It's not at all what she expected.  Having had previous proposal experience she thought she'd almost figured it out.   The rain beat down on the roof of the car and she hugged her jacket a bit tighter around her.  Smiling she leaned forward and adjusted the radio.

As much as she tried to pretend, it had been disappointing not having things settled before she left for New York.  She realized now that her instincts weren't off, that Jim had had something up his sleeve on the night of Toby's party but the whole Andy and Angela thing made a mess of it.  After wallowing in her own disappointment for a little bit she put her chin up and made the best of the situation.

And in return he had been so...great.  About absolutely everything.  

Like...helping her pack, to decide where to live, googling, questing, plotting out the best and quickest route to Brooklyn.   Helping her decide that being an RA would give her free board.  Once the decision was made it had also caused her to feel less self conscious about being one of the oldest people there.  He knew her so well.

A few nights before she left, one of the rare ones they didn't spend together she had let these nagging doubts creep in, thinking maybe the fact that he was so encouraging, so supportive of her leaving meant that where she thought they were headed wasn't quite where they'd end up.   She realized her fears were unwarranted when he showed up on her doorstep early the next morning bearing two cups of coffee and a box of donuts.

He stood there, clothes rumpled, eyes tired, stubble peppering his cheeks.  He looked like he had gotten about as much sleep as she had.

"This sucks.  What am I gonna do without you?"  He'd sighed as he walked through the door. 

Needless to say - the coffee wound up going cold.

Of all the ways she thought he'd ask this wasn't at all how she'd pictured it.  They'd talked it through, so thoroughly that she didn't expect it now - not today.  She had expected nothing until she got back and they were settled in - and together - again.  If she knew him as well as she thought she did she had thought he was probably planning something extravagant.  She had been secretly hoping he would.

Driving to meet  him she'd spent the time contemplating how to get him to follow her back to New York.  Kids don't play tee ball in the rain do they?  Surely his nephew's game would be cancelled.

As she'd watched his car pull up her heart skipped a beat.  She wondered now if it would always be that way. 

xoxoxo

Standing on the ridiculous scale, he couldn't stop grinning like an idiot.  He honestly almost didn't believe he'd done it.  Of all the times and plans he'd made this was the one that actually made it to fruition.

It wasn't supposed to happen this way.  He'd tucked away his recent quarterly bonus and had made reservations at this really fancy Italian place and the Ritz-Carlton for the last weekend she'd be in New York.   He'd been pretty sure Pam would have protested it was too much but secretly would love it.  

The way all his grandiose plans compared to the way it actually went down made him smile even wider.

He had been trying to be patient, he'd promised himself he would be.  He was good at waiting as far she was concerned.

He loved seeing her like this.  It was an amazing thing to witness.   How confident she'd become - how much she enjoyed all the things she was learning.   She'd always been beautiful to him but now...she simply took his breath away.  He had known it was not going to be easy but it turned out to be incredibly difficult, being here without her.  He'd spent almost every waking (and sleeping, to be honest) hour with her since their first official date.   Right from the beginning it had been so easy all the obstacles that were suddenly in their way had been hard to deal with.  Talking to her on the phone today he'd simply had enough.  He realized he didn't want another day to go by without seeing her.  He didn't want another day to go by without this thing finally becoming official.    There was no reason not to.

All he needed to do was swing by his apartment and pick up the ring.   He had taken a steadying breath as he pulled off the highway.  With just one look at her standing there he had known this was it.  All he had to do was ask.

xoxoxo

Pam jumped slightly as the door opened.  She reached up to swipe at her eyes as the rain swept through the car.  She smiled widely as he settled into the driver's seat.

She glanced down at her ring then into his eyes.  "Done?" 

"Done."  Jim leaned over and ran a hand across her cheek.  He kissed her softly grinning against her lips as he pulled away.   "Just wait a few minutes.  They're setting up now,"

She looked at him, completely confused.  "Setting up?"

"Yeah.  I mean - you don't want a long engagement right?  They just need a few minutes.  Kelly wants to be a bridesmaid - oh and she said she knows how to design a gown out of toilet tissue - so you're good to go.  I'm sure you'll look amazing."  His eyes sparkled as he continued.  "Andy's warming up to sing, Dwight's going to get his recorder."  He reached out to pull her closer.   "Michael - of course - would like to give you away.  Did you know Creed's a registered minister?"

She tried to squirm out of his grasp and couldn't help laughing at him.  "Let's get out of here."

"C'mon Pam.  They're all so excited..."

"Stop it."  She silenced him with a kiss. 

Jim turned the key in the ignition and backed out of the parking spot.  "It's going to be okay.  Your car will be fine.  We'll get it in the morning."

"I'm not worried."

"I'm sorry you're going to miss your class."

She laughed loudly.  "No you're not."

He laughed back at her. "You're right.  No I'm not." 

They rode in comfortable silence for a few blocks.  She reached over and took his hand in hers.  He brushed his lips over her knuckles and she gave his fingers a squeeze.

