Quick AN: Dates are used briefly in this chapter, and in order to dispel and confusion Paris was born in November 1979, making her 15 in December 1994. Lex was born May 1980. So they all could be part of the same grade just king Paris in that weird borthday category.

On with the show!

Paris sat chin in hand staring blankly out of the cabin window. When she was a child the mere thought of this act would have scared her into tears but as she grew older her fear of flying melted into distaste, although she still avoided it as much as possible. Now looking out the window of the empty cabin allowed her time to reflect and sort out various feelings and thoughts.

The day after the party Bruce and Lex delighted in teasing her about her about puking on her father, part of her wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the entire thing and part wanted to cry about the harsh words that had been spoken and the weight and truth behind them.

Then Helen came over which did nothing but compound her crappy mood. She had a leery feeling about Helen and Helen had no qualms about making Paris feel unwelcome in the house, she veiled these feelings in woman code so they would fly right over Lex and Bruce's heads but Paris caught the message loud and clear, 'Stay away from my boyfriend or I will destroy you!'

She and Bruce retreated to the garden to find her shoes before he left. It took them over an hour and climbing a tree to find both shoes, apparently at one point in their drunken evening they decided to find out how aerodynamic Manolo Blahniks actually were. Judging from the branch it landed on, not very thankfully.

After Bruce left Paris felt uncomfortable being in the house alone with the happy couple so she decided to go apologize to the Kents and Sullivans about the night before and the scene they witnessed at the dinner table and then having to see them drunk later on. Chloe and Clark both just shrugged it off, chalking it up to adult stress. Gabe told her that although he revered his bosses that he was impressed with the way she took on both Lionel and her father, he had never heard anyone tell a Luthor off and not pay dearly for it. Martha did the mom thing and told her that she understood and if she ever needed someone to talk to about these things, someone who wouldn't psychoanalyze her, that she could always come to her and then she offered her a piece of pie.

Paris was initially taken aback by Martha's gesture, especially since for all intensive purposes she was a stranger to her world, and then she felt comforted by the motherly attitude that Martha exuded toward her. She now knew why Lex was so drawn to her. Besides her close resemblance to Lillian she was as nurturing and loving as their mothers had been. Upon sitting down and talking, really talking, woman to woman to Martha Paris realized that her knowledge and ability to relate and comfort extended beyond the normal motherly understanding of what someone was 'going through'. She had a feeling that Martha was regarded as a bit of an outcast in her own family, especially due to her extensive knowledge of Metropolis and many facets of corporate life, yet she was a farmers wife in Smallville. Paris decided to not breech the subject.

On her way home from the Kent's Paris had to fight to see straight because of the tears that were welling in her eyes, she had not felt motherly love for so long that the emotion was almost too overwhelming for her.

When she finally got home she barricaded herself in her office for a few hours, to tie up some loose ends before she left for the holidays. 'Yeah right tie up loose ends, it had nothing at all to do with Lex and Helen,' She thought bitterly to herself. Then she went to her room and watched television for the rest of the night.

The next day she boarded a plane for France. She didn't even tell Lex that she was leaving for fear that wherever he was Helen was sure to be in toe, he knew where she was if he needed her. Her grandfather's private jet picked her up at five o'clock in the morning, and it was where she spent the rest of her morning, alone.

"Ms. Stratford." A hand on her shoulder and a soft voice in her ear snapped Paris out of her thoughts.

"Yes."

"Ms. Stratford we will be landing in the next five minutes, if you would please put your seatbelt back on."

"Very well." Paris studied the two pieces of seatbelt in her hand. 'I still don't understand the reasoning behind seatbelts in these things. Even during turbulence I've never felt the need to be strapped in. You're sitting down in a giant Pringles can for god sakes. Cars it makes sense, keeps you from going face first into the windshield. It definitely wouldn't help in the event of an in air collision.' She shook her head and began thinking in a sarcastic inner voice, filled with fake cheer. 'Well I'm in flaming wreckage, plummeting thousands of feet to my death, but I'm strapped in so it's okay maybe I can float on what's left of my seat in case I land in the water and don't die on impact. Then I can die of dehydration and exposure.' Paris laughed at the ridiculousness of the notion, back to the cynical inner voice. 'Yeah that's if I wasn't killed on the impact when the 747 ripped through. No, no if my plane gets ripped apart I'm freefalling all the way down baby, I'm going out in a blaze of glory, not strapped to a piece of furniture.' She smiled wryly at the macabre thought. 'Oh I'm a fucking loon.' She settled back in her seat and prepared to land.

----The DuPris manor----

The historic DuPris estate put Bruce and Lex's houses to shame. It had been in Paris's family for 6 generations, historians wrote books about it and the goings on there over the last 400 years. The Large main house, two guest houses, servants quarters off the south garden, a large formal courtyard and 3 large outdoor gardens sat atop the property that overlooked an orchard, complete with the DuPris family winery, private woods containing a lake and a stable, on the far west side of the property was the family's private cemetery. Altogether it was about 10 square miles.

Paris walked in and smiled broadly, it felt good to be home.

Jessica, her grandfather's maid rushed up to her and hugged her.

"Oh Paris. Vous me permettre de regarde." She held the younger woman at arms length. "Oh mon, vous paraissez grand. Si beaucoup de comme votre mère."

(Translation):"Oh Paris. Let me look at you. Oh my, you look great. So much like your mother."

Paris smiled at the elder woman.

"Merci Jessica. Comment avez-vous été?"

(Translation): "Thank you Jessica. How are you?"

"Bien, Bien. Et vous?"

(Translation): "Good, good. And you?"

"Je suis bien."

(Translation): "I'm good."

"Bon, parce que nous nous se soucions de vous êtes jusqu'ici loin. Mais votre grand-père garde nous a mis à jour."

(Translation): "Good, because we worry about you being so far away. But your grandfather keeps us updated."

"Où le grand-père est de toute façon?"

(Translation): "Where is grandfather anyway?"

"Dans son bureau. Cet homme toujours travaille." Jessica shook her head and let out an exasperated sigh.

(Translation): "In his office. That man is always working."

Paris chuckled. "Oh Jessica c'est l'histoire de ma vie. Je vais aller l'ennui lui."

