I've been writing fanfiction for awhile now. Just recently discovered The Office and figured I'd try my hand at that as well.
At first I thought of having all my stories in the same universe, but then I had some AU ideas. So any stories that occur within a common universe will be in a given series.
She’s trying to be honest, isn’t she? So, in all honesty, she wants him to fail the interview.Yup a nice little filler chapter to keep things moving along. However it's also nice to see Pam's stated of mind through all this. The initial rush to leave and the excitement of the thing to be tempered by a whole heaping pile of "what the hell am I doing?"
Really looking forward to seeing how this all pans out. Also I love the receptionist's network. It's always fun when people bring that in and this is no exception.
Author's Response: I don't know if this exists but there should be a fic entirely told by the receptionists. Maybe one day, with the right amount of booze...
The thing about long drives is that there is a lot of time to be filled and that's when your brain kicks in. In this case, Pam's insecurities and fears.
Thanks a lot for reading and reviewing!
1 Pam may not be one for huge grand gestures, but this still feels pretty big for her. If in canon her putting the yogurt lid and note in Jim's folder is her shifting things one degree, this feels more like her shifting things 5 degrees. For reference, to keep using this analogy I'd say Jim's CN declaration would be a 180 degree shift. Hopefully that makes sense.
Still I loved the courage that Pam has on display here. Great way to still use the events and lines from canon, but shift things around a bit. Can't wait to see how this wraps up.
Author's Response:
Thanks very much, W4!
The yogurt lid in the series is important, and it works nicely in terms of subtlety, but I wanted to push them both a little bit further. Pam doesn't do big stuff unless she is really feeling it, and I can imagine Jim leaving with Karen to NY would leave her feeling all sorts of things.
Pam won¿t get very CN, but she gets out some of her stuff and that's just... Pam.
1 I really like how this turned out. Great to see that Pam took advantage of being in New York to get some more perspective as well just enjoy the thing she loves so much. She's taking care of herself and it's lovely to see.
Of course the image of Jim sitting there waiting for her, especially with those lines, is also a wonderful thing to envision. Great job with this one. It was a lot of fun.
Fortes Fortuna Adiuvat
Author's Response:
Thanks W4! You know, one of the things about season 3 is that it's about Pam growing up and growing strong. So, in this case it's about enjoying a bit of the city, a bit of art, and then feeling happy enough to go back home.
And well, in this case, there is something waiting for her, but she already had some chance to be herself.
Thanks for your support!
“What was the point of secrets anymore, for three years he had kept this inside hoping it would fade but could only feel it getting stronger. Pam would reject him, Jim knew that, but at least he could say he was honest.” An alternate take on Casino Night.
1 Angst then smut then more angst. Hoo boy that was a roller coaster. Lots of heavy emotions boiling around with this one. Here I was thinking that since Jim is giving her a little more time to process things, it'll turn out better for them. Especially after they head back to Jim's place and Pam is the one being forward.
The morning after though was intense. You wrote Jim being impatient really well. Not the biggest fan of him in the morning here. After a night of following her lead now he's pushing her for the quick decision. I mean I get it. After all this time, and finally having sex why wouldn't he think she's going to leave Roy. For her to not have a ready answer of course would be frustrating.
Really looking forward to the second part to see how it all turns out.
Author's Response: I was worried everyone would hate Pam by the end of it so I’m glad people also see Jim is hardly faultless here XD thanks for reviewing!
1 Nice way to show the kind of headspace Pam was in during the month after Casino Night. You had me going there for a moment when Danny showed up. He makes an appearence, Pam doesn't fall for him, life is good.
Love the half-baked plan to just drive to Stamford. Her fear and nervousness play out well. Espcially when she sees Jim and speaks her mind so clearly for once.
The reward of that honest is the rest of the chapter. How they can't keep themselves off each other. You more than made up for last chapter with everything there at Jim's apartment.
From just raw desire and need to more sweet and times together. Beautiful to witness. Their connection is still intact with all the jokes through the evening as well. Great way to bring that out.
Probably the best kind of contrast you could have written for the last chapter. Great job.
Pam reflecting on her life.
Post Casino Night.
1 This is amazing. Great metaphor for post CN Pam. Seemingly everything's been stripped away and she doesn't know what to do. You did a great job of bringing out all the turmoil she must have been been feeling at the time. And yet at the same time as all these boiling thoughts, there's the first glimpse of who she'll be at the end of S4. A stronger version of herself that she discovered on her own without needing to depend on anyone.
Great one-shot!
Author's Response: Thank you for your review, Warrior! I'm glad I could catch that moment of her transformation and write it well.
1 Great way to start things off here. I was thinking that why wouldn't Jim know Pam was there with the Scranton crowd, but then in occurred to me that she never actually told Jim that the boss she was taking notes for was Micheal. Great way to see their connection like that. They just click.
Their dance and everything after was lovely to envision. It all seemed very romantic and a wonderful way to meet each other.
