Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville, Teen Wolf, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and other Superman titles.

AN:Although this is a sequel to Discovering Faith Once More, it is not its spiritual successor. The writing style is not shorts-based and this story is the next chapter for Clark. Not necessarily about Clark/Faith. For me, this is an optional sequel rather than the direct continuation of the previous story. I know for some this will be a disappointment, but this is the story I've set myself to writing.

That being said, Faith is an important part of Clark's history and she still has her role to play.

This is Clark from Smallville also drawing from other Superman materials in the Teen Wolf universe. There are elements of BtVS which are associated with Clark's past. The Teen Wolf timeline has been shifted so that they are in their senior year for this rendition of Season 3.

Clark was feeling alright. It was a bit grating to go through a second senior year, but having your previous school blow up could make a mess out of your paperwork. Rather than pursuing college with a sketchy academic record, his situation made for an excellent cover story.

His new school was nice and the administration was surprisingly helpful. Then again, Clark reasoned that any administration would be amazing in comparison to Principal Snyder. The teen's good humour quickly took a turn for the worse. As atrocious as the man had been in life, no one deserved to be eaten by a giant snake demon.

He was brought back to the present when the locker next to him closed shut. Turning, he met the warm brown eyes of a very attractive brunette.

"I haven't seen you around. Are you new?" she asked with a small tilt of her head.

Clark gave a self-depreciating smile, "Is it that obvious?"

"Beacon Hills isn't exactly a large town," she replied, "It's not hard to notice the new kid on the block."

After a brief pause she continued, "That was me a while back."

He offered his hand, "My name's Clark and it's nice to meet you."

The brunette laughed and offered her hand in return, "I can't say that many people here share your good manners Clark. I'm Allison."

"Nice to meet you," Clark replied with a soft smile.

Before their pleasant conversation could continue, a reasonably well-built teen with short brown hair walked up to them. Clark could see the newcomer's hackles were raised, both figuratively and literally. Clark assumed he was meeting the territorial and overprotective boyfriend. He recognized the type.

Allison turned when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and offered a soft, "Hey... you," before quieting abruptly.

Clark flinched when the other teen growledat him.

"Who's this?" the newcomer asked.

"Hi, I'm Clark," Clark introduced himself. He proceeded to offer his hand, "Clark Kent…"

His voice trailed off before he shifted awkwardly. His hand stayed extended for a few more seconds before he reluctantly lowered it. The glaring was getting more than a little unnerving and it didn't look like Allison was about to step in anytime soon.

"Scott," the other teen replied several moments later through his clenched teeth.

"Nice to meet you Scott?" Clark replied, struggling to keep his uncertainty out of his voice.

Scott obviously picked up on it.

Allison finally stepped in to diffuse the tension.

"It was nice to meet you Clark, but Scott and I actually need to talk in private for a bit," she said diplomatically.

She offered a small smile which Clark returned before she grabbed Scott's arm. She marched him away from the lockers. It was more than a little creepy the way Scott kept his eyes trained on Clark all the way down the hall. He only broke the gaze when Allison pulled him around the corner.

Clark focused his hearing to eavesdrop despite knowing it was an invasion of privacy. It was petty of him, but he wanted to hear Allison chew out her boyfriend. He'd been rude and unnecessarily territorial. Besides, Clark rarely abused his powers and he had to take advantage of the perks some time.

"What's your problem?" Allison asked. Her tone was hushed, "I know there's a lot we need to talk about, but that was insanely rude."

"Not here," Scott replied, with a quiet intensity, "Now's not a good time to talk."

"Why? What's going on?" she was still surprisingly calm.

There was some slight movement from Scott before Allison let out a soft, "Oh."

Clark focused his vision to look through the wall. Something was going on and he felt a growing sense of unease building in the pit of his stomach. Unfortunately, he'd already missed whatever physical cue Scott had given Allison.

She regained her composure and asked in a whisper, "Should we be worried?"

Clark had a feeling he knew what was coming next.

"Maybe."

He banged his head gently against the locker. At least on the Hellmouth his secret had lasted longer than a day.

.

His first class was AP biology. Having already done his classes once, Clark saw absolutely no reason he should hold back his ability. Nobody would question his scholastic success if it was his second run at his courses. Clark got ready for class by settling near the back as other students made their way into the room.

"Why hello," something about that tone of voice snagged Clark's attention.

A provocative strawberry blonde stood near the door and unabashedly eyed him up and down. Clark barely suppressed his wince. He knew what her appraisal meant and he wasn't in a place to deal with that sort of attention.

Worse still, Allison was also watching him from beside the redhead. The brunette's face was carefully guarded, a stark contrast to her friend's leer.

Clark didn't have more than a moment to prepare when the redhead made her way over and took the seat beside him, leaving Allison to sit reluctantly the next seat over. They both laid their books out on the chemistry bench.

"My name's Lydia," the redhead offered, giving Clark a flirtatious smile.

Allison seemed to recognize her friend's intention and tried to signal her. The small abortive hand movements she was making let Clark know she was signalling Lydia to stop. It was obvious however, that Lydia was ignoring her friend on purpose in order to focus her attention on him.

"I'm Clark," he smiled, pretending to be completely oblivious.

"Pleasure," Lydia replied, again giving him another onceover, "Where are you from?"

"I'm originally from Smallville, but I just came from Sunnydale actually," he replied, ignoring Allison's sharp look.

"Smallville, really?" Lydia laughed incredulously. Even Allison smiled at that.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," Clark pretended to act chagrined, "Make fun of the corn-fed kid from Kansas."

"Well whatever they fed you, it worked," the Lydia commented approvingly. Her intentions were about as subtle as a jackhammer, "A lot better than the freshmen. Right Allison?"

The brunette nodded but also made one last subtle hand gesture to Lydia. Again, she was ignored.

"Uh sure…" Clark found himself blushing at the redhead's bluntness.

After all of his experience with Faith, Clark really expected to be better at this.

"So why did you move here?" Allison finally asked. It was clear Lydia wasn't going to let them keep their distance.

Eager for a distraction, Clark replied without thinking, "My last high school blew up and I kind of wanted credible final grades for college."

