*A/N: Here's the final chapter! Thanks so much for all the kind reviews - I really appreciate it. Hope you like how it ends...*

The rain had stopped by morning, but the world outside was eerily still. Or maybe it only seemed that way because Jeff had finally come out with it - told Annie exactly how he felt - and she was still here, curled up next to him in bed with her head resting on his arm.

She was still asleep, tranquil expression at odds with her wavy, frizzy hair. He pushed a few strands off her cheek and smiled at the thought of her catching herself in the mirror, face turning to horror as she saw the mess of tangles. Maybe now he'd have the nerve to tell her she looked beautiful anyway.

Annie sighed in her sleep and rolled over, freeing his arm, sheets slipping down to her waist. Jeff propped himself up on his elbows and swallowed thickly. Now that was a sight he could get used to.

He lay on his side behind her and nuzzled the back of her neck, pulling her close and trying to lull himself back to sleep. It didn't work, but he didn't mind - there was no way his dreams could surpass his current reality, so sleep had pretty much lost its appeal. For a while he was content to just lie there and hold her, listening to the steady rhythm of her breathing. But there was a dark, nagging thought at the back of his mind and he could only ignore it for so long.

She was leaving today.

He'd thought it might be enough, this little burst of happiness, but now that he'd gotten a taste he couldn't imagine giving it up. With her, he could be better - he could make something of himself. And he knew she'd say that he could do that on his own, that she'd remind him that her internship was only three months - that they lived in a world where Facetime existed - but somehow none of that was comforting right now.

Not when she was in his arms, and tomorrow she wouldn't be.

Jeff slipped out of bed, careful not to wake her, and rinsed off in the shower to break his train of thought. She was still sleeping, curled up in this little ball, when he went back into the room to put on a fresh pair of boxers. It was tempting, the thought of climbing back under the covers with her, but he needed to keep busy.

Besides, while showering he'd gotten a pretty sweet idea.

After starting a pot of coffee, he opened the refrigerator door and sat on his haunches, surveying what he had to work with. The grocery delivery service he used had gotten this week's order all confused, and he'd just shoved everything into the fridge in a low-blood-sugar-induced hissy fit. But now, it appeared that mix-up had been a blessing in disguise because he actually had food normal humans ate for breakfast, like bread and jam and milk that came from real, live cows rather than nuts or beans.

So he tied this dorky apron his mom had bought him years ago around his waist - because he thought it'd make Annie laugh - and set to work. She always ordered scrambled eggs at the Greendale Greasy Spoon so he made enough for two, figuring he could indulge just this once. He considered making french toast with the bread before nixing the idea - he had to draw the line somewhere. Instead, he dusted off the toaster hidden in the back of his cabinet and popped in four slices of multigrain.

By the time Annie emerged from his room, startlingly attractive in his white t-shirt with her hair piled in a messy bun, he was humming to himself and doling out portions of eggs and toast onto two plates.

"Oh my god." She giggled, covering her mouth with her hands. "You look adorable." She laughed even harder when Jeff placed a hand dramatically on his hip and flashed her some thigh. "Wait, wait - let me get my phone. This needs to be immortalized in megapixels."

She only made it three steps toward the bedroom before he wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her into the air. He tried to sound stern when he growled, "Don't you dare," beside her ear, but she was laughing and wriggling against him so it couldn't have had much effect.

"Sit," he said, placing her down on the couch. "Stay."

"Ugh, you're no fun." She pouted as he took off the apron on his way to the kitchen. "I wasn't going to post it on Facebook or anything. Just our committee group text."

"Oh, that'd be much better." Jeff placed two mugs of coffee on the table (his black, hers milky before going back for their plates. He handed Annie one and sat down beside her. "Definitely not a weird way to tell them about us."

"Please, they respond well to weird." She took a bite of eggs and hummed appreciatively. "Besides, I'm sure they already know. Also, why are there carbs in your apartment? Are you training for a marathon?" She widened her eyes as a teasing smirk spread across her lips. "Are you terminally ill? Oh god."

