A/N: Greetings gentle viewers...I mean readers, allowing me to show you the world of Buffy where she is not the Slayer of the vampyres! lol. Sorry, I've been eating liquor chocolates, they make me weird...anyway, I have a few days off work this week so I'm gonna try to get lots of fic done. I want to thank everyone who reviewed chapter four of this fic; RoboShiflo, SouthernRain, SpIkEs AnGeL, spikewuvsbuffy, CeriCherry, tinkerbell42, Summer1, DiStUrBeD-GuRl*57, Jenny - you guys have been super patient with this fic, well, most of you have, but the wait is over, we have finally arrived at the 'wild night' part of the fic. Everyone seems to assume that Buffy will meet Spike on this night of hers, which leads me to believe that maybe you people know me and my fics just a little too well ;-) Hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it, and please review! (Wow, huge author's note, or what? lol.....I was supposed to update this fic next, right?)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 5 - Beautiful Stranger

The walk, as predicted, from Luigis - the restaurant Buffy had the driver drop her outside of, to the Bronze - the notorious Sunnydale nightclub, was fairly short. Buffy could not only hear but feel the music and the sheer energy from the place she was headed to, way before she reached the doors.

Now at the entrance, Buffy took a deep breath, adjusted the little clothing she wore and tried to remember that walk her mother and taught her was inappropriate and obscene for ladies of substance. Tonight, it was to be used, as if it were part of her. She was to be everything she really wasn't, just for one night, and starting right now.

The view that met her eyes was a shock to her. The dance floor was covered with writhing bodies, pulsating to the rhythm that came from a band on stage. There was a banner telling all the name of the music makers was Dingoes Ate My Baby - she'd never heard of them of course, but she liked their sound immediately, it was everything her mother disapproved of, so she automatically loved it.

Strutting her way to the bar, she positioned herself on a stool and immediately felt eyes wandering over her body. It gave her two strange feelings, one of pride over her figure, the other was of a slight cheapness but she tried to block that out and just hoped no-one took advantage of the way she was dressed and the fact that she wasn't used to either her own clothes or the attention she received whilst wearing them.

"Hey there" she heard off to her side and she looked over into the brightest blue eyes she had ever seen in her life. She felt she'd go blind if she didn't look away, but shifting her gaze only caused more pain on her retinas as above these jewels of eyes was bright blond hair.

"Hi" she said quickly bringing her eyes down from this guys gorgeous eyes and face to, well, a gorgeous body, all in black leather and making her heart beat faster than she knew it was possible for blood to pump.

"What do they call you, pet?" this god of a man asked, sitting down on the stool beside her, not so much a smile as a smirk on his lips.

"Depends on who 'they' are?" she said quickly as she considered her answer "You can call me Buffy" she said eventually, gaining a little strength from the fact of knowing this guy wouldn't be talking to her if she wasn't attractive, right?

"Buffy" the stranger echoed "that's pretty"

"And you are?" she asked, her nerves slipping away a little now, for some strange reason she was completely comfortable to sit and talk to this man she'd only just met.

"I'm...bloody thirsty is what I am" he told her "can I get you a drink, Buffy?"

"I meant, what's your name?" the girl protested, causing the smirk to return to his face.

"I'm aware of what you meant, luv. So, about that drink?"

Buffy smiled, he was deliberately avoiding her question she guessed because she'd tried to avoid his.

"I'll have your name first" she said with a grin "then I'll have a drink"

"Okay..." he conceded with a nod "you can call me Spike"

"That's a name?" Buffy asked, confusion on her face.

"S'what I'm known as" Spike shrugged "Now, I don't know about you but I'm dying of thirst here and if you're the inquisitive type I'm gonna need something pretty strong"

Buffy wasn't sure whether to be insulted or not, but the look on his face told her he was just playing with her "What do you fancy?" he asked, glancing between her and the bar.

