A/N: Still don't own it. Thank you for the kind words, reviewers! You all make my day. And of course a BIG thank you to tktktk for being a lovely beta!

Chapter 7

Jeff huffed in irritation at the insistent pounding on his door that was interrupting his workout. If this was Craig asking if he wanted to go out for drinks again so help him he would throw the little man right down the hallway. He flung open the door with a growled, "What?" and reared back in surprise when Britta pushed him aside and stormed into his apartment.

"Make yourself at home," he snarked as he turned to follow her. "What can I do for you?"

Britta whirled around and glared daggers at him. "I just came from Annie's place. Care to explain exactly what your game is?"

His expression closed and he gave her the patented Jeff Winger innocently sincere face. "What game? There is no game, Britta. I'm just really sorry about what happened and I'm trying to apologize to Annie."

Britta knew that face. She'd seen him use it time and again to hide his real intentions from people. Though mildly insulted that he thought it would work on her she nonetheless grinned in triumph. She knew it! "You like her!" she crowed, pointing a finger in accusation.

He sneered at her, "Of course I like her. What kind of stupid-"

"No!" Britta interrupted quickly, slicing her hand through the air. He was not going to treat her like an idiot. She knew him too well to fall for his tired tricks. "I mean you LIKE her!"

"What is this, middle school? Do you even hear yourself?" He deflected. Already trying to figure out a way to get rid of the blond who was being uncharacteristically observant. He was uncomfortable with the thought of a Britta who had both training as a therapist and was actually perceptive. "I just want Annie to stop being mad at me so we can go back to being friends," he insisted.

Britta smirked. "Keep telling yourself that, Winger. But tell me one thing. What do you want to happen. All the presents and the notes. What do you want from Annie?" Say it, she thought loudly at him. Tell the truth. Let me know that you, at least, are aware of how you feel.

But she was to be disappointed. Jeff shut down and repeated the party line. He was in no way interested in sharing his grand plan with Britta. He had already spilled everything to both Craig and Duncan. There was zero chance another one of his friends was going to drag it out of him. Especially not the one who could Britta this whole thing if she got involved. "I just want Annie to talk to me. I want to apologize and I want to try to be friends again," he repeated.

"Just friends?" she asked with an eyebrow raised. He was such a good liar but she saw right through him. Wow. It was like having a superpower. She was the living bullshit detector.

"Britta I'll take whatever Annie will let me have. If she doesn't want to be friends anymore I will have to accept that. But I want to at least have the chance plead my case to her before she hands down the final verdict." He wasn't budging. If she went running back to report to Annie he absolutely wasn't giving her any information that could hurt his case.

"But you want more, right?" Britta pressed. Hoping that he would confide in her. She wanted to be trusted with these sorts of things by her friends. When Annie had told her everything she had felt privileged to get access to her friend's mind. It was an amazing feeling and had reinvigorated her determination to become a therapist for real.

"It's not about what I want. It's about Annie." He glared at the blond. Willing her to take the hint and leave him alone.

Ha! Busted! He wouldn't be defensive and a little growly at being pressed on this if she had been wrong in her guess. That meant she'd been right! Jeff totally had actual feelings for Annie! And Annie had strong feelings for him!

Which meant...oh wow. They'd made a real mess of things. The next thought she had was that Ian was going to love this. She couldn't wait to tell him. For all that she had become more perceptive, she still didn't quite have a handle on the concept of confidential and privileged information.

She put on a contrite face and awkwardly started to leave. Being overly casual. "You're right. I'm sorry for barging in here like this. I was upset for my friend. But you're my friend, too. I won't get involved. This is between you and Annie."

She left before he could really process what she'd said. Okay that was weird. Britta was normally more tenacious when she tried to pry information out of people. She seemed to have given up way too quickly. He thought about the strange confrontation for the rest of the night, hoping to hear from Annie. But she never called him.

It was time to bring out the big guns.

"So let me get caught up," Rachel said as she set another bowl of buttered noodles on her precious coffee table in front of Abed. It was made from a big cable spool and she'd glued X-Men comics to every surface before varnishing. She settled onto the lumpy futon and looked at her boyfriend. "He sent her the flowers from her perfume, then drove an hour away and picked blueberries for her because they're her favorite, but then he sent her a teddy bear? I get the first two but isn't a stuffed animal a little creepy? I mean he's already a lot older than her. Doesn't this just. I don't know," she gestured vaguely with her fork, "highlight the age difference?"

