What do you do when your sister shows up at your door in a state weeks before her wedding, call for reinforcements. Nice job bringing in all the important women in her life to not only comfort her and give her advice but lay into Roy as well.

But what I really liked most here was the addition Shakespeare and where it came from. Pastor Dan seems to have reached her in way that even the women couldn't. I think my favorite part of this chapter was:

“I understand,” Dan nodded at her. “That’s a nice thought, you’re right. But personally, I think it’s better if you marry your best friend.”

Second only to : "This will always be yours".

Now I know this story is based in canon and so I know where it's headed but this ending still pretty much broke my heart.

Author's Response: Kinda figured Pam would need some friendship at that point in her life. Also some much needed perspective on Roy. I've always kinda got the feeling she never really asked anyone if Roy was right for her, especially with the long engagment and the fact he only set a date because he was drunk. Glad you liked Pastor Dan. I saw that play while I was writing this story and those lines stuck out.

Sorry to break your heart there a bit. We all know the levels of angst Jim and Pam went through so it's kind of unavoidable.

Dancing Queen - cheese for sure but the best kind.

As with every chapter it is nice to get the added insight of what is going on in their heads throughout the scenes we already know, especially in this bedroom scene.

Man in black and Blue Angels -like seeing those references here.

She sleeps over - how did Jim sleep at all knowing she was just downstairs (oh and how did he not give up his bed for her?)

Oh - one thing and not a big deal but you might want to edit - the song is Islands in the Stream - you have in the Sun (which is a Weezer song) - again no big deal but easy enough to fix - unless they sang a Weezer song too.

Excited for the next chapter -will we get to see what the letter says?

Author's Response: It was fun to put in those internal thoughts and add in the things like the Blue Angels and the Man in Black. I'm sure Jim was all sorts of restless. She did ask to crash on the couch and Jim was already discombobulated enough (and happy to be spending more time with her) that offering her his bed would have been even more awkward.

Stream, Sun, chalk that one up to I was still fairly new to the fandom and might not have done all proper research. 

As for the letter, well, you'll just have to read and see. Thanks as always.

Another wonderfully written chapter where you really brought us into the recovery room(s) and had us feeling all the emotion of the situation.

The way you keep teasing them finding out about their being Morgan and Jaimie, only to have the something prevent them really finding out is a great device you seem to be weaving throughout. What a reward it will be when they do learn.

Author's Response: Thanks about the feeling of realism in the recovery ward. My area of expertise lays in the pre-hospital setting which is why here in the hospital the medical stuff isn't nearly as detailed. So I'm glad you liked that.

It was a lot of fun writing all the close calls about them being Morgan and Jamie. We'll run into a few more before it's all said and done. Glad you're still enjoying this.

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Wow Warrior - this was intense and you do this kind of thing all the time. Wow.
I do like how you clarified how it is not quite like what we see on TV - that you have your plans down as best as you can so you can be calm in the face of the incident, so you can give and get information as you work and provide something to the people that are with the patient.

You did a great job describing the scene and sharing what a day in the life is like - from the way you set your uniform to missing your wife, training new students and responding to a call and interacting with a panicked friend/loved one.

Well done.

Author's Response: Thank you. I did enjoy bringing this chapter to life. Most of the time it's not quite that dramatic, in fact as I write this reply I'm on my way to a call for a lift assist. Someone fell and just needs help getting back up. Then again, sometimes it is kind of like how you see on TV. I call those As Seen On TV calls. I'm really glad the descriptions worked well for you. I wanted to give an accurate depiction of how a call like this is run from the paramedic POV. Glad you liked it. Still a little more to come with Ethan and Medic 4 so I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on that too.

Well I almost feel bad for Roy here, he is obviously still grieving over his loss. Oh and here comes the doc crew. I like Pam's line about there not being anything special about the office. Isn't that kinda the point?

And away we go.... 

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Poor Jim - we knew he would find out but to find out this way - poor Jim. Roy seems about right here too. Yeah, Pam being engaged to him making you happy, keep telling yourself that. Then wake up.

All the easter eggs in this one were lots of fun...the future stick lessons, the French Onion chips, the photo of Jim and Dwight, Phyllis being nosy or receptive (depends how you view it) but most of all I enjoyed the origin of the jellybeans.

Good stuff as I always expect from you.

Author's Response: Yeah, the shoe had to drop at some point. So now he's stuck in the pining phase of life. Glad you liked all the Easter eggs. There's actually quite of bit of backstory one can find from pre-camera days if one pays attention. It was fun to bring some of that to light.