The other two stared at him. Allison spoke first, "Did you say your last high school blew up?"

"As in exploded?" Lydia added unnecessarily for clarification.

"Well… yeah," Clark replied

He cursed himself silently. This was not the first impression he wanted to give. Being the new kid from a demolished high school was not the reputation he needed. People would end up pitying him or he'd attract unnecessary attention which was the opposite of what he wanted. Allison and Scott were already suspicious as it was.

"So you're repeating your senior year?" Lydia clarified raising an eyebrow at Clark.

"Yes. I'm taking more AP courses this time around though," he responded.

She'd made the connection surprisingly quickly. Clark made a mental note that she was likely smarter than she first appeared.

"What happened?" asked Allison.

With the can of worms already opened, Clark opted for the established cover story, "A gas explosion during graduation."

"Doesn't that mean you've already graduated with your set of marks?" Lydia questioned.

He shook his head, "We had graduation before final marks were done. Most of our final exams kind of went with the school."

"Well that sucks," Lydia pouted for his benefit. She offered him a smile, "But you wouldn't be here otherwise right?"

Well… someone needed to back up Faith and Wesley anyway. Not that Lydia and Allison needed to know that, "Uh. Pretty much," he replied.

Allison narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "Why Beacon Hills?"

"My guardian was recommended it by a friend," Clark replied.

Thankfully, it appeared both ladies were tactful enough not to question his family life the moment he'd used the word 'guardian'. While his mom hadn't been happy with his decision to help in Beacon Hills, she'd respected his reasoning.

"So how do you like it so far? Do you like what you've seen?" Lydia asked suggestively.

Thankfully, Clark was prepared for her most recent advance, "Beacon Hills has some great forests. The reserve is really nice. I actually kind of missed being able to go out and explore nature. While it definitely isn't Smallville, Sunnydale didn't have anything natural worth exploring."

Lydia looked slightly put out by his oblivious response while Allison angled her head in interest. By successfully dodging one of the girl's advances, Clark had managed to pique the interest of the one already suspicious of him. Awesome.

"So find anything interesting in the forest?" Allison asked. Her expression was guarded despite her innocent question.

"Well, I found some nice trails, but nothing really stood out to me. I just kind of wandered around and took in the sights. It's just nice to have an escape you know? A place that's quiet, where I can just be by myself," Clark explained.

He paid rapt attention to Allison throughout his explanation. Her heart had sped up for some reason, but he wasn't sure why.

Lydia sighed and attempted to pull the conversation back to something more interesting, "What do you do for fun Clark?"

"I like to read," Clark replied, "I actually really miss the library from Sunnydale.

"That's it? No sports? I mean look at you," Lydia exclaimed in surprise.

Allison shook her head in silent laughter. It seemed that she couldn't completely control herself while Lydia threw herself at Clark. Clark was glad that the brunette was finally relaxing a little. Having already slipped up earlier, he refused to give out any potentially sensitive information.

"No, not recently at least. I did play football for a little bit, but in the end it wasn't for me," he replied with a smile.

"Why not? What else would you be doing?" Lydia demanded. She looked almost offended.

Clark laughed at her enthusiasm, "Sorry, but like I said, I prefer to read. Both fiction and nonfiction actually. Though I guess astronomy is another hobby of mine."

"I didn't expect that from you," Allison commented.

"And why's that?" Clark asked.

"Like Lydia said. I mean look at you," the brunette looked flustered for the first time, "How else would you get so… you?"

"Smooth Allison," Lydia smirked.

She seemed surprisingly okay with Clark paying some attention to her friend.

He shrugged his shoulders, "Well, there's something to be said for working on a farm I guess. To be honest, I'm not really sure. Just lucky with genetics I guess."

"Mhm. Humble. Makes you interesting," the redhead commented. Turning to her friend, she added, "Wouldn't you agree?"

"Very interesting," Allison agreed, meeting Clark's eyes.

The brunette hadn't needed much time to recover from her embarrassment.

Clark had hoped her relaxing was a sign that he was in the clear. Unfortunately for him, her sharp gaze disabused him of that notion. The critical look in her eyes was unnerving and reminded him a little too much of both Faith and Buffy preparing to fight. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to handle it if she turned out too similar in personality to either of them.

"Apparently he's shy too,' Allison smirked, noticing his discomfort.

Clark was more comfortable letting both the girls think that was the reason for his unease.

"Well then, let's make this easy. Do you have a girlfriend? Boyfriend?" Lydia asked brazenly.

Clark's mood went from apprehensive to somber.

"We're kind of giving each other space for now. We care for each other, but unfortunate things happened," he eventually replied.

He awkwardly brought up his hand to rub the back of his neck. The motion helped soothe him somewhat.

"Sorry to hear that," Allison replied with genuine sympathy.

Something flickered across Lydia's face, but she kept going, "Well, what a coincidence. Allison and her ex are giving each other some space and my ex just moved to London."

Clark was startled by her announcement. He wasn't sure to be insulted or impressed by Lydia's candour.

"That's uh, good to know," he replied.

"Just thought you should know," she said with a smirk, "Just in case you need help getting to know Beacon Hills."

"I appreciate the offer," responded Clark.

He had absolutely no plans on following through with her offer. She was coming on a little too strong for him and Allison was still giving him the occasional dissecting look. Clark had no plans on being dissected intellectually, physically, or metaphorically.

As their teacher approached the front, the room quieted down almost immediately. Apparently Mr. Harris had quite the fearsome reputation. Their class progressed with little conversation and Clark struggled to remain focused as he already knew all the material.

Allison and Lydia seemed to pay attention though, for which Clark thankful. He was packed up and ready to go the moment the bell rang. Unsurprisingly, so was Lydia. She was at Clark's side before he'd barely taken his first step.

"What class do you have next?" she asked.

"I have English with Ms. Blake," he replied.

"What a coincidence. Allison and I have English next too," Lydia smiled prettily, "We can walk you there so you don't get lost."

That's just great.Clark didn't let it show on his face and offered Lydia a nod instead.

"I could always use the help," he said politely.

Lydia turned to Allison, "You coming?"

