You don't want to wake up one day and realize that both of you are unhappy because you weren't the person he thought you were. There's no way you can compete with Fantasy Pam.
This is really, really good! I loved how you built the tension throughout the story. At the end I was left with a smile and feeling very hopeful for these two. I also loved how Jim called Pam, 'Bees.' The whole thing was just very realistic and so well done. Great work.
Author's Response:
I'm glad you thought the ending was hopeful, that's definitely what I was going for. I'm so glad you liked it!
Oh, this is good. I loved how she was flustered around him but didn't really know why. Also the joking about Dwight was great. Looking forward to more!
Author's Response: I\'m so glad you\'re enjoying this!! I sometimes feel cheap taking countless shots at Dwight, but hey...whatever works! And I\'m glad the subtlety of her being flustered came through! Thanks again for reviewing!
What if Roy was lying when he said he'd never cheated on Pam? What if Pam was always a little less healthy than she let on? What if everything, everywhere, is only meant to fall apart?This chapter felt very satisfying to me in a way even though it was also sad and upsetting (no crying here though, lol. Work on that for next time :-P). I was glad Jim confronted Pam. But I still felt bad for her in the end. I loved this part:
He stared hard at her back to try to get her to feel the way he was looking at her. Soft. Steady. Painfully himself. “I would never do what he’s doing to you,” he promised, his voice quiet and catching on the last word because it was full of so much truth.
Those words just paint such an image in my head. This story is just chock full of quality!
So, I've been reading all along but haven't left you a review yet, mostly because I'm lazy, not because this story doesn't deserve it. I'm definitely enjoying it even though I want to slap this Pam in the face for acting this way. I think the new chapter five does fit with the rest of the story better, but I kind of missed the part when Jim buys her a hot dog even though she said she didn't want one. But that's my sentimental side talking. Anyways, glad you're back and I'm looking forward to seeing where else you take this.
She saw the iPod as she was packing her stuff into boxes. It had been tucked away in a drawer for months. She never listened to it anymore; the memories were too painful.
WHAT? xoxoxo said you left it on a cliffhanger but this is just cruel! I am dying to know what happens next. That's a good sign :-)
I always enjoy reading your stuff and I think this is such an interesting take. Pam didn't have the good sense to take Jim's Christmas gift but she was able to break up with Roy...kind of the opposite of what happened on the show. It's still believable and you've definitely got me hooked!
She couldn't be sure exactly when he ceased to exist, but the first day she suspected something was the day after she canceled her wedding.
This is such an interesting concept. I can't wait to see where you go with it. What a neat way to put a new spin on something I've read about, oh, say, 1,500 times. Great job!
Aww, this was very sweet. It is kind of killing me to know that this scene is out there somewhere on some computer hard drive and we will never get to see it! But this is a great take on it and I really enjoyed reading it!
Author's Response: Hi Sudz! Yes, knowing there is another ending out there somewhere kills me as well. I was really really hoping it would have popped up on the S3 DVD but no such luck. Maybe one day it will come up on some anniversary edition DVD or something, lol. I'm glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for reading and reviewing! -K
Jim and Pam are Jim and Pam, only...not really.This story has me convinced that you could write a novel and I'd love it just as much as I love your Office fic. Because this is fanfic but it's also so not. And that's a compliment. I am so into this story and I'm so glad you're updating as frequently as you are. I love how this Jim and Pam are way different from the characters we know but still so the same. I also love how Pam thinks that she doesn't affect Jim at all. Can't wait to see what's next!
And, pierogies! All cool girls eat pierogies. :-)
Tomorrow I’ll fly home, to her and to California, but for now I write, happy, content, lost in my own words.
He’ll be home soon, but the time passes and maybe his flight is delayed, but it’s nothing I pay attention to. His flight delays are as commonplace as his coming and going. Rated K+
I really liked this. I liked how they had problems but that they still stuck together. Even if they only ended up working through their issues because Pam got pregnant, it felt realistic. Plus, Henry and George are great names.
Author's Response: i give all of myself to my fics. so yes - george and henry are my potential baby names - but i could see jim & pam being into them too :) i wish i'd tweaked this a bit, now that you say that about pam being pregnant. i can see how it would look that way. my intention was that what really fixed them was their being together again. knowing how to make time for each other again. i believe that would save them. if anything - i think kids start more problems for couples. in any case, it makes my heart feel good that i didn't break them up :)
Three times Jim proposed...with unexpected results. Spoilers through Chair Model.