(Translation): "Oh Jessica it's the story of my life. I'm going to go bother him."

Jessica shook her head and laughed. "Bien, vous vous amusez cher."

(Translation): "Alright, you have fun dear."

"Bien, je vous verrai Jessica ultérieur."

(Translation): "Alright, I'll see you later Jessica."

Paris bid Jessica a good evening and took off down the hall towards the wing her grandfather's office was in. She didn't even need to think about where she was going, she could walk the corridors of the old mansion on her hands backward and blindfolded. She'd spent most of her childhood running full speed through the halls chasing and being chased and as she got older doing back flips and Pirouettes. Paris smiled at the memory of her happy youth and innocence, no matter how fleeting or long ago it was. Paris wound up outside her grandfather's office in a matter of minutes she knocked before entering.

"Vous pouvez entrer." Came from the other side.

(Translation): "You may enter."

Paris walked in. "Well I should hope so." She said in a teasing voice.

Gustave looked up from his work. "Oh my Paris. When did you get in?"

"Just a little while ago." She plopped herself in one of the overstuffed leather chairs in front of his desk.

"Are you tired my dear?"

"A little bit."

"How was the flight?"

"Long. How are things here?"

"Quiet mostly. How was the party?" He smirked at her.

"Oh you know don't you?" She covered her face in embarrassment.

Gustave chuckled.

"Who told you?"

"I promised I wouldn't say."

"Grand-pere."

"Fine, Alexander told me."

"When did you talk to Lex? And remind me to do great bodily harm to him when I get back."

Gustave smiled and shook his head in amusement. "Don't hurt the boy, because I know you can. He called to tell you that your BMW arrived today and that it is in the garage waiting for you. I asked him how the party was and he told me."

"Oh it was quite the affair." She said in a light hearted tone.

"You threw up on your father." He said pointedly.

"Not voluntarily." She countered.

"Paris, I thought you stopped those kinds of things." His voice was sincere and concerned.

"I know. Look it was just a bad overall evening, Victoria was there and you know I hate her, and dad was there and he started in on me and we were sitting with these people who are really nice but barely know me and you know how dad is. We started arguing at dinner and I snapped. And since when is drinking a capitol offence in this family, am I wrong or do we not own a chateau?"

"No Paris you are correct and drinking is fine, in moderation, but drinking to excess is never in good taste."

"Yeah well it doesn't taste too good coming back up either." She smiled slyly.

He let out a low chuckle and shook his head. "I do enjoy your logic."

"So have you talked to dad?"

"That's why I asked Alexander how the party was."

"I don't follow."

"Your father cancelled on us for tomorrow."

Paris looked down briefly. "Yeah, we got into it pretty bad before I showed everyone my dinner."

"How bad?"

"I believe the subject of disownment came up."

Gustave shook his head in anger at his son in law. "It's late are you hungry?"

"No I ate earlier. I think I'll just turn in for the night. Are you going to sleep?"

"I have a few calls to finish up and some reports to look over."

"It's almost ten o'clock I don't want you working so late. I mean it mister, I bed by ten thirty." She teased.

"When did you become the adult in the family?"

"Since I'm apparently the last one with a modicum of sense about her."

He put his hands up in surrender. "Alright. I will leave these reports until tomorrow evening." He smiled at her, grateful to have a grand daughter like her.

"Night grandpere." She got up and gave him a kiss on the cheek before walking out.

"Good night dear. I'll see you in the morning."

"Not before 9:00."

"Would I ever be so cruel?"

"No."

"And why is that?"

"Because I'm your favorite."

"Very good dear."

----The next day----

Paris knelt in front of her mother's headstone. She placed the bouquet of white roses in the vase. She traced the words gently.

Yvonne Sarah DuPris-Stratford

April 18, 1957 – December 20, 1994

Loving wife and mother.

"You are gone from us but your spirit lives on within us all."

Paris sat down Indian style with her elbows on her knees. She spoke softly. "Hi mum. It's been awhile, that's my fault. It's been a really long, bizarre, shitty year and I just let everything get crazy. I'll tell you about it. I did voice work for Disney, that was actually pretty cool. My production company has done 3 movies and we put a bid in on a fourth. I won my first Oscar but you knew that, again that was cool. I moved to Kansas and I'm living with Lex, it's nice there and he's doing pretty well, seems a bit lonely though. He works with Lionel but he has his own company under Luthor Corp., I know that's the last thing we all thought he would ever do but Lex fucked up big time in Metropolis, blood loss was involved, anyway Lionel got pissed at him last year and made Lex into the business instead of Med. School. Like that was a shock. We pissed Lionel off which was fun and profitable. Gran's doing well, she's still nutty as a fruitcake but we love her, and they don't let her use live ammunition when she hunts anymore which we are all grateful for. Albert and I are going to Fiji with grandpere for the next 2 weeks." She took a few deep breaths before starting the next part. "Now onto the bad things. Well I got into a fight with Elizabeth last Christmas, things were thrown, hair was pulled fingers were broken stitches were gotten, so now I'm banned from aunt Jane and Uncle Ben's place until further notice. My show is over, which is good and bad. I left my fiancée because he was a jerk and I know that if you were still here I never would have gone out with him. I'm fighting with dad again, we got into a fight at a Christmas Party at the Luthor's house, it was bad. Words were said, alcohol was consumed, threats and accusations were made and I threw up. Lex has a girlfriend and she hates me and takes every opportunity to come by the house and make sure I'm not sleeping with him. Ablert was sure she was just some flavor of the week but he was wrong." She started crying. "Mum I'm so confused and angry and I keep fucking things up. I don't know what to do and I don't know what I'm doing or where I'm going and I need you."

----The next day----

Paris left Gustave's the next day and flew to England to get her cousin Albert so they could spend a few days in Kansas before Fiji.

Albert Stratford was tall, lean, with sandy blonde hair and cerulean blue eyes.

Albert stepped out of the limo and was shocked at what he saw. "Dear god Paris, when I heard Luthor lived in a castle I thought it was exaggerated. But he actually lives in a bloody castle."

Paris came next to him. "No it's a real castle. Complete with drafts and weird noises. Lionel had it brought over here from Scotland brick by brick. It is pretty cool though."

