Pairing: Jeff/Annie
Spoilers: Through the finale of Season 4, Jeff's graduation, and dinner with the group
Word Count: 4197
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.

"This isn't the quad, Jeff."

"I know that, Annie."

"You said we were going to the quad."

"Well, we walked through the quad. Are you seriously going to nitpick this? I guess in my mind, large open areas on a college campus that aren't parking lots are tagged with the label 'quad.' Forgive me for not saying 'we're going to go stand between the cafeteria and the actual, proper quad.'"

Jeff turned to look at Annie, with his head shaking. Still, he managed to grin about it. He was actually having fun bantering with her. With anyone else, except maybe Shirley, such banter would be a chore, something to get through, win, and get done with. With Shirley…well, Shirley got him. With Annie, it was almost as much fun as kissing her. Annie could keep up with him, and give as good as she got..

Looking back on the last four years, Jeff couldn't believe what he almost missed out on. How he had tried to make the study group disintegrate on the very first day, so he'd have the opportunity to get Britta alone. How he'd ditched out on the study group's extracurriculars, including helping Annie move, just so he could go shopping. Of course, he got his just desserts, since he ended up having to spend the day with Craig Pelton. Jeff shuddered. He didn't look forward to revisiting that particular memory.

Annie was looking up at him expectantly. He returned the quizzical look, waiting for her to make the first move. She didn't disappoint. Jeff knew he could always count on Annie.

"Well?!" she whined, impatient, but endearing, as only Annie could be to Jeff.

"Well…I'm assuming you know the significance of this spot, Ms. Edison." Jeff knew he was being vague, but he also knew Annie was smart enough to figure it out, if she was willing to.

"Any hints?" she prodded.

"Sure. I'm really, really glad you ended up staying." Jeff gave Annie a sincere smile, and while tempted to move in for kiss, held back. Time enough for that once he was done here.

Annie blanched. "Oh, God, Jeff! The Tranny Dance?"

Jeff nodded. "This is one of the biggest crossroads for us. This is kind of where it started to be something real, rather than just a curiosity."

Annie wasn't sure how to react. She had very mixed feelings about this particular spot/moment in time/memory. On one hand, it was quite possibly one of the happiest moments of her life. On the other, it led to such startling disappointment just months later, and was now also tied to some very uncomfortable experiences involving Abed.

Annie took the offensive route…she'd spent plenty of time on defense tonight.

"You know how absolutely corny that sounds, right?" Annie softened her jibe with a poke to Jeff's ribs and a grin.

"Sure…point it out to me. You already know I have a tough time with this romantic crap…I'd think you'd be eating it up!"

Annie didn't stop beaming. "You can keep going. I just think it's fun to see how much hard-assed 'I don't care about anyone' Jeff Winger has come over the past few years."

Jeff gave a contemplative nod, with a look off into the distance, as if to consider this statement. "True, but you need to keep in mind, I did sign an agreement, in front of the dean, that essentially said that Slater and I were dating. That's kind of romantic, right? It at least sets precedent for me doing…stuff."

Annie's eyebrows raised in mock appreciation. "Stuff, huh? That's the best you've got? You have a history of doing stuff? I bet that looks killer on a resume, or more appropriately in this instance, on a dating website profile."

Jeff looked at her appraisingly. "Annie…since when did YOU get so sarcastic? It's like someone hooked you up to jumper cables…you're suddenly all sorts of peppy and energetic, and you're expressing it through playful banter." Jeff scrunched his face up and did a subtle head jerk –back, showing Annie exactly how much this side of her was throwing him. "I mean, it's not like I'm not liking it, or that it's even all that foreign from you, but after everything that's gone on tonight…"

Given how much she was already throwing Jeff off, Annie decided to go for the gold medal of irritating Jeff. She started a slow, subtle sway from side to side, and gently batted her eyes at him, and for the coup de grace, twirled her hair while giving him her best non-overkill pout. She could hold out for him to break.

It didn't take long, either. Jeff's eyes got wide, and she could see him visibly struggling not to react. In less than a minute after she started, Jeff barked a single sentence. "Ok, you can cut the act now!"

