Title: Only Time 6/?

Author: Doc; [email protected]

Disclaimer: I don't own the Scoobs or the AI gang, however, I am looking into starting my own show so that I can make people fall in love with the main characters, break them up and then torture the fans for the rest of their lives! And also to the people at the WB who have said there will be no more B/A crossovers, because they have reached a new level of EVILNESS!!

Dedication: To Lizzie for being one of the biggest supporters of my work and always asking for more, to Kasiya for always asking for more and sending me the coolest feedback and telling me I rule when she's just as good as me, to Sara-Lee for always asking how I am and asking for more of my writing and for writing the coolest poems, and finally, to Crystal, whom I haven't talked to in forever for being MIA, oh, and to Manda for helping me w/ my guy problems and writing me "Doc and Manda world fic" and to my sister for staying strong through everything that has happened.

Summary: Buffy makes her decision: Does she become the Slayer again and go back to demons and vampires, or does she return to her normal life and never see Angel, Dawn or any of her friends ever again? Only she can decide

Rating: If you watch the show you can read this J

Spoilers: Not really any in this part

Author's Note: For those of you who care, there are probably only going to be one or two more parts to this story. FYI

"You have come to a decision?"

"Yes."

*******

Dawn giggled as she watched Spike. He made a face as he bit into the pizza.

"What's wrong?"

"Well, my taste isn't great and this tastes like cardboard. I think I'll just wait till I get home to eat."

Dawn frowned.

"But then all you have to do is watch me eat and it makes me self-conscious when people watch me eat."

"Don't worry love, you're adorable when you eat. Hell, you're adorable all the time."

Dawn blushed and held her hand out to him.

"What?"

"Let's blow this joint and go dancing. I need to burn some energy."

"I can think of a better way than dancing."

"Now how did I know you were going to say that?"

"Because you know me all too well."

"Come on now and be a good vampire."

She patted him on the head and she heard a low rumble in his chest. He hated it when she petted him on the head and she knew it and did it any way. She started laughing uncontrollably.

"You think that's funny do you? Well, you won't think its funny when I do this…"

He grabbed Dawn and started tickling her and she started laughing even harder.

"Ok….truce…I….can't…breathe."

He stopped tickling and kissed her on the nose. By this time everyone in the restaurant was staring.

"Move along, nothing to see here."

Dawn and Spike walked out of the restaurant giggling and making jokes with one another."

* * *

Angel let out an unneeded breath and prayed to whatever gods were listening that Buffy would stay with him and the rest of her family and friends.

"What is your decision Buffy?"

"Well, from what you're saying, it sounds like this is world in peril stuff and that you need me, not to mention the fact that I couldn't imagine another second without Angel, Dawn, or my friends, so, my decision is to become the Slayer again."

She turned to Angel and saw him smiling a smile that made her want to melt into a puddle of Buffy-goo.

"You have made the right decision. We will keep you informed through Angel's seer. "

"How will this effect Cordelia?"

"Don't worry Angel. She isn't in any danger. We have decided to make the visions less painful since she will be receiving more of them from now on."

Angel couldn't wait to tell Cordy.

"Go. We will be in touch soon."

Buffy and Angel were thrown back through the portal door.

"Ow. You know for them to be all powerful beings they sure are cranky."

"Tell me about it. The male always seems to be the crankiest though. Naddia isn't that bad."

"So, where do we go from here?"

"Well, first thing we need to do is start your training again, and you need to start patrolling again."

"Well…."

Buffy's eyes rolled back into her head and she fell to the floor. She would have cracked her skull open, but Angel grabbed her just before she hit her head. Her heartbeat was normal and she was still breathing, but he picked her up and headed to the nearest Hospital.

* * *

The phone started ringing and Giles stirred from his sleep. He got up, stumbling and headed over to the front desk.

" 'Ello, Angel Investigations."

"Giles, its Angel, I'm at the hospital with Buffy."

"What happened?"

"Well, we went to go see the Oracles and when we left, she just fainted. I'll explain everything when you get here. Wake up the gang and get them down here. Dawn should be home in a few minutes, just leave her a note. Spike will bring her."

"Goodbye."

Giles ran upstairs and knocked on Cordelia's door.

"What??"

Giles opened the door cautiously. He had been hit in the head with a high heel more than once when waking Cordelia up.

"Cordelia, we have to go to the hospital. Something's happened to Buffy."

"Is she ever just alive?? God!"

"What's wrong?"

Wesley had heard the commotion while he was in his room reading and had come to see what was going on.

"Buffy's in the hospital. Angel called and wants us to come."

The gang quickly got dressed and headed to the Hospital.

**********

"I wonder where Giles is? He told me he was staying in tonight. Maybe they got a last minute case."

"Better let me go in and check it out Nibblet. Might be some evil doings going on. Wait here."

Spike took Dawn's key and made his way inside the hotel. He returned with a note in his hand and a not so good look on his face.

"What's wrong?"

"It's Buffy. She's in the Hospital. We're supposed to meet the gang there. Let's go."

Spike grabbed Dawn's hand and they ran towards the hospital.

********

The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. Giles saw Angel standing in the lobby talking to a doctor. Willow ran past him towards Angel.

"Hey. How is she? What happened?"

"Well, when we left the Oracles, we were talking and she just fainted. The doctor's say that they can't find anything medically wrong with her. He said that she's just unconscious and we should just wait for her to wake up. She almost busted her head open when she fell, but I caught her before she hit the ground, thankfully. Anyone heard anything from Dawn and Spike."

"I left them a note and told them to come immediately. They should be arriving shortly."

The elevator doors opened again and Dawn bounded towards the group and ran into Angel's arms.

"What's wrong? Can I see her?"

"Calm down hun. The doctors say she'll recover. She just fainted. They don't know what caused it. You can go in and see her if you want."

"Will you guys come with me?"

The entire gang agreed and they walked towards Buffy's room. Dawn opened the door and heard the beep of the heart monitor. Buffy looked like she was sleeping and she was on oxygen. Dawn prayed that her sister would make a full recovery and that she wouldn't have to go through loosing her again.

********

The following days held many long hours at the hospital. Everyone took various shifts sitting and talking with her, begging Buffy to come back to them. Angel and Dawn seemed most effected. Both afraid of loosing the most important person in their lives. Dawn was sitting next to the bed reading to Buffy out of her Moby Dick book that she was having to read for school, when she started to stir.

"Angel."

Angel ran through the door followed by the rest of the Scoobs.

"What is it?"

"I think she's waking up."

Buffy made a few incoherent noises and slowly opened her eyes. She blinked a few times and starred into the faces of her friends and sister.

"Hey, why so glum? I'm back."