When Annie returned to the study group, it was supposed to help put everything back to normal. When Alison left the study group, it seemed to be another "back to normal" sign. Yet those big events didn't put the world of the study group back in order, but the next two-plus months did.

It happened gradually after Thanksgiving break – and after the group stumbled onto a Die Hard 2 scenario anyway. After that, nothing out of the ordinary happened by their standards. But there was no more drama about love lives, and barely any references/callbacks to the Jeff/Annie/Alison ordeal. And not just because the group didn't want to make Annie stop giving them notes.

When it came to Jeff and Annie, they behaved normally – and even started behaving like normal when they were together. Although they shared more one-on-one moments at Greendale and even started having a few side adventures, it wasn't the awkward, destructive disaster it might have been in mid-November. In fact, they acted just as they always did before May 2012, in that they clashed – not quite as bad as before – put that aside to ultimately work together, learned a few things and traded a few secret googly eyes in between.

They were right back to formula as if nothing had ever happened. And the group dynamic was right back to formula as if nothing had ever happened. It was like Annie never left and Alison was never introduced, like so many of Abed's shows which only pretended to shake things up for a while. But in the end, everyone ultimately knew that these "changes" couldn't shake up the basic formula for long.

At least on the surface they didn't.

The Jeff/Annie formula at Greendale had returned to status quo again. Yet outside of Greendale, things were….evolving. Since Greendale adventures didn't always give them enough time to rebuild their friendship, they made more of an effort to hang out after school. Annie visited Jeff's apartment for dinner every once in a while – especially when Troy and Abed's games made it impossible to make dinner at home. But Jeff did keep them slightly in check when he made periodic visits to the Trobed apartment himself.

Annie saved up to get Jeff a particularly snappy suit for Christmas, while Jeff actually went out of his way for a Christmas gift and Hanukah present in return. They made sure not to stand near any mistletoes together and limited themselves to a hug on New Year's, yet the awkwardness wasn't that overwhelming.

In fact, by the time they started their final semester at Greendale, the awkwardness and unresolved issues weren't on their minds. Not because they were oblivious or running away – not entirely – but because they liked having fun together again too much. It made it too distracting to really think about how they were spending more time together, and how they could be mistaken for a couple. And how time was running out to settle if they were.

On the surface, everything was better and more normal than ever. Underneath, they knew on some conscious level that they were forming a bubble, which couldn't stay intact forever. However, because it really was a solid bubble where they openly meant a lot to each other again, they didn't want to disturb it.

Being happy with what they had – especially after they hadn't had it for most of 2012 – kept them from stressing out about it. And soon they thought less about it and less about the uglier parts of their past and their uncertain future as well.

However, it got a little harder to ignore as Valentine's Day approached.

And it was downright impossible for Jeff three days before February 14. Especially when Jeff didn't hide his surprise over seeing Alison in the halls fast enough.

Alison made sure not to attend English 102 with the study group, and went back to classes that weren't near them at all. Save for Jeff and Annie, the group did try to stay in touch with her after the breakup, yet soon got too caught up in their holiday adventures. Eventually she was forgotten, although Jeff's memories – particularly the last few ugly ones – were all too vivid after he caught Alison's eye in the hall.

"Jeff…." Alison announced with nothing better to say. "Fancy seeing you again now."

"Well, better now than on Thursday, right?" Jeff poorly tried to quip. This wasn't happening on Valentine's Day on Thursday, yet that was the only comfort here. One would think after their last meeting, anything would look much better.

Then again, Jeff was insistent back then that it was all Alison's fault. She was the one who saw things that weren't there about him and Annie, she insisted she was No. 2 to him, and she accused him of ruining the best period of her life by never really loving her. But three months later, it was easier to see that….at least 2 ½ of those three things might have had some merit.

And as Alison walked away awkwardly, Jeff heard a voice telling him to call her back. Normally that part sounded a lot like Annie, yet he heard more of himself than Annie this time. The voice was still a weird Jeff-Annie hybrid, and at the least, it would probably be weirder and more annoying if he didn't listen.

So he cut it off by calling out "Alison!" then actually wondered what he'd say and do next. When Alison turned and came back, only one thing came to mind – but he did wish he had a better idea.

Nevertheless, Jeff put his arms aside and leaned back, stating "Take your shot."

"What shot, exactly?" Alison checked.

