A/N: Still don't own it. Still dependent on tktktk to be an absolute beta angel.

Chapter 6

When Annie came home from work on Monday evening she was in a terrible mood. She had known after her first day with Futuraza that she hated the company but it had paid well and she had seen it as the first rung on the career ladder that would eventually lead to a leadership position in a hospital. Most of that money had dried up when she dropped down to part time in order to go back to school. But she had hoped that over the summer she could save up enough money to prevent her and Abed from actually having to find a roommate on Craigslist. The few they had met with had not reacted positively to Abed's blanket-room. Of course once they had realized that they were likely not going to be able to find someone Abed had moved into Troy's room which Annie really liked. It was nice to be able to sit at the kitchen table and do her homework late into the night without worrying about keeping her roommate awake.

Then again, she hated the long hours. The only good thing about working full time this summer was going to be the flex schedule that let her work four ten-hour days and left her with three day weekends. She was pondering whether or not to drop back down to part time as she put her key in the lock and opened the door. She was greeted with the most amazing perfume filling the air.

Quickly she entered the apartment and locked the door behind her before hunting down the source of the fantastic fragrance. There on the kitchen counter stood a massive floral arrangement of white flowers in a purple vase. She moved to the giant bouquet of white flowers in awe. Unsure what to look at first. Grinning, she leaned in and breathed in the heady perfume. Orange blossoms and gardenias and jasmine. She knew without looking who had sent the flowers. But how on earth had he known...

She saw an envelope with her name on it nestled amongst the flowers and snagged it. She quickly opened it to read the note inside.

Annie, The most classic advice when apologizing properly to a lady is to gift her with either flowers or perfume. In this case I've chosen the flowers that make up her unforgettable perfume. It's only appropriate given that the woman for whom they're intended is, herself, unforgettable. Please accept this gift. And my apologies. Can we please talk?

"Wow," she whispered to herself. Rereading the note several times with a smile that grew bigger each time.

"They were delivered this afternoon. You're smiling. You like them." Abed observed as he walked into the kitchen. "I would have thought roses would be his choice. This seems random."

Annie turned to her roommate with a beaming smile that was bright enough to light a room. "Abed these are the flowers from the perfume my Bubbe buys me every year for my birthday! Did you tell him what my perfume was?"

His brows drew down in disbelief. "Annie I know that I'm not allowed to talk to Jeff until you two have resolved things. My position as your roommate demands that I consider him to be the enemy until you two are okay again."

Annie's grin turned rueful. "Aww! That's so sweet! But wait, how did he know what to buy then?"

"Well I can only guess," Abed said, "But either he recognized your perfume or he went to a perfume counter and smelled everything until he found it.

Her smile fell as she thought about it. She couldn't imagine that Jeff would willingly go to a perfume counter and deal with obnoxious saleswomen as he hunted down her perfume in order to buy her the matching flowers.

She looked at the bouquet again. Then again, nobody had ever bought her flowers before either. And they were gorgeous. "You know," she confessed. "I have a bouquet just like this in my wedding binder. And for exactly the same reason. I've been wearing that perfume for so many years that I think that these are 'my' scent. If that makes sense."

Abed held his hand out and with an amused huff Annie handed it over. As he read it an eyebrow rose. "I'm going to have to update my Don Draper." He handed the note back and asked, "So are you going to talk to him?"

"Not tonight. I need to think about it more," she said.

She didn't stop smiling for the rest of the evening.

Jeff checked his phone roughly every thirty seconds all night hoping to hear from Annie. He finally went to bed after midnight. Disheartened by her silence but not discouraged.

Today had been remarkably easy. He had initially felt intimidated at the overwhelming selection at the perfume counter. But as soon as he had explained to Ava and Olivia that he was looking for a woman's perfume that smelled like orange blossoms in order to buy matching flowers as an apology they had been exceedingly helpful. The whole thing had taken less than twenty minutes including buying the gift set of Pure Poison to give Annie for Christmas. He had thought that the name was oddly appropriate for her.

