It's A Super Life

by baudyhallee

Clark Kent finds out what his life would be like if he hadn't come to Earth. And with a surprising guide, MXY! Originally written as a Secret Santa fanfic.

Title: It's a Super Life

Rating: PG-13

Season: 7

Prompt table: wish

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Starting point: End of BLUE

Jor-El: "You have chosen to defy me yet again, Kal-El. And you seem to lack the capacity to learn your lesson. I am sorry, my son, this defiance cannot go without consequence."

Clark's heart broke in that moment. He had lost Jonathon Kent, his connection to Lara, and Martha Kent was in Washington, D.C. Now his only parent found him a petulant child. It seemed as if he could do nothing right. Well if that's what he thinks, so be it.

"I wish I had never come to this planet!" he said in confusion and anger.

The Fortress was silent and Clark could feel the first trickles of fear begin to encompass his mind.

"Kal-El, do you not know that words have power?" Clark thought he heard Jor-El let out a sigh. "Your consequence is . . . you may have your wish."

"Wha?" said Clark as the Fortress filled with light and then there was silent darkness. He was in a void of pitch black. Am I dead? Where am I? He heard something pop behind him.

"Greetings Supe . . .oops, can't have that now. Your Big Daddy Jor-El, will go back on our deal."

Before him, as if riding on air, sat a cartoonish little man dressed in green and purple. He wore a tiny derby on his head. Clark wasn't sure about the twinkle in his eyes. And for some reason the word "imp" came into his mind. "Who are you?"

"I'm Mxyzptlk from the 5th Dimension. That's the real dimension, not that soul group from the sixties."

"Huh? You're who?" Clark still wasn't sure if he was imagining this imp or if he truly was in a place void of time or space.

"mix-yez-pittle-ik! Man, I knew you were dense, but I didn't realize how much you've improved with age. You can call me, Mxy." The little man bowed and then gave Clark a wink.

Clark shook his head trying to clear it. "You're . . .Mxy and you're from the 5th dimension . . . and you know me, how?"

"Ahh, there's some Kryptonian synapsing inside that thick cranium afterall. I came from your future. You see, every 90 days in the future I get bored in my dimension so I come over to yours to . . . harass you. It's such great fun."

His laughter made Clark's spine tingle in warning. "You're from my future?"

"Well, time and space are sometimes a relative thing. I'm not going to explain the entire multiverses to you. It'd take up too much of my . . .time." The little man burst out into laughter once again. "Get it? . . . time?"

Clark folded his arms and waited. "And why are you here?"

"You made a wish and I made a deal with your daddy a while back. I'm paying up. Your daddy has powers in high places, y'know. I wouldn't be throwing so many tantrums if I were you."

"I'm beginning to realize that," said Clark as he tried to discern if Mxy was friend or foe.

"Well, you started this Supe . . . uh, I think I'll call you Farmerman since you haven't grown into . . . Never mind. You'll see . . .maybe."

Clark rolled his eyes as a gray mist appeared.

"What is your favorite time of the year?" asked the wee man with a sly grin.

"Christmas," said Clark without thinking. "Mom and Dad always made it so special for me."

"Very well. Christmas time, it is then. Remember, you never arrived on the planet. Who'd you like to visit first?"

"Visit? Uh, well, . . .Lana, I suppose," said Clark as the mist began to fall away to reveal a familiar farm house covered in Christmas decorations and snow.

"Lana? I thought for sure you'd say . . . I guess you are more screwed up than I thought," said Mxy as he began to float beside Clark who was approaching the door. "No need to knock or use the knob. Just walk right in."

"What?" said Clark as he took a few steps forward and realized that part of his foot was through the door. "Is this a new power?"

Mxy laughed with glee. "Who do you think you are, the Martian Manhunter? No, it's all part of the service. They won't be able to see or hear us either."

The house was warm and toasty. Clark could smell freshly baked cookies. " This used to be the Ross farm," he said while admiring the coals burning brightly in the fireplace.

"It is now, too," said Mxy as they walked into another room. Inside were posters with Pete Ross' face on them. "Vote Peter Ross for US Senate" filled a wall of the room.

"Wow! Pete's done all right for himself," said Clark as they walked into another room. This one had been transformed into a gallery.

"Senator and Mrs. Ross are returning from the cemetery at the moment. These are her paintings."

Clark looked at the artwork which seemed strangely familiar. He looked at the signature. "Lana Ross? What? How?"

