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**Definition taken from the Random House Dictionary.

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**guidance: the act or function of leading or showing the way to

The following morning was a Saturday. Buffy had left Spike on the floor in her bedroom after waking and quietly she slipped out to go downstairs. She paced the living room floor, chewing on her nails, trying to rearrange the words in her head for when she found the courage to call Xander.

Buffy had remained awake for a while after Spike had crept into her room, watching him, her mind reeling with thoughts. She decided Spike could not stay with her. She wanted to help but felt him "shacking up" in her home would not help him in the long run. If he were to live somewhere else, preferably a cleaner, less evil place, she could…what could she do? Take care of him? Watch over him? Help him become sane again? Was he sane in the first place? She laughed out loud at the last thought. He may have been a crazy, quasi-evil pain in the ass before the chip, but she never thought of him as being insane. She knew Drusilla, and knew that was definitely insanity.

Not too long ago, when he had shown up at her house to offer his help with the worm demon, he had mentioned he was not there to atone. Of course that was for another thing but could it have been for everything? Was it her right, her business to help him? She knew most of his pain and suffering were because of her, what she did to him, said to him and what he had finished. So she wondered now if she should just take the initiative and lead him out again, start him down this path. She had led him out of the basement. Would he follow her again? Was he a willing candidate for redemption? Giles had once told her “There are two types of monster. The first can be redeemed or more importantly wants to be redeemed. The second is void of humanity, cannot respond to reason or love.” Apparently Spike seemed to fit the first type just because he appeared to have a lot of humanity in love inside of him still. Yet, her questions about redemption would be left unanswered, at least until she thought him sane enough to ask him.

She picked up the handset and quickly dialed Xander's number. She was ready to hang up after two rings but of course he picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Xander. Sorry to call so early."

"S'ok. What's up?"

"Well, I kinda have a favor to ask. It's sort of a request and you would be helping me out tremendously if…"

"Buffy, just ask already!"

"WillyouletSpikemoveintothespareroomofyourapartment?" She blurted it out so fast, there was silence on the other end.

"The what…with the who? Did you just ask me…” Xander began to laugh.

Buffy joined in with the laughing. "Yeah, I did. Will you?"

"Buffy, you gotta be kidding? Why me? I mean, you know how I feel about him."

"Xander, he's changed. He needs help, my help, our help. He's…Xander, Spike has a soul. And I don't want to get into it right now but that's why I'm asking. I know you have the spare room and you're both guys and you would hardly see each other and I will be over to take care of him. So?"

"A soul? Oh, boy, Angel all over again. Buffy, I just don't think…"

"He's nothing like Angel but hey, that's ok Xander. He can just stay here in the basement; I mean he crashed her last night. Of course he came up to my room later and…"

"Ok, ok, he can move in tonight. But there are rules he will have to follow."

"I'm sure he will follow the rules. And promise me, there will be no staking or abuse."

"I can't promise, Buffy."

"Xander?!?"

"Alright, geesh. I promise; no dusting or beating of said vampire. What time do you think you will show up?"

"Sundown, of course. And he doesn't have much. Do you have a spare bed?"

"The room is already furnished, even with a small TV which I'm sure he will enjoy. I guess that's good. He'll want to stay in the room all the time then."

"Thank you so much, Xander. This means so much, and like I said, I will be by to check on him regularly. See ya tonight."

"Good bye," Xander whined.

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Spike stepped into the kitchen around noon, just as Buffy and Dawn were sitting down to eat their lunches.

"Good morning, or afternoon. Feeling any better?"

Spike ran his hands through his hair. He hated the curls and was sure they were popping out all over the place. Always did after sleeping. Buffy noticed he was grooming, which brought a smile to her lips.

"Better, thanks. Slept without any added entertainment, first time in months. Guess it was the company. Slayer protecting me and all." He smiled gently in her direction.

