When Jeff and Annie got to the study room and closed the door, Annie did the talking first. "Jeff, what is this all about? Are you mocking me? Or are you trying to scare guys off from drooling over me? If it's not any of that, please tell me now, so we don't fight and I don't ask you to leave or something."
"Kicking me out of Halloween. How Christmas-y of you," Jeff said since he had nothing better at all. But he quickly knew he still could have done a little better.
"Jeff! I told you to say whatever you felt before the party! Instead you do….this?!" Annie asked. "You're not ruining Halloween because of your issues with my sexuality, okay? Why else would you dress up because of me?"
"Like those issues aren't the reason you're Santa baby again," Jeff responded, again regretting he had nothing better. Yet the longer he attacked, the longer he didn't face questions he couldn't answer. "You can say it's about you looking more adult to everyone. But everyone didn't see you like this before, just me. So who are you really improving yourself for?"
Yet Annie didn't blush or stammer as she answered, "I did this because of how I acted around you, not because of you! I'm doing something meaningful to me, so if you're gonna help make this one of our old fights, you should go!"
Annie cooled herself down a bit, but she had enough left over to add, "And that's not even an accurate Santa! Even with a real costume, you still couldn't hide your precious hair and chin, could you?"
"Well, it's October, the beard and hat hasn't come in yet! That does make me an accurate Santa!" Jeff responded, despite being puzzled on why he mentioned that. However, this sounded like another good stall tactic before he had to leave or talk more about motives.
"You have your attention to character detail, and I have mine. And since it's not Christmas yet, Santa doesn't need beards or hats now!" Jeff theorized. "But he's getting there, so that's why he has the suit and boots! He's not Santa yet, but he's making progress! After all this time of not being a beloved, loved or even liked figure for good little boy or girls…..or good men or women….he's finally almost there again."
Jeff was once again on pure autopilot, since if he stopped to think about his words for a second, he'd probably cast himself out of the party. So something inside him made sure he didn't think and just kept going.
"He's so close to being the person he knows he should be. And wants to be for those who look up to him. But he needs more time and he's not finished yet," Jeff pointed to his mostly complete costume. "So while he's waiting, he's come here to pass the time with an old Christmas friend…..someone who's a lot more evolved and further along than he'll ever be. I don't know, playing someone like that just seems appealing to me," he echoed Annie.
By now Jeff was starting to hear himself and how he sounded. Yet after being so clogged up with his thoughts earlier, getting some of them out – and actually figuring out what they were – felt more freeing than what he felt earlier. In addition, other new points got into his brain and were promptly blurted out.
"If I just wanted to scare other men from you, I wouldn't need a costume, would I? I never use real costumes to do anything!" Jeff made Annie realize. "Except maybe to show some solidarity with an aspiring adult like myself. That's a new use of my time."
Annie paused just long enough for this to actually hit Jeff. He knew Annie's costume – and why she was wearing it again – had some effect on him, but not like this. Before it made him want to run away, take it all back and worm his way out of this, however, Annie spoke up.
"You realize what they'd think we were if they saw us together like this," Annie stated, shying away from the c-word. "And you can handle that? Or at least correct them in a calm, normal way?"
Now that Annie was shattering the chance for escape, Jeff's calm and normal disappeared for a moment. Yet when he realized she was letting him stay, something more….content washed over him. It made him say, "That's another new thing, but I'm doing good with those so far."
"So if you come back out there, dressed like this with me, you'll be on your best behavior? No acting out, no jealousy, none of it?" Annie made sure.
"What the hell, maybe trying those new things won't kill me either," Jeff admitted, before realizing he'd admitted his past jealousy already. And by realizing that, he'd just admitted it to himself too.
Geez, what the hell was the Dean's costume doing? Jeff knew it wasn't properly cleaned last Friday, no matter how many laundry bills Pelton showed him! Yet it was too late now, as Annie opened the door for them to return to the party.
With no way out, Jeff had to escort Annie back, looking like they were dressed in couples costumes. However, instead of being struck with fear and denial at that, Jeff responded by asking Annie, "Mi'Santalady?"
The suspicious frown that Annie had for most of this talk disappeared, replaced with a more typical sweet smile – and a rapidly more typical teasing one. "You're not Santa yet, so you're still Milord for now," Annie needled before leading him back to the group.
