I'm about to burst into tears too! This chapter made me so sad for both of them. I think you did a marvelous job of making Jim cold, knowing why he's angry, that she never called him seems fitting to the way he acted here. And poor pregnant Pam, getting her hopes up only to have them crushed. I think you hit all the nails on the head in this chapter. At least he explained that he didn't have a girlfriend when he and Pam were together that night. You're weaving quite a story here with your AU and canon, and I'm so looking forward to the next chapter. (do I say that enough? lol)

Author's Response: Yeah, it was actually hard to write, the whole thing was just so sad. Thanks so much for the compliment, I'm glad Jim and Pam came off as sympathetic characters here. And yes, I definitely wanted to make sure that he tried to communicate to Pam that he just wasn't fooling around with her--though things still got mixed up. Thanks again!!

Hey! Don't apologize, what you wrote was great, and reading about the prank instead of the dialogue didn't take anything away from it in my opinion.

You did a great job with showing Jim and Pam's connection and also his frustrating situation with the bossy Karen. And the end... where he admits that he has feelings for Pam leaves me sitting here wishing that the next chapter was up here already! I love the moment that Jim and Pam have when examining the hole in the wall, mixing together her inability to look at eggs and the Andy cell phone was one awesome prank! And I really see here that while Karen is super great, she's just not getting Jim at all, they're two different people that should never have been dating in the first place. Excited for more! Now that real life has settled down for me, I'll be back to checking for updates regularly. :)

Author's Response: Thanks!! I'm glad you picked up on the Jim/Pam connection vs. the Jim/Karen disconnection. I think in that little exchange over the prank, Jim and Pam show that they can relate to each other better than Jim and Karen ever will. I do think that Jim and Karen are two very different people and, no, they probably shouldn't have gotten together, they just happened to due to circumstances. Unfortunately, Karen fell for what she hoped Jim would be, which is the wrong reason to like someone. And I think it's a reflection on what a lot of relationships are like--there are so many people out there in relationships like Jim and Karen's. It's sad. Anyway, always glad to get feedback, thanks again. :)

YEAH! Finally! Go Pam, be blunt and just say it to him! That was awesome! LOVED IT and I can't wait to read the next chapter!

Other things I loved - Isabelle and the way you write her, I know she's not featured on the show much but I really believe you have totally written her character as it should be. I adored the "he liked you for your dorky self," line, very cute. I laughed at the Friends reference and could really see Pam cringing as she tried to flirt with Isabelle. The conversation in the kitchen between Pam and Karen was tense enough and so subtle with Karen telling Pam that it was no big deal, the way it happened on the show. I love your twist on Ben Franklin. I can see it all happening, the long talks draining Jim and her just coming out and saying that he's the father. I really can't wait to see what happens next, the fallout is going to be huge, I can just sense it!! I hope you're ticking away at that keyboard! Awesome chapter!

Author's Response: As I had Isabelle once say, Pam's best decisions have been from ones she's made impulsively. I'm glad you really liked the Isabelle stuff! I liked all the humor in that scene and I'm glad you're liking Isabelle herself because I'm always afraid with more original characters that they may seem too out of place in the fanfic world. Yes, Karen is being pretty damn manipulative. One of these days, it's gonna backfire on her. I am ticking away at my keyboard, right now!! only , I'm responding to your review. ;) I'll have to get back into writing after, lol. Thanks so much for the review and insight, really appreciate it. :)

Haven't been around these parts in a few days and I'm just catching up now from where I left off. Oh man, that was intense. I am happy that in this version that Jim was the one to see her cry and comfort her. And that silence and what she was thinking nearly broke my heart! And, okay, Karen's getting on my nerves now, which if I recall correctly is right around the time on the show where she started grating my nerves too during season 3. You definitely brought the angst. I'm going to go read/write something fluffy once I'm done catching up on these new chapters!

Author's Response: Yes, this chapter was such an angst overload, wasn't it? Yeah, I always thought it'd be great of Jim saw her cry. ON top of that, it was the perfect way to work in a Booze Cruise moment. Oh, Karen, you're gonna start making some enemies, aren't you? Good luck with the fluffy stuff!! I definitely needed to watch happy clips after this. Thanks so much for the kind words and the feedback, always grateful. :)

The smutt was smutt-tactic! Aside from that, the love and the fire between them felt so real. I love that this is sort of mixing in stuff from the show. I love their phone call and I really... Just gah I love it all and really can't wait to read more! I'm becoming addicted to this story. Love. It.

Author's Response: Ah, thanks so much!! Glad it felt so real to you.

