Hey everyone!

Apologies for taking FOREVER to update, but I have been doing my finals...got my written drama exam tomorrow...EEK!

Just warning you, since i'm concluding this story, that this half and the next half of the final chapter are going to be a little mushy and a bit more serious.

Sorry if this didn't keep in with what I wrote would be in this chapter...I took a writing curve...

Thank you guys so much for sticking with this story, and I love you all!

xx

So this is Christmas
And what have you done?
Another year over
And a new one just begun

Will sat on his couch, facing his perfectly decorated tree, the tree that he and Jack had worked on together. Of course when Jack had left the apartment, Will altered most of Jack's horrid decorating attempts around, as Will was firmly convinced that the tree had to be symmetrically perfect.

He shuddered slightly when he heard the heavy winds outside rattle his apartment window, and pulling his blanket even more tightly around himself, silently cursed himself for being unable to sleep. Suddenly, he heard his door click and Jack's head sneakily poked around the corner before he entered the apartment. Closing the door as silently as he could, he began to tip toe past Will.

"And where do you think you're going?"

Jack's frightened yelp caused Will's body to jerk a little at the unexpected reaction.

"William!" Jack panted, clutching his chest and heading over in the direction of the couch. "What the hell are you? Batman minus the sex appeal? Go to sleep!"

"If you feel like yelling any louder, I have a megaphone under my bed, I'm not sure that the whole of Antarctica could quite make out everything you said."

"Hmm speaking of things that are icy and frigid, how are you?"

"Awake."

"Well I personally don't think that anybody should be awake in the middle of the night unless they are partying, having a wild night with their lover or if they are Karen." Jack's eyes suddenly widened as he pointed an accusing finger at Will. "Angelina Jolie-Pitt! Where is he? There better be clothing under that blanket you're wearing, or you will regret the day you met this bitch!"

Will shook his head as he stared in awe at his boyfriend. What an idiot!

"Take some sedatives please, Paranoia." Will joked.

Jack stuck his nose up in the air, preparing to dramatically storm out of the apartment when in natural reflex, Will grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the couch and into the spare space next to him.

"Hey, Jack, can I ask you something?"

"Well I get nothing out of that so no…I don't see that working."

"Why have you been sneaking in here on the nights you don't sleep at my apartment?"

Jack was caught off guard, but he refused to show Will his surprise.

"Because my apartment is as cold as your parents marriage…although your apartment isn't that much better at the moment…" He complained, his teeth uncontrollably chattering together.

Will snaked his arm around Jack, and in doing so, he wrapped the blanket around him as the younger man shuffled closer to receive the full warmth of the blanket they were now sharing.

You are such a liar, McFarland! You can't get enough of me! Will thought cockily, smiling to himself.

"Well, good to see that your tubbiness is providing enough warmth for the both of us." Jack stated.

"Well, good to see that I can take this blanket away and kick you out of my apartment, and since I have the power to, I can cut off your heating for good." Warned will

"Did I drink poison? Because I can't breathe. No wait, my breath was just stolen by the most charming man in the world! Has someone been working out? You are looking surprisingly younger, healthy, fit and above all, fabulous…ish!"

As he smirked at Jack's instant attitude change, Will impulsively kissed the top of his lover's head.

Jack suddenly sprung upright as if electrocuted. "What's the time?" He questioned as he grabbed Will's arm, pulled up his sleeve and inspected his watch. "Good golly, Miss Molly! It's nine thirty a.m!"

"What?" Will pulled his arm away and studied his watch. "Well obviously reading the time is another thing I have to add to my list of things to teach you. It can go right behind 'using your inside voice'."

"Well what time is it then? Since you're such a genius…a genius that couldn't figure out how to land the perfect man until he was in his sixties!"

Will sighed, before allowing himself to yawn. "It's three forty a.m….or in Jack language… eight guys past midnight."

Jack grinned at Will, leaned in and swiftly kissed him.

"What was that for?" questioned the surprised recipient of the affectionate action.

"Happy Christmas Eve."

And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear ones
The old and the young

I'mcominghome-I'mcominghome-I'mcominghome Grace chanted to herself as she resumed arranging herself into as comfortable a position as possible in the private jet that Karen had organised.

Woah, calm down Grace! Slower pace! She took a sip of the glass of champagne that was provided for her. I'm coming home 2…3…I'm coming home…2…3… That-a girl!

"Will! As soon as Christmas is over, you are buying new ties…and where have you put all my clothes? This bathroom sucks! We need better lighting in here, pronto!"

