Hey once again guys!

enjoy...thus begins the slightly angstier part of my story...

I can't live if living is without you

I can't live, I can't live any more

Can't live if living is without you

Can't give, can't give anymore

Jack tried to regain his breath from the shock of what Will had just proposed. Marriage? Jack McFarland? Mismatch much? He stood on the opposite side of the room to his love and watched him closely. Was he serious?

Seeing Jack's reaction, Will instantly wished that he could chew up what he just said, but he knew that now the question had spilled out and was hanging there in limbo, ready to rear its ugly head and either make or break the couple.

He ripped the bed covers away from him as he knelt up on his bed.

After a few more moments of a much needed silence, Will tapped the space on the bed next to him.

"Jack, stop acting like I just told you I have acquired Leprosy, and come over here."

Jack hesitated for a second before walking over and plonking himself down next to Will, who in return pulled Jack into his arms. Will breathed in the scent of his love deeply, once again affirming just why he adored him so much.

"I didn't mean to freak you out, I just thought that it would have been the logical next step."

"I hate logic. Logic is an ugly, hairy man with glasses and a strange fetish for Brie cheese."

Will sighed before asking quietly. "So…I never asked?"

Jack nervously fidgeted with the buttons of his shirt. Easy for you to say!

"Never asked what?" He replied with the fakest smile he could possibly muster. How the hell can I forget something like that?

Will looked over to Jack again.

He leaned over and kissed Will on the forehead, and was suddenly filled with an eerie sadness. I know what he wants, but I'm not that kind of girl.

"Will, its eleven, I have to go…I'll uh…be back later" Jack breathed in a rushed tone, jumping off the bed and leaving the apartment, leaving a confused Will to sit on his bed and ponder…alone.

"Kare, I really admire you, you know that? You've been married and you've stayed fabulous, how did you do it?"

"Maids and botox."

"Ah Botox… How can something that makes people so beautiful cause so many '60 minutes' episodes?"

"Feminists and Nazi's"

"I don't think there's many Nazi's left Karen, Duh! It's the Trojans…Maybe you should step outside, flip open a history book and learn about the world!"

"I was always bad at history. I always thought the Renaissance started in Italy"

Jack slapped his forehead. "Oh poor deprived Karen! Everyone knows it started in Manhattan in the 1960's!"

"Wow! How did you know that?"

"Easy. That's how long the Renaissance fair has been running there for!"

Karen giggled. "Aw Jackie, you keep me smart."

"And you keep me rich." Jack replied, grabbing both of Karen's hands. "Who needs marriage when we have each other?"

There's no point in telling her about the situation, I suppose I will have to figure it out for myself. Jack McFarland, you are on your own…you are going solo; you are a lone wolf…and you also naturally possess the rugged hotness required for a man of this quality of course!

"What's wrong with you?" Grace asked, curled up in bed. Will had switched on her light and jumped in her bed next to her.

"Nothing, just felt like a…casual one on one chat…you know?"

"It's 2 am. You don't bug me at crazy hours unless something is wrong or if there is an outrageous infomercial on or a raunchy subtitled movie is shown."

"Well I figured that if you do it to me all the time, why can't I do it to you? Why can't I wake you up in the middle of the night just for an inconvenient chat?"

"Because I'm sleeping!" And I am trying to avoid telling you about my plans to leave.

Will nodded. "Have you heard from Jack?" he asked quietly.

Grace shook her head.

Will was beginning to feel a little edgy about Jack's whereabouts. He had tried knocking on Jack's door, but there was no response, and no lights. He tried calling Jack's apartment, only to obtain an identical result. Where is he? What did I do?

He couldn't shake the feeling that he had upset Jack, and he knew Jack needed space, but all he wanted right now was to hear a knock on the door to his apartment, and to go and open it and to see Jack standing on the other side of that door. He wanted Jack to run in and jump on Will, expecting him to support Jack's weight, in the excited way he used to if something fantastic happened.

Will breathed out and poured himself a glass of wine, before sitting down on the couch. Maybe wine will help me sleep? I won't sleep until I hear Jack open his apartment door. But…what if he went out? Will started to feel sick as his mind twisted into an ugly image of Jack kissing someone else and leading them into his room…

"More wine!" Will toasted to the empty room, which mirrored both the glass in his hand, and the way he felt without Jack.

Well I can't forget this evening

Or your face as you were leaving

But I guess that's just the way the story knows

You always smile, but in your eyes

Your soul shows, yes it shows

Will was just about to nod off to sleep when he heard a light tap at his door before the knob clicked. He tensed up and sat up on the couch, looking at the now half empty bottle of red sitting on his coffee table.

Jack opened the door quietly, hoping not to wake anyone up, but screamed when he saw Will. The door slammed behind him and he stood with his back against it, looking at Will.

"You…scared…the…Calvin…Kleins…off…me!"

