Jeff actually arrived at Britta's apartment on time at 5 pm. Obviously he was really desperate to get Britta's last minute gloating over with. Why else would Britta invite him over with her usual poorly spelled text messages? Her gibberish didn't translate into coded messages, so he went with the gloating theory.

Therefore, Jeff sighed as he got to her apartment, prepared for whatever Britta had in mind to make him feel worse.

But he wasn't prepared for Annie to be in the apartment with her. Yet that was what stunned Jeff seconds after Britta let him in.

"Don't worry Jeff, I already told her everything," Jeff vaguely heard Britta say while he focused on Annie. Yet when those words finally registered, Jeff did the exact opposite of not worrying.

"You did what, exactly?" Jeff checked, turning his attention from Annie and putting it entirely onto Britta. That indicated how serious this was.

"I told her the whole story. You said I should stop hating myself and go after Troy. Then I dared you to do the same with Annie, but you refused because doing it just to beat me wouldn't be right. Then I got together with Troy anyway to shame you, but you helped me see how stupid that was. And that you cared about Annie too much to confess that way. Don't worry, I told her all about that part in great detail," Britta said as if she didn't just give Jeff five mini-heart attacks.

"But your honesty made me tell Troy everything, and we're still good anyway! All because you made it happen! I figured Annie should hear it from me first, and I wanted to give you credit for helping me! So, kill two evil loggers with one stone, right?" Britta questioned.

"That's…..all you told her?" Jeff made himself ask.

There were many other questions he had that would just make him explode right now. So he chose the least explosive topic to start with – the one where Britta didn't say that Jeff agreed to her little challenge at first. That she didn't reveal how Jeff was only ready to go for Annie just to defeat Britta, until he came to his senses. That in fact, she claimed to tell Annie a story where he was 100 percent innocent.

"That is the whole story. At least the important parts I wanted her to know," Britta assured. However, the last part set Jeff back into explosive mode.

"Well, why did you want her to know anything? I told you not to tell anyone about this! How could you forget that Annie's an anyone too?" Jeff demanded to know.

"Look, I told Troy and he was cool with it, I figured Annie would react the same," Britta way too casually explained. As if she didn't just Britta everything worse than ever before.

"For the last time, Annie is not Troy! And me and her are not like you and him! Just because he let you off the hook doesn't mean she…..I mean, she really shouldn't….God, why did you say anything?" Jeff asked, in full on angry at Britta mode.

"Come on, what exactly was so bad about her knowing?" Britta had the nerve to ask.

"How about everything?" Jeff laid out.

"Everything in a story where you were the good guy?" Britta countered. "That's right, Jeff, it is possible! A lot of impossible things happened today, but maybe that was because they weren't impossible! Maybe I can like myself enough to have a good thing with Troy, and maybe you can be the good guy with Annie! You were better with her than I ever was with Troy, and I admit that! That's why I had to tell Annie and get my conscience cleared some more!"

"So….this was all about you then," Jeff took out of it. "You clearing your conscience, no matter what you revealed to do it. So you told Annie things that were supposed to be secret, and would just make things even more awkward between us. But hey, as long as Britta Perry gets to feel superior to us unevolved drones again, who the hell cares? God, you are so selfish!"

"Oh, like that's a bad thing to you, you paranoid jag?" Britta actually attacked.

"Maybe it kind of sort of is a little! And that ticks you off, because she made it a bad thing for me and you didn't! That's why you tried to speed me and Annie up so I could ruin both our lives, is that it?" Jeff accused.

"And why would I be that jealous, explain that!" Britta challenged.

"Because I love her and I didn't love you, how about that?" Jeff shot back, too far gone to realize what he said.

"That….is a low blow. Saying you love her just to win an argument with me," Britta responded.

"No, the low blow is to be with her to win an argument with you! You tried to make me do that, but I didn't! And I can't! I can't do anything with her until I know I can give her everything! You know that because I was stupid enough to tell you! So I guess this is all my fault too!" Jeff resigned.

"So that wasn't a lie? You love her and you actually want to give her all that sappy romance stuff? But you're still convinced you're not good enough to do it yet? But you want to do it when you're good enough? That's how much you care about her? And it's not just nonsense you're saying to debate me?" Britta quadruple-duple checked.

"Britta, I say a lot of nonsense when I debate you. That's why we don't work as a real couple. So….I guess it's something that the one time I'm yelling real stuff at you, it's about Annie. But when I fight with her, there's….a lot more than anger involved. So maybe it makes sense," Jeff conceded.

