“Pam and I have hurt a lot of people, but mostly we’ve hurt each other. There’s no coming back from that.”Can't wait to read the end. California Pam? Wow.
Author's Response: California Pam is a little more brave! I\'m glad you\'ve enjoyed it! Thanks for reviewing!
Beautiful. I love that he knows that she brought him back to being the man he used to be, and acknowledges how lost he was without her.
Your text/phone conversations are so great...and the smut's not bad either. Really looking forward to the next update!
I am really enjoying this story, I hope you update soon.
Author's Response: Thank you! Glad you like it. Look for an update very soon!
Don't take this the wrong way, but... you should go for that job.
What would have happened if Jim had taken that job in Maryland after all? Season Two angst - spoilers for Halloween through Email Surveillance, then goes AU from there.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with smut for smut's sake! Phew!
Author's Response: lol. You're right. Smut is good. Very good. [/jim]
This was very sweet!
Author's Response: Thank you so much!
Well, you don't really seem to be rusty! I like the idea and I'm looking forward to the next update.
I am also intrigued...curious to see where it's going!
Author's Response: Thank you. That\'s exactly what I wanted.
This will be a series of self-contained chapters (oneshots) exploring various "what ifs" pertaining to episodes spanning seasons one through three. Each chapter will examine how things would've gone differently if either Jim or Pam had responded to a given situation the way that (most) fans had wanted or almost expected them to.
For example, the first chapter focuses on how things would've happened differently if Jim had confessed during those twenty-seven seconds of silence on the booze cruise when we were all holding our breath and hoping he would.
Among the other chapters I have mapped out: What if all the reminders of Jim in "Gay Witch Hunt" had provoked not a small, sad smile from Pam at the end of the episode, but rather, had motivated her to take action -- drive to Stamford to see him for the first time in four months? Or what if Jim had responded to Pam's text in "Diwali" via a post-Jagermeister phone call? What if Jim had walked in on Pam crying at the end of "Back From Vacation"? (...You get the idea.)
Again, though, each chapter will be confined to an episode, so it will essentially be a series of oneshots that are unrelated to each other.
That was really lovely. Don't stop!
I'm so glad to see you posted another; I loved the idea of this when the first one was published. Damn those real life responsibilities!
I love this beginning. I am so glad the whole thing's written because I can't wait to see the next chapter.
Jim was so heartbroken at this point, you really conveyed the pain and anger he was feeling.
Author's Response:
Thank you JKfan. Now might be a good time to confess that I had musical help on evoking the emotion. The first two chapters were written with the song "The Glass Parade" on in the background. It is always heartbreaking and I believe it helped me get to place to write it. I'm not really much for dark Jim, but there is a time and place for everything and I think that he was in a bad place at this point in the series.
Thank you so much for reviewing, I haven't written in a while and I'm LOVING that people are enjoying this fic. I will post again very soon and I hope you enjoy it from here on out.
Wow, even with your warning, that conversation was uglier than I imagined it could be.
Jim's line "you destroyed me" was just heartbreaking.
Author's Response: Sorry I tried to prepare you for it. Actually, it was funny, I felt bad unleashing this on everyone as I knew it was probably worse than people thought it would be. But I think that it's so bad because they love each other so much. And really at some point, I've personally wanted them to let each other have it because there were points they both really deserved it. But, anyway, I ramble. It makes me happy that you are still reading and I hope you enjoy the end.
Is there life and love after Jam?
8 All I could think about when reading Emily's reaction to Season 3 was how is she going to respond? She is now aware how much Jim loved Pam, and she'll have to ask herself, and Jim, what would happen if Pam ever wanted him back? If Emily and Jim fall in love, marry, have kids...how will she ever feel secure that one call from Pam wouldn't put an end to her world? I have to put myself in her place and feel that fear...is it encompassing enough that I would give up a chance with Jim? I would want to be with him, and I probably wouldn't be able to stop myself, since it's Jim, but wouldn't there always be a huge fear that it wasn't what he REALLY wanted?
Very well done chapter, very thought provoking.
Author's Response: YES! Thanks jkfan -- that is something that\'s been sort of haunting the edges of my brain . . . Emily feeling like she\'s now going to compete with Pam. I\'m anxious to see how that plays out as well ;-) Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!
I have to say that in spite of myself I am curious to see where this story goes. I am so totally JAM committed that the idea that they don't make it devastates me. It's not that I don't like Emily (I didn't hate Karen either) but for me Jim and Pam are each other's destiny.
With that being said, Jim deserves to be happy, and should Pam screw that up yet again, then he should be with someone who can do that. There is nothing worse than sad Jim. (OK, I do know they're not real, but you know how it is, right?)
Author's Response: I\'m with ya\' -- I didn\'t hate Karen either, but she stood in the way of Jim and Pam (although they stood in their own way even more). But Emily? I look at her as an innocent bystander. ;-) Thus, easier to like. And just so you know . . . I\'m not sure who is ultimately going to screw things up: Jim or Pam. They both are equal partners in their downfall. It seems like Pam is getting more of the blame now, but Jim\'s time will come. And believe me . . . I absolutely do know how it is (re: them not being real). They are totally real to me some days. jkfan9989, thanks so much for giving this story a chance. I know it\'s hard for a JAM fan to read, but I hope you\'ll enjoy the completely fictitious ride.