"I don't see why not," she replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

Clark swore Lydia was taking the long way around to their next class. There was no way walking in an 'S' pattern was the most efficient route. He was also pretty sure there'd been some backtracking involved as they passed the same water fountain for the third time.

The redhead engaged him in inquisitive small talk and laughed a little more than appropriate considering his words. While he liked to think he could be funny, Clark knew he was no comedian. Allison mostly stayed out of the conversation and only commented every so often. She did watch Clark with wary eyes the whole time though and it had been really unnerving.

"Here we are," Lydia finally declared.

In the doorway to the classroom, she frowned. There were only three open seats and they were spread out throughout the room. There was a seat in front of Scott, a seat by the window, and a seat beside a young male who waved at Lydia.

"I guess I'll sit by Stiles," Lydia told the two reluctantly. With a brief goodbye, she made her way the open seat.

Clark glanced at Allison before offering, "I can sit by the window if you want to be close to Scott."

She hesitated for a moment before nodding. She resolutely made her way to the seat in front of Scott. Clark took the opportunity to walk over to the window seat and relax into the chair. He was glad to finally have a bit of time and space to himself. Almost immediately after he sat down, everyone else in the room jumped towards their phones.

Clark listened to Ms. Blake's short speech about cell phone use and turned his off. In an unusual move she'd used a mass text to prove her point. It unnerved Clark to know a teacher had access to almost every students' cellphone number, but at least she didn't have his.

She was a good orator though. Clark soon found himself lost in her words throughout her lecture. She was thought provoking and something about her voice called to a deeper part of him. He'd initially resolved to keep an eye out on Allison and Scott, but he found himself distracted from his goal instead.

He was able to return his attention to the two when they began their quiet work for the period. The room was mostly silent and Clark wouldn't need to focus his hearing too much to pick up anything important to say. He watched them with his peripheral vision until he saw Allison pass a note backwards to Scott. Focusing his vision while Scott unfolded the note, Clark read it as well. Allison wanted to talk with Scott about something important. Not good.

Thankfully, before Scott could pass his reply back to Allison, he was called to the front of the room. The principal had come in and mentioned some sort of family emergency. Scott hurried out of the room with Ms. Bake hot on his heels. Clark was happy to note Allison's eyes had followed the two out the door, sparing him her personal scrutiny.

The brunette only relaxed once Ms. Blake came back inside the room and took her seat at the front. Allison briefly looked around the room and Clark panicked when she met his eyes. Abruptly turning his head to the side, he pretended to be staring out the window. He hoped in vain that she hadn't picked up on it.

Clark noticed something very peculiar as he looked outside. A large flock of dark birds, possibly crows, was flying low to the ground towards the school. He was intrigued at first by their atypical behaviour and kept watching as the flock grew larger and nearer. When they crossed the school boundary and onto its grounds, a sense of foreboding settled over him.

Before the first crow hit the window, Clark grabbed the two nearest students and moved them away from window.

"Everyone get away from the windows!" he shouted.

Students around the room looked at him startled. Only when the first bird smashed into the window, killing itself, did everyone start moving. By the time the rest of the flock began impacting the glass pane, the class was settled near the far side of the room.

Clark realized the windows were not going to hold after the first barrage of birds. Readying himself, he picked up a nearby heavy textbook and stood in front of his classmates. He was prepared for the moment the glass broke.

He swung the textbook at the nearest bird and sent it flying back out the window. Clark winced when he heard its neck snap, but knew getting squeamish wouldn't help his classmates. He began aggressively batting other birds out the window or into the ground, hoping to defend the people behind him. Some of his classmates screamed in panic while others took action to defend themselves.

"Get down!" Ms. Blake screamed as students huddled near the far wall or under desks.

Clark began swinging his weapon faster, taking down several birds at a time. Unfortunately, he was knocking back only a small portion of the flock. The birds out of arm's reach began dive bombing people in the room.

"Get to the hall!" he commanded, still swatting birds, "Keep your head covered!"

Students who weren't frozen made a desperate dash to the exit. Allison began organizing a panicked evacuation of the class as everyone tried to keep themselves protected. Clark briefly watched Lydia get escorted by her friend towards the door. The birds were still coming and Clark had no intention stopping.

He ignored their attempts to peck and scratch at him and continued his work with brutal efficiency. Wielding the textbook like a misshapen baseball bat, he kept nailing home runs. With the crows' heads being the baseballs.

Thankfully, most of the bodies followed their heads back out the window.

"Clark!" Allison called out from the classroom door.

The room was empty except for the two of them and she stared at him with wide, shocked eyes. He could only imagine how he looked covered in feathers, blood, and other organic material. Running to the door, Clark swatted any bird that got too close. He only hoped maintaining his secret hadn't led to any excessive injuries. With that thought, he took a small pleasure in waylaying a last few birds before pulling Allison into the hallway.

Clark slammed the door shut before turning around. Most of the class looked terrified and hysterical, but a few were looking at him in awe. Lydia's friend came up and slapped him on the back. He draped his arm over Clark's shoulder and brought him further into the hall.

"You were fricking awesome in there! You turned that textbook into a deadly weapon. Plus you got us all out in one piece. Well more or less, but what's a few scratches?" the brown-haired teen rambled on excitedly, "I'm Stiles. And who might yoube mighty textbook warrior?"

"That would be Mr. Kent," Ms. Blake cut in with a small smile. She seemed shaken, but was slowly regaining her composure.

"While I don't necessarily approve of students undermining my authority… I think this time I can make an exception. Thank you Mr. Kent," she praised.

Clark shrugged his shoulders as Ms. Blake walked away, "It was no big deal."

"Like we said, humble," Lydia chimed in from nearby.

She made her way over on shaky feet. The redhead only looked slightly worse for wear though she was obviously rattled. The adrenaline rush was leaving her and she was still in shock. Stiles ran over to support her before she collapsed. The look she gave him was an interesting mix of thankfulness and chagrin.

"Like we said, right Allison?" Lydia asked her friend.

Clark looked at Allison who was still standing near the door. Her hair was messy with a lone feather sticking out of it like an absurd fashion accessory. It added a bit of comedy to her otherwise haggard appearance. Thankfully, she'd escaped with only a few minor cuts beyond her torn up clothes. Clark was happy to notice the rest of the class only had minor injuries as well.

