1

I normally don't review older stories (mostly because the chance of the author every seeing it is small), but this one really stirred something in me. I am absolutely in love with this story. Kelly is so perfectly in character with her dress and her stubbornness and her desire to make Ryan jealous just one last time and Toby is so perfectly in character with his binder of questions and the scars of his divorce and his fear of dying alone. I never saw Toby and Kelly as compatible in any sort of way, but this completely changed my mind. I'm in awe of how well this flows; it feels like a deleted scene from an episode. Their dialogue feels so natural, and I laughed when I read Kelly's thoughts on Gabe taking her old desk. You've really managed to draw out a similarity between Kelly and Toby that I never would have picked up on my own. Beneath their personalities and quirks, they both just want to be loved by someone, and the difference comes in the way they go about doing so. Toby's quiet and has come to an acceptance of who he is, while Kelly throws herself into the arms of men who don't deserve her and agrees to marry Ravi (who I don't think she really loved). There's something so sad yet beautiful about the two of them sitting on the annex floor on Kelly's last day, talking about love and dying alone under the pretense of an exit interview, and the kiss between them feels like the most natural thing in the world. Kelly's reaction afterward is so perfectly Kelly, and Toby's abrupt exit mid-conversation is so perfectly Toby (he never seems to get what he deserves). I teared up at the end (a testament to your incredible writing) when Kelly gave him her chair. It's such a small gesture, yet so meaningful, representing the tiny seed of hope she left him with. This story is truly a masterpiece.

10

I haven't read any fic in a long, long time, but I really enjoyed this!!! Your Kelly is spot on, as is your Toby. Really nice story!

Author's Response: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed this.

Great stuff, Steph. I love your Toby/Kelly and it is pitch perfect. Any chance we could get you writing for the show? If I had to pick a favorite part, this would be it - so perfectly sadly practical Toby, after his dismissal of Gabe: “Still.” He looked down at his notes before mumbling, “Besides, you won’t be here so it won’t be your desk anymore.”

Author's Response: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I would love to write for the show, but just for a few of the characters. You guys would hate what I did with Jim and Pam.