DISCLAIMER: Characters? Not mine. Premise? Not mine. NBC? Not mine. Legal responsibilities? Not mine. Therefore, when it comes time for lawsuits...they won't be mine. See how great that all works?

SPECIAL THANKS: xoxoxo. You rock. Seriously, I don't know what I'd do without you.

V: KEEP ME

"Hey, I thought we lost somebody on the tour."

Pam looked back at him from her position at his book shelf. She smiled lightly, and her eyes darted momentarily to the camera man in the far corner next to his bike.

Jim held out his arms, gesturing around the room. "Yes, my inner sanctum."

"It's...nice. Especially love this," she said, walking over to his desk and picking up the little salesman statue, reading the inscription. "'Only one it takes to screw it in'?"

"Yeah, Michael meant it in terms of lightbulbs. Get it? Because I'm tall?" Jim explained, somewhat embarrassed. "Trust me, that's the tamest one."

Pam put the Dundie back on the desk with a nod. She picked up the Dunder Mifflin manual that had been there as well. "Ooh, company secrets."

Jim snatched the book from her hands and held it away from her. "Nuh uh, Beesley. These, I have been sworn to protect. And Dwight is right downstairs."

She narrowed her eyes at him as she backed off slowly. "I don't need you to tell me anything, Halpert. I'm a stalker, remember? I have my ways..."

"Okay, I'm officially scared. I'm not sure it was a good idea to invite you here tonight."

"Well, I'm here now and so you're stuck. Fulfilled every stalker's dream, you know."

Jim sighed, and dropped into his desk chair, pretending to be frustrated and cursing to himself. "Fine. I guess we can consider it my way of apologizing for keeping you outside in that tree all this time."

She moved to the other side of his bed and sat in the chair next to the window, glancing around the room like she was taking it in for the first time. "Yep, this is much better than sitting right out there. But something's missing..." She tapped her chin, pretending to think.

"Your flashlight? Fuzzy blanket?" Jim supplied.

Pam considered it. "No..." she snapped her fingers then, as if just remembering. "I got it: my porkrinds."

"Okay, that's disgusting," Jim groaned and Pam giggled. Then something caught her eye.

"Ooh, yearbook!" she cried, practically bouncing over and pulling the book from the shelf even as he groaned. "Common Jim, we've known each other for almost a year now. It's about time that I got to see embarrassing pictures."

"I'll remember that the next time I'm over at your house," he responded, giving her a threatening glare.

She sat on the bed as she giddily flipped through the pages. He stared at her from where he sat, as she giggled about him being dorky and was surprised to find that she didn't seem out of place there. It's like she belonged here with him, somehow, in way that no one had belonged in his space in a long long time.

It was a strange thought that he didn't get to contemplate long since Mark called up the stairs for him.

"Put that away, stalker. Common, let's go join the party. I think Mark's freaking out with Dwight here."

"Oh my God! I know! I mean, you describing him and even when I spoke with him on the phone could not have prepared me for the real thing."

“Beesley, I don’t think that anything could ever prepare you for the real thing.”

>>>***<<<

“Jim, come here,” Pam gestured for him to come to her. He excused himself from Toby and made his way over to her, grinning as she bounced a little on the balls of her feet.

“What’s up?”

She leaned closer to him, dropping her voice so that he had to lean down to hear her.

“Okay, so you remember how Dwight said that he’d already had a girlfriend?”

Jim nodded. Of course he remembered. Pam had called Dwight repeatedly, leaving very intimate voicemails, posing as his girlfriend that he had ‘forgotten’. When she’d finally been able to speak to Dwight directly, he’s informed her that he already had a girlfriend (that he was very devoted to). Jim still couldn’t believe how flawless Pam’s execution of that prank had been.

“As if I could forget,” he said, dropping his voice to match hers, for the first time noticing how green her eyes were when she was amused.

“Well, I think he wasn’t kidding,” she went on. “I think it might even be one of your co-workers. That really uptight blonde lady?”

Jim knew his eyes nearly popped out of his head. “Angela??!”

