Greetings! I will cut my intro short this time and just let you read, so on with the show. Thanks as always for your support. You know who you are ;)

Recap: Chandler and Kent share a steamy kiss as the DI tries to win back his DC.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Whitechapel...blah blah blah...

More Than Words

Chapter 10: Introspection

Kent sighed as he looked at his reflection in the mirror before turning in. His cheeks were slightly rosy and the twinkle in his eyes was still there even after Chandler had left. Kent didn't know how he would be able to sleep after what happened. There was no doubt that the attraction between them was there. It had always been there as far as Kent was concerned. What had surprised him was just how explosive it had been. But was physical attraction enough to base a relationship on? Chandler was a creature of habit. Just because he wanted Kent back, it didn't guarantee that he would change his ways or his life style. Kent knew the risks when he realized that he was beginning to fall in love with Chandler, but it was an even greater concern now, because for the first time, Kent's dream may actually become a reality.

Chandler had proven to Kent that he wanted him, but how much of himself was he really willing to give up? Would he share his thoughts and fears with Kent? Would he be willing to let down his guard and trust Kent enough to allow him to be a part of his life? It was all well and good for Chandler to say that he wanted him back in Whitechapel now, but how would he react when they were actually back in their familiar surroundings again? Kent didn't want to make such an important decision based on the heat of the moment. He had already made a mistake by sleeping with Dylan in a moment of weakness. He shuddered to think of what would happen if such a thing were to happen again with Chandler. And yet, the prospect of being with Chandler was both frightening and exciting at the same time. He had certainly given Kent a lot to think about.

"DI Chandler? What are you doing here?" Maggie asked in surprise as Chandler arrived at the flat.

"I'm sorry for intruding again, but I was hoping to see Emerson. Is he here?"

"He's supposed to be. I don't know what's keeping him. He's usually home from work by now."

"Oh. I see. Well, I'll be off then."

"Now where do you think you're going?"

"I didn't want to impose. I was going to come back later."

"Don't be silly. You can wait for him as long as you like."

"Are you sure it's all right?"

"Of course it is. Any friend of Emerson's is a friend of ours. Please sit down and make yourself at home. I'll make us a nice cup of tea."

"Thank you, Maggie. You certainly know how to make a guest feel welcome."

"Flattery will get you nowhere. But don't let that stop you," she replied, giving him a playful wink. "So, have you made any progress with Emerson? I'm sure he's being stubborn about going back to London with you."

Chandler was visibly shocked at how much Maggie knew about his relationship with Kent. "Exactly how much did he tell you about our relationship?"

"What he didn't tell me, I figured out for myself. He still wants to be with you, you know."

"Did he actually say that?" Chandler asked anxiously.

"He didn't have to. I saw it in his eyes when you came over the other night."

"I kind of got a different impression after I left. He hasn't spoken with me since then."

"He's just scared. You have to understand, when Emerson first came here, he was hurt and trying to adjust to a new life. It couldn't have been easy for him to leave his former life behind, especially considering how he felt about you. He probably lost confidence in himself as well."

"If you're trying to make me feel guilty, you don't have to. I already have enough guilt to last me a lifetime."

"That wasn't my intention at all. It's just that with the shock of seeing you again, he's probably very confused at the moment. I also have a feeling that he needs more reassurance from you. He probably wants to know if your feelings are genuine or is it just a means to an end."

"Honestly Maggie, I don't have any ulterior motives other than bringing him back home. Kent means everything to me. I tried telling him that and showing him how I feel, but he's suspicious of my motives. What more can I do?"

"Perhaps what you're doing isn't enough, at least in his eyes. Think about it, DI Chandler. If the person you admired and loved for so long rejected you and then suddenly showed up at your doorstep, did a 180 degree turnaround, and told you that he wanted you back, wouldn't you feel apprehensive?"

"I probably wouldn't believe a word that came out of his mouth," Chandler replied softly after a moment of silence. "I'm beginning to understand now. I guess I haven't done anything right as far as Kent is concerned."

"I may be speaking out of line, but you seem to be battling more than just this Dylan fellow. It's like you're fighting with yourself."

"How could you possibly know that?"

"Call it woman's intuition. I'm not often wrong about these things."

