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A series of Season 5 episode related stories.
Using the Pam/Jim narrative to frame the other characters' bits (kind of like this beautiful organic vine threading through them) is such a great way to structure this. Not only does it give the overall fic a lovely flow and rhythm, but it's also ingenious, cause their story has played that role on the show in a way too - even when it's in the background, it's always the resurfacing heartbeat that echoes and draws us in. Each piece is so apt - I thought Michael's was particularly touching and kudos to you for making something as nutty as Princess Unicorn the catalyst for something so sweet and affirming for Toby.
As for P/J, well...love Pam's menorah explanation (hee!) and as someone said, this may be the most sexilicious Jim-quote yet: "Does that feel good?" he wonders, his question tangled in his breath. But best of all, for me: "I loved you," he says, the admission still painful, ducking his head, helping her undress him. "I love you." See now, that's what makes your writing so damn good - from that one sentence, that one subtle shift in tenses, I know more about their history/connection than many stories tell me in thousands of words.
Hey, know what? There's even a 'parking lot' in that Joni M. song! But, of course you knew that. ;-) And for someone who says she finds it hard to write Angela, you certainly have a knack. This was a lovely addenda to the episode...the subtle Pam/Angela dynamic was totes recognizable, the idea of Pam dueling Karen was delightful (and I do not mean that in a slashy way) and damn right it's okay to be a little mean sometimes. Therapeutic even.
Author's Response:
I did know that. :) I am so glad Angela's well...Angelaness came through. I struggle with her because she was - let's face it - kind of weird this season so I never know what she's truly going to say. I almost wanted to do the whole story about Pam's duel with Karen but I thought this struck a good balance.
I'm glad that you seem to agree. :) Thanks, you.
It's hard to write a fic that's basically all dialogue without hitting a dissonant note - I know, I've tried! ;-) But, as always, you have a musical ear for these characters' 'voices'. And I love how, even though states apart during the episode, you've made their conversations (from mundane to serious) the datum that signifies Pam's adventure with Michael. Very believable. And you know I'm a sucker for the Pam/Michael/Jim axis, so hooray for including that too!
Author's Response: Well high praise coming from you. I'm sufficiently humbled and thrilled that you liked it! I was stuck in Pam's head for a bit there so I was a little rusty. I'm glad to hear I've still got it. ;) Thank you as always for the lovely review. Much appreciated.
I've been horribly remiss about reviewing lately, but had to chime in here - what lovely, perfect, succinct snapshots each of these bits is - of such specific characters, at such a specific moment. Pam/Michael - and who'd of thunk it - Angela/Jim...so touching and identifiable. And I like the framework of the camera people capturing it all - their appreciation feels like us, as viewers and writers - processing and trying to convey the best of these characters.
This is lovely. Great description of their wedding - and love the part about 3 kids. Paris too. Made me smile.
But, I have to admit it's also a bit freaky, because I've been toying with a half written fic that involves Pam being pregnant and a weekend at the Jersey Shore for ages....and just this morning, I resurrected it from my incomplete fic pile. It's quite different - but still. There must be something in the cyber air ;-)
This is all kinds of sexy, not just cause of the actual (and most effective) smut, but because it's a great glimpse of their dynamic. I love how it ends with him murmuring 'stupid jokes' in her ear as the fall asleep. Perfect. I also think make-up tub sex should be a new genre of fic all to itself ;-)
To echo the chorus, I totally share your take on that mysterious week as well. (In fact, I once wrote a far more abbreviated version in an old fic called Snip, that pretty much jibes with this, at least in spirit - but you've covered it here in much more complete and convincing detail.)
