The One Where The Lines Get Kinda Blurry

The One With The Unlocked Door

Apart from when she had to go and check out of her unused room, which she did before slipping back into the hotel through a different door, Jen and David didn't leave his suite all weekend. They had luxury room service delivered, watched movies, bathed together and spent countless hours in bed, making the most of each other before they were parted for several weeks.

"Ring me when you get there okay, let me know you arrived safely" she said, hugging him tightly again before moving in for one more kiss goodbye.

"I will I promise" he replied, stroking her back and pushing the hair out of her face, "I'm going to miss you so much."

"I'm going to miss you too", Jen was fighting back the tears again, "urgh, I hate goodbyes!"

"It's not a goodbye, it's just a see you later" David responded gently, his turn now to pull her in for one more kiss before they really had to part. He checked his watch, if he didn't leave now he was going to miss his flight. "I've really got to go....." he sighed, planting another kiss on her lips before Jen opened the door of his car and got out onto the roadside a short distance from her home where he had pulled over so as not to be seen. Blowing him one final kiss, she shut the door and watched as he drove away, already feeling the pang of emptiness in her heart.

Eight weeks. That's how long he was going to be gone for, eight whole weeks. God this was going to be hard. And it was hard, incredibly hard for both of them. They talked on the phone as often as they could but it was no substitute for being together, holding each other, being with each other day after day. Eight weeks. Almost two months of being apart. A time in which they realised that they could live without each other, they just didn't want to.

It was a Tuesday in the middle of August when David returned to LA and straight into Jen's arms. As arranged, she arrived at his home only a few hours after he stepped off the plane and there she stayed for the rest of the week, making up for lost time together and re-connecting in every possible way. As usual they ordered take out, talked, listened to music, watched the sunset from his back yard and just generally enjoyed the time they had together. On Friday evening Jen had taken a call from her agent, wanting to know if she fancied going to see U2 in concert the next weekend as they had some VIP tickets available. Naturally Jen jumped at the chance since she was a huge fan. 'How many tickets would you like?' she was asked. Jen had replied instantly, 'Two please', putting the phone down and turning to David.

"I just got us tickets to see U2!" she exclaimed.

"That sounds great, but we can't go to the concert together" David replied, "It would be way too obvious. There would be photos, the press will be there...... it's far too risky. He saw the look of disappointment on Jen's face. "Sweetie I'm sorry, but we just can't......"

There was a moment of silence..... "I guess you're right" Jen sighed. "I didn't think, I just figured it would be nice to actually go out and do something together."

"You're right, it would be great, but you know we can't go just the two of us. Maybe you could call back and see if we could all go ?" he said, referring to the six Friends.

"OK, yeah, I guess I'll call back and ask."

She did call back, and of course they were more than happy for the six of them to go as it would create fabulous media content, but Jen couldn't shake the feeling of frustration from her brain. Why did things have to be so damn complicated.

As it happened, not all six of the gang could make it, and it ended up being Jen, David, Courteney and Matt who went. It was a great gig with lots of fun, and lots of dancing, Jen and David carrying on their own dance in the privacy of his bedroom until the early hours of the morning.

Monday morning saw them back at Studio 24 for the start of Season Three. They could barely believe how much life had changed since that fateful day three years earlier when they had all sat around the table together for the first time, nervously reading lines from a script and feeling the magic in the air as the characters suddenly jumped off the page and became wonderful, three dimensional, human beings.

Jen and David couldn't help but smile to themselves as they were handed the script for the first episode which featured Rachel playing out Ross's Princess Leia fantasy, or at least trying to. Neither of them had forgotten the fun they had at the end of season two, when Rachel got to enjoy Ross in his sailor uniform, the same uniform that David had managed to smuggle home for the weekend so they could re-create their own slightly raunchier version of the storyline. Jen caught David's eye across the table and winked, thinking that they really did have the best job in the world.

"So is Princess Leia just a Ross thing or is it a Scwhimmy thing too?" Jen grinned, as she entered his dressing room, pushing the door to behind her.

"Oh, it's definitely just a Ross thing....." David grinned, "although you in any bikini, now that's a me thing...." he added, pulling her down into his lap as he did, his lips finding hers in a heartbeat, where they remained for a few enjoyable minutes. "Mmmmmm I've missed this" he breathed, "..... this feels like home. This set, you, here....."

Jen leaned in for another tender kiss, breaking the connection before things got too heated. "I've missed this too. It feels safe in here, protected by these walls." She was just moving in for another round of kisses when they were interrupted by a tap on the door. Quickly scooting off David's lap and onto a chair next to him, Jen wiped her lips and adjusted her top as Lisa entered the room, not letting on if she suspected anything but scaring the two of them just the same.

"That was a close call" Jen whispered later as they were blocking scenes for the show, "sorry, I should've locked the door."

"I think we got away with it" David replied, nervously looking around to make sure they weren't being watched, "we'll just have to be a little more careful, I guess. The last thing we need is to be caught out rather than coming clean on our own terms."

"Do you think anyone suspects anything?" Jen's face wore a worried frown now, also looking over her shoulder for fear of someone being privy to their muttered conversation.

"I'd be kind of surprised if no one did to be honest, I mean, we aren't always that subtle are we? Spooning on the couch, all the flirting, hours behind closed doors in each other's dressing rooms..... it must look a little suspect at least wouldn't you think?"

"I guess because we've always done it, it's just kind of accepted that it's who and how we are. It would probably look more suspect now if we stopped." Jen stuttered as she finished her sentence, a thought obviously coming into her mind, "Are you saying you want to be more careful, or are you saying you want to stop this?"

"Of course I'm not saying that, I just think we need to be a little more mindful that's all. I'd like to control who we tell and when and I don't want to be forced into a confession because we got a little careless and were caught out."

"Ok, I'll do my best to keep my hands to myself then" Jen mumbled, the look on her face a mixture of hurt and a little anger.

"Hey don't be like that, I'm just trying to protect us" David whispered as loud as he dared.

"I know, I know" Jen replied, "It's just so damn frustrating....." her voice trailing off as several crew members were headed towards them, needing them for setting camera angles. She followed David into the coffee house, sitting down on the couch with a sigh, a little further away from him than she usually would sit, knowing she was being petty and immature, but struggling to contain her aggravation at the situation they found themselves in once again, wanting so much more but always another hurdle or another obstacle in the way.