I - I can remember, standing by the wall, and the gun shots above our heads. And we kissed, as though nothing could fall, and the shame was on the other side. Oh, we can beat them, forever and ever, then we could be heroes - just for one day.

David Bowie "Heroes"

Title: We Could Be Heroes(17/?)
Rating: R-ish
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Timeline: Season 2 Halloween onward
Pairings: Most canonwise, Xander/Faith
Crossover Material: Assassin's Creed
Spoilers: General BtVS and AC ending information
Summary: After Halloween, Xander finds himself with the knowledge of the assassin Altair Ibn La-Ahad and the decision to either use these new skills to help his friends or not. But not everyone is very happy with that arrangement...

Faith woke slowly, groggily feeling pain but not as much as she remembered. Turning her head at the sound of beeping from nearby she realized that she was in a hospital.

And seated in the chair next to her, leaning heavily on the bed with her hand in his, was a very ragged looking and sleeping Xander.

She remembered then the Council taking her and the torture afterwards, closing her eyes quickly against the terrible memory. Sighing, she moved her fingers, running them over Xander's left hand where it held hers. Pausing over his missing ring finger, she noticed he was wearing just a t-shirt and the almost always ever-present gauntlet was missing.

How many of the Watcher's had he killed getting to her?

The door opened in her room then and she focused on it, realizing after a moment at the lack of depth perception that one eye was covered. She couldn't even feel the bandages through the numbness.

Giles, looking almost as weary as Xander, came through the door with a steaming cup in his hands. He paused as he realized she was awake then hurried over, setting the cup of coffee down on the nearby rolling table.

"It is good to see you awake again," he said warmly.

Faith tried to smile but through the groggy numbness she didn't know if she succeeded.

"Good to be awake, G," she mumbled. "How long I been out?"

The man's face fell a little at that then he replied, "One month, one week, and six days. A few of the doctors were worried you weren't going to wake up. But this…"

He smiled and reached out to carefully lay his hand over hers, obviously having a care to touch her from what she'd gone through.

"This, I think," he finished, "is a wonderful belated Christmas present."

"I missed Christmas?" mourned Faith.

"I afraid so but…" Giles' attention turned towards something beyond her as he trailed off and she turned to see Xander lifting his head. He looked even worse sitting up than he had conked out on her beside with dark circles under his eyes and his hair an unwashed mess. But his eyes focused on her and upon seeing her awake…the warmth and love in those eyes was the best thing she'd ever seen.

"Faith," he murmured, rising slowly from his chair. He stared at her for a moment then leaned close, watching her for her reaction. She hated that she couldn't stand him being so close even though she wanted him to just hold her right now and not let go and obviously he saw that because he sat back down. His rough fingers brushed across hers where their hands were still entwined and he bowed his head. "G-man…can-can you leave for a sec?"

"Of course, son," murmured the former Watcher. He patted Faith's hand again then took his cup of coffee and slipped quietly out of the room.

Faith frowned then turned to Xander, who had lifted his head again with tears in his eyes. She grimaced and breathed, "X…"

"I'm sorry," he gasped, voice cracking and sliding between his own and Altaïr's in the wake of his shattered emotions. "Sorry I wasn't there sooner. Sorry…sorry I let this happen at all."

"Yah didn't know this would happen," she insisted in a quiet voice.

"It should've been me," he said desperately. "They should have taken me. I'm the one they wanted."

Faith shook her head saying, "This wasn't your fault…"

"I brought you into this mess!"

She reached out towards him with her other hand, cursing the lack of depth perception that threw her aim off. Then he leaned into the hand that had tried to touch his face and she rubbed her thumb across his cheek, wiping away a few of the tears.

"Rather be here like this than back in Sunny D dealing with B and Red," she said softly. "Or back in Boston. Hell, I'd be bad off if it weren't for yah, X."

He nodded against her hand then breathed, "It still should have been me. I didn't think they'd…I didn't think they'd do something like that to you. Lock you up, maybe put you through the Cruciamentum but not that."

She smiled, feeling sleepy, and said, "Daughter of a whore – s'one thing they kept screaming. Maybe they were jealous I had such a fine man."

That brought a little laugh out of him and she squeezed his hand, continuing, "My man got me outta there. That's a fine thing yah did."

