Last chapter! :) It's very sappy.

Fifteen years later

"But daddy, I'm of legal age now. Please?"

Oliver looked at his eldest daughter, then turned to his wife-who merely shrugged at him, as if to say that it was his turn to deal with their teenage drama queen.

"Just because you're old enough, doesn't mean you should do it. When you turn eighteen are you going to take up smoking just because you can?" Chloe almost laughed at how incredibly fatherly and stubborn Oliver sounded.

Anne sighed, completely exasperated. "No, dad. But I'm fourteen, I'm going to have to make my own decisions eventually."

Chloe smiled, and decided it was time to intervene.

"Then you can wait for eventually, because right now, the answer is still no." Chloe hated saying no to their daughter, it made her feel highly hypocritical, but it was necessary.

She walked up behind her still incredibly sexy husband and wrapped her arms behind his shirtless body. Oh, yes. Still sexy.

"But you two both had timers. Why can't I?" Chloe and Oliver had gotten their timers removed and had placed them in a glass case in their bedroom, as a sort of symbol of their love.

"Because life isn't fair, sweetheart, and we still make the rules."

Anne scrunched her nose, "Well, if you're going to be gross, and unfair, I'm going to go hang out with Aunt Lois."

Chloe lifted a brow as her daughter left the room, "She's going to try to get Lois on her side."

"God help us if she does."

"Anne," Lois smiled at her niece, "I didn't think you were coming over until later today."

Anne hesitated, "Well, I kind of got into a disagreement with them again."

Lois sighed, "Over the timer?"

"Yeah. I don't understand why they're being so unfair. They had timers, didn't they? Why are they being so stubborn? It's like, super hypocritical."

Lois and Anne sat down on the porch. "I know that you're technically old enough to get a timer, Anne, but it's a really big, life-altering sort of decision. You're fourteen. Life-altering can wait."

"But what if I miss him? What if I end up alone and unhappy and I end up as a crazy cat lady?" Anne was genuinely terrified of that possibility. She was allergic to cats.

"What if he never gets a timer?" Lois countered. It was unlikely, but ever since timers had reached about 85% of the population-and every year a stable number of newly legal teens convinced their parents to let them get timers-there was still a small and stubborn percentage of the population which refused to get implanted. "I'm going to tell you a little story."

"What story?" Anne asked, curious about the change in topic.

"When I got my timer, I did it for the same reasons you want to do it. I wanted a guarantee. I thought that things had to be perfect in order for them to work out."

"Don't they?" Anne asked, showing her lack of understanding. She didn't get it.

"Not at all. When I married your Uncle Clark, I made a choice. I chose to take a chance on love-without a guarantee. And I have never regretted it."

"Never?"

"Never. And you know what? Even if your parents hadn't had a guarantee that they're meant for one another, they would still be together."

A child of a timer-believing generation, Anne was still skeptical, "Would they? I mean, you and dad were dating at the time, right?" That still grossed her out.

"Yes, but it wouldn't have worked out anyway. Your parents were instantly drawn to one another, and even though it may have taken them more time to find each other, they would have done so. They understand each other, they love each other. They're two very kindred spirits-connected in a way that they'd be meant for each other even if it required that they defy destiny." Similar to the way she and Clark had connected, Lois realized. "Life is about taking chances. It's more exciting that way."

"I think that almost makes sense."

"Don't worry, kiddo. Just live in the moment right now. You're too young to drain all of the fun out of life. There are many, many boys with hearts ready to be stolen by you, sweetheart."

Anne thought about that."You have a point."

When Anne returned home, she tried to sneak upstairs without having to speak with her parents.

Sadly, she was not so lucky.

"Anne! How was your visit with Aunt Lois?" Chloe asked-she'd come out of nowhere. Anne swore that parents must have some sort of magical ability to track their children. Then again, with Green Arrow and Watchtower for parents, it shouldn't surprise her if that were the case.

Anne stifled a groan. "It was fine."

"Are you still obsessed with getting a timer?" Oliver came up behind his wife and asked.

"I suppose it can wait." Anne had gotten an idea from her aunt. Aunt Lois had made a valid point.

Chloe blinked in surprise. "What did she say to get you to change your mind?"

"Life is about detours."

Chloe smiled. "That was once my reason for not getting a timer."

"Hmm. Well, this way I don't have to tie myself down. I can shop around and hang out with different guys. I'm fourteen, you know, I probably don't need my soulmate right are plenty of guys who would go out with me right now."

Oliver looked at Chloe, a look of complete dismay all over his face."Maybe we should get her a timer."

Anne left, smiling. She was quite proud of herself for sufficiently putting the fear of teenage hormones into her parents.

"She's right, Oliver. Right now she should be having fun. We should stick with the original plan. When she turns 25, if she still wants a timer, we'll be completely supportive."

"I'd rather she not have fun."

Chloe was amused. "You're such an overprotective daddy." She kissed him on the cheek.

"I just want her to be happy. Do you think we'll have to go through this again with Connor and Moira when they get older? Sometimes I wish some damned scientist had never figured out how to make them. The world would be a much better place."

"I like things just the way they are. If things hadn't happened between us the way they did, who knows if we'd be together. Things could have turned out differently. I'm glad things happened the way they did, because they ended well. Except maybe for Lex-because he's disappeared off the map. He should still be trapped in the mind-trap, so at least we know we're safe from him. I wouldn't want things to have happened in a different way because I don't know if we would have still ended up together."

Chloe was rambling a bit, talking about these sorts of things always made her nervous. Everything was perfect, and the idea that it easily could have turned out differently made her incredibly nervous. He took her hand, cutting off her string of words.

Oliver, noting her mood, said the one thing that could make her feel better. And the good news was, he meant it.

Oliver smiled, "I do. Sometimes are just right-no matter how they happen or why.

"Like us."

Exactly.

Some things were even more true and powerful than destiny itself-Chloe and Oliver's love was one of those things.

Finished! :) Thanks for reading!