A/N : Back at work now so much less writing time, but I am updating this story and Oh Brother today cos I just got the chapters beta'd. Anyway, thanx to everyone who reviewed; DiStUrBeD-GuRl*57 (cool idea, but I have my own, and I hope you like what really happens), SpIkEs AnGeL (keep reading, I hope you like what actually happens), SweetBitter (yeah, Grease 2 was a lame sequel, but I still love it!), RoboShiflo, Rachel, CeriCherry, Daniel Wesley Rydell, SouthernRain, Jenny - you guys are the best, I love all your comments and kind words, you seriously do make me want to update faster! So here's chapter 6...

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 6 - Cinderella

Time past quickly at the Bronze as Buffy and Spike talked for hours, their chatter interspersed with dancing, to music that would make Lady Joyce scream, and drinking a few things Buffy had never even heard of, though she didn't admit it.

Both of them knew they could have stayed there forever, happy to be in each others company. They felt so at ease despite the fact they'd met just a few hours before and it was with some reluctance that Buffy made her exit.

"Not that I want to" she told her newest friend "but I should really be going now"

"But it's early" Spike protested as she climbed down from her bar stool onto surprisingly steady feet considering all the alcohol she had consumed.

"Yeah, early in the morning!" she pointed out with a small laugh "Spike, it's almost 1am!" she pointed out, gesturing to a clock that hung behind the bar.

Spike's eyes widenend a little at that, he'd had no idea he'd spent so long with this girl and just talking and such, that was more or less unknown for him.

"But..." he started, wanting her to stay just a little longer, but Buffy knew the further into the morning it got, the more trouble she would be in if she got caught.

"I have to go" she said, somewhat sadly, starting to back away from him, desperate to burn his image on her memory forver. If she was never going to see him again, she had to have the best memory of his face that she could manage.

"Will I see you again?" he called as she got further from him.

She planned to say no, or maybe just maybe, to keep him quiet, knowing it was a lie but needing to get away. She couldn't do this again, it was a one time thing. She would not see Spike again and she knew it...but she wanted to.

Buffy wanted to get to know this guy called Spike. She wanted to know everything about him, wanted to get close to him, to kiss him and...

"Yes" she blurted out, "I don't know when exactly but...I'll be around" she finished as casually as she could manage, before practically running from the club.

Spike watched her go, blonde hair bouncing around her shoulders as she made her hasty exit. He hoped she was telling the truth, that he would see her again, because she was the most incrediable girl he'd ever met in his life.

As this thought crossed his mind, a tear ran down said girls face, knowing she had just lied to this guy and that she really would never see him again. That really hurt, knowing her next night out would be nothing like this one and although Angel was nice enough, he was nothing like Spike.

"Buffy?!"

The girl was surprised to hear her name called to her. Who around here would know her? Besides the only person beside Willow (and now Spike) that called her by this nickname was...

"Xander?!" she gasped as she saw her brother in is open top sports car, gaping at her like she was an alien.

'Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God...' Buffy's head spun with the one same phrase as panic set in. Her brother had just caught her outside a nightclub, dressed like this, at 1am, when he thought she was on a date with Angel.

"Buffy, what the hell...?" he brother began before realising that several of the men, and some of the women, standing around outside the club were looking at his sister in a away he found innappropriate "Get in the car" he ordered and Buffy did as he said, immediately.

Xander pulled the car away with a squeal as the Summers siblings sped out of 'the bad side of town', back towards their house. Once they were out of the more unsavoury half of Sunnydale, Xander slowed down a little and Buffy was glad. The speed of the car after all the excitement and alcohol that were involved in her night out was making her feel nauseous. What also didn't help her feeling ill was the fact that Xander hadn't said anything yet, not a word since she'd got in the car, and his silence was a worrying sign too.

"So" she sighed "you having a nice night?"

"What?!" came her twins immediate repsonse, shocked that she could be so flippant after what it seemed she had done "Buffy, I just found you outside a night club dressed like a hooker, I think I deserve an explanation!" he yelled, well, he raised his voice as much as Xander ever did, and that wasn't much really, still, it was enough to make his sister physically jump in her seat beside him.

"I do not look like a hooker!" Buffy protested "And I don't have to explain myself to you!" she added, folding her arms over her chest and pouting like a child.

"Maybe not" Xander conceded, glancing between his sister and the road "but you might have to explain to Mom"

"No way Xand" she exclaimed "you can't make me tell her, she'd kill me if she knew what I'd done"

"And what exactly have you done?" her brother pressed, hoping it wasn't as bad as it seemed...she hadn't? had she?

