A/n: Thanks to those who are reading, and especially to those reviewing. :) Christmas is coming and life is getting busier, but I will still try to keep the updates coming somewhat consistently here. Enjoy!

Chapter 6

Jack thanked Derek once again for driving him home from the bar before letting himself into the building. He proceeded to make his way unevenly to his apartment, and collapsed on the couch once he was inside. He'd stayed at the bar for a couple more hours after Addison had left, drinking with the others (and when asked where Addison had gone, he'd said she wasn't feeling well and had called a cab), but felt bad for embarrassing her.

It wasn't that he didn't like her – no, she was very attractive and though he didn't know her well, she seemed to possess a lot of qualities he appreciated. Perhaps if he wasn't currently attached, if his heart wasn't currently wrapped up, in love with someone who would never be there – then maybe he would have kissed her back like he'd wanted to.

He rubbed his palms over his eyes, not for the first time silently cursing his love for Kate. She'd broken his heart before and still he continued loving her. She disappeared and she wasn't coming back anytime soon – when and if she ever did come back, she'd go straight to prison, and he'd be back to visiting her as much as possible, saying he loved her, though she had yet to say it back. Even knowing she loved someone else hadn't stopped him…

She was sitting on a log tying her shoe and avoiding his eyes as he squatted beside her.

"He didn't mean it, you know."

Kate glanced up, confused. "What?"

"Sawyer. When he said he didn't want you to go with him, he didn't mean it."

She shook her head slightly, unconvinced. "If he didn't mean it, then why'd he say it?"

"He was trying to protect you."

He loves you, he thought. He can't stand the idea that something would happen to you on his account.

Out loud he added, "That's why I asked you not to come back for me." He dropped his gaze and stood, about to head away and continue the hike to the radio tower with the rest of the group.

"Hey," she stood as well, stopping him. "Why're you sticking up for Sawyer? He'd never do it for you."

He knew that was true but nearly said, Isn't it obvious? He turned away momentarily, and though he was well aware her heart lay with Sawyer, he thought it was probably time she knew what he had known for a very long time now.

"Because I love you."

It felt good to finally say it aloud, to make sure she knew for certain. And he didn't expect her to say it back then, maybe not ever, because he recalled the moment when he'd seen her and Sawyer together in the cages. How wrapped up together they'd been, how much it had hurt to know she'd chosen Sawyer...

Once they were rescued, it was different. Whatever had happened between her and Sawyer he didn't know - maybe things simply cooled off, maybe they weren't in love after all – but he didn't care, because it meant she came back to him.

She needed a place to stay before she found an apartment of her own, so she stayed with him. Then she stopped looking for somewhere else to live because they were happy and he loved having her around. She'd come to him late one night, waking him up, laying down beside him.

"I want us," she'd whispered. "I want to give us a try."

Then she'd kissed him hard, hungrily and not unlike the desperate kiss they'd shared in the jungle so long ago. The clothes came off in a hurry and in the morning, he relished the feeling of his arms wrapped around her smooth form.

It only made it all the more cruel that she was arrested later that day. Apparently there had been legal issues, privacy issues and so on to overcome, which is why it took two months since the rescue for them to come knocking, but come they did. He'd visited her ever since with the dim hope of marrying her when it was all over.

Now, staring at a collection of news websites – still no headlines bearing her name – he couldn't help but wonder how much more over it would have to be before he could let go. She was gone, without a trace, and was never coming back. The sooner he properly accepted that, the better.

Addison was on her way to work the afternoon after the disastrous night at Joe's, her hangover still going strong. She popped a pair of Advil with her coffee and turned her back to the sun, leaning against the ferry's railing. She still felt embarrassed about the way she'd acted, particularly the way she'd tried to kiss Jack and then left in such a hurry. She greatly hoped he wasn't working the same shift as her – or at all today – so she could avoid him as much as possible.

Her cell phone rang out with a jingling tune and she swiftly answered, forcing her voice to sound bright and fresh, though she didn't feel so whatsoever.

"Addison! It's Naomi. How are you feeling?"

"Um, fine, mostly, and yourself?" she asked, a touch confused by her friend's choice of words.

"How's the hangover?"

Addison could tell her friend was amused but became even more confused – how did Naomi know she had a hangover? She asked as much and her friend laughed.

"I take it you don't remember the very long, drunk voicemail you left on my phone at 3:30 in the morning last night?"

Addison racked her brain but everything (except the freaking kiss, of course) was sufficiently fuzzy. It was even fuzzier from the point when she'd arrived home to when she'd woken that morning with a pounding headache and a craving for a chocolate milkshake.

"That would be no." She covered her face with her hand. God, what had she said?

"Have a listen." Naomi was enjoying this way too much, Addison could tell.

A moment later, she heard her own voice coming back through the phone. It was so slurred, however, some words were impossible to make out, and alternated in volume between incoherent mumbling and full-on yelling. The message began with her singing off-tune but stopping abruptly when she realized the message was being recorded.

"Ground control to Major – oh, it beeped at me. Naomi? Naomi, Naomi, Naooooomi! I think I dialled you – I dunno know who I dialled… sss-trying to call Nay. Hopefully this is you, 'cause it'd be bad if sss-not!" It went on for a few minutes in a similar vein before drunk-Addison finally got to the point.

"I'm coming to LA, Nay. That'sss… sss-why I'm calling. Have to. Mmm-failure at everything, you know? Well, not everything, but… love life. No men. No good men. I've wrecked 'em. Or about to. Tried to kiss this guy – doctor, guy! He's new, and hot, aaaand in love with somebody else. And with all the other ex-boyfriendsss I've got here, sss-best I just leave, you know? I'm coming. Tomorrow, I'm waking up, and coming ssstraight there."