"Because you can fight with her and still love her at the same time. Because you are in love with her. And it really is possible for Jeff Winger to love someone other than himself," Britta said with some leftover shock.

"Accepting it and doing anything about it is another matter. But…." Jeff's sigh of defeat was all the confirmation Britta needed.

"You got all that, Annie? Is that all news to you?" Britta asked, which suddenly made Jeff remember a few things.

The first was that Annie was there – which he had completely forgotten about. Then again, he blocked out the whole world during his Britta spats, so it seemed this was no different.

Except for the part about saying he had feelings for Annie right in front of Annie.

This would be extra embarrassing, if Britta didn't tell Annie and ruined everything before Jeff got here.

Wait, then why did she ask if it was news to Annie…..?

"Yeah….it's news, all right," Jeff heard Annie say quietly. That just raised more disturbing questions.

"Annie, what did Britta tell you before I came here?" Jeff asked, and not because he was trying to distract Annie from his confessions.

"Nothing. Just that you'd be here soon and I couldn't say a word while you guys talked," Annie filled in. By the time everything became clear, Jeff turned and saw Britta smiling more unsettlingly than usual.

"You set me up. You didn't tell her anything…..you just made me do it. In one of our arguments where I never realize what I'm saying! And it worked?" Jeff was incredibly stunned over.

"What can I say, I guess I was due after two years," Britta bragged.

"But….you just had to be due with me?" Jeff lamented. "I just said….that stuff….because I was fighting with you!"

"No, you said very clearly that it wasn't because we were fighting. Maybe you were too worked up to censor yourself, just like I wanted. But you admitted that the Annie nonsense was real! I just figured Annie would believe it more coming from you than me! And if arguing with me was what made you admit the truth….well, the more important thing is that it was the truth, right?" Britta asked.

"What good does that do?" Jeff asked, meeker than he wanted.

"Lots of it, look at me and Troy! He cared more that I admitted I wanted to be with him than anything! Not knowing is what hurt him, not me! But now that he knows how I feel, he can help me through my stupid issues! He's no licensed psych major, but he has undergrad potential, so I'll take it!" Britta admitted. "And you insisted that Annie's superior to Troy in every way. So wouldn't she be superior in helping you like that too?"

"In…in theory…..but she's….and I'm…." Jeff embarrassingly stuttered, again too caught up to control himself when it came to Annie. Even when Britta was discussing her.

"Jeff, I just carried out a whole plan without Britta'ing it once! If that's possible, and if you being in love is possible, then it's possible for you to get it right with Annie too! I mean, it'd better. I'm kind of basing my bravery with Troy around you nutting up! So, no pressure," Britta commented as Jeff followed her to her apartment door.

"Just what is this, exactly? You helping me with her? In your insane Britta way?" Jeff wondered.

"On the record, now you owe me one and I'm calling that favor in but good!" Britta cheered, then got serious. "Way off the record? When you're not bugging the hell out of me and screwing up all our lives, you're….kind of close to deserving this. Even if you don't think so." Jeff certainly never thought he'd hear that from her – especially when it came to him and Annie.

"I mean, no matter how much we annoy each other, you're the only guy I've had sex with that's ever been….a friend to me," Britta got herself to admit. "And if I can find someone that makes me feel new, kind of sort of good things about myself….then my friend should too." But before Jeff could get the wrong idea, Britta reminded, "But if I see Annie crying because of you, or if you or her or Troy say the words 'double date' to me in the first six months, I'll end your world."

"You're really going to quote Pierce with-" Jeff started before Britta cut in.

"End your world, Winger!" she backed up. "Now then, I'm going to take a walk for a few minutes. When I come back, no one had better have their clothes on my floor."

"That laundry in the corner tells me its too late," Jeff pointed out.

"What are you, the laundry whisperer?" Britta protested. And with that, they were back on form.

Yet when Britta opened the door in a huff, Jeff stopped her by actually trying to smile, under the circumstances. It wasn't on the level of his special Annie smile, of course. But it still conveyed some reluctant, tentative, yet heartfelt thanks for what Britta had done out of their weird, heated but kind of special friendship.

Britta conveyed it a lot better with her smile, which made her gloat to herself inwardly. So she signaled Jeff by nodding in Annie's direction, then left before she could gloat outwardly and worry about them making out on her laundry.