"Since you never came to Earth, Lana dated Pete in high school after Whitney died. They went their separate ways when Lana went to art school and Pete went to law school. Shortly after graduation, they met in Europe and restarted their courtship."

"So Lana is fine? She's married to Pete and they have a wonderful life? Why are they at the cemetery?"

"Lana likes to see her parents' graves when they're at the homestead."

"Her parents died? How?"

The imp started to laugh hysterically. "Well, I see you still have that superego! They died in the meteor shower! Just because you didn't come to this planet doesn't mean that Krypton didn't explode and send parts of it across the galaxies! It was quite the firecracker as I recall."

The farmhouse door opened, Pete, Lana and a small girl came in smiling. Lana stooped down to remove her daughter's jacket as the girl requested a cookie.

"Go on, girls. Sit by the fire. I don't want you two catching cold," said a very attentive Pete. "I'll go heat up the hot chocolate and we'll have our cookies."

Lana sat wearily on the couch in front of the fireplace. She seemed serene as she pulled her daughter up next to her and watched the flames.

"Mama, look. It's a present."

Lana peered at the tiny package on the coffee table.

"Maybe it's from Santa Claus," said her daughter excitedly. "Open it!"

Lana reached down and read the tag. 'Open me quick.' She dutifully obeyed and started ripping the paper. Pete walked in and handed a cookie to his daughter as they watched her open the box. Lana lifted the diamond bracelet into the winter light. "Oh, Pete, it's beautiful!"

Pete kissed her tenderly on the lips. "You are the love of my life," he whispered.

The gray mist returned as Lana and Pete faded behind it. Clark shook his head in disbelief. "Lana's life is so much better without me. I guess my not coming to Earth was a good thing."

"Pfft!" said Mxy in a huff. "Just because Lana's and Pete's lives turned out well doesn't mean the entire planet is any better off. Sheesh! What do you use for measuring your life anyway? Some girl you knew in high school? That's just . . . "

"Pathetic, when you put it that way," said Clark as he felt his throat tighten. "Can we go see Chloe next?"

Myx giggled. "Why? Are you hoping she'll be miserable?"

"No!" said Clark a little offended that Mxy was seeing into his emotions more than he liked.

The gray mist parted again and they were in Metropolis standing before a very modern high rise. Walking past the doorman, they entered the elevator as it rose to one of the upper floors. Clark spotted Chloe talking on the phone in a very modern kitchen.

"Yes, Jimmy, I'll be there at 4 o'clock sharp. WMET's Christmas party should be finished by then." She held her hand up to the light and seemed to be admiring the ring on her left hand. The diamond sparkled in the light. "Yes, I love you, too."

"Chloe's engaged to Jimmy? And why isn't she working at the Daily Planet?"

"The Daily Planet had a few reporter scandals. They haven't had a decent Editor in Chief since Jenette Kahn. All kinds of problems. Pulitzer winners faking stories. That kind of thing."

"But Lois is a reporter there, she wouldn't do that!"

"No, she wouldn't," agreed Mxy as his voice trailed off. "We'll get to her later. Right now, we're taking a peak at Chloe. She seems alive and well."

"Yea, she does. But if I didn't come to Earth wouldn't she have died in the safehouse blast?"

Mxy shook his head. "Superego again, Farmerman. Her uncle is a general and Lex wanted to take over the family business. Her 'death' was staged perfectly without you."

"Is she still a . . ."

"Meteor freak? Oh, yes, but she's learned to control it. She and Jimmy have a very open relationship. He knows and doesn't care. In fact, he thinks it makes life a little more interesting."

Clark's smile filled his face. "I'm glad she's happy. I wouldn't want anything less for her."

"Still proves your wish though," grinned Mxy.

Clark grimaced. "Yea, I guess it does."

"So who's next? A Kent, perhaps?"

"No, I think I want to see them last. I know their lives would be affected with not finding me." He raised his eyes up to Mxy's. "How about Lois?"

For the first time the imp frowned and Clark could see him gulp. If he didn't know better, there were tears in the little man's eyes. "No, not Lucious. . . I mean, Lois, just yet. Let's see someone else, okay?"

Clark shrugged while feeling a need to comfort the floating man beside him. "Okay. Let's see how Lex is doing."

The mist appeared again and when it went away, they were on the top floor of LexCorp, formally Luthorcorp. Lex was typing into a laptop as he barked out orders into the phone.

"Lex has done alright for himself, too. He now owns half of Metropolis while three quarters of its citizens work for him in some capacity," explained Mxy as he leaned toward Clark's ear. "You'll notice, he's still bald. The meteor shower again."

