DISCLAIMER: I don't own the rights to these characters.

Her desk was as cluttered as ever. It was only the chair that was empty. It should have been tough for him to look over at the awkward void staring back at him, but for some reason it wasn't. It was Friday morning. Wednesday night, he had made love to her for the last time. Perhaps emboldened by the uncharacteristic tenderness with which he had frolicked with her that afternoon and evening, she had thrown herself into the coupling so completely. So completely, in fact, that it had been the first time he had made love to her without the thought of Pam ever permeating his mind to any degree. That was Wednesday night.

Thursday night, he made love to Pam for the first time. It wasn't great, although that was expected. Their bodies were still learning the subtle negotiations that happen between experienced, familiar lovers. But that didn't matter. It was still the best night of his life. There would be many more to come. And for the second time in 24 hours, with a different woman in a different city, Jim Halpert had thought only of the woman he was with. With Pam, it just came naturally.

He felt a tiny bit of guilt. Karen kept a tiny little teddy bear tucked under her monitor. Jim had given it to her on Valentine's day. He had grabbed it haphazardly at the checkout aisle, saving himself some time by taking care of that little errand while getting his grocery shopping done. And Karen, never the hugely sentimental, overly-girly type, had lit up... Smiled at him. Kissed him. She put that stupid little bear on her desk because it made her happy. Now the little bastard was staring at Jim, trying to ruin his sweet afterglow.

Whatever. She's the past. I'm done with her. He looked away. The important thing was that he was finally, after so many years, exactly where he wanted to be. Where he needed to be. Pam. Scranton. Home. Andy?

Andy. What the hell did he want. Andy had seemed to appear out of nowhere. He was standing, leaning in, his head less than a foot from Jim's. This wasn't the new, affectedly calm Drew either. This was Andy. Jim felt the sharp pain in his chest as Andy began to speak, jabbing his fingers into Jim's chest with each word to drive home his point. He wasn't speaking loud. It was more of a hiss. A toxic, venomous hiss.

"You... Mother... Fucker..."

Jim recoiled defensively, pushing his chair backwards with his feet, backwards toward Pam. Andy followed, refusing to let Jim open any distance between them.

"How could you just leave her there like that..."

Oh. Karen. Jim knew Andy had a weird thing for her. A sort of unrequited, roller-coaster friendship. He cared for her strongly. That was obvious. But strong enough to produce this kind of anger...

"It wasn't like that. I called her..."

Jim's reply was quickly silenced by Andy's now loud, seething words. His nose was now almost touching Jim's. Jim could feel a bit of Andy's spit spray onto his lips as he belted out his angry words. He even used Jim's name...

"She got attacked, Jim. By a group of men... behind the bus terminal where she was having a cigarette. They... they... well they r..."

Andy started to choke. He didn't need to say it. Pam, behind him, gasped audibly. She was suddenly overcome with empathy for the woman she had so recently wanted only to destroy.

"Oh God no!"

Jim, in contrast, had no words. Andy regained his composure.

"Now what the hell was she doing catching a bus home, huh Jim? Where were you? And she quit smoking years ago. What the hell did you do to her?"

That was all he needed to say. Jim wasn't an idiot. He could put the pieces together. Andy let out one last angry scream before storming out the front door.


***********

The city was nice and all, but the truth was she preferred visiting it to living there. It was, after all, an extremely hectic and stressful existence. The dating scene was complicated. Yes, the food was great, but also everything cost so damn much. Connecticut, though, Connecticut was just about right. Dunder Mifflin could go fuck itself. She'd catch a position under Josh at Staples, or maybe go work for IBM or somewhere selling something a little more exciting than paper. She'd be OK. She even smiled a bit to herself as she stepped off the train and set foot back in Stamford. Her mom would drive her to Scranton that weekend to pick up her car and her stuff. She'd never have to see any of them again. Except Andy. He was a good friend.

As if on queue, her phone rang. Andy.

"Andy... did they buy it?"

His voice was beaming with satisfaction.

"Oh hell yeah... you should have seen the look on their faces. Can I act or can I act?"

Anger management had done him some good after all. In fact it was little more than a 10 week course in pretending you were someone you really weren't. A 10 week course in acting.

"Thanks. I owe you one. You're a true friend."

Karen hung up. And things were right again. She knew Jim was a good enough guy deep down to be truly haunted by the picture of her fate that she had painted for him (with Andy's help). For a long time, if not forever. And now Pam would know what it was like to be made love to by a man with someone else on his mind. Now she too would suffer that same indignity. If they even made it that far. Things were right again. She could hold her head high. No need to look back. Ever.