I was really excited to get this in the works! After I finished my other fic "What Else Could He Need?" (A little shameless advertising never hurt anybody!), I was ready to see what else I could write for my OTP. (Yes, I do prefer Jack/Daniel over Danley. By a lot.) Disclaimers and Warnings: I don't own Now You See Me, if I did it would have ended in a big kiss between Jack and Daniel on the Merry Go Round. My only warning would be a gay pairing. So if you don't like, you can kindly press the back button and not read my story. Or you can read it and realize how amazing gay ships are. And there is some cussing and alcohol. It's Mardi Gras, what can you expect?

Jack was laughing as they raced through the streets of New Orléans, successfully evading the FBI for the second time now. He looked over at his boyfriend. His beautiful boyfriend. Daniel's clothes were disheveled, his jacket was askew and his shirt was unbuttoned, the top two buttons actually missing from the shirt. Daniel's hair, while never exactly tame, was extremely tousled from the running they had been doing through the busy Mardi Gras street. If Jack was being totally honest, it looked like his sex hair... Not that he had ever had sex with Daniel. Who was he kidding? He and Daniel were like rabbits. It was so bad that Henley and Merritt actually sat them down, telling them that while they were happy for the couple, they didn't need to hear how happy the couple was.

They stopped in an empty ally to catch their breathe. When they all had recovered enough to speak, they decided to split up.

"Merritt and I will go to the east, through the back roads and go back to the hotel that way. Y'all can go wherever y'all want, just try to be back at the room by midnight." Henley's voice held authority and everyone nodded at her words, even control freak Daniel, but Jack's eyes had some defiance in them.

"Really, we have to be back by midnight? Its Mardi Gras, can't we enjoy it?" Henley rolled her eyes and sighed, placing her hands on her hips.

"Yes, Jack. Midnight. No later." Her voice let him know that the conversation was over and he barely nodded his head in acknowledgment.

"Of course, mother." Henley seemed satisfied with Jack's sarcastic response and took Merritt's arm, leading him out of the ally and into the crowded street.

"We're going to ignore her orders, aren't we?" Daniel smirked at Jack's words. How he knew that Daniel would never listen to or obey Henley astounded him.

"Obviously, so, where to?" Jack seemed to brighten at the thought of blatantly ignoring and breaking Henley's rules. His smile grew and he grabbed Daniel's hand and started dragging him out of the ally and into the street.

"I know this bar a few streets over, it's tiny and we won't be recognized." Daniel nodded as Jack tugged him through the crowd. They weaved through, running into people and collecting some beads along the way. By the time they'd reached the bar, which was bigger than Daniel expected, but still smaller than most of the other's in the surrounding area, Jack had purple lipstick smeared on his cheek from when a drunk woman got a little too friendly and three strands of beads. Daniel had avoided any drunk kisses, but had still collected a few strands of the multicolored beads.

"I swear, she attacked me! I didn't even kiss her, she just kind of fell on me then started raping my face. I didn't do anything!" Daniel couldn't help but laugh, Jack had been rambling about how the lady meant nothing and how he hadn't even touched her, she just apearred. He had also been repeating that he was gay for the last five minutes.

"Are you sure? From what I saw, you wanted her. I mean, for all I know, she's your secret girlfriend who you've been cheating on me with... so you aren't really gay." Even though you could hear the humor in Daniel's voice, Jack recoiled from Daniel, pulling his hand from Daniel's grasp.

"I promise, Danny. I promise, I didn't know her, I wouldn't... I couldn't..." Jack broke off, his voice wavering, and Daniel realized that he was being an ass. He reached forward and pulled Jack into a hug, rubbing soothing circles on his back.

"I know. Jack, I was there. Okay, honey? You didn't cheat. You're golden." Jack visibly relaxed at Daniel's words. After standing in each other's arms for a minute or so, Jack pushed himself away, putting enough distance between them so that he could lean forward and kiss Daniel's cheek. After the kiss lit up Daniel's face into a smile, Jack reclaimed Daniel's hand, pulling him into the bar.

Once in the tiny bar called they went to the farthest back corner that they could manage and sat at a booth. A smiling waitress with purple and green streaks in her blonde pigtails quickly arrived at their table.

"Hi, my name is Maddi, welcome to La Belle Rose, can I get you gentleman anything to drink?" Her voice wasn't too high pitch and she spoke with a strong southern accent. If Daniel had to guess, he'd say she was about nineteen or twenty. The same age as Jack.

"I'll have a beer." She nodded and looked at Jack.

