A/N – The characters you know and love aren't mine – but you knew that. All the crazy OCs that you could do without (but I couldn't), those are mine

So, this story is a prequel to Vegas (and therefore Leaving Vegas) and while you don't have to read those first, as I am planning on keeping this short and sweet - you might want to, just to get more on where LoVe is in their lives. In Vegas, Logan discovers (10-years after seeing Veronica last) that she has a photo of him surfing on her mantle. The photo was taken 5-years before, on the weekend of a wedding where they were both guests. Bondopoulous (I think – forgive me if I am wrong) mentioned it would be great if they had hooked up that weekend, instead of waiting another 5-years. This story was thus born, and while I worked on finishing Vegas and Leaving Vegas, what happened on that weekend wouldn't leave me alone. Hope you enjoy it! (Once it is out of my system I will start working on Part III of the series "The Meadows").

Cover Photo: By Brocken Inaglory - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, . ?curid=8391098

~~~In Las Vegas~~~

Veronica was nervous, but concealing it well. At least she thought she was. Her partner, Jay Virk was smirking at her. She frowned at him. Finally, she snapped, "What?"

He laughed at her, "Someone is on Mars today." She shot a rubber band across their shared desk space at him. Jay laughed harder. "You know, I think I miss the cubicles. I am pretty sure the Bureau didn't anticipate the partner upon partner abuse that shared work space would lead to."

Veronica's scowl broke into a smile. "Really? I think it was a clever planning on their part, lets the young keep an eye on their elders, be on hand when they inevitably fall and break a hip." She look pointedly at his heavily bandaged ankle and cane propped against the wall.

Jay fired the rubber band back at her, hitting center mass. "Just remember the saying about old age and treachery, you impertinent whippersnapper." He was grinning at her, "and that even after twisting my ankle, I still ran that perp down and bagged his ass."

Veronica waggled her eyebrows, "Should I tell Ethan?" She laughed as he scowled at her. "So, why were you trying to get my attention old man, some of us were trying to work over here."

Making an exaggerated show of looking at his watch and rubbing his toned stomach, Jay replied, "Well us oldsters like getting an early dinner you know, more specials that way."

Veronica bounced to her feet, closing the lid on her laptop. "Why didn't you say that in the first place?" While she wasn't in the mood to discuss what was on her mind, and she knew Jay would pry, she would never turn down dinner.

Jay made a show of laboriously getting to his feet, leaning heavily on his cane. Veronica eyed him critically, and when she decided he was just milking the effect, went around to his other side and grabbed his rolling office chair. "Have a seat, I am pretty sure I can push you faster than you can walk."

He grinned and plopped down, taking care to hold his feet off the ground and his cane across his lap. "Chop, chop then driver."

Laughing the two negotiated the hall of the Bureau field office until they got to the elevator. Veronica gave the chair a swift push and watched it roll halfway back to the bullpen. "Jefferson, be a peach will you and push that the rest of the way back?" A junior agent, who had been watching the pair with a mixture of disbelief and jealousy hopped up and walked the chair all the way back to Jay's desk. Veronica waived happily at him as the door to the elevator closed and missed the look of puppy dog longing and adoration on the agent's face.

Jay smiled at her as the elevator went down. "Not bad partner, not ready for a Grand Prix yet, but not bad." He paused a beat, "So, are you going to tell me what is on your mind?"

Veronica frowned at him and stepped quickly out of the elevator when the doors opened. "Food first and then you can begin your interrogation." Internally, Veronica wondered if she could really eat anything, she just kept thinking about him, and how everything fell apart, and how she would give anything to build it back up again.

~~~In San Diego~~~

Logan was nervous, and he knew it showed. He couldn't help fidgeting through the day's final debrief, his pen twirling without pause on his long fingers.

"Alright Alpha Wing, that is it, you are officially on shore leave for the week. You asshats better keep your noses clean, because I am heading to Vegas and will not be here to bail you out of jail. Dismissed!" Logan's C.O. briskly left the room, and the other pilots and NFOs followed suit.

Squirt looked at Bard critically, "Man, it is just a wedding, not even yours, so stop being such a pussy. Man up, weddings are target rich environments, think of all those bride's maids." He sketched a crude curvy figure in the air while hip thrusting.

"You are disgusting," Logan flung his pen at the other pilot.

Squirt grinned, "Nah, just a realist. But seriously, what gives. I have known you for four years and never seen you this keyed up. You even looked better before going into that blue nose night op last year." He picked up the pen and flung it back at Logan. "Seriously, bride's maids…you in your uniform, bet you could get more than one…" he paused and grinned again, "at the same time."

Logan groaned, "No, I am just thinking about one." He sat back down heavily, and ran a hand through his hair.

Squirt relented. "Why don't you come home with me then? You know my old man would be glad to see you, and Tina and her kids are supposed to be there too. Nothing like a loud house full of Italians and homemade pasta to forget your troubles."

"Her favorite food is lasagna." Logan sighed, "No, you were right to begin with, I need to man up. Besides the bride and groom would kill me if I wasn't there. It's just, this girl and I…we haven't seen each other in five years…but when we get together. Fuck…its explosive, and I just don't know which way it is going to go. There is a fine line between being destroyed and reborn you know."

Squirt stood and slapped Logan on the shoulder. "I am going to refrain from saying something crude and just go. But remember, pictures or it didn't happen man."

When Logan was alone in the room he pulled out his wallet. Slipping a faded picture from its side he stared hard at it, his gaze a mix of longing and sorrow. It was a selfie of him and Veronica, their faces squished together with happy smiles. Her blue eyes crinkled against the glare of the sun. He had just stolen her sun glasses, "you don't want to impede your view of all this do you?" He had asked as he peeled out of his wetsuit, shaking the cool ocean water off, leaving dewy crystalline drops on her pale skin. She had laughed and complained, "Logan you are worse than Backup." He had smiled and threw himself down onto the beach blanket beside her. He had pulled on top of him and covered her face with kisses, delighting in her squirming squeals of protest. Inspired, he let her roll off and he grabbed his phone for a quick picture. It captured the sunshine, the warmth, the love of the perfect summer day, with her smiling face next to his, their lips both bruised from kissing, their eyes bright with joy. Logan sighed and slide the photo back into place. He didn't know how he was going to deal with being so close to her again, and not being able to touch her, to recreate that moment in time. Standing he walked out of the ready room, flicking the lights off as he did. Hopefully, she will let me say I am sorry, and that I still love her.