The florist he had gone to see had been similarly helpful. As soon as he walked in the door he had explained to the matronly woman what he was looking for and why. He'd looked up the perfume online before he came in and told her exactly which flowers he had wanted. She had sighed and gushed over the romantic gesture before telling him that orange blossoms were traditionally used in wedding bouquets with a sly smile. He had filed that bit of information with a smile. After he had asked her for a purple vase instead of the clear one she had initially started putting the flowers in because that was Annie's favorite color the woman had fluttered her hand against her chest and insisted that the vase and delivery would be free of charge because "Young love is just so thrilling!"

He checked his phone one last time before grudgingly going to sleep. It looked like he was going to have to be up early tomorrow in order to make the drive and he had already stayed up too late hoping to hear from Annie.

By Tuesday evening Annie still hadn't made her mind up about talking to Jeff. But she had been distracted at work thinking about him all day. Wondering what it would have been like if she had just reacted better. Would they have actually had sex with all of their friends sitting on the other side of her bedroom door? She had lost track of time fluctuating between daydreaming about how exactly that would have happened. In graphic detail. And reaffirming her decision to get over him. Yes the flowers had been nice but his actions had been insulting.

No, she was more certain than ever that she had made the right decision. For her future. Which she was more determined than ever would not include her job with the drug company. She had a real affinity for forensic science. Her natural detail-orientation and obsession over small details were actually a major benefit in that line of work. When the clock finally hit six she bolted out the door, ignoring the questioning looks of her coworkers.

As she walked in the front door she was surprised to see Duncan sitting at their dining table with Abed, eating blueberries from a large basket. "Umm hey guys," she said with her brow crinkled in confusion. "Did...you go berry picking today?"

"Not us," Duncan corrected with a big smile. "That would be Jeff. These are for you, actually. I'm just the delivery boy."

Her jaw dropped in shock. The nearest berry patch was over an hour away. She had gone with her Dad and his family every summer when she was just a little girl. "You have got to be kidding me," Annie said.

"I am most certainly not." Duncan affected a pompous air. "And he sent a note as well," he handed her an envelope with a knowing smile.

She chose to ignore him and tore the envelope open to read what Jeff had sent.

Annie, I know that blueberries are your favorite and it's my hope that these make you smile. Because your smile is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen and you deserve to smile more often. But do yourself a favor and continue to buy these from the farmers market. And give those guys a break. Turns out picking these is way harder than you'd think. Please accept them. And my apologies. Can we please talk?

She held a hand over her mouth in a vain attempt to hide her laughter. Eyes dancing she looked at the men still nibbling on berries as they watched her reaction with interest. "That man is unbelievable."

"What did it say?" Duncan asked as he held his hand out for the note. "He wouldn't let me read it before he sent me over here." She handed it over, still trying to hide her laughter. As first Duncan, then Abed read the note she snagged an handful of the plump, sweet berries and closed her eyes in bliss. They were perfect.

"So Jeff sent you over as his errand boy, then?" Annie asked casually. Trying to hide her interest and failing spectacularly. "How...how is he?"

Duncan had been chuckling over the funny note but her question sobered him immediately. "Annie, I've known Jeff Winger for seven years and in all that time I have never actually seen him show the slightest scrap of actual remorse. Until today. Whatever happened between you two I can tell you with absolute certainty that he is very sorry."

"Well he should be," Annie responded automatically. "He was an idiot. But I do appreciate the gesture." She reached over and took another one of the berries. Popping it in her mouth and moaning in pleasure. "And these are amazing. Duncan, do you want to stay for dinner? I'm suddenly in the mood for blueberry pancakes.

"So are you going to call him?" Abed asked after Duncan had left.

"I haven't decided," she confessed. "I know he feels bad but I'm still too mad to be rational if I talk to him. Every time I really think about what happened I get mad all over again. I'm going to have to think about it for a few more days." She put the basket of berries in the refrigerator before grabbing two glasses of water and joining Abed on the couch to watch a rerun from the last season of Inspector Spacetime.

