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I leapt straight into this after finishing part one, and it was so great to see the monologues from different characters this time. I'll be looking forward to seeing who comes up next!
LOVED the bit about Pam might as well be made from Jim's rib. IT'S SO TRUE!!!
Nice switch up on the prank in the last chapter too - worked very well using Angela not Pam.
Looking forward to the next update!

Author's Response:

Thank you!  Yeah, the new monologues will be my favorite part, some of them I'm really looking forward to (especially Creed's).

I appreciate the comment about the prank on Angela, because that was the most difficult part of that chapter for me and I really hoped that flowed well with the rest of the story.

Thanks for the review! 

A very interesting look into Karen's mind in this world. Still thinking there could have been a chance for her and Jim but realizing that it would never happen once she saw how well Jim and Pam fit each other. Her thoughts about the rest of the people from Scranton seem on point for her as well.

The episode was quite a lot of fun. Rather than the tension of canon there's the subtle tension of how Roy will react to Pam. Especially if he gets word that Pam and Jim are a thing now. Their brief exchange about wrapping paper seemed like Roy wanted to try and rekindle something. It felt like Pam was doing her best to be nice to him but at the same time also not trying to give him any false hope.

Angela's thoughts were fascinating to read. She still comes across as uptight and judgmental for sure. She's not shy in what she thinks about how she sees Pam acting. Yet for all her judgement, Angela is very logical. Probably why she's an accountant. So even though she realizes that Pam and Jim are diametrically opposed to how she would view the world, she can also see how Pam and Jim fit well together. That she sees that as admirable is a nice thing to bring out. It may be hidden under a lot of layers of other things, but she does get Pam and Jim for sure.

Nice job.

Author's Response:

Thank you!  Yeah, Karen's attitude towards the rest of the employees is mostly "tolerable" at best.  And I figured that she'd pick up quickly that her actually seeing Jim and Pam together would put everything into perspective.

That's exactly what I wanted to go for with that moment.  Rather than it being the catalyst for them getting back together, it's instead a more awkward interaction where there is still genuine affection but the love has clearly gone.

I always saw Angela as more accepting than people give her credit for.  She's definitely a judgmental shrew who gets better as time persists, but she's not heartless and could see the good in anyone if she tries hard enough.

Thanks for the review! 

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Aw, I loved this! Childhood Jim is very sweet, I love the way you’ve written their dialogue here and him reminiscing on this moment with Pam. And then Pam buying him a transformer! (Also lol at Dwight’s reaction and Michael crying at that movie too, presumably when he was quite a bit older than Jim…) And now I need to add All I Need and Temper to my reading list :D

Author's Response:

Thank you!  And appreciate your interest in All I Needed!

I really enjoyed writing just the two of them sharing one of those little moments of their childhoods.  The best part was that Michael was in his early 20s.  And that “worth more than your car” moment in “Women’s Appreciation” was perfect to allude to.  I also wanted the childhood story to be realistic to Pete (and subsequently Tom) so that they’re brothers rather than more intense Michaels.

Thanks for the review! 

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Okay, this backstory is simply adorable. And I love how good a read they've got on Dwight and Michael!

Author's Response:

Thank you!  Dwight and Michael aren't difficult reads, but the couple know them almost too well.

Thanks for the review! 

1

So this was fun. Michael's thoughts there at the start were nicely in character. A bit of cluelessness, a touch of ego boosting, but under it all a heart of gold.

Fun seeing the changes now with everyone in Scranton and Jim and Pam together again. Good job switching some of the lines around too.

So Karen and Ryan? That could be interesting to say the least. Nice job.

Author's Response:

Many thanks!

Michael was a lot of fun.  I think he's one of my favorites thanks to his genuineness.  Yes, he can be absolutely clueless and can show off his ego... but that's Michael.  Plus there are times where he legitimately wants to help people but either falls short or makes empty promises.

I appreciate the switching lines compliment, because to be honest that's the hardest part for me when doing these revisionist works.  I still want them to be delivered as the character saying it would deliver it, which can prove difficult.  Making the changes was fun too, especially incorporating Dwight.

Yup, Karen and Ryan.  Have most of that planned out, but I'll also let things come to me.  What I will say for certain is that their stories will end the same way they did in S3, just no animosity towards Jim and Pam from Karen.

