A.N. A couple days ago I looked back at the requirements of this challenge and I followed it for awhile but I didn't listen when it said 'Liz doesn't want to/resists marrying whatever guy you wanna put her with' (not a direct quote just paraphrasing). Oops. Didn't quite follow that.

Chapter 17

While Jeff is tending to Nancy upstairs Liz is making introductions downstairs. "Umm, Jim, Amy. I'd like you to meet Cole Turner my boyfriend." Jim shakes the man's hand and casts a questioning gaze over to Liz. This guy is definitely not a teenager.

"Jim Valenti, it's nice to meet you. What do you do for a living Mr. Turner?" Although he's not the Sheriff any longer his suspicions rise at the idea of an older man moving in on a young innocent girl.

Cole admires the strength Valenti displays, if this is the man that Liz spoke highly of in San Francisco he's earned the right to question his motives and intentions. "I'm an attorney."

"An attorney?" Amy joins in, "Well, can't say lawyers are my favorite kind of people. They tend to be bottom feeders." She smiles serenely but with a visible edge. "I'm Amy Deluca by the way." Amy doesn't extend her hand. Liz has become a second daughter to her and Amy refused to sit back and let someone who doesn't deserve her get off without at least a stern talkin' to.

Maria rolls her eyes but lets her mother do her thing. It's best to stay off in the sidelines when she gets into 'Mama Bear' mode. Liz bites her lip holding back laughter while at the same time being filled with warmth that Amy is displaying motherly affection toward her and running Cole through the coals. Although irritating it shows how much she means to Ms. Deluca.

"Many lawyers are bottom feeders. I happen to be one of the few that are slightly above bottom feeders." Cole quips back to her. He sees what Amy is trying to do and he doesn't mind…much. It's nice to know Liz has a mother figure besides her own.

Slowly Amy nods her head. "Come with me young man. You and I need to have a long talk about your intentions." She grabs his sweater sleeve and drags him out the dining area of the restaurant.

"Are you nervous?" Kyle questions Liz.

Liz uneasily shrugs a shoulder. "He'll pass the Amy Deluca test. As long as her final impression of him is that he loves me unconditionally." Jeff's footsteps descend the stairs and Liz glances up at him, he briefly searches the room for Cole and Amy.

"Cole taking the test?"

"Yea. Amy dragged him out there a few seconds ago. Now all we're waiting for is the verdict." Sighing Liz glances up the stairs to the front door of the apartment. "Daddy? How come--. You told me Mom was a good witch before she met you. But what I don't get is how could she be a good witch if he personality has been like that since forever?"

"Well, I sort of exaggerated when I said your mother was a good witch. She was but not to the extent of most good witches. Nancy used her magic to help people but even before she met me she had a selfish streak a mile long inside her." Jeff explains.

"Most people are selfish in some way. Why is Mom so different?"

"She's different because her selfish side is as prominent as it can be without her being considered evil. When she did the good deeds it balanced out her selfish personality. So after Nancy met me I pulled her too far towards the 'evil' side of her and boom instant bad witch."

Kyle shakes his head after hearing all this information. "And I thought my family was weird. We're nothing compared to your family." That earns him a soft slap on the shoulders from both Maria and Liz. "Ow!"

"So Cole. Why are you so interested in a girl who only recently, I'm talking not even twenty-four hours ago, turned eighteen? Assuming you and Liz didn't meet at 12:02 a.m. this morning I'm sure I can say with utmost certainty that you met her when she was a minor. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't call the police right now?" Amy questions.

"Calling the cops on my will hurt Liz. Hurting her means I'll have to hurt you." Cole's voice is as hard as steel.

Amy doesn't even raise an eyebrow at his statement. She wants to smile but won't. While exactly what she hoped to hear she can't let Cole know that—yet. "You must know about Liz's former boyfriend. Max Evans? He left town a few months ago with his sister and his one-night-stand? That boy never could stay away from Liz for too awful long. What are you going to do if he comes back to get his girlfriend back?"

Cole swallows, he has heard about Max. At the fair one afternoon they spoke about past boy/girl friends. At the time Liz left out the alien information and told him that Max hurt her, said she hadn't been blameless in their split either. There were things she had done that at the time might have done or handled differently; figured out who Tess really was is number one.

"First off at that point Liz and I will already be married. Second I'd beat the shit out of him for hurting her. Then I go home to my wife and continue on with my life."

At that Amy does raise an eyebrow. "But what if Liz wanted to go back to him?"

"If she wanted to go back—I'd fight for her. However if I saw that she was undeniably happy with him, I'd step aside. As painful as that would be." There isn't a doubt in his mind that Liz will be with him till the day that they die.

"Last question. How much do you love Liz?"

"That's an easy yet difficult question." Cole licks his lips. "I love her with every fiber of my being. So much that I never want to let her go. When she's out of the room I count the seconds till she's back in the room. I love her even with all her flaws—Hell I love her flaws, they are apart of the Liz Parker package that I wouldn't trade for anything. But if she wasn't happy with me, I'd give her up so she could be happy with whoever or whatever she wanted."

A large smile breaks out on her face. "Now that's what I like to hear. Welcome to our family." She stands up from her stool and hugs Cole in greeting. "You'll do just fine." She whispers and leaves him to trail after her back into the break room where Liz is waiting.

Liz sees Amy moving toward Jim in her peripheral vision but she's focused on Cole. Her eyes widen and her brows lift in question. Has Amy accepted him? While it wouldn't change how she feels about Cole it'd be uncomfortable to have two people that she loves not get along.

"Piece of cake." Cole kisses her forehead as she lets out a breath of relief.

TBC