Staying by her side like this, in front of people and in this costume, was awkward for Jeff. Whenever some other man talked to Annie, Jeff willed himself not to listen or look – and not listening to other people used to be much easier. When she dropped a wrapped piece of candy and bent down to get it, Jeff looked harder at the floor than at anything else he'd ever seen.
But when she dropped something else, Annie asked Abed to get it for her, in lue of showing 50% of her chest by picking it up herself. This made thing easier for Jeff in theory, at least until Annie thanked Abed and played along with his Loki routine for a while. So he decided to chime in as Santa, which didn't technically violate Annie's rules.
Nevertheless, Jeff did manage to keep up as Annie went deeper into character. She really had planned out how Santa baby had evolved these last 10 months. There were still a few moments of uncomfortable baby talk, yet since they were spaced out, the uneasiness faded away pretty quick.
It was easier when the less uncomfortable, more intelligent – and even more fun – parts of her dominated for the most part. As if the best of her really did make her worst moments seem meaningless, instead of a reason to stay far away.
But Jeff still feared Annie wasn't comfortable not staying away from him. She still looked weary that the other shoe could drop any minute – maybe not for unfounded reasons. Yet before that could happen, Jeff knew he had to do something.
Then for only the second time in his time at Greendale, he was inspired by Halloween dance music.
And for the second time, that music inspired him to go up to Annie, and offer her his hand in dance. Then for the second time, he twirled her around in the dance, just like three years ago on this very night.
The symmetry of that did more things to Jeff that he didn't want to examine. But unlike when he was clogged him before, he felt less on edge and prickly about it now. Perhaps having Annie twirling next to him had a role in that.
Last time it was easy, since he barely knew Annie then and she was just in a skin tight black cat suit – back when it wasn't so complicated to notice things like that. Now after all this time, and with her in a more plunging costume, he had to be more careful. So as he had all night, Jeff just focused on Annie's face and anything else above her chest.
But the more he saw her smile open up, he clenched up inside more than he would have if he just saw her Christmas goodies. And yet when he wound up smiling as well, that tightness ebbed away – in at least one sense. However, even those thoughts didn't make him let go of her until the music stopped.
When it finally did, Jeff felt something he never was in front of Santa Annie last time – open and relaxed. He rarely let himself feel that way in front of regular Annie too, so he savored the rare moments that he did. But before his nerves and denial brought an end to it, like usual, Annie did it first by reminding him he had other parties to get to.
Maybe she wanted the night to end on that high note. Or maybe she feared he'd be angry if he missed his other parties. Or she was afraid to ruin the night if he stayed longer. It almost seemed odd that fear could get in Annie's way after the night she had – so it wouldn't. Not if Jeff could beat it back for her.
Before he questioned why those thoughts got in his head, he told her, "You know, I can just send pictures of myself to the costume judges. Then they can always mail the trophies here to me, right?"
"Well, you are worth the effort to award sometimes," Annie played along.
Of course, she rolled her eyes when Jeff actually did take pictures of himself with his phone. But when she realized he was sending out pictures as Santa – with his fancy Tarantino suit still covered – she was beaming a bit when he got finished. "What's with the 'Jeff's such a softie' look?" he inquired.
"Nothing," she covered up. But she recovered and went on, "You know, if you are staying here, we don't have to stay at this party. There's not much else to do here and the rest of the group is busy anyway," she gestured at the various, incomprehensible antics of their friends.
"So how do we keep busy, then?" Jeff wondered, ceding control of his night to Annie. Yet while letting someone else have power over his actions was rarely fun, there were a few exceptions – all of which were standing in front of him.
"I'm guessing you were trying to avoid Halloween stuff all day. But now that Halloween's almost over and everyone's in here, maybe you could see what you were missing out there," Annie offered. "Maybe a nice walk around the spooky campus could give you an idea."
Taking a voluntary walk around Greendale – now that pushed the limits of reality. At least it was when other people, classes, Deans and annoying friends/fremies were around. But since those were all right here, maybe the campus would seem less crazy with no one in the halls and quads. Well, no one except for one person. But maybe one wouldn't be so bad. Or one specific one.
