A/N: Alas be it, this will be the end of the mass of updates -- i've got to go back writing my essays (oops). For those of you who have complained about bringing in the Watchers Council so early, there is a reason (which i won't tell, so there.)

Chapter 4

The six board members of the Watcher's Council sat in the boardroom awaiting the arrival of their last member. Quentin Travers walked through the doors and sat at the head of the table, making eye contact with all of the members before beginning.

"I have just received a report from one of our agents that he has located Ms. Summers."

The other members began whispering to each other. Travers allowed it for a few moments before he began to speak again.

"She is living in a small American town called Smallville with a family, the Kents. The father's name in Jonathon Kent and the mother is a Martha Kent. Our agent hasn't found any records connecting them to Ms. Summers or to any supernatural forces."

"However, they have a single child – Clark Kent. He has been connected to several strange occurrences in and around Smallville. Our surveillance indicates that its the boy that Ms. Summers seems to have a connection with, though we haven't determined how, as of yet."

"Smallville? Isn't that the place where we're investigating as to whether it's a proto-hellmouth?" one of the members asked thoughtful.

"I remember the initial report. There was no demonic activity found, and most of the strange occurrences could be traced to the meteor rocks that landed fourteen years ago. There was, however, some speculation that the Kent boy was a demon himself." That statement caused more speculation, since they knew that Ms. Summers had aligned herself with demons in the past.

Travers cleared his throat to regain the board's attention.

"What Anders said is correct; there was no demonic activity found but it was decided that given the affects of the meteors, we would keep the area under surveillance. Hence, the quick discovery of our rogue Slayer. However, what Clark Kent is is still a mystery, though the examiner is convinced he isn't demonic. Now that Ms. Summers is staying with him, it has become paramount that we discover what he is. I want to know everything there is to know about the Kent boy, these meteor rocks, and how these two met. But I want it made clear to all field agents, that under no circumstances do I want them to make contact."

"We have control of the current Slayer, and in a few years -- if not less -- Ms. Summers will be dead. Why go to all this trouble?" one of the members asked.

"Because she is a Slayer. Who knows what kind of damage she could do with proper supervision? This meeting is adjourned."

"How are you liking Smallville so far?" Chloe asked as she sipped her coffee. After school, they had all headed off to the Talon – Buffy being suitably impressed when she learned that Lana ran it herself. She took a sip of her own coffee before she answered.

"It's nice, it reminds me of where I used to live."

"Where would that be?" Chloe asked, getting that sparkle in her eye that she got when she went into her investigative mode. Having heard about it from Clark, Buffy recognized the signs and laughed.

"Sorry, Chloe, you're not getting that out of me."

"Well, I do love a challenge," she said with a grin, even more curious about 'the mystery woman'. "You can at least tell me how you and Clark met."

Waiting for Lana to rejoin them, Buffy began telling the tale of how they met – the abridged version, of course.

"I was working at a bar, and Clark showed one night. He needed a place to crash since he was out pretty out of it, and I let him crash at my place."

The really, really, abridged version.

"You just let some stranger crash at your place," Lana asked in astonishment.

"I'm a pretty good judge of character," Buffy replied casually. "Besides, I figured I could take him."

The teenagers looked at the massive difference in height and weight and began to laugh, thinking that Buffy was kidding. Buffy and Clark joined in, but they were laughing because Buffy hadn't been kidding.

"Why aren't you living with your parents?" Pete asked, and then rubbed his arm as Clark elbowed him. Buffy stopped laughing but answered truthfully.

"My mom died, and my dad couldn't care less. Clark always said that I could stay with him if I ever need to, so here I am."

They continued idle chitchat, for the next hour. Learning more about Buffy, but avoiding any emotionally heavy subjects. Clark was glad that Slay was getting along, knowing how hard being away from her own friends was for her. She couldn't even talk with them, afraid that the Council would be able to trace her whereabouts.

Clark heard the door open and was surprised to see Lex walk in. Waving his arm, he grabbed Lex's attention who headed their way.

"Fancy meeting you all here," Lex said in amusement, "and it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance again, Buffy."

