A/N: Sorry for the wait guy.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

"Em! - Em! - What's wrong."

Emerson lifted his red tear stained face and met his friends concerned stare. He was still shaking from anger and misery. Still unable to belief what had happened.

"Em, what's wrong? You're scaring me." Robin insisted, gently shaking his arm. She'd seen him from the canteen window and her heart as leapt into her throat at the sight of her long term friend and flat-mate crying in the car part, especially when Emerson never let anyone see him cry. She'd dropped what she was doing instantly and ran down to check on him. Looking at him now distraught and miserable was heartbreaking. "Em?"

"I - I've…b-been sus-suspended." he stuttered.

Robin frowned. "What? Why?"

"J….DCI Chandler th-thinks I….a mole." his tone hardened slightly.

"What?"

"H-he or-ordered me out of the….office." Emerson took a deep breath in a desperate attempt to stop the tears from returning.

"What!" Robin yelled. Her voice ringing off the buildings. "Are you serious? How the fucking hell could he accuse you."

Emerson shrugged, not caring if Robin caused a seen.

Robin glared up at the offices. How could Chandler honestly think such a thing? Turning back to her friend, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. "Come on, I'll take you home."

"It's fine. I'll get the bus."

"Like hell you will." Robin snapped.

~WHITECHAPEL~

Emerson lay on his bed staring up at the ceiling, tears staining his fact, his whole body aching outside and in. Nine months. Nine months of a relationship down the drain, and why? Because of a pair of crazed wanna-be where out to take over the city. He was right to begin with, they did need a slap. But he could only blame the Kray's for so much; the rest was down to him and Joe. Obviously their relationship hadn't been as strong as he'd thought; if he could think he could betray him like that. He realised he'd been fooling himself. It was never going to last. The secrecy, the sneaking around, it was always going to tear them apart one way or another. It always did. It had destroyed his relationship with Tom; of course it would do the same with Joe. Despite the fact that it had been Joe's idea, the man wasn't the best when it came to stress. It was only a matter of time before that stress lead to him crumbling.

Emerson didn't doubt had meant it when he'd told him he loved him. How could he? When he knew it was true. But Joe wasn't used to having a partner, it was all knew to him. And while Emerson had tried to make the transition easy, had bent to Joe's will, knowing he couldn't help the way he was. Joe was still unsure of everything. Emerson knew this. He understood it. But that didn't easy the hurt of Joe accusation. Because when all was said and done, Joe should have trusted him. - At least confronted him in private first.

The knock on his bedroom door drew his attention away from his thoughts. It opened and Robin's head popped through the gap.

"What something to eat?"

"I'm fine." Emerson replied with a raw voice.

He expected her to leave, but Robin walked into the room.

"You need to eat, Em. - I don't want to see you starving yourself…again." She whispered, sitting beside him.

He'd slipped into a depression when he'd broken up with Tom. He'd barely slept, never ate and had left his room except to work. He understood Robin's fear for him.

"I'll have something later. I promise."

"Alright. I'll hold you to that." Robin smiled, shifting on the bed to lie at Emerson's side.

The pair stared up at the ceiling in silence. Robin's fingers entwined with her friends.

"It's my fault." Emerson confessed with a broken tone.

"What?"

"The suspension."

Robin's head snapped around to stare at her friend. "How exactly?" she wasn't convinced by his confession.

"I…I lied to him."

Robin's blond brows drew together. "About what?"

Emerson's gaze remained locked on the white ceiling. "L-last night….the Kray's threatened the team…" he murmured. "….the skips kids. Mansell got a reef delivered to his door. Mac had a gun held to him and….Joe woke up in Epson forest this morning."

"And?" Robin asked cautiously.

"I…I told Joe nothing happened to me."

Robin sat up on the bed and turned to look at him with growing concern. "And did anything happen?"

Emerson nodded slightly. "I….I was working late….I was there when the incident room got turned over."

"But I thought?"

Emerson shook his head. "I was there….B-but I cou-couldn't do anything. I was….terrified Rob. I just stood there and let them trash the place and take the files and I couldn't stop them." tears welled again. "I was…I was too ashamed to tell Joe and the others the truth so I said nothing happened to me and now Joe thinks it's because I'm a mole."

Robin leant forward and hugged him again. "It's alright Em. It's understandable after everything that happened. They can't hold it against you. - Just tell Joe the truth, he'll get it."

Emerson shook his head angrily. "No. - No matter what I said or didn't say, Joe didn't trust me. He didn't come to me and ask….He didn't work it out for his bloody self. He just jumped to the conclusion that I was a mole…" he shook his head. "…I'm not telling him a thing."