Annie laughed, and bounced up and down a bit. She wasn't trying to make Jeff mad, but something felt like a weight had been lifted, and now she just wanted to play with Jeff and have fun with him. She knew she couldn't push it too far though. "Sorry Jeff…I guess I'm just having a really good time now. I know it sounds nuts, and maybe I'm just getting silly with how late it is, but I mean…we're outside, so we'll see any scary stuff coming long before it can get to us, and honestly…I'm kind of guessing you're getting to the end of our little field trip here, and I'm looking forward to what the big payoff at the end is, and really…no matter what else happens, I'm happy about everything that's happened between us tonight." Annie paused for a second, then amended, "Well…almost everything."

Jeff nodded. This was his time to just go for it. The game was done, almost…time to pay the piper. Jeff took a long look down into Annie's eyes. Unfortunately, Annie seemed to take this as a cue for them to have a kiss. Jeff started mentally kicking himself already. He hated what he had to do next.

Jeff pulled away slightly. "Annie…just hold on a second, ok?"

Annie looked startled at this sudden turn of events. He had to correct this pretty damn quickly, or he'd have a huge mess to clean up. "No, Annie, it's not like before. You'll have to be the one calling time outs for breath-catching in a few minutes here, but I just want to talk for a minute first. Is that ok?"

Annie looked still startled, but relieved. She composed herself and nodded at Jeff. (Mental note, Winger: 9+Annie's on your side, it doesn't hurt to fill her in on the details so she doesn't get the wrong impression.)

After Jeff filed this shockingly simple and obvious, but easily forgettable piece of advice away where he hoped he'd never actually manage to forget it, he took a deep breath. "Ok, Annie…truth is, I l—"

He couldn't finish. Something stopped him. He was baffled. He'd told her, and the rest of the group just earlier that day at graduation that he loved them. He knew he loved Annie, and he wanted to tell her, but something was stilling his tongue when he tried to say it. 'Think fast, and cover your ass, Winger;' the little voice inside his head prompted him, but when it came to actually covering his ass, the words came easily.

"Annie, the truth is, I need you to know how absolutely sorry I am for everything that's gone wrong between us over the past few years. That's what tonight was all about, but it deserves saying outright, where there's no real distractions, there's no jumping from room to room, no game playing…we've done that, and now it's time for me to really spell it all out."

Jeff paused momentarily to allow that to sink in with her, and she just nodded, wide-eyed. Something about her believing in him gave him confidence.

"This thing, this whatever between you and me…it wasn't ever supposed to happen. It shouldn't have happened. I was supposed to chase Britta, get a little action, everyone would think I was a skeeze, I wouldn't care, and then I'd move on with my life, and today, I'd be celebrating becoming a gross lawyer again. Alone. You were supposed to win Troy over, and have adorable babies with average intelligence and bizarre predilection for butt stuff and crying at random crap, like being told their feet are stupid."

Annie interjected "I like to think my genes would have been dominant when it comes to intelligence!"

Jeff just shook his head at her, practically spitting out the words with incredulity "That's your takeaway from that?" Annie demurred, "Hey, take what I can get here…"

"Fine, whatever…my point remains, we weren't ever supposed to happen. I'm too old, you're too innocent, ex-chetterah, ex-chetterah." Annie gave a tight smile at Jeff's mispronunciation. "Did you really mispronounce 'et cetera?'" she asked.

"Annie, my degree may not be fake, but it is from Greendale" Jeff flashed Annie a goofy grin. As heavy as things had been, and would still get, he could do little things here and there to lighten the mood.

"Look, even though nothing was supposed to happen between us, and nothing should have…life is what happens when you're making other plans, right? Fact is, something DID happen, and it's not fair of me to try to move forward with my life without at least acknowledging it, and doing what I can to put certain things to rights."

Jeff paused again, but this time Annie didn't have any response for him. She just looked at him cautiously, seemingly unsure of where he was going with this.

"So, here it is, I'm just going to be sloppy and jump right into it. Annie, I'm sorry that I've ever talked down to you, when you're easily my equal, if not my superior on most counts that matter. I mean, I've got your number when it comes to height, and I'm way better at slacking off, and while you're my equal in attractiveness…I mean, you're flat out gorgeous, and I'm crazy good-looking, but I have to give myself the nod for raw charisma..." Jeff allowed himself to trail off, tilting his head downward, and to the side, but looking upwards at Annie, with a half-grin on his face. Annie rolled her eyes, still blushing from being told what Jeff thought of her looks. "Ok, yes…you're a very handsome man…but you already knew I thought that, you goober!"

