No long speeches. Just a heartfelt thank you for your comments, reviews, and for continuing to support this work by reading. Enjoy the next installment!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Whitechapel.

Chapter 4:


Chandler looked up from his desk and surveyed the incident room immediately noticing Kent's absence. Three weeks had passed since his return from the hospital, but he was nowhere closer to retrieving his memories of the past five years. Despite the group's efforts to fill in the gaps and missing pieces, nothing triggered anything close to a recollection. It wasn't any surprise that Kent's memory loss coincided with the period where Chandler came into his life. He had no doubt that Kent was subconsciously blocking that part of life to avoid dealing with the pain of Chandler's rejection. It was sad and ironic at the same time. As if by magic or divine intervention, the slate had been wiped clean between them and Chandler didn't have to worry about their complicated relationship.

But it had come at a steep price. The Kent that he knew and had come to respect was no longer there. Kent was a shell of his former self as far as Chandler was concerned. The confidence and experience he had exhibited over the past five years was nowhere to be found. Chandler found himself missing his proactive nature, his contributions, and even his demeanor. Usually during their case meetings, Kent would always be the first to volunteer to take on a more challenging task or rather a task that no one else wanted to do. Kent didn't hesitate to interject his opinions and theories because he wanted to be a good detective and emulate Chandler's example. But now, he stayed silent most of the time unless he was spoken to, choosing instead to stay in the background and just be an observer rather than an active participant. It was like the fire that drove Kent to be a better detective had extinguished. It made Chandler's heart heavy to know that he was responsible for Kent's condition. He would have given up his badge if it would bring back Kent's memories in spite of their personal issues. Even though it would be difficult and there were no guarantees of the future, he had to do everything in his power to help Kent regain his memories. He just had to.

When he could stand it any longer, Chandler got up and headed to the spot that Miles said Kent would go to when things got too much for him in the past. He was rewarded for his hunch when found the younger man slumped against the wall in the back of the building looking up into the grey sky with a lost look on his face. Chandler's heart tightened painfully as he regarded Kent from a distance. He knew that he could have unlocked those memories Kent was searching for, but he didn't want to make things worse in the event that Kent reacted badly, thus making the situation worse than it already was for him. Chandler decided on caution and waited for a few moments before approaching him.

"Kent?" he asked gently.

"Sir, what are you doing out here?" Kent asked, immediately on guard.

"I was just about to ask you that same question. Mind if I join you?"

Kent shook his from head side to side to indicate that Chandler had permission to stay. He had wanted a moment alone to relieve some of the tension that had built up ever since he came back to work. He didn't expect the boss to come looking for him. Was he going to read him the riot act for goofing off on the job? Chandler closed the gap between them and stood beside his DC. Several moments passed where neither of them made the first move to say what was on their minds. Finally, Chandler broke the awkward silence.

"You don't have to pretend with me, Kent. It's okay to feel the way you're feeling."

"With all due respect, you have no idea what I'm feeling or what I'm going through."

"Then why don't you try telling me so I can understand? I'm a pretty good listener."

Kent waited for a few moments as he contemplated letting the DI into his confidence.

"I feel…lost. All the people I knew from before aren't here anymore. McCormack is dead, Fitzgerald was discharged, and Sanders transferred to another district. The only person I really know is DS Miles. Everyone else is just a mental blur. People keep telling me that I used to say this or I did things a certain way. But it's all a blank to me. Even the way I look isn't what everyone is used to. I'm supposed to act and look a certain way, but that's not me. At least not the me that I can remember now."

"You have to have faith that your memory will come back. It's only been three weeks. Give it some time."

"What if it never comes back?" Kent asked directly.

"We'll deal with that issue later if that is what the future has in store for us. Don't give up now."

"Why shouldn't I? It's not like I had very much to begin with."

"Because that's not like you," Chandler replied softly. "I know you don't remember this, but when you got striped, you didn't let the enemy stop you from coming back to work even though you hadn't completely healed yet. They tried to intimidate you but you wouldn't give in to them. You're a fighter, Kent. Don't ever forget that."

Kent looked up at him and saw genuine concern. Chandler wasn't comforting him just because he was his boss and it was his duty. He was doing it because he cared.

