Pairing: Jeff/Annie
Spoilers: Through the finale of Season 4, Jeff's graduation, and dinner with the group
Word Count: 5225
Rating: PG-13 (language)
Disclaimer: If I owned Community, you'd all probably absolutely hate it.
Author's Notes: I take liberties with character's motivations and thoughts...but that's kind of the name of the game if you're going to write fan fiction. I try as hard as I can to stay within the limits of the developed character though.

Smiling, Annie broke her kiss with Jeff with a contented sound. As they each opened their eyes and looked at each other, Annie was the first to break the silence.

"You had better not say that that was a mistake." She whispered to Jeff, a coy smile on her face. She already knew he wouldn't dare try to say that now.

"It was, Annie."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, and Annie had realized that she hadn't misheard him, her fury reignited, and she smacked him right across the chest.

"What the hell, Jeff! What about no more mixed signals? What is wrong with you tonight?! I thought you were trying to fix everything between us, not create new problems left and right!"

Jeff had enough of Annie flying off the handle…even if she was justified. Jeff needed her to actually listen to him, not blindly react to everything that came out of his mouth without allowing him time for explanation.

"Annie, shut up!"

Shocked, she did. Jeff kept going.

"Here's the thing. I am putting my foot down, you understand? I am being assertive, and I am making eye contact, and it is achieving results!"

Annie was more than a little stunned by her own words from their freshman year being used against her. "Are you trying to get formidable with me?"

Jeff was a little wide-eyed, "Yeah, and I can't believe it worked…"

Annie had a similar bewildered expression. "Yeah, me either…" she said, allowing her voice to trail off as she tried to figure out exactly how Jeff had turned her angry rant off so quickly…and why she wasn't starting back up with it.

Jeff didn't give her the time to launch back into her tirade. "We will talk about this." He said, gesturing rapidly back and forth between them, "in a few minutes. First things first, what did you see back there? Don't leave anything out."

Annie nodded. This was smart. Putting their personal issues aside for a minute to solve the larger problem. This is why Jeff was consistently listened to (in most cases…not all) when it came to making decisions…he was logical, and usually kept his wits about himself. After all, if whatever they saw out there turned out to be a bigger problem than either of them thought, they may not have the chance to have personal issues anymore.

"Ok…it was black, head to toe. Or at least a dark enough color that it looked black in the low light of the hallways. Bipedal, human sized, as I mentioned before, but bent almost double. It moved quickly, but smoothly, when it moved at all…and it looked like it had some sort of tail coming up over its back. Honestly, Jeff, it reminded me as nothing so much as a cross between a human…thing, and a"

"Scorpion." Jeff finished for her. He had hoped that his youthful years of reading Spider-Man comics had just been playing with his imagination, but knew now that they weren't. What he had seen had reminded him of nothing as much as an ersatz version of the webslinger's villain made real.

"Yeah, that matches what I saw too. It looked like it was following us when we were running. Like you said, it was quick…but I wouldn't call it fast, by any means…I'm guessing if it comes down to it, we can outrun it."

Annie nodded. Jeff was planning. This was good. They'd get out of this. She may be the scheduler…but Jeff was the planner.

"Annie…come over here." Jeff led her deeper into the room, and around a set of free-standing shelves, situating them between the two of them and the doorway. He looked down at her, and with the most serious expression she'd ever seen on his face, he started giving her instructions.

"Ok, it comes in here, we stay right here until we see which side it's coming around these shelves, ok? As soon as it actually comes around…just in case it tries to fake us out, you go around the other side, head out the door, and don't stop until you get someplace safe, ok?"

Annie nodded, comforted that the solution was fairly simple, then it suddenly hit. "Hey…what are you going to do?"

Jeff's face softened with a slight smile. "I'm going to buy you a bit of time, and then I'm getting the hell out of here too."

Annie gave him a doubtful look. "You aren't going to try to do something stupid and noble, are you?"

Jeff shot her his patented 'Are You Out of Your Damn Mind?' face. "Hell no, Annie. I'm going to take a very, very slight risk to make sure you're out safe, and then I'm getting out. The world shouldn't be burdened with losing me…it'd just be…too hard a blow. There's already enough suffering out there. The world needs Jeff Winger in it."

Annie rolled her eyes. Typical Jeff.

