40
by Red
[reviews]
40
Red
Joss' folk.
B/W/G...no acation, tho'...pg13
Summary: Angel comes back from hell...20 years later. Boy, have things changed!
+++++MIDNIGHT, IN A SUNNYDALE CEMETERY+++++
"I so do not believe this. It's you. It's really you."
"I've missed you so much, Buffy. Oh, how I have missed you. And worried about you, but here you are, alive and well."
"Alive, maybe, but well, I'm not so sure. Angel, it's been twenty years."
"But it seems like forever. Buffy, you don't know how horrible it was without you, not knowing if you were okay, or even alive, but you are! You're here, slaying, looking as beautiful as ever. I prayed, every single day I prayed that you would be alright and you are."
"Alright? Alright? Hello, twenty years, Angel. I'm 37 now. 37 years old! 37! Do you have any idea what it's like to be a 37 year old vampire slayer? Huh?"
"Well, uh-"
"Well, uh, I thought not! Allow me to enlighten you. It's horrible! It's beyond horrible, it's, so very the horrible!" She extended an arm just in time to stake a vamp coming up on her left side, then went on. "They make fun of me, Angel, the vamps and the demons. They call me Senior Slayer, Stake and Shake, B.C. Buffy. Ya know how many times I have been asked if need help crossing the street? Do you know how humiliating it is to be in the midst of a fight, fall and have a Fyarl demon say, "She's fallen and she can't get up."? And for the record, my stakes do not have arthritic grip. I don't need it, thank you very much!"
"Angel, is that you?"
He turned and saw a familiar redhead.
"Willow, you're still alive and still helping Buffy."
He smiled gently at her.
"It's my job these days," she said, returning the smile.
"Will's my Watcher."
He furrowed a brow.
"Giles?"
"At home, taking care of the kids," Willow answered.
"Kids?"
"Theirs," Buffy stated, "All five of them."
His mouth fell open.
"Five, you and Giles have five kids?"
"Gregory, Andrew, Daniel, Nicholas and Benjamin," she proudly cooed.
Angel tried to grasp the newness of things. It wasn't easy.
"Buffy."
"Got it Will."
The Slayer raised a hand and, without even turning around, tossed a stake twenty or so feet behind her, catching the vamp square in the chest and creating a loud pop. Willow looked at her Slayer.
"You ok?" she asked.
Buffy nodded and rubbed her shoulder.
"Darn tendonitis," she growled.
"Don't worry, Giles stocked up on the Icy Hot. I'll give ya a good rub down when we get home. Then Giles will give ya one."
"You live with them?" Angel mused.
"If it weren't for Will, I never would have made it after you left. It was her love that saved me."
"But she and Giles-"
"I don't mind sharing. Besides, you know Will always had a thing for him."
"Slayer," a voice boomed.
The trio turned around to find a large, black eyed, yellow demon standing about ten feet away.
"Big ugly thing," Buffy replied, smiling at it.
"I brought you a gift."
The creature threw something at Buffy and she caught it. Looking in her hand, she growled.
"That's it! Axe me, Will!"
Willow reached into her bag, retrieved the axe and handed it to Buffy. Dropping the book on the ground, Buffy charged the demon with full force. Willow bent down and picked the book up, ducking just as the demon's head flew by. The redhead smiled.
"She really hates it when they give her these," she noted, handing Angel the, Menopause and You paperback.
"See what I mean?" Buffy quipped, rejoining them. "Every evil being is a comedian these days. Geritol, Metamucil, Centrum Silver! Last week, I found a walker on my doorstep. Two weeks ago, a case of Depends was delivered to the house."
"One of them even signed her up for an ARRP card," Willow said. "It came in the mail a few days ago."
"I am SO nowhere near menopause, am I, Will?"
"Darn tootin'!"
"Boy, it sure got hot all of a sudden," Buffy mused, grabbing the book from Angel and fanning herself with it.
"Buffy," he began.
"And it's only going to get worse, ya know," she interrupted, sighing deeply. "I'm hitting 40, Angel. 40! Me, Buffy, the 40 year old vampire slayer! 40!. And you finally show up, after 20 years, looking just as yummy as you always do, all, oh, Buffy, you're doing so great! 40 is knocking on the door, Angel and that so ain't great! Man, I'm freezing here, aren't you, Will?"
"Uh, well, actually, I feel just right."
"Buffy, I'm sorry," Angel tried again.
"Save it, never going to have a mid life crisis y!" she snapped, dropping the axe back into the bag. "I don't have time. I'm turning 40 in three years. Come on, Will, I want to pick up some bran muffins on the way home."
FINISHED