Okay a quick oneshot for 3.20... I wrote long ago Jodes beta'ed it for me. I had originally planned on making it longer, but for some reason it never felt right.

This is the episode tag to this episode. And it is AU... And yes the title says a lot...;-)

Don't own the good wife.

3x20: Kiss the Girl

Peter was not sure what came over him in that exact moment. He could not explain it afterward, not even to himself. But the way Alicia smiled at him, her eyes full of pride, comfort, adoration and care, this made him loose the balance on the fine line he had been walking on for months. As he kept trying not to overstep any boundaries of hers.

His arm was already wrapped around her, so it was not that difficult to lean in and close the gap between them. And he did just that. Pressing his lips to hers in a gentle kiss. It was quick and light. He knew somewhere in the back of his mind that he could not risk something longer. Both because of the reaction she might have but also because of where they were standing.

The press was already going crazy because she was there with him, smiling. The moment he kissed her, he heard them explode, but at the same time every sound of the outside world seemed to disappear. He was left somewhere between heaven and hell alone with her. Alicia, those lips were still the sweetest and softest he had ever tasted. That was something he did managed to catch even in the few seconds the kiss lasted. As he pulled back, he saw the stunned look on her face. Her eyes were suddenly a mix of confusion, helplessness, anger, worry and love. Yes, he had read a hint of love in them. No matter how much he honestly wanted it. Love was something Peter had doubted he would ever see reflected in her mossy green orbs in relation to himself once again. But it seemed that his kiss had caught her so off ground that she let herself slip up. Her carefully positioned mask had fallen. It was merely a few seconds, just like the kiss itself, but Peter had caught a glimpse behind it. Then her face was covered by her perfect mask once more. He could not even read the other emotions on it any longer. She just turned back to the press and smiled perfectly once again.

Alicia could not believe it. One moment Peter was standing there with her, smiling, and the next thing she knew, he had kissed her. It was not long, or bad. It was gentle, (hesitant, tender even).

Alicia suddenly felt very conflicted. Never in her wildest imagination had she expected that from Peter. She was completely paralyzed from the moment he started leaning toward her. In truth, she did have time to turn away. She could have offered him her cheek or stopped him completely, but she didn't. She was not completely sure why but in some small way she welcomed his kiss.

The last couple of weeks had been confusing in relation to her past, Peter, the children etc. Maybe that was the reason she allowed him to kiss her just this once... to see how it felt once more. To see if kissing him still made her feel anything at all. And it did. A wave of mixed emotions crashed over her in that moment following the intimate act, and she knew that Peter had seen them all. Before she was able to compose herself again, he had read them in her eyes.

The press was going crazy. They had gotten what they wanted. It was obvious that she supported Peter's decision to run again. His kiss, and her lack of a negative response to it, had made sure of that.

Alicia could feel Peter's thumb stroking her arm softly. She knew he was trying to ease the awkwardness of the moment. It did help a little, but she was not sure it was enough. After all, what had given him the right to kiss her like that?

She was uncertain what, if anything, the kiss meant for the two of them as a couple. That made her more than a little angry. Just when she was beginning to feel some stability and comfort in the new way they had found to relate to each other, he managed to resurrect the uncertainty once more. She was no longer sure where they stood or where they were headed in relation to each other. Nevertheless, she smiled for the press. She would give them the image they wanted of the perfect couple once more. And the kiss? Maybe she could let that slip too, after all she had accepted it. Though if she was going to help him with his campaign she would need to set some ground rules for them and him. And that would include no kissing.

She almost unconsciously licked her lips, finding that she could still taste a hint of him however brief their contact had been he had left a memory of himself on her lips. One she liked a lot more than she remembered. So maybe kissing should just be off the ground for the time being, however scary that thought was.

She hadn't thought she would ever get back together with him, and she still wasn't sure on that one but for some reason it didn't seem as impossible as yesterday. After all she could have sworn that she would never again be standing with him on a stage again either, unless it was to announce their divorce. And yet here she was. Once more the power couple of Chicago, the picture perfect couple, they once were, was what they were showing others today. She knew though that she would need to spent a lot of time the upcoming months figuring out what she wanted and didn't want. They had been separated close to year, so they could easily divorce. But for some reason the thought didn't seem as appealing to her as a year ago. Her and Kalinda had started to mend fences a little, and so had she and Peter. Maybe there were hope on both fronts, with her friend and with Peter. And if there was? She knew that would be worth a second chance.

She almost wanted to laugh, but she couldn't because of the press, instead she looked over at Peter again, giving him a beaming smile. She could read in his eyes he was confused over how she seemed to keep changing what was on her mind, and her reaction.

It was understandable after all he couldn't know what his kiss had started of thoughts running through her head. He couldn't know that she was now considering second chances and fear of being hurt yet again, over a long time coming divorce. She guessed they would have to talk later to figuring out what it all meant.

But for now she just smiled, it was after all what she was here for, smiling. And her smiles were no longer half forced or just there because they needed to be, they were there because this was what she felt like, smiling.