New Moon Rising
[S4.19 : W/T.9]
 

You have to be with the one you love.  

Oz returns and Willow must choose between her first lover and her new relationship with Tara.

EXT. PARK - DAY

Willow and Tara are heading to Giles'.
They hold hands, enjoying the stroll.

TARA
Do you like cats?

WILLOW
More of a dog person, myself. But
I'm not like "Death to all cats!" Why?

TARA
'Cause I was thinking about
getting one.

WILLOW
Can you have one in the dorms?

TARA
No. But this would be a sneaky cat.

WILLOW
That would be cool. You mean it'd
be sort of like a familiar?

TARA
Actually, I was thinking it'd be
sort of like a pet. You know - we
could name her Trixie or... Miss
Kitty Fantastico or something.

WILLOW
And we could make kitty go bonkers
with string and cat nip and stuff?

TARA
Absolutely.

WILLOW
Fun. I'm in.

TARA
So - you're not allergic or anything?

WILLOW
Nope.

TARA
Good. 'Cause I want my room
to be Willow-friendly.

WILLOW
Me too.

They bask for a brief moment in the warmth of their mutual adoration.
Then -

TARA
So I'm excited about the Scoobie
meeting. . . I think. What's it about?

WILLOW
I'm not sure. Probably just your
garden variety disaster.

INT. GILES' APARTMENT - DAY

Buffy, Giles, Xander, Anya, Willow, Tara and Riley are gathered.

BUFFY
Zippo. Patrol has been totally
uneventful. My kill count's been
way down.

WILLOW
(to Tara/helpfully)
She means that there's been less
bad guy activity.

GILES
(concerned)
And we know what that often indicates.

XANDER
Buffy doesn't make her quota.
(to Buffy)
Bad slayer!

GILES
I wish it were that innocuous.
But with Adam about, I fear he
may be involved somehow.

WILLOW
(to Tara again)
When things get slow it's usually
because something extra evil is brewing.

RILEY
Except the weird thing is we've been
busy at the Initiative. Our squads are
pulling a lot more captures; we've got
demons coming out of our ears.

WILLOW
(once again, to Tara)
That's a metaphor -

TARA
Got it. Thanks.

WILLOW
I'm over-helping, aren't I?

Tara nods sweetly. Willow clams up.

GILES
So activity hasn't stopped, just
shifted. Fascinating...

ANYA
To an extremely bored person, maybe.
All you're really saying is - slow week
for Buffy. Busy week for Riley.
Pardon me if I delay my freak out until
we actually know something.

BUFFY
She's got a point. It's not much to
go on.

ANYA
See? Buffy agrees with me.
(to Xander)
Let's go to the movies.

GILES
(defensive)
I confess- it could be nothing, but it
could also indicate any number of
threatening scenarios.

ANYA
Fine. What would you like us to do?

GILES
Well. I suppose you could... I
think we should all -

BUFFY
Keep an eye out for threatening scenarios?

GILES
Precisely.

The gang start to gather their things and head for the door.

ANYA
Well - that was a thrilling hour.

GILES
I do not appreciate your snide remarks,
Anya. I have a great deal of experience
in these matters and when I tell you
I feel something of import brewing, I-I...

Giles falters, noticing that nobody is looking at him.
He follows their stunned gazes to the door...

Where Oz has entered.

OZ
Hey.

BLACK OUT

INT. GILES' APARTMENT - DAY

Back to those same stunned expressions.
And Oz standing awkwardly before them.
Willow looks like she's about to pass out.

WILLOW
Oz...

Tara takes this in - realizes exactly who this is.
Tries to hold it together.

TARA
Oz?

She and Willow meet eyes for a beat. Then -

WILLOW
(to Oz)
When - When did you get back?

OZ
Pretty much now.

Everybody stands around uncomfortably.
Finally, Xander moves up to him, shakes his hand.

XANDER
Oz, man, hate to sound grandma but
- you don't call, you don't write.

OZ
Yeah, sorry.

BUFFY
So are you here, here - or just
passing through?

GILES
(before Oz can answer)
Let's not bombard Oz with questions
right off.
(to Oz)
Can I get you something? Some tea -

Willow glances at Tara, panics.

WILLOW
Tea? Now? With... Oz?

OZ
Thanks, but I'll pass.

Oz moves close to Willow, speaks to her softly. Tara watches, mortified, but pointedly looks away whenever Willow tries to catch her eye.

OZ (cont'd)
Look - I'm going over to Devon's
to see if he has a place I can crash.
But I was hoping we could talk later.
Tonight.

WILLOW
I - I guess so.

OZ
I'll come by your place.

WILLOW
Okay.

Again, Willow tries to give Tara a reassuring look -
but she's gazing at the floor. Oz turns to the others.

OZ
It's good to see you guys. Really.

And he takes off. A beat as Oz' return sinks in.
Tara looks quietly stricken while the others mostly appear conflicted.

ANYA
Everyone's uncomfortable now.

