A/N Okay, I wasn't going to do this, but I just watched The Gift (BTVS) and I am compelled to mess with that season and thereby season 6. I'm going to try to keep working on Fallen Angels too, but right now this one is screaming at me so what else am I gonna do?

Disclaimer: The song belongs to Michelle Branch. It's called "It's You.

Chapter Three-It's You

-Buffy-

The Bronze has relocated to a roof top for their big New Year's Eve bash. Michelle Branch is singing. I think there is supposed to be a comet shower or something tonight hence the rooftop party. In any case, all my friends are here. I didn't want to come, but Willow insisted and gave me her resolve face, so what's a girl to do.

I sit on a skylight and watch everyone else dancing. I miss having someone to dance with, even more I miss having THE someone to dance with. It's odd, I can tell you when Angel left me, 1 year, 5 months, 2 weeks, 6 days and at this exact moment 6 hours and 22 minutes ago, I don't know how long ago Riley left. It couldn't have been more then a couple of weeks ago though. Willow and Xander think I'm upset about Riley. And it makes me mad. I wasn't allowed to grieve when Angel left me. I was expected to be happy because in Xander's words "The train of Buffy causing Misery has just left Sunnydale". Yet when Riley leaves, I am allowed to grieve. It doesn't make sense. Riley was a convenience, a sweet boy but not even enough to be a replacement. Angel was my everything, my breath, my heart, my soul, my destiny. Are there any other words I can use to describe the love of my life? Because I think I pretty much used them all up crying in my diary.

Xander and Anya are dancing. He waggles his eyebrows at me as they pass my seat. I try to smile for his sake. Tara and Willow are involved in a deep conversation with some of the people from their Wicca group. And Buffy is left to spend New Year's Eve alone, oh God, could I sound any more pathetic.

I'm just looking for a way to sneak away without Xander or Willow seeing me when I feel it. The heat rushes through my body and I know He's here. My eyes tear up. How can he always know when I need him the most? How could he know how much I was dreading starting this year without him? A cold hand enfolds mine. I look up into soulful brown eyes and I smile. He kisses me before I can say a word and my entire world explodes.

You think it's a metaphor, I know. I thought I was seeing things too. But the sky exploded. It rained fire and comets and the air was filled with smoke, but no one noticed. I start to say something and Angel covers my mouth with his.

Michelle Branch is still singing.

If tomorrow never comes
I would want just one thing
I would sell it to the stars and the sun
I would write it for the world to see

Oh it's you
The light changes when you're in the room
Oh it's you, oh it's you

The slayer in me tells me I need to do something. I've got to stop whatever is happening. The rest of me wants to die in his arms tonight. He doesn't seem particularly worried about the fire or the comets. He just touches my face, as if he can't believe I'm real. End of the world, be damned, there's no where else I'd rather die.

If tomorrow never comes
I would want just one wish
To kiss your quiet mouth
And trace your steps with my fingertips

It's you
The light changes when you're in the room
Oh it's you, oh it's you

I watch as everything around me burns to ash and I think finally I can rest in the arms of my angel. Finally it's over and I'm not the slayer anymore or even Buffy anymore, I'm just his. That's all I've ever really wanted to be anyway.

Oh it's you
Oh it's you
Oh it's you

Oooh it's you.

He pulls me into the shelter of his embrace and covers me with his duster. We start to burn but it doesn't hurt. It feels like a release. He kisses me and we both burn to ash, nothing more then vampire dust. Maybe that's all either of us were to begin with.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I awake with a start. There are tears in my eyes, but I'm not ash. A wall of panic hits me. I've always known that if something happened to Angel I would know. My soul would feel his leave this place. Tears come fresh and hot to my eyes. I know its 4am. I don't care. I pick up the phone and dial the number I have memorized. He must get a lot of early morning calls because he picks up on the second ring.

"Angel Investigations, this is Angel."

I can't help it. I cover the mouthpiece of the phone and break into sobs. It's his voice, that velvety half sleepy bedroom voice I love so much.

"Hello? Is there something wrong?"

I can't even talk I'm crying so hard. He doesn't seem ruffled by a hysterical woman calling him in the middle of the night. I wonder if he gets a lot of them. That makes me sob harder.

"Buffy,"

The tears just come faster and hotter. I'd forgotten how he said my name. No one says my name like Angel. I can't do this. If I talk to him now, I'll want more. I found out what I needed to. He's alive.

I hang up the phone.

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*A/N: Ok, originally this was going to be "fix" for season 6 but I think what ya'll are going to get is more my version of "The Gift" and my version of season 6. There is none of the debacle we call Spuffy, so it's got to be okay. In any case, look for more soon and feedback please!