your hands smell of death. Bitches! Filthy little bitches, rattling the bones.
Did you cut the throat? Did you pat its head?
Buffy grabs a crystal ball off a nearby table and throws it at them. Willow and Tara shriek as it smashes on the
wall above their heads.
BUFFY: (shouts) The blood dried on your hands, didn’t it?
TARA: Oh my god, oh my god.
BUFFY: (shouts) You were stained. You still are. I know what you did!
Willow jumps out of bed and turns on the lights.
Shot of the room. It’s empty except for Willow and Tara. Buffy is gone.
Tara looks at the bed she’s lying on.
TARA: The glass. There’s no glass.
Cut to Buffy’s room. It’s dark. A sliver of light appears as the door opens, revealing Buffy asleep in bed.
We see Willow and Tara standing by the door. They exchange a look, then Willow pulls the door shut. Buffy
doesn’t wake.
Cut back to Willow and Tara’s room. They reenter.
WILLOW: (quietly) Okay, what in the frilly heck is going on?
TARA: Maybe we dreamed it.
WILLOW: (closing the door) Right. Right. Wrong! (points at her head) Different brains.
TARA: Oh yeah.
Tara goes to the table and touches the crystal ball, which is intact.
TARA: Well … what was it talking about? Did you understand it?
WILLOW: Well, I understood the words, but … no.
Suddenly Tara sees something behind Willow, gasps in fear. Willow turns to look.
We see some kind of distortion on the wall, moving across the wall toward the door, and then it’s gone.
WILLOW:What was that?
TARA: There’s, there’s something in the house.
WILLOW: What is it after? Is it … Buffy?
TARA: I don’t know.
WILLOW: That’s it, I’m gonna call. (grabs the phone) I hope Xander’s up.
Cut to Xander and Anya’s bedroom. Anya leans over Xander in the bed.
ANYA: Xander, are you up? I can’t sleep. (pause, no response) Play a word game with me.
Still no response. Pan out until we can see Xander lying there asleep beside Anya.
ANYA: Xander, are you awake? Okay, I’m going to describe an adjective with accurate but misleading clues,
and then you have to guess what it is. (pause) Xander? (pokes him) Xander?
Still nothing. Then the phone rings. Xander is immediately awake.
XANDER: Huh? What? Do what?
ANYA: (exasperated, lies back) That oughta do it.
Xander reaches across her and grabs the phone.
XANDER: (into phone) Hello?
WILLOW: (on phone) Xander, it’s me, Willow. (Anya gets out of bed, walks off) We were just attacked.
XANDER: Attacked? A vampire?
Cut back to Summers house. We see Willow and Tara huddling over the phone.
WILLOW: No, it was Buffy. Or something that looked like her.
Cut back to Xander’s bedroom. He sits up on the edge of the bed.
TARA: (on phone) Like she was possessed.
Cut back to Willow and Tara.
WILLOW: And then she just disappeared, a-and, and we saw something… a little … there’s something in the
house.
Back to Xander’s room. In the background we see Anya moving around in the kitchen.
XANDER: (slurred) In the house? All right, Willow, you need to get out of there, just get everyone out.
Suddenly we see Anya with her eyes glowing greyish-white. She laughs a weird laugh and moves toward
Xander.
XANDER: (into phone) Wake up Buffy and Dawn. Don’t make a big deal-
We see Anya still moving toward him. She has a knife and is using it to cut her face. She continues laughing.
Xander looks up and sees her.
XANDER: Gah!
He jumps up, grabs the knife. Anya crumples to the floor unconscious. Her cheeks are unmarked.
XANDER: Anya!
He kneels beside her.
XANDER: Anya!
Shot of Anya’s feet with Xander’s foot beside them. A weird bulge appears in the carpet and moves away from
them, into the kitchen.
WILLOW: (on phone) Xander? Xander!
Cut to the next day. Close on Xander’s face.
XANDER: Very bad. Very, very, very bad. Bad.
Pan out to reveal they are sitting on lawn chairs in the Summers’ backyard. Anya sits on the arm of Xander’s
chair, rubbing his back.
ANYA: (to Willow and Tara) He’s all traumatized.
WILLOW: Well, whatever it is, it’s not the, the traditional haunting, because i-it’s not limited to one specific
place, and there’s not, you know, a dead person.
TARA: Not any more.
ANYA: I bet it’s a hitchhiker.
XANDER: A hitchhiker?
