AUTHORS NOTE: So I'm now on a mission to update all my stories this afternoon because I have five new chapter stories planned out and I'd love to get them written eventually so watch your inbox!

DISCLAIMER: I only own the beautiful Ewan and Ronan.

[Their Evening's]

Shutting the door behind him several hours later, Ewan carried the carton of soup he'd picked up from the deli and called to his husband to let him know that he was home. When there was no reply, he smiled guessing that he must still be sleeping away the pain. Moving into the kitchen, he put the soup down on the counter and the paperwork that he'd brought home to look over as well.

Moving upstairs, he entered the bedroom and froze as he saw that the bed was empty. It had been re-made, Stuart had obviously took into interest the OCD before fleeing with Robbie even though this was unknown to the man standing there in shock, and he could sense that it had been empty for a long while as when he pressed his hand down against the pillow there was no heat.

Opening the closet, he saw that the bag had gone so that caused him to move to the drawers and search through them. It was a symptom of his disorder to know everything that was in the drawers, not that he enjoyed it, and he found himself staring in shock as several pairs of underwear, socks and tee shirts had gone missing. Stuart had left with a bag without telling him. What was he missing? Surely there was a reason for this.

Pulling his phone out his pocket, he hit speed dial one and prayed that Stuart would answer but he got the dull tone before Stuart's chirpy voice said "This is Stuart, I'm a little bit too busy at the moment to answer my phone but please leave your name and number then I shall try my best to get back to you." He looked at the phone for a moment before saying,

"Stuart, its Ewan. I don't know what I've done to make you leave but I'm sorry. Please. Come home. Or at least answer your phone so we can talk. Please." He hung up as a lone tear fell down his cheek. What had he done wrong?

"...he was totally oblivious to the fact that he was singing Superstition while I was stood at the door watching him," Jenny laughed that night as they sat at the kitchen table with their containers of Chinese food and glasses of wine or bottles of beer. "It was so funny. I actually think that's the most I've ever laughed with James." She said twirling her noodles around her fork.

"Your husband sounds like such a great man," Jackie said as she reached over to Robbie's container and took a piece of his chicken, a smug smile on her face as she turned back to the other woman. Jenny smiled that sad smile she always reserved for any mention of her husband and shrugged her shoulders.

"I hated him at first. He was one of those boys that tried so hard to impress you but always ended up insulting you." She laughed into her pot. "I was only fourteen at the time and the idea of a nineteen year old boy being into me was ridiculous!" She ate the mouthful of noodles she'd been playing with before shrugging her shoulders. "The counsellor at the school told me that boys tease when they like you and don't realise that sometimes their jibes can really hurt you so one day I asked him out. His face was an actual picture!" She laughed.

"I bet it excited him really! Do you know how much blokes love the idea of the woman taking control?" Robbie said winking at her causing the other three detectives to laugh causing him to pout. "What's so funny?"

"Robbie, you're totally the chaser!" Stuart laughed as he spooned some of the mutual rice into his own container and shook his head. It had been so long since he'd just ate out of a Chinese container like they were used to because of Ewan's OCD but it didn't stop him from slightly feeling like he needed a plate as he picked up a piece of the garlic chicken and ate it.

"I chase my one night stands but I kind of like the girl I want to spend the rest of my life to give me a few indications first but I'm still holding on for more than the odd teasing flirt," he pointed out as he returned his gaze to the container in front of him while Jenny and Stuart swapped knowing glances across to each other before turning back to the man.

"Oh you're such a romantic!" Stuart teased picking at his meal again and Robbie glared.

"You don't have to stay here tonight, you know?" He growled causing the mood to dampen on the table as no one had mentioned that yet and Stuart would have happily gone all night not thinking about the fact he was staying out of his family house for the first time in years. He looked down at his food while Robbie winced. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

"No. I get that it was a joke. It was typical Robbie style." He forced a smile as he looked over at one of his best friends and shrugged his shoulders, his eyes now sad as he felt tears stinging.

"Do you really think it was wise to run?" Jenny found herself asking and the three detectives could sense that this was Dr Scott talking and not DC Scott so Stuart looked over at her, a big smile on his face as he shook his head.

