So this is it, friends! We've reached the end! I finished this chapter at 12:35 a.m. this morning, or so my Word document tells me, so that tells you how obsessive I am haha. I had to finish this! This one was probably the most fun chapter, even though I've been saying that about all of them from the beginning. But whatever guys. It's enjoyable haha. So their time in Disney has come to an end, as has this story, so enjoy and as Mickey says, see ya real soon!

Early Modern Fantasy

Chapter Ten: Where Dreams Come True

"Come to the legendary place where dreams come true! Full of classic Disney entertainment and attractions, Magic Kingdom park is where fantasy really is reality! Experience the incredible imagination of Disney Imagineers all around you and in every moment. Get lost in the whimsy of fairytales! Conquer mountains with fellow thrill seekers! Watch kids of all ages get wide-eyed as they meet movie heroes and beloved Disney characters. Discover you're a Disney pirate or princess at heart! Here, every magical day has an enchanting end!"

Sunday June 24th marks their final day in Disney and what better way to end their vacation than with the sixth and final Disney park- Magic Kingdom. Their t-shirt of the day, which Jeff, Pierce, and Britta immediately complain about, is a majestic pink with golden storybook font, signifying the fairytale theme for the day. Everyone is upset by the fact that it's their last day of the magnificent vacation, but they're determined to make the most of Magic Kingdom and all of the opportunities it has in store for them.

Magic Kingdom is, by far, the most majestic and popular of the Disney World theme parks. It may be the smallest, but it is packed with magic at every turn, whether it's in the classic rides, the amazing shows, or the endless parades of excitement and youth. Magic Kingdom boasts the colorful characters and princesses people of all ages love and there are endless opportunities to meet them throughout the day. The moment the seven are through the great iron gates, they're immersed in the whimsical magic of childhood once more.

The park is divided into seven separate neighborhoods- Main Street U.S.A., Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Mickey's Toontown Fair, Tomorrowland, and Fantasyland. They're in no real hurry to finish the park, since finishing it means the end of the vacation, and since Magic Kingdom is open until ten p.m., they have plenty of time to get through it. Walking down Main Street U.S.A., there is a familiar sense of coming home. The next sight they see is Cinderella's Castle, the most majestic and realistic depiction of a fairytale in all the land, but hundreds of feet before it, a group of children and their parents are gathered.

Upon closer inspection, they see it's because Mickey and Minnie Mouse are doing a meet and greet right outside the castle. Shirley coos over the children, "Aw, they're so little and cute! Look how excited they are! This really makes me miss my boys."

"Guys, we should go wait in line!" Annie suggests. "We have to get a picture with Mickey and Minnie, and what better place to get it than in front of the castle!"

"Yeah, it'll complete our photo ops!" Troy agrees. "We got one in front of the Fantasia hat at Hollywood Studios, the crystal ball thing at Epcot, and the Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom, so we'll obviously need one here!"

The parents of the children meeting Mickey and Minnie give the group odd glances, mainly because the seven adults have no children with them, but when their turn comes, they crowd around Minnie and Mickey without a care. Annie gives one of the parents her camera and after a few snapshots, they have the perfect photo. She promises to print seven copies of each of their group photos so every member can have tangible evidence of their dream vacation. Following the photo, they thank Mickey and Minnie, as well as the mother who took the picture, and head deeper into the park.

Upon entering Adventureland, they find a few attractions that tickle their fancy. They ride the zany riverboat Jungle Cruise and climb high into the treetops in the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse before passing a large golden camel and knowing they're in Arabia. Abed and Annie are immediately excited. "We absolutely have to go on the Magic Carpets of Aladdin! It's such a kid's ride, but it's magical!"

"Yeah, I'll pass," Jeff negates and heads in a different direction. "I'm not one for kiddie rides."

"Me either," Britta refuses. "But enjoy."

As the others board their flying carpets for a magical flight over Agrabah, Jeff and Britta, with some awkward tension, head towards a nearby market stand. Jeff says, "Not really in the mood to discover a whole new world."

"It's a cute movie, but the ride's for kids," Britta agrees. "Well, actually, they're all pretty much for kids, so we're going to have to get over this."

