Jim woke early the next morning. The sun hadn’t fully peeked it’s head out when he stretched on the couch. Jim rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands and began to feel the effects of the liquor he had downed the previous night. He yawned as his head pounded and his body ached. His lack of sleep resulted from his conscious keeping him up and the size of the couch not accommodating his height.

Instead of waiting for his hangover to subside, Jim decided to retreat back to his old traditions of taking care of a hangover. He grabbed his tennis shoes by the door, found a pair of his basketball shorts in the laundry room, changed, and headed out for an early morning jog after gulping some aspirin.

As Jim ran throughout the peaceful neighborhood, he couldn’t stop thinking about how much he had screwed up. He knew that Pam was sensitive about drinking since Neil’s death. All the times she told him about how violent and inattentive Neil became with a few beers in his system echoed through Jim’s head. Pam had every right to be angry with him. Jim berated himself as he jogged past the park where Scarlet had been frightened by the thunderstorm. He hated that he had hurt Pam and hoped that she was receptive to his apology when he had the chance to talk to her.

After walking and jogging for almost an hour, Jim decided to head back to the house. The sun had been up for quite awhile now and he hoped that Pam was already up. He trudged through the dewy lawn with his hands on his hips and his head down. His breathing was heavy as he pushed the front door open. As soon as he entered the house he noticed that it was still as silent as it was when he left. Jim bee-lined to the kitchen to grab a cold bottle of water and then topped the stairs to take a shower.

Jim cracked the bedroom door open and peeked in. His eyes flickered over to their bed. The comforter and sheets were in disarray and Pam was lying on his side of the bed. She had her face buried in Jim’s pillow with her arms tightly wrapped around it. Jim slowly entered the room and quickly found the bathroom door and shut it. He breathed a sigh of relief and proceeded to get cleaned up from his jog.

Showers were the best thinking time Jim had. He planned out his days, reminisced about things he had forgotten, whistled at least four different tunes, remembered tasks he needed to take care of and now, he was thinking about the conversation he needed to have with Pam. He never intended to hurt her. He had promised her a hundred and ten percent and he knew that last night wasn’t even up to par. Before dwelling too long on the subject, he rinsed off and snuck a hand out and grabbed the white fluffy towel hanging beside the tub.

He dried his hair and his torso then wrapped the towel around his waist. Stepping out of the tub, he caught a glimpse of Pam standing in the bathroom doorway. He stopped suddenly at the sight of her. Her hair was going every which way and he instantly recognized his shirt engorging her small frame.

With a small smile on his lips, Jim said, “Hey.”

Pam moved uncomfortably out of the doorway. “Hey,” she replied.

Jim walked over to the sink and grabbed his razor and shaving cream. Jim could see her in the mirror behind him. He didn’t know where to start the conversation but he did know how to lighten the mood.

“So, have you become a peeping tom now?” he asked shaking the cream. He smiled in the mirror at her. When he looked up, she was already at his side and nudging her way between him and the counter. Pam instinctively placed her hands on his bare sides and looked up at him. Her eyes were red and her face tired. He could see that she didn’t sleep well either.

“I didn’t mean to wake you,” Jim said, still holding the razor and shaving cream in his hands.

Pam shook her head. “I couldn’t sleep anyway.”

“I’m sorry,” Jim said, not only apologizing for waking her but also for last nights events.

“No, I’m sorry. I just overreacted,” she said, darting her eyes from Jim’s several times.

Jim freed his hands and placed them on her shoulders. Looking into her eyes he spoke, “Not your fault. I was wrong. You had every……”

“Jim, I don’t want to be that type of person that carries baggage. I guess mine and Neil’s marriage really weighed on me and I’m sorry for comparing to it ours. But, I just don’t want things to go sour again.”

“I’m really, really sorry.”

“I know. And, I want you to be able to have a good time and see your friends and….I don’t to be the one controlling your life. I think you’re a pretty big enough boy to make your own decisions.”

Jim nodded. “But, I should have considered your feelings about it before I went to the bar with Mark. It was stupid to assume that coming home sauced would be okay. And, I promised you that we would always go to bed together and I let you down. I’m sorry for….”