"You said a lot of things to me when we broke up….but I guess you really want to hurt me," Jeff predicted. "I don't blame you, or at least I stopped trying to after New Year's. But now I get it. I got into a serious relationship with you, even though I had unresolved feelings for someone else. I made you feel like you were a consolation prize for me, and I was too oblivious to see it. I gave you the chance to be with a real group of friends, and my idiocy ruined it for you. So for that-"

Before he got through the last fourth of his improvised Winger speech, Alison took her shot and socked him right in the eye.

Jeff nearly went down both from the punch, and from hopping around afterwards and covering his face. "Ow! I wasn't done yet!" he cried. "The fact I offered to let you ruin my perfect face was supposed to be enough! And it was supposed to be a slap anyway!"

"Maybe you should shorten your Winger speeches , then," Alison jabbed as she rubbed her fist.

"Okay, that's a low blow," Jeff complained, before seeing he used the wrong choice of words. But although he covered his groin with his free hand, just in case, Alison didn't take that shot after all. After he groaned more from the punch and how his eye probably looked, Alison offered, "Come on, you big baby. Let's try and fix your moneymaker before it goes completely broke."

So Alison went back to being the bigger person – figuratively – by getting an ice pack for Jeff's eye and for her hand. She patted his eye and endured Jeff's flinching, yet he settled down a bit before long. Of course he was sure not to look at anything resembling a mirror. But he did focus on Alison with his good eye.

"You make a good…." he started before he had second thoughts about finishing. "What? A good ice pack? The recipe's not that hard, Jeff," Alison reminded.

"No, just something I like saying to….someone else," Jeff finished before he incriminated himself further. Still, he knew he'd already given away who he was thinking about.

"How is she?" Alison asked with genuine curiosity, without needing to get more specific. "She's not bad," Jeff let himself answer. "You didn't quite drive her to therapy. But I think she's finally herself again anyway."

"Well, if anything good came out of this. Other than you and her, of course," Alison conceded. However, Jeff bristled at her implications. "What? No, no, we're not….we're not like that! We're friends again, but we're not that."

Jeff figured that would reassure Alison, but it did the precise opposite. "Are you kidding me?" she groaned. "Still? I point out how you feel to you and her, and you're still dancing around each other? I thought you'd get it straight by New Year's, at least!"

"Hold on, you're upset that we're not….that?" Jeff theorized. "Do you need to be right that much?"

"You're still denying I was even right?" Alison seethed. "God, if Annie poured her heart out and you turned her down again…."

"I'm not! And she didn't!" Jeff yelled right before he knew what he said. Yet when he did, he saw no way out of it. "I'm not….denying….that feelings stuff. We just haven't gotten into it yet. She isn't doing it either, so don't just blame me!"

"You expect her to make the first move, even now? How lazy are you?" Alison complained, yet made herself take a few breaths before going on. "No, no. I stayed away from you, her and the others so I wouldn't fight like this. The punch was great, but I'd better go before it stops being worth it."

As Jeff realized this was likely his last chance to see Alison, he grabbed her wrist with his free hand. He then came up with a few words before she could use a slap this time. "I….I am sorry the punch wasn't worth it….that I wasn't worth it. You were right about some things, okay? But I didn't go out with you because I couldn't be with her. I really wanted to be with just you then. You can believe it or not, but I did love you."

Alison stayed still, so Jeff felt safe enough to let go of her wrist. He waited for her to yell or punch him again, but he only received a calm, "And there it is in a nutshell, isn't it?"

"I'm going to need more than that. Whether I want it is something else," Jeff predicted.

"We were together and knew each other for nine months. I dumped you, pointed out you loved another woman, and I just punched your precious face. But you still admitted freely that you were in love with me. Meanwhile, you've known Annie for four years, shared more with her than you ever did with me, and she influences you more than anyone you've ever met. Yet you still can't admit to her in any way that you're currently in lovewith her. And have been long before you ever met me," Alison noted.

Jeff had no answer right away, so he just excused, "We're rebuilding our friendship….things are finally good. I'll just ruin it again if I do anything else."

"Is that how you kept away from her before you met me? Look how well that turned out. If you just want to do that again…." Alison sighed before going on. "Part of me irrationally hates Annie for coming between us. And even she knows Annie deserves so much better than that. If you still can't make yourself give that to her, even now, then you really are pathetic."

