A/N: I initially gave this story an M rating because of the main plot – if you've seen the movie they get drunk, hook up and wind up married. That's a part of this story, but there are no explicit chapters (suggestive thoughts/descriptions maybe, but that's all… okay one chapter but it's minuscule and doesn't go too far that it's fifty shades of grey status!). Also, they're adults and adults curse so that's another factor, but it's not f-bomb every other word. I thought it wasn't too mature seeing as this is also a humorous story, so I switched to T. What do you think?

Oh, and if it wasn't obvious already, this story is Modern AU/OOC. All that Jazz.

~II. Planning a Vacation~

"Here's to Rose! For managing to drag out the lovely Rey for a night of fun!" the charming bartender declared. He raised his shot glass among three others.

"To Rose!" they all cheered before downing the clear burning liquid.

"Seriously, Peanut. We're really happy you came out tonight," Finn, Rose's boyfriend said. He hugged her tight and ruffled her hair.

"Yeah, we were about ready to barge into Rose's apartment and do whatever means necessary for you to get some sunshine on your skin," Poe, their bartender friend joked. "And believe me, we had a blow torch and chainsaw at the ready!"

"I didn't barricade myself off too much did I?" Rey didn't believe Poe's exaggeration.

"No, it was serious. You practically turned my living room into a fortress of solitude!" Rose shared. "But that's okay, I still love you, girl."

"I know, I'm sorry for my behavior the past few weeks," she frowned.

"It's fine, Rey," Finn said. "We all heal in different ways."

"Thanks. I mean... Hob was my first serious relationship and…" her bottom lip began to tremor.

"Oh no, no, no!" all three of her friends yelped, grabbing on and shaking her.

"Don't go there!" Rose practically demanded.

"Why can't I mope about this? I was with him for three years? Don't I get more than two weeks to cope?" Rey whined.

They meant well, they really did. Finn was right, people healed at their own pace. But despite three years with the guy, Rey's friends didn't think he deserved even a day of grievance. He was wrong for her, they mentioned it to Rey a hundred times.

"Honey this night is all about being around friends and alcohol and good company. None of this ex-boyfriend talk!" Rose reminded her of their agreement to go out.

Rey begrudgingly bowed.

"Well technically it's ex-fiancé," Finn was mumbling to Poe across the bar quietly. Rose heard it anyways and proceeded to shoot daggers towards the men.

"None of that! We are going to have a good time tonight. Rey is here and we're all going to have fun. Now, let's get more alcohol in this woman stat!"

"You know, alcohol ain't cheap," Poe said before pouring more drinks.

"Yeah but when you're friends with the guy who owns the place, it's as cheap as we want it to be," Finn boasted. He merrily handed the girls their next round of shots.

"I'll drink to that!" Rose cheered.

Poe rolled his eyes, guffawing as he joined his friends for another drink.

Rey Andor didn't have a good start in life. A foster child, she was abandoned at a fire station when she was barely eight months old. After getting tossed from orphanage to orphanage, she wasn't adopted until the age of 13. Unfortunately, her parents - two decorated war heroes and special forces – lost their lives just after her 18th birthday during a dangerous mission. She cherished those 5 years of being part of a family and promised herself to someday start a new family in the future. Going from shelter to shelter, she never knew what her future held. She hoped to one day be able to control her own destiny; forge her own path, plan every detail, and ultimately find happiness. She had grown up in London, where she was born and where her parents were stationed, but after their passing she needed a change of scenery. So, she moved across the ocean to Los Angeles. She got into UCLA on a double major for social work and communications. There she met Finn and Rose, high school sweethearts, two of the nicest people she's ever met. Rose became the closest thing to a sister for Rey, their friendship very special. And Finn, her constant rock, someone she trusted her life with. They became a trio of inseparable friends; eventually meeting Poe, a local bar owner who helped Finn out in a fight that was clearly the drunk guy's fault. Poe acted as their big brother as he was a few years older and the family Rey made for herself grew by one more.

Rey had started dating Derek "Hobbie" Klivian during her senior year of college. He was a graduate assistant in her communications class and after the semester ended, they became an official couple. He was the perfect man on paper – strong mindset, stable career, esteemed family background. He was too good to be true. He took her to lavish restaurants, showered her with jewelry (even though she wasn't one for the shiny trinkets), and took great care of Rey in their initial 'honeymoon' stage of dating. No one had ever taken an interest in her that way. It was comforting. She dreamed of one day starting a family with him and thought that he would make all her wishes come true. Though Rose was right about one thing. When Rey and Derek became serious, the sweet gentleman that had courted her turned out to be a demanding, arrogant fellow. He transformed Rey's already kind and giving personality to one of service and appropriateness, turned his interests into hers, and controlled her future. This was Rey's first real relationship, so she gave in, submitted to all his wishes. She was blinded by what he had to offer her – a solid future. Her friends were quick to see that she had become a completely different person - not herself. They just hoped that Rey would one day wake up and see that Derek Klivian was not her future. He wouldn't give her that happily ever after she'd always dreamed of. Indubitably, it didn't work out and while they were happy that she had split with him, they were immediately devastated to learn that he was the one to break it off also, manipulating her into believing she was in the wrong and tossed her away without a second thought.

A couple more drinks in her and Rey finally started feeling numb - exactly what she wanted. As promised, she and Rose belted out a handful of 80's power ballads, for the most part in tune. Finn and Poe hung around the bar enjoying their comical actions and making sure their delicate friend was consuming a good balance of alcohol and nachos (Rey's drunk food of choice). After a sloppy rendition of "Love Is A Battlefield", the girls giggled their way back to the bar.

