Disclaimer: I wouldn't let it end, at least not without announcing a DVD release date.
Author's Note: I'm changing my opinion of Lionel, at least in relation to Catherine; I think he might go niceish, for a while at least. He's still going to end up a bastard, but I refuse to believe he has absolutely no conscience. You probably won't see what I mean for a bit, but I felt I should warn you.
Chapter 18: Girls Will Be Girls.
"Oh. My. God." Chloe stated staring at the ring on Catherine's finger. "That is beautiful."
Catherine grinned like an idiot.
"And he gave you the Vincent diamond?"
More grinning.
"This is huge."
Lana stared at them bemusedly and asked, "What's the Vincent diamond?"
"Well, back in the days of alchemy, people were constantly trying to turn lead into gold as you know. Anyway, there was supposedly this very rich man who believed that you could do this through applying great pressure to the metal, and thus change is structure. He employed a team of people to study this, and they just wasted time pressing things in huge vices never expecting anything to happen. Anyway, legend has it that one day they got a huge weight and placed a large piece of carbon under it, the weight went down and they left it, when it was lifted they found it had become a diamond, only it contained a flaw. The story goes that a fly must have landed in it as the weight went down and was preserved by the process, if you look at the diamond and squint the flaw does kind of look like a squished fly, but that doesn't matter because no one has ever bought this diamond for the diamond or the flaw. The truth is that these 'alchemists' could easily have got hold of a flawed diamond cheaply and handed it over with this fanciful story to a gullible man with too much money. The thing is that no one has ever conclusively proved the story false and, over time, a relatively worthless jewel has become highly sought after in many circles. Bruce got it because he knows that a) I love anything with a story, and b) it would impress Lionel no end as he has been outbid for it on three occasions."
"Oh, so it's not really worth anything?"
"No, it's like all things, worth the value placed upon it. It's like the film 'The Pink Panther', that was a diamond that was flawed and everyone tried to steal because it was famous for it's flaw. Anyway, I doubt Bruce actually paid that much for it, he's too savvy."
"So you're saying that this diamond is not worth as much as everyone thinks it is?"
"No, I'm saying the last guy who owned had a 'closing down sale' and you could pick things up cheaply."
"You know it's proof that some people have too much money that something like the Vincent diamond could exist." Chloe said.
"Yeah, but it's now so old that it sort of qualifies as an antique."
"It's like baseball cards, they're worth nothing, but after a while, in the right circles they gain value." Lana offered.
"Precisely, I mean the list of people the diamond belonged to is enough to give it value. There's royalty, film stars, entrepreneurs; the list goes on. Word has it that one owner was Catherine the Great herself."
"Wow, this is one well travelled rock." Chloe said. "But it is not as weird as you and Bruce, I mean I am completely shocked by the revelation."
"I know, it's just amazing, I never would have believed I'd marry Bruce. Oh, God!"
"What?"
"You understand that Dick will basically be my stepson."
"Ewww."
"Precisely."
"So where and when?" Lana chipped in.
"Three months, in Metropolis." She paused and added. "Now, I don't have many friends, so I'd like you to be my bridesmaids. Chloe, you're like my sister-in-law or something, so I'd like you to be my maid of honour. Will you both?"
"Sure, we'd love to." They answered.
"Great, now the announcement hasn't gone out yet. But I've got the designs for the dresses already. They are the best bridesmaid's dresses you will ever see, you will both look great."
"What about your dress?" Lana asked.
"Really great, but I have to run it past Dad first." She pulled a face.
"He won't let you just choose?"
"I have to run the dress I'm wearing next week past him too. He thinks I'll embarrass him or something."
"What's next week?"
"My official acceptance as a Luthor."
"Huh?"
"We're doing interviews this week to break the story, but my first official function is next week. It's some society ball or something." She drank some of her coffee. "So, you and Lex still incognito?"
"Clark, Pete, Lana and Whitney know, and Lex knows they know. We're gonna tell my Dad in the next few days, and yours after that."
"How'd they find out?"
"Not in a good way."
"Tell."
"Okay, but if Lex ever finds out I've told he's gonna kill me." Chloe took a deep breath and told the story.
Two Months Earlier.
Lex had been waiting nearly an hour for Chloe to be alone, so that he could get her up to the mansion. So far Clark had spent ten minutes discussing his latest sports article, and Pete had spent twenty arguing about the relevance of his date with Felice.
