** For authors notes, disclaimer etc. see chapter 1

Truth will out 10/?

"Chris mate I'm sorry but you're out of your bloody mind!" James laughed, If someone had told him when he got out of bed that morning that he'd be sitting in a pub with Chris Innocent having possibly the most uncomfortable conversation of his life which ended with the assertion that Jean was in love with him he'd have had them arrested for being under the influence of some substance or other which must be illegal.

"Have you any idea how hilarious this is for me? I sat at my Mum's breakfast table this morning having almost this exact conversation." Chris laughed leaning back on the soft leather of the seat he was sitting in and shaking his head, "go on you might as well tell me why you think she couldn't possibly love you I had to listen to a pointless list of reasons from her both last night and this morning so let's hear yours."

"You're serious aren't you? I mean this isn't some sort of wind up and in a minute you're going to point out how out of my league she is and how I wouldn't have a hope even if I did tell her. You are actually trying to tell me you think she's in love with me?"

"I don't think she's in love with you James I know she is. Look I'm going to lay this out for you but like I've said already she doesn't know I'm doing this and if she finds out because you screw this up then she'll never forgive me. I need to know you'll listen and then either do something or tell me you're not going to so I can find a way to persuade her to go out there and start living rather than sitting around pining after you ok?"

"Ok. I'm listening." James replied taking a gulp of his drink. He couldn't imagine Jean [ining after anyone let alone him but since every time Chris opened his mouth he said something else that shocked him he was prepared to go with it. For now.

"We ended up having a pretty heavy discussion last night, going over a lot of things about when I was growing up and about her and my father's relationship. The upshot off it all was that I know she was ready to move on and that she had feelings for someone, I even had an idea it was you but it took some doing to get her to admit it. A word to the wise, when you do tell her how you feel and if you end up together, there is no more stubborn woman in the world than my mother when she decides to dig her heels in."

"Don't I know it." James laughed enjoying the moment of relief from the tension he felt was about to engulf the table as Chris nodded.

"Yeah I'm glad she's not my SIO but that's beside the point. To begin with she wouldn't even admit that she had feelings for you let alone discuss why it was a ridiculous idea to tell you. I think she still thinks I'm ten years old and she can't admit to me how unhappy my father made her."

"She should have left him years ago. I'm sorry Chris I know he's your Dad and everything but he treated her like crap and he had no idea how lucky he was."

"No need to apologise James I love my Dad, he's my dad of course I do, but I know what a bastard he was which is why I want her to be happy now." Chris replied staring into his drink for a moment as he collected his thoughts again. He'd already known, from their previous meeting, how much James love his mother but the way he'd immediately jumped to her defence was just further confirmation of that. The man in front of him could make her happy treat her the way she deserved to be treated and give her the life she deserved and those facts only increased the determination to get it sorted that he'd already been feeling.

"Look you need to get back and this conversation isn't going to get any more comfortable the longer we drag it out. SO you're telling me she eventually said she had feelings for me?"

"yes but she's convinced you couldn't have the same feelings for her because she's not you enough or pretty enough or just not what you'd be looking for full stop. I told her I knew she was wrong and she all but told me to but out and leave her to it because she wasn't going to make your working relationship impossible by admitting feelings to you that she is sure you could never return."

"You realise if I say something and she tells me to go to hell the can of worms that opens is huge?"

"She won't and if she does at first then you have to stand your ground. Please James I've said it already but if you need me to say it again so be it. She's in love with you, you're in love with her, you're unhappy apart and I really think you could be happy together so just do something about it ok?" Chris replied pulling out his card to pay for the lunch and waving away James's attempts to do the same. "This is on me. You're right I need to get back. I hope you'll listen to me and stop wasting time. If you need to tell me anything or if she works out I'm behind this and is on the war path here's my number give me a call."

"Ok, thanks." James smiled watching as Chris paid the bill at the bar then disappeared out of the pub before lifting the card with his number on it and turning it over in his hand,

"Can I get you anything else sir?" The over officious waitress from earlier asked as she cleared the table.

"Just a black coffee please." He smiled staring out the window watching as Chris finally rounded the corner into the station and out of sight, He was sure the hour he'd just spent with the other man was the most surreal of his life and now he wasn't sure how to handle the information he'd been given. Over the years he'd imagined every possible way to tell jean how he felt about her. He'd imagined everything from romantic meals and long explanatory declarations to just taking her in his arms and kissing her in a way that would make words irrelevant. The problem he was having now was that he couldn't imagine actually doing any of them in reality. He knew that he had to act, that he couldn't just ignore what he'd been told, now all he ahd to do was decide how to do it and when.