AN- Hey! So, I've taken on the Nano Wrimo challenge...which is taking up most of my time this month...that and Uni work! Lol! Sorry this one has taken so long, but I couldn't get it to behave!

The song in the letter is Barry Manilow's 'Ready to take a chance on you.' I don't own it, at all. The word 'he' in brackets is normally a 'she' but Jack and Ianto are not female :p

Special thanks to Quiet Time for her encouragement. Also, as odd as it may seem, to John Barrowman, for entertaining me beyond all belief last night, also to Scott Gill for not being afraid to get up in front of 6000 people and sing Rhinestone Cowboy with John XD

Massive THANK YOU to everyone who's reviewed so far, more soon!

Chapter 31- Every time you smile, angels cry.

It occurred to Jack, on his walk back from Adam's flat to his own, that he had never really acknowledged the song that Ianto had performed at Gwen and Rhys's party. And, awkward as it had felt at the time, the song had led them to were they were now. Comfortable in each others presence again, without having to constantly talk to fill the silence. They could just be in the same room and it felt good.

Deciding he needed to give back something to Ianto, Jack found himself browsing music and wondering just what message he wanted to send to the Welshman. 'I love you' was typically clichéd and 'I want you' was just as bad. He eyed his CD collection carefully, debating not just song choice, but how to deliver it. The expected response would be to record the song, with him singing. However, Jack didn't want to do the expected thing, and he knew Ianto adored handwritten letters. The pieces fell into place and Jack nodded decisively at his CDs. He knew what he was going to do.

Adam Smith walked quietly and slowly up to the apartment block. It was later on New Years Day and he had finally got up the courage to go and face Ianto. His initial reaction was to ignore the situation and hope that Ianto would forget about it. But, just after Jack left, Adam realised that there was no doubt that Jack would follow through on his threat to tell Ianto himself, Jack might have his idiot moments, but the American had never lied to Ianto; kept things from him, maybe, but never lied. If Adam didn't say something, Jack would and Adam couldn't have that...nope, certainly not.

He got to the door and raised his hand above the buzzer, searching for the courage to press. After a steadying breath, he pressed firmly. A few seconds later, Ianto's voice came out the tiny speaker. "Hello?"

"It's Adam."

"Oh..."

"I need to talk to you."

"Come on up." Ianto's voice was reluctant and quiet. The door buzzed open and Adam let himself through before pushing the button for the lift, to take him up to Ianto's flat. When he arrived a few minutes later Ianto was already at the door, leaning against the frame. His white t-shirt clung delicately to him and the black long sleeved shirt hung open.

"Hi." Adam said, shifting nervously on his feet.

Ianto nodded. "What do you need to talk about?" he asked.

"We didn't have sex." Adam blurted out

The dumbfounded look on Ianto's face nearly made Adam laugh, but he knew what a mistake that would be. Ianto had already punched him once; he wasn't going to risk another. So he bit his lip and waited. The cold fury that flew through Ianto's eyes was enough to make Adam shiver.

"Why?" when the word finally made it's way out of Ianto's mouth, it was spat out, his eyes blazing and shoulders tense.

"Because, I hoped, if you thought we'd already had sex then you'd at least give me a shot." the words were whispered. "Give us a shot."

The shock - and relief - of the words Adam whispered were almost enough to make Ianto calm down...almost. Until the relief gave way to anger. "You thought what? You conned me, played me? Lied to me 'cause I couldn't remember? Was it good? Being on some kind of mind game power trip?"

"No...it wasn't like that! It wasn't a lie! I just didn't tell you the whole truth! I hoped it would be the truth though...in the long run."

"For gods sake Adam! I knew how you felt in university, but I've spent the past ten years in a happy relationship with Jack! I thought you'd gotten over it. I spent so long trying to reassure Jack that nothing was ever going to happen...he never fully believed me. I thought it was me he didn't trust, but maybe it was you he was worried about – and he was right!"

Adam flinched, but wisely stayed quiet.

"And not telling me the while truth, is still a lie by omission! It's still just a bad deception...still left me hurt."

Adam sighed. "Yeah, I know."

Ianto blinked, "What do you mean? I haven't spoken to you since…"

"Jack came to see me earlier,"Adam admitted. "Told me to come and tell you the truth, or he would."

Adam's injured expression irked Ianto. As if he expected Ianto to defend him against Jack, "He was well within his rights to be fair." Ianto pointed out.

"What?" Adam blinked.

"Well, we never actually got a dissolution. I'm still his partner, husband. Whatever you want to call it, it's still there. And we agreed to work things out, so I'm hardly going to hold it over his head for coming and making you tell me the truth."

Adam nodded and sat there with his head down. Ianto had never been quite so blunt before. So harsh. But the truth was in Ianto's words now, and Adam accepted that he had to move on. Even he knew that twelve years of hoping was a bit too much.

"Please leave." Ianto murmured.

Adam looked up. "I'd hoped we could…."

Ianto shook his head sharply. "I can't even look at you right now."