"So you think you will be ready to talk to him by this weekend then?" Her roommate asked insistently.

Annie pulled a face. "I don't know. Maybe? Why do you want to know?"

"Jeff is supposed to go see The Amazing Spider Man 2 with me on Sunday since Rachel is still mad about the premature reboot. I need to know how long I need to consider him the enemy. I might have to make alternate arrangements."

Annie felt terrible that her anger and Abed's loyalty were coming between the friends. "Oh Abed no. Listen. It's really sweet for you not to talk to Jeff since I'm mad at him but it seems like that's not really fair to either of you. Don't change your plans, okay? He's your friend too so you should feel free to talk to him no matter what. Okay?"

"Cool," he replied as he flipped to BBC America and pulled out his phone, "cool cool cool."

"What did she say?" Jeff said without preamble as soon as he answered the call.

"She said you're an idiot, actually," Duncan replied. "Abed told me that she's furious with you."

Jeff closed his eyes in defeat. He would have to redouble his efforts. There had to be a way to make her forgive him enough to at least talk to him again.

"But," Duncan said, "she also said that you were unbelievable. And she was smiling when she said it. And most importantly she asked how you were doing. She was worried, Jeff. I do believe that the woman may be thawing towards you."

Jeff pumped a fist in victory. Yes! "Ian you are the best and I owe you a bottle of scotch for this! Thank you!"

"No need to thank me, my friend. Annie asked me to stay for dinner and she made the most amazing blueberry pancakes."

Wednesday evening Annie came home with an extra bounce in her step. Her supervisor had called her into his office and let her know that her biggest account had opened a second office. Their order, and therefore her commission, would be doubling. That meant she could drop back down to part time with only a small decrease in her paycheck!

She was already imagining all of the things she could accomplish with all her free time that summer. She could take an unpaid internship with the Greendale Police if she wanted. That plus the recommendation Hickey had promised her would put her in a better position to get a paid job with them once she graduated. She made a mental note to review the internship posting that evening. Maybe she could call Craig and see if he knew of any as well.

"Abed!" She cheerfully called out as she opened the door. "The most amazing thing happened today!" But as she noticed all of the lights were off she realized her roommate wasn't home. A quick text verified that he had plans with Rachel for the evening.

She was somewhat deflated that Abed wouldn't be home all night. She had wanted to celebrate her good news that evening. She immediately thought about texting Jeff but decided against it. She still wasn't ready to talk to him yet. Instead she texted Britta and was happy that her friend didn't already have plans for the night. Britta let her know she'd be over in thirty minutes with a few bottles of wine.

Her phone chimed with a text as soon as she's ordered the pizza.

Abed: Jeff sent you something else while you were at work. I left it in your room.

Intrigued, she opened the door and was surprised when what she saw brought tears to her eyes. There was a teddy bear sitting on her bed. It was big and fluffy and dressed like an old fashioned detective. It had a little fedora and trenchcoat and even had a little magnifying glass in one hand. The other had a note tied to it.

Annie. It turns out to be surprisingly difficult to find a stuffed animal that represents a forensic scientist. Please accept this reasonable facsimile. And my apologies. Can we please talk?

p.s. His name is Dixon Hill and despite his tough appearance he has one weakness. He's scared of thunderstorms. Maybe you could comfort him if he ever has a hard time getting to sleep because of the thunder.

She wiped away her tears and threw herself onto her bed to cuddle up with the fluffy gift and remember the night Jeff had found out about her irrational fear of storms.

He had been walking her to her car after a late night study session and it had been raining. A loud thunder crack had scared her and she had squeaked and jumped in fright. Jeff had laughed at her and shot her a smirk, "Don't tell me you're scared of a little thunder, Edison."

