A response to the Whitechapel Kinkmeme 'Emerson Kent is a woman, I would like some sort of fic where Chandler doesn't realise Kent is a woman (he never really looked at Emersons file), but finds out.' It's morphed more into Kent being Genderfluid, but read and see what you think...

I'll post the next chapter asap (It's mostly done.)

Please be aware, I am NOT a writer. I'm an artist, I paint, so the grammar will be terrible, you'll find I love a good long run on sentence, and I throw full stops in where ever I please. I call it artistic licence...

Also, I own NOTHING.

CHAPTER 1

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It should have been a disaster, they'd only really been invited because DS Miles had taken a knife and survived. Chandler could already feel the eyes of the room on them. Suddenly he was an outsider looking in and as much as he liked his team he just couldn't seem to find a way to be at peace with that.

But then it was Miles' turn to take the stage, and well, that seemed to set the tone of the evening; because if you're going to be unpopular you may as well be pissed enough to enjoy it.

"I've heard he's bent" McCormack slurs ever so slightly while eyeing up Cazenove "what d'ya reckon?"

"How should I know!" Kent's taken to drinking straight from the bottle now and Chandler tries to ignore that the drunken DCs knee keeps rubbing against his own under the table.

"Na" Miles interrupts "He's got a Misses"

McCormack laughs "You don't have to be gay to be bent though do ya" and he nods toward Kent who replies with a one finger salute.

They're not as polished as the other detectives here, They don't fit in and they don't look the part, certainly don't act it, but Chandler finds he doesn't mind. He's always wanted to sit at the cool kids table.

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It's after they pick up a new case that a new DC arrives, and Finlay Mansell slots right into the team, he's old pals with McCormack and if the DS will vouch for him too that's good enough for Kent.

Kent's never liked 'new people', he always wonders what they've heard about him, because he's not stupid enough to think people don't talk. With new people he always feels like he needs to explain himself but it turns out it's not like that with Mansell, not at all.

He doesn't know whether it was Miles or McCormack, but someone has obviously taken him to the side and explained the situation, because Mansell's nothing but polite and respectful towards Kent, That is until he figures out he can take a joke, and by that time he also figures they're friends anyway, so no point pulling any punches.

It's mid afternoon when Miles makes a remark about the dodgy ceiling repairs, he comments that he thinks "there's something queer going on"

"Queer? That's more our Kents department" Mansell retorts with a cheeky grin before Kent aims a pen at his head.

"Fuck off Mansell" Kent mutters then grins himself when Miles hits the other DC over the head with a file.

Getting Mansell in trouble with 'Dad' is a game he'll never get tired of.

Chandler motions for Miles to join him in his office and once the door is closed and they're safely out of ear shot he asks "Isn't that something I should be addressing" he nods in the direction of the small cluster of DCs he has left.

"What that? Na' there's no harm in it, besides, Kent's never been shy about it, he enjoys the banter".

It's then that Chandler realises he doesn't know his team nearly as well as he should, it's something he wants to rectify but right now he's just grateful that he has Miles as a go between.

Miles is right that Kent doesn't mind the banter. He likes it in fact, makes him feel more like part of the team.

Miles has always been good to him, Kent had made it clear from day one he wanted to be treated the same as any of the men and Miles had agreed to it, made a tea, and told him he can dress how he wants and shag whoever he wants, however he wants, as long as he's not late for work.

McCormacks opinion seems to have always been 'aye, whatever' and that suits Kent.

Mansell calls him 'dude' now, said he read somewhere it's no longer 'gender specific'. Kent has to laugh but he appreciates the gesture.

Truth is Kent's never been so comfortable, never felt so at home. He feel like he's finally found somewhere he fits in, somewhere he belongs.

When the call comes in about the snooker hall Chandler finds himself happy to be taking Kent along, he's pleased because he always feels a little more at ease with Kent, he doesn't feel judged or pressured, it's almost as if DC Kent understands him. He can't help the small part of him that is just a little disappointed that Miles decides to come along too, because he'll admit that he enjoys spending time with the younger detective, he does however try to ignore the niggling feeling in the back of his mind warning him not to examine that too closely.

Chandler has noticed how hard Kent tries to please him, he likes it, takes it as a show of respect. What he's not so comfortable with is the way that he also notices how the boy looks or how he is dressed, seeing Kent in a nicely fitted suit pleases Chandler in a way he doesn't quite understand. If he's honest he's uncomfortable most, not with how much attention he finds himself paying the DC, but more to do with the fact that DC Kent seems to draw attention from other people too, mainly the pretty young CSOs he's seen practically fawning over 'the cute bambi eyed detective'. But he's not going to examine those feeling either, he has a job to do.

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Then everything changes.

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They're back at the station and crossing the car park when Miles gets the call and when he's finished Chandler doesn't quite understand what the DS is trying to tell him, he can't quite process it, all he hears is 'Kent' and 'Hospital' and he feels as though the floor has been pulled from under him.

He doesn't remember how they got to the hospital, He's running on adrenaline and fear, his mind frantically playing through different scenarios. He has no information regarding what's happened and he can't help but fear the worst.

He's not sure whether he should feel guilty when he finds himself praying for Kent to have broken bones, god let it be the legs, because legs heal don't they? It'd be painful yet he'd survive, but all Chandler can think of are the horrors he'd seen in that god forsaken pub, crushed noses, Chelsea smiles and faces in buckets.

It takes too long to find him and when they do he looks pale and vulnerable. Chandler has a hundred and one things he wants to say, he wants to comfort him, tell him he'll look after him, that he needs him to be ok, but when it comes to it the words seem to stick in his throat and all he can come out with is 'Was it Steven Dukes' and he hates himself for it.

'Striped', He's never heard of it, but then he hasn't heard of a lot of the injuries he's seen lately. He's out of his dept. He doesn't have a fucking clue. Miles had been right, he's always right, now all he can hope to do is pick up the pieces.

"Lad's lucky I suppose.."

"Lucky?" Chandler can hardly believe what he's hearing "how on earth does this seem like he's LUCKY!"

"Well, I just mean it could have been worse, you know, if they'd 'ave known..."

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He'd said 'you don't know what I'm capable of' and he'd meant it, what scares him most is that he doesn't know himself. He's been angry, enraged even, but before this moment he's never felt vengeful, right now he thinks he could be capable of ripping Steven Dukes apart with his bare hands.

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..CHPT 2 coming soon.