Snake Eyes and the Baroness skidded downhill to the river bank. The Baroness felt something stir in her heart. Just earlier this week she'd been pining for Ripcord, but now he seemed distant, a silly ideal she'd made up long ago as to what a perfect man looked like. But Snake Eyes was right here with her. He'd saved her several times ever since she joined the Joes, but she never appreciated how much he'd sacrificed for her until today.

He used to be attached… at least she though he was. He never said anything to anyone, but he'd secretly pined to be with Scarlet, who was also her best friend. But that didn't seem to go anywhere. They were still on speaking terms --- which Snake Eyes could do after he broke his code of silence --- but romantically linked?

Besides, Snake Eyes had that butt that just wouldn't quit.

The Baroness' daydreams were interrupted when Breaker, a weasely Moroccan information specialist, interrupted on his comlink.

"Earth to Baroness," he said. "We've located the duct entrance. It looks like only you can crawl through the opening."

"Me?" Annie squeaked. "Why me?"

"Because while I do admittedly have a very thin and flexible frame, I can't get past the first three feet of length without dislocating my spinal cord," Abed said. "Unlike everything the Star Trek series has been telling us, ducts in the real world are narrow confined spaces that only people below the 50th percentile can access. Since you are the smallest out of the three of us, you stand the best chance of making it through the school's duct system. Which I wouldn't be asking you if Troy hadn't knocked over Fievel's cage again."

"I apologized about that like seven times already," Troy said, his brow covered with sweat. "This wouldn't be a problem if God didn't make mice with beady eyes and wet, snuffling snouts." He shook in disgust.

"What is with you guys and that mouse?" Annie said, exasperated. "Is this becoming a thing for you two?"

"If this were a fan fiction," Abed said, "we'd be guilty of repeating the exact same scenes that the viewer already saw on TV. Just a thought."

"Stop it, Abed," Annie said. "We are not a fan fiction."

"Yeah," said Troy. "If this was a fan fiction, the winning team would start losing a few games before rallying the last few games just to squeak into the playoffs. What?"

Annie cocked her eyebrows, while Abed just ignored him.

"Here's a Bluetooth I paired up with your cell phone ahead of time," Abed said, fastening it to Annie's ear. "You can thank me later. I'll communicate to you via my laptop, where I have a schematic of the school's ventilation system. If you see Fievel or if you get lost, give me a call and I'll point you in the right direction. Don't worry. It'll be a piece of cake."

"Alright," Annie said, crouching down at the vent that Troy had jimmied open with a crowbar minutes earlier. She flashed a stern glance at the two guys. "Don't look up my skirt."

----

Britta caught Jeff in the student lounge watching morning TV.

"You know, the Nesquik generally gets more sugar than the Trix rabbit," he said. "But that can't be too good for his health. He's probably halfway to getting Type II diabetes. Who's the real winner here?"

"We need to talk, Jeff," Britta said, cornering him.

"Why do I get this weird feeling that you're my mom and you found a stack of dirty magazines between my mattresses?" Jeff replied.

Britta persisted. "What exactly is going on between you and Annie?"

Jeff looked up from his magazine. "Do I detect a little jealousy, Miz Perry?"

"You wish," Britta replied slyly. "Kinda convenient that whenever Annie asks for you, you come to her rescue, don't you think?"

"Hey," Jeff replied defensively, "it's not like I'm jumping at the opportunity."

"It's not like you're not jumping at the opportunity, either," Britta said. "Don't get me wrong, Jeff. I think it's kind of cute. You get Troy to join the football team, Annie steps in, you try to get him out of it. You pretend to be cold to her on Halloween, Annie needs a dance partner for the evening, and there you are. She needs a debate partner, you join the team, and you save the day with a kiss. Interesting."

"What's your point, Britta?"

"Are you in love with her, Jeff?"

"Whoa," Jeff said. "That was … a pretty big leap of logic there. And I'm not sure I'm quite comfortable with your tone. When did you become Dr. Phil?"

"Is it?" Britta said. "Is it really? You're both my friends. Don't get me wrong, I find your chivalry one of your most endearing qualities. But you can't keep stringing her along, Jeff."

Jeff slumped his shoulders, and his face dropped to a vulnerable look. For the couple of months that they'd taken class together, Britta could honestly say she had never seen Jeff like this before. "What if I'm not ready to decide?" Jeff said.

"I think you're a good guy, Jeff," Britta said, cupping his hands, "but you can be a real coward sometimes. Which totally makes you a guy. It's easy to hide your feelings behind jokes and quips. And that's fine. But if you're not ready to admit you're in love with her…."

----

Abed was right. There wasn't much room in the air vents. It was downright claustrophic: four walls of flexing metal hemming you in. Annie found herself crawling forward on her knees and elbows. Why hadn't he thought of giving her elbow pads and knee pads? It's not like they ever locked the equipment locker at the gym.

Suddenly, she spotted something small and white ahead. Fievel! He was maybe ten feet away, perched in front of a slotted exit vent. What was it Abed and Troy had to do to get that little rodent to come?

"Somewhere, out there," Annie sang, "beneath the … uh … pale blue sky?"

"Actually, it's pale moonlight," Abed said over the Bluetooth. "Not that it's going to work. Fievel only responds to Troy and myself's combined voices, so your voice is wholly foreign. Plus you're on the wrong octave and slightly off-key."

"Thanks a lot," Annie repled.

"You're going to have to grab Fievel by the tail and bring him back," Abed said.

"Where am I supposed to stuff him?" Annie asked. "My mouth?"

"Well, hopefully someplace warm and soft, like your…"

"Don't SAY IT, Abed."

"What's wrong about your sweater pocket? I noticed you had a button flap."

"Oh. Yeah. Good thinking."

Annie crawled forward and took a swipe at Fievel's tail. She missed. The mouse crawled a few inches to the left, but hadn't broken into a sprint yet. So far, so good. Annie crawled a few inches further. She cupped her hand to one side to prevent Fievel from escaping, then snapped her fingers forward. Got him.

As she started to pull Fievel toward her, she noticed a flickering light through the vent. This must be the student lounge, she thought. When were they going to replace those old TVs with flat screens? And sitting on the sofa in front of the TV were Britta and Jeff.

She wanted to tap on the grate to give them a little scare. How did she get there, they'd wonder? Secret passages, she's reply, just to mess with them. She would've done that, but she noticed that Britta was holding Jeff's hand in hers. And she caught a snip of Britta's voice.

"… I want you to turn her down."

"Now that's a surprise," Jeff said. "This is usually the moment when you insist that helping others is great for my development as a human being."

"Not this time," Britta replied. "You've got to sort your own feelings out before you run gung-ho into things anymore. Don't do that singing contest with Annie, Jeff. For me."

Annie was confused. Why would Britta be so insistent that Jeff not be on Greendale Idol. Unless…. Annie gulped. We're Britta and Jeff…. No. They never said anything about it to the Spanish study group. But Britta was Jeff's dream girl… the only reason he started the study group… or so Britta said. Were they seeing each other in secret?

Oh God, Annie thought. I'm such a loser.

"Annie," Abed inquired on the Bluetooth. "Did you get Fievel yet?"

Annie looked at her hands. The mouse had slipped out.

Suddenly, an girlish, ear-shattering scream pierced her eardrums.

"Never mind," Abed replied. "Fievel found his way back. Troy? Troy?"