Hannah sat on her couch, ready way too early, picking at her cuticles. She was excited but half nervous. She rarely thought of just herself anymore, but JC had insisted she do so for at least one night. 

Olivia had spent the day with her mom, and would be there through tomorrow. Two days alone. Time for just the two of them. Their first proper date since things had gotten more serious again. 

She had butterflies in her stomach, and couldn’t help but laugh at herself. 

“You’re a grown woman, Hannah. You have a child. Stop being a teenager.” 

She couldn’t help it, though. He had that effect on her. Maybe even more now than when they were younger. It meant more now to her. All these years later, with a child to boot, and he was sticking around. She smiled at her thoughts as the doorbell rang.

She took a quick breath before answering the door. He was dressed casually, but it was unfair how good this man looked in jeans. His hair had started to grow just a bit, and a tiny bit of scruff was still on his face. He had opted for glasses, which were way too cute on him. 

“Hey,” she bit her lip.

JC grinned “Hey mama…” He kissed her quickly before taking her hand softly and looking her up and down. “Good...You’re wearing sneakers” 

Hannah shrugged. “You said casual. Where are we going?”

He shook his head “Nuh uh. I told you..It’s a surprise…” he smiled. 

Hannah smirked “Well, Am I dressed ok for it?” 

JC looked at her “You look perfect…” 

Hannah blushed “Stop it…” She walked past him onto the porch as she shut the door. 

Inside his car, Hannah was a bit quiet, looking down immediately when her phone chirped. Typing quietly, Hannah’s brow was all focus and her eyes showed their concern. 

“Olivia?” JC looked over at her quickly, a soft look on his face.

Hannah sighed “She doesn’t like what my mom made for dinner. So they went to to get pizza. And soda…”

JC smiled, fighting a laugh “Hannah...Did you never have soda as a kid?”

She paused, giving him a look “I mean...I did.”

Keeping one hand on the wheel, he reached his other over to hers to squeeze it. “She’s fine, Annie...Your mom raised you, right? And you turned out pretty damn good…” 

Hannah sighed, her tension easing with his touch. “I guess so…”

“Relax a little, ok? Tonight...Is about you. FUN. We’re gonna have fun. Is that ok?”

Hannah smiled “Yeah...That’s ok…”

“Good. Because I’m gonna need your help…” he smirked.

“What does THAT mean…” she asked suspiciously.

“You’ll see…” JC chirped back.

**

Hannah stared at the building in front of them.

“60 Out” she read the sign.”What is this?”

JC smiled. “Let’s go find out…” He grabbed her hand as they walked in.

A sharply dressed 20 something greeted them.

“Mr. Chasez. So good to see you.”

Hannah started to look around, noting context clues all over the lobby area. 

“...Escape room?” she whispered to JC, her eyes amused.

JC quietly nodded. “Uh huh…”

The man smiled again in their direction “Right this way. The room is ready to go. We just need to have you sign some waivers, and then you can begin whenever you are ready.”

Hannah smiled and looked around as the man got the paperwork ready.

“Jace...Um...It’s a Friday night...Where are all the other people?”

JC grinned, his eyes suddenly lighter “I may have rented out the place…”

Hannah’s eyes went wide “The ENTIRE place??” 

JC nodded. “Just for a couple hours. 

Hannah smirked “Big shot, huh?”

JC blushed a little and shrugged “Wanted it to be all about the two of us.”

Hannah sighed and wrapped her arm around his in a side hug. “I think you like me…”

“What if I do?” he smiled. 

Hannah smirked as they made their way to the room. 

Walking in, her eyes lit up as the door locked behind them. There were old newspaper clippings all over the wall. A small wooden table, velvet upholstered chairs, black and white photos, and the crackly sound from a record player in the corner told her they had traveled back in time.

“Oh wow…” Hannah breathed. She turned to look at JC after spotting a picture of a man she had seen many times before. He was a legend, and not for the right reasons…

“Al Capone? ...JACE...Are we looking for the….mob…”

He smiled “Shhhhhh…..Don’t SAY it…”

A red light swirled around them as a news bulletin sounded and text appeared on the screen on the side wall. 

An old timey voice spoke. “Bugsy Siegel MURDERED in a hail of bullets in Beverly Hills…”

The voice stopped as a clue flashed onscreen. “Suspects have been identified. Can you get the story and crack the case?”