I own nothing whatsoever to do with these characters or The Office.
Sweetpea wins at life. That is all.
“I knew I shouldn’t have let you buy that flat iron! Dammit, Beesly! That show is awful and took our time slot during the strike! This game is over, I’m going to kick your ass for real.”
Seriously that is just comedy gold. BRAVO!
This is just beautiful. Exactly how I imagine it was for them, with the gradual blurting out of secrets and the easy forgiveness. And the last few paragraphs are so well-written, they almost sing. I love that Jim was thinking he was right to wait for this - I imagine that's pretty much what he's thinking. Great job!
Aww, how sweet. Of course you are the master of dialogue - sometimes I wonder if you really are one of the show's writers masquerading as a fanfiction writer. :-P
But seriously this was really nice. I especially loved this part:
He was laughing. "I don't think I understand your question...I....Yeah...Pam, I wouldn't have asked you to marry me if I wasn't actually ready to get married."
And that was it.
So true. I am so happy for Pam knowing that she has a guy who actually wants to marry her this time. Sigh. Thanks for sharing, as always!
I really liked this! I know when I am really liking a story when I see that I'm almost to the end and I'm like, no, don't be over yet! I think this is exactly what they're like at home and I loved the first person because you totally nailed Jim's voice. Especially the sections where he's saying what he really thinks in his head and not out loud. Thanks for sharing and I hope to read more from you soon!
Author's Response: Thank you! I reformatted it once I figured out how to italicize and I\'m much happier with how his inner monologue is portrayed. Jim is fun to write. He\'s so much more than the cookie-cutter good guy everyone wants him to be, don\'t you think?
Callisto, I'm so glad you decided to finish this story! It's one of my favorites. I think you have such a great grasp on their characters and at portraying what this time must have been like for them, with all the highs and lows. I also loved the detail about the armchair - didn't you mention that they had lots of fond memories in one of your other stories? I like it! Looking forward to the next installment!
Author's Response: Thank you! Like I\'ve said, there are a lot of things I feel like I should go back and change/edit/cut/fix, but I\'m going to just run with what I\'ve got here. And yes, that armchair is apparently a fixture in my Jim and Pam world. I\'ve got it all mapped out now so it shouldn\'t be too long before this is finished. Thanks for sticking with me! :)
Jim's been acting a little strange these days.Uh, I vote for continuing! I really liked this glimpse at a week in the life of Jim and Pam. I think it would be exactly like this. I can't believe Pam didn't look at the ring! That's some self-constraint right there. I hope you continue and I can't wait to read more!
Author's Response: I love trying to imagine what their interactions and lives are like outside the cameras. will be hard at work on coming up with something appropriately \'kick-ass\' today... Thanks for reading!
Some talking heads that take place right after the meeting called by Ryan in Night Out.So many winners here but I have to say my favorites were Meredith, Creed, and Toby. Great job - being able to write these jokes is such a talent!
Haha, this was pretty funny. I wish I could catch the Simpsons reference because I always enjoy your stuff. :-)
Author's Response: thanks for the feedback! the simpsons reference is a line from "the simpsons movie" when flanders tells one of his children that they have the devil's curly hair. it's one of my favourites. and i feel like whatever kind of christianity flanders subscribes to is probably shared by angela.
Great to see you back, wendolf! This was really great. And I can totally relate. It's so hard to know when a dream is something you should pursue or just something you should fantasize about. I think Jim feels the same way. Only thing I would say is, do you think Jim still thinks of Karen so often? I mean did she really mean that much to him that he'd still be comparing her to Pam? I get what you were trying to do but part of me thinks that Jim rarely thinks of Karen at all anymore. But, that aside, I really enjoyed reading this and thought it was spot on.