Jeff rolled his eyes as she giggled, and swatted her hand away when she reached out to feel his forehead. "The grocery store messed my order up, jeez. And what do you mean they already know?"

Annie took a bite of toast, chewing deliberately slowly, and Jeff dug into his food like her attempt at tormenting him totally wasn't working.

"Oh, I dunno." She shrugged and sipped her coffee. "Just guessing from their reactions last night. Aside from Frankie, no one was shocked by what Abed was saying. Britta looked kinda bored. And Shirley's been texting me all these kissy-face emojis and responding 'oh nothing' when I ask her what's going on."

"Huh," Jeff said, absentmindedly taking a bite of toast and really, really, enjoying it. "Come to think of it, the dean hasn't Snapchatted me any shirtless selfies in over a week."

"See?" Annie put her plate on the table and shifted to face him. "So, really, sending them a photo of you in that apron wouldn't have been so bad."

"Um, yes it would." He placed his plate next to hers and reached out to tug on her t-shirt, eyebrow arched. "Although, if photoshoots are on the table, I have a few ideas in mind."

Her jaw dropped but her eyes were smiling as he pulled her to him, pressing his nose into her cheek. "I'm surprised at you," she said, looping her arms around his neck and shimmying even closer.

"Oh yeah? Why's that?" He nipped at her bottom lip, but pulled back when she leaned in.

"I figured you'd think bigger picture. Phones have excellent video quality these days."

Now it was Jeff's turn to gape at her, and she took advantage of his rare speechlessness by kissing him - this deep, wet kiss that had his hands bunching up the fabric of her shirt. Then she was pulling away all too quickly, standing and pushing the coffee table back.

Jeff blinked. "Isn't it a little soon to be rearranging my furniture?"

She smirked and stepped between his knees, using her legs to widen his stance. "We get to run through my plans for last night, remember?"

And, holy shit, did he wish he had his phone with him then, because Annie kneeling on the floor before him was something he'd never get sick of watching.

It was embarrassing (or would have been, if blood had been reaching the part of his brain that felt shame), how hard he was already, straining against his underwear as she ran her fingers up his thighs. She palmed him over the fabric, eyes on his face, and when she licked her lips he arched into her hand.

"Jesus Christ." He was panting. She was hardly even touching him and he was panting, hands gripping the cushion as she peeled the boxers off of him and tossed them aside. Then she grabbed ahold of his hips and inched closer, leaning over him, and when he felt her breath on the tip of his cock he thought he might actually pass out.

He cupped her jaw with one hand to steady himself, to slow her down, and she turned her head to press her lips to his fingertips as she leaned back a little. There was this adorable, teasing smirk on her face that he would've kissed if she hadn't closed her hand around his base and given him a long, slow stroke.

"Regret not giving me the reins last night?" she asked.

Jeff gulped and shook his head. "Nope."

Annie narrowed her eyes, glancing down to where her thumb smoothed over his head. "Really? You think now is a good time to disagree with me?"

"It was too dark, last night," he said, already kinda breathless, and brushed his thumb along her cheek. "This is something I have to see in perfect lighting."

She laughed, eyes shining, and gave him a shallow tug. "You just sounded like Abed."

"Really? You think now is a good time to mention one of our friends?"

Annie released her grip and sat back on her heels. Jeff's mind reeled as he scrambled to find the right thing to say, because he was willing to confess to kidnapping the Lindbergh baby if it meant she'd touch him again. But then she was reaching down to the hem of her shirt and pulling it up over her head, and oh, oh, never mind.

He must've had some dumb, slack-jawed look on his face because she smiled up at him and leaned forward to plant a row of wet kisses down his sternum, his cock sliding between her breasts. "I kinda think I could mention anyone right now and you wouldn't care," she said.

