Title: To Be Normal Again

Author: Nicky

Email: nickypoo2004@yahoo.com

Distribution: Just take it if you want it. Please remember to email me and tell me where my baby is going to.

Timeline: Season Six

Spoilers: Normal Again

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. There. I said it. Author's notes: I am supposed to say stuff here so...stuff. There. I said stuff. Read on.

She had had these delusions since she could remember. Her mother always told her that what seemed real wasn't always. But she had to admit sometimes she wanted that world to be real. Then there were times, faint periods of time when she couldn't tell the difference between the two worlds. She closed her eyes. "Buffy?" She heard a soft beautiful voice say.

"Mmm!" She moaned. Someone touched her. She slightly winced.

"Where are you Buffy? Do you know who I am?" Buffy's eyes flickered open. She smiled.

"Mommy." She whispered. Joyce smiled at her.

"My Buffy. See honey, I am real, I am alive." Joyce placed Buffy's hand on her cheek. "Feel my skin. I am alive. Please don't tell me that I died." Buffy's bottom lip trembled. She couldn't say that. She didn't know if she was dreaming. Or what was real at all. Everything was so muddled. She couldn't see. She couldn't see what was right in front of her. The doctor came up behind Joyce. He flashed a light in Buffy's eyes.

"Hello Buffy. Do you know where you are?" Buffy put her hand in the air to block out the light of the flashlight.

"Sunnydale." She whispered. The room was dark, but she could see her mother gasp, and hold her father's hand tighter. The doctor glanced apologetically at Buffy's parents. "No, Buffy. You are in Ridgewood Mental Hospital. Sunnydale is not real. Nobody you think is real, really is. You mother is alive, and your parents aren't divorced." Buffy put her hands over her ears, and began to rock back and fourth. Joyce frowned.

"Buffy, baby. Please, calm down. I am here, and I want to help you get better so you can come home. I love you and your father loves you. Come back to us honey." Joyce clasped Hanks hand again. Buffy slightly groaned and stopped rocking. A flash of light filled the room.

"Buffy!" She turned. Xander smiled at her. "What are you doing? You were all roboty, and it scared me." Buffy looked around the room. She was back. Xander touched her shoulder. "Are you alright?" Buffy gave him a detached nod. Angel walked into the room. He smiled at her.

"Hey Buffy." He kissed her softly on the lips. She stumbled backwards. A ran down the corner of her eye. "Buffy." He whispered.

"You aren't real. My mom said you aren't real!" She fell onto her backside. Angel quickly hurried over to help her up.

"Buffy, your mother is dead. I am real. Are you okay?" Buffy's face crumpled.

"I don't know anymore. I want you to be real so badly, because I love you." Angel softly smiled.

"Shh love. Don't worry. I am real. I will always be real." He held Buffy gently in his arms. "It's okay." She closed her eyes.

"Buffy!" Her eyes flickered open. Her mother hovered ominously over her head. Buffy looked around in a paranoid manner.

"She's still very delusional." The doctor said matter of factly. Buffy's mom grimaced. Buffy rocked again.

"Don't talk about me like I am not here!" She snapped. Her mother gave her a pitiful look. Poor Buffy it said. Buffy began to bang her head against the wall.

"Honey," Her mother grabbed a lock of her hair, and began to fiddle with it. "We didn't mean to upset you. We just want you to be okay, and come home. We've missed you so much." Buffy smiled.

"Really?" Her mother nodded.

"Oh, yes Buffy. We've always loved you. We have never stopped. You have just been so far out of reach. Please come back to us." Buffy bit her lip. Which world was real?

"Buffy!" She looked up at Dawn. "Are you alright?" Buffy stared blankly at her fork. Which world was easier to believe? The one where she was a slayer, where her mother was dead, her sister was a key, and she was in love with a vampire with a soul. Or the one where she was a mental patient, just trying to move on. Buffy played with the food on her plate.

"Yes." She whispered. Dawn gave her a queer look before walking out of the room. She had died in this world. She had come back to life in this world. Life was harder here. Angel walked into the room followed by Dawn.

"Buffy are you alright?" Buffy quickly turned her head to look at them.

"Why does everybody keep asking me that?" Angel looked at Dawn and told her to leave the room with his eyes.

"You seem so distant. You told me you didn't think that I was real. I love you Buffy. You are everything that keeps me alive." Buffy smiled. Maybe this world was worth fighting for.

Buffy awoke and her mother was rocking her in her arms. "Shh. My darling." Buffy smiled. She missed this so much. "Look at your father Buffy. He came too." Buffy looked up at her dad with watery eyes.

"Daddy?" He smiled, and wiped the tear away from her cheek.

"I miss you Buffy. Please come home." Buffy's lip quivered.

"Daddy." Hank smiled.

"God! You always act like a freakin ghost!" Dawn whined. Buffy's eyes snapped open. "You didn't want to come back. Face it you liked being dead better than being with me! You're not even listening to me right now. You are just complaining about how some demon stabbed you in the arm." Buffy stumbled backwards. Where was her mother? Why was she here again? Dawn snapped her fingers in front of Buffy's face. She didn't respond. "I hate you!" She screamed as she ran to her room. Angel ran into the hallway.

"I can't believe she said that to you. She is so ungrateful sometimes." Buffy looked up at him. He was so blurry. He touched her cheek. "Buffy? Are you here with me?"

"The doctor says if you take this pill, your delusions will end, and you'll be normal again." Buffy smiled, and looked pensively at the pill. "Do you want to take it?" Joyce asked. Buffy touched her mother's hair. Was she real? Or only a figment of her imagination?

"Stay with me! Buffy please, don't go into that world again!" Buffy looked at Angel with discombobulated eyes.

"Are you real?" Angel's tears ran down his cheeks.

"You're scaring me." Buffy smiled.

"I need to know. Are you real?"

Angel hesitated. "Yes. Please Buffy. Stay here. I love you. You are all I want. Please just stay here." She smiled. She loved him so much.

"Alright." He hugged her to him.

"Yes. Momma, I wanna come home. I wanna take the pill." Joyce laughed and looked at Hank. He nodded. Joyce put the pill in Buffy's mouth and handed her a glass of water.

"Buffy, you're fading away again." She kissed him.

"I screwed up Angel. I've made so many mistakes. I have to leave you now because my mother needs me. But I love you. Remember that. I'm sorry." Angel panicked.

"I need you. Dawn needs you! Oh God Buffy don't go." Her eyes glassed over. "Buffy!" She stared off into space. Her body not reacting to anything.

"I feel better mommy." Joyce smiled.

"Ready to go home." Buffy looked to her feet.

"I've been ready for a long time." Joyce smiled.

"Really?"

"I just want some peace of mind. I haven't had that ever since you've been gone mom." Joyce smiled as they walked into the sunlight. Buffy looked at the sky. It smiled back with false promise.

"It feels good mom." Joyce looked over to her daughter.

"What does honey?" Buffy paused.

"Being normal again."

THE END