Date: February 08, 2022 09:10 am Title: Mixed Up
Love love love that Jim refers to that as ‘Butterfly Day’, nice use of the script there :)
Michael hair plugs are amazing, so great you put that little detail in there that his hair changed so much between seasons.
Keep meaning to say, Jim calling Roy What his face is just genius.
Love how the mixtape is connected to all the bonus gifts in the teapot. Very clever
Author's Response: "Butterfly Day" is a favorite of mine too. Glad you caught the lines from the scripts and all the other details. I enjoyed figuring out songs for the Bonus Gifts.
Date: February 08, 2022 08:04 am Title: Recovery
Great boggle timer backstory here! Possibly the most intense I’ve read, but it was really great.
Pam’s internal thoughts are interesting here. She knows she loves Jim and is trying to reallocate them to be brotherly feelings.
Glad she shut Roy out there. That guy is just awful.
Nice work with this one!
Author's Response: The whole "Jim in the hospital" arc was just an overly detailed backstory for the Boggle timer. Pam's thoughts are all over the place true. She'll need some more time though. Yeah, Roy's not great for sure.
Date: February 08, 2022 07:44 am Title: ROSC
A great continuation from the last chapter. Very happy Jim is out of the woods now. Hope we meet Ethan again in this fic!
Author's Response: Thank you. I was never going to kill of Jim in this story. Don't worry. Yes, we'll see Ethan again later in the fic.
Date: February 08, 2022 07:39 am Title: Class 1
Wow, this was an intense chapter, but with everything you write, there’s so much detail that a) I feel like I’m there and b) I learn something new
Ethan sounds like a stand up guy :)
Author's Response: Not going to lie, Ethan is my self-insert in this story. Glad you liked the descriptions of everything. Unlike TV or movies, that's about how it goes in an ideal situation.
Date: February 08, 2022 07:29 am Title: Shot to the Heart
Woahhh didn’t see that coming!! Jim hope you’re ok.
Loved the advice from Larissa there. The sisters in this fic are very wise.
Hilarious callback to Jim not being allowed in his parents room. Great work
Author's Response: Like I said earlier, it's fun to fill in the blanks from pre-camera stuff. Sorry about the shock (pun intended) there at the end.
Date: February 08, 2022 05:05 am Title: Murals and Marriage
Come on Pam, every sign not to marry him is there! Pastor Dan had some wise words there
Author's Response: She's deep into her denial phase at this point. Denying what she wants, what Roy is really like, and how great Jim is for her. She'll get there though.
Date: February 08, 2022 04:22 am Title: The New Jamie
Eugh Roy you’re the worst. Well, Packer is worse but come on Roy!
Jim to the rescue, oh he’s so good.
Come on Pam, you know you want to be with Jim. Penny knows, we know, you know too!
And again, so close with naming the toy!!! 😬😬
Author's Response: Unlike those other two clods, Jim pays attention to Pam and knows when to get her out of a situation. Glad you liked it.
Date: February 08, 2022 03:29 am Title: Mini-Golf
Mini golf was a lot of fun, but the stand out from this chapter was definitely Dwight’s blue ball. Amazing.
And she almost said her name used to be Morgan!!!! So so close!
Author's Response: Ditto again.
Date: February 08, 2022 03:29 am Title: Mini-Golf
Mini golf was a lot of fun, but the stand out from this chapter was definitely Dwight’s blue ball. Amazing.
And she almost said her name used to be Morgan!!!! So so close!
Author's Response: I enjoyed writing this chapter too. Building up the friendship they very clearly share. They'll come close to figuring things out quite a bit. *evil laugh*
Date: February 08, 2022 02:47 am Title: The Zone
Ooof they’re so close to finding out, I can feel it!
The first prank was a lot of fun, seems like Pam enjoyed herself too!
Like that you got that awkward photo of Jim and Dwight in there :)
Author's Response: There's a decent amount of backstory to be found in canon for events pre-camera. It's fun to fill in those details.
Date: February 08, 2022 02:22 am Title: The Zone
Ooof they’re so close to finding out, I can feel it!
The first prank was a lot of fun, seems like Pam enjoyed herself too!
Author's Response: Ditto
Date: February 08, 2022 02:02 am Title: New Beginning
Very cute how Pam was so flustered meeting Jim. And of course she doesn’t remember meeting him she couldn’t see!
The lunch was sweet, and I loved that pick up line!
Great use of questions from Dwight there to set up that future cold open!!
Author's Response: I wanted their first day together to be angst free and also sow the seeds of the connection they share together. Called you liked the lines with Dwight too.