Jeff sighed heavily, and when Annie turned back to look at him, the exhaustion on his face was clear. She had just realized more bad news that she had to break to him as well.

"Jeff?"

"Yeah, Annie?"

"I lost my keys."

Dammit.

"Ok, Annie…we're going to have to alter things a little. We've gotta hit the study room before we go."

Annie crinkled her nose at this. Staying in where the…thing was sounded like a bad idea. "Jeff! Why are we going back to the study room? One last look at our old hangout before we get eviscerated, or just tied down and it reads its bad shadow scorpion thingy poetry to us? We don't know what it wants with us, and I think we should just get clear! I just figured I'd mention my keys so that you could give me a ride, or something."

Jeff squeezed his eyes closed, and scrunched his face, tension headache coming on strong. "Annie…I don't exactly have MY keys either."

"Oh, come ON, Jeff. I've seen you with keys tonight. What kind of game are you playing? Make Annie feel scared? Not going to work."

Jeff's look of disbelieving disdain was almost tangible. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out the keys Annie had seen him unlocking school doors with. "You mean THESE keys, Annie?! Are these the ones you're talking about? Do you see a Lexus key on them anywhere? Huh?! Do you?!" Jeff was dangling the keys by their ring with one hand, shaking them in her direction, metal jingling against metal. His other hand was occupied with rubbing the bridge of his nose, his eyes screwed tightly shut.

"Damn tension headaches…I blame you for these! I never got them before you and I got all buddy buddy!" he opened his eyes long enough to shoot her an accusing look.

She wasn't taking that…he couldn't insult her and expect her to just roll over.

"That's because no one had made you do honest work before! Life's a bit more stressful when you can't just BS your way through it, isn't it, Mr. 'Fly By The Seat Of His Pants?'"

Jeff didn't have a retort for that. He was leaning on the shelves they were using as a makeshift barricade and obstacle, should their mysterious stalker make an appearance. He was supported by one arm bearing most of his weight, and his right hand had returned to massaging his head, now moving its attention towards his temples. His voice was quiet as he spoke. "Annie, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled. I just got frustrated, and it's been a long night. That wasn't how I should have responded, especially not to you."

Annie nodded, even though he obviously couldn't see her doing so. She put her hands gently on his hips and gave a gentle pull away from the shelves.

"Come here."

He dropped his hand from his face, and looked at her. "What's up?" Annie just smiled up at him, and now that there was a hand free, she grabbed onto it, and tugged him towards the back wall. He didn't offer any actual resistance beyond the inertia imparted by his own weight, which meant she still had to put forth a decent amount of effort.

Once her back had contacted the wall, maintaining a hold on his hand, she allowed herself to slide down into a cross-legged position, and worked to situate him in front of her, with his back to her. Her mind flitted to earlier that evening, back at the lockers, when their positions had been reversed. So much had happened between now and then…some good, some bad.

She reached up to the back of his head, sinking her fingers into his short hair right near the base of his skull.

"Jeff, I'm really, really sorry."

"For what, Annie? I'm the one who was getting aggressive and yelling at you."

"Well, right, but I'm more sorry for this…it's going to hurt like the devil. Just hold completely still."

With that, Annie took a tight grip on the muscles right at the base of Jeff's skull, right where the neck joined with the head. She worked the knotted spots back and forth, exerting as much pressure as she could with her fingers. Jeff, for his part, gasped with the sudden pain, and then proceeded to alternate between further pained gasps and what sounded to Annie like something that could only be described as a cross between a groan and a pitiable whimper. Neither one could possibly be considered a sound of pleasure. To his credit, Jeff held stock still and allowed Annie to do her work.

After about 45 seconds of this, Annie's hand began cramping up, and she released her hold on Jeff's neck muscles. Jeff slouched backwards as soon as she let go, like a puppet with its strings cut.

"So, how's your head now?" Annie smiled down at the large man who had ended up slumped across her lap and chest.

Jeff blinked a few times, as if just waking up prior to responding. "Holy crap, Annie…you were right. That hurt like hell, but my headache's gone!"

"Yeah, I figured out that set of tense muscles when I was younger…nothing was working, and I just stumbled across those. Since I still get tension headaches, I'm pretty grateful to have discovered that spot. Painkillers tend not to work on that sort of pain, and I don't like taking pills anyway, cause of…y'know." Annie did a bobbling motion with her head, showing she expected Jeff to mentally fill in the blanks where she'd trailed off.