ANYA: Um, standard way to travel through dimensions. Uh, some demon-thing sees someone moving between
worlds, and grabs on for the ride.
WILLOW: You mean like, some hell-beastie rode in with Buffy? Like … we’re responsible for this?
TARA: Assume crash positions.
ANYA: I think we shouldn’t’ve brought Buffy back. I knew it was going to end badly. I should’ve said
something.
XANDER: Okay, fine, but … what are we gonna do? I mean, I’m feeling the need for some vigorous doing, you
know?
WILLOW: It’s okay. We, we just kill the beastie and then all is good. We’re rolling in puppies! … Right?
XANDER: Can we do that? Kill it?
BUFFY: (OS) We killing something?
They all look up in surprise. Buffy stands there in jeans and a shirt, holding a coffee mug.
WILLOW: Buffy! You’re not supposed to be up.
TARA: How, how are you feeling? Are you okay?
BUFFY: So what are we killing?
ANYA: A demon you brought back from Hell with you. (Willow gives her an angry look)
BUFFY: Oh.
WILLOW: It’s not like she’s making it sound. A little haunting-type stuff. Boo-scary, everything’s normal.
TARA: You shouldn’t worry about it.
BUFFY: Um, I remember something, last … night, uh…
She trails off, loses focus. They all stare for a moment, waiting for her to continue.
XANDER: Buff?
BUFFY: (snaps out of it) Um … the photographs. O-of us. They changed.
TARA: How did they change?
BUFFY: They were … dead. I-I-I mean, we were dead. Like, um … dead bodies? But, but then they were okay.
So I just, you know, figured it was me. That I was going crazy.
ANYA: Well, maybe you are. Going crazy. From Hell.
Willow gives Anya another angry look.
ANYA: (fake scoff) No. You’re fine.
WILLOW: You are. And Buffy, we’re, we’re so glad.
XANDER: Yeah. This thing, this haunting thing, we’ll fix it, and then we’ll still have you back, which is … it’s
so important.
WILLOW: Yes.
TARA: It’s wonderful.
Buffy takes all this in stone-faced.
BUFFY: We should get to work.
Cut to: interior magic shop. We see Willow, Tara, Xander, and Anya sitting around the table looking at books.
Willow is writing. Dawn stands behind Willow, looking over her shoulder.
DAWN: What’s the list?
ANYA: Possible hitchhikers.
XANDER: Demons that might have come out of Hell at the same time Buffy did.
DAWN: (reads) “Skaggmore demons, Trellbane demons, Skitterers, Large and Small Bone-Eaters” … If we get
to pick, I say we go with the Small Bone-Eaters.
ANYA: Well, that just means they prefer to eat things with small bones, like you.
WILLOW: That’s just what we have so far. Five species of demons that have been known to move
transdimensionally. Two of them may be invisible in this dimension, and, uh, two others can perform spells to
alter perception.
ANYA: Well, that’s four. What’s the other one like?
TARA: Uh, like the others, only dripping with viscous fluid.
DAWN: Eww.
XANDER: So, should we concentrate on how to kill those, or should we try to find more?
WILLOW: I’m not sure. Maybe … maybe some of us can, uh, keep going finding more, and the others–
BUFFY: I miss Giles.
We see Buffy sitting across the table from Willow.
WILLOW: Oh. He’s coming back, I talked to him. I know I’m a kind of poor substitute, but until then, we’ll get
it done.
Buffy looks around at them. They all look expectantly at her.
BUFFY: I think I should patrol.
She puts her book down and stands. Willow looks hurt.
WILLOW: Well, I know we’ll find something soon.
BUFFY: Yeah.
Buffy heads out.
XANDER: Uh, do you want us to go with you?
ANYA: We can do that.
BUFFY: No. I-I need to go. Sorry.
DAWN: You should go.
Buffy goes up the stairs and out.
DAWN: (OS) I’ll be safe here with the others. Don’t worry about me.
Close-up on Dawn’s face. Her eyes glow greyish-white. She smiles evilly.
Blackout.
Act III
Open on a graveyard, night. Buffy walks slowly along, looking distracted.
Cut to the magic shop. Anya enters, carrying cups of coffee.
ANYA: I found one of those 24-hour places for coffee. Remember that bookstore? Well they became one of
those books-and-coffee places, and now they’re just coffee. It’s like evolution, only without the getting-better
part.
She goes to the table where the others are still researching. Xander rubs his face, looking tired. Dawn stands a
little ways back at the bookcase.