Buffy moves to a shell-shocked Willow.

BUFFY
Are you okay?

WILLOW
What? I - no...

Tara starts to move for the door.
She's trying hard to hold it together.

TARA
I just... I realized... I'm late for
study group.

WILLOW
Tara - wait.

TARA
It's okay. Y-you should be with your
friends. And I should go.

WILLOW
But -

Tara waves a quick goodbye to all assembled.

TARA
Bye.

And she bails. Willow looks after her, completely stunned.

Deleted Scene

INT. TARA'S DORM ROOM - NIGHT

Tara anxiously paces her room. Doesn't know what to do with herself...Finally, she picks up the phone to call Willow. But she hesitates - puts the phone down again.

INT. WILLOW AND BUFFY'S DORM ROOM - NIGHT

Willow, also beside herself, picks up the phone to call Tara - but then a knock on the door makes her nearly jump out of her skin. She puts the phone down, straightens her clothes and hair.
______________________________________________

Willow nervously opens the door to OZ.

OZ
Hey.

WILLOW
Hey.

They stand there for an uncomfortable beat. Then -

WILLOW (cont'd)
So - you want to come in?

OZ
Actually, I want you to come out.
I want to show you something.

WILLOW
(a little puzzled)
Oh... Okay.

She grabs her coat and follows Oz out.

EXT. CAMPUS LANE - NIGHT

Oz leads Willow to the center of a campus lawn. It's a clear, lovely night and
the area they're in isn't well trafficked, so they're pretty much alone.
They stop, finally, and Willow turns to Oz - emotional.

WILLOW
Oz. This is all so weird. I feel like
this isn't really happening. Like it's
a dream or something...

OZ
It's real.
(then)
Look up.

WILLOW
What?

OZ
Look at the sky.

Willow does. A beautiful full moon lights the darkness.

OZ (cont'd)
Guess you stopped keeping track of
them after I left.

Willow looks back to Oz and his regular human self, then back
at the sky in wonder.

WILLOW
Full moon...

Now Oz smiles.

OZ
Full moon.

WILLOW
(growing excited)
Full moon! But how? I mean - you
did it! How did you do it? Where
did you go?

OZ
It's a long story -

WILLOW
Oh my God! Oz!

In the moment she forgets herself and throws herself into his arms.
The touch is obviously powerful for both of them.
Oz breathes her in, pulls her closer...

OZ
Willow -

But Willow gently disengages.

WILLOW
This is... I mean, it's wonderful for you.

OZ
Will. I went through a lot of changes
while we were apart.

WILLOW
Yeah...I know the feeling.

OZ
And I want to hear everything. I want
to tell you everything.
(then)
But there's something, before all that.
I talked to Xander - and he said you
didn't have a new guy.

WILLOW
(awkwardly)
No. No - new guy.

Oz takes her hand, worries it. Speaks with barely controlled emotion...
But he's Oz - so he controls it.

OZ
I know what I put you through.
And I'm not going to push... But
I'm a different person than when
I left. I can be what you need
now. And that's what I want.
That's why I'm here.

Willow takes this in. Takes in this man she's loved so much...
She's speechless.

INT. WILLOW AND BUFFY'S DORM ROOM - DAY

We move across the room, until we find Willow and OZ sitting on her bed. It's clear that they've gotten more comfortable - but not in a naked kind of way. The bed is made and they're fully clothed. In fact, Willow is even more clothed than earlier - she's wrapped in a beautiful Indian sari. There are some pictures and foreign coins and such spread out on the bed between them.

Willow shakes her head with amazement.

Willow, uncomfortable now, struggles.

Avoiding, Willow glances out the window.
Pushes the curtain aside, surprised.

Oz checks his watch.

He puts a hand over hers, a gentle overture.
They both feel the charge of that simple touch.

Willow hesitates. Remembering the feel of his body.
But she pushes the feeling down.

Willow grabs her toiletry bag and exits down the hall.
Oz surveys Willow's room until he's interrupted by a knock on the door.
Oz opens it to TARA, who looks devastated to find him there.

She starts to move off but Oz stops her.

Now Tara starts to back away, trying to move off before she loses it.

Tara just shakes her head and tries to smile.
Makes for the exit. Oz looks after her, a little puzzled.
A beat later Willow returns from the bathroom.
Reads the look on his face.

Willow takes this in, blanches.
But Oz is already gathering his coat, unaware of what just transpired.

OFF WILLOW

Feeling terrible. She knows what it looked like to Tara.

Willow sits on her bed, the sari that Oz gave her lying next to her.
She is lost in thought, her face etched with concern...
Then Buffy enters, also in a worried space.

BUFFY
Hey.

WILLOW
Hey. You okay?

BUFFY
I just... don't really feel like talking
about it. I want to hear about you
and Oz. You saw him, right?

WILLOW
I was with him all night.

BUFFY
All night? Oh my God -
(realizes)
Wait. Last night was a wolf
moon, wasn't it?

