Matrimonial Surprises (8a/?)
Summary: What happens after Jeff and Annie's unplanned Las Vegas wedding.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 6,423
Disclaimer: Not mine
A/N: Thank you to everyone who is still reading this story!
Jeff sat in his office at work with his nose buried in a file and his back towards the door. The secretary had just buzzed him a minute before to let him know a new client was there for a meeting and Jeff told her to send whoever it was in. He heard the door open and before he even had a chance to turn around a ‘hello Jeffrey’ with an all too familiar lilt.
Jeff’s head snapped up and his shoulders went stiff because no no no he was imagining that voice, he had to be. He slowly spun his chair around only to come face to face with the truth. “Dean Pelton. Sorry, Craig. What are you doing here?”
Craig shut the office door and nearly pranced over to the desk. “I’m here because according to this great country of ours I’m entitled to an attorney to defend me when accused of an infraction, and I thought who better than one of Greendale’s finest alumni?” He braced one hand on the polished wood and leaned over to touch Jeff’s shoulder, “My, you certainly wear that suit well don’t you?”
Jeff pursed his lips and looked down at his shoulder then back up at Craig. “I’m almost afraid to ask, but what did you do?”
He pulled out a folder from his coat and placed it on the desk, sliding it towards Jeff. “I was just hoping you could make these disappear for me.”
Jeff flipped open the folder and looked over the papers inside. “A parking ticket and another ticket for indecent exposure in a hotel parking lot? This says you were dressed as a turtle, why…no you know what, don’t answer that.”
Craig fell into the chair on the other side of the desk with an exasperated huff. “It’s completely unfair, Jeffrey! I was at a gathering of people who enjoy a certain kind of dress and realized time was up at the meter. I rushed outside to put money in it right after the policeman had put the ticket on my windshield! I begged him not to and explained that I had just come out to take care of it but he was completely unreasonable! It turns out in my haste to rectify the parking situation I had run outside missing part of the back half of my outfit and he ticketed me for that, too!”
Jeff had to bite the inside of his lip to quell the juvenile urge to giggle at Craig’s use of the word ‘rectify’ in this particular context. He leaned back in his chair and clicked the top of his pen absentmindedly. “In other words you ran outside to feed the meter in what I presume was a furry turtle costume with your ass hanging out.”
“Well if you want to oversimplify the situation then yes, that’s what happened. So can you help me?”
“Do you have any other tickets on your record?”
“Just one for speeding from a few years ago.”
Jeff sighed and decided to take pity on him, after all he had done a lot for him and the rest of the group when they were at Greendale. “Alright I’ll do it, it can probably be taken care of out of court and if not it shouldn’t be too hard to get cleared since this is your first offense.”
“Oh thank you, Jeffrey! I knew I could count on you!” He leaned forward to rest his elbows on the desk and linked his hands together under his chin. “So, how’s life post-Greendale? You know, I have to say I’m disappointed that I haven’t seen you on campus at all this year. I figured you’d have to pop in from time since you’re the official representative of Shirley’s Sandwiches.”
Jeff shrugged and continued to click the pen, “I’ve only had to sign a form or two, Shirley is much better at running a business anyway. Is there anything else you want? Because it looks like you’ve given me all the paperwork I need for now.”
“Now what’s the rush, Jeffrey? We’re just chatting.”
“I’m at work.”
“And as far as anyone out there knows I’m just another client.”
Jeff narrowed his eyes warily, “Is this somehow going to turn into another mall situation?”
“What makes you think I would have an ulterior motive here?”
“Oh I don’t know, maybe because you read my private emails, lured me to the mall, blackmailed me into spending the day with you, then tweeted the most embarrassing video of me ever?”
“Well when you say it like that of course it sounds bad,” Craig said with a flick of his wrist as he leaned back in the chair and crossed his legs. “How’s Annie? I assume you’re still with her based on the ring on your finger.”
Jeff glanced down at his left hand, by now he was so used to wearing his ring he usually forgot it was there. “I am, it was a year last month.”
“I see, and is she in Denver, too?”
“Of course she is, we live together. She works in a doctor’s office at Medical Center of Denver.”
“Well good for her. And people say degrees from Greendale are worthless! Do you come back to town much?”
“Occasionally. We were just there for Abed’s birthday last weekend.”
“I bet that was fun, was it a costume party? Did you dress up a-la David Beckham again? Or maybe a younger George Clooney since Abed loves movies so much?”
“No, it wasn’t a costume party. Besides, I’m too tall to play Clooney.”
“You’re taller than Ryan Seacrest, too. But that didn’t stop you from pulling off a perfect impersonation at the Bar Mitzvah did it?”
Jeff winced at the reminder of Seacrest Hulk. “You heard about that?”
