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Story Notes:
I wanted to take each of the 31 prompts and explore them a little more. How did these individual things impact our favorite couple? Were they significant moments that we didn't get to see? Were they insignificant moments that we did get to see but didn't get to fully understand? Set pre-pilot and moving forward in their relationship, I hope to dissect these words/phrases/scenarios and see how they shape Jim and Pam.

Each prompt is one chapter; prompts are listed as chapter titles. Rating may change as chapters are added.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
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A familiar looking shadow falls across Pam's desk and she looks up from spider solitaire. Jim is there, but he isn't looking at her. Instead, he has his long fingers almost comically crammed into the jellybean dispenser. He's well practiced, his fingers more nimble than they look folded up inside the plastic, because he manages to avoid the licorice and cinnamon and snag two elusive buttered popcorn. He shakes them in his hand and pops one in his mouth before finally meeting Pam's eyes. "So, how much do you wanna bet that Michael bribed this doc crew in a desperate attempt to become famous?"

"Odds are pretty good that that's exactly what happened."

"I mean, out of all the places in the country, they pick Scranton? And then out of all the places in Scranton, they pick Dunder Mifflin? It's just too coincidental. Money had to have exchanged hands."

"Maybe. Maybe they're actually an undercover karate documentary crew and they're here to film Dwight."

Jim chuckles and she feels pleased, the way she does when she really makes him genuinely laugh because Jim is so funny and if Jim laughs at her jokes then she must be funny, too. Jim's laugh is warm and round and makes her think of Christmas, because the office party three years ago was the first time she'd ever heard his real laugh. He tosses the remaining jellybean into his mouth and raps the top of her desk with a knuckle. "Thanks for my afternoon project, Beesly."

She watches him walk back to his desk and tilt his head towards Dwight. She can't hear what he's saying but notices that Dwight immediately sits up a little straighter and glance sidelong at a nearby cameraman. Jim motions over his shoulder towards the rest of the crew setting up inside the conference room. When Dwight reaches into his bottom drawer and pulled out his blue belt, Pam has to duck behind her desk so that she can hide her laughter. As Dwight stomps into the conference room, belt in hand, Jim swings his chair towards her. "Why does he even have that at work?" he mouths.

Pam shrugs her shoulders and extends her arm for an air high five. Jim does the same and they execute what Jim calls their 'signature move' in perfect sync. He gets back to work after that, but she watches him without really realizing it. She was noticing that the corner of his mouth was still pulled up in a smile when the documentary crew called her for paperwork and introductions.

Back at her desk, her mind wanders to the first few days after the announcement that Dunder Mifflin Scranton was going to be the setting of a documentary detailing the every day happenings of an American workplace. Absolutely zero work had gotten done for the rest of that day; for the rest of that week, actually. It was all anybody could talk about, and they all had the same thing to say:

"Really? Here?"

And that about summed it up. It was unbelievable. Even within Scranton there were more exciting options than a place that sold paper.

Paper.

Quite possibly the most boring thing in the entire world. Sure, it was kind of essential, but still. It was paper. Pam can't figure out what there was about Dunder Mifflin Scranton that screams 'great documentary material.'

Whatever it is, the crew seems excited. They were slated to start filming at the end of the week, so they had been spending entire days at the office so that they could become part of the background. The producer was adamant that the day to day routine shouldn't change, that the crew just wanted to film average workers at an average workplace. Over and over she had stressed for them to just be themselves. Pam thought that the entire crew had no idea what they were getting themselves into, but that was on them.

A jiggle of the mouse resumes her forgotten solitaire game. She moves a fully stacked nine over to a ten and the cards went ftpftpftpftpftp and it was another normal day at Dunder Mifflin. Reams were sold, calls were made, notes were taken, solitaire was played, Michael was tolerated, Dwight was laughed at, Jim was laughed with. How they'd make a documentary about that, Pam had no idea.

May as well get some actual work done, she thinks, so she faxes some completed paperwork to corporate, refills the copier, and delivers messages on her way to the kitchen. On her way back, a yogurt that she'd found hidden in the back of the fridge in hand, the producer hands her more paperwork and Michael reminds her of a 1:30 conference call that she needs to sit in on. Yep, she thinks, opening her yogurt. The average TV watcher is going to find this riveting.

She stirs her Yoplait as she waits for a fax confirmation. Her chair is turned away from her desk but she knows she has a visitor when she hears the sound of jellybeans clinking against plastic. Jim starts speaking before she even turns to face him. "This might sound weird. And there's no way for me to know this. But...that mixed berry yogurt you're about to eat has expired."

Pam gives him a quizzical look and checks the date stamped on the bottom of container. She kind of can't believe it; he's right. It's way expired. "Wow, almost a year out of date. How did you know?"

Jim shrugs, an affable expression on his face, the one where the corner of his mouth quirks up, the one Pam thinks looks best on him. "Just checking out for my favorite receptionist. It would be pretty boring around here if you were out sick with food poisoning."

"It's pretty boring around here, anyway. I mean, we're a paper company. What are they thinking?" She hitches her head towards the doc crew in the conference room.

"I don't know. Maybe something interesting will happen one day." He fishes out another jelly bean (chocolate pudding, it looks like) and it disappears behind straight white teeth and full lips and a quick lick at the corner of his mouth. Pam is jerked away from staring (why she was even staring, she didn't know) by Michael calling for her from the door to his office. She grabs her notepad and rounds the side of her desk, her eyes focused on the floor instead of Jim's tanned forearm against the stark white of his shirt as he leans against the counter top. "Have fun in there, Beesely."

"Yeah, thanks," she says with a soft laugh. "Maybe you were right, maybe something interesting will happen. Hey, better go sling some paper. I'll need a refill on my jellybeans soon."

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Chapter End Notes:
Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you think.

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