The 2nd draft came back with "are you high??" scrawled across it in yellow crayon - hmmm.Okay....
"Grave" Final Scenes 3rd draft
by Craven de Krack
Scene. The battle is over. Giles, Anya, Buffy, Dawn, Jonathan and Andrew are standing in a bleak, shattered landscape. Jonathan's spell to disguise himself as Tara to distract Willow long enough for Giles and Anya to drain her dark magic energy has succeeded. Jonathan has morphed back to his old self, not an improvement. Willow has run away to hurl herself off Sunnydale's highest cliff. Xander has run after her to talk her down - I'm not writing that bit, I have some standards. Jonathan plays absently with his magic bone. Andrew digs him in the ribs to make him stop. Giles' face is tight with self-hatred.
Giles: A comprehensive victory, in the end.
Anya (not getting it): Yes, we saved the world again. Yay us.
Buffy (not getting it either): Yeah. C'mon, Dawn, let's get outta here.
Giles (controlled, but white with rage): You just don't understand, do you? You - we've utterly destroyed Willow. Xander - God help us - Xander, is after Willow, probably with his own smutty little agenda. I am utterly appalled, at myself most of all. Why have we always been incapable of sensing and responding appropriately to Willow's distress? We've saved the world, but what is the point if we can't make it safe for the people who deserve to live in it?
Buffy: Lighten up, Giles. I had my epiphany, maybe you should try one.
Giles: Go home, Buffy. I refuse to lighten up until Willow is safe, whole and loved.
Buffy and Dawn leave, arm in arm. Dawn is silent, thinking about what Giles has said. Buffy is happier, looking around, enjoying life, marvelling at the wasted earth and the blasted trees. Cut back to Giles, deep in thought. He turns to Jonathan and Andrew.
Giles: Now, which of you two nasty little pillocks has been experimenting with temporal flux?
Andrew and Jonathan try to point at each other. Andrew makes an "oh, come on" expression. Jonathan slowly raises his hand.
Jonathan: Me.
Giles: Right. Come with me before I eviscerate you. Anya, if you have decided to restart your career as a vengeance demon, you might care to start on him (indicating Andrew).
Giles takes Jonathan by the ear and strides off purposefully. Andrew turns to Anya.
Jonathan: Ow!
Andrew: That was just a figure of speech, right?
Anya: Oh, no, Mr. Giles is very literal. But relax, I won't do anything to you.
Andrew (ever so relieved): Oh, wow.
Anya: I'm a vengeance demon. I only take vengeance on men who have betrayed their lovers. And you've never had a lover. Your mother's vacuum cleaner doesn't count.
Andrew (mortified): Oh, man!
Anya: That sort of thing is quite dangerous, you know. Why, one time (Andrew looks like he is going to be physically ill)...
CUT to Giles and Jonathan at the geeks' van. Jonathan has an armful of papers and a bowl.
Giles: This is everything? And a standard latin incantation?
Jonathan: Uh-huh.
SMASH CUT to Giles speeding along in his red BMW with the top up, Jonathan in the passenger seat looking unhappy. Very quick establishing shot of Buffy's house. SMASH CUT to Willow and Tara's bedroom. It's dark and empty. Enter Giles and Jonathan. Giles looks around the room. Close-up of the bullet hole in the glass. Giles takes off his glasses.
Giles: Ah, that's handy. A neat little twelve-inch square should do, just behind the glass. Go ahead, as we discussed.
Jonathan takes Giles by one hand, lights a paper with the other, drops it into the bowl, he waves the magic bone over the bowl. Giles replaces his glasses.
Jonathan: Fenestra, fenestra temporalis...
Cut to downstairs. The front door opens, enter Xander, supporting Willow. She is crying uncontrollably.
Willow: Xander, please, I need to see Tara now!
Xander: Shh, shh. You can see her tomorrow. Rest now.
Willow: I can't believe I left her like that.
Xander: You weren't yourself, Will. You haven't been yourself for a while.
Willow: What are we doing here anyway? Buffy will never let me stay.
Xander: Willow, I'm going to take you to bed.
Willow (utterly horrified): No! You can't!
Xander (trying to manoeuvre her upstairs): Trust me, Willow, it's what you need.
Willow: No! No! It's Tara!
Xander: What?
Willow (sobbing, tears flooding like never before): I can't, not in that room. Tara - her blood is still on the carpet, her smell is still on the sheets. I can't sleep in there!
Xander looks sulky. He relents and guides her to the sofa. Willow sits, curls into a tiny ball, her back to Xander.
Xander: I'll go tidy up. Change the bed.
Willow: Don't.
CUT to upstairs. Jonathan is still doing the spell.
Jonathan: ...erat demonstrandum.
Jonathan stops, looks at Giles, nods. Jonathan is sweaty and nervous. Giles steps forward to the window. He holds a finger in front of the broken glass, moves it back slightly. There is a tiny (CGI) ripple in the air. Giles steps back, tense, takes his glasses off again, watches.
Jonathan: What now? (Giles does not react.)
Cut to Xander coming up the stairs.
FADE TO WHITE Fade in to the bedroom in bright daylight. It's the scene in "Seeing Red".
Tara: Mmmm... Xander.
Willow: Okay, not quite the response I was fishing for.
Tara: No, he's here.
Tara goes to the window overlooking the backyard.
