Title: An Uncle's Work Is Never Done
Fandom: Whitechapel
Characters: DI Joseph Chandler, DS Ray Miles, DC Finlay Mansell
Rating: G
Length: 798
Summary: Chandler has done some strange things, things that he never thought he would do, since the Miles family all but adopted him. This is possibly the strangest of the lot.
Authors Note: Part of my Ties of the Heart 'verse but stands alone.

Chandler should have known that he wasn’t going to like whatever it was that Miles’ children wanted by the look on Liam and Edward’s faces. They only pulled those faces when they really wanted something and they were pulling out the big guns to ensure that Chandler absolutely said yes to whatever it was. It was all a bit unnecessary in Chandler’s opinion given that he didn’t think he’d ever been able to say no to either of the Miles boys since the family had all but adopted him.

“Please Uncle Joe? You have to!”

“Yeah, it won’t be the same without you. Pretty pretty please? With a cherry on top?”

Chandler couldn’t help but smile as he heard Miles mutter drolly ‘It must be serious if there’s a cherry on top’ and then turned his attention back to Liam and Edward. “How am I expected to say yes when I don’t know what I’m saying yes to?”

“It’s our school sports day…”

“… and we’re having it at the Olympic stadium. It’s going to be so cool!”

Chandler shot a glance at where Miles and Judy were watching their sons badger him and arched an eyebrow in silent question. When they smiled and nodded encouragingly, he turned his attention back to the boys.

“Well as your parents say it’s okay and you want me there, I’ll be there as long as we don’t get a case.”

Chandler couldn’t help but feel more than a little pleased and humbled by the delight his answer provoked as both Liam and Edward proceeded to dance around in glee. Chandler turned his attention to his coffee before he heard something that chilled his blood.

“… and Dad’s going to do the three-legged race with Uncle Joe. It’s going to be so good.”

“What?!”

Despite his many and fervent prayers, the day of Liam and Edward’s sports day arrived with not a single case on Chandler’s desk and not a single cloud in the sky. There was nothing that Chandler could do but sigh and resign himself to a day being (or attempting to be) athletic. Not even the fact that the whole team had been roped in was making things easier.

The problem wasn’t the whole having to take a day off work thing – Chandler didn’t object to that too much – it was more that Liam and Edward were so excited about him taking part and he really didn’t want to let them down. Logically, he knew that this was going to be a ‘taking part is more important than winning’ sort of concept but Chandler wasn’t great with those. It didn’t help that he had never done any of the events that Liam and Edward had happily expounded on. He’d gone to schools where he did rugby, cricket and cross-country; the egg and spoon race was a foreign concept to him.

He felt slightly better about both himself and the whole thing when he arrived at the stadium and was greeted with the gathered motley crew of parents and relatives. Indeed, a quick glance around gave the impression that the Whitechapel team – for Liam and Edward had managed to coerce the whole team into attending - would give far from the worst showing. Even so, Chandler didn’t think he’d manage to get the sight of Mansell in gym gear trying to show off for a few of the more attractive mothers out of his mind.

Not wanting to watch any more, Chandler instead settled in to try and enjoy the day, something that he found far easier than he had been expecting. Everything was focused on having fun and taking part. There were a few stalls being run by the parent’s committee from the school selling food and other things to try and raise some money for the school and the team wandered around as they waited for Liam and Edward’s races to begin. Finally, it was time for Liam’s turn and Chandler found himself cheering and shouting encouragement alongside the others.

“Mum! Dad! Uncle Joe! Did you see? I won the egg and spoon race!”

“I did see. Well done, Liam!” Chandler offered his congratulations alongside the others and tried not to wince too much when he was the recipient of a slightly sweaty hug.

“You and Dad need to get ready for the three-legged race now, Uncle Joe.”

“Now there’s something you don’t want to miss seeing.”

The glee was clearly audible in Mansell’s voice and he was already digging his phone out, clearly intent on getting blackmail material, so Chandler took great delight in his next words.

“I don’t know what you’re laughing about Mansell; you needn’t have bothered posturing for those women earlier. You’re doing the sack race straight after we’ve finished.”

“Oh for fu…”