Jim closed the door to the conference room. He could make out Pam through the window. Her shoulders were shaking slightly. He hesitated for a second. Perhaps he should go back in there, make sure she was ok. As his hand reached again for the door handle, he met the gaze of the camera guy in the room. He smiled and slightly nodded. Jim nodded back and took that as a good sign.

Walking back to his desk with measured steps, he bent down to scribble out a note. Dwight looked up and said something to him, but he ignored it completely. He ripped off the note and yanked a piece of tape from his dispenser. He glanced back at the conference room. She was still sitting down. He quickly strode over to her desk, taped the note to her computer screen, and left the office.

Even though the red light of the camera had been off for a while, Pam could not seem to make herself stand. In a matter of minutes her world went from sad acceptance to wondrous hope. A single tear slid down to her chin and dipped down to her hands in her lap. That was really him. And he asked her for a date. And she said yes. Wow. Her legs finally stopped feeling like limp noodles and she was able to get out of the interview chair. Wiping her face with the back of her hands, she left the conference room, not quite knowing what to expect.

Her gaze went immediately to Jim’s desk, but he was not there. She quickly glanced around, but still didn’t see him. She got Dwight’s attention and asked him if he had seen Jim. He shrugged and mumbled something about him leaving. Even though she had no reason to, she thought that maybe she did indeed imagine it all.

She got back over to her desk hoping to see that little red light on her phone signaling a waiting voicemail. To her chagrin it was dark. She noticed a small note taped to her computer. It was from Jim, and it told her to step out into the hall. Confused, she made her way out of the office.

He stood against a wall at the far end of the hallway. He was waiting. Waiting for her to open that door and to walk out. The day, the week, the year had taken its toll on him. A whole year gone, wasted. He should have called her the second he found out about the wedding. Instead he stubbornly waited for her to contact him first. He thought he deserved that for being turned down….twice. Now, as he fingered the yogurt lid in his pocket, did he realize how much of an ass he was. He was supposed to rescue her. He was her knight in shining armor. Yet he chose to be neither. Instead, he shielded himself with another job, another woman, and another life. She had to save herself, which she did. She made it though her trial of fire clean on the other side. And even after that she still wanted him. That night at the beach when she asked him to come back, he saw it in her eyes. Even then he was still too much of a coward. He rationalized it by thinking that she really didn’t say “it” so it mustn’t be true. Ugh.

“Jim.” He looked up, startled. He was so deep in his own thoughts he didn’t notice her when she stepped out into the hall. He stared at her. Even all the way at the other end of the hall she took his breath away. The woman he always loved but could not have was there. Her eyes shined with unshed tears and she fidgeted with her hands. God, she looked so beautiful. His eyes started to sting and his hands started to shake in response.

As she softly closed the door behind her, she noticed his tall, lanky form leaning against the wall at the far end of the hallway. She could tell he was thinking about something; his eyebrows were furrowed and he was slightly shaking his head, as if answering himself. She had noticed that a lot during the past six months. Well when she was actually able to see his face. Her heart was racing and she could not stop fidgeting. She did not know what to say, so she simply said his name.

The sound of his name hung in his ears as if time had stopped. He couldn’t find his voice. No humorous remarks came to mind. The last thing he wanted right now was to joke around. He never took his eyes from hers, and stepped slowly towards her. She did the same. Each step seemed to trigger a memory of her. Dinner on the roof, step. Deck of the booze cruise, step. Casino night, step. The beach, step.

Pam saw him move towards her, his eyes large and shining. He did not say a word, but he did not need to. She remembered that look all too well. She had just gotten off the phone with her mom that night. He strode in and kissed her, eyes large and shining just like now. She stepped towards him. Dundies, step. Jim's bedroom, step. Jinx buy me a coke, step. It’s a date, step.

It was almost a replay of when he first came back to Scranton. Her arms flew around his neck and he scooped her up in a tight embrace. But this was different. He wasn’t thinking of how to let her down gently. He wasn’t going to let her down period. Ever again. Her face was hot and wet against his neck. Her small frame shook and sobbed. He breathed in her scent as unbidden tears flowed down both cheeks to make small dark spots on her pink shirt. They clung onto each other as if letting go would end the dream they were both having. He knew that they had a lot to talk about. A lot to work through. But he didn’t care. Not one single bit. Pam was right here, with him, clutching him tight. He loved her. Always have. He had found his voice again, and he opened his mouth to tell her.

“I love you.” She had beat him to it. “Did you hear me Halpert? I love you.” Pam pulled her head back out from the wonderful scent of him and searched his face. He started to say something but she shushed him gently. “Not finished. We will go to dinner. We will talk. We need to do that, you know?” She pushed a lock of hair out of his face and smiled. “But I wanted you to know that…once.”

He smiled back at her, already starting to feel more at ease. “Whatever you say. After all, this is Fancy New Beesly. Best not to let her down I think.” His smile touched his eyes.

She poked him right in the chest with her index finger. “That’s right. Look out world, I’m a coal-walking, mind-speaking, truth-telling wolverine!”

His eyebrows shot up and a laugh escaped his lips. “Did you just call yourself a wolverine?”
Still in his arms, she shrugged playfully. “Since I only had Dwight to talk to for like the past year, guess it sort of rubbed off on me.”

Jim’s face turned serious. “Pam, God, I’m sooo sorry-“

She smiled at him and put a finger over his mouth. “Jim, it’s ok. Well, it’s not ok I guess, but we will fix it. As long as you can tell me that you’re back. Really back.”

Touching his forehead to hers, he whispered, “I’m back Beesly. And I’m not going anywhere.”
Pam squeezed him once more before letting go. “Good. Except that you are going somewhere. With me, out to dinner.”

Chuckling, he nodded. “Speaking of which, let’s go kill this last thirty minutes of work and get out of here.” He impulsively grabbed her hand as they turned to go back. “And by the way Pam.” She looked up at him expectantly. “I love you too.”