Danny heard the hesitation in her voice when he asked her out to dinner, even though he made it clear that it was a double date so that Evelyn would go out with Hank. He understood her reluctance and had chastised himself more than once since he coaxed her into his parent's room, or was it more accurate to say that he had lured her?

It didn't really matter because even though she may have sounded hesitant about accepting she had, but with a proviso. If Evelyn changed her mind Ann would not go out with him, it was only fair and he knew it. She agreed to the Black Cat but told him that she would meet him there and he agreed to her terms because he didn't have a choice. He wanted to see her.

Hank laughed when Danny told him and didn't appreciate being a source of hilarity for his friend. He, however got the last laugh when Evelyn found out Ann would be meeting them there and arranged to ride with her.

Danny and Hank sat at a table at the Black Cat the following evening and waited for the girls to show up. Danny wore the one outfit that he knew his mother wished he wouldn't leave the base in, but he knew Ann liked it. His loud Hawaiian shirt worn open over a tee shirt and dungarees. Hank had opted for a less casual look and worn slacks with his shirtsleeves rolled up just below the elbows.

They sat across from each other and Hank quipped about taking bets to see if Ann and Evelyn would stand them up. He wasn't particularly amused because it was exactly what worried him. He had to remind himself that Ann wasn't the kind of girl to be that thoughtless but Danny had also come to learn, however that he didn't really know her as well as he thought he did. He knew that it was because he had been looking at her with his heart for nearly a year and that colored everything.

"I don't think they're going to show Dan." Hank decided. "I just don't think the girls are going to show."

Danny looked at his watch. "We were early and they have five minutes. You're just too damn anxious about this."

"And you're not I suppose?" He crossed his arms across his chest. "I've seen the way you've been glancing at the door when you think I'm not looking and that worried look that's been crossing your face. You're thinking the same thing I am."

"They still have five minutes." Danny refused to be baited. "If I look worried it's because I don't know if she'll ever really trust me again after what happened. Evelyn made a lot of sense yesterday and she gave me a lot to think about as far as how I've been treating Ann. She deserves better."

"Well here's your chance to change that." Hank commented before he stood up. "Good evening ladies."

Danny stood up as Ann and Evelyn walked into the cafe and he suddenly felt like a slob standing next to his best friend. Evelyn certainly didn't help things. "Honestly Dan, you couldn't pick out something nicer than that to wear?"

"It's all right Evelyn." Ann spoke up and she sounded positively breathless. "We did say that this would be casual and he's definitely that."

"I think she just insulted your choice of attire." Hank smiled at Danny and laughed.

"I did no such thing." Her face flushed. "And you know that."

"Leave her alone Henry." Evelyn chastised him. "The truth is, I feel a little overdressed and you don't look too comfortable either."

"You look very nice Evelyn and Hank should have told you that." Danny forced a smile as he tried to lighten his gray mood. "Why don't you both sit down and we'll get some menus to look at."

"Thank you Dan, at least you noticed." She answered as she refused to wait for Hank and seated herself.

"I noticed, you just didn't give me time to say anything." Hank replied as he sat down next to her. "I'm not a complete clod."

Ann glanced at Danny and he could see her try to stifle a sigh. They were in rare form and he had to keep in mind that it was because they were both nervous. But if they didn't back off of needling each other, it was going to be a very long meal. He pulled out the seat next to his for Ann and she nodded a thank you as she sat down and picked up a menu.

He gave her a moment before he leaned over to ask what she thought and she stiffened. So he moved away from her and asked if anything looked interesting.

"The menu doesn't change, that's for sure." She commented to him and didn't say anything more.

It was last Christmas all over again and he didn't know what to do.

"That's why people keep coming back Ann, the food doesn't change." Hank grinned at her from the other side of the table and Danny could see the look of concern on Evelyn's face.

"Dan, Ann doesn't look like she's feeling too well. Why don't you take her home?" She suggested to him. "Henry can take me home when we finish with dinner."

"I'm fine." Ann frowned. "I've just got a lot on my mind."

"And it's keeping you from having a good time." Evelyn persisted. "To be perfectly frank I don't want to look at your gloomy face or Dan's, for that matter. We'll try this again when you two can put smiles on your faces and look somewhat happy to be here."

