Title: Immunity
Author: Blaire
Rating: PG13 for situations
Disclaimer: Don't own them, no infringement intended.
A/N: I realize it's a little OOC, I can't really see V getting drunk and doing something reckless because of her mom, especially because of what happened at the party in season 1, but I think it shows a level of trust she has with Weevil. Or atleast I'm hoping that's how it comes across, and not her just being a lush.

On a Friday night as she sat in her car with Back-Up asleep on the backseat and spied on a hotel room door she couldn't shake the feeling that she herself was being watched. It was unnerving and after trying to shrug it off for the umpteenth time she finally started the car and drove around the block to see if anyone was following her. Should anyone have taken the bait she probably would have given them the eye and a fancy hand gesture.

In this case there was no one there.

There was no tail, no car pulled away from the curb as she turned the first corner to circle back around. On her way back up the street to where she had originally parked she didn't see anything out of the ordinary. No one was lurking in the shadows, no one was watching her. In fact, the street was pretty much deserted. She was still trying to shake off the feeling when her cell phone buzzed on the seat beside her, causing her to jump, slam her foot on the brake and squeal aloud all at the same time.

She cursed under her breath as she picked up the phone and checked the incoming number. Logan. Just what she needed.

She pressed the talk button as she brought it to her ear, keeping an eye peeled on the hotel room she was staking out.

"Oh, this better be goo-"

"Hey, Veronica! Whatcha doin'?"

Veronica rolled her eyes as she took note of his slurred speach and overly friendly words. "Logan, I want you to hang up and go to bed. Get some sleep."

She heard him snickering. "I am in bed, Veronica. The only thing missing is you. So why dontcha come on over here, climb up-"

Click.

Veronica tossed her cell phone onto the passenger seat of her LeBaron and looked up in time to see a man and a woman embraced, the silhouettes darkened by the background lighting of the hotel room door. She had just picked up her camera, ready to earn her keep when the rumble of a motorcycle in the distance had her cursing under her breath again. The couple in the doorway didn't pay any attention to it and she snapped off two pictures before the sound finally penetrated the pairs lust-fogged brains. They both turned at the same time and Veronica immediately took a shot.

She didn't have to look over to her left to see Weevil's bike coming to halt beside her car. All she wanted right now was to go home and take a nice hot shower, which she'd be lucky to do, and drift to sleep in her blissfully silent apartment.

Instead she rolled her eyes at the same time she rolled down the window of her passenger side door. Weevil rested his forearms against the door and leaned a little inside the car. "You know what they say about snoopy little blonde girls?"

Veronica tilted her head and raised her eyebrows, the perfect picture of innocence only made clearer by her hair being pulled up in a high ponytail. "That they always get their man?"

Weevil shook his head and huffed out a laugh. "I don't know how you get away with looking like that, V. You're the least innocent person I know."

She knew he didn't mean anything by it but it still stung a little as the words flashed inside her head. Outwardly though she showed no hurt. "Well now, that's not true, Eli. But then a little innocent girl like me wouldn't know how to prove you otherwise." She flashed a grin and hit the unlock button, admitting him entrance should he decide. The pair up on the hotel balcony was forgotten, afterall, she had indeed gotten her man. Weevil opened the door, glanced in the backseat at the dog lying dormant and grinned back at her as he picked up her phone and slid himself down into the seat. He tossed her the cellphone and it buzzed as it hit Veronica's lap. She picked it up and looked at the number flashing on the screen and groaned out loud. Veronica rolled her eyes as she leaned over and opened the glove box, sticking the phone in there among the piles of papers on the car. "Logan and one of his all night pity parties," she said as way of explanation.

Weevil nodded his head in understanding and leaned back against the door, studying her for a moment. Veronica did the same, nearly mirroring his relaxed position. "So what can I do for you, Eli?"

His teeth flashed for an instant and she felt a rush of heat skitter down her throat and hit her stomach. She'd always felt a little thrill around him. Before she'd found out about Lilly's involvement with him she'd wondered what people would think of the leader of the motorcycle gang hooking up with the bad girl with an even worse reputation. She'd always thought there'd be mixed reactions. She figured most people wouldn't be surprised. Couldn't say why, though.

"That's a loaded question, Miss Mars. You're gonna make me think maybe you aren't so innocent afterall."

Veronica wagged her eyebrows at him. "Oh, you have no idea what a misconception that whole innocent little girl act is."

Beside her Weevil turned thougtful and a little serious. "I don't believe everything I hear, V."

His change in attitude surprised her for a moment, though it shouldn't have. Eli Navarro was quite possibly one of the most honest people she knew, which may not count for much, but to her it meant a lot. Just as serious she said, "Thanks."

