I don't own the characters. I attach strings to them and shout, "Dance marionettes! Dance for my pleasure!"

...Almost like magic!

It was strange thinking about Henley cooking. She had never seemed like the domestic type when she had been his assistant. And yet here she was: cooking up a storm in Dylan and Alma's kitchen while the rest of the Horsemen relaxed and played poker. Well, Alma just watched. After all, it was foolish to play against magicians who robbed world banks and played with Interpol and the American government like they played a game of chess. From the moment she had arrived in France at their doorstep, Henley went straight to the homeowners, two bags of groceries in her hands, and demanded she cook them all dinner for their traditional get-together.

So here he was, Daniel Atlas, hottest magician alive (well, Jack and Merritt would attest to that) watching former assistant, Henley Reeves, look very domesticated and (not that he would admit it to anyone) he was very much loving the show.

It was quite magical in its own special way.

"Do you need something Danny?"

Her gentle voice jolted him out of his thoughts. "Hmm?"

"You've been staring at me for awhile. Is there something you need? Or are you just enjoying the view?"

He smirked and took a sip of his wine (he made a mental note to ask Alma where she bought her wine, it was the best he had ever drank). "I was wondering to myself why I never had you wear an apron during one of our shows. You look amazing."

Instead of blushing and looking frazzled like he'd hoped, he simply rolled her eyes and stirred at her pot on the stove. "You never had me wear one because you never saw me in one. Besides, don't you think I would have looked just a tad bit ridiculous in an apron while the rest of your assistants paraded around in those skimpy little outfits you put us in?"

"You certainly don't look ridiculous right now."

She rolled her eyes again and slid on her oven mitts. "I'll take that as a complement."

"As you should." He eyed her ass appreciatively as she bent down to open the oven and take out the turkey. Sure he was used to seeing her in those tight little dark outfits when they performed, but when she was just wearing her snuggest white jeans and a dark blue silk blouse, he couldn't help but think she looked more beautiful than should be legal.

She suddenly sighed. "Danny, please stop staring at my backside. I feel like I'm being leered at by a pervert."

He tried to look scandalized. "Is that what you think I am?"

"Ever since we started performing together Danny, the only thing I've ever seen you look at is an ass under a skirt. Remember that time you looked under Dolly Matlin's skirt when we were in Chicago? And on live television too! That bruise didn't go away for a month." She giggled. "I remember laughing every time I saw you. And for the rest of her time with us she always wore pants."

He rolled his eyes. "If she didn't want me to flip her skirt she shouldn't have been wearing one."

"She's a girl! She has every right to wear a skirt!"

He shrugged again. "I have every right to flip it."

"You also have the right to stop being an A-class jackass. But you don't. You even made fun of us when only Rebecca could complement the outfits you put us in."

"Hey! Rebecca could fit in–"

She rolled her eyes. "Please. Rebecca could fit around your two inch dick!"

From the living room, their audience all hissed sympathetically at Henley's words.

"Ohh." Merritt moaned. "God, that had to hurt."

Daniel winced. "Bit of a low blow there don't you think?"

She smiled sweetly. "Not as much as calling me husky in front of a live audience was."

"Idiot." All four of the hidden audience members thought.

Daniel threw his hands up in surrender. "Hey, I call it like I see it."

She suddenly slammed down the plates and began to agitatedly run her hands through her hair, messing up her loose ponytail. "God damn it Danny, you've always been like this!" She nearly screamed. "Is it your right to screw every girl who comes begging to your doorstep too!"

"Only if they want me to."

She threw her hands up, as if begging God to give her the patience to deal with the man in front of her. "I give up! Its like every time I try and find a redeemable quality in you, you have to remind me what a first-class, control freak asshole you are! God, I just give up! Hell, I think I just forgot why I even liked you in the first place! Just forget it!"

All went silent except for Henley's agitated stirring. Even the commotion in the other room was gone, four ears pressed against the wall eagerly awaiting what the male magician would do next.

To her surprise, when Henley turned around she walked straight into Daniel. Before she could move away, he grasped her upper arms, capturing her and pulling her closer. "Sorry." He murmured.

"Don't apologize to me." She snapped and tried to pull away. "Screw your apologies to me Danny. You never meant any of them before, why should they work now?"

"Because this time I'm trying to be sincere."

"So all those other times weren't sincere? When I was packing my bags and moving out you weren't sorry? When you posted all those anonymous postings on my website about how I should quit kidding myself, trying to be on a stage like I was some sort of professional, and should just go back to being Daniel Atlas's assistant you weren't sorry? Yeah, I feel a whole lot better about you now Danny."

He sighed frustratedly. Did she ever stop talking? "Look, I was drunk when I wrote that. I mean, you were terrible at first–"

"Hey!"

"But half a year later I went and saw it again. And..." He ran a head through his hair. "I was amazed. You had come such a long way from your first performance. That piranha trick? Even I couldn't have come up with something like that. And the way you smiled when you popped out of the crowd..." He bit his lip. "I had never seen you smile like that when you were with me."

She suddenly pushed him away. He was hurt for a second. They were having a moment! And then he saw that she was just checking on the rice and stirring at her pots on the stove. Jeez, was food really more important to her?

She pushed a strand of hair away from her face as she began to coat the turkey. And she then she began to nibble on a stray baby carrot. The way her lips molded around the–

That did it.

He walked up to her, quickly putting down all of cooking equipment, forcefully making her turn around and kissed her.