1 [Report This]Date: February 08, 2022 01:46 am Title: A Lot of Reasons
Oh I loved this chapter. The whole proposal thing makes so much sense as to how it could really have e happened. Roy’s response to Pam being pregnant seemed just so Roy and his idea of marriage to then just fix it. But what with the porn and the pawn…shop ring, just get our of there Pam!
I’m so happy she was reunited with the picture of Jamie, just in time to meet Jim!
And Pastor Dan! He must be pretty old now if he’s the same one from Silver Wings! Love it!
Author's Response: Pam said on Beach Day there were a lot of reasons to call off her wedding but none mattered till she met Jim. I wanted to bring in what some of those reasons were. I was also glad she got her picture back after a couple hard chapters. And no that's not the same Pastor Dan as in Silver Wings. I just re-used the name is all.
1 [Report This]Date: February 07, 2022 10:41 pm Title: Looking Ahead
Ahh you can already see how Jim was so passionate about the sports marketing company in his pitch there. Great job with his speech.
Larissa is so wise!
I’m trying to figure out what MFA12 means now!!
Author's Response: Jim's had dreams too. They just got stalled for a good long while. MAF12 = Morgan ArtFan12. Until now the only names he knew Pam(Morgan) by.
1 [Report This]Date: February 07, 2022 08:51 pm Title: Fractured
Oh poor Pam, on all sides there. You’ve captured it so well how Roy would have just gone on and on, but the death of his father then adds the reasoning why she gave up her dreams and did what made Roy happy. Nice job
Author's Response: I wanted to really give Roy a reason why mentally he stalled after high school. So, a hard chapter for sure, for both him and Pam, but I think it fits.
1 [Report This]Date: February 07, 2022 08:28 pm Title: First Meeting
Star Fox at the beginning was fun :)
Bless Jim for being so hung up on Pam already!
And funny how they’ve both changed their names at the same time
Author's Response: Star Fox 64 is still a favorite game of mine. Yup they change their names at the same time. Could it be they're meant for each other?
1 [Report This]Date: February 07, 2022 03:07 pm Title: First Meeting
I couldn’t help myself, I just had to start it. Already off to a super cute start. Jamie and Morgan both seem adorable. Just wish the hockey date wasn’t happening!
Author's Response: Welcome to this one too. This one is canon compliant so expect some angst here and there. But it's also a lot of fun. Looking forward to your thoughts here too.
Date: June 04, 2021 12:55 pm Title: Epilogue
So horse tranquilizer was how they got Michael to behalf. Hmmm. Ethan's a good guy to have around in a pinch.
Ha, I didn't even think of how Pam *did* get to marry her high school sweetheart after all in this universe. Fun!
Author's Response: In a high enough dose Ketamine can tranquilize a horse. We don't carry anywhere near that amount in an ambulance, but Micheal doesn't need to know that now does he? >:)
Pam getting to marry her REAL high school sweetheart was always a goal of this fic so it was fun to bring that about.
Thanks for all the reviews. It really means a lot that people still go back, read, and enjoy this story.
Date: June 04, 2021 12:55 pm Title: The Hunt
Whoa. You packed a lot of references into this one - I feel like I'm going to need to go back through the story to make sure I didn't miss a bunch more.
I thought this journey through their past was really well done, and balanced canon well with the history created within this universe. I was particularly thrilled to see him actually getting to thank the folks who saved his life, instead of hanging out with Karen in the parking lot not noticing they were there. AND HE GOT HIS HEART PLUSHIE BACK. That was a healing moment.
The Tommy reference in the mall scene was much appreciated.
I'm glad we finally have a fic that immortalizes Space Jam. I can die in peace now.
Jim reflexively doing the wind sprints seems very in character. Guess his coach's life lessons did come in handy. Maybe he could have stood to listen to them a little more. AND HE GOT HIS C.
Pam executed the reveal really well. I have to admit in Jim's shoes I might have had another heart attack on the spot. I guess he's in better shape.
Well, anyhow. I thought this was a lovely way to mostly wrap this one up. It's been a fun journey, and I think a well-executed version of a genre I'm often fairly skeptical of.
Author's Response: Glad you liked this chapter. It was a ton of fun to get it all out there. Putting in all the references from throughout the story was really fun too. Point of order even if Ethan had washed out Jim's eyes that day in the parking lot, Jim still wouldn't have remembered him. He was unresponsive the entire time the crew of Medic 4 was treating him. From experience it would be hard for Ethan to remember too. After so many calls, faces tend to blur together a lot. But yeah it was a nice moment for him to get his heart plushie back.