Chandler looked down at his hands clasped together on the kitchen table. "You're right. It's the reason why I rejected Kent in the first place. I have so many personal demons and flaws that I didn't want him to have to deal with them. He's already been through so much. I thought I was giving him a chance to be with someone who could give him what I believed I couldn't. But somewhere along the way, that all changed. Now, I would do anything if would just give me another chance."

"Why don't you tell Emerson that instead of me?" Maggie suggested.

"Why are you helping me? You don't even know me."

"I've watched the two of you together. I've never seen two people say so much without even uttering a single word. You want to know why I'm helping you? It's because I truly believe that you love Emerson just as much as he loves you. But you're both so busy running around in circles and putting up emotional barriers that you can't see that."

"How can you be so certain of that when I'm not even sure of my own feelings?"

"You should listen to your heart instead of your head, DI Chandler. People nowadays try to find an angle to every situation and come up with every excuse in the book when it comes to relationships. It doesn't have to be that complicated."

"You make it sound so easy."

"It is when you come right down to it. Here's the bottom line. If you love Emerson, then go after him with everything you've got. Now is the not the time to be holding back. You've got a second chance with him. Don't let this opportunity slip away because of fear and uncertainty."

"I've been this way my entire life. What if I can't let go of them?"

"Being in love doesn't automatically take away all of your fears and insecurities. It just means that there's someone who'll be there by your side who understands what you're going through, so you don't have to suffer in silence. When you fall, he'll lift you up. When you feel like you can't go on, he'll carry you until you can. And when it seems the darkest, he'll be the light to keep you going. That's what love is all about. In the end, isn't that what you and Emerson both want?"

Chandler was silent momentarily as he let her words sink in. It was as though he had finally seen the light.

"You, Maggie Harris, are one of the wisest people I've ever met. Andy is a very lucky man."

The older woman smiled in return. "I knew I liked you the minute you walked in."

"You know on second thought, I think I'll take a rain check on the tea."

"Where are you going? I thought you were going to wait for Emerson."

"I'm going to do what I should have done a long time ago."

Maggie smiled in satisfaction. Her work was done.

"Emerson," Dylan greeted him fondly as they met at his hotel suite. "What took you so long?"

"I had a little difficulty explaining to my boss what happened. Apparently, our receptionist was listening in to our conversation and is quite the little chatterbox."

"I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to put you in a difficult position. Was your new boss very mad?"

"Fortunately, no. He was very understanding after I explained everything. And since the agency got paid anyway, he's not putting up much of a fuss."

"I'm surprised you managed to get away from Chandler's clutches."

Kent looked at him wearily. "Dylan, I would appreciate it if you didn't fight with him. Isn't the situation difficult already?"

"I'm afraid that's one request I can't honor. I'm sorry, Em. But he just rubs me the wrong way. All right, so he cared enough to look for you, but who does he think he is to just stroll back into your life, expecting you to welcome him back with open arms?"

"You're more biased because you're directly involved. Would you have had such a strong reaction if you didn't know anything about him and you two had met under different circumstances?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

"If anything, you two are more alike than you think."

"That's a terrible thing to say."

"It's true. Both of you are ambitious, headstrong, and passionate. And also quite handsome."

"I'm more handsome than he is though, right?" Dylan asked, making Kent laugh. Oh, how he had missed Dylan's sense of humor.

"It's a close tie," Kent replied neutrally. "Dylan, I consider you a very dear friend. Whatever happens, I want you know that I'll always cherish our friendship."

"It sounds like you're breaking up with me. Just what are you trying to say, Emerson?"

Kent's eyes lowered to the floor guiltily. He realized after kissing Chandler, that it was no use denying his feelings any longer. After thinking about it throughout the day and the past few nights, he had come to the realization that his heart would always belong to Chandler first and foremost. Prolonging the inevitable wasn't fair to Dylan. Kent was going to have to hurt his dear friend who had done everything possible to win his heart. And now through no fault of his own, Dylan was going to get the short end of the stick. It just wasn't fair.

"Why did you stay here? You were supposed to go back home."

"How could I leave after the way you ran off so suddenly? For the first few days I thought the worst had happened to you. If I had known that you were going to leave, I would have tried to stop you. Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

"You shouldn't be worrying about me. In fact, you should forget all about me. After the way I used you, you should have left and never come back. I'm not worth it."

"I think I know what your worth is. Emerson, you've been sidestepping the real issue ever since you arrived. What is it that you want to tell me?"