"Yeah, that's probably true." Jeff sighs. "So… Did you have a good day yesterday?"

Britta scrunches her nose. "Ugh, we're making small talk? When are we going to get back to normal?"

"I don't know, everything's weird," Jeff frowns. "Can we just…?"

"Yeah," Britta smiles, reaching over towards a Mickey paraphernalia stand and grabbing one of the iconic Mickey ears hats. "Only if you wear one of these hats."

She places the hat on his head and he gives her a look. "Sure, why not? Pink shirt, Mickey ear hat. If Alan and the rest of the guys could see me now…"

Britta laughs. "I think you look fantastic."

Jeff eyes her and finds a hat in the midst with Minnie's bow in between the two ears, placing it atop her own head. "There. So do you."

She returns the look. "Oh, you want to do this? Because I'll do this."

"Oh I want to do this," Jeff nods, paying for both hats as the two head back towards the flying carpets from Aladdin. "I'll bet you anything I can keep this hat on longer than you can, despite looks and questions from the group and random strangers."

"Oh please!" Britta disagrees. "You're completely obsessed with your looks and will take it off in five minutes. I'm totally going to win. I don't care what the group says."

"It's on." Jeff says and Britta nods.

Moments later, the other five return from their flight and give Jeff and Britta the oddest of stares. Annie asks, "What's with the ears?"

They ignore her and keep walking towards Pirates of the Caribbean, Britta murmuring, "I'm going to wear this longer than you."

Jeff shakes his head, whispering, "I'm so going to wear this longer than you are."

Pierce turns to Annie and tells her, "Forget it. It's another one of their gay competitions."

Pirates of the Caribbean turns out to be much more exciting adventure than they'd expected, especially after the fourteen-foot drop at the very beginning that has Britta and Jeff scrambling to hold onto their Mickey ears. They're soon immersed in the middle of a pirate battle, with swashbuckling buccaneers pillaging the town and Captain Barbossa asking a shrimpy skipper if he'd seen Captain Jack Sparrow. They're so caught up in the classic tale of the pirates and the cannons exploding that they don't even notice that the end of the ride is near, all the pirates joining in a round of drinks and a chorus of "Yo-Ho Yo-Ho a Pirate's Life for Me!"

Soon, Adventureland bleeds into Frontierland, which houses the Walt Disney Railroad, a few children's shows, and two of the three iconic mountains. They decide to bypass the train and the shows and instead head straight for the two thrill rides. The first mountain they decide to conquer for the day is Splash Mountain, and thankfully, the line isn't too long yet. They're floating around the mountain; ascending and falling over small hills as the inside of the caves tell the story of Br'er Rabbit, Br'er Fox, and Br'er Bear. Pierce comments on how his mother used to read him stories of this iconic trio just as Troy and Annie express that they've never heard of them.

"I hope we don't get too wet," Shirley says. "It's only eleven-thirty. I'd hate to be soaked for the rest of the day."

"I don't think it'll be too bad," Britta tells her. "Besides, even if we do, it's so hot and sunny, we'll be dry in no time."

"Wait, we get wet on this ride?" Pierce questions. "When? No one told me this!"

"I don't know when, but I'm assuming it's when we go down the five-story drop," Jeff tells him sarcastically and, if possible, Pierce looks even more panicked.

"Five-story drop?" Pierce gasps. "I can't do drops! I have a condition!"

"Please don't fake a heart attack again," Troy deadpans. "You're fine."

And before he can protest, they ascend the largest hill yet and a flash goes off just as their flume goes over the mountain and down the fifty-foot drop. Pierce screams like a little girl and clutches his chest, but the moment their log is horizontal again, he's perfectly fine. Jeff and Britta, furiously clutching their Mickey/Minnie ears, barely get wet at all, but Troy and Abed, sitting in the front, get nearly soaked. They shake it off, review their photo, decide it's awful and not to buy it, and head next door to the second mountain adventure- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

But don't let the name fool you- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad isn't your average measly train ride. It's a mild yet wild rollercoaster up and around the gold-mining town of Tumbleweed. Their ride attendant makes sure all lap bars are secure before warning them, "Hang on to your hats and glasses 'cause this here's the wildest ride in the wilderness!" Jeff and Britta groan and attach their hands to their heads once more, Annie and Shirley giggling at their foolishness. But not only is it an enjoyable ride, it offers some fantastic views of the park and the close attention to detail on the old dried up western town. Pierce, still, screams like a little girl.

