WillowThe coven, they're the most amazing women I've ever met, but there's this look they get, like I'm going to turn them all into bangers and mash. And I'm not even sure what that is.
They're cautious. I'm sure you can understand that.
Willow
I don't have that much power, I don't think.
It's all connected. You're connected to a great power, whether you feel it or not.
Willow
I wish you'd just take it from me.
You know we can't. This isn't a hobby or an addiction. It's inside you now. You're responsible for it.
Willow
Will they always be afraid of me?
Maybe. Can you handle that?
Willow
I deserve a lot worse. I killed people, Giles.
Willow
When you brought me here, I thought it was to kill me, or to lock me in a mystical dungeon for all eternity, or with the torture. Instead you go all Dumbledore on me. I'm learning about magic, Gaia, energy, and the roots system.
Do you want to be punished?
Willow
I want to be Willow.
You are. In the end, we all are who we are, no matter how much we may appear to have changed.
You feel really responsible? You are really responsible!
Willow
I know I hurt you... and everyone... and I'm sorry.
Here's something you should know about vengeance demons. We don't groove with the sorry. We prefer, "Oh, God! Please stop hitting me with my own rib bones!"
Willow
Go on. Say whatever you want, rib bones and so forth. I deserve it.
Willow
No.
Anya [pouts slightly]: Well then, that's no fun.
Willow
Buffy?
Oh, I'm sorry. I... I didn't mean to interrupt.
Willow
That's all I had left in me anyway.
I didn't realize meditating was such hard work.
Willow
I'm healing. Growing new skin.
Wow. That's magic, right? I mean, when most people meditate, they don't get extra skin, right? 'Cause, Clem should, like, cut back.
Willow
It's magic. I'm drawing power from the earth to heal myself.
We're on the second floor.
Willow
[laughs] You know, Giles says everything's part of the earth-- this bed, the air, us.
Explains why my fingernails get dirty even when I don't do anything.
Willow
Plus, you stuck your thumbs in a demon.
True. You're wiped out. I-I should go.
Willow
No. Please stay. I missed you so much when I couldn't find you.
We missed you too. I missed you. Dawn's working on what caused the mutual no-see-ums, but so far we haven't--
Willow
I did it.
Willow
I didn't mean to. I-I just remember, thinking how I wasn't ready to see you guys yet. I was afraid we wouldn't, you know, connect.
So you made it happen just by thinking it?
Willow
I guess I have a ways to go before I master my powers, huh?
It's okay. As long as you're all right.
Willow
It's nice to be forgiven. Too bad I need so much of it.
I have a confession to make. I thought it might be you, with the flaying.
Willow
I know.
I wanna be the kind of person that wouldn't think that. Xander never thought it.
Willow
He did a little. Heck, I did a little. Xander has the luxury of not saying it. But you're the Slayer. You have to say stuff like that. It's okay. It's okay too if... you still don't think I can recover from this magic stuff. Because honestly, I'm not that sure about it either. [sighs]
I thought you were too tired.
Willow
It hurts too much not to try.
Willow
And it just takes so much strength, I don't have that much.
Well, I got so much strength, I'm givin' it anyway.
Willow
Are you sure?
Willow
Much.
Figuring out how to control your magic seems a lot like hammering a nail. At the end of the hammer, you have the power, but no control. It takes, like, two strokes to hit the nail in, or you could hit your thumb.
Willow
Ouch.
So you choke up. Control, but no power. It could take like ten strokes to knock the nail in. Power, control. It's a trade off.
Willow
That's actually not a bad analogy. Except, I'm less worried about hitting my thumb, and more worried about going all black-eyed baddy and bewitching that hammer into cracking my friends' skulls open like coconuts.
Willow. How was her mom?
Okay. As okay as-- She told me their family had a history of heart irregularities. But she never told Cassie.
Willow
Cassie didn't know? Then it was fate?
Then she was going to die no matter what, wasn't she? It didn't matter what you did.
She just knew. She was special. I failed her.
Uh-uh. No. You didn't 'cause you tried. You listened and you tried. She died 'cause of her heart, not 'cause of you. She was my friend 'cause of you. I guess sometimes you can't help. [sniffles]
So what then? What do you do when you know that? When you know that maybe you can't help?
[Buffy, Xander and Willow argue about whether to kill the re-demonized Anya.]
You think we haven't seen all this before? The part where you just cut us all out. Just step away from everything human and act like you're the law. If you knew what I felt -
I killed Angel!! Do you even remember that?! I would have given up everything I had to be with... I loved him more than I will ever love anything in this life! And I put a sword through his heart because I had to.
