Chapter 1

"I'm thinking they should just dedicate a cell to you. Get you a nice engraved cell name plate maybe, a plant, even a couple of pin up posters of your choosing." Veronica joked as she sat on the hood of her car as she watched him walk out after being released.

"Well the initials I carved into Cell C when I was fourteen are still there along with the blood stain from when I got stabbed by my junkie cell mate sophomore year. I put blood, sweat and tears into that cell, if that doesn't scream home then idk what does." Weevil banters back and slides into the passengers seat motioning for Backup to get in the back.

Veronica had been waiting outside for a couple of hours for him to be released. She got the call from Weevil around eleven saying he got in a bit of trouble. He sent her to his house to grab the money he needed for his bail. It was now almost three in the morning.

In typical Veronica fashion she bombarded him with a million and twelve questions before they got up the block.

"It was nothing V, just a small scuffle." Weevil said brushing her off as he reclined back in the seat eyes closed.

"I just paid your bail of almost twenty grand! A small scuffle doesn't usually entail that much money." Veronica said.

"You're right it usually doesn't." He replied dryly.

Veronica pulled into an empty lot and parked.

Weevil's eyes popped open, he knew they hadn't made it to his home yet. So he couldn't figure out why the hell they had stopped.

A silence fell between the two. Backup's heavy panting was the only sound to be heard. Even with his eyes still closed he could feel her gaze burning a hole into the side of his face.

Weevil sighed.

"Ofelia." He finally spoke.

"What does your niece have to do with this?" Veronica asked quizzically.

"Her boyfriend seems to have a problem keeping his hands to himself. She showed up at my job all bruised and broken. I lost it. She told me where he was and I gave him a dose of his own medicine. If it wasn't for the bouncer grabbing me and my Abuela creeping into the back of my mind, I probably would've killed him."

Weevil wasn't even aware that he was shaking until he felt Veronica's hand grab ahold of his.

"So why so much money? Don't tell me Ofelia was dating one of the new generations o9ers." Veronica frowned at the thought.

"No. It was because of the bouncer I attacked after he grabbed me off of that scumbag. Apparently the bouncer guy is the son of that sleazy Judge Simon. I guess he called in a few favors to his friends in low places at the precinct. They must've figured that I was still that poor dumb Mexican gang banger who couldn't afford a lunch let alone a twenty grand bail. You should've seen their faces when I walked pass them on my way out." Weevil smirks.

Veronica started the car back up and proceeded to take Weevil home. They basked in silence for the next few minutes.

"It was all legally made." Weevil spoke with closed eyes.

"What?" Veronica said trying to act as if she didn't know what he was referring to.

"You know what Chica. All of the money you saw when you went to get what I needed for the bail. It was all legally obtained, I promise."

"Okay." Was all she replied smiling. She turned on the radio to drown out Backup's panting and refrained from interrogating Weevil any further.

Thirty minutes later Veronica pulled into Weevils carport. Weevil now lived on the outskirts of town in an up and coming housing development. He vowed that when he saved up enough money working at his new job, he was getting him and his abuela out of the slums. It took him a couple of years but he did just that.

They both took off their seat belts simultaneously. He gave her a confused look.

"Nightcap?" He joked.

"In your dreams Vato." She smiled shutting her door. "I'm certain you aren't gonna go to a hospital to get your hands checked out. So the least I can do is clean those cuts up so you don't get an infection."

He nodded his head unlocked the door and led them into his condo. Backup ran in first startling Ofelia who was sitting up on the couch flipping through channels.

"Jesus!" Ofelia exclaimed grabbing her chest.

"We didn't mean to scare you." Veronica apologized sincerely.

"It's okay it's not like you all knew I'd be here. I just couldn't go back to that apartment. I hope it's okay that I'm here Unc." Ofelia said shutting off the tv.

"You know you're always welcomed, you never have to ask. But it's almost four why are you still up? Everything okay? Did the doctor give you any meds for the pain?" Weevil asked sitting beside her.

