Hyde's lips were tentative against hers and Jackie experienced the thrill of the contact travel through her body. It was all at once familiar and like kissing a stranger. The gentle way he was holding her was reminiscent of the very first time they had kissed on the hood of her car. Soft and hesitant, as if Jackie was delicate and to be protected.

Her stomach clenched as a rush of sensations overwhelmed her. Even while knowing this was a complicated thing to do, Jackie wanted to savour it for however long it lasted. She wanted to breathe him in. Her brain finally catching up with what was happening, Jackie lifted onto her toes to return the kiss.

Hyde's mouth became more demanding, encouraging a small groan to escape Jackie. With that almost inaudible noise, the last barriers between them tumbled away and Hyde was pulling her flush against his body. Jackie wound her arms tightly around his neck, while his large hands trailed down her sides before finally resting on her hips.

Her wet skin was slick against his as Hyde drew her closer, his fingers leaving indents with their tight grip. When Jackie's tongue touched his, the already barely there distance between them was reduced to nothing. The wall of the pool was rough behind her but Jackie didn't give it a second thought, wholly consumed by the heat and presence of Hyde.

She was so petite, it would take no effort at all for him to lift her so she could wrap her legs around his waist. Wishing he would do just that, Jackie raked her hands through his wet hair. Hyde was leaning heavily into her, his body weight just about all that was keeping her upright.

"Are you guys out here?"

A loud voice from the house tore them away from each other. Jackie's lips throbbed from the searing kiss as she struggled to complete a full breath. Hyde's pupils were expanded, casting the remaining blue of his eyes into shadows.

His hands were still on her, hers still on him. Jackie could see the reason surface in his features as if he were struggling through a fog. Hyde shook his head to try and get his bearings.

"Annette," he concluded in a raspy voice. Jackie didn't think she could speak just yet. The chaos of her thoughts were reflected on his face.

"Are you two swimming?" Annette's tone took on an element of confusion and Jackie realised that standing still in silence wasn't going to make the FBI agent magically disappear.

Jackie didn't know if she was relieved or forlorn that they'd been interrupted. Judging from the irritation Annette's voice was evoking, it was probably more of the latter. There were still so many unresolved issues between them but at the same time his touch on her had been… electric. They had folded into each other as if they were made to fit, though Jackie knew that wasn't the case.

They had spent many months getting to know the ins and outs of each other's bodies; the height difference, the strength difference – all that hard work and familiarity had paid off. What Jackie had just experienced wasn't the result of chemistry, at least not only chemistry, but all the time and knowledge of their relationship. Somehow that was worse. They had built this synchronicity together and for some reason abandoned it.

With obvious effort, Hyde lifted his hands away from her, stepping backwards as if someone had a gun pointed at him. His confusion and frustration were palpable. Despite the humid evening, Jackie was shivering.

She pulled herself out of the pool at the same time Annette drew level. The agent's eyebrows were drawn together in concern and Jackie realised neither of them had answered her yet.

Hyde was still in the water, his gaze following Jackie and becoming more inscrutable by the second.

"It was hot," Jackie explained with a shrug as she passed Annette. She was relieved when the other woman didn't ask her any more questions. There were no good answers.

"I'm going to go dry off," Jackie informed her quietly and slipped back inside. What she really need was a few seconds alone to get her head straight and possibly a cold shower. Remembering the way Hyde's hands had travelled over her body tightened something low in her body. Definitely needed a cold shower.

…

Hyde watched Jackie disappear into the house and he was left outside with Annette who had turned her curious eyes in Hyde's direction.

With a growing smile and a knowing head tilt she pointed from the house to him. "Did I interrupt something? Were you kissing?"

"Nothing happened," Hyde growled, wishing his pulse would settle. He hadn't drawn a complete breath since she'd said his name.

"Right," Annette said, indicating pretty clearly that she didn't believe him. "Just answer me one question. When did you realise I was right about you two? Was it straight away or did it take a while to set in?"

Hyde rolled his eyes at her delighted smugness. "No one's saying you're right about anything."

Annette scoffed. "Sure, the empty wine bottles and your proximity is just coincidence. I'm sure they're completely unrelated."

"It was just a kiss!"

"So you did kiss!"

Hyde ran a hand through his hair in annoyance – he'd just been pretty efficiently tricked into revealing more than he intended.

"I'm an FBI agent, you think I can't get your secrets?"

"Congratulations, you successfully interrogated me," Hyde commented dryly.

Annette offered an unconcerned half-shrug. "So what's the plan?"