I'm always bewildered by board comments claiming Jim was a 'jerk' not to immediately dump Karen post BG - that he seemed perfectly 'happy' with her until TJ. Huh?!? Of course, taking him an entire week may have been a bit contrived (but hello? TV schedule!) But I found it utterly believable that - just as you've so beautifully portrayed here - it would have taken some time for Pam's (still rather cryptic) message to fully sink in - and for his laboriously constructed walls to crumble. After all, look what happened last time he misinterpreted her words/behavior! Plus, as you make so clear, he did have feelings - at least of obligation/guilt - for Karen. I think what those commenters often forget is that WE, as the audience, knew how Pam truly felt by then, so we could read ILU between the lines of her BG speech; Jim didn't know any of that for sure yet. He needed that final kick, that 'sign' - just as you so succinctly put it. What I saw in NYC was not simply a guy 'having fun', but a man making a last ditch effort to be that other guy, to finally convince himself he could embrace that life with Karen, play it safe/protect his heart....then all it took was one old yogurt lid and kaboom. (And btw, I don't think Karen seems one-dimensional here at all - shes seems like a woman who knows deep down she's playing a losing game, but desperately trying to hold onto her man...she loved him - or, at least her projection of him - and, as you so aptly put it: Karen with a plan was not a woman to be denied. Great line.
Anyway, clearly you don't need me to 'splain all this ;-) Beautifully written - love writing that creates such a full sense of the characters' experience/inner monologue in a few succinct lines/paragraphs. I also love the scene in the supermarket - just the right note of confusion, wistfulness, awkwardness...tongues painfully bitten. Also, the acute tacit discomfort of Jim not returning Karen's 'I love you' on the phone...and your final line is the perfect set up for TJ.I could go on, but I've already rambled too long.
This is simply how it happened.
Pam takes a nap, and Jim reflects.
Jim's joy - and not yet quite believing it's all happening - come through so well, because you don't overdo it; you just let it be a simple, sweet, intimate moment. It feels so, what's the word...pure? (And btw, I love his line about Meredith, hee!) Lovely and elegantly written, as usual ;-)
Author's Response: "Pure" and "elegant" are just such lovely compliments, thank you. I can clearly picture him just smiling to himself as she sleeps, you know? But he's still Jim, so I wanted that little bit of humor there, too. I'm very happy that this worked for you. I respect your opinion tremendously, because you are really good at this. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment.
You made this feel so present and real with so many beautifully small gestures and subtle interactions. I could really feel their excitement/nerves through the words - loved the Neosporin, her unruly morning hair, his Scampi breath...all very in-character. Some wonderful lines too - this one especially caught my eye: But then she laughed, threw her head down until her hair tickled their laced fingers and they were Jim and Pam again, more than that and only themselves. Lovely. And the end, with him brushing her hair, hit just the right note of unexpected, but imaginable tenderness. Looking forward to seeing more from you!
It's not fair to turn me into puddle before I've even finished my first morning coffee! This was a delicious little character moment. Especially love this: "Our baby wants you to make an honest man out of me already...jeez." That baby ain't the only one! Thanks gf, for giving us this lovely little amuse gueule (/Jan) of the wedding ;-)
First, apologies for taking so long to review. My bad. Second, ditto everything Talkative said. My lazy.
But let me add, the dialogue in this chapter is particularly fine. From so sweet: He let his lips linger there while he inhaled the scent of her shampoo. Who wouldn't want a mom who always smelled like apples? To so funny and effortless to imagine coming out of Jim's pretty kisser: "That's...don't listen to what my mom says. She has no idea."
As usual, your little bits are totally addictive and so satisfying.Mm. Good stuff.
This was blisteringly hot - I love that you've shown them really owning it...not timid and so free with each other. Very believable. But moreover, I like that you didn't sacrifice the core of their relationship (or who these particular characters are) for the sake of the smut - the humor, love, connection, support, even their excitement about the bambino - it's all here. So often in fic, it's an either/or situation...this gets it right on both fronts. And well written too...a win, win, win situation ;-)
This captures the magic I've imagined from that tiny snippet about them night swimming...and more.
