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Aww, that was adorable, and I can totally imagine Jim doing that for his baby daughter. Cecelia sounds like a very normal teenager, too! I love reading about their lives together as a family. Oh, one small thing I noticed; Jim goes to check on Phillip, but he talks about Daniel afterwards. :-)

Author's Response: Ack, thank you for catching that. This was not "beta"ed, obviously. I wrote this before we knew what Phillip's name was (I actually wrote a lot of it before I knew they were expecting another kid at all, but I had to doctor the time frame to make it work...LOL). Thanks kriedy.

This was absolutely lovely. I could totally picture them having this conversation where not that much is actually being said out loud, but they communicate and understand each other perfectly nonetheless. Looking forward to the next chapter!

Woah! I've been waiting for that moment ever since the first chapter, but I did not see that one coming. I love the fact that Pam straight up told him, leaving no more doubt as to who the father is. Obviously, Karen still doesn't know for sure, but methinks that will change soon...? I really liked how you changed the incredibly awkward scene with Karen and Pam in the kitchen into something even more awkward. I mean, Karen asking her who the father is? You can't get more awkward than that, which fits this part of season three perfectly. Also, I'm so glad Isabel is a big part of this story. She's a great character, and Pam needs all the support she can get.
Finally, I have to mention that the perfect storm of pranks in the previous chapter was pure genius. Loved it!

Author's Response: I've been waiting to write that moment for such a long time, it's kinda nice to be past that hurdle. I'm glad it caught people off guard, in a story that may seem a bit predictable, it's nice to know that surprises like that work. Karen's gonna be kept in the dark a little while longer. It's probably safer for Jim that way. ;) I'm so glad people are enjoying Isabelle. She's more like an original character and those can be tricky in fics, so I'm glad people have taken a liking to her. Yeah, the prank was fun, even if that portion was tedious to write. Thanks for the review, so glad you're loving it!!

Phyllis' wedding is always going to be heartbreaking no matter what universe it takes place in, isn't it? I knew it was coming, but still... Guh.

I really liked that you took a rather unexpected route and had Jim tell her that he already knew that the baby was his. I'm glad he didn't start yelling at her, though.

However, I think the best part about Jim's reaction is that you can sense how completely numb he is. I don't think he has realised how huge this is yet, and that feels very real. He hasn't talked to anyone about it, while Pam has - as she says in this chapter - made her peace with it. In some ways it is as though you have taken Jim's numb and detached attitude from those dark days of season three and made it even more obvious how lost he is at this point. Bravo!

Author's Response: It really is, that episode has heartbreak written all over it. Yeah, for as much information that was out there, I think the one thing Jim knew for sure was that he did know, or at least always suspect. No, Jim doesn't get outwardly angry and start yelling--he goes inward, which I tried to show here. I think you've got great insight for what I'm trying to do with Jim. He is numb and then he gets hit with an overload of emotion, which almost makes him numb again. He's vary lost and unlike Pam, doesn't have the same support system as she does. I think he needs a little guidance. Thanks for the review, appreciate all the feedback!!

Now, that's what I call a wake-up call. I'm so glad they're really talking to each other now, and that ending was great. I don't think I've ever read (or heard) those two lines with a smile on my face, but I was grinning from ear to ear.

Author's Response: Yes indeed. Yeah, I figured it was about time they stopped screwing around. You know, it's interesting about those lines, I didn't give it much thought when I wrote them, but people have really taken a liking to that ending, so I'm glad it means so much to you. Thanks for the review. :)

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This is such an intriguing and realistic story! Kudos for coming up with a scenario in which Jim decides to leave that seems very real in the Dunder-Mifflin universe. Now that Karen is out of the picture, I wonder what will happen for Pam to realise what she has to do?

Author's Response: Thanks for the kind words, kreidy! Glad you're liking the story so far. I think the only thing that could really show Pam the light is for Jim to take a job as an exotic dancer, and then for Pam to stumble upon him, gyrating and shirtless on stage, during one of her afternoons out. This seems like the only logical progression from what I've written so far, when you think about it.

It's heartbreaking to read about that first date at Cugino's, but at the same time it feels as though this is exactly what happened. I liked that you had Jim almost say what he thought about Roy because he hadn't learned how to keep silent yet. Indeed; this chapter was very bittersweet, which was entirely appropriate. Great job!

Author's Response: Thanks! It is interesting to explore what Pam and Jim were both like before they were able to hone in their self-denial skills. I like to think that there were a few times were Jim had a hard time keeping his mouth shut and he had to teach himself to keep a distance from the situation. Thanks for dropping a line!

10

Pam and Jim in my favourite city in the entire world? Now, that's amazing. Love the tension and the fact that they're slowly realising that they need to figure out what exactly is going on between the two of them (even though that's fairly obvious to the readers.) Can't wait to see what happens next!

10

Great job telling the story behind that drawing! I love these glimpses into the scenes we never got to see, and your characters are spot-on. Bravo!

Author's Response: Thanks! I love that the show references to small moments between Jim and Pam and never shows them. It leaves a little more to our imagination. ;) I'm glad my characterization was accurate because it's what I pay most attention to while writing.

10

I love reading about the two of them celebrating birthdays, and this was so sweet. I can definitely see Pam surprising Jim by showing up like this. :-) (Also, good job making the bluetooth his present!)

Author's Response: Thank you! I am so happy that you caught the bluetooth reference! I don't think the pickles and Swiss cheese thing really went through, but I didn't want to change it since this was written a long time ago. It's great to hear that you enjoyed this, thank you so much! :)

10

I finally got the chance to read the second part, and this is exactly what I was looking for when we talked in July. :-) I love all the little hints about other episodes (especially why Pam caused the computer to crash in Fun Run) as well as their banter back and forth. Best of all, though, was how you made the Halperts seem so real and warm. After all, Jim must have come from a warm and loving family despite his idiot brothers. Bravo!