Following their thrilling ride on Big Thunder Mountain, the group heads into Liberty Square for lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern. Once everyone's ordered and their drinks have been delivered, Abed, who's sitting beside Annie, takes the latter's hand and announces, "Annie and I have something to tell you guys."

"I took your advice, Britta, and I just went for it," Annie squeals excitedly. "Abed and I are kind of a couple now!"

"This is the real deal," Abed grins, squeezing her hand for effect and Shirley makes and awing sound.

"Oh yay!" She claps excitedly. "I'm so happy for you two!"

"Me too!" Britta agrees. "See I told you if you took charge, everything would work out!"

"Congratulations," Jeff smiles genuinely and lifts his glass in a toast. "To the happy couple."

They clink their glasses together just as Pierce comments, "You two crazy kids deserve each other! Well done, Ay-bed, you'll finally get to nail her!"

Shirley groans. "Ugh, Pierce! Way to ruin the moment!"

But Annie and Abed ignore Pierce's comment and instead turn to Troy, who manages to look both excited for them and a bit sad for himself. Annie questions, "This isn't going to be weird for you, is it?"

"Well a little bit, yeah," Troy admits. "But I'm glad you two are happy. Even if I am going to be like the third wheel, now."

"No, we'd never make you feel that way," Annie promises and Abed nods along.

"It'll be just like before," Abed assures his best friend. "Only now I get to kiss Annie whenever I want."

Annie blushes and nods and Troy chuckles. "Sure, man. Whatever you say."

"I'm so glad everyone's getting together and ironing things out!" Shirley says pointedly, staring directly at Jeff and Britta, who avoid her eyes. "Isn't it great?"

"Wonderful," Britta says quietly.

"Fantastic," Jeff adds.

Their food arrives, they dine, and couple talk is no longer a bit of subject matter at the table, much to Jeff and Britta's relief. Following their lunch, they take a short ride on the Liberty Square Riverboat and sit through the Hall of Presidents show as they watch the animatronic presidents tell about their greatest achievements in a snore-fest of a show. It's here that Jeff recalls the last time he had been here, the time he'd gotten so drunk he'd gotten into a fight with Ben Franklin, and grimaces while Britta, the only one he'd told about this, chuckles beside him. He shoots her a look the moment Troy asks her what's so funny and she covers smoothly, telling him Obama's plans for the future seem ridiculous to her and that she still stands beside her point that citizens need not be governed. Jeff rolls his eyes and says, "Nice save."

"Whatever, I did it so you wouldn't be embarrassed, not me," Britta whispers back. "Also, that kid behind you can't see over your hat. Want to take it off?"

"Yeah sure," He begins and then remembers their game. "Oh nice try. I almost fell for that."

She smirks. "It was worth a shot."

When the Hall of Presidents lets out, they head next door to the park's famed ride, the Haunted Mansion. They enter the attic and suddenly realize they're in a room with no doors and no windows. Spooky much? Jeff and Britta are once again forced to sit together in their doom buggy by Shirley, who winks conspiratorially at them and sits beside Troy. It's a magical journey through an eerie house, with dancing ghosts, floating heads, and jolly headless huntsmen who volunteer to follow them home. Britta shivers and Jeff shoots her a questioning look.

"You alright?"

"I don't like ghosts," She tells him in a 'You better not make fun of me' tone. "Ghosts, ghouls, demons, anything to do with the paranormal just… freaks me out."

"Britta, it's a children's ride," Jeff teases. "I mean seriously. They're just holograms created by projectors. That's all it is."

"I don't care! It's still freaky!" She insists, just as their doom buggy turns to the side to face a mirror, showing a plump and joyous little ghost sitting right in between Jeff and Britta. She groans and says, "Why would they do this to kids? Why would they freak them out like this?"

"I can't believe that you were tear gassed at a World Trade rally," Jeff chuckles. "And yet you're afraid of ghosts."

"Shut up," She warns him, but it's just an empty threat as the ride ends and they depart Liberty Square.

