Title: Jack Can't Act

Fandom: Will & Grace

Pairing: Will/Jack

Rating: PG-13 to R

Date: April 19, 1999

Archive: Anywhere, as long as I get credit.

Author/pseudonym: Teeroo

Series/Sequel: Doubt it

Disclaimers: *NOTHING* is mine! All characters belong to someone else. To TPTB: Don't sue me, I have *NO* money!

Notes: Sitcoms are hard.

Summary: When Will, Grace, Jack and Karen have dinner Jack tells a story about how he and Will met.

Warnings: Nothing much: M/M, Grace-torture, and mention of a fruity drink.

Jack Can't Act

by TeeRoo

Will, Grace, Jack and Karen were having dinner at La Dineria de Louis to celebrate Jack's new role as the 'young waiter-slash-love interest' in a new Edward Weisman play.

Karen had shown up to dinner slightly soused and Jack had decided to join her, so Will and Grace attempted to make conversation with 2 drunks.

They were not succeeding.

Suddenly Karen decided to ask, ''So, Will, how'd you and my Jackie meet.''

Grace answered before Will had a chance, ''He and Jack met in college.''

''In art class,'' Will added.

''No we didn't.''

Everyone turned to stare at Jack.

''Yes we *did*,'' Will said with a pointed glare.

''*No*, we didn't,'' Jack contradicted with a surprising amount of conviction.

''Calm down, Sweety,'' Karen said, attempting to diffuse the sudden tension. ''Why don't you tell us how you two met.''

''We met at college, that's true, but it wasn't in an art class. I was cutting hair in this salon my friend Daniel owned.''

''Los Pelos de Diablo.'' Will said abruptly.

As everyone turned to look at him, Grace asked, ''What?''

''The salon, it was called 'Los Pelos de Diablo', it means 'The Devil's Hair'.'' He stopped speaking then, and allowed Jack to continue.

''Anyway, I was cutting hair one day when in walked this... dream man. Tall, dark and handsome. It was lust at first sight.''

''Why Will, you're blushing!'' Exclaimed Karen.

Jack continued as if she hadn't spoken, ''And can you believe it he sat at *my* chair. I was ecstatic. He's a little shaggy, I notice, but he didn't really need a cut. So we start to talk, just small time chatter, nothing big.''

''It was Will, wasn't it? Huh, Sweety?'' Again Karen was ignored.

''Since my shift was ending soon I was working up the nerve to try and ask this guy out when... *bam*. He asks me. I, of course, say yes. We go to this club he knows.''

Before Karen could interrupt again Grace kicked her under the table.

''Now I'm a pretty good dancer, but this guy… he was awesome. We danced for *hours* when he finally decided that we should get something to drink. He has a scotch and soda, I has a pink cyclone. He thought that was hilarious.''

They could hear the smile in Will's voice when he said, ''It was. Bright pink, with crushed ice, a 'twisty' straw and a lime green umbrella.''

There was no smile in Jack's voice, ''We still hadn't really said anything to each other, didn't even know names.''

''We didn't need them,'' now they could hear a trace of something in Will's voice, guilt… or maybe pain.

''He suddenly decided he wanted to know about me, I guess,'' Jack continued. ''So asked, and I answered. How old I was, where I grew up, my family. My name.''

By now even Karen knew to keep quiet.

''But he doesn't tell me his name, and I'm so enthralled I don't bother to ask. We both know what's going to happen, so when he asks my back to his place I say yes. I can't help it.''

As Jack spoke Will had grown increasingly vague looking, ''You could have said no.''

''He lives off campus in an apartment near the school. His place is so… perfect. Everything fits just right, nothing is out of place. Nothing but me.''

Will's voice had a strangled quality as he said, ''You weren't out of place.''

''I'm nervous suddenly, it's like my first time again. And even that wasn't this bad. He talks to me, calms me, soothes me. He pulls me to him. I can't resist. He wraps his arms around me. I'm lost. He's kissing me. I'm gone. ''

Grace was staring in shock by this point, she'd never guessed Jack could feel so much.

''He leads me into the bedroom. I don't resist. We make love.''

''Have sex.'' Will's voice is harsh.

''I wake up the next morning and I can hear him arguing with someone, I pull on some clothes and go see what's the matter. They stop fighting when I come in. There's a man, his lover. I was used. I feel sick. He's smirking, he knows my being there hurts his boyfriend. I was a convenient way to break up with someone. I go back to the bedroom. I can still hear them arguing. I pull my clothes on. I wait until the fighting stops. I walk out. He tries to say something.''

''To apologize.''

For the first time Jack looked at Will, ''I don't want to hear it, don't want to hear anything. I breeze by him. I'm gone. I'm safe.''

His voice finally began to sound closer to his usual happy tone. ''A few weeks later he comes back into the salon. We act like it never happened. We get to be friends. We forget about it, or seem to, anyway. Sometimes I want to ask him about it but I never do. It's never the right time.''

Will finally spoke *to* Jack, ''I'm sorry.''

Jack didn't respond, ''But occasionally I wonder. Especially when the anniversary of that night comes by. It was 9 years and 3 days ago.''

Will looked down, ashamed. ''I'm sorry.''

Jack continued, ''But I don't let it bother me. It was along time ago. He was young. It doesn't matter anymore.''

Will stood, ''I'm sorry, I have to go.'' He ran quickly out of the restaurant.

''I'd better go after him,'' Grace said before she took off after him.

Karen looked at Jack. Jack looked at Karen.

''So Sweety, you made that all up didn't ya?''

Jack started in surprise, ''I didn't make any of it up.'' He looked around quickly, "Oh alright, I made it up. But don't tell Grace. We're mad at her."

Karen also looked around, "Why? And who's we?"

"We is me and Will. And the *reasons* we're mad at her are [1] She sleeps with Will's brother right they fight, [2] She keeps making fun of 'Just Jake' and [3] She bet Will that I wouldn't get the part."

Karen smiled, "So basically you guys are messing with her head."

"Basically." Jack raised his glass, "Cheers."

"Cheers Sweety."

After they finished eating and talking about how he and Will really me, Karen paid the bill, and Jack made a phone call. "Will?"

"Jack..." Will sounded surprised, "You were supposed to call tomorrow."

Jack was nervous, "I know but I have to ask... how was I?"

Will sounded very proud, "You were great!"

"Thanks," Jack said feeling embarrassed, "So were you." Suddenly conspiratorial, "So you think she bought it?"

Will's voice was smug, "Of course. And Grace said you couldn't act. Where did you come up with that stuff?"

Jack was also sounding smug, "Happened to a friend of mine, minus the becoming friends stuff."

"So you wanna tell them we actually met when you got the apartment next to mine?"

"I already told Karen, but don't tell Grace yet. Let her suffer a bit. I mean heck even I wouldn't sleep with my best friend's *estranged* brother. Really."

"Really." The normal indulgence was in Will's voice.

"I wouldn't..." Jack sounded indignant, "...probably. Bye."

"Bye Jack."

The End
Hoping everyone liked it