Hyde flicked his eyes from side to side. "Get out of the pool?"

"I meant with Jackie," Annette responded witheringly.

Hyde pinched his nose briefly before swimming to the side and leveraging himself out of the water. It would be his luck that he got landed in the protective custody of someone who was invested in his life.

"Nothing! And don't go meddling," Hyde pointed a menacing finger at her.

"But you might ruin it if left to your own devices," Annette whined.

"Thanks," he said flatly. He bent to retrieve his shirt and glasses, sliding the shades onto his face without hesitation.

"Fine," Annette agreed grudgingly, still wearing an aggravating smirk. "Do what you want. You're both adults."

Deciding to end the conversation while he was more or less ahead, he made his way back inside. His head was spinning from the combination of alcohol and the heady affect kissing Jackie had aroused in him.

He'd missed having her in his embrace – she fit perfectly. Hell, he'd missed having her in his life. She shone bright and strong, sparking something deep down in his chest that was more addictive than any illegal substance.

Didn't mean that how he'd behaved was smart. They'd left enough damage in their wake, tearing their lives apart like a tornado. They both had scars now.

Hyde braced his hands on the kitchen bench and tried to rationalise. He never denied the fact that Jackie was beautiful so surely that was it? They'd just been physically drawn to each other. Almost as soon as he thought it, he dismissed it as bullshit. Hyde had plenty of pretty girls in his past but none of them had gotten under his skin the way Jackie had.

What he didn't know was if that kiss had been worth compromising the peace and, for lack of a better word, friendship that had been slowly developing between them. A small traitorous, reckless voice inside him screamed yes!

What he really wanted was another drink; something to blur his thoughts and extinguish the fire in his veins. Instead he reluctantly filled a glass with water and went in search of some dry clothes.

…

Jackie wasn't rested at all when she made her way down to breakfast. She never slept well after drinking. The alcohol in her system made it hard to slip into a deep sleep. Not to mention the dreams had her tossing and turning for most of the night. When she wasn't having nightmares about executions, she was dreaming about masculine fingers lacing through her hair and a warm mouth on various parts of her body.

She always woke gasping, either freezing cold or overheating.

Jackie took her time showering and putting on her makeup. Even if she was exhausted, didn't mean she had to let anyone know it.

She couldn't predict how she would feel when she finally came face to face with the owner of the fingers and lips that had so thoroughly disturbed her slumber. But Jackie didn't have to wait long to find out.

Hyde was at the table already eating breakfast when she entered the kitchen. He looked up at her entrance, locking on her immediately. Jackie's cheeks burned and her stomach compressed. Her heart beat sped up with just a look. This was bad.

"Hi," the pair of them said at exactly the same time. To her expert eye, Jackie could tell Hyde was as flustered as her. He wasn't blushing but his fingers tightened around the mug in his hand.

"Sleep well?" Eleanor asked, startling Jackie. She hadn't even registered her presence until she spoke.

Hyde leaned forward as if the answer was of terrible interest to him.

"Fine," Jackie responded evenly. She wasn't hungry at all but she couldn't just stand there doing nothing, so she seated herself and lifted a pancake onto her plate. If they noticed her hand shake, they ignored it.

"Coffee?" Hyde offered.

"That would be really nice," she accepted.

"I'm glad you slept well."

"Did you sleep well?"

"Fine, thank you."

The conversation was stilted and painfully polite. Hyde kept rubbing the back of his neck, shoulders tight. He glanced in Eleanor's direction who was thankfully oblivious to their odd behaviour.

Hyde scooped the perfect amount of sugar into the coffee. "Here you go," he stated with the formality of a business meeting before sliding it across the table in her direction.

When Jackie reached for the beverage her fingers lightly brushed his. It was the briefest of contact but she was hyperaware of him. The touch vibrated along her nerves. Judging from the way he jerked his hand backwards, Hyde experienced it too.

"I'm off to do the grocery shopping," Eleanor announced, causing them both to jump. With her exit, their buffer disappeared and the awkwardness in the room compounded. Jackie tugged at the collar of her shirt while Hyde uncomfortably pushed his glasses further up with his index finger. She didn't know whether to run screaming from the room, pretend like it never happened or scramble across the table so his arms were around her and lips pressed to hers.

Summoning up her courage, Jackie spoke. "We should talk."

Hyde visibly swallowed and tensed his jaw but he didn't lobby scathing insults at her which Jackie took as a good sign. He was prevented from speaking by a loud bang from the front of the house. Hyde was on his feet in an instant and Jackie was only a beat behind him.