"Did you call your mom?"

"I did."

"And?"

"And she said congratulations.  She's very happy for us."  Pam's cheeks flushed slightly as she stared down at her lap.  She ran a finger over the stone in her ring.    It was so beautiful - so unlike the first ring she wore on this finger.  She shook her head, wanting to think about the present, not the past.  She realized Jim was still talking.

"Good.  So now your dad won't keep giving me those looks..."

Her eyes widened.   "What looks?"

"The 'what are you waiting for' looks."  Jim chuckled.  "Ever since I asked him..."

"Wait..."  Pam laid a hand on his arm.  "What are you saying?"

"What?"

"Jim.  Did you ask my dad if you could marry me?"

"Yeah."  He nodded.  "That's how you do it right?"  He laughed at the look on her face.  "It was a while ago though and I think he wondered what was taking me so long..."

Pam sucked in a breath and blew it out slowly.  "Okay, pull over."

"Huh? What?"

"Pull over a second."

He signaled and then eased the car to the curb.   He put the car in park and then turned to face her.  "What's the matter?"

She unhooked her seatbelt and framed his face in her hands kissing him soundly. She threaded her fingers in his hair as she deepened the kiss, pressing herself closer until she was practically sitting in his lap.

"I love you."  She whispered as she pulled away.  Her elbow knocked into the horn, the sharp sound causing them both to jump. 

He blushed as his eyes searched her face; the only thought that filled his mind was how he couldn't quite believe this was happening.  He'd missed so many chances had been begun to think he'd never see the day.

"I love you too."

She ran a hand over his chest and tugged at his tie.  Her eyes flitted away from his and back again.  "We should get you out of these wet clothes." She leaned close to kiss him again.

She shifted back to the passenger seat.  He smiled widely as he put the car back into drive.  "That's a great idea."

xoxoxo

The rain continued to pound, the blinds clanging softly against the window in the wind.  Hours earlier they had stumbled towards the bedroom, a trail of sodden clothes in their wake.

"I don't know how you sleep in that bed you have at school."  Jim ducked his head and pressed his lips against her temple. 

"I sleep just fine."  Pam turned and tilted her face up towards Jim's.  She twined her leg around one of his.  "You're just too tall."  She snuggled closer.  "Are our kids going to be tall do you think?"

It felt as if his heart stopped beating for a moment.  It was amazing, after all this time, to realize that conversations like this were real.  This really could - and  would - happen.

His voice seemed to get stuck in his throat.  "M-maybe."

"Fifty-fifty chance right?"

"There a bouts."

Pam sighed contentedly as she ran a finger over his lips.  "I hope they look like you."

He rolled his eyes.  "Yeah.  That'll be great.  Girls would kill for this hairstyle."

"Ha!  Okay, maybe not but boys would kill for your jump shot."

"I know right?  I always say the Sixers missed out."  He laughed and stared into her eyes, twirling a stray curl around his finger.  "Girls would kill for this hairstyle."

"Shows how little you know.  Girls are fickle.  If they have straight hair they wish it was curly...and the other way around..."

He brushed her hair off her face and pressed a kiss to her forehead.  "Well we've got some time to figure it out though huh?"

"Yeah."  She nodded solemnly.  "We've got some time."

Pam turned on her back, bringing Jim with her.  Instead of frantic and hurried this time was slow and incredibly sweet every touch, every kiss just stood to confirm how much he loved her, how much she loved him.   They were so in synch now it was almost like they had created a sort of choreographed dance - he'd move just slightly and she'd follow right along.  Watching him watch her Pam's heart was so full she thought it might burst.  As disappointed as she had been a few months ago it was alright now.  This was definitely worth waiting for.

Jim rolled on his side, pulling her against him.  As he did her hand slid over the one he rested on her stomach. 

"It'll be easier now - don't you think?"  She whispered into the darkness.

"Hmmm?"

"Me being at school...you being here.  It'll be easier knowing for sure where we're headed."  He could tell she was trying to be brave, but the tremor in her voice gave her away. "Right?"

"It's never easy being away from you."  He admitted, his lips grazing the back of her neck.  He felt her back stiffen and pulled her closer, his voice softening.  "But I'm so proud of you Pam.  I'm so glad you're doing this.  You're so talented - it killed me that you were wasting it..."

"You're talented too."

He laughed half-heartedly.  "I don't know what you've heard - but pranking Dwight isn't all that lucrative."

"I meant at your job.  I know you might not want to hear this but you're really good at it."

"Stop."  He brushed his lips against her neck again.

She tugged on his fingers.  "No - you stop.  You are.   You're a really good salesman, Jim.  People love you and they trust you.  That's not an easy thing to get people to do."

"You may have a point.  I did sell you on spending the rest of your life with me."

She smiled as his arms tightened around her.   "That was easy.  I know a good deal when I see it."

He grinned and pressed his lips close to her ear.  "Lucky for me, then."