Clark led Cat to the table and sat her in a chair. Grabbing two cups of coffee he flopped into the chair beside her and handed her one.

" Would you like to talk about it? My mom say's sometimes it helps to talk. Makes the burdens smaller." Cat smiled. Trust Clark Kent to charm a smile out of any living female.

"How bout we wait for Chloe and Lex?" Chloe walking in flushed and harassed looking, with Lex not far behind reading the document that Lionel had given him for her. Cat raised an eyebrow. I wonder..... Oh forget it I'm too tired to deal with that now Instead she asked.

"What does it say?" Lex looked up from the paper and smirked handing her the paper. Cat took it and read.

This is in regard to the custody of 'Nicole Marie Cavendish' daughter of 'Tanner and Julie Cavendish' to Alexander Luther and Catriona Turner- Allessandro. Lionel Luther proposes that custody of 'Nicole' be transferred to him whereas it would be difficult to for the defendants to care for the child ethically in their current living conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . .The Plaintiff can provide a ethical, stable home for the child. . . . . . . . . . The will states that both defendants gain equal custody of 'Nicole' therefore it would be impossible for the defendants to regain custody, should their living arrangements change. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The child will be exposed to the best that can be offered and will receive a high degree of education. . . . . .

The defendants will receive reports if they so wish, and will be given a settlement in good will. . . . . . . . . . . .



Then she read it again. Her mouth open in shock.Then she exploded.

"Why that bastard! What the fuck makes him think that we'd give up Nicole? He thinks HE'D do a better job than us? Or no excuse me, that it'd be an inconvenience, for her to be with us! He just wants her because she's got a third of his business! Ether that or he's planning to breed her off with some poor shit-head for his own sick purposes! Bastard! Pervert! That bloody prick isn't going to get his hands on her! She'll stay here with us, I'll give her a wing of her own so she can have privacy. We'll have to dispense of the house in Canada and she'll have to move down here, there's no help for that. Her stuff . . . wait a minuet," She snatched the document out of Clark's hands, to the amusement of Lex and Chloe, skimming over it she found what she was looking for. She reread the words and turned white.

"Oh my God! I'm gonna kill the bastard! This could ruin my teaching job! How dare he insinuate something that sick!" Lex slightly frowned and pushed off from where he had been leaning angst the door frame, to come and reread what she had been reading. Clark having been relieved of the document, sat in surprised silence. Having never seen this side of his teacher, he didn't know how to take it. She was obviously upset and he chalked it up to that. Lex lightly inquired,

"What is it exactly that's bothering you? The fact that he thinks that we'd make poor guardians? Or that he insinuated that we're having a lesion and that would be bad for Nicole?"

"Both. He insinuated that because I caught him at it you know."

"Caught him at what?" Clark asked. Chloe groaned and said,

"Clark you really don't want to know, I'm sure."

"I'd like to hear this myself." Lex said quietly. Cat dropped into a chair and replied.

"I came for a visit to the manner, and was coming from putting my stuff away when I herd something from in the closet. It never occurred to me that someone might be IN it. Lionel runs a house hold like a blood thirsty general so the hired help wouldn't dream of doing that, so I opened the door. I never made that mistake again. Lo and behold who do I find screwing a maid in the closet? Need I say he wasn't happy?" Chloe gaped.

"Well what you do? That would leave anyone scared for life!" She asked making a face of disgust. Cat nodded.

"Totally, and the crappy part, is that the image was permanently burned into my brain. As to what I did, nothing. Closed the door and avoided him till he sought me out. What could I do?"

"You never told me that." Lex said quietly. Shit! Now I've hurt him, and it's so damn hard to get close to him! Bloody hell! Fuck-you Lionel Luther nothing good comes from what you do! Cat reached out to him and he came over to take her hand as he sat down beside her. He had a revolting feeling in the pit of his stomach, that she wasn't telling him everything. God don't let her have been hurt by the son-of-a-bitch!

"I couldn't. I was too horrified," She gave a dry laugh. That's an understatement! " What would I have said, Lex? Guess what? I saw you dad in a closet with a maid."

"You used tell me everything, I thought you still did. What happed when he came to you?" He felt her go ridged and the feeling in his stomach increased. Oh Crist! Don't let her be harboring that kind of secret! Cat gave another dry laugh. This family is too used to reading between the lines! I don't want to relive this to him!

