AN: Here's the next chapter! Needed something to take my mind of irl stuff so why not post this one a bit earlier than I normally do? Enjoy!

That morning Eli was at his uncles body shop waiting for the blonde. Of course he had told his uncle Angel about what he was planning to do for Veronica, much to his uncles objections. He knew his uncle's issue with Eli bringing the girl here, he didn't know Veronica and she was the former sheriff's daughter, Eli knew that could be bad for all of them. He had promised his uncle that nothing bad would happen because she was coming but he wasn't so sure and all he could do was trust that she wouldn't see anything or if she did sell them out to anyone.

Of course Eli had no doubt that Veronica would do that because she needed a friend. What better friends to have than the PCHers and their leader? He didn't think that Veronica would out someone trying to help her if she didn't need too and besides that he had a back up if she was going to do that. As he waited for her to arrive he worked on one of the cars that had brought in the day before while he waited for the blonde.

"Good thing my dad isn't sheriff anymore and that I don't like the current sheriff," he heard, a laugh at the end as if it all made sense and perhaps it did. Standing he turned his attention to the blonde a smile clearly on his face as he wiped his hands on his shop suit.

"Thought you might get lost, chica. Now let's see that car and see what we can do about it hmm?" he stated as he moved towards her. "Ah brought a book but no Backup? Scared he might make friends with the local criminal element?"

"No, didn't feel like having an over protective pitbull barking at everyone. Besides he gets a little trigger happy, you know bite now ask questions later," she laughed. "Yeah, sooner rather than later please because I don't want my dad sending me around with an armed escort or worse, locking me in the house," she mumbled as she pulled the keys to her car out of her pocket and held them out to him.

Eli could see the car key but also another that he assumed was her house key as he took them from the petite blonde. With the keys in his hand he walked over to her LeBaron and shook his head. He couldn't make the anger that the words caused in him to dissipate it almost made him more angry. He could think of others who he wouldn't bat an eyelash if he saw the words on their cars but not Veronica. She'd always been somewhat of a mystery in his opinion, wearing the pastels and girly clothes with her long blonde hair and blue eyes. The rumors that followed her before had been ones of mockery about her virginity but now it was the opposite. It was as if the death of her best friend had caused a sudden and dramatic shift. She no longer came off as the innocent daughter of a sheriff. She had the air of a someone hardened by tragedy, heartbreak, and hurt. She wore darker and brighter colors. He'd heard the rumors about the taser that she carried with her and she had witty comebacks instead of the innocence of before.

Shaking is head to rid them of their current thoughts he bent down so he could get a better look at the words on the passenger side before making his way around the whole car. It would take him a couple hours but he wasn't going to complain when it meant that he would get to see her again when she came to get her car at the very least.

"Shouldn't take me more than a couple hours. You gonna hang out or do you want a ride home?" he asked once he turned to face her, away from the car.

"I'll stay if that's okay? I brought some stuff to work on for my dad as well as a book," she offered as she pulled out the book as if to show him for proof that he'd done just that.

"Alright chica hop in." And with that he got into the drivers side, his dark brown eyes watching as she climbed into the passenger side then slowly pulled it into the garage. Once in the right spot he parked it and turned the car off, leaving the keys in the ignition. "You can have a seat over there," he gestured to a chair near where the tools were sitting, at least there he knew she couldn't get into much trouble.

Picking up what the tools he would need to fix the car Eli began to work. The silence that followed between them, only filled with the sounds of the music playing through the giant open room and the voices of the other workers. Eli noticed that she was busy stuffing envelopes and once she finished he noticed that she took her book out of her bag to read.

The one thing that Eli could be happy about was that the scratches in the car were mostly superficial and all he had to do was make sure the paint matched and that's what he did. It took him longer than he had anticipated but he honestly didn't care. He was able to do something for her that it seemed no one else was willing to do.

Once he was finished he tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention. "Either you have really good selective hearing or you were completely zoned out," he chuckled. "Anyway you're ride is done, good as new, well as new as it can be anyway."

"Sorry I got a bit lost in my book. I owe you for this. Are you sure I can't pay? It's not like I can't, luxuries of working for my dad, getting paid to pay people," she teased, earning a smile from her.

"I got you. So what are your plans now that you're free of this place?" he smirked, teasing.

"Fine," she sighed. "Well I'm thinking about taking this hot PCHer out for a meal since he refuses to let me pay him, you?"

"Hot huh? Do I need to be jealous? Oh I don't know maybe just grab a sandwich from my grandmother or something," he teased, playing like he didn't know it was him.

"Jealous? No I don't think so I mean unless you want to be jealous of someone named Eli Navarro than," she trailed off as she picked her bag up and moved towards her car. "Come on, I'm sure you can take a break for food, don't want your uncle losing his best worker because of hunger."

"Nah, that guy is no threat," he smirked. Eli grabbed his wallet and phone before following her to the car.

"Any preferences?" she asked as she buckled up and turned the car on, dropping the top to enjoy the summer air.

"Nah, V you pick I'll eat anything."