Abed shook his head and explained. "It would if it were anyone else but he's immature and she's got life experience that aged her. Realistically they're both around 30. I'm 80% sure the bear is going to be the present that makes her call him, though. She threw out all of her stuffed animals and regrets it. Jeff got her the perfect gift."

"Nobody can be that lucky." Rachel said archly. She leaned in and gave him a searching look. "Did you give him a hint?"

"Yes," he admitted without shame. "I sent him a text last night and reminded him that even a forensic scientist can love stuffed animals. I also told him she threw all of hers out in misguided zeal and regretted it. She made an irrational connection between her feeling for Jeff and not being as successful as she wants to be when she was upset. I had to edit for time. It's taking too long for this plot line to play out. "

Rachel nodded in agreement as she took a bite of her noodles. "But aren't you worried that you've meddled in things beyond your ken?"

Abed shot her a flatly disgusted look. "Never reference that show to me again."

"You're not going to believe what I just found out!" Britta practically squealed as soon as he answered her call.

"That an avocado is a berry and a strawberry isn't?" Duncan responded with a smile in his voice.

"I..what? No." Britta was momentarily taken aback and shook her head to dislodge the thought before continuing with the news. "Jeff likes Annie. Like, he LIKES her."

"Correction. Jeff is in love with Annie. Yes, I know." He said in a bored tone. As if she had been excited that grass was green or the sky was blue.

Britta gasped in shock. "What the hell, Ian? Why didn't you tell me? I had to figure it out on my own!" She reprimanded him. "I've told you everything as soon as I knew it. You're supposed to return the favor! That's how gossiping about our friends works!" She exclaimed in irritation. "So how did you find out? And when?"

"He asked me to deliver something to Annie a couple of days ago and he told me. Isn't it marvelous? They're like clichéd little ships passing in the night. It's going to be hilarious to watch this play out." He laughed mischievously.

"You know, it really is. Oh and that means you knew last night and never told me!" She pointed out with faux anger.

"Britta, have I taught you nothing about doctor-patient confidentiality? I couldn't. Don't be mad." He was laughing as he said it, which ruined the already mild chastisement.

Britta couldn't help but laugh in response. He had a fair point after all. "Hey I know I told you earlier that I was going to be busy tonight," she said. "But I bailed on Annie to come yell at Jeff and I'm just leaving his place. Want to grab some sushi and go for a bike ride?"

"Britta! Is that an innuendo?" Duncan asked with feigned indignation. "I am quite frankly shocked! And yes!"

Britta actually blushed even as she laughed heartily. "Well it wasn't when I said it but it is now!"

Thursday when Annie got home from work there was a note on the door that she had a delivery at the office. She couldn't stop the smile from splitting her face. She'd already made up her mind that she would ask Jeff to stop sending gifts. She would talk to him about what had happened when she was ready to and not a moment sooner. And she certainly wasn't going to let him keep sending her presents every day. She may be determined not to be in love with Jeff Winger but she wouldn't use him either. She wasn't that type of woman and she never wanted to be. Although she would be lying to herself if she tried to pretend she wasn't curious what he had sent today.

She rushed to the front office and brought the heavy box back home. Sitting on the sofa she unwrapped it carefully. She gasped in delight as she pulled out a purple and black paintball gun. It was sleek and powerful looking and downright sexy. Reluctantly she set the gun down and opened the included note.

Annie, I'm not saying that you're going to need this in the future. But we both know Greendale is a battleground. The good news is that together we make an unstoppable team. A lot of people want a lot of things, Milady. What I want is for you to please accept this gift. And my apologies. Can we please talk?

She grinned and picked up the gun again, admiring the length of the barrel and the way it fit perfectly in her hands. "You did good, Milord" she muttered to herself. She was still admiring it and fighting off imaginary foes when Abed came home and sat next to her.

"Is that a Planet Eclipse Etek4 LT?" he asked pointing at the gun with interest. "Those are some of the best guns available. Where did you get it? How did you get it?"