"He survived the car crash off the bridge? How? I wasn't there to save him."

"The marvels of modern science. His body was practically rebuilt. He's been fascinated with meteor rock technology ever since. Trying to make a better man through kryptonian rock. He calls it Lexite though."

"So he's . . ."

"Yep, as evil as ever. Had his father assassinated in prison so he could take over the business. Has become obsessed with meteor rock and the possibility of visiting aliens. Nothing's changed much. There was that one period of time when he and Chloe dated, but even she couldn't get him to see the error of his ways."

"Lex and Chloe dated?"

"Yea, she wouldn't marry him," chuckled Mxy. "You've got to learn, F-boy, that one way or another people make their own decisions about their lives. Good or otherwise. ESPECIALLY otherwise when there is no one to give them hope for a better life." He elbowed Clark in the ribs. "Know what I'm talking about?"

His words stung Clark, but he shrugged to mask his feelings. "Not really . . .Who's next?"

"Let's check out the Kents," said Mxy as Clark scowled.

"What's this?" asked Clark as the mist faded. "Where are we?"

"You'll see," said the imp as they waited outside an apartment door with the snow lightly falling to the ground. Martha Kent locked her door and walked past them to her car.

"Mom!"

"She can't hear you. Let's head her off at the pass," grinned Mxy as they appeared sitting in a pew of a church.

Martha Kent was in the choir singing a Christmas hymn. She didn't look quite as vibrant as Clark remembered. She seemed subdued and as if she was just going through the motions.

"What's wrong with her? Why isn't she living at the farm or in DC?"

"After your father died . . ."

"Jonathan Kent still died!?"

"People do die, y'know. They never had any children. He still tried to run the farm on his own, but his heart couldn't take it."

Clark watched his mother sing the last note and realized why she looked so different. "She loved him so much. She misses him."

"And she didn't have you to take away some of the pain. That's one thing you should never regret. How much you were loved."

"I've never regretted being loved by them," said Clark defensively.

"And your other parents . . . have you regretted how they loved you enough to let you have a life on Earth?"

Clark hung his head as a blackness welled up in him. His eyes filled with tears.

"Farmerman, you were their hope that their lives and love would live through you. And in the future, you take that hope and give it . . ."

"I, what?"

Mxy placed a hand on Clark's shoulder. "Let's go see, Lois."

Clark nodded and became a little hopeful himself. "She's probably a top reporter fighting the good fight. Helping people. Helping the world. She always was a crusader. She's probably doing fine without me. We really weren't . . . a couple, y'know."

Mxy rolled his eyes. "Yea, you keep telling yourself that, F-boy. Fasten your seatbelt. It's going to be a bumpy night."

They were in darkness again after the mist faded.

"Where are we?"

"Shh-h," said Mxy as he pointed towards a dim light coming through a window. There was a figure there and it had a rifle aimed out into the street. Suddenly there was a muffled gun blast. The figure peered through the scope once again and then rose back into the shadows to disassemble the weapon.

"I thought you said they couldn't hear us? Where are we?"

The little imp was somber. "The city doesn't matter. We're following . . . "

The figure walked out of the room and into the hallway light. When it removed its mask, Clark felt an electrical current through his body. "Lois!"

Lois ran down the hallway and then calmly walked out into the street like a tourist with her large handbag draped around her shoulder. She didn't look the same either. The brightness of her eyes was gone. Her confident, athletic stride was replaced with a thinly disguised stealthy, paranoid gait. She calmly entered a hotel and gave the concierge a small nod.

Clark watched Lois enter her suite and throw her bag onto a couch. She walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Mxy moved forward to follow her and Clark grabbed him.

"We're not going any further until you tell me what's going on!"

"Lois is a highly paid operative. She's been decorated by multiple governments over the course of her career. She's fighting the good fight."

"This is not Lois. She wouldn't kill."

"She's a general's daughter. Her father always wanted a boy. She took the only path in life she had left. Journalism wasn't as attractive since the Planet went downhill. There was no barn door epiphany. There was no beacon of change for the better. There's very little hope in this world that you've never visited."

"Pete's a senator!"

"Yes, but he's fighting an uphill battle. He's not known around the world. And how reliable is any politician to be consistently right?"

Lois came out of the bathroom wearing a robe. Even though she still made his heart pound, she looked tired and war weary. Clark noticed the scars on her skin that never were there before. Her beautiful body so full of life now was tattered with old wounds.

She climbed into bed and took out a diary. Her writing was quick and fierce. Clark saw the first glimpse of the former Lois, her determination sparkled as her pen few across the page.

