Fic: You Forgave, and I Won't Forget (17/20)
Title: You Forgave, and I Won't Forget
Author: cgkm2099z
Pairing: Jeff/Annie
Spoilers: Mild S6 references
Rating: PG
Warning Mild profanity
Word Count: 6,732
Disclaimer: I do not own Community. Community, and its characters, are the creation of the great Dan Harmon. I think it's still owned by Sony Pictures Television, but after the hack, I'm not so sure. The title is from the song "I Will Wait" by Mumford and Sons.
A/N: Paintball, part three! So... I didn't mean to do this. I really meant for this to be the final part to paintball, but it was just getting way too long, so I had to break it up. The good news is, I'm almost done with the next installment, so there won't be as long between chapters this time.
One other note, I want to apologize in advance for the first section of this chapter. I would have preferred not to write it, but I felt like I needed to address Jeff feeling stuck at Greendale. So, S6 Jeff makes an appearance here. Thank Dan Harmon for that :-/
As always, your comments are greatly appreciated!
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Jeff lay on his side on one of the study room couches, his arm around Annie, who was tucked in neatly next to him - the perfect little spoon to his big spoon. He was feeling that sense of contentment whose intensity seemed to have a direct correlation to his proximity to Annie. In these quiet moments alone with her, nothing was expected of him. He didn’t have to be Jeff Winger: Super-Lawyer, Jeff Winger: Coolest Guy on Campus, Jeff Winger: Suave, Sophisticated Stud at the (Insert Location Here), Jeff Winger: Study Group Leader, Jeff Winger: Guy with the Awesome Condo, Car, Suit, Abs, Faucets, etc. He didn’t have to be any part of the impossible persona he had built for himself over the years. All he had to be was Jeff, and all he had to do was be.
He’d had a taste of this feeling during his first year at Greendale when he’d crashed in Abed’s dorm room for a few days. But in typical Greendale fashion, he’d taken things beyond the point of reason. Britta had helped pull him out of the tailspin that time, but this time there was no such danger. Like Abed, Annie didn’t require him to be JEFF WINGER in order to impress her, she only needed him to be himself. But unlike Abed, she would keep him focused and grounded in reality.
Jeff was coming to depend on little moments like these to get through the craziness of his day-to-day life. He wasn’t happy with his job, his finances, or a number of other things, but largely thanks to Annie he was finding an overall contentment with his life. It felt strange to need another person the way he needed Annie. Strange and terrifying. Terrifying and exhilarating. His only concern was that he would become dependent on her for his happiness. Aside from what it could do to him, it wasn’t fair to place that type of burden on her. Nevertheless, at times when he used to find himself reaching for a glass of scotch, he now found himself reaching for her. Or if she wasn’t around, reaching for his phone to call or text, or sometimes just smile at the colorful little heart emoji she would randomly send him throughout the day. Jeff shuddered to think what his life might have been like in the upcoming semester were Annie not set to be such a big part of it.
Annie took a deep breath and let out a long, satisfied hum, pulling Jeff out of his reverie. Their clothes still lay strewn around the study room, but Jeff had learned from prior experiences at Greendale and had stashed a few blankets in one of the cupboards, which they were now making use of. He tilted his head so that he could place a kiss against the base of her neck, drawing another hum from Annie.
“I’m really looking forward to the start of school,” Annie said in a dreamy voice.
Jeff frowned. “Now why’d you have to go and ruin the moment like that?”
Jeff could practically hear her eyes roll. “Shush, you. I happen to like school. Or hadn’t you noticed that about me?”
Jeff snorted. “It was one of the first things I noticed about you. But I like you anyway,” he finished teasingly. Annie reached back to pinch Jeff’s thigh, but his hand shot down and snagged her wrist. He began laughing when she started trying to wrest her arm free. “Do you really want to start this again? It didn’t go so well for you last time.”
Annie ceased her struggles and instead guided his hand up to where she pressed her lips against his knuckles. “I seem to recall it ended rather well for the both of us.”
“Pfft, those were two separate events.”
Annie remained silent and tugged on his arm to pull him closer to her. Jeff allowed himself to be drawn in, his nose becoming tangled in her rich auburn hair. Today she smelled like a blend of magnolias and vanilla. He slid his arm down until his hand was resting against her belly, his thumb unconsciously stroking the soft, supple skin. They remained silently tangled together for several minutes until their breathing started to synchronize and Jeff felt himself beginning to doze.
“I’m going to miss everyone at the police department,” Annie murmured, clearing away some of the cobwebs in Jeff’s mind. “Except Don, of course.”
“You can still visit,” he mumbled.
“Yeah,” Annie sighed. “But it won’t be the same. Mrs. Anders gave me her contact info though, and I’m definitely going to keep in touch with her. I really liked working for her, and the department, it’s just…” Annie trailed off slowly.
“Hmm?”
“I feel like… I don’t know… I was meant for something bigger than the local police force.” Annie sounded hesitant. “I guess that sounds kind of arrogant, huh?”
Jeff almost burst out laughing. “You kidding? You’re going to be President someday. There is nothing holding you back from anything you want to do.” Except me… Jeff winced internally.
“Well, I don’t know about President…” Jeff could hear the smile in her voice. “But… I was reading a while back about internships at the FBI. I’ve got more than a year of school left before I can finish my second degree, so I was thinking that if I took the right courses and really pushed myself I could apply for one of their visiting scientist programs in forensics next summer.”
“FBI huh? That sounds about more your speed than Greendale,” Jeff chuckled.
“It does make me a little nervous though. I’ve never lived outside of Colorado.”
Jeff felt as though someone had just dropped an anvil on his stomach. “Outside Colorado?” he stammered, “Don’t they have a Greendale office or something?”
“No, silly,” Annie giggled. “There’s an office in Denver, but I’d have to go to Quantico for the visiting scientist program. And if I managed to get a job with them afterwards, then who knows where I’d be posted. You can request certain locations, but I’ve read that they like to move people around at least to start-”
Annie continued talking excitedly about potential places she could go and things she might get to do as part of the science program, but Jeff couldn’t focus on any of it. All he knew was this was the first step down the path that ended with him losing her.
You always knew this would happen. You always knew she was too good for Greendale. You always knew she was too good for you. She’ll get what she needs from Greendale, and then she’ll be off to conquer the world. She’ll probably stay with you for a while out of pity, but you’ll hold her back. This place won’t be enough for her, and neither will you. She’ll outgrow you. And when she does, you’ll be left right where you started five years ago. A lonely, friendless ex-lawyer stuck at the world’s worst community college. Only this time, there’s nowhere else to go. This time, there’s no light at the end of the tunnel. You’re trapped here.
Forever.
“Jeff?” Annie wheezed while squirming slightly. “Jeff that… that kinda hurts and I can’t breathe…”
Jeff realized suddenly that he had pulled her into what amounted to a crushing hug, a physical manifestation of his desire to hold onto her. It took some effort, but he was able to will himself into loosening his grip on her. “Sorry…” he mumbled sheepishly.
Annie adjusted herself and took a deep breath before falling silent for a few moments.
“You… you can come with me, you know,” she said tentatively.
Always the optimist. Jeff didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. “And do what, Annie? No place besides Greendale would hire me and you’re not going to want a forty-something ex-lawyer, ex-community college teacher hanging around mooching off you while you’re climbing the ranks at the FBI. Face it, I’m stuck here.”
Annie sat bolt upright and spun to face him, clutching a blanket close around her chest.
“What the hell is this crap?!”
Jeff glanced up at her, but quickly averted his eyes. “I’m just being honest. I don’t have any prospects outside of Greendale. You do. This FBI thing is going to work if you want it to. I know it. Because things always work when you want them to. And I can’t just tag along while you’re out making your dreams come true. I mean, what am I going to do? Sit around and watch soap operas all day and wait for you to come home? Get a job as a janitor at McDonalds? I think I’d kill myself. And why would you want someone like that around? A middle-aged failure weighing you down like an anchor. You don’t want that. You won’t want that. You’d be better off without me.”