"I'll just have some water. No lemon, please." His face was flushed as she walked away. This was when Jack was reminded of exactly how young he was compared to his boyfriend. Since the bar was empty save for the two, Maddi dropped off their drinks after a second or two.

Jack and Daniel sipped their drinks in a comfortable silence, both reveling in this moment of peace.

"Jack, honey, what's wrong?" Jack sighed as he set down his half-empty water.

"I just... I'm so young. We came to a bar, and I can't even drink. So much for a fun Mardi Gras." Daniel rolled his eyes at his boyfriends stupidity. Was that seriously what had Jack huffing and puffing? They had just pulled off part two of their amazing magic trick, and he was worried about being twenty years old?

"You're plenty old enough for me. Besides, for only twenty, you're pretty hot." Daniel accented his point with a wink, making Jack flush a bright red.

"Whatever you say..." Jack's comment settled them back into silence, only to be broken by Maddi.

"Would y'all like anything to eat or would y'all just like the check?" Daniel and Jack shared a look before opting for the check.

"I forgot to ask, how did you stumble upon this place, La Belle Rose?" Jack noticeably flinched at whatever memory he was reliving.

"You know that I was born in Brooklyn, lived there for the longest time. You also know that my... Home life wasn't the best. My... Mother, if I can call her that, was a druggie. My... Father was an alcoholic and was abusive. He'd beat me any chance he got. Sober or not. I... I was an angry child, because of them." He paused, taking a drink of water. His eyes were watering, and Daniel reached across the table, grabbing Jack's hand for support.

"When I was thirteen I got kicked out of school, I'd gotten into a fight. That night I thought my dad was going to kill me. I really did. He would usually just use his hands, maybe a wooden spoon or belt. But, I'd pissed him off to the point that he'd gotten a wooden baseball bat. He started with just hitting me, knocking me around... Then he reached for the bat, while his back was turned I kicked his ass and he fell over. He was so drunk he couldn't get back up right away. I bolted for the door." Jack paused yet again, he was getting into new territory, stuff he hadn't yet told the rest of the Horsemen.

"I was on the streets for a while. Hitchhiking. I didn't really have a destination in mind, but I knew I wanted to go south. I was living off scraps from the garbage when I saw a coal train idling on some railroad tracks. I jumped into an empty boxcar without thinking. The train went non-stop for a few days. When we finally stopped, I jumped and started running again. According to the road signs, I was in Junction City, Arkansas. I walked to a gas station and saw a newspaper. I'd been on the run for three weeks, yet there was no mention of me in the paper. That... hurt. It really did, but I figured it was for the best. As least that way no one would be searching for me. I pickpocketed some guy and bought myself a corn dog from the gas station. It was the first real food I'd had in weeks. The first hot food I'd had in months. Even when I was at home all I got fed were chips and sandwiches." Daniel could tell by Jack's voice that they were getting to the really painful part of the story.

"I pickpocketed some people and got enough money for a bus ticket. I was sitting next to an old lady who was telling me all about Mardi Gras and how it was the happiest time of year in Louisiana. I had never felt real happiness so I rode with her all the way to New Orleans. Once I got of here I was bombarded by all of the colors and music. All of the people made me feel not so alone. All of the people also meant more people I could steal from. Which I did gladly. My time was going great until I tried to take money from the wrong guy. Somehow he'd felt my hand and chased me down some allies with his friends. They were beating me and for the second time in my life I thought I was going to die. Then this... This woman broke it up. She was yelling in French and I was crying as she carried me here." Jack's voice broke once again, this time from the tears that were steaming down his face.

"She cleaned me up and gave me some food. She said her name was Maria. She'd come from France when she was sixteen year old. She told me her life story without ever asking for mine. She told me she'd bought this place and named it after her sister who she left back in France. La Belle Rose translates to The Beautiful Rose. Her sister, Rose, kept her alive after her parents had died when she was a baby. She got the chance to come to America and her sister made her take it. She said the least she could do was name this place after her. She let me live here for a few days, then gave me some money and put me on a bus for California. When I got there, I saw one of your shows. It gave me something I thought I could do. Something I thought I could live for, beginning my adventure as a magician." Jack's voice sounded final, but Daniel couldn't help but ask the question racking his brain.

"Then where is she now? Maria? Where is she?" Jack looked down at Daniel's question, not wanting to meet his eyes.

"What does it matter? Why would you want to know?" Jack had tried to come off angry and rude, but had instead sounded broken, like a child who had found out that Santa isn't real.

