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I saw the update for The Love You Gave and wanted to refresh myself on this one first
So clever how you’ve weaved AU and canon together!!
Looking forward to the next part!

Author's Response: Thank you so much!

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I liked the Monologe as you're calling it. Really fun to see Pam and Jim together like that. All the different 'what if's' bouncing around in her mind seems very appropriate. A lot has changed in a short time. Having thoughts about how it might have gone different seems real. Penny was a lot of fun too.

This AU version of the episode was fun too. Especially when you were able to get the line from The Job in there months early. Loved that. Good for Pam to tell Roy about things. She's getting more steel in her spine and I love that.

All of Jim's thoughts before it's announced he's heading back were really good. His turn to bounce things around. Especially considering the feelings of betrayal you've got him going through here. Great way to expand on the episode.

Now really looking forward to seeing Jim and Pam back together but for S3 this time around. Well done.

Author's Response:

Wow, appreciate the compliments!

Pam overthinking everything is very in-character, so her analyzing the lyrics like this made sense, even though I wasn't sure about it at first.  And Penny!  Loved exploring her and what their dynamic could be like.

I actually planned on Roy learning about them earlier in the episode from someone else, but 1) it didn't fit with the plot here, and 2) I ended up preferring this version because Pam's the one breaking it to him; with Jim coming back, she doesn't feel the need to prevent Roy from knowing and spare his feelings, which is a step forward.

It helped that Krasinski and Esten's acting in that scene gave me so much to work with, on top of the fact that Jim's still pissed about both his and Porter's actions, even after he moves back (that'll be addressed briefly next chapter).  He was already scrambling after the Staples reveal in-canon, but adding a whole new layer of "We're screwed" was fun to write.  Made that ending moment after he accepts the position that much more satisfying.

I've yet to write any of Chapter 8 (neither monologue nor "The Merger").  I have to focus on other priorities at this moment, though I should get back to this soon enough and I'm excited to see where to go with it.

Thanks for the review, as always! 

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You touched on some interesting ways in which starting their relationship not too long after Casino Night would've changed things. Pam still has a *ton* to figure out about what she wants from the rest of her life aside from Jim at this moment, and she's still wrestling with the monumental decision she's made to leave Roy. I love this gentle moment of Jim helping her work her way through it. It's nice to think of her having someone there for that breakdown. (And thank you for trolling Ryan here.) I'm looking forward to seeing you explore that more.

The recurring bit of Michael respecting all cultures and walks of life was funny.

I thought you did a good job recontextualizing Jim's actions in this episode - why he's so willing to drink, for instance - and building out the struggles of their long distance relationship. I like that they're trying to work through it together. Her showing up at his door at the end is a really fun new take on the standard Diwali fix-it fic.

Jonathan! He's an old fave. (Girl7 is, as far as I can tell, his inventor, and her stories are well worth checking out if you haven't gotten to them yet.)

Author's Response:

Many thanks!  Yeah, that breakdown would've happened anyway, but having Jim there really does bring her peace.  It's moments like that I'm exploring here, because Casino Night still would've been "The Night That Changed Everything" even if they'd gotten together, and I wanted to explore how.

Don't get me wrong, despite my feelings on the episode, there were some bits I just loved writing, and Michael respecting all cultures was just too good to not reuse.

Since this is just under a week before Stamford's closing (there's a timeline I'm making for this), I wanted to crescendo the long-distance thing with this chapter; they're getting impatient, antsy, and desperate, and when the next Tuesday rolls around, they'll really start to panic.  But it won't last for long.

I'll check some of Girl7's stuff out, since there is *a lot* of this site I have yet to cover.  Thanks for the recs, and the review, as always! 

I like that Jim and Pam take the time to really talk things out. They need it. Same with the commitment to stay honest with each other. Sets a good foundation for things.

Fun to get some perspective and thoughts of what people were thinking during the episode portions.

The package, letter, and call between Jim and Pam at the end was fun too.

Author's Response:

Appreciate the compliments!

As I've said, this is pretty much wish fulfillment, and Jim and Pam talking things out is something we've never seen (though it has happened off camera) and I wanted to see that, just make it a year early.  And oh yeah, it's necessary for things to come.

Like I said, I loved writing those perspectives.  I try to not make it too bloated (again, love me some character studies) but right now I'm just setting up for things to come, which is necessary through these sections.