This: She breathes; you breathe. So simple, and my goodness, there IT is. And then this: She kicks away again, your laughing bride, leaving a glowing trail for you to follow. That image is pure hope and gorgeous joy. Just so. Good to see you around ;-)
Jim and Pam are faced with the uncertainty of a future at Dunder-Mifflin. This is about the problems this might occur for our favorite newlyweds under these circumstances. Lady (why do I always hear Jerry Lewis' voice in, like...Geisha Boy, when we say that? ;-) this is the first fic I've read in ages. And what a FINE re-entry it was! Little angst, little funny, little sweet, little sexy time (is 'little' the right word? Ahem.) Yup, hit the spot, alright . Well done, as always, LADY!!!
Author's Response: So glad you thought it was FINE, ahem...sorry. I had to do it. Colette I'm glad I could be your re-entry story! Now, um when can I look forward to something written by you, my dear?
I like the idea you've picked up from the poem - something as mundane as oranges becoming as potent a 'coin' of memory as 'stars' fixed in 'the universe.' Lovely. Maybe Pam's silly pink sox will be Jim's oranges, of this moment. Also love the subtle tenderness of him removing her glasses when she falls asleep. I'm a sucker for fics about simple, everyday stuff like this - to me, more in-character and moving than complicated melodrama.
Author's Response: I just loved that poem. It reminded me that the beauty of the Jim and Pam characters' story is that ordinary people can find true love and happiness just like the glittery people, because the true gold of relationships is found (even for the glittery people) in those little often unexpected moments. Thanks for the review, Colette.
Set between S2 and S3 - fallout from Casino Night.This rings astonishingly true of those unseen post-CN days. It's all here, rendered just as I imagine they would have been - Pam's confusion, inertia, desperation, anger, hurt, sense of doom...and Jim. Wow. His mix of weariness, bitterness and loss - of being just so heartsick he literally felt like he might throw up - is not easy to portray in words...and I love that you did it so artfully - the dialogue, their subtle interactions, tiny details like leaving his coffee behind - make his malaise so resonant. I could cite a dozen lines/moments that are simple, but so achingly strong (...the way he purposely demolished the careful fiction that they were just good friends. And ...there’s something of the gallows about him...) and of course the ending. I appreciate the obvious care you took with chosing the right words as opposed to simply unleashing a lot of them.
Also, wonderful bits of the other characters - Michael, Dwight, etc. - everyone effortlessly pings as themselves here. Even the sense of that awful, interminable day passing slowly, minute by painful minute, is vividly tangible. Really, really beautifully written, start to finish.
A snowstorm hits Scranton in February 2010. Someone had to go there, so I did.I was waiting for this to be complete to read it, but couldn't resist...and now I'm on the edge of my seat. Love Pam yelling at him not to rub - and Jim's DIY baby hat...aw. Looking forward to seeing Dr. Jim OB/GYN in action.
(Also, wanted to mention that we must be having a great minds moment, because I'm also about to post a fic involving Jim shoveling...Totally different scenario, but still - we obviously both have snow on the brain ;-)
Author's Response: Maybe there's just something lovely about watching Jim shovel snow? *snork* I'm glad you liked Crankyinlabor!Pam, because she's not going away for awhile. Now if only we could find a scrub shirt for Jim. Thanks so much for your kind comments, I'm happy I've made you nervous.
Oh my! Foreshadowing of 'how horrible it would be to not have her best friend anymore'...of painfully unanswered text messages...not to mention all Jim's despair and Pam's clearly unresolved feelings that night. This hurts real good, missy!
Author's Response: Sometimes love don't feel like it should...::boom, boom:: it hurts so good... Oh sorry, I channeled a little diddy there. I'm glad you enjoyed this Colette, and that the foreshadowing worked for ya!
How did I not see this until after the blessed event?! Jim helping Pam turn over was a great little touch - and love her being the size of Delaware, his bro' being switched at birth.... what a lovely little prequel this was to read now!
Author's Response: I don't know. How did you??? :) I'm so glad you found it though and even gladder (hee!) that you liked it. :)
I just opened this, thinking I'd read a chapter or two, and ended up reading the whole story (so far.) Your writing is so well worded, the small character moments are so sharply observed, that this really has a sense of...not sure of the word...presence? Their states of mind at that conflicted point in time are really palpable. Even Karen makes sense, lol. Anyway, I don't have time at the moment to go into particular passages (or be very articulate, apparently ;-) but I'm really liking this and looking forward to more!
