For anyone paying attention, the ride back to Roy and Pam’s apartment would have obviously been an awkward one.

However Pam was the only one in the truck who really noticed.

The Dundies were at six thirty so they didn’t really have much time to get ready, let alone argue again.

And yet Roy seemed to want to pick a fight as soon as they got inside.

“Pammy do we really have to go to this stupid office thing of yours? That idiot boss of yours gets on my nerves.”

Pam rolled her eyes but kept her cool. “Roy come on, we said we’d go. Plus it’s free food and drinks. That’s always something you love”. At the mention of free drinks, Roy seemed to perk up a bit and got ready without much protest. There was still an obvious tension that hung in the air but the two chose to ignore it.

When they got into the Chilis the Dundies had already started. Pam spotted Jim and waved, smiling as he gave her a slight smile and wave himself. The thought popped into her head that she wished she could sit with him rather than Roy and Daryl, but she brushed it away quickly.

Pam knew that she had to pick the right time to tell Roy that she wasn’t sure if she wanted to be with him anymore. A very small part of her wanted him to try and win her back. She just wanted him to show some effort.

The other part of her though, that part knew that there wouldn’t be any change. Even if he showed a little bit of improvement at first, there would be no difference in the long run.

Pam chose to talk to him about it tonight after the Dundies, knowing that the weekend would give her enough time to figure out her living situation.

Pam finally focused back on what was going on around her, only to hear Daryl speaking to Roy.

“Hey, let’s go to Poor Richards”

“Yeah, let’s get out of here.”

Michael noticed the two warehouse men gathering up to leave immediately. “Um..Hey guys, where are you going? Pam, come on the show’s just getting started.”

“Sorry…”

Feeling a bit called out Pam didn’t really know what to do, so she gathered her coat and followed Roy out to his truck.

Jim watched as Pam walked out of the Chilis, feeling his stomach drop a bit in disappointment. Ryan leaned over and whispered so that Michael wouldn’t hear. “Hey man are you staying?”
Jim hesitated. “Um, yeah, gotta eat somewhere.”

Pam jogged a bit to catch up with Roy outside as he stalked towards the truck.

“Roy. Roy! Come on really?”

Roy turned on her, obviously angry.

“What do you mean ‘really?’ Come on the only good thing about that stupid event is the one award he gives us every year, it’s just not worth it!”

Pam stood there in shock, mouth gaping. He really saw that as the redeeming quality of these award ceremonies? Something that humiliated her? Something in her snapped and she started yelling.

“Really Roy?! THAT’S what you like about this?! God I can’t believe you sometimes!”

“What the hell are you talking about?! It’s a fucking funny joke why’re you being such a bitch about this?!” Roy yelled right back at her and started to walk towards the truck.

Pam followed him and yelled on.

“Because that’s what happens every time!”

“Well yeah he’s a jackass!”

She couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Every year Roy! He humiliates me every year!”

Roy ignored her, grabbing her arm and yanking on her. “Come on get in the truck we’re going to Poor Richards”

Pam jerked her arm out of his grip and yelled back at him “No! No, I don’t wanna go. I’m not going!”

Roy yelled after her as she started back towards the Chilis. “Pam, no!”

“No, you know what, if you had asked me, then you would know!”

Pam stopped and stared, thinking about the situation she was in.

Now. She had to do this now.

“Roy...God I can’t do this anymore-” Roy cut her off

“Yeah Pam I’m tired of fighting too, lets just go-”

“No, Roy...I mean I can’t do US anymore.” she took a deep breath as she finally got the words out, watching to mix of horror and anger settle onto Roy’s face.

“What? Pam are you fucking kidding me right now!? What the fuck is wrong with you!? You know what no, no, you’re just tired. You’re just getting cold feet. Come on Pammy let’s just go home and we can talk this out.”

Pam sighed as she came to the full realization that he wasn’t going to make this easy.

“Roy, no. This isn’t something we can just talk out...I don’t love you anymore. And I don’t think you love me anymore either! We aren’t the same people we were in high school Roy, we’re not!”

She saw as Roy’s sad and pitiful face morphed back into pure rage.

“Is there someone else? Is it Halpert? I swear to God I’ll kill him!” Roy started to walk but towards the Chilis, but Pam caught him and pushed him back.