"That doesn't sound like something that I would do."

"I can assure you that you did exactly that."

"I wish I could remember that. I wish I could remember a lot of things," the younger detective replied wistfully.

"Well, I have lots of things I wish I could forget. Maybe we could trade?"

"I would trade everything I had if I could get the last five years of my life back."

Chandler felt his heart stir as he heard the hopelessness reflected in Kent's voice.

"I wish I could tell you that everything will be all right. I wish I could tell you that this is only temporary. But I can't. What I can tell you is that you don't have to let this situation dictate how you live the rest of your life."

"It's just so frustrating. It's like there's this locked box of memories tucked away inside of my head and I don't know where the key is. My life is being held hostage and I can't do a single damn thing about it. I'm afraid of what the future holds."

"Listen to me, Kent. We all feel lost when we're not in control. It happens to everyone from time to time."

"Even you?"

"Especially me. But you're lucky to have a strong support system behind you. You have your family and friends. You have the entire team behind you. And you also have me," Chandler finished softly.

"Why are you being so nice to me, sir?"

"Is that a crime?" Chandler replied softly, allowing a small grin.

"It's just that I was never this close with the previous DI. I could never talk to him like this. Why is it that I can speak to you so freely about what's bothering me?"

"You used to do it all the time. Whenever you were troubled about a case, you would come to me whenever you felt uneasy."

"Really?"

"Really. Kent, I meant what I said about my door always being open if you ever want to talk or if you just want someone to listen to you. I'm here for you."

Kent smiled in response. Strangely enough, he felt as though a great burden had been lifted off of his shoulders. And all it took was a few simple words of encouragement from his DI.

"Thank you, sir," Kent replied softly.

Chandler felt his heart strings being tugged at after seeing Kent's brilliant smile once again. If felt like ages since he looked at him that way. Out of everything Chandler missed, it was the closeness and familiarity they had with each that he missed the most. Strange how you notice the little things once they're no longer there.

"You're welcome. Shall we go back inside?"

The younger detective nodded affirmatively. Unfortunately, as he turned to leave, he felt light-headed and tripped on the uneven cobblestone surface, tumbling forward and right into Chandler's arms. Kent landed with a distinct thud, knocking the breath out of him. He looked up into Chandler's eyes, immediately mesmerized by the brilliant blue hue. The feel of the strong muscled chest beneath Kent's fingers as he steadied himself caused the blood to rush to his face in embarrassment. Now that Kent got a closer look at Chandler, he could see that the DI was very distinguished looking. Handsome was more like it. Everything from the gold tresses that never had a lock of hair out of place, down to the tips of his expensive shoes, everything about Chandler reeked of style and elegance. Kent never felt so dumbstruck by any man before in his life.

Chandler, too was experiencing the same confusing feelings as he looked down at his junior officer. Perhaps he had been dense or oblivious, or a combination of both, but he had never noticed just how striking Kent was. Of course, he had never been this up close to him before, but it didn't take away the fascination. From the defined, almost delicate bone structure of his cheeks, to the long fringed lashes of his brown eyes that seemed too big for his face, one could say that Kent was quite attractive. His pale porcelain like skin seemed unnatural for a man. What was the most definitive facial feature were his lips. They were pink, slightly full and almost pouty. Chandler wondered what it would feel like to touch them.

"Hang about! What the hell was I just thinking?" Chandler and Kent both thought silently to themselves as they came out of their individual dazes.

"Are you all right?" Chandler asked, after gathering his composure.

"Yeah, fine. Guess I'm a little clumsy today," Kent replied as pulled away. "I'll head off first. I want to stop by Buchan's office."

He quickly made his way back inside the building without looking back. In spite of Kent's memory loss, one thing was becoming evidently clear. Chandler still had the ability to affect Kent. To Chandler's dismay, he was beginning to realize that it wasn't exactly a way one street either.


