Jeff sighed as he finished wrapping his Secret Santa present. He'd proposed the 'Secret Santa' idea this year in order to avoid what had happened last year - everyone saying they weren't going to buy gifts, and then everyone buying gifts, leaving the one person who didn't buy gifts feeling guilty because he was the only one who actually did what everyone said they were going to do.

He had regretted it the moment he pulled a name out of the hat. Britta. The most impossible person in the world to buy for. If the gift was too nice she'd complain about materialism and children in China and whatever it was she got geared up about when he tuned her out. If it wasn't nice enough he'd get chewed out for being lazy and thoughtless and not caring enough.

Looking down at the simple envelope that he'd wrapped in green paper and tied in a red bow, Jeff was apprehensive about the gift. He was pretty sure he had nailed it. Since the end of his time at Greendale he had really been trying to stay that good guy he had become. For more than one reason. Still, he was a little concerned that the gift might be construed as too generous, and he really didn't want to send the wrong message.

A knock at the door shook him out of his thoughts. He made sure all the snacks and drinks for the party were out and went to answer the door. Unsurprisingly, the first person to arrive - twenty minutes early - was Annie.

"Merry Christmas!" she sang as she went in for a hug, encumbered by the bags slung over both arms.

"Merry Christmas," Jeff returned, taking one of the bags.

"I know how you are, so I brought a few things to..." she trailed off as she looked around the room, surprised to see the tree, the lights, and the various Christmas decoractions around the apartment. "...decorate."

"Yes, I know, I'm full of surprises," he said as he helped her out of her coat.

"I just... you decorated," Annie noted slowly. Jeff couldn't tell if she was just confused or disappointed.

"It is Christmas." He was starting to feel awkward and strangely offended by her reaction to his Christmas decorations.

Annie was silent for a moment, and then the confustion on her face morphed into a pout. "But I brought all these things..."

"Well, you can still put them up. No such thing as too many Christmas decorations, right?"

"Right!" she said cheerfully, before turning a scrutinizing eye on him. "Are you feeling all right?"

"Just filled with Christmas cheer!" he defended lamely.

Soon, Annie's decorations had been added to his own, and the rest of the group had arrived. He would never admit it out loud, but he had been looking forward to this party the way a little kid looks forward to Christmas. Even though he and his friends had made a point of seeing each other after his graduation from Greendale, it wasn't the same as seeing each other every day.

It didn't take long before Troy and Abed started jumping in their seats excitedly chanting "Presents, presents, presents!"

Jeff was apprehensive through the entire gift giving process, growing more and more nervous about his gift for Britta. He kept hoping the next gift would be his so that he could then give his gift and get it all over with. Unfortunately, it wasn't until the very end that he got his gift (a very nice tie and tie clip from Shirley), so Britta would be the last person to open her present.

Trying not to let his nerves show, Jeff grabbed the wrapped envelope from under the tree and handed it to Britta before sitting back down. Britta looked at the gift and aimed a raised eyebrow at Jeff. "Feels half-assed."

"Just open it."

He noted the skepticism on her face as she removed the wrapping paper and opened the enveloped. The look morphed to confusion as she opened the card. "A blank check?"

"Read the card."

Britta's eyes filled with tears as she read. "You're going to pay for Daniel's surgery?"

"I know how much you love that disgusting cat, so..."

"I don't know what to say," she half-sobbed as she pulled Jeff into a tight hug.

"You're welcome," he said quietly, returning the hug.

When Britta finally let him go, he looked around the room, wanting to see one reaction in particular. He saw Troy and Abed playing with Troy's new Rockem Sockem Robots from Annie, Pierce sneaking something from a flask into his egg nog, and Britta showing Shirley pictures of Daniel on her camera, but the person he was looking for was nowhere to be seen.

Wandering into the kitchen, he found Annie re-filling the bowl of chips.

"Hey." She jumped at his voice, spinning around with wide eyes. When she saw it was him, she plastered a wide smile across her face.

"Hey!" Jeff's brow furrowed as he noted her slightly red eyes and the nervousness of her voice.