Cut to the dark bedroom. In front of the window, the air ripples, and the curve of Tara's belly appears. Reaction shot of Giles, fearful. Cut to Xander coming down the corridor. Cut back to the sunny bedroom. Tara turns back to Willow. Cut to the darkened window, Tara's belly floats out of sight. Cut to Giles, sigh of relief, replaces his glasses.
Cut to the bedroom in daylight, the bedroom window overlooking the backyard TINKS, a stray bullet cracking the glass. Cut to the darkened bedroom, the air in front of the window RIPPLES violently. Cut to close-up of the far wall as a bullet SMASHES into the plaster, splitting off a big chunk.
Cut to Tara's face.
Tara: Your shirt...
Willow: Tara?
Tara: Please, take it off, I want to see your lovely br- what was that?
Tara turns to the window, Willow comes to her side, notices the cracked glass, frowns.
Tara (looking out and down): Oh my God, Buffy!
Tara and Willow rush out of the room.
Cut to Xander, opening the darkened bedroom door, WHITE OUT, and he steps into his own grubby room. Half eaten pizzas and crushed beer cans strewn everywhere. He looks baffled.
Cut to Buffy's yard. Buffy lies on the ground, bleeding.
Willow: What happened?
Xander: Warren shot her!
Cut to Tara, looking at the wound. She takes Willow's hand.
Tara: Willow, help me, we have to do this right away.
Willow (panicking): Oh, Tara, I can't!
Tara: I'm here Willow, it's okay, I can't do it without you.
Willow calms down, holds Tara's hand (linked, as in "Hush"). Tara stretches her other hand over Buffy's wound. Close up of Tara, concentrating. Cut to close-up of the wound, as the bullet slowly draws forth and the skin seals over. Pan to Buffy, eyes fluttering open, colour coming back into her face, taking deep breaths. A siren yelps nearby. A door slams, running feet.
Cut to a Sunnydale PD officer entering the yard, gun drawn, tense. There is a second officer behind him, covering.
Police Officer: We have a report of shots fired in this area. Have you seen anyone?
Xander: Yeah, guy called Warren, gun nut, running around with a Saturday night special, letting off a few strays.
Police Officer: Which way did he go? (Xander points. The officer looks at Buffy lying on the ground) Is she hurt?
Tara: She fainted when she saw the gun. She'll be fine, we're all good here. (The police officers nod and run off after Warren. Xander looks at Tara, furious.)
Xander: What do you think you're doing? Willow can't do -
Willow: No. Xander. (She puts her arm around Tara, holds her closely. Tara looks at Xander, evenly and defiantly)
Buffy (weakly): She's right Xander. Tara just saved my life.
Xander: But magic....
Tara: Is magic. And it can be safe. (She looks at Willow) I'll always be here for you.
Willow: I love you so much. (She kisses Tara, deeply)
CUT to the darkened bedroom. Jonathan looks at Giles.
Jonathan: Now what do we do?
Giles: We leave, it would be unseemly to do otherwise. (Jonathan gives an uncomprehending look) This is not our bedroom, and we are uninvited. (Jonathan opens the door and exits.)
WHITE OUT, fade in on Jonathan and Andrew, side by side in a police holding cell. Jonathan takes in his surroundings.
Jonathan: Aw, no fair!
Andrew: What are you talking about? See. I told you he wouldn't abandon us. (He gestures. Cut to Warren, handcuffed and bruised, in an opposite cell. Jonathan shrugs.)
Jonathan: At least we didn't get eviscerated.
Pan over to two hulking prisoners being led by. One of them leers at the two geeks as he passes.
Andrew: Not yet, anyway.
Cut back to the darkened bedroom. Giles glances at the bed as he exits the room, WHITE OUT and fade in on a London street in daylight. It's raining. Giles has a copy of "The Times" in one hand. He looks up at the sky. He is rapidly getting soaked.
Giles: Well done, Giles, no umbrella as usual. Too many years in California, I dare say. (He removes his glasses, raindrops stream down his face. Shielding hilmself as best he can with his newspaper, he makes for shelter.)
Cut to the darkened bedroom. Close up of the bullet hole in the wall. A wisp of plaster dust trickles out of the hole. Pan over to the bed. Tara wakes up, turns on the light.
Willow: Tara? What is it?
Tara: Did you hear something? (Willow listens. Tiny smile.)
Willow: Your heart beating. (Tara places a hand gently over her heart, listens. A beat).
Tara: Get used to it.
Willow: Oh, I intend to.
Tara: Buffy's still scared about me making you use magic. And Xander. (Willow makes a phhh gesture at the mention of Xander's name).
Willow: You gonna talk to them?
Tara: Tomorrow. (Smiles at Willow, moves in closer.)
Willow: After all...
Tara: Tomorrow is another day.
They embrace, Tara flicks out the light.
BLACK OUT. END OF SEASON 6.
Footnote: "After all, tomorrow is another day" is of course the last line in "Gone With The Wind". I hold to the theory that W/T's relationship is based on the relationship of Scarlett O'Hara with her beloved Tara in GWTW. Scarlett = "Red (a nickname Spike has used)" = Willow, Tara = Tara. Scarlett/Tara is a love that transcends all else, it is the love from which Scarlett draws her strength, her attachment to "the red earth of Tara". Magical stuff. And even better for W/T, Tara loves Willow right back
