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

Sex: M/M

Swearing: Mild

Setting: This chapter takes place during episodes 5 & 6.

Conversation: Some of the dilogue from the show has been changed to fit the story.

I'm having a bit of trouble with Word at the moment, so if there are more Spelling and Grammar mistakes than usual, forgive me.

Joe stood looking out over the city, taking a deep breath of cool night air and emptying his mind. He'd decided to take a few moments before facing the case again. - And before facing Kent. His talk with Morgan had helped clear his mind. Now all he had to do was talking to Emerson. Tell him what was going on in his head and hopefully it would at least ease some of his worries and reduce the hostility the man felt towards her. He would have spoken to him right away but he was off interviewing a local shop keeper with Mansell.

"Leave a trail of bread crumbs for me next time would you?" Miles suddenly announced from behind him.

Joe turned to stare at his sergeant. "I know you thought I was wrong to try and save Blythe. - And you're right. Walking out in front of a gunman doesn't brother me, it doesn't frighten me the way it should."

"I was a bit harsh. Riley would cry at your funeral. Kent too actually."

Joe's heart skipped and he glanced out at the city to hide the tears that burned his eyes for a moment. Thankfully, hopefully, Miles would assume it was the wind making his eyes water.

"Kent more than anyone." Miles assed knowingly with a small laugh.

Joe took a deep breath. Miles was not only his trusted sergeant, but also the closest thing he'd ever had to a best friend. He'd proven that time and again, he deserved the truth. Joe just wasn't sure he could tell him. Especially before he'd spoken to Kent. Releasing the breath in a rush he turned to Miles. "It is….possible that there's a person…in this world that's right for me."

Miles nodded in agreement.

"But um…but the thought of….being open….it terrifies Me." he huffed

"I know you think….people…." Miles looked at Joe meaningfully. "Can do more damage than bullets but it's not true."

"Yeah but it's the way I am, it's the way I've always been. - It's not the way I want to be." Joe insisted, meeting his friends gaze, hoping to convey his meaning without saying the words.

"Well whatever happened you know I'll stand by you."

The men stared at each other, understanding fully what the other was saying.

"I appreciate that. Thanks."

"Well, enough of this girl talk. We've got work to do."

~WHITECHAPEL~

Sadly Joe didn't get a chance to talk to Kent. The case took a sudden and unexpected turn that had Miles sending Joe that 'told-you-so' look of his, as they discovered that it wasn't in fact Mantis that was killing the teenagers but a young man called Luke Watney, revenging his father's death. This didn't however ease Kent's suspicions of Morgan's involvement, especially after he overheard her making a phone call.

The junior officer just had to convince Joe. "Can I talk to you sir?" he said, confronting the man outside the interview room.

Joe clearly distracted, though whether it was by the case or Morgan, Kent feared to ask.

"If you're quick." Joe nodded as he rushed back down the stairs to the incident room.

"I'm concerned about Morgan Lamb."

Joe sighed. "I know you are…" he said gently. "But not dying isn't exactly proof of complicity."

"It seems to me that if I was a spree killer on a rampage, I'd need to stay one step ahead of the police at all times….and they best way to do that would be to have someone on the inside. So Morgan gets attacked but then you take her home, only that's no good to her, so she gets attacked again and this time she stays here. She's safe her, so no one watches her. She's free to move around, listen to what's going on and report back."

Joe came to a halt just inside the incident room, turning to stare wide eyed and open mouth at Kent. Was he serious? One look at the younger man's face said yes, he was. He couldn't quite understand the feelings bubbling up in him. A mixture of almost believe, guilt and anger. Morgan had given him no reason to suspect her; she'd only help with both the investigation and his personal problems. Emerson was just jealous, and he knew it was partly his fault for not putting the man's obvious concerns at ease. But to accuse Morgan of complicity? "Report to who?"

"Look we've just excepted her version of events, but what if she agreed with him that the kids on that estate tortured his father to death? She might have been on his side all along."

"You think Morgan is helping Luke Watney to exact revenge?" Joe frowned. That made no sense. If she'd agreed with Watney, then way didn't she just say so in court? No, he was allowing his jealous to cloud his judgement.

"I do. - And I have a precedent." Kent said firmly, handing over the file. "After Stakewather had killed her parents and sister Caroline Fewgate repeatedly lied to neighbours and police to cover up all the murders. She would do anything for him."

