Nice double play!! Like to see Pam and Karen working as a team (much better than when they're competing for the same man). I wonder was there any significance to the name Joan Collins?

Now for a moment in that middle section I thought you might be heading into super natural territory with the bit about time moving slow. Nice juxtaposition with Karen feeling like time was going fast.

Fun stuff with the turtle and the broom guy and very satisfying end to Cordray, Frank for their crimes. I could almost see the transition to the old time flash bulb into the newsreel scene where Jim gets to see how it all played out - both in the sting and on the ballfield.

Always enjoy a chapter of SW. Keep em coming.

Author's Response:

No real significance to the Joan Collins name. Just wanted something more specific that, "the opposing player, " or similar. 

 Glad you liked how I was able to portray the passage of time. I was trying to get into Pam's head about how the culmination of all this would go down. 

Long ago when Pam and Penny saw a newsreel of the guys, you gave me the idea of the newspaper spinning in. I never forgot that and was glad to bring it in here. Glad you liked it. Thanks for the review.  

Hurray! So glad this is back. And I’m even happier that Major Cordray and Frank got what they deserved!
But wait. Was that Brian the BROOM guy?! GENIUS!
Loved the little Jim snippet at the end
Looking forward to more, hopefully soon!

Author's Response: It was well past time for them to get what they deserved. Yup, that was Brian. Doing the one thing about him that I'm at least kind of okay with. Glad you liked it.

1

Ok, I'm all caught up! Yesterday as I drove past the RAF station I live by I thought of this fic, I had a few chapters to go then and as I drove was thinking of the upcoming big Operation. Interested to see how their plan to try take down Danny goes, seems like it will be kinda complex and risky but hopefully all worth it. So glad that Jim and Pam got to have a reunion though I imagine being apart again is tough after so little time together. I love their ever-growing list of things to do when Jim comes home, it is so sweet. Looking forward to reading what comes next!

Author's Response: I'm glad you were able to get through it all. It's been a lot of fun to add in things from the show or the movie "A League of Their Own," to fill out this story. I'm glad all the effort pays off for you as a reader. I really enjoyed writing that reunion arc. It was fun to give them a chance to re-connect. The anti-Danny operation is going to be great as well. Glad to have you hear for it. 

Always love Pam's letters. They have such clever details like the chaperone being so holier than thou to not allow writing on the Sabbath, her own secret soldier she writes to but mostly Pam's inability to keep an indoor plant alive and the new ones every week. PLus the mention of the typing. Not sure if there was meaning to the batting averages -do fill us in if there was.

Little twist on the Beesly divorce - making the Dad more sympathetic in this tale.

Of course the rest of the chapter with the G-Man (named ed truck of course) posing as reporter and the plans to nail Danny Cordray starting to take shape and that Pam want him to know its her and the ladies is all very entertaining. Looking forward to seeing how it plays out - of course I know we'll be going back to the boys first and looking forward to that too.

Author's Response: Glad you caught all the details in Pam's letter. No real meaning behind the baseball stats. In my research of wartime letter writing civilians and family members were encouraged to include seemingly ordinary details about everyday life to those they were writing to. Thus the inclusion of some stats. 

Thanks for the nod about the Beesly parents divorce. We didn't get a whole lot of information about it in canon directly from William or Helene. A lot of what we got was filtered through Pam or after the fact at Jim and Pam's wedding where Helene was understandably a bit miffed about everything. So I figure there's room for some latitude. 

Yup, Ed Truck shows up. I needed another male figure from canon who wouldn't be overseas and he seemed to fit the bill. It'll be a lot of fun to see how it all plays out. Thanks as always for your constant support of this story.

Will Pam and Penny’s dad find happiness?
I feel bad for him for having to deal with unhinged Helene to being left by her. His story is just as interesting to me as the younger characters.
Also you are actually making like Karen, which is a rare feat.

Author's Response: We'll get there with William, don't worry. I've got a few ideas in mind. Glad you like Karen. It's refreshing to write her as a confidant and friend rather than a foil. Thanks as always for all your comments.

So happy to have an update! This is one of my favorite stories.

Author's Response: Glad to get it up and have you here to read. Thank you.

COLONEL DWIGHT! I am both glad to get to see him again and tickled pink to see him (and Jim and Griff) rising through the ranks. You know, in some ways Canon Dwight really did miss his calling by not joining the military.

The red wire prank seems very appropriate to this setting. And I'm sure Dwight's ground crew appreciated the break while he was chasing it down.

"Besides, who would really want to follow the skeleton man into combat?" The flip side of this is, wouldn't you be absolutely terrified to fight against Gabe, who may well be Death in human form? Good for Griff, though. He's earned it.

"Renaissance Lady" is a heck of a plane name. And Roger Prince sighting! This fic is going to involve literally everyone before it's all over.

The friendly fire section is brutal... especially with Jim having warned them it was coming and having to just silently watch.

Lol at Pete being brain-fried by the picture of Erin. Maybe reconnecting with Erin some is what he needs to get back on track.

The little details of this continue to be terrific... the four oil cans marking the end zone in the football game was great.

I love the work in of their typing speed debate in the letter here!

Really good to have this fic back...