Annie sat dumbfounded for several moments before finally shaking her head quickly to dispel her shock. “Ok… um… first of all, what? Second of all, do I get a say in this?”
“I’m just being-”
“Honest?” Annie cut him off. “No, I think crazy is the word I’d choose. Not to mention depressing.”
She wasn’t wrong. But Jeff had never reacted well to the threat of losing someone important to him. And Annie was just a teensy bit more important to him than most. His usual method of coping came in the form of a certain type of whiskey made from malted barley and he usually preferred it aged twelve to seventeen years. But he didn’t have any of that handy.
“What’s crazy about it? You just said you wanted to leave, and you should. There are endless opportunities out there for you, and I would never stand in the way of that.”
“Jeff… you’re acting like I’ve already got a job that’s sending me halfway around the world. I’m talking about applying for a ten week internship program that’s nine months away. And I’d still have more classes to take after that to get my degree.” Annie sighed and rubbed at her temples. “Can we just take our foot off the crazy pedal for a second? Now tell me, what’s this all about?”
Jeff could feel his defenses rising. The old walls he always used to hide behind when faced with emotional pain. He’d always pushed people away at times like this. It was easier that way. Because if he pushed them away, then he could tell himself that they left because he made them leave. Not because he wasn’t good enough. He could feel the impulse building in him now…
Annie waited patiently as Jeff wrestled with himself, his eyes darting around the room, pointedly looking anywhere except at her. “Look Annie, it’s just reality, that’s all. I’m not-” His eyes came to rest on one of the empty chairs that surrounded the study room table. This particular chair was on the side closest to the wall; of the two chairs on that side, this one was farther away from Jeff’s usual seat. Suddenly he could hear the chair’s normal occupant speaking to him.
I want you to promise me something.
Shirley, no. I never made that promise.
If you never do another thing for me as long as you live, then at least do this.
I can’t. I love her too much. If I let her get that close…
Let her in. Completely.
You don’t understand.
If she loves you then she’s going to keep on loving you, flaws and all, but you have to let her in.
She does love me. Or at least, she thinks she does. But there are no guarantees-
Let her be your strength.
But the risk…
There is nothing the two of you can’t do together.
I…
Let her in.
Jeff’s eyes flicked back to meet with Annie’s. “Every single one of you is gonna leave here except for me,” he blurted. He began searching her face for the inevitable. He knew it was coming. “Troy, Shirley, Abed’s probably going off to Hollywood. Even Pierce got to die. And Britta… well… I’ll think of something later.” He kept studying her, she looked concerned, but still no sign of- “And you’re going to go join the FBI. Do you know what that means? It means I finally know in my heart that I will literally be the last one of us here.” Now it would certainly come. That look of pity. The look of someone strong inspecting someone weak and feeling sorry for them.
Annie reached her hand out and grasped his. Then she did the last thing he expected.
She smiled.
“No, you won’t.”
“But-”
“Tell me why you think you’re stuck here,” Annie’s smile morphed slowly into a smirk, “and then I’ll tell you why you’re wrong.”
Jeff stared at her blankly for a moment. He’d never bothered to analyze why he felt trapped at Greendale, it was just sort of something he’d always known ever since he’d returned as a teacher.
“Well… what else can I do? I faked being a lawyer and ended up here when I got caught. I could’ve gone back to that after graduation, but I didn’t want to become that guy again. I tried being a good guy lawyer and it almost bankrupted me. If I can’t practice law, then what else am I qualified for?” Jeff shrugged helplessly. “I can barely teach law at a school that barely requires its teachers to teach.”
Jeff again inspected Annie for signs of pity, but mostly she just looked confused. “Jeff, I don’t understand why you seem to think being a lawyer isn’t an option for you anymore. So you had a setback with your first business, does that mean you’re just going to give up?” Annie fixed him with a challenging look. “You know, when you agreed to be a teacher at Greendale, it didn’t really make sense to me. I didn’t say anything in part because I was so happy that we were all together again, but also because I thought it was something you were only going to do temporarily, until you got another opportunity in law somewhere.”
Jeff winced. “That’s what I thought too. But then Hickey told me that he was doing the same thing. Just teaching until a real job came along, except he’d been doing it for fifteen years. And the longer I went without anything coming up, the more I realized that he was right.”
Annie made a sour face. “You’re basing this on something Professor Hickey told you? Do I even need to remind you that he left Greendale to start his own funeral services business?”
“But he still never got to go back to a police job like he wanted. And I don’t want to have to wait fifteen years before I finally-”
“So don’t!” Annie borderline shouted. “If you’re really that unhappy with teaching, then get out there, find something you want to do! Find a law firm to join or try starting another business of your own. You just became famous for winning Troy’s case, I’m sure someone would give you a chance. And if you’re worried your only option is the slimy stuff you used to do, then you can do almost literally anything else. You can talk circles around people better than anyone I’ve ever met, and that’s a skill that’s valuable in more places than just a courtroom.” Annie began ticking off fingers as she listed potential career tracks for Jeff. “Real estate, sales, consulting, arbitration, mediation, fundraising, journalism… you could be amazing at any of those. Or, you know, you spend enough time at the gym, you could even be a personal trainer. Lastly, if I end up there and you need a reason besides me to come to DC, you could be a lobbyist or a politician,” Annie poked him in the side and winked. “You’ve got the right amount of moral ambiguity.”
For a moment, Jeff was too stunned for words. And before he could recover, Annie was already continuing.
“Now, I know what you’re going to say, and no it won’t necessarily be easy to get into some of those fields, but you can do it if you really wanted to. And I shouldn’t need to tell you that I’d be there to help.” Annie grabbed his hand again and gave it a squeeze. “Besides, if you’re going to take inspiration from something Hickey did, then let it be for his finally finding something that makes him happy.”
Jeff stared at her silently until she began glancing around uncomfortably.
“You’re um, allowed to say something now…”
“Best girlfriend ever?” Jeff gave her a weak smile.
An unexpected laugh bubbled up between Annie’s lips and she gazed at him affectionately. “Jeff, you don’t have to do any of those things I just said. I just want you to be happy. And you need to realize that there are things out there that you’d enjoy.” Annie sighed and her concerned look made a return. “But… those things you said earlier… I have a hard time believing you said all that just because you’re unhappy with your job…”
Jeff reluctantly held her gaze, her big blue eyes pleading with him to tell her everything. Finally, he couldn’t stand seeing that look of worry on her face anymore and knowing he was the cause. He broke away from her stare and instead studied her hand, and all the places her fingers were intertwined with his.
“I guess…” Jeff swallowed and his eyes drifted closed. “I guess you could say I have abandonment issues.” He fell silent for a moment, his eyes still closed. He wasn’t sure what he expected to happen. Part of him expected her to laugh at him, part of him expected her to call him weak, part of him expected her to get up and walk out. But all she did was grip his hand a little tighter. He opened his eyes slowly, his gaze drifting up to meet hers almost shyly.
She was waiting patiently for him to be ready to say more, but in her expression he didn’t see any trace of judgement, scorn or pity. All he saw was love, acceptance and infinite compassion. And before he knew it, it was all spilling out of him. All the things about his dad that he’d barely spoken of to anyone and even some things that only he and his mother knew. The aloofness, the neglect, Jeff’s longing for attention and love… and then when things between his parents had started to deteriorate, the times he’d come home drunk, the anger and the insults, the abuse…
There were more than a few tears, hers and his, by the time he’d run out of things to say. Through it all, Annie hadn’t said a word; she’d simply let him get it out. Sure, she’d hummed and gasped a few times, and shed her share of tears, but mostly she just listened, and understood. He’d ended up in a sitting position, his feet on the floor and his arms propped on his legs as he stared at the carpet. Annie was draped over him in a protective hug from the side, her left arm around him and her head on his shoulder. Jeff found himself repeatedly clenching his fists to prevent his hands from shaking.