I'm very curious as to why Pam gave him her middle name and the fake phone number though. Seems a little off from how we usually see Pam. Really looking forward to the next chapter to get her perspective on things.
Great start.
Author's Response: Thanks for the review! Yes, I made a point that Jim wouldn't be able to figure out where Pam worked. I'm so glad you liked this first chapter. And yes, Pam and Jim will do a few things out of character in this fic. I guess it could be what happened if they'd had sex first before the feelings came into it. Thanks for coming along for the ride. Chapter 2 is up now!
Like you said a bit of a change from how we normally see Jim and Pam. Jim pushing his case a little more firmly. Pam actaully sneaking around on Roy. Now I'll grant you that Roy is being a complete jerk here. The fact he's not coming to the dinner and how he talks to her should be HUGE red flads for Pam.
All that said, you wrote their chemistry brilliantly. It seems there will still be some hurdles to overcome, but hopefully that chemisty of theirs holds stong through everything.
Nice to get some info on why Pam is being so closed off with Jim.
Very different take on love-lorn Jim here. It's clear he's tried to get over Morgan with Karen but it's no use. At first I was worried when he said he's falling in love with her. At that point they'd only seen each other twice. However if he's thinking about her as much as he is, he's right there's something deeper.
Hit the nail on the head by saying they're both cheaters and liars. Pam still hasn't even told him her real first name. Though she did almost slip there.
I love the connection they do share though. I foresee quite a bit of drama when/if the whole truth comes out for both of them.
Author's Response: Yes, Jim is in love, but remember, it was love at first sight for him in canon too, so I guess when you know, you know :) Pam's not far behind, herself. Thanks for your great review. I just posted ch 4.
The truth finally starts to come out. Yeah I get why Jim would be so mad. Pretty big shock for him to be sure. It was good to see Pam not back down from him. Great change of pace from how one might normally see her. I've got this feeling that there's a line of dominoes that have been set up in the previous chapters and in this one the first one has been tipped. Now granted we probably still have a ways to go and I'm sure there will be more heavy feeling to come. But events are now in motion that cannot be undone. Looking forward to seeing what comes next.
Author's Response: Thank you! And yes, there is definitely more heaviness to come. Thanks for hanging on for the ride. Ch. 5 is up now.
So yeah, all sorts of ups and downs with this one. Getting back to my analogy from last time, it looks like more dominoes are starting to fall. With that comes some unintended consequenses. This time in the form of Karen. It feels like she kind of knows Jim is stringing her along. Kinda glad she has the wherewithal to realize his heart's not in the relationship and get out of it mostly easily. That was a nice change of pace.
Pam and Jim though are still all over the place. Their hearts say one thing, their situation says another, and it's all a great big mess.
The fact that Pam can repeat Jim's declaration to him like that and at the same time reject him is both sweet and heartbreaking at the same time.
The other big change I really like is that Jim's determined to fight for her this time around. That's one thing I would have liked Jim to have done a bit more in early seasons of canon. If you really love her sometimes you have to fight for her. So I am looking forward to that. However it also feels like we're not out of the storm yet.
Really interested to see where this one goes.
I get why you call this a bridge chapter. Really interesting to see this dynamic between Pam and Roy. He's suspicious of something to be sure. However the fire seems like it's pushed those suspicions to the back.
Pam's warring emotions of course are center stage. Great writing to get all that out. Though if she is having doubts about Roy, and it seems like she is, hopefully all this serves as a big eye opener for her. The fact that after their house almost burned down and he thinks a sandwich, a kiss, and an ass grab makes things ok? And to say he's still going to stay at Kenny's? I really hope Pam doesn't ignore those gigantic red flags. Regardless of length of relationship or not, Roy's showing how much he can't be counted on there.
I kinda liked that here at the start Jim isn't doing to overtly rock the boat. I mean we all know he is just by being there. However to anyone but Pam he's just a new guy who seems nice. Of course there are big waves still come.
This was a great twist to keep them still in hotel rooms. I know you're basing this on a movie, but it's still a creative way to accomplish all that.
So now the plot really thickens. It should be really interesting to see where we go from here.
Author's Response: Thank you, thank you, for your reviews of both ch 5 and 6! Yes, Pam is definitely still torn, but having Jim there is going to highlight all those red flags you mentioned. Yes, Jim's hanging back, approaching Pam like she's a frightened animal, not wanting to scare her away. But he has plans, for sure. I can never fully express how much your reviews mean to me. I only wish I was better at giving you an adequate response. :)
Oh wow! So yeah this all ramped up. Jim being a bit heavy handed there at the reception desk. Dialing it back at Coopers, then showing up at the hotel. And if that wasn't enough of a roller coaster, Roy showing up and Jim's in the bathroom. Holy crap.
Next chapter should be really interesting. Sorry this review isn't as verbose as some of my other ones. There's just a lot to take in. Gret writing though. Please don't leave us hanging for to long.
