“Karen gives her a look of disbelief. ‘You?’ Then she shakes her head. ‘As if you’d come up with something like this.’ (Like what, Pam thinks?) ‘I know you’re his friend, but you don’t have to do this for him.’”

I’m just gonna say it. Karen’s a bitch.

Like, I can understand why she would be upset. Andy broke the computer. But Pam literally had nothing else to do because Karen won’t let her join in.

Also? I hate how she thinks Pam is so incompetent. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; she’s an idiot. If there’s spelling errors, I’m sorry. I’m literally shaking, I’m so mad at her(Karen).

What happened to not making excuses for Karen? Why won’t she tell Jim what happened? Obviously he’d be mad, since Karen threatened to fire Pam(over nothing, in my opinion) but it’s not her job to sort out their relationship. She said that before.

GOD

BlindManCassidy

Author's Response:

Haha, sorry - I didn't mean make her quite so hateable. (Well, only a bit). To be fair, Pam is also feeling guilty at this point because the prank was her idea, and she encouraged Jim to do it. So she wasn't going to let him take the fall for that.

I will also say that Karen may have taken something out of that conversation with Pam that Pam didn't entirely pick up on...

Thanks so much for reviewing!   

1

First of all, Ryan is a giant prick. Basscop, if you could, could you write me into the story so I could punch him? Because I really want to. Also, I cannot wait for Karen finding out about Pam and Jim because the belittling of Pam from her is absurd. It’s like she thinks Pam is incapable of anything remotely smart. I can’t wait to see Karen’s smug little smile get wiped off her face. And I gotta say, I love how you made Karen like this in the story. It is so different from canon. In canon, Karen is always on guard to watch Jim and Pam because she knows Pam is a threat. But here she has no clue and it is very refreshing. I cannot wait for the engagement party. I have feeling that it is going to be the climax and something big is going to happen. Still loving the story.

Author's Response:

Hahaha that would be something to see! Poor Ryan. Well, not really. I am really enjoying writing Karen like this, lol. I will say that she might be starting to get a bit more wary shortly, at least about Pam. 

Really glad to hear you're still loving it! And I hope the engagement party delivers, gulp. Although I can't confirm whether it's going to be the climax of the story...  

Thanks so much for reviewing! :)  

Nice to see Jim and Pam in pranking form again. They really are just great with each other and you wrote that well. The longing they both have for each other is right there too. Together they light up. Apart they're lost. If Karen is trying to not show favoritism she's almost got the opposite problem now. Coming down hard on just one person while not doing the same to others, especially one you're in a relationship with seems as dangerous but more subtly so.

Yeah, that's the pre-anger management Andy we knew from canon.

Pam falling on her sword there was really interesting to see. She wants what's best for Jim so she'll deflect any blame to her.

Looking forward to the engagment party part of this though.

Author's Response:

Thank you! I really enjoyed writing the prank haha. I felt like they needed a bit of fun after all the angst. And yes, Karen's tactic is slightly backfiring on her... 

I sort of miss pre-anger management Andy, lol. And the Dwight/Andy rivalry.

Engagement party will be coming up in the next chapter :) Thanks so much for reviewing!  

This is so freaking heartbreaking! I can't wait for Jim to wake up one day and realize he and Karen aren't right for each other.

Loved the update!

Author's Response: Thanks so much, I’m really pleased to hear that! (Despite the heartbreak, lol). 

The details were really good here – you found a lot of really poignant small symbols of the life they’ve shared together and how they’re breaking it part. Jim clinging to the idea of having a storage space together, Pam crying as she sees him making the turnoff to Stamford. It’s a really clear glimpse into two people who are at the end of their rope emotionally (and one is refusing to look in the face the fact that he’s making a mistake). The “he has the horrible thought that he started too late and there may be things he’d not even realised would be the last time” is bracing and really true.

I’m glad Isabel is there for Pam – and intrigued by Pam’s honest moment with her about missing Jim.

The bowl broke and my heart broke too.

Author's Response:

Thank you so much, that’s lovely to hear :) apart from the broken bowl/heart, haha. Sorry about that.

Thanks so much for reviewing!  

Jim do you not understand why you are sobbing? I know you may not realize your feelings for Pam but when you sob when you just moved in with your girlfriend, that’s a bad thing. I have no experience with that but I think it’s not what is supposed to happen. So maybe you should just think about your feelings and just break up with Karen for once and for all.

Author's Response: Haha he will get there, I promise. Thanks so much for reviewing!

I liked the light notes of Pam being intimidated by Karen here and the awkward encounter with Ryan (who *clearly* thinks he has another shot, silly boy). But again it was Karen's attitude towards Pam that really caught my attention. The Andy thing was striking, and I feel like there's a potentially deadly conflict looming for Jim and Karen over her putting Pam in the receptionist job. I'm not sure he's going to put up with the level of disrespect Karen seems likely to show her on a regular basis. (Also, Karen being overjoyed at Pam moving in w/Isabel. Lol).

The ending was strong and did a lot of work and locating Pam's joy at moving forward and their tentativeness about each other and the history behind it. I also think the reminder that even though they're still going to be sharing a lot of their life they're losing the home they've built together was really important - this is less of an adjustment than it was going to be, but it's still gigantic. The sort of thing that HOPEFULLY MAKES PEOPLE THINK ABOUT THINGS HINT HINT JIM AND PAM.