"It matters because I want to thank the woman that kept you alive. I want to tell her how thankful I am that she saved my beautiful boyfriend's life." Daniel expected Jack to blush as he normally would when Daniel would compliment him so openly, but instead Jack just seemed to get more upset.

"She umm... She died. When I was sixteen. I got a letter from her son, apparently she had left me some money in her will. I couldn't make it to her funeral, but they sent me a picture of her before she died and the address of the cemetary. It was cancer." Daniel mulled over this information for a second.

"Where is she?" Jack looked at Daniel in confusion, hadn't he just explained that the woman was dead?

"I mean what cemetary. Where is she?" Jack nodded in understanding.

"87 Lenard Drive. It's actually down the street." Daniel nodded, putting some money on the table and grabbing Jack's hand.

"Let's go see Maria." They walked in silence, hands swinging between them. They'd been walking for five minutes when Daniel decided to break their silence.

"Earlier, in the bar, you didn't get all worked up because of your age, did you? It was because of Maria." Jack just nodded, of course Daniel was right, he was just tired of talking for the night. He'd already spoken so much about things that he didn't want to even think about, not to mention actually having to talk about.

After walking for another few minutes, Daniel's phone rang. He pulled it out, saw that it was Henley, and stuck the phone back into his pocket

"Henley can wait." Daniel's confident voice made Jack clam down as they entered the gate of the cemetary. It was small, mainly filled with small tombstones whose lettering had all but washed away. They made their way to the back of the cemetary where a tombstone with a concrete rose on top. In the middle of the tombstone, in elegant letters Maria Levesque, was written. No more, no less. It was short and sweet, just like Maria had been.

They stood in front of the tombstone for a good five minutes before Daniel broke the silence.

"I didn't personally know you, Maria, but my boyfriend, Jack, did. He's my whole world. I love him. So, thank you. You didn't know him, but you still saved his life. I could never repay you for what you did." Jack was staring at Daniel in surprise, while they had been dating for over a year, Daniel had never actually told anyone that he loved Jack. Sure, he had told Jack multiple times that he loved him, but Daniel had never told somebody outside of their relationship that he loved him.

"I... Maria, I never said thank you for what you did, did I? I hope it isn't too late. Thank you, if you hadn't saved me... I don't know what would have happened. After you put me on that bus to California, my life got so much better. I found myself a boyfriend that I love and that loves me. I could never thank you enough." Daniel had drifted behind his boyfriend, arms circled around the smaller man's waist. His head was resting in Jack's shoulder comfortably.

They stood like that for another five minutes until Jack turned around in Daniel's arms.

"Danny, I have a magic trick to show you." Daniel rolled his eyes, the probability that Jack knew a magic trick that he didn't was close to impossible. Jack took out a deck of cards from his pocket and handed them to Daniel to be shuffled. After they were shuffled, Jack fanned them in front of Daniel's face.

"I want you to pick out a card that you see. Don't tell me what it is, but keep it in mind." Daniel nodded, he knew this trick. He had made this trick, and, if it wasn't of any coincidence, the card that he saw was the seven of diamonds. Daniel glanced up, there were no buildings around that could be illuminated.

"Now, do you see your card?" Jack fanned the cards in Daniel's face again, and of course... wait, the seven of diamonds was still there.

"Umm... I'd hate to burst your bubble, but my card is still there." Jack smirked.

"Are you sure? Check your back pocket." Daniel reached into his left one, to find nothing.

"Not that one, this one." Jack slapped his right ass cheek, and Daniel reached in, pulling out a card. He turned it around.

"The one of hearts? Jack this card doesn't even exist." Jack rolled his eyes as he grabbed the card from Daniel's grasp.

"Well, you're holding it... I got it specially made... For you. It's to symbolize that you own my one heart." Daniel's eyes softened as Jack turned, not wanting Daniel to see his blush.

"Oh, Jack... That's... That's the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you." Jack was looking at his boyfriend now, but still avoiding his eyes.

"Jack, honey, I may not have a card to show it, but you have my one heart too. You know that, right?" Jack nodded, finally looking up to meet Daniel's eyes. Daniel pulled Jack into his embrace, kissing his hair.

"Danny?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

"For?"

"Loving me."

"No problem."

Oh my word! This is, by far, the longest fic I have ever written! I am so proud of myself! My friend Adam wanted me to include the seven of diamonds, so I squeezed it in there. (He's also the person that wanted my last fic to be exactly 1,6oo words). Anyway, please review, I'm always eager to learn what I could do better to improve my writing. And if you caught it, yes, I did borrow Hazel Levesque's last name because I couldn't think of a French one, so the last name Levesque is courtesy of Rick Riordan.