Thanks for the review! 

1

The Buddy Love references were very Michael. As was him no remembering his moment of genius - it seems very realistic to Michael that this one moment where he was actually giving sage and useful advice really cast no shadow over him at all. He's at his best when he's not trying.

HA. Pam turning the Andy-dating prank into setting up an Andy v. Dwight feud is a nice touch.

I'm interested to see where you're going with Ryan and Karen, and how long Karen's going to make it in general... seems to me she stuck it out a lot longer in canon than she would have if she didn't have, you know, reasons.

If you haven't seen the Superfan cut of this episode yet, FIND IT. There is a lot of great Dwight-Angela added, and it's SUPER entertaining.

Author's Response:

Much appreciated! 

There're deleted scenes for this?  Dang, glad I did some Dwight/Angela plot here!  Serendipitous stuff keeps happening when I write on this site.  Probably not gonna bother rewriting this to incorporate some, there's still a lot I need to write as it is.  Hate I missed the opportunity to do a Jim/Pam "I Spy" session, tho.

You put it best: Michael is at his best when he doesn't try.  That's what makes S7 such a well-executed conclusion to his story: the combination of Holly, maturity and genuine sincerity created a man who not only realizes the impact he's had on others, but also takes pride in that, which is downright beautiful.  A lot of people were disappointed of the lack of him in the finale, but it makes perfect sense.  Why dance in front of the cameras if there's no more need to try?

I wanted to play on what Pam noticed during Jim's BBQ.  Given the amount of times Angela has been noticing her, it's no surprise that Pam would want to help her in return.  And given pre-Anger Management Andy is far worse than Dwight, who helped her in a time of need, of course she'd want to boost his confidence.

I won't say too much, but Karen's definitely gonna be around for the whole "season."  I'll delve into that next time, but those reasons for her sticking around are definitely similar.

Thanks for the review!

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I liked the Monologe as you're calling it. Really fun to see Pam and Jim together like that. All the different 'what if's' bouncing around in her mind seems very appropriate. A lot has changed in a short time. Having thoughts about how it might have gone different seems real. Penny was a lot of fun too.

This AU version of the episode was fun too. Especially when you were able to get the line from The Job in there months early. Loved that. Good for Pam to tell Roy about things. She's getting more steel in her spine and I love that.

All of Jim's thoughts before it's announced he's heading back were really good. His turn to bounce things around. Especially considering the feelings of betrayal you've got him going through here. Great way to expand on the episode.

Now really looking forward to seeing Jim and Pam back together but for S3 this time around. Well done.

Author's Response:

Wow, appreciate the compliments!

Pam overthinking everything is very in-character, so her analyzing the lyrics like this made sense, even though I wasn't sure about it at first.  And Penny!  Loved exploring her and what their dynamic could be like.

I actually planned on Roy learning about them earlier in the episode from someone else, but 1) it didn't fit with the plot here, and 2) I ended up preferring this version because Pam's the one breaking it to him; with Jim coming back, she doesn't feel the need to prevent Roy from knowing and spare his feelings, which is a step forward.

It helped that Krasinski and Esten's acting in that scene gave me so much to work with, on top of the fact that Jim's still pissed about both his and Porter's actions, even after he moves back (that'll be addressed briefly next chapter).  He was already scrambling after the Staples reveal in-canon, but adding a whole new layer of "We're screwed" was fun to write.  Made that ending moment after he accepts the position that much more satisfying.

I've yet to write any of Chapter 8 (neither monologue nor "The Merger").  I have to focus on other priorities at this moment, though I should get back to this soon enough and I'm excited to see where to go with it.

Thanks for the review, as always! 

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You touched on some interesting ways in which starting their relationship not too long after Casino Night would've changed things. Pam still has a *ton* to figure out about what she wants from the rest of her life aside from Jim at this moment, and she's still wrestling with the monumental decision she's made to leave Roy. I love this gentle moment of Jim helping her work her way through it. It's nice to think of her having someone there for that breakdown. (And thank you for trolling Ryan here.) I'm looking forward to seeing you explore that more.

The recurring bit of Michael respecting all cultures and walks of life was funny.