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This is such a wonderful story and idea. I really, really wanted it to go more AU at times (like getting them back together sooner!), and I felt like Karen was a little out of character (but I don't really care much about her, so oh well 🤷🏻r05;a92;a039;😆), but the payoff was so so so good! I loved how they kept ALMOST realizing they were Jamie and Morgan, so clever and cute and made my heart skip a beat!
I thought for SURE it would be when Pam saw his yearbook at the BBQ, but I forgot that she never actually SAW him, ahh!
I also loved Pastor Dan and the religious aspects of the story. I thought that really fit with Pam's character and the fact that we know they had Cece christened.

Altogether, this is one of the most incredible JAM stories I've ever read. Thank you so so so so much for writing it, and for making me both laugh out loud and cry. Fabulous job. d84;a039;d84;a039;d84;a039;d84;a039;

Author's Response: Thank you so much. I've very glad you enjoyed it so much. I was still getting a feel for the characters while writing this, so that may explain some of the out of character moments. It was a lot of fun bringing them so close to finding out about each other but not quite there, until the end at least. It was a labor of love to write it, so I'm really happy that people continue to enjoy reading it. Thanks again for your review.

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Oh Warrior I just adored this chapter. For one the in-depth look at the idea behind Athlead - now I like your spin on what it was meant to be - there's an idea. (I wasn't sure what made it so unique in the show). And it is true - big players aren't doing it all on their own - a little recognition to those behind the superstars - that's clever twist.
It was a little sad that Jess ended it but as Larissa makes him see she wasn't the one - oh and I love Larissa as the voice of reason. She gives great advice (and once again I smiled as we both used a similar pop culture reference - with Lucy and her 5 cents psychoanalysis - mine for Vanessa in New years - wonder if you thought of this when you read in mine)

Fun prank with the hot wings and the interview was a hoot (even though it was at Chili's not Hooters) love that the server knows him, references the upcoming dundies awards and he gets reprimanded for jumping on table) and the whole Wallace Shawn princess bride bit you had going on was good fun too.

Well done on this chapter - seems like it may have been a little bit of a wait for the readers at the time - not so for me since I'm reading a year or more later - but I'm glad you took your time with this chapter - it shows in all the details.

Really looking forward to the first day of work.

Author's Response: Thanks Max. It was fun to formulate all those ideas about the start of Athlead. Start small and work big. I included Jess because I wanted to make sure that when Jim and Pam finally to get together he doesn't have to go through the awkward how to be a good boyfriend phase with her. Not that he would have that problem mind you, but still. Larissa is always fun to bring in. In fic she's often portrayed as a great sounding board for Jim and I saw no reason to change that. We'll see more from her as we go on. I did have a few flashbacks to this part when I read about Vanessa in New Years. 

The stuff in the resturants was fun too. I actually pulled that hot wing prank once to wonderful results. Michael at Chili's is always fun and it was a chance to prove how quick witted Jim was even at this early stage. Glad you liked it. 

I was a little confused at the beginning of this chapter - I thought I accidentally clicked on SW. I figured it was a video game a few paras in - I wasn't much of a gamer and not familiar with either game mentioned - itake it they were big at the time.

So I now see how short-lived the connection between Jaimie and Morgan were and liked how they both became Jim and Pam - a great time to reinvent and make the change.

Now I do know how/why Pam may not recognize Jim when they wind up at DM together. I am curious will Jim remember Morgan/Pam?

Very sweet that Jim takes his sister to prom. And you know how I love a good origin story - so the story of how Roy and Pam's song became their song was a nice touch. Roy doesn't seem so bad her but his brother is a capital L.

Nice job as always.

Author's Response: Star Fox 64 is still a great game. Sorry for the confusion about this one and SW (kind of). As for if they'll remember each other when they get to DM, well, we'll get there. Jim taking his sister was a fun thing to put in there. Roy probably had his good moments so yeah we had to put a few in there from time to time. 

I love Penny getting to play the Larissa role here, and immediately calling in the whole council for reinforcements.

I also love the phone conversation between Mrs. Beesly and Roy. Partially because it’s just time for someone to shut Roy down for a spell, and partially because you’ve written it so we can really clearly imagine what’s happening on the other side. While granted, you have to have some sympathy for his confusion and frustration at Pam just flat out not coming home and then refusing to take his calls for reasons he doesn’t understand, the fact that his problem with this is that he has to take care of himself for five minutes is pretty eyeroll-worthy. I’d be a little worried about her if I were her mom and had taken that call too. And then he compounds the error by showing up to the apartment to get him to make her dinner? And this dude is going to be super confused when he gets dumped, of course.

