A/N: Go figure, from the chapter titles, you probably would have guessed by now that they are all keyed into the title, if not I pity you...* crickets chirp * maybe...I hope you saw the connection... thanks for the feed back... and who says I didn't cut Brucie out of the picture?I didn't and neither did the other fifty voices in my head....*another long uncomfortable silence *....Lex is just very possesive that's all.....hmmm I could go places in the ff world with that.... CH 1, and Ch2 have nothing to do with the Prologue, I know, but the prologue will tie in soon...An d I'm sure Lois is Chloe's cousin... or something or other... Right, any ways ignore me, and enjoy another chapter chocked full of Chlexy goodness-have to meet that daily requirement....

Masquerading

By S. Ann Smith

Chapter two: On Wearing Masks

"I'm here to see Mr. Wayne for an interview." She smiled breathlessly reaching the secretary's desk. The elevator was broken, and she had to hike up thirty stories of stairs-because no the head of a big company has his office on the top floor.

"I'm sorry Mr. Wayne doesn't like interviews, I'm sure-"

"Send her in Louise." The recognizable voice said from the desktop speaker.

"Er.. yes Mr. Wayne..." She fumbled around the desk for a button. "Here you go miss..." She wasn't looking Chloe in the eye, one of her pet peeves none-the-less, as she was brooding over the incompetent secretary, the door opened to the private office. Chloe shot the lady, Louise, a look of sucess, and strode into the office.

She stopped in her tracks, as soon as she was completely inside. Unlike the slightly cozy homey-if it could even be called that- office of Luthor, this was a massive, state-of-the-art office, complete with a bar, and a computer built right into the desk, she had definately not seen any thing like that before. It was, she supposed, hand made just for him.

"Are you going to say hello, or just gawk at my massive room?"

"Hello." She said sort of lamely... no scratch that it was very lamely. She was surprised that after all this time she was still intimidated by big electronic toys, being Pete's friend and all should have made her immune to the intimidation, but unfortunately, here she was experienceing what had to be known as an inner rant about being intimidated. "It's... ah...big." Understatement of the century.

Bruce chuckled and silently offered her a seat. She looked at the big overstuffed leather chair like it was an alien specimen, and graciously accepted it.

"Want anything to drink?"

Chloe shook her head. "Second thought, I'll just have a water."

"You sure?" He poured himself a scotch and her water.

"I'm sure." When he sat down across from her, she began. "Is it alright if I record this interview?" Standard procedure, learnt under White's thorough orientation, which, in it's self was a joke.

"Are you going to ask any personal questions?"

"Do you want me to?" She smiled slightly.

"Do you really want to know the answers to them?"

"Are you going to answer them without questions?"

"Maybe." He smiled, taking a sip from his scotch.

Chloe smiled and placed the recorder on the table between them.

"Sullivan, three o'clock, friday, second of April, Wayne Enterprises Mall." She began with the standard fill-ins,and remembered, "Buy birthday present."

"Birthday present? For who?"

"You don't know him."

"Try me." He smiled mischieviously.

"Maybe later." She blurted. Shit, what was she thinking?

"I'll keep that I mind" He leaned back (-A/N: is that even proper english?) into his plushy chair, eyebrow raised.

Chloe blushed slightly, and selfconciously cleared her throat. "Shall we begin?" He raised his other eyebrow, his smile broadening slightly. "The interview." She clairified to the obviously slightly confused billionaire... her mind began to flitter to beginnings of many otherthings-all having absolutely nothing to do with the reason she was there... the interview.

"Right," he smiled. "Continue."

"Okay. Why did you decide to build a mall of all things?"

"We, at Wayne Industries, thought it would boost our public persona in Metropolis."

"Is this 'persona' as you refer to it as, a good one or a bad one?"

"It is above all a poor one, mainly due to LuthorCorp, as the leading company in Metropolis." His eyes locked with hers.

"And you think you can compete with LuthorCorp?" She returned the look, even though it did make her very uncomfortable, as she was certain that it wasn't Metropolis or the mall that he was talking about.

"I hope so."

"Maybe you have a fair chance at suceeding." Her cell phone rang cutting off Bruce at his chance to reply. "One sec." She paused the tape, and answered her phone. "'ello"

"Chloe? It's me." Lois, her cousin, and roommate's urgent voice said quickly over the other end.

"What's wrong?"

"I need you to come home as soon as possible." The urgenty in her voice was almost painful.

"I'll be there as soon as possible." She said quickly said. "Bye"

"Bye." She hung up the phone and looked at Bruce.

"I have to go, my cousin is in some kind of trouble.. or something, she wouldn't tell me what. Shall we continue this some other time?"

"Perhaps over dinner, or something?"

"Sounds good," She wrote her phone number on a piece of obviously expensive stationary, "you can reach me here." she gestured to her cell.

"I'll get a hold of you." He beamed her a smile, that she had to admit, was worth all the money he was. He walked her to the office door. holding it open for her, he gently kissed the nape of her neck, the hairs tingling slightly as he moved away from her.

She couldn't help but smile as she strode down the stairs to her car.

When she arrived back in Metropolis, she hurried up the stairs to see if Lois was alright.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Lo'? Are you here?"

"Chloe... I'm in here." She was in her room.

"What's wrong Lois? Did something happen?" She knew she was bombarding Lois with questions but she couldn't help it, it was in both of their natures.

"I was kidnapped today." She said taking a deep breath.

"Oh my god." Chloe quickly sat beside her. "But how are you--'

"I was saved by some flying guy in a blue suit."

"Are you sure he was flying? I mean, you were and probably still are, in shock, Lois..." Her voice trailed off.

"No." She urged. "He was flying. And wearing a cape too... I know what I saw. And he looked so familiar. I could have sworn I knew him." Lois continued like a child telling a tale of old time chivalrous knights. "And he looked at me like he knew me too."

"Does this mysterious stranger have a name?"

"Superman." She said quietly.

"Okay... What did he look like?"

"Like a sexy model from a magazine." She blurted.

"You have the hots for him don't you?" Lois turned a stunning shade of red.

"I'm writing a report on him now, but I need to ask your friend Clark a few questions first."

"Why Clark.. I mean I know he's always around when something strange happens, or to save his friends... or at least he was in Smallville."

" He was there when I was... taken."

"Oh."

"He can help me do my detailed report to tlhe Police."

"Don't they do that immediately after they... Oh I get it, Superman saved you and the police need a report on all of the happenings, right?"

"Exactly." She nodded.

"Have you eaten?"

"No...maybe...a few cookies,and those brownies Grandma sent up."

"I'm making you something good to eat." Chloe didn't want to touch on the fact that her older cousin had eaten her share of the brownies too.

Chloe made some French toast, and delivered the meal to Lois' room.

Chloe sat down infront of the bigger computer in the living room, as they each had laptops set up in their bedrooms-neither of which were hooked up to the internet, and emailed Lana.

'Lana,

I know we haven't spoken for a while, and I know I'm partially to blame. I need to know if you found any thing mysterious about being Clark's damsel in distress... Ask Pete if he might know. Tell Pete I say hi and give the baby a hug from his auntie Chloe.

Miss you

~Chloe'

Now that that was done, she could go to sleep.

Chloe quietly padded into her room, still concious of the fact that Lois' light was still on, and the sound of the tap-tap-tapping on the key board was still going.

She could dream about a certain billionaire who had asked her out on a date just three hours ago.

She sighed into her pillow and turned off her lights. Tomorrow Lana will have recieved the letter, and would have responded.

tbc