I thought you did a good job recontextualizing Jim's actions in this episode - why he's so willing to drink, for instance - and building out the struggles of their long distance relationship. I like that they're trying to work through it together. Her showing up at his door at the end is a really fun new take on the standard Diwali fix-it fic.

Jonathan! He's an old fave. (Girl7 is, as far as I can tell, his inventor, and her stories are well worth checking out if you haven't gotten to them yet.)

Author's Response:

Many thanks!  Yeah, that breakdown would've happened anyway, but having Jim there really does bring her peace.  It's moments like that I'm exploring here, because Casino Night still would've been "The Night That Changed Everything" even if they'd gotten together, and I wanted to explore how.

Don't get me wrong, despite my feelings on the episode, there were some bits I just loved writing, and Michael respecting all cultures was just too good to not reuse.

Since this is just under a week before Stamford's closing (there's a timeline I'm making for this), I wanted to crescendo the long-distance thing with this chapter; they're getting impatient, antsy, and desperate, and when the next Tuesday rolls around, they'll really start to panic.  But it won't last for long.

I'll check some of Girl7's stuff out, since there is *a lot* of this site I have yet to cover.  Thanks for the recs, and the review, as always! 

I like that Jim and Pam take the time to really talk things out. They need it. Same with the commitment to stay honest with each other. Sets a good foundation for things.

Fun to get some perspective and thoughts of what people were thinking during the episode portions.

The package, letter, and call between Jim and Pam at the end was fun too.

Author's Response:

Appreciate the compliments!

As I've said, this is pretty much wish fulfillment, and Jim and Pam talking things out is something we've never seen (though it has happened off camera) and I wanted to see that, just make it a year early.  And oh yeah, it's necessary for things to come.

Like I said, I loved writing those perspectives.  I try to not make it too bloated (again, love me some character studies) but right now I'm just setting up for things to come, which is necessary through these sections.

It was a ton of fun.  I enjoyed translating the call in Jim's letter, makes it less sad.  *Less*.

Thanks for the review! 

1

I love the banter here about going steady and Jim’s eagerness about the prospect of her having brought an overnight bag. Too bad the moment is interrupted by cruel, CRUEL reality.

The pro-cons list was very sweet and felt like the sort of thing Jim would do. And it is nice to see them TALKING about these things openly and honestly for a change, especially with the burden of a long distance relationship ahead of them.

One thing I would say – on the ground rules list, it’s a little unclear who is saying what at times? It’s understandable, but it definitely took a little work. This is an area where it might be worth doing a little more formatting to set off different people “speaking.”

Oh, Toby. Could’ve been worse, I guess – a lot of potential for embarrassment with him having that conversation with Pam with Jim not present.

This is an interesting twist on Grief Counseling, because obviously Pam’s in a MUCH different place here and the Pam-Roy storyline is presumably headed in a very different direction – the underlying sense of grief has been shifted from one of them to the other.

Oh, poor Karen. Tough day. Although good news for her: her days isn’t nearly as tough as the day of the person whose dialogue she’s giving, and she’s probably a lot better off with Jim disappointing here in Grief Counseling than in The Job. Kinda catching a break there.

I appreciate how supportive David Wallace is here!

Author's Response:

Yeah, life's a bitch.  But they'll be fine!  I figured if I'm gonna have this whole long-distance thing be the central theme, them keeping anything from each other would mean them falling apart again, and this story ain't about that life. Glad you enjoyed the list, it was a joy to write.

Valid point on the formatting.  It was difficult to find fonts that were distinct enough so you could tell them apart AND are available with this software.  I'll see what I can do.  Maybe add some more dialogue at each bullet point like I did the others.

Yeah, poor guy.  He'll gain some perspective, though.  I have a plan for him (which is basically just his monologue).

Exactly, and that's what came to me as I was writing this.  Roy's inability to let go is intimidating to Pam, and it makes her uncomfortable because *she's* letting go, and is getting closer to completely letting go as well.  He's trying to pull her back in, and considering he doesn't know about Halpert yet, that makes things worse.