Willow
And that all worked out OK.
Do you remember cheering me on? Both of you! Do you remember giving me Willow's message? "Kick his ass."
Willow [shocked]: I never said that!
It is always different! It's always complicated. And at some point, someone has to draw the line and that is always going to be me! You get down on me for cutting myself off but in the end, the Slayer is always cut off. There's no mystical guidebook, no all-knowing council. Human rules don't apply. There's only me. I am the law.
There has to be another way.
[Xander walks out the front door. Buffy turns to Willow, silently asking her help to dispatch Anya.]
Willow
I can't. I'm sorry. [Buffy grabs a sword and heads outside]
My advice to you is do exactly what everyone else does, all the time.
Willow
Got it.
Do what everyone else does, wear what everyone else wears, say what everyone else says.
Willow
Okay.
People may say something to you, you don't understand. Just don't be afraid to keep your mouth shut and pretend like you know what they're saying.
Willow
You know, Dawn, I've been to college before.
People may say something like, "My protein window closes in an hour." Just nod and smile. "Mm-hmm." Turns out it has something to do with fitness.
Have you talked to her lately?
Not since that night with the Gnarl demon. And that wasn't exactly the kind of "How have you been?" kind of talking. More the "pierce its eye with something sharp" kind of talking. I'm thinking I should call her.
I just don't want you to get your hopes up.
"Hopes?" [scoffs] Oh, no, no, no, no, no. There are no hopes. Anya and I are done. I love being single. I'm a strong, successful male who's giddy at the thought, of all the women I will no doubt be dating in the near future.
Strong, successful males say "giddy"?
I just worry about her, that's all.
Willow
Anya?
She should try acting like everybody else more.
Willow
Apparently, it's what all the kids are doin' nowadays.
Well, I'm not sure I get the sad vibe, but there's definitely a vengeance vibe worth worrying about.
Oh, that? No, no. I don't worry about that. She was hurt, and she just turned back to what she knew, when I, you know. But that's not her anymore.
Well, she turned that worm guy back before any real damage happened, right? It'll just take some time. I really think she's coming around.
[The women are threatening one another with what they're each going to do to win R.J.'s love]
Willow, you're a gay woman! [Willow makes a face conveying "And?"] And he... isn't?!
Willow
This isn't about his physical presence! It's about his heart.
His physical presence has a penis!
Willow
I can work around it!
Willow
Hey, Anya, you never told us what you can't believe you almost.
Willow
No, you can't be the only not embarrassed one. What did you do?
[nervously] I, uh, wrote a poem. An epic poem...comparing him to a daisy and a tower and a lake.
RARadio Announcer
And now the latest on Sunnydale's late-night bandit who is still at large. A masked thief held up a number of large businesses— [Anya quickly switches off the radio]
Okay great! Ice cream. My treat.
FThe First (as Cassie)
[after trying to trick Willow into believing Tara wants her to kill herself] I can see it now. Candlelight, the Indigo Girls playing, picture of your dead girlfriend on your bloody lap... [mocking] Oh, baby, you left such a big hole. It hurt so bad! [serious] You don't know hurt. This last year's gonna seem like cake after what I put you and your friends through, and I am not a fan of easy death. Fact is, the whole good versus evil, balancing the scales thing? I'm over it. I'm done with the mortal coil. But believe me, I'm going for a big finish.
Willow
"From beneath you, it devours."
FThe First (as Cassie)
Oh, not "it"... ME.
[to Willow] He's been feasting off human blood for weeks. He's been having some pretty bad withdrawals. I think we need to get him some blood.
Willow
[enthusiastically & happily] Do you want me to kill Anya?
No, we should probably try to wean him off humans. He'll have to make due with animal blood.
Willow
I'll go get some then.
...
Willow
Oh no, I have to get out of the house, Xander is installing the new windows and he keeps giving lectures on proper tool maintenance. Tool talk not my thing.
Hey, junior Slayers, don't look so worried. I mean, sure, we don't know where Spike is or how to fight the First, or if and when the super-styled vampire is gonna attack us all. However, house -- boarded up. Now all we gotta do is trap this Übervamp in the pantry, and it's game over.
Willow
Xander, newbies. Let's ease them into the whole "jokes in the face of death" thing.
Who's joking? That pantry thing could work. You saying M. Night Shyamalan lied to us?
Buffy the Vampire Slayer · 894 quotes
