DI Joseph Chandler tired to bend his head under the tap in the Gent's sink at the Met. He soaped up his scalp and then scrubbed at his hair with his fingers until he was certain he was ripping his hair out by the roots. It was difficult to think about anything else except getting clean but he couldn't figure out why it was always him that got covered in blood and gook at every opportunity. He was starting to feel like he was cursed. He should be used to it by now, he wasn't, but he should. It was a miracle that he hadn't gotten any blood-borne pathogens yet. The thought caused him to try to force his head still further under the tap as he put more soap in his hair and frantically scrapped his scalp raw. A bucket of blood had fallen on him, while on a routine investigation, well, routine for his team anyways. At least it was pig's blood, instead of something even more unsavory. But he still needed to get it off him. He and the rest of the team, minus Miles who was on a much deserved vacation, had just returned from investigating a local man accused of killing his wife. The man had been a butcher, and had decided to rig his butcher shop to surprise any would be thieves. The messy trap had caught Chandler, of course. After finally starting to feel clean he turned off the calcified tap and put on his shirt. He checked himself in the mirror; the scars on his face and neck were finally beginning to fade. He just wished his time with Ripperfan would do the same. Getting back to a routine was a good thing. Ever since the Ripper had reappeared and…taken him, he'd been missing routine. That incident had been well over two months ago. He rubbed at the scar at his neck unconsciously. He took a deep breath and snapped his rubber bands. He'd taken to wearing two since his kidnapping. Miles had noticed, but hadn't said anything, thankfully. He left the Gents and went back to his team.
The lighting in the incident room flickered when he came in. Finley Mansell sat at his desk and munched on two slices of pizza sandwiched together. Megan Reilly typed up a report on her computer. Edward Buchan sat next to her, perhaps closer than was necessary. Kent straightened the items on his desk and glanced at him knowingly as he passed. Chandler nodded to them all and strode to his office. He told himself he wasn't running away from Kent's dark eyes. When he reached his office, Megan got up and followed him. Leaving a forlorn Buchan behind. She knocked on his glass door and entered.
"Sir, we're having a bit of a to-do to celebrate Caroline's pregnancy." Megan said with a smile while propping open his door.
"Oh." He replied, certain some kind of response was needed. He put his mobile on the desk and lined it up with his watch.
"Er, we wanted to know if you would be coming Sir. I know it would mean a lot to Llewellyn." Megan said hesitantly, her smile fading a little.
"Oh, well then, I'll be there." Chandler said after looking up at her.
"It'll be tomorrow at 5pm, in the usual pub." Reilly said and left the room.
"Right." Joe said awkwardly as she left. He wasn't sure if he should thank her for inviting him or not. Now he would have to figure out a suitable gift to buy. He was fairly certain that people gave gifts at this sort of thing. He'd have asked Miles if he was here. It wasn't till Reilly had already gone back to her work that it occurred to him to ask where the usual pub was. He'd have to ask Buchan later when he was alone.
After their shift was over, Kent went to his usual spot across from Chandler's flat. He brought out his binoculars from his backpack and waited for Joe to arrive. Things had changed since rescuing Chandler from Ripperfan. Luckily Joe remembered little of his experience with the Ripper, thanks to the drugs he had been inundated with. Chandler had thanked him for saving him, for killing the Ripper. But it had been cold and insufficient. A poor substitute for what he had sacrificed for him, his innocence and peace of mind. He still had nightmares about that creep; they mixed in with his painful encounter with the Krays. When he hurt Chandler in his dreams, he felt as if he had been hurting himself instead. He awoke grasping himself in pain. He grinned, relieved when Chandler finally arrived. The tightness in his chest eased. He focused on Joe with the binoculars as he entered his building. He had such a graceful stride. He could watch him for hours, he had. He got out his thermos and sipped his hot tea. Sometimes he wished he had the courage to follow him up to his room; to do more than just watch. Sometimes like tonight it was more than a wish, it was a need.
Chandler gasped loudly as he woke up. It wasn't the first time he had had a nightmare about his time with the Ripper. But this one was decidedly different. He rubbed his lips, remembering something, a feeling, a taste, a name, and then losing it again. Then he heard a muffled noise and felt a chill. There was something terribly wrong; he blindly searched the darkness of his room, fearing to move. He was not alone. He arose from his silken sheets, turned on his lamp and looked around nervously. He sought the darkened corners of the room; certain there was someone there with him. He found nothing, heard nothing. Suddenly sure it was his imagination; he lay back down and turned his light on and off reassuringly. When he was finally able to get back to sleep, the soft breathing beneath his bed escaped his notice.