"A whole lot of things" she smiled, before realising she was staring at him when she said it and 'oh my God, what did I just say?' ran through her head "but, drink-wise, I'll have whatever you're having" she said quickly looking away as she went a little red.

"You sure about that, luv?" Spike frowned, looking at her more carefully "It's just, you don't look like much of a bourbon drinker"

"It's my favourite actually" Buffy lied. The only alcohol she'd ever tasted was champagne or something similar at parties and then only half a glass, but tonight was all about being different and trying new things...

"Suit yourself" Spike shrugged, turning to the barman "My usual please, Willy, and one for the lady. Make 'em doubles"

"Coming right up, Spike" the older man nodded as he fetched the drinks. As soon as he'd gone, Buffy turned on her stool to face this man beside her.

"Why do they call you Spike?" she wondered aloud.

"Long story" he said with a light laugh "and probably not one you'd appreciate Sweet bit" he leant in closer to her, a look in his eyes that made Buffy shiver, in a good way "Maybe, when we get to now each other better, I might tell you"

"I'll look forward to it" the girl managed to say in a voice not much more than a whisper.

Whatever moment they may have had was interrupted as two bourbons arrived on the bar in front of them and Spike moved to take one, handing the other to his new friend.

"Cheers" he said, clinking his glass to hers, before downing the contents in one.

"Yeah, cheers" Buffy replied nervously, as the last drop went down Spike's throat. She eyed the liquid in her own glass and then taking a deep breath, followed his example. If the taste was bad, then the burning in her throat was five times worse.

"Eugh!" she exclaimed without thinking, her face contorting. Spike heard her and saw her expression, but he didn't say a word, didn't laugh at her. She didn't belong in this dive and he knew it, but she intrigued him. He wouldn't ask why she was there or who she really was, he was happy just to be sitting next to her, sharing a drink and a laugh, for as many hours as she had to spare him.

Two, maybe three hours passed, full of blissful conversation about nothing much and several large drinks of various spirits. Buffy had never felt so free as she did tonight, in this club with Spike. She felt she could sit there like that for eternity.

However, Spike quickly realised there was only so much alcohol he could consume before a trip to the little boys room became a necessity and he excused himself from the company of his lady friend.

Buffy watched him go, smiling to herself, partly because she'd drunk more alcohol than she'd ever imagined she could hold, but mostly because, of all the ridiculous things, she was pretty sure she was in love.

"Hey what do we have here?"

Her happy thoughts were interrupted by three large and leering men who positioned themselves either side and in front of her, holding her captive on her stool, her back against the bar.

"Please, leave me alone" she said nervously, as she realised escape was impossible.

"Ooh, now that's not very friendly" the man in front of her leered "Me and the boys were just trying to be nice" he told a squirming Buffy "What's your name honey?"

"I'm not your honey" the blonde snapped, desperate to get away "and I said leave me alone"

"Hey I know her" the guy to her left said suddenly pointing right at her "she's that rich woman's daughter...something Summers..."

"Elizabeth Summers?" the third guy guessed "Yeah, I think you're right"

"Regular little Uptown Girl, huh?" the leader grinned, making Buffy feel sick as he leaned in closer to her "What do you say Lizzy? You want a little action with a Downtown Man?"

"Get away from me" Buffy struggled as the man in front of her leaned in further, but she had nowhere to go, an accomplice of her attacker either side of the stool she was perched on made sure she did not escape.

"You heard the lady" said a voice, cold as ice and strong as steel. The three turned to see who had interrupted their fun and Buffy's eyes followed too, to see her knight in shining armour, or at least in black leather, standing there.

"Lady?" one of the gang scoffed "I don't see a lady?"

Spike got increasingly angry, especially at that comment.

"You're not going to see anything but my fist in your face if you don't step away from the girl" the harsh English accent bringing extra menace to his threats, as his hands formed the aforementioned fists and he readied himself for the imminent fight.