Kent opened the door into the office and tried not to blush when he heard a few teasing wolf whistles and cat calls as he entered the room dressed in a dark blue suit with a matching tie and black dress shoes. He decided to forsake the hair gel, choosing to let his hair go au natural with his naturally curly locks and shed his previous casual attire. In fact, he was looking quite handsome. After his encounter with Chandler in the back lot, Kent found himself wanting to dress like the others and to blend in with the group. Besides, for some reason he had more suits than he knew what to do with. It made him feel more connected as well more professional. Little by little, he was getting more comfortable with the new system and chain of command. And he was getting more comfortable with Chandler. In fact, he found that he was very comfortable talking with the DI.

Ever since his heart to heart conversation with Chandler, Kent was starting to get flashes of various mental images that he had no previous recollection of. Admittedly, there were a few that left him with chills down his back and made him wake up in a cold sweat. Dark shadows with nameless voices were often accompanied by images of gruesome murder scenes. But there were also images of more pleasant happier times such as group outings to the pub, birthday celebrations, and even a wedding. Much to his surprise, many of those images involved Chandler. As much as Kent wanted to know the reason, he couldn't very well ask him why this was the case. He was too embarrassed to ask the older man just exactly what their previous relationship had been in light of their recent close encounter. Whenever Kent recalled that moment when he literally fell into Chandler's arms, he could still feel the warmth and strength of the older man's embrace as he steadied him. Just the mere thought sent the blood rushing through his veins in anticipation.

Kent mentally slapped himself to focus back on work and immediately headed to the corner to fix his usual morning cup of tea. Mansell headed over and put his mug next to his, hoping his co-worker would also do the same for him. Kent rolled his eyes in exasperation. What was he? His maid? With a silent sigh of resignation, he fulfilled the older DC's request.

"Wow! Look at you. Got a hot date tonight?" Mansell teased.

"Not that it's any of your business, I just thought I should start dressing nicer. Anything wrong with that?"

"Not at all. Are you sure you didn't do it to get the attention of a particular person?" Mansell hinted.

He yelped in pain when a pen hit him in on the back of his head with considerable force from behind. He turned to look at Riley who gave Mansell a look that shot daggers, warning him to keep his mouth shut.

"Who are you talking about?" Kent asked in confusion.

"Nothing. I was just teasing."

"You certainly have a weird sense of humor."

"Kent, have you finished the background checks the boss asked about yesterday?" Miles asked from his desk.

"Yes, sir. Shall I give my report to you or put it on the DI's desk?"

"Why don't you give it him yourself?" the older detective suggested. "After all, you did the work."

As soon as Kent was out of earshot, Mansell stormed over to Riley's desk. "What the hell did you do that for?"

"To stop you from making a stupid mistake. You seem to be really good at that."

"What did I do now?"

"Idiot. If Kent discovered that he had a thing for the boss, it could affect his recovery. Who knows how he'll react to the news."

"Come on. It's just a matter of time. Besides, we all know how he feels about him. He should know better than anyone, even with his amnesia."

"He doesn't need to find out in that half-cocked way. If he does remember, then it should be on his own terms."

"What the hell? DS Miles just did the exact same thing that I did. Why doesn't he get a lecture?"

"Because unlike you, I did it in a subtle classy way," Miles responded without looking up from his desk and not missing a beat of the conversation.


Chandler's eyes lit up when he saw Kent's change in appearance as the younger man entered his office.

"Here you go, sir. It's the information you wanted on the suspects in the Stalker case."

"Thank you, Kent. It's nice to see you back to your usual self."

"Only on the outside. To be honest, I never thought I looked good in a suit and tie. But it does make me feel like I'm a part of the group."

"You always were, Kent. That never changed."

"I'm finally starting to feel like things are getting back to some sense of normality."

Chandler agreed wholeheartedly. "I'm very glad to hear that. You should wear your hair in that style more often. It suits you."

"Are you saying that you like my hair this way?" Kent replied in surprise.

It was then that Chandler realized that his compliment on Kent's appearance could be misconstrued as romantic interest. What the hell was wrong with him? Had he lost all common sense?

"You look more professional, that's all," the older man replied hastily. "Do whatever you want."

Chandler turned his attention to the report Kent had just given to him to avoid his gaze. Kent returned to his desk and sat down pausing for a moment to enjoy the compliment he had just received. He ended up smiling the rest of the day.

To be continued


Uploaded 11Feb2015

AN: Even amnesia can't stop Kent from falling for Chandler again :)