“Oh Jeffrey, everyone heard about that.” He reached across the desk and picked up a framed picture of Jeff and Annie at a lake from a day trip the group had taken over the summer. “This is a lovely picture, where was it taken?”
Jeff frowned, “Estes Park.”
Craig put the picture back where he found it next to the phone and rubbed his hands over the mahogany. “Did the law firm provide you with this desk?”
“Yeah. I guess you’re not used to one that isn’t made out of cheap metal and particle board.”
“I’ll admit mine isn’t of the best quality, I chose to spend the money from the school’s budget elsewhere.”
“Uh huh, and how many dances have you had so far this year?”
“Four, our Valentines Dance was a big success! We’re considering adding a St. Patrick’s Day bash, too.”
“Right. Did you ever think the money you spend on all these dances and fairs would be better spent elsewhere? Like, oh I don’t know, fixing up the school and making structural repairs?”
“Where’s the fun in that? Dances and fairs boost morale!”
“Not having to worry about the school actually being dangerous is probably better for morale.”
Craig let out an exasperated sigh, “Jeffrey, I’ll have you know that we passed our last inspection.”
“And when was that?”
“Never mind that.” He crossed his legs and leaned forward in his chair again. “So, have you taken any vacations lately? To the beach perhaps? Some place warm and tropical that requires lighter clothing and a bathing suit?”
“No, I haven’t. I feel like you probably already know about our lives by stalking our Facebook pages and Twitter accounts,” Jeff countered.
“Not all of it, privacy settings are a tricky thing and Annie doesn’t update her Twitter very often,” Craig mumbled. “I can’t help but try to see what you’re up to; I just miss all of you so much!” He cried. “Every time I walk by your study room in makes me all misty eyed and then I see these other students in there and it’s just not the same! I tried finding suitable substitutes but there aren’t any. I thought I had found a passable Troy and Shirley but it turns out they paled in comparison to the real things.”
Jeff raised an eyebrow, “Are you trying to find replicas of us to create a new version of our group?”
Craig stomped his foot and whined, “What else am I supposed to do, Jeffrey?!”
“I don’t know, move on and find new students who aren’t bizarro versions of us to get attached to? You got along for years without us before.”
He sniffled, “I suppose deep down I know you’re right but I just don’t know if I’m ready for that yet.”
Jeff sighed and leaned forward in his chair so his arms were on the desk. “I know Abed still goes sometimes to use the editing equipment, and Troy stops by the air conditioning repair school once in awhile to make sure they haven’t turned into a cult again. Not to mention Shirley and even Pierce with the sandwich shop. And now you’ve obviously figured out where I work, it’s not like you’ll never see us again.”
“It’s not the same as seeing you around campus everyday. Not to mention I had to look you up myself. It wasn’t hard but still, that’s not the point.”
Jeff rolled his eyes and opened a desk drawer then pulled out a box of tissues and slid it across to him. “Students move on, Greendale isn’t a permanent place for anyone. No school is.”
Craig loudly and dramatically blew his nose, using up three tissues in the process. “I know, Jeffrey. I do. It’s just never been this hard to accept before.”
Jeff pursed his lips and shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He had only recently figured out how to deal with Annie’s tears, so this was way beyond him. “Hey, it’ll be okay. You’ll, um, eventually you’ll meet other people and forget all about us. But listen, I have another client coming in soon so I don’t really have time to talk. I’ll call you soon about the tickets though, okay? And I’ll do it free of charge.”
Craig sniffled and looked up at him, “You will?”
“Yeah, sure. You did a lot for us when we were at Greendale.”
“Oh, thank you, Jeffrey. That’s so sweet.” He pulled a few more tissues out of the box and dried his eyes. “You’ll call soon? I made sure to put my personal cell phone number in there.”
“Within the next week.”
“Super. I suppose I should be going, I know you’re a big important lawyer now.” Craig stood up and threw the used tissues in the trashcan beside Jeff’s desk then picked up his jacket. “It was so nice to see you, Jeffrey. I’m looking forward to your call,” He said with a wink.
Jeff looked back at him with the most neutral expression he could muster. “Uh, yeah. Bye.”
Craig gave him a flirty little wave on his way out the door. “Tootles.”
Jeff exhaled slowly then shook his head and huffed out a disbelieving laugh. Then he picked up his phone and dialed his favorite gossip buddy. “Shirley? Hi, guess who just showed up in my office.”
X-X-X-X-X
One Saturday afternoon Jeff walked in the front door with the mail in one hand and a package in the other. “Hey babe, were you expecting a package?” He called.
“Is this gonna turn into a dick joke?” She asked as she came out of the laundry room and into the kitchen.
Jeff held the box out to her, “If I were going to do that I’d come in wearing a speedo or something.” He tilted his head to the side thoughtfully, “Although it could have worked as a dick in a box situation. I would just need to cut a hole in the side.”