They all laughed at Lex's antics, but Lex noticed that even while Buffy laughed with the rest of the teenagers she kept him under scrutiny. The more he saw of the blonde the more fascinated he became. He sensed that underneath that teenage exterior was someone much like himself.

"How was your first day of school?"

"Like a day at school," Buffy said nonchalantly. "I went, I was bored, I left. Until I heard about the Talon, I was afraid there was nothing to do in Smallville. All I've seen this one do," poking Clark in the shoulder, "is chores, homework, eat and sleep. Repeatedly. In that order."

Everyone laughed, and Clark glared at Buffy for a moment before joining in.

"I'm sure if you stay around Clark long enough, something exciting will happen," Lex said, "and in the mean time, he can show you the caves that have him so obsessed."

"Caves?" Buffy asked, pretending to wonder what Lex was talking about. When Clark had finally opened up to her about his past, he had told her about Jor'el and the caves, and his destiny. Buffy remembered that night clearly, because that was also the night Clark had found out about her powers.

Buffy casually walked through the graveyard, twirling her stead absentmindedly between her fingers. She was thinking about Kal, and his drastic mood swings. Often she would see him come into the bar, with some bimbo hanging off his arm. They would dance for a few hours, make-out, and then Kal would be his 'charming' self and send the girl packing.

Afterwards, Buffy would show up at his place and he would be back to the self-effacing farmboy she had let crash at her apartment. Being no stranger to keeping secrets – not to mention setting off Slayer senses – the Slayer knew that Kal was keeping a big secret. Watching as her friend kept walking further down the dark path he had set himself on; she wondered if it was time to push him to explain everything. But Kal has already run once, and she didn't want him running again.

Clutching her stake tighter, she twirled and knocked the approaching vampire onto his back. Growling, the vampire jumped to his feet and attacked again. The Slayer easily dodged the various punches and kicks; disgruntled by the lack of a challenge, she nonchalantly stuck the stake through his heart and watched the ashes fall to the ground.

Concentrated on the vampire as she was, the Slayer failed to notice the sound of another footsteps.

"Slay?"

Spinning around, Buffy's jaw dropped as she saw a bewildered look Kal standing before her. She grinned weakly, and looking down at the stake in her hand she put it behind her back.

"Um…Kal, um, hi! What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? Slay, what are you doing in the middle of a cemetery stabbing people with a stake?" Kal asked, and Buffy was glad to note it wasn't 'arrogant' Kal talking. In fact, now that she thought about it, even as Kal was getting worse, around her he always reverted back to that sweet farmboy she'd grown to care about. Obeying her instinct, Buffy took the plunge.

"It wasn't people – it was a vampire. I'm a Vampire Slayer." Buffy could see the disbelief flashing across Kal's face, and marched up into his personal space and asked, "And what are you Kal?"

Shaking herself back from memory lane, Buffy caught the tale end of the ongoing conversation.

"…get going home to do chores?"

Buffy looked up at Clark and blinked as the words sunk in.

"Right, chores -- cause now I'm a farmgirl, and I got to earn my keep."

"Well, I doubt Clark will have you hauling bales of hay," Lex remarked to which the two only looked at each other and grinned. The two quickly made their way out of the Talon and headed home. The group watched the two make their exit, and as the truck pulled away Chloe turned to the rest.

"Is it just me, or is it like those two were separated at birth?"

"Have you decided what you want to tell my parents?" Clark asked, casually tossing her the bale of hay. Buffy caught it effortlessly, and tossed it with the others in the growing stack.

"You mean, about me being a Slayer? I don't know, Clark, I don't want to put them in any danger."

"Knowing about me hasn't put them in any danger," at Buffy's raised eyebrow he amaneded, "that much danger."

"But there aren't that many people that know – not just suspect – you're secret. There's a whole bunch of old stuffy tweed-wearing English guys that base their entire lives on my secret."

"Clark! Buffy! Supper!" Martha yelled, and the two shrugged and headed inside.

Slayer, the day is coming.

Buffy stopped and looked around curiously. A few feet away, Clark stopped and turned back to see why she had stopped walking.

"Buffy?"

"Did you just here that?"

"What?"

" Nothing…I guess it was just the wind."

TBC