Albert looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Brick by brick? The man is certifiable."

"I believe the proper terminology is eccentric."

They made their way into the house.

"Show me where it happened." Albert said gleefully.

"Where what happened?"

"You know the scene of the awkward moment."

She looked at him with a smirk. "You actually want to see where I wrecked Lex's mojo? You're bent."

"I know I'm a gossip whore now show me." He grabbed her by the hand and dragged her toward one of the hallways.

"Well if we keep going this way the only thing you're going to see is the garage. Come on." She led him the other way.

They made their way through the house until they stopped in front of Lex's office. Paris knocked before entering. "Lex?" She called through the door.

"Oh Christ Peanut." Albert pushed past her and opened the doors.

"You do know that going in there without Lex's knowing is a punishable offence." She said not kidding.

"Yeah, yeah he'll get over it when he sees that it was his favorite old chum. So this is Lex's office." He walked around in the large room.

"Yep."

"It gives the aura of sex and capitalism. That's Lex to a T."

"I'm sure he'll be pleased to know that." She said dryly.

"Well look at the juxtaposition of the furniture. I mean come on. Black leather couches, and a glass top desk. If that doesn't scream money and orgasms I don't know what does."

She shook her head in amusement. "Can we please get out of here? You know how Lex is about his privacy."

"Alright."

"I'll show you the rest of the house and then we can get some coffee."

"You mean to tell me that Podunk has a Starbucks."

"No we have a Talon."

"I can't believe that you moved here." He said sarcastically.

"Shut up." She retorted.

----The Talon----

Paris and Albert walked into the Talon and walked up to the counter

"Hey Lana." Paris greeted.

"Hey Paris. Who's this, new boyfriend?" Lana asked jokingly.

"Dear god we may be British but we're not royalty." Albert said sarcastically.

"I'm sorry Lana, this cynical snob is my cousin Albert Stratford. Albert this is Lana Lang, she is co-owner of the Talon with Lex."

"Hello Ms. Lang. Nice to meet you." Albert took Lana's hand and kissed the top.

"Oh, hello. Nice to meet you Mr. Stratford."

Albert smiled and shook his head. "Please call me Albert. Mr. Stratford is my father."

"Right, Albert. So what can I get you two to drink?"

"Two coffees please." Paris ordered for them.

"Alright, well have a seat and I'll bring them over."

"Thanks Lana."

"Thank you, Ms. Lang." Albert said.

"Please call me Lana.

"Alright, thank you Lana."

Paris and Albert walked over to a table near the back and sat down.

"Why are we sitting here? I mean this can seat 5."

"Because school let out an hour ago and in about 5 minutes we'll have company."

"And you're okay with that? Miss. I Need My Privacy."

"I like these kids don't worry. Oh and please stop flirting with the local girls."

"I'm not flirting I'm being polite."

"Whatever I just don't want to have to nurse any broken hearts when the girls find out they're not your type." She teased.

"And what type would that be?" He retorted.

"Male." She dead panned.

"Yeah well."

Lana walked up with their coffees. "Here you go."

"Thanks Lana." Paris said.

Lana walked back to the counter.

Chloe and Clark walked in and spotted Paris immediately.

"Hey guys. Have a seat." Paris said cheerfully as the two teens came over to her table. "Chloe Sullivan, Clark Kent this is my cousin Albert Stratford." Paris's eyes gleamed with mischief as she introduced her cousin.

"You're Albert Stratford. The Albert Stratford." Chloe was in shock.

"Yes I am." Albert smiled and nodded once.

"I never put 2 and 2 together." Chloe said in disbelief. "I saw your film, the one from The Cannes film festival."

"Thank you. Please will you two have a seat." Albert gestured to the two teens to sit down.

"I have so many questions to ask you."

"Chloe he just got here and he's Paris's cousin. Be good." Clark teased his friend.

Albert noticed the Torch in Chloe's hand. "Are you a reporter Chloe?"

"Yep. This is the Christmas issue of the Torch. It's just the high school newspaper, but I applied for an internship at the Daily Planet." She put a paper on the table.

"Her 'Eat Crow' column this issue is about the over commercialization of Christmas." Clark added.

"Well it's true, the commercials, and the specials do nothing but set the holiday up for failure." Chloe defended her column.

"Yeah, but Chloe it's a fun holiday. Not to mention decorating the tree, and the snow."

"Clark have you looked outside recently?" Chloe gestured toward the windows. "It's December 22nd, that's three days till the most over hyped holiday of the year and there's not a flake on the ground."

"Yeah, but there's supposed to be a storm this week."

"I agree with Chloe, the hype takes away from the holiday. It should just be a nice day spent with family." Albert added.

"So what are you all doing for Christmas?" Clark asked.

"We're meeting my grandfather in Fiji and spending Christmas on the beach surfing and getting a tan."

"But doesn't that take away from the holiday?"

"No. Christmas doesn't have to spent cooped up inside with your family because it's too cold outside to escape them. No thank you. Besides December 25th isn't even the actual birthday of Christ. Scientists have proven that he was more than likely born in the early summer. No one knows why the Christians chose December 25th as the holiday. Historians think it's because all religions out of the east around Greece and Rome borrowed heavily from each other. The Mithariasm religion declared December 25th to be it's holiest day and it was a very popular religion in the early Roman Empire. And since Christianity borrows from almost every major religion since the early Sumerians it's likely that they chose that day based on the popularity of the religion. Especially since Christianity started a mere 300 years later."

Clark looked dismayed at Paris's dislike of his favorite holiday.

"I agree, if I hear the Chipmunks sing that stupid Christmas song one more time I'm going to deck the next Santa I see."

"Damn Chloe, that's harsh."

"Am I wrong or did I just hear the Paris Stratford 'I hate Christmas' speech?" Lex asked playfully as he walked up to the table.

"No that was it in all it's glory. You do really need to lighten up Peanut. It is Christmas after all."

"Albert how are you?"

"I'm fine Lex. And yourself?"

"No worse for the wear." Albert got up and embraced his long time friend before they sat down.

"Peanut? That's new." Chloe said.

Lex chuckled at the use of Paris's hated nick name.