"Ya know whaaat," Rey slurred as she clumsily slammed into her bar stool. Rose sat on her boyfriend Finn's lap steadying her tipsy friend. Poe laughed inwardly, sliding a glass of ginger ale for Rey to hopefully wash some alcohol out of her system. They really did take care of her.

"What Peanut?" Finn asked, the three friends amused by her conduct.

"Ya know Hobbie would say-"

"Oh no Rey!" Poe warned her, as the rule of the night was to not talk about him.

"No, no. Here me out," she waved at her friends.

"Fine, drink your ginger ale and eat something first. Then talk," Finn negotiated.

Rey rolled her eyes and complied, sipping her beverage and crunching on a handful of greasy chips.

"Happy?" she showed them how she cooperated. "I'm not that drunk, promise," she said a bit clearer, prompting them to laugh.

"Alright, what is it, kiddo?" Poe motioned for her to continue.

"As I was saying," she cleared her throat. "Hobbie always said that I took things too seriously. That I played it safe."

"Wow that's rich coming from the guy with a silver spoon in his mouth. He practically reeked of his parent's snotty money and upbringing!" Rose spat. "He was the one who forced you to 'play it safe'."

"And you did not start to become overly-serious until you met that guy!" Finn added.

"Yeah, he's the dull one," Poe sneered.

"I know but that's not the point," she dismissed their remarks.

"And hon, you weren't that 'serious' or 'safe' until you met him. I mean you're a nice girl, but you still knew how to have fun. He turned you into his own personal drone," Rose scoffed.

"Maybe. But maybe he isn't entirely wrong."

Her friends exchanged muddled looks.

"What are you talking about?" Rose probed her best friend's response.

"Sure, I'm not uptight but I did play it safe," Rey explained. "I mean, I went through my entire childhood as an orphan. Once I found Cassian and Jyn I became a good girl. Hobbie just encouraged a more 'clean cut' life for me."

"You better be getting somewhere with this because I'm about two seconds away from going with Poe to his apartment and junk punch him," Finn griped.

"Oh my gosh I said the same thing to her!" Rose squealed to her boyfriend. The couple giggled and stole a quick peck on the lips.

"Hey, hey! Have some respect!" Poe slapped a bar towel at the couple. "Don't be all lovey in front of Rey. Can't you see the woman is hurting?!"

"No, it's okay," Rey laughed. It felt good to laugh.

She couldn't be jealous of Finn and Rose. They were practically a married couple for as long as they've been together and for as long as she'd known them. She wondered when Finn would pop the question already.

"Alright sorry back to you Peanut," Finn offered.

"Right… so I had a lot more to say but to save anyone's private parts from getting assaulted tonight, it comes down to the notion that for once I want to do something wild and spontaneous," she declared.

"Like what, get a tramp stamp of your favorite boy band?" Finn snorted, directing his reference at a particular bartender.

Poe's cheeks were painted red. "I was 18 you guys!" he defended himself, but the three friends pestered anyway.

One of the first times the four of them went out together, Poe had shared the dumbest thing he's ever done. When he turned 18 during his senior year of high school, his buddies dared him to get a tattoo. Poe, never backing down from a dare and feeling this newfound confidence as an official adult, woke up the next morning with a permanent scar on his skin. One that was revealed on a rather unforgiving spot on his lower back.

"And Nine Inch Nails is fucking awesome!"

"Oh no, no, I'm not as brave as Poe you guys," Rey clowned at him. He tossed slices of limes at them to cease their mocking and settle down. When they did, Rey continued. "What I meant was that I was thinking about how much I loved coming out tonight. Thanks for dragging me out Rose, I seriously needed this," she nudged her best girl friend on the shoulder. "And before I have to get back to my busy life on Monday, I was thinking maybe… we can all take a trip?"

"I'm in, I need a vacation," Poe immediately agreed.

"And how is owning a bar, the most popular one on the pier I may add, a taxing job?" Finn asked incredulously. "You have so much profit I'm surprised you're not opening another one in Beverly Hills or Hollywood. You don't even need to bar tend AND you give us free drinks!"

"Hey, even the working man needs a break!" Poe retorted. "And sure, maybe for just one weekend I don't want to see 10 percent of my alcohol inventory going towards my empty-wallet best friends!" he joked. Everyone laughed. He had a point. "Oh I know! Let's go to Vegas! There's plenty of alcohol there."

"Oooh Sin City. Sounds like the perfect place to go crazy!" Rose clapped.

"I'm down, I haven't been there since my cousin's bachelor party two years ago," Finn agreed.

"I bet I could score us a sweet deal at a hotel!" Poe suggested.

"What do you say, Rey?" Finn asked, her three friends awaiting her response.

"I've never been to Vegas…" she was hesitant.

Rey recalled the many stories she's heard of the fabled Las Vegas. Hearing stories that her classmates in college had said about their blackout drunk weekends made her a bit wishy-washy about ever stepping foot there. Was it really that brutish of a town to be nicknamed 'Sin City'? But, she thought, if she wanted to have a wild off the books weekend, what better place, right?

"What the hell, let's do it!"

A/N: Preview of next chapter: Double Booked

"Drop it thief!"

"I think there's been a misunderstanding."

"Yes, you chose the wrong room to steal from."

"No, no. I swear I'm not a thief. I booked this room."

"No. I did."

"No, honestly. They may have glitched the system. Please you got to believe me!"