ANYA: Uh, coffee, coffee, coffee, um, hot chocolate for Dawn. (to Dawn) You’re too young for coffee.
Dawn turns around and we see that her eyes are still white.
DAWN: Idiot.
Everyone turns to look at Dawn in surprise.
ANYA: You can have my coffee.
DAWN: (low hoarse voice) All of you did it. You stupid children. (the other all staring at her) Did you think the
blood wouldn’t reach you? I smell the death on you. Look at what you’ve done!
Dawn opens her mouth and fire shoots out at the others. They all dive aside. The flames set some of the books
on the table afire.
Dawn collapses on the ground.
Xander jumps up.
XANDER: Fire! Fire! Fire!
TARA: Dawn!
Xander grabs a cushion from a chair, uses it to beat out the flames. Anya bends over Dawn.
WILLOW: Oh my god, oh my god.
Willow goes to Tara and Dawn. Xander finishes putting out the fire. Willow and Tara pull Dawn to a sitting
position.
WILLOW: That was it. Li-like Buffy, with fire.
We see the bulge thing under the floor, moving away.
XANDER: Is she okay?
ANYA: Did I look like that? I hope I didn’t look like that.
WILLOW: No, I’m sure you looked really glamorous cutting up your face.
Dawn comes to.
DAWN: What … what is it? What’s happening?
WILLOW: You’ll be okay.
ANYA: I bet you’ll experience some dry-mouth. (they all look at her) Fire.
DAWN: Was it … did the demon thing have me?
TARA: It’s okay. It’s okay.
XANDER: Yeah. It’s gone.
ANYA: Yes, but where did it go? I mean, evil things have plans. They have things to do.
Cut to: interior of Spike’s crypt. We’re in the lower level. Spike paces back and forth restlessly. We see that
there’s more furniture now: a chair, a bookcase with a lamp on it, etc.
Spike paces a bit, then suddenly turns around and punches the wall.
He laughs a little, looks at his bloodied hand, laughs some more, a little hysterically.
A noise from upstairs. Spike looks alarmed, picks up a dagger and removes it from its sheath. He goes to the
ladder and climbs up.
Cut to above. Spike emerges, moves slowly and quietly into the crypt, holding the dagger by his side. We see a
person standing by a table, looking at some magazines that are spread out.
SPIKE: Buffy.
Buffy turns around and looks at him. Her expression is still basically blank.
SPIKE: (quietly) You should be careful. Never know what kind of villain’s got a knife at your back.
BUFFY: Your hand is hurt.
SPIKE: Hmm. (nods toward her hands) Same with you.
BUFFY: (looks down at her hands) Right.
Buffy just stands there. Spike looks at her, seems uncomfortable, not sure what to do. He walks over to the wall
and puts the knife down.
SPIKE: Willow’s getting pretty strong, isn’t she? Bringing you back. It’s hard to get a good night’s death around
here.
He tries a little laugh but gets no response.
SPIKE: You can sit down. Got furniture.
Buffy sits on a chair.
SPIKE: You should see the downstairs, too, it’s quite posh.
She looks at him, doesn’t say anything. Spike walks over, sighs, sits on the edge of a table across from her.
Buffy just stares at him.
SPIKE: Uh … I do remember what I said. The promise. To protect her. (pause) If I had done that … even if I
didn’t make it … you wouldn’t have had to jump.
Beat. Buffy still doesn’t react, just sits there looking at him.
SPIKE: But I want you to know I did save you. Not when it counted, of course, but … after that. Every night
after that. I’d see it all again … do something different. Faster or more clever, you know? Dozens of times, lots
of different ways … (softly) Every night I save you.
Cut to: interior magic shop. Xander stands by the window, peering through the blinds. Tara comes over.
XANDER: It’s getting light out. Buffy’s probably on her way home from patrolling.
TARA: I like sunrise better when I’m getting up early than when I’m staying up late, you know? It’s like … I’m
seeing it from the wrong side.
XANDER: (nervous) Hey, Tara, this is probably crazy … but Spike got me to thinking. This spell we did … it’s
having consequences, isn’t it? I mean … it sure seems like it. And I was just wondering … did you know that this
might happen?
TARA: No!
XANDER: Do you think … could someone have known?
TARA: Willow is a talented witch, and she would never do anything to hurt anyone.
