AN: This chapter is being told from a narrator's pov. Why? Because I don't have the time to cover everyone's summer in one night because I have class tomorrow. Besides we all know what happened I'm just putting my spin on it.

How I spent my summer vacation, Smallville style.

Clark: Clark left Smallville because he felt he felt he had let his family and friends down, he couldn't look at their accusing faces anymore so he grabbed a piece of red Kryptonite, hopped on his dad's motorcycle and sped out of town. He assumed the name Kal. First he went to Las Vegas and used his x-ray vision to win at cards. He won enough cash to get a swanky apartment in an uptown high rise back in Metropolis. When he got back to Metropolis he partied in night clubs and spent his money. That's when he started robbing the ATMs all over town. Finally Morgan Edge, an old acquaintance of Lionel's, caught up with him and Clark started working for him until Edge decided to try and kill him, then he went back out on his own. Until his father tracked him down and, with the help of Jor El, used new super human powers to fight him and bring him back home.

Martha and Jonathan: Their unborn child was dead, their son was missing, their pseudo so was presumed dead and the new girl who had blown into their life and brought a new light to Smallville had left town the minute she was released from the hospital and they hadn't heard from her since. None of Clark's other friends stopped by the farm either, maybe out of respect maybe out of fear, they didn't know why but deep down they were relieved to not have to see anything else that reminded them of Clark. Martha and Jonathan rarely spoke to each other over the summer the most they did was exchange looks of worry and despair. Martha had kept up her end of the agreement with Paris. She stopped by Paris' house almost daily and made sure everything was in order. Of course it was between the twice weekly maid service and the absence of residents the large house was immaculate. More often than not Martha found herself wandering the halls of the large desolate house getting lost in her thoughts. After a few weeks she gathered the courage to go into Paris' large, first floor office. She'd never been in Paris' office before but when she walked in it was undeniable that this was Paris' space. The entire room was theatrical the walls were painted a rich deep blue and wood was all dark cherry, including the bookcases, doors, desk, and crown molding, two large overstuffed black leather chairs sat in front of her desk, there were two large framed old movie posters on the walls, Martha had no doubt that they were originals, and a sleek silver laptop sat atop the desk closed. Awards and pictures littered the surfaces, a few errant scripts were laying on her desk. Martha walked through the room taking in the atmosphere, when she came upon the book cases she noticed there were photo albums and some home movies on some of the shelves. When she picked them up she was treated to glimpse of Paris' life, beginning to recent. She found pictures of Paris, Albert, Bruce and Lex at Excelsior and their adventures, there were books of trips and vacations. there was an entire book entitled 'Our Exploits in Europe', she smiled as she thumbed through the book and got to see them when they were in high school. She found a book of Paris and her friends in New York, there was one of Paris looking much different than she does now, she was wearing; a black mini skirt, black thigh high stockings with black satin bows on the tops, oily black Doc Marten shoes, and a tight red midriff, her hair was cropped short to her chin and it was pink, she had a small stud in her nose, a naval ring, she was standing next to a girl who was dressed similar, with short blue hair, they were both holding a cigarette in one hand and a beer in the other. She didn't recognize the girl so she slipped it out of it's place and the back read 'Paris and Mack SOHO, fashion week 1997'. 'They weren't even old enough to smoke let alone drink' she thought to herself despondently. The picture that finally made the dam break was one taken last Thanksgiving, it was in a plain silver frame on her desk, she remembered snapping the photo, it was after dinner Paris, Chloe and Lana were sitting on the steps of the porch relaxing and Clark and Lex were crouched behind them. She remembered she saw them sitting like that when she was in the kitchen, they were trying to decide what to do after dinner, Paris had suggested pool at the mansion and Lex said something sarcastic in reply, Martha thought they all looked the picture of innocence sitting on the porch like that so she grabbed her camera and snuck out front and took the picture. Martha picked the picture up, it to her chest and slid to the floor, she sat there for hours sobbing. After that she made sure to go into the office everyday and learn more about the young woman's life. One day in early August Jonathan had enough, he contacted Chloe and enlisted her help in finding Clark. To say Clark was a little resistant to the idea of coming home is an understatement. Clark actually fought Jonathan, who had super enhanced powers, in an effort to stay in Metropolis. In the end Clark lost and his father brought him home much to the relief of Martha.

