I'll start by toasting you, Nightswept, for another amazing AU, again, I am sad that it's over, but it was all fun. I hope your brainstorm is amazing, and the summer {FINALLY HERE} inspires you for a third installment.

Next, I'll toast Jim and Pam, settling in Suburbia, hosting the first, of likely many, summertime soirees. I am with Kelly, the smell of BBQ, yum! I love them, with the group still, even though they now are Kenosha home owners.

Now, I toast you, once more, for giving us Jim. In an apron. Barefoot. With the dog. And lastly, my personal fave, bouncing a baby! H O T!!

Drink to that!!

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Okay, so I totally caught the brief mention of Part III of this AU Jim/Pam storyline you've created, and, um... yes, please.

Okay, I was an awful person and did not review the last chapter, so can I please start by celebrating Molly? WooHoo!!! I love that they finally got a puppy!!!

And I have to say, it makes perfect sense for the puppy to seemed to have formed an alliance with Jim. Little Girls always love dad, and Jim feeds her from the table, not to mention, Ladies Love Cool James... um, sorry about that last one, I should have my commenting privileges revoked.

Pam's Parents. Still the same parents we met in Indie Rock, but better. I love that, while Pam abandons and drinks, Jim stays in there like a soldier. They have to know that he is an awesome son-in-law.

Pam's sister. I am so so happy that they are getting close again! But we cannot forget about Pam's 'other' sisters, Kelly, Angela and Karen. I love Hannah and Pam discussing 'banging out babies', they sound just like the giggling sisters you know they grew up as. And Jim's sister-in-law, knowing he was lying when he willingly returned to the inquisition of the parents, AWESOME!!

Are they really getting a house? Don't toy with us, it is mean. I love how Pam had already thought about their home, complete with projects completed by DIY Jim. I love a handy man!

Now, when they do get this house, they can pop open the celebratory champagne sitting inside the fridge and then there can be more happy times with Drunk Pam and Advantage-Taking Jim!

Yay! Nightswept! I appreciate that despite some brief breaks for life, you have not abandoned this story and keep plugging away. It doesn't matter to me if it is a week, a month, or a day, a new chapter always excites me!

Author's Response: As far as the whole house goes, a nice little surprise awaits you in the next chapter. And I will leave of t that ;). Oh, Aivilo, I always adore all of your reviews- you are such a dedicated reader to this story and it honestly brings a smile to my face, how you notice every little detail. You are amazing... Pam and her sister, Pam and he parents, Pam Jim and Molly-- all reasons I feel like this could continue into a third story but a trilogy would be a bit insane for an AU... Wouldn\'t it? well, that\'s what I keep telling myself, but I can be a wee bit hesitant when it comes to posting each chapter and starting new stories, being a beginner and all, so.... Yeah. Anyhoo, back to the story! Pam has definitely matured since the days of \"Indie Rock\" and her relationship with her parents has matured as well. It\'s just one of those things you realize as you get older, how important it is to keep family around and keep those relationships going strong. And Molly!! Pam and Jim are so going to have baby fever soon with a \"little one\" running around the house, can\'t you just tell? ;). I hope to include more Jim and Hannah interactions later on. Something about Jim hanging out with the in-laws, undoubtably charming their pants off. It\'s kind of hot.

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I. Love. This.
And because of that, I am always willing to impatiently wait a week or so for new chapters from you. These chapters never, ever let me down, are always of good, high quality length and content, so my impatient waiting is always rewarded. Thank you!
Okay, again I love. The starting at the end of the vacation and taking us through flashes of their first week as a married couple was great. I loved them at the airport, if Jim really does charge by the half hour to be felt up, that may be worth working into the budget... I'm just sayin'... he's sexy.
The play in the ocean, Pam's good gotcha that got Jim off the dry beach was lots and lots of fun. And !BONUS! them at the end of the evening, washing off the salt and sand in the shower, nice work!
I really love how they balance each other out. Jim, writer and planner, loves Pam so much, he cannot wait to experience everything with her. Pam, free and artistic, loves THIS moment with her husband, and she wants to be able to savor and enjoy it, so she isn't looking to rush or move onto the next one. You do an awesome job writing them.
I loved Pam's confession in the car about having kids. Loved it even more when she followed it up with those Slugbugs to poor Jim's arm.
Oh, and last, but not least, I love Pam as a voyeur and Jim, our favorite SNPP.
Okay, what's next, what's next!?!? I said I was impatient:-D

Author's Response: Wow- first off, humbled by your kind words. Thank you for being patient with me as I\'ve slowly churned these last few chapters out. I\'m glad that you were pleased with the result. Yay!