"Well, what can I do?" It took Jeff a while to realize how he sounded when he asked that. He wasn't being angry, or frustrated or sarcastic – he really sounded emotional. Like he really didn't know what to do and wanted very badly to have someone tell him. Even his ex-girlfriend, as sad and pathetic and unfair to her as that really was.

But Alison did stick around to answer, "I'm not the kind of person who has all the answers, Jeff. I mean, I still use group therapy as a crutch. But I do that because after all these years, it keeps working for me. All the lessons and tactics, how it helps me open up more than I ever have….it still helps me all the time. So maybe that's something to think about."

Jeff did think about it after Alison left. He resumed thinking about it after he managed to cover up how he hurt his eye. And it kept running through his head until it cleared up on Valentine's Day.

As for Valentine's night, Annie finished getting ready at home with some trepidation. Although Jeff didn't actually ask her to Greendale's annual dance as his date, he offered to escort her there. Troy and Abed were already there, preparing for some epic crazy Troy and Abed stunt. So Annie was all alone, touching up her hair and light blue dress and waiting for Jeff to pick her up.

Besides that, she didn't know what she expected or wanted Jeff to do. She wasn't ignorant of the pratfalls they could face on Valentine's Day – or how she had no idea if she could or should try to have deeper feelings for him again. Well, not again, since her past feelings weren't as strong or meaningful as the feelings she had now. Whatever they were.

Rebuilding their friendship over the last three months had been her first real ray of sunshine in months. If she did love him now, she knew it was built on something much better than schoolgirl fantasies and crushes. But the minute Annie figured out if she loved Jeff, she'd have to wonder if he loved her – and then a few dozen other soul-crushing questions would torture her again. She just got used to not thinking about those things again –so she once more put off thinking about them.

She did it when Jeff came to pick her up, and even when Jeff was caught looking up and down her outfit. She kept it up when he escorted her into his Lexus – but it got a little harder when she noticed they weren't driving towards Greendale anymore. "Jeff, I think you missed a turn somewhere," Annie pointed out.

"I would have if I was going to Greendale. But I have to make a stop first," Jeff informed.

"Why didn't you go there before you picked me up?" Annie wondered. "Did you put something off until the last minute again?"

"Does not telling you Alison punched me in the eye on Monday count?" Jeff asked.

"Oh. Kind of," Annie let out, trying not to give away that she already figured that out – as if Jeff's cover story was really believable.

"Yeah, I'm sure it's a real stunner now," Jeff retorted, as if he couldn't tell that Annie already knew. "Anyway, since she might be at the party tonight, I'll need to get extra ready. Like going to group therapy ready."

"Your group's meeting tonight?" Annie was surprised to hear.

"Are a bunch of lonely single people meeting on Valentine's Day? I wouldn't bet my life savings against it." Jeff left that hanging for a while before he made himself elaborate. "Annie, I have to do this. Otherwise you guys will yell at me for ruining our last Greendale Valentine's party. And I'd rather not spend a whole Friday getting yelled at."

"Well, Fridays are already bad enough," Annie admitted, even though no other student shared that opinion.

"Right, so I figured I'd have a quick session, get fixed up and head right for the party. But it'll probably go faster if you're there with me," Jeff offered.

"You really want me to see you in therapy?" Annie wowed at, since that was a pretty big step for him. "Okay….I guess it's not like I can stop you while you're driving."

"Yeah, driving under Disney face influence would get me a huge ticket," Jeff somehow joked under the circumstances. But it kept Annie from using a Disney face, sad face or worried face as they made their way to Jeff's group therapy building.

Perhaps Annie should have used a suspicious face instead. Otherwise it wouldn't have confused her as much when they got inside, and they saw a circle of empty chairs instead of therapy patients. "Are we early or something?" Annie wondered.

"Technically, we're 75 minutes early," Jeff counted. "But I told them we should be done by then. Hopefully."

"Done what?" Annie asked with growing uncertainty. "Why are we in an empty group therapy room, Jeff?"

"Because this is your Valentine's present," Jeff said awkwardly. "Damnit, I shouldn't have led off with that. Hold on, I can explain better first."

"Yeah, that would be nice," Annie said with a growing frown and a growing knot in her stomach.