“I’ve always sort of felt like I had to prove that I was good enough. To anyone close to me, I mean. Because if I didn’t, then they’d leave… Probably why I didn’t let anyone get close to me for so long. And Greendale, well… I pretty much always associated Greendale with failure.” Jeff shrugged. “I mean, I wasn’t supposed to be here, I was supposed to be a lawyer. It was like this place was my punishment for getting caught, and that never really left me even after I met all you guys.” He let out a long sigh and shook his head. “So after my business tanked and I ended up back here, it just compounded everything. I felt stuck in a place that meant failure, which meant I was a failure. And if I was a failure, then it just felt like all you guys would eventually leave me here. Then Pierce died, Troy left, and now Shirley… it was all coming true… and then you said you were going to apply at the FBI and…” Jeff’s voice hitched, causing him to trail off.
Annie… you are the one person in this life I don’t think I could handle losing. I need you. God help me, but I do.
That was what he wanted to say, but his mouth refused to form the words. Before he could force it to, Annie finally broke her silence.
“Shh shh shh…” her right hand came up and began stroking the stubble on the side of his face. “I’m not going to leave you, Jeff. If I end up going to Quantico, it’ll be for like ten or eleven weeks. I think we can survive that,” she said playfully. “Anything beyond that… well, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. We can figure it out.”
“But Annie, we’ve only been dating for a month, we don’t know where-”
“Hey!” Annie sat up straight and turned his face so that he was looking at her. “I’m not some girl you met in a bar that you’ve only been dating for a month. We’ve been friends for five years. Close friends… Besides, you said earlier that things always work when I want them to. Well this,” she gestured between them, “is what I want to work.”
Jeff smirked at her. “Using my own words against me… Et tu, Edison?”
Annie smirked back. “Get used to it, Winger. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.” She moved in and kissed him, softly, slowly. And though the storm of doubt still raged within him, he found himself trusting in her.
They laid back down and pulled the blankets back over them before Jeff once again put his arm around her and pulled her close. They only had a few short hours to rest. There was still a war to fight.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The gun made a muffled noise through the jacket Jeff had wrapped around it. However, that didn’t stop the previously sleeping sentry from letting out a startled yelp of pain when the paintball struck her in the side. The other sentry sleeping nearby stirred, and Jeff calmly gave him a reason to head home too. Annie turned away and waited vigilantly for the sound to draw the roving sentry. She was hidden in a bush near the corner of the CPU lab. The sentry had just passed by a few moments earlier and would definitely be coming from this direction.
It wasn’t long before she heard the sound of approaching footsteps. They neared her position and came to an abrupt halt. “Megan?” The sentry called out nervously. “Megan was that you? Is everything ok?”
Silence was the only answer.
The footsteps resumed, slower this time, as the sentry continued creeping towards the main door. Annie waited until the girl passed, then quickly popped out of the bush and shot her in the back.
The sentry did her best to stifle a cry, not of pain, but of surprise. However, it still made more noise than Annie would’ve liked. With the last of the outdoor sentries eliminated, Annie worked her way back towards where Jeff was. The tricky part would be getting through the main door without alerting anyone on the inside. The CPU lab was built like a data center: no windows. Otherwise they would’ve tried to find an alternative means of entrance. She didn’t like the idea of going in the front, since for all they knew there could be an ambush waiting just inside, but they had no choice.
Annie was nearing the edge of the glow cast by the lights above the doors when she heard a click and the door started to swing open, causing her to freeze immediately. “Hey, did you losers hear something?”
That voice… Jeff was on the other side of the door and wouldn’t have a clear shot.
“It sounded like-”
Annie’s arms snapped up in a flash and she fired at the source of the voice.
“Ow, shit!”
The door opened further and the owner of the voice stalked out into the light. Annie’s shot had struck her square in the forehead and paint had run down between her eyes and down the side of her nose. “Who did that?! Where are you? You don’t shoot someone in the face you-” She came to an abrupt halt when she finally noticed Annie. “YOU! You did that on purpose!”
Annie shifted uncomfortably. She felt guilty about the results, but she didn’t think she’d done it on purpose, she’d just reacted…
“Oh, I am so going to get you for this. Watch your back, other Annie.”
Annie Kim stomped off into the darkness, rubbing at the growing welt on her forehead as Jeff came strolling up next to Annie.
“Nice shot,” he chuckled.
Annie looked up at him, her eyes wide. “I didn’t mean to hit her in the face!”
Jeff narrowed his eyes at her. “You sure about that?”
“I didn’t… I wouldn’t…”
“I’m just saying,” Jeff said nonchalantly, “you two have practically been at each other’s throats for three years. Passive-aggressively, anyway. Plenty of people could corroborate that.” Jeff shrugged. “Any prosecutor worth his salt could build a case for motive.”
Annie could feel the righteous indignation building within her. Sure she was competitive with Annie Kim, but she didn’t want to hurt her, and it’s not like these guns were the most accurate things in the world. Besides, Jeff liked to say how he couldn’t help being a badass, so why couldn’t the same be true for her? She’d just scored a headshot against a darkened target over thirty feet away and partially obscured by cover without even aiming-
She’d been about to launch into a huffy defense of herself when she caught the twinkle in Jeff’s eye. Annie let her objections die on her lips and instead the corner of her mouth turned up into a smirk.
“Good thing I’ve got such a good defense attorney.”
Jeff gave her a lopsided smile and nodded once. “Good thing.” He gestured towards the door. “Well the good news is, no one else came out after her so I think that means she was the only one guarding the inside.”
They approached the door cautiously; Jeff cracked it open slowly when they reached it and peeked inside. After a second, he opened it the rest of the way and slipped inside, his gun at the ready. Annie was right behind him, sweeping her gaze over the other side of the small atrium. The room was empty save for a blanket and pillow tucked in the corner which was evidently where Annie Kim had made her post.
“Have you ever been in this building?” Jeff asked, a slight undercurrent of tension in his voice, which was the only outward indication of any nerves he was feeling.
Annie shook her head. “No, I’m supposed to have a ballistics lab here this semester, but that doesn’t exactly help us right now.”
Jeff gave a resigned sigh. “Guess we just have to make it up as we go, then.”
They snuck carefully through the double doors that led into the main section of the building and began moving from room to room, searching for enemies. After the sixth empty room they’d reached the end of the first hallway and doubled back to the entrance before working their way down the second corridor. Upon opening the door to one of the middle rooms, Annie heard Jeff breathe in sharply. She braced herself for a fight, but Jeff rose out of his crouch and strode into the room. Slightly puzzled, but also curious, Annie hopped up and followed him.
As soon as she entered the room, her own sharp intake of breath echoed the one Jeff had made. The long, narrow room was filled with dismembered mechanical limbs, torsos and heads. It looked like some sort of robotic torture chamber or a junkyard for prosthetic rejects. Annie’s eyes were practically bulging out of her skull as she surveyed it all.
Jeff turned away from inspecting a few half-assembled androids, a grim expression on his face. “Even for Greendale, this is nuts,” his voice was filled with disbelief. “That stuff Abed said about Borchert wanting to take over the school and turn us all into robots, I thought it was just a metaphor, but…” he leaned close to inspect the face of one of the androids. “Borchert was always weird, but, do we need to seriously consider the possibility that he might be… evil?”
Annie shook her head slowly. “I’m… I’m sure there’s an explanation for this…” her voice betrayed her sudden uncertainly, however. “Borchert was by himself down in the lost section of Greendale for over thirty five years, and even after we found him he mostly just wanted to be left alone. It doesn’t make sense that he’d suddenly hatch a plan to replace everyone at Greendale with androids.”
“Ted Kaczynski wanted to be left alone,” Jeff said doubtfully. “He’s always been more comfortable around computers, maybe that’s what he wants. A campus full of mechanical people so he doesn’t have to be around the real ones anymore.”
Jeff was right about Borchert being weird, but he seemed like such a sweetheart in his own awkward way. Annie just wasn’t ready to believe that he was turning into some sort of actual monster. But with everything they’d seen so far, it was difficult not to wonder.