Main Street U.S.A. is packed and crowded with people waiting to see the daily parade, so instead of moving directly into Fantasyland, which was blocked from view, the group takes the long way around park until they end up in Mickey's Toontown Fair. Completing this section of the park takes mere minutes, as most of the attractions are geared towards children, and then they are finally heading into one of the most exciting sections of Magic Kingdom- Tomorrowland. Hosting the final and the wildest of three mountain rides, Space Mountain, as well as many other futuristic rides, the group is eager to begin.

Their experiences can only be described as magical as they make their way from the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway, a mini race car ride, to the Astro Orbiter, an outdoor rocket ride through the cosmos. They take a scenic ride through the park on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority, a fancy name for the monorail, and watch American life transform from pioneers to Jetson-like living in the Carousel of Progress. They're transported back to their youth on Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin and Stitch's Great Escape, but the real thrills come from everyone's favorite, Space Mountain.

Once they board the sleek spaceship- Jeff, Shirley, Britta, and Pierce in one and Troy, Annie, Abed, and a stranger in another- they're off, blasting through space and time at thrillingly high speeds. Pierce is once again shrieking like a girl and Shirley is shouting, "Oh my Lord, oh my Lord! No one told me it was going to be this fast!"

"It only goes twenty-eight miles per hour," Jeff calls back. "But feels a lot faster in the dark."

"Thanks Abed," Britta teases him. "I'm so glad we now know all of that useless information."

"This ride's actually pretty great!" Annie screams from behind. "I just wish I knew where we were going!"

"It's in the dark for a reason!" Troy tells her, shouting. "You never know which way you're going to-ahhh!"

They plunge down a steep drop just then, the flashing colors and illuminating lights making everything seem like an intergalactic journey. With Tomorrowland completed, they head back through Main Street U.S.A., where the parade's finally ended, and into Fantasyland, their final section of the day. It's hard to believe the day is already over, but it's pushing four-thirty as they walk through Cinderella's Castle to the tune of Cinderella herself singing, "A dream is a wish your heart makes, when you're fast asleep. In dreams, you will lose your heartaches. Whatever you wish for you keep. Have faith in your dreams and someday, your rainbow will come smiling through. No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true…"

"I never get tired of that song," Annie sighs dreamily as they pass through the castle and by Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. "I wish I was still little, so I could get made up like a princess."

"You can still do it," Pierce tells her. "You'd look less ridiculous than these two in those gay hats."

He gestures towards Jeff and Britta, who frown. "Shut up Pierce. I'm winning. Any second now, Jeff will be taking off his hat. You'll see."

"Uh, no I won't," Jeff insists. "I'll wear this to the grave to prove I can do so. You'll take yours off sooner than I will."

"Oh my God, please stop this," Annie begs. "Let's go on It's A Small World! It's such a classic!"

"Oh I love that one!" Shirley agrees. "Britta, you'll love it too. All kinds of nationalities are represented in the dolls. I know how you love culture awareness."

"I do," She agrees. "Let's do it."

They wait through the short line, board their boat, and listen as the dolls sing and embrace their differences and similarities. "It's a world of laughter, a world of tears. It's a world of hopes and a world of fears. There's so much that we share that it's time we're aware it's a small, small world! It's a small world after all. It's a small world after all. It's a small world after all. It's a small, small world!"

"I can't deal with this song," Jeff complains. "I say we break into groups after this and catch up later. I'm not too big on these children's rides."

"Okay," Troy shrugs. "But we've done the entire park already except this part. I don't know what else we'd do."

When they exit the ride, Troy, Shirley, Britta, and Pierce head one way as Jeff, Annie, and Abed head another. The first group heads into the spectacular 3-D show Mickey's PhilharMagic and then off to Peter Pan's Flight, while the other group hits the other side of Fantasyland, where Winnie the Pooh and the Little Mermaid reign. Upon the end of Peter Pan, Troy sniffles and wipes his eyes, recovering from a mini-breakdown when he believed Wendy wouldn't make it out alive. "That was a close one guys," Troy says to his friends. "I cannot believe I'm the only one who cried."

Pierce snickers. "Crying's for babies. You're a man, Troy. You shouldn't be crying over Disney."