"Annie, you were right back in May. Only about a few things, mind you, but a few big things, regardless!" Jeff started. "I've been making a lot of progress with myself, but it means nothing if I can't fix things with you. How can I be better if I keep putting off resolving things…..really resolving things….with the person who's made me change the most? Abed was right, or he would be if I actually talked to him about this. It's bad storytelling!"

Annie's frown disappeared, but her knot was soon spreading through her whole body. "Jeff…." she searched for a follow-up question, but one wasn't coming.

"Look, the only times I've ever been honest with myself, and other people, have been when I'm with you and when I'm in therapy. So I figured I should combine those two things. With you in therapy with me, maybe I'll have it in me to answer your questions. At least that's the plan," Jeff stated before frowning again. "Wait, I skipped an explanation again."

"Then don't skip it now," Annie insisted with more nerves in her voice than she wanted.

"All right, ask me anything," Jeff asked. "Ask me everything. Ask me everything you ever wanted to ask me the last four years! Maybe now I won't avoid them this time and I'll actually answer them, and then we'll finally know what we really are. Because even I can't put off finding out anymore, and I think you're tired of pretending you can too. So let me try to be honest with you for the first time ever….and that's my Valentine's gift to you."

Annie first focused on breathing again, then some oxygen got back into her brain too. She then started to get into the habit of asking questions – first with, "If you're better answering me in group therapy, shouldn't you be doing that with a group here?"

"I said I've changed, I didn't say I was a full blown hippie," Jeff declared. "I just got comfortable enough to try and do this with you, that's enough of a baby step. My theory is that just being in the room will be enough to help me."

"And what about me, Jeff?" Annie reminded. "I went through so much to stop thinking of you that way! Granted, maybe I didn't succeed entirely. But even if you're finally completely honest with me….I, I don't know if I'd just jump into your arms after that. Even if you got the right answers. Maybe it shouldn't matter at all if you get it right! Maybe….."

Annie willed herself not to break down. But she'd stopped herself so much over the last nine months that she was bound to slip up eventually. A tear or two did slip out, yet she was able to contain the rest. Finally she stated, "I'm so tired of this, Jeff…."

"You're confused. So am I. But I don't want to be anymore, and I don't want you to be either. So let me answer some things, while I still have the guts for it, and maybe we'll both get some clarity," Jeff offered.

"I don't know if I have the guts for it anymore," Annie admitted.

"Yeah, you do. You're a grown up now, and you were long before last year too. Nothing you did in one bad moment last May changes that. Even grown-ups are entitled to lash out and screw up once in a while. I mean, look at me," Jeff pointed out.

"I'm not 100% sure I can make myself answer everything. But I know you'll ask the right questions and help me if I trip up. Like you always help me," Jeff reminded her before sitting down in one of the empty chairs. "It'll be okay eventually, because good things usually happen when I trust you. And when it comes to this emotional stuff….there's no one I've ever trusted more."

In the old days, Annie would be spontaneously melting at Jeff finally saying stuff like this. But although she was melting, without a doubt…..it was manageable now. After all these months of steeling herself and refining her desires for Jeff, she really could handle this.

She could handle this much sweet talk from Jeff and keep a somewhat level head. And she could handle asking him every single question she'd never gotten to ask, or have answered, in the last four years as well. And now Jeff was in a mature enough position where he could answer them all as well. For maybe the first time ever, their timing was finally just right.

Annie turned to the chairs and finally saw that one of them had a notepad and a pen on it. Jeff really had prepared in advance for this. This made her smile and break the ice enough for her to focus. "If I get to ask you everything….then it'll take a few minutes to get ready," she warned Jeff as she took her tools and sat down across from him.

Now that she was in business mode, Annie could run through all her past, present and future Jeff questions in her head. She actually wrote them out in full at first – but they were so wordy and she had so many left, she had to just write short summaries to save time. But she kept Jeff in her sights while writing, to make sure he wouldn't get away. He did look a little uneasy when she wrote her fourth full page of questions, yet he only budged slightly.

Ultimately, Annie stopped at just about six full pages, which was barely more than enough. She put down her pen and reviewed the list to see which ones she should lead off with. After a few reviews, Annie had a solid order worked out, then looked up at Jeff to see if he was ready.

He looked as ready as he could possibly be – even if it wasn't that much. So Annie took a breath and prepared to group therapy him….in a room without a group.