This is a flashback within a flashback…After talking with Mart in the cemetery (which took place about a year after Bill and Hallie were married) Hallie is thinking back to a romantic evening she once shared with Dan…

"Come on, now. You'd do anything to make me happy, right?" Dan Mangan teased his girlfriend. Hallie Belden was standing with her back to him, chin raised in defiance, and her arms folded across her chest. "Just this once. Please?"

The dark haired beauty had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.

"No!" She said with mock anger. "I don't cook."

"Well, neither does Trixie, but she's not too scared to give it a try." Dan replied.

Hallie swirled around and poked him provocatively in the chest.

"Oh, you think I'm scared, huh? Well, you're wrong, Mangan. Alright, I'll play this silly game. You'll see. I'll whip up a dish so good that half the state will be knocking each other down just to get a taste."

"That's my girl!" Dan laughed and pulled her quickly to him. He kissed her gently.

"Mmm. That's a good way to talk me into doing this for you," Hallie murmered.

"And there's more where that came from," he breathed against her cheek. Yet, despite her ache for another kiss, he pulled back and pointed to the little kitchenette of his uncle's apartment. "But you're going to have to earn it."

"You brute!" She stuck her tongue out at him.

"I've already got all the groceries we need to get started. So, um…as Mart would say…into the kitchen with you, wench!"

He laughingly dodged the couch pillow she threw at him and then followed her over to the small cooking area.

"Alright, but what is all this potluck stuff gonna be used for again?" Hallie asked as she helped Dan pull ingredients from the bags on the countertop.

"Well, you know our club helps out the local UNICEF organization, right? So, Honey and Trixie organized this dinner tomorrow night as a fund raiser. If we each pitch in to take care of the cooking, and the locals pay a small ticket price to eat, it's a win/win situation for everyone."

"Hmphf! Until someone gets sick off of Trixie's food," Hallie said with a smirk.

"Hey, I'm not about to get mixed up in your constant battles with your cousin. That's between the two of you, and I'm not picking sides."

"But, you gotta admit that you wouldn't dare touch something if you knew Trixie was the one who cooked it, right?"

"Are you kidding? Your Aunt Helen is the best cook in the county. Trixie's bound to have some of her genes in there somewhere."

Hallie felt a spark of jealousy rise in her even though she knew her boyfriend had nothing but platonic feelings for her spunky cousin. She began to set each item from the grocery store bag down harder on the countertop.

"Then, why don't you just ask Trixie to cook this special dish with you?" Her words came out with a nastier tone than she had intended, causing Dan to chuckle at her hypersensitivity.

He stepped behind Hallie and slipped his arms around her waist. After pushing aside her raven hair with his chin, he began nipping gently at the bare flesh on the back of her neck.

"Because, I don't need her the way I need you," he said huskily.

The sound and feel of his words sent shivers through her body. It was as if the deep vibration of his voice had penetrated her skin and rumbled down to stir her heart.

"And…I don't love her the way I love you," he whispered this time.

Hallie froze. He had told her several times before that he loved her. But, not like this.

Never so passionately and purely.

It melted away her resolve and caused her to forget what they were supposed to be doing.

As she leaned back against him and turned her face upward to meet his lips with her own, she felt her fingers slacken and drop the can she was holding.

"I need to pick that up," Hallie whispered when she finally pulled out of the kiss.

"Eh, it can wait."

Dan pulled her around to face him and quickly resumed kissing her, his body pressing closer to hers against the cabinetry.

Hallie couldn't think of anything else. The gentle touch of his lips, the tingling of her skin against him, the sultry smell of his cologne. She had never been so lost in him before.

"What if your uncle…came home…and caught us…making out in his kitchen?" Hallie asked between kisses. She was trying desperately to keep her wits about her.

"I don't think Uncle Bill will be back for a while. He's at Manor House going over my hospital bills with Mr. Wheeler."

Dan spontaneously grabbed her around the waist and swiftly lifted her up on the counter so he could be at eye level with her. Those dark orbs were smoky with a new look of desire that Hallie had never seen. To gaze into his handsome face made her so giddy that she involuntarily shivered when he finally broke the smoldering stare and continued to speak. The bobbing of his Adam's apple mesmerized her.

"They'll bicker for several more hours before Uncle Bill finally shuts up and lets Mr. Wheeler help us out"

He stood between her knees and cupped her face softly to bring her into another deep kiss. After a few more minutes of gentle oral exploration, he pulled away breathlessly.

"Mmm. Are you afraid I'll take advantage of the situation?"

His question made Hallie smile. Dan had never been physically aggressive with her, and she knew she had nothing to worry about.

"More like…I'm concerned for your honor, sir," Hallie teased.

"Well, don't worry about that, dear lady. I'm sure the world could forgive me if I can't keep my hands to myself around such a breathtaking creature as you."

Hallie could see the flicker of his pulse quickening at his throat.

He's really turned on, she thought in amazement.

It made her feel beautiful and special to know that she was the cause of it.