Annie snatched the box out of his hands, “Don’t being gross.”
“You started it! Whoever sent it didn’t put a return address and made it out to Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Winger.”
She put it on the counter and got the scissors to cut the packing tape. “That’s weird. No one calls us that.” She got the box open then pulled out the tissue paper to find a folded up letter on top and picked it up.
“Who’s it from?” Jeff asked curiously, looking over her shoulder.
“Aww, it’s from your grandma!”
“Ah, now the label makes sense.”
“Dear Jeff, I was going through some boxes in the basement and came across a few things from when you were young that you used to play when whenever you came over to my house. I don’t know if you remember, but you would always ask me to read you the book, and you carried around the stuffed animal until you were five or six. You used to get so upset when your mother told you that you couldn’t take it home with you because it was a ‘grandma’s only’ toy. I thought you and Annie might like to have them for your own baby. I hope to see you at Easter. Give Annie my love. Love, Grandma. Aww, I love her, she’s so sweet.”
Jeff dug through the box and pulled out a well-worn copy of ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ and an old stuffed brown and white dog that had one of it’s eyes sewn back on and a seam on the leg stitched up. “Holy crap, I remember these! This was like my favorite book, for some reason I thought the idea of green eggs was hilarious. I think I named the dog Brownie.”
“Awwww!” Annie took the dog from him while he flipped through the book.
“One time she mixed food coloring into my scrambled eggs to make them green, I thought it was the coolest thing ever.” He heard a sniffle from beside him and looked from the book to Annie. She had her head down and was hugging the dog to her chest.
“Annie? Are you crying?”
“No,” She whimpered.
“Liar. What’s wrong?”
She looked up at him with big, teary eyes. “Nothing. It’s just that your grandma loves you enough to not only remember but save your favorite things from when you were little for all these years and now we can pass them on to our baby! I mean maybe not give it the dog to play with because it’s kind of beat up and dirty but we can put it in the nursery and read the baby the exact same book that your grandma read to you!” She cried.
Jeff put the book down and wrapped her up in his arms. “Aw, those hormones are getting to you aren’t they?”
“Maybe a little,” Annie mumbled into his shirt.
He chuckled and rubbed her back, “You’re crying over an old Dr. Seuss book and a stuffed dog and they weren’t even yours, I’d say it’s more than a little.”
“But they were important to you and you’re so important to me and now our baby…it’s just so perfect,” She sniffled, unable to form a completely coherent sentence.
Jeff dropped a kiss into the top of her hair. “Yeah, I guess it is pretty cool,” He conceded.
She cried into his chest for another minute before pulling back and wiping her eyes with her sleeve. “Okay, I’m done.”
He smiled down at her and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, “You sure?”
Annie sniffled once more before taking a deep breath. “Yeah. Ugh, I really need to stop bursting into tears over anything even remotely sentimental.”
“Like the other day when you cried over the commercial for food for older dogs?” He teased.
“The little girl just wanted him to live longer because he was her best friend!” She whined.
Jeff laughed then without warning lifted her up into his arms so her legs were hooked over his elbow and she squeaked in surprise.
“Jeff! What are you doing?”
He dropped her on the couch and she made a big show of righting herself as he sat down next to her, purposely elbowing him in the side. “I wanted you over here,” He shrugged.
“And I couldn’t walk myself?”
He rubbed the soft ear of the stuffed dog she was still holding between his fingers. “Where’s the fun in that?”
Annie folded her legs under herself and watched him play with the ear. “Did you really name him Brownie?”
Jeff’s lips quirked up, “Yeah, real original, huh?”
She smiled softly at him, “It’s cute. I should ask your mom if she has any more of your old stuff, I’m sure she does.”
He hummed in agreement then went quiet as he continued to stare at the dog. He remembered dragging it everywhere with him at his grandparent’s house and how he cried when the leg tore open then his grandmother consoling him and stitching it back up. And he remembered clinging to it tightly the nights he stayed over after his dad left, when his mom needed her own mother nearby. That got Jeff thinking, and he licked his lips before looking at Annie again. “Not to bring up bad feelings or anything, but I have to ask, are you gonna tell either of your parents about the baby?”
She groaned and dropped her head to the back of the couch, “I don’t know. To be honest I haven’t let myself think about it that much. What do you think?”
Jeff shrugged one shoulder, “It’s up to you.”
She rolled her head to the side to look at him, “It just sucks you know? This shouldn’t be a hard decision. I should just be able to call them up and say ‘hey Mom, Dad, guess what, you’re gonna be grandparents!’ Hell, they don’t even know about you.”
He reached out to put his hand on her knee and rubbed small circles with his thumb, “I know, babe. When was the last time you talked to either of them?”