Author's Response: Thanks SGS! Yeah, I think we all can relate to these types of feelings re: dreams ... As far as Karen goes, I don\'t think Jim thinks of her in any nostalgic kind of way. He probably doesn\'t think about her much at all. But in this fic, since he\'s thinking about his aspirations or whatever, he\'d maybe ponder the differences between how Karen was and how Pam is, especially regarding his future. Karen seemed to want him to be serious and driven, a NYC kind of guy, and Pam seems happy with a simpler, Scranton version of Jim. That\'s all. But you\'re right -- it\'s not like I think he thinks about her in any important way. Thanks for reading and reviewing! I truly appreciate it.
He would close his eyes and remember their time apart, concentrating on it, trying to feel it. Just when he started to connect with the empty feeling, he would open his eyes and look at her sleeping beside him, and slide close enough to her so he could feel her breath, and feel nothing less than a sort of joy.
As always, brokenloon, you rock. The mood of this piece was so effectively depressing. But that made it easy to see just how Pam truly is a ray of sunshine in Jim's life (to steal a line from Ricky Gervais). He'll put up with having a crappy job he hates just as long as he gets to be with her.
I also really liked the line about Jim watching the Pirates game and how it was just another sign he was in the wrong part of Pennsylvania. Oh, and I totally know someone from Meadville!
This was great! I loved how there wasn't any dialogue at all but you did such a wonderful job describing the scenes, you didn't even need any. I also loved the way you switched POVs. Also the image of Pam comforting Jim while she's in labor is just too cute/amazing to imagine. Hope to read more from you soon!
Author's Response: thank you for your kind review, supergirl. we all jim will be freaking out while pam gives birth :P hope to see you around!
"Well apparently, for two people who like to talk, we aren't very good at communicating." Nervous?! You have no reason to be nervous because this was fantastic. I loved how each of the little vignettes built up to the last one. Even though there were still a few things left unresolved I felt like I knew it was going to end up okay. Thanks for the great read!
Author's Response: Whew. I\'m so glad you liked it! I didn\'t want to neatly wrap up all of their communication issues, because I figured that\'s not how relationships in real life work. Thanks for the great review!
Pam married Roy and moved to California after "Casino Night," and Jim gave up. But then he started getting the letters...I've really been enjoying this story. I love the back and forth with the letters and you really have their voices down. The little hints are so great, like Pam saying she's told Maddie all about Jim, how she worked really hard on his painting. I can't help but hope that he does go visit her, Pam kicks Roy to the curb and they live happily ever after in CA. But I'm just a sap. Anyways, keep up the good work and I look forward to reading more!
Author's Response: The letters were tough to do. I wanted to make sure I had the proper tone and subtext going on in each one, so each one took a few edits to get right, even if it was just swapping out one word for another. I\'m glad people are liking them (and the whole story overall). :)
Jim knows why he dates Karen.I really enjoyed this! Oh, StamfordJim, you were kind of an ass. This was a neat concept and I think you did a really good job showing how Pam and Karen were so different to Jim. I think this is a perfect explanation for when Jim tells Karen she should think about moving to New York when the branch closes. I really liked how you had him be so surprised she was that into him. Great job!
Author's Response: Thank you! That\'s kind of what I was aiming for, so I\'m glad I achieved it. :)
I can't believe you've been holding out on us for so long, Azlin! This is great. I've often wondered myself what would have happened if Roy broke up with Pam, so I can't wait to see where you take this. And you better live up to your promise of quick updates! :-)
Author's Response: It wasn't a conscious hold out, I promise. I honestly forgot all about this thing until I randomly came across it earlier today. I'm glad I found it, though, because I really like it! I'll do my best about the quick updates. I have a crazy week ahead of me, but the story is basically written already, so all it will need is some final revising.
I cannot wait to visit Ryan in prison. I'm gonna wear my hottest track suit, and get my hair done, and then be like, "Hi Ryan."
Kelly visits Ryan in prison. Post Good-Bye Toby.
This is great, kells! I really liked the mostly humorous tone throughout but the moment between the two of them at the end was really well done. My favorite line was "Guards stand to the left and right of the doorway she came through, and they don’t even seem to notice her. They must be gay." LOL! Oh, Kelly, you are one of a kind. :-)
Author's Response: Hi sudz! It's funny you mentioned the part about the guards - I actually took that out and put it back a few times because I wasn't sure if it came across the right way. So, I'm glad that it worked for you :) I tried to keep the tone light but I wanted Kelly to walk away knowing that Ryan cares at least a tiny bit. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
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