Wow, great stuff. You've built a pretty strong case for Jim/Emily; I can't imagine he'd give up the easiness of this relationship for the more complicated Pam relationship.
I love Jim/Pam, but at this point I can't see him going that route again.
Author's Response: Thanks jkfan. I do think that\'s one thing appealing about Jim and Emily -- their openness and honesty from the get go. It\'s fairly angst-free (compared to him and Pam) and probably a relief for Jim to feel so secure in a relationship. I\'m glad you think it makes sense, and thanks for reading!
Jim comes back, Pam's late, and it's time to talk. Takes place in the summer between S3 and S4.8 I'm liking this one so far...and it's a nice counter-balance to Philly Jim, which I enjoy reading but I have to admit it's depressing me a little.
Author's Response: That could be my slogan! \"Do you have the Philly Jim blues? Try Shotgun Wedding, the ultimate cure for wendolf\'s mercilessness!\" (kidding, wendolf. <3 you.). Thanks for your feedback, jkfan.
S3, set between Traveling Salesman and The Return.I think you've kept very true to the characters of Jim and Pam in these chapters. At this point, they were both just too afraid to take a chance, an you've really captured that well.
Author's Response: Thanks jkfan! Happy you think this is true to character!
This story, since it was so true to these characters, really makes me wonder AGAIN...why the heck was Jim with Karen for so long?
I love how he takes care of the pot as carefully as he always used to take care of Pam.
Nice job.
Author's Response: Yeah, that relationship did drag on too long (for BOTH Jim and Karen) - it would have made more sense to me if it had ended after TR - even if after that it took J/P months longer to find their way to each other. Oh well. Thanks much, jkfan9989!
It's been three years since Jim accepted the promotion to New York. After two years of silence, Pam sends Jim a gift.
8 Hmm..."an invitation to what might be."
Will he RSVP, and if so, how will he do it?? Can't wait for the next update to find out!
Author's Response: In the next chapter we'll see how Jim responds. Thanks for reviewing! I really appreciate it.
10 Ok, busy day but I finally have time for a real review now!
I love how Pam was able to show her feelings for Jim through her art in a way that she was never able to tell him in person. And "Jinx"...I could picture that portrait perfectly. I also want to say that your description of the portrait of her grandparents brought tears to my eyes. So well done.
I can't wait to see how they both react when they see each other. I think that one hug will be all it takes to bring Jim's feelings back to the surface immediately and intensely.
For a "one-shot", this story has become very dear to my heart!
It's great about your son, you must be so proud of him!
Author's Response:
Hi, jkfan9989. Thanks for leaving TWO reviews for this chapter. I'm glad you liked the descriptions of Pam's art. Jinx was a giveaway ... we ALL could envision that smile. I'm sure it's burned into the brain of every female who witnessed that scene – we all probably replayed it about 50 times, yeah? I kinda liked the portrait of her grandparents, too. Thanks for letting me know that it touched you.
And, YES, I am so proud of my son! This is going to be an amazing experience for him and I'm glad he's able to share it with me and others through his AWAY IN MALAWI blog.
Thanks for taking the time to leave a detailed review. I truly appreciate it.
8 I was on my way out the door to exercise class, but had to stop and read this update. I'll do a proper review later, but let me just say...YAY!
Author's Response: Thanks! I appreciate the YAY!
I'm SO sorry to hear you're stuck! I really hate to put pressure on you, so I won't say that you're killing me here. Oops, I said it...
Author's Response: Sorry! We've been getting ready for my son to leave for MALAWI, AFRICA! (He's going to volunteer with www.projectpeanutbutter.org for 3 - 9 months.) Been a bit busy. We take him to the airport on Monday ... so maybe next week?
10 Let me just say, wow. You totally blew me away with this. The picture was so much more than what I had envisioned. This line "...he felt a wave of contentment wash over him". And the mug. Wow. It brought tears to my eyes...
By the way, my 15 year old son now thinks I'm a total nutcase to cry over a story, so thanks for that!
Author's Response:
Thank you! Thank you! You actually cried? Now I am blown away!
My 18 year old son KNOWS I'm a total nutcase, sitting here typing away every night. But thank you so, so much for this review. You really made my night!
I love this story right now. There are so many posting now that are so sad--fights, illness, separation, broken engagements. Yikes. Everyone seems obsessed with an unhappy JAM right now!
This story gives me some hope that they'll figure it out.
Author's Response: Thanks, jkfan9989. I'm pretty sure my Pam & Jim will figure things out. Really hoping Pisa (Not the Marrying Kind) is not some kind of soothsayer!
I really enjoyed this...can't wait to see what Jim does. Are you sure it'll only be 2 chapters? There are so many possibilities here!
Author's Response:
Yeah, now that I'm thinking about it, this could go on for more chapters. But then I'd never finish Cardiac Care! Maybe I'll mark it finished after two chapters and come back to add on more later.
Thanks for your comments!