"I don't want to hear it!" King Aran yelled in frustration.

Queen Ilma walked over to her husband, taking his hands in hers. "I know this is hard to hear. It's hard for me to accept also."

"She just needs more time!" Aran said, though he sounded more like he was trying to convince himself then truly believing his own words. "She's only been back a little over a week. That's no time at all to adjust."

"Aran, she's completely miserable. I've talked to Babana Stregus and she says that Annabelle hasn't been paying attention in her studies. And when I asked Glawar she said Annabelle almost never smiles or seems happy. And that doesn't even count the number of times she's cried in my arms."

"She can't be that affected by being gone. She was only there for five years. I've had ceremonial robes longer than that."

"I think we have to discuss what is best for our daughter."

Aran huffed as he pulled his hands away. "What's best for her is for her to remain here. She belongs here, with her family and her own kind."

"According to her we're not the only family she has."

Aran shook his head, scoffing at his wife's declaration. "She's diluting herself if she thinks those creatures will ever truly accept her. Has she told them what she really is? To them they think she's a human. But if they ever found out she is a fairy they would be horrified. They'd turn on her and either exploit her or hunt her down."

"Maybe not. Not all humans are bad. In spite of what you think."

Aran angrily glared at his wife, who stood her ground under his gaze. "I am not exaggerating! Those creatures have caused war, starvation, genocide, vast showcasing of greed and destruction!"

"Are we really that different? I'm not saying humans are perfect. I know they're capacity for violence and greed is great. But I also believe there is real good in them. I doubt you would have sent our daughter there in the first place if you didn't believe that yourself in some way. The people our daughter associated with care about her. She told me that all of them are broken in one way or another. But they came together, seeing and bringing out the best in each of them. They've accepted each other despite all their reasons not to. I believe that if Annabelle went back and told them who she really was, they would accept her."

Aran paced back and forth, trying to buy time as he pondered his next argument. "What about the kingdom? Annabelle is in line to rule. What do you expect to happen if she is gone from here?"

"We both know she's not the only heir to the throne." Ilma said as her hands instinctively went over her still flat stomach. "Annabelle doesn't even know that I'm pregnant yet. That she's going to be an older sister."

King Aran's eyes briefly darted to his wife's stomach in affection before looking back at her. "We agreed to wait to tell her. To give her time to adjust before breaking the news to her."

"I know. But this means she now doesn't necessarily have to rule if she doesn't want to. She's free to now live in their world if she chooses to."

Before Aran could speak Ilma yelled out "She's in love!" Aran sighed deeply as she continued. "She genuinely loves the people she has met in this group of hers. But there's one she has fallen in love with. A man named Jeff."

"Jeff." He spat back in disgust. "A terrible name for what I assume is a terrible person." He looked into his wife's eyes, becoming pensive instead of merely angry. "Let us just assume for a moment that it does work out. She returns to the human world and reveals herself, the ones she regards as family accept her for what she is, and the man she loves returns her love. It does not change the fact that she will outlive all of them. Whether from disease or an accident or old age, they will all die hundreds of years before her. And she will be devastated, watching everyone she loves die long before her. As painful as it is to keep her away from them, it is necessary to prevent her from experiencing a pain even more potent to her heart."

Ilma pondered what she heard before she softly said "There's something you can do about that. She doesn't have to live in their world as a fairy."

Aran's eyes widened, shocked to his very core by what he had just heard. "You're…you're actually suggesting I turn our daughter into a…" His voice caught as he stumbled backwards. "Are you insane! Turn her into one of those lowly creatures?"

"Aran!" Ilma's voice took on a stern edge as she spoke to her husband. "I know you would rather not believe it. But we both know our daughter has had a deep connection to the human world, long before you sent her there. She's always liked to study their cultures and ways long into the night. And you can pretend those secret poems she wrote that we found were nothing, but I know what they meant. They were about her breaking free from here to live with them. She wants to live there, as one of them. But she's too afraid to tell you herself."