Weevil inclined his chin an inch to let her know she was welcome. Then he cleared his throat and she had a feeling it was time to get down to business. Her phone buzzed inside the glove compartment again and again went ignored. "I was just out for a drive and saw you parked over here, thought maybe you could use some company." Before she could get a word in he continued, "You just didn't seem together at school today, just wanted to make sure everything's going good in your world."

Veronica blinked fast and looked away for a moment trying to reign in her emotions. Sometimes she wondered who took care of Eli. Who listened to how his day was? She had a feeling no one really cared as long as he wasn't being suspended or warranting a locker search. She smiled a watery smile at him when she dared look back and replied, "It's okay. My world, that is." She paused for a moment, noting the slight frown on his face, so barely there it was almost imperceptible. She knew he wanted the truth but she wasn't sure she could actually confide in anyone about it.

Weevil took her words to heart and held out his hands. "Just thought maybe you'd want to clear that busy head of yours. But hey, as long as you say so..." He smiled again, a disappointed smile if she'd ever seen one, and put his hand on the door latch, signaling it was time for him to go.

She reached across the console and stopped him by putting her hand on his. She squeezed his fingers with her gently before saying, "Thanks, Eli. It makes a difference."

Weevil smiled a little and squeezed right back. "No problem, chica."

He got out and shut the door behind him and Veronica had a sudden thought that catapulted her out of the drivers seat and across the console so she could put her arms on the edge of the car door and look out at him. "Hey, do you know a place that doesn't mind serving minors?"

Weevil inclined his head and said, "Yeah, I know one, why?"

"How about you help me drown my sorrows."

He smiled and shook his head before putting on his helmet. "Follow me."

Nearly two hours later Veronica was completely trashed, having lost count of the number of shots she'd downed. She laughed as she vaguely remembered Logan calling her tonight and didn't feel all that bad for putting him on ignore. Weevil sat across from her, a lazy smile tugging at his lips as he watched her and her unleashed spirit. "So you haven't really told me what's wrong." At her slow blink he laughed. "You asked me to bring you here so we could talk?"

Veronica sat up a little straighter and wagged a finger at him. "Nuh uh uh. I said to 'drown my sorrows' not to 'spill my guts all over the table between us'." She gulped back another shot and shook her head as she hissed in a breath. "And besides, it's not all that interesting. Just the whole graduating thing is kinda getting to me, ya know?" She played with a small drink umbrella and wrote a cursive V in the salt grains on the table. Her eyes followed the slow strokes back and forth and said, "It's just depressing a little. I mean, I don't have a lot of friends, but Mac's going to MIT, Wallace is being wisked away on a basketball scholarship..."

Weevil picked up his own drink, a glass of water, and took a slow sip before saying, "I thought you got that Kane grant."

Veronica got a far away dreamy look for a moment and then smiled sadly. "I did. Doesn't mean I can use it, though."

Weevil looked at her for a moment, confused. "Why can't you use it?"

Veronica shrugged her slim shoulders and played with her next shot, running a fingertip along the rim of the shot glass. "I need to stay in Neptune for a while. I can't leave..." He heard the sob she choked back and watched her chase it with Tequila. "I can't leave yet."

"Your pops okay?"

Veronica laughed a little and looked up at him. "He won't be once he finds out I'm not going anywhere. I think his one wish in life is for me to get far, far away from here. I don't blame him but...I just can't leave, ya know?" She shook her head suddenly. "No, you probably don't know. You're probably sitting there thinking 'This stupid little white girl got herself a free ride and she's not gonna take it? Stupido.' Am I close?"

Weevil grinned and shrugged, not apologizing. "What you do is what you do. You can't always be what everyone else wants you to be." He leaned against the table and stared into her eyes. "If I've learned anything at all growing up here it's that you can't always mold yourself into what everyone else wants, V. If you've got a chance and you don't take it, there's a reason. There's always a reason."

Veronica looked sad for a second and then smiled brilliantly. "You're right about one thing, Eli."

He watched her for a moment, waiting for her to go on, but she didn't. She simply tossed back another shot and sighed, leaning against the booth. "Know what I've always wanted?"

Weevil grinned a little deviously. "To take a nice long ride on my hog."

Veronica arched a brow at him and pursed her lips then waved her hand to the side. "Well, besides that." At his stunned look Veronica blushed faintly before composing herself and blurting out, "I've always wanted a tattoo."

Weevil sat in silence for a moment, still trying to process her first remark. Then he focussed on what she'd said after that. "Why don't you get one?"