Author's Response:

Thanks very much! So I will say that having the three of them in the office together may have some consequences that Karen didn’t quite envision... 

And haha, Jim and Pam say they have registered your hint, and will endeavour to think about thinking about things. Maybe. 

Thanks for reviewing! :)  

I forgot about the fact Ryan is also at Stamford now too. Seems like he's still interested, but the way they left things, not so much with Pam. Good for you Pam. You don't need an opportunistic guy that's surprised you'd even be there in your life.

At least Jim has the guts to finally tell Pam it was his idea about the job. We'll count that as some kind of progress.

Still lots of tension between Jim and Karen. I'm not sure how much longer they'll really be together if that all stays in place.

Author's Response:

Oh yes, Ryan’s still there...and yes, small progress for Jim! And the Karen/Jim tension will continue to mount :D

Thanks so much for reviewing!  

Ugh cmon Jim!!!!
(I love how you've put the gun on his head finally, for him making half bake decisions all his life, and it also hurts that he's in such a messed up space, I wanna hug him. But this time Karen's really got a point and I'm glad you chose to have this balance)
Both Jim/Iz and Pam/Mark conversations were really well written. I'm hoping for a reunion soon!!!
Jim just being drunk and calling Karen for Pam has my heart. Again, you've shown this amazing complexity of emotions where he is so blindsided with the idea of just protecting Pam that he doesn't even account for this feelings for her.
This is turning into a roller coaster!!!!! Cannot wait for more.

Author's Response:

Thanks so much! And yes haha, I do think Karen has a point here, despite also feeling sorry for Jim. He is a huge mess. And I'm really glad to hear that about the Jim/Iz and Pam/Mark conversation, thank you :) They're a lot of fun to write. I can also confirm a reunion will be coming... 

Thanks! 

Omg!!! This is beautifully wrttien. The pain of leaving each other which they are hiding by being supportive-- ugh! And it all makes so much more sense and is so much more painful, now that we know the past. SO CLOSE!
Jim getting inspired by Phyllis has my heart. Him going to just see her, has my whole heart. And yet again, circumstances happen. You are nailing this!!!

Author's Response: Thank you so much!! That's really lovely to read :) And yes haha, I had to have a bit of Phyllis in there, she's one of my other faves. Thanks! 

Another meaty chapter!

Jim’s gambit to just flat-out bring Pam with him to Stamford was sweet, in a “WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE DUMMY” sort of way. He just really can’t bear the idea of leaving her alone. (Also, I love the idea of Pam ending up as the Dunder Mifflin receptionist after all.)

Interestingly, I found myself liking Karen a tiny bit more here. In part because it comes through plainly that Jim’s go-along-to-get-along-not-really-talking-about-issues-when-they-come-up-so-passive-he’s-barely-aware-he’s-resisting-passive-resistance thing can be thoroughly difficult to deal with. I mean, she’s still condescending and superior and was far too angry about Jim suggesting that she hire Pam, and the fact that she can’t remember the name “Chili’s” just feels passive aggressive, but still. She must feel like she’s having to intuit what she’s thinking and take the initiative to deal with it constantly, and here she’s getting snapped at for literally giving him what he asked for.

(Although again, whatever Karen says or even thinks she’s doing, feels an awful lot like this is her reacting to the idea of Jim going to see Isabel. *Pam from dinner party voice* His long-lost lover.)

Isabel *and* Mark in the same chapter? Bless your soul. And they’re clearly coordinating, too (I’m going to go ahead and predict they’re up to something with the engagement party). Sorry Sara, #Misabel4LYFE. I appreciate Isabel’s level of frustration here. She and Mark both presumably feel like they’re having flashbacks. Clearly only the amount of time between her seeing Jim is keeping her from grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him, and he could use her no-bullshit attitude at this moment.

I like the choice to have Pam’s dad moving on here – their lives were set so off course by her mom’s death, and now she can see him start to move on, and it feels as if maybe could help give her the push she needs to do the same.

Author's Response:

Thanks very much! Yeah, I felt like Jim some needed people in his life to point out how frustrating he's being...he is a mess. Turns out it's hard to do a Something Borrowed/Pam pining after a taken Jim storyline without having Jim be just a little bit useless occasionally. But it's all coming from the right place. And hehe, his long-lost lover. It's a sort of Isabel-is-the-catalyst-for-Karen-realising-she-needs-to-take-Jim-seriously situation, and the fact that the solution to that also ensures Pam's around to stop anything happening between Jim and Isabel is just a convenient side bonus. 

And lol, Misabel4LYFE! So they are definitely up to trying to work out what the hell Jim and Pam's problem is...

Thanks so much for reviewing! :)  

Basscop... Why are you the way that you are?

Honestly!!! Give these two a break! It's incredible the miscommunication between them! Hahaha, and it's weird because this time I agree with Karen. Jim told her to give Pam a chance for the job, and she did it! It's his fault because he can be honest with nobody!

Anyway... As always amazing chapter! Looking forward for more of this story!

Author's Response: Haha - sorry. Thanks so much though, really glad to hear you're enjoying it! :) And yeah, I'm also slightly more team Karen on this one...although to be fair, her motives are not entirely selfless. Thanks for the review!