Jeff groaned and arched against her, skating his fingers down her back. "I kinda think you're right. But let's not test that theory."

She hummed against him, like she was considering the request, and the vibrations made his cock twitch. Then she was sliding back down his body and kissing the inside of his thigh before giving him a hot, wet lick.

"Oh, fuck." His hand tangled in her hair, pulling a few strands from her bun. He was about to apologize when she looked up at him through her lashes - eyes gleaming - and lowered her mouth onto him.

She took him in slowly, like she was enjoying just having her way with him, and if he could've formed coherent sentences he would've told her there was no way she was enjoying it as much as he was. When she picked up speed her grip tightened on his hips and Jeff kept his fingers in her hair, just a light pressure following her movements.

He was pretty much willing to let her do this forever - since, you know, it was basically the best moment of his whole entire existence - but after a while she started moaning around him and squeezing her thighs together, and it was so fucking hot he thrust into her mouth before his brain registered what he was doing.

She didn't seem to mind, though, unfazed when he bumped the back of her throat. That was even hotter, somehow, and when her right hand trailed along his thigh and down past her bellybutton Jeff couldn't stand it anymore.

They must have been on the same page (of course they were, a perfect duet and all that) because Annie looked relieved as he pulled her into his lap, and she let out a shuddering breath when she positioned herself over him. He gritted his teeth and held her in place, because she was so damn wet and he wanted to feel her around him, but even though his mind was only partially functioning he couldn't shake the feeling that they were forgetting something.

Then Annie was leaning back and pushing her plate over on the coffee table to reach for a condom that he hadn't known was there. He watched in awe as she tore the wrapper and rolled it onto him. It was official - she was god's gift to the universe - and that thought must've been written out on his face because she blushed a little as she settled back over him.

"Your thing is spontaneity," she said, kissing his jaw. "Mine's planning."

"Annie, for the record, this is the best plan you've ever had. Maybe the best plan in the history of the world, even, including the invention of scotch and aviators, so that's saying something."

She gave him this smug little smile, like she'd beat him at something, but that didn't make sense since he was basically winning at life right now. When she finally sank down on him they both sighed, and he leaned in to kiss her to celebrate their shared victory.

They kissed slowly as she rocked against him, hips swiveling easy and shallow. Normally it wouldn't be enough but this was really doing it for him - he was already so close - so he gripped her waist with one hand and moved the other up to squeeze her breast.

Annie rested her head against his shoulder and picked up speed, panting out these little cries as she rutted against him, easing him even deeper. He pressed his lips to the side of her neck and murmured encouragements in a gentle voice he hardly recognized. Unh, god, you're so beautiful, please come, baby, I'm close, please, Annie, please.

He was babbling but it seemed to be working, because her movements grew hurried and sloppy. Soon Annie's nails were digging into his shoulders as she came, gasping sharply and clenching around him. That was all it took for Jeff to follow, pleasure washing over him as he groaned against her collarbone and thrust up into her.

She curled her arms around his neck and rested her cheek on his shoulder as they both caught their breath. He cradled her in his arms and pressed a kiss to her eyelid, making her giggle.

"Jeff…"

"Yeah?"

"You called me 'baby'."

"...Did I?"

"Mhmm."

"Huh. Any objections?"

"Not from me."

"Good."

She hummed contentedly as he ran his fingers down her spine. "Britta might lecture you about how it's a pet name that men use to infantilize women, though."

"Annie, are you going to talk about our friends every time we have sex?"

"I don't know." She laughed and kissed the underside of his jaw. "Guess we'll have to find out."

Eventually, they disentangled themselves on the couch (Jeff had shifted them so they were lying on their sides, and they may have dozed for a bit, sticky and entwined) and started to clean up. They'd made quite a mess, between their trail of discarded clothes and the plates of half-eaten breakfast and the spilled mug of coffee that must've overturned at some point, though neither of them had noticed.