"It's a horrible childhood nickname born out of a deadly food allergy. And these two assholes think it's a riot." Chloe and Clark chuckled at her.

"Peanut allergy." Chloe surmised.

"It's not that bad Paris. You're such a bloody dramatic."

"My throat closes and I swell like a blowfish. It's called anaphylactic shock. I call at deadly."

"I'd have to agree with her on that one." Clark agreed.

"How come you never said anything about it before?" Chloe asked.

"When you're me it's not something you make public domain. I'm just careful about what I eat, and I always have an epi pen on me and a medic alert tag of sorts when I'm out." She pulled out her medic alert chain from inside her sweater.

Lex was perusing the Torch and spoke up. "Favorite Christmas movies, by Clark Kent."

Clark turned beet red. "Yeah I was tardy on my last two articles so Chloe made me do the student poll."

"So what's your favorite Christmas movie? Or does Lex Luthor not believe in such trivialities?" Chloe teased.

"No Chloe, unfortunately even I am not impervious to holiday cheer. I've always enjoyed Holiday Inn. You?"

"I'm an old fashioned Charlie brown Christmas girl." Chloe declared.

"I like A Christmas Story." Clark said.

"I never could make it all the way through that Charlie Brown one." Paris said.

"It's like 45 minutes."

"No, I know that. I just feel so bad for Charlie Brown because they're so mean to him and he tries so hard. And don't even get me started on that Lucy bitch. I can't watch past the first 15 minutes before I get into a shouting match with the TV."

"And that children is what happens when you drink before noon." Albert said jokingly.

"Oh shut up. And this is what happens when you drink before noon." She lifted her chin and pointed to a hidden, barely there, scar.

"How'd you do that?" Clark asked.

"We were like 16 and drinking one morning during Christmas break and decided to go snowmobiling. One minute I'm riding along, the next I'm landing on a giant chunk of ice and bleeding everywhere, besides it was you who crashed into me."

"Dare I ask what you two like to watch?" Chloe asked.

"I've always enjoyed Miracle on 34th Street and Scrooged." Albert said.

"Diehard." Paris said offhandedly. Everyone looked at her like she was nuts. "What it's a Christmas movie. Fine, fine the Poseidon Adventure." She said with a wry smile.

"You, cousin have absolutely no Christmas spirit."

"Shut up. Alright I do like National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation."

A man in a black trench coat walked up to the table. "Excuse me are you Paris Stratford?"

"I'm sorry all interviews need to go through my publicist."

"No Miss. Stratford I'm not a reporter." He reached into his pocket and retrieved some folded papers and handed them to Paris. "You have been served. Happy Holidays."

Paris looked up from the papers stunned. "Yeah right." She said numbly.

"Who is it from?" Lex asked.

"My ex. He's suing me for $15 million."

"On what grounds?" Albert asked.

"I don't know I'm only one page in." Her phone rang before she could say anything else. "Hello." She said curtly.

"Hello sweet cheeks." A deep male voice said.

"What do you want? And don't call me that."

"Enjoying your present?"

She got up and started looking around her shocking all the table's occupants in the process, luckily the Talon had few customers . "Where are you? You know you're not allowed within one mile of me."

"No, I wouldn't dare violate your little restraining order. Just calling to say happy holidays."

"Go to hell."

"Don't be so defensive, Paris. Just give me what I want and you'll never hear from me again."

"I already gave you the ring back." She sniped.

"You threw it at my head."

"You still have it and you know you'll never get anything from me. I have more money than God and more lawyers than OJ. I will bury you in paperwork and then when you're at your weakest and most vulnerable I will take everything you have. And I will burn it and do a happy dance on the ashes."

"I won't make this easy on you Paris."

"I'll fight back harder than you ever thought possible. How'd you find me anyway?"

"I Googled you. Imagine how surprised I was when The Torch came up with an article about Smallville's newest resident."

Paris scowled in anger and resentment. "Using the internet to stalk your ex, isn't that a little beneath you? Well now that I think about not much is beneath you, you're the lowest there is." He voice was laced with anger and sarcasm.

"Speaking of beneath, you fucking baldy? I mean that is where you are right, you ran back to the hairless wonder."

"Leave him out of this. But if I was it'd be a welcome change from you. Tell me, has your secretary realized how badly you suck in bed yet?" She said with a smirk.

"Goodbye Paris."

"Go to hell." Paris closed her phone and sat back down.

"Was that who I think it was?" Albert asked.

"Yes." Paris folded her arms and dropped her head on them."

"How'd he find you?"

"Google. The Torch on-line came up."

"I'm sorry. I never should have asked you to do that interview." Chloe said sadly.

"No Chloe it's not your fault. He wanted to punish me for leaving him, he would have found me either way. I'm sorry I have to get home. Lex can you take Albert back?"

"No problem."

"Thanks." She grabbed her stuff and ran out of the coffee house.

----Paris's office later that night----

Paris was sitting at her desk on the phone with her lawyer. "Yes Jerry I am quite aware of the upcoming holidays but I AM BEING SUED! I expect you to actually earn the obscene amount of money I pay to keep you on retainer. Fine we'll file an injunction after the first. Bye." She slammed the handset back into the cradle. Sitting in her chair she grabbed her red Nalgene water bottle and took a sip.

"You know there are easier ways to deal with this problem." Lionel said from the doorway.

She looked over the top of her bottle and sighed. "Hi Lionel, do come in. My day couldn't get any worse."

"Your warmth touches me." Lionel said as he sat down in one of the chairs in front of her desk.

"Excuse me if I seem less than thrilled to see anyone right now."

"I see Lex has set you up with proper accommodations."

She closed the bottle and started to swirl the water around inside creating a tornado, looking disinterested in conversation. She pursed her lips together, in a slight pout. "Um hm. Lionel I know you aren't one for small talk so what's up?"

Lionel made himself more comfortable, he crossed his legs and rested his arms on the armrests. "Well I inquired as to why you weren't at dinner tonight and your cousin filled me in on the details of this afternoon's little legal dispute."

"What time is it?"

"8:00."

"Wow I lost track of time. My little legal dispute is nothing more than my ex being a vindictive ASS. Thanks for your concern though."

"Like I said before there is an easy way to settle this." He gave her a knowing smirk.

