Jim's been getting weird vibes from Karen. At first he would just brush it off, thinking he's just getting paranoid, but lately, it's been bugging him alot. He'd always go to her desk to see if she would want to do something after work, but for some reason she already had plans. He wondered what in the world she could be doing. He knew she really didn't have friends in Scranton, concidering she just moved here about two months ago. He decided to forget it, and move along with his day.

--

He sat at his desk; sometimes he would glance over at her, but she was never looking his way. He needed to distract himself from all of this. He decided to go to the one person he felt himself around....

"Beesley!" He leaned his elbows on the reception desk, but Pam didn't even look up at him.

"Hey, Jim." She just continued to staple the papers together.

He didn't like the cold tone she was talking in, but he assumed he deserved it. For the past months he had been nothing but rude to her. He never even talked to her for more than five minutes! She had the right to be pissed.

"Look, I'm sorry for being a...well...an ass lately."

She still hesitated to look at him, but she couldn't help it. She looked up at him and gave a slight smile.

"I knew you'd come around...and was that trash talk comming from Mr. Halpert?"

She made an 'O' out of her mouth and he laughed with her.

He didn't want to seem rude to Karen, but he was trying to get under her skin. He knew how much he hated when he was around Pam.

"So. What have you been up to since I have been completely blocked out of your life for the past months?"

She was right about that, too.

"Well, nothing really. I feel the need to prank someone. Right now. Are you up for that?"

"It depends. Who's the target?"

He didn't want to choose one of the normals- Dwight or Andy. He wanted to make this one a little more interesting.

"Karen."

She looked a little surprised at his answer, but she agreed.

"So what did you have planned for Karen then? Don't you think it's mean to prank your girlfriend?"

No, he thought. What's mean is not telling your boyfriend the truth about what you are doing after work.

"Nah. She'll survive. Let's get out of here. Maybe we can plan this over some Starbucks?"

"I...I don't know Jim I have some faxes and...."

"Really? Faxes. Pssht. Lame excuse. Would you rather have a nice, warm cappicino, or faxes?"

She made a sidways smile and shook her head.

"I hate you. But...fine, I'll come."

"You know you love me, Pam."

It was about 30 seconds of silence, and Pam just looked at him, and he looked back at her.

"Alright, well..." she said averting her eyes, "let's get a move on, I'm thirsty!"

"Ok you better hurry up, "cause the last one to my car buys the drinks!"

As soon as she figured out what he said, he was halfway out the door. She grabbed her coat and flung the door open to see him pressing the button for the elevator. She decided to skip the elevator and head straight for the stairs.

"Hah stairs? Is that the best you got, Beesley?"

"It's better than waiting for that elevator!"

"True..."

He opened the door to the stairwell and started spriting down the flight of stairs. She tugged on his arm to pull him back, and she ran ahead of him. She sprinted out of the door and beat him to the car easily.

"Looks like you'll be paying. Hope you have alot of cash. I'm expecting a slice of cheese cake and a magazine when we are there."

"You're so dead."

He walked over to her side of the car and grabbed her sides. He began to tickle her, untill she begged him to stop.

"J--Jim!! St-stop it!!!"

He let her go, and she smiled, then tugged on her skirt and got into the car. It almost felt surreal to her how it took five minutes for them to be talking. Another five minutes for them to be laughing, and another five for her to realize her feelings for him never changed.

They took thier drinks from the Starbuck's counter and sat down near the window. It was a nice day, mild and sunny. Pam had taken her hair out of the clip and put it in a messy bun on her head.

"Hmm."

She looked over at him, "Say something?"

"Oh, no no. I just like your hair like that."

She smiled slightly, thanked him, and looked away. She started to feel awkward, like the last 6 months had not even happened.

"Oh, I have been meaning to ask you, Jim...is everything alright with Karen? She's looked pissed all day, and you want to prank her too? Should I be worried?"

She said that in a sarcastic voice, but Jim took the comment to heart. Things were not alright with Karen. He knew sooner than later it would end. He just keeps holding on to her, afraid of being alone.

"Uhm...well. No, actually, were just fine."

She averted her eyes and looked back a few minutes later, trying to shake off his response. She didn't need to hear they were doing 'just fine.' She wanted them to be over. So over...

"So. Operation Filepelli. What's going down, Halpert."

He smiled, and took another sip of his latte.

"Well, I'm going to be completely honest first alright?"

"Oh, ok sure...."