Author's Response: Thank you so much!! That's so flattering, especially since I'm a huuuge fan of your writing on here. I'm really happy tha everything is coming across so well, so again, thank you. :)
The world cannot have too much Pam... And there's Jim, in a nutshell ;-)
This vividly evokes the newborn thing - the milky smell, the amazement at the tininess (from fingernails, to yes - even imagining perfectly formed internal organs and thinking: how the hell did you MAKE this?!) Also love Jim still lusting for Pam, yet being respectful enough to cover her up...and especially how happily his 'freedom' is abandoned - for that milky, burpy, gassy, little thing.(This: I'm taking requests - is perfect Jim too.) Just the right combo of tender and funny and real. Nice."That was kind of the plan," Jim said, glancing quickly to see how many layers she was peeling away from that little assertion.
Such an apt metaphor for their entire gestalt at that point. As usual, I love your wording, how you suggest so many 'layers' in such a simple moment - I could cherry-pick a dozen examples in this brief story alone, but the point is how they coalesce into something so vivid and palpable that your reader recognizes it immediately - without laborious explanations of what the characters are 'feeling.' '
My favorite part of this is the almost, but not quite ending - how just gleaning that Pam felt 'it' too, if only for that fleeting moment, was enough for Jim. Picking up on the religious imagery - it almost seems like a moment of grace, that he realizes he'd destroy by attempting to capture or push it further. (He'll make that mistake soon enough, poor boy.) Hooray for letting the implicit remain veiled and revealing just enough about this overwhelming, complicated, often awful thing (love the word 'awful' there) via subtle metaphor and cues - so appropriate for their dynamic in those days.
Okay, have written a chapter here....oops. Will finish by saying, bravo and thanks for this. (Btw, I too only emerged from fic-hibernation this season to take a dip in the S2 sea of unrequited lurve...what does that say about us? Confuzzling, because I genuinely like that they're together on the show - really, still pining for each other after 6 seasons would be kind of cartoonish. And yet...scratching that S2-3 fic itch is still oddly satisfying. Thanks for doing it with rare finesse, sister.)
I not only hope - I know - that this sort of lifelong love is possible...this reminded me a little of my own grandparents, who absolutely adored each other for 50+ years...and trust me, theirs was no lollipops and ponies existence (we're talking the Great Depression, the death of a child, bankruptcy, severe illness) - and through everything, just like your Jim, my grandfather was always happiest home alone with his girl. Very sweet and lovely, jazzfan.
Author's Response: Thank you Colette. Very sweet about your grandparents, and yes, it is possible. As I mentioned below in another review, my folks were married 55 years, my grandparents made it 50+ years, and jazzman's are still counting after 62 years. All very lucky people. I really appreciate your comments.
Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes?
For instance:
After he did muster the courage, turned it into five words that made retreat an impossibility, he decided maybe bravery was overrated. Either way you ended up eviscerated.
Yep, there it is - with a bullet. And apropos, I particularly like the bit about him hiding the box from from Karen...the excessive packing tape is an apt metaphor.
Of course they both have boxes of 'ephemera' (one of the all time great words, btw) and of course thinking about her with Roy still carries that zing for him, and of course he knows - but perhaps still needed her to remind him at that point - that nothing was the 'same' with Roy as it is with him. Just so, missy - and so artfully and succnctly conveyed. Oh, I'm looking forward to the rest of this!
See now, I love second-person pov stories (they can have an almost strange intimacy and sense of immediacy.) Problem is, they're SO hard to do well - the voice has to be just right, in all its nuance, or it falls apart. And this one sings Pam.
I could smell the musty wood cabin, see her beautiful tanned husband thru her eyes and feel her 'missing' him... also this phrasing is perfect: I love that girl. Simple, true - a daughter is a miracle.
Anyhow, this was a lovely thing. Glad to see you back.