Yet for once, making out was far from Jeff's mind when he noticed Annie. "So, I guess you have a lot of questions," Jeff started slowly.

"No, you and Britta answered most of them," Annie answered shyly. "It's not the way I imagined it would go, but…."

"And that's it. I just couldn't do it like Britta did. And I still can't do it and turn it into some fairy tale romance for you! Not now…." Jeff admitted.

"But you want to. That's new to me…." Annie reminded.

"Wanting it means nothing if I can't do it. And I can't say for sure I can. And you can't be with anyone who isn't good enough to give you that on the spot. You can't compromise your sappy, romantic vision for someone like me. You've already lost too much in your life already! You shouldn't lose that kind of dream relationship too, because no one's earned it more than you! But as long as I still think that stuff is lame, dumb and childish…." Jeff couldn't make himself finish.

"Jeff, you're not the only one who thinks that's dumb and childish," Annie replied.

"I know, that's why I didn't want Britta to hear this stuff. Unfortunately, I owe her one….so maybe that can be it!" Jeff proposed.

"I wasn't talking about Britta! Jeff, I haven't wanted that sappy relationship for a long time! At least since the middle of last spring! Maybe if you told me how you felt sooner, you'd have known that!" Annie drove home.

"Well….arguing with Britta takes up so much time," Jeff tried to joke to belay his nerves. But it didn't work for long. "And fighting with her makes me admit things….and do things….I should have said and done with you first. I mean, she pushed my buttons enough to make me say….what I felt. You've pushed them for years and never gotten that much out of me! Doesn't that tell you something?"

"If it's supposed to tell me to be jealous of Britta, it won't work. Granted, her being with Troy is why I'm not jealous, but still! The other reason is you admitted you want me, and you wish you could let yourself have me! Finally knowing that, directly from you, means more than you could imagine! No matter who tricked you into saying it!" Annie confessed.

"But that can't be enough. Not for you," Jeff tried to say again.

"Jeff, you weren't listening to me, again. I don't want some fairy tale love story anymore!" Annie repeated. "I don't even know what my feelings are for you, either! I thought I knew, but all that really threw me off. But….in the good way."

Once Jeff realized this meant Annie wasn't in love with him anymore before today, he felt sick. Yet that probably wouldn't help him with….whatever he was trying to accomplish. So he just let Annie continue.

"You don't know how to get what you want. I don't either. But you want me, I still want you in some way, and we both want a real relationship we've never had before. Why can't we just go from there? If we can't figure this out on our own, why not do it together? Without living up to some impossible standard?" Annie inquired. "I mean, Britta's asking for help with that stuff, so I'm sure you can too!"

"I don't want to do things because Britta's doing them or not!" Jeff insisted. "I….want to do it because I want to. And because….you want to."

"Good. Now if you can stop assuming what I want, we'll get somewhere. And….maybe if I actually filled you in so you didn't have to guess, that would be nice too," Annie admitted guiltily. "I just didn't think you'd be interested in knowing those things. But now that I know you are, we can start talking."

"Start? We're still not done?" Jeff groaned.

"All right, fine, you can just repeat things you already said! Like the answer to this. Jeff, do you want to have a relationship with me someday?" Annie double checked.

Jeff had already given the right answer more times than he cared to – at least before today. Maybe one more wouldn't kill him.

"Yes. But not until I can make it a good one and start it right. Not like Britta did before she got it right," he stressed.

"Well, I don't know what a good one really is, and neither do you! So let's work it out together, then! That's starting right right there, right? We can take it slow and not rush into things, and that's not me compromising, Jeff!" Annie insisted.

"We can hang out more after school, just the two of us! Go to dinner once in a while, even without candles! Talk to each other when we don't know what we want or how to get it! Maybe we could even kiss and not ignore each other for the next three months! It's got to work better than what we've been doing!"

"That's really what you want? You're not saying that to make me feel better?" Jeff triple-checked. Annie just shook her head no, which allowed Jeff to review her offer – and how astonishing it was that she gave it, under the circumstances. "You know, I thought if I ever said…..that stuff, you'd freak out one way or the other. How are you so calm now?"

"That's only how I look, Jeff. Otherwise, it's a way different story. I'm just better at hiding it now. There's another thing you couldn't let yourself see about me. But if I could put aside my fantasy version of Jeff, you should put aside your fantasy Annie too. I want….I just want to try something as us. The real us. And worrying about the old us's and dragging ex….sleeping friends into it isn't working," Annie illuminated.