After Jeff and Annie left the party and the crowd behind, they found themselves walking all alone down the halls pretty soon. "So this is what Greendale looks like when you stay late and get here early," Jeff commented. "I never ever ever ever would have known that before or after tonight."
"Well, I know enough for the both of us," Annie conceded. "I know I'm not the most relaxed person in the world. But when it's all quiet and I'm walking around here early or late, at the school I love where I met all the friends I've ever loved….I come pretty close. Or as close as I can get. But I've got seven months left to get better."
"That sounded pretty coherent. No baby talk or anything," Jeff noted. "I guess your character has taken a big step…." He paused and realized what he set up. "All right, go ahead."
"Go ahead what? Tell me before my wittle head hurts!" Annie slipped back into baby mode. However, it was only for one joke – and Jeff even set it up. One of the more embarrassing incidents of their friendship had finally become something for both of them to laugh at. It took 10 months and a Greendale Halloween party, but it was better than nothing.
And as they walked down the halls, admired and joked about the decorations and then went outside, Jeff found other concerns had faded too. He wasn't worried that any pervert, or man in general, could see Annie in her skimpy attire. He even stopped trying so hard not to look at her bare skin or stocking-clad legs. In fact, he stopped noticing or thinking about the dress and what it showed off altogether.
When Annie talked to Jeff about how she developed this idea, he didn't see a dress. When she reflected on their past Halloweens – and how there was so much of the second and third ones they couldn't remember – Jeff didn't see cleavage. When they compared their first Halloween dance and its sequel, he didn't see a baby. And when they gossiped about Troy, Abed and Britta's super villain outfits, he didn't see any of the other concerns he had about her.
All he saw when he walked and talked with her was Annie. Just Annie. And that made it….fun. Because beyond all that other nonsense, that's what it was to just be around her.
Before that first Halloween, fun was the last word he or anyone else would have used to describe her. But there were many more new words to describe her now – and it was fun to see them all on display tonight. Especially now, when it was all just for him – like the private show he got last Christmas, only with far more increasing returns.
Jeff was now thinking about how he could have had more of these shows over the years. About how they could still pile up now. But before those dangerous thoughts piled up, he noticed they were back in school – and heading towards a familiar room.
He didn't dare to comment on it at that moment. Yet when they actually got to the old Glee storage room and Annie closed the door, Jeff thought he had to break the ice somehow. "So, Mr. Rad's ghost has better things to do than visit here, right?" Jeff settled for.
"We don't even know if he's dead, Jeff. Not on the outside, anyway," Annie jabbed. "If anything, he's haunting Britta right now, so we're safe. From those ghosts of the past, at least."
Jeff sighed, preparing for the mood to get brought down. Even after Annie's brilliant performance tonight, she still felt the need to return here. And he had to be there with her to face it head on. But that was what Annie did – she faced things head on no matter how ugly or embarrassing, or how badly it hurt her or could hurt her. Maybe that canceled out the need for anyone to match her – maybe.
"You know, it's a shame I have to hate Glee and all it stands for," Annie started. "If I wasn't brainwashed and if I could stand organized Glee, I would have liked to sing at their Christmas pageant for real. But not a babyish Santa song, of course….a real Christmas song. One that I loved as a kid."
"You could love those as a kid?" Jeff double checked.
"Oh right, I told Troy and Abed that minefield of holiday traditions stuff," Annie remembered. "Well, the gist of it is that my dad celebrated Christmas and my mom didn't. But when we got to do the Christmas stuff, I loved the songs. Especially when they took my mind off my parents hating each other. And those reunions with high school bullies I'd have after Christmas break."
"Yeah. It's okay to break things in here, right? I mean, since everyone else who came here was broken already and all," Jeff covered up.
"Well, I'm not. In fact, I felt less broken back then when I heard one song. Or sang it to myself where my mom couldn't judge me. If Glee wasn't so despised, or if there was a non-evil Glee teacher with normal vests who didn't rap….maybe I could have snuck in the pageant and sung without being brainwashed. But that's the stuff of fantasy, right? Especially the rap stuff," Annie concluded.
"Except here where no one can hear you but me. Where I first saw the baby Santa routine you've been slaughtering all night," Jeff realized. "And so here I am to see you kill it for good, right? With a real song?"