It was a ton of fun.  I enjoyed translating the call in Jim's letter, makes it less sad.  *Less*.

Thanks for the review! 

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I love the banter here about going steady and Jim’s eagerness about the prospect of her having brought an overnight bag. Too bad the moment is interrupted by cruel, CRUEL reality.

The pro-cons list was very sweet and felt like the sort of thing Jim would do. And it is nice to see them TALKING about these things openly and honestly for a change, especially with the burden of a long distance relationship ahead of them.

One thing I would say – on the ground rules list, it’s a little unclear who is saying what at times? It’s understandable, but it definitely took a little work. This is an area where it might be worth doing a little more formatting to set off different people “speaking.”

Oh, Toby. Could’ve been worse, I guess – a lot of potential for embarrassment with him having that conversation with Pam with Jim not present.

This is an interesting twist on Grief Counseling, because obviously Pam’s in a MUCH different place here and the Pam-Roy storyline is presumably headed in a very different direction – the underlying sense of grief has been shifted from one of them to the other.

Oh, poor Karen. Tough day. Although good news for her: her days isn’t nearly as tough as the day of the person whose dialogue she’s giving, and she’s probably a lot better off with Jim disappointing here in Grief Counseling than in The Job. Kinda catching a break there.

I appreciate how supportive David Wallace is here!

Author's Response:

Yeah, life's a bitch.  But they'll be fine!  I figured if I'm gonna have this whole long-distance thing be the central theme, them keeping anything from each other would mean them falling apart again, and this story ain't about that life. Glad you enjoyed the list, it was a joy to write.

Valid point on the formatting.  It was difficult to find fonts that were distinct enough so you could tell them apart AND are available with this software.  I'll see what I can do.  Maybe add some more dialogue at each bullet point like I did the others.

Yeah, poor guy.  He'll gain some perspective, though.  I have a plan for him (which is basically just his monologue).

Exactly, and that's what came to me as I was writing this.  Roy's inability to let go is intimidating to Pam, and it makes her uncomfortable because *she's* letting go, and is getting closer to completely letting go as well.  He's trying to pull her back in, and considering he doesn't know about Halpert yet, that makes things worse.

I look at it this way: This isn't Jim leaving Karen heartbroken at a fountain.  This is Jim politely telling her the truth.  This, in turn, doesn't make her hate his guts like in canon, because 1) they don't start dating and *remain* dating, and 2) it makes her respect him a lot more as someone that is both honest and faithful.  This story has a lot of that: rippin' those Band-Aids off nice and quick.  Now that she's free to go her own journey, it'll be better for her in the long run, and I have big plans for her.

My boy David out here being a kind-hearted and understanding person.  He's always been a sweetheart, and I'm glad he's at least supporting them, despite his reservations.  (Y'know, because of what happens later this season.)

Thanks for the review, as always! 

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Nice way to get their relationship off to a good start I think. Rather than just forge ahead blindly they have clear expectations of everything. That was nice to see.

The episode plotline was refreshingly similar to the show. Nice job in including a lot of those kinds of things. However the changes were nice to. Jim not realizing he's being charming seems to fit. Good for Pam have him talk to Karen. Yes probably kind of a pain for Karen, but better that he's honest about things now before anything else happens.

I liked the email from David too. Nice to see that they've made a good impression with him. Espeically his Post Script lines there.

Thanks for the shoutout at the end. Nice to see favorite fanon characters come around again like that.

Author's Response:

Much appreciated!

Again, the reasoning of him staying in Stamford was originally very flimsy, but it got me thinking about what could happen with these various scenarios.  There needed to be a game plan.  Plus, no, Pam's not having him leave again.  She's his, dammit.

Again, the episode isn't my favorite so far, but the *theme* is perfect for the central conflict, and I love the fact that three characters (one beloved, two not so much) undergo their own stages of grief.  Roy: Denial, Michael: Anger, Karen: Bargaining, all going through Depression throughout the story and, down the line, Acceptance.

It seems in the past that Jim's pretty unaware of his own charisma (though it doesn't always work, just ask Charles), so of course Karen would fall for him, like Katy.  And Pam, no longer being jealous and longing for Jim, sees her in a whole new light, just someone who fell in love.  Like her.  Yeah, Jim, best to rip that band-aid off now for her sake, she'll become stronger because of it.