"Yeah," Allison replied. She regarded Clark carefully, "He didn't get a single scratch either."

Clark felt like she was jumping to conclusions. He knew he was a mess. There was a good amount of bird blood congealing onto his clothes and exposed skin. There was also the other soft tissue splattered all over his body. Without special vision, there was absolutely no way anyone could tell he hadn't been hurt. Allison was clearly just letting her speculation get the better of her.

"I'm pretty sure not all that blood came from the birds," Stiles arched an expressive eyebrow.

"You didn't really seem to notice when the birds attacked you," Allison said staring at Clark suspiciously.

It was an easy accusation to shrug off, "I was kind of worried with everything going on. I'll probably be feeling it tomorrow when the adrenaline has worn off."

"Hmm," Allison didn't comment out loud on his reply.

"Everyone is getting checked over by the paramedics. Your parents have been called and they should be on their way," Ms. Blake said as she walked towards their small group.

She gave them all a humourless smile, "You will all be free to go home once you've been screened for injuries. The school understands that this has been quite the traumatic experience."

"No kidding," Lydia snorted.

"I hope to see you all in class tomorrow. Take it easy tonight," Ms. Blake gave them a soft smile before walking off to the next group of students.

"Are you all ok though?" Clark asked with a little concern.

The trio checked each other out visually and nodded in confirmation of each other's well being. They then turned to Clark.

"How about you?" Stiles asked curiously, " You were the one taking them on."

"Only some," Clark reminded him.

The teen was not discouraged, "Dude you fought them with a fricking textbook. A textbook, man. Wait—that's my textbook!"

His excitement quickly turned to dismay.

"Mr. Harris is just going to use this against me too," he groaned.

"He does hate you," Allison laughed.

"Part of it is your fault," Lydia added.

"He just hates me. So I don't like him, then that makes him hate me more, so I hate him more… It's not my fault he started this vicious cycle," Stiles protested in comic outrage.

"I could talk to him for you. Explain what exactly happened to your textbook," Clark offered.

Stiles shook his head, "It wouldn't help. It just might put you on his hit list. Thanks, but it's not a good idea."

His opinion was clearly biased against the teacher so Clark turned to the two girls. They both seemed to agree with Stiles though so Clark decided to leave it be. It irked him that the other teen would get in trouble for his actions; however, he didn't want to make a bad situation even worse.

"I don't know about you guys, but I think I'm going to head home and get cleaned up. I really need a shower and maybe burn these clothes," Clark said. He began to make his way down the hall.

"Ms. Blake said we're supposed to wait for our parents," Stiles called out.

Clark called back, "Not a minor and I'll be giving my guardian a call on the way home anyways. Don't worry about it. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

Nothing was going to keep him from getting home. Not even the grey matter sliding down his sock.

He really wanted that shower.

.

"Watcher," Chris Argent greeted as he opened the door. Allison curiously waited in the hall. Her father had received a call earlier and had been tense ever since. She'd been told to expect important guests and to stay home tonight.

"Argent," the man in the door replied.

His British accent told Allison his country of origin. She observed the man as he walked into their home. He was reasonably handsome and was younger than her father by a decade or two. Based on his glasses and the clothes he was wearing, she thought he looked like British accountant. She had no idea why this sort of man would be in contact with her father.

Motioning into the sitting room, Chris led the visitor further into their home. Allison followed curiously and took a seat beside her father.

"Tea?" Chris offered.

"Good lord yes. It's been impossible to find a good cup of tea since I left my colleague in Sunnydale," the Watcher replied enthused.

Something about Sunnydale rang familiar in Allison's mind. It had been mentioned in passing, but she couldn't really remember anything about it. Her father on the other hand clearly recognized the name and tensed beside her.

"I admit I was surprised to hear you were coming to town," Chris admitted slowly, "Traditionally the Council sticks to the supernatural hotspots."

"And the Argents settling in an area is a sign all is normal?" the man replied with a raised eyebrow.

Allison felt something tighten in her chest. She hadn't heard of the Council before, but based on what she was hearing and her father's reaction, they were bad news. She just wasn't sure if it was for her family or the pack. Her disturbed look did not go unnoticed by their guest.

"And this young lady is?" the bespectacled man asked.

"This is my daughter, Allison," her father introduced. He put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Surprisingly, their visitor's stern demeanour melted a little, "A pleasure to meet you Allison. My name's Wesley Wyndham-Price."

Not at all surprised by his pompous name, Allison was surprised by how his smile helped her relax. Her father felt it and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. The tension in the room dropped a little.

Chris said, "Wyndam-Price is a pretty well-respected name within the Council if I recall."

"If this were last year, I would have been the first rub that in your face," Wesley laughed, "However, months in Sunnydale have taught me that origin and status are not the most important in our fight. Family names can mean very little."

Allison bristled slightly at his comment. While she might have understood where he was coming from, the Argents were a proud family with a rich history. You couldn't just casually dismiss their lineage.

"That is a very… unusual stance for a Watcher," her father replied cautiously.

"Well, Watchers can be a little… stiff shall we say," Wesley grinned sardonically.

Allison resisted the urge to laugh. The man was the perfect stereotypical English gentlemen in her mind. She couldn't think of anyone she'd seen who was stiffer. Her father seemed to think along similar lines and offered a small smirk.

"The thought never crossed my mind," he lied.

"Yes well, I thought I owed you and your family the courtesy of informing you of my arrival in Beacon Hills. The incident at the school was a nasty business," Wesley flushed, aware he was being teased. He adjusted his glasses, "In addition to peculiar animal behaviour, is it safe to assume the presence of a werewolf or two in this town?"

Allison consciously stopped herself from visibly tensing. In reality, her heart was thundering in her ears. Scott could be in danger and she needed to warn him somehow. The look she recognized on her father's face said he was about to lie.

"We've retired."

Well maybe not lie exactly, just misdirect.

"I may still be somewhat inexperienced in the field Mr. Argent, but I am most definitely not an idiot," Wesley snapped, clearly offended.