Jim was a basketball player in the late 90's. How could I NOT put in a Space Jam reference. It's pretty much obligatory as far as I'm concerned.
Glad you liked the final reveal. It's another one of my favorite scenes. The journey to get to this point was a mix of ups and downs, but it all came around in the end.
Date: May 31, 2021 09:00 pm Title: Memorial Day and Beyond
I see some Whiskey Sunday influence coming through here… but let’s get to the main event.
After all this time, the stink bombs play a critical role in reuniting Jamie and Morgan? Really? That’s comic genius.
I think I’m going to end up capping this at 11 near-misses – I thought about calling it 12, but I think the stink bomb ended up being integral to her discovering the shoebox Larissa saved, so I’m declaring it all one incident.
It’s lovely to be reminded that they really have been a comfort to each other on so many levels for so many years. And I thought this was well worth the wait – appropriately circular, bringing back a lot of moments from their shared past both as Jamie and Morgan and Jim and Pam. Looking forward to seeing what’s in store for Jim’s side of the reveal…
Author's Response: This chapter predates Whiskey Sunday by quite a bit, but not my love of the drink. But still fun. It's like what Gerald said, scent is tied to long term memory, thus the stink bomb trigger her Jamie memories.
Really glad you liked how Pam found out about Jamie. It was a lot of fun to write that and it's still one of my favorite scenes of this story. You're right, a lot of things have come full circle. As for how Jim finds out? Well I won't spoil anything, but I hope you've been paying attention. Thanks as always.
Date: May 31, 2021 08:30 pm Title: Clearing the Air
I love the playfulness of Jim and Pam finally at this moment – they’re still able to mess around even as they take their relationship to the next level.
Hey, the long-awaited Near Miss #11! Feels *very* close, but I guess I get how Jim didn’t necessarily associate that story with Morgan. Not quite used to seeing things through her perspective, but jeez, guys – you’re SO CLOSE TO FIGURING IT OUT. You’re actually talking about the possibility, just ask the next question! Argh, these two. Even when they’re together, they’re crazy-making.
Oooof. Jim has had a lot of romantic misadventures in this universe. I absolutely buy him having called Katy by the wrong name at some point. It’s an interesting take on Karen – she really comes through as just a bad fit for Jim in Jamie and Morgan land. Really take charge, but also completely unable to hear what she’s being told, not all that invested in Jim as he is as she is in what she sees he could be. (Although I appreciate you squeezing an Ann Perkins reference in there.)
I agree that they needed to have this conversation before going much further. There's just a lot of STUFF weighing on them right now, and it has to be very much on both of their minds.
Author's Response: Jim and Pam being best friends and being able to play with each other is one of the best parts of their relationship. After everything they've gone through I would think that being able to restart that part of their relationship would be one of the best ways to start the healing process.
Yes, another near miss. I couldn't help myself, it was just to much fun to throw in one more. Thanks for keeping count of them all by the way.
Yeah, once Jim met Pam, no other girl or woman would really hold a candle to her. Try as he might there's only one woman for Jim and that's Pam. Yeah, it's an interesting take on Karen. I was still trying to figure out her character and also add something unique to my story with her. Which is also were the Park and Rec reference comes in too. Good catch.
So yeah, now they're open and honest with each other. Are really working on healing, and thus they're both in a really good place for new information about each other.
Date: May 31, 2021 07:46 pm Title: Refining Fire
Hey, Ethan’s back! Some more insightful looks into the lives of paramedics here. That call with the young woman who was murdered is deeply haunting.
We definitely skipped over a lot of significant moments between scenes in The Negotiation, didn’t we? Roy made a huge leap in between getting pepper sprayed and returning to see Pam again, and while I think we can guess what happened there pretty well, it’s great to see some of the gaps get filled in.
Not counting this as a near miss either, but it’s kind of hilarious that Pam puts her glasses on and recognizes *someone* in the context of this story. (Also, Pam, in a certain sense he probably has quite a few treatments in that ambulance for a broken heart.) And it’s always fun seeing Dwight dealing with someone with actual authority.
I will freely admit, I did not see Penny and Ethan’s fire metaphors building up to the coalwork until it actually started happening, which I feel silly about now. You laid the groundwork for that well. And I like this version of their between-scene dialogue, and the idea that Pam had genuinely found a certain amount of calm and acceptance by The Job. I like this version of Pam who has genuinely gotten where she needs to be over the course of Season 3.
Author's Response: Glad you liked the return of Ethan. He's a fun character to be sure. Yes that young woman who was murdered was and still is a haunting call. Thus some of the strategies that I/Ethan use to get past hard calls like those.