Lionel: Lionel spent the summer pouring money and time into searching for Lex. He felt that his son had to be alive somewhere because his new wife had managed to live. On the outside he was a shrude businessman who balanced his search for his missing son. On the inside he was more worried and frightful than when his wife died, leaving him alone with Lex. Lionel Luthor didn't show emotion, instead he terrorized the staff both at work and at home. He was getting more and more suspicious of Helen by the day and it took all his willpower not to strangle the bitch. The day of Lex's memorial service was the most taxing on him. For the first time ever, Lionel Luthor admitted defeat. He scanned the crowd over and over before his speech but couldn't find Paris anywhere. He didn't think she'd show though, not because she didn't love Lex or respect him but because she was so despondent over the whole situation that she could barely function on a day to day basis let alone face the mortality of her dear friend. He had been in contact with Gustave over much of the summer and Paris' situation was not good at all, her depression had hit new lows and she was doing nothing to help herself out of it any time soon. The second happiest day in Lionel's life occurred when Lex jumped out at him from the shadows of his office, the first being the day his Alexander was born and that was over 23 years ago. At first he was startled at Lex's presence but he was so over relieved to see his son alive that he quickly assured Lex he had no hand in his disappearance. Lex looked ragged and hurt but he knew his boy was a survivor and he was proud.

Helen: Helen lived the life while Lex was gone. Not only did she have the sympathy of the whole world, but she was considered a hero, and those two components on top of bank accounts overflowing with money made her a happy camper. The worst day of her summer was the day Lex came home. So she decided that she had to keep trying to kill him until she succeeded.

Chloe: Before the summer started Chloe sold her soul to the devil for an article at the Dialy Planet. Now she was having second thoughts. She enjoyed her job but Lionel's insistence for more and more information on Clark was unnerving to her, she had to find a way out of the agreement she made with him that fateful night. She was becoming less pissed at Lana, but every time she wanted to ask Clark for help she was reminded of why she was in this mess and her anger returned and since Clark wasn't there she took both parts out on Lana. Every time she was in Metropolis she looked through the police reports because a new criminal looked like Clark. She finally found him one day but he was so mean and heartless toward her that she left, considering he threatened her life if she ever came back. And she missed Lex. For the longest time he was the only one with the intellect to play verbal judo with her. Their friendship was never the way his was with Clark but they did enjoy each other's company. Then there was Paris. She respected Paris and looked up to her. She understood why Paris left but wished she would come back. The days when Lex and Clark finally returned home she was so happy she thought she might float away.

Lana: After Clark left Lana was lost. She had no boyfriend and Chloe refused to even look at her. Usually she would have gone to Lex for help but he was missing. That hurt the most, the one person who really believed in her dream for the Talon wasn't around to share in it anymore. She had no one, as usual, so she did what she did best, she put on a happy face and buried herself in her work. The days Clark and Lex came home Lana was beside herself with joy.

Lex: When Lex's plane crashed he miraculously made it out alive. He managed to climb onto a wing and float to safety. He was aided by the compass Mr. Kent had given him as a wedding gift. He spent his summer barely surviving on a desert island and slowly going mad. He was malnourished and sunburnt, he had even created a nemesis in his mind. During his lucid moments he hated his father and his wife and missed the love of his life more than he could bare. He was tortured by vivid nightmares of his desolate existence and the hurt of those he loved back home. Then one day his prayers were answered, a merchant ship saw his fire and rescued him. The first thing he did when he got home was confront his father who set him straight and sent him to confront his conniving wife. He 'attempted' to reconcile with her, but she pulled a gun on him in the middle of a flight and then parachuted out of the plane. He was sure that he hadn't heard the last of Helen Bryce but he didn't care. All he wanted to do was find his Paris and make things right. In an effort to thank the Kent's for their life saving gift he bought their farm for them and endured they'd always have a place to call home.

Paris: When Paris arrived in France she locked herself in one of the spacious guest houses on the family's property, and rarely left her bedroom. She was supposed to do physical therapy for her injured knee and broken ribs and getting her to do that was like pulling teeth. Her grandfather was at his wits end with her after the first three weeks but he knew he could never turn his back on his granddaughter when she was so deeply hurt. She had left Albert to take care of her company and although he enjoyed movie making he was tired of taking responsibility for her business, he had his own life to live and taking on hers was not making him happy, but he couldn't let her staff down because they depended on her to pay their bills so he plowed away at and hoped she'd snap out of it soon but knew the truth. Around July he decided she should start therapy but even on the days he did manage to get her to go it was fruitless. She was content drinking herself into a stupor every night and sleeping through most of the day. On the nights she did go into the city she turned back to her old vices and came home blasted out of her mind, she had not been doing hard drugs but she was taking pain killers with alcohol and that is not advised by any doctor but she didn't care, the more numb she was the better life was. All she wanted in the whole world was for Lex to come home and that wasn't going to happen.