"But, too much excitement's not good for you, my love." She continued softly. "You are, after all, still dealing with a major illness, and…"

"And, I can't think of a better way to forget my troubles than to heat things up with you."

He stopped her from responding by engaging her in a stronger kiss, which began with his hands gripping her shoulders and ended with him pulling her hips forward so that they were meeting his own.

The sudden boldness of his actions shocked Hallie. This wasn't like him.

And, yet, she liked it.

Let's see how far he'll go before he stops himself, she silently decided.

"And I thought you brought me here just to con me into cooking something for you." She said seductively, loving the blush that was creeping into his cheeks.

"Like I said, it's a nice distraction to heat things up with you."

"You bad boy, you," Hallie drawled.

The slow and gentle kissing that followed began to pick up in intensity the longer it continued; until, finally, at one point, Hallie was gasping for air and pawing Dan's chest to try and get him to stop long enough for her to breathe.

"I say we move this to the living room," she panted against his ear. She could feel him trembling and guessed he wasn't going to have the strength to go for more, but he surprised her by scooping her up off the counter and into his arms to carry her toward Regan's couch.

"I'm game, if you are."

Dan's voice was gentle and inviting, and even though she should have been panicked about letting things go too far, Hallie was too stimulated to stop what was happening.

She wanted it. She needed it. She needed for Dan to claim her and drown out her memories of Luke.

And, she could sense that he needed this, too.

After suffering so long and being so sick, he needed for something to feel good for a change.

Hallie wanted to be the one to make him feel good. To make him happy.

"So…I take it…you…don't want me to …cook for you…after all," she gasped under his burning kisses.

"Eh…it can wait," he panted.

All their inhibitions were suddenly lost as both of them fought for dominance. Kissing, touching, moving, and massaging each other; they were a frenzied jumble of lips and limbs writhing on the sofa. She was surprised and delighted that he wasn't putting a stop to it. And it excited her even more to think Dan might actually make love to her.

Oh my gosh, I have to stop this, she thought weakly. But, I don't want to!

What if we never get this chance again?

Her sudden hunger to speed things up drove her to begin fumbling with the buttons on his shirt.

He seemed to be content in letting her strip him of it clumsily, as he made no move to help her, but he didn't stop her either. Now revealed to her, she noticed that his bare chest was pale from his illness, yet it was still muscular and sculpted enough to take her breath away. Hallie couldn't stop herself from running her hands all over it. She wished she knew what he was thinking.

"Oh Dan," she moaned, "Please say something."

"I'm almost afraid to," he grunted. "I'm afraid you'll stop."

She focused her eyes onto his to show him how serious she was.

"Not until you do," she stated firmly.

With that, he flipped her from where she had been on top of him and began shakily sliding her cardigan off her shoulders. It felt mind-numbingly slow to Hallie.

If she hadn't been practically pinned beneath him, she would have simply thrown off all her clothes to help him get it over with.

"Could you go any slower?" she teased.

"Perhaps," he smirked. His dark eyes twinkled with mischief.

"On second thought…don't even consider that. Just…keep going."

In her desperation to get her own flesh bare and in contact with his, she quickly reached between them and whipped off the sweater shell she had been wearing under her cardigan.

Dan's reactionary gasp was a mixture of pleasure and surprise.

He really wasn't expecting to get this far, she thought; feeling satisfied that she'd unsettled him.

"Hallie…" he began.

"Shut up and keep kissing, Mangan," she hissed, roughly pulled his head down to hers.

He didn't fight it.

In fact, he let himself go completely as he plunged his tongue into her mouth and settled more and more of his weight on top of her, letting her feel exactly how much his lower body was enjoying this. With nothing between their chests but Hallie's thin, cotton camisole bra, each breath they breathed sent jolts of electrical shocks through them. She could hear his panting becoming more ragged. She could sense that he was coming to a point where a decision was going to have to be made.

"You…know…we can't do this," he whispered, pulling away to kiss a trail down the inside of her arm.

"Why not?" She let her hands slide around his trim middle to rest on the top of his jeans. He arched his back, leaned into her, and shuddered.

"Because…" his voice hitched.

"It's alright, Dan. I want to. And… it seems like your body is cooperating so far. If you think you can…I say go for it." She kissed him hard and pulled him closer by his belt loops.

"It wouldn't be right," he broke the kiss off with a primal growl.

"Why not?" She repeated with growing frustration, "Look, we both know you can't get me pregnant right now."

Suddenly, he grabbed her wrists to stop her from touching him, held her captive arms to meet at the elbows to form a sort of shield between her body and his, and turned his face to the side with a pained expression of tightly closed eyes.

Oh no, she thought with self-loathing, that hurt him. Why did I say it like that?

"I…I mean…Oh, Dan…that's not what I meant…"

"It's okay," Dan choked out, "I know what you meant."

He didn't open his eyes nor did he release her, and Hallie was suddenly scared that he was becoming ill.