Jeff dealt with the dishes while Annie showered. She hung her dress in the bathroom with the hope that the steam would smooth out some of the wrinkles, but it didn't do much good.

She announced this when she emerged from the bathroom while his back was to her, elbow-deep in soapy water. And when he turned around to tell her it was fine - she was just going straight home, anyway - the sight of her in that dress with wavy, damp hair sent a pang of happiness through him.

For a moment his mind traveled back to last night, where they came clean to one another beneath a relentless downpour. Before he knew it he was taking her in his arms and kissing her so deeply that she stood on her tiptoes and sighed into his mouth.

When he pulled away there were sudsy patches on the back of her dress.

The apartment felt so empty after Annie went home to pack - something she insisted on doing alone despite Jeff's offer to help, because she said he'd only distract her, and she was probably right. So he agreed to head over to her place in a few hours and, to pass the time, he jogged to the gym for a long-overdue weight circuit. He kept his mind occupied by ranking all the ways he'd like to distract her, which resulted in an awkward shuffle to the locker room followed by a cold shower. (Maybe falling asleep on a beach and not regretting it the next day wasn't so far off after all.)

After he walked home, showered, and changed, he realized he still had plenty of time to kill, so he drove all the way to the gang's favorite coffee shop near campus and bought everyone a caffeinated pick-me-up to help them through the home stretch of packing. (An Americano for himself; a triple-shot caramel latte for Annie; a mocha-chip ice blended, hold the whip, for Abed; and a fair-trade French-press black coffee for Britta, which somehow took twice as long to make as the others combined, ugh.)

When he finally rang their buzzer he was only 10 minutes earlier than they'd agreed to, which he figured wouldn't seem too desperate.

Britta let him up and took her coffee from the cardboard tray before he could even offer it to her. "Oh god, I needed this," she said, taking a sip as they walked upstairs. "I'm exhausted from just watching those two. And I thought I procrastinated."

Jeff chuckled as he imagined what Annie would have to say about that. "Well, I'm here to help. Or, more accurately, here to sit back and offer sarcastic comments as I watch them struggle."

"Ugh, you're the worst," she said, elbowing him half-heartedly. "Actually, I'm sick of helping so that sounds kind of nice. I have some Bailey's in the fridge - what do you say we turn these babies into Irish coffees?"

"Sure. But you realize that a traditional Irish coffee is made with whiskey, and that Bailey's has next to no alcohol content, right?"

"Pshaw. Snob."

"Lightweight."

Jeff had expected their apartment to look a bit bare, with two-thirds of its inhabitants leaving, but if anything it was more cluttered than ever. There were boxes stacked high on the wall beside Annie's door and Abed's blanket fort had grown even more elaborate. Neither mess-making culprit was in sight.

"Coffee!" Jeff announced, setting the tray down on the kitchen counter. "Get it while it's lukewarm."

He leaned against the counter and crossed his arms while Britta sloshed Bailey's into both of their cups. A muffled, "Be out in a minute!" sounded from behind Annie's closed door and Jeff smiled and ducked his head.

"Here you go," Britta said. She handed over his cup and eyed him with this strained smirk like she was just bursting to comment.

"Shut it."

"I didn't say anything."

"Whatever. You're thinking things."

"Yes. As a fully-functioning humanoid, I'm apt to do that."

"Did someone say coffee?" Abed poked his head out from between two sheets and, spying said coffee, strode over to them. "Ooh, mocha-chip ice blended, no whip?"

"Yep," Jeff said. "You're lucky I'm secure enough to order something like that."

Abed unwrapped a straw, dropped it into his drink, and took a slurping sip. "I think I'm gonna switch to black coffee in LA, so this is fitting - an homage to the life I'm leaving behind." And with that he turned on his heel and ducked back into the fort, sheets falling closed behind him.

"You're welcome," Jeff called after him. "You can Venmo me later." He quirked an eyebrow at Britta. "Is he even packing?"