Before her mind started taking her down paths she didn’t care for, she forced herself to refocus. “Well we don’t know anything for certain yet, so all we can do is keep going as we have been. After this is all over, we can try to get to the bottom of everything.”
“Alright,” Jeff agreed, “but we need to be extra careful from here on out. This may be more than just a paintball game now. And I don’t think a paintball gun is going to do much to deter any killer robots.” He’d said something similar when they’d gone down into the lost section of Greendale in search of the buried treasure. She didn’t know where this preoccupation with killer robots came from, but she nodded in agreement nevertheless.
They finished their sweep of the ground floor without encountering another soul. They entered a stairwell at the end of the last hallway to find steps leading both up and down. “Borchert likes dark, underground places,” Jeff whispered. “I guarantee you he’s in the basement.”
“You’re probably right,” Annie whispered back. “But let’s head up first, make sure no one comes down to hit us from behind.” Jeff led the way up the stairs and into the upper floor. The building only had three levels and the second floor was laid out much the same as the first. Jeff peeked into the hallway then turned to Annie, pointed towards the hall and started making an intricate series of hand gestures.
After a few moments of trying to decipher his meaning, Annie let out an exasperated huff. “I have no idea what you’re trying to say,” she said quietly, “but I’m guessing there’s someone in the hall.”
Jeff frowned, his disappointment evident. For someone who made fun of other people for acting like they were in the movies, he sure liked to pretend like he was some kind of Special Forces operative. “Yeah. He’s asleep though, like most of the others.” Jeff shrugged. “Sorta reminds me of class…”
They worked out a quick plan, then snuck through the doorway and tiptoed carefully down the hall towards the sleeping guard. The hallway was mostly dark except for a few emergency lights. Evidently the sentry had turned the lights off to aid his snoozing. He was slumped over in a folding chair that was set up next to a closed door, his chin was resting on his chest and a paintball gun hung loosely in one hand. Annie carefully wrapped one of her guns in the jacket Jeff had used earlier, keeping the muzzle trained on the guard as a precaution. Jeff positioned himself next to the sleeping student and glanced at Annie. When she was ready, she gave a quick nod. In seemingly one motion, Jeff knocked the gun away while simultaneously clamping one hand over the guard’s mouth. He awoke with a start, letting out a stifled cry and struggling briefly until Annie fired a muffled shot into his shoe.
Jeff released the guard, who stood and glanced guiltily at the closed door before departing. He’d clearly been responsible for keeping watch over whatever was on the other side, and had been derelict in his duties. Annie crept to the door and cracked it open it as slowly and quietly as she could. She peered inside and had to suppress a gasp. The only light in the room came from a small nightlight on one of the far walls, but she could make out row after row of cots filling the room. Each cot looked to be occupied by a sleeping student. She began counting the cots, but her eyes were drawn to a spot near the light where a large cabinet sat. The doors were propped open and inside it were dozens of paintball guns and bags of ammunition, along with a few cylindrical objects that she didn’t recognize.
“What is it?” Jeff’s insistent whisper pulled her attention away and she turned her head towards him.
“Thirty or forty students are sleeping in there.” She moved back slightly so that Jeff could take a peek in.
“Crap, there’s no way we can take out that many without waking them up.”
Annie’s mind was racing, trying to come up with ideas. “What if we snuck over and closed up that weapons cabinet?”
“Maybe,” Jeff said doubtfully, “but even if they’re all unarmed, I don’t think we could stop everyone from either escaping or overpowering us.”
“It’s too bad Chang’s rifle ran out of CO2,” Annie lamented. “It doesn’t look like there are any of those over there. Just single shot guns and whatever those weird cylinders are.”
Jeff took another look into the room and turned back to Annie, a wide grin spreading over his face. “I know what those are. Chang used one in the first paintball game. They’re paint bombs.”
Annie’s eyes immediately lit up. “That’s perfect! All we have to do is set one off in the middle of the room and it should take care of all of them.”
“Right,” Jeff nodded. “Keep a lookout and cover me. I’m going to-”
Annie gave a sharp shake of her head. “Uh-uh. No way.”
Jeff’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Huh? Why not?”
“Because Annie’s tired of always being the lookout. Besides, this job requires someone that’s quiet, sleek and graceful, like a cheetah. Not a loud, lumbering ogre.” She leaned in quickly and gave him a quick peck on the cheek and then was through the door and stealing silently across the room before he had time to object.
Annie made it over to the cache of weapons and nabbed one of the cylindrical bombs before sneaking back to the center of the room. She carefully placed the bomb on the floor and deftly attached the arming mechanism. She hesitated, though, before flipping the switch to arm the bomb. A number of the cots were close by and might shield parts of the room with the bomb placed on the floor like it was. Her eyes had finally adjusted to the low lighting and she glanced around hurriedly until she spied a small tray table in the corner. Trying to move quickly and quietly, she placed her guns on the floor next to the bomb and snuck towards the table as swiftly as she dared. The slow, even breathing of the sleeping students surrounded her and she kept her ears tuned for any sudden changes that might indicate that someone was waking up.
By the time she reached the table, her heart felt like it had moved up into her throat and her pulse was pounding in her ears. She cringed at the minute scraping noises it made when she picked up the table, and every little step back towards the center of the room felt like it took hours to complete. But eventually the table was set up and the bomb placed on it. All that was left to do was arm it, get out of the room and then hit the detonator.
Her finger hovered, ready to flip the arming switch, when suddenly a clicking noise signaled the releasing of a latch and Annie’s eyes flicked over to see a door swinging open. She hadn’t noticed it thanks to the darkness, but light now began to flood into the room from the opposite hallway. Annie squinted and her hand moved to shield her eyes. A tall, hooded figure stood in the doorway, the light from behind him making him appear as a silhouette.
Time stood still for one heart stopping moment, then a thousand things seemed to happen at once. The dark figure began raising his arms and Annie heard Jeff shout her name. She slapped the arming switch, snatched the detonator and sprinted back towards Jeff as gunfire erupted from the two doorways. All around her students were sitting up, startled out of their sleep and some scrambling for nearby weapons. She reached the door and dove through it, skidding to a stop in the hallway and rolling onto her back in time to see Jeff slam the door shut. Gripping the detonator firmly in her hand, she pressed down hard on the trigger with her thumb.
A muffled thud sounded from behind the door, followed by shrieks of terror and dismay. Annie didn’t even have time to sit up before Jeff was hovering over her.
“Are you ok? Are you hit?” he asked frantically.
“I’m ok, I… I don’t think I’m hit,” she replied shakily as her heart continued hammering within her chest. A quick inspection confirmed that she was correct. “Who was that guy?”
“Must be the Terminator…” Jeff grumbled.
“Do you think we got him with the bomb blast?” Annie asked hopefully.
“No,” the disappointment was evident in Jeff’s voice. “He must have seen the bomb; he pulled his door shut right before I did.” Satisfied that Annie was ok, Jeff turned to more practical matters, and glanced around quickly. “He’s going to be coming around after us, we need to move. Where are your guns?”
Annie froze. She hadn’t had time to grab them before fleeing the room and they were now doubtlessly covered in paint. She pointed meekly towards the door.
Jeff cursed under his breath. “I dropped one of mine trying to get the door shut, so we’re down to one it seems.”
Annie checked to see if the guard they’d eliminated had left his gun, but he hadn’t. She silently berated herself for not thinking of it, but at the time they’d had no need of it. “Let’s check the entrance. Maybe Annie Kim left hers.”
They hurried back to the stairwell and jogged quickly down the steps. They burst through the door into the first floor hallway with Annie following directly behind Jeff. They hadn’t taken two steps before he tensed suddenly and came to an abrupt halt. She peeked around him to see the black clad figure striding slowly towards them from the building entrance, a rifle cradled in his hands. For the first time she noticed that his face was covered by a mask, from behind which dark, malevolent eyes peered out at them.
In the blink of an eye Jeff’s arms snapped up and he fired.
The gun clicked and… nothing happened.
Annie felt her stomach drop. The black figure continued striding implacably towards them.
He raised the rifle.