“The last time I tried talking to my mom was at the beginning of junior year, she told me she wasn’t interested in speaking with someone who had squandered every opportunity she had been presented,” Annie answered bitterly. “My dad called me last Christmas and we talked for a little while but it was awkward. Neither one of us knew what to say to the other.”
“Maybe your mom would be more understanding if she saw how you’ve gotten your life on track without her,” He offered.
“This woman already thinks I’d completely ruined my life by 18, telling her that I drunkenly got married at 22 in Las Vegas to a 35 year old suspended lawyer who I met at a community college and now I’m knocked up isn’t exactly going to change her opinion.”
Jeff rubbed a hand over his face, “Shit that does sound pretty bad. We’re really going to have to come up with a better story to tell the kid.”
Annie giggled a little, “Right? Or at least dress it up a little. I’m not sure I want her to know, at least not yet. She’s still the same woman who’s expectations and disapproval drove me to Adderall in high school.”
“Babe, you’re not the same person you were in high school. Things are different for you now.”
“But the personality glitch or whatever it is that I have that made me cave into it is still there and always will be, she was a catalyst. Her constant little snide barbs and my wish for her to be proud of me coupled with my need to be the best at everything lead to what happened. That’s no different now then it was almost six years ago.”
Jeff’s eyes went wide and it was like a ton of bricks hit him as his breath shriveled in his lungs. He rarely if ever thought about her past with Adderall, partly because he didn’t like to and partly because he had assumed it wasn’t a problem anymore and hadn’t been for years. She almost never spoke about it so it was easy for him to ignore. But maybe he was wrong in doing that, after all the saying was once an addict always an addict. He forced himself to swallow around the lump that had formed in his throat. “You…umm…do you still like…crave it or whatever? I mean I thought you were, you know, over that.” He stuttered out.
Annie saw the fear flash in his eyes and put her hand over the one he still had on her knee. “No, I wouldn’t say I crave it, not like I did in withdrawal and rehab. It’s not like I ever think about getting a fix of it or anything like that. But once in awhile when I have a ton of stuff to do the thought will creep in that it would be easier to get it all done if I had Adderall. We’ve never really talked about this, have we?”
Jeff shook his head, his eyes still wide. “No.”
She shifted on the couch to face him more fully and took his hand in both of hers. “Okay, well, we probably should then. I don’t necessarily think of myself as an addict, yes I was addicted to something, but it was more of a psychological dependency. I saw what people in there for drugs like cocaine and heroin went through, my withdrawal was no where near like what theirs was. But like I said, the part of my personality that lead me to it will always be there, it’s just a matter of keeping it in check. Between that and my mother I think it was kind of a perfect storm.”
He nodded slowly as he began to digest what she had said, suddenly feeling a little less lost than he did just a minute ago. “So, basically I don’t need to be constantly worried about the possibility of you relapsing but just be aware that you’re more inclined to it than the average person and if it happened once it could happen again.”
“Exactly. I dealt with the pressure of high school by doing Adderall. Being a good mom has got to be a hundred times more stressful and important and I know I’ll want to be the best at it. Part of me is worried that I’ll cave again and this time it wouldn’t be just me that was hurt by it. The last thing I want is to put you and the baby through that, you’re the two most important people in the world to me.” Her eyes suddenly went wide and he saw her gaze slide from his face to some spot on the wall over her shoulder as a realization hit her. Her mouth fell open and her eyes snapped back to his, “Which is exactly why I’m not going to tell my mother right now. I can’t remove that part of my personality but I can keep her influence out of my life. She pushed me over the edge last time, I can’t let it happening again when I’m about to have a baby.”
Jeff’s eyes softened and he reached up to run his fingers through her hair, letting his hand linger at her jaw. “If that’s what you think is best for you then you know I’ll support it.”
Annie turned her head into his touch, “It is. For now at least.”
His thumb began messaging the spot just under her ear gently. “What about your dad, he’s in Houston, right?”
She let out a slow breath, “Yeah. I think it’d be okay to call him and let him know. I’d have to tell him about you, though. Not that I’m embarrassed or ashamed of you or anything, it’s just one more bomb to drop.”
“As long as he doesn’t show up in Denver then track me down and try to strangle me.”
Annie let out a small giggle, “I don’t think you have to worry about that. Even if he did, I think you could take him. You’ve got a decent size advantage.”
“Well that’s reassuring.”
She shifted closer to him so she could curl into his side and burrowed her face into the crook of his neck, then breathed him in as his arms snaked around her. “I want him to know,” She said after a minute. “I’m not looking forward to telling him but I want at least one of my parents to know about their grandchild. I’ll call him soon.”
Jeff didn’t say anything. He just slid one hand around to rest on her stomach and kissed her head.