XANDER: I know, I know, huh? (raises his hands) Backing off quickly, hands in the air. (sighs) I just meant-
WILLOW: Thaumogenesis!
Xander and Tara look over at Willow, who is at the counter, still looking through the books. We see Anya and
Dawn with their heads on the table, jerking awake at Willow’s shout.
ANYA: She’s possessed!
WILLOW: Thaumogenesis.
DAWN: (to Anya) You’re right.
Xander and Tara go over to Willow.
WILLOW: I’m not possessed. I-I think I figured it out. This demon, i-it’s not a demon we let out. It’s, it’s a
demon that we made.
XANDER: We made a demon? Bad us.
WILLOW: Thaumogenesis is when doing a spell actually creates a being. In this case it was like, a, a side-
effect, I guess. Like a price.
DAWN: What?
WILLOW: Think of it like, the world doesn’t like you getting something for free, and we asked for this huge
gift. Buffy. A-and so the world said, ‘fine, but if you have that, you have to take this too.’ And it made the
demon.
ANYA: Well, technically, that’s not a price. That’s a gift with purchase.
DAWN: Um, but, if we made the demon, how come we can’t see it? I mean, all we see is us. Doing stuff.
WILLOW: Well, I, I think it’s out of phase with this dimension. Like, its consciousness is here, but, but its body
is caught in the ether between existing and not existing.
TARA: It doesn’t have a body, so it’s borrowing ours. I-it borrowed Dawn and Anya…
WILLOW: Or, or it’s manifesting copies of them, like, like it did when Buffy came at us…
TARA: It’s using them to do stuff. To scare us, attack us.
XANDER: So we need to uncreate it, right? We need to send it the rest of the way out of our world.
WILLOW: Uh-huh. Except that … it’s linked to the spell. So, if we sent it away … it would be like the spell
doesn’t exist. Like it never happened.
DAWN: Like it never brought Buffy back.
WILLOW: (softly) Yes.
DAWN: You can’t do that. (stands) You can’t think for a second that you’re going to do that.
TARA: Dawn-
Dawn walks over to Willow.
DAWN: If you think you can give her back to me and then take her away again? No. That’s worse than if you’d
never brought her back. You can’t mess with people’s lives this way!
WILLOW: Dawn, we’re not going to do it that way.
DAWN: (to the others) How can you let her do this? How can you even talk about letting her go?
TARA: Honey, you’re not listening. She said we will find another way.
XANDER: We will.
DAWN: Then do it!
Willow has turned back to her book.
WILLOW: Wait. Wait. Dawn. Everybody hold on. (smiles)
ANYA: What? Why are you smiling? That’s inappropriate.
WILLOW: Because it’s temporary.
XANDER: What is?
WILLOW: The demon. I-it’s gonna dissipate. The only way for it to survive on this plane is if it were to kill the
subject of the original spell.
TARA: It would live if it killed Buffy?
WILLOW: That’s not gonna-
Xander lifts his head and we see that his eyes are white.
XANDER: Thanks for the tip.
He collapses to the floor. Again we see the little bulge move across the floor toward a wall.
Cut to: interior of the Summers house, night. Buffy opens the door and comes in, puts her keys on the table,
starts up the stairs. Behind her, we see a white mist. It slowly coalesces into a vaguely human shape, reaching
out arms toward Buffy as it moves up the stairs after her.
Blackout.
Act IV
Open on Buffy’s darkened bedroom. Buffy comes in. She pauses to look at the pictures on the wall again.
DEMON: (whispery voice) You don’t belong here.
Buffy turns to see the demon-mist floating in.
Buffy punches at it, but her fist just goes through it. It shoots out a tendril and hits her, and she flies back against
some furniture. She recovers her balance, turns back around, and looks around in confusion. The mist reappears
and Buffy punches at it again. The mist swirls around her and re-forms behind her. She turns and punches again.
Still nothing.
The demon hits her again and she stumbles out the door into the hallway, into the opposite wall. She turns and
looks back at the door into her room. The mist is gone.
Buffy walks cautiously back into the room.
DEMON: (O.S.) Did they tell you, you belonged here?
The mist reappears in front of Buffy, puts out a hand. She tries to grab the wrist, seems to almost have it, but
then her hand just goes through it.
DEMON: Did they say this was your home again?
It disappears again, reappears. Buffy hits at it with no effect. It swirls around behind her while she’s still looking
for it in front of her.
DEMON: Were you offered pretty lies, little girl?
It swirls around her and wraps around her waist. It seems to be crushing her.