"And if you don't crawl back under your rock, boy" the leader of the group sneered, getting right in Spike's face, "you are going to see a side of me you won't like much"

"I doubt very much you have a side worse than the one I'm already looking at" Spike commented, smirking beneath his extreme anger.

"You little..." the brunette before him spat, "No one messes with the Razors" he announced and both Spike and Buffy noticed the back of one of the gangs jackets at the same time. Jagged writing spelled out the gangs name and underneath was a picture of a shark bearing it's teeth.

"Y'know that's a nice logo" Spike said simply, no menace in his words anymore as he stepped back from the head man of the Razors to examine the back of his friends jacket. "Can I get a closer look at that?" he requested, and thinking the threat was over, 'Razor number 2' let him look.

Now, surely everyone knows you don't turn your back on your enemy, but apparently shark-worshipping gangs weren't too bright.

In one movement, Spike picked up the stool beside himself, hauled it over his head and brought it down on the back of the ignorant gang member.

In seconds the idiots comrades were flying at Spike, the leader swinging a fist which the bleach blond ducked to avoid, at the same time bringing out his foot to the knock the legs out from under 'number 3'.

The fight was on and Buffy, although petrified, noticed how the grin never left Spike's face, not when he was pummelling them, not even when they were pummelling him. He was loving every second of the bar room brawl and Buffy wondered how anyone could...she wanted to find out.

As the two still conscious Razors lunged at her new friend again, she raised a bottle of tequila from the bar in her hand and smashed it squarely on the leaders head. He went down just long enough for Spike to handle his friend and then the head sleaze himself.

Then it was over and Buffy knew why Spike grinned while he fought. It was exhilarating to bring the bad guy down like that! And of course the smile that Spike shot her when he saw what she'd done didn't produce a bad feeling either. Buffy's wild night just got wilder!

"Anybody else?" Spike asked the nearest surrounding people, as three badly beaten shark lovers ambled out of the doors of the Bronze.

When it became clear no-one else wanted to take on Buffy's leather clad hero, he picked up one of the turned over stool and sat down again, gesturing Buffy should do the same. It appeared the barman thought nothing of the disturbance, or maybe he was just too scared to say anything.

"You okay, Buffy" Spike asked her as she sat beside him again.

"I'm fine" she nodded "thanks to you"

"Don't mention it luv" came the reply, with a grin "Any excuse to teach the scum in this town a lesson. Besides, always like a nice spot of violence before bed time" he told her, catching his breath in no time at all and downing his latest double bourbon in one.

Buffy was a little deflated. He'd done it because he loved to fight, not because...

"Oh, I thought..." she mumbled, sinking into her stool, her words trailing away 'How stupid am I?' she asked herself silently, 'to think he actually liked me?'

"What you say, pet?" Spike asked, a slight frown marring his perfect features as he looked at her, tilting his head.

"I thought" she admitted quietly "you just did it for me" the last couple of words were bearly audible.

"Well, maybe I did" he told her, just as quietly, watching a lone droplet of alcohol run down the side of his empty glass, before finally glancing up at the girl before him again. Her hazel eyes caught his crystal blue ones and for a second the feeling was electric...

"Er, can I get you another drink?" he asked suddenly looking away with a shake of his head "Look like you could use one to steady your nerves"

"Yeah, thanks" Buffy nodded, sorry the moment was over but glad at the same time. The effect this guy had on her was somewhat unnerving.

If she thought she was nervous, Buffy had no idea how freaked out Spike really was. He'd met girls, dated girls, made out with girls - a whole lot of girls, but she, Buffy, was so different. He saw her that night, when she walked in that door and he felt something inside him, inside his heart, it just shifted and he knew. Whether tonight was the only time he spent with her or if he ended up seeing every day for the rest of his life, she was special, and he would never forget her, he was sure, because he never had and believed he never would feel like this about anyone ever again.

To Be Continued...