My gosh, I just look forward to your comments so much. You should know this. You\'ve definitely struck the balance I feel these two share, Jim being the thoughtful planner, always thinking ahead and Pam not quite ready to go full-speed ahead and just taking everything one step at a time. Her focus is going to come in handy in these next couple of chapters. And that is all that I will say for now.;)

10

I have a sad face that you were sick all week. Stupid flu, but I am happy happy happy that you are now well enough to give us an update. Oh, don't thank me for waiting patiently, there was nothing patient about me, on the edge of my seat all week. But... my dear, your story, always worth it!

They are married now!! Hip hip hooray! I am so excited. And it snowed, a lot, it snowed! I am so happy that Jim was able to get himself from his brother's house, even if he did have to dig, dig, dig his way there. No doubt in my mind that he would have tunneled to the Nature Museum, if he had to, in order to get to his bride.

So, Pam's mom and Angela make quite the team, huh? I am glad they are on Pam's side, because I'm not too sure how pleasant life would be if these two were against you. But on her side, Pam had no worries, I love they way they take good care of our girl.

Kelly and Karen, the best sidekicks ever! Kelly IS a stalker, Pam may need to have a chat with her on that wallpaper picture. And signing the song from that Disney movie together, was tons of fun!

The sister was there!!!! You know I wondered about her. I still wonder if we are gonna get some Pam/Hannah interaction in a future chapter...

So... they had to walk a few blocks in their wedding best to get to that awesome hotel room in the snow, while wearing their wedding best... I hope that didn't tire them out too much, I am waiting for the scorching hot post-wedding hotel party these two are having!!

Always, nice job, Nightswept. Sorry about the rambling, I just cannot help myself sometimes!

Author's Response: Haha- I again apologize for keeping you waiting, it pains me that I had to make you sit around for an entire week while I took my sweet little time with this chapter. And I\'m happy to report that I\'m feeling better. I\'ll try my best to not spread that nasty flu virus around. It was not fun.

They ARE married! Ah, what a relief. All of that stress is finally behind them. Hurray! Poor Jim having to dig his way to Pam, but you\'re right. He said it himself last night that he would do whatever it took to marry her, and he found himself in quite the dilemma. ;) But the snowstorm made things all the more romantic, don\'t you think?

Pam\'s mom and Angela are too funny together. Angela has always been like a sister to Pam, and sometimes it seems like Angela is perfectly fitting as Mrs. Beesly\'s daughter. And love, love, love that Pam has worked out her relationship with her mother, and that those two take wonderful care of her. So great to have people like that in your life. And Kelly and Karen- ha! I\'m glad you like \"Pam\'s friend\" Karen; I love having her as an addition to this story, and I love Pam having girlfriends that we are all already so familiar with. Disney movies! Their little sing-a-long makes me want to bust a bunch of old animated movies out of their DVD cases. I may have to encourage my friends to have a Disney movie marathon this weekend. I\'m sure they\'ll be eager to jump on board.

Pam\'s sister. There will be a scene between those two in the following chapter that I already have mapped out. So be looking forward to that. It pains me that they\'ve been so distance. They so need to work on their relationship, and I have a feeling that the new, grown-up, married Pam will be inspired to improve things with Hannah in the next couple of chapters. Speaking of next chapters, the following will include their reception/wedding night. And what a fun night it will be in that hotel room. That is all that I will say.

Thank you so much for the review! And never apologize for rambling- never! This was such a treat to read. Thank you. :)

I love Rick James! He is the greatest! I am actually from his hometown. My sister was married on the day he was buried and there was lots of Rick James played in rememberance. Some of the best dance music was given to us by that man.

So it has been a few chapters since I have reviewed {apologies) so I think I need to make this one really good.