She sighed. "Who can tell? He says it's a process."

"Well the process has a half hour before it has to get its ass in the car." He narrowed his eyes as Britta leaned back against the counter, mirroring his position, and pressed her lips together. "Ugh, okay, out with it. And stop looking at me like I got you a puppy with tickets to Lilith Fair pinned to its collar. It's creepy."

"I'm just happy for you, you numbskull," she said, rolling her eyes. "I haven't gotten the full deets yet, but it appears as though you took our conversation to heart. And you both are walking around like it's taking all your strength not to burst into song, so I'm guessing the sex was pretty good, too."

"Okay first of all, don't say deets. You can't pull it off." He took a sip of coffee as she groaned. "And, second, 'good' doesn't even begin to cover it."

"Ooooh!" Britta beamed and raised her hand up high. "Up top!"

Jeff rolled his eyes, but he was grinning as he high-fived her.

"Uh-oh, this can't be good," Annie said, finally emerging from her room in jeans and a t-shirt. "You two didn't just agree to turn this place into a saloon while I'm gone, did you?"

"Nope," Jeff said. "Although, now that you mention it…"

"Hey! Don't even think about it, mister. I'm sure Frankie and her fake cops would be all too happy to break up another Speakeasy if I asked them to." She swatted at his chest and then stepped closer, giving him a quick side-hug. Jeff curled his arm around her shoulders and chuckled as he kissed her temple, ignoring the high-pitched sound that was coming from Britta. Annie giggled, pressing her palm to his cheek, and then stepped back, blushing a little.

"Need any help?" he asked. He shoved his hands in his pockets to keep himself from pulling her back into his arms.

"No, I'm all set. Everything's packed - I'm just organizing the last few boxes that are going into storage." She wiped her brow with the back of her wrist and he found it stupidly adorable. "Ooh, coffee! Thank you! You guys hang out - I'm gonna check on Abed and finish up."

She disappeared behind the layers of sheets and Jeff could hear them whispering. He shook his head - they were probably finessing their goodbye handshake.

"I'm really gonna miss them," Britta said. "You know what this means? The Greendale parents will soon be empty-nesters."

"Me too," Jeff said, turning to face her. "But we should probably stop using the whole parents/children metaphor, considering recent relationship developments."

"Oh, good point." She wrinkled her nose. "And since you brought up the term relationship..."

"Oh god."

"...I was just wondering how you would characterize it. I mean, driving someone to the airport is pretty serious."

Jeff grimaced, waiting for the familiar anxiety that came along with discussions of commitment to settle in, but instead he just felt… kinda excited, actually. "Yeah," he said. "I guess it is."

Britta smiled so widely he worried she might get a cramp, so he suggested they watch TV while they waited for the others. He even gave her control of the remote - anything to decrease the chances of more relationship talk because, hey, he was still Jeff Winger, and Britta was still his ex, and this was all still more than a little weird. (A good kind of weird.)

After a while, Abed came out to borrow Jeff's keys so he could lug his duffle bag down to the car. Jeff kept his eyes on the TV as he handed them over, because Britta had put on some show called "Dating Naked" and, even though the important bits were blurred, it was still oddly hot.

A few minutes later Annie rolled out her new suitcase, along with her backpack and pink duffle bag.

"Welp, I think that's everything," she said, zipping up her hoodie. "Even printed out my itinerary. Britta, do you want to say goodbye now?"

Britta stood suddenly and picked up the duffle bag. She started to say something but her voice cracked, and before she turned to walk toward the door Jeff saw that her eyes were filled with tears.

Annie gave him this little pout, her own eyes wet, before jogging to catch up, suitcase rolling behind her. Jeff lingered for a moment to give them some time to say goodbye. He turned off the TV and the lights, swallowing around the lump in his throat, then picked up Annie's backpack and walked downstairs.

Everything seemed to happen so quickly, after that.