After his shift the next day, Kent stopped at a petrol station on his way to the baby celebration. He went inside to pick up some snacks for later on. As he approached the counter, he saw a little, cadaverous old lady with very red lipstick. As she walked past him, she said,
"It must be hard, being in love with someone who doesn't deserve it." He turned around quickly to ask her what the hell she was talking about. But she had vanished out of the store. Kent paid for his goodies and left, thinking about the words the old woman had said.
Joseph Chandler had picked up a variety of designer baby clothes for the party. As he wasn't sure if Dr. Llewellyn was having a boy or a girl, he decided to get both to hedge his bets. He arrived at the local that Buchan had cued him in on. He had been here a couple of times before. It was one of the nearest pubs to their station. He pushed the door open with his shoulder. His hands were full with the bags and boxes of clothes. He set them down near the bar and looked up at the rest of his team sitting in the middle of the room at a scarred wooden table. They stared at him, shocked. Caroline sat with his team and a few people he recognized as SOCO.
"Did I bring too many?" Chandler asked tentatively. He knew he should have called Miles first. Caroline shared covert glances with the other people at the table.
"No, of course not." Llewellyn said and moved to look at the presents he had brought.
"They're baby clothes, boy and girl's. I wasn't sure which you were having." Chandler said gamely. Kent took a large gulp of his lager.
"That's alright dear, I don't know either, and I'm letting it be a surprise." Caroline said with a smile at Reilly.
"Ah, good." Chandler said. They all sat back down. Chandler ordered himself water with lemon. Then he noticed that his gifts were the only ones in the place. Mansell leaned over to him and said in a loud whisper.
"Sir, this wasn't a baby shower, we're just having drinks." Everyone looked aside uncomfortably.
"I see." Chandler said.
"It was my fault Sir, I should have explained better." Reilly said to him apologetically. All Chandler knew was that he really should have called Miles.
Chandler left the gathering early. He went through the back exit and entered the alley. He hoped nobody would notice him leaving, unfortunately he was wrong.
Kent caught him up before he'd even gotten to the street.
"Joe, are you alright?" Kent asked. Chandler tried not to flinch when Kent touched his arm lightly.
"I'm fine, Kent." Chandler said unconvincingly.
"Emerson." Kent corrected him insistently.
"Emerson." Chandler agreed softly.
"We haven't really talked since the-" Kent said.
"I know." Chandler interrupted, not willing to hear Kent finish his sentence.
"It's just I know it was a bad experience, for both of us, I think we should talk about it. You've kind of been avoiding me since then. Did I do something wrong?" Kent asked worriedly, his black eyes wide.
"You? No, never, it's all me, I just didn't like being reminded of what happened." Joe reassured him.
"And I remind you of it." Kent said slowly.
"It isn't your fault. You saved my life." Chandler said as he moved closer to Emerson in the narrow alley.
"I did." Kent said simply. Chandler noticed the grime in the alley they were in for the first time. He and Kent were the only clean things there.
"Alright lets talk." Chandler said, wanting to get this necessary conversation over with, finally.
"Your place?" Kent asked.
"Sure." He said.
It had been a long time since Miles had a vacation. Not that he hadn't earned the time he just rarely had a chance to use it. There was always some major case cropping up just when he thought he might be able to kip off. But as of now, Chandler had recovered from his abduction, Ripperfan had finally been put to rest, and there hadn't been a major enquiry within the past month, so he felt certain that he could take this much-needed reprieve. He decided to take Judy and the kids to Brighton, after all it wasn't that far from London, but was far enough that it still felt like he was getting away. Chandler had graciously lent him the use of his summer home, of course Chandler would have a beach home in Brighton of all places, but Miles had politely declined. Living in the Guv's house with his family in tow was a line he would rather not cross. Brighton was lovely, even in the coming autumn weather. The choppy waves chased his boys as he and Judy lay together on a towel under the soft sun playing with little Collin. He knew better than to say how perfect everything was, but he was certainly thinking it. Of course that was when everything started to get screwy.
"Da, there's something in the water!" Liam yelled to him from the surf.
"What a crab?" Miles asked sarcastically. Judy smiled happily beside him.
"No, I think its-Dad I think it's a person!" Liam said, frightened. Miles jumped up as quickly as he could. He ran to his boys and saw the dead body staked to the beach, floating upwards with each wave. He grabbed his kids and pulled them towards Judy frantically.
"Get the kids away! I'll call it in!" He yelled to her as he got out his mobile. The waves lapped gently at the bloated body as the seagulls cried out in the distance.