"And what would that be?" She asked raising an eyebrow in inquiry.

"How do you New Yorkers say it? Oh yes, have the prick whacked."

Paris chuckled, losing the seriousness in her face. "Thank you that did brighten up my day. But you really do need to lay off the Sopranos."

Lionel merely smiled at her. "Just thought I'd float the idea boy you. I must be leaving. Good night Paris."

"Night Lionel." Lionel got up and started toward the door. "Lionel?"

"Yes."

"You were joking right?"

"One should never joke about murder Paris." With that Lionel walked out of the office leaving Paris stunned.

Paris made her way out of the office and up to her room a few hours later.

"Damn I haven't even packed yet." She said tiredly. "Oh well, better get started." She tossed her water bottle on the bed, changed into her pajamas and made her way into her closet.

Lex walked in as she was zipping up her suitcase after putting the last of her clothes in for vacation. "Hey." He said quietly, to not startle her.

"Oh, hey Lex. What's up?" She smiled at him.

"Nothing I just came to see how you were. I hadn't heard any glass breaking so I figured you were plotting his death." He joked.

Paris chuckled. "You know, oddly enough your dad did offer to have him offed for me."

"He did?" Lex's eyebrows shot up in surprise and amusement.

"Yeah, he even tried to be all New York about it, his exact words were 'Have the prick whacked.' It was cute."

Lex chuckled this time. "That may actually be the nicest thing he's ever done."

"Yeah but I thought better of it. I don't want Lionel to have anything on me for the rest of my life. Not that it wasn't a tempting offer." She gave a playful smirk.

"So do you want to tell me the rest of the story yet?"

She shook her head. "It's not important."

"Alright, but if you want to I'm down the hall."

"Yeah and up the stairs and around the corner and down that hall..." She teased him.

"It's a big house." He countered. "I almost forgot why I came down here. Have you looked outside yet?"

"No, not really why?"

"Well it's already snowed 6 inches."

"Are you kidding me?" Her face fell in disappointment.

"Nope. It's not supposed to stop until late tomorrow and the airport is clooosed." He strung out closed.

"Fuck! Could this week get any worse?" She asked as she dropped onto her bed.

"My dad's here until the roads are cleared."

"This is going to get gory isn't it?"

"Probably."

"Alight well I have to call my grandfather and get stuff sorted out. Did you tell Albert yet?"

"Yeah."

"How'd he take it?"

"Not bad. The crying was minimal." He said joking.

She chuckled and ran her hands over her face. "Night Lex."

"Night Paris."

----The next morning 8:00 Am----

Paris's stereo turned on and, Boom Boom Boom came blaring out. "BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, LET ME HEAR YOU SAY HEY OH! GIRL YOUR BOOTY IS SO ROUND...."

Paris shot up and fumbled tiredly for her remote to turn it off. "Oh I am going to kick his ass." She said as she dropped her head back down on her pillows. After a few minutes she made her way to the breakfast room where Lex and Albert already were. She walked in silently, still in her pajamas with her hair in a ponytail, and slapped Albert in the back of his head as she made her way to her seat.

"Ow!" He said rubbing his head. "What the bloody hell was that for?"

"You set the alarm on my stereo and I almost had a heart attack." She said then she rested her head on her arms on the table.

"Oh that." Albert chuckled. "I did it before we left yesterday. I didn't want you to oversleep."

"I have an alarm clock now shush. You're disturbing my sleep." She mumbled sleepily.

Lex looked up from his newspaper. "Shouldn't you be doing that in your room?"

"Are you new around here? Logic has left this part of the hemisphere and won't be coming back for a long, long time. Now quiet, I'm sleeping." Lex just shrugged his shoulders, knowing not to argue with her, and went back to reading his newspaper.

Lionel walked in and sat at the other head across from Lex. "Paris will you please get your head off the table, people are eating."

"Humph." Paris let out a sigh and sat back in her chair. A servant set down food in front of her, pancakes, sausage and eggs. She took one look at it and her stomach turned. "I'm not hungry, I'm going back to bed." She got up and as she walked past Albert she slapped his forehead.

"What's your damage Heather?" Albert said snarkily.

Paris whirred around and stalked back to the table, talking frantically the whole time. "Uah!" She let out an exasperated yelp. "What's my damage, what's my damage? You, I, lawsuit." She couldn't form a coherent sentence through her anger. She stopped next to his chair and started talking emphatically. "I think this is what a stroke feels like. Take a look around you Toto! We are stuck in fucking Kansas during a blizzard, I am being sued by my ex-fiancée for no actual reason accept that he wants me to suffer worse than I already have. My father isn't talking to me. Our family despises my very existence. I should be lying on a beach getting lightly tanned in the noon day sun drinking mai tais. But NOOOOO I'm here stuck in the house that dysfunctionality built and I can't do a thing about it and you think it's hysterical. And to top it off you are using quotes from a dark 80's cult comedy to make me look like a bitch. You are such a Stratford sometimes." She grabbed a glass of orange juice from the table and dumped it on his head. "I'm going back to bed only come in if you have prescription drugs and vodka." With that she pulled the hood of her sweatshirt on her head and walked out of the room.

"Well she's quite pleasant this morning." Lionel said as he put his napkin in his lap.

"She never was a morning person." Lex said offhandedly.

"No one cares that I'm sitting in orange juice?" Albert asked.

"You had to see it coming, she's done it before." Lex pointed out.

----Paris's room that afternoon----

Albert walked into Paris's room and hopped on the bed next to her making the large bed bounce.

"Be nice to me." She grumbled. She smelled his head. "You don't smell like orange juice."

"I showered. It's noon, you haven't eaten all day and I'm not going to let you spend the rest of the week in bed."

"I wanna go to Fiji." She whined.

"I know. Let's go watch TV or something."

"Can I at least stay in my pajamas?"

"Change them or we're going to start calling you Emily Dickinson."

"Will not."

"Will too, we took a vote."

"Since when do you and Lex have to power to out vote me?"

"We don't, but we can annoy you."

"I don't like this plan."

"Be changed and downstairs in ten minutes or we're sending Lionel in to talk to you."

"I hate you all." She said pulling the covers over her head.