Henley froze. What was he doing? He had no right to kiss her! She tried struggling, but he just gripped her tighter. She tried to talk. "St–" But he just pressed her mouth closer to his.

"Stop. Struggling." He murmured against her lips. "You know you want this."

Frowning, Henley slowly rubbed her leg against his inner thigh. Daniel, thinking he had won, moved his hands to her ass and cupped it, pulling her closer to him.

And then she kneed him in the balls.

"Damn it. Henley." He choked before falling over.

She 'humphed'. "What the hell were you thinking Danny? God, seriously!" She kicked him again (he thanked God she wasn't wearing her usual heels, instead opting to wear comfortable sneakers) and continued to kick him until she had him stumbling out of the kitchen and falling flat on his face in the living room. Their audience didn't even try and hide the fact that they were listening.

"Nice work little Danny." Merritt jeered. "You gonna call her husky now? Or just tell her she looks like she ate one too many pieces of bacon for breakfast?"

"And here I 'zought most American men weren't stupid." Alma couldn't help but mutter. "But I guess I was wrong."

Dinner was eaten with a chill.

No one could deny that Henley hadn't outdone herself with the food and she received complements from everyone, but every time Daniel tried to say something to her, she'd just pretend he wasn't even there and talk to someone else.

This was a first for Daniel and he couldn't help but glare at Henley. He knew she wasn't like those other women he charmed every night, but did she have to be so damn stubborn? He was trying to apologize and she wasn't accepting it! Or begging to be in his bed!

He needed to fix that. Fast.

After dessert (a beautiful white chocolate raspberry cake with mango syrup, courtesy of Henley), Daniel shocked everyone by grabbing Henley's arm.

He bowed. "If you will excuse us, we have somewhere to be. Alma, I will need the name of the place where you buy your wine. It was exquisite." And he dragged her out the door and onto the streets, ignoring her protests.

She tried to struggle against him. She tried hitting him. Hell, she even tried to bite his hand! But he refused to let go. Eventually, she just let him drag her along, wondering what the hell he was up to.

He led her to his car and threw her inside.

"Damn it Danny," She hissed. "where the hell are you taking me?"

"A place with no interruptions. We need to talk." Was all he would give her.

She bet twenty bucks it would be a hotel.

To her surprise it wasn't a hotel.

Damn. Now she owed herself twenty bucks.

It was a chalet (and a huge one at that) that overlooked Paris. The walls were one-way glass with thick marble columns holding them together, giving it a modern yet classical look. But unfortunately for Henley, she couldn't exactly appreciate it since Daniel was forcefully tugging her inside.

She barely had time to see the interior before he dragged her upstairs. All she could tell was that the rug was furry and the walls were artfully decorated with beautiful murals.

He suddenly opened a door to a bedroom and dragged her inside before slamming it shut. He turned to her, his eyes glazed over with something even Henley couldn't put her finger on.

Without any warning he attacked her shirt, undoing the buttons and and sucking on her neck. She moaned and Daniel let out a small moan himself. Finally he had her in his grasp and he was not about to let go.

Not for anything in the world.

He managed to get her shirt off before undoing her bra and pushing her onto the bed. She tried to fight him off, but her resolve was getting weaker with every kiss. After five years, his kisses felt like raging fire against her neck and breast and it fanned the flames of her desire. She gasped as he sucked on the skin blow her breast and he had to hide a smirk. Henley would have killed him if she felt he was smug about this.

"Did you plan this?" She managed to gasp. "And don't lie about it."

She felt him smirk against her lips. "Would I tell you if I did?"

She pouted. "Tell me."

He rolled his eyes and attacked her neck again. "Lets just say I was counting on your very large consumption of wine this evening."

That snapped her out of her haze. She pushed at his chest. "Get off me Danny! Im not going to be your rape date. I had enough of that when I was your assistant."

He groaned in frustration. "Its not rape Henley."

"Then what is it? Its not like you possibly like me. You made that pretty clear Danny."

He rolled off of her before taking her chin with his hand and turning her face towards his. "I was an idiot Henley."

"You were an asshole." She scoffed. "Same thing."

"No it wasn't. By convincing myself that I was invincible and that I could do anything I wanted, I got stupid and reckless and I let myself get caught up in show-business. But," He spoke huskily. "I never would have done any of that if I had known you wouldn't be there with me, right by my side and helping me take on the world. I want you back Henley, but if this isn't the way you want to go, tell me and I swear I'll take you there every step of the way. I just need you by my side. Not as my assistant, but as my partner. In magic," He kissed the palm of her hand. "and in real life."

He said all of this so fast she barely had any time to catch it all. But the speed of his words couldn't match the speed of Henley's heart. Did he really feel that way? "The sleeping with Rebecca?"

"A business deal. She promised me if I slept with her, she would have her father donate towards our shows. I was planning on having us do a show together as partners instead of assistants. It was supposed to be a surprise for you until,"

"I walked in on the action." She finished, barely choking it out. He knew how badly she wanted to do a show. She also knew what a stage-hog he was, especially back then. "Danny–"

"I never meant to hurt you Henley. But if I could go back in time, I would do everything differently."

She smiled. "If you promise to let me do the first trick before you, I may consider forgiving you."

He grinned. "Deal."

She smiled wider and reached her head up to meet his lips. "Just so you know," She murmured against his lips. "I'm really out of practice."

He dipped his head to kiss her shoulder. "I believe I can help with that."

She snapped her fingers and the lights flickered off.