Around the room, photographs in frames on the wall were highlighted in flashing lights until just one was left, illuminated in a soft pulsing spotlight.

Hannah grinned. “This is so cool…”

JC grinned and followed behind her as she made her way to the photo and lifted it slowly to find a set of numbers written behind it.

“7- 25- 07” she read. “Hmmm.” They both scanned the room. 

JC spotted an envelope on the table. It looked like it had been opened. “Annie look…” he pointed as he made his way over. Pulling a piece of paper out, he tried to make sense of the faded writing, reading what he could see.

“Vegas...Casino...Where’s the money...Virginia…” JC furrowed his brow. “What does that mean…”

Hannah looked around the room. Spotting something outside the theme of the room, she nudged JC. “Is that a...Flamingo?” she made a strange face.

JC laughed “Uh ...Yeah...Why is there a flamingo in here?”

Hannah racked her brain. Vegas ...casino….Flamingo….FLAMINGO IS A CASINO IN LAS VEGAS..” she exclaimed.

JC grinned at her enthusiasm. He hadn’t seen her that excited about anything in a really long time. She ran over to the stuffed flamingo and inspected it. Turning it in her hands, she looked for a clue as JC wrapped his arms around her from behind. Resting his head in the crook of her neck, he spoke softly into her ear. 

“You’re cute when you’re excited, Annie…” He placed a soft peck on her collarbone, moving to her ear as she giggled.

“Jaaace...Stop…” she blushed “We’re on a time limit here…”

JC chuckled “I’m in no rush with you, Annie…”

She laughed as she shoved him back with her butt “I’m GETTING this story…”

JC grabbed the front of his pants, acting wounded “Carrreeeful…” he teased.

Hannah giggled more as she tossed the Flamingo at him, waving a clipping she had found in a hidden zippered compartment within the animal. “It says 1 of 2...There’s another part to this…”

JC smiled as she flitted around the room, trying to move pictures and lifting chairs. She fiddled with the needle on the record player. Coming up short every time. 

Her eyes fell to JC, standing as he casually made his way around the room. 

“You’re just gonna stand there?” she gave him a wild look. 

“Can’t find anything…” he shrugged.

Hannah gave him a look as she sighed and searched the room with her eyes.

Watching her, he smirked as he spotted something on the wall. 

“Hannah...Over here…” He made his way to a newspaper hanging on one of the walls, a giant “2” written in red.

Hannah walked over to him, grinning as she held the clipping in her hand up to the paper. 

“The story matches…” she smiled. Her eyes traveled up to the top of the larger clipping, grinning as she read it. “Los Angeles Times…” Her heart pulled a little. The clipping was obviously fake, but she was impressed by the attention to detail and how real they had made the paper look. The LA Times - the same place where she had spent so much of her time. It was where she had been working when she met him. 

“The former bootlegger was gunned down through the window of his lover, a miss Virginia Hill…” her eyes lit up in recognition. “VIRGINIA…” she looked to Jace. 

He grinned as his eyes went to the table, landing on a pack of cigarettes. Virginia Slims. 

“Annie…” he smirked as he picked it up. There was a red lipstick mark on the package. 

Hannah’s eyes were focused as she stared at it, her eyes landing on the item that had been next to the cigarettes on the table. “Bootlegger…” she repeated. Her eyes went to the bottle sitting there. Another red lipstick mark gently graced the side of the bottle. Noticing it was still sealed, she cocked her head to the side as she picked it up. 

In her focus, her eyes skipped the other writing on the label. She recognized the branding. She had seen it countless times before. Basil Hayden. Her favorite whiskey. “There’s a date on this…” she whispered.

“Let me see,” JC smiled softly behind her. 

“July 25th, 2007” JC whispered.

“What?!” Hannah looked at him in confusion. “2007? Why would…” 

Her eyes went wide and a wide smile spread across her face. “That’s the day we met…” she looked at him. 

“Is it?” he bit his lip, looking back at her as a thought clearly ran through his head.

Hannah shook her head. “LA Times...Basil Hayden…” She stopped mid-thought as she stared at the picture from before, now in front of her and behind JC. 

