buffy8x13
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                                      ACT FOUR

                                                               FADE IN:

        32     INT. SUPERMARKET. DAY.                                  32

               Anya walks along the rows and rows of fruit baskets, shopping
               basket over one arm, reaching out and squeezing almost
               everything in sight. 

               An old lady watches her, and Anya stops when she sees the
               woman's puzzled look.

                                   ANYA
                         Hello. I was a ghost, but now I'm
                         not. So I can touch things again
                         and that's what I'm doing! It's
                         just like-

               Xander steps into frame between the two of them, nodding and
               smiling at the old woman.

                                   XANDER
                         Sorry about her. She's, ah..
                             (whispers)
                         She's just come back into the
                         community again.

               The old woman nods in understanding as Xander gives her the
               thumbs up and throws an arm round Anya, leading her away. We
               stay with them as they walk down the aisle.

                                   ANYA
                         Xander, there wasn't anything the
                         matter.

                                   XANDER
                         No, but most girls don't tell
                         random old ladies they used to be
                         ghosts. At least not very often.
                         Old people tend not to be very
                         comfortable with that kind of
                         thing.

                                   ANYA
                         I decided a few things, though.

                                   XANDER
                         Oh?

                                   ANYA
                         Yes. Kiwi fruit is off-puttingly
                         hairy but pleasantly squishy,
                         pineapples feel nice, and grapes
                         are great when they pop.

                                   XANDER
                         Been checking the fruit stand, huh? 

               Anya nods and smiles. They walk off frame.

        33     INT. SUPERMARKET - CHECKOUT. DAY.                       33

               Anya and Xander are unloading their shopping baskets onto the
               checkout's conveyor belts. Anya keeps picking up everything
               Xander puts down, running her fingers over all the surfaces. 

               Xander notices and gently pushes her hands back down,
               glancing around in case people are watching.

                                   XANDER
                         An, try to keep track of that when
                         we're out in public. It could be
                         hard to explain to people if you're
                         dashing off to touch everything in
                         sight. Especially near bars full of
                         bikers.

                                   ANYA
                         Well, I can't help it if I'd
                         started to forget what everything
                         felt like, can I? I kept thinking I
                         was just going to fade away and
                         never know what..

               She looks around her and grabs a pack of gum from the stand
               by the counter, unwrapping it and popping a stick into her
               mouth.

                                   ANYA (cont'd)
                         What gum felt like to chew, or
                         what.. 

               She searches again, grabs a soda bottle from the conveyor
               belt and opens it, taking a big gulp.

                                   ANYA (cont'd)
                         What soda feels like..
                             (beat)
                         Especially when you drink it too
                         fast and the bubbles go up your
                         nose..

               She SNEEZES, and Xander, looking a little panicked in case
               security head over, takes the bottle back off her and puts
               the rest of the gum onto the conveyor.

               The Checkout Girl looks distinctly unimpressed by the whole
               thing as Anya continues to sneeze.

                                   XANDER
                         Uh, sorry about all this, she's..
                         well, she's different.

                                   CHECKOUT GIRL
                         So was Forrest Gump. But at least
                         he paid for what he drank first. 

               Xander nods and hands over his credit card. Anya stops
               sneezing and rubs her nose.

                                   ANYA
                         Sneezes. Sneezes are good too. 

               She smiles up at Xander who can't help but grin back. Then
               she sneezes again. From the sound of her sneeze, we:

                                                          SMASH CUT TO:

        34     INT. THE BRONZE - BALCONY. NIGHT.                       34

               It's a typical night at the Bronze, full of dancing teens,
               students and twentysomethings, as Willow finds herself on the
               balcony overlooking the dance floor. Something isn't right
               straight away - she's woozy and grips the handrail for
               balance.

                                   GIRL'S VOICE (O.S.)
                         Wasn't this night fun? Willow looks
                         to her side.

               Amy is there, a smug grin on her face. She looks down at
               Willow, struggling to stand as though she's drunk.

                                   AMY
                         We came here after going to Rack's
                         that one time, do you remember? We
                         were so smashed on magic drops that
                         we turned this whole place into
                         whatever we wanted.. Oh, I had so
                         much fun that night I never wanted
                         it to end..