"I have to agree with Evelyn about that." Hank spoke up. "You need to talk to each other about some things and you can't really do it here."

"Don't you think that should be our decision?" Ann asked quietly before she stood up and walked out of the diner.

"If you've made her cry, we're going to have something to talk about." Danny stood up and glanced at the door before he turned his attention back on his friend and frowned. "Sarah told me last night that she's having trouble with school and part of that is my fault. It doesn't help that the two of you are lecturing her about what she should and shouldn't do."

"We weren't lecturing Dan." Evelyn started before Danny put his hand up to stop her from continuing.

"Ann and I will take care of this but it has to be between the two of us." He began to walk away from the table before he stopped and turned around. "It seems to me that you need to take your own advice and talk to Hank about what's happening between the two of you. Sarah saw it and broke things off with him because she thought it's what was best, so don't blow it." He finished and walked out the door.

He found Ann walking up the street and ran to catch up with her. "Do you mind a little company?"

"Do you think we should be leaving them alone?" She answered his question with a question of her own.

"I think it's time that we stop concerning ourselves with them and try and fix what's wrong with us." He was blunt but that was how she preferred it.

"Nothing is wrong." She said and when she wouldn't look at him, Danny knew she didn't believe it.

"Like hell there isn't. Nothing has been right with us since you helped me with my sponge bath and I know why." He challenged and it got her attention.

"How could you possibly?" She asked as she briefly glanced at him and kept walking.

"Because I put you in a situation that day that was unfair. We decided together that nothing serious was going to happen between us but I crossed the line and scared you." He admitted.

Ann stopped with a look of disbelief on her face. "You didn't put me in a situation that I didn't want to be in Danny because I threw myself at you. I put you in a situation that you had to push me away because I crossed the line."

"I think it's fair to say we both did because neither of us wanted to put the brakes on things before they got out of hand." Danny sighed. "We were so busy feeling that we didn't think and that got us both to really realize the trouble it was getting us into."

"So what are we supposed to do about this? I don't like not being able to see you but if we can't trust ourselves to be alone and not letting it lead to something I don't see any other solution." He could hear the frustration in her voice and understood it.

"What did your parent's do?"

She shrugged her shoulders and it was her turn to sigh. "They set limits and stuck to them. They tried not to put themselves in situations that would test those limits and they spent a lot of time with your parents and their other friends. Mama told me how difficult it was for them sometimes but she would remind herself that she didn't want to end up in a situation where she and Dad would have to get married. She wanted them to marry when they were ready and on their own terms."

"So it seems to me that we need to follow their example." He said in a matter of fact way.

"It sounds so simple."

Danny reached over and took her hand in his. It was cool to his touch and told him how nervous she was. "I know it's not simple Ann but neither are my feelings for you. If all we wanted from each other was a physical relationship we would have done something about it before I flew out. But we want more than that and we need to learn how to go about it."

"Are you talking about courtship?"

It was such an old-fashioned word but he didn't know how else to describe what it was that he wanted, and he nodded. "We've finally admitted that we've gone too far but not so far that we have to deal with some serious consequences. It seems as though we've been given a second shot at this and I want to do it right. I love you Annie and I don't want to lose you over this."

"I love you too and I feel better now than I have in a long time. It seems as though we finally understand now what we've been doing and how it's been making things more difficult for us. We've set real limits that we should have set a long time ago and I think it's going to make our situation that much easier to handle." She smiled and Danny thought that she looked relieved.

"I'm sorry I put us in the situation in the first place."

Ann shook her head. "We wouldn't have gotten there if I hadn't helped, so I'm as much responsible for where we ended up as you. So if we're starting with a clean slate I think that we should go back to the Black Cat and have dinner. I haven't had much of an appetite lately and suddenly I'm really hungry. Besides, I think Hank and Evelyn may need a referee before the evening is over."

"So am I." He smiled and let go of Ann's hand as they turned around and walked back toward the cafe. Ann, however tucked her hand through his arm and put her head on his shoulder for a moment.

"Is this all right?"

"It's fine Ann, honestly." He assured her as they went back to the diner and rejoined their friends for the evening.