I like that Mrs. Beesly has something of a clear-eyed view of Roy – both good and bad. “When I look back at the Roy you knew in high school and college and the Roy I know now, I have to ask myself, ‘what’s the difference?’” is spot on. As is Penny’s point about the unfair division of labor.

This is a tough conversation to write, and I’m glad you took it on. It also seems like a good fit with canon. Pam is often portrayed in fic as having the scales fall from her eyes post-Casino Night, but it does seem realistic to me that someone who is in such deep denial and who has lived with this unhappy situation as her new normal for so long might need an extra push to make the connection between “I’m unhappy and in love with someone else” and “I shouldn’t get married.’

The Princess Bride connection was a nice touch. As was Pastor Dan playing a big role here. His questions seem spot on – and the answers do seem pretty obvious, don’t they, Pam?

And this ending is wrenching. This sort of daze that Pam is in has always been my sense of how Pam would’ve responded to the news that Jim had left. And him leaving the heart plushie is a gut-punch.

Author's Response: I really love these in depth reviews of yours. Both Penny and Larissa will continue to have roles to play. I had great fun in bringing the sisters into this story. Jim and Pam need people in their corner and those two fit the bill nicely. Yeah, Helene has no time for any of Roy's antics. He may suck up to her when he knows she's coming, but when he doesn't know she's there there's no way he can stand a chance.

I'd like to think these were all things Helene, Penny, and the rest had been thinking for awhile. They were just to polite to say anything since Pam is an adult and can make her own choices. But getting outside input before a big decision can also help. Thus the girls day and meeting with Pastor Dan again. 

I had fun bring in The Princess Bride. Yet another sign Pam either didn't see or didn't want to see. But in hindsight it's unmistakable.

It did hurt to have him leave the heart plushie. Especially with all the memories surrounding that thing.

I'm also over-invested in the relationship between the "cast" and the cameras, so I really like that you worked in the logistical implications, and Jim's sense that you kind of forget that they're there sometimes - feels like there's a lot explained by that.

I *love* this explanation for why Pam is late, and how she ends up in Jim’s room alone. It's nice to see that this is a really big moment for her too, and digging into that. Email Surveillance is one of my favorites, but it's so hard to tell what's going on in Pam's head in that episode, so I enjoyed taking this trip with her.

Near miss #9 here with the yearbook! Jeez. That feels just achingly close - if only she had actually seen what he looked like! It's fun seeing all this playful wrestling and flirting playing out without the cameras or Meredith there to take notice - they feel a lot closer to the edge in this story than they do in canon.

You worked in a lot of good later canon references here - the Man in Black story, their mutual love of cheese.

Ooooof. A lot of images just getting indelibly seared into Jim's head towards the end here - them looking like they're on a double date, Pam wearing Jim's name on the back of his shirt. That's killer.

(I don't think I've noticed this before, but I like the runner about Jim not calling Roy by his name in his head. Funny, and feels like the sort of thing he'd do.)

Author's Response: A lot of these S1 and S2 chapters were a lot of fun. Jim pining after her. Her hiding behind denial about their "friendship." Yeah that was probably one of the closet near misses they've had so far. She's slowly kind of killing him with everything. And thank you for picking up on the not thinking Roy's name runner. I really do appreciate your eye for detail.

You can really see what a rattling experience this is for Pam - the threat of losing Jim jolts her here.

Near miss #7! And 8, if you count the fact that Roy has clearly made the connection between Jamie and Jim as well. Which I'm goign to.

This is another good illustration of how Roy clearly understands himself to be calling the shots in this relationship (although I'm not sure he'd see it that way - there are clearly expectations he puts on her that he doesn't think she should have for him. And Jesus, what an asshole response to Pam on every level here - he couldn't even bother asking about the friend in the ICU? Him not knowing it was Jim kinda feels like a near-miss in and of itself, albeit of a different variety - I wonder if that would've been a bigger argument. 

I love Jim resurfacing followed almost immediately by his recovering his sense of humor - and the reference to him dying of boredom was both funny and very sweet.

Ahhh, the backstory for the Boggle timer! Awesome. And the plushie heart story is adorable. 

Author's Response:

Had I taken this story AU this is probably where I would have had Pam leave Roy. The feeling of losing Jim forever and the near miss would have hopefully clued her in. 

Yeah, Roy's not great for all those reasons. I'm sure it would have been a bigger argument had he known it was Jim. After all just yesterday in this timeline he socked Jim in the face in the basketball game.

Glad you liked Jim's humor, the Boggle timer, and plushie. They were all great fun to write.