Fic: Speeches Without Words (1/1)
Title: Speeches Without Words (1/1)
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,717
Summary: In the end, they lost the school to Subway. But surprise of surprises, they didn't lose each other. (J/A and OT7) *Ficcy Friday prompt by Rashaka
Author's note: This might be too soon for some of you still hurting about the show being canceled...I tried to make it happy as I could.
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In the end, they don't save Greendale.
They run out of time, and the bad guys win. Sort of.
At least that's what it feels like, when they stand among a clapping crowd as Subway shake hands with Carl.
"I think we've been cancelled." Abed replies, because god forbid they have a moment of silence, Jeff angrily thinks. It feels like something is tearing at his heart, vicious and dark and it's not happy with these events. He's not happy, because it wasn't suppose to be like this. They were suppose to make it, because just like always in the last moment, Greendale does the impossible. As crazy, childish and possibly dangerous to anyone's mental health, Greendale was his home.
He lost two homes now and it leaves him more broken than before.
"Shut up, Abed." He snaps, and then instantly regrets it. He's lashing out, and can't control the anger that drips off his words like acid. Annie notices his mood and tries to help, tries to ease the group with a forced smile and her Disney eyes.
"It's not the end, right? I mean there's a chance, we can do something...right?" She's clearly baiting for someone to speak out, her eyes bounce between Abed and Jeff, and their silence is deafening. "A bake sale? Internet awareness? I have a whole packet for ideas!" Annie's voice gets higher as she gets more desperate, when she notices none of them are reacting.
Jeff doesn't trust himself to tell her to stop, for once cautious with his words. He has no uplifting speech, no wisdom or anything but anger and bitterness. The kind of hurt and rage that put Pierce's father in the grave.
Buzz Hickey steps in, "Give it a rest Edison. You fought the good fight, but it's over. There's nothing left to save. Greendale is gone." -he's about as comforting as a steel wool sweater, and in response Annie's eyes flutter with un-shed tears.
"-but...what are we going to do now?" She whispers, and she looks to Jeff, and if he feels the anger seep out of his veins. Now he feels as helpless as she looks, and it breaks his heart to know she's expecting him to do something...but isn't she always? No matter how many times he fails her. Eventually he caves and speaks.
"We move on, Annie."
+
It gets easier as time goes by, without Greendale. In the beginning life seemed a little more dull without it, no crazy shenanigans to break up the week. For that period of time the group seemed on the verge of breaking for real, just as the end of their fourth year. They all retreated in, hiding their pain and masking it with fake cheery texts and Facebook statuses. Unwilling to face the reality. They had failed not only Greendale, but to an extent themselves. Or at least that's how it felt.
Darkest Time Line indeed.
-except it didn't stay that way for long, because three months later, Troy came back.
Two weeks after that, using his now immense wealth he and Abed broke into the film industry with the force of a hurricane with T & A Films (they still both giggled at the folks who mistakenly expected porn). They produced, wrote and filmed to their hearts delight, doing exactly what they had always did, having adventures together. Reaching out, one by one they found ways of calling the group back together.
They constantly asked for Shirley to cater their sets until she had enough to do it properly, and branched out with a catering business that was twice the size of Shirley's Sandwiches.
For parties, promotion and awareness for their movies Britta was employed. -in between her night classes at a different local college. To everyone's surprise she continued with her education, still pursuing to become a psychologist. Constantly sneaking her political activist into their commercials and ads whenever she could. She roped Jeff and Annie more than once to help her, and they agreed if only to save her from Britta-ing it up.
Among the rag team set, Abed and Troy brought in local "actors", everyone from Magnitude to Annie's Boobs made it into their works. Special appearance of Chang never planned but were there never the less.
Craig Pelton becomes their costume director...without them even asking.
Most weird of all was them asking Jeff to help them write their scripts.
"Uh, you guys know I'm lawyer again, right?" He gestures around his office. He went back to his old firm and worked himself into a deal. Abed's latest script on top of his unfinished papers.
"A consultant." Abed corrects, "-and I'm asking for you to consult me on how to write for my next movie, lately I've been getting reviews that while my movies are thrilling and action packed, they are lacking...heart." He tilts his head, as if confused by the very notion. "And realism, but while I acknowledge that sometimes I forget it for the bigger picture. Or explosions. I think you could help me, Jeff. You've got a flair for it."
