A/N: thanks SOO much to the reviews I got, Kudelko and Gaz Destiny and the email from Dana. I hope I didn't take too long for this one….. hope to have another up by Friday. And now……

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Title: Secrets to Keep

Chapter Completed: January 8, 2003

Clark loaded the back of the truck with extra enthusiasm this morning. Sure he was always happy to deliver the produce order to Lex's. It gave him a chance to visit with his friend. But the added spring in his step this morning was because of Pete. Well, more accurately it was Pete's reminders of how Anna had smiled at Clark and the possibility of running into her there. The smile broadened across his face.

"I'm heading out now," Clark called into the kitchen at his parents.

"Alright son," Jonathan replied as the boy quickly grabbed a bundle off the counter before taking off for the truck.

He only had a few stops to make in town before the Luthors'. He smiled at the bundle on the passenger seat. Only a few stops before Anna. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel along to the radio.

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Anna stood in the Luthor kitchen, twirling the cord of the wall phone with her fingers. Anxiously listening to the ringing.

"Hi Daddy," she forced a smile on to her face, even if he couldn't see it she knew it would do him good to hear it.

"Sweety, hi," she could hear him perk up and then fall again like he remembered she wasn't just away, "How are you getting along there?"

"I think the better question would be how are you?" she was worried about him. He hadn't been all that well in over a year, since all of this really started. She knew it was guilt and anxiety and now she couldn't be there to take care of him. She was stuck here.

"Fine, just fine," he dismissed her, continuing, "What I really want to know is how my little girl is?"

She managed a laugh at that. She always laughed when he called her his little girl – mostly because she had been taller then him since she was thirteen and she was on her way to turning twenty. Just as suddenly as the laughter came, so did tears. "I'm fine dad," she lied. But the truth wouldn't do any good. She didn't want anyone to know, especially her father. This was a secret much better kept. "Everything is fine," that last one was for herself, to regain herself. She couldn't go around falling apart at the drop of a hat.

"Has Luthor mentioned the debt?" she could hear the vile rising in her father and felt the bile in her. She bit her lip.

She was about to reply with another lie about how fine everything was when the devil himself came tapping his way into the room. It actually put the saying 'speak of the devil' into practise.

Lionel didn't say anything. He could identify her best by the scent of her hair, a fragrance he had become accustomed to because of their intimacy, and of course her voice drifting into the hall. He just walked right up to her.

"I'll have to call you back," she said quietly into the receiver, hanging up without waiting for a reply, because of the position of one of Lionel's hands. Possessively, square on her hip. She knew what was coming, his daily affirmation of dominance.

His hand moved along her face. A touch she was becoming desensitised to – she was becoming numb. Even the movement of his lips to press against hers. Her body shut off, going completely ridged, the only thing moving was her mind. And the only thought in her head was how public this move was. Lionel wanted his power to be evident to himself and now, it seemed, others. And she worried. Worried someone would see and draw the wrong conclusion or worse, they would see it for what it really was.

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Clark fought the urge to whistle while he unloaded the truck, taking special care not to crush the bundle resting on top of the crate. Despite all his self-control he whistled a bar of the Crows fight song as he kicked the back of the truck closed. He knew he was far too excited about dropping off the order and the slightest possibility of seeing Anna. But it was all Pete's fault, at the root, if only he hadn't encouraged him. He laughed at himself, walking up to the door. He was about to just walk in, like Lex had told him he was welcome to do, when he spotted it. Silently he watched as the senior Luthor pulled his mouth back from Anna's and carefully walked away, letting his hand trail along her stomach.

Anna spotted Clark's face in the window, quickly she opened the door to let him into the kitchen. She bit her bottom lip, unsure of whether or not he had been witness.

Clark walked passed her and dropped the crate onto the counter top with force, "Produce order," he informed her, "and those were for you," he motioned his head toward the bundle of flowers that fell to the floor as he turned back to the door.

She was sure he had seen, "Clark wait," Anna grabbed on to his arm, making him turn to face her. At least wanting him to, but all she could get him to do was stop, "That wasn't what you think it was."

"You were kissing Lionel," his lip curved up in a sneer.

She shook her head, "no, no you don't understand what you saw." Her voice was defeated.

He turned to face her, part of him fed up with people not thinking he understood what was around him. He was almost seventeen, and alien. He understood.

Letting go of his arm she now turned away, not wanting to face him now. "It's complicated," she wasn't sure why she felt the need to dump this all in the lap of the sixteen year old kid, "Have you ever owed someone?" She turned back to him, "I mean really owed them, dearly owed them for everything and you had to do something horrible to repay them," she leaned against the counter, her eyes were so sincere.

Clark opened his mouth, he was about to go into a self-righteous speech on right and wrong when he remembered his father. His adoption. Pete's family. And Lionel Luthor. He closed his mouth, his brow knotted and he nodded slowly.

She hoped that he understood that this is what this was. Her having to repay a huge debt in the worst way. "And Clark, please," she wanted to say don't hate me, just to know that she was okay even after this or even because of it, she pleaded, "don't tell anyone. Some secrets are better kept secret." She still didn't know why she was laying more on the teenager, but part of her felt that he would understand this part.

And secrets he did understand. He nodded knowingly.

"Thank you," she wanted to hug him, just in thanks for this little support and for comfort but she stayed planted where she was, casting her eyes to her feet.

Clark gave her a small smile, upset at how sad she was and out of sympathy. He bent down to retrieve the fallen flowers, "These are still for you." He held them up to her, wanting to put an end to her self-torture, like he couldn't do with his father.

Her mouth twitched to smile as she took the grouping of cornflowers from him, "Thanks."

The farm-boy smiled fuller now. Sure most would probably toss her off for whatever this all was, but he understood and somewhat respected the idea of following through with a twisted sense of duty – at least in someway. And he knew his parents, if they were to know, would want to make sure the young woman was all right.

"Really. Thanks," she squeezed his forearm and gave a tight smile.

Which he smiled and nodded to. Clark Kent, the great keeper of secrets.

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