"Karen and I are not doing that great...she's been out late, doing god knows what, and I need to know....what she's doing. Are you up for that? It'll be our little mission."

She wanted to say no, because she felt it was just a scheme to get her to help thier relationship, and to be honest she could give a flying fuck about them. But being the good friend that she is, she decided to help.

"Fine."

He tried to hold back his smile, because he didn't want her to know this 'mission' was just an excuse to be close to her. He didn't want to make any moves on her, especially because he doesn't know where they stand as of now.

"Alright, well I've been looking on her computer for a little while she would go get food, or use the bathroom over at her apartment and I noticed she's been in these chats. I don't know for what, but she has. I'm thinking we make up a username, and track her down...not to sound stalkeresque but I think we can figure out where shes going. Her name on there is ItalianChick."

"So. You need me to think of a name? But....it's got to be something she won't recognize as you or me.....what about...."

"PonyRider?"

"Jim! C'mon!"

She slapped his arm and giggled at his childish idea, even though she knew he was only kidding. Then she put her finger on her chin and began to think hard about it.

"Got it. How about guitarDude. Simple. Easy. You don't play guitar right?"

"Do you think I do?"

"No. Then it's settled. Let's go to my house, I've got a better computer than you."

She smiled devilishly at him, and they began to walk to his car.

"You know I am really happy to be with you right now."

He was shocked. It was something he was longing to hear, and he just looked at her, intently.

"I..I am too, Pam...really."

It was a moment of silence, but not awkward at all. Comforting actually. The only noises were the sounds of thier own breath.

"Alright, let's go Halpert. You can't be at my house too late, you need to be home before your bedtime!"

"Oh, shut up."

She gave him a tug on his arm as he went to get into the car. She pulled him from the seat and gave him a friendly hug.

He could hardly breathe as he held her in his arms. It only reminded him of that lovely May night, when they shared that amazing kiss. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her, right now, but he knew it would be bad timing, and she might get upset.

------------------------------

They arrived back at Pam's place around 6:30. They sat and ate some microwave pizza before thier mission started.

"Nice, gourmet. You know how I like it, Beesley."

She could do nothing but smile at him, and keep the picture of him and her in her kitchen as long as she wanted to.

After thier meal, Pam pulled out 2 beers and a chair at the desk.

"Alright, let me long in here....GuitarDude001. Sounds good?"

"I'm good with that."

They opened the chat room window, and no sight of Karen yet.

BillyMcSilly> I'm so friggin bored. Someone tell me a funny joke.

PianoBiotch> Hah. You really are an ass, arent you? We are not here to tell jokes, BMcS.

Kelly452> Any word from Italiano? She told me last night her and the BF were fighting.

"Uhm wow. We are not fighting. We will be soon..."

PianoBiotch>Yes, see! This is why I'm here! GOSSIP PEOPLE! Oh yea, she told me that she was going to a bar with a friend...she should be on soon thought, Kell.

BillyMcSilly> GD001, you there? Have you talked to this ItalianoChick yet? She sounds hot.

"Hah. Wow." Pam just laughed at how these online geeks have no lives.

GuitarDude001> No, I'm new here. Well, she is a 'chick', so she'd better be hott! : )

"Ass!" She slapped his arm and she pulled the keyboard from his lap.

ItalianChick has entered the room.

BillyMcSilly> Hey hey hey! If it ain't our little hottie ItalianChick! What's crackin?

"Bingo. Let's give her a few minutes to warm up before we start cracking down."

"Nice! I'm starting to like this mean Jim...it's a major turn-on."

"Thank you, Miss Beesley."

GuitarDude001>Hey IC! How's it going? ASL?

ItalianChick> ASL? People still say that? Well, I'm 29, single female, from Scranton PA.

"Bitch, shes not single!"

GutairDude001> Nice, I'm from Carbondale!

PianoBiotch> Well, anyways blah blah...IC, tell him about that guy...what's his name again?

Kelly452> Oh that Roy character? I thought you were going to keep your hands off!

BillyMcSilly> Yea, GD001, he just broke up with his fiancee. Aparently she's a real whore from what Italiano has been telling us! The story's getting really good! You should stick around! ; )

"God damn, woman! How much can a person tell about her personal life in just like....2 days!"

Jim had no intention to leave that night. He patted his shoulder for her to lean her head against him, so she did. She laid her head on his chest, and before he kknew it, she was asleep. He continued to talk in the chat, because he needed to see what she was doing with Roy....bastard.