Before he could finish apologizing Pam had placed her lips gently on his. Jim deepened the kiss as Pam wrapped her arms around him.

“…everything…” Jim sighed, as they broke the kiss.

“Stop apologizing. It’s done with. Our first big baffle is over with,” Pam said, flailing her hands in the air.

“Thank God,” Jim said, rolling his eyes.

“I missed you last night,” she said, putting her hands on his chest.

“Oh, trust me, I missed you. I missed my big, comfy bed too.”

Pam grinned. “Once I got in bed last night, I just cried. I actually got up in the middle of the night and went downstairs to get you but, you were sound asleep.”

“I’m so sorry,” he said again, pressing his lips to her neck. As Jim kissed the hollow of her neck, Pam moved her mouth towards his ear. She whispered shyly, “I had a long time to think about it while I was alone last night and….I think I want another kid, Jim.”

Jim stopped as her breath tickled his neck. Her words were so quiet and peaceful in his ear. She almost sounded uncertain, like it was a proposition for him. He moved his mouth next to her ear like she had and whispered his response.

“I’ve thought about it and, I think I want another, too.”

Pam caught her breath and smiled. When she pulled away to look at him, his eyes were big, a vibrant green, and held a certain ferocity she hadn’t seen since their very first passionate kiss at Dunder Mifflin. He had an intense expression on his face. She closed her eyes and pressed her lips to his again. This time, Pam felt as if she was losing her balance and grasped onto Jim. Her knees grew weak as he brushed his lips against hers and deepened the kiss gently.

As their breathing picked up, Pam pulled away and put all her weight against the counter behind her. Snapping back into reality, she smiled shyly at him as she took in her surroundings.

“I didn’t mean we had to start now,” she said, rolling her eyes playfully.

“Then where’s the fun in that?” he said, smiling coyly. Pam laughed and then embraced Jim, tucking her head under his chin.

“No seriously, where’s the fun if we can’t start right now?” he asked, making Pam jerk her head upward. Instead of doing it gracefully, she knocked Jim in the chin. He pulled back and grabbed his jaw. Pam immediately grabbed his face in her hands and gasped.

“I’m so sorry!” she screamed, as a look of concern struck her face. Jim rubbed his jaw as Pam held his face in her hands. “I didn’t mean to hurt you!” she said, starting to giggle.

“No, it’s cool. I see your abusive side has returned,” Jim said, teasing.

“I feel so bad right now.”

Pam kept her hands on his cheeks and examined his chin, jaw, and lips. “I didn’t bust anything did I?”

“Nope. I’m all good,” he said, with an evil smile curling up on his lips. “But….you’re going to have to make it up to me.”

Pam dropped her jaw. “Make it up to you? This sounds fishy to me,” she said, placing her hands on her hips.

Jim shrugged his shoulders. “Fine. Since you don’t want to be nice and care for your husband, you’re going to have to give me my shirt back,” he demanded, holding out his hand.

“Come on!”

“Nope. It’s mine and I demand that you return it to me pronto,” Jim stated, still holding his hand out.

“I’ll give it back to you when I change. I’m not just going to give it to you off my back! What do you need it for anyways?”

“What’s mine is mine, Pam. Show a little respect for my things,” he said, sarcastically.

“Oh, I see. So, the whole marriage thing doesn’t apply here?”

“Not one lick. Come on, I’m waiting,” he said.

“No way. I’ll give it you later. How about that?” she said, raising her eyebrows and crossing her arms over her chest.

“Ummm…let me think about that one,” Jim said, placing a finger to his mouth and looking up. “No.”

“No? Jim, I haven’t got anything on under this. You’re going to make me take off this shirt and go nude just because you’re being selfish?”

“That’s exactly the reason, Pam. Now…” Jim said, then clearing his throat.

“You’re being ridiculous!” she said, throwing her hands up in the air.

“Am I? I’m not the one running around in someone else’s clothes.”

“I missed you! It just so happens that the smell of your shirt makes me feel comfortable when you’re not around. So, sue me!”

“Now that I think of it, I might just have to do that if you don’t comply.”