Attention focused forward, Hyde tried to push her behind him with his hand. Furrowing her eyebrows, Jackie batted his arm away. That earned her a frustrated glance from Hyde.

"If it's someone dangerous you're on your own," he hissed.

Jackie rolled her eyes. "It's probably just Annette or Carlos."

"Like I said, someone dangerous," Hyde retorted.

Jackie stifled a grin at Hyde's obvious annoyance when Carlos was mentioned.

"Greg? You home?"

They both exhaled in relief when they recognised Hank's booming voice.

"Does he ever knock?" Jackie asked.

Hyde shook his head in resignation. "Not in my experience."

Hyde and Jackie both moved forward until they realised Hank was talking to someone.

"His housekeeper said they were in. I can't wait to introduce you two."

"If he's as intuitive about music as you say then I'm keen to meet him."

Jackie found something about the voice familiar and from the way Hyde was wrinkling his nose he agreed. Following the sounds of Hank talking Jackie edged further into the house. As she got to the lounge room, she peaked around the wall just to be on the safe side. Hyde followed suit using his superior height to loom over the top of her.

Jackie quickly figured out why the voice was recognizable.

W.B. was standing in the Californian mansion.

…

Hyde blinked a few times to make sure he wasn't seeing things. It was possible he was still drunk from last night.

"Dad?" he uttered quietly. Not quietly enough, both men began to turn in the direction of the noise. He and Jackie both scrambled backwards. If W.B. wasn't thinking on his feet then there was a good chance he would blow their cover.

As much as he would have loved to have spoken to his father, Hyde knew the risks.

"Greg, is that you?" Hank was obviously heading in their direction.

The sliding door was too far to make without being seen. Jackie pointed wordlessly at the pantry door.

Hyde pulled it open, ushered Jackie in and shut the door behind them. Only then did he realise just how small a pantry really was. Even in fancy rich houses, they didn't have enough room for two adults to stand comfortably in their own personal space.

With barely an inch separating Jackie and Hyde, if either of them took too deep a breath then they would be touching. Hyde sucked in his chest and stomach as much as he was able and tried not to move.

After last night, her proximity was all consuming. He could smell her perfume and underneath that was the scent of her shampoo. He had the very real urge to run his fingers through her hair, tangling those long, soft strands in his hands. In the dim lighting Hyde could tell Jackie's eyes were darting from one corner to the other; anywhere but directly at him.

"I could have sworn I heard someone," Hank exclaimed. Hyde shook his head and wished the older man was slightly less comfortable with him.

"Maybe they went out," W.B. suggested with a shrug, possibly aware that he was standing in a stranger's kitchen. Then again, W.B. had the self-confidence the very rich developed, possessing the resolute certainty that wherever he was, he was meant to be there.

"I'll check upstairs quickly, then we can go."

"I'll wait here," W.B. offered.

Hyde listened to Hanks footsteps trail out of the kitchen, waited another moment longer then opened the door.

"Dad."

"Steven?"

"Shhh," Jackie cautioned.

"Jackie?" W.B's eyes bulged as he took in the pair of them, crammed into a pantry in a Beverly Hills kitchen.

"You need to go, dad," Hyde whispered urgently.

"What are you doing here?" W.B. pressed, ignoring Hyde's words.

"Witness protection, married, secret," Jackie ticked her fingers down as she spoke. "That's the key points."

W.B. pointed from Jackie to Hyde with a raised eyebrow. "Married? Real married or fake married."

"Fake obviously," Hyde snapped, spreading his hands wide.

"Don't be rude to your dad. It's not like a quickie wedding is out of character," Jackie scolded him under her breath.

"Really? Right now? You want to do this right now?" Hyde rounded on Jackie, infuriated by the absurdity of the situation. It was a mistake because it pressed him even closer against her.

W.B. tilted his head in confusion. "What are you doing in the pantry?"

"Hiding," Jackie explained. Was it Hyde's imagination or was her chest heaving a little more dramatically since he'd closed the gap between them?

"Well I'll be damned," Hank's booming comments announced he was on his way back. "They're not up there either."

"Just find a reason to leave please," Hyde entreated.

W.B. nodded quickly. "You got it kiddo."

Jackie gave him a grateful thumbs up as Hyde made to shut the door again.

"One more thing?" W.B blurted out.

"What?" Hyde demanded.

"Are you alright here? Healthy and safe?" Real concern flashed across W.B.'s face.