Chris kept his face blank, "I never said you were."

"No, but your implication is—hold on. Who do you mean by we? I was under the impression that your wife had passed this past year," the Watcher said.

Both Allison and her father couldn't help but wince. Wesley caught the movement and calmed himself.

"Apologies, but that was highly insensitive of me. I can be a pillock at times," he apologized.

"Sometimes?" shot Allison. She didn't even know what the word meant, but her mother was still a sensitive subject.

"Allison," chided her father. He turned to Wesley, "You must understand that our family's past dealings with the Council haven't always worked out for the best. As for retirement, I was speaking of Allison and me."

Startled, Wesley looked at Allison. His gaze sharpened as he took in all of her. He paid special attention to her eyes before staring at her hands. His scrutiny was uncomfortable for Allison, but it was quickly over.

Wesley sighed, "She's so young."

Allison felt more than just mildly insulted.

"You are one to talk," Chris sniped, "At least Allison was given a choice. She chose to become a hunter, a great hunter. Retired now, I guess. Either way, she had a choice. Unlike some others."

Her father's comments helped soothe Allison's pride somewhat. She had no idea what her father meant to imply to Wesley however.

Their guest rubbed his forehead, "I must apologize once again. I meant no disrespect to you or Allison. You are correct, someone in my position has no right to judge you. Although I must say there is something to be said for destiny."

Chris stared at Wesley with narrowed eyes. After a moment he nodded and relaxed again. Allison's father actually looked slightly bewildered.

"You are the weirdest Watcher I've met. Not that I've met many," Chris commented.

Allison could pick up some humour in her father's tone and took it as a positive sign. Maybe she'd been worrying over nothing.

"You could say I've recently developed a more… liberal view of the world when compared to most of my contemporaries," Wesley admitted.

"Most?" the Chris asked curiously.

"Some friends in Sunnydale showed me I still have a lot to learn. There is something to be said for practical experience over prescribed training," the Watcher replied.

A notion Allison's father clearly shared. He took a leap of faith. Albeit, with some reluctance.

"There may be a few werewolves in town," the retired hunter admitted. He was careful not to give an exact number.

Wesley nodded, "It is as I suspected. I assume they're not a threat and you're simply monitoring the situation? Are they a pack?"

"They're friendly," Allison blurted out.

Her father gave her a disapproving look for her outburst.

"Of course. It had to be teenage love," Wesley rolled his eyes.

"It sounds like you're speaking from experience," Chris commented amused. He didn't seem as upset with Allison after seeing the Watcher's reaction.

"Let's just say it is not the first time I've seen a young lady fall for someone she shouldn't," the Watcher replied slyly. He chuckled at a private joke, "It seems some things are universal. Like unruly teenagers."

"Tell me about it," Chris sighed.

Allison slapped her father's shoulder playfully. They'd already discussed her association with some of the local pack at great length. While her father didn't completely agree with it, in the end he understood. He'd developed a grudging respect for some of wolves and was willing to let Allison associate with them. Reluctantly of course.

"We and the pack have reached a tentative arrangement," Chris explained, still withholding specific details.

"They're friends," Allison interjected.

Giving his daughter a look, Chris countered, "Some are."

"Some are," she conceded.

"I assume some of them go to school with you?" Wesley asked curiously, leaning forward.

There was no malice in his words. In fact, he seemed quite excited.

Looking at her father, Allison was hoping for some directions. He nodded slowly which she took as a signal to answer Wesley's question.

"Yes they do," she replied cautiously.

"Interesting…" Wesley sat back in contemplation, "Actually, I wanted to introduce you both to someone. May I?"

He took out his cellphone while looking at Chris.

"You're already here. Might as well," the elder Argent acquiesced.

Wesley hit a number on speed dial and waited for his call to connect. Allison sent a look at her dad. Although the last bit of conversation had been much more relaxed, her father's face had returned to a careful mask. They weren't out of the woods yet.

"Yes? It's me. They're ready to meet you."

Wesley quickly hung up. He stood up and looked to Chris, "If we could get the door, he'll be outside in just a moment."

At Chris' puzzled look, Wesley explained, "I had him wait in the lobby. I was hoping our introduction would go well."

Allison's father still looked confused, but walked their guest to the door nonetheless. Allison heard the door open and she strained her ears to hear their conversation. There were brief introductions and a moment later, she heard them coming back. She settled into her seat in preparation for a second round of introductions.

"You have a lovely apartment Mr. Argent," a familiar voice said.

"Thank you," her father replied. Confusion was still colouring his voice.

Allison was startled when Clark walked into the living room.

"You!" she exclaimed, standing up abruptly.

"Me?" Clark was surprised by her reaction.

"Is everything okay here?" Chris asked questioningly from the doorway. Allison saw his hand drifting towards the hallway table where a hidden gun was located. It was loaded with wolfsbane bullets just in case.

"What are you doing here?" demanded Allison.

Clark looked bewildered, "I was invited?"

"I take it you two know each other?" Wesley asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah. We're in some of the same classes," Clark replied. He blushed slightly before continuing, "Actually her and Lydia kind of… hit on me."

Only Wesley recognized his misdirection for what it was.

"That was only Lydia," Allison protested a little flustered.

Her father relaxed. He motioned to the seats, "Why don't we all have a seat and sort through this."

Clark took care to sit as far as physically possible from Allison. Neither Chris or Wesley commented if they'd noticed as they took their own seats. The senior Argent did however take some time to examine Clark. His gaze was critical and assessing.

"Honestly, I thought you'd be a girl," Chris admitted, "You were a surprise."

Allison looked at her father. Clark's gender was the source of his confusion? She wasn't even sure how to make use of that information.

Clark choked out, "Excuse me?"

"I can see why you would make that assumption," Wesley laughed.

"Where's your charge now?" Chris asked.

"She's currently in LA at the moment. She will be joining us in a little while," the Watcher explained.

Nobody missed the slight shadows that flickered across Clark's expression.

"So what's your story Clark?" Allison father's asked. He was more guarded after Allison's dramatic reaction. The more casual rapport he'd developed with Wesley was gone.

