"You coming to the paintball game Professor Winger?"

Jeff looked up from his briefcase, which admittedly was mostly full of exercise magazines, and at afro student. He had just dismissed the class and most of them filed away in a hurry, eager to get to the school's opening social.

"I can't believe they're leading with that this year," Jeff muttered.

"What?"

"Have fun," Jeff said. "Only students are allowed to play."

"But that never stopped you before did it?" afro raised a brow, almost a challenge.

"It does this year," Jeff said then nodded toward the door.

Afro left and Jeff watched until the last student hurried out. Once he was alone he let out a long sigh and continued packing his briefcase. More files and magazines made their way in until only a single bit of space remained. Jeff paid one more glance to the room, making sure he was alone before he slipped a key into the lock keeping the bottom drawer of his desk closed.

A smile came across his lips when he saw what waited for him inside. Well, not for him specifically, something for someone very important to him. Something for someone who was coming back to him today.

Quietly he slipped the package into the briefcase, shut it then twisted the number tumblers a couple times just for good measure. No one, at least no one at Greendale, would be able to get into that briefcase.

His watch beeped and Jeff fixed his eyes on the the clock. Was it really that late!? He had to go! The flight was arriving all too soon and traffic around the airport always promised to be hell. He had to get underway. This had to be perfect.

He had it all planned out in his mind. He would pick her up and help her with her luggage until they got to his car. Then he would pop his trunk as though he was only putting her suitcase in there. That's when he would open the briefcase and surprise her!

Outside, students rushed past his room to get to the social and Jeff thanked whatever power that he could, that his physical frame allowed him to plow through the river of students to get to his car, the opposite direction that the crowd was flowing.

His watch beeped again and Jeff rushed out the door.

...
"I still think it's hilarious that you're doing this," Britta's voice came over the car's speaker phone.

"What? People pick other people up from the airport all the time," Jeff shrugged, even though she couldn't see him.

"People do, but Jeff Winger doesn't," Britta said.

"It's Annie," Jeff said. "You might remember her? Short girl, brown hair, part of our Core Four?"

"You have apparently been keeping up with Abed's blog," Britta said. "So what have we been with Abed and Annie gone? The True Two plus the Dean and Chang? Doesn't have much of a ring to it."

"I'm going through a tunnel and it's made of all the lame created by your wordplay," Jeff said.

"Seriously though you do realize how big a deal it is that you're picking her up right? Like just you."

"No one else could do it. The Dean is running the paintball war while Frankie is on sabbatical, Elroy doesn't arrive with his new wife until tomorrow. Abed is sleeping off his jetlag after flying in from Alaska, You're supposed to be working. Who else is going to pick her up? And why are you complaining? Having her back means you won't have to keep ducking the landlord when he comes for rent money."

"I'm not complaining Jeff, I'm thrilled that Annie is coming back," Britta said. "I'm just making fun of you because you've been crazy ever since she said she was coming back.. Jumping anytime someone says her name, writing texts to her only to erase them and rewrite them, snapping at anybody that sits in her 'seat' at the bar."

"Seriously, you're breaking up," Jeff glared at the speaker.

"I'll just be happy to have the old, less crazy you back when she gets here," Britta said. "Good luck Jeff."

"Thanks Britta," Jeff said and felt a surge of nervous energy in his chest. He didn't need luck... did he?

The airport P.A. announced another flight delay but Jeff only barely paid attention. The display screen clearly said that flight TW738 from DC had arrived... Annie was on her way!

Jeff paced up and down the receiving area, occasionally casting his eyes at the escalator that would bring the flight passengers out of the airport promenade and down into the receiving area. Any moment he would see Annie in that crowd.

"Hey watch it!" some little girl shouted as Jeff almost stepped on her. He did his best not to glare at the kid. Didn't the little punk realize that Annie was coming back to him? His Annie! Finally back after so long! Her three month internship wound up being extended another three, then another three. Then some bigwig had taken notice of her and offered her an extended stay in some sort of fellowship program. All Jeff knew was that it added another six months. She missed an entire year of Greendale. And then, when it finally looked as though she was going to return for the summer... one of her fellow trainees had invited her to go on a three month trip back packing across the world.