“Annie, run,” Jeff shouted. “RUN!”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Author: cgkm2099z
Pairing: Jeff/Annie
Spoilers: Mild S6 references
Rating: PG
Warning Mild profanity
Word Count: 6,732
Disclaimer: I do not own Community. Community, and its characters, are the creation of the great Dan Harmon. I think it's still owned by Sony Pictures Television, but after the hack, I'm not so sure. The title is from the song "I Will Wait" by Mumford and Sons.
A/N: Paintball, part three! So... I didn't mean to do this. I really meant for this to be the final part to paintball, but it was just getting way too long, so I had to break it up. The good news is, I'm almost done with the next installment, so there won't be as long between chapters this time.
One other note, I want to apologize in advance for the first section of this chapter. I would have preferred not to write it, but I felt like I needed to address Jeff feeling stuck at Greendale. So, S6 Jeff makes an appearance here. Thank Dan Harmon for that :-/
As always, your comments are greatly appreciated!
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Jeff lay on his side on one of the study room couches, his arm around Annie, who was tucked in neatly next to him - the perfect little spoon to his big spoon. He was feeling that sense of contentment whose intensity seemed to have a direct correlation to his proximity to Annie. In these quiet moments alone with her, nothing was expected of him. He didn’t have to be Jeff Winger: Super-Lawyer, Jeff Winger: Coolest Guy on Campus, Jeff Winger: Suave, Sophisticated Stud at the (Insert Location Here), Jeff Winger: Study Group Leader, Jeff Winger: Guy with the Awesome Condo, Car, Suit, Abs, Faucets, etc. He didn’t have to be any part of the impossible persona he had built for himself over the years. All he had to be was Jeff, and all he had to do was be.
He’d had a taste of this feeling during his first year at Greendale when he’d crashed in Abed’s dorm room for a few days. But in typical Greendale fashion, he’d taken things beyond the point of reason. Britta had helped pull him out of the tailspin that time, but this time there was no such danger. Like Abed, Annie didn’t require him to be JEFF WINGER in order to impress her, she only needed him to be himself. But unlike Abed, she would keep him focused and grounded in reality.
Jeff was coming to depend on little moments like these to get through the craziness of his day-to-day life. He wasn’t happy with his job, his finances, or a number of other things, but largely thanks to Annie he was finding an overall contentment with his life. It felt strange to need another person the way he needed Annie. Strange and terrifying. Terrifying and exhilarating. His only concern was that he would become dependent on her for his happiness. Aside from what it could do to him, it wasn’t fair to place that type of burden on her. Nevertheless, at times when he used to find himself reaching for a glass of scotch, he now found himself reaching for her. Or if she wasn’t around, reaching for his phone to call or text, or sometimes just smile at the colorful little heart emoji she would randomly send him throughout the day. Jeff shuddered to think what his life might have been like in the upcoming semester were Annie not set to be such a big part of it.
Annie took a deep breath and let out a long, satisfied hum, pulling Jeff out of his reverie. Their clothes still lay strewn around the study room, but Jeff had learned from prior experiences at Greendale and had stashed a few blankets in one of the cupboards, which they were now making use of. He tilted his head so that he could place a kiss against the base of her neck, drawing another hum from Annie.
“I’m really looking forward to the start of school,” Annie said in a dreamy voice.
Jeff frowned. “Now why’d you have to go and ruin the moment like that?”
Jeff could practically hear her eyes roll. “Shush, you. I happen to like school. Or hadn’t you noticed that about me?”
Jeff snorted. “It was one of the first things I noticed about you. But I like you anyway,” he finished teasingly. Annie reached back to pinch Jeff’s thigh, but his hand shot down and snagged her wrist. He began laughing when she started trying to wrest her arm free. “Do you really want to start this again? It didn’t go so well for you last time.”
Annie ceased her struggles and instead guided his hand up to where she pressed her lips against his knuckles. “I seem to recall it ended rather well for the both of us.”
“Pfft, those were two separate events.”
Annie remained silent and tugged on his arm to pull him closer to her. Jeff allowed himself to be drawn in, his nose becoming tangled in her rich auburn hair. Today she smelled like a blend of magnolias and vanilla. He slid his arm down until his hand was resting against her belly, his thumb unconsciously stroking the soft, supple skin. They remained silently tangled together for several minutes until their breathing started to synchronize and Jeff felt himself beginning to doze.
“I’m going to miss everyone at the police department,” Annie murmured, clearing away some of the cobwebs in Jeff’s mind. “Except Don, of course.”
“You can still visit,” he mumbled.
“Yeah,” Annie sighed. “But it won’t be the same. Mrs. Anders gave me her contact info though, and I’m definitely going to keep in touch with her. I really liked working for her, and the department, it’s just…” Annie trailed off slowly.
“Hmm?”
“I feel like… I don’t know… I was meant for something bigger than the local police force.” Annie sounded hesitant. “I guess that sounds kind of arrogant, huh?”
Jeff almost burst out laughing. “You kidding? You’re going to be President someday. There is nothing holding you back from anything you want to do.” Except me… Jeff winced internally.
“Well, I don’t know about President…” Jeff could hear the smile in her voice. “But… I was reading a while back about internships at the FBI. I’ve got more than a year of school left before I can finish my second degree, so I was thinking that if I took the right courses and really pushed myself I could apply for one of their visiting scientist programs in forensics next summer.”
“FBI huh? That sounds about more your speed than Greendale,” Jeff chuckled.
“It does make me a little nervous though. I’ve never lived outside of Colorado.”
Jeff felt as though someone had just dropped an anvil on his stomach. “Outside Colorado?” he stammered, “Don’t they have a Greendale office or something?”
“No, silly,” Annie giggled. “There’s an office in Denver, but I’d have to go to Quantico for the visiting scientist program. And if I managed to get a job with them afterwards, then who knows where I’d be posted. You can request certain locations, but I’ve read that they like to move people around at least to start-”
Annie continued talking excitedly about potential places she could go and things she might get to do as part of the science program, but Jeff couldn’t focus on any of it. All he knew was this was the first step down the path that ended with him losing her.
You always knew this would happen. You always knew she was too good for Greendale. You always knew she was too good for you. She’ll get what she needs from Greendale, and then she’ll be off to conquer the world. She’ll probably stay with you for a while out of pity, but you’ll hold her back. This place won’t be enough for her, and neither will you. She’ll outgrow you. And when she does, you’ll be left right where you started five years ago. A lonely, friendless ex-lawyer stuck at the world’s worst community college. Only this time, there’s nowhere else to go. This time, there’s no light at the end of the tunnel. You’re trapped here.
Forever.
“Jeff?” Annie wheezed while squirming slightly. “Jeff that… that kinda hurts and I can’t breathe…”
Jeff realized suddenly that he had pulled her into what amounted to a crushing hug, a physical manifestation of his desire to hold onto her. It took some effort, but he was able to will himself into loosening his grip on her. “Sorry…” he mumbled sheepishly.
Annie adjusted herself and took a deep breath before falling silent for a few moments.
“You… you can come with me, you know,” she said tentatively.
Always the optimist. Jeff didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. “And do what, Annie? No place besides Greendale would hire me and you’re not going to want a forty-something ex-lawyer, ex-community college teacher hanging around mooching off you while you’re climbing the ranks at the FBI. Face it, I’m stuck here.”
Annie sat bolt upright and spun to face him, clutching a blanket close around her chest.
“What the hell is this crap?!”
Jeff glanced up at her, but quickly averted his eyes. “I’m just being honest. I don’t have any prospects outside of Greendale. You do. This FBI thing is going to work if you want it to. I know it. Because things always work when you want them to. And I can’t just tag along while you’re out making your dreams come true. I mean, what am I going to do? Sit around and watch soap operas all day and wait for you to come home? Get a job as a janitor at McDonalds? I think I’d kill myself. And why would you want someone like that around? A middle-aged failure weighing you down like an anchor. You don’t want that. You won’t want that. You’d be better off without me.”