WILLOW
Yep.

BUFFY
So... You're about to tell me
something incredibly kinky, or -

WILLOW
No kink. He didn't change, Buffy.
He said he was going to find a cure,
and he did. In Tibet.

Buffy lets this sink in, amazed. Then -

BUFFY
Again - Oh my God! I can't believe it!
(stops)
Okay. I just noticed I'm all with the
"woo hoo" - and you're not.

WILLOW
No - there's "woo" and "hoo". But
there's also - "uh oh". And "why
now?" And... it's complicated.

BUFFY
Why complicated? You got your
boyfriend back.

Willow looks at her friend for a long beat.
Buffy can see the conflict on her face. Grows concerned.

BUFFY (cont'd)
What?

Willow takes a deep breath. Decides it's time. Answers shakily -

WILLOW
It's complicated - because of Tara.

BUFFY
(confused)
You mean Tara has a crush on Oz?
(off Willow's look)
No, not -
(getting it)
Oh. Ohh.

Buffy takes this in. She's definitely thrown.
But she also wants to be supportive.

BUFFY (cont'd)
Well... That's great too, right? I mean,
she seems like a great girl, Will.

WILLOW
She is. And there's something
between us... I wasn't looking
for it, you know. It's just totally
powerful. And it's totally different
than what Oz and I had.

BUFFY
Well, there you go then. You have
to follow your heart, Will. I mean,
that's what's important, Will.

WILLOW
How come you keep saying my name
like that?

BUFFY
Like what, Will?

WILLOW
Are you freaked?

BUFFY
What? No, Wi- No! Absolutely no to
that question. I'm glad you told me.
(then)
What did you say to Oz?

WILLOW
I was going to tell him... But then we
hung out and I could feel everything
coming back. He's Oz, you know.

BUFFY
Yeah. I do.

WILLOW
(pained)
I don't want to hurt anybody, Buffy.
I think of either of them and I can't
stand it.

BUFFY
No matter what happens, somebody's
going to get hurt. The main thing
is, you have to be honest - or
it'll be a lot worse.

Willow takes this in. Knows Buffy's right.

INT. TARA'S DORM ROOM - DAY

Tara opens her door to find Willow there. The air between them is charged, anxiety filled.

WILLOW
Hi.

TARA
Hi.

Tara steps aside, lets Willow enter.

WILLOW
I can only stay a minute, I have class.

TARA
Me too. I have class too.

WILLOW
I just wanted to let you know, what
you saw this morning, it wasn't -

TARA
(cutting her off)
It's okay. I always knew, if he
came back -

WILLOW
We just talked. Nothing happened.

TARA
Oh. Really?

WILLOW
(nods)
But, you know, it was intense. Just
talking. We have a lot to talk about.
(then)
I kind of feel like my head's going
to explode.

Tara takes this in, then speaks with difficulty -

TARA
Whatever, you know, happens? I'll
still be here. I mean, I'll still be your
friend.

WILLOW
(alarmed)
Of course we'll be friends. That's not
even a question.

TARA
But I'm saying, I know what Oz
means to you...

WILLOW
How can you, when I'm not even
sure? I mean, I know what he
meant to me. But he left. And
everything changed. I changed.
And then we...

Tara sees how upset Willow's getting.

TARA
It's okay.

WILLOW
It's not okay. I mean, Tara, the time
we spend together is...

Willow shakes her head. Can't quite say it.

TARA
What?

WILLOW
I don't know. It's just - life was
starting to get so good again, and
you're a big part of that. And here
comes the thing I wanted most of all.
(a little desperate)
And I don't know what to do. I
want to know. But I don't.

Tara, emotional, puts a hand on Willow's cheek. Quiets her.

TARA
Do what makes you h-happy.

Tara's pained sincerity just makes Willow want to cry. She moves into Tara's arms and they hold each other, trying to find some comfort, some answers.

INT. CAMPUS HALLWAY - DAY

Oz is walking out of the registration office, some paperwork in hand. He stops to read some flyers for bands. Then he senses something - smells it.

He turns, sees TARA walking his direction. She doesn't see him until it's too late.

Tara feels like she can see the writing on the wall.

It's clear that Tara's getting more and more upset. Oz becomes puzzled. What's really going on here? Now he notices that Tara is wearing Willow's sweater. He reaches out and touches it, but Tara pulls away.

Tara starts to back away, awash in guilt.

Suddenly, it dawns on OZ. What's happening here. But he can't quite believe it.

Tara doesn't answer, just turns and hurries down the hall. This is the confirmation he dreaded. Oz is blown away, and his composure's uncharacteristically obliterated.

Tara just keeps moving faster. Oz yells, his voice frighteningly desperate.

Tara does, terrified. Oz is shaking with emotion.

Oz doesn't notice that his HAND IS STARTING TO GO WOLFY.

He stops, unable to control his breathing. Looks down. Tara stares at him, eyes widening as he...

...looks up at her again in the first stage of TRANSFORMATION