Clark walked over and began to read what she was writing.

Another mission accomplished. Why do I get the feeling I lose a little of myself every time I do my job? I know it is the right thing to do. Evil must be destroyed if it cannot be brought out into the light for all to see.

My body aches. I wish my life were different. Daddy says he's so proud of me. I'm the son he never had. . . but I'm a woman.

Why is it I only feel a sense of purpose when I'm writing in this diary or when I'm presenting a research paper on the next target?

It's Christmas Eve and I wish God would send an angel down to help fight all this hopelessness and evil on this planet. I'm so very tired.

She clapped the diary shut and turned out the bedside light. Clark sat on the bed and it didn't move beneath him. After watching Lois' breathing become steady, he moved a lock of hair from her face. "She's always been such a strong person. It's not right that . . ." He lovingly admired the woman who found him naked in a cornfield. She had taken him home. She returned him to his life. "She deserves better than this."

"She's making the best of the world she's in," said Mxy almost reverently.

Clark sighed. "And I haven't. I've let everyone down. I've let myself down. I've been a fool." He bent down and kissed Lois' forehead. "Mxy, I've got to make things right. Is there any way I can take back my wish and get back to my time?"

Lois' lips formed a faint smile and she let out a small sigh. Does she feel me near?

"Getting you back to your time was always part of the plan," giggled Mxy. "But what are you going to do when you get there?"

"I don't know exactly, but I do know what I'm not going to do," said Clark determinedly as he rose to take one last look at Lois. His voice was a mere whisper. "I'll make it better." It sounded like a promise even to him.

Mxy grabbed his arm. "Before we go back to your time, wouldn't you like to see . . . . Listen, big guy, this is on the house. I think you need to see what happens long after this."

"You're going to take me to the future?"

"Yep, and it's Christmas Eve."

Going from dead silence to the hustle and bustle of an upper floor Daily Planet newsroom nearly hurt Clark's ears. The room was festive with lights, wreaths, mistletoe and carols playing. He looked across the room and there sitting at a cubicle was himself.

"Why am I wearing glasses? I'm reporter at the Daily Planet?"

"Hey, I'm not explaining every little detail. You'll have to think of it on your own before this," said the imp with a sly grin. "Take a look at the bestseller awards on your cubicle wall."

"I write books, too?" said Clark as he telescoped his future cubicle for more details.

From an outer office walked Perry White, "Where's that story on the laser surgery scare, Lois?"

"Right on it, Chief!"

Clark watched his future as if it were a dream. "That's Perry White! He's the Editor in Chief now?"

"Well you did sober him up a bit. It was just a matter of time before he got back to what he was born to do," said the imp poking an elbow in his ribs.

"Hey, Smallville, how do you spell 'ophthalmic'?"

Clark walked over and saw future Lois typing away. A Pulitzer plaque hung strategically on the wall of her cubicle. She was always beautiful, but now she had a special glow about her. She truly was in her element. Pulled up tightly under the desk, she stopped and waited for his future self to answer. She placed her left hand on her face and he saw a diamond and wedding band. Clark's heart fell to his stomach.

"O-P-H . . ."

"Oh yea, I always forget that first 'h.' Thanks!"

Future Clark walked around to Lois' cube. "Listen, I've got to go to . . . y'know . . . that party." His future self seemed very familiar and secretive with Lois.

Lois grinned at him. "Tell the capes I said hi." He grinned back and kissed her on the lips. "I love you. I'll be back in time to take you to the farm."

"Lois and I are married?" said Clark as a huge grin filled his face. His heart was racing and he never felt more alive.

"Yes, you've been married about a dozen years now," said Mxy as he shushed Clark to listen to future Lois.

"You better. Your mom will send out a search party. Kara's coming, right?"

"Yes, she said she'd be there in the morning. Now you promise to stay here and not go off gallivanting after a story, right?"

"Yes, I promise. I can't wait for you to be all tights and flights," she whispered as she kissed future Clark. "I love you."

"Tights and flights? Capes? What's that all about?" asked Clark as Mxy shook his head.

"Patience, Farmerman. Your future is near."

Clark saw they were now on some sort of satellite space station and that there were indeed people . . . beings. . . aliens . . .dressed in tights with capes. "What is this?"

"It's the Watchtower for an organization called the Justice League of America. Recognize anyone?"

Clark looked around the room and began to use his x-ray vision beneath some of the masks. "There's Oliver as the Green Arrow, Victor, AC, and Bart."