Naomi mercifully came back on, ending the voicemail there. "It goes like that for a while."

Addison groaned. This was just the icing on the cake of embarrassment at this point. "I am so sorry."

"It's fine, Addy – we all had a good laugh."

"You all listened to it?"

"It wasn't on purpose! I told Sam about it, and then he told Pete, and he told Cooper…"

Addison moaned again.

"I'm sorry, Addy! Once everybody knew, Sam figured everyone should get to hear it first-hand – I swear it wasn't my idea." Her friend said earnestly and then continued in a more amused tone, "Pete thought the bit about kissing the new doctor was the funniest part. Sam thought the part about just needing to get naked was classic Addy at your drunkest."

If she weren't somewhere public, Addison decided she would have sunk down to the ground and covered her head.

She could remember leaving the voicemail now, and remembered shouting about just needing some sex and that would solve a lot, wouldn't it? She tried not to remember leaving an unfortunately similar message on Sam's voicemail back in college, and shouting about it in a bar to Naomi during their residency.

"I can't believe you let everyone listen to it." She finally said.

"I swear I tried to keep it to myself – well, between Sam and me, at least. But Sam said it was too good to keep quiet." Naomi laughed softly before asking, "But anyways, were you serious, or was this just drunk-off-her-ass-Addison spouting random thoughts going through her head?"

Addison wrinkled her nose. "Both. But I really have been thinking about it a lot since I visited you guys down there, and… well, I think it might be a really good idea for me right now. Get away from…" she sighed, her mind flipping between Derek, Meredith, Mark, Karev and now Jack. "Everyone. Start over a bit, you know?"

"I hear that. Your spot is still open, so you can come anytime. When were you thinking?"

Addison hesitated. She had been leaning towards going to LA for a couple weeks now – had firmly decided it at one point, even – and had almost told the Chief she was officially quitting, more than once (though every time she decided to, she subsequently decided it wasn't the right time and didn't say anything at all). So why was it suddenly making her feel uneasy to actually say the words I am coming and pick a day in the near future?

"I'd have to give a few weeks notice, and probably stay a bit to help cover until they can find someone new…"

"Oh Addison, you know that can sometimes take forever. Besides, you're the best! They won't be able to replace you very quickly."

Addison smiled. "That is very true."

The pair shared a laugh, and by the time the ferry was docking, Addison had tentatively agreed to coming in four weeks. She promised to touch base with Naomi before then and bid her goodbye, adding that next time (though she swore there never would be a next time) she'd appreciate it if everyone at Oceanside didn't end up being privy to drunk-Addison.

Because the universe was currently her worst enemy, it seemed, it only made sense that not only was Jack working the same shift as her, but that they were to be running the ER together as the other senior residents were occupied in various surgeries. Her first reaction was to run to the Chief or perhaps Callie – anyone – to be re-assigned. Then she decided that she had to be (somewhat) mature about the whole thing, and face Jack.

Which, of course, was much easier said than done.

Addison entered the ER, a handful of charts in hand, and spotted him immediately. Practically of their own accord, and without breaking stride, her feet swiftly turned her around and she headed out as if she'd forgotten something. Not before he glanced up and saw her, however, and he called after her, the doors of the ER swinging in her wake.

"Addison, wait," he caught up and stopped her. "You don't have to avoid me because of last night."

"Avoiding? Who's avoiding anything?" Except she couldn't meet his eyes while she said it, pretending to be very involved in the charts in her arms.

He sighed with irritation and lowered his voice. "Look, it's not that I'm not interested…" He trailed off as a group of interns walked past, led by Yang.

"Hurry up kiddies," she was saying in a bored tone. "We're in the ER - let's hope for a catastrophe."

Jack cleared his throat. "Can we talk about this somewhere other than the hallway in front of the ER?"

Fine, let's get it over with. She thought and crossed the hall to a supply closet. Jack followed a bit uncertainly.

"Supply closet?" he questioned, amused.

"Best place to have a private chat." She answered with a small smile. Or way more than 'chatting'… She forced herself hastily away from that train of thought and faced Jack expectantly.

He cleared his throat again, suddenly unsure. "It's not that I'm not interested," he repeated.

"You're just in love with someone else – you said that last night." Addison put in. "No, I get it, I do. It's fine Jack, really." She started towards the door but he put his hand up.

"Please, just wait a second."

She stepped back.

"It's… complicated." He said after a couple seconds.

It always is. She thought dryly.

"I can't… I can't explain all of it. Any of it, in fact. Not yet, at least. I've been through… a lot this past year, and… I just want you to know, it's not that I'm not interested."

Ten minutes ago she would have gladly never seen him again. Yet now, while he was letting her down gently and unable to tell her why specifically, somehow she suddenly found herself wanting to get to know him even more. Not necessarily romantically, but she was curious about the darkness that had seemed to pass over his features a moment ago.

Then again, maybe she was reading into it (she had been known to do that – especially where men were concerned).

"I'm sorry if – I didn't mean to embarrass you. And it's absolutely cliché, but I really would like to be friends, if you're alright with that."

She studied him for a moment (could she really do 'just friends'?) then held out her hand. "Friends."

Jack looked relieved and pleased as he smiled back and shook her outstretched hand.

"You know," he said. "Maybe I should add Joe's to the list of places I need to avoid because of that awkward, evil twin of yours."

For a quick moment she had no idea what he was talking about, but then she remembered their conversation after their first surgery together and joined him when he started laughing. She felt immensely better about everything as they exited the supply closet and ignored the suspicious look she got from a passing nurse.

A/n: Thanks for reading, and reviews make my day. ;)