DEMON: Or did they even give you a choice?
Cut to Xander’s car driving down the dark street. Xander is driving, Anya in the passenger seat, and Dawn in the
back seat.
DAWN: Xander! Drive faster!
XANDER: I can’t!
DAWN: I could drive faster and I can’t drive!
ANYA: She’s right, you’re like a snail. A snail who’s driving a car very slowly. Come on, give it the lead foot!
We’ve got to help Buffy with that demon you sent after her!
XANDER: I did not send the demon, I was possessed. The demon used me to eavesdrop on our conversation.
ANYA: Great, so now what? We have to talk in some sort of anti-demon secret code?
XANDER: Ood-gay idea-yay, An-yay.
DAWN: Stop talking wrong in Pig Latin and drive! Buffy’s in trouble!
XANDER: It’s okay, Dawnie. Willow and Tara are doing a spell.
DAWN: You sure it won’t send Buffy back?
XANDER: No, of course not. It’s just that she can’t fight this thing if it’s all … misty, so they make it more solid,
so Buffy can kick its fully embodied ass.
DAWN: You sure it’ll work?
Cut to the magic shop. Willow and Tara sit on the floor facing each other, holding hands. Candles are lit around
them.
WILLOW/TARA: Child of words, hear thy makers. Child of words, we entreat. With our actions did we make
thee, to our voices wilt thou bend.
Cut back to Buffy’s room. Buffy is still struggling in the grip of the demon, squeezing her around the stomach.
She curls her hands into fists and manages to break free, swings at the demon. It hits her and she falls on the
bed, rolls off the side onto the floor.
The demon stands still. It seems to be becoming more solid. Buffy lies on the floor, stares up at it.
Cut back to the magic shop.
WILLOW/TARA: With our potions thou took motive, with our motions came to pass. We rescind no past
devotions, give thee substance, give thee mass.
Cut back to Buffy’s room. She reaches under the bed and produces a battle-axe, starts to get up.
DEMON: You’re the one who’s barely here. Set on this earth like a bubble.
Buffy swings the axe at the demon without any effect. And again. The face is a little clearer now. The demon
stops swirling and confronts Buffy. For the first time we can actually see its mouth move when it talks.
DEMON: You won’t even disturb the air when you go.
Xander, Anya, and Dawn rush in, see the demon and react with fear. Buffy turns and sees them.
BUFFY: Go! Take Dawn out of here!
Cut back to the magic shop. Willow has her eyes closed and her face turned upward. Tara continues chanting,
not realizing that Willow has stopped.
TARA: Child of words, hear thy makers. Child of words, we en…treat…
Tara trails off as she notices Willow. A haze of golden light gathers around Willow. She pulls her hands out of
Tara’s. Her eyes snap open. They are completely black.
WILLOW: Solid.
Cut back to Buffy’s room. The demon suddenly becomes fully solid. It looks like the rotting corpse of a woman,
taller than Buffy. Buffy tries to hit it with the axe but the demon grabs the axe handle. They struggle over it for a
moment, then the demon lets go and hits Buffy, making her drop the axe. She turns back and the demon hits her
again. Buffy goes down.
Xander, Dawn, and Anya are still in the doorway, watching fearfully, clutching each other.
Buffy picks up the axe, jumps up from the floor, and swings.
Shot of the demon’s head bouncing across the floor.
Xander, Dawn, and Anya all give little yelps of dismay. Dawn turns her face away, grabbing Xander’s arms.
Buffy looks down at the demon’s body (which we don’t see).
DAWN: (to Xander) That’s probably the sort of thing I’m not supposed to see, right?
Anya pats Dawn on the shoulder.
Cut to: overhead shot of Sunnydale, day.
Cut to: exterior shot of the Summers house. It’s a bright sunny day, birds chirping, etc.
Dawn comes out the front door, dressed for school. She walks down the steps, starts down the walk.
Buffy opens the door.
BUFFY: Dawn!
Dawn turns back.
DAWN: (alarmed) What’s wrong?
Buffy comes down the stairs, holding a brown paper bag.
BUFFY: Lunch.
DAWN: (smiling happily) You made me lunch? (takes the lunchbag) Wow. Thanks.
BUFFY: (solemn) You better go. You’ve been out since … I got back. And you know what they say. Those of us
who fail history? Doomed to repeat it in summer school.
They both give small smiles. Dawn hugs Buffy.