"Also known as Aquaman, Cyborg, and now, the Flash. Over there are Batman and Wonder Woman, the three of you started . . ."

"She's a knock out! And he's just . . . spooky. What the . . .?" Clark couldn't believe his eyes. His future self came flying in, dressed in blue tights with a red cape. He wore his family crest on his chest.

"Superman!" shouted Oliver. "Glad you could make it!" It appeared to be a Christmas party for these crime fighters of Earth. He watched as his future self interacted and joked with his friends. An alarm sounded and some of the caped ones left to take care of the emergency.

"Superman?" said Clark confusedly. "Do I think of that, too?"

"No, Lois does," said Mxy. "And . . . let her!"

Clark shrugged. "Okay."

The gray mist came and left and they were at the Kent farm. The house was brightly decorated and when future spectacled Clark opened the door, his mother came running up to him. "Oh honey, it's so good to see you." Her eyes twinkled with love and she looked younger than her years. A white dog danced and literally flew around them.

"Hey, Krypto!" said future Clark laughing as he took his mother into his arms.

Clark watched them hug and a warm glow came into his heart. His mother looked so vital and full of life. And he finally had a dog named Krypto.

His mother then noticed her daughter-in-law. "Oh, Lois, you look so beautiful! How is the . . ."

Even Lois' large overcoat could not conceal the fact that she was pregnant. Present day Clark couldn't take his eyes off her as his mother took her coat and gave her a huge hug. Lois is pregnant with my baby. "Wow!" said Clark as Mxy patted his back.

"Something to look forward to, huh? You can see how crazy she is about you and you for her. You made a wise choice there, F-boy."

Lois reached over and petted Krypto who was in mid air. "Hey, boy, you know the rules. No flying in the house. " The dog licked her face and lit down on the floor immediately.

"Now, Clark, you're going to have to help Lois put the angel on the tree this year," said his mom as she handed him the traditional ornament.

"No problem, Mom," said future Clark as he took his wife into his arms and they rose in the air. Lois easily put the angel atop the tree as she smiled at her husband.

"Show off," said Lois giggling. "I love you, Smallville." The nickname still intact made present day Clark feel more loved than ever.

Clark chuckled at the sight of Lois loving the fact he could fly. She accepted him despite him being different. He always knew it was a matter of time with learning how to fly, but he had no idea that anyone would totally accept him enough to have his child. She was totally comfortable in their world. The world where he lived as a Kryptonian on Earth. Clark watched in wonderment as his future self and Lois seemed to share everything and most importantly, showed how much they trusted and loved one another.

"It's time to go now," said Mxy.

"Do we have a boy or a girl?" asked Clark as the gray mist came again. "Couldn't we stay just a bit longer?"

"Sorry, Superboob, but my contract is up. You have some work to do," said Mxy as he began to fade away. "See ya in the future!"

When the imp finally disappeared, Clark was in the barn. He took a deep breath of the winter air and hoped he wasn't too late in starting his plans. He had a lot of things to do. Find Kara, make a decision about Lana, make sure his future came true. "Thank you, Jor-El! I won't disappoint you again."

Quickly, he supersped to Metropolis and entered the festive Daily Planet basement newsroom. Lois had a pencil clasped in her teeth while she was reading some copy.

"Hey, Smallville," she said as she took the pencil and made a note on the paper. "Chloe will be back in a sec."

He watched her walk towards the doorway. "I didn't come here to see Chloe," he started.

Lois stopped and turned towards him giving him one of her goofy Lois faces. He couldn't help but grin at her. "Okaaay."

He walked towards her. "I just was wondering if . . . well, do you have plans for Christmas?"

"Yea, Chloe and I are having a small Christmas at the apartment. Aren't you and Lana having Christmas at the farm?"

"Well, . . .I don't know . . . I," Clark reprimanded himself that he hadn't thought this through.

"You two are blocking the door way," came a voice from nowhere. "So just get it over with," said Chloe as she stared at the two of them.

"Over with?" they both said in unison.

Chloe pointed above their heads where a sprig of mistletoe hung.

Clark thought Lois looked nervous. She started to talk, a good sign she was nervous. "I hope . . ." she said looking into his eyes.

Clark could feel a jolt go through his heart and it made his whole body feel warm. Lois was hoping. That was a real good sign that maybe his future was near.

". . . you know what you're doing, Smallville."

He bent his head down to a hair's breadth away from her lips. "Oh yea, I do," he said just before his lips took hers. The world felt right. "Merry Christmas."