Part 8b
Rating: PG
Word Count: 6,423
Disclaimer: Not mine
A/N: Thank you to everyone who is still reading this story!
Jeff sat in his office at work with his nose buried in a file and his back towards the door. The secretary had just buzzed him a minute before to let him know a new client was there for a meeting and Jeff told her to send whoever it was in. He heard the door open and before he even had a chance to turn around a ‘hello Jeffrey’ with an all too familiar lilt.
Jeff’s head snapped up and his shoulders went stiff because no no no he was imagining that voice, he had to be. He slowly spun his chair around only to come face to face with the truth. “Dean Pelton. Sorry, Craig. What are you doing here?”
Craig shut the office door and nearly pranced over to the desk. “I’m here because according to this great country of ours I’m entitled to an attorney to defend me when accused of an infraction, and I thought who better than one of Greendale’s finest alumni?” He braced one hand on the polished wood and leaned over to touch Jeff’s shoulder, “My, you certainly wear that suit well don’t you?”
Jeff pursed his lips and looked down at his shoulder then back up at Craig. “I’m almost afraid to ask, but what did you do?”
He pulled out a folder from his coat and placed it on the desk, sliding it towards Jeff. “I was just hoping you could make these disappear for me.”
Jeff flipped open the folder and looked over the papers inside. “A parking ticket and another ticket for indecent exposure in a hotel parking lot? This says you were dressed as a turtle, why…no you know what, don’t answer that.”
Craig fell into the chair on the other side of the desk with an exasperated huff. “It’s completely unfair, Jeffrey! I was at a gathering of people who enjoy a certain kind of dress and realized time was up at the meter. I rushed outside to put money in it right after the policeman had put the ticket on my windshield! I begged him not to and explained that I had just come out to take care of it but he was completely unreasonable! It turns out in my haste to rectify the parking situation I had run outside missing part of the back half of my outfit and he ticketed me for that, too!”
Jeff had to bite the inside of his lip to quell the juvenile urge to giggle at Craig’s use of the word ‘rectify’ in this particular context. He leaned back in his chair and clicked the top of his pen absentmindedly. “In other words you ran outside to feed the meter in what I presume was a furry turtle costume with your ass hanging out.”
“Well if you want to oversimplify the situation then yes, that’s what happened. So can you help me?”
“Do you have any other tickets on your record?”
“Just one for speeding from a few years ago.”
Jeff sighed and decided to take pity on him, after all he had done a lot for him and the rest of the group when they were at Greendale. “Alright I’ll do it, it can probably be taken care of out of court and if not it shouldn’t be too hard to get cleared since this is your first offense.”
“Oh thank you, Jeffrey! I knew I could count on you!” He leaned forward to rest his elbows on the desk and linked his hands together under his chin. “So, how’s life post-Greendale? You know, I have to say I’m disappointed that I haven’t seen you on campus at all this year. I figured you’d have to pop in from time since you’re the official representative of Shirley’s Sandwiches.”
Jeff shrugged and continued to click the pen, “I’ve only had to sign a form or two, Shirley is much better at running a business anyway. Is there anything else you want? Because it looks like you’ve given me all the paperwork I need for now.”
“Now what’s the rush, Jeffrey? We’re just chatting.”
“I’m at work.”
“And as far as anyone out there knows I’m just another client.”
Jeff narrowed his eyes warily, “Is this somehow going to turn into another mall situation?”
“What makes you think I would have an ulterior motive here?”
“Oh I don’t know, maybe because you read my private emails, lured me to the mall, blackmailed me into spending the day with you, then tweeted the most embarrassing video of me ever?”
“Well when you say it like that of course it sounds bad,” Craig said with a flick of his wrist as he leaned back in the chair and crossed his legs. “How’s Annie? I assume you’re still with her based on the ring on your finger.”
Jeff glanced down at his left hand, by now he was so used to wearing his ring he usually forgot it was there. “I am, it was a year last month.”
“I see, and is she in Denver, too?”
“Of course she is, we live together. She works in a doctor’s office at Medical Center of Denver.”
“Well good for her. And people say degrees from Greendale are worthless! Do you come back to town much?”
“Occasionally. We were just there for Abed’s birthday last weekend.”
“I bet that was fun, was it a costume party? Did you dress up a-la David Beckham again? Or maybe a younger George Clooney since Abed loves movies so much?”
“No, it wasn’t a costume party. Besides, I’m too tall to play Clooney.”
“You’re taller than Ryan Seacrest, too. But that didn’t stop you from pulling off a perfect impersonation at the Bar Mitzvah did it?”
Jeff winced at the reminder of Seacrest Hulk. “You heard about that?”
