A/N: Two episode conversation: The scene where Joe arrived at work and meets Mansell and the Ed's revelation. Both conversations are taken from the episode. All the slash stuff is mine, obviously. But then, if you've seen the season, you'll know what's mind and what isn't right. Anyway, on with the show.

CHAPTER FIVE

Kent arrived at work early the next morning after a lonely night in his own flat. No long after his conversation Robin he'd received an inquisitive text from Joe that had him locked in his room for the rest of the evening, also wishing they didn't need to sneak around. That they could stay at his place without worrying about their jobs. Sadly, as much as he trusted Mark, the man was still an officer and he wasn't known for his tact. He wouldn't drop Kent and Joe in it on purpose but if he knew, he's say something with thinking. So he'd had to spend a night away from Joe. Well, he didn't have too but he'd wanted to see Robin and sadly it was the only way to do it. Joe always understood. He knew Emerson needed his own space sometimes, needed to see his friends. Kent just wished Joe had friends to spend his time with. Maybe that was why he was always happy to see that Joe and DS Miles were getting along.

Walking into the office Emerson found he was the first in. He also found half the office flooded. He stood back and watched with his arms folded as workmen pushing desks out of the way and pulling down the ceiling.

"What the hell happened here?" Joe asked as he walked into the office.

"Some young offenders blocked the sinks upstairs." Kent informed professionally, his gaze determinedly fixed on the ceiling and not of his smartly dressed boss/boyfriend. Trying desperately not to think about what they'd said over the phone last night.

When the workman pulled another piece of ceiling tile down it just missing Joe causing the pair had to leap out of the way, but they still managed to get dusted with dirt and water. Joe gave a disgusted moan.

"Don't mind me." said a gruff workman as he marched past Joe, twirling his hammer.

"Wha…" Joe tried to talk to him but he was gone without another word just as another man arrived.

Kent watched Joe and the new guy from his desk at the front of the office.

"DC Mansell." the blond introduced.

"DI Chandler, sorry about the mess, welcome to the team."

Kent bit back a smile as he watched Mansell's self-conscious discomfort when met with Joe's smarter than smart appearance. He remembered when he'd first seen Joe, all dressed up in a suit looking professional and on the ball. It had been a different kind of discomfort he'd felt. Miles's voice echoed from behind, pulling Kent away from his lust fueled remembrances. He turned in his seat.

"Finley Mansell, King of the Canteen. Good to see ya." Miles said loudly, holding out his hand to the new DC.

Kent continued to watch as McCormack wrapped the man in a bear hug. Clearly they already knew each other.

"Saved you the desk next to mine, how ya doin?" McCormack asked in his usual cheerful way.

"We'll have a right laugh." Mansell replied, heading towards the desk McCormack indicated.

"Right we'll we have a murder, so you're going to have to hit the ground running." Joe informed him strictly.

"That's what I'm here for, lets rock and roll."

Kent looked up at Joe with a raised amused brow and was happy to see the confused but amused expression on his face. They rare shared secret looks like that at work, for fear of being seen but after spending the night apart and with the strange behavior of Miles and McCormack; they weren't able to help themselves. After a moment Joe headed for his off, Kent watching after him, when the door closed, his eyes remained locked on the wood for a few moments longer than they should have been.

"Fin, this is Kent. Kent, Finley." Miles introduced begrudgingly.

"Hi." Kent got to his feet and held out his hand.

"Hey. Nice suit." Mansell smiled, giving Kent the once over.

"Thank you."

"Yeah, our Kenty boy is always out to impress the boss, aren't you Kent." Miles laughed teasingly.

Kent blushed. "I'm not trying to impress DI Chandler. I'm just doing as he says, dressing smart, like a professional."

Kent always surprised himself at just how shy and awkward he was at work, while being anything but at home. Though something's about his work life had changed, he was more confident when it came to the actual work and he didn't even sneak off to the bogs to cry anymore, the job didn't get to him the same as it used to because he had Joe to help him through, just as he was there for Joe.

"Kent." Joe called from his office, causing the younger man to jump and Miles to chuckle.

Kent walked calmly into Joe office, being sure to leave the door open, which going by the look on Joe's face didn't impress him.

"I need you to find out all you can on Lenny Cole."

Kent frowned. "Who?"

"That was the name on the last we collected last night." Joe said, as he fiddled with the contents of his desk.

"Oh. Of course sir." he nodded and turned to leave.

"Kent." Joe called him back before he could walk out the door.

"Yes sir?"

Joe dropped his voice as he looked up into Kent's brown gaze. "Are you at mine tonight?"

Kent gave him a small smile. "Of course…" his tone throaty. "One night away is more than enough."

