Disclaimer: Well, duh!
Chapter 16: Keeping Secrets.
Lex had taken Catherine on a guided tour of the mansion and they were now sat in the dining room, having dinner, with Chloe.
"So, Chloe, when are we gonna do this interview?"
"Well, whenever you're ready. Is there some sort of rush?"
"Well, kind of I have some things to do back home so I won't be over for a while."
"What things?"
"The usual, go to work, gain my masters, turn 21."
"You are coming back for that right?" Lex said.
"Sure." She replied, feeling queasy and desperately wanting to escape the room.
"We'll do the interview tomorrow at school, about 2:30?"
"Great."
Catherine entered the Torch offices at 2:25, Lex following after her rattling off instructions.
"Now they don't know about me and Chloe, and don't mention Dad, and you shouldn't feel obliged to answer all her…"
"LEX!" She yelled.
"Yeah?"
"Shut the hell up. I've given interviews before. And, even though they're your friends, I'd appreciate our connection being kept quiet, I still haven't told my step dad."
"Hey, you're early." Chloe said brightly. "I haven't set up yet, grab coffee or whatever, I'll be ready in a few."
Clark and Lana arrived next.
"Chloe?"
"Yeah Clark."
"Do you have a date for Friday?"
"Clark, I don't do dances, and even if I did, I wouldn't do them on Friday's." She paused a moment before adding "And even if I did them on Friday's I wouldn't let you set me up."
"See, I told you she wouldn't be interested." Lana said.
"Are you sure?" He asked.
"Sorry, to interrupt, but what part of 'no' don't you understand?" Catherine asked, before Clark could answer, she carried on. "I mean, do you have any idea how insulting it is to suggest that Chloe can't get a date, or do just think her taste in men is so poor you want to save her from herself?"
"Who are you?" He asked.
"Just a spectator in your weird high school rituals."
"Don't you think that you were a bit rude considering you barely know me?"
"Don't you think you were a bit rude considering you do know her?" Catherine asked in the same tone she used when Dick was being particularly bratty.
Clark looked flustered before saying "I guess you have a point, I'm sorry Chlo I shouldn't have asked."
"That's okay Clark, I'll forgive you. C'm'ere." She said and gave him a friendly hug. "Now, are you gonna do some work or just hang around making the place look untidy?" Clark got the hint and went to his desk.
Chloe walked over to Catherine and whispered harshly "You shouldn't have done that, I wasn't going to go."
"I'm sorry, I've been spending too much time with Dick, I'm becoming…" She shuddered, "motherly."
Chloe suppressed a giggle at this, since she didn't know any mothers, let alone anyone else, who wore tops emblazoned with 'Barbie is a slut'.
"So, I'm ready for my close-up Mr. De Mille." Catherine offered as Chloe finished setting up the video camera.
"Huh?"
"Can we start the interview?"
"Yeah"
"Lex."
"Yes."
"Do one will ya, it's very off-putting having you watch me like that." Catching the look she was getting, Catherine added. "I won't disclose any state secrets. Cross my fingers." She paused for a moment, "I mean heart." She said with a grin.
"I agree with her Lex." Chloe said. "There is no good reason for you to be here."
"Fine, I know where I'm not wanted." He huffed, before leaving. He didn't have to see it to know that both girls rolled their eyes.
"What was that all about?" Asked Clark.
"Nothing." They replied.
The interview took about an hour due to the various tangents they went off on. Clark had pretended to work on an article for fifteen minutes before bemusedly heading off to find Lex and leaving the girls to chat.
As the interview drew to a close, Catherine began to chatter on about recent events.
"Yeah, so he comes round to the hotel room all 'how much do you want to disappear?' and the minute Bruce's name gets mentioned he's suddenly ready to become father of the year."
"A trait Lex has often noted." Chloe said.
"What you're Lionel's daughter?" Lana asked, only marginally less shocked than Chloe and Catherine were when they realised she was still in the room.
"Yes, but if you tell anyone I swear to God I'll break your neck."
"Calm down, she's kept me and Lex a secret."
"Lex never said anyone else knew."
"Lex doesn't know." Chloe said.
"Lex doesn't know what?" Lex asked coming into the room.
"Anything much at all." Catherine said.
"Hey, he knows lots of things," Chloe said, Lex looked smugly in his sister's direction. "It's just none of them are particularly relevant to the world outside his own head."
Lex turned towards Chloe and said "Why Miss. Sullivan, there was almost a complement in there."
"Sorry, Mr. Luthor," she said carefully annunciating his name, "I'll try harder to insult you properly next time."
"Chloe, you should be nicer to Lex." Clark said, and was completely baffled by the round of stifled giggles he received.