When she had glared at him and wrapped her arms more tightly around herself he had surprised her. He had given an exasperated and put-upon sigh. Then wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into a loose hug as they walked to her car. "It can be our secret," he'd murmured to her. "

She wiped away her tears and changed out of her work clothes with a sad smile on her face. Jeff had surprised her. He had no way of knowing how absolutely perfect that teddy bear was unless he knew her better than she had wanted to admit. Okay. Maybe she was more than a pair of talking boobs to him. It was possible that she had misread what had happened. Maybe she should call him.

The doorbell rang before she could ruminate more on things and she ran out to greet Britta with a smile. "I'm so glad you could make it!" she exclaimed.

"Of course! I wouldn't miss the chance to celebrate with my best girlfriend!" Britta responded with a beaming smile of her own as she handed her two of the white wine bottles while holding up the third. "This one is cold but we need to chill those for a bit."

Annie grinned and followed her into the apartment.

"Whoa, what's with the flowers?" Britta asked as soon as the bouquet on the counter came into view. "Did someone die?"

"Oh. No," Annie demured as she moved the basket of blueberries to the side in order to fit the wine into the refrigerator. "Actually Jeff sent those."

"Flowers. The classic male apology," Britta said dismissively. "You haven't talked to him have you?" She asked as the women went to sit on the couch and Britta expertly opened the screw-top bottle of cheap white wine.

"Nope," Annie responded as she poured two glasses and handed one to her friend.

"I'm proud of you!" Britta grinned. "I propose a toast. To women too smart to be bought by apology flowers."

They clinked glasses and grinned at each other. It was nice to have someone who supported her decision. "Thank you!" Annie exclaimed. "You've been so supportive of my decision and I want you to know how much I appreciate it."

Britta smiled widely. "That's what friends are for!" She looked back over at the bouquet and snorted in derision. "He couldn't even spring for roses, huh?"

Annie appreciated the support but she was irritated that Britta has so easily dismissed the gift that had been so thoughtful. "Actually those are the flowers in my perfume," she clarified.

Britta swung her head back around and leveled Annie with a look of utter disbelief. "You can't possibly believe that was anything other than a coincidence," she said flatly.

Annie set down her glass with a loud clink. "Hold that thought," she said as she went into her room. She grabbed the note from the flowers as well as the note from the blueberries and the teddy bear with its note before briskly walking back into the living room and her waiting friend.

"Look at these! Here," she handed her friend the note that had come with the flowers. "See? It was totally on purpose! And he picked me fresh blueberries. See? He knows they're my favorite." She handed Britta the second note. "And look! He got me a stuffed detective bear! It's not a forensic scientist but it was the closest he could come. I don't even know where he found this," she said as she handed over the third note. "I think Jeff is really sorry and really trying to apologize," she said just as the doorbell rang. She whirled around to go get the pizza and tip the driver. Not really sure where the need to so passionately defend Jeff had come from.

Britta read each of the notes in stunned silence. He had clearly gone to a lot of trouble to give Annie gifts that showed how well he knew her and his choices made it clear that he thought highly of her. And these notes were pretty romantic. Actually, they were completely romantic. There wasn't the slightest hint that he just wanted to sleep with Annie.

She frowned. Jeff never put this much effort into anything for her and they had dated for months. The most romantic thing he had ever done for her was buy her was a cup of coffee, she thought somewhat bitterly. And yet all that it had taken was Annie telling him she wasn't interested and suddenly here were these hidden depths. What did this mean?

Her eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped as the only possible answer came to her. With a panicked look at Annie coming in with the pizza she stood up and grabbed her purse. "Oh crap! Annie I am so sorry but I just remembered that I had plans tonight! I'm so sorry to run out on you like this but I have to go! Have a good night! And congratulations about the work thing!" She called out as she rushed out the door.

"But what am I supposed to do with all of this pizza and wine?" Annie called out plaintively as Britta rushed out the door.

After the door slammed shut she whispered sadly to herself, "I was supposed to be celebrating."