David's always saw potential in Jim, and I'm sure his brief interactions with Pam (given her position) have warmed him up to her, so he'd definitely let it proceed, but with caution.

And thank you for the inspiration!  Like I said, the character is so general that one can do a lot with him, so in a couple of chapters we'll know more about him (but we won't find out until a while).

Thanks for the review, as always! 

As a former HR Manager, let me address DM's Love Contract and David Wallace's follow up letter.

No company would ever have a Love Contract. That is disallowing future plausible deniability in case of a third employee filing a toxic workplace law suit. While some companies take a more tolerant view of workplace romances, it is discouraged in all companies. Revealing a workplace romance, if it was revealed at all before coworkers got a wedding invitation, is most often handled with a meeting with both parties' direct supervisors (In my entire career, I have never known a supervisor as crazy as Michael Scott) who would do the yadda yadda about not allowing the relationship to interfere with work. The direct supervisor might contact a trusted HR Rep who would keep documentation in their offsite, unofficial Pearl Harbor file or not. Since Jim is not Pam's direct supervisor at this point being in different branches as well, more tolerant companies would shrug their shoulders UNLESS Monday and Friday absences became a regular occurrence. There would be no follow up letter, ever. See plausible deniability for future lawsuits.

I adore David Wallace; I wish I had worked with more like him. At DM, he operated as more of a Chief Operating Officer than CFO. I could see Wallace having a private conversation with Jim when they next saw each other or perhaps a phone call in lieu of the follow up letter. Let's face it, even for his slacker reputation in Scranton, Jim was considered by Wallace an up and comer.

A Pearl Harbor file is your own contemporaneous notes on situations where you may/should protect yourself.

Hope that helps.

Author's Response:

...Goodness.  This helps EXTREMELY.

Bear in mind, I know nothing about this sort of thing, so reading this has been great. I'll probably edit the story accordingly, in this case.

Oh, and Wallace DEFINITELY saw something in Jim.  I think it helps with him being an audience surrogate; the audience finds him charming, so does Wallace.  David's role was certainly expanded from the confines of a CFO, but I have my own theory about that.

So yeah, I'll look into editing Chapter 4, then, since this seems much more interesting since I was planning on Michael to *not know* until "The Merger" (who'll react accordingly).

Thank you! 

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I’ve always thought that Jim would be pretty fed up with this part of his life in the early Stamford period, and I like the way you’ve portrayed Jim’s frustration at his choices and with himself. It is hard to read a Jim who just… doesn’t seem to like the people around him, but it feels true. And I’m glad you acknowledged his shoddy treatment of Katy.

It’s always fun seeing people’s take on their pre-series history, and I thought you made some interesting calls here in embracing the Jim-sat-with-Toby deleted scenes and pushing back his falling in love with Pam until noticeably later in their history. Maybe less romantic, but it feels more natural that he fell a lot more slowly.

Yay for more of this braver, more honest Pam! She should be more careful though – she slipped up with the no first date in four months bit – if they hadn’t already known, that would’ve raised some alarm bells.

Reusing the Branch Wars dialogue between Jim and Pam about the Alan date was a nice touch. As was Pam’s description of Kelly as a sweet summer child.


Jeez. The camera uses some *deeply* creepy tactics in this one. I’m happy we got to see this very sweet Skype convo, but wow. She’s not gonna be happy with you when she finds out about this, Brian.

Author's Response:

Appreciate the compliments!

S2 Jim can be outgoing and friendly with his coworkers when he wants to be.  But most of the time his frustrations are hidden by snark and apathy, only broken when Pam rejected him twice; it can also indicate how he's simply annoyed with his coworkers for who they are, with only one of them being cognizant of his actions and deserving to be put down (while another he's just weirded out by).  That's what makes him like Tim Canterbury in my eyes: their lives suck and they're annoyed with the people around them because of it.  In Jim's case, as his life improves, so does his outlook.  And yeah, Katy deserved better.  Won't say anything else, but she does show up in this briefly.

The Annex Jim thing was something I've heard from the grape vine, since I thought it was actually on the show but, I find it to makes sense.  I mean, how else would Toby trust Jim to take care of his own daughter?  And him being put back there when Michael's carpet is being clean makes it make sense as well.  And yeah, the whole "instant connection" thing is sweet, but I think it'd be more fun for them to establish a rapport for a couple of years before getting the crushing realization.