Robin looked at him understandingly. "So…what are you going to do now?"

Emerson shrugged. "I…I don't know….sleep. Wait for the investigate. - Or maybe I'll just quit."

"What? You can't! Em, this is all you've ever wanted to do."

"I know, but I'm no good at it. I can't handle it. - And I couldn't possibly go back to working for Joe after this." he sniffled.

"And what….what about Joe?" Robin broached.

Emerson heaved had deep sigh and closed his eyes. "What about him?"

"Are you…."

"I think it's pretty safe to say it's over, don't you." Emerson stated before turning onto his side.

Robin watched him sadly, her hand reaching out to rub his back. He'd been on cloud nine a few weeks go, happier than she'd ever seen him. Now he was withdrawing into himself again. She hated to see him like this….it was just too hard to take. Shaking her head she got up from the bed and headed for the door. Pausing she looked back to her friend. "I'm really sorry Em." she whispered before leaving him to his heartbreak.

~WHITECHAPEL~

Emerson barely slept. Every time he closed his eyes he saw Joe's face and remembered their last night together before everything had gone to hell in a dust-cart. His pillow was damp from tears and his face felt sore and swollen. He couldn't feel his body, it was just numb along with his insides. His mind kept telling him what he should have done differently. He shouldn't have gone alone to speak to Mr. Khan's. He shouldn't have pushed Joe away. He should have told him the truth. - He should never had started a relationship with his boss in the first place. All those could'a, would'a, should'as were rolling around in his head. Was it any wonder he was still wide awake at dawn, staring aimlessly at his ceiling?

Finally though his tiredness just became too much and his eyes wouldn't stay open. He was met in the abyss by Joe, smiling at him, holding out his arms to him, kissing him. Then it was gone and it was just darkness and silence. Then it was sunlight and noise, and the forceful shake of his shoulder. "Em….Em…wake up."

She sounded panicked, but Emerson couldn't bring himself to care. The house could burn to the ground around him and he'd welcome it. But Robin seemed determined not to allow it and Emerson was forced to open his eyes just to shut her up.

"What?" he mumbled tiredly.

"Em….It's….Mark just called from the station."

"So?" he whispered, turning over. "What do I care? I don't wor…."

"DC McCormack's dead."

Emerson shot up in the bed with a gasp and a wince, his head snapping around to stare at Robin. "What!"

"He's dead. - Hung himself."

Emerson stared at the bed covers in shook, shaking his head. "No…Mac wouldn't….why would Mac….Are you sure?"

Robin nodded sadly.

Emerson continued to stare into space as the news sunk in. Mac was dead. Their world really was falling apart.

~WHITECHAPEL~

"I need to speak to him." Joe said, standing at the red door, not all that bothered who saw him there. He was allowed to visit his colleagues. - Especially when he was delivering news.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Glared a young woman Joe knew to be Robin.

Joe knew instantly that Kent's flat-mate was aware of their relationship; there was no other explanation for the death glare she was giving him. "It's important."

"No. I think you've done enough damage."

Joe stared at her intensely.

"Don't you think he's been through enough without you hounding him!" she snapped angrily. "So much for loving him." she scoffed. "How can you possibly think he'd betray the investigation after what those bastards did to him? Let alone betray you."

Joe flinched at her words. He did love Emerson, he just hadn't been…thinking. "I - I just wanted to tell him about…."

"He knows."

Joe sighed. He'd hoped to deliver the news in person, and apologize. "I see….and about…." the look on the woman's face said she only knew about McCormack's death. "…I need to see him." Joe insisted again.

"I said no! He's sleeping."

Joe quickly grew frustrated. "I demanded to speak to him."

"Oh, do you? Well, DI Chandler, we are not at the station now and you're demands mean shit to me." Robin shouted, moving to slam the door.

Joe's hand shot out to stop her. "Fine. I'm leaving. - but tell him…."

"What? You're sorry. Huh." she rolled her eyes. "Bit late."

"That Mac was the mole."

Robin stared at him in shock at the revelation. "W-what?"

"McCormack was the mole. - That's why he killed himself." Joe murmured, before turning away and rushing down the stairs, he had to get back to the office; he had a plan to put into action.

Robin closed the door slowly, still rocked by the news. She turned to find Emerson stood at the top of the stairs watching her, his face pale. "You heard?"

He nodded slowly. "Mac? I - I can't…." he was shaking his head in disbelieve. "I can't believe Mac would do that."

"I'm sorry Em. I know…"

She didn't get to finish what she was saying as Emerson turned around and headed straight back into the flat and to his room.

TO BE CONTINUED….

THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING AND TO THOSE WHO HAVE FAVED, I'm honoured.