"Uh..my high school blew up and Wesley offered to put me up for the year?" Clark supplied with a wince. He didn't sound very convincing.

"That's all?" Argent senior asked skeptically.

"Well I'm originally from Smallville, Mr. Argent, sir," the teen replied.

Chris turned his daughter. She gave her father an almost imperceptible nod. So far Clark's story had been consistent with what he said in school. At least Allison knew why Sunnydale had sounded so familiar.

Still, Clark was clearly holding something back. There was no way he would be associated with someone who knew of the Argents true history without being involved in the supernatural himself.

"He's also Stiles' 'textbook warrior' from the bird attack," Allison added.

Clark groaned, "Not that stupid name again."

"If I remember correctly, that makes you the hero of the week," Chris commented, "That was quite brave of you."

"So, what problem do you have with Clark, Allison? I have it on good authority he can be positively charming. Especially with the ladies," Wesley cut in with a smirk. He pushed his glasses up to hide the mischievous glint in his eyes.

Clark put his face into his hands. "Damnit Wesley, you're being embarrassing. I'm not charming."

"I imagine you don't mean to be. Doesn't make it less true though," Chris found the teen's response amusing.

Allison reluctantly agreed when recalled her previous experiences with the other teen. She struggled to respond to the Watcher's question without raising any suspicion. After a prolonged silence, Wesley quirked an eyebrow and Clark looked up at her. They were both waiting for her answer.

She turned to her father and he gave her a small nod. If he trusted them, Allison would defer to his judgement. She decided to be subtle just in case the information changed her father's mind.

"Scott didn't like him," Allison said finally.

Her father tensed. Message received.

Wesley snorted, "Petty teen drama? I expected more from the Argent heir."

"Wesley. You're doing it again." Clark said as he watched both Argents take offense from the Watcher's statement.

"And that would be?" the Watcher asked.

"Putting your foot in your mouth. You're kind of coming off like a prick," the teen replied.

Chris snorted and Allison withheld a small giggle. Damn. He really was charming in his own way. All the tension in the air had been dispelled with just a few simple words. He was definitely trouble.

"While I may not exactly like the boy, I've come to appreciate his instincts," Chris explained as a peace offering.

Clark nodded seriously, "It's because he's a werewolf right?"

Allison froze as worry clawed at her heart. This was a potential disaster in the making. Turning to her father, she saw that he'd remained calm.

"That does make things clearer," commented Wesley thoughtfully, "I'm surprised I missed that."

"I'm not exactly surprised that one of you reached that conclusion, but I assumed it would be you,Watcher," Chris admitted. He narrowed his gaze, "I wouldn't mind knowing how you came to your conclusion though Clark."

Clark gave Wesley a look. Clearly, Allison wasn't the only one taking cues from their older companion. The Watcher gave him an encouraging nod.

"Go ahead Clark."

"Well, before we came, Wesley and I talked about the likelihood of us finding werewolves in Beacon Hills. With the Hale's presence it seemed probable. I also did some research into the Argent family when Wesley mentioned your family's profession," he explained, "Based on your trust in Scott's 'instincts', I just assumed the most logical conclusion."

"Hmm," Chris hummed thoughtfully.

Allison wasn't sure if they could take Clark at his word, but looking at Wesley she couldn't see any tells. Clark had a serious look on his face and the Watcher appeared completely relaxed. Neither of them looked ready to cause any trouble.

"How very perceptive of you Clark," Chris let out.

"Can you tell me what sort of weapon Allison uses Clark?" Wesley asked lightly. He wore a smug expression.

The teen turned his green eyes onto the brunette. His eyes lingered on Allison's hands much like Wesley's did. His observation only took a fraction of the time though.

"The compound bow is probably her preferred weapon, though she can use a composite bow and knife comfortably as well," Clark said after a second of consideration.

Allison just stared as Wesley chuckled.

"You led me to believe the Council didn't care about my daughter," Chris accused Wesley, frowning at the idea.

"Actually her calluses told me she normally uses a bow and not a gun," Clark shrugged his shoulders, "I also assumed that hunters as good as the Argents would use the best bows available. It wouldn't make sense to use anything else. The knife fighting was just a guess to her preferred close combat style."

"Logical and perceptive," Chris commented. He turned to Wesley, "He's training to become a Watcher? I didn't realize the Council was interested in Americans."

"I'm actually just learning enough to keep my friends safe. I'm not trying to become a Watcher," Clark denied with a small shake of his head.

Allison briefly wondered why his short-ish brown hair bounced more than flopped considering its length. She mentally berated herself. Now was not the time to be distracted by odd hair. She needed to focus.

"We still haven't talked about why Scott thinks you're different. Or how you handled yourself so well with the birds," the brunette pointed out. They'd managed to divert the conversation long enough.

"I imagine both questions can be explained by his experiences on the Hellmouth," Wesley dismissed casually.

"Hellmouth?" Allison questioned unsure.

"Hellmouths are special kind of supernatural hotspot. Hunts were more dangerous near them so our family was happy to let the Council manage them," her father explained, "Werewolves don't act the same near one and never mind the other things."

"Other things?" Allison asked questioningly.

"Some of them are in the bestiary, but we're missing some species," Chris replied.

Clark groaned, "You have no idea."

The brunette gave him a questioning look, but it was Wesley that explained.

"If all you have is a single book, your knowledge of all the possible supernatural threats must be severely limited," the Watcher said authoritatively.

Allison and her father definitely did not appreciate Wesley's tone of superiority or his words.

"Just because our scope may not be as wide as your Council, we get the job done. Nobody knows werewolves better than we do." Chris replied frostily.

Allison felt the same way. The British man seemed to quickly realize he'd made a mistake, but the damage had been done.

"I apologize Mr. Argent, but I did not mean to insult you or your family in any way," Wesley apologized.

"But you did. Several times now. We've done our little meet and greet," the elder Argent stood up, "I think it's time you both left."

The Watcher looked absolutely shocked at the change in atmosphere. He spluttered to find the words, but Clark put a hand on his shoulder. Wesley quieted and stood up. He nodded sharply at both Argents and made his way to the front door. Clark moved to follow.

