A/N: Well I'm back for the second helping of Whitechapel, heading into season two. This is a sequel to Past Sins, so if you haven't read it you might want to before you start this. This story will be told from both Joe and Kent's POV's. It will have angst as those who have seen season two know Kent and Chandler are heading into rough winds. Where the first story kept completely to canon, this story won't be so season focused, I will only take from the episodes what I need for the story. If you've seen the season then you'll know what I borrowed.

Anyway, hope you enjoy.

CHAPTER ONE

DI Joseph Chandler sat at a table with his unit. They were at the police awards waiting for Miles to receive his bravery award after being wounded during the Ripper case. Joe hadn't expected a warm welcome, but neither had he expected to be shunned by almost everyone. Their small group was missing one member; Sanders had transferred out of London on the insistence of his wife who wanted to move to Surrey to be near his mother. Joe had hated to see him leave, he was a good copper and they'd gotten along well for a while there. So now it was just himself, Miles, McCormack and Kent.

They were joined on their outing tonight by Ed Buchan, who Joe had invited as his guest as a thank you for his help on the Ripper case, much to Miles's annoyance.

They'd been given the back table with the cheap plonk, rather than the good stuff. It was already having an effect on Kent, who was leaning over the table towards Joe, offering him the bottle for the third time that night. His face making that adorable pout that made Joe want to kiss him. And if they weren't currently surrounded by half the Met, he bloody well would have.

His relationship with his junior officer had been going from strength to strength. It was surprisingly easy to carry on an affair while working together. At work they were both professional and focused, while at home they were anything but professional. Kent had been spending more and more time at Joe's flat to the point he'd practically moved in, though they knew that could never really happen. Not officially. It would raise questions that they couldn't answer. Occasional the long term implications of their secret relationships felt like a weight neither of them wanted to carry but when faced with the choices they both knew it was this or nothing. Joe had at least found out quickly and with a large amount of pleasure that he could be normal and happy, and he really didn't wanted anything destroying that. His OCD had all but vanished with Kent.

Of course that was because he had nothing to stress him out. In fact that was the only downside of his new life. It was dull. Over the past six months there hadn't been anything exciting happening in Whitechapel. Not that he wanted another Ripper but he did want something, anything that would allow his mind to work. Stress or no. After all, he knew he could handle the stress, with Kent's help. What he couldn't handle was the boredom and monotony of normal policing.

Now there was hope on the horizon. The Commander had cornered him at the bar a little while ago with the promise of a new case, and it had sounded like it would be far from boring. With that promise in his mind, Joe found himself relaxing and not really caring about the scathing looks of the police officers around him.

"Come on Sir." Kent smiled and slurred, waving the bottle at him again. "Have some."

Joe was trying his hardest to stop from laughing. "No thank you Kent." he sent the man a look that spoke volumes. He'd already warned Kent before they'd left that if he got drunk, there was no way he'd be playing nurse maid. Though they both knew he probably would. His hand itched to reach out to the younger man, but he couldn't do that, so he folded his hands in his lap.

"Sir…" Kent was waving him forward a little.

Joe nervously looked at Miles beside him, who rolled his eyes and laughed, then he moved forward. "Yes Kent?"

"I love you Sir." He whispered none too quietly.

Joe's mouth fell open and his heart slammed painfully against his ribs, his blue eyes widening in shock and embarrassment.

Whether it was his face or that Kent just realised where they were and what he'd just said, Joe wasn't sure, but the man's features flashed from deathly white to bright scarlet in a second, before he turned to McCormack, leaning into him grinning like a crazy person. "I love you Mac." he slurred, his gaze then snapping across the table to Miles. "And you too Skip."

The men laughed at the drunken junior officer, though Joe's laughter didn't reach his eyes.

Kent caught the inspectors gaze with a quietly apology in his brown depths. The look made Joe's heart skip. They hadn't discussed anything like love, not that such a thing warranted a discussion. But the words had never been spoken by either of them, at least not away from the bedroom. Joe told himself it was the drink and he hadn't meant it and to his surprise the idea that that was true cause a pain in his chest and gut.

