Title: His, And Only His - Proper Closure
Author: sarhea
Fandom(s): Smallville, DCVerse, Thor, The Avengers, Marvelverse
Categories: AU, gen, het, Crossover, xover, romance, drama, action
Summary: Sequel to 'His, and Only His'. Clark is shocked to find out exactly what happened to Chloe when she went missing.
Pairing: Chloe/Loki
Characters: Chloe Sullivan, Loki, Diana/Wonder Woman, Martha Kent, Kara Kent, Green Arrow/Oliver Queen, Clark Kent/Superman,
Rated: G
Spoilers: AU Avengers the movie. Sorta Smallville canon upto end of Season 8, AU after.
Word Count: ~4100
Status: Complete
Disclaimer: Do not own the Avengers or any of their characters, Marvel does. Do not own Chloe or Smallvilleverse, CW and other companies do. Just playing with the characters.

AN: Sorry for the long hiatus. Too many plot bunnies and WIPs and I'm finding it hard to FINISH a fic. I don't want to disappoint by leaving readers hanging so I've been resisting posting any new works. I've finally got myself looking at my old WIPs and am buckling down. Hope you enjoy this.

It had been twelve years since Chloe Sullivan had vanished and the fledgling Justice League fell apart, its members going their own ways until they reunited several years later. Clark had always felt guilty for not being stronger, more honest when he was younger, when Chloe was still around.

"You're thinking about her."

Clark knew who Oliver was referring to. It was the same female the original group brooded about this time of year. He turned around to see Oliver was not alone. Dina, Bart, AC, and Victor were with him. They were the original core group of the Justice League, the one that had imploded when Chloe vanished.

Clark did not know when it started, when they had started gathering. At first it was just him and J'onn, then AC, then Victor and Bart. Pretty soon it included everyone else from Before. Even Zatanna and Diana occasionally dropped by. Chloe's disappearance (her death because Clark refused to believe she was cruel enough to not let them know she was still alive), it was a catalyst, a bitter example of what they all aspired to. She never faltered even when everyone had abandoned her. She followed her convictions and heart, and she had probably died in the process. She didn't have the skill set to be a frontline fighter, her healing powers were no use in a one-on-one fight.

"WatchTower to Superman."

Clark inhaled sharply. The League knew to not call him this time of year unless it was an emergency.

He tapped the communicator and spoke shortly. "What is it?"

"You might be interested in something that has come to our attention," J'onn spoke soothingly.

"J'onn–"

"Trust me Kal-el."

Clark inhaled deeply and struggled for a second before responding in affirmative and calling for a teleport.

~ooOoo~

Forty minutes later Clark wondered who J'onn was waiting for. There was Diana, Ollie, Dinah, Bart, AC, Victor, Bruce, John. Then Zatanna came rushing in, her top hat askew.

"Sorry! I needed to grab some supplies."

Clark rapped his knuckles against the table surface. "Okay J'onn, why have you called this meeting?"

J'onn tapped the keyboard before him and opened a world map on the large view screen. It zoomed into Europe then the Scandinavian countries.

"Five hours we detected unusual energy emissions from Norway. It wasn't too difficult to determine they were very similar to those put off by dimensional portals."

Everyone stiffened and Bruce voiced the thought on everyone's minds. "Justice Lords?"

J'onn shook his head. "No. An old friend."

The map zoomed into a small rural mountain town in Norway before fading into a video clip from a CCTV camera in what looked like a public library. A petite blonde swathed in a bottle green wool swing-coat approaching the librarian behind the desk. Another close up of a very familiar but more mature looking face, strong and attractive but not drop dead gorgeous. She pushed coins and some notes across the counter and accepted a slender folder and a USB key. Then she was walking down broad steps towards a slender black-haired man wearing a black leather trench coat and dark green leather pants tucked into calf-high boots accented in gold. He took her out stretched hand and gathered her in his arms before the pair vanished in a flare of green flames.

"It can't be," Clark said in a thin strained voice. "She's dead."

"She's not!" Zatanna countered firmly. "I cast a location spell as soon as J'onn told me. It's Her!"

"From an alternate dimension," Ollie pointed out bluntly. "It doesn't mean it's Her."

Zatanna shook her head violently. "It's Her."

"Who is Her?" Bruce interjected sharply. He was not used to being out of the loop.

Clark answered in a haunted voice. "Chloe Sullivan."

