BETA: None. WILL have spelling and grammar mistakes. (Please don't complain as I've just warned you.)

Sex: Not in this chapter.

Swearing: None

Setting: Chapters One - Six take place during episodes 1 & 2 of season three.

CHAPTER SIX

Emerson stood pulling the photos off the whiteboard and slipping them into the evidence file before running the erase over the information that had been written there. He was waiting for everyone to go. He wanted to talk to Joe and find out if he really was dating the SOCO, in the most subtle way he could. He knew what Joe was like after a case and he'd already planned to ask if he wanted to go for a drink. He wasn't going to deny that he was kind of hopeful they could sort things out.

"Emerson?"

He turned at the sound of Meg's voice. "Yeah."

"There's some guy asking for you at the front desk."

Emerson frowned and put down the eraser, strolling towards the incident room door and felt his stomach flip at the sight of Tom at the front desk. Swallowing he rushed thought he double doors, glaring at the man. "What are you doing here?" he demanded, leading him away from the desk.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go for a drink?" Tom smiled warmly.

Emerson narrowed his gaze at him suspiciously.

"Just a drink." Tom insisted. "I got the message the other night."

Emerson looked at the incident room to see Joe stood in the door way of his office, watching him, or maybe everyone else, he couldn't tell from a distance.

"Em?"

Kent's head snapped back to his ex with a sigh. "I don't know Tom, I…."

"I just want to talk properly." he looked around the large lobby, leaning a little forward he dropped his voice. "I promise to keep my hand and….everything else to myself."

Emerson wished he wasn't so easy to blush. He glanced back at the office to find Joe turning his back and closing the door. With a sigh of resignation he nodded. "Alright, just got to get my coat."

He walked back into the room to the curious looks of his colleges, but he didn't say anything. He grabbed his coat and turned to leave, turning one final glance at Joe only to find his head buried in paper work. "Night." he called to everyone.

~WHITECHAPEL~

Everyone was getting reading to leave for the night, the office in its usual post case comedown. They'd all be heading home to their families, trying to make up for the week of barely being seen. Joe watched from his offices as he filled out the paper work on the case, he wished he had that, someone to go home to. His gaze automatically sort out Emerson, clearing the whiteboards. Joe pulled his lip through his teeth.

His so-called date with Lizzie Pepper had been a disaster, not that he'd actually expected it to have worked, but it had gone worse than it was he'd thought it would. It had once again driven home how much he missed Kent being in his life. He missed going to bed with him at night and waking up with him in the mornings, he missed being able to look at him across the room and have silent conversations. He missed having actual conversation; talking over the cases and having him help ease the stress. - And he hated to say it, because it shouldn't be something he missed quite as much, but he missed the sex.

Since the break-up, though it wasn't technically a break-up as they'd never actually said the words, he'd tried to go back to his old life, his old habits. Three months ago after a particularly trying case, he'd gone back to the club he'd met Kent in, gotten drunk and found a guy. He had barely left the club before he knew he wasn't going to be able to do it. He'd given his apologized and walked away, heading straight home where he'd fallen into bed like some pathetic wounded animal.

Emerson it seemed was having no trouble moving on. Joe thought, remembering what he'd seen the other night. He didn't know what he'd expected. Well that was a lie, he'd expected this separation to last a few weeks, maybe a month or two and then they'd be fine. He'd expected it to be as hard for his ex as it was for him. He'd expected and desperately wanted Emerson to walk into his office and tell him he loved and forgave him.

What he got instead was watching from a distances at he walked out of the incident room to talk to the same guy he'd been kissing on his doorstep, turning around after a brief glance his way and then leaving with said guy.

That's when Joe knew it really was over.

~WHITECHAPEL~

Miles looked between the leaving junior officer and his superior. Obviously Judy had been right about his plan never working; they just weren't going to fix whatever it was. He turned back to see Kent leave with some stranger then glanced back to Joe who was concentrating on paperwork far too hard. Miles sighed and shook his head, marching towards the office. "You can finish that tomorrow."

Joe looked up and saw the determination in the man's eyes, he wouldn't leave him allow until he left. Getting out of his seat he grabbed his coat and walked out with his sergeant.

"Oh, we're having a bit of a do, to celebrate the baby coming. It's mainly family but your very welcome to come if you'll like to."

"That's very kind of you, but I have plans."

"Really?" Miles said with surprise. "Well, I hope you have a good time."

They walked to the car park and Miles left Joe at his car. Joe waiting, watching the sergeant walking away and vanishing around the corner before turning and heading back into the station to tidy and finish his paperwork. He had no reason to rush home.

A/N: Sorry, this was a really short chapter.