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(13/?)
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...

"Harris and Lehane Sex Party," chirped Faith as she picked up the ringing cell phone. "We…yo, Tara! What's my favorite magic woman doin'?"

"Sex Party?" rumbled Xander sleepily as he lifted his head from the pillow in their Arkansas motel. "How come I wasn't invited to this? You sleepin' with another Harris?"

Faith laughed and leaned over to kiss him then said into the phone, "Oh, yeah, we're five by five, Tar. What's up with yah?"

She listened intently for a long moment and Xander pushed himself up onto one elbow, waiting patiently for her to tell him what was going on.

"Yeah. Yeah, okay. We'll be there. Thanks, Tar."

As she hung up the phone and sat it aside, he asked, "So?"

Faith frowned then replied, "'Parently Tar caught some Brit's in her town and they asked her a few questions. Suspicious like."

"Council," stated Xander shortly. "Damnit, they've already caught that far up to us?"

"Yeah. Tar, though, she's goin' to visit some folks in Mississippi or somethin'. She wants us to meet her."

"I take it there's another reason for this besides us seeing our favorite witch as you put it?"

Faith nodded and said happily, "She thinks she can do a little magic on us – give us a little cloak against the Council and the Terakans. Plus anyone else."

Xander frowned at the mention of 'anyone else', remembering just before they'd left New Orleans when a lawyer had approached them from some place named Wolfram and Hart. Neither of them had liked the vibes they'd gotten off the guy and he'd threatened the man coldly with certain death if they didn't leave them alone. The lawyer had just smiled and said, "Well, then…a disappointment that we can't do this the easy way. Good day, Mister Harris."

They needed some kind of cloak because already this law firm probably had a hook on their new ID's. Either that or one of them had just gotten lucky and spotted them.

"Okay," he said. "We'll go meet her. Where exactly are we going in Mississippi?"

"Oxford."

Xander nodded then yawned, saying after it faded, "I'll map it out in a few hours. Right now since its, y'know, seven AM, I want to go back to sleep."

"Do yah really?" asked Faith as she turned towards him.

"Well…" Looking thoughtful, he continued, "There was some reason I might stay awake. Oh, what was it?"

She grinned and slid back under the covers next to him, moving so they were close again.

"Mmm," she murmured, "could it have somethin' to do with this woman you're in bed with?"

"Y'know…it just might. Though I seem to have lost her. Think you can help me find her again, hmm, nice lady?"

"Nice lady!" scoffed Faith. Rising, she shoved him over onto his back and crouched over him. "Ain't no nice ladies here, Stud."

"Well damn," said Xander. He then grinned wickedly and winked up at her, asking, "Can I have a bad lady then?"

She frowned for a moment then replied, "Well, we've got just this one left."

"I'll take her!"

Faith laughed as he wrapped his arms around her waist and she leaned over to kiss him, resting her forehead against his.

"Damn right yah will," she murmured.

"Mmm," said Xander with smile, "yes, I think I will."

He twisted then and shifted their positions as he tugged the sheets over their heads before they lost themselves in loving each other again.

Tara hummed softly as she waited in the coffee shop for Xander and Faith's arrival. Every time the door opened she looked up, expecting to see them, but was continuously disappointed.

After an hour she started to worry about them since Faith had shared a little of their story with her before. It made her feel almost thankful for her own – dealing with her father and his family was far better than their life of running. And they had saved her from that too, giving her the money to not only find her mother's grandparents but to come out here to them, getting her even farther away from her father. She felt she owed them something for that.

If something had happened to them though…

The door opened again and she smiled as she saw the gorgeous brunette enter, her heart jumping. She knew very well that Faith loved Xander wholeheartedly but she was allowed to lust and dream just a little.

"Tar!" exclaimed the brunette as she finally spotted her. Tara rose and met the Slayer with a warm hug, softly saying, "Hi."