Filling in the gaps is a lot of fun. I get the feeling that Roy was kind of stunned to be fired and also that no one was pressing charges, which is why he was a lot more calm there at the end when he asked Pam for one last coffee.
Ethan putting Dwight firmly in his place was just a ton of fun. Dwight is mostly bluster and it can be very satisfying to take the wind out of the sails of people like that.
I think both Pam and Jim were finally ready for each other after the events of Beach Day. Pam especially. She had a lot of self-discovery to do but like I kind of alluded to it burned off a lot of her baggage and made her an even better match for Jim. Really glad that came across.
Date: May 31, 2021 06:18 pm Title: Visitors
It's also just now occurring to me there are a bunch of thematic callbacks here - Jim thinking he's protecting Pam by not speaking up, Jim needing to accept the consequences of his decision.
Author's Response: Also good catches with those too.
Date: May 31, 2021 04:21 pm Title: Visitors
Dark days indeed. I wonder a lot about what this summer would have been like for him in the eyes of the rest of his social connections. I think you got the note of shame involved right – this is not a story he’s going to be eager to tell anyone, which is going to deny him some perspective he maybe needed at this juncture.
(Also, sorry, Gerald, I’m with him. Roy is what’s-his-name forever. I get that this is supposed to be a message about Jim needing to act maturely, but I think we can give him that.)
I do appreciate them acknowledging that this was a big, important step he took even as they remind him he was never going to be able to control the outcome, and he has to live with that. Sort of an interesting twist here – this clearly very needed psychological intervention ends up by total coincidence completely setting him off course. Would he have shredded the letter if he hadn’t gotten this very sensible advice?
Good on you, Larissa. I have a sneaking suspicion that box *may* come back up on this story.
Nice to see Jim’s crowning as Big Tuna. And what a great first impression he made on Karen! Casts a sharply different light on why she’s so irritated at him at the beginning of Season 3.
Whelp, the near miss count is supposed to be a near-miss of them finding out they’re Jamie and Morgan, so I guess the counter remains at 10. But jeez, him happening to get the letter before he sets up his email stings.
Author's Response: Yeah, Jim's not at his best here. He's very much wallowing in his own self-pity. Thus the intervention and tough love from people who love him. I think he probably would have still shredded the letter. She rejected him twice after all, at least to his mind. He's been badly hurt and it's still pretty raw.
Since I already know how far you are on this story, yup, good catch with Larissa there.
So yeah, hard times right now, but there are brighter days ahead.
Date: May 31, 2021 03:59 pm Title: Choosing to Move
It is so deeply in-character for Roy that at this last date, having been repeatedly chastised for it recently, KNOWING that Pam isn’t happy with him… he *still* can’t stop calling her Pammy. He’s just too much in his own head to consider anyone’s needs but his own. I do like the touch that Pam’s parents seem to be able to chastise him effectively, very in keeping with his stage of arrested development, as is his frantic bargaining once he accepts that she’s serious.
“The day after you said you thought you were pregnant, I didn’t go back on saying I’d marry you.” Yikes, Roy.
You can almost feel a little bad for him here. I mean, he’s clearly in the wrong, but he’s also in way over his head, dealing with someone who has given this a lot of thought he hasn’t, and hasn’t given him much of an indication that this was coming. On the other hand, given the way he reacts and how he takes her criticisms, it’s not clear that it would have been possible for this to *not* come as a surprise to him. He really needed the scales ripped from his eyes – they weren’t going to fall on their own.
It’s also striking thinking about this with his Season 9 evolution in mind. It may well be that losing Pam was the wake-up call he needed… he just needed a while for it to sink in that he’d actually lost Pam.
I thought you used Jim well here too – she doesn’t need to make the contrast explicit, even in her own mind. But it keeps popping up regardless.
Roy makes it partway through the stages of grieving and then reverts, doesn’t he? Denial, bargaining, anger… and then somehow right back to denial and bargaining, which is where we find him in canon.
There are many life lessons to be learned from the Lion King, people should know that.
THE SKETCH IS IN HER PICTURE FRAME.
Author's Response: Yeah Roy at this point is just kind of there. Not really thinking about much of anything other than keeping his status quo. I do feel a little bad for him here too, but at the same time because of his inattention he let Pam slip through his fingers. Had he not I'm not sure she would have had the feelings for Jim she did. So yeah this is the big moment that finally starts Roy to stop acting like a teenager and start to man up. He's got some growth to do for sure, but this is a starting point.
I fully agree about the Lion King. And yes the sketch is now in a position of honor for her where she doesn't have to hide it or anything.