I am ridiculously in love with this story, I'm telling you. I've tried imagining Jim meeting Roy again, and I've tried imagining Jim meeting Pam's parents, but I've never tried imagining Jim meeting Roy again and meeting Pam's parents at the same time [which is silly because obviously it's a possibility - they were part of each other's lives for so long], without Pam as support because she's going through a phase where she wants her dad to be alright and maybe that would involve going back to a time when she was still with Roy. Obviously she still loves Jim [like when she clearly considered taking that walk with him for a nanosecond] but right now she's more comfortable with Roy, and as much as that hurts, and as much as I want to punch his face in, I think this is good. Maybe I just like the idea of angst with a clearly fluffy ending...somewhere. 

I love that the people Jim is most comfortable with at this point are Pam's parents, who I would expect would be a little tighter about this new guy. I like that it's not what I expected. I love how Allison Beesly is, in general, especially how she makes Jim miss Pam who's right inside. Oh, my heart; this is wonderful. I love it. [apparently I like pain in my heart, which is what this show has done to me.]

Anyway, you're doing an amazing job, and I feel for Jim. [who you've mentioned as Jim instead of in first-person a couple of times in this chapter, I think.] I can't wait to see where this goes. Please make Roy even more of a douche and Pam be Pam again, because I miss her almost as much as Jim does. Yes, that much. 

OK, so I avoided this story for a while because it was still being written and I'm scared of stories that are still being written when they have words like loss in the summary - and when it was completed, I just forgot about it completely. Then I found some of your other fics and clicked on your profile and I ended up at this story, a couple of hours ago.

This is gorgeous. I absolutely adore the realistic, wonderful way you drew both Jim and Pam out of Scranton - the beautiful way you characterised not just the two of them but even their parents (the Halperts especially were fantastic) - it's so refreshing to see Jim/Pam in the future with problems but it's not angsty for the sake of angst so much as it's an exploration of what they may be going through - they have their fights but you can never doubt that they love each other, you know? And I've read enough fics to feel genuinely depressed about how dark they're written, their love, but you never even approached that area - in that way you stayed true to the show in a way that fit, and this story was freaking brilliant because of that.

The way you've written this is beautiful, too, in that I never got the feeling that this was written so much as it was told, and even then I found things that I loved, like a turn of phrase here or a bit of humour there.

I was not expecting this at all when I started reading this story, but I feel like I've travelled with them and I feel accomplished and I also feel a little sad that this is the end. I guess what I'm trying to say to you, Sweetpea, is that I'll miss this story (heh) even though I've only known it for so long.

Going in my favourites and staying there until the end of time. I haven't reviewed a story in god knows how long, and it hopefully shows how head over heels I am about this one. (: Basically - gorgeous. And lovely.

I absolutely adore this - probably the best Jim-with-a-guitar fics I've ever read - especially since I get kind of put off when everyone implies he's terrible at his music. :P 

But this was really marvelously written - the songs you've chosen are just right, the way you get both the characters is just right - I loved the way you have him putting it down, saying it's no big deal, because I can see him doing it, and I can feel why Pam doesn't like that - she's been through the same thing. Just - the entire thing is just [pardon the pun] pitch-perfect, and it practically oozes it. I can't telly why it's perfect - it just is. And I enjoyed reading it thoroughly.

Also, Jim playing While My Guitar Gently Weeps may be one of the sexier things I have ever imagined, yesplz. :D 

Forget great job for a first time fic - this was a great job, period. I loved it. 

Oh, I loved seeing glimpses of all of these couples - perfectly written, wonderfully in-character - you managed to keep the tone consistent despite jumping between various moods [happiness, sadness, anger], and how you could feel those as almost palpable as you read it - and I love that this is one of the first times I've read convincingly written happy!Kelly/Darryl, which is awesome. :D And I absolutely adore your writing style. :D

Loved this. :D 

10

This is probably one of my favourite post-finale fics so far - if not my favourite. Absolutely lovely. I adore the imagery, the characterisations - her insecurities, and her pains, and her missing him and wanting him to disappear - and how when she sees him she's just happy and it's all in all pretty much one of the most gorgeous things I have ever read. Even the smallest characters have lovely details, and you see and feel so many things at once. You hurt for Pam while wanting to slap her into sense at the same time.

Even the last third, in the rain - I could almost smell it, along with her frustrations and his anxiety and - just - oh you have reduced me to talking crap. :D

I adored this, so much. Every single part of it. Gorgeous. Brilliant. I am going to read this again and again, I am sure of it. I wish I could just tell you how and why exactly I love it as much as I do - just know that I do. 

I took my time with reading this because I needed to take note of how beautifully you've written this - taking a character that we've seen and/or heard of maybe five times at most, used for comic relief, and creating this world around him that is rich, realistic and unforgiving, and so believably Schrute. I think it's safe to say I was right to do that, because I am awed. Every bit of this was gorgeously written, and every bit of Mose was gorgeously defined, and if I think about it properly I know this is easily one of the [if not the absolute] best fic in the fandom. I love how you incorporate things from the show into this - the Schruteness of this world is unbelievable. You are brilliant.

I will specially mention, though, that I think you're the first person to ever make me tear over fanfiction. The first. The third chapter made me cry; I was convinced that considering you'd killed characters already in the previous chapters, you wouldn't give the poor guy a break. ;)

If I don't get any indication of any of this in the show, I think I'll be disappointed! My favourite fic on the nets in a very long time. Thank you for coming out from under whatever rock you'd been under and posting this. 

I don't feel this review has done any of this epic fic justice! hah. 

10

This was gorgeous, beautifully written. and absolutely heartbreaking. I'd go more into detail but I don't think I can. 

Fantastic, though. Wonderful. In-character but stretched to the extremes of their emotions - you never lose a beat. The way you contrasted the pain with that happiness in the alternating passages is beautiful. And you've made me ache for Jim like I've never ached before. :/ It would be easier to write from Pam's perspective, I think, in this sort of situation? To make it hit harder? but you handled Jim's perfectly. 

And I adore the way you wrote this, too - simple, short, and beautiful. It was great to read and notice the way you wrote it as much as it killed me to read what you wrote. (Also, you made me think of asymptote graphs without wincing. :P) And that's skill. That's beautiful. You astound me. And thank you for that little bit of hope at the end. It was both believable, bittersweet and hopeful, and - just - also? You made me cry. I haven't cried reading a fic in god knows how long (see: never), so congratulations. 

Basically, this entire thing was beautiful, from end to end, and whatever I can say won't do it justice, so I'll just shut up here and sob. And read it over again. I just wish I could make sure you know it better...if that makes sense.

9

I love you and Jim and Pam and the way you write their dialogue. Mostly I love you for assuaging my fears. :D Perfect companion to the episode. I adored this!!


Author's Response: Oh, thank you!  I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

From one video game nerd to another - I need to tell you that I think I'm in love with you. I cracked up too hard because I recognised too much of what was happening here, all the way down to partnering with your one enemy to rule the (virtual) world.

I need to find out what this Diablo thing is, damn it.

This made me smile and smile - so warm and sweet, and incredibly well-written! The adoration Jim and Pam have for each other and for (the incredibly cute) Lucy is so tangible, and that makes me happy in a way I haven't really felt reading fic in a while. :) Thank you so much for this.