“Roy, NO! There isn’t anyone else! Okay, stop!”

Roy shoved her backwards. Hard.

Pam fell and hit the ground. She hit her head on the gravel, and when she sat up a bit she felt the world spin.

Roy was still yelling, but everything sounded fuzzy.

He had never pushed her before. Never hit her before either, but when she looked up, Pam managed to make out the fuzzy image of Roy’s fist hurtling towards her.

Jim had been walking to the bathroom when he heard the shouting. He hesitated a bit before walking out of the Chilis towards the parking lot.

He almost threw up at the sight in front of him.

Pam. On the ground, her head bleeding.

And Roy, standing above her with his fist raised.

Before he even knew what he was doing, Jim was sprinting full speed towards the two.

He slammed into Roy and knocked him to the ground. He only had to punch him twice before Roy passed out. Jim jumped up and ran over to Pam, skidding to a stop beside her.

“PAM! Pam, oh my God, are you okay?! What the hell did he to do to you?!”

The dazed look on Pam’s face terrified him, and she wobbled a bit as he helped her sit up.

Pam could see that it was Jim who had helped her up, but she could barely make out what he was saying. He head was pounding and her stomach was rolling. She was terrified still but felt one hundred times safer with Jim around.

“..roy..he-....he tried to...broke up wi’ him….got really angr…” the choppiness of her voice confused her and made Jim feel as if he would die. He sat down on the ground next to her and pulled her closer to him.

“Okay Pam stay with me okay? I need you to stay awake and I’m gonna call the police.”

Pam’s head slumped against his chest, but he heard her mumble a weak “okay”

“911, What’s your emergency?”

“Hello? Yes, this is Jim Halpert, my...uh my friend and her ex-fiance just got into a fight and he pushed her. She hit her head really hard and I need an ambulance at the Chilis on uh...375 Wilkes Barre Boulevard, please!” Jim was frantic, but tried to keep his voice from shaking as he described what he knew to the operator.

“Okay Jim, keep calm for me alright? I’ve got an ambulance and a patrolling officer on their way to you right now, it’ll be about five minutes. I’m gonna need you to keep your friend awake okay?”

Jim did as he was told and made sure Pam kept her eyes open. Just as the operator said the ambulance and police officer arrived five minutes later. He described what he knew to the officer. He was told that he did the right thing in defending Pam and was left to watch as they loaded her into the ambulance. By now a crowd had started to gather, people having heard the sirens from inside.

Dwight was knocking on the window of the police cruiser where Roy had been detained, trying to investigate him.

Michael was crying and trying to yell at Pam in the ambulance that everything would be okay, which Jim thought was oddly sweet.

Everyone else was just standing there in shock, not really willing to believe what they were seeing.

Jim barely noticed as the EMTs started waving him over.

“Sir? Would you be up to riding with us? Miss. Beesly is asking you.”

Jim nodded and jogged over to the ambulance, jumping up inside just as they closed the doors.

Pam was laying on the stretcher, an oxygen mask on her face and an EMT leaning over her pressing gauze to the gash on her forehead. Jim felt the tears gathering in his eyes as he looked at her. She looked so small and he felt useless. He knew how cheesy that sounded, even in his own head, but there were no truer words that could be said.

Except maybe that he was terrified for the woman he loved more than anything.

Just then Pam’s eyes seemed to focus on him, and she reached out to grab his hand in hers.

Her voice was weak but it was there. “Jim..?”

He smiled as well as he could through the tears fighting their way to his cheeks.

“Hey there Beesly. How’re ya feeling?”

“Heh...I’ve had worse. You should see the other guy” Jim smiled a bit at the fact that even with a concussion Pam Beesly was still determined to make jokes. He decided to go along for both their sakes.

“Yeah really? Damn I’d hate to see the face of the poor sap who picked on Pam Beesly.”

Pam smiled along with him and squeezed his hand a little tighter. Her face turned more serious not too long after.

“I just wanted to thank you. I really don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t-”

“Hey...hey don’t think about that. And don’t thank me for that okay? I couldn’t just stand there and let him-” Jim’s voice cracked. He had to stop and take a deep breath before he could go on.

“I would never let anyone hurt you like that.”

Pam smiled a bit again at that.

“Yeah...I know.”

And with that, the ambulance doors opened to the ER wing.