"If you're hungry, we got blood in the fridge and you can help yourself. I'm sure you're capable of doing some things, right? I need to talk to you anyway."

Dawn pulled a seat out for him as he sat down, looking a bit bewildered. Buffy didn't want to scare him or cause him to panic. She had to find the right way to explain why he needed to move out.

"Well, I truly believe you are doing much better being out of the school basement. Don’t you think so?"

Spike shook his head yes.

"Good. Please hear me out. I asked Xander if you could move in with him. He has a spare room in his apartment and it's already furnished even with a TV. Doesn't that sound nice?"

"Nice. You don't want me around; don't want me near you and Dawn. I understand. Buffy, I can just go back to the school. That was my home. I was fine…"

"No, you were not fine there. And it's not that I don't want you around. I just feel you will heal better not being around me all the time. I don't want you to think that. I thought we were past all of this, you know, with all of the explaining and forgiving. We need to move forward, not live in the past. You will be living in a real place, with your own room, your own stuff. You don't need to live underground anymore. Spike, I want to help you. Please, I think this is the right thing for you. At least try it out. Xander is willing to do this, why can't you?"

"So, Xander and I, roomies? Are you so sure he won't stake me at the first opportunity he gets?"

"I'm sure. He promised no staking, no beatings of the poor defenseless vampire. But you gotta promise to behave as well, even with the verbal abuse."

"I guess I could abstain from hurting him. Like I could anyway."

"And I will come by to visit. And Dawn, too. You can call me anytime you need anything or just need to talk. And you can come over here, too. Just not at strange hours of the night." She smiled at him.

Spike cocked his head and looked at her. "Alright, I'll do it. If you think it will help me get better. If you think I can actually make it through all this."

"Spike, I think you are able to do anything you set your mind to. I believe in you. I believe you can do good things, can help others. You are strong in mind and body. You can accomplish whatever you set your mind to do. If you feel like you're going to fall, you have us here. We'll always be here for you. I'll be here."

Spike looked down for a moment. Slowly his gaze wandered to her. "You really are a guidance counselor, aren't you? I can see why the school hired you. You will be a wonderful counselor, Buffy…Well, when am I moving?"

"Sundown, tonight? That ok with you? Do you need us to get anything else at the crypt?"

"S'ok. There might be a few things, but I can get them. That way I can see Clem and tell him he can have the crypt now."

"Sounds like a step in the right direction."

**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**

Xander opened up the door to his apartment to find three smiling faces from three of his favorite people and one sullen looking, soul having vampire. Everyone had something in their arms. Xander stepped back to allow them entrance to his humble abode, trying to smile sincerely back at them. The girls bounced in but Spike remained in the hallway. Xander almost shut the door in his face before Buffy cleared her throat and nodded her head towards the open door. Xander turned and rolling his eyes, announced an invitation.

"Come on in, Spike. I have a feeling I'm going to regret saying those words," he mumbled the last bit.

Buffy wasn't sure he would come in, but he stepped across the threshold where once there was a barrier keeping him out. Xander led all of them to Spike's new room. It was small, but had all the conveniences of a comfy living area. He looked around, walked to the dresser, and emptied the paper bag of its contents into the drawer. He turned back to them, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"It'll do. Oh look, my very own telly."

Buffy laughed. "See, I told you. Gonna be fine?"

"Fine, yeah. I'll adjust."

"It's a good start in the right direction." Buffy smiled again.

"A good start to self-improvement." Dawn added.

"To self-healing and redemption, I should know." Willow sounded positive.

"And to male bonding…with an unliving, 120 something year old, ex-blood-sucking-former-big-bad, who now broods like the great Dead Boy himself."

Spike glared at Xander. "I don't brood."

Xander waved him off and walked out of the room. "Yeah right, I believe you."

The girls started to laugh. Spike huffed as they filed out after him.

"I don't brood," he yelled out to them. Pause. "Bugger it all."

TBC





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