Karen is breaking a huge rule. NEVER talk about kids and the future with the guy you're dating until you at least hear him tell you that he loves you. Man, she's pushy! I can totally see her doing that. And Jim needs to open his mouth and tell her that he's going to be a father to someone elses kid. I like that he's at least thinking that he'd like to stay in Scranton and send his kids to public school. He's not a pretentious guy, I'm glad you're keeping him that way.
Oh my god! I'm glad Pam was strong enough to throw Roy out of her house. He did have a point though, what is Jim doing for her? Jim should be the one taking care of his kid and trying to do right by Pam, instead of trying to look good to his boss and his girlfriend. But Roy hasn't changed, apparently. He's still an overbearing boorish person who only does things for Pam to get something out of it.
The end of this chapter is so beautifully done, I love how he's realizing that he wants the same thing his brothers have, just by being in the house and observing. I love how straight forward Marcie is. And I really do love that Jim wants to integrate Pam into the family, if she wants it. These two really need to talk and be honest with each other. I got a little choked up at how badly Jim wants a family now that he's on the cusp of it, and he wants it with Pam. Next chapter soon, please?

Author's Response: Yeah, the unfortunate thing about Karen is/was that she was too quick to envision a life together with Jim before she knew there was a future. I think that Karen gets so caught up in what ifs and future possibilities, it blinds her from reality. I really find Karen's story to be sad but, honestly, rather realistic. Yes! Pam was definitely right to throw Roy out, it's about time. After all the time she spent with him, in my head, that was the first time she truly stood up to him, which proves that she is growing. Aww, yeah, the scene was definitely meant to show that Jim does want a family, he just needs to get over himself a bit. So glad you're enjoying, thanks so much for the review!! :)

This is really funny, I have a dopey grin now. I'm not having such a great time around these parts lately so reading this helped. No need for the warning at the top, I think it fits right in, a little light hearted stuff never hurt anyone. Hope you continue soon!

Author's Response: YAY! So glad you enjoyed, more soon! Thanks!! :)

Once again, another great chapter! I thought it was great that Pam got overly emotional at the bird funeral with all the raging pregnancy hormones, it was really believable. Poor Jim, he totally fell for her. I love how simple of a time they had at the bar just playing a silly game and having fun. Characterization is once again spot on. I am checking daily for updates, so get to writing!

Author's Response: Thanks so much! I'm glad you enjoyed Pam's mood swings, I was hoping someone would. Glad you love the characterization, I really try hard at that. New chapter soon!

AWW! They're adorable. The beginning - so spot on with the coworkers reactions, as gross as Phyllis' was, I bet it would be something she'd whisper. I love how honest they're being, Pam admitting that it feels right to be with him and how adorable that she asked him if she could kiss him. Loved the interaction between Kevin and Jim, laughed a lot at that, and the Drew thing, spot on too, I could see it all happening. And the awkward moment of the green panties that turned into adorableness at the end was just so sweet and cute and just, lovely lovely lovely. Unshun, shun, so so cute and perfectly them. I can see why this is your favorite chapter. I think it's mine too. I hope there's a ton more of this coming our way, I don't want this story to end!

Author's Response: Aww, thanks for your kind words, means so much!! The Jim/Coworkers thing was probably one of my favorite scenes to write, so glad you enjoyed that. The shun/unshun was pretty fun too, so I'm glad you liked it. I wish there was a lot more too, but, unfortunately, I only have a handful of chapters left. I'm gonna miss this one when it goes. :/

10

The wig WAS offensive and terrible, and very unJimlike, I'm not a fan of a majority of the episode, including the deleted scenes, though I do like how Jim almost bursts out laughing when Michael "talks" to Toby. Anyways, had to mention that as soon as I read it. scrolling back up.....

I never thought I'd actually say this, or even think it, but I'm glad you gave some closure to Karen and I'm happy that she found her Dan in your story. Again, you gave her a backbone without making her a bitch through the whole story so I have to commend you for making me feel some sort of sympathy toward her.

Jim freaking out about being a father, wondering what would happen if his child turned into one of the bad kids was something I really loved reading. I was going to have a chapter like that for a story I was going to finish, so I don't know, I felt a real connection to Jim there. Pam calming him down was just so so sweet and so Pam, I loved it. I love that his sister in law is throwing her a baby shower, it's so completely sweet, and nice touch on the Dunder Mifflin paper watermark on the paper it was printed on. Clever! Okay this is going to sound incredibly ridiculous because you've written over a thousand words here in this chapter, but my most favorite, along with how she'd love to kiss him every morning for the rest of her life, is this:

“Right, we should do that soon,” he said, thinking it over. “Can we go tonight? I have to do my laundry and I’m out of fabric softener.” She gave him an amused look. “What?” he asked, as if not sure what he had said to deserve that look.