                                   WILLOW
                         You.. cheater..

                                   AMY
                         Well, I said I'd pick the
                         battlefield out of your memories,
                         didn't I? And when I saw this
                         place, and the state you were in
                         while you were here, well.. I
                         couldn't help myself. 

               Willow looks like she's in trouble as Amy stands defiantly
               before her.

                                   AMY (cont'd)
                         So let's get started! 

               With a shout, she swings a fist out and cracks it across
               Willow's cheek, and Willow pitches over the balcony and down
               onto the dancers below. 

               They break her fall but about ten people clutter to the
               floor, and Willow woozily tries to disentangle herself and
               pick herself up. She looks up and sees Amy shouting down from
               the balcony.

                                   AMY (cont'd)
                         See? Isn't this fun? 

               Amy morphs into the demon and growls triumphantly as the
               people in the Bronze start to panic and scream.

                                   DEMON
                         Now let's see what you're really
                         scared of, witch!

               He leaps over the balcony and down towards Willow.

        35     INT. ELLEN'S PLACE - LIVING ROOM. DAY.                  35

               Buffy sits and watches Emmily carefully coloring in one of
               the pictures in the book before her. She looks like she's
               waiting for the young girl to speak.

                                   BUFFY
                         Emmily? You got my message earlier
                         right?

               Emmily nods, without looking up.

                                   BUFFY (cont'd)
                         So what did you want to tell me? Is
                         it about Jackson?
                             (beat)
                         Emmily?

               Emmily looks up, then with a little sigh puts her crayon down
               and looks up at Buffy.

                                   EMMILY
                         Sorry. Was trying to clear my mind.
                         We can go now.

                                   BUFFY
                         Go? Where to?

               Emmily holds out her hands, and after a moment Buffy reaches
               out and takes them. As she does, we:

                                                          SMASH CUT TO:

        36     EXT. RUINED WORLD. NIGHT.                               36

               Buffy finds herself standing on top of an almost volcanic
               outcrop, with other, active volcanoes all around, spewing
               geysers of lava and thick plumes of ash out into the night
               sky. The whole landscape around her is in flames - trees and
               grass burns, even the rivers are on fire, and everything
               around them is desolate and chaotic. 

               Buffy instinctively hugs Emmily close to her to protect her,
               but Emmily pushes back and looks up at the Slayer.

                                   EMMILY
                         Just a vision. Safe.

                                   BUFFY
                         What.. where are we? What is this
                         place?

                                   EMMILY
                         Back in time. Many years. The Old
                         Ones rule here.

                                   BUFFY
                         The Old Ones?
                             (beat)
                         Listen to me, I sound like Neo or
                         something.. Emmily, tell me about
                         the Source.

                                   EMMILY
                         Ancient evil. Like The First.

                                   BUFFY
                         Would that make them The Second? 

               Emmily smiles and Buffy grins back despite herself.

                                   EMMILY
                         Gone for now, but will be back
                         soon. And you can stop it.

                                   BUFFY
                         Here we go.. Another apocalyptic
                         battle to save the world, huh?

                                   EMMILY
                         No. One small choice. It will be
                         defeated by love. Either by showing
                         love or not showing love.

                                   BUFFY
                         Which does which? Will love conquer
                         all or something corny like that?

                                   EMMILY
                         Don't know yet. Am trying to find
                         out. But you'll know when the time
                         comes.

               Buffy looks round.

                                   BUFFY
                         Let's head back now, okay? I get
                         the picture. If the Old Ones come
                         back, the world gets turned into
                         the inside of my stomach after one
                         of Xander's chillies, and I'm going
                         to be able to do something about
                         that. Right?

               Emmily nods, and Buffy smiles back.

        37     INT. ELLEN'S PLACE - LIVING ROOM. DAY.                  37

               And in a blink of an eye, they're back in the living room at
               Ellen's, as though they'd never left. Buffy looks round to
               check they're home, then down at Emmily.

                                   BUFFY
                         Thank you. I don't normally get too
                         much of a warning about these
                         things.