"Hey, Disney can be really emotional, sometimes," Shirley defends as they enter the line for Snow White's Scary Adventures. "Like this one! When Prince Charming finally gave Snow White that kiss that woke her from the curse? I cried like a baby."

"Yeah, that's pretty good, but how about in Beauty and the Beast when you think Beast's dead, but he isn't really dead and then he gets transformed back into a human and he and Belle live happily ever after?" Troy points out excitedly. "Ugh. Gets me every time."

Pierce laughs. "That is a good one! Guys, I know what movie you're talking about!"

"See? You're not as old as you think you are!" Shirley chuckles and only then notices Britta hasn't made one comment on Disney princesses being degrading to women. "Britta? Are you okay? You've been really quiet this whole time."

"Yeah… It's just…" Britta sighs, not caring that now Troy and Pierce would also know her business. "I had so many chances today and I just didn't take them. Now we're back at the 'friend' place. And I don't want to be in the 'friend' place anymore."

"Aw pumpkin," Shirley says remorsefully and Troy nods.

"I did notice you two seemed much more normal today," He informs her. "But that's bad?"

"There's still time," Shirley assures her. "You can still get out of the 'friend' place. One of you just has to do something about it. You can't keep fooling around- literally and figuratively."

"I know, I know, I just… Every time I go to say something, I chicken out," Britta sighs. "I am so not that girl. Why am I such a high-schooler right now?"

"Hey, as a former high-schooler, I take offense at that," Troy says and none of them feel the need to point out they were all high-schoolers, once. "And secondly, this thing can still be fixed. Just relax. No one's going to make fun of you for being that girl, Britta. Everyone has to be vulnerable eventually."

"Eloquent, Troy," Shirley nods her approval. "And he's right. Being vulnerable and putting ourselves out there is the only way we get what we want, believe me. It's a hell of a gamble, but it's always worth it in the end."

"Yeah," Britta says weakly and then much more confidently as their advice seems to be taking effect. "Yeah, you're right. Screw this cowardly crap. If I was half the strong and independent woman I pride myself in being, I'd just do it already!"

"That's the spirit!" Shirley claps excitedly. "So what are you waiting for?"

Britta points at their moving vehicle as if it's obvious. "Well, the ride has to end first."

"Oh… right."

A beat, and then Pierce asks, "What are we talking about, again?"

Meanwhile, on the other side of Fantasyland, Jeff, Annie and Abed, much to the former's chagrin, had ridden Cinderella's Golden Carousel, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, and the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh all before boarding their current attraction- the Mad Tea Party. They're spinning through Alice in Wonderland's magical world of tricks when Jeff begs the two to stop whirling their teacup because he's sure he'll be sick. Annie and Abed chuckle, call him a grandpa and depart the ride to find the park bathed in darkness. A few feet away, the Main Street Electrical Parade is going strongly and just moments away was the nightly Wishes Nighttime Spectacular.

The two are hand in hand and for some reason, it makes Jeff feel strangely lonely. Abed notices his look, being the most observant, and when the three pause for Annie's bathroom break, he says, "You can be as happy as us, you know. It isn't as difficult as you're making it out to be."

"No, it's just complicated," Jeff shrugs. "I don't want to ruin anything now that we're in the friend phase again."

"But don't you want to be with Britta?" Abed asks, confused.

Jeff thinks it over a moment. "Yeah, I do."

"And isn't Britta on this vacation with us?"

Rolling his eyes, Jeff responds, "Obviously."

"Then I don't see what's so complicated about it." Abed shrugs. "You tell her you're in love with her, she repeats the sentiment, fireworks explode, you make out. It's that simple."

"That simple, huh?" Jeff repeats. "First of all, how am I going to find her in this crowd?"

"Are you talking about Britta?" Annie asks, rejoining the conversation. "Text her and tell her to meet you by the castle. That's where the fireworks are going off, anyway."

"Are you joking?" Jeff exclaims. "There are five thousand people in front of the castle!"

Suddenly, the castle is illuminated with thousands of lights and a deep booming voice announces the Wishes Nighttime Spectacular is beginning. "When stars are born, they possess a gift or two. One of them is this- they have the power to make a dream come true."