~ooOoo~ooOoo~ooOoo~

Chloe tightened the scarf around her head as she walked through the glass doors and through the throng of teenagers gathered outside the library. It was the fifth and largest library she'd hit since Loki had given into her pleas to interact with the general public. He would have preferred to have stolen/bought a laptop and required accessories to research from a secure location. Chloe refused to hide in a hotel room. Reporters had biases and she gained a better understanding of events by talking to people around her, their views and reactions and feelings. At the core of it reporters were biased or neutral; popular opinion could be quite different than what was in the news.

All in all she was quite pleased with what she had uncovered through her searches and casual conversation. Most public tech was still primitive, tech derived from alien hardware was restricted to a few select businesses and the militaries. There was no Stark Industries who had no issues with selling high-grade tech to the general public. She was sad but happy to read about the Justice League being formed under her old friends and some unknowns. It had grown quite large from the small group of vigilantes led by Ollie.

A familiar tug at her core drew her attention to a small cluster of evergreens, to the man standing in front of them. Loki had insisted she take a break and join him for lunch. Usually she would have put him off (or tried to) but now she had very good reason not to.

Her eyes caught his and her entire world narrowed to just him, the two of them. A small smile curved her lips as she hurried forward. Every time they had lunch Loki made an especial effort to coax her out of the researching plans for the day. Sometimes he succeeded in distracting her in the most pleasurable of ways.

"Chloe."

The small blonde came to an abrupt stop, turning to locate the owner of the voice. Then she did. Familiar faces dressed in unfamiliar costumes. They looked so much older. A small part of her was saddened and regretful. Her lips curved into a distant yet warm smile.

"Superman. Green Arrow." Then more warmly. "It's good to see you."

She wasn't surprised when Clark broke first. "If you really felt like that what are you doing here?" he asked harshly. "You should be in America. Metropolis, Smallville, or Star City!"

She was pleased when Ollie gripped Clark's bicep. He could never have stopped Clark, but the physical contact was enough to remind her old friend that they were in public.

"We thought you were dead."

Chloe sighed. "I should have died. I was just lucky to get a second chance."

The answer was enough to throw them all off.

"A second chance?" Diana asked gravely. The Amazon had only grown more beautiful with time. "How?"

"Who care! Chloe is back!" It seemed as if Ollie had not entirely outgrown his impulses. Chloe gave him a hard look.

"You should care because I'm not back back. I'm only visiting. I have to go home."

Clark's eyes widened in shock and reflexive denial and he shook his head. Chloe geared herself up for battle.

"No, you can't! You just got here! You belong here!"

Chloe shook her head. "I'm only here to tie up a few loose ends."

Ollie glared at her. "The real Chloe Sullivan would never leave her friends and family behind. Have you completely forgotten about Gabriel and Lois?"

Clark latched onto the idea. "You're being controlled!" He reached forward to grab her wrist.

Chloe was dismayed. She did not know how to stop him without causing a scene. "Superman! Stop it! I don't belong here any more! I have friends and family who are waiting for me!"

Clark shook his head. "You're being controlled."

"The only thing which controls Chloe is her heart," a cool much beloved voice interrupted and Chloe immediately relaxed.

A tall black leather clad form appeared in front of her, between her and the others. Loki would take care of everything.

~o~

It was instinct for Clark Kent to protect his friends and allies. He had seen enough to know the leather-clad meta could take Chloe away from them. They had no real information about his limits. If he did there was no guarantee they could track Chloe again. Clark did not want to lose one of his oldest friends right after he found her, so he moved. And bounced off something invisible.

It was the signal for his friends to act. Green Arrow immediately started shooting arrows. Arrows that burst into flame or changed into feathers when they were three feet from their target. Green Lantern's energy construct just slid off an invisible dome unable to make contact with the target.

The man's eyes narrowed and flared. Green fire bloomed around his clenched fists and Green Lantern cried out as he flew backwards and into a car. He would have been seriously hurt if he hadn't used his power to cushion the impact.

The green flames spread over his form and faded. His goth-biker outfit had changed into an odd outfit consisting of green-gold-black armour made from scale-mail, plates, leather, and silk. Most of the green was in a cape with gold pauldrons. More gold plate covered the outsides of his arms and his upper chest.

Clark took the chance and rushed him, theorizing the shield would have been weakened by the transformation. Clark was right. Unfortunately the target was not bowled over like an average man, or even a super-strong villain. He only moved back a few inches before he somehow braced himself against the tremendous force Clark was exerting.