"Or hating ourselves for what we think we might do to each other," Jeff backed up.

"Britta thinks you might not do that to me. So if – no, no, right, you don't want to be inspired by her, my mistake," Annie corrected. Yet Jeff realized he didn't want to help correct her. Not as much, anyway.

"Maybe I could be inspired just this once," Jeff conceded. "I wouldn't have even met you without Britta. And I wouldn't have….finally said stuff I really mean without her today. Even if she almost screwed me up first. So maybe she isn't the worst person to take a cue from. Not all the time. But she's still got a long way to go to pass…..other women," he tried to signal to Annie.

Annie got it clear enough, as she showed by reaching out to take Jeff's hand. He then closed the gap himself, which made him wonder again about kissing her. Yet he didn't remind himself as much this time that it's the worst thing he could do. If it still was.

But instead of running away, patting Annie's head, or dismissing whatever she said or did so he could escape, Jeff stood his ground. And Annie didn't scare his resolve off by trying to kiss her, or look even more kissable than usual – on purpose.

She just came over slowly and hugged him, with the warmth of it conveying all the feelings and truths they had worked out together. Even Jeff wasn't rotten enough to screw that up.

So he sank into the hug – as much as he could sink into someone a few inches smaller – and actually let himself enjoy a mere hug from someone he….cared for deeply.

And to think all of this was flooding through Jeff because of….

"Oh, God," he let out. "I owe Britta Perry for this. I owe her one….what hell have I stepped into?"

"Jeff, you just praised Britta a minute ago," Annie reminded while her face was lying against his chest.

"Yeah, that still doesn't mean she won't lord this over me! Or ask for something awful to make us even!" Jeff dreaded. "If I have to pretend I hate Wall Street again…."

"Oh, come on, Jeff. You can mock her and bite her head off all you want. We thought it meant you two were destined to be together years ago," Annie stated, only stumbling a little. Yet she brushed that off and pulled back from Jeff to level with him.

"But all that bickering doesn't mean you hate her or love her – not in that way! It's that strong because you two do really care about each other – not in the sleeping together way! Not anymore, hopefully," she warned. "In the way that no matter how much you fight, you'd still do anything for each other when you really need it. Just like she did for you now, and what I guess you did for her earlier today. That's how you love each other….and I can live with that. I suppose," Annie assured.

"Hmm. I guess….that's something I can live with too," Jeff admitted before being embarrassed again. "Thank God Britta's against bugging people's houses. I never thought I'd be thankful for that until now!"

"Okay….well, I guess we should be thankful outside and leave before Britta comes back," Annie admitted. "Besides, I feel really eager to go home and talk to Troy about.…some things."

"Fine, but just so you know, it was Pierce who spoiled the ending for you earlier," Jeff clarified. Annie had no idea about that inside joke, so she just brushed it off and headed for Britta's door. Jeff followed her, and even let his hand lay onto Annie's upper back by the time she reached the exit.

Jeff hadn't even kissed Annie yet, and probably wasn't completely convinced he wouldn't screw up later. And there was still no way in Hell he was telling her that he agreed to Britta's little dare before rejecting it. But after going out of his way not to talk to Annie about this stuff, or ask for her help – or assume that she would be anything other than a love struck, oblivious puppy if he did – doing it this way felt….promising. Hopeful, even.

And he still couldn't get around that he owed a lot of this to Britta Perry.

Yet Britta probably felt equally embarrassed that she owed her breakthrough with Troy to Jeff. But despite all that, she still went out of her way to help him with Annie – more than he really did to help Britta with Troy, really. Hell, Britta even made up her first foolproof plan ever, just so Jeff could have the same unprecedented, overdue breakthrough that she did.

And as Annie smiled at him specially and Jeff smiled back by habit, he saw there could be worse things he owed Britta for. Or worse people he could owe this to. There weren't supposed to be worse people than Britta at most anything.

Yet maybe in some weird way that only made sense with him and Britta, or with anything in the larger Greendale universe…..most other friendships were the worst compared to theirs. And that the second best thing to come of Jeff and Annie….getting closer, was that it didn't drive him and Britta apart after all.

Maybe admitting that to Britta would get him out of being a corporate effigy, or some other humiliating thing, at her next protest. With his luck going so well at the moment, that wish would be Britta'd to balance it all out.

But hopefully Annie was as good as kissing stuff like that all better as he hoped.

THE END