Jeff laughed. "Yeah, but I like hearing it. Especially from you."

Annie took advantage of the lighter moment, and rushed into Jeff's arms, startling him. He recovered quickly, and wrapped his arms tightly around the petite woman while she pressed the side of her face against his chest. She was just happy to be there being held by him. When she was in his arms, everything felt complete, and whole, and right. Annie hadn't felt like she needed someone to protect her for years, having been on her own for so long, and having learned how to take care of herself, but that didn't mean it wasn't nice, on occasion, to feel protected.

After they broke apart, Jeff continued, almost like he hadn't ever stopped. "Anyway, it's just one of those things…those crazy, stupid things. I graduated today, Annie…and as excited as I am to be practicing law again, and reentering the world of the legitimate, I started thinking about not sitting at that stupid table every day, and not going to classes with the group every day, and maybe not even seeing the group every day…and then I got to thinking about those same things, not sitting at the table with someone, not going to classes with someone, and not seeing someone every day…and as obvious as it has to be by now, that someone is you."

Annie let out a choked whimper. It wasn't a sound unfamiliar to Jeff…he'd figured out it was Annie's 'stunned, but in a good way' noise a couple of years back. He allowed her a couple of seconds to compose herself. Once she had, she cleared her throat, and quietly asked "But Jeff, we go days without seeing each other all the time. Most weekends, school breaks…especially summ…er."

Annie's voice trailed off with the last word, breaking it into syllables. Jeff knew where her mind had gone, and it was time to address that elephant in the room.

"Yeah, I know we do, Annie…but before, we always had a reason to each other besides just to see each other. Either it was because we had a class, so it just made sense, or when we were kicked out, maintaining the group helped us keep our sense of normality about the world…it was a touchstone to keep us from going crazy. But now, I don't have that anymore, and to see you guys, it has to be just because I want to see you…and I do, but I have to be honest about it. It isn't because you need me, but because I need you."

Jeff stopped for a breath. This next bandage ripping was going to hurt.

"And I need to apologize to you for making the summer after our freshman year a miserable one. It was absolutely horrible of me to not at least contact you after we met out here. Between everything that happened with Chang and the class at the end of the year, and the crap Britta and Slater pulled on me at the dance, and then what happened between the two of us out here…I was confused, Annie. Confused and…scared." Jeff said with a tone of admission.

Annie's brow crinkled slightly. "Jeff, what were you scared of? I don't get it at all…two women declare they love you, and then you run into a third who makes it patently obvious she's attracted to you, and has some level of feelings for you…which was me, by the way…in case you hadn't gotten it yet, Jeff, you're a big part of the reason I stayed."

Jeff threw his arms wide and bent nearly double, so his face was at the same height as hers. It was a sudden, unexpected gesture that made Annie startle slightly. "That's exactly why it was scary, Annie! Yes, I'm used to women being into me. That's nothing new, but women being into me that I still plan on seeing the next day, week, month, year? That's new! That's scary! I had to start thinking about feelings…of others, not just myself for once!"

"I mean…let's look at it. Really look at it. Britta tells me she loves me…and y'know what? I love her, after a sense. I was attracted to her, and I feel affection for her, and she's part of my family now. I don't have romantic feelings for her anymore, and they certainly weren't ever on that level, but she was already family. Hurting her was…horrible. Slater, wasn't quite as hard. She'd already made her bed, and honestly, the signs of us not working out were there pretty early on…have I mentioned my feelings towards Glee before?"

Annie shook her head, totally confused about this seemingly random change in topic.

"Never mind, not important. Fact of the matter is, Slater and I weren't meant to be, but that didn't mean I wanted to be with Britta. But, it gave me the opportunity to do some self-examination, which I'm sure you remember from that night."

Annie nodded, feeling far more familiar with the topic again. "Yeah, you were trying to figure out if you wanted to be with the woman who made you feel comfortable as you were, or the woman who made you want to be someone better."