Pam rolled her eyes. “Well, then I guess you’re going to have to give me that towel,” Pam said, nodding towards the towel tightly wrapped around his waist.

“Nuh uh. This is not your towel,” Jim said, shaking his head and grinning.

“Well, if I remember correctly, I brought that from the old house so technically, it is, mister,” Pam said, teasingly reaching her hand out to rip the towel off of his waist. Jim jumped back as her hands came close to pulling it off his waist. Pam reached towards him and Jim grabbed her wrists. She giggled as he caught her arms and tried to deflect her reach.

“The towel is all I have on, so it’s not fair that way,” Jim said, smiling as he held onto her wrists.

Pushing Jim backwards in the struggle Pam smiled. “You’re just trying to get me naked. And, I can play that game too, Jim.”

“Can you?” Jim asked, smiling playfully as Pam’s fight slowly dwindled to her just twisting her wrists in Jim’s hands.

“Oh, so you doubt my abilities?” Pam asked, writhing again in Jim’s grasp.

In one fluid motion, Jim jerked Pam forward and she landed against his chest. Still holding onto her hands, he nudged her mouth towards his and kissed her again. Pam smiled against his lips.

“Okay, I give,” Pam said, pulling her face away from Jim’s.

“Are you forfeiting?” Jim questioned.

“I decided that I should comply to avoid the whole lawsuit thing,” she said, wrinkling her nose.

“Okay, I guess I can let you go now….as long as I can get my shirt back,” he said, cocking his head to the side.

“Done.”

“Fine,” Jim said, letting her hands fall to her sides. Jim crossed his arms over his chest and stared at Pam. “Shirt. Now.”

Pam smiled. She grabbed the bottom of the grey t-shirt and quickly pulled it over her head. She pushed it into Jim’s hands as she smirked at him. Jim tossed the shirt to the side and pulled Pam close to his chest and placed his lips firmly on hers again. Before he knew it, Pam had a fist full of white fluffy towel and it fell to the floor.

-----

After Jim and Pam finished their reconciliation, he dressed and decided to wake Scarlet up. When he entered her room, he found her about to roll off the bed. He gently lifted her back to a more comfortable position and placed a kiss on her head.

Pam stepped into the doorway tying her robe closed. “Whatcha doing?”

“I was going to wake Scarlet up but she looks too cute when she’s sleeping,” he said, smiling at Scarlet.

“They all look cute when they’re sleeping. Then, they wake up,” Pam said, smirking.

“I don’t know how you did it all by yourself,” he said, shaking his head.

Pam leaned against the door jamb. She crossed her arms over her chest before speaking. “I guess what got me through was the hope that there would be another chance to do it right the next time.”

Jim smiled from across the room. Scarlet stirred in her sleep. Both of them watched as she tossed in her sleep and then stopped when she found a comfortable position.

“She’s going to be a good big sister, isn’t she?” Jim asked, whispering.

Pam nodded. “Let’s hope.”

Jim turned and walked towards Pam. As he passed by Scarlet’s dresser he noticed a slip of paper on the edge. He back tracked and looked at the paper. Jim picked it up and held it out to Pam.

“What’s this?”

Pam looked at the colorful paper and shrugged. “She got that at the store last night. I tried on that dress,” Pam said, pointing to the model wearing a sundress.

“You did?” he asked, looking at the advertisement more closely. “Did you get it?”

“Nope. It was more than fifty bucks.”

“So?”

“Jim, it’s too much for a dress I will only wear once.”

Jim placed the paper back down on the desk and wrapped her arms around Pam. They swayed in the doorway. “I can think of more than one place you can wear that dress.”

“Where?”

“Well first off, there’s Jessica’s wedding,” Jim said as Pam nodded. “Then, there is always a date or two,” he suggested with Pam lifting her eyebrows. “Then, you could always just wear it around the house to clean in.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Or…there is another option.”

“What’s that?” she asked.

“Role playing,” Jim said, lifting his brow. “I can see it now,” Jim said, looking off into the distance playfully.

Pam turned and walked away waving her hand in the air. “I don’t want to even know…”