"I agree." Joe gave him a heated look that would have been a dead giveaway if seen by any of the office. "Let's not do it again for a while."

Kent chucked quietly. "I'd love to comply with that order sir, but sadly its Mark's birthday day after tomorrow and Robin's organized for a bit of a piss up. I kinda have to go."

Joe's face dropped a little.

"But I'll make it up to you." Kent whispered with another small smile before turning and leaving.

~WHITECHAPEL~

An hour later Joe was standing in front of his team delivering the information Kent had found on Lenny Cole when PC Fitzgerald arrived to tell Joe that there was someone down stairs with information about the murder. Why Fitzgerald hadn't just told him it was Ed, he couldn't fathom. Joe figured it was rooted in the man's continued dislike of him. He was no doubt still holding a grudge because he'd been booted down to uniform after rating to the police about the Ripper case. Truth was Joe had almost nothing to do with Fitzgerald's demotion, cause if he'd had his way, he would have been kicked out of the force completely, the fact that he'd merely been stuck back in uniform was all down to Miles.

It wasn't really a surprise to find Ed sat in the family room; he'd been hanging around for a while now, probably just waiting for the chance to throw himself back into a case. Something Joe sympathized with. Miles as usual hadn't been welcoming, but after what Ed had done for them with the Ripper, Joe was willing to give him a chance. This time it wasn't a book that held the key but a video about 'Gangland Britain'. Joe and Miles watched it with a mix of frustration and amusement. As much as Joe appreciated Ed's help, the man could never just tell them what he knew; he always had to make a show of it. Joe figured it was down to his history of Ripper tours. - Which he no longer gave.

"Oh turn this crap off." Miles complained from behind Joe, where he lent against a table, bored and annoyed.

"I haven't got to the relevant bit yet." Ed said, fast forwarding the tape.

Joe watched him with a small smile. Finally the tape reached the relevant moment, Ed pressed play and Joe watched the screen as a young Ed Buchan talked about the Kray's and Frank 'the mad axe-man' Mitchell.

Joe felt his stomach turned when young Ed explained how the Kray's had killed Mitchell, but even as his stomach churned in on itself, he couldn't fight the excitement that rushed through him.

"Alright that's enough." Miles snapped, snatching the control from Buchan and turning the tape off. "Show's over."

"Lenny Cole was part of the Kray's firm; he escapes from prison and then winds up dead." Ed said hurriedly. "It's no coincidence. His death is a message."

"What message would that be?" Joe frowned, turning to watch the excited man.

"An old score, a tribute, who knows. But you see what we've got here, don't you. - Another copycat. A crazed Kray fan. They have a huge following you know? The Kray's were the original British gangsters. They made violence profitable; they invented the firm, that whole diamond geezer esoteric. The sharp suit, flash jewellery, the cars, all came from them. They were the Robin Hood's of the East End, the rock stars of murder."

"All that proves is that you once had hair." Miles said coldly, throwing Ed's tape back to him. "Doesn't make you a detective."

"The documentary isn't perfect." Ed replied putting the tape back in its case, his voice tinged with hurt. "I was asked to do it after Ronnie's death in '95 but it wasn't the serious analysis I was promised." He sighed, handing it to Joe. "However it will help you to predict what the killer will do next. There are at least two more deaths to come if I'm right. Which of course I am. - Again." Ed smirked at Miles before leaving.

Miles complained about Ed as he and Joe made their way to see Dr Llewellyn. It turned out she had nothing to help in the investigation.

"Well there's nothing here to support Buchan's copycat theory." Miles said after listening to Llewellyn.

"Not yet." Joe snapped, washing his hands. "But there's something about this murder that doesn't feel right. - I'm going to talk to Lenny's family, see if I can get a sense of his world and who might want to kill him."

"Good, you do that."

"What are you going to do?" Joe asked as Miles walked out of the autopsy room.

"I'm going to see a doctor."

TO BE CONTINUED….

THANK YOU FOR READING AND REVIEWING.

A/N: just to say the conversation above between Joe and Miles is also taken from the episode, basically a filler. Sorry.

Message to dhh: Thanks for the reviews. I'm sorry about all the angst, I agree, season two's not all that good for Kent/Joe's relationship but sadly I can't do anything about that. I have to keep to the season. I hope however that I do justice to the boys and the plot of the season. I know you didn't like the 'is the REAL Kent/or how
there's two of him' thing, but there was a reason for it, I promise, which I'm sure you understand having seen the season. Of course I won't take offence to you not reviewing till you've read. It's your decision, I do that a lot, sometimes it's just easier that way. As for season three, let's not count our chicken's hay. Rofl.

Anyway, thanks *hug*

GATERGIRL xxx