Lexmas

In a seedy part of Granville, Kansas, Lex meets with a man named Griff on Christmas Eve. Lex asks why they couldn't have met at the mansion, and Griff replies that he doesn't make house calls. Getting down to business, Griff offers to dig up dirt on Jonathan Kent to aid Lex in the senate race. He even offers to make something up if he can't find anything, pointing out that things printed about public figures such as politicians are considered gospel, even if they're false. Unsure if that's the path he wants to take, Lex insists that Griff give him 24 hours to consider his options. Griff says that Lionel wouldn't have hesitated, and Lex threatens that if Lionel ever finds out about their meeting, Griff won't make it to New Year's. Then, as he's heading back to his car, Lex is held up by a young couple at gunpoint. They demand the keys to his car as well as the watch his mother Lillian had once given him. When he fails to remove the watch quickly enough, though, they shoot him, leaving him for dead. When Lex wakes up, he finds himself married to Lana, with a son named Alex and another kid on the way. Confused, he steps into the bathroom for a moment, only to find his late mother's reflection staring back at him in the mirror. Lillian assures him that he's not dead, nor is he dreaming. She explains that she's showing him a potential future that could be his, provided he makes the right choices.

Meanwhile, back in the real world, the Kents and Lana prepare for a Christmas Eve party at the farm. Martha is baking cookies, arguing with Jonathan over his bid for state senate, while Clark and Lana are putting the finishing touches on the Christmas tree. Lana thanks Clark for saving her from "another plastic, store-bought holiday" with Aunt Nell, when just then, Clark receives a call from Chloe. Frantic, Chloe says she has a problem and needs Clark's help, asking him to meet her at the Daily Planet. At Smallville General, meanwhile, Lex is wheeled into the emergency room, where Dr. Scanlon sets about trying to save Lex's life. In the meantime, in Lex's dreamy potential future, Lex prepares to go tree-shopping with his son Alex, when Lana 'reminds' him that they have a budget. Apparently, it's been seven years since Lionel had cut off Lex, forcing him to settle into a middle-class lifestyle. Lana adds, though, that she knows Lex only overspends because he wants the best for her and Alex, and that it's part of why she loves him. Later, Lex and his son are at a Christmas tree lot, marveling at one tree in particular, when they run into Clark and Chloe. Lex finds that he, Clark, and Chloe are friends, to the point that Alex actually refers to Clark as uncle. He learns that Clark is now a full-fledged reporter, and that Chloe has been working on a soon-to-be-published book exposé on LuthorCorp, with Lex being Chloe's 'anonymous' tell-all source. Back in the real world, Lionel learns of his son's condition: Lex's life is no longer in danger, but he'll be permanently paralyzed from the chest down, thanks to a blood clot slowly compressing on his spinal cord. Lionel insists his son's going to walk again, calling on a Dr. Litvack to operate, despite warnings from Dr. Scanlon that Lex isn't stabilized yet and that an operation could kill him. At the Daily Planet, meanwhile, Chloe explains her dilemma: she was put in charge of Toys for Tots, and while she's doubled the number of toys collected by the Planet, the toys need to be delivered that night and the teamsters are on strike. Clark agrees to help out, even after Chloe surprises him with a whole bullpen full of presents to be delivered. She then hands him a list of addresses, even giving him a Santa hat to wear. Later, as Clark is delivering the gifts, one kid catches him. Clark lies that he's the "new, improved" Santa Claus, but the kid says he can't be and proceeds to draw Clark's attention to a drunken Santa standing on the edge of a nearby rooftop.

Clark goes to talk with Santa, convincing him to step away from the rooftop's edge. Clark asks him what's wrong, and Santa laments that the world has grown too greedy and materialistic and that the Christmas spirit is dead. Meanwhile, at Smallville General, Lionel informs Dr. Scanlon that he has a neurosurgeon standing by at the Davis Clinic in Metropolis, and instructs the doctor to prepare Lex to be airlifted. Dr. Scanlon protests, but Lionel won't hear it, insisting once more that his son will walk again. Back in Lex's world, Lex and his son return home that night with a tree, apparently over budget. Lex defends that the tree is really for him, to make up for the fact that Christmas wasn't allowed to be celebrated in the Luthor household after his mother had died. Lana completely understands, especially since he brings it up every year. After bringing the tree inside, Lex finds an impersonalized gift from his father's secretary. Lana tells him that Christmas is just another excuse for Lionel to ignore Lex for turning his back on what it means to be a Luthor. In her opinion, though, Lex getting shot was the best thing that had ever happened to him, as it had made him realize what was important and turned him into the man she loves. Back in the real world, Clark talks with Santa some more, telling him how he got roped into playing Santa Claus. When Santa learns that both Clark and Chloe are giving up their Christmas Eve plans to deliver presents to underprivileged kids, he decides that the Christmas spirit isn't dead after all. However, just as he comes to this revelation, he takes a tumble off the rooftop, with Clark speeding down to save him. Santa drunkenly stumbles off, astounded. At the Davis Clinic, meanwhile, Lex has been airlifted, and Dr. Litvack prepares to perform surgery on him. Back in Lex's world, Lex and his family arrive at a Christmas party thrown by the Kents. Jonathan, now state senator, pulls Lex aside, and gives him a sneak peek of a Humanitarian Award he plans on presenting to Lex. Jonathan beams that he couldn't be prouder than if Lex was his own son. He then gives a toast in Lex's honor, calling him the finest man he knows. Outside, Lex speaks with Lillian's ghost, genuinely happy. He asks her what he has to do to make that future a reality, and she replies that he'll need to make the right decision, namely follow his heart and not his ambition. Before Lex can find out what she means by that, Clark interrupts, and Lillian disappears. Lex and Clark get to talking about Lex's wonderful life, and Lex asks how Lana ended up with him and not Clark. Clark replies that he wasn't ready, and that Lex became the kind of man that Lana could love. Just then, Martha interrupts to fetch Lex, as Lana's gone into labor. Back in the real world, Lex goes into defibrillation, while back in Lex's world, Lana delivers a healthy baby girl, before needing medical attention due to hemorrhaging.

Later, the doctors inform Lex that Lana's lost a lot of blood, but also inform him of a specialist at the Davis Clinic that can help her. So, Lex, in a moment of desperation, visits his father, begging Lionel to lend his heli-jet to get Lana to Metropolis quickly. Lionel, however, is unmoved by his son's pleas, reminding Lex that every choice he's made has led to this moment. If Lex hadn't turned his back on him and forfeited the senate race, he reasons, Lex could have had the resources to help Lana. Lex reminds him that Lana is the mother of his grandchildren, but Lionel retorts that he doesn't have a son and therefore couldn't have grandchildren. Back at the hospital, Lex tells Lana he loves her and that he's always loved her, before she passes away. Lillian appears again, and Lex demands to know why she's shown him a future full of pain where he's powerless to save Lana. Lillian counters that she's shown him a life full of love, but as far as Lex is concerned, everyone he's ever loved has died, including her and Lana.