"Well, I didn't come here planning it! Not entirely," Annie reasoned. "But this is as good a place as any. Where it's just you and me and no one else has to know."
That prospect would have scared Jeff for a number of reasons – not just because of memories from 10 months ago. However, Annie had earned some benefit of the doubt tonight.
So Jeff found the chair that Annie pushed him into last December, and sat down as Annie stood in front of the storage room partition again. "You don't have to do this to impress me. I know you can sing for real already. Don't think I didn't hear about 'haircuts in a box' on my way out of Winter Wonderland," Jeff recalled.
"Oh. I did kind of think that," Annie admitted, a bit embarrassed now. But she regrouped and stated, "Well, if you're not too bitter, you can hear me without sneaking out first. If not, I can still practice for any Thanksgiving musicals. Or whatever holiday musical we'll have this year."
Annie's nonchalant tone betrayed her as she took a deep breath and started preparing. "Since this isn't Christmas, I'll have to change a few lyrics," she warned, as she clearly ran through those changes in her head. When she looked done, she closed her eyes and muttered some vocal warm-ups, while Jeff tried to stay quiet and just watch.
Finally, Annie nodded to herself and took a few more breaths. Then she raised her hands, lowered them down and started singing a familiar Christmas tune with her eyes closed – and with a few new words.
"Have yourself a merry little Halloween. Let your heart be light. From now on your troubles will be out of sight." She sung this without a trace of Betty Boop, or any cartoon sexpot, in her voice. It wasn't on a Broadway level, but in its own unconventional fashion, it was still beautiful – in both obvious and subtle ways.
Once she got through those first lyrics, she opened her eyes, smiled at Jeff and got on with the next verse. "Have yourself a merry little Halloween. Make the graveyard gay. From now on our troubles will be miles away."
Jeff noticed her smile getting bigger at the troubles part – as he suddenly imagined it would have been when a younger Annie sung it. With that, it got easier to understand why Annie sung the next verse more emotionally.
"Here we are as in olden days. Happy golden days…of yore." Jeff found himself on the edge of his seat, seeing Annie remember her golden days – or at least how they were taken away years ago. Unsurprisingly, she teared up a little when she sang, "Faithful friends who are dear to us, gather near to us…once more."
Jeff knew she had no faithful friends when she sang this as a kid. But she didn't look as….lost in the past when she focused on him for the next bittersweet lyric.
"Through the years we all will be together….if the fates allow." On that line, her eyes closed and her voice shook a little. However, she got herself to look at Jeff again once the fates allowed, and her smile then turned hopeful instead of just teary. She then proceeded a bit louder with, "Hang a shining star on the Great Pumpkin's bough!"
Jeff just had to laugh at that parody, and Annie even joined in. But it was only for a second, as she softly sung out the final words. "And have yourself a merry little Halloween….now..."
When she let the last note fade away, Annie exhaled and did a ballerina-like curtsy for show. But all Jeff could do was sit in silence with his jaw slack. This was the second time in 10 months Annie made him this speechless in this room.
Yet he was speechless out of confusion, being creeped out and a bunch of other awkward things last time. This time….it was an awed speechlessness on par with the first time Annie let down her hair.
He first discovered a brand new Annie that night, and nothing was ever the same afterwards. But he wasn't discovering a new Annie tonight, as much as finally recognizing the one already there – and accepting just how he wanted to accept her.
"Well, that's what Mr. Rad is missing out on. In whatever town or Glee-free hell he's in," Annie tried to joke. "Come on, that's enough demon killing for one night. Let's go rest our voices and enjoy the rest of the party." Yet before Annie could make her way out, Jeff all but leapt from his chair and stood in front of her.
"Jeff?" Annie suspiciously asked. But Jeff couldn't speak any words in return. He was blocked up yet again, although it wasn't out of confusion or awe. There were just no words for him to tell her what he was finally realizing – not yet, anyway.
Until he found them, he'd have to warm Annie up by showing her. And he did it by putting a hand on the back of her head, leaning down and kissing her.
And when he did, the world didn't end or swallow him up for craving young flesh. Nor did he tell himself it should.
It was a downright Halloween miracle.