Jeff pulled himself into a more comfortable sitting position, but kept a fair amount of his weight on Annie. In order to do so, he couldn't sit fully upright, as her cross-legged position would keep him well away from her at that point, and he really wanted to be close to her at the moment. After everything that had happened that night…he'd come to a startling revelation, and he looked forward to sharing it with Annie when the right moment came. For now, he'd settle for being close to her again, after pushing her away so recently. He almost felt like he and Annie were on a ridiculous sort of see-saw…each propelling the other up and down repeatedly. It was completely frustrating…

Jeff felt a light push on his back. Annie was trying to move him away from her. Apparently she didn't feel the same way about being close that he did. No big surprise after recent events there. Jeff had long known that unless he strove to be perfect…perfect body, perfect dress, perfectly cool, he'd be undesirable. Tonight, he'd been extremely un-perfect, so it only made sense that Annie would want to get a little space.

Her breath came warm on his ear as she leaned down and whispered, "Sit up, and scoot back towards me as much as you can, but lean a little forward."

Jeff complied with instructions, and as he did so, he asked, voice tinged with regret, "When did we get so out of sync, Annie?"

Annie's brows knitted together. Jeff sounded unhappy with something, and she hadn't really noticed any lack of sync. She ran her hands down his back, feeling the knotted muscles. No wonder he had tension headaches…Jeff was known for his body, which meant he worked out constantly, putting enough pressure on his muscles, adding stress on top of that…

At least it was nice to look at, even under a shirt.

Still, this could get a lot nicer for both of them. Annie let her hands drop to the hem of his shirt and started lifting.

"Annie? What are you doing?"

She poked him in the side with a single finger. "Arms up, Shirt off."

"Arms up? Are you mugging me?"

Of course, he would be cracking wise right now. "Jeff, could you just follow my lead for once without making a big deal about it?"

The answer to that, of course is no, as Annie soon had confirmed when Jeff turned his head and quirked an eyebrow at her. "If I take of MY shirt, will you be returning the favor?"

Annie let the innuendo and charm of his crooked grin make the butterflies in her stomach flap around for a moment before she caught herself and slapped his arm. "Jeff! Don't be gross!"

Still, even though he'd groused about it, and continued grumbling about turnabout being 'fair play,' Jeff pulled his shirt over his head, and Annie's butterflies morphed into hummingbirds, doing complex aerial stunts in her ribcage. Annie'd seen him shirtless before, more than once, but in a situation like this…where he'd taken his shirt off at her instruction, not for a wardrobe adjustment, not because it was covered in paint, but because she'd told him to.

She prayed she didn't faint as she ran her palms up his bare back, and found the exact opposite was true. She was more aware than she could remember ever being before. She'd have to make a mental note to track down Professor Whitman, and tell him she'd finally figured out what it meant to 'live in the moment.' Her hands tracked up to his shoulder blades, and then, gently placing her thumbs right at the edge, she dug them upward and in, hard.

Jeff gasped and shied away, slightly. Annie let go with her right hand to grab his shoulder, and pull him backwards while maintaining her pressure on the muscles under his left shoulder blade with her left hand. He hissed as he sucked in a breath, and choked out "Annie…what are you doing?"

"It's called a massage, Jeff. Just because I don't have oils or a table doesn't mean it's not therapeutic."

"Yeah, but this is agonizing!"

She drew her lips together in a thin line…"Oh, stop whining, you big baby. It wouldn't hurt so much if you didn't internalize your stress so much, or if you'd get the occasional massage to work these kinks out more frequently."

By now, she'd lessened the pressure, and was working on a more gentle rubout. He turned at the neck again to be able to see her in his peripheral vision. She kept her gaze focused on his back, but could hear the grin when he asked "Are you volunteering for such duty?"

Oh Jeff…always a charmer.

Annie looked up and caught his single visible eye directly with hers. The butterflies-turned-hummingbirds got bigger. What came next? Annie blanked…ospreys? Ostriches? Screw it…whatever was next in the giddy stomach feelings chart was where she was.

"If you'd want me to, sure Jeff…I'll give you massages."