As the words left the Welshman, Adam realised that if he didn't leave, he'd be thrown out. He rose to his feet and left quickly. He didn't see Ianto slump onto the sofa with tears running down his face.

Jack's phone flashed alarmingly at him from the tabletop, telling him it was still on silent and someone was ringing him. He picked it up and gazed at the caller identification. 'Ianto'.

"Hey." Jack answered. The shaky breath on the other end of the phone worried him. He closed his eyes and inhaled. "Ianto...you okay?"

There was more shaky breathing. Jack was just about to hang up and go back round to the Welshman's when he spoke. "Adam came over...he told me everything."

Jack nodded at the phone. "And you're angry at me for going to see him?" He flinched on the inside at the possibility. Maybe next time he'd say nothing.

"No, thank you actually. I'm glad you did."

The American sighed with relief. "Oh...okay."

"Yeah, it's just...no one's ever messed with my mind like that...I just, I needed to hear your voice, make sure nothing had changed."

Jack shook his head. "No, nothing darling." It wasn't an endearment they often used. Jack only ever used 'darling' when he was trying to be reassuring. But it helped to calm Ianto when he was really upset. As he obviously was now.

"That's good.I wouldn't be able to cope if something he did came between us...I mean,when we were just starting out, he caused a few issue's..." he sighed. "God...I wouldn't have minded if he'd have told me straight away...I knew he liked me Jack, I didn't realise it was borderline obsession...makes me wonder how he interpreted that meal we went on...you know, the one Tosh set-up? I mean...for gods sake...it's like he got off on a power trip, by controlling my mind..."

"Try not to think too much on it..."

"I know...it's just. It's one thing to lie outright, but somehow, it hurts even more for him to have lied by omission...He didn't correct me when I made the assumption then he hid it from me...Makes me wonder what else he's hiding from me."

"Does that scare you?" Jack asked, although he knew the answer.

"Yeah...I just...fuck Jack." Ianto laughed shakily. "You're not hiding anything from me are you?"

"No..." Jack murmured. "No, of course not." He wasn't hiding anything if nothing was decided yet, was he? He hadn't even seen a copy of the contract for that job in London; the job offer might fall though.

"Okay,good. So,how's your day been?"

"Not too bad, went and had words with Smith and then came home and started cleaning...I need to go shopping before the 5th, don't let me forget."

"Is that when you're back at work?"

"Yeah...work...God that place is a circle of hell at the moment."

"Hmm," Ianto chuckled slightly "Least the devil isn't your boss."

"This is true."

"Right," Ianto sighed. "I need to go and clean-up...Thanks, Jack. I feel loads better."

"I'm glad, keep safe."

"You too, I love you."

"Love you too." Jack smiled, the words out before he could stop them. He hung up the phone and stared at it, then sighed. He sighed and leaned back. Seconds later his eyes snapped open in panic...how the hell was he going to tell Ianto about the promotion...better yet...when should he tell him? Common sense told him to pick up the phone and dial him right back...but something held him back... he did want to tell Ianto. He'd thought about telling him when they were in London for Wicked. But..was he hurting Ianto now by not telling him? It wasn't like Ianto had asked...but then, no one had, because it had come out of the blue...but...Ianto had a right to know, especially if they were going to work at the marriage.

Jack reached for his phone and pulled up Ianto's number, ready to hit dial...but something made him close his eyes and press cancel before he pushed it to the back of his mind. He just didn't know what.

It was around three days later when a handwritten letter arrived in Ianto's mail. He stared at it for a few moments, trying to identify the fancy calligraphy that his address was written in. The only person he knew whose handwriting was that pretty, was Jack. But why would Jack be sending him a handwritten letter?

In the flat, Ianto dumped his bags on the couch and turned his full attention to the letter (not that it had drifted much). He opened it carefully, wanting to keep the envelope if held something special. Inside, was a single, A4 folded piece of paper. Nothing amazing there, and no clue. Gently, he removed the paper from the envelope and opened it out. His smile widened when he saw who the letter was from, but also, what was written.

Ianto,

As much as I love to sing, I figure you handled that half of the bargain. But, I wanted to give you something, to let you know that, yes, I do love you, and I don't want to 'write you off' just yet. I wanted to acknowledge what you had done, because it was special, and even though I was angry at the time, it got us were we are right now. The song below, is by Barry Manilow (you know I love his music) but I thought the lyrics were particularly poignant for us at the moment. I love you, I know the words are clichéd and meaningless these days...but it doesn't make them any less true. So, next time we're near a Karaoke machine, remind me to dedicate this to you...I hope you like it.

Forever and always- to the end of the universe and back.

You remind me I live in a shell, safe from the past and doing' okay,but not very well. No jolts, no surprises, no crisis arises: My life goes along as it should. It's all very nice...but not very good.

And I'm ready to take a chance again, ready to put my love on the line with you. Been living with nothing to show for it; you get what you get when you go for it...And I'm ready to take a chance again with you.

When (he) left me in all my despair,I just held on...My hopes were all gone. Then I found you there.

And I'm ready to take a chance again...ready to take a chance again with you...with you.

Jack.