Summary: Set in S4, partial rewrite of episode 4x12 “A New Man.”
There is no such thing as a Buffy birthday bash without some chaos and mayhem. As per tradition, her nineteenth birthday brings along some regularly scheduled drama, courtesy of Giles’s old friend and nemesis, Ethan Rayne.
The sorcerer has a special birthday gift for Buffy, one that she’s not happy to receive. More details in the Story Notes.
See a Movie Poster artwork for this story: HERE
Written for the “2023 Spooky September” event at Sunnydale After Dark.
Series: SAD Events Collection
Beta: marinaeulalia
Banner Art By: VeroNyxK84
Categories: Season 4,
Episode Rewrite,
Sunnydale After Dark Exclusive
Characters: Buffy,
Spike,
Anya,
Clem,
Ethan Rayne,
Francis Angleman,
Giles,
Harmony,
Maggie Walsh,
Riley Finn,
Willow,
Xander
Genres: Alternate Reality, Drama, Dramedy, Friendship, HEA/HFN, Lighthearted Warnings: (Click Here To Reveal) Adult Language, Alcohol/Drug Use, Buffy/Other (Temp), Character Death, Vampire!Buffy, Violence
Completed: Yes
Chapters: 12
Word count: 33,142
Hit Count: 1,661
ePub Downloads: 42
Published: 09/12/23
Updated: 08/02/24
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Story Notes: The events of episode 4x12 “A New Man” unfold as in canon up until the point where Giles leaves the crypt and Ethan Rayne emerges from the shadows… except in this story, Giles doesn’t go back in and is none the wiser about Ethan’s presence in Sunnydale. Also, Giles isn’t the recipient of the sorcerer’s demon-morphing spell…
A/N: The “Character Death” warning is about secondary characters.
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I’ve been toying with this idea for a while, and SAD’s Spooky September event seemed like the perfect setting to finally make it happen. Dramedy with a hint of silly spookiness. Also, if you’re concerned about Buffy’s vampire status, it’s a temporary deal, just like the demon status was for Giles in the canon episode.
Since this is a partial episode rewrite, I’ll use Chapter 1 as a short “Previously on…” to summarize the events from the episode that happen as in canon. The actual story starts with Chapter 2.
Thank you to marinaeulalia for the feedback and brainstorming with the story title!
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Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
1. Previously... by VeroNyxK84 - Likes: 13 
Comments: 10 Word Count: 555 Hit Count: 292 Published: 09/12/23
A short summary of the canon events of episode 4x12 “A New Man,” written by Jane Espenson, leading up to the point where the rewrite starts.
The actual story begins with the next chapter.
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Thank you heaps to my beta marinaeulalia!
2. Rude Awakening by VeroNyxK84 - Likes: 11 Comments: 19 Word Count: 1,877 Hit Count: 214 Published: 09/12/23
Synopsis: Buffy wakes up in her dorm room and finds out that she has mysteriously turned into a vampire, so she calls Giles for help. Ethan Rayne meets with the person who had requested his services to get rid of Buffy.
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Thank you heaps to my beta marinaeulalia!
3. Unpredictable Turns by VeroNyxK84 - Likes: 15 Comments: 15 Word Count: 2,202 Hit Count: 169 Published: 09/22/23
Synopsis: Buffy enlists the help of her friends to find a solution for her fanged problem, but she loses control of the spell’s side effects. Professor Walsh sends Agent Finn and his team on a fake mission to keep him away from Buffy.
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Thank you heaps to my beta marinaeulalia!
4. Damage Control by VeroNyxK84 - Likes: 12 Comments: 10 Word Count: 1,834 Hit Count: 177 Published: 10/02/23
Synopsis: Buffy wakes up in Spike’s crypt and finds out that Giles asked the bleach-haired vampire to keep an eye on her while he works on finding a solution to her fanged predicament.
Meanwhile, Anya and Xander spot a headless cloaked figure peering into Giles’s window.
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Thank you heaps to my beta marinaeulalia!
5. Shadow Self by VeroNyxK84 - Likes: 10 Comments: 10 Word Count: 1,429 Hit Count: 140 Published: 10/12/23
Synopsis: Giles and the Scoobies figure out who’s behind the transmogrification spell that turned Buffy into a vampire. While the Scoobies start looking for him, Giles takes matters into his own hands.
In the meantime, Buffy is stuck with Spike until sundown and is struggling with the spell’s side effects.
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Thank you heaps to my beta marinaeulalia!
6. Middle Ground by VeroNyxK84 - Likes: 10 Comments: 12 Word Count: 2,167 Hit Count: 123 Published: 11/22/23
Synopsis: Buffy and Spike reluctantly start to bond over Buffy’s current predicament.
Elsewhere, Maggie continues to work against Buffy while Giles finds Ethan.
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Thank you heaps to my beta marinaeulalia!
7. Double Cross by VeroNyxK84 - Likes: 8 Comments: 8 Word Count: 2,223 Hit Count: 96 Published: 01/22/24
Synopsis: Feeling threatened by someone inside the Initiative, Maggie Walsh takes drastic measures to save her leadership. At the same time, she keeps Riley busy while she sends a tactical team after Buffy.
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Thank you heaps to my beta marinaeulalia!
8. Wicked Games by VeroNyxK84 - Likes: 11 Comments: 8 Word Count: 3,843 Hit Count: 89 Published: 03/12/24
Synopsis: Giles will stop at nothing to get Ethan to reverse the spell he cast on Buffy. In the meantime, the Scoobies try to find a way to free Buffy, when Spike informs them that she was captured by the Initiative.
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Thank you heaps to my beta marinaeulalia!
9. Going Under by VeroNyxK84 - Likes: 10 Comments: 8 Word Count: 3,831 Hit Count: 106 Published: 05/12/24
Synopsis: Maggie Walsh takes her plan against Buffy to the next level, while Spike and the Scoobies rally to free her from the Initiative.
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Thanks heaps to my beta marinaeulalia!
10. Rescue Party by VeroNyxK84 - Likes: 8 Comments: 8 Word Count: 3,079 Hit Count: 57 Published: 07/02/24
Synopsis: Giles discovers that Buffy was captured while he was dealing with Ethan. Harmony’s gang and Spike chase after the commando team who’s taking Buffy to the Initiative’s facility in Nevada.
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Thanks heaps to my beta marinaeulalia!
11. Reality Check by VeroNyxK84 - Likes: 10 Comments: 10 Word Count: 5,507 Hit Count: 106 Published: 07/22/24
Synopsis: After learning from Spike the dynamics of her rescue, Buffy reunites with her friends. The Initiative has to deal with the consequences of Spike and Harmony’s brutal incursion.
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Thanks heaps to my beta marinaeulalia!
12. Pandora’s Box by VeroNyxK84 - Likes: 9 Comments: 16 Word Count: 4,595 Hit Count: 92 Published: 08/02/24
EPILOGUE - Synopsis: In the wake of Buffy’s capture and subsequent rescue, all the dynamics have shifted irreversibly.
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Thanks heaps to my beta marinaeulalia!