Annie sat dumbfounded for several moments before finally shaking her head quickly to dispel her shock. “Ok… um… first of all, what? Second of all, do I get a say in this?”
“I’m just being-”
“Honest?” Annie cut him off. “No, I think crazy is the word I’d choose. Not to mention depressing.”
She wasn’t wrong. But Jeff had never reacted well to the threat of losing someone important to him. And Annie was just a teensy bit more important to him than most. His usual method of coping came in the form of a certain type of whiskey made from malted barley and he usually preferred it aged twelve to seventeen years. But he didn’t have any of that handy.
“What’s crazy about it? You just said you wanted to leave, and you should. There are endless opportunities out there for you, and I would never stand in the way of that.”
“Jeff… you’re acting like I’ve already got a job that’s sending me halfway around the world. I’m talking about applying for a ten week internship program that’s nine months away. And I’d still have more classes to take after that to get my degree.” Annie sighed and rubbed at her temples. “Can we just take our foot off the crazy pedal for a second? Now tell me, what’s this all about?”
Jeff could feel his defenses rising. The old walls he always used to hide behind when faced with emotional pain. He’d always pushed people away at times like this. It was easier that way. Because if he pushed them away, then he could tell himself that they left because he made them leave. Not because he wasn’t good enough. He could feel the impulse building in him now…
Annie waited patiently as Jeff wrestled with himself, his eyes darting around the room, pointedly looking anywhere except at her. “Look Annie, it’s just reality, that’s all. I’m not-” His eyes came to rest on one of the empty chairs that surrounded the study room table. This particular chair was on the side closest to the wall; of the two chairs on that side, this one was farther away from Jeff’s usual seat. Suddenly he could hear the chair’s normal occupant speaking to him.
I want you to promise me something.
Shirley, no. I never made that promise.
If you never do another thing for me as long as you live, then at least do this.
I can’t. I love her too much. If I let her get that close…
Let her in. Completely.
You don’t understand.
If she loves you then she’s going to keep on loving you, flaws and all, but you have to let her in.
She does love me. Or at least, she thinks she does. But there are no guarantees-
Let her be your strength.
But the risk…
There is nothing the two of you can’t do together.
I…
Let her in.
Jeff’s eyes flicked back to meet with Annie’s. “Every single one of you is gonna leave here except for me,” he blurted. He began searching her face for the inevitable. He knew it was coming. “Troy, Shirley, Abed’s probably going off to Hollywood. Even Pierce got to die. And Britta… well… I’ll think of something later.” He kept studying her, she looked concerned, but still no sign of- “And you’re going to go join the FBI. Do you know what that means? It means I finally know in my heart that I will literally be the last one of us here.” Now it would certainly come. That look of pity. The look of someone strong inspecting someone weak and feeling sorry for them.
Annie reached her hand out and grasped his. Then she did the last thing he expected.
She smiled.
“No, you won’t.”
“But-”
“Tell me why you think you’re stuck here,” Annie’s smile morphed slowly into a smirk, “and then I’ll tell you why you’re wrong.”
Jeff stared at her blankly for a moment. He’d never bothered to analyze why he felt trapped at Greendale, it was just sort of something he’d always known ever since he’d returned as a teacher.
“Well… what else can I do? I faked being a lawyer and ended up here when I got caught. I could’ve gone back to that after graduation, but I didn’t want to become that guy again. I tried being a good guy lawyer and it almost bankrupted me. If I can’t practice law, then what else am I qualified for?” Jeff shrugged helplessly. “I can barely teach law at a school that barely requires its teachers to teach.”
Jeff again inspected Annie for signs of pity, but mostly she just looked confused. “Jeff, I don’t understand why you seem to think being a lawyer isn’t an option for you anymore. So you had a setback with your first business, does that mean you’re just going to give up?” Annie fixed him with a challenging look. “You know, when you agreed to be a teacher at Greendale, it didn’t really make sense to me. I didn’t say anything in part because I was so happy that we were all together again, but also because I thought it was something you were only going to do temporarily, until you got another opportunity in law somewhere.”
Jeff winced. “That’s what I thought too. But then Hickey told me that he was doing the same thing. Just teaching until a real job came along, except he’d been doing it for fifteen years. And the longer I went without anything coming up, the more I realized that he was right.”
Annie made a sour face. “You’re basing this on something Professor Hickey told you? Do I even need to remind you that he left Greendale to start his own funeral services business?”
“But he still never got to go back to a police job like he wanted. And I don’t want to have to wait fifteen years before I finally-”
“So don’t!” Annie borderline shouted. “If you’re really that unhappy with teaching, then get out there, find something you want to do! Find a law firm to join or try starting another business of your own. You just became famous for winning Troy’s case, I’m sure someone would give you a chance. And if you’re worried your only option is the slimy stuff you used to do, then you can do almost literally anything else. You can talk circles around people better than anyone I’ve ever met, and that’s a skill that’s valuable in more places than just a courtroom.” Annie began ticking off fingers as she listed potential career tracks for Jeff. “Real estate, sales, consulting, arbitration, mediation, fundraising, journalism… you could be amazing at any of those. Or, you know, you spend enough time at the gym, you could even be a personal trainer. Lastly, if I end up there and you need a reason besides me to come to DC, you could be a lobbyist or a politician,” Annie poked him in the side and winked. “You’ve got the right amount of moral ambiguity.”
For a moment, Jeff was too stunned for words. And before he could recover, Annie was already continuing.
“Now, I know what you’re going to say, and no it won’t necessarily be easy to get into some of those fields, but you can do it if you really wanted to. And I shouldn’t need to tell you that I’d be there to help.” Annie grabbed his hand again and gave it a squeeze. “Besides, if you’re going to take inspiration from something Hickey did, then let it be for his finally finding something that makes him happy.”
Jeff stared at her silently until she began glancing around uncomfortably.
“You’re um, allowed to say something now…”
“Best girlfriend ever?” Jeff gave her a weak smile.
An unexpected laugh bubbled up between Annie’s lips and she gazed at him affectionately. “Jeff, you don’t have to do any of those things I just said. I just want you to be happy. And you need to realize that there are things out there that you’d enjoy.” Annie sighed and her concerned look made a return. “But… those things you said earlier… I have a hard time believing you said all that just because you’re unhappy with your job…”
Jeff reluctantly held her gaze, her big blue eyes pleading with him to tell her everything. Finally, he couldn’t stand seeing that look of worry on her face anymore and knowing he was the cause. He broke away from her stare and instead studied her hand, and all the places her fingers were intertwined with his.
“I guess…” Jeff swallowed and his eyes drifted closed. “I guess you could say I have abandonment issues.” He fell silent for a moment, his eyes still closed. He wasn’t sure what he expected to happen. Part of him expected her to laugh at him, part of him expected her to call him weak, part of him expected her to get up and walk out. But all she did was grip his hand a little tighter. He opened his eyes slowly, his gaze drifting up to meet hers almost shyly.
She was waiting patiently for him to be ready to say more, but in her expression he didn’t see any trace of judgement, scorn or pity. All he saw was love, acceptance and infinite compassion. And before he knew it, it was all spilling out of him. All the things about his dad that he’d barely spoken of to anyone and even some things that only he and his mother knew. The aloofness, the neglect, Jeff’s longing for attention and love… and then when things between his parents had started to deteriorate, the times he’d come home drunk, the anger and the insults, the abuse…
There were more than a few tears, hers and his, by the time he’d run out of things to say. Through it all, Annie hadn’t said a word; she’d simply let him get it out. Sure, she’d hummed and gasped a few times, and shed her share of tears, but mostly she just listened, and understood. He’d ended up in a sitting position, his feet on the floor and his arms propped on his legs as he stared at the carpet. Annie was draped over him in a protective hug from the side, her left arm around him and her head on his shoulder. Jeff found himself repeatedly clenching his fists to prevent his hands from shaking.
