***Another Hellmouth.

Clark sighed in relief when Buffy got up and staggered from the circle of candles. With a smile at Clark she took the phone from his hand.

"It's here Giles, it is a small one but there is definitely a small hellmouth here."

"What is a hellmouth?" Chloe whispered to Clark, she was positively bursting with questions she wanted to ask.

"It is hard to explain." Clark whispered back.

"Basically it's what it sounds like. It is a mouth to Hell. A place where the veil between the dimensions thins enough that in certain circumstances it can be opened." Buffy stated to Chloe and watched to see how well she took the news.

"I guess it isn't that hard to explain." Clark sighed hoping that Chloe would be able to take this news well.

"You know," She said at last, "I'm not all that surprised about it." Chloe stated making both Clark and Buffy relax the tension in their shoulders.

"OK Giles I am on it, first thing tomorrow I am going to look into purchasing the land it is on. I might need some help from the council getting the state to sell the land to us." Buffy spoke into the phone again and moved out of hearing range to finish her conversation with Giles.

"It looks like I am going to get that exclusive interview." Chloe smiled to Clark.

"I think you are Chloe," said Clark. "Just remember that some of what we are going to tell you is off the record."

"I imagine the fact that Smallville has a small Hellmouth is one of those things," Chloe asked?

"Yes. That is one of them." Clark stated. "There are several hellmouths around the world. The biggest one was in Sunnydale California."

"You mean the sinkhole wasn't because of Earthquakes but because of this Hellmouth thing?" Chloe asked her eyes going wide. "Could that happen here?"
"I don't think so. From what I understand the one in Sunnydale was closed using some major magic and a small war." Clark then went on to explain about Vampires and how Chloe should protect herself from them.

It was some time later when Chloe dropped off Clark and Buffy with a promise to get her exclusive interview later that week.

"I hope it was ok; my telling Chloe all about vampires." Clark stated nervously as they watched Chloe drive away.

"It'll be fine, I like Chloe and I think we can trust her. If she does betray that trust and publishes something about Vampires she will just come off looking crazy, and we didn't tell her about the Slayers yet." Buffy stated. "But, I do think we can trust her, besides she already knew all about you and she has kept your secret."

"You're right." Clark smiled looking relieved.

"I am just wondering what, if, and when we should tell your parents about it all." Buffy stated looking worried again.

"I promised I would keep your secret and I will even from them, but Buffy I think we can trust them with it." He stated earnestly.

Buffy sighed she really didn't want to tell Clark's parents and yet she really wanted to tell them. She felt so torn about it.

"Let's think about this and decide about it later. For now let's go inside and go to bed." Buffy's eyes went wide. "I mean get some sleep, separately."

Clark laughed "I know what you meant Buffy." Stepping forward he gently caressed his thumb across her jaw and back to her neck. "Good night Buffy." He whispered just as his lips descended upon hers in a soft kiss. Then moving his head back he looked to see what her reaction would be.

Buffy then pulled him back for a heart pounding and passionate kiss. Afterwards she gently caressed her chin along his jaw then up to his ear where she whispered, "Good night Clark."

Gently squeezing his hand Buffy stepped back and allowed him to open the door for her. She was already well aware that he was a gentleman and wanted to do things like that for her. Seeing how much he liked to do those things she could see no reason not to let him, besides when he did that she felt good.

The next morning Buffy helped Martha make a breakfast fit for a pack of lumberjacks. Then she helped the family eat it all. Once done she helped with the dishes and then explained she had a lot of work to do so she rushed out the door.

Clark found himself wanting to go with Buffy, he was used to being with her and he was still a little nervous about getting to know his parents again. He didn't have long to worry, soon his father came to get him to help on the farm and he found himself enjoying the simple work in the bright sunshine. He found he felt camaraderie with his father and he very quickly forgot his concerns and turned his mind to how well they would take the revelation that Vampires and Slayers exist.

Clark started asking questions about his past as well as what his father knew about the meteor infected people. He was amazed at the things he was hearing, the next thing they knew it was lunchtime and the questions turned to his abilities and how he might be able to control them. After lunch, instead of working on the farm, his father took him behind the barn to work on his different abilities. Clark became convinced that his parents were so used to the strange and unusual that they would certainly handle learning about Buffy and vampires well. Now it was just up to Buffy to decide if she wanted to share her secret with his parents.

Buffy sighed as she entered the Kent home. It had been a long day. Working on getting the state to sell the land that the Hellmouth was located on was not going to be an easy thing. She was confident, however, that she would be able to get it done; eventually.

Walking into the kitchen she found Martha surrounded by vegetables waiting to be chopped and chicken breasts waiting to be cooked.

"Oh Buffy welcome back I'm glad you made it. I could use your help getting dinner together." Martha called out with a pleased smile.

Buffy couldn't help feeling a real smile on her face in response. Since meeting Clark fake smiles were decreasing and real smiles were beginning to make a reappearance in her life.

"I'll be glad to help but remember my warnings from before. I am horrible in the kitchen." Buffy replied feeling a little nervous.

"Oh nonsense Buffy, you did wonderfully with the gravy. You just need some help and I think eventually you will be an excellent chef." Martha declared.

So under Martha's excellent supervision Buffy dipped the chicken breasts in flour: then eggs, then crushed cornflakes. They then browned them on the stove and put them in the oven to finish cooking while they turned their attention to the vegetables and potatoes. Not long later the kitchen was filled with a heavenly aroma and Buffy felt another true smile come over her.

"Thank you so much for teaching me these things Martha. It really means a lot to me." Buffy stated before heading out to call Jonathon and Clark in for dinner.

Later that night Clark and Buffy would go out on patrol, they would never really realize it but for that night it would have been better for Buffy to have gone alone. It was because of a kiss at just the moment when Buffy would have sensed a distant vampire. Buffy found herself kissed senseless and the vampire lived to spread his evil; in more ways than one.

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