                                   EMMILY
                         That's why I'm here. Buffy strokes
                         the side of Emmily's head
                         affectionately.

                                   ELLEN (O.S.)
                         Oh, there you are!

               Ellen steps into the living room.

                                   ELLEN (cont'd)
                         Emmily pops off for a few seconds
                         every now and then, says she's
                         'learning things.' So where'd you
                         two get to?

                                   BUFFY
                         Uh, Iowa, I think. 

               Emmily giggles and Buffy shares a smile with her.

        38     INT. THE BRONZE. NIGHT.                                 38

               SLAM! Willow flies into frame, not looking too good. People
               scatter as she picks herself up and the demon clunks over,
               knocking tables aside as it heads for her. 

               Willow stands, the black pupils in place as she scowls at the
               incoming monster.

                                   WILLOW
                         Don't make me get all Shannon
                         Doherty on you, you really wouldn't
                         like me when I'm angry!

               She lets fly with a blast of blue energy which knocks the
               demon from its feet, splintering the edge of the staircase
               next to it. 

               More screams all around as the demon stands again. He laughs
               as Willow tries to catch her breath.

                                   DEMON
                         Good.. good! You fight well, witch.
                         This is fun.

               Willow answers by swinging her arm at the demon, lifting him
               by an unseen hand into the air and slamming him against the
               bar, dislodging the rows of bottle hanging there. The
               bartender runs for cover as Willow walks over.

               Her shoes crunch over the broken glass as she steps towards
               the demon, who is chuckling between ragged breaths as he
               stands again.

                                   DEMON (cont'd)
                         You must.. really love that girl..
                         to fight so strong.

                                   WILLOW
                         She's my Slayer, she'd die for me.

                                   DEMON
                         But would you die for her? 

               Willow stops dead, and the demon grins as he realizes he's
               found a chink in her armor.

                                   WILLOW
                         I.. I'd..

                                   DEMON
                         Ah, I don't think you would, would
                         you?

               He stands and Willow shrinks backwards, confusion flowing
               across her face.

                                   WILLOW
                         She'd.. she'd..

                                   DEMON
                         Not like it was with the other one,
                         is it? Good, yes, but not the same.
                         Not as pure. Not as powerful. Not
                         enough.

               Willow's head is bowed as the demon looms large over her.

                                   DEMON (cont'd)
                         Not enough to make up for losing
                         the first one.

               Willow's head snaps up. Her black eyes blaze with fury.

                                   WILLOW
                         Alright, that is it!

               The rest of the hanging bottles are smashed as the demon
               hurtles sideways into frame, slamming into the wall behind
               the bar and thudding to the ground. 

               Willow vaults over the bar to face the wheezing demon.

                                   WILLOW (cont'd)
                         You can push me around.. you can
                         drag me back through my past.. you
                         can make me live out my worst pains
                         again..

               She walks forwards slowly, and the demon shuffles away from
               her.

                                   WILLOW (cont'd)
                         But you don't tell me how much I
                         love someone, and you don't get to
                         tell me who I love! 

               She raises her hand to strike the demon down but pauses, hand
               held above her head, as she sees the demon laughing under his
               breath. Something dawns on her, and she steps back. 

               The demon gets to his feet, wondering why she didn't hit him,
               as Willow closes her eyes, takes a deep breath and holds her
               hands by her sides. 

               The demon swipes a claw at her - and it passes through her!
               He stares down at his claw and sees that it is fading away.
               Willow opens her eyes, a smile on her face.

                                   WILLOW (cont'd)
                         See, if I don't show any emotions,
                         then you've got no power to feed
                         on. And if you've got no power to
                         draw from, then all this.. 

               She motions to the Bronze around them as it starts to ripple
               and fade away, the demon looking round in panic.

                                   WILLOW (cont'd)
                         Just fades away.

               The demon snarls and stabs at her but with no luck. Willow
               starts to fade away too. She gives him a little wave.

                                   WILLOW (cont'd)
                         Sweet dreams, Freddy. Hope they
                         take real good care of you on the
                         other side.

               The demon howls as Willow fades away, and then the scene
               around him dissolves into the same blackness as his cloak,
               which envelops him and swallows him whole, drowning out his
               cry.