“7...25...07” Her eyes flew to the combination lock on the heavy set of doors on the other side of the room. 

“JACE!” she exclaimed in excitement as she ran to the lock, punching in the numbers she had just recited. 

The red light from before began swirling, this time joined by the sound of cameras flashing and a cacophony of reporter’s voices shouting over each other. The doors slid open as a stunned Hannah turned bright red. 

Hannah turned around to find JC grinning at her “You did it, mama!” 

She grinned up at him. “8-6-07...You have anything to do with that?”

JC bit his lip. “Maybe. You missed something, though…”

Hannah frowned at him. “I did?”

He nodded as he produced the bottle of whiskey from behind him and held it closer to her face.”

There, clear as day, above the date she had seen earlier, was her name. “Hannah”

“Jace…” she stared at it, then at him. Taking it from him, she reached up on her toes to kiss him. 

Wrapping her into him, he kissed her back, his tongue finding hers briefly, remembering they were still technically in public. 

Hannah’s cheeks were flushed as they pulled away, when a thought came to her. 

“Wait...Is this always the code to get out? Hell of a coincidence…” she smirked at him.

JC grinned. “Nah...It’s usually 6-20-47...The day he was murdered, apparently…”

Hannah blushed at all the stops he had pulled, grinning back at him “Meh...Boring…” she teased.

Jc chuckled. “I’m glad you figured it out...Would have been kinda awkward if you didn’t…” 

Hannah smiled. “That was so much fun! Did you ever doubt me?”

“Not for a second…” he grinned.

**

Hannah leaned back against the passenger seat, smile still on her face as they turned a corner that she instantly recognized. He had continued the trend of surprises, refusing to tell her where they were going to eat.

“Jace...Really?” she grinned at him as they pulled up the the valet.

“What’s it look like?” he grinned back. 

“Wow…” she shook her head. “I haven’t been here in forever…”

JC cleared his throat. “Yeah uh...Me neither...not since...Well...It’s been awhile…”

“Right…” Hannah breathed. 

They walked to the front door, JC opening it for her to step through. She smiled as the same familiar smell hit her nose. Aside from some new seating at the reworked bar, nothing had changed. They approached the hostess stand and their jaws dropped, as did the jaw of the woman behind it. 

“Well...I’ll be!” a motherly voice called out to them. She had barely aged, and Hannah was immediately jealous. “Look at you two! Oh, it’s so good to see you!” She stepped from around the podium to hug them both.  

“Where the HELL have you been? I know this one moved, but what’s your excuse?” she playfully swatted JC’s arm.

He shook his head “I have no excuse, really...and...She moved back…” he shot a teasing glance in Hannah’s direction. 

“Guilty…” Hannah blushed.

“I have your book,” Toni beamed “Very interesting…I knew I liked you…”

They both laughed.

“You two sitting together this time?” she winked.

JC sighed “Yes, Toni…”

“Calimari and a bottle of the Cab?” she asked as she sat them down with menus.

“Yes, please…” Hannah smiled at her. 

A few minutes later, their waitress arrived, friendly smile as she approached. JC looked up from his menu and her eyes went wide. Smirking, Hannah pulled her menu up to hide her expression. 

“Um...Uh... I...Toni has your wine and appetizer coming,” she swallowed “Can I get you anything else for the moment?”

JC flashed a knowing smile at her “Maybe just some waters. Thank you…”

“Yeah...of course...Um yes. You’re welcome.” She took a quick breath and walked away to calm herself down. 

Hannah giggled as his eyes went back to the menu. He pulled her menu down “Don’t you hide…”

Hannah shook her head “Pretty impressive for a man over 40…” she teased.

JC bit his lip “You’re not that far behind, Annie...brat…”

Hannah laughed as their wine and calamari arrived. A glass was poured for each of them and JC raised his glass “To the end of the broken hearts club?”

Hannah grinned “Yeah...I think I need to cancel my membership…”

They clinked glasses, then set to work on the calamari. JC smirked as he stabbed a piece with his fork and held it out to Hannah with a raised brow.

Hannah giggled “REALLY?”

“Come on now...I’m trying to make up for 5 years here…” he smiled. 

Hannah sighed and leaned forward to wrap her lips around the fork, eyes focused on his as she did so. She slowly pulled back and licked her lips as she finished the bite. 