Will placed down the newspaper that had previously consumed his attention. This is what happens when you allow someone to leave their toothbrush at your place!

He continued to listen to Jack's ramblings, which were in clear earshot from the bathroom.

"Oh, and I'm considering taking up acting again…you know as a side thing from 'Jack Talk'…If Oprah can have a magazine on the side of her career, I can act on the side of mine."

"Oprah can actually call what she does a career…" Will replied.

"…and besides…WILL! Are you listening?"

"Sadly, yes."

"I have discovered what I have needed all along to become a successful actor."

"Talent?"

"Connections."

Will sighed loudly. Why do I have the sudden desire for him to turn into a piñata so I can have the chance to legally beat him with a stick?

Jack completed his routine facial cleansing and joined his love at the kitchen table.

"Hey Will, am I…"

"Annoying beyond all reason?"

"No."

"Incredibly frustrating?"

"No, a…"

"Lanky?"

"What! No! If you let me finish I was going to ask you if you thought I was pretty…" Jack sat quietly for a moment before questioning "You think I'm lanky?"

Yes! "No. It's just that I…"

Irritation began to create an itch between the two men. "Then why are you so cranky?"

"Jack, believe it or not, when you have another immatureissue about something, the world does in fact, continue to turn. It would be a lot more efficient for everybody if you only complained when you have a serious problem." Will blurted out. He instantly begged God to give him the power to suck his words back in.

"Yeah? Well believe it or not, you aren't smarter than everybody, so quit talking down to everyone to make yourself feel significant! The only people you talk to are people that you feel better than."

Both men, now standing, stared at each other in pure astonishment. The same basic thought sprinted through their minds…Why the hell are we arguing such a stupid argument?

"Congratulations Jack, you've learnt to speak like an adult… 'significant' is a pretty big word for you."

"Well here's another word, try this one for size: InsecureUnpluckedJerk!"

Will angrily stalked into the kitchen and began to work his rage into washing the dishes. After an awkward silence, Jack finally spoke up.

"…aaaaand this fight is over right about…" He clicked his fingers together. "Now!"

"Ok, yeah sure Sabrina, thanks for making me forget the fact that you think that I make people feel like crap." Will answered before melodramatically throwing his tea towel down and storming out of the door.

"We're taking Elliot to the tree tonight! Lord knows why he wants to go again, all the hotties there are married or taken. Hey, Diva! Where are you going?"

"Anywhere that's not here right now." Came the rushed response as Jack heard the door slam. The noise echoed around the silent apartment.

"I'm lanky?" The younger man asked the empty space before returning to the bathroom to inspect himself in the mirror.

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear

"Here Karen…I know it's not much, but I thought I'd give it to you anyway." Josie said nervously, holding out the gift she had bought for her mother.As she looked around the mansion, Josie battled the burning tears that began to sting the rims of her eyes, but Karen's intuition allowed her to catch on.

"I'm not really good at reading those emotion things that people make such a hype about, but I think your eyes are leaking and I'm sure that's not good... and besides…Plumber is on leave. Stupid jerk got his wife pregnant…"

Josie hurriedly regained her composure. "I'm fine, I was just crying at how horrible your jacket is."

"Oh honey, flattery? I love ya!" Karen gushed before turning about as serious as she could physically make herself. "Now tell me what's wrong before my frown lines stay this way...you have one minute before my face moves back to unconcerned…its kind of like a rebound action…once stre…"

"My revolting father has cut off supporting me and my mother, so we have to move in with my grandma who smells like tea bags, potpourri and about a hundred years worth of medication."

Karen assessed the information in her mind. "A hundred years worth you say? Where does this delightful angel live?"

"Nowhere near here."

"So that mea…"

Josie cut in, finding herself unable to halt her emotional spillage. Why now? "He promised that the moment I turned eighteen, he was gonna cut us off. I mean…my mom works…and now that we don't have enough money for me to go to college, I suppose I'll have to find a job but now we have nowhere to live besides nana's house. I hate my dad so much."

"Wait wait WAIT! that's more information in one minute that I've heard in my whole twenty one years on this earth." Karen said, holding her fingers to her temples.

Josie nodded before quietly muttering "Well, I just came to say goodbye…we're probably leaving tomorrow…Merry Christmas."

The girl gave a nod of acknowledgement to her biological mother before collecting her belongings and exiting the mansion.