Jim struggled to keep himself awake. He wanted to stay up to talk to Karen, but at the same time he rather just let it be, and move on with someone else. Pam perhaps.

GuitarDude001> So, Italian, what have you been up to lately? Any boyfriend?

PianoBiotch> Hell, she's been doin everything, Guitar. Let her tell ya...

[Do I really want to know?]

ItalianChick> Uhm, not alot. I'm not dating anyone, persay, but I am 'seeing' this guy named Roy.

Kelly452 has left the room.

BillyMcSilly> Yea, you could call that 'AKA' fuck buddies. ; - )

[Excuse me?!]

ItalianChick> HEY! No!!! Well, yea we are sleeping together. I'm actually going to his place tomorrow night.

[Bitch!]

GuitarDude001> Ok, I've had enough for now. I'll be on tomorrow around 2.

---------

He signed out of the chat and poked at Pam's head for her to wake up. It was now 1:30 AM, and he needed some sleep.

"Hey...Pam" he whispered.

"Mmm?" she said, still half asleep.

"I'm going to sleep. Mind if I stay on the couch?"

She had her eyes open now, and she seemed more alert.

"Actually, you can sleep in my bed. It's a king size. I feel silly with such a large bed now Roy's gone..."

"No no that's alright you go ahead....but, about Roy...I think there is something you should know...."

"Oh my gosh is he ok?"

"Yea, yea he's fine...its just uhm-"

"Tell me!"

He looked at his feet, kicked at the air near the ground, and began to talk again but in a quiet, sympathetic voice.

"He's....he's sleeping with Karen. That's why she -- why she's never available. She's always with him...she....she's cheating on me."

Pam's eyes widened and put her hand on Jim's shoulder.

"Oh my gosh, I- I am so sorry."

He pulled away from her, and began to tear up.

"Nah, no. Really don't be...it's not your fault she's a cheater...I never should have fallen for her...that bitch."

Pam had not seen Jim this upset in a long time. Acutally she's never seen him this upset since last May. She leaned in and gave him a friendly hug, which soon turned into a cuddle on the couch.

"I am always here for you, Jim. You are my best friend I ever had."

He pulled her tight and kissed her forehead.

"Thanks. I know you'd never hurt me." Lie.

"One thing, Jim."

"Hmm? Yes?"

She thought about what she was going to say, then decided to not. She didn't need to ruin the moment.

"I - Uhm, never mind I kinda just forgot..." Lie.

"Oh, alright. Well...goodnight Pam."

She started walking towards her bedroom door thinking he was following her in, but he wasn't. He had started undressing in the living room to sleep on the couch. She walked into her room, and began to close the door untill it was only opened about a half inch. She squinted one eye and watched him. He started to unbutton his shirt, revealing a white T, and he was in his boxers. Her heart was beating so fast she could hardly catch her breath. No matter how much she wanted to get over him, just the thought of laying on his muscular body made her weak in the knees. She couldn't hide how much she wanted him. She opened the door to her room and walked out into where Jim was. He looked startled, thinking she had gone to bed.

"Pam?"

"Sorry, I can see you are busy but...I just remembered what I was going to, uhm tell you earlier..."

He smiled, "Yes, Beesley, do tell."

"I...called off the wedding for you."

His eyes grew large and he felt his stomach drop.

"What?"

"You heard me. I broke up with Roy because I love you. No matter what I tried to do to get myself to stop, I just couldn't. Being just friends was killing me, but I guess honesty isn't my strongest suit."

"Wow...that..."

He looked at his shirt, then at the lamp, then at his feet. He didn't know what to say. His palms began to sweat a little, and his heart began to race.

"I...I can't. At least right now...I still...need to straighten things out with Karen..."

"Jim, don't you see! She's just using you, she likes Roy now. She is sleeping with him! Why would you want a tramp who cheats when you could have someone who loves you-- like me?!"

She didn't wait for his response, she just ran closer to him and leaped into his arms, straddling his waist with her legs. She didn't care if he stopped her. She didn't care if he didn't kiss her back, but indeed, he did. And thier kiss lasted a while. She wanted all her love for him to be shown through that one single kiss. She stood down now in front of him, and they stared at eachother.

"I uhm...wow, Pam."

She blushed a bit, and looked down at her toes wiggling in her socks.

"I don't even know what to say to that..."

"Shush you don't have to say a word."

They kissed again, but this time, leading right to Pam's bedroom, and they showed no signs of stopping.