“I’ve always sort of felt like I had to prove that I was good enough. To anyone close to me, I mean. Because if I didn’t, then they’d leave… Probably why I didn’t let anyone get close to me for so long. And Greendale, well… I pretty much always associated Greendale with failure.” Jeff shrugged. “I mean, I wasn’t supposed to be here, I was supposed to be a lawyer. It was like this place was my punishment for getting caught, and that never really left me even after I met all you guys.” He let out a long sigh and shook his head. “So after my business tanked and I ended up back here, it just compounded everything. I felt stuck in a place that meant failure, which meant I was a failure. And if I was a failure, then it just felt like all you guys would eventually leave me here. Then Pierce died, Troy left, and now Shirley… it was all coming true… and then you said you were going to apply at the FBI and…” Jeff’s voice hitched, causing him to trail off.
Annie… you are the one person in this life I don’t think I could handle losing. I need you. God help me, but I do.
That was what he wanted to say, but his mouth refused to form the words. Before he could force it to, Annie finally broke her silence.
“Shh shh shh…” her right hand came up and began stroking the stubble on the side of his face. “I’m not going to leave you, Jeff. If I end up going to Quantico, it’ll be for like ten or eleven weeks. I think we can survive that,” she said playfully. “Anything beyond that… well, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. We can figure it out.”
“But Annie, we’ve only been dating for a month, we don’t know where-”
“Hey!” Annie sat up straight and turned his face so that he was looking at her. “I’m not some girl you met in a bar that you’ve only been dating for a month. We’ve been friends for five years. Close friends… Besides, you said earlier that things always work when I want them to. Well this,” she gestured between them, “is what I want to work.”
Jeff smirked at her. “Using my own words against me… Et tu, Edison?”
Annie smirked back. “Get used to it, Winger. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.” She moved in and kissed him, softly, slowly. And though the storm of doubt still raged within him, he found himself trusting in her.
They laid back down and pulled the blankets back over them before Jeff once again put his arm around her and pulled her close. They only had a few short hours to rest. There was still a war to fight.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The gun made a muffled noise through the jacket Jeff had wrapped around it. However, that didn’t stop the previously sleeping sentry from letting out a startled yelp of pain when the paintball struck her in the side. The other sentry sleeping nearby stirred, and Jeff calmly gave him a reason to head home too. Annie turned away and waited vigilantly for the sound to draw the roving sentry. She was hidden in a bush near the corner of the CPU lab. The sentry had just passed by a few moments earlier and would definitely be coming from this direction.
It wasn’t long before she heard the sound of approaching footsteps. They neared her position and came to an abrupt halt. “Megan?” The sentry called out nervously. “Megan was that you? Is everything ok?”
Silence was the only answer.
The footsteps resumed, slower this time, as the sentry continued creeping towards the main door. Annie waited until the girl passed, then quickly popped out of the bush and shot her in the back.
The sentry did her best to stifle a cry, not of pain, but of surprise. However, it still made more noise than Annie would’ve liked. With the last of the outdoor sentries eliminated, Annie worked her way back towards where Jeff was. The tricky part would be getting through the main door without alerting anyone on the inside. The CPU lab was built like a data center: no windows. Otherwise they would’ve tried to find an alternative means of entrance. She didn’t like the idea of going in the front, since for all they knew there could be an ambush waiting just inside, but they had no choice.
Annie was nearing the edge of the glow cast by the lights above the doors when she heard a click and the door started to swing open, causing her to freeze immediately. “Hey, did you losers hear something?”
That voice… Jeff was on the other side of the door and wouldn’t have a clear shot.
“It sounded like-”
Annie’s arms snapped up in a flash and she fired at the source of the voice.
“Ow, shit!”
The door opened further and the owner of the voice stalked out into the light. Annie’s shot had struck her square in the forehead and paint had run down between her eyes and down the side of her nose. “Who did that?! Where are you? You don’t shoot someone in the face you-” She came to an abrupt halt when she finally noticed Annie. “YOU! You did that on purpose!”
Annie shifted uncomfortably. She felt guilty about the results, but she didn’t think she’d done it on purpose, she’d just reacted…
“Oh, I am so going to get you for this. Watch your back, other Annie.”
Annie Kim stomped off into the darkness, rubbing at the growing welt on her forehead as Jeff came strolling up next to Annie.
“Nice shot,” he chuckled.
Annie looked up at him, her eyes wide. “I didn’t mean to hit her in the face!”
Jeff narrowed his eyes at her. “You sure about that?”
“I didn’t… I wouldn’t…”
“I’m just saying,” Jeff said nonchalantly, “you two have practically been at each other’s throats for three years. Passive-aggressively, anyway. Plenty of people could corroborate that.” Jeff shrugged. “Any prosecutor worth his salt could build a case for motive.”
Annie could feel the righteous indignation building within her. Sure she was competitive with Annie Kim, but she didn’t want to hurt her, and it’s not like these guns were the most accurate things in the world. Besides, Jeff liked to say how he couldn’t help being a badass, so why couldn’t the same be true for her? She’d just scored a headshot against a darkened target over thirty feet away and partially obscured by cover without even aiming-
She’d been about to launch into a huffy defense of herself when she caught the twinkle in Jeff’s eye. Annie let her objections die on her lips and instead the corner of her mouth turned up into a smirk.
“Good thing I’ve got such a good defense attorney.”
Jeff gave her a lopsided smile and nodded once. “Good thing.” He gestured towards the door. “Well the good news is, no one else came out after her so I think that means she was the only one guarding the inside.”
They approached the door cautiously; Jeff cracked it open slowly when they reached it and peeked inside. After a second, he opened it the rest of the way and slipped inside, his gun at the ready. Annie was right behind him, sweeping her gaze over the other side of the small atrium. The room was empty save for a blanket and pillow tucked in the corner which was evidently where Annie Kim had made her post.
“Have you ever been in this building?” Jeff asked, a slight undercurrent of tension in his voice, which was the only outward indication of any nerves he was feeling.
Annie shook her head. “No, I’m supposed to have a ballistics lab here this semester, but that doesn’t exactly help us right now.”
Jeff gave a resigned sigh. “Guess we just have to make it up as we go, then.”
They snuck carefully through the double doors that led into the main section of the building and began moving from room to room, searching for enemies. After the sixth empty room they’d reached the end of the first hallway and doubled back to the entrance before working their way down the second corridor. Upon opening the door to one of the middle rooms, Annie heard Jeff breathe in sharply. She braced herself for a fight, but Jeff rose out of his crouch and strode into the room. Slightly puzzled, but also curious, Annie hopped up and followed him.
As soon as she entered the room, her own sharp intake of breath echoed the one Jeff had made. The long, narrow room was filled with dismembered mechanical limbs, torsos and heads. It looked like some sort of robotic torture chamber or a junkyard for prosthetic rejects. Annie’s eyes were practically bulging out of her skull as she surveyed it all.
Jeff turned away from inspecting a few half-assembled androids, a grim expression on his face. “Even for Greendale, this is nuts,” his voice was filled with disbelief. “That stuff Abed said about Borchert wanting to take over the school and turn us all into robots, I thought it was just a metaphor, but…” he leaned close to inspect the face of one of the androids. “Borchert was always weird, but, do we need to seriously consider the possibility that he might be… evil?”
Annie shook her head slowly. “I’m… I’m sure there’s an explanation for this…” her voice betrayed her sudden uncertainly, however. “Borchert was by himself down in the lost section of Greendale for over thirty five years, and even after we found him he mostly just wanted to be left alone. It doesn’t make sense that he’d suddenly hatch a plan to replace everyone at Greendale with androids.”
“Ted Kaczynski wanted to be left alone,” Jeff said doubtfully. “He’s always been more comfortable around computers, maybe that’s what he wants. A campus full of mechanical people so he doesn’t have to be around the real ones anymore.”
Jeff was right about Borchert being weird, but he seemed like such a sweetheart in his own awkward way. Annie just wasn’t ready to believe that he was turning into some sort of actual monster. But with everything they’d seen so far, it was difficult not to wonder.
Before her mind started taking her down paths she didn’t care for, she forced herself to refocus. “Well we don’t know anything for certain yet, so all we can do is keep going as we have been. After this is all over, we can try to get to the bottom of everything.”