He paused at the hallway, "It was nice to meet you Mr. Argent. I also apologize for Wesley."

Allison's father nodded reluctantly, "I appreciate that, but I think it's time you caught up with your Watcher. Don't worry about the door on your way out."

The teen nodded before walking out of sight. Chris looked out the window and waited to make sure both Clark and Wesley got into their car. As they pulled out of the parking lot, he left the room to lock the front door.

Allison wasn't sure what to think. Clark and Wesley had been a shock and there was clearly a history between her family and this Council. Her father returned looking very grim.

"Dad?" she asked questioningly.

"The Council being here is not good news. Keep an eye on that Clark boy and be careful," he instructed.

"What is the Council?" Allison asked, hoping for an explanation.

"Bad news. We might need to come out of retirement."

.

Clark sat quietly enjoying the sounds of the forest around him. The rustling of the leaves and the sounds of the animals close to him were a nice change of pace. Having learned to control his hearing for a while now, he was happy to have found another 'Fortress of Solitude'. There was something special about the tree stump, but Clark couldn't really tell what.

He'd found some evidence of the local werewolf pack on the reserve, but he figured it wasn't any of his business. As long as they were careful around others, Clark could care less. He respected the need for privacy.

Clark eventually picked up on the gentle treads of a human walking through the forest. They paused suddenly a reasonable distance away before ducking behind a tree. The soft steps and light breathing led Clark to believe it was one of the local pack.

"I know you're there. You might as well come out now," Clark said, opening his eyes. He turned around to look at his observer.

Allison stepped out from behind a tree and walked a little closer. Clark winced. At least I didn't yell out 'I can hear you'.

The other teen approached slowly holding her bow out in front of her. She stopped a fair distance away and drew back an arrow.

"What are you?" Allison demanded.

Clark may have been open to sharing under certain circumstances, but being held at arrow-point was not one of them.

"I'm just a regular guy," he replied eventually.

Surprised, Clark barely avoided the arrow before it would have deflected off his leg. He was ready for the second one, the third one, and every arrow after that. Allison would have to stop her attacks eventually as she got tired or ran out of arrows. Clark would be happy with either.

A fair distance away, Allison was clearly getting more frustrated with every shot. The fact none of the arrows were aimed for his center of mass told Clark that she wasn't aiming to kill. Until she took a more deadly approach, there was no reason for him to escalate. He was patient and confident that she'd give up eventually.

Allison abruptly stopped shooting, but kept an arrow notched. She gave Clark a small smirk like she'd won their little confrontation.

"A regular guy huh?"

Clark withheld his groan, "I'm pretty sure if anyone was being shot at, they'd dodge too."

"I've shot werewolves before and they're pretty quick," she wasn't buying it, "You are something else."

"You'd be surprised how easy it is to predict shots when they're all aimed at my legs," Clark replied.

Allison laughed softly, "Of course you noticed. But are you really going to keep pretending you're a regular human?"

Her stern demeanour from before was gone. She was grinning at him openly. Clark reluctantly admitted that if the situation was reversed he could've found the situation a little funny. Listening to her heart beat, Clark was surprised to hear it was still relatively calm. All the arrows she'd fire at him hadn't taxed her at all.

"I've got nothing to hide," Clark shrugged his shoulders, "I'm pretty sure you're imagining things."

"Maybe," Allison conceded, her eyes dancing.

Her relaxed mood was infectious and Clark eventually offered her a small smile in return. Before he could even think, her arms snapped back up in a full-draw and she fired an arrow straight at his chest. Clark instinctively caught the arrow several centimeters in front of him.

"Like I said, something else entirely," Allison said. Her eyes were hard again. The warm and open young lady was gone and in her place stood the hardened hunter.

"You could've killed me!" Clark exclaimed in shock.

"I knew you were going to be fine," she replied.

"How could you have known that?" Clark demanded, "Just because I demonstrate a little above average speed? If I hadn't caught this arrow I could have been bleeding out right now. Or worse, just dead."

"I was sure," Allison said. Clark barely caught the hesitation in her voice.

"You can't just go around shooting people because they mightbe a threat," he admonished.

Allison's eyes barely wavered, "If it means protecting the people important to me, I'll take the shot."

"I get protecting people you care about, but there is still a right way to do things!" Clark shot back, "Shooting potential threats on a whim? Have you even tried to give people the benefit of the doubt?"

"Yes. People I cared about got hurt," Allison replied in a clipped tone.

"I'm sorry that happened to you, but that doesn't mean you stop doing the right thing," Clark shot back. The events in Sunnydale had only strengthened his beliefs in that regard. He still felt the sting of betrayal all these months later.

"Are you serious?" the hunter asked him incredulously. She lowered her bow in surprise.

Clark's gaze never left hers, "Compassion is one the most important traits of humanity."

Allison kept staring at him like he'd suddenly grown a second head. She was certainly struggling to understand him. Clark would have really liked to know what she was thinking.

With a sigh, Allison reached into her pocket. Clark tensed and focused his vision on her hand. He just as suddenly looked away. While seeing her phone, he'd also saw a flash of black lace during the focusing of his vision. That had definitely not been his intention and he promised himself to practice using his x-ray vision more when given the opportunity.

Allison noticed his weird behaviour and kept her eyes on him while she raised her phone to her ear.

"Yeah it's me."

"No there's nothing to worry about."

"Maybe."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure he's clean."

Clark didn't listen in; he'd already invaded her privacy and wasn't about to do it again not even five seconds later. She hung up soon after.

"What's the problem now?" Allison demanded. She shouldered her bow, "Is that better?"

Clark coughed uncomfortably and looked back at her. He tried to avoid direct eye contact.

"Yeah."

"And you won't look at me because?" the hunter asked arching an eyebrow.

Clark met her eyes. He found himself distracted by the small things he'd never noticed before; the freckles on her nose, the length of her eyelashes, and the colour of her eyes. They were a soft chocolate — no, mud— thought Clark trying to reassert some self-control. It would be easier to think if she had mud coloured eyes. They were a lighter shade than Faith's…

Allison coughed awkwardly. She'd also been staring. They both looked away from each other briefly before turning back to each other.