"Hi yourself," greeted Xander as she noticed him, his presence suddenly there as though he had simply appeared. In the time since she'd last seen them, he'd obviously learned to move even more quietly then he had previously. He then looked at Faith and asked, "You want anything?"

"Coffee, black," she replied and at Tara's confused look explained, "I get to drive when we leave right after this."

The blonde frowned as they sat down at her table. "You can't stay?" she asked, disappointed.

Faith shook her head, replying, "We ran into a Terakan outside of town. He wasn't specifically tracking us but 'parently we're worth big money."

"Oh. I understand."

"Wish we could, Tar, really do. Mmm, thanks, X." Xander smiled after he handed off the coffee and sat down, sipping from his own cup before he spoke.

"So," he said, "you had something to cast on us?"

Tara blushed and amended, "Give you actually. I'm not good enough yet to do anything like that but…" She trailed off and reached into her bag in the seat next to her, drawing out three silvery chains with different sized gemstones hanging from them. "…I made these."

Separating the chains, she handed Faith one with a half oval of translucent yellow stone. "Its called labradorite," she explained. "It's supposed to strengthen the will and inner strength and convictions."

She handed one of the others to Xander, who peered curiously at the swirls in the large, dark green oval of the gem hanging from it. "Malachite," said Tara, "for releasing negative emotions and protecting from psychic attacks."

He grinned at that and muttered, "Useful. If all the spiritual stuff about gemstones are true."

She smiled, softly saying, "I believe so."

"So what's yours, Tar?" asked Faith, nodding at the chain she still held.

"Emerald," she replied with a smile as she held it up, a square translucent green gem set into a silver backing, "for enhancing memory and promoting clear thinking." She then put the chain on and reached out to touch her friends' arms as they looked confused, looking around for her. "I'm right here."

Faith's eyes widened and she looked down at the gem in her hand, asking, "That what they do?"

Tara nodded eagerly and quickly explained, "It's a spell that causes the eyes to not focus on you. People see you but unless you touch them or directly interact with them, they can't see you. Once someone is recognized by the spell, they can always see you."

"Wicked!"

The Slayer quickly put hers on and giggled, "This is awesome!" as she touched the both of them, quickly allowing both their eyes to refocus on her.

Xander smiled, shaking his head, then hooked the chain around his neck. He came back into Tara's sight as he reached across the table to pat her hand, saying, "Thanks, Tara. These'll be very helpful." Then he pulled Faith against his side and kissed her forehead, asking, "Won't they, hmm?"

"Very," replied the brunette. "Maybe for once we'll get a peaceful month or two."

"We can only hope," said Xander wearily. He then smiled at Tara again before saying, "We should go."

"Do you really have to leave so soon?" asked the witch.

He nodded slowly in response and heaved a sigh. "Unfortunately, we should. We've got no idea if that Terakan called in where we were to any others – we've been told they don't really work together and help each other but I'm not really willing to take the chance."

"Oh," said Tara mournfully. Then she forced a smile and added, "Well, I'm just glad you're both okay. And I never really thanked you both for helping me."

Faith waved a hand dismissively as they stood, saying, "No need to say that, Tar. That's what we do, ain't it, X?"

"Run around and help people amongst our fleeing from assassins and the Council? Yeah, that's us in a nutshell."

Faith laughed then moved around the table to hug Tara tightly, asking, "You need us to drop you off anywhere?"

"I'll be fine," answered the witch with a smile. "You two go."

"Okay. Yah call us if you need anything, remember?"

"I promise."

The Slayer smiled and hugged her again before she moved to Xander's side as they walked out of the coffee shop together. Tara watched them through the window with a sad smile as they got into their car and drove off, already missing them. She hadn't met them for long that first time but the pair laid an impression on anyone they met – most especially Faith.

Sighing, she picked up her bag and threw away her cup as she walked out, walking back in the direction of her grandparents' house with a smile. It was sad parting with them again but she knew she'd end up running into them again.

They just attracted too much trouble even without the Council and the Order of Teraka for her not to.