"You okay?"

"Out of chips!" she chirped, holding up the newly filled bowl as proof. She tried to push past him, but he gently took the bowl from her hands and placed it on the counter.

"Everyone out there is pretty occupied. I don't think anyone will notice the lack of chips." He smiled softly at her, trying to put her at ease. "You were so busy decorating earlier, and then everyone got here and we kind of jumped right into gifts. We haven't really had a chance to talk."

"Oh. Okay," Annie replied quietly as she backed up against the counter on the far side of the room.

"That Build-A-Bear Troy got you is adorable." Jeff inwardly cringed at the way the word 'adorable' sounded coming out of his mouth.

Why was this so hard?

Annie's nerves seemed to disappear for a moment as she smiled. "Yeah. It was really thoughtful. Of course, it doesn't really even start to make up for all the stuffed animals they destroyed in the Dreamatorium."

"I'm glad Britta liked mye gift. She's the most impossible person to buy for."

In an instant, Annie's demeanor changed. "Yeah, it was really sweet," she said quietly, looking at her feet.

"It wasn't too much, was it? I was worried it might be too much."

"No! It was... it was great. I mean, yeah, it's a lot of money, but it's not like you can't afford it. And really, I think the real gift is that she'll be able to quit that bar tending job she hates that she took on to save up for the surgery, and-"

"You're rambling," Jeff cut her off. Annie's eyes grew wide.

"Was I? Sorry! It's just... it was such a sweet gift."

"Well, you know, now that I don't have you guys around all the time to constantly beat me into submission, I have to make and actually effort to be a decent person."

"You're too hard on yourself."

Jeff shrugged. "I'm trying to be a 'real' person, you know? Not just an overpriced clump of fabric and hair product."

Annie giggled. "I can't believe you remember that."

"Well, it stuck. Now it's the very thing I try not to be." He swallowed as he decided to move in for the kill. "I need to be a real person if I want to have a real life, you know? Friends, a job where I don't ruin people's lives, a relationship."

Annie turned around quickly and busied herself with grabbing a class from the cupboard. "Was that what the gift was about?"

"Yeah, I mean, I figured it was the sort of thing a good person would do. Paying for an surgery despite how much they hate that horrible cat."

"No, I meant..." she turned around, but didn't meet his eyes. "...the relationship part. Was that gift really about... a relationship?"

Jeff took a deep breath to calm his nerves. "Not completely. I really did want to do something nice for Britta. For whoever I got for Secret Santa. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't trying to impress someone."

"Well, I think it worked."

"Yeah?" he asked, a smile growing on his face.

"I think this was proof to Britta that you're ready to be a better person for her."

"Yeah... wait. What?"

"And really, it's great," Annie went on as if he hadn't said anything, filling her glass with water, her movements twitchy. "I'm sure Abed can name some television trope about the couple that started the series finally getting together in the end. You guys have been doing this thing for so long, so it's great that you'll finally be together. Really! It's great!" She finally stopped to take a long drink of water as Jeff stared at her, not understanding her thought process.

"Annie," he said slowly, stepping toward her and pulling a small box from his pocket. "I'm not talking about Britta.

"Jeff, it's fine, you don't have to-"

"I'm not. Talking. About. Britta," he said with finality, taking her hand and pressing the box into it. Annie's eyes flew to his, wide and confused. After a few moments of holding her gaze and her hand, Jeff pressed a kiss to her cheek and left the kitchen.

After taking a moment to catch her breath, Annie slowly opened the box. Inside she found a simple silver bracelet with a single heart charm and a note that read "Friday. 7:30. Wear this." And at the bottom of the note: - "And a dress, of course. I mean, if you wanted to wear just the bracelet and nothing else, I certainly wouldn't complain, but they probably won't let you into the restaurant if you're naked."

A surprised laugh escaped her as she ran her fingers over the bracelet. She would, of course, chastise Jeff for breaking the "only buy for the person you draw" rule of Secret Santa. On Friday. On their date.

Best. Christmas. Ever.

THE END