Title: Guardian

Author: Steelhart

Pairing: First Clana, with Chlark friendship, eventually romantic Chlark

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: Eventually violence and moderate language

Spoilers: Most of season 1, a couple episodes of season 2

Short summary: Starting shortly after they meet for the first time, Chloe and Clark connect in a way neither quite understands, but both enjoy, until the events in "Vortex" change their lives again. That is, until certain secrets are revealed.

Gabe Sullivan had always believed in guardian angels. He always knew that whenever the world seemed to want to kick his legs out from underneath him, someone would be there to hold him steadfast. Always knew that he and his daughter were being watched over by something more powerful than the two of them. Gabe always believed guardian angels were around, he just never expected to meet one face to face.

Until the day his daughter brought over Clark Kent.

He knew she was bringing over one of her friends from school, "Bringing someone over after one day of class, must be some kinda record," she had simply neglected to say who it would be.

"You'll find out daddy." She had told him with a cryptic smile and an excitement he hadn't heard from her in a long time.

'It must be someone she really likes being around if it gets that kinda reaction from her.' His curiosity was thoroughly piqued by the time she arrived back at the house, not long after he had returned from his day at the plant.

"Hi daddy!" exclaimed a beaming Chloe Sullivan, towing behind her a nervous young man dressed in flannel and a goofy grin.

"Hi honey, who's this young vict- I mean young man?"

She rolled her eyes at him but the smile never left her face. "This is my new best friend, Clark Kent." As she said this she pulled him forward and shoved him towards her dad. He stuck his hand out nervously, blushing profusely at being called her best friend.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. Chloe talks about you a lot."

Gabe returned the surprisingly strong handshake and replied with a smile, "Not nearly as much as she talks about you, Clark, and please call me Gabe, or Mr. Sullivan if you really want." He smiled warmly at Clark, pretending not to notice that his daughter whispered an exasperated "Dad!" at him for revealing her secret. "It's good to finally meet you."

Gabe knew that the Kents were good people and he had a great deal of respect for them, and he had the feeling that their son was equally as good a person, so he trusted the young man immediately.

During that brief handshake Gabe got the same feeling he always got when he felt his guardian angel was there to save him, and it filled him with a realization: if his daughter dated Clark, if they just stayed friends, even if they stopped speaking altogether, Gabe knew that Clark would always protect her and would always be her own personal guardian angel, no matter what.

His smile grew wider and he asked in a tone somewhere between concerned parent and curious peer, "So what are you two kids planning on doing tonight?"

Chloe answered in her normal energetic tone, "We've got a math quiz tomorrow during third hour, so we're gonna cram for a while, which reminds me, do you have any fresh brewed coffee around? I could really use a cup right now."

"You drink coffee?" an astonished Clark asked her, making her smile in a way that rivaled his classic 'Kent Charm' grin.

"Oh yeah, I don't know how I'd make it through the day without a good cup or two before and after school, though I wish I could get some during school too, that would be great. I should petition the board to allow espresso machines in the cafeteria, and while I'm at it, I should have them fix that wreck they call a school paper. And they should definitely look into getting some different cleaning solution for the bathroom; I could swear something was alive underneath all of that dirt and grime."

He couldn't suppress a laugh at her rambling and didn't stop until she playfully whacked him in the gut, making him feign injury, but still smiling through it all.

"Let's go farm boy, before I make you wish you were back home milking cows and cleaning out stalls," she snarked at him, "see you later daddy, come on Kent, the Pythagorean Theorem isn't gonna learn itself!" With that, she bounded up the stairs to her room, dragging a bewildered Clark Kent behind her.

Gabe waved at their rapidly departing forms, chuckling to himself and muttering, "Poor guy has no idea what he's gotten himself into."