Dinner Night

*A/N* I really really wanted to have Alma and Dylan in, too, especially Alma because I absolutely loved her. As it turns out, I'm pretty good at imitating her accent when speaking, I'm not sure I got her right here, though...
So, a happy one this time, established Danley and no dabbling into their past. Instead, I tried to fix a little plothole ;) Please enjoy, and feel free to leave a promt!

P.S.: Another big thank you to everyone who's reviewed/favourited so far, it really means a lot to me :)

"You boys did a great dinner," Alma said, raising her glass to the others. "Why are you always pretending you could not cook, Dylan?"

"Yeah, funny, together you seem to achieve something." Henley grinned and snatched the last slice of cake off Jack's plate who threw her a look but didn't protest.

"Ah well, the things you do to impress the ladies," Merritt said with a smug grin.

The French laughed and looked at them, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"You're the great magicians. I bet you never had to do anything stupid just to impress a girl."

Daniel grinned sheepishly, Dylan suddenly took a lot of interest in the breadcrumbs on his plate, Merritt stared intently at his beer bottle and Jack burst out laughing.

Henley winked at Alma, eyes bright, and leaned back on her chair. "Right, now you have to tell us."

"We don't have to do anything."

She playfully pointed her fork at him and teased: "Careful, Danny. God knows I have more than enough information on you, I could sure as hell blackmail you into anything."

The others laughed, he returned her look but didn't reply.

"Now, then, I want to know, at least one time," Alma said, still grinning. "I'll make the start if you want. When I was in lycée, that's, er, high school for you, I think, there was this boy. Jean-Pierre. He was in the school band. I volunteered to look after the little kids every afternoon just so I could hear them rehearse once a week." She laughed. "I don't think he ever knew I existed."

"Then he was an idiot," Dylan muttered, earning himself a bright smile.

"Piano lessons," Jack offered. "Three years, I was actually quite good. Plus, it sounds cool if you just mention it, you know. Most girls seem to think that anyway."

"I once changed a trick during the show so it would be more impressive," Henley said, grinning. "Dropped the hairpin and was stuck in the handcuffs for good. It was really embarrassing."

She turned to Merritt, who just shrugged.

"Poetry."

"You? Seriously?" Daniel snorted and threw the mentalist a disbelieving look.

"Yeah, Shakespeare and Keats and stuff. Ladies get off on that, you should try it."

"Are they always like that?" Alma asked amusedly, turning to Henley who gave a dramatic sigh.

"I try to keep them in separate rooms as much as possible. Used to tell myself they'd grow up eventually, but I've given up hope a while ago."

The attention turned back on the two remaining magicians.

"Daniel?"

"Um, let me think… extra lessons in my senior year. In order to shag one of my classmates, obviously," he added with a smirk. "I think it was Spanish… still don't understand a word of it."

"Hang on, you took more classes than necessary for an entire term just to get laid?" Jack demanded, grinning at the sleigh of hand.

"Yep."

"Desperate, where you?" Henley teased and he threw a peanut at her.

"I was eighteen."

"And you haven't changed all that much," Merritt added drily, making another peanut head his way.

Alma chuckled and turned to her boyfriend. "Dylan. We're waiting."

He eyed her, then smiled and replied nonchalantly: "I once climbed into a burning car even though I knew the person in it was long dead and made a point of trying to 'rescue' them."

Danny laughed. "So that's why! Ever since New York, I've been trying to make sense of that car crash," he explained at Dylan's slightly confused glance. "But I never managed to figure out why you didn't just get the documents and saved yourself before the whole thing went up in flames."

Dylan coughed nervously. "Er, Daniel, Alma wanted to ask you something."

"Oh, did you?"

She smiled. "Yeah, I never properly learned that card trick and Dylan refuses to teach me."

"Are you sure you want to let that guy," Henley made a meaningful pause and nodded towards Daniel, "teach you anything? Because that's a living hell, and trust me, I've been through it."

"Yeah, thanks," Danny muttered darkly, looking slightly insulted. "I can be nice if I want to," he said, throwing Henley a pointed look.

"Oh, I know,sweetheart," she replied smoothly, a suggestive grin on her lips.

"God, please," Merritt muttered, grimacing. "Just don't do that. Please just don't."

Daniel grinned. "You know that your reaction is exactly why we're doing it, right?"

"Yeah, I'm just saying. Don't take it too far, we've got a lot to take as it is, don't we, Jack?"

The pickpocket exchanged a look with Merritt and grinned.

Daniel rolled his eyes and placed his deck of cards on the table.

"So, what are you going to show me?" Alma asked, eying the cards with interest.

"Something really basic," he assured her and added lightly: "Don't want you to steal all the glory."

"You should teach her a decent shuffle first," Dylan interrupted, leaning back on his chair with a grin on his lips and a fond glint in his eyes. "The first time she tried, she managed to find the right card, but threw it halfway across the plane in the process. And the last time, three or four cards ended up underneath the fridge, may they rest in peace. We'll never get the damned things out of there again."

Alma punched him lightly on the arm, but joined in with the laughter around the table.

Henley poured more wine and watched her boyfriend and his cards (true love right there), brows raised in amusement. A while later, he shoved them over to her, too, but, unlike Alma, she seemed to have no talent for it at all.

Please take a moment to review.