Joe flicked through the pages, scanning the evidence Emerson was summiting. He couldn't deny that it was compelling, but he couldn't believe it. There was nothing to say Morgan was working with Watney except for Kent's suspicions. - And that wasn't enough. "I think your wrong." he sighed, handing the file back to him.

"I think your making a mistake." Emerson insisted.

Joe let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd taken, looking at Kent sympathetically. Once this was over, once Morgan was out of the way Emerson would relax, calmed down. Go back to being the sweet young man he'd fallen in love with. So without another word he turned and began to walk away.

"You can't see it because you don't want to…." Kent called after him. "Because your clearly attracted to her."

Joe froze on the spot, the jealousy and pain clear in Emerson's voice. He turned sharply, marching back to him. "What did you say?" He couldn't help the spark of anger at Kent's tone. What was wrong with him? It the two years they been doing this dance, dating - not dating, Emerson had never been jealous before. Not like he was now. What was it about Morgan that got to him so badly? Was it just that he could see the attraction Joe had for her? If that was it, couldn't he also see that it was killing him, because he didn't want to be attracted to Morgan? Not when he loved Emerson. "What have you got against Morgan? You've clearly go a problem with her, what is it?" Joe heard himself snapping, despite himself. He watched Emerson closely, hoping the man wouldn't announce openly what his problem was.

"I thought that would be obvious." Emerson replied in a low voice.

Joe groaned as the incident room door swung open. He turned away from his lover as another DC strolled between them. He snapped at the band around his wrist; gratefully that it help calm him, focus him. Finally he turned back and his tone was settled. "I'm going to assume your feelings are down to the fact that you've been on duty for over thirty hours." he said gently. Angry more at himself than at Kent, for not speaking to him sooner, putting his mind at ease.

Emerson lowered his eyes guiltily and Joe had to swallow the lump in his throat. He wanted to touch his face, lift his gaze to meet his, kiss him and tell he was the only one he wanted. But he couldn't do that. Not here. So he straightened his back, stared down at Kent and murmured. "Fatigue is clouding your judgement." then he strolled away, Kent's eyes burning into his back.

~WHITECHAPEL~

The tension was back. Thankfully everyone was so concerned with the case they didn't seem to notice. Well, almost everyone.

"What's up with you and Kent?" Miles asked as they headed off to speak to Luke Watney.

"Nothing." Joe replied, shifting in his seat, his fingers tightening around the steering wheel.

"I'm not putting up with another year of you two fuffing around."

Joe glanced over at him with a frown,

"What? I'm a copper, it's what I do. - And you two weren't exactly subtle."

Joe fixed his gaze back on the road, a red blush staining his cheek and the muscle in his jaw jumping as he clenched it tight.

"You don't have to worry about the unit. No one cares. They'll just be happy to have some peace again."

Joe's head snapped around in horror. "They know?"

"Coppers, remember."

The DI groaned miserably. "How long? - Have you….they known."

"Me…" Miles smirked. "Since my birthday two years ago. - Them? Not sure, probably since you two broke up. The tension was pretty obvious. And Mansell's got a big mouth."

Joe groaned again.

"But it's good. You two. I'm glad you've finally sorted yourselves out. - Was beginning to think I was going to have to resort to locking the pair of you in the cells for the night." he chuckled.

"We're not exactly….sorted out." Joe sighed, not even bothering to deny anything any more.

"Yeah, right. So what happen?" Miles frowned; bring the conversation back to his original question.

"He thinks Morgan's involved in the murders."

Miles frowned. "Really?"

"Yes. - But she's not. It's just him being…."

"Jealous." Miles finished with a raised brow.

"He'll get over it once the case is over and Morgan's out of our lives. It'll all be fine."

"You sure?"

Joe glared over at his friend. "Of course I'm sure. Why wouldn't it be?"

Miles shrugged. "Kent doesn't strike me as the type to get jealous over nothing. He can see you like her."

"So?"

"So, are you sure this is what you want? Cause if there's any doubts he'll know. Believe me."

Joe stared at the road in front of him. "There's no doubts." he replied. Though he didn't sound practically convinced, even to his own ear.

A/N: I changed part of the dialoge for this chapter, I had to, to make it fit.

1) Original line was: But um...the thought of asking her to go on ah...date...it terrifies me.

2) Original line was: I know you think girls can do more damage than bullets.

Thanks for reading and reviewing, and following the story.

PS: Whitechapel wallpapers can be found in my Crime & Spy TV Folder on my DeviantART account. Link can be found on my profile.