She'd caught him off-guard, from the surprised look on his face. Annie may be inexperienced, but she wasn't dumb…so she offered him a easy method back into territory familiar to him.

"Of course, if you'd ever like to return the favor, I wouldn't say no to you using those ridiculously big hands of yours to give me a massage…getting good grades is stressful. Not to mention living with Troy and Abed."

There…if he couldn't take such a blatantly flirty hint, he was…well, she wouldn't even worry about it. He'd take the hint.

"So…if I give you one, does YOUR shirt come off too?"

Hook, line…

"Jeff Winger, are you making a pass at me?"

He turned around at the waist this time, making full eye contact with her, rather than the corner of one of his eyes straining to meet hers.

"What would you think of me if I was?"

She used both of her hands to grab his sides, and twist him back so his back faced her, thrilling at grabbing him so boldly, and noting that he lightly squirmed and chuckled when she released his sides, and slowly slid her fingers off of them. Ticklish…mental note for the future.

"Jeff, would you really care what I thought about your hitting on me? I thought one of your fundamental characteristics was that you didn't care what people thought about you?"

Jeff turned his head again…Annie had the odd thought that his headache would come back if he kept doing that. Turning like that flexed the muscles she'd rubbed out. She shunted this thought to the side for the time being.

"Annie? Are you for real? Look around this room."

Annie looked…storage room. Ok. Nothing special.

Her blank look must have been obvious, because here came the Winger speech.

"Annie, look at everything tonight. We started out in the study room, where I told you about how I had played out my own fantasies of us being married. I figured it would comfort you, and maybe touch you a little. Instead, it made you feel like you'd been made a fool of. I felt terrible about that. I wanted it to be an uplifting moment between us, and instead you slapped me, and it made it feel like there was a wedge driven in our relationship."

Annie nodded, noting that Jeff had used the dreaded r-word. She tried to keep calm…she was pretty sure Jeff would use that for whatever existed between him and Abed, or him and Pierce. They had a relationship with each of the other study group members. He didn't have to mean a romantic relationship. She kept rubbing his back while he spoke, causing him to occasionally flinch and draw a hissing breath when she'd encounter a knot that required more pressure.

"Then we went to the Dean's office…and we got back on track when I told you the different things that made me consider you my best friend. I felt amazing seeing how much it touched you, and you completely validated all my feelings. That's a happy moment I'll be saving in my memory, even if I'll deny ever getting this sappy about it." Jeff's cynicism was perfectly timed…Annie had just found a nasty knot, and pushed at it with a little more vigor than may have been necessary. She could tweak him in her own ways…

"Ok, Annie…I get it. I'll try not to be so jaded about happy stuff between us" Annie just smiled, knowing he couldn't see her with his head facing forward, and that she could communicate with him without saying a word.

"Then we were off to your old 'field hospital,' where I showed you how you had changed me for the better, and how I took your advice with journaling. Again, your response made me feel incredible. You felt like I had really listened to you…because I had, and you were happy that I had, and that made ME happy. That's not something I'm used to, Annie! Then you dragged me out by the lockers, and you had your little chat with me, which ended with the two of us snuggling in the moonlight. I'm not going to lie…I've never done anything like that before."

By now, Annie had stopped rubbing, completely wrapped up in Jeff's narrative, recapping their night so far. Things were very interesting when she got them from Jeff's perspective, all at once, rather than reacting to each event as it occurred. It's the sort of thing she'd often do on her own, after the end of a day…and Annie knew that Jeff's plan for the evening wasn't over, just temporarily disrupted. This gave her a whole new view on what was happening tonight.

"Then outside the cafeteria…I told you how you'd helped me realize that maybe with the right woman, getting married and maybe having kids wouldn't be such a bad thing. Maybe my father leaving my family doesn't mean I have to be so self-protective to the point of denying myself something that other people seem to aggressively chase. Maybe they know something I don't. Maybe the fact that divorce rates are at record highs doesn't automatically mean I have to be a statistic if I ever decide to take that step…and a large part of that realization is thanks to you."

Jeff had stood by now, and offered his hand to her, to pull her up.

"And then I told you that you're important to me, and I proceeded to insult you when you just tried to be a little affectionate to me." With this, Jeff's expression clouded over. Annie had the distinct impression that even though she'd been hurt and humiliated by the situation, Jeff might hurt more in the long-term.