Will smirked, but then allowed seriousness to curtain it. "Where the hell were you? I've been waiting up all night for you, I was worried sick…I tried to call you…I even left a message!"

"Wow, calm down lady! Menstrual cramps got you down?" Jack joked, before he too, became serious.

"What's going on, Jack?" Will asked after some silence.

"I…uh…read and sign this." He replied, placing a piece of paper on the coffee table.

"It's written in lipstick…'

"It's a nice shade too. Personal favourite."

Will rolled his eyes and picked up the paper. Jack stood with his arms crossed, looking away from Will.

Will's eyes widened.

Dear Mr. William Truman

You have been involved in relations with a certain incredibly handsome individual named Mr. Jack McFarland for aproxxximately four to five months now…

Will laughed at the spelling errors. "Let me guess, you took up the Primary school teacher's offer and slept with her?"

"Keep reading Mary Poppins!"

...and it has come to Mr Mcfarland's attension that the duration of the courtship between you two has long exceeded its expiration. Mr McFarland now feels that the two of you should return to being best friends and to behayve as if no relationship ever took place. He refuses to end contakt with you, but feels that you need time apart, as he cannot give you what you need. Do not question this letter, but do take effort in questioning your weight and your dress sense.

Sign here…

After a few minutes of trying to decode what the letter was actually trying to say, Will stood up and walked over to Jack.

"No."

Jack stepped away. "Quit being such a politician and sign the damn paper Will!"

"Jack, this isn't some kind of Queerocracy! You have no reason to end this! You think some stupid piece of incoherent writing is gonna be the way we break up?"

"It's expensive lipstick! Just sign it please!" Jack begged, his voice cracking slightly.

Will felt his heart explode. He looked at his love he knew that it was his fault that Jack felt this way.

"Is this really what you want Jack? Do you want us to wake up tomorrow and just go back to the way we were four months ago?"

Jack bit his lip. Don't make it hard Will! Of course I don't, you idiot!

He nodded.

Will's face crumpled before turning cold. He picked up his pen that was lying on the table and signed it. For those few seconds, the scratching of the pen was the only noise that could be heard in the room, its echo seemed to clash loudly with the sounds of the night.

"There." Will said icily, shoving the paper into Jack's hands.

"Thank you."

Jack turned around to leave but was suddenly halted by Will reaching out and grabbing his arm.

"Don't…don't go yet."

"What?" Jack asked.

Will pulled Jack into a heated kiss. After enjoying the shock of it all, Jack pulled away.

"Goodnight Jack." Will said solemnly

"Goodnight Will." Jack said, turning and leaving…hoping for Will to cling onto him again, but knowing that he did what he felt he had to do.

The noise of the door closing echoed in Will's ears as he collected his bottle of wine and sat on the balcony, stunned.

"Cheers!" he toasted, once again, to no one.

Jack entered his apartment, and pushed 'Play' on the answering machine. His stomach lodged itself in his throat when he heard Will's voice.

"Hey Jack, It's me…there is this really funny woman on television that can't dance very well and she reminded me of you. Uh…I just wanted you to know that I called, and that I am wondering where you are and that I love you...Ahh the woman is eating a pie, she is hysterical! This is great! But I suppose her eating habits aren't all that different from Grace's…ahh…wait…is she stripping?…"

The machine clicked off.

"I suppose I love you too" Jackmumbled as he changed into his pyjamas.

Daylight was seeping through the cracks of the clouds and the stars had started to disappear. Will looked at the mass of torn leaves on the floor and picked them up, throwing them over the edge of the balcony. He watched them flutter down lightly into the street, where people were beginning to stir.

He walked inside, and crept into Grace's room, jumping into her bed. He put his arm around her.

"At least I'm stuck with you, thank God you're not going anywhere" He murmured soflty to her before dozing off.

Grace pretended that she never heard his comment.

I can't live, if living is without you

I can't live, I can't live anymore

Can't live if living is without you

Can't give, can't give anymore

LJStagFlower4e: Hey! thanks! yeah I have posted this story at LJ...I remember your comments! thanks again, hope you still enjoy the story!

GracieAdler: That means so much, thanks a trillion! I'm glad you can relate this to the show...I'm a little worried about my characterisation, but anyhoo...Thanks again for your sweet review and im thrilled to bits that you are still liking it. Good to hear about the dorietos too.

Anonymous Reviewer: Thanks! I understand that not everyone is into the Will/Jack paring, so I am very thankful that you reviewed despite not liking the pairing. I tried to give the girls some plot too, so I'm glad you're liking the Grace story...theres a bit more about her in the chapters to come.

xx

Next Chapter: Grace finally tells Will about her plans to leave for 7 months and is shocked at his response. Karen tries to spend some more quality time with her daughter. Jack deals with his decision as Will recieves a surprising message from an old flame...