“Shh,” she shushed him, glancing around before leaning in closer to him, holding on to his forearm. “I think I saw them outside…very close to each other.”

“No way,” Jim responded, not being able to wrap his head around Dwight and Angela.

“I’m serious, Jim,” the laughter left her face, but twinkled in her eyes. “A woman knows these things.”

He caught a whiff of her shampoo and she was still holding his arm when Phyllis came over, smiling warmly at both of them.

Pam mouthed to him that they would continue their conversation later just as Kelly bounced up to Pam.

“Oh my gosh, now I remember you!” she said. “You’re Roy’s girlfriend, right? From the warehouse? I remember you came around once or twice and I remember thinking that it was kinda a bummer that Roy wasn’t single because he has those totally cute dimples but then I saw the both of you together and it was just so adorably cute.”

Jim saw the falter in Pam’s smile at the mention of Roy, but she didn’t back away. “Yeah, Roy and I broke up a while a go, so...yeah, he’s totally available.”

“Awesome! I mean, it’s not awesome that you guys broke up or anything,” Kelly stuttered a little bit, and finally seemed to notice Jim. “Oh my God, are you with Jim? Jim, I thought you were dating that pretty red-head.”

“No,” both Pam and Jim said in unison.

“We’re just friends.”

“I’m not dating Katy.”

Their phrases overlapped but before anything else could be said, Dwight suddenly yelling ‘SURPRISE!’ just as Michael entered the room distracted them all.

>>>***<<<

“I can’t believe that Mark bailed on me,” Jim grumbled as he and Pam threw the last bags of trash next to the garbage cans on the side of the house.

“It’s not like it was terribly messy anyway, Jim. Besides, if he was going to get lucky tonight, wouldn’t it be better if you weren’t in the next room?”

Jim frowned. “Good point.”

They walked back inside and Pam rubbed her arms to get warm.

“Hey, umm,” Jim felt suddenly nervous. “Do you wanna stay and watch a movie or something? I think there might be one of two bottle of alcohol left over somewhere.”

“I think that everyone drank it all as soon as Michael got here,” Pam said and Jim winced.

“Yeah, I was hoping that you would never be exposed to him. Ever.”

“It wasn’t that bad, actually. I mean it could have been worse. He only mentioned his improv class to me twice and made only three obscene jokes.”

“Thank God for small miracles,” Jim responded with a grin. “So, should I make some popcorn?”

Pam crossed her arms over her chest and smiled apologetically at him. “No, it’s late and I should really get going.”

“Oh, yeah, you’re totally right, I’m sorry,” Jim backtracked, kicking himself for sounding desperate for her company. Still, he couldn’t help but feel disappointed that she wasn’t staying. He saw her often enough and they spoke on the phone everyday. He just suddenly really didn't want her to leave.

They walked to the door and Pam picked up her bag and coat. She turned to face him in the open doorway and after a moment of silence, she wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug.

“You’re a good guy, Jim Halpert,” she whispered in his ear and he’s glad she let go before feeling him shiver.

“Thanks. You’re not so bad yourself, Beesley,” Jim responded, glad that it was dark out because he knew he was blushing.

“Thanks for inviting me. I had a good time," she said in a low voice, as if she didn’t want to disturb something.

“I’m really glad you were here. My first big party! With a crasher and everything,” he once again dropped his voice to match hers.

“A complete success. Congratulations,” she said with a smile. Then suddenly, she stood up on her tip toes and kissed his cheek.

“I’ll see you,” she said as she hurried off towards her car and Jim felt like he’s in the eighth grade again.

He climbs up to his room again and picks up his yearbook, remembering the way she’d giggled and how it all felt…right.

That was when Jim Halpert realized that Pam Beesley had become his best friend.

And almost immediately he decided that he was in love with her.

TBC…

A/N: So, here's my version of "Email Surveillance". For those of you keeping track, Jim and Pam have been friends for several months and have known each other a little over a year. I hope you've enjoyed the chapter!! Things are looking to be moving in the "Jim-loves-Pam-but-will-only-angst-about-it-for-a-while" direction. Oh yes.

Thanks for reading.

cheers.

--Lex