Just a guy with Jim and Pam on the brain, trying to get the song out of his head by singing it.
“I need someplace to stay.” She said this so softly he had to strain to hear her in the stillness of the evening, leaning toward her slightly. Something inside of him suddenly wanted to protect her.
1 This is just beautiful.
"So, Jim," she started, setting the empty can back down on the table as she returned his cup to him. "Have you ever done drugs?" She leaned in towards him for even more emphasis. She grinned widely at him before sitting back in her chair. [Spoilers up to and including Drug Testing for part one. Part two and beyond set in an AU-version of season 4.]I very much appreciate the perfectly in character JAM-ness of this, and only regret that we didn't get to see your version of S2 JAM getting high - though we miss out on either canon compliance or the steam you generously provided us with S4 JAM, so.
Pam asks a question, Jim answers. For the 55 challenge.
1 THE CASINO NIGHT PARALLELS.
WHY WERE WE DENIED THIS.
This started as a short little oneshot in response to the All About a Peripheral Character challenge, but some very kind reviewers mentioned it might be cool to continue with this idea. So here it is, the new and improved story of the other Jim and Pam :o)
How does Hunter, Jan's former personal assistant (and I guess Ryan's current assistant), relate to our favorite office? Well, let's just say he's a lot like Jim...
1 Ngl, I would have loved to see more of this.
Ryan may be gone from her life, but that is SO not going to shut Kelly Kapoor up.
An idea of Kelly's "revenge"
1 This is extremely fun to read. I love a good Kelly voice!
Pam reflects on the hazards of having a best friend as a boyfriend, who also happens to be her coworker and her costar. Spoilers up to The Job.1 SO in character.
1 You know, there are times I want to critically re-assess how toxic Kelly is in the Kelly-Ryan relationship, and there are times I just want to enjoy her stuffing it in his jerky little face. This... is one of the latter.
Author's Response: Hahaha. I really let him have it in this one. I’m glad I could let you have that moment. :)
1 I don't know how I missed this. This is incredibly well written and gorgeous and sad and also happy knowing that eventually most of these dreams came true for them. A real hidden gem.
Officer Barwick doesn’t get two words in. She knows what he’s come to say, deep in her heart, and her tears are halfway to her chin when he’s through. He tells her he’s sorry, but she knows it’s his job to say so. She’s sorry, too, but it’s not as if it will change anything.
1 The real tragedy of this story is that it leaves off here. This is lovely.
1 "And just like always he knows just enough about her to make things difficult but not enough to actually be helpful." Damn.
You really captured Pam's Casino Night mindset so well here.
Jim and Pam and two telephones, post-Season 3.1 Again, the exchange about how long it's been is just... too much.
1 "He wonders how many times this has happened: near misses in the dark, behind a curtain of Good mornings and How was your weekends." How you put this line in a fic about phone sex, I'll never know.
She was using him as a life raft. 55 words on the perilous relationship of Jim and Pam.
1 This is quite lovely writing, in addition to being a really accurate metaphor for Jim and Pam and their relationship. And a *very* cool writing process.
Author's Response:
What a nice Christmas gift! Thank you for the kind words. Bel was my best, most frequent beta reader in my fic heyday (and we still email each other nearly every day).
This was a fun, spontaneous piece that I think captured something true— that although it all worked out, their relationship had some unhealthy elements especially in the beginning. We loved them anyway, of course!
Happy holidays!
Pam and Jim celebrate National Ice Cream month.
1 Very cute - and very them. It is one of the great things about them that they want grown-up things together without sacrificing the light, silly part of their relationship.
1 The "unrecognizable blob" joke got this fic brought up in the MTT discord tonight and led me to revisit this one, and I think this is such an interesting exploration of Karen as a character.
1 Much as I appreciate seeing the complications caused by the show's airing, this is a great piece of fluff for that same scenario.
1 This is a really fun concept. I like the little hints that even buttoned-down David Wallace is also a little strange (Amazing Grace is definitely what Michael would call her). And seeing the outside perspective on the three of them waiting is very telling - the description of Karen as "Like she knows she’s special and she’s dying to prove it because she’s terrified you’ll think she’s not" and her read on the Jim-Karen dynamic is incisive, and I just kept thinking how much Karen would HATE to hear herself described this way. (Don't worry, Karen, things are about to get... well, worse, but in a "you're almost in the dark before dawn" sort of way.")
Author's Response: Oh this was one of my favorites to write. I loved creating a persona for Grace. I’m glad you like it!
1 "It was like she wanted a grand exit, but everything just got small on her. Heh, except for the boobs." is a great line. Oh, poor Jan.
This feels very accurate to the final moments of Jaren, and again, feels like something Karen would just HATE to realize someone else sees. Like, she has to know she's making some bad decisions in the name of getting them through this rough patch, but this feels like something it would totally humiliate her to know someone else sees.
Author's Response:
Yes, I think the whole Scranton era is one Karen is probably not thrilled to remember.
And the downfall of Jan is a story that doesn’t get enough attention. I mean, her facade was far too fragile to withstand Hurricane Michael.
1 So it turns out Grace is the true hero of The Job, and also that Jim basically can't handle hearing Pam mentioned without turning into a stammering tween. I love this.
I appreciate that you're addressing the whole "Jim Leaves Karen in New York" problem, too - I always felt pretty confident that he didn't actually abandon her, but it's nice to see him thinking about it beforehand.
I like the characterization of Grace here! Obviously an actress who answers phones to pay the bills is going to love seeing some drama playing out right in front of her.
Author's Response:
Yes. Jim is far from perfect but I could never agree that he would have left her stranded.
Grace is totally the hero! I loved writing her.
A glimpse into the instant messaging history of Jim and Pam. Written with the intention of expanding on what we see on the show, as well as to tie up some loose ends. There will be a conversation for each episode through Season 3.
Oooof. This is adorable and fluffy but simultaneously so telling that Pam uses this opportunity to ask him about Brenda. Oh, Pam. It's right there, you're so close... you can save yourself so much trouble...
You really covered a lot of ground economically here - Pam being curious and caring about Jim, their inability to stay in conflict with each other/have a serious conversation... but the big takeaway for me with this one is always Pam wishing it was June 11th. Such a stinger for Jim, and such a telling line from Pam.
This *does* make me feel a lot better about the end of Boys And Girls, yes. Like Jim's not giving up on her.
"That sounds like what you went through with grandpop dying... of course, you were 10." Sharp witted, Pam's Mom #1. (Although I've got to say, reading this knowing she'd eventually dress up as a naughty nurse for Michael is... troubling. :D) She's a good egg here. You know she knows what Pam SHOULD do, but she's prepared to let her get there herself.
Oh, Pam. So subtle. You can practically feel the waves of relief off of her when Jim says that it's not serious. Wonder how long she's been waiting for an excuse to ask.
Vampiric Blood more or less convinced me that it was Groundhog Day. I'm *extremely* grumpy that they declined to pick one on OLP. But given the other movies on her list, I think Dirty Dancing is highly possible. (I feel like When Harry Met Sally would be WAY too on the nose.)
"Not that bad," huh? Wonder why that is.
I always wonder about Halloween - as you note, they really have addressed everything they need to address at the end. It always struck me as a candidate for "events that are important in documentary canon that Jim and Pam don't really remember by the time it comes out." But their banter here is really cute and very them.