“Oh Jeffrey, everyone heard about that.” He reached across the desk and picked up a framed picture of Jeff and Annie at a lake from a day trip the group had taken over the summer. “This is a lovely picture, where was it taken?”
Jeff frowned, “Estes Park.”
Craig put the picture back where he found it next to the phone and rubbed his hands over the mahogany. “Did the law firm provide you with this desk?”
“Yeah. I guess you’re not used to one that isn’t made out of cheap metal and particle board.”
“I’ll admit mine isn’t of the best quality, I chose to spend the money from the school’s budget elsewhere.”
“Uh huh, and how many dances have you had so far this year?”
“Four, our Valentines Dance was a big success! We’re considering adding a St. Patrick’s Day bash, too.”
“Right. Did you ever think the money you spend on all these dances and fairs would be better spent elsewhere? Like, oh I don’t know, fixing up the school and making structural repairs?”
“Where’s the fun in that? Dances and fairs boost morale!”
“Not having to worry about the school actually being dangerous is probably better for morale.”
Craig let out an exasperated sigh, “Jeffrey, I’ll have you know that we passed our last inspection.”
“And when was that?”
“Never mind that.” He crossed his legs and leaned forward in his chair again. “So, have you taken any vacations lately? To the beach perhaps? Some place warm and tropical that requires lighter clothing and a bathing suit?”
“No, I haven’t. I feel like you probably already know about our lives by stalking our Facebook pages and Twitter accounts,” Jeff countered.
“Not all of it, privacy settings are a tricky thing and Annie doesn’t update her Twitter very often,” Craig mumbled. “I can’t help but try to see what you’re up to; I just miss all of you so much!” He cried. “Every time I walk by your study room in makes me all misty eyed and then I see these other students in there and it’s just not the same! I tried finding suitable substitutes but there aren’t any. I thought I had found a passable Troy and Shirley but it turns out they paled in comparison to the real things.”
Jeff raised an eyebrow, “Are you trying to find replicas of us to create a new version of our group?”
Craig stomped his foot and whined, “What else am I supposed to do, Jeffrey?!”
“I don’t know, move on and find new students who aren’t bizarro versions of us to get attached to? You got along for years without us before.”
He sniffled, “I suppose deep down I know you’re right but I just don’t know if I’m ready for that yet.”
Jeff sighed and leaned forward in his chair so his arms were on the desk. “I know Abed still goes sometimes to use the editing equipment, and Troy stops by the air conditioning repair school once in awhile to make sure they haven’t turned into a cult again. Not to mention Shirley and even Pierce with the sandwich shop. And now you’ve obviously figured out where I work, it’s not like you’ll never see us again.”
“It’s not the same as seeing you around campus everyday. Not to mention I had to look you up myself. It wasn’t hard but still, that’s not the point.”
Jeff rolled his eyes and opened a desk drawer then pulled out a box of tissues and slid it across to him. “Students move on, Greendale isn’t a permanent place for anyone. No school is.”
Craig loudly and dramatically blew his nose, using up three tissues in the process. “I know, Jeffrey. I do. It’s just never been this hard to accept before.”
Jeff pursed his lips and shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He had only recently figured out how to deal with Annie’s tears, so this was way beyond him. “Hey, it’ll be okay. You’ll, um, eventually you’ll meet other people and forget all about us. But listen, I have another client coming in soon so I don’t really have time to talk. I’ll call you soon about the tickets though, okay? And I’ll do it free of charge.”
Craig sniffled and looked up at him, “You will?”
“Yeah, sure. You did a lot for us when we were at Greendale.”
“Oh, thank you, Jeffrey. That’s so sweet.” He pulled a few more tissues out of the box and dried his eyes. “You’ll call soon? I made sure to put my personal cell phone number in there.”
“Within the next week.”
“Super. I suppose I should be going, I know you’re a big important lawyer now.” Craig stood up and threw the used tissues in the trashcan beside Jeff’s desk then picked up his jacket. “It was so nice to see you, Jeffrey. I’m looking forward to your call,” He said with a wink.
Jeff looked back at him with the most neutral expression he could muster. “Uh, yeah. Bye.”
Craig gave him a flirty little wave on his way out the door. “Tootles.”
Jeff exhaled slowly then shook his head and huffed out a disbelieving laugh. Then he picked up his phone and dialed his favorite gossip buddy. “Shirley? Hi, guess who just showed up in my office.”
X-X-X-X-X
One Saturday afternoon Jeff walked in the front door with the mail in one hand and a package in the other. “Hey babe, were you expecting a package?” He called.
“Is this gonna turn into a dick joke?” She asked as she came out of the laundry room and into the kitchen.
Jeff held the box out to her, “If I were going to do that I’d come in wearing a speedo or something.” He tilted his head to the side thoughtfully, “Although it could have worked as a dick in a box situation. I would just need to cut a hole in the side.”