With a sigh, Buffy realised she was not going to get out of this one. Xander had to know the truth and with any luck he'd accept it and not tell Lady Joyce anything, because so help her if her mother found out Buffy was a dead girl walking.

With a quick explanation Buffy told her brother about how she'd bought clothes and make-up and planned her night out, telling everyone she was busy so she couldn't see them and then going out for one wild night. She neglected to mention, however, the bar fight and, quite pivotally, Spike.

Xander looked surprised but not completely disgusted by his sisters deception. He did understand to a certain extent why she'd done what she'd done and at least she hadn't got into any trouble.

"So you did this all by yourself" he said what he thought to be true "lied to everyone just to get this wild night of yours?"

"Well" Buffy fidgeted in her seat, barely looking at the young man besid her "Willow knew" she admitted quietly.

"Willow?!" Xander half-yelled, looking at Buffy instead of the road and for a split second losing control, making the car swing violently one way and then the other as he righted his error "You do realise if Mom finds out not only will you be grounded til the end of time, Mrs Rosenburg could get fired and she and Willow would have to leave the house, probably leave Sunnydale, maybe leave the country!" he raved, keeping his focus on the road this time but still managing to make Buffy feel awful.

"Stop exaggerating, Xander" she replied, less than forcefully.

"Me? Exaggerating?" he shook his head in disbelief "I think that outfit of yours is exaggerating everything just fine on it's own!"

Bufffy was going from a little ashamed to embarrassed and just desperate to get out of a fight with her brother. Xander meant the world to her and he was the only person other than Willow that she really trusted.

"Xander, please, try to understand" she begged him to listen "I'm suffocated in that house, in those other clothes, surrounded by supposed friends who I hate and servants I don't want, I hate it Xan, I hate all of it" she told him, desperate for him to understand, tears coming to her eyes again, without her even noticing it herself. Xander softened at the sight of her tears as he glanced between her and the road again.

"But you have me" he tried to comfort her "and Will, and Angel"

"Hmph" came Buffy's reply, just a sound but Xander knew that meant something...

"What was that for?" he wanted to know and Buffy shook her head as she wiped the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand.

"Nothing..." she sighed "it's just, me and Angel..." she started, before realising she didn't even understand how she felt so how could she explain it to Xander? "I don't know..." she gave in, before having a thought "hey, that reminds me, what are you doing out this time of night anyway?"

"I was just driving and...thinking" her brother said quietly and somewhat sadly Buffy noticed.

"Okay, spill" she ordered, knowing it was just so unlike her brother to be out at one in the morning as it was for her.

With a heavy sigh, Xander explained.

"After you went out, Mom got seriously happy on the hard stuff. The servants put her to bed and I was thinking about hitting the sack myself when I got this phone call"

"Who from?" Buffy urged him to contiue.

"Some girl, I think she was drunk, said her name was...I dunno, Aura?"

"Ugh, her" his sister said with some disgust "Some friend of Cordys...why was she calling you?"

"She said" Xander paused to swallow hard "she said Cordy was cheating on me"

"What?!" Buffy gaped "No, Cordy would never...well..." she changed her mind half way realising that actually it would not be totally unthinkable that her supposed best friend would cheat on her brother.

"You're not sure, I'm not sure" Xander said sadly "I mean I should trust her, I know I should but..."

"But you don't" Buffy finished for him "and that doesn't make you a bad person, Xander" she assured him.

"No, maybe not" he sighed yet again as the pair got closer to home "but I think the fact that I don't really care does make me a bad guy" he laughed without humour as he said it and Buffy had to admit she was surprised.

"You don't care about Cordelia?" she realised "Wow, didn't see that coming" Cordelia not really caring about Xander was believable but him not wanting her so much anymore, that was just weird.

"Me either" Xander admitted, he used to think he and Cordy were for the long haul, but now... "It should hurt right?" he asked his sister, unsure of anything right now "I mean, your girlfriend kissing on another guy, finding that out should tear you apart"

"I guess" Buffy answered half heartedly. Her mind wandered to Angel as the subject of cheating on your partner had come up. She hadn't really cheated on him, she hadn't done anything with Spike...it had got close and she had wanted to, but she hadn't so that was okay. It didn't matter though, she still felt bad about it. 'But I'm never going to see Spike again' she told herself, and that only made her feel worse.

"We're home" she vaguely heard her brother say.

"Yeah, we are" Buffy sighed in reply. Her one wild night was over, and life would go back to normal, but with all that had happened, all the lies and meeting Spike and the thing with Xander and Cordelia - could things ever really go completely back to normal?

To Be Continued...