“Alright,” Jeff agreed, “but we need to be extra careful from here on out. This may be more than just a paintball game now. And I don’t think a paintball gun is going to do much to deter any killer robots.” He’d said something similar when they’d gone down into the lost section of Greendale in search of the buried treasure. She didn’t know where this preoccupation with killer robots came from, but she nodded in agreement nevertheless.
They finished their sweep of the ground floor without encountering another soul. They entered a stairwell at the end of the last hallway to find steps leading both up and down. “Borchert likes dark, underground places,” Jeff whispered. “I guarantee you he’s in the basement.”
“You’re probably right,” Annie whispered back. “But let’s head up first, make sure no one comes down to hit us from behind.” Jeff led the way up the stairs and into the upper floor. The building only had three levels and the second floor was laid out much the same as the first. Jeff peeked into the hallway then turned to Annie, pointed towards the hall and started making an intricate series of hand gestures.
After a few moments of trying to decipher his meaning, Annie let out an exasperated huff. “I have no idea what you’re trying to say,” she said quietly, “but I’m guessing there’s someone in the hall.”
Jeff frowned, his disappointment evident. For someone who made fun of other people for acting like they were in the movies, he sure liked to pretend like he was some kind of Special Forces operative. “Yeah. He’s asleep though, like most of the others.” Jeff shrugged. “Sorta reminds me of class…”
They worked out a quick plan, then snuck through the doorway and tiptoed carefully down the hall towards the sleeping guard. The hallway was mostly dark except for a few emergency lights. Evidently the sentry had turned the lights off to aid his snoozing. He was slumped over in a folding chair that was set up next to a closed door, his chin was resting on his chest and a paintball gun hung loosely in one hand. Annie carefully wrapped one of her guns in the jacket Jeff had used earlier, keeping the muzzle trained on the guard as a precaution. Jeff positioned himself next to the sleeping student and glanced at Annie. When she was ready, she gave a quick nod. In seemingly one motion, Jeff knocked the gun away while simultaneously clamping one hand over the guard’s mouth. He awoke with a start, letting out a stifled cry and struggling briefly until Annie fired a muffled shot into his shoe.
Jeff released the guard, who stood and glanced guiltily at the closed door before departing. He’d clearly been responsible for keeping watch over whatever was on the other side, and had been derelict in his duties. Annie crept to the door and cracked it open it as slowly and quietly as she could. She peered inside and had to suppress a gasp. The only light in the room came from a small nightlight on one of the far walls, but she could make out row after row of cots filling the room. Each cot looked to be occupied by a sleeping student. She began counting the cots, but her eyes were drawn to a spot near the light where a large cabinet sat. The doors were propped open and inside it were dozens of paintball guns and bags of ammunition, along with a few cylindrical objects that she didn’t recognize.
“What is it?” Jeff’s insistent whisper pulled her attention away and she turned her head towards him.
“Thirty or forty students are sleeping in there.” She moved back slightly so that Jeff could take a peek in.
“Crap, there’s no way we can take out that many without waking them up.”
Annie’s mind was racing, trying to come up with ideas. “What if we snuck over and closed up that weapons cabinet?”
“Maybe,” Jeff said doubtfully, “but even if they’re all unarmed, I don’t think we could stop everyone from either escaping or overpowering us.”
“It’s too bad Chang’s rifle ran out of CO2,” Annie lamented. “It doesn’t look like there are any of those over there. Just single shot guns and whatever those weird cylinders are.”
Jeff took another look into the room and turned back to Annie, a wide grin spreading over his face. “I know what those are. Chang used one in the first paintball game. They’re paint bombs.”
Annie’s eyes immediately lit up. “That’s perfect! All we have to do is set one off in the middle of the room and it should take care of all of them.”
“Right,” Jeff nodded. “Keep a lookout and cover me. I’m going to-”
Annie gave a sharp shake of her head. “Uh-uh. No way.”
Jeff’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Huh? Why not?”
“Because Annie’s tired of always being the lookout. Besides, this job requires someone that’s quiet, sleek and graceful, like a cheetah. Not a loud, lumbering ogre.” She leaned in quickly and gave him a quick peck on the cheek and then was through the door and stealing silently across the room before he had time to object.
Annie made it over to the cache of weapons and nabbed one of the cylindrical bombs before sneaking back to the center of the room. She carefully placed the bomb on the floor and deftly attached the arming mechanism. She hesitated, though, before flipping the switch to arm the bomb. A number of the cots were close by and might shield parts of the room with the bomb placed on the floor like it was. Her eyes had finally adjusted to the low lighting and she glanced around hurriedly until she spied a small tray table in the corner. Trying to move quickly and quietly, she placed her guns on the floor next to the bomb and snuck towards the table as swiftly as she dared. The slow, even breathing of the sleeping students surrounded her and she kept her ears tuned for any sudden changes that might indicate that someone was waking up.
By the time she reached the table, her heart felt like it had moved up into her throat and her pulse was pounding in her ears. She cringed at the minute scraping noises it made when she picked up the table, and every little step back towards the center of the room felt like it took hours to complete. But eventually the table was set up and the bomb placed on it. All that was left to do was arm it, get out of the room and then hit the detonator.
Her finger hovered, ready to flip the arming switch, when suddenly a clicking noise signaled the releasing of a latch and Annie’s eyes flicked over to see a door swinging open. She hadn’t noticed it thanks to the darkness, but light now began to flood into the room from the opposite hallway. Annie squinted and her hand moved to shield her eyes. A tall, hooded figure stood in the doorway, the light from behind him making him appear as a silhouette.
Time stood still for one heart stopping moment, then a thousand things seemed to happen at once. The dark figure began raising his arms and Annie heard Jeff shout her name. She slapped the arming switch, snatched the detonator and sprinted back towards Jeff as gunfire erupted from the two doorways. All around her students were sitting up, startled out of their sleep and some scrambling for nearby weapons. She reached the door and dove through it, skidding to a stop in the hallway and rolling onto her back in time to see Jeff slam the door shut. Gripping the detonator firmly in her hand, she pressed down hard on the trigger with her thumb.
A muffled thud sounded from behind the door, followed by shrieks of terror and dismay. Annie didn’t even have time to sit up before Jeff was hovering over her.
“Are you ok? Are you hit?” he asked frantically.
“I’m ok, I… I don’t think I’m hit,” she replied shakily as her heart continued hammering within her chest. A quick inspection confirmed that she was correct. “Who was that guy?”
“Must be the Terminator…” Jeff grumbled.
“Do you think we got him with the bomb blast?” Annie asked hopefully.
“No,” the disappointment was evident in Jeff’s voice. “He must have seen the bomb; he pulled his door shut right before I did.” Satisfied that Annie was ok, Jeff turned to more practical matters, and glanced around quickly. “He’s going to be coming around after us, we need to move. Where are your guns?”
Annie froze. She hadn’t had time to grab them before fleeing the room and they were now doubtlessly covered in paint. She pointed meekly towards the door.
Jeff cursed under his breath. “I dropped one of mine trying to get the door shut, so we’re down to one it seems.”
Annie checked to see if the guard they’d eliminated had left his gun, but he hadn’t. She silently berated herself for not thinking of it, but at the time they’d had no need of it. “Let’s check the entrance. Maybe Annie Kim left hers.”
They hurried back to the stairwell and jogged quickly down the steps. They burst through the door into the first floor hallway with Annie following directly behind Jeff. They hadn’t taken two steps before he tensed suddenly and came to an abrupt halt. She peeked around him to see the black clad figure striding slowly towards them from the building entrance, a rifle cradled in his hands. For the first time she noticed that his face was covered by a mask, from behind which dark, malevolent eyes peered out at them.
In the blink of an eye Jeff’s arms snapped up and he fired.
The gun clicked and… nothing happened.
Annie felt her stomach drop. The black figure continued striding implacably towards them.
He raised the rifle.
“Annie, run,” Jeff shouted. “RUN!”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~