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Great start! Love this! Can't wait for more. Thank you for sharing.

Author's Response: Thanks for reading and reviewing! Glad you liked it.

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Sam! I’m so glad to see you back with another story!

Fact: your Dwight is perfect in these opening passages.

“even Pam knows more about his family than she does, for God’s sakes, and she’s the person he seems to have the least connection with here.” Oh Karen... This premise seems like it’s really going to end poorly for Karen. Especially if we’re at a point in S3 where she has no clue as to the significance of Pam...

Okay, all your supporting characters are perfect. The scene in the break room with Karen sharing Jim’s ramblings. Your Michael, Oscar and Creed are truly the best.

“She feels like a new exhibit” I love this line you blend here of Karen being very perceptive and completely missing the truth of what is actually going on.

“We told you...” This feels spot on. I can picture Karen feeling isolated from her previous friends for exactly this reason.

You’re building far more of a backstory for Karen than we ever really see here, both in canon and in fic. You’ve certainly painted a picture of her upbringing that adds both a little sympathy for her and an understanding of why she would want so hard for it to work with Jim (& not mirror one of her mother’s “failures”)

“It’s like everyone is looking after her” It kind of warms my heart that Karen has picked up on this. Scranton is a family - a dysfunctional family, but a family nonetheless.

“PAM! Lock yourself in the bathroom!” Oh. Oh. Oh. I love-hate this so hard. You’ve really built up some sympathy for Karen here, so it hurts a little to have Jim not even recognize her. Of course, the fair more dominant JAM part of my brain is delighted at the turn this has taken...

“Yeah, I fucking object” I love delusional Jim. I love him so very much.

This chapter, this premise, was just a delight. I’m so looking forward to seeing how Pam reacts!

Author's Response:

Many thanks, Jenna - it's good to be back. And also many thanks for your kind review!

We learned so little about who Karen was or she was about, that it feels like there's a wide rang of potential backstories about who she really is. On the show, I felt bad for her, but I struggled to warm to her or understand why that character would follow a guy she didn't know to a place that doesn't seem to be a fit for her. It didn't make sense to me, and I suppose I felt I ought to try to give her some context. If that makes sense.

Glad you liked it.