"I hated how I made you feel, but I had a plan I had to carry out…and that didn't fit in it. And I hurt you. And that was just after you'd told me how you knew there was something real in my heart…when most people, including myself, constantly reaffirm that I don't have a heart." Jeff's eyes were clearly clouding up now.

"Still, you stuck with me, and even though things were tense between us in the cafeteria, which yes…made me unhappy, you didn't run out on me. You trusted me and stayed. And then just prior to us rushing in here, I figured telling you that there was a *sigh* 'Annie Of It All' would make you happy again…but instead you decided you hated me. I think that's what hurt most of all. We may fight now and then…or all the time, but I don't ever want you to hate me."

"Jeff…I don't hate you. I'm sorry I said that, but I was really upset with you."

Jeff pulled his shirt back over his head, managing a wry smile when he noticed Annie pouting at his chest being covered again.

"You said you WERE mad at me…what changed?"

Annie pondered for just a second, and started answering, not wholly sure of her own answer. "I just never seem to stay mad at you. You do things I hate sometimes, and you hurt me…but I know you don't do it on purpose. You're not malicious, just selfish. And you really seem to be less selfish all the time, at least with me. So, I guess I give you a lot of leeway, and forgive you easily. I know you're a good person, and you'll end up doing the right thing the majority of the time."

Jeff nodded at her…he wasn't crying, but his eyes certainly weren't dry.

"So, again, Jeff…why are you telling me all this?"

Jeff cocked his head and gave her a quizzical expression. "Seriously, Annie? Remember what I said? Look around this room."

Annie looked around again…chewing on her lower lip. She felt like she was being tested.

"Do I need to start singing George Michael?"

Oh God! The election! Jeff's last comment made it all so obvious. This is where he hid after she humiliated him, and where they'd apologized to each other.

"Annie, all night long I've been trying to make thing right between us, and hoped to give you a memory that would end up being something really special…and it seems like I screw more up than I end up fixing."

Jeff paused for a moment, but Annie could tell he wasn't done. Once again, he caught her eyes dead on.

"I care what you think about me."

Annie faintly nodded…everything Jeff had said in here was hitting her in an entirely different light now. She was starting to see how much trouble he'd been going through to try to do something nice for her, even if she didn't understand his reasoning behind each individual event.

"Yeah, well, I care what you think about me" she replied…knowing that reversing their positions from the conversation their sophomore year was the next step they both needed.

"Well, Annie…I think you may be the best person I know. You're competitive and driven, but not mean-spirited. I don't think there's an evil bone in your body."

Annie blushed…something about Jeff just made her feel...loved.

"Well, sir, you may have done some bad things in the past, but I'm firmly convinced that part of you is dead and gone." Annie noted, with a prim nod in his direction. "Look what you did with Neil. Look what you did when the Dean had his crisis with his commercial. When any one of us in the group has a real issue. Jeff…you're a good man."

Jeff smiled at her. It was a cocky smile, but a genuinely happy one. "As long as I have you to prod me to do the right thing."

Annie smiled back. "You always will."

Something in her voice made Jeff start. Still, he went forward with what he knew he had to say next…it was only proper when it came to reliving this memory.

"Resolved?"

Annie nodded. "Resolved."

Then, like in their second year, they pulled each other into a tight hug. Annie felt Jeff's hands exploring her back, giving gentle pressure in some of the areas she'd found the hardest knots located in his back earlier…trying to return the favor in little ways already.

This time, when the hug broke apart, unlike the last time they were here, he wasn't wearing a jacket for her to grasp the lapels of, so she had to fist his shirt instead.

This time, the door wasn't open for Pierce, with a fresh pencil-stabbing wound to walk by and interrupt them.

This time, there wasn't anything to stop their kiss. The second kiss they'd had tonight, and in the same room. Jeff may have initiated it by leaning forward, and turning his head, but Annie had been praying for it, and signaling as best she could by grabbing his shirt even after the hug.

The minute their lips touched, both of them opened their mouths, each of them sending their tongue to seek the other. When they met, it wasn't sloppy, or fevered, but a gentle greeting, communicating the desire for this further intimacy beyond a simple kiss one might give to someone they liked, but felt nothing deeper for. They flicked and caressed, each trying to communicate without words the need to express a singular feeling towards the other. Their bodies pressed together as firmly as they were able, trying to memorize the shape of the other.