Jeff can feel the start of a headache in the sides of his skull, but he tries to understand.
"Abed, you think I'm a good example of someone with heart?"
"I didn't say that. You have the ability to use words to remind other people that they do."
"I can't tell if that was an insult or a compliment."
"It was neither. "He stands up and heads for the door before trying one last time. "You use to make great speeches, Jeff. The kind that used to inspire us, and I just want to spread that feeling. You might not be a writer, but you've always been a story teller. Through the best and the worst, you got us through it with your speeches."
He leaves and Jeff is left speechless. The irony isn't lost on him.
(The Winger Speeches make it into every movie after that.)
+
They basically rob the annual movie awards. The group all together and celebrating at the Hawthorne Manor (Troy bought and fixed it up, but kept the name) and it felt like old times.
"Hey Jeff." Annie smiles in his direction and he smiles back, the drink only half responsible for how happy he feels. It's like a weights been lifted, seeing everyone back and better than ever. "So. I saw Rich again."
Jeff's eyebrows reach his hairline. "Oh? What's MD Banana Head doing now?"
"He's visiting South America, he's been asked to help them out in a case study. He asked me to go with him." Her confession isn't drawn out, she lays it out flatly. It's been no secret that her semi-secret on and off again relationship with Rich pissed him off. It was only kept a secret because they worked together, Rich offering to help her get a job where he worked, and her taking it because at the time, she had no other options. When the other members of the Greendale Seven turned in on themselves, Annie found Rich and it's been two years and he's still not over feeling slightly betrayed. He doesn't know why, when in all reason it's his fault. He was the one who denied them even the chance of starting something...
"Whats with men always trying to steal you away?" He tries to joke, but ends up admitting more than he'd like.
"I'm not an actual Disney Princess, Jeff. No one's stealing me for forever."
"You're eyes say otherwise." -he's drunk. That's his defense and he's sticking to it. That's the only reason that utterly sappy thing springs from his lips. He tries to cover it up with a question. "So you're going?"
"I thought about it," Annie replies honestly, "-it's a once in a life time chance. And we might have broken up but...Rich is a great guy, he'd take care of me. "
"But...?"
"But maybe I'm just looking for someone to tell me all the reasons I shouldn't."
He almost drops his drink, "Annie-"
"Don't," she commands. Her voice controlled and steady as she explains, "Don't say you don't know what I'm talking about or that you don't feel the same, because we both know that's a lie, and I'm not...some little girl, Jeff. I know how you look at me when you think I don't notice, just being perfect.I know that you hate Rich for more than We've circle each other enough. This is your last chance, Jeff to tell me. When we lost Greendale, you told me that when we lose we move on. If you have nothing to say, even after everything, then...I understand." She bites her lip and looks up at him, "-but I wanted you to know. That's all."
"I can't tell you how to live, Annie." His voice breaks a little, "You've got to stop expecting me to come and save everyone, or that my words have any sway. " You've got to stop believing in me, goes unsaid.
"I'm not asking you to save me Jeff, I'm asking you to remind me. What I want to stay here for." Annie steps forward and curls her fingers around his shirt, and he automatically leans into her touch, "-and you don't need words to do that."
He knows all the reasons he should let her go, let her move on with her life, but at his core Jeff is selfish man. He's tired of losing things he cares about, he's tired of losing her.
Jeff dips down, one arm coming up around her waist, pulling her to him and the other resting at the side of her face; his thumb stroking across her cheek as his fingers curled into her hair. He kissed her like he had done all those years ago after the dance, desperate and intense, not letting her go until they were both struggling to breath. She clung hard, practically climbing his frame to pull him down into another, equally burning kiss.
"Does that help you remember?" He pants, their breath mingling as he kisses her over and over. She grins and wraps her arms around his neck.
"I think so, better do it a few more times just to be sure."
"I've got time for that?"
"You've got the rest of our lives."
The End
+
Just in case you're confused, Troy and Abed used the first initials for the company and it's also just happens that "T & A" stands for Tits and Ass on the internet, so basically a lot of people stumble on their movies expecting something completely different -but get drawn in all the same. :)