She kept in touch and visited a few times, it was Annie and no matter where she went, she left her heart at Greendale. But every day she was gone Jeff found he missed her more and more. During a couple of her visits he had almost broached the subject with her, about the possibility of... them. But in the end he always lost his nerve. As long as they didn't talk about it, the implied message of that night at the end of "season 6" was still good.

But something had changed just before her trip. She started calling more and more and their conversations grew longer and longer. They mostly talked about her internships and adventures. But for the first time in a long time, Jeff felt at ease with her again. She'd even started talking about coming back.

And she started using words like 'us' and 'we' and Jeff felt a spark rekindle deep inside himself. A version of his fantasy life with her started creeping back into his head. Not as idyllic as the housewife fantasy, but he began entertaining the idea of the two of them together again.

The best part though, the best part was how at ease Jeff had begun to feel during those calls. While there was still a lot left unspoken between them, Jeff felt an immeasurable relief at feeling that he could talk to her... about anything. Especially how much he hated Ant-man.

He expected a lot more conversations like that now that she was finally coming back.

"She's coming back," he muttered wistfully to himself, drawing a couple of curious eyes from surrounding strangers.

Jeff let out a small cough and glanced at his phone. Annie hadn't texted yet to say she had landed. That was okay. Even though she had sent him an update with every take off and landing when she flew over there to begin with. Same went for the times she visited. Always texted her flight status. But maybe her phone battery died.

Another announcement came over the P.A. this one Jeff listened to but it was about some sort of engine failure or something on some other flight. It didn't matter then. The board still said that Annie's flight was ontime and landed.

A large crowd of travelers arrived at the top of the escalator and Jeff straightened himself up, his breath catching in his throat. He scanned the passengers for any sign of brunette locks and maybe a yellow or purple cardigan. His foot tapped against the tile with quickening speed as the crowd came through the security doors.

Many simply rushed to get a good place at the luggage carousel while others let out excited screams at seeing loved ones again. Hugs were exchanged, carry ons were taken away, and more than a few walked past Jeff while ordering a cab on their phones. Still Annie hadn't been among them.

Jeff glanced at his watch, then the electronic board, searching for any sign that he had been mistaken. But it still read that her flight had landed. Another crowd came down the escalator and he again stood at attention, searching the group for his Annie. Again he was disappointed.

A half hour had passed and Jeff had lost track of the amount of times he'd checked his phone for any sort of text from her. He'd already dismissed the idea that this was some sort of prank. Annie didn't roll like that, at least not by herself. He had texted her a couple of times and even just out and out called her but he never got a reply.

He even went so far as to talk with a very unhelpful TSA agent to see if there might have been any reason that she wouldn't be allowed to leave the promenade. The answer was no, the same answer he got when he asked if he could go up there and look for her. In fact, that almost got him escorted out of the terminal.

In the end he'd taken a seat on the carousel and continued to watch the escalator. Britta was texting him at this point,wondering what was going on and he could only feel the nervousness, and fear, and worry gnaw away at his insides. Something must have happened to her. Something horrible! Kidnapped or attacked. Something! There had to be a reason she wasn't there and wasn't answering her phone.

Jeff finally broke down and went to the nearest ticket kiosk and began work purchasing a flight to DC. If this was the only way, he would make ends meet with what was left of his paycheck. At the very least he would be able to get onto the promenade and maybe get some answers.

Then, just before he was about to purchase an overpriced ticket, his phone buzzed. Had it been in his pocket he might have fumbled for it but after checking for texts so many times it was practically a permanent fixture of his hand now. Unfortunately it wasn't Annie calling in.

"She's not here yet Britta," Jeff said as soon as he answered. "There's got to be some sort of goof up with the flights or something."

"Jeff..." Britta said and his phone beeped, letting him know he'd just got a text.

"What?"

"You haven't gotten Annie's text yet have you?"

Jeff furrowed his brows and pulled the phone from his ear. The text that had just arrived... from Annie. Disregarding that Britta was still on the line, Jeff opened the text and stared at it.

"Everything's okay. Can't talk, will explain later. Don't wait for me."

"Jeff?" Britta's voice came. "Hello? Are you there?"

Jeff's eye caught a couple embracing after clearly spending a long time apart. His head went numb and his body reeled. His fist tightened around his phone and before he knew what was happening he'd thrown it across the room where it shattered against a concrete wall.

She wasn't coming.

She wasn't coming back to him.