Will shifted in his chair uncomfortably upon the completion of his venting about Jack. He eagerly waited for Michael to respond, to confirm that he was right.

"Will, telling me that Jack is annoying is like saying that you're a control freak. It's a given."

Ok…not the response I wanted.

"Go on…"

Michael coughed slightly before smiling weakly.

"You two are completely different from one another. You're the ring leader and he's…"

"The screeching monkey?"

"Well yes…"

"It sucks that you're stuck in here for Christmas Eve, Michael. I just wish…"

"You really have to stop worrying about me. My monkey will be here in about 20 minutes anyway."

Will jumped up and wrapped his arms around Michael. They remained in their embrace for several comfortable minutes before Michael quietly began to speak again.

"I want to see you finally happy before I…uh..."

"I am happy." Will replied honestly after kissing Michael on the cheek. "Merry Christmas for tomorrow."

"Hi this is your captain once again. The plane will be landing at approximately five a.m."

Grace's eyes darted around the beautifully furnished aircraft. Is it truly necessary for the loudspeaker to be used for one passenger only?

And so this is Christmas
For weak and for strong
For rich and the poor ones
The world is so wrong

"Thanks so much for coming with me, Kare, Will took a dip in the hissy spa and I don't think he's finished yet."

Jack grinned, surfacing the fact that his heart had plummeted when he realized that Will wouldn't be coming to the tree with them. What a baby!

"Honey, Wilma never leaves the hissy spa. He's like a fish…can't be out of the water for too long or they die."

How does she know that?

Elliot spun around. "Are we done yet?"

"No. turn back around, boy! You're on my time and we are staying here for five more minutes."

"Bu…"

"Want me to make it six?"

Elliot crossed his arms, rolled his eyes and resumed his postion.

"Ooh Jackie, you're kinda sexy when you're all Daddy Macho."

"Really?" The man inquired excitedly, slipping out of his 'macho' state as easily as he slid into it. "I've been working on it for ages. Yay!"

Karen giggled as they both allowed silence to blanket the conversation.

Jack felt a hand quickly feed its way into his.

"See Karen, you can flick on the sentimental switch at Christmas, my classes with you are really paying off!"

He heard a cough next to him that sounded absolutely nothing like Karen, causing him to face the owner of the hand that he was holding.

"Will!"

"Jack…I…"

"I know. You miss your wife…the holidays are rough, So it's a good excuse to pull a Whitney Houston." Jack cut in. He remained holding hands with Will, as memories of standing in practically the same spot doing the same thing the prior Christmas eve flooded his mind.

Will placed his free arm around Karen.

"Whoa! Take it sleazy, Truman! You're my lawyer, not my accountant!"

"He's so boring he might as well be an accountant!" Jack chirped.

"I can see how being sensible with a steady job and income can be considered as boring." Will battled back.

The three friends and the boy stood amongst the crowd of people, bickering and teasing one another. They attempted to combine their energy to fill the place of the fourth friend that was missing from the circle, but knew that they couldn't.

Karen and Jack smiled satisfactorily to themselves, knowing that they had organised one of the best Christmas gifts for Will that they could possibly think of: The return of his best friend.

Feel free to flame or review.

And thanks to my lovely reviewers for the previous chapter...

SkinnyRita: Sorry! I've tried to keep this story a little clean to line it with the show...My next one will probably have a bit more Will and Jack action! Thanks for reviewing! xx

GracieAdler: Thankyou so so so so much! I can't really write angst well, so i try to kinda keep it within the realms of the show. Thanks for your review once again love! xx

all4Christ0398: Thanks! Sorry this installment took so long, my finals are pretty much over now. thanks a bunch for sticking with this story, and for your lovely review. xx

LJStagFlower4e: Ha! thanks, glad I'm making you laugh! Thanks for reviewing again love! xx

TyeDyeHippy1969: Wow, thanks! if only Will and Jack would hook up on the show! I have a challenge fic that i'm attempting after this, so hopefully people will like that one too. Thank you so so much for your review! xx

B-Elanna: Hehe I couldn't NOT see Jack still acting aloof. I'm happy you're loving this...thankyou for reviewing again love! xx

rlturner: Thankyou very very very much...apologies for the late update. THANKS! xx

phew! only one part to go...

Next Chapter: Upon landing, Grace and her 'chaperone' have trouble returning to the apartment. Christmas presents are exchanged,Karen is stuck and doesn't know what to do about her daoughter and mother's financial situation, and Will and Jack organise Christmas dinner, with more bickering.