"I don't know. Maybe?" She responded with an enthusiastic grin as she casually spun it in her hand like a gunslinger. "Jeff sent it. It's it awesome?" She gushed as she aimed kill-shots at the television, the window, and a poster on the wall in quick succession.

"Annie, that's a $500 paintball gun." he said.

"WHAT?" She squawked. She dropped the gun into Abed's waiting hands as if it were on fire and ran into her room to grab her phone off the charger. She was so flustered it took her three tries and she ended up ripping the cord out of the outlet on accident before finally freeing her phone and opening her messenger app. It was time to break her self-imposed order not to contact Jeff. She quickly fired off a text.

Jeff had been making himself a light dinner of lemon and dill salmon with a spinach salad when his phone chimed to alert him of an incoming text. He slid the salmon onto his plate in a rush and tossed the cooking sheet on the range before he turned off the oven then sat the plate down to grab his phone. It was from Annie! He knew an over-the-top gift like the paintball gun would work!

Annie: Thank you for the paintball gun but I can't accept this!

Yes! He took a bite of salmon while he thought about what to send back. He had to keep his cool. Don't be desperate.

Jeff: Do you like it?

Annie rolled her eyes in fond exasperation when she got Jeff's reply. She laid on her bed and stared at her phone with a giddy smile. What kind of question was that? The blatant fishing for compliments kind. However in this case it was well deserved and should be rewarded.

Annie: Of course I like it! It's practically perfect in every way. They all are.

He smiled fondly at her Mary Poppins reference. It was her favorite Disney movie and the titular character was her idol. Okay, let her know you get the reference but don't be sappy.

Jeff: Does that mean you think it's supercalifragilisticexpialidocious? I'm glad you like it.

Annie blushed and grabbed her lower lip between her teeth. Glad he couldn't see her. This was exactly why Jeff Winger was so hard not to love. He made her feel fluttery and excited with just a few casually thrown out words. Her smile dropped as she remembered the reason she was so mad at him was some casually thrown out words. Future, Annie. Think of your future.

Annie: You know it is. And I love it. But I still can't accept this. It's too much!

Oh no she didn't. Think, Winger. He looked out into the living room and the ridiculous sparkly purple swag fabric thing that was still above his window caught his eye. He smirked. She wasn't the only one who could bring up conversations from forever ago just to make a point.

Jeff: I'm shocked at you! Don't you know it's rude not to accept a present?

Annie smiled despite herself. So he remembered what she'd said to him when she decorated his apartment. That was sweet. And just as he had that day, she gracefully relented.

Annie: Thank you. It's awesome.

Ok Winger time to make your move

Jeff: You're welcome. Can we talk?

Her smile faded and she thought again about why she was mad at him. Did she want to actually have that conversation yet? She knew she couldn't ignore the elephant in the room forever but she didn't want to have a fight with him. Why did he have to be such an ass last weekend?

Annie: I don't think that's a good idea.

Damn. He'd pressed her too hard and she was skittish. Okay time to let her know he wasn't giving up but that he wouldn't pressure her, either.

Jeff: I understand. But Annie I'm not giving up. You have no idea how much effort you rate these days. I'm just getting started.

Her irritation faded into fond exasperation. He was right. They did need to talk. To clear the air. Maybe they could salvage their friendship if nothing else.

Annie: Fine we can talk. But I'm not ready yet. And these presents have to stop. Promise me.

Jeff had been enjoying their conversation and for a moment forgot his plan to think carefully about every word he sent. He sent a response out of instinct and when he realized what he had sent he could have hit himself. Way to go, Winger. You're supposed to be apologizing, not flirting.

Jeff: Ask me nicely.

Annie grinned at her phone. She had missed this. Had missed their conversations. They way he teased her and stopped her from being so serious all the time. The way she got just a little bit of a thrill when he was commanding.

Annie: lol you're ridiculous. Okay. Jeff will you pretty please stop buying me amazing presents?

That was a lol. A lol meant he was still in the game. He grinned as he typed his reply.

Jeff: Never. But I will temporarily refrain from buying you things because you asked so nicely.

She didn't respond but it really didn't matter. He had won a small victory. Plan A seemed to have yielded all that it would. It was time to come up with Plan B.