Veronica rolled her eyes and put her elbows on the table then rested her chin in her cupped palms. "I only ever want one when I get drunk. And whoever I'm with when I'm drunk always talks me out of it." An unholy light came into her eyes then as she smiled across the table at him. "Aren't you going to talk me out of it?"

He laughed abruptly. "Naw. I think you could use some body art."

"Really?"

Weevil shrugged, "Why not?"

Veronica shook her head, her ponytail swishing back and forth. "You're a bad influence on me. First you bring me to a seedy bar that serves minors and then you say something like that." She watched him for a moment. "Do you know someone that does tats?"

Weevil's eyes darted over to the clock behind the bar. It wasn't that late. "Sure." He motioned for the waitress and pulled out his wallet, ready to pay the tab. Veronica just stared at him in shock. "You want one, right?"

Veronica clapped her hands and giggled. "Oh, goodie!"

She let him take her hand and lead her to the back of the bar where a few guys were playing a poker game, the stack of chips almost as impressive as the bills laying off to the side. "Hey, Carlos, you got some time?"

"For my favorite nephew? Sure."

Weevil let go of Veronica's hand and instead put his hand to the small of her back, his uncle leading the way to a small sterile room. "V here wants some art done."

Carlos pat the table beside him and waited for Veronica to hop up before asking her what she was interested in. "Do you know what you want?"

Veronica smiled and opened her mouth to speak then glanced over at the doorway where Weevil stood. "Uhm, can I have some privacy?"

Carlos laughed and nodded to Weevil. "Shut the door, sobrino."

"You kickin' me out, V? After I found you the hook up?"

Veronica grinned. "I'll show you after."

Weevil smiled back at her and shut the door behind him, leaving Veronica alone with his uncle.

Half an hour later Veronica was laughing as the door opened and Weevil hopped down from the counter he'd been relaxing on while he watched the poker game go on. "Gracias, tio." He couldn't help but smile, for a white girl she had a pretty decent accent.

"No problema, angel."

Weevil watched as Veronica hugged his uncle and watched as his uncle pet her hair and then let her go. Veronica sashayed toward him with a huge grin. One he couldn't help but return. "So, how'd it go?"

"It was awesome. And I lost most of my buzz." She waved one last time to the guys playing poker and his uncle and then let him lead her out of the bar. "Although, I'm still pretty trashed. Can you drive me home?"

"Sure thing." He took her keys from her and helped her into the passenger seat, Back-Up waking up and snorting softly, then falling back to sleep. "Not much of a watch dog, huh?"

"Hey, you saw him take down Felix. He just knows you aren't much of a threat." Veronica buckled herself in and checked the glove box, looking at the missed calls from Logan. She turned to Weevil as he started the car and pulled away from the curb. "Thanks a lot, Eli."

Weevil smiled and turned down a side street, taking a short cut through the neighborhood. "Anytime, V." The rest of the ride home was quiet, both lost in their own thoughts until he pulled into the lot of her apartment complex. "I'll walk you to the door if you promise your dad won't shoot me on sight."

Veronica laughed as she got out of the car, grabbing Back-Up's leash and pulling him out behind her. "He's in Arizona, chasing a skip." She studied him for a moment in the harsh glare of the street light. "It's killing you, isn't it?"

Weevil shrugged his shoulders and grinned a little. "Maybe. Not so much that I'm going to beg, though."

Veronica walked over to him and took the offered keys. "I really do appreciate everything you did for me tonight. You're a kick ass friend, Eli."

He stared down at her as she smiled up at him and wondered what she'd do if he made the first move. They both stared at eachother until Veronica took another step and tilted her head, then reached up with one hand on the back of his neck and pulled his head down beside hers. She lifted her lips to his ear and closed her eyes as she said, "Let's just say I've been branded." Her lips brushed across his cheek as she pulled back, just a feather light touch. Weevil felt the heat climbing up his neck to his cheeks and thanked the fact that it was dark out.

Her words didn't register with him until she was walking away with Back-Up in tow. Even as he pulled out his cell phone to call his uncle for a ride home he wasn't sure what she'd meant by that.

Only a few things made sense in reference to what she'd said and Veronica would never put another person's name on her body. Or atleast he thought. Come Monday he was going to track her down and find out, though. Two weeks ago he'd had Lilly's name covered up with a snake wrapped around the big red heart. Veronica had seen it and told him she couldn't imagine ever getting anyone's name on her, it would be like...like being branded.

Weevil laughed as he turned around in time to see her disappear into her apartment. The girl was full of surprises.

And that's how Veronica ended up with 'Eli' written on the upper curve of her left ass cheek with a tiny heart dotting the lowercase 'I'.