"No. I don't think it was a wise decision to run but do I really want to be lying about while he makes up excuses to me?" He sighed. "Jenny, you joined the team too late so you don't know who Ewan McIntyre was before he got house trained." He whispered laughing as he remembered the anger Burke had been feeling when he learnt that one of his detectives was dating THE Ewan McIntyre. "He has every dirty politician and copper in his pocket, no matter who he tries to kid."

"So why do you stay with him if he's so dirty?" She asked and Stuart smiled as he shrugged his shoulders again.

"I love him and I seriously believed that he loved me but what if he was just using my influence all along as well?" That caused the two older detectives to gasp at the brutality behind Stuart's words. He couldn't seriously think like that, could he? Everyone knew that Ewan loved Stuart back. It was Ewan that fought to keep them going every time Stuart had run scared.

"Stuart, don't think like that. The man loves you. I think there is a legitimate reason behind what Robbie photographed today," Jackie said through clenched teeth. She was still feeling a little pissed that Robbie had gone straight to Stuart with the photos rather than asking Jackie what they should do with them but she also knew that she would have told Robbie to delete them because Stuart didn't need to know, at least not yet.

"Oh sure there is. Would you like to hazard a guess at what?" He snapped closing his eyes the minute he did it because he knew that Jackie was just trying to be helpful. "I'm sorry. I'm just trying to think what I did wrong because it has to be my fault, right? If he was happy at home then he wouldn't need to be having an affair." Then that's when the tears fell again, the other three detectives leaping into action and hugging the man as they whispered words of comfort.

Sitting down at the dinner table, Ronan picked at her own garlic chicken – a meal she ate because her daddy did – and then looked over at her father. "Where's dad?" She asked and Ewan froze from putting rice onto his plate. He looked over at her and smiled.

"He was called into work, sweetheart." He lied before starting to scoop the rice onto the plate. However, he had forgotten how perceptive his teenage daughter was as she cocked her head to the side and looked at him. "I don't know where he is, sweetie. He was in bed when I went to work this morning then when I came home he wasn't." He whispered not liking that he had to tell his daughter that her other dad had walked out on them.

"Did you do something wrong?" She asked innocently and Ewan found himself smiling despite the bitter sting at the corner of his eyes.

"I don't know, Ronan." He whispered truthfully and she reached over to take hold of his hand, it squeezing slightly as she smiled. "I do promise though that I will try my best to fix it." He admitted and she smiled at him before taking her hand back so that she could continue eating her meal.

"That's good because if dad doesn't come back you're going to have to learn how to cook," Ewan found himself smiling because he was happy that Ronan could take this so lightly whereas he felt as if his whole world was falling down around him.

"Can I get you anything?" Robbie asked as he showed Stuart into the spare bedroom that night after the girls had gone home. Stuart dumped his bag at the foot of the bed before shaking his head. He just needed to be alone right now as his thoughts were all over the place as he sat down on the end of the bed.

"Thank you for doing this Robbie. I know you'd much prefer to be out right now pulling some bird," he whispered before being engulfed in a hug. He froze for a moment before hugged back, his body relaxing slightly at knowing that he had his friends with him still.

"Don't ever think that," Robbie demanded gruffly before pulling away. "You just try and get some sleep." He said before shutting the door as he left because they both knew that Stuart would be getting minimal sleep that night.

Digging through his bag, Stuart pulled out his phone and switched it on. He wasn't surprised that the minute it had fully loaded up there were several missed calls and just as many voicemails on his phone. He didn't want to hear Ewan's voice but at the same time, he felt like he had to hear what the man had to say. He listened to them all but at the last one, his heart broke a little more as Ronan's voice was on the other end.

"Dad, you didn't say goodbye. I love you. Please come home soon. It's weird without you."

The young girl's short phrases made tears fall down his cheeks as he threw his phone onto the floor and buried his face into the pillow. How could Ewan do this to their family?

That night, Ewan laid in their vast bed with Stuart's pillow cuddled close to him as he stared emptily at the window. He wasn't upset about this anymore. It was slowly turning into anger and he knew that that wasn't a good idea. He just glared as he tried to think of reasons for Stuart's cowardice.

TO BE CONTINUED...