"So she asked you to-."

"She didn't ask me to do anything. I'm doing this because I can see how being here is suffocating her. Is that what you want? To keep her from being happy? Because if she stays here that's what will happen!"

With that Ilma stormed across the room and jumped out the window, leaving Aran alone to ponder over what had just happened.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Joey took a long drink of beer as he turned back towards the television. "See, this is what life's all about. Hanging out with the guys, drinking beers, watching Bruce Willis kick some Eurotrash ass. Good times."

After Shirley had told them yesterday that she was going on a overnight field trip with her boys today, Joey suggested that the guys get together to watch all four Die Hard films, one after another. At first Britta complained, since she felt it was sexist to exclude group members simply because of gender. But she eventually declared she decided she wasn't going to attend so she didn't have to spend time with Joey. So after classes ended the five men gathered at Pierce's mansion to begin their movie marathon.

"I don't know why I'm here. I just watched this the other day." Jeff quickly said as he tried to control his legs and hands from shaking.

"Um Jeff, are you sure you're all right? You've been acting weird all day." Troy said.

"I'm fine, all right." He wiped his face as Abed looked over at him. "What?"

"You seem pretty out of it Jeff."

"At least I'm conscious." Jeff said as he pointed to Pierce, who had fallen asleep ten minutes into the first movie. He tried paying attention to the TV screen, ignoring how warm his body felt.

He knew his condition was somehow connected to the visions, and how they were increasing. He had had three of them yesterday, and when he woke up today he felt hot, like he had a fever. But when he took his temperature it was normal. So far he had had three visions today, and each time they ended he felt more itchy and shivery.

Just then he felt even more anxious, as if something big was about to occur. "Excuse me." Jeff said as he got up.

"Do you want us to pause it?"

"I'm fine." Jeff yelled as he practically ran to the bathroom, feeling the pressure build in his head. Once inside he locked the door, not bothering to turn on a light. He just had time to fall onto his back before he felt himself leave the bathroom behind.

"…and I realized that, in the moment, Greendale is where I belong." Annie paused for a moment as she looked at Jeff. "What are you doing out here?"

"Oh, you know. Britta and Slater told me they love me."

"Really? What did you do?"

"I ran away. I don't know, it's hard. Slater makes me feel like I do when I write my New Year's resolutions. She makes me feel like the guy I want to be. And Britta makes me feel like the guy I am three weeks after New Year's, when I'm back to hitting my snooze button and screening my mom's phone calls. Back to who I really am. So, do you try to evolve, or do you try to know what you are?"

"I don't know. I wish I could live two lives. One of me would go with Vaughn, and one of me could stay here."

"Yea, one of me could be back with Slater, and the other could try it with Britta. And then we could all get together for some weird foursome."

Annie laughed as Jeff looked back at the front doors. "Um, I guess I got ta, go deal with it."

"Good luck."

"Um, I'm glad you're staying."

As she nodded her head he leaned in and wrapped his arms around her. She did the same as they hugged. As they pulled back he looked at her, happy and content that his friend wasn't leaving him. She continued to look at him as she leaned in, inching up on her toes as her lips met his. She only kissed him for a moment before she pulled back, looking as exposed and vulnerable as if she was naked. He looked into her big blue eyes, seeing her in a way he hadn't previously thought possible, when he moved in and kissed her back. They're lips explored each other's as passion erupted within them, both knowing that a floodgate had just been opened that could never be closed.

Jeff gasped as he came to. Immediately he tried taking deep breaths, but as soon as he did he began to feel very light headed. He moved his hand under his butt, feeling that his jeans were damp from the dew on the grass.

Grass?

Jeff sat up and looked around, seeing that he wasn't in Pierce's bathroom. Instead he was lying on a forest ground, surrounded by trees that seemed to have a weird light glowing within them.

"What the Fu-."