“Nothing,” she said almost with a laugh. He was always surprising her in the best of ways. “You’re just—a big, goofy, dork.” And I love you.

I really really loved this chapters sweetness and tone, and I love that they're getting things together and seem to be on the right track. I hope that there's two months left to her pregnancy doesn't mean that there's only two chapters left! I'm going to so miss this story!! I'm sorry for the long winded review. I'll hush up right now. Thank you for sharing this wonderful tale with us. :-)

Author's Response: Lol, I think you're confusing Product Recall with Women's Appreciation, where John breaks when Michael and Toby have a scene involving penises. (lol-wow, never thought i'd write that in a review response...) I'm so glad you enjoyed Karen's closure! I really, really wanted to write that because I felt like she was a big enough part of the story that it'd be wrong not to give her an ending. I think, more than anything, she was just the unfortunate sole that was in the wrong place and in love with the wrong person... Aww, I'm so glad you liked that small portion. It was sweet and I've been meaning to put something in like that for a while, it seemed a great place to put it there. I'm so glad it meant something to you!! It's all good, write as much as you want ;) Thanks so much for your kind words and your review, they mean a lot!!

10

This is so vividly written that I could see it all happening as I read. I didn't find it long at all, and it flowed beautifully. I've got to say, I love this version of Beach Games, and the way you've incorporated the job in NYC and all the games Michael made them play into this story is so believable. The end though, Pam's speech is so lovely and so her, and I'm thrilled to see that she'd follow him anywhere as long as they're together and happy. The way they find out it's a little girl (yay!) is so sweet. It felt real, as does Jim's need to make more money to support Pam and the baby. The part for me that stands out is that few sentences where Pam thinks that she doesn't want perfection she wants something real, where they communicate and are not always perfect. I love how you wove in the heart locket too, and the image of him making waffles for her was just so sweet. I'm not ready for this story to be over, but yet I can't wait to read the finale. This is such a sweet way you're wrapping it up after all that angst. I am so happy that you're letting us see them together as a couple and not just boom, at the end they get together, end of story (if that makes any sense) Crossing my fingers that you have other stories planned after this is finished. :-)

Author's Response: Hey! I'm so glad you're enjoying the incorporation of canon, that, I find, is the most fun of writing this story, so I'm glad that it's all gelling for you. So glad that it all felt real to you, means a lot to me when I've heard that something I've wrote has moved someone! Incredibly encouraging. I know, it's somewhat of a bittersweet ending, huh. I'm looking forward to it being done myself and at the same time, I'm sorry to see it go. I don't know if I have anything new planned yet, but, never say never. Thanks so much for your kind words, I really appreciate them. :)

10

LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE ALL 25 CHAPTERS OF IT!! I'm not even kidding you, I am in love with this whole story. This chapter though was absolutely beautiful, it had everything, humor, sweetness, steam and just perfect dialogue and wonderful narrative that made me see exactly what was going on. I love how you managed to have them get engaged in the rain, what a cute set up having Cece hang on to the box and the image of Jim standing by the door with the ring was so perfect (exactly as Pam herself put it) Michael leaving, the last Dundies celebration, I love that you have them all dressed up to go and then leave like they did in Andy's Play, having them drinking their Baileys while Cece sleeps in the back seat, and the rock in the shoe - all brilliantly incorporated. Wonderful from beginning to end, this entire story and this chapter especially are a thing of literary beauty and I applaud you wholeheartedly. I also thank you for giving us this story, for putting so much of your time and effort into making this such a special tale of love and finding the person you're meant to be with. I personally want to thank you for this story because, and I can't remember if I've said this already, but it has re-inspired my writing, and I'm thankful for it. I'm also thankful that this last chapter was posted before I go on vacation and can actually read and review it. My favorite part of all of it is how you wrapped it up with the not a bad day, and having them sitting watching the BBC version of the Office. I love how sweet they are with Cece and how much they adore her, and the image in the beginning of Jim and Cece resting on the couch and his thoughts on how perfect his daughter is seems so Jim like and so real and vivid in my mind. There are so many great passages to quote here, so I'll just say I loved every single word of this. You're a brilliant writer and I look forward to many more stories from you.

Author's Response: Thanks so much, Deddldee, for all your support. Your words are too kind. :) Im glad you liked my crazy epilogue, it was just a lot of fun to throw everything in the pot ant mix it around. And yeah, I think my favorite part too was the end. I had that in my mind for a very long time. I'm incredibly flattered that it has reinspired you to get back into writing and I wish you well with that! Thank you again for everything!!