"Rescuing a damsel in distress?" he jibbed, watching as she slowly started to nod off, what little she energy she had fading away. "I'm always up for that."

A little mumble was all that answered him and he smiled, rising from his chair and leaning very slowly over her. Gently he kissed her cheek and murmured, "I love you, Faith. And I'm going to make sure we'll at least have the Council off our backs from now on."

Laying her hand down, he exited the room, finding Giles leaning against one wall sipping his coffee and Athan against the other with a scowl on his stubbled features.

"What?" asked the young man.

"Some of the Watcher's that were absent at the time of the – ahem – accident are demanding to talk to us," replied Athan darkly.

Xander arched an eyebrow at that. "They're calling the deaths of over a hundred people an accident? I am growing more hate for Watcher's with every second – present company excluded of course."

"Of course," echoed Giles, calmly taking another sip of his coffee. He then smiled and said, "A few of them are claiming control of the Council by point of being from some of the older families."

"What about you?"

"I am quite happy being a retired Watcher keeping an eye on a thoroughly annoying young blonde Slayer, thank you. Actually I'm not but such is the lot in life. The Giles family may be one of the older Watcher families but it's not the oldest still going and I don't bloody want the job."

Xander smiled then asked, "So…you have someone in mind?"

Giles gave him a smile that echoed the feral expression that had been on the older man's face when they raided the Council.

"Indeed I do," he purred in response. "Give me your phone. It is time, I think, to throw things into a great deal of disarray."

"You can't be bloody serious!"

One irate Watcher moved towards where Giles stood next to Mary with the rest splayed out behind them but quickly stopped in his tracks when Phoenix stepped forward with a feral smile. The blonde patted her shotgun in its holster hanging from her hips and asked, "You sure you wanna make a fuss, Limey?"

"N-no," stammered the Watcher, stumbling a few steps back.

"Nix," called Athan from where he stood on the other side of Giles, "hon, stop scaring the locals."

"But, lover, they're so skittish."

"Everyone's skittish around you, Nix."

She grinned at that and the entire crowd took a step back to get away from the obviously insane American woman.

Giles shook his head then turned to the crowd, which was some odd forty to fifty Watchers with around thirty-five potential Slayers amongst them. All of the latter were gathered out in the hallway, their loud chatter heard by those within the largest room the Watcher's Council building had to offer easily through the open door.

"Now," he said firmly, "you all may have arguments but I do believe that the Wilshire's are the oldest remaining Watcher family. And Mary is the last and most discarded of that line so…it seems perfectly right to me that she should take over the Council."

"Travers was the oldest family!" exploded a voice from the back of the crowd.

There was a spark of flame from behind Athan and Shawn's growling voice silenced the crowd as he stated around a cigarette, "Oh, I wouldn't be worrying about any of them. Kid got one and I snagged the other two when they tried to run. Which is a pity, I'm sure the kid would've loved to take more anger out of a few more of the name."

The crowd stilled at that – at their arrival upon being called back to headquarters, they had been filled in on exactly what had happened. Including Quentin Travers kidnapping the young woman who carried on the Slayer line and the torture of her as well as his death at the hands of Xander Harris.

There was a nervous shifting amongst the crowd then a female voice quavered, "Erm…are we taking a vote?"

"No," replied Giles firmly. He fixed the crowd with a scowl and stated, "I know just about each and every one of you by sight if not by name. And not a one of you is fit to lead the Council. None of you would change it."

"Change!" exploded the same voice from the back that had shouted out the Travers name. "Why should we change?!"

Giles started to answer but Mary silenced him by placing a gentle hand on his arm. She stepped forward, chin held high, and replied, "Because this Council has become diseased over the years. We were formed to help the Slayer in the battle against the darkness, not throw her to it when it suited our whims! Nor to have a trial that serves no purpose than to weed out the girls that would disagree with us."

There was a loud murmur from the hallway then Mary loudly said, "We are here to stand next to them, not sit on the sidelines and watch. We are here to fight next to them! And I will make sure this Council returns to that point in time no matter what it takes."

"Like the killing of Watcher's?" asked a soft voice from the front.