"But we love you. Now get moving, the clock is ticking." Albert got up and left her room.

----The TV Room----

Paris did just what she said and changed into a different pair of pajamas and she, Albert and Lex were on the couch watching TV in the media room.

"I still don't know why we're watching Buffy." Lex grumbled.

"Because there's a marathon. You used to like this show and you know it. Unfortunately it's the last season and Sarah's my friend. Now shush or I'm going back to my room."

"Did you skin a Muppet for those?" Lex asked pointing to her blue fuzzy socks.

"They're warm and cozy. What's wrong with them, are they not something Helen would wear?"

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing, forget I said anything."

"Fine. But can we please turn this off."

"Fine." She turned the guide on and scrolled through. "Let's see whose E! True Hollywood Story is on."

"Will you two stop bitching, you sound like my parents."

Paris Turned E! on and there was a news break going.

"Great E! News. Let's see whose getting divorced this week." Albert said.

"I can't believe I'm watching E! with you two. Ever hear of the history channel?"

"Shush, they're saying something about Paris."

"Hi, I'm Steve Kometco for E! news live. As we mentioned earlier Jeremy Fitzpatrick, TV writer and, ex-fiancée of actress Paris Stratford has filed a lawsuit against the 23 year old actress citing destruction of property and abuse by Stratford. E! recently caught up with Fitzpatrick and he declined an on camera interview but he did say that Paris became increasingly verbally and physically abusive to him at the end of their 2 year relationship. He also said it was probably a side effect of her recent bout with alcoholism and drug abuse. We weren't able to get a hold of Paris at this time."

"BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T CALL!" Paris yelled at the TV. She got up and began to pace. "I can't believe this. Did you two hear what he just said? Millions of people just heard that. Your sister just heard that. Holy shit, every studio in Hollywood just heard that. I'm screwed."

"Paris calm down, it's Christmas week how many people do you actually think were watching that?" Albert tried to calm her down.

"We were!" She said back. "Oh my god, he just turned me into Liza Minelli." Paris said frantically.

"You can release a statement." Lex tried to help. "You can take a drug test. And surely your psychiatrist would help clear you of any alcoholism allegations."

She was near tears. "That's not how it works, you should know that. Anything I do right now will make me look like I have something to hide. Besides it's not like I don't have a history of indiscretions."

"Do you think someone would bring that up? I mean it was years ago, you were 16." Albert asked.

"YES they'll find it and bring it up. For god sakes Albert I spent 2 weeks in a psych ward because I went on a bender and tried to kill myself!"

"But your doctors..."

"My doctors won't tell them, they're too afraid of my father, but someone will. I wasn't exactly a low profile kid."

"You were depressed."

"And HIGH! I was higher than a freakin' kite! The doctors told my dad that the mix of alcohol and drugs in my system could have killed a linebacker, not to mention the blood loss. I got lucky."

"But you were depressed when you started using, that has to count for something."

"Jesus Albert are you new to this game? Have you learned nothing from our time together? A: I wasn't depressed when I started using drugs, just when I started abusing them, and there is a difference. B: I used my wrists as a fucking cutting board! And C: I'm rich therefore my problems don't matter, they may get good ratings but they don't matter. As far as normal people are concerned I am just another example of an Upper East Side brat who had too much cash to spend and too much time on her hands."

"Well that all happened what, 7 years ago. If someone was going to make news out of it wouldn't they have done it by now."

"No. My father had it kept out of the media. Your parents didn't even hear about it for, what, two months after, and we're family. Not totally functional but family nonetheless."

"Oh, well that does provide a bit of a quandary. Questions will be asked as to why this wasn't brought to light before."

"Uh, yeah!"

"Paris calm down, you're getting too worked up."

"Don't fucking tell me to calm down Lex! I am being sued and my ex is committing serious slander via television, and it's going to be all over the papers by morning. My career is in serious trouble here. I have a company that I could very well lose. People's careers depend on me!"

"We know you don't use drugs and you're not an alcoholic. What about the destruction of property?" Albert tried to get her to think about anything but the TV.

"When I caught him with her, IN MY BED! I kicked them both out. And later that night after half a bottle of wine I got all of his stuff that I could find and brought it outside. I was having the pool cleaned, so it was empty. And I threw all his clothes and music and books and whatever else I found in and poured a decanter of his Cognac on top and torched it."

"Okay so if that's all the property you destroyed he won't get much for it. And the allegations of abuse, I mean come on whose actually going to believe that you would hurt him for no reason at all."

"You don't understand he doesn't deserve anything from me. This is his fault he started this. He cheated on me, he hi-hurt me, okay not the other way around!"

Lex and Albert both looked at her in stunned silence.

Paris realized her slip. "I'm going to go work out. I'll be done, I don't know when I'll be done."

----The Gym----

Lex stood behind the observation glass of the gym watching Paris on the gymnastics equipment, she had started on the mats, then the horse and spring board and was currently exercising on the uneven bars.

"Doesn't this border on voyeurism son?" Lionel asked as he walked up next to Lex."

Lex never took his eyes off Paris. "Hardly, I'm just making sure she doesn't hurt herself." Lex never took his eyes off her.

"But you're in here and she's out there."

"She made it clear that she didn't want any company."

"I heard the news report. It seems our dear Paris has taken quite the hit."

"Don't refer to her as 'our.' I heard about your offer though."

"It still stands."

"Why do you care so much?"

"As hard pressed as you are to see it, I do have a heart. I've always thought of Paris as one of my children."

"No wonder she's monumentally screwed up." Lex said sarcastically.

"Very nice Lex. Anyway if I did have a daughter I would like her to be like Paris. I've enjoyed watching her grow over the years and seeing the woman she has become and her screw you to her father was just an added bonus." Lionel smirked.

"Are you sure? I mean she doesn't listen to direct orders and she has an uncanny habit of thinking for herself. And if she were actually your kid that screw you would have been at you." He said without a hint of joking in his voice.

"I know, but what can I say. Besides it's not like you're not here to carry on the legacy."

"If you like Paris so much then why did you insist that I break up with her?" Lex asked coolly.

"I told you before son her father would have come after my company and I have worked too long and hard to lose my company to Malcolm Stratford. Why do you care now, I mean you do have Helen."