First can I just let you know how much I liked reading Jim's POV? Just awesome friend. More Indie Rock flashbacks and that is just fine with me! I really enjoyed reading his recount of how he fell in love. His memories of her birthday trip to Milwaukee was great. I love it!

Angela's baby is here!! I love the name Noah. Jim was awesome taking care of Angela and a drunk Pam. He is the best. I did feel sad for Kelly though, everyone loves a brand new baby, and she was excluded from Noah's welcome. Maybe she will learn and acquire an indoor voice.

Oh, oh, oh. We learned that Pam and Jim had a pregnancy scare... You wrote that really well. Although scary, you think about the what if... and you do really get attached, Pam's tears were perfect. All the different emotions she was feeling, I found myself nodding in agreement. As always Nightswept, good work.

I love it when Pam visits Jim at work. I really love it when it inspires her to make moves for herself in life. Jim and Pam as teachers together is an awesome thing. I can just see it now, them carpooling into school, being the 'cool' teachers, inspiring young people to learn new things. Yeah good stuff.

They are going to Disney! And surfing in the Pacific Ocean! Cool, cool, honeymoon.

And good job on the CD cover, very nice.

Are they really gonna get a puppy, or are you just teasing, I really want them with a puppy. :-D!!!

Author's Response: Helloooo,

Rick James! Yes- He is dance music king. Love that man.

I\'m happy to hear you enjoyed peeking into Jim\'s POV. It was refreshing, I think, hearing a new and different side to the story so far. That boy is in love baaaad.

Ha-ha, Kelly being shut out from seeing the new baby. I think the growing animosity between those two (just like the show) is something I\'ve yet to tap into in this story, but we\'ll start seeing hints of that in the chapters that follow. ;)

Pregnancy scare. Oy. I was scared to throw that in there, because I first deemed it as being too \"soap opera-ish\", but... It happens. And poor Pam, scared out of her mind at the thought of having a baby, yet at the same time- she sees Jim and how he is with children, interacting with them and being somewhat of a father figure all comes so naturally to him. How could she not want that man as the father of her child? Ugh. So heartbreaking.

Pam as a teacher (even if it was for only ten minutes) was so much fun. I think the idea scared her off a bit, but she\'s now seeing that she is fully capable of leading a classroom full of students. She\'s got it. Now if she just goes for that official teacher certification, she\'ll be okay.

Can\'t wait for the Cali honeymoon! I\'m glad you liked the CD cover. And the puppy! Oh.... We\'ll see, but I have an inkling that there may be one in their future.

Husband and Wife, huh? I am physically on the edge of my seat awaiting this wedding. The snow excites me, because as I mentioned before, the windows in South Gallery is going to display the white sparkly stuff beautifully. That and I don't have to drive through it, or brush and scrape it off my car, makes this snowstorm okay with me. That along with, more importantly, Pam's gorgeous sparkly dress is going to be breathtaking. What a treat!! I am so excited!

The room at the W.... AMAZING! I am so happy that Angela got to join the girls at their pre-wedding hotel party. How sweet was it that neither Pam nor Jim could sleep and needed to hear each others voice before they could rest. Awww. Like Jim said, I am glad for them, they won't have to after chapter 18.

The house! I love the way Jim has ALWAYS been about their future together. From Indie Rock, moving to WI, collecting dumpster treasure, he has always been looking ahead, and taking good care of our girl. That makes me happy. And there is a yard for that puppy babe you keep teasing! SCORE!

Okay, that is it!

Oh... I am also looking to Jim and Pam's post-wedding hotel party. I can only imagine what fun that super-sexy suite at the W could be...

Author's Response: No snow for you, eh? I\'m guessing you live somewhere in the South or in a more humid climate which makes me jealous! Also, how northern of me was it to say \"eh?\" Oh, boy.

I\'m kind of jealous of those girls and their super swanky suite. I wish more than anything that I could be there. Such a wonderful treat from Pam\'s mom- so glad those two have worked through their issues and that Mrs. Beesly is doting after her daughter.

Jim, Jim, Jim. What a guy. He really is always thinking ahead. He just can\'t help it- he\'s so totally, completely, fully in love with this woman and wants to, has to take care of her in every way and the idea of him out there, looking for houses, and even dealing with a very scary sounding art teacher to move them into the perfect one- ugh. Gosh, it just makes me sick. Sick with jealousy. Haha. ;) I\'m not yanking your chain with that puppy. I promise there is one on the way!