I look at it this way: This isn't Jim leaving Karen heartbroken at a fountain.  This is Jim politely telling her the truth.  This, in turn, doesn't make her hate his guts like in canon, because 1) they don't start dating and *remain* dating, and 2) it makes her respect him a lot more as someone that is both honest and faithful.  This story has a lot of that: rippin' those Band-Aids off nice and quick.  Now that she's free to go her own journey, it'll be better for her in the long run, and I have big plans for her.

My boy David out here being a kind-hearted and understanding person.  He's always been a sweetheart, and I'm glad he's at least supporting them, despite his reservations.  (Y'know, because of what happens later this season.)

Thanks for the review, as always! 

1

Nice way to get their relationship off to a good start I think. Rather than just forge ahead blindly they have clear expectations of everything. That was nice to see.

The episode plotline was refreshingly similar to the show. Nice job in including a lot of those kinds of things. However the changes were nice to. Jim not realizing he's being charming seems to fit. Good for Pam have him talk to Karen. Yes probably kind of a pain for Karen, but better that he's honest about things now before anything else happens.

I liked the email from David too. Nice to see that they've made a good impression with him. Espeically his Post Script lines there.

Thanks for the shoutout at the end. Nice to see favorite fanon characters come around again like that.

Author's Response:

Much appreciated!

Again, the reasoning of him staying in Stamford was originally very flimsy, but it got me thinking about what could happen with these various scenarios.  There needed to be a game plan.  Plus, no, Pam's not having him leave again.  She's his, dammit.

Again, the episode isn't my favorite so far, but the *theme* is perfect for the central conflict, and I love the fact that three characters (one beloved, two not so much) undergo their own stages of grief.  Roy: Denial, Michael: Anger, Karen: Bargaining, all going through Depression throughout the story and, down the line, Acceptance.

It seems in the past that Jim's pretty unaware of his own charisma (though it doesn't always work, just ask Charles), so of course Karen would fall for him, like Katy.  And Pam, no longer being jealous and longing for Jim, sees her in a whole new light, just someone who fell in love.  Like her.  Yeah, Jim, best to rip that band-aid off now for her sake, she'll become stronger because of it.

David's always saw potential in Jim, and I'm sure his brief interactions with Pam (given her position) have warmed him up to her, so he'd definitely let it proceed, but with caution.

And thank you for the inspiration!  Like I said, the character is so general that one can do a lot with him, so in a couple of chapters we'll know more about him (but we won't find out until a while).

Thanks for the review, as always! 

As a former HR Manager, let me address DM's Love Contract and David Wallace's follow up letter.

No company would ever have a Love Contract. That is disallowing future plausible deniability in case of a third employee filing a toxic workplace law suit. While some companies take a more tolerant view of workplace romances, it is discouraged in all companies. Revealing a workplace romance, if it was revealed at all before coworkers got a wedding invitation, is most often handled with a meeting with both parties' direct supervisors (In my entire career, I have never known a supervisor as crazy as Michael Scott) who would do the yadda yadda about not allowing the relationship to interfere with work. The direct supervisor might contact a trusted HR Rep who would keep documentation in their offsite, unofficial Pearl Harbor file or not. Since Jim is not Pam's direct supervisor at this point being in different branches as well, more tolerant companies would shrug their shoulders UNLESS Monday and Friday absences became a regular occurrence. There would be no follow up letter, ever. See plausible deniability for future lawsuits.

I adore David Wallace; I wish I had worked with more like him. At DM, he operated as more of a Chief Operating Officer than CFO. I could see Wallace having a private conversation with Jim when they next saw each other or perhaps a phone call in lieu of the follow up letter. Let's face it, even for his slacker reputation in Scranton, Jim was considered by Wallace an up and comer.

A Pearl Harbor file is your own contemporaneous notes on situations where you may/should protect yourself.

Hope that helps.

Author's Response:

...Goodness.  This helps EXTREMELY.

Bear in mind, I know nothing about this sort of thing, so reading this has been great. I'll probably edit the story accordingly, in this case.

Oh, and Wallace DEFINITELY saw something in Jim.  I think it helps with him being an audience surrogate; the audience finds him charming, so does Wallace.  David's role was certainly expanded from the confines of a CFO, but I have my own theory about that.

So yeah, I'll look into editing Chapter 4, then, since this seems much more interesting since I was planning on Michael to *not know* until "The Merger" (who'll react accordingly).

Thank you!