"What did you do to him dad?"

"To Malcolm? Nothing that he wouldn't have done to me."

"I hope you are proud of yourselves, using your children as pawns in your twisted game of chess. If it weren't for you two this wouldn't be happening to her."

"You would have left her eventually son, and it would have been worse than it was."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because if there's one thing you can't do, it's interpersonal relationships."

Lex watched as Paris went to make the jump from the top bar to the bottom and overshot the bar, losing her grip and landing face first on the mat.

"I wonder where I learned that from. If you'll excuse me I'm going to go see if she's still breathing." Lex stalked away from Lionel.

Lex walked into the gym and walked up to Paris who was lying on her back on the mat staring at the ceiling.

"I was wondering how long it'd take one of you to come in here." She said neutrally.

"I came to see how you were doing."

"Like you weren't watching me from behind the glass."

Lex reached a hand out to help her up.

"It's not safe for you to use this equipment without a spotter."

"I don't need a spotter."

"I saw you fall. Come on let me help you up."

"Fine." She grabbed his hand and let him hoist her to her feet. She walked over to the bench and started to put her sweats over her leotard. "So what." She took off her ankle braces and put a pair of sweat socks on. Then she grabbed her water bottle and took a sip.

"Excuse me."

"What'd you come in here to say to me?" She took another sip.

"Nothing I just came to help you up after that face plant."

They walked out of the gym and to her office. "I've taken worse. I got a voice mail from Chip Schrek. He just called to welcome me back to the world of those who are footloose and fancy free 24/7. He asked when you were going to come back."

"Oh that Chip, never misses a chance to screw with us." Lex said with fake fondness in h voice.

"I hate him."

"As do I my lithe little friend."

Paris sat down behind her desk and passed the bottle from hand to hand, and Lex sat in front of it.

"What'd he do to you Paris?"

"What do you think he did?" She kept looking at the red lexan plastic and not at Lex.

"I want to hear it from you."

"Why, so you can go kill him?"

"No, because I don't think you should carry these things around forever."

She looked up at him and put the bottle on the desk. "Well look who's playing Freud. He hit me alright."

Lex's face darkened in anger. "How many times."

"Just the one time, no one gets the chance to hurt me twice. The day I caught them. We started arguing and he hit me. I threw him out and filed the restraining order. And I called you the next day."

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

"Why? Why didn't I tell you? I had no idea that this effected you so much Lex, I didn't realize how selfish I was being withholding this information from you."

"I could have..."

She cut him off. "What could you have done? You couldn't have done anything Lex. I know you have this instinct to protect me but you couldn't have stopped this from happening. And I didn't need you getting thrown in jail for doing something dumb. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to think that I couldn't take care of myself, besides it's not exactly something one wants to broadcast."

"I understand. I wouldn't have done anything to him if you had told me not to."

Paris's phone started ringing. She looked at the screen and recognized the number. "Hold on a minute." She answered. "Hey Mackenzie. How's Hawaii?"

"It' great but that's not why I called. Oh my god Paris I just saw E!. That dickless wonder has some nerve spreading those rumors about you. What are you going to do?"

"I don't know, were already filing an injunction after the first, now I can counter sue. The words gag order may even come up."

"You'd better counter sue the asshole. Take him for all he's worth. Do your lawyers know what they're doing?"

"Mack your dad recommended them to me, two of their partners came out of his firm. I doubt that Elijah Rosenberg would steer me wrong."

"Well I think you should go for twice the amount he's suing you for, wait, push for community service too. Seeing him pick up trash in an orange jumpsuit would provide hours of entertainment."

"Dear God I'm so glad that I'll never have to face you in court. You must send them ducking for cover in law school."

"What can I say, litigating is in my blood. So what all happened. What started this whole 'Parisgate' saga?"

"Mack I don't want to talk about this on the phone right now. How about this? When you get back to New York I'll fly back and we'll get brunch at the Plaza and I can tell you the whole story."

"Okay."

"Later Mack."

"Later Strat."

Paris closed her phone and put it back on her desk. "Well Mackenzie's ready for the fight of the century, you'd swear she'd passed her bar already. She's going to take some man for all he's worth one day."

"Are you?"

"Going to take him for all he's worth, nah, I have more money than I could spend in two lifetimes." She joked.

Lex smiled. "You know what I meant."

"I can take him. I can take him, and the press and whatever else they throw at me. It's my dad I worry about."

"How do you think he's going to take this?"

"He'll make the Punic wars look like a school yard fight."

"So he'll side with you on this."

"No, it's not about me. He'll do what's best for the company. And he'll be pissed at me for starting it." Paris's phone rang again, this time it was The Imperial March from Star Wars. She sat staring at it for a second.

"The Imperial March?" Lex asked with a smirk.

"It's fitting. Besides I heard the one you have for your dad, 'You're a Mean one Mr. Grinch.' You win in the dorkiest ringer category."

"He's waiting."

"Grrr." She answered. "Hi dad. How are things in England?"

"Paris what have you done?" He barked on the other end.

"Dad I didn't do anything. He's just out for a little revenge."

"Don't lie to me Paris. When did all this start again? I will have you in rehab so fast."

"Dad I'm not on anything."

"And it won't be one of those posh L.A. rehab centers either, I'll send you to a convent in Siberia where you can't do any more damage."

"Dad are you listening to me? I'm not on drugs this isn't about drugs. He just said that crap to make me look less credible. You know I haven't done anything like that since I was 16."

"I don't believe you Paris. And besides do you know what this is going to do to my company. If my stock shares fall, because of this I swear young lady you just may get that disownment you've been waiting for. I cannot believe you Paris. Do you have absolutely no regard for anyone but yourself? Do you know how much money this is going to cost to clear up? Let alone what kind of father this make me look like."

"No dad it'll make you look like the greatest father to all of them. You will be the hero who comes to rescue his daughter from her big bad ex. Meanwhile I'm the only person who knows exactly what kind of father you actually are."

"Oh and what kind of father am I?"

"Just off the top of my head. Distant, unloving, selfish, hypocritical, relentless, discontented. Give me an hour and I'll come up with more. You won't even give your own daughter the benefit of the doubt."

"I can't give you the benefit of the doubt because you are my daughter. I know your past."