"Dylan, you are a wonderful friend. You helped me during one of the darkest moments of my life. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't been there for me."

"But there's no future for us," Dylan finished for him in grim voice.

"Chandler made me realize that I've never really gotten over him. That's why I ran away. I couldn't face the truth because it hurt too much, so I tried to run away as far as I could. I thought I had moved on with my life and that I could live without him. I was wrong. Seeing him again made me realize that no one could ever replace him. I'm sorry Dylan, but that's the how I honestly feel."

"When I left you at the office, you were still indecisive and wanted time to yourself to think. And now all of a sudden, you've decided that you want to be with Chandler? He went behind my back and saw you again, didn't he?"

"Yes," Kent replied softly.

"That manipulative bastard. It seems I've underestimated how low he'll stoop to get his way. Do you seriously believe that he'll change his ways? He's the kind of person who would use every trick in the book to gain an advantage. Once he gets what he wants, he'll throw you away like a used dishrag."

"I resent that insinuation."

"It's not an insinuation. It's an accusation. I knew I shouldn't have left you alone with him."

"Now wait just a damn minute here. Do that you think I'm so emotionally fragile that I'm incapable of making any coherent decisions?" Kent replied angrily. "I'm not a child. Stop treating me like one."

"Face it, Emerson. The last time you had an emotional breakdown, you couldn't even think straight. If you hadn't been so starved for affection and needed validation of your self-worth, we wouldn't have ended up in bed together."

"Could you be any more insensitive?" he replied quietly, as Dylan's words stung.

"I'm sorry Em, but I'm frustrated that you can't see the guy for what he really is. If you allow Chandler to worm his way back into your affections, he'll just end up hurting you all over again."

"That was before he knew how I felt about him. He's changed. In fact, he wants me to give him another chance."

"You can't be seriously thinking of agreeing to it."

"Dylan, I still love him. I never stopped."

"Has he even said that he loves you in return?"

"He doesn't have to. I know how he feels about me. He wasn't sure before."

"And now he's suddenly come to the light?" Dylan scoffed sarcastically. "He must have really put the emotional screws on you."

"You don't understand. He's never shown this side of himself to anyone before. He's taking a huge risk by asking me for a second chance. I owe it to myself to find out if we can make it work."

"How do you know that he can even give you what you want? The man is a walking heartless robot."

"He's willing to try for me. That's all I can ask of him."

"And what about the physical side of your relationship? Do you think a man like that is going to be able to satisfy your needs?"

"I'm willing to take the risk. I can live without it if I have to. But I can't live without him. Believe me, I've tried to."

"Don't expect me to be happy for you, because it's not going to happen."

"I don't expect you to. Dylan, I know you don't like him, but I thought you would at least respect my decision. You're supposed to be my friend."

"I don't want to be just your friend!" Dylan shouted. "Don't you know by now that I want us to be more than friends?"

"But you said before that…"

"I don't care what I said before. Emerson, why do think I really stayed behind? If Chandler hadn't interfered, I would still have a chance with you. But now that he's poisoned your mind against me, everything is ruined."

"You're not thinking of doing anything rash, are you?" Kent asked uneasily.

"Only what I should have done a long time ago."

Suddenly Dylan gently pushed Kent into the master bedroom, while he closed the door from the outside, but not before taking the security bar for the door and jamming it between the knob and the floor to prevent Kent from leaving.

"Dylan! Dylan, what are you doing? Let me out of here!" Kent shouted. He furiously jiggled with the door knob trying to force it open, but was met with resistance.

"I'm sorry to have to do this, Em. But it's for your own good. I won't allow you to be fooled by Chandler again."

"Dylan?" Kent asked in a panic. "Dylan, please! Don't do anything that you'll regret. I'm begging you!"

Kent's pleas were met with silence as the other man left. Kent frantically dialed Chandler's phone number with trembling fingers, but kept getting directed to his voice mail. What the hell could he be doing? After several attempts, he sent several text messages warning Chandler that Dylan was going to see him to have it out. He just prayed that Chandler would see them in time.

To Be Continued

Posted: 17May2014

A/N: How's that for a cliffhanger? :) Will be taking a very brief break so the next installment might take a little longer than usual. See you next time!

Preview: Time for a showdown between Chandler and Dylan with Kent as the ultimate prize.