"Exactly! And that's not an easy choice! And then I ran into a third option…a way I could get the best of both worlds. A woman who accepted me for who I was, but would also always push me to be better, so I could grow at a realistic pace…not expect me to be someone different overnight. And, Annie, if I may be so blatant as to paraphrase you as of about forty-five seconds ago, that was you, by the way…in case you hadn't gotten it yet."

Annie visibly melted. "Awwww, Jeff!" Amazingly enough to himself, Jeff didn't cringe at this, and let Annie continue. "But, Jeff…if I'm this great 'third option,' you describe me as…why did you blow me off all summer, and then again when school started?"

Jeff closed his eyes in a wince, as if he had just stubbed a toe. "Because, Annie…what do you think would have happened if we'd talked, or seen each other, or anything like that that summer?" Annie just shook her head, eyes wide, expression totally innocent. "Well, Annie, if I had seen you, I don't think I could have kept from kissing you again. And I'm betting you wouldn't have put up much fight either. And we probably would have taken things further, and we may have even dated."

Annie's expression went from innocence to flat-out goggling at him. "And that would have been bad exactly how, Jeff?!"

"Because it would have been too soon, Annie! Because I was still the guy who spent six months the next year secretly sleeping with Britta! Because I was still the guy who wasn't ready to value you and treat you like the partner you deserve to be! Because I was still the guy I used to be. And Annie, if you're really honest with yourself, can you say you were ready for a commitment like that back then?"

Annie had been caught flat footed. She realized Jeff was waiting for a response and began stammering. "Well…I…uh…I like to think that I would have be-"

"No, you wouldn't have been." Jeff interrupted her, waving an accusatory finger at her. "Time for honesty, Annie. We would have gotten together that summer, and we would have gotten apart just as quickly, because neither one of us was ready. It's taken all four years of Greendale for us to get to a place where we're even close to ready, and as much as it frightens me, I still don't know for sure if we're ready. Things could end up being a total disaster, but after I've realized how much I love doing the simplest, stupidest, craziest things with you, and how much it kills me to think of not getting to see you as often as I've gotten to…I can't risk that. I love the group, Annie…but I'm in love with you."

And there it was. The words came easily now. Jeff figured he just had one last subconscious block that had been holding him back until he finished making things right…until he'd managed to apologize for what may have been his biggest transgression against Annie of them all.

"I love you, Annie."

Annie stood in a stunned silence. Jeff, still not completely used to baring his feelings so completely, found his inability to read her body language right now both frustrating and terrifying. He swallowed his fear, and allowed the symmetry of their previous encounter, years prior, guide him.

This time, it was Jeff who initiated a tentative kiss, which Annie allowed. This time, it was Jeff who stood back, and waited for approval, the question plain on his face.

This time, it was Annie who rushed back into his space, and began a far more passionate kiss, quelling Jeff's fears, and letting him know that she accepted him, and his love, completely. Jeff allowed a hand to bury itself in her hair, and one to stroke her back. When they broke for air, Annie leaned forward and whispered into Jeff's ear, "I love you, too."

They pulled apart, and Jeff grimaced slightly. "Yeah, you told me earlier, remember?"

Annie's confusion showed on her face. "You make that sound like a bad thing." Jeff chuckled, and responded, "Well…I guess I kinda hoped I'd get to say it first."

Annie swatted Jeff's chest with a good-natured backhand. "Figures…always have to be the one in charge. Good thing we're the champions at going off-book, right?" Annie offered a coy smile towards the man she suddenly felt comfortable thinking of as 'her love,' who responded by ducking down to give her a quick kiss. "Told you I wasn't going to keep us from doing this for long…just had to talk a bit first." Jeff grinned at her in a way that Annie had never seen before. She realized Jeff looked truly happy, and care-free for the first time in her memory. He acted distant and care-free a lot, but she knew from years of experience, and Abed's tutelage that it was exactly that…an act. Seeing him like this was refreshing, and just deepened her feelings for him.

"By the way, Annie…like I said, world's shortest courtship."

"What do you mean?" Annie was baffled, given recent revelations.

Jeff smiled at her, eyes playful. "Well, what's the purpose of courting?"