"Right, and as we all know people never change." She snapped her phone shut. "AHHHHHH!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Feel better?"

"Not even close." She opened her hone back up and snapped it in half. Then she picked up her laptop and smashed the phone to pieces. Once she was breathless from smashing her phone she sat down, boneless, in her chair. "Now I feel better."

"You killed your cell phone. Plus you did some serious damage to your computer."

She closed her eyes and held a finger in front of her lips. "Shhh. Don't ruin the moment. And if you do that I'll have to beat you to death with the unbreakable water bottle."

"Paris this is going to get worse before it gets better."

"Don't say that. I've changed my mind, I don't want to be an adult. Is it too late to hitch a fairy to never never land?"

"I have a surprise for you. Have your snow clothes on in twenty minutes."

"Since when did everyone start ordering me around? When did it stop snowing?"

"Since it's for your own good. It stopped an hour ago."

"How do I know this?"

"Have I ever steered you wrong?"

"No."

"Twenty minutes, meet us in the foyer now go."

----Twenty minutes later----

Paris walked into the foyer, dressed for the snow like Lex instructed.

The doorbell rang a few seconds later so she answered it. "Hey Clark, Chloe, Lana. What's up?" She asked as they walked in.

"No clue, Lex called us up and said to dress for the snow. But he was pretty cryptic about it." Clark said.

"And that's a change from any other day." Chloe said skeptically.

"I wasn't cryptic I was secretive." Lex said walking into the foyer, followed by Albert.

"And there's a difference?" Lana asked.

"Slight. We're not here to argue semantics. Everyone follow me." Lex motioned for the group to follow him. Lex led them to the garage. When they entered they went to the lower level where six snowmobiles awaited them.

"Lex these are awesome!" Clark exclaimed.

"I know Clark, that's why I bought them. Everyone grab one and follow me. You three wear helmets." Lex pointed to the three teens.

"Do we have to?" Chloe asked.

"Yes, because I don't need to be sued by your parents if anything happens to you."

"Really Chloe, one lawsuit a week is enough." Paris said with a wry smile. Everyone just looked at her shocked. "Oh come on someone had to say it."

Albert shook his head and chuckled. "It was funny. You're twisted but it was funny."

"Come one let's go." Lex motioned for everyone to pick a snowmobile, he of course picked the purple and black one.

Ten minutes later after a debate between Chloe and Albert about who was going to get to ride the burnt orange snowmobile. Chloe won after Paris intervened on her behalf, the group was speeding along, behind Lex, on the back paths through the woods and cornfields of Smallville.

Lex stopped in the middle of a large open field and got off his snowmobile, everyone else followed suit. Clark and Lana knew where they were, but Clark didn't know that Lex knew where it was.

"Lex why are we in the middle of McGregor's field?" Clark asked skeptically.

"Because we needed a little outing. How long has it been since any of us have had any real fun?"

"Lex mate is that a trick question? Because if it is I'm going home, I'm freezing my bits off."

Paris swatted his arm. "Shush, no one wants to hear about your bits."

"I'm just saying."

"I know what your saying now...." She was cut off by a snowball hitting her in the side of the head. She looked in the direction where it came from and smiled broadly. "You Luthor are so dead." She grabbed a handful of snow and whipped it at Lex, hitting him square in the chest.

"Is that all you've got? You throw like such a girl." Lex teased her.

"I'm going to kick your ass." Paris tore off after Lex and chased him with another snowball in hand.

Lana picked up a chunk of snow and nailed Clark in the head.

"You do know this means war." He said as he bent down to grab some snow.

"Oh no you don't." Chloe whipped another snow ball at the boy.

"What don't I get any love?" Albert asked dejectedly. Five snowballs flew at him, all direct hits. "Thank you." He said whipping snow off his sunglasses.

The group spent the next hour and a half in an all out war, boys vs. girls snowballs flying everywhere. They were having the time of their lives.

Lana ducked behind a tree to take off her hat and shake some of the snow off, Albert snuck up behind her and was about to nail her in the back with a snowball when he was stopped. Paris stepped in front of Lana. "Lana duck." She called to the young girl. Lana looked at her wide eyed but did as said letting Paris hit Albert.

"You think you're so smart don't you." Lex's smooth voice called from behind her.

Paris turned around to face her friend. "And what if I do?" She said walking toward him.

Lex tossed his snowball in the air and caught it, not taking his eyes off the brunette stalking toward him like a jungle cat. "Maybe I'll have to do something about that." Lex said as she got within arms reach of him.

"Are you gonna throw that at me or are you content to play with your balls all day?" She said candidly.

"Oh Paris, the queen of the double entendre." Lex said with a sexy smirk. He dropped the ball and grabbed Paris then threw her in the snow.

"Oh you are sooooo going down for this. I am going to put bananas in the tail pipes of all your cars."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Give me evidence to the contrary."

"Fine." He held his hand out to help her up but she pulled him down in the snow next to her, then she quickly got him on his back and sat on his chest. "You are so predictable."

"You are so easily duped." She said sticking her tongue out at him.

"Well now that you've got me down here what do you plan to do?"

"Oh I dunno." She smiled as she brought a large snowball into his view. "This might look nice on your head or down your pants." She passed it from hand to hand. Lex got impatient and grabbed her wrists yanking them above his head causing her to drop the snowball. Paris lost her balance and fell forward her face stopping mere inched from Lex's. A few strands of snow covered hair fell over the sides of her face and dangled between them. Stormy gray blue eyes met sparkling emerald green. Lex licked some melted snow off his lips. Paris's breath caught in her chest. Their friends stood silently watching the exchange a few yards away. Something stirred inside Paris but she knew she couldn't embrace it, although the idea of kissing Lex was quite attractive to her. "Oh god." She muttered. She quickly yanked out of Lex's grasp and go off him. She quickly walked over to her snowmobile, not making eye contact with any one on the way. She started the engine with a roar and took off toward the house. No one said a word to her or Lex.

Lana and Albert were standing by the tree watching the whole thing. "What just happened?" She asked quietly.

"Don't worry luv. Things just got a little too real for Romeo and Juliet."

Oh no I left you hanging. Guess you all will just have to wait for part 2.