Annie snatched the box out of his hands, “Don’t being gross.”
“You started it! Whoever sent it didn’t put a return address and made it out to Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Winger.”
She put it on the counter and got the scissors to cut the packing tape. “That’s weird. No one calls us that.” She got the box open then pulled out the tissue paper to find a folded up letter on top and picked it up.
“Who’s it from?” Jeff asked curiously, looking over her shoulder.
“Aww, it’s from your grandma!”
“Ah, now the label makes sense.”
“Dear Jeff, I was going through some boxes in the basement and came across a few things from when you were young that you used to play when whenever you came over to my house. I don’t know if you remember, but you would always ask me to read you the book, and you carried around the stuffed animal until you were five or six. You used to get so upset when your mother told you that you couldn’t take it home with you because it was a ‘grandma’s only’ toy. I thought you and Annie might like to have them for your own baby. I hope to see you at Easter. Give Annie my love. Love, Grandma. Aww, I love her, she’s so sweet.”
Jeff dug through the box and pulled out a well-worn copy of ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ and an old stuffed brown and white dog that had one of it’s eyes sewn back on and a seam on the leg stitched up. “Holy crap, I remember these! This was like my favorite book, for some reason I thought the idea of green eggs was hilarious. I think I named the dog Brownie.”
“Awwww!” Annie took the dog from him while he flipped through the book.
“One time she mixed food coloring into my scrambled eggs to make them green, I thought it was the coolest thing ever.” He heard a sniffle from beside him and looked from the book to Annie. She had her head down and was hugging the dog to her chest.
“Annie? Are you crying?”
“No,” She whimpered.
“Liar. What’s wrong?”
She looked up at him with big, teary eyes. “Nothing. It’s just that your grandma loves you enough to not only remember but save your favorite things from when you were little for all these years and now we can pass them on to our baby! I mean maybe not give it the dog to play with because it’s kind of beat up and dirty but we can put it in the nursery and read the baby the exact same book that your grandma read to you!” She cried.
Jeff put the book down and wrapped her up in his arms. “Aw, those hormones are getting to you aren’t they?”
“Maybe a little,” Annie mumbled into his shirt.
He chuckled and rubbed her back, “You’re crying over an old Dr. Seuss book and a stuffed dog and they weren’t even yours, I’d say it’s more than a little.”
“But they were important to you and you’re so important to me and now our baby…it’s just so perfect,” She sniffled, unable to form a completely coherent sentence.
Jeff dropped a kiss into the top of her hair. “Yeah, I guess it is pretty cool,” He conceded.
She cried into his chest for another minute before pulling back and wiping her eyes with her sleeve. “Okay, I’m done.”
He smiled down at her and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, “You sure?”
Annie sniffled once more before taking a deep breath. “Yeah. Ugh, I really need to stop bursting into tears over anything even remotely sentimental.”
“Like the other day when you cried over the commercial for food for older dogs?” He teased.
“The little girl just wanted him to live longer because he was her best friend!” She whined.
Jeff laughed then without warning lifted her up into his arms so her legs were hooked over his elbow and she squeaked in surprise.
“Jeff! What are you doing?”
He dropped her on the couch and she made a big show of righting herself as he sat down next to her, purposely elbowing him in the side. “I wanted you over here,” He shrugged.
“And I couldn’t walk myself?”
He rubbed the soft ear of the stuffed dog she was still holding between his fingers. “Where’s the fun in that?”
Annie folded her legs under herself and watched him play with the ear. “Did you really name him Brownie?”
Jeff’s lips quirked up, “Yeah, real original, huh?”
She smiled softly at him, “It’s cute. I should ask your mom if she has any more of your old stuff, I’m sure she does.”
He hummed in agreement then went quiet as he continued to stare at the dog. He remembered dragging it everywhere with him at his grandparent’s house and how he cried when the leg tore open then his grandmother consoling him and stitching it back up. And he remembered clinging to it tightly the nights he stayed over after his dad left, when his mom needed her own mother nearby. That got Jeff thinking, and he licked his lips before looking at Annie again. “Not to bring up bad feelings or anything, but I have to ask, are you gonna tell either of your parents about the baby?”
She groaned and dropped her head to the back of the couch, “I don’t know. To be honest I haven’t let myself think about it that much. What do you think?”
Jeff shrugged one shoulder, “It’s up to you.”
She rolled her head to the side to look at him, “It just sucks you know? This shouldn’t be a hard decision. I should just be able to call them up and say ‘hey Mom, Dad, guess what, you’re gonna be grandparents!’ Hell, they don’t even know about you.”
He reached out to put his hand on her knee and rubbed small circles with his thumb, “I know, babe. When was the last time you talked to either of them?”