There were tears spilled on the sidewalk, and it was a little heartbreaking to catch a glimpse of Britta in the rearview mirror, watching them drive away with her arms wrapped around herself. He was glad they were meeting up with the dean, Frankie, and Chang later so he could make sure she was okay.

Annie stopped sniffling after a few blocks, at which point excitement took over. She told Jeff and Abed about her new apartment and the self-directed tour of the city that she'd mapped out. Abed was quiet for a while and Annie happily filled the silence, but when she reached back to squeeze his knee in the back seat Jeff realized he was probably trying to pull himself together, in his own stalwart, Abed way, and the lump in his throat got even bigger.

Traffic at the airport was a mess, and he'd barely pulled over to the drop-off area before cars started honking, so Jeff let annoyance replace the sadness in his chest and he scowled as he pulled their luggage from his trunk. Once he unloaded all of their stuff he noticed a small, black, rolly carry-on that had been hidden behind Annie's duffle.

"Wait, one more," he said, but when he started to lift it he realized it was empty.

Annie placed her hand on his wrist, and all the annoyance and anxiety and beeping cars faded into the background. "Nope," she said, linking her fingers with his when he let the handle go. "That's for you. It's the other one we tested in the store."

Jeff shook his head slowly and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. "Annie, you're…" He trailed off, because she was everything, but he didn't think he could say that without completely unraveling, and he didn't want her last memory of him to involve a runny nose and him pretending there was something stuck in his eye.

"I know," she said, pressing her lips to his neck. "So now you have to visit me. No excuses. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am." He gave her one more squeeze and leaned back. "Call me when you land, okay?"

"It'll be late." She ran her hand down his arm and tugged on his fingers.

"Won't be the first time I lost sleep because of you."

"Gross!" Abed called from the curb. "Not really. Just felt like the right thing to say. But we better head inside - after we go through security I need to have time to get into character."

"Abed, I hope your LA character isn't much different from your Greendale character," Annie said, walking over to him. "You're already wonderful - you don't need to change for anyone or any place."

"But I have changed," he said, shrugging one shoulder. "The original Greendale!Abed didn't have any friends. But, LA!Abed, or, as I like to call him, New!Abed, doesn't have that tragic backstory. I have y-" He paused and blinked rapidly a few times. "Sorry. This is Britta's fault. She got me going."

Annie kissed Abed's cheek and hugged him as Jeff closed the trunk and carried her suitcase over to her. Then she turned to him with these wide, sad eyes and he knew this was it - their actual goodbye - and when she leaned up to kiss his cheek he couldn't help but angle his head to catch her lips. He murmured "I love you," and she whispered it back in a soft, unsteady voice, and he hugged her again, closing his eyes as he clutched her close.

He hugged Abed, too, but once wasn't enough, and when he finally let him go they were all blinking back tears.

Jeff took a long, shaky breath as he watched them walk away. They both looked back.

He stopped by his apartment before meeting Britta and the rest of the gang at the bar. As he carried his new suitcase upstairs he felt something rolling around in there and realized it wasn't as empty as he'd thought.

When he placed it on the coffee table and opened it up the lump came back to his throat. Inside he found Annie's stuffed kangaroo with a pink post-it note sticking out of its pouch. Penned in her neat handwriting, it read:

Looks like I forgot Ruthie. Guess you'll have to bring her to me in D.C. (She gets separation anxiety if she's away from Nathan for too long.)

Jeff shook his head at himself as he tucked her stuffie into his bed and snapped a photo. She'd have already taken off by now, but he texted it to her so she'd see it when she landed.

(He wound up getting to the bar late because the bank thought his credit card had been stolen when he paid for a flight online.)

Somewhere 20,000 feet over Indiana, Annie found a sticky, folded flowchart hidden in her backpack. Her eyes stung as she scanned the three columns she had created: one depicting Jeff's old life, one showing his current path, and one representing the future, blank with opportunity.

In the empty space, written in Jeff's heavy script, it said, you.