"Here is your mission, should you choose to take it," Abed announces in a voice proper for Mission: Impossible. "Find Britta and tell her how you feel."

"Easier said than done," Jeff says as the three set off into the crowd.

"When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are…"

"Ooh, the fireworks are starting!" Shirley exclaims when they depart Cinderella's Golden Carousel. "Hurry up! We've got to get a good spot to stand!"

"I have to find Jeff," Britta insists. "And I'm never going to find him in this crowd."

"Never say never!" Troy tells her. "If there's one thing Justin Bieber's taught us…"

"Who the hell is Justin Beaver?" Pierce questions, but the other three ignore him.

"… Anything your heart desires will come to you…"

With fireworks exploding in the sky and illuminating the darkened crowded park, Jeff ambles through Fantasyland like a man on a mission and, frankly, he is. He's trying to figure out what it is about Britta that's making him this psychotic man trying to confess his feelings in public and in one of the cheesiest ways possible- during the fireworks show at Disney World in front of Cinderella's Castle. He doesn't know if he's love with Britta or just completely caught in the moment, but he's less concerned with the actual confession of the feelings than he is with trying to find her in this impossibly large, dense crowd…

"… If your heart is in your dreams, no request is too extreme…"

The fireworks are beautiful and crackling in her ears as Britta pushes through the crowd apologizing for getting in everyone's way mindlessly as she searches for Jeff blindly. She has no idea if he's even watching the fireworks; for all she knows, he could've gone back to the hotel to pack for their semi-early departure the next morning. A sinking feeling in her stomach proves she hopes this isn't the case and she continues on, searching for Jeff so she can finally rid herself of these feelings that are eating her up inside. She wishes there was an easier way, wishes they were alone, wishes they'd talked about this the other day, when suddenly, she spots him across the way and wishes for all of the courage in the world as she calls out to him, "Jeff!"

"… When you wish upon a star as dreamers do…"

Suddenly, Jeff hears his name across the crowd and looks up just in time to see Britta, in all her glory and still wearing those stupid Minnie ears, calling out for him. He grins, shouting, "Britta!" just as she gains closer and closer to where he's standing.

The booming fireworks are reflected in her eyes and she tucks a curl behind her ear, smiling shyly. "Hi."

And he grins, grins wider than he has in days, because here they are, two of the most messed up people on the planet, standing outside of Cinderella's Castle in Disney World as fireworks of all colors rocket into the sky to explode. It's possibly one of the most romantic settings around; couples all around the world wish for a moment like this, and yet the first thing he and Britta do is greet each other like old friends. He looks at her, really looks at her, and takes in her cutoff shorts, her Egyptian-like sandals, the pink t-shirt they both hate even though she looks great in it, and everything that just makes Britta Britta, before saying, "Hi," and bringing her lips to his own.

"… Fate is kind. She brings to those who love…"

It figures that the moment they're supposed to spend talking starts out with them kissing, but hey, Britta's not complaining, here. When they pull apart, she's the first to speak, "I don't want to be friends anymore. Wait, that sounds really harsh and it's not what I meant. We're best friends; we'll always be best friends, but we need to be something more. I haven't stopped thinking about you since the other night, since you told me you had feelings. I've had feelings, I have feelings, and they are not going away. I think it's pretty safe to say that I'm probably falling in love with you."

She watches the relief flood over his face, but misinterprets this as fear and backpedals. "It's scary and it's weird and it's only caused me problems in the past, so it's okay if we're not on the same level. We may not even be in the same book, for all I know. I just had to get this out there because it's been killing me and I can't sit with this burning secret anymore. But it's okay if you don't want to do this, like we can still be friends. I know we kind of fixed things today and it's great, because I hate when things are awkward, too, but-"

"Britta, calm down," Jeff halts her and Britta stops talking immediately. "Relax, crazy woman. We're on the same page."

"... The sweet fulfillment of their secret longing…"

"We are?" Britta questions, both in incredulity and relief.

"Of course," He tells her. "I have been feeling all kinds of strange since last year, since we ended things. I just felt like we weren't quite finished. And then this year was really tough, with everyone's romantic confusions and then the stuff with my therapy and my dad… and you've always been the one who's cared the most about my wellbeing. You've always been there to help me through everything and I want you to continue to be there in the future when I eventually meet the man again, because there's no way I want to do that alone. You just understand me, Britta, and I really needed someone like that; someone who wants to help, but doesn't try to fix."