DIY Jim= hotness. Bringing in dumpster 'treasures' to support new DIY enthusiasm, not so much.
Poor Jim, I hope that he can soon start the career he really wants. In the mean time, I hope Pam can help him cheer up, without allowing trash into the apartment.
Yea! wedding plans!!

Author's Response: Yes, but his intentions were noble, right? He was just trying to make Pam feel at home. Poor guy. You can\'t help but feel for him. :(

It frustrates me that there has been a lack of wedding planning shown on the actual show, so I\'m getting all of that out of my system here with this story. Take that, Office writers. Ha-ha.

I just finished reviewing chapters 5-7 and now this is newly up! I guess my chant for sexy worked. Sweet Saturday indeed.

Author's Response: Sexy Saturday, indeed. Ha-ha. And I don\'t believe I thanked you for the amazing review in my previous reply, so let\'s make it official. Thank you for the amazing review! :D

Thank you for writing. Just in general, on good principle, real life, thanks. You have great talent, and the fact that you share your imagination here for many to see and enjoy is wonderful. I appreciate it and always look forward to reading what you've been dreaming up. And the fact that you accompany with a soundtrack... awesomeness, friend.

Okay, chapter ten. Love, love, love. I felt like it was a bonus chapter, kind of a 'behind the scenes' to Indie Rock. It was so nice to revisit moments from that story and get more details into the scenes that made up Jim and Pam's love story.

Maybe Pam does feel a little 'less than' when writing because Jim is a Journalism major, but really, she shouldn't. The thoughts she had when she and Jim were reunited after the Holiday Break, about changing her perception and the future being about them... I loved it. And when she was telling Karen about how Jim makes her feel, inspired, acknowledged... you're killing me, actually. And about how they try to take care of each other... my favorite.

Again, thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU! As I am sure you can imagine, I look forward to the next update!

Author's Response: Hey, Aivilo! I hope you\'re having a lovely weekend. I\'m so happy to hear that you\'re still enjoying this story, and it\'s so true that this chapter served somewhat as a deleted scenes portion to Indie Rock. I was beginning to miss the innocent, early days of this AU Jim&Pam relationship, and I just had to revisit that. ;)

I remember reading in another fanfic once, about a quote that Pam had read about how, \"If you could say it in words, there would be no need to paint,\" and I feel like that speaks so true of who Pam is as an artist. She\'s incredibly smart, and she\'s aware of how she feels, but I think she panics a bit when she\'s forced to actually put those words to paper, or speak them outloud. Sketching and painting is how she communicates, really. However, you\'re right in that she shouldn\'t be too spazzed out at the idea of writing her own wedding vows. I think once she puts her mind to it, like she did in this chapter, she\'ll do just fine. :)

Thank YOU so much for the wonderful review, and enjoy the rest of the weekend. I\'m in a particularly good mood because the weather went up a whole 30 degrees here in Chicago. Trying to enjoy it while I can before the frigid temperatures return. Brr...

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I am glad that you didn't end this story, there are so many other 'firsts' to explore with Pam and Jim.

OK, so when does Chuckie M get out if Scranton?!? His missing sense of humor is really getting under my skin.

Again, good update, and can we look forward to an update on your other story soon? Sorry, I'm greedy.

10

Oh yikes! This really is a bad day. Would you believe that I had to take a few moments to remember who Alex was on the show? Clearly I didn't care too much for him and tried to block him out...

I am really happy that you are back with brand new chapters of this story! Welcome Back!

Author's Response: Yeah, poor Pam, though I think her day is about to get much better and worse at the same time. I can believe it took a moment to remember Alex. When I went back to watch all of season five to prepare for writing the day I couldn't believe how many plotlines I had forgotten. And I don't blame you for blocking him out either, wasn't exactly the best developed character they've ever done. Anyway...thanks so much for taking a moment to review, I really appreciate it. Incredibly encouraging to find that people are still enjoying it! :)

10

That was hot... Is part two coming when Jim can have his way with Pam?

Author's Response: Okay, so I wrote it before I got around to responding because I am horrible about that. I hope that chapter 4 lived up to your expectations. Thanks!