“The last time I tried talking to my mom was at the beginning of junior year, she told me she wasn’t interested in speaking with someone who had squandered every opportunity she had been presented,” Annie answered bitterly. “My dad called me last Christmas and we talked for a little while but it was awkward. Neither one of us knew what to say to the other.”
“Maybe your mom would be more understanding if she saw how you’ve gotten your life on track without her,” He offered.
“This woman already thinks I’d completely ruined my life by 18, telling her that I drunkenly got married at 22 in Las Vegas to a 35 year old suspended lawyer who I met at a community college and now I’m knocked up isn’t exactly going to change her opinion.”
Jeff rubbed a hand over his face, “Shit that does sound pretty bad. We’re really going to have to come up with a better story to tell the kid.”
Annie giggled a little, “Right? Or at least dress it up a little. I’m not sure I want her to know, at least not yet. She’s still the same woman who’s expectations and disapproval drove me to Adderall in high school.”
“Babe, you’re not the same person you were in high school. Things are different for you now.”
“But the personality glitch or whatever it is that I have that made me cave into it is still there and always will be, she was a catalyst. Her constant little snide barbs and my wish for her to be proud of me coupled with my need to be the best at everything lead to what happened. That’s no different now then it was almost six years ago.”
Jeff’s eyes went wide and it was like a ton of bricks hit him as his breath shriveled in his lungs. He rarely if ever thought about her past with Adderall, partly because he didn’t like to and partly because he had assumed it wasn’t a problem anymore and hadn’t been for years. She almost never spoke about it so it was easy for him to ignore. But maybe he was wrong in doing that, after all the saying was once an addict always an addict. He forced himself to swallow around the lump that had formed in his throat. “You…umm…do you still like…crave it or whatever? I mean I thought you were, you know, over that.” He stuttered out.
Annie saw the fear flash in his eyes and put her hand over the one he still had on her knee. “No, I wouldn’t say I crave it, not like I did in withdrawal and rehab. It’s not like I ever think about getting a fix of it or anything like that. But once in awhile when I have a ton of stuff to do the thought will creep in that it would be easier to get it all done if I had Adderall. We’ve never really talked about this, have we?”
Jeff shook his head, his eyes still wide. “No.”
She shifted on the couch to face him more fully and took his hand in both of hers. “Okay, well, we probably should then. I don’t necessarily think of myself as an addict, yes I was addicted to something, but it was more of a psychological dependency. I saw what people in there for drugs like cocaine and heroin went through, my withdrawal was no where near like what theirs was. But like I said, the part of my personality that lead me to it will always be there, it’s just a matter of keeping it in check. Between that and my mother I think it was kind of a perfect storm.”
He nodded slowly as he began to digest what she had said, suddenly feeling a little less lost than he did just a minute ago. “So, basically I don’t need to be constantly worried about the possibility of you relapsing but just be aware that you’re more inclined to it than the average person and if it happened once it could happen again.”
“Exactly. I dealt with the pressure of high school by doing Adderall. Being a good mom has got to be a hundred times more stressful and important and I know I’ll want to be the best at it. Part of me is worried that I’ll cave again and this time it wouldn’t be just me that was hurt by it. The last thing I want is to put you and the baby through that, you’re the two most important people in the world to me.” Her eyes suddenly went wide and he saw her gaze slide from his face to some spot on the wall over her shoulder as a realization hit her. Her mouth fell open and her eyes snapped back to his, “Which is exactly why I’m not going to tell my mother right now. I can’t remove that part of my personality but I can keep her influence out of my life. She pushed me over the edge last time, I can’t let it happening again when I’m about to have a baby.”
Jeff’s eyes softened and he reached up to run his fingers through her hair, letting his hand linger at her jaw. “If that’s what you think is best for you then you know I’ll support it.”
Annie turned her head into his touch, “It is. For now at least.”
His thumb began messaging the spot just under her ear gently. “What about your dad, he’s in Houston, right?”
She let out a slow breath, “Yeah. I think it’d be okay to call him and let him know. I’d have to tell him about you, though. Not that I’m embarrassed or ashamed of you or anything, it’s just one more bomb to drop.”
“As long as he doesn’t show up in Denver then track me down and try to strangle me.”
Annie let out a small giggle, “I don’t think you have to worry about that. Even if he did, I think you could take him. You’ve got a decent size advantage.”
“Well that’s reassuring.”
She shifted closer to him so she could curl into his side and burrowed her face into the crook of his neck, then breathed him in as his arms snaked around her. “I want him to know,” She said after a minute. “I’m not looking forward to telling him but I want at least one of my parents to know about their grandchild. I’ll call him soon.”
Jeff didn’t say anything. He just slid one hand around to rest on her stomach and kissed her head.
Part 8b