"Yes," Hyde breathed in response before shutting the door. His lips twisted into a crooked half smile. W.B.s interest in his welfare had pleased him. As if reading his thoughts, Jackie softly squeezed his arm. That affectionate gesture tightened his throat. The kiss last night might have proved the attraction between them had never vanished but that small action made him wonder, and not for the first time, whether their connection was as destroyed as he'd once thought. He found himself hoping it wasn't.

Unconsciously he moved closer to Jackie, wanting to find out what these racing thoughts and spiking emotions might mean. But the tight quarters restricted his movement, making him clumsy. Hyde's elbow knocked the small container of paprika of the shelf. As if it happened in slow motion, Hyde tried to grab the bottle but fumbled it.

It shattered on the ground, covering them in dusty red powder.

"Greg?"

Hyde mentally cursed as Jackie froze against him. Reacting far quicker than he would have been capable of, Jackie sprang into action. Before Hyde could question her, she raked a hand through his hair, messing up his already unruly curls. He startled when her nimble fingers undid his belt buckle, his hands encircling her small wrists. Ignoring Hyde's attempts to restrain her, Jackie lifted onto her toes and ran her lips lightly across his.

The pantry door opened and the sudden intrusion of light left Hyde blinking in bewilderment. Jackie's lips left his as suddenly as they had made contact.

"Hello Hank," Jackie greeted him evenly. She didn't appear the least bit flustered.

"Mel? What are you doing in the cupboard?"

"I think it's fairly obvious what they're doing," W.B. piped up, grinning broadly. "Hi, I'm William by the way," he reached over Hank's shoulder and made a show of shaking both Jackie and Hyde's hand. He was clearly having fun with their predicament.

With horror, Hyde realised Jackie's frantic undoing of his belt had stirred a reaction low in his body and he subtly shifted so that she was blocking his lower half from view. He couldn't remember the last time he'd blushed this hard.

Hank had recovered from the surprise of finding his neighbours ensconced in the kitchen cupboard and was now wearing a very knowing smile. Which Hyde supposed had been Jackie's point. She'd given them a credible reason for their weird behaviour.

"I wanted you to meet W.B., Greg. I ran your suggestion about record store visits past him and he loves it. I know you're in the technology game but since it was your idea, I wanted you to be involved."

Technology? W.B. mouthed from behind Hank with a quizzical expression.

Hyde kept his eyes on Hank and tried to ignore his father's amused face.

"I appreciate you thinking of me, Hank," Hyde stated roughly. Why the hell did his voice sound so god damn husky? "But this isn't the best time to talk about it."

Jackie looked over her shoulder at her faux-husband and subtly flicked her eyes downwards. It struck him then that he hadn't done his belt back up and hastily reached down to buckle it once more.

W.B. bit his lip and adverted his stare, more in an attempt to prevent him bursting into laughter than to protect Hyde's modesty. However, he did come to Hyde's rescue. He clapped Hank on the shoulder jovially. "I've got to head up to New York for business this afternoon but maybe we can organise a meeting when I get back. One that's scheduled in advance?"

"That's sounds like an excellent idea," Jackie enthused.

"Doesn't it just," W.B. added, unable to resist himself. "What did you say your name was again?"

"Melissa," she responded warily.

"What a nice name. As soon as I met you, I thought you looked exactly like a Melissa."

Hank nodded in agreement, completely oblivious to the fact W.B. was just messing with them for fun now.

"We'll leave you to it. Greg, I'll call with the details once I've sorted it out."

"I feel good about this deal," W.B. announced as Jackie and Hyde walked them towards the door. "I just feel like I know you both so well already."

Hyde exchanged a pointed look with his father, telepathically telling him to tone it down. W.B. ignored him. "Let's hug it out!"

Before Hyde could protest, W.B. had scooped him and Jackie into a huge bear hug that lingered beyond necessity. It also pressed Jackie into his body anew. Hyde sighed and steeled himself against reacting too obviously. If Jackie realised the physical effect she'd had on him, Hyde was going to hand himself over to Victor Ivanov and let him shoot him.

W.B. eventually released them both with a jaunty wave and one last piece of advice thrown over his shoulder. "Lock your doors, kids!"

"He's a friendly guy," Hank offered as if to explain the odd hug before hastening after him.

The door shut behind them and Hyde lunged forward to lock it before slumping against the wood. Jackie broke off into peels of giggles.