"Danny? Danny, talk to me. Are you…okay?"

He swallowed hard and sat still for a moment.

Despite his efforts to fight it off, a single tear slid down his cheek.

"I love you so much, Hal. I want this more than you know, but…I…I can't. I …I won't!"

He quickly let go of her wrists, grabbed his shirt from the arm of the sofa, and jerked away to stagger to the other side of the room; running a shaky hand through his disheveled black hair as he went.

Hallie stayed completely still, her heart pounding. She watched him struggle to get control of his emotions.

What just happened?

She was confused.

With what sounded like an angry sigh, he turned his back to her and violently pushed his fists into his shirt sleeves. It seemed that he was too wound up to refasten the buttons, so he just let the fabric hang loosely on him while he lowered his head and stood with his hands on his hips.

"I…love you too much to…to leave you with this. Do you…understand?"

But, Hallie didn't.

When she didn't answer him, he stepped back to make a half turn toward her.

"Hallie?"

"I'm listening."

But, he wouldn't turn to face her.

And, he wouldn't raise his head.

He just stood there with his hands on his hips, back half turned against her, eyes staring down at the floor as if defeated by something.

It made Hallie feel like she'd done something horrible to him. She was too remorseful to do anything but breathe. A sick numbness was pervading her insides.

After what felt like an eternity, his posture rapidly took on a decisive stance, and he began to speak.

"Babe, I want to talk to you about something, and I don't want you to argue with me, okay? I mean…don't say anything…just listen. Understand?"

He turned and locked eyes with her as she forced herself to nod mutely.

Oh God, what is this? She panicked.

He crossed over to her, scooped up the pieces of her discarded sweater set, and handed them to her as he knelt down in front of her.

"Wait! Before you start, you…you can sit down, you know," Hallie forced a laugh as she slipped her top back on and began to move her legs to make room for him on the sofa.

But, he didn't stir from where he knelt.

When she finally stopped squirming, he took both her hands in his and held them on top of her knees.

I know this can't be a marriage proposal! What is he doing? Her thoughts raced.

"I won't be here when you come back for Easter," he said calmly.

And Hallie suddenly felt as if she were falling.

No! Her mind screamed. No! No! No! No!

"Hallie, things are happening pretty fast, now, and…and I know it will all be over soon."

"Danny, no…" she bit back hysteria as he placed a finger to his lips to silence her.

"You promised. Just listen." He let the tears she refused to shed slip from his eyes unstopped.

"I love you, and I don't want you to regret a thing about our relationship when you marry someone else. As hard as it is to accept, I know you aren't mine to have and to hold, and someday…you'll be glad we didn't do this."

Hallie was violently shaking inside. She didn't want to hear this.

God, please let this be a dream!

Dan leaned forward and pressed his lips to the tops of her hands, resting his head momentarily in her lap before drawing enough strength to continue on with what he wanted to tell her.

He pulled back, gave a hard sniff, and looked up at the ceiling.

"The surgery didn't help, and…I knew it wouldn't. But…I…had to give Uncle Bill some hope and some sort of…peace that…that everything that could have been done to save me…had been done."

He looked at her with a warm smile of love and squeezed her hands in his.

"And I want you to have that peace, too. I do. About everything that concerns me. I want you to regret nothing. I want you to get married and have children…and go on with your life."

With a sadness in his voice that told Hallie he had his own regrets, Dan continued on.

"I need for you to promise me something. It's all I ask. And you know, I haven't asked for anything. I haven't bargained for more time…haven't asked for last minute miracles…"

Oh, but I have, Hallie lamented silently to herself.

"Listen, that Cryobank account…it um…it will be under Uncle Bill's control after I'm gone. And, unless he has the samples destroyed, they could become accessible to complete strangers in the…um…public access gene pool, so to speak…"

He gave a sad laugh and smiled sideways up at her.

"Since I can't have babies with you, I don't want them with anybody else," he let the end of his words fade off in a pained whisper that tore her heart to pieces.

She grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him to her. Trembling, she clutched him desperately in an attempt to make the horrible truth of his words go away.

She wanted to scream out No! She wanted to beg him not to leave her.

Then, in her terrified state, she began to imagine that she could bring him back with her to Idaho and drive him to Vegas where they could get married and spend every single moment of his last days together as husband and wife.

It could work! She tried to fool herself.

But, she knew it was all in vain.

So, she didn't even bother to voice her crazy idea.

After all, he said he didn't want to hear her argue with him, and he was now waiting for her to say something that would settle his mind. To give him the one bit of comfort he'd asked of anyone since he found out he had cancer.

He wanted her to promise that she'd convince his uncle to destroy the sperm samples he'd submitted when he thought he would live.

"Promise me, you'll make sure he doesn't forget to…to handle this for me. Please," Dan begged.

And, Hallie, not even stopping to consider that she might one day want to use the samples herself, did the only thing she could do to ease his suffering at that moment.

She looked into his deep brown eyes and said,

"I promise."