"Yeah, but I can deal with the pain. It's looking at myself that's hurting me more than anything. I shouldn't have allowed him to get away with it the first time. Ever since then I became his own personal punching bag. Now look at me." Ofelia told them feeling the tears about to erupt.

Weevil wrapped his arms around his niece as she cried. Veronica stood by feeling herself get mad just thinking about what happened to Ofelia. She hated crime, crimes against women especially. Going to the cops seemed to be out of the question considering the ties Ofelia's attacker had. Veronica had to do something because she knew Weevil well enough to know the encounter he had with the guy tonight wouldn't be the last.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. I will not cry anymore." Ofelia says wiping her tears away. "I'm gonna get through this, abuela raised us Navarros to be strong and that's what I'm gonna be." She added.

Veronica left the room to go get the first aid kit, an excuse to give Weevil and Ofelia some time alone. When she returned Backup had grabbed one of the quilts off of the recliner and tangled himself in it so he could lay with it.

"Is it okay that he's laying on that quilt?" Veronica asked.

"He's okay, that one was Abuela's favorite. I guess he could smell her scent and wanted to be close to her. He misses her we all do." Ofelia said giving V a small smile and went into the guest room.

"Tough girl." Veronica says breaking Weevils deep thought.

"We've always had to be." He replies.

Veronica sat on the table in front of him and proceeded to clean his cut up hands.

"Being the keen observer that I am. I noticed the way your face changed when Ofelia mentioned Letty." Veronica spoke never looking up from dressing his wounds.

"Yeah and?" He answered a little agitated.

"Anything on your mind you wanna talk about? It'll be almost three months in a couple of weeks and you haven't really spoke much about Letty.."

"I know where you're going with this V and it's the last thing I wanna get into tonight." He spoke cutting her off.

She gave him a look and he returned her one which she knew meant to lay off. Veronica put her hands up to gesture that she was backing off. At least for now they both knew she'd bring it up again in the near future.

"New subject, I was talking to Wallace you know helping with final plans for his upcoming nuptials. And would you believe that he seemed to ask me an awful lot of questions about you. What does he know?" Veronica asked Weevil now looking directly at him.

Once again Weevil could feel her stare piercing a hole through him.

"What do you mean?" He asked eyebrows raised.

"He seemed to be real curious about my love life all of a sudden since you all came back from his bachelor party last week. Which I should've been invited to by the way since I am the best woman. But anyway, did you by any chance mention anything about us to him. Not that there is an us, I just wondered if you told him about the you know.." Veronica said voice trailing off.

"The kiss? You mean the one you planted on me over dinner months ago or the one on New Years Eve. Or is it the other time three weeks ago at my birthday dinner, is that the thing you're referring to?" Weevil said smiling his beautiful smile, causing her to blush.

Feeling embarrassed Veronica threw the cotton swabs at his head. Another silence fell between them.

"Relax V. I didn't tell him about it but he is positive that somethings up with us." Weevil told.

Veronica frowned her face up confused.

"Remember when you called Wallace the night of his bachelor party? Well after you two hung up, one of the guys asked who it was. When he said it was you, they started to make remarks. They weren't bad remarks, I guess I just didn't like to hear other guys talk about how attractive and bad ass you are. Silly right I know." Weevil said rubbing the back of his head not looking at her.

Veronica wasn't able to hide the goofy smile sported on her face. She liked hearing that he got a little jealous when other guys talked about her. To her that meant that Weevil had the same feelings for her like she had for him. Recently the two had entertained the idea of them becoming a "thing" but not aloud to one another.

After their last kiss at Weevils birthday get together they both agreed that whatever this is that kept causing them to end up with playing tonsil hockey had to stop. Neither thought that they'd work as an item so they wanted to nip it in a bud before things got too deep. But it was beginning to appear that it was too late.

They had only been back in each other's lives for a year and some change. They had become each other's confidant and best friend. Something they didn't want to ruin by giving into stronger temptations.

Although the events that led to them reuniting were less than ideal they were glad to have each other.