Green eyes glowed and a wide smile spread across the thin, sharp-edged face. "You are not the only one with tremendous strength." And then he pushed Clark back, somehow managing a burst of force that sent Clark flying back and crashing into a tree.

~o~

Diana gasped when she saw Kal-el being thrown off. This man was no mere man to have thrown back a Kryptonian!

"J'onn, do you have any information?"

The Martian's voice was cool in her mind. 'No. Both of their minds are protected by unfamiliar methods. It will take time to get past the defences.'

'We don't have time.' Diana responded sharply as she cast her Golden Lasso. It was unbreakable, forged by Hephaestus. No one could break it.

Later Diana would have to console herself by repeating that no one could break her Golden Lasso. But the armoured stranger succeeded in catching the looped end and forcefully tugging it from her hands. He had enough skill to catch the flying end in the same hand as he did something with his other that caused the air between him and the Justice League to shimmer. Probably a shield.

"That's impossible!" Diana, Princess of Themyscira was enraged and scared. Enraged by the perceived sacrilege, a strange man, an enemy examining her sacred weapon.

He must have heard her hissed words because he looked up and directly at her.

"Impossible is such a limiting word." His voice was calm with a faint British accent. "It is better to not list things that are impossible because it simply limits your perceptions."

No one could lie while they were touching/holding the Golden Lasso.

The not-human turned his attention to the Golden Lasso, hmming and ahhing as he examined it with eyes and touch and presumably magic. Chloe Sullivan moved until she was standing almost against him.

"Well?" she asked softly but quite audible to the JL members with enhanced senses.

"A fine enchantment. Forged to channel power. Runes to resist decay and destruction. Runes to compel truth. But I've seen better from the mage-smiths of Nidavellir."

"The dwarves are the best forgers but you are a better enchanter," she countered. "You are clever to design and create something without an element of chance."

"I can't disagree. I've found three major flaws and suspect there are a few more exploitable loopholes."

"Oh?" Chloe asked intrigued while the Justice League stared bewildered.

"The enchantment is based around it's function as a lasso. If it cannot loop and bind the target it will not activate. Anyone who can manipulate fire, ice, or metal… they just have to encase it in sufficient material. Using say liquid metal or molten stone. Extraction will have to be done slowly to not damage it.

"If it's isolated from any source of energy for sufficient length of time the enchantments will fade and the material will decay. A void or crack between the realms would be sufficient. Conversely casting it into a black hole or star could overload it.

"Lastly truth is purely subjective. Truth in the past could be lies in the future. Everything is changing. Nothing lasts forever. A trained mind can deceive it with truth."

"You're lying!" Diana proclaimed loudly. "Not even the Gods can lie when they are bound by the Golden Lasso."

The mage turned to her with a faintly scornful expression. "Then your Gods are weak. Or fools more interested in throwing power around than using their intellects."

"How dare you!"

"I dare because I am a God." He smirked, clearly pleased by the effect his proclamation had. "Let me introduce myself: Loki, God of lies, mischief, and fire."

Chloe Sullivan coughed, drawing everyone's attention before speaking. "He's not from this dimension."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Green Arrow shouted. "You're hanging around with the Norse God of Lies?"

Chloe frowned at him. "He's also the King of Jotunheim and my husband." Everyone stared at her. She huffed. "Look, I don't expect you to believe or understand. Just accept all of this is my choice and what he's said is true. You can lie with truth."

"But a God?" Green Lantern's voice held disbelief.

"His power levels are far above anyone on this planet. He's not restricted like the pantheons you know about, limited because he lacks followers. He's a skilled scholar-mage and has forgotten more than you will ever learn in your entire life." She made an impatient huffing sound. "Look, godhood is the ability to tap into the universe and rewrite reality. They can access cosmic energy on a level no regular human or alien can. And even among Gods some have a lot more ability than others. Loki breaks the bell curve."

"If he's a God why didn't he bring you back sooner?!" Kal-el wanted to know.

Chloe's expression turned sad. "Tell me, how long has it been?"

"Twelve years."

"It's been fifty for me." That stunned everyone, including Diana. Chloe Sullivan did not look anywhere close to being in her seventies. "We've been married for most of it. We have children waiting for us back home."

"This is your home!"

"At once time it was. Now it isn't. I'm only here to put the past to rest Cla—, Superman," she corrected herself hastily.

