I know, it sucks that the alerts are still down – it's been a week! And yet, I'm still doing really well in the reviews department, so thanks. I'm glad you all liked the last chapter. I was going to have them go to a restaurant for their date, but somehow, it just didn't feel like something the real Jack and Kate would do.

I know you'd all love to see more like that one, and I promise you you will, but as I said, things are going to get a little darker in the next few chapters…

Chapter 10. Fine

The last thing Kate remembered was kissing Jack, and telling him what a good time she'd had with him, so when she opened her eyes, she was surprised to find herself alone, in bed, still dressed in her clothes from the previous night.

Struggling into a sitting position, she saw that it was morning, sunlight streaming in through a chink in her curtains. The TV was off, and Jack was gone; glancing around the apartment for some sign that she hadn't dreamed the whole thing, she spotted a piece of paper on the nightstand with her name scrawled across it.

Grinning, she unfolded it quickly, relieved that he didn't seem too offended that she'd drifted off while still on a date with him. She hadn't meant to; the whole evening had been fun, from the walk to her apartment, to their disastrous trip across town, to cooking and curling up with him in from of the television, but she was so tired lately that she couldn't seem to sit still without losing consciousness. She wasn't sure how she'd managed to get from the floor to the bed though; with a smile, she realised that that must have been Jack's doing. If it were anyone else, she would have found it unnerving, knowing how vulnerable she must have been for him to move her so easily, but since it was Jack, she couldn't help finding it endearing. He was still a stranger in a lot of ways, but somehow, she knew that he was different; he would never intentionally hurt her.

She had to read the note several times to decipher his scratchy, almost illegible handwriting, before she understood that he'd gone back to his dorm after she'd fallen asleep, but would see her again later at breakfast.

Breakfast.

The diner.

Checking her watch, Kate saw that it was ten to seven, ten minutes until she was due to start her next shift. She was only working until lunchtime that day, but still, she didn't think anyone would appreciate her showing up late.

Leaping out of bed, she was struck by another wave of dizziness; she had to grip the headboard for support until the fog cleared enough for her to stumble into the bathroom. She didn't have time for a shower, so she splashed cold water on her face, yanking on her work dress and racing out onto the street just as the little hand struck seven.

The manager was on the phone when she snuck in the back, weaker now that she'd run the couple of blocks from her building; before she could get into trouble, she got straight to work unpacking the dishwasher, stopping only to sit down for a moment when it felt like she might actually pass out this time.

She was coming out of the kitchen when Jack walked in after eight, his face breaking into a grin when he saw her. Counting to five to hide her excitement, she waited until he was seated to approach him; checking to make sure that no one was watching, she leant over his table under the pretence of pointing something out on the menu, planting a quick, daring kiss on his lips.

He looked surprised, still unsure of the protocol, but he smiled, reaching for her hand when she straightened up again. "Did you sleep well last night? You were pretty exhausted," he said, squeezing her fingers gently in his.

She squeezed back before reluctantly breaking contact with him, afraid the manager would see what they were doing and call her away. "So well I was late this morning," she told him, pulling her order book out of her apron so that she at least appeared to be working. Since she'd left Iowa, she'd had nightmares almost every night, but for some reason, those dreams had begun to fade in the days since she'd met Jack.

When he frowned, looking concerned, she added, "It's okay. My supervisor was on the phone – I don't think she saw me come in."

"Lucky." His grin returned as he settled back in his seat, fidgeting with the menu. "You finish at one today, right?"

"Right." She felt a smile creep onto her own face as she realised what was coming. He couldn't wait until the party on Tuesday; he wanted to spend what was left of the weekend with her as well. "And then I'm free," she told him pointedly, urging him on.

It seemed to give him the confidence he needed, because he said, "Great, because I was thinking we could hang out again, maybe go for a walk in Central Park or something," looking pleased with himself when she nodded eagerly in response.

"I'd love to."

Jack had brought his books again, but to Kate's delight, he seemed to be having trouble concentrating as stared out the window with a dreamy look, waiting for her to finish. She didn't like distracting him from his work when she knew he had exams coming up, but at the same time, she was pleased that he was as happy this morning as she was after their amazing, if unconventional date. She didn't want to be falling for him the feeling wasn't returned, so it was a relief to know that he seemed to be as taken with her as she was with him.

She almost bounced out of the kitchen at one when she was finally allowed to go, helping him pack up his books before they headed to her place so that she could shower and change into a t-shirt and a clean pair of jeans.

He had too much to carry with him, so he left his stuff at her apartment, and they set off down the sidewalk, not really going anywhere, just walking, their shoulders brushing lightly against each other. They were silent at first, enjoying each other's company without needing to speak, until Jack reached for her hand, encasing it in his own.

"Where do you want to go?" he asked, offering her a tentative smile. "I still don't know my way around the city that well, so if you've got any ideas…"

"I liked what you said about Central Park," she told him, happy to keep walking if it meant she wouldn't have to let go of his hand. There was something comforting about being connected to him in that way; it made her feel less scared, less alone.

Even after sleeping so well last night, she was still strangely exhausted, so a few blocks later she decided to test the boundaries a little further by resting her head on his arm. He didn't object, looking down at her with his warm brown eyes as he asked, "Are you okay? You still don't look great."

"Yeah, I'm just tired," she told him, deciding to keep the fact that her head was spinning, and she was still having dizzy spells, to herself. She didn't want to worry him any more than she already had, and besides, it wasn't exactly the kind of thing she wanted to discuss with him on their second date.

In spite of the fact that she was downplaying how lousy she felt, he brought his hand up to her forehead, checking her temperature, first with his palm, then with the back of his fingers. "You're not too warm, but I think you should still see a doctor," he said.

"I thought I was," she returned, teasing him, but her joke fell flat when he frowned at her, giving her a hard, no-nonsense look.

"I'm serious, Kate. You're not eating, you're working fourteen-hour days – you almost fainted last night. I think you should get yourself checked out."

Annoyed that he wasn't going to drop it, she let go of his hand, giving up all pretence of good-humour as she said, "Why? So some doctor can prescribe antibiotics I can't afford, for something I may or may not have, when I can just ride it out on my own?"

She wished he would just respect her wish to leave it alone, but at the same time, she couldn't help but feel touched that he cared so much about her when he really had no reason to. Softening towards him, she tried to sound reasonable as she added, "I'm sorry, but I mean it, I don't need a doctor, okay? I haven't been sleeping – I'm probably just run down." She knew he was right, that it was better to be safe than sorry, but for some reason, she just hadn't been able to bring herself to see someone.

He sighed, more disappointed in her than hurt. "Okay," he agreed, backing off, "but if you still feel like this in a couple of days, promise me you'll go. There's a free clinic just down the block from the diner. The service won't be great, but they'll be able to refer you to a better doctor if it's anything serious."

She wanted to keep fighting him until he let her have the last word, but he looked so concerned that she couldn't help but nod. "Okay, I'll go, but I don't want to talk about it anymore. I feel fine."