DAWN: (whispers) Thank you.
Dawn pulls out of the hug.
DAWN: Are you okay?
BUFFY: I’m going to start charging money for every person that asks me that.
DAWN: Everyone’s been doing that, huh?
BUFFY: A little bit.
DAWN: It’s because they care about you a lot. When you were gone … it was bad when you were gone. But it’ll
be better now. Now that they can see you being happy. (pause) That’s all they want.
Dawn turns and walks off. Buffy watches, thoughtful.
Cut to: interior magic shop. Tara is sitting on a chair and Willow standing, both putting books on shelves. The
door bell jingles. Willow turns and smiles.
WILLOW: Buffy! Hey!
Buffy enters, walks in. We see Xander and Anya there as well.
XANDER: Hey, you get Dawn off to school all right? ‘Cause I was thinking, if you need help picking her up, I…
BUFFY: It’s okay. I got it. (nervous) Look, you guys, um, there’s this thing … so I’m just gonna say it.
They all look expectantly at her.
BUFFY: You brought me back. I was in a … I was in hell. I, um … I can’t think too much about what it was like.
But it felt like the world abandoned me there. And then suddenly … you guys did what you did.
TARA: It was Willow. She knew what to do. (Willow looks embarrassed)
BUFFY: Okay. So you did that. And the world came rushing back. Thank you. You guys gave me the world. I
can’t tell you what it means to me.
Willow has tears in her eyes.
BUFFY: And I should have said it before.
WILLOW: (tearful) You’re welcome.
Willow hugs Buffy.
XANDER: Welcome home, Buffy.
Xander puts his arms around the two of them. They all hug. Buffy’s expression is still less than thrilled.
Cut to the back alley behind the magic shop. Buffy comes out, closes the door behind her, slowly walks a few
steps, thinking.
SPIKE: Buffy.
Buffy looks up, sees Spike standing in the alley.
BUFFY: (frowns) Spike, it’s daylight and you’re-
SPIKE: Not on fire? (looks at the sky) Sun’s low enough, shady enough here.
Buffy folds her arms around her middle.
SPIKE: I was gonna go inside, but I overheard you and the Super-friends exchanging a special moment and I
came over a bit queasy.
Buffy wipes hair out of her face, doesn’t seem to be listening.
SPIKE: Say, aren’t you leaving a hole in the middle of some soggy group hug?
BUFFY: Just wanted a little time alone.
She walks over, sits on a packing crate a few feet away from Spike.
SPIKE: Oh, uh, right then.
He gets up, starts to walk away, reaches the line of shadow, realizes he can’t leave the alley without going into
the sunlight. He stops, squints at the sky.
BUFFY: That’s okay. I can be alone with you here.
SPIKE: Thanks ever so.
He gives a rueful smile, looks back at her.
BUFFY: Right.
Beat.
SPIKE: Buff? … Slayer? Are you okay?
She isn’t, but she composes herself and nods at him.
BUFFY: I’m here. I’m good.
SPIKE: (walks back to her) Buffy, if you’re in … if you’re in pain … or if you need anything… or if I can do
anything for you…
BUFFY: (looks down at her lap) You can’t.
SPIKE: Well, I haven’t been to a hell dimension just of late, but I do know a thing or two about torment.
He sits beside her.
BUFFY: (still looking down) I was happy.
Spike looks at her in confusion.
BUFFY: Wherever I … was … I was happy. At peace.
Spike stares, shocked.
BUFFY: I knew that everyone I cared about was all right. I knew it. Time … didn’t mean anything … nothing
had form … but I was still me, you know? (glances at him, then away) And I was warm … and I was loved …
and I was finished. Complete. I don’t understand about theology or dimensions, or … any of it, really … but I
think I was in heaven.
Spike continues to stare at her in dismay.
BUFFY: And now I’m not. (almost tearful) I was torn out of there. Pulled out … by my friends. (Spike continues
staring, listening) Everything here is … hard, and bright, and violent. Everything I feel, everything I touch … this
is Hell. Just getting through the next moment, and the one after that … (softly) knowing what I’ve lost…
She looks up, realizes Spike is still there. She looks uncomfortable, gets up.
She walks just to the line where the shadows become sunlight, and pauses, but doesn’t turn back to face Spike.
BUFFY: They can never know. Never.
She still doesn’t look back at him, just continues walking into the sunlight.
Blackout.
Executive Producers: Joss Whedon and Marti Noxon. THE END
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