All the noise and the hustle and bustle of the airport faded into the background and Jeff found himself just staring straight forward at the escalator as if hoping that this was just a cruel joke and Annie would be walking down those stairs.

He had no idea how long he stayed there. Someone who had apparently picked up on his emotional state handed him the remains of his phone and he took them absentmindedly. His mind ran over the last few conversations he'd had with her as he desperately searched for some sign as to why she wouldn't be coming back.

Finally his mind fixed on a thought. It sped into is brain with bullet speed and cut through all other memories and thoughts. The one thing to fix this entire thing.

He had a bottle of scotch in his trunk.

Jeff wandered through the crowd, barely aware that they existed. Had she been decided that she didn't want to come back? Did she maybe meet someone and he talked her into not going? Maybe the FBI offered her a full ride somewhere better than Greendale? He needed a drink in the worst way. Maybe she found someone in Europe, some beefy Italian that was every bit as good looking as he was but also had an accent to boot. He needed the glass in his hands.

Finally after what seemed like an unending journey of footsteps and misery Jeff reached his lexus. His eyes went to the front seat. The place Annie should have been sitting. He walked around to the back and popped the trunk. He wasn't stupid. He would sit in his car and get drunk, and then call a cab to take him home. He'd get the car tomorrow as he worked through the hangover.

Jeff opened the trunk and froze.

The scotch was there but he'd suddenly forgotten about it.

The briefcase wasn't there. Jeff looked around, almost as though it might have wandered off on its own and was playing hide-and-seek. Then he remembered the last time he saw it... in his office. He'd left in such a hurry... he'd forgotten it.

A new, manic feeling came over him. It didn't matter if she wasn't there to receive it. Jeff wasn't about to let those animals at Greendale get their grubby hands on it. They wouldn't know what to do with it or worse, Neil would take it and give it to Vicki and pretend that he had thought of it.

Not on Jeff's watch. Not today.

Jeff jumped into his car and sped off.

...

Starburns slinked around the corner gripping his paintball gun. He had the perfect strategy this year. Camping. He would sit in his own hidey-hole, with his back to the wall, and shoot anybody that passed by. Eventually he would get everybody. It would just take longer. But he would win. He would finally win! He just had to get there first.

A couple of students that he didn't recognize came around the corner but Starburns jerked his hand reflexively and managed to shoot them. A smile crossed his lips. He could do this. Maybe he didn't even need to camp. He had already taken down any challengers and he was becoming the alpha dog.

Almost to his location, Starburns opened the door to a new hallway and almost ran straight into Winger. His hand fumbled for his paintball gun but he managed to stop himself, yet still kept it jabbed into Winger's chest if he needed to.

"Hey Winger, out of the way, teachers aren't playing!"

Winger didn't respond. He just glared at Starburns' gun then back at him. There was something off about him... something scary. Starburns started to back up, keeping the gun leveled at the man in front of him. He'd seen enough crazy off this guy over the years not to mess with him when he looked close to flipping.

"Winger... look man if you're going to be weird go be weird away from me. I have a game to win."

Finally Winger let out a grunt then stepped out of the way. Starburns felt that smile return. He just told Winger, the Big Man on Campus to get out of the way and he did! Things finally were turning up Starburns!

"You know Winger," Starburns said. "You've really let this job neuter you."

"Whatever Alex," Winger said. "I'm just going to my classroom."

"Good, I'll let everybody know who's the new king now," Starburns said, standing a little taller at hearing Winger refer to him by his real name.

"Fine," Winger rolled his eyes, brushing past him.

"I'll start with Britta..."

"Good luck with that."

"Then I'll pick up the brunette when she gets back."

Winger froze and his entire frame stiffened up. Starburns gripped his gun and shrugged his shoulders, ready to laugh as Winger just took it like the spineless wimp that he had become. He really was top dog now!

"You wanna take that back Osborne?" Winger said.

"No, but I wanna take her back to-"

Starburns didn't know what happened. One second he was taunting Winger the next the man became a blur of motion. Starburns' gun flew up to shoot but was slapped out of his hands. Moments later Winger was standing over him pumping paintball after paintball into his chest until he finally fell to the ground.

Winger kept going until he emptied the clip and Starburns trembled and held his hands up in pure terror.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Give me your ammo Starburns!" Winger growled. "Now!"