Mary bowed her head and explained, "Quentin Travers was a foolish man with the vision that he could control everything. Faith Lehane, a very brave and remarkable young woman from what I have heard through Rupert here, was wrongfully taken under order by him and tortured. And would have been killed! Killed for no point other than that she did not follow his orders like a good little drone and because he wanted to capture a young man in equal remarkableness to Miss Lehane." Her eyes narrowed as she continued, "But Quentin woke a terrible slumbering storm when he did this foul act. That is why members of this Council lie dead and in nothing but ash now."

"Would this young man not then be an enemy of ours?" asked the same voice from the front. "And Miss Lehane…how will she perform her duties if not with a Watcher?"

"Miss Lehane, as I have learned from speaking with that young man as well, has done many remarkable things without the care of a Watcher. She is a strong, good young woman who we should be proud to know as the current Slayer." Mary paused for effect then stated firmly, "And that young man, Xander Harris, is no enemy of this Council! He was a youth of no extraordinary talent who chose to fight at the side of Miss Summers – a truly remarkable young man. The only reason he raised his hand against us now was in reaction to Miss Lehane's capture and I have his solemn oath that he will remain our ally so long as we bring no harm to him or the folk he claims as his. We will hold to that, Watchers, or this Council will forever fall into the annals of history."

There was a general murmur amongst the gathered Watchers then the soft voiced one at the front stated, "I have no objections." A few other similar murmurs followed it then silenced as Mary raised her hand.

"Excellent," she said with a warm smile. "Then first off we should begin settling those young girls outside and yourselves here within this building. Never fear, the remnants of what went on have been scrubbed away. We are also sealing up the holding areas below at the bequest of Mister Harris. Now off with you, all of you!"

She shooed then away with the grace of a mother then turned to Giles with a gentle smile.

"I think that went well," she stated.

"You were marvelous," he stated firmly, bending to kiss her cheek. He then gave her a horrified look, saying, "And, Mary, m'dear, I hope you don't intend to keep me here…"

"Of course not, Rupert. Besides you are more needed to control that most rambunctious Slayer of yours." Mary then looked nervously towards the Watchers leaving the room and quietly said, "I will worry, however, without you here. There are the disagreeable amongst them."

Giles started to open his mouth then was cut off as Athan took a step forward, a smile on the man's face.

"Oh, don't worry, ma'am," he said firmly. "We fully intended to stay around for awhile as – ah, Nix, what's the word I'm looking for?"

Phoenix smiled as she slipped under his arm, molding herself against her husband's side. "Persuasion," she purred in response.

"Ah!" exclaimed Athan. "Exactly."

Mary frowned then asked, "Well, I thank you, Mister Delaney, but I have nothing to pay you…"

The one-eyed man shrugged at that, waving her to silence. "Pay?" he repeated. "We're doing this for those two kids, nothing more. Plus I'm curious to see how this place turns out under you – I've heard terrible things about the Council."

"Well then I hope you shall hear and see better soon."

"As do I." Athan then turned to look at Shawn, who was gnawing on the stub of his cigarette thoughtfully, and asked, "Going to stick around?"

"Ain't like there's anything to do at home if you, Nix, and Dev are gone," replied the firestarter. "We left affairs in order at home too. All's well."

Mary smiled, saying, "Its settled then. I suppose that other man…Mister Outterridge, was it? He'll be staying as well?"

Phoenix smirked as she nodded in response then chuckled a little as Shawn said, "Well sure. He might scare anyone magically inclined though – Dev's got a habit of doing that."

Giles shook his head in mild amusement then said, "Mary, I really must be going now. If I'm not mistaken Faith is getting out of the hospital today and…"

"They are both adamant to return home," finished the woman for him with a smile. She sighed, saying, "I wish I could come with you to tell them goodbye but I fear there's too much to do. Give them my goodbyes, Rupert, please, and give Xander my assurance that his cover story for the deaths is being put to use. And the promise that I shall turn this Council into something they can rely on, not fear."

Giles smiled at that. "They won't believe it until they see it, I fear, but I will tell them. Goodbye, Mary."

"Goodbye, Rupert. And you still owe me dinner!"

"Next time, my dear!" he called over his shoulder as he started out. After a moment he heard Athan shout, "Tell Dev to get over here, will you, Giles? I need his scaly ass to get this place's wards up to snuff!"