This, Lex had objected to on the grounds that even Pete would not consider this truly newsworthy, ever. She was currently interviewing Whitney for the post of sports writer due to Clark's seeming incompetence at the job. He knew there was no point trying to get her to the castle until she had finished that. Of course Lex, being Lex, was growing impatient, especially since he couldn't go in and wait, as that would arouse suspicion. The second Whitney finished speaking to Chloe; Lex sent her a text telling her to get outside, as he hadn't seen her all day. Chloe was not exactly pleased at the order, but was more than happy to oblige. She said goodbye to the guys and left, apparently to go home.
Once outside, she found the car around the corner and got in. During the brief ride to Lex's they had a short discussion about their days, and went straight to Lex's room when they arrived.
"I don't have much time." Chloe said pulling her top off.
"Shame, still I've got a trip I can send your Dad on next week." Lex replied with a smirk.
"You know, he's getting suspicious, you've sent him on more since we've been dating than he ever went on before." She said between kisses.
"The last time he was away was that three weeks in California when they had all those problems." He pulled her onto the bed and divested her of the last of her clothing.
Meanwhile at the Talon.
"Rats."
"What is it honey?" Lana asked.
"I can't find my lit paper."
"Where did you last have it?"
"Well, I wrote it on… oh shit!"
"What?"
"It's at Lex's, I did it on his computer."
"Clark, it's due in tomorrow."
"I know, how am I meant to hand it in now?" Clark knew he'd just use his super speed to get it, but he couldn't tell Lana that.
"I'll give you a ride Kent."
"Really? Thanks Whitney."
"That's okay."
"You coming Lana, I can drop you home on the way back?"
"Yeah, thank you."
"Hey, don't suppose you got room for a little guy."
"Yeah Pete, you should fit." Whitney said. "I'm not sure about the ego though, it's got pretty big since Felice said yes." With a round of laughter they headed off to Lex's.
At the mansion.
"Lex hurry up, I'm starving." Chloe protested from her position on the counter.
"As a Luthor I can do a lot of things making food cook faster, is not one of them." He said bending over to reach the mustard at the back.
"Oh well, I'll just have to appreciate the view." She said. "You know on reflection, you should wear Calvin Klein underwear."
"Why?" He asked knowing full well what her answer would be.
"'Cause then I wouldn't have to wait for you to bend over to admire your ass." She grinned at him.
"You know, you shouldn't criticise my taste in clothing when you're sat in my kitchen in a bed sheet." He said walking over to her.
"So now you complain about easy access?" She asked opening the sheet, he closed the gap between them and kissed her, she wrapped him in her sheet.
"Are you sure this is a good idea Clark?" Lana asked as they all walked around to the kitchen entrance to the mansion.
"Lana, Lex gave me a key so I could make deliveries without disturbing anyone. The computer is in the library right down the hall, we'll be in and out without anyone seeing us."
"And we can have a look at how the other half live." Whitney added.
"I have a bad feeling about this." Lana said.
"If you don't stop, we'll get carried away and I'll burn your snack."
"Fuck the snack." Chloe said, then with a sly grin appearing on her face. "I have a better idea, fuck me."
Knowing a godfather offer when he saw one, Lex slid her off the counter and laid her on the floor.
"See Lana, no one's about. It'll be fine." Clark assured her as he slid the key in the lock.
"Let's just go quickly." She replied as he opened the door.
"You know it works better if you actually move towards your target." Whitney offered as Clark stopped dead in his tracks on seeing two of his best friends writhing in a sheet on the kitchen floor.
"Jesus Christ, what happened?"
"Well, Lana being the least shocked at the turn of events just said 'Get a room you guys.' To which Lex replied 'I have and you're all standing in one of them.'"
"What did you say?"
"Anyone who looks in the next twenty seconds dies."
"So there was no problem?"
"Well, no, not after I was dressed and we'd sedated Pete." Chloe answered.
"That's true, it was me that got into trouble for knowing and not saying anything." Lana huffed.
"That's always the way." Catherine consoled.
"Yeah, and now I can happily make out with him in the Torch offices without worrying about the 'Kent Gestapo'."
"Chloe would you stop calling him that."
"Please, he reads Nietzsche, he should expect certain comparisons to the Third Reich."
"CHLOE!" Lana warned.
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Okay, just a quick note to say that I read a review today talking about how flaws detract from the value of diamonds. I do know this, and I was always intending to have a back-story to the diamond. I didn't feel I should have it explained in the last chapter, as I didn't think it was appropriate, looking back I probably should have posted these together. The whole idea for the flawed diamond is down to the 'Pink Panther' movies, they were cool.
By the way, I spent ages on the Internet researching the jewels in the other ring; vivid green emeralds really are the most expensive.