A/N: Hey everyone. So this story is a revamp of an oldie from back when I started writing fanfiction. As a result, some of the writing wasn't all that great and there were plot holes regarding characters and power levels. I am going to try and clean it all up the best I can. I will leave up the original version if any of you all want to see it. Chapters from the original version will mostly be retained for this version with things altered to match new chapters added or to fix either plot holes or things I just wasn't satisfied with.

Although this story begins on Buffy's birthday, I am leaving out the stuff relating to the Slayer test she would've gone through. The Scoobies also currently don't know that Angel has come back and the events of Lover's Walk have not happened in this story's timeline. Hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Today was a day Buffy Anne Summers usually looked forward to. Sort of. It was her birthday. But she didn't feel like celebrating today. Things had been complicated for her these past few weeks. Since she came back to Sunnydale she's had to deal with another Slayer and the return of Angel from Hell where he spent somewhere around 100 years of unspeakable torment.

Now he was back; almost. Hell had really messed him up. He was practically an animal when Buffy first saw him come back. Now he's somewhat better, but there's still the matter of what her friends might do if they found out. She didn't even want to think about what Giles would do and then there's Faith. It's not that Buffy minded having backup, but Faith's lust for vampire dust disturbed her from time to time. Pushing that thought from her mind, Buffy finished getting ready for school, slid down the stair railing, and an unusual breakfast greeted her sight in the kitchen. Joyce made her a cake in the shape of a stake. That made Buffy chuckle and smile a little that her mom was at least trying to accept her Slayer duties.

Sunnydale High

"Hey Buffy," Cordelia called out to Buffy at her locker.

"What do you want, Cordelia?" The still somewhat depressed Slayer asked.

"Are you alright? You've been acting weird all day. Well weirder than usual at least," she added.

"I figured I'd act my extra weirdest today just for you," Buffy saidd and then turned and walked away without another word.

Wonder what that was all about? Cordelia thought.

"Do you guys feel like we're forgetting something?" Willow asked Xander, Faith, and Oz as they all ate lunch together. Buffy is nowhere to be seen.

"It does feel like there is something we should be remembering, but I can't put my finger on it. It'll probably hit me when the time comes though," Xander said. Faith responded by punching Xander in the back of his head. "OWWW!" He shouted while rubbing the back of his head. "What did you do that for?"

"I find this rather sad. I've known Buffy less than all of you and yet I seem to be the only one that knows what today is," Faith revealed.

"What is it?" Oz asked then recoiled when Faith looked ready to hit him too.

"I don't know. Buffy's birthday perhaps," she casually answered and everyone's eyes widened.

"Oh crap!" Xander shouted.

"How could I have forgotten?" Willow worriedly asked.

"That's a good question. Aren't you two the best of friends?" Oz asked.

"Well we've had a lot on our plates these last few of weeks. I mean we've been fighting vampires, zombies, and obsessive boyfriends on steroids," Willow nervously fired off.

"That still isn't an excuse to forget about her birthday though," Xander bemoaned then buries his face in the table.

"So what are we supposed to do? If we don't fix this Buffy may never forgive us. I know we've had falling outs in the past, but they were normally solved by violence, but violence shouldn't be the answer to every-" Faith clamped her hand over Willow's mouth to silence her.

"Relax Red. I have an idea."

Several hours later

-Meet at the library. Giles has some Slayer business for you. The front door is unlocked.

-Willow

Buffy looked over the note that Willow magically teleported into her bedroom for a good ten minutes while deciding if she should go or not. Truth be told, she didn't feel like slaying tonight after feeling depressed for most of the day. Not only from having to worry that Angel would leave his hiding spot and get spotted by one of her friends, but also from the fact that said friends forgot her birthday.

Admittedly her previous birthday had been nothing to sing about given how Angelus had been born that night, but that didn't mean they had to forget about it completely. But after another minute or two of contemplation, Buffy figured that Giles would come looking for her if she didn't show up and the last thing she wanted was a lecture from him about not letting her personal feelings effect her ability to perform her duties as a Slayer. So Buffy slipped out of her bedroom as her mother peacefully slept and headed off the for the school.

That's weird. Why are all the lights off? Buffy thought upon reaching the school. She entered it and jogged towards the library, which also had its lights shut off.

If this were a horror movie, I'd so be vampire chow right now, she thought as she pulled out a stake from her jacket pocket. She cautiously opened the doors to the library and walked inside.

"Surprise!" Buffy friends announced jumping out of hiding. Buffy was surprised all right. In fact she was so surprised that she reacted on instinct and punched Xander in the face knocking his light out.

Xander? Xander! Someone called out to him.

"Anyone get the license plate of the truck that hit me?" He asked still in a daze.

"I am so sorry Xander," Buffy apologized helping him up to his feet.

"How bad is it?" He asked rubbing his stinging eye.

"Bad enough that you can say you got it standing up to some tough guy. It should enhance your reputation in the school," Buffy said and then observed the scene around her. On the table were a few presents and there was even a cake too. A dazzling smile formed on Buffy's lips.

"You guys did remember. Thanks."

"Don't thank us." Cordelia specified. "Especially not me."

"Then who…?" Buffy started to ask and Xander directed the Slayer's attention behind her. Buffy turned to see Faith.

"The whole thing was her idea...since she's the only one that actually remembered," he admitted sounding ashamed.

"We're really really sorry, Buffy," Willow sincerely apologized and Buffy could only sigh.