"It isn't funny," Hyde chastised but his heart wasn't in it. He caught a glimpse of his reflection in the entry hall mirror. He looked ruffled and uncomfortable. Also he appeared to be wearing lipstick. He recalled Jackie brushing her lips over his and concluded that it was part of her masterplan.

"It suits you," Jackie commented with a wicked gleam in her eyes.

"Do you think it's my colour?" Hyde asked sarcastically.

"Looks better on me," Jackie quipped, stepping closer. "Let me get that." With deft hands she captured his chin and gently wiped the pad of her thumb against his lip, smoothing away any evidence. That sensation of being out of time and out of control jerked through his body.

Hyde stumbled backwards, blindly groping for the door behind him.

"I have to go out," he practically screeched at her.

"Why?" Jackie folded her arms and regarded him with confusion.

Twisting his body awkwardly away from her, Hyde strained his brain for a plausible excuse. "I remembered Hank still has my Rolling Stone magazine. I need it back."

"Right now?"

"Right this second," Hyde informed her barrelling out the front door.

He took a few shaky steps away and tried sucking in oxygen until his lungs were at capacity. One kiss and all those memories were coming back to him. He could remember every little detail of her in his bed, from the way her leg had hooked over his hip to the way she had laughed so hard she'd cried when he'd regaled her with stories of pranks they'd played on Kelso. Contrary to popular belief it had taken them a while to sleep together. When it had just been hooking up, she'd seemed reticent and he hadn't wanted to push it especially after her experiences with Kelso and a keen awareness that despite her larger than life presence, she was still young.

Something had changed when they'd both realised it was more than physical. When he'd gifted her his favourite T-shirt, she'd thanked him by showing him what she looked like wearing it. And only it.

Hyde groaned and pinched his nose. It wasn't just the memories of naked Jackie flooding back that was disconcerting, it was all the other bits that came along too. The memories of being in love with her.

Hyde took another deep breath and that's when he smelt something he'd not had access to since Wisconsin. Weed.

With the desperation of a starving man, Hyde followed the scent to its source. He was surprised when his nose didn't lead him much further than the Myers house. Without hesitation he hopped the fence. A group of teenagers looked at him in wide-eyed shock. They'd tucked themselves away in the far corner, out of sight of the main house and with enough distance they'd be able to hide the joint if they heard an adult coming. They clearly hadn't anticipated anyone coming over the fence.

"Who the hell are you?" one of them demanded, trying to look braver than he clearly felt.

"Neighbourhood watch," Hyde lied, unable to resist a bit of taunting.

The one who had spoken lifted his eyebrows sceptically. "You don't look like the type to volunteer for neighbourhood watch."

"How do you know that?" Hyde retorted.

"Because I've lived here my whole life."

Hyde pointed a finger at the teen. "David right?"

The bravado was quickly abandoned in favour of uncertainty. "How do you know that?"

"I'm friends with your parents," Hyde explained, inching closer and wondering how it would go if he simply stole the joint.

"We have to go," one of the other boys announced before bolting, leaving David to fend for himself. Hyde repressed a grin at the similarities between them and his friends when they'd been younger.

"Listen, Mister, please don't tell my parents. I'll get grounded."

"Relax, I'm no narc. Give me a hit and we're all good," Hyde offered.

David pursed his lips before tentatively holding out the joint as if he still suspected it was a trap.

"Relax, the cops aren't going to fall out of the trees after you hand it to me."

David rolled his eyes but some tension eased out of his shoulders and he passed it to Hyde.

Hyde took a long and deep draw. He felt the familiar warmth unfurl at his centre and spiral outwards.

"Oh that's good."

"I didn't think old people did drugs?" David had crossed his arms.

"I'm not that old," Hyde retaliated, surveying the teenager. Hyde had maybe four years on him, five max, and David was acting like he needed a walking frame.

Hyde took another hit before observing circle etiquette and passing it back to David, who hesitated briefly before lifting it to his mouth.

Hyde closed his eyes as the effects took hold. "How much would it cost me to get a regular supply from you?" Hyde knew he probably shouldn't be asking the Myer's kid to get him drugs but desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Can't you get your own?"

"Can't, man. The cops are watching everything I do."

David shook his head. "Pot makes you paranoid you know?" the kid warned.

Hyde just tipped back his head and laughed.

AN: I'm not sure the consensus on when Jackie and Hyde went from making out to sleeping together, I'm pretty sure it was never addressed explicitly on the show but decided to make them wait a bit longer into their relationship in my head canon and this fic. Please review and let me know what you thought!