        39     INT. WILLOW'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM. DAY.                 39

               Willow jolts awake again, searching around for Kennedy but
               not seeing her.

               The bathroom door is open, and we can hear that the shower is
               running. Kennedy leans her head out to look, wet from the
               shower.

                                   KENNEDY
                         Oh, you're up! I woke up a minute
                         ago and you were sleeping so well I
                         thought I'd better leave you to it,
                         just in case.

                                   WILLOW
                         Oh, right, uh, thanks. 

               Kennedy leans back and Willow wipes her brow.

                                   WILLOW (cont'd)
                         Whew, that was a Bobby Ewing moment
                         for sure..

               She flops back down on the pillows, exhausted. She reaches a
               hand out for the TV remote control and flicks it on.

                                   TV
                         And there is still no more news on
                         the whereabouts of Mr Timberlakien,
                         the pop star last seen heading off
                         into Vegas with a mystery blonde at
                         the wheel of his sports car.
                         In other entertainment news,
                         popular actress Scarlett Johanssen
                         has announced her engagement to an
                         unknown British musician, who is
                         said to be-

                                   KENNEDY (O.S.)
                         So what was your dream about?
                         Willow smiles.

                                   WILLOW
                         Nothing I couldn't handle.

        40     INT. SUMMERS RESIDENCE - FRONT ROOM. DAY.               40

               Andrew and Jody head in, busy talking and joking. The rest of
               the Scoobies are sat around the front room, as Willow is
               telling them about her morning.

                                   ANDREW
                         Oh, uh, hi, everyone. You know, uh,
                         Jody.

                                   JODY
                         Hi.

                                   DAWN
                         Hey.

                                   BUFFY
                         Oh, hey Jody.

                                   KENNEDY
                         Oh yeah, Andrew's boyfriend. 

               Everyone goes quiet.

                                   KENNEDY (cont'd)
                             (to Jody)
                         Right?

               More silence.

                                   KENNEDY (cont'd)
                         What? Don't say I'm the only one
                         who noticed..

               More silence.

               Andrew looks like he wants the world to open up and swallow
               him whole.

               Jody glances nervously round, not knowing what to say.

                                   JODY
                         Uh..

                                   XANDER
                             (matter-of-factly)
                         Yeah, we knew.

                                   ANYA
                         Yes, little gay Andrew.

                                   DAWN
                         I'd kind of worked it out..

                                   WILLOW
                         Yeah, you do have a sort of, uh..
                         quality.

                                   BUFFY
                         Mmm. It may be the hair.

                                   ANDREW
                         Wait, wait, wait. So you guys knew
                         all along? Or did you only just..

                                   KENNEDY
                         Well, you didn't do a great job of
                         hiding it!

                                   ANDREW
                         But... this isn't weird? 

               Everyone looks at everyone else.

                                   BUFFY
                         Nope, why would it be?

                                   WILLOW
                         Yeah, it's not like you're going to
                         act any different, right?

                                   ANDREW
                         Uh, I guess not..

                                   XANDER
                             (grins; clicks fingers)
                         Damn, that was my last hope, too.. 

               Andrew looks at Jody, who is grinning at him.

                                   JODY
                         See, told you it's be okay.

                                   WILLOW
                         So anyway, then this demon says
                         'Now let's see what you're scared
                         of, witch!' And charges towards me
                         and...

               Willow starts up with her story again like nothing happened,
               but we stay with Andrew's happy expression.

                                                           DISSOLVE TO:

        41     INT. SUMMERS RESIDENCE - XANDER'S ROOM. NIGHT.          41

               Xander and Anya are in bed again, but this time it's night
               and Xander is asleep. A single candle burns away as a
               nightlight on the bedside table, and as Anya rolls towards it
               we see she is still wide awake. 

               She glances back to make sure Xander is asleep, then holds
               her hand over the flame. 

               After a few moments, she gasps with pain and moves her hand
               away, but after rubbing it for a few seconds, she looks back
               to the candle, and then holds her hand over the flame again,
               watching it burn.

                                                             BLACK OUT.



                                     END OF SHOW
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Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.