Uncomfortable with the attention Kent's sudden conversion had caused, Joe got out of his chair and walked over to congratulation DCI Cazenove. His conversation with the detective was cut short when the Commander called everyone's attention to the bravery award, so Joe made his way back to the table, shaking Miles's hand as he past him, McCormack and Kent cheering their Skip on. Joe took a seat and found himself blushing as Miles praised him for staying at his side rather than giving chase, insuring his life. He put almost everyone in the large banquet hall to shame over their treatment of the Whitechapel team, even the Commander looked guilty as Miles practically told him were to shove his award and then marched back to join Joe and the others. He received a standing ovation thanks to DCI Cazenove.

They'd stayed at the dinner for only another half hour, knowing that they had to work in the morning. Joe had taken the role of designated driver, having driven them there and was now preparing to drive them home, standing outside the hotel hired for the evening, waiting for his new car to be brought round he watched Kent sway on his short legs and had to fight the urge to put a protective arm around him.

"I'll grab a cab." Miles announced, drawing Joe's attention from Kent.

"That won't be necessary Miles."

"It's fine. Save you making half a dozen trips. - Mac, you want to come with me? You're only a couple of streets away."

"Sure Skip." McCormack nodded, a little drunk himself.

Miles nodded to Joe. "I'll see you in the morning boss. - Kent. I don't want a call telling me your sick." he snapped glaring at the young man.

"Yes Skip." the younger man murmured.

Miles walked to the curb, waving down a black cab as Joe's own silver car was pulled up beside them.

"Good night Miles, McCormack." he said taking the keys from the valet, as Kent climbed into the front seat out of habit, forcing Ed into the back.

The journey back to Whitechapel was spent listening to Ed talk on about his latest idea for a book, while Kent snored softly with his head resting against the car window. After dropping off Buchan at his new house, Joe turned the car in the direction of his flat. His gaze flickering to Kent, something fluttered in his chest at the sight of the sleeping man and he smiled. He may be suffering from itchy feet when it came to a lack of interesting cases but there was one thing that made life in Whitechapel bearable and he was currently sleeping off a hangover in the seat next to him.

~WHITECHAPEL~

Kent was surprisingly stable on his legs considering how much he'd drunk that night, with Joe's arm around his shoulders the pair made their way up to the flat in silence. Joe hadn't been able to shake Kent's drunken confession from his mind. As the younger man had slept on their drive home, he'd contemplated his own feelings on the subject and found that if he was honest, he's feelings for his junior had grown stronger over the last six months. He wasn't sure if he was ready to say those words but in his own mind he thought that they might actually be true. He glanced down at Kent, who smiled up at him.

"Joe?"

"Yeah."

"About what I said…"

"It's all right."

"No, I'm sorry Joe. I wasn't thinking." Kent flushed.

They paused at the front door, while Joe fished out his keys. Finally after a few seconds the door swung open and the two men shuffled over the threshold, slipping out of their shoes and coats, Joe dropping his keys into the bowl. They'd slipped into a nice comfortable routine.

"Do you want a cup of tea or you going to bed?" Joe called over his shoulder, heading into the kitchen.

Kent followed him into the small white kitchenette, wrapping his arms around the taller man's waist. "Joe….are we ok?"

Joe glanced over his shoulder with a frown. "Why wouldn't we be?"

Kent blushed again. "Because of what I said. - Because I almost blew everything in front of the Skip and Mac."

Joe turned in the man's arms, his hands brushing softly through his dark curls. "It's fine. We're fine. - I think you covered it up very well." he dropped a soft kiss to his boyfriend's lips. "Did you mean it?" Joe found himself asking, unsure if he really wanted to know the answer.

Kent met his blue eyes for a brief second before dropping them to stare at Joe's crisp white shirt.

"Em?"

Kent shrugged. "I - I think so." he whispered.

A smile pulled across Joe face, his heart skipping at the gentle confession, not tainted by drink this time. "I don't think I heard that?" he teased.

"Yes you did."

Joe's lips crushed down on Kent rough and hungry, his hands pulling his hips hard against him.

TO BE CONTINUED….

THANKS FOR READING AND PLEASE REVIEW.

A/N: Ok, sorry I'm sure this chapter sucks, my only excuse is it's a set up chapter and I couldn't think of any other way to begin. I hope it gets better from here on out though.