She smiles and Jeff continues. "Then at Shirley and Andre's wedding, with the whole thing about you not wanting to become your mother, it finally occurred to me that maybe you needed someone too. Someone who could be there for you while you wrestled your own demons and I just wanted to be that person, especially after everything you've done for me. And then we hooked up that night and all of these feelings, the ones I'd repressed all last year, just came flooding back and they were not going away. They still haven't gone away, Britta. There's a reason we hooked up Thursday night and it's not because we were drunk."

"So, I think it's fairly safe to say," Jeff concludes. "That I'm falling in love with you too."

"… Like a bolt out of the blue, fate steps in and sees you through…"

This time she reaches for him and two engage in an embrace that knocks both of their hats to the ground, so they call it a tie. Fireworks are exploding, both in the sky and between the two most stubborn members of the Greendale seven, as Mickey leads the rest of the gang at Cinderella's Castle in the ending verse of "When You Wish Upon A Star." Jeff and Britta are kissing like they've been separated for years, kissing as if their lives depended on it, kissing as though the world would end if they parted, but perhaps their world would. And from afar, the five members of their study group watch, with relief, as they embrace, argue about who fell for who first, and embrace again, knowing that finally the balance has been restored.

They'd all gotten something out of this trip; Abed had gotten days and days' worth of movie references, a behind-the-scenes look at the magic in films and in real life, and a more well-rounded understanding of who he was as a human being and his relationship to others. Troy had gotten a retreat in which he'd learned it was time to grow up, even though he'd always have Disney to return to, to be a child once more. Annie had received a week's worth of locales where her childlike Disney face and youthful past were welcomed with open arms. Pierce had been rewarded with a moment of youth and the memory of his younger years, while Shirley had come to the understanding that a week away from her boys not only provided her with enough fun for a lifetime but also with a more refined understanding of her role as a mother.

As for Jeff and Britta, they had truly found something magical- they had finally found their way to each other.

"… When you wish upon a star, your dreams come true!"

"Is that everything?" Troy asks Abed, who nods and moves to shut the trunk of their rented eight-passenger van.

"Annie's fifteen suitcases are in, so I think we're ready," He jokes and the brunette scoffs.

"Hey! I had to provide space for all of the extra t-shirts, so that's your fault," She crosses her arms, climbing into the van and rolling her eyes at the sight of Jeff and Britta making out in the backseat. "I'm not sitting back there. Nose game!"

"Oh, I'm not playing," Shirley comments from the driver's seat. "Since I'm driving first!"

Britta pulls away long enough to say, "You guys encouraged this, I hope you know."

"I'll sit back here with the lovebirds," Pierce rolls his eyes. "I'll take one for the team."

"Thanks Pierce," Abed winks, sitting in the middle, beside Annie as Troy takes the passenger seat.

Shirley glances back at the group and asks, "Is everyone in? Are we all ready to go?"

Annie nods sadly as Shirley begins to pull out of the parking lot and onto the highway. "This is so sad, you guys."

"It is, but now we can start planning our next adventure," Abed tells her. "I say we tackle Universal Studios, next."

"And Islands of Adventure!" Troy agrees. "We've got to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!"

"Ooh, I love Harry Potter!" Shirley squeals. "Sounds like fun!"

Annie, still mourning their Disney vacation, points at the looming purple arch their driving under. "And now it's officially over."

It hosts a waving Mickey with a message saying, "See ya real soon!" Everyone's quiet for a moment, remembering the great times they'd had in the past week as Pierce says, "This was one of the best vacations of my life. I wish it didn't end."

"Me too," Shirley says remorsefully. "I'm so sad it's over."

"We had so much fun!" Annie sighs.

Troy nods his agreement. "We did so much in one week, but it went by so fast…"

Abed glances back at the purple arch, so tiny now, and says, "Vacation over."

Jeff and Britta, however, share a knowing glance and grin, knowing that even though their majestic Walt Disney World vacation had come to an end, something even more magical was just beginning.