Annie responded, almost like reading from a textbook. "To secure a mate, usually by way of marriage."

"Well, there you go…you win. I love you. I have been thoroughly courted. You have successfully bagged your prey. We aren't going to start talking about getting married…at least not yet, and possibly not for a long time, and possibly not ever, but next time we go to a hotel…we'll both be in on the 'Mrs. Winger' thing, deal?"

Annie smiled. She wasn't thrilled that Jeff was still so iffy on marriage, but honestly, it was Jeff. She didn't plan on him changing overnight. It was enough that he wanted to change for her, and she'd accept him, for the most part, as he was now. She had a feeling that their feelings on making things 'more official' would get worked out, one way or the other, sooner, rather than later.

"Deal, with one addendum. You have to hang out with me, wherever we may be going, no matter HOW lame you think it is. I'm not letting you out of my sight."

Jeff grinned. He'd been doing so much smiling over the last fifteen minutes, he was surprised he hadn't split his face yet…he was more used to cynicism and sarcasm than all this happiness, but now it was time to take a bit of a risk with a question. "Fine…but wouldn't you be worried about my escaping through a window when we went to our rooms at night?"

Her response was all business. "Jeff, you're using an incorrect plural there. Our room, not rooms. Sometimes I just don't get how your mind works."

"Why, Annie…are you propositioning me? Sure sounds like it."

Tossing a lip-biting, doe-eyed look his way before answering, Annie gave Jeff exactly what he'd hoped to hear. "Is that a problem, Jeff?"

"Well, I guess I can learn to live with that idea." Jeff's response earned another backhanded swat from Annie, but catching her arm on the rebound, he pulled her in for yet another kiss, enjoying the smell of her shampoo, and the light remains of her perfume as their bodies pulled in closely together.

"So, now what, Jeff? I mean…we're done here, right? I love you, you love me…we can finally start exploring what exactly that means, but we don't have to go to the Biology room or anything, right? We can actually leave now?" Annie was happy with how everything had turned out with the evening, but was ready to call it a night.

"Yep, just have to run back to the study room to get my keys, and then we'll get out of here. I'll give you a ride, and tomorrow we can figure out how to find your keys." Jeff felt slightly bad about deceiving Annie…he still had one last bit of his script to run once they made it to the study room, but he figured in the end, Annie wouldn't really mind that much.

Putting his arm around her waist, she leaned her head into his shoulder, and they turned towards the library, and marched off to get his keys, so they could finally leave campus, and hopefully, metaphorically abandon their past, and look toward their future. Jeff shook his head…he was going to kill Abed for warping him to think like this.

Wholly absorbed in each other, neither one noticed the movements of the shadows that couldn't be accounted for by the moonlight in the trees, just as they had failed to miss it during their previous excursions outside of the buildings. Who could blame them? They had just realized they had both found love in the most unlikely of places, and were spending every second they could reveling in it.

As they approached the library, the single light inside illuminating the study room beckoned towards them, where Jeff planned on asking Annie the most important question he'd ever approached before. His heartbeat quickened with the impending moment, and his fears of the worst possible results, but he forced himself to focus on the moment, where he, at the very least, got to hold her.

A/N: Finally got this chapter done...and big developments! Though I don't suspect anyone didn't see them coming. I don't really consider myself a master of suspense or anything.

I'm excited to be getting close to wrapping things up with this story, and finally seeing some in-story payoff. I'm also having a very good time writing aspects of characters I haven't gotten to spend much time with thus far this story, like coy!Annie and happy!Jeff, or even just playful!Annie and playful!Jeff. These are dimensions of the characters you occasionally get to see on screen, but even then they aren't "main" aspects, because Jeff is too busy being cool, and Annie is caught up in being type A...but they DO show at times, and they're a lot of fun to write.

I also have to admit that I've been getting some questions on my Tumblr...and I LOVE it. I'll talk to people about J/A, my stories, or...pretty much anything all day long. If you follow my Tumblr, you may notice that about me, when I give a three paragraph answer to a single sentence question... As always, you can find a link in my profile, or just find me using my tumblr name (daneblr...it's like a portmanteau of Dane and Tumblr.)

Finish line is in sight...