Fancy New Beesly indeed!  You'll see a LOT more of that next chapter but, suffice it to say, she's slowly gaining a voice.  And that was certainly a flub on her part.

Not the biggest fan of "Branch Wars" as a whole (Had some amazing lines and great Dwight moments), but that deleted scene was cute and I wanted to incorporate it with a date that's not taken seriously.  I liked writing Pam's description as well; considering how much she brands herself, it'd be a perfect alias.

Oh yeah, the doc positions were purposeful for that reason.  JAM are somewhat self-aware, as I'm about to reveal; they don't know the lengths of what the doc is filming, nor are they changing their lives to suit whatever the show-runners want, but they're privy to the fact that PBS wants ratings.  Everyone else is pretty ignorant of this.  (Not that they're dumb, just that they don't pick up on it.  Hell, I wouldn't.)  But there'd certainly be a confrontation between JAM and Brian (et. al.) before it's done, basically "Promos" but earlier. 

Thanks for the review!

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I really liked Never Give Up, and was a little saddened when I read your update pertaining to its status, but I'm super happy to see this story! I really enjoy how it's started off so far - the ending of Gay Witch Hunt was so cute, and I like how it's continued through The Convention. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the rest of this alternate universe plays out, mainly, I am really curious to how people will react if/when they find out J and P are together now, instead of months down the road in season 4. Will Karen still be an interference to their relationship? Will Roy try to get back with Pam at Phyllis' wedding? Anyway, I hope this isn't too off track and full of rambling, just wanted to let you know I'm enjoying it so far and can't wait to see more! :)

Author's Response:

Why thank you!

And yeah, my apologies on NGU.  The whole Peacock thing kinda messed up my plans trying to get it done (again, don't blame them at all for taking it all down).  I'll also say that it's getting a MAJOR overhaul; It will certainly remain the same plot-wise, but I'm wanting to improve the writing from how it is now down the road.

The "GWH" ending was really fun to write, the original scene was my favorite part of "Fun Run".  "The Convention" was even more fun because of how well the halves clicked.

You're not rambling at all.  Heck, just read my endnotes for evidence of that.  Here's all I'll say: There'll be a buildup to a "Dunder Mifflin Infinity" style announcement.  Karen WON'T be a roadblock, going on her own journey.  And Phyllis' wedding will have a *major* impact on Roy and Pam's dynamic.

I'm glad your enthralled with it so far and I'll be sure to keep progressing with it; it's already had a smoother start than NGU initially did so that's certainly a plus.

Thanks for the review! 

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That was a very intense fight between Roy and Pam. I do think it's believable. She had some very charged emotions that night and that came through. Roy acts like how I would expect him to. He's comfortable in the relationship so this new threat is out of the blue and what with a few drinks in his system yeah, I can see that he'd react like that. However Pam standing up for herself like that was great. Loved to see her grow all that steel in her spine.

Nice job with the episode portions. Nice to get into some of their headspaces. I was kind of wondering what would come of that message Pam left for Jim. Lovely to see something really good seems to have come of it. Nice use of her talking head from "The Job" in there too.

Ryan as a secondary antagonist? That could be interesting for sure.

Author's Response:

Appreciate the compliments!

I really tried to channel into Roy's *worst* qualities here, because I find him to be an unsympathetic yet tragic figure, and that'll be made more clearer with them separated.  And yeah, I wanted the whole Fancy New Beesly switch to be triggered by "nine years of regret" there, since that goes to show how long she hasn't been happy.

The episode was a fun ride, so developing it into text was just as fun.  As for "The Job" monologue, it was actually going to be the one from "Fun Run, Part 1" instead, but this fits much better here.  And yes, they're together!  The message will actually be covered next chapter.

Also, I consider three "antagonists" in Season 3 (which is more of just a label, they're just bad people) are Roy, Ryan, and Jan.  Ryan not so much, but his role will be extended here and it'll plant the seeds for VP Ryan Howard.  Roy and Jan are both broken messes, but IMO inexcusably so.  Didn't add Karen, because she has flaws, but she was a fun addition for the season; she only got a bad rap for being the JAM roadblock.

Thanks for the review!