Kal-el looked both sad and angry. "Why now? Why not sooner? I'm assuming when travelling to different dimensions you can adjust the target time. Or does time travels at different speeds in different dimensions?"

This time it was Loki who answered. "The Pathways would not permit opening any earlier in this dimension. It would damage the weaving of the Norns of this dimension." His look turned distant. "Certain events are set pivot points and would have been changed if we made contact before them."

Diana nodded thoughtfully. "It does make sense Kal-el. The Fates do not tolerate anyone disrupting their work, even Gods."

Kal-el made a disagreeable noise but he nodded slowly, reluctantly accepting the explanation. "If you have to leave would you please move to Kansas? I'd like to spend as much time as possible with you, before you have to leave."

Chloe Sullivan smiled warmly. "That sounds sensible. We plan on leaving in six weeks so I'd like to be closer to Metropolis and Smallville. But I don't want anyone to know. As far as they know I died twelve years ago and they've made their peace with it. Telling them I'm alive will only disrupt their lives."

"Lois and Jimmy?"

"And my dad, uncle, Lana, anyone really."

"I want to tell Ma and Kara."

"Just the two of them."

"Do you have to leave in six weeks?" Green Arrow asked in a pleading tone. "Can't you stay longer? Three or four months?"

Chloe Sullivan bit her lip and glanced at her husband. They clearly had some sort of telepathic link from the tiny expression changes on Chloe's face; his was more stone-like. Finally he made a huffing sound and she smiled, a tiny smirk as she undid the top two buttons and hidden clasps of her bell-shaped green swing coat. When the two edges parted it was quite clear why she was only staying for six weeks. Chloe Sullivan was pregnant, clearly more than five months along.

Kal-el and Green Arrow turned to Loki with angry enraged looks. However before they could even begin Loki cut them off.

"Chloe was born human, in this dimension. To be able to return easily she needs a strong mental and physical link; our marriage bond provides a mental and magical anchor; our unborn child provides the physical."

"We couldn't leave earlier because crossing dimensions could cause a miscarriage. And we can't stay too long or it could induce a premature labour."

Kal-el and Green Arrow nodded slowly, reluctantly accepting the explanation.

Seeing their down expressions Diana decided to take charge.

"If we only have six weeks with you we will manage with six weeks. Have you finished whatever you were doing here? If not can it be continued in Metropolis?"

"We're done. If needed, Loki can make a side trip." She glanced up at her husband who nodded.

"It would be best if we decide on a place and time to meet you in America. We can travel without being detected or required to provide travel documents."

~ooOoo~ooOoo~ooOoo~

Most of Chloe's old Justice League friends eventually came to terms with her planned departure, and accepted her choice of life-partner, even if less than gracefully. They were the ones to help smooth things over, help Chloe schedule and organize her remaining weeks like a war campaign.

Chloe crammed in as much as she could. She created memories and bought knick knacks and bits-and-bobs to take back as reminders. She visited places from childhood memories, her favourite spots in Metropolis, avoiding villains the military and reporters equally. Some had spotted her in the company of Justice League members and wanted to know her connection. Luckily Loki had insisted on Notice-Me-Not spells whenever they were in North America.

Of course there were a few who were not so supportive of her choice and plans.

~ooOoo~

"Clark, have you met Chloe's husband? He's such a nice young man."

Clark Kent a.k.a. Superman had to grit his teeth whenever Ma started talking about that… megalomaniac who had somehow charmed the pants off Chloe and had won over Diana, Zatanna, and his mother!

The women in Clark's life were supposed to support Clark, not the new guy!

From Chloe's knowing smirk she knew exactly what he was feeling right now. But she did not say anything to Clark. What she said to Ma was hard enough to stomach.

"Thank you Martha. It's very sweet of you to say so."

"Oh?" Martha Kent looked
confused.

"Loki was adopted," Chloe confided. "His adoptive parents were not as understanding and tolerant as you and Jonathan towards differences. He had a difficult life and has a tendency to lash out at most people."

"He didn't lash out at me," Martha pointed out.

Chloe laughed softly. "That's because you've met him after we married. Before… before he was rather abrasive. He still is towards those he dislikes."

Martha nodded thoughtfully. "Well he has been nothing but polite to me so he is a nice young man in my eyes."

"In my eyes as well Martha. To the world he may be evil and selfish but to me he is anything but." Something changed in Chloe's eyes and expression. "To me Loki is everything, kalowyn."