Author's Response: Yeah I kinda had to promote Dwight. In general, if one is a squadron commander, they rate being a Lt. Colonel. A while back I had Dwight getting the nod to that position due to attrition. I figure it just took the Army a while to catch up with the paperwork. I have a feeling canon Dwight tried to get into the military at one point, but since his eyesight is less than perfect, as is his mental state at times, it was probably enough for them to pass. Might also explain some of why he is the way he is, but I digress.

Glad you liked the prank. I'd been wanting to bring that one in for a long time. While Gabe might well be death personified, in general one would rather follow a confident and competent commander rather than a creepy one. I had to dig deep into show lore to find enough military age men to fill out the squadron roster when I was prepping this story way back when, thus bringing in smaller characters like Roger Prince, but good catch on it regardless.

The friendly fire is historically accurate though. It really happened and the 8th Air Force accidentally killed a US General on the ground. War is hell.

Glad you also enjoyed Pete getting kinda gobsmacked by the picture of Erin. I always liked that pairing. More for Erin after she got the run around with some inconsistent guys for a few years. Glad you picked up on all the other details too. Always fun to bring those in. Thanks as ever for your feedback.

LOVED the red wire prank! You reworked it so amazingly!! And then ending it with 'never missed a briefing my ass' was just genius. Very much enjoyed that part with the serious strategy talk, mixed in with so much Office.
Heheh Gabe the skeleton man. No thank you!!
Lovely letter to Pam there, and enjoyed the Morse code bit too hehe
Great job with all the detail here as always, really making us feel part of this world!

Author's Response: I'd been planning on using the red wire prank for a good long while and this seemed like a good place to bring it it. Then I saw the YouTube clip of Dwight rushing in after the Thursday is Friday prank and knew that would be fun too. Glad you liked it. Their letters to each other are always fun to write. Same with the Morse code. Thanks for the review and sticking with me.

1

Yay!
It’s so great to see an update. Roy seems to
have quickly gotten over Pam, which isn’t surprising. Talking about baseball in Jim’s letter is a clever way to say what he is doing in the war, without it being
blocked by the censors. I am curious about what is going on with Pam and Penny’s parents.
They haven’t been mentioned in a while.
Please update soon!
I’ve really been missing this story!

Author's Response: Glad to have it back too. It's always fun diving into this world. Yeah, Roy's working on himself a bit. I think I've also made him a little more mature here than in canon so that helps. The baseball code has always been a lot of fun to use too. We'll check in on Pam and her family next chapter for sure. Thanks for the review.

Okay, I love Michael doing what he thinks is a terrific FDR impression... but I've got to be honest, I shudder to think about who else a 1940s-era Michael might have had in his repertoire. (I imagine a lot of insisting "it's not Hitler, it's Charlie Chaplin in the Little Tramp, so it's not offensive!") And of course he's managed to miss the multiple signs that Frank is hinky. Oh, Michael.

I do love that we're still getting some of his and Pam's friendship here. "Mentally unfit to serve" is perfect. Michael would not have done well at the front.

Ah, I am *very* much looking forward to seeing this plan with Danny play out. And impressed with the ladies for thinking through how they counter his next move, too.

Happy birthday, my friend! May your next year be healthy, happy and prosperous!

Author's Response: Ok so now I'm kicking myself that I didn't catch the opportunity for a Chaplin imitation right from the off. Not only the Little Tramp but from his movie The Great Dictator which was a spoof of Hitler himself. Oh the cringe that could happen there. Michael anywhere near any kind of weaponry? Yeah I'm sure the army saw that a mile away and stamped 4F before he could get out a full sentence.

Glad you're liking the how to take down Danny plot. That's the great thing about working as a team, lots of ideas to see all the angles. Should be fun to see it all come to fruition.

Thank you my friend. For the review and well wishes.

Hurray! I'm so happy there's an update!
Very sweet that Pam is helping Erin to improve, and also that she's drawn the picture of her for Pete.
Amazing that Pam is cozying up to Michael, and Michael is writing a screenplay! Was very funny how he doesn't want it to get leaked.
'Mentally unfit for service' hahaha I laughed so much at this
Love that they're setting up a sting for Danny. CANT WAIT to see how that goes down!
Oh man, I really hope Jim is ok not having written for a month.
Gahhh don't leave us hanging!!

Author's Response: I've said it many times, Pam is a very kind soul and she likes to help people when and where she can. Glad you liked those parts of her helping Erin out. I knew I wanted to steal the scene on the bus from ALOTO where Jimmy explains why he's not in the army, but with Michael this time around. I figure he tried to enlist but the army took one look at him and stamped 4F (unfit for service) about as quickly as they could. It's great fun to advance the taking Danny down plot too. Glad you liked it. Thanks for the review and for being so patient with me.

Wow, this was a great chapter. I loved all of the interactions between Jim and Roy. It’s so clever how you changed all the Pam and Roy interactions ‘we’re not dating we’re engaged’, ‘we both made bad choises’, etc. to be between Roy and Jim.
I really liked the thoughts Roy was having about how he screwed up with Pam, you can see he’s growing, just hasn’t done it in time to win Pam back.
And now this is where I get on my hands and knees to beg you to finish this story!!!!

Author's Response: It was a lot of fun to repurpose all those lines from canon. Same with letting Roy grow some. He may make a good target, but it's also satisfying to see him mature. I'll do my best to get another update ASAP.