“Mmm. Delicious” 

JC grinned at her “I was thinking the same thing…”

She smiled at him before looking down to her menu and gasped. “They took your chicken off the menu!” she looked back up at him amused.

His brow furrowed as he examined the page “Damn...I guess they did...Well,” he looked up at her “New beginnings, right?”

She bit her lip “Yeah…”

They made their way through a delicious leg of lamb and shrimp francaise, which they ended up sharing, and sat with happy stomachs and dreamy eyes. 

Finishing the last of the wine, Hannah reached over for his hand “Thank you. Tonight has been...exactly what I needed.”

He offered a soft smile “I’m glad. You deserve to be happy, Hannah.”

She squeezed his hand “Mission accomplished.”

“Do we dare go for dessert?” he gave her a playful look.

“Raspberry chocolate mousse cake?” she gave him the same look. 

“Ohhhh you’re bad…” he teased “Let’s do it!”

**

A quick kiss at the door, Hannah and JC made their way out of the restaurant at the end of a perfect dinner.

As they stepped out hand in hand, a flash caught Hannah’s attention. Her eyes went wide briefly as JC snaked a protective arm around her and pulled her into him. 

“Ignore it” he whispered.

“JC! JC! What’s going on tonight, man?” a voice followed them. 

JC took a quick breath before looking up briefly, a casual wave of acknowledgement “Just having dinner, man…”

“Cool man, cool...You guys are cute! “

JC nodded and offered a half smile as another flash went off. Nearly at his car, he put his head down and kept walking. 

“Hannah! It’s Hannah right? You look amazing tonight. Are you working on a new book?”

JC kept his head down, an annoyed look on his face. He was used to this. She wasn’t. A protective glance in her direction, Hannah smirked at him. 

“Always,” she smiled at the voice.

JC’s lips curled into a smile. 

“Is it about him?” the voice teased.

Hannah laughed “You never know…” she teased back.

Climbing into their car as the voice looked on, they both waved one more time.

‘Have a good night, guys. Thanks…”

JC fell back against the driver’s seat, shaking his head.

“Damn, Annie…” he chuckled.

‘What?” she smiled.

“You’re a natural…”

Hannah blushed “They’re worse when you don’t answer at all, right?”

JC’s brow raised “Did someone get a publicist?”

Hannah bit her lip “No...Someone’s dated a pop star before…”

JC grinned “Yeah? “ An evil grin spread across his face “Any juicy details?”

Hannah laughed “Yeah...He’s obsessed with socks.”

JC almost choked as he started laughing. 

“What a freak…” JC teased.

Hannah smirked “Oh...You have NO idea…”

**

Hannah cuddled closer to JC as they relaxed under the stars on his balcony.

There was a slight breeze in the late October air, but she didn’t care.

Feeling her slight shiver, JC wrapped both arms around her in a tight hug. “You wanna go inside?” he spoke softly into her ear.

She shook her head and looked up at him. “No...It’s nice out here…”

“Yeah...Especially with the company…” He smiled at her before placing a kiss on top of her head.

Hannah smiled back at him and sighed “I really don’t know how I deserve to have you back…” she shook her head at him.

He bit his bottom lip “I think I should be saying that about you.”

“We are...too old for how you make me feel, Jace…”

“And how is that?” he gave her a questioning look. 

“Like a teenager…” she shrugged “You make me feel...young..excited... GOD who am I…” she laughed at herself. 

“You make...everything better, Annie…”

Hannah blushed as she shoved his arms playfully “Damn musicians...with all your...words…” 

JC caught her wrist, pulling her in for a kiss “Not just words…” 

She let out a breath against him, kissing him back as her whole body relaxed. His hands rested on her lower back as hers found a place on his shoulders. 

His hands instinctively moved up her body, pulling her shirt up with them. Her arms left his shoulders as he pulled it up over her head, moving to his own button down to take it off. His arms moved to pull her to him, up into his lap, standing as he cradled her and her arms went around his neck for support.

Her eyes had gone green as they danced. He leaned down to kiss her softly. “I can show you…”

Hannah bit her lip as she nodded “Show me what?”

“How much I love you…” he whispered. 

Hannah let out a soft breath as he slid open the balcony door with one hand, and made his way to the bedroom.