"Like I can stay mad at you guys. Well, not counting you that is," she said to Cordelia. She rolled her eyes, but Buffy was certain she could see the faintest traces of a smile.

"Let's get the presents out of the way shall we," Oz suggested. "That way we can get to the cake must faster."

The group moves around the table and Buffy pulled up Faith's gift first. She picks up the card attached to it and read it aloud:

To the most bad ass girl in this world or the next and the coolest friend anyone could ask for.

Love,

Faith

Buffy opened the present and raised her eyebrow before giving a small laugh.

"Yeah that movie's not the best around, but the acting's so terrible its freaking hilarious, B," Faith laughed.

"Thanks Faith." Buffy thanked and gave the other Slayer a big hug. "Let's do Giles next," Buffy decided and put down the vampire movie Faith got her. She tears open the wrapping paper while already forming a guess as to what the gift would be. As she suspected, Giles' gift was a book.

The Big Book of the Worst Monster Movie Clichés

"Didn't peg you for having a funny side," Buffy said. Giles just shrugged his shoulders. "Get over here," she said and hugged Giles as well.

"Mine next," Oz requested while already holding up his gift. "It's actually something I was planning on giving you this week. My band and I cooked it up about a week ago." He hands Buffy a CD.

"One of your greatest hits?" Buffy asked. Oz goes under the table and comes back up holding a boom box.

"See for yourself." Buffy inserted the CD into the boom box and pressed play starting up a very catchy tune that lasted for about 60 seconds.

"What was that?"

"Your theme song," Oz answered with a grin.

"My theme…never mind. It's actually pretty good. Thanks." She gave Oz a hug as well.

"And last but not least," Xander said sliding his present over to Buffy.

"Hey!" Cordelia interrupted. "What about my gift?"

"YOU got me something?" Buffy questioned.

"Yeah, even spoiled, snobby, bitca Cordy cares about you. Stranger things have happened in this town," Willow laughed.

"Look I only thought about it because you're the one, well not anymore, but you WERE the one tasked with protecting us all before Kendra and Faith. We can't have any repeat performances like the Master nearly drowning you," Cordelia explained and went behind Giles' desk to retrieve her gift.

"A fire ax?" Buffy observed.

"It's not just any fire ax, Buffy. Cordelia had our mistress of magic magically reinforce it to be extremely durable. In your hands, I dare say it could cut through anything," Xander specified.

"And this was Cordelia's idea?" Buffy asked.

"No you means no world," Cordelia muttered. Buffy smiled at her and Cordelia subtly returned it.

"Ok, last but not least," Xander said sliding his gift all the way to Buffy. "A joint gift from me and Willow." Buffy opens the box then stareed at her two friends.

"Faith got you the so bad, it's hilarious vampire movie. We went a step further and got you the so bad they're hilarious vampire books," Willow said.

"I'm not going to read them, but thanks."

"I wouldn't say that," Xander chuckled.

"What are you talking about? What did you do to these books?" Buffy asked picking one of the Twilight Novels up. The book as well as the others glowed vibrantly at Buffy's touch.

"Just a little gag gift," Xander continued to laugh; a laugh that slowly died out at Buffy's not amused look.

"Well you see," Xander began.

"It was Xander's idea!" Willow exclaimed.

"No it wasn't! It was your idea!" He shouted at her.

"Well it was your idea to listen to my idea!" She shouted back.

"Stop it!" Buffy yelled. "I don't care whose idea it is. I just want to know what just happened to me."

"Well the thing is, is that when you touched the book, you activated a hex I put on all four of them. You'll have to read through each book and the hex won't lift until you finish the last one. You'll have to read so many pages a night," Willow explained uneasily.

"How many pages?" Buffy groaned.

"It depends on which book," Xander answered. "But look on the bright side," he started to say while laying a hand on one of the books. The books all glowed for Xander like they did for Buffy.

"Willow? What just happened?" He asked.

"I kind of put the hex on you as well," she revealed.

"What!? Why me!?"

"I wasn't going to make Buffy suffer this whole ordeal on her own," Willow answered taking a few steps back from Buffy.

"Then why didn't you put the hex on yourself. You're her best friend!"

"Well consider this karma then, since it was your idea!"

"We just went through this! It was yours! I only gave you some encouragement!"

"With friends like them who needs enemies, B," Faith said as Willow and Xander continued to argue.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world," Buffy replied. She looked over at the books and shrugged.

"Guess I better get started," she figured and cracks her knuckles when suddenly her body starts to glow; Xander's too.

"Willow what's happening?"

"I don't know. This isn't supposed to happen." As she said this all four Twilight Novels glowed again along with Buffy and Xander.

"Everyone get back!" Buffy ordered running to the books. There was a bright flash of light and Buffy and Xander vanished from the library.

Buffy felt cold rain pouring down on her face. She opened her eyes and found herself in the middle of the woods. She jumped up to her feet and pulled her jacket hood over her eyes.

"Xander!" She called out. "Hello!? Is anyone there!?"

In another section of the forest, Xander comes to consciousness as well.

"Buffy!?" He yelled out, but heard nothing except an enormous clap of thunder. As he looked around the forest he thought he saw something quickly moving through the trees. "Buffy? Is that you?" He asked and something jumped out of the trees and lunged at him.

Xander's yells could be heard throughout the entire forest.

"Xander!" Buffy screamed and raced off in the direction of his cries.

To Be Continued…

A/N: I know the Twilight Novels hadn't come out yet during this season of Buffy, but just pretend they had for the sake of the story.