Kara who had been sitting stiffly and sipping her tea stiffened. The jerky motion spilled the pale brown liquid over the edge of the cup.

"Kalowyn" she asked Chloe thinly. "Are you sure you aren't exaggerating?"

Chloe shook her head. "Nope. Rao himself confirmed it," she said cheerfully. "Frigga too, with much reluctance." Chloe looked sad as she explained. "She wanted Loki to return home, to Asgard, but she did not understand he had already grown well beyond Aesir. He did not belong there. And he was desperately needed among his own kind."

"The Jotun," Martha said knowingly.

Chloe nodded. "Yes. Jotunheim is a harsh land, and culturally the people are very alien, but I like it. We've made a home there and have important duties and roles to fill."

"That's the important thing. As long as the both of you are happy…"

"We are."

"That's all I needed to hear dear."

~ooOoo~ooOoo~ooOoo~

Chloe and Loki's departure was as discreet as their arrival. Several agencies including the Justice League made note of the sharp energy fluctuations that quickly settled back into more typical behaviour. A few League members mourned the loss of an old friend. But this time the wound was healing cleanly because they knew what was in store for her; she was going to friends and family, her children and a job she loved.

~ooOoo~

The familiar biting chill stung Chloe's cheeks and lips. If she were a normal human she would be experiencing frostbite by now. Jotunheim was not kind to mortals.

"Your Majesties."

Chloe smiled brightly. "Varnhel, I thought you were going to attend the trade conference on Midgaard!"

"I did. But I wanted to be present to greet you and Loki." Make sure you two returned unharmed and whole was not said out loud but implied.

Chloe sighed and twirled around. "I'm here! We're here! You can go back now," she scolded the Jotun.

He looked slightly disconcerted. "Are you sure?"

"Yes!" Chloe hissed. "You can serve us and Jotunheim better by making sure you understand all the nuances of a trade treaty with Midgaard."

Varnhel bowed his head and backed away.

Chloe turned to her husband whose eyes held a gleam of amusement despite his neutral expression. "Well?" she demanded.

"You were a bit brusque with him."

Chloe sighed. "They have to get used to it! We aren't abandoning them whenever we travel to a place where they can't follow."

Loki looked solemn. "It is hard. They have not had stable leadership for generations. A few decades is not enough to change a lifetime of caution."

"I know, I know, but we have to start somewhere!" Then she frowned. "Besides I was being honest about the reason. Humans are tricky manipulative little bastards. I should know, I'm one myself," Chloe smirked at her husband. "We need a strong negotiating team — one that doesn't depend on the two of us leading them — or our people are going to get screwed badly."

Loki frowned. "They would not dare."

"Oh they would if they thought they could get away with it," Chloe countered. "Or make it appear like another faction is responsible."

"Hmm."

"Yes."

Loki conjured an overstuffed leather chair and sat down, drawing Chloe to sit beside him, draping an arm across her shoulders. "Was it my presence that kept the humans honest?"

"In part, but we've had strong supporters in the Starks, Tony and his son Robert. We must make sure we have strong ties with the grandson David."

"I understand."

They sat there beside each other involved in their own contemplations. Well, Loki was. Chloe was more than happy to enjoy being cuddled by her husband.

"Do you regret?"

She started and leaned back to look at his face. "What do you mean?"

"Do you wish you stayed, with your first love, with your family and friends?"

Chloe didn't even have to think. "Never!" The answer was voiced vehemently. "You are my life, my one and only, for now and forever."

She felt her husband relax minutely and bury his nose in her hair.

"You have no idea how much you mean to me. How grateful I am."

"I do," she murmured, her voice muffled in the cloth layered over his chest. "Because I feel exactly the same way."

"Mama!" "Mother!" "Daddy!" "Da!" "You're back!"

The private intimate moment came to a crashing halt as the couple pulled apart and looked in the direction of the loud voices.

Chloe made to move but Loki gripped her wrist and kept her sitting down. "Let the horde come to us," he advised.

So they waited until the children rushed into the room, the older ones and teens more reserved and graceful, the young ones and toddlers openly affectionate and seeking it, tugging at their parents clothes and climbing into laps or squeezing between them.

Two pairs of laughing eyes met in perfect understanding before turning their attention to their offspring.

"So, tell your father and me what happened since we left."

~ooOoo~ooOoo~ooOoo~

The End

AN: Hope you've enjoyed this. Definitely no plans for a sequel.

Review, Review, Review