Giles waved in response and shook his head as he exited the building to head back to the hospital. While they were an exasperating and thoroughly strange group with a bloodthirsty nature that rivaled some demons – and seemed to surpass them in Phoenix's case – he had grown fond of Athan and his crowd. And they would be a wonderful deterrent to any dissidence within the new Council.

Mary would do good work, he knew.

Now…the problem would be convincing a newly embittered young man and a tormented young woman to believe that.

As Giles arrived at the hospital, he found Xander and Dev standing outside Faith's room. He took note that the young man was wearing a coat again and looked less like a walking zombie but he didn't get the sense that he was carrying weapons. And Dev's right arm was heavily wrapped in bandages again, hiding his magic torn flesh from sight.

Slowing in his steps, he watched as the mage dropped two items into Xander's hand – two necklaces with gemstone pendants dangling from them. Xander slowly hung one back around his neck, the dark green stone gleaming, then asked, "They good?"

"They should keep you from being noticed by anyone you don't wish to notice you now," replied Dev. "And anyone that you wish to take notice then forget you should do so."

"Wow. Devin, thanks, really…"

"No," said Dev, raising his bandaged hand to cut off the thanks, "it was a gift, Xander, to keep both you and that very brave young woman safe. No thanks are needed." He then smiled and added, "Oh, but you can give the young mage that made those my compliments. That was a remarkable little spell she bound to those."

A grin Giles hadn't seen in a while split the young man's face at that. "Tara'll be glad to hear that even if they didn't work as long as we had hoped," said Xander warmly. "And she's actually what I'd think you'd call a witch."

"Witch, mage," scoffed the man airily. "It's all the same in my book. And you will remember to…"

"Give her your phone number just in case. Yeah, I remember, Devin, I…" Xander turned and noticed Giles then, smiling in greeting. "Just waiting for Faith then we can head for the airport, G-man."

"We still have plenty of time before the plane leaves," assured Giles as he came closer to them. "I made sure of that. Ah, and, Devin, Athan had a few words he wanted me to give you."

The mage rolled his eyes with their strange mix of red and blue, then said, "Okay, hit me. What'd he say?"

"He made the point of me to tell you he needs your scaly ass to get the Council's wards up to snuff," replied Giles with a smile.

Dev laughed at that, shaking his head. "They can't do anything without me," he stated with a smile. Then he nodded to the both of them, saying, "I suppose this is goodbye for now then. And you know where to find us if you need us again, Xander."

"Yeah," said the young man with a grateful smile, "yeah, I do."

Smiling again, Dev reached out to pat his shoulder lightly then walked away from them, hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans. Giles looked after him for a moment then gave a slight shudder as the feeling of darkness seemed to peel away from his bones. He had gotten used to walking into the presence that always lingered about the man but every time either of them moved, he got that same feeling. It was…rather disturbing.

"They're a strange bunch," commented Xander quietly.

"Very," agreed Giles. He then smiled at the young man and added, "But amusing."

"Yeah."

The door opened behind them then and they both turned towards Faith, who was wearing her usual leather pants and skin-hugging shirt underneath an overlarge leather jacket that hid the few bruises and scrapes still on her arms with one eye still covered by a patch of bandages. She then smiled at them and slung a small bag over her shoulder as she stepped forward, saying, "Let's go home."

"Sure you're ready?" asked Xander, cautiously resting a hand lightly on her shoulder.

"Yeah," she replied as she slowly reached up and squeezed his hand briefly. "I wanna go home, X."

"Then we shall go," intoned Giles, smiling at the pair of them. And as they began moving towards the elevator to take them down to the hospital exit, he watched them. Faith eventually pulled away from Xander's hand as they walked but he just smiled down at her and kept walking, not seeming bothered.

As he followed, he wondered if Xander knew some semblance of what she was feeling right now – the desperate need not to be touched. If he did…was it him that knew the feeling? Or was it Altaïr's memories?

Author's Note: For some reason I have a lot of fun writing Mary. Hopefully I'll get a chance later in the story to pull her back in. And, yes, the Council is covering the deaths of the Watcher's and the involvement of Xander and company.