" 'Member when you had told me that you were taking me out clubbing after the big ball thing our father's and Uncle Tanner had planned?" He nodded. " Well I was all excited and mom suggested that I go pamper myself with a bubble bath, so that's what I did using some of Aunt Page's bath salts." Lex laughed.

"I still remember the smell, as did every male in the vicinity." Cat chuckled.

"That was the point. Anyway I did that and you'll remember how I walked around in the buff, well I came out to see to my wardrobe, butt nude, when I sensed a presence. To this day I thank God that the silk robe you'd gotten me for my birthday was hanging near by, I turned to find Lionel sitting in a chair by my bed. I got the robe on a quick as I could, but that still gave him time to see the 'charms' as he so eloquently put it." Rage was quickly replacing the revolting sensation he'd had. I'm going to kill him for this! How DARE he invade her privacy! He's not going to get away with this! He tightened his grip reassuringly. Cat smiled faintly.

"He didn't do anything, but scare the living shit out of me. He got up from his chair and came to me looking me up and down, and I was backing up just as fast as he was advancing. He backed me into a corner and was running a hand down my arm when Dad came in looking for me, Mom had gotten a premonition or something. Dad was so pissed. The minuet he, left I hit the floor crying and shaking like a leaf. I don't remember what happed after that, just that Mom and Dad were cuddling me when I calmed down, you came in about then." He nodded.

"I remember, you were in tears and Cole had his arms around you and Phoebe. I thought someone had died, so I suggested you finish getting ready to go out. I didn't know. Cole just said to make sure you weren't alone, and to take good care of you. Why would he let me near you after that? "

"He trusted you. He knew you wouldn't hurt me. You were always doing the opposite." Cat chuckled.

"Well this is a new side to Lex." Chloe quipped and Lex sent her a smoldering look, that plainly said 'You don't know that half of it!'. Clark was silent the he asked,

"Why are you here, if that happened? Your bound to run into Lionel sooner or later and isn't that... like..... uncomfortable?" Clark looked at his mug and shifted in his seat. There was silence for a moment then Cat burst out laughing. Lex took in Clark's obvious discomfort and shook his head. Only Clark would feel guilty about saying he doesn't believe her. He's seeing gaps in her story . . . maybe he's smarter. Hummm

"Yes it's a bitch to deal with him, but I can't hide form him, as much as I'd like to. I'm safe so long as I'm with someone, but I don't think he'll try anything now anyway. Besides If he did, I'd probably kill him." Cat replied. She sighed and gingerly sipped the coffee in front of her. Everyone around her was silent. Lex mulling over the information that he'd just ben given, Thinking he'd never let his father back into the house. Chloe didn't know what to say. She was sickened that someone could do something like that and that it'd happed to her teacher, who has always been an active participant in self defense and rights. Clark wasn't sure he had the whole story.

"Well that's why he's saying that we live in purgatory." Cat looked at Lex, seeing his expression she quietly asked, "We are going to fight this aren't we, Alex?" He looked at her in surprise.

"Of course we're going to fight it, Kit. What made you think otherwise?" She shrugged.

"Just the way you looked."

"I was thinking how we could do this and not jeopardize your teaching job and reputation. We're going to have to tell her today sometime. She has to be told right away, it can't wait." Lex looked at Cat and said gently,

"I think you should tell her tonight. You're the best one to things like this and she's closest to you."

"No, We'll tell her as soon as she gets here. She's going to have to understand the situation." Chloe reached across the table and laid her hand on top of Cat's, as Clark said,

"We'll help too. It can't hurt for us to welcome her and be there for her, if she needs us." Cat smiled.

"I don't know if she'll take any notice of you but helping her settle into school and the town will help." Lex suddenly remembered the meeting at the top of the stairs.

"Chloe where have you met or seen, my father, that had to do with last night?" Chloe cringed. She had hoped to avoid telling where she had seen Lionel Luther.



"I saw him when I stopped by the side of the road."

"That's it? You saw him while stopped on the side of the road?" Cat frowned. Lionel didn't have THAT good of vision. Then a though struck her and she blurted it out.

"You were IN the plant?!" Lex sighed. Save me from over zealous reporters

"What were you doing at the plant? And why didn't you just ask your dad to show you around?" Chloe gave him a look that suggested he wasn't thinking with full brain capacity. Cat hid her smile and answered for Chloe.

"Um, I don't think we want to know that. Let's leave it at that, and hope Lionel doesn't see Chloe again. We've got to get Nicole." This is not going to be fun

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