"So, what are you?" Allison asked Clark curiously, "Are you some kind of male Slayer?"

He coughed, surprised by her question, "So your dad did tell you about the Council then."

"You didn't answer the question."

She was annoyingly persistent.

"I actually… dated one for a while," Clark finally admitted.

He stared at the trees around him. The forest really was quite nice. The Beacon Hills Reserve was understandably a great location for a werewolf pack to set up.

"Based on what my father said, I didn't think that was possible," the hunter said carefully.

She believed him and Clark wouldn't be surprised if his eyes had been the reason.

"Faith was something special. We met and one thing just led to another," he explained. He managed to stop himself from choking up.

"What happened?" Allison asked kindly.

"Evil mayor with a plan to turn into a giant snake demon and eat everything," Clark replied glibly, "Things happened and now we're on a break."

His tone didn't match his expression and Allison picked up on it.

"I get it. Crazy things happen. Scott and I are the same way," she offered in consolation.

"Yeah…" Clark trailed off to examine the nearby foliage once again.

"Dating the Slayer doesn't give you supernatural speed," Allison commented. Her tone was less confrontational than before.

"I don't have supernatural speed," Clark replied. Technically true.

"You know I don't have to shoot you to get you to talk," Allison smirked. She took her bow and quiver off her back, gently laying them against a nearby tree.

Clark groaned. Despite the temporary peace between them, she was still pushing. Her persistence was admirable, but also bloody annoying. So was picking up British speech from Wesley.

Allison rushed him and tried to sweep his legs out from under him. Moving a leg forward, Clark intercepted her swing, hoping to reduce the impact for her. She scowled and spun in retaliation, sending a vicious elbow to his head. He leaned his head back and let her strike go on by. The ground shifted under her feet as Allison continued her attack.

She wasn't as good as a slayer or some vampires, but she was still quite skilled. If Clark didn't have his experiences from Sunnydale and his speed, she would definitely have landed some solid blows. Admittedly they'd be more painful for her than him.

He was actively trying to avoid that outcome. He intercepted the arcs of some of her attacks to reduce the force behind them. Other attacks he dodged.

Her breathing grew heavier and her exertion began to show. Her hair was clumping together and sweat ran down her forehead. She also wasn't attacking as quickly. Not that her motions weren't sharp, she was simply taking more time between strikes or combinations. Her scowl was gone and in its place was a grin.

At some point their engagement had turned into a really aggressive spar. She was clearly enjoying the challenge. To be honest, so was Clark. It had been a long time since he sparred with someone so skilled, even if she was only human. Protecting his attacker from harm, if needed, was an important part of his own developing fighting style. Allison seemed tough enough to take a little punishment if he failed.

After several more minutes, Clark could see she was exhausted. It was time to end it. In a burst of motion, he grabbed both of her wrists and locked her arms at her sides.

"It's over," he said with a smile.

She smiled back, "It's not over until I say it is."

Clark was not expecting a vicious head-butt to the face. It hadn't hurt at all, but he still let go of her in surprise. On the other hand, Allison was not as lucky.

"What the hell is your head made of?" she demanded raising both of her hands to her head. She stumbled around slightly.

Clark stepped forward worriedly to meet her. Head injuries were notoriously tricky.

"Are you ok?"

Allison surprised him for a second time. When he got close enough, she hooked a leg behind his and pushed forward with all her weight. Caught off guard, Clark fell back with brunette on top of him. They landed and she let out a small 'oumph'.

"Now it's over," she grinned widely. Her face was flushed as she panted for breath. Clark saw her forehead was also developing a bit of a lump.

He brushed some of her disheveled hair out of her face. He gently touched her forehead and she winced slightly.

"You're hurt," Clark said gently, "Sorry."

Allison wasn't sorry at all, "I knocked your supernatural ass to the ground."

Not this again.

"I may have… access to some special abilities," Clark eventually gave up.

"Finally. Took you long enough," Allison sat up and wiped some of the sweat off her brow, "That was one of the best workouts I've had in a while."

Clark couldn't help but notice he was being straddled by a very attractive young woman. Her disheveled hair and sweaty appearance didn't help. Even the bump on her forehead couldn't detract from her appeal. He couldn't help but remember the flash of lace from earlier and he felt his body react. Not now!

" You might want to get up now," Clark said in panic.

"What, can't take being beaten by a—oh," Allison felt something poke at her leg. She sprang up immediately. Her fading flush returned in full force, "I, uh, sorry."

Clark's entire face was hot. He rolled over and buried his face in his hands, "This is one of the most embarrassing moments of my life."

"I'm… flattered?" Allison offered. She didn't really seem sure.

"That doesn't really help," Clark mumbled as he ground his hands and face into the dirt. His face burned behind his hands.

"Ok, this is stupid. Just get up," Allison commanded.

"Alright," Clark got up reluctantly.

Allison was obviously fighting the urge to laugh as she took in his dirt covered appearance. If she noticed his bulge, it seemed she had the good grace to ignore it. When Clark finally looked up, she gasped. She took a few steps back, her hand instinctively reaching towards her boot knife.

"What's wrong?" he asked in confusion.

The brunette seemed to struggle with what to say. Initially scared, her knit brows displayed her confusion.

She finally croaked out, "Your eyes are glowing."

Clark was even more sheepish than before. Shuffling awkwardly, he took a few deep breaths while closing his eyes. When he looked back up, his eyes were back to their regular sparkling green.

Allison relaxed a little, but was still wary.

"What was that? It looked kind of like an alpha's eyes."

"I'm not a werewolf," Clark's blush hadn't faded, "My eyes glow red when I'm really angry. Or sometimes when I'm very… uh…"

He made vague hand motions, but Allison got the gist of it.

"I get it."

There was a very awkward and long pause.

"So definitely not a werewolf?"

Clark shook his head vigorously.

"I can work with that," Allison conceded. She added, "You know, I'm still going to find out what you are."

"I never expected anything else," Clark replied with a grin.

AN:It's been a while since I've watched Teen Wolf and I apologize if anyone reads OOC. I've taken some time to read through this and edit, but it's longer than I'm used to and would love a second pair of eyes moving forward. Please R+R!