When they finally broke apart after several minutes, Annie kept her arms around Jeff's neck, lightly playing with his hair, and occasionally giving a firmer rub to the still tight muscles there, hoping to help prevent a further headache. "I thought you said kissing me was a mistake?" she asked, biting her lip while she waited for his answer…for once, completely unsure of how he'd respond.

"Annie…it is. It's a total mistake." The sincerity in his voice hurt, but something in Jeff's eyes convinced her to wait and see what he added. He didn't disappoint when he started talking again.

"Thing is, so was penicillin. So was the study group. But I realized just recently that I don't care anymore. I went for SO long denying myself anything I thought might be bad for me, and ended up with high cholesterol anyway. I ended up missing out on quite a bit that I may have enjoyed, and didn't even reap the rewards in the end."

Annie nodded at him…she was starting to like where he was going with this.

"Annie…I have to actively avoid kissing you. I've wanted to do it quite a few times and denied myself, because I was convinced it was the wrong thing to do, or I'd end up hurting you, or ruining you. But fact is…I LIKE kissing you, and you're too strong for me to really ruin. I have to be more worried that you'll end up destroying ME."

With that, he bent down and pressed a quick kiss to her lips, as if to prove his point.

"I'm not really that worried about you having an adverse effect on me though, Annie. Do you remember why Abed forced himself into the 'Han' role during Second Paintball?"

Annie was nearly breathless from all the new information Jeff was laying on her. It was almost too much to handle. She steadied herself, and replied. "Yeah…he said if he didn't, you'd slouch into it by default."

Jeff grinned. "Right, because Han is a natural match for my personality, wouldn't you say?"

Annie couldn't help but agree. Jeff gave her another quick kiss. It was nearly addictive now that he'd allowed himself to break his old promise to hold off.

"Like Han, I'm a cynical old jerk who's lost his idealism. You, however, are the young Princess who's still an idealist. Guess who converts who at the end?"

Annie knew…Jeff was giving her credit for his improvements over the years, at least in part.

"Jeff, I'm not sure what to say…"

"How about, I say 'C'mon, we've hung out in here long enough,' then you say 'Ok'?"

Annie didn't comply…but agreed by nodding mutely.

"Stay here, I'm going to peek out and see if our friend is anywhere out there."

Jeff left Annie in the back of the room and strode forward. He neared the door, and as he put his hand on the handle, Annie realized that if the 'monster' WAS out there, this may be her only chance.

"Jeff!"

He turned his head to look at her.

"I love you."

She got the words out without them catching in her throat, and without her feeling embarrassed of them, or like a schoolgirl with a crush. She was an adult woman, and she didn't need to be ashamed of loving a man.

He grinned at her, cheeks flushing slightly.

"I know."

Even though it wasn't the same as him saying it back to her…there was something comforting in his cockiness remaining, even in the face of potential danger, and his emotional revelations of the evening. He manipulated the handle, and pulled the door open.

Nothing waited in the doorway. He stepped out in the halls, and giving his eyes a few moments to adjust to the much lower light, he looked around, then ducked his head back in.

"Looks all clear, Princess."

Again with the new nicknames. At least this one matched the little role-play they'd flirted with over the past few minutes. Annie dashed forward, and grabbed his hand, returning to their interlaced fingers from before the evening had taken downturns.

"Good…then you won't mind if I lead for a bit."

And before he could protest, she dragged him off down the hall.

A/N: Tension headaches: I started getting these when I entered my major program, and realized the majority of my professors had philosophies diametrically opposed to my own. The remedy listed is the one I discovered worked for me, and like in the story, it is the ONLY remedy I found that worked.

Next chapter: I'm about to head out on a family vacation that's going to limit my writing...all depends on how much I can convince my wife she needs to drive, and how "in the groove" I can get. Next chapter may be delayed though.

Length: We're getting close to the end, and given the format of the story, I don't want to break up or combine chapters. I also have the majority of events in the story planned in advance, believe it or not. Filler (non-story critical) dialogue, and minor touches + any alterations are the things I don't already know about before I start a chapter, and they can add or subtract a lot to the length. I fully expected this chapter to be the shortest, and it ended up being the longest. That said, we'll hopefully be in for some chapters where I'm gifted with brevity...