GILES: I came as soon as I heard...

BUFFY: Council--?

GILES: The Council hasn't a clue. About much of anything, really. No, there's an extremely powerful coven in Devonshire. They sensed the rise of a dangerous magical force here in Sunnydale. A dark force fueled by grief.

BUFFY: Willow.

GILES: I had so hoped it wasn't her. And then a seer in the coven told me about Tara... That's when the coven imbued me with their powers.

BUFFY: And sent you here to bring Willow down.

GILES: Buffy, what's happened here?

BUFFY: God. I don't even know where to start...

GILES: Well, Willow's clearly been abusing the majicks-

BUFFY: She has. She was - and I barely even noticed. Giles, everything's just been so... Xander left Anya at the altar. Anya's a vengeance demon again. Dawn's a total klepto, Money's been so tight that I've been slinging burgers at the Doublemeat Palace. And I've been sleeping with Spike.

(Giles burst out laughing, Buffy stares a bit, then joins him)

(...)

(through laughter)

GILES: Duct tape?

BUFFY: On their mouths! So the demon could eat them-

GILES: Because they were figments?

BUFFY: All of it! You, Sunnydale... And I was just some nutcase in L.A.!

GILES: Of course. Why didn't we see it before?

(they calm down, stop laughing)

GILES: Can you forgive me?

BUFFY: For what?

GILES: I should never have left.

BUFFY: No... You were right to leave. We're just... stupid.

GILES: I know you're all stupid. I should never have abandoned you.

BUFFY: No. Giles, you were right about everything. It *is* time I was an adult.

GILES: Sometimes the most adult thing you can do is ask for help when you need it.

BUFFY: Now you tell me. I guess... I wasn't ready before. It took a long time for that feeling to go away... The feeling that I wasn't really here. It was like... when I clawed my way out of that grave, I left something behind. Part of me. I just... I don't understand. Why I'm back.

GILES: You have a calling.

BUFFY: But it was my time, Giles. Someone would have taken my place. So why? (no answer) Right. (sigh) What's going to happen to Willow?

GILES: Well, the coven is working on a way to extract her powers without... killing her. Should she survive, you ought to know, Buffy that there's no guarantee she'll...be as she was. Willow's killed a human being. How will she be able to live with herself?

WILLOW: I wouldn't worry about that... Willow doesn't live here anymore.

• Buffy & Giles

written by: David Fury; No transcript available, so I started with the Shooting Script and spent a couple-three hours editing it to match what was said and shown on the broadcast version. . Full transcript at: