Hey guys! So this chapter took a little bit longer to write than I would have liked, but I got it out here and that's all that matters haha. I hate to take up more time addressing this, but it needs to be said- I'm not sure if you've realized this, but this is my story. Therefore, I will not be bending to anyone's requests or complaints. So taking the time to review and complain that you don't like my pairings is a waste of your time and mine. There are plenty of other stories on FanFiction that I'm sure you'd enjoy. No one's forcing you to read mine.

With that said, thank you to those of you who've reviewed with constructive criticism! It means SO much that you're enjoying and I'm so glad you like it! Thank you and enjoy!


Early Modern Fantasy

Chapter Seven: Disney After Dark

"This is the Downtown Disney Area. Everything you need to eat, shop and be merry is right here! Over seventy unique stores and restaurants. Browse an array of shops that offer everything from the art of Disney to the art of the motorcycle! And pick up anything from the hottest surf gear to the finest cigar. Sample hot Latin rhythms and food at Bongo's Cuban Café and live performances from some of the top names on the circuit at the House of Blues, where they serve some great southern-inspired cooking, too! And get your Irish on at Raglan Road Irish pub and restaurant with great food and nightly entertainment. And if you're in the mood for outstanding entertainment, don't miss Cirque du Soleil. That's right, the Cirque du Soleil, right here in Florida, with a show called La Nouba. It's only here and it's absolutely one of the most amazing things you'll ever see!"

Thursday June twenty-first, Annie Edison, forever the earliest riser, wakes up to find the gorgeous Disney property they're staying in being pelted with thick raindrops, the sky an angry grey, the clouds dark and billowing. This put quite the damper on their plans for the day, namely because they had planned on another park, obviously, and walking and standing around in the rain isn't exactly enjoyable. Around nine a.m., they meet for breakfast and discuss a backup plan for the day, since by the time they're all dressed and seated in the restaurant, the storm has picked up immensely, thunder exploding in the sky and lightening illuminating even the darkest of clouds.

The thing is, though there is plenty to do within Disney's Old Key West Resort, namely bike and boat rentals, basketball courts, and a golf course among other things, nearly every kind of recreational activity takes place outdoors. There's a fitness center and an arcade, but no one feels like working out while on vacation and there's only so many times you can play Whack-A-Mole before wanting to smash the mallet into your own head. Around noon, when they've exhausted all possibilities, they're sitting in the lobby chatting and resting their forever aching feet when they realize the storm is passing and the sky is getting considerably lighter. The rain has slowed to a miserable drizzle, but they realize maybe their day had been a waste, but their night didn't have to be.

They decide to spend their evening at Downtown Disney, the strip of restaurants, shops, and clubs only a short five-minute bus ride away from their resort. Abed scores them tickets to Cirque du Soleil at seven fifteen, so they figure they'll head over around five o'clock for dinner and then go to the show. They're excited now, knowing their night won't be as boring as the day had been, and head off to their respective rooms to get ready. No special t-shirts tonight; instead, the guys dress nicely in dark jeans and button downs, while the girls take to wearing dresses or skirts. At five p.m. on the dot and under a slight spitting of rain, they board the bus to Downtown Disney and they're off.

It's larger than they'd expected, but then again, this is Disney, whose properties are never anything shorter than impressive. They exit the bus near A Parking, which is in the Marketplace, a section of Downtown Disney that hosts restaurants and shops galore. Pierce, their park map guy, finds the stand nearby and comes back with seven, handing them to each member before they stroll further into the Marketplace to find a place to eat. There's an array of meal options, from sandwich shops and fast food restaurants to seafood shacks and sit-down locales and at first, the group can't decide. They walk through Downtown Disney with their eyes and ears open, before Annie suggests they dine at the Rainforest Café and everyone, especially Britta, agrees.

It is packed and getting a table for seven takes a half hour of waiting, but then they're finally seated beneath the dewy rainforest canopy, the chirping of birds and howling of monkeys heard in the distance. Britta gasps and points to the bottom of the menu, reading aloud, "Look! Ten percent of every check is donated to charities involved with saving the rainforests!"

"Wow, dinner and charity work," Jeff smirks. "Color me surprised."

"No! I'm not going to tolerate your cynicism," Annie insists. "Tonight is a fun night out with friends and we are all going to have a good time!"

"Oh no," Troy groans. "You're not going to become Caroline from Corpus Christi again, are you?"

Annie giggles. "No! I don't need to be Caroline to have fun, especially with you guys. We've been having fun all week, it's just that tonight seems… different. I don't know why. We didn't go to a park today, so maybe that's it."

"Yeah, tonight does seem kind of different," Shirley agrees. "I think that's a good thing. We're going to have a great time tonight!"

"I agree," Abed nods, brandishing the menu. "Now, who wants in on the Awesome Appetizer Adventure?"

A chorus of agreement fills the air. Britta pores over the description. "Ideal for two or more, featuring our Chimi-Cha-Chas, Spinach & Artichoke Dip with tri-colored tortilla chips, Cheese Sticks and Chicken Tenders. Served with fresh guacamole, marinara and coconut curry sauce… What the hell is a Chimi-Cha-Cha?"

"It's like a pot sticker," Annie tells her. "Kind of like Chinese dumplings, I guess."

"Well you can put coconut on anything and I'll eat it," Pierce says and everyone grimaces at the thought. "I'm in."

They put their order in, not only for the appetizer but their meals as well, and return to discussing their evening. Shirley grins excitedly. "There's so much to do, I don't know what I want to do first! Gourmet candy stores, the World of Disney… Oh, I'll have to stop in the LEGO Imagination Center for the boys! They love LEGOs."

"Ooh, they have that amazing store, Disney Days of Christmas," Annie points out on the map. "They have the most amazing ornaments and Christmas decorations I have ever seen."

"Who wants to think about Christmas in June?" Britta asks and Annie wrinkles her nose. "I have one place in mind and one place only- the House of Blues."

"You got it!" Pierce agrees. "Anyone who wants to be anyone in rock 'n roll gets their start there."

"Lame," Troy frowns. "Who wants to waste their time listening to music when you can go to DisneyQuest?"

All of them, except Abed, stare at Troy as though he's speaking another language. Finally Annie asks, "And DisneyQuest would be…?"

Troy gasps in horror, holding a hand over his heart, and Abed shakes his head disapprovingly, saying, "It's only the most magnificent indoor virtual theme park ever."

"The most magnificent indoor virtual theme park ever!" Troy repeats. "How could you not know?"

"Never heard of it," Jeff tells the two who shake their heads in shock. "But it figures that the one day we don't go to a theme park you want to spend your night in one."

"What are you planning on doing with your night, Jeff?" Britta asks and the latter smirks.

"I'm going to get a drink," Jeff answers as if it's obvious. "There has to be some place around here that's adults-only."

Some chuckle, some roll their eyes, but they have to agree that his answer is so typical Jeff. When food is delivered, they share the appetizer and eat their meals in contemplative silence, thinking not only of the night ahead, but of the rest of their vacation. Following tonight, there are only three days left before they leave for Colorado bright and early Monday morning. Not one of them is looking forward to driving three additional days, nor are they excited to be leaving their cozy Disney sanctuary, but unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.

Meals finished and paid for, they head into the night air, rain still spitting at them from the thick clouds above, and down the strip towards the West Side, where the theater is located. It's a little after seven, now, and they make it just in time to hand in their tickets and find their nosebleed seats for Cirque du Soleil, La Nouba. It's no wonder the tickets were so cheap; their seats are absolutely awful. The flipping acrobats and the tricks of the trade are so tiny, it's like they're barely watching anything at all. At intermission, they buy cheap binoculars and feel like they're at the opera, but the second half of the show is much more enjoyable.

Upon the completion of the show, they all exit into the moonlit strip and try to come to an agreement upon where to go next, but realize their interests are too far-fetched to compromise. Instead, they split up; Britta and Pierce, an odd combination, have been talking nonstop about the birth of "good music" and head off towards the pulsating House of Blues. Jeff heads towards the middle section of Downtown Disney, entitled Pleasure Island, in search of alcohol, and Shirley and Annie, who want to make tonight memorable, go after him. Troy and Abed, of course, want nothing more than to experience "the most magnificent indoor virtual theme park ever" and head towards DisneyQuest.

DisneyQuest happens to be right beside the oddly-shaped Cirque du Soleil theater, so Troy and Abed don't walk far before they're immersed inside the indoor virtual theme park. DisneyQuest allows visitors to create and experience their own rides and this, in turn, makes it Troy and Abed's new heaven. They ride the small-scale virtual rides first; they battle pirates for buccaneer gold, plunge down a prehistoric river in the dinosaur age, battle super villains in a comic book world, and play through a life-sized pinball game, Mighty Ducks-style. Then, just when they think it can't get any better, they come upon CyberSpace Mountain.

"Welcome to CyberSpace Mountain!" Bill Nye the Science Guy, on the computer before them, greets excitedly. "I'm here to assist you with the laws of physics as your design your own roller coaster! Make it as timid or as scary as you want and when you're finished, take it for a spin yourself!"

"Abed," Troy says quietly. "I think we just died and went to heaven."

Abed nods slowly. "I don't think I've ever been happier."

CyberSpace Mountain allows visitors to create their own roller coaster by building the tracks and then testing it out in an M-16 flight simulator. Troy and Abed receive their boarding pass, swipe it, and then are provided with three options for the world they want their coaster to take place in. Troy asks, "Okay, do we want to fly through Land of Lava, The Ice Planet, or Astronomical… something, I can't read what that says."

"Lava, always lava," Abed decides, tapping that option as three new ones replaced them. "Choose your speed- Easy Does It, Lightning Fast, or Hang on for Your Life?"

"Hang on for Your Life!" Troy grins, choosing that option as the Thrill-O-Meter appears on the screen. "Ooh, look! We're a level five! The most thrilling!"

"Nice," Abed says and then hundreds of tracks fill the screen. "Okay. Let's get to work."

They add curves and dips, loops and corkscrews, inversions and accelerations. Each time they add a new track piece, they watch as it appears onscreen and a tiny roller coaster car speeds through their newly-designed track. It's absolutely thrilling and exciting and the two are having the time of their lives designing their ride. Finally, they finish their coaster with a huge dive through lava at the end and head up to the launch bay, handing their boarding pass to the navigator on deck. He swipes their card and says, "Land of Lava, a level five? That's daring! You'll be going upside down seven times. Does that work for you?"

"Always," Abed tells him and the guy chuckles.

"Alright, step right in," He opens the flight simulator to reveal two seats and straps them in. "Enjoy your ride."

They're enclosed in their simulator and everything's calm… but not for long. Soon, they're zooming through their tracks, feeling the heat of the lava even though it's pixilated and fake. The inversions make them feel as though they're falling out of their seats and each loop forces them upside down before righting them again, as if teasing their body's natural cycles. Though they're speeding through the virtual tracks at an insane speed and the loops are churning their undigested dinners, Troy and Abed have grins the size of the Great Wall of China on their faces the entire time.

Meanwhile, Jeff, Annie, and Shirley had ended their extravagant night in a club by the name of Paradiso 37, a lively dance club with an extensive bar. They had first visited all of the shops and trinket stores Annie and Shirley had desired to stop at, including the LEGO store, the World of Disney, and Disney Days of Christmas, just to name a few. They stopped for ice cream in a little place outside Planet Hollywood, and when they'd entered Pleasure Island, the first thing Jeff had heard was the pulsing music emanating from the club before them, the very own Paradiso 37. Jeff had walked through the doors without even a look behind him to see if the girls had followed. It was an entire scotch later when he realized they had.

Shirley is sipping from a pomegranate margarita and Jeff from his second scotch of the night as they two watch Annie pore over the drink menu. "There are so many options… How do I pick one?"

"You don't know what you might like?" Jeff asks and Annie shakes her head vigorously. "Ah, right. You're newly-legal."

He reaches over the table and points towards the drink section. "I recommend the Long Island Iced Tea. It's good for beginners."

"Vodka, Gin, Rum, Tequila…!" Annie gasps, reading the description. "There's so much alcohol in this!"

Jeff rolls his eyes and Shirley says, in a scolding tone, "She's a newbie, Jeff. Give her a break. Annie, you should order Colorado Skies. That's the first drink I ever had and it's delicious!"

"Blue Curaçao, Tequila and Grapefruit Juice," Annie reads and then nods confidently. "Yeah, yeah I can do that."

A moment later, the baby blue drink is delivered and Jeff and Shirley watch her like a hawk as she takes her tentative first sip. She swallows and brightens. "This is good! It's so sweet; you barely taste the alcohol!"

"That's my girl!" Shirley shrieks proudly and gives her a high five.

Jeff chuckles, too. "Welcome to the wonderful world of alcohol, Annie. You are officially an adult."

"Thanks!" Annie bounces excitedly, glancing around and taking in the night club atmosphere. "Wow, this is awesome. I mean, it's so not me, but I can pretend for the sake of the vacation."

Shirley grins. "At least you're having fun, Annie. I'll be right back; I'm going to step out for a minute to call my boys. Watch my drink, will you?"

Annie nods and Shirley leaves their table, heading for the restaurant doors. The brunette takes a long sip of her drink and says, "So… How's life been?"

Jeff smirks, downs the rest of his drink, and responds, "Fine. Nothing's changed since we've been here."

Annie colors, remembering the day before, and replies, "Really? I don't think I can say the same."

"Really? Why not?" Jeff implores and Annie blushes even further.

"Well Abed… You know he's got a thing for movie references-"

"I'm aware of the concept, yeah," Jeff says sarcastically.

"-and yesterday while we were in Epcot, we went to Italy for lunch and we kind of reenacted that scene from Lady and the Tramp. You know, the spaghetti scene?" Annie tells him and when he nods his understanding, she continues. "And then we kind of… kissed. It was really, really nice… But I don't know what it means."

"It sounds like he likes you," Jeff tells her honestly. "I mean he went through all that trouble to reenact a major scene from a movie, an animated movie no less, in a public place. Sounds like Abed's version of romance, to me."

Annie smiles, thinking of this, but then says, "You don't sound jealous."

It isn't an accusation, more of an observation, and Jeff laughs slightly. "I'm not."

And truth be told, he really isn't. It's something that shocks both of them, because everyone knows how awfully he took the news of Annie's past crush on Rich and ever further past relationship with Vaughn. But for some reason, Annie's crush- or maybe more? - on Abed doesn't bother Jeff in the slightest. It's then Jeff realizes that maybe he wasn't jealous of Vaughn or Rich, but instead worried for Annie, because neither the doctor nor the hippie were right for her and he knew that. But somehow, with Abed, things just seem to make sense and since he's already proven he can make her happy, Jeff has absolutely no qualms with this possible relationship.

Annie seems relieved by this admission, not saddened or envious, as she visibly relaxes and says, "Good. I'm glad."

"Yeah," Jeff says. "Well you should probably talk to him. You know, figure it out."

"I know. I should," Annie glances down, drumming her fingernails on the tabletop before looking back at Jeff. "But, um, you should too, you know. Figure things out."

Jeff stares at her and tries to pretend not to know what she's talking about, even though it's looming in the air around them. Shirley returns then but doesn't retake her seat, saying, "Okay, the boys are in bed, Andre apologized for saying my job's easy, the night is young and so are we! Let's dance!"

Annie shrieks her acceptance excitedly and the two head for the dance floor, pausing a moment to turn back and ask, "Jeff? Aren't you coming?"

"Dancing isn't really my thing," He insists. "You guys go ahead."

So they do and on the other side of the strip, near Cirque, are Britta and Pierce, inside the House of Blues where they'd unknowingly attended a concert performed by a lesser-known band named Smokin' Token. Afterwards, they'd shopped around inside the store, looking at memorabilia from different bands and singers, trying on ridiculous costumes, props, and hats, and marveling at the creepy-yet-awesome skeletons bedazzled with rhinestones, glitter, and paint. Finally, it's nearing ten p.m. and the store manager ushers them out so he can shut down production until the morning. On the way out, Pierce makes the fatal mistake of opening the door for Britta.

"I can open a door myself, Pierce," Britta tells him vehemently and Pierce frowns. "I know society has this view that women are physically incapable of doing things for themselves, but that doesn't mean I am going to conform to the societal norms."

"A simple 'thank you' would suffice," Pierce grunts under his breath.

Britta turns to him. "What did you say?"

"Do you ever get tired of being a cynical pain-in-the-ass?" Pierce asks and Britta scoffs, indignant. "No, really. Is it so wrong that my mother raised me with chivalrous intentions?"

"Chivalry is dead and belongs in the medieval ages," Britta responds.

Pierce sighs. "Maybe so, but I was just trying to help you out because I like you. You're my friend."

Britta stops walking, near speechless. "I like you, too, Pierce. I'm sorry. I… I didn't… I was just-"

"Look, I know you're becoming a therapist because you want to help people. I know you like to take care of people," Pierce says. "But maybe you need to be taken care of, for a bit."

Britta stares at him. "What do you mean?"

"I think you know what I mean," Pierce winks at her. "I think I'm going to head back to the hotel. I'm exhausted. Annie says she, Shirley, and Jeff are at Paradiso 37 in Pleasure Island if you want to join them. Or you can always go with Troy and Ay-bed at that virtual what'cha-ma-call-it."

He takes off and leaves Britta standing in the middle of the street, thinking about what he'd just said. She considers it, for a while, before shaking her head and walking towards Pleasure Island, Paradiso 37 and alcohol the only things on her mind. On the way in, she passes Shirley and Annie, who both seem high on pleasure and tell her they're heading over to the tethered hot air balloon in the middle of the strip and that Jeff's still inside. She enters, spots him, and hits the bar first, ordering her usual vodka before joining him.

"Nice find," She says after taking a long sip of her drink. "I've missed vodka."

He laughs. "Yeah. Only took a week, but we finally got the party started."

She stares at him. "How many of those have you had?"

"Four," Jeff tells her, but holds up five fingers. "I'm not driving, who cares?"

"Yeah, but the storm's blown over and we're going to a park tomorrow," Britta informs him. "You want to do that hung-over?"

"Challenge accepted," He says and Britta rolls her eyes.

"Why are you getting drunk off your ass right now?" She asks point blank and he shrugs.

"I don't know, I'm trying to think," He replies. "I think better with scotch."

"I'm sure you do," She says sarcastically, polishing off her drink and beckoning for a new one. "Look, um, I want to talk about yesterday."

Jeff groans. "I don't. That's what I was thinking about."

"You were?" She asks incredulously. "Why?"

"I want to tell you a secret," He whispers and she has to lean closer to hear him over the pulsating music. "I was jealous of that Samir guy."

Britta rolls her eyes. "I know that. That's not a secret."

"I don't know why though," Jeff admits. "You make me feel weird."

"You make me feel weird," Britta agrees. "Like yesterday, lunch was really nice. I mean, I'll forever love arguing with you and the back-and-forth we have is essential to keeping the balance but… I like when we can be civil, too. You are my best friend."

"Yeah, you're my best friend," Jeff says, watching Britta down another drink as she too begins to feel the alcohol's effect. "And I've never had one before so I don't want to screw that up, but they're still there."

"What's still there?" Britta asks drunkenly, both waiting for and dreading the answer.

"Feelings," Jeff tells her. "They're there. All over the place."

"Feelings," Britta repeats.

Jeff nods. "It's obnoxious, you know? Like a fluttering… or a buzzing… Or-"

But Jeff doesn't finish his sentence, because Britta leans over and kisses him and everything is lost in the moment. She, like always, doesn't want to deal with feelings, so she does the one thing she knows will shut him up and kisses him quite effectively. But everything they've been through, with their three tension-filled years at Greendale and their roller coaster of a relationship, is reflected in the kiss and it is, somehow, entirely different than the last time this happened (which, was in the janitor's closet after Shirley and Andre's remarriage, but don't tell anyone).

They're pried apart by the nagging hostess telling them to take their party elsewhere, so they toss a few bills on the table to pay for their drinks and leave the bar. Drunkenly, they stumble down the streets of Downtown Disney, arm in arm for balance, towards the bus stop, board the bus back to the resort, and take up the backseat making out. A harsh stop outside of the resort and a disapproving glare from the bus driver tells them they're home again and they stumble out again, entering the lobby and the elevator with one destination in mind. Jeff's room's closer to the elevator, so when they make it to the fourth floor with a loud ding, they're pressed up against his door as Jeff fumbles for the room key, and after denying them entry twice, they finally make it in.

And that's when they really take flight. Clothes discarded, bed sheets turned back, and the only light coming from the glittering stars and gleaming full moon shining through the unclosed curtains. He tells her she's beautiful and she doesn't believe him, but then she's never been good at taking compliments from anyone before. They come together as one as they had so many times previous to this one, and it's so cliché, but this time it feels different; maybe because they make it different or maybe because they've changed. Either way, when it's over, breathing ragged and hair frazzled, they stare at each other and wonder just what it is about them that makes it impossible for them to turn away.

If Walt Disney could see them now, Britta thinks just as she drifts off to sleep, he'd be spinning in his grave.