Author's Response: Thank you so much! No matter what length your review, I always enjoy hearing your thoughts. And unfortunately for Jim and Pam, the roller coaster continues into the next chapter, which, coincidentally, I just posted. :)
Oh what a tangled web we weave. So many times it's been said Roy's not violent, but in canon when he's really upset that doesn't seem to be the case. Witnes him breaking up Jim and Pam in "The Alliance," getting him in the face during the basketball game, destroying Poor Richards, and of course storming in at Jim afterwards. The guy does have a temper and that's really shown here. So in that regard Roy feels very much in character.
I really like that Pam was standing up to Roy. Trying her best to get him to leave. Yes Jim is in the bathroom, but it also really feels like she doesn't want to be around him anymore.
I'm glad Jim is there and not really pushing her into anything once they go to his room. Good on him knowing that what she needs is just to be held. Though that shower scene the next morning was just all sorts of hot.
Roy may not be right for Pam, but he's not a complete idiot either. Clearly he was laying in wait. Please don't let us dangle on this cliff for to long.
Author's Response: Thanks so much! I'm glad I could keep Roy in character for you. He really is a big old bull, isn't he, though probably rightly so in this universe. You don't have to hang on the cliff any longer--ch. 9 is up now.
Well that was dramatic. Good bye Roy and good riddence. Though he does have a bit more of a leg to stand on here, him just attacking Jim is never a good thing. Glad Pam won't have to deal with that temper anymore.
Lots of heavy emotions thoughout everything. Especially since it was all brought out to the light of day. Pam going back and forth about everything seems very in step with her. I'm glad she had the wherewithal to tell Jim she needed sometime to think before she made a final decision. Nice of Jim to give her that time too. That is until that last bit there.
Though that's also somewhat in keeping with Jim. The overly cheesy romantic gesture. Which was sweet. It seems Pam's heart has softened a bit too. Really looking forward to seeing how this wraps up.
Nice way to wrap this all up. Lots of fun moments from canon of course. I also really like that once they're completely free of anything, they just start being together in a way that's so much better than anything prior. No more sneaking around. Very good to see all that.
To end it like that with a Niagara Falls wedding was just wonderful. It was a rough road to get here, but it's very sweet once they do.
This whole story has been a huge rollercoaster. Great writing throughout all of it.
Fortes Fortuna Adiuvat
Author's Response: Thank you for reviewing the last 2 chapters. I'm so appreciative of all your kind words. You're the best reviewer ever :)
'She was so soft, and warm, and yielding, and you didn’t expect of her to hide a knife behind her back.'Oof, this one hurts. I mean it's phenomenal writing don't get me wrong. The fact that it's written so well is why it stings. To have that perspective from Jim about everything leading up to Casino Night is just yeah, oof. It really brings out those lines in the episode "Money" where he describes how seeing Pam with Roy was like. You really captured that well.
1 Lovely story. Without getting into the details, the scene still plays out well. Great imagry with everything as one envisions Jim and Pam like this. I loved the idea that they're melting together. That after so long apart now that they are together they find this bond they've shared is so stong between them that they both want to just meld into one. Just beautiful.
Author's Response: Thank you, Warrior. I was very nervous to publish it, and your opinion means a lot to me!
Yes it's a good set up to what it seems you're planning. Even though Jim is here with Karen and Pam is about to be with someone new, they still seem to share a connection even if they don't know it or want to know it. It very much feels like they both know they're not over the other one, but they're almost forcing themselves to try. At least that's what I'm getting out of it.
Nice to get into their headspace like this though.
Author's Response: Thanks so much! It's always interesting to get into the heads of S3 Jim and Pam. Thanks for reading!
Oh Jim, that hurts. Like I said clearly they're not over the other one but they're trying to force themselves they are. And it's just making for hurt feelings all around. Intersting to see that things are starting to get rocky for Jim and Karen. It makes sense since he knows in his head Karen should be great, but his heart is still telling him otherwise.
Likewise it's tough to read Pam being let down by Jim. It's great writing to bring out these feelings don't get me wrong. Very interested to see where we go from here.
Author's Response:
Thanks for reading!
What can I say, I always felt super bad for S3 Jim, poor thing was just trying so hard. And JK portrayed the conflict so well.
Grrr, I wanted to hate this new guy but I can't. Though the emotions roiling around with Jim and Pam still seem as confused as ever. I'll say this much for this story, you're still nailing the fact that Pam and Jim are still scared to be completly honest with each other and because of that keep adding to hurt feelings.
On a more positive note it was really great to see all the encouragement for Pam's art show. Nice change of pace there.
Author's Response: Thanks so much for reading! I am glad the confused feelings are getting across.
1 Wow! Lots of emotions on this one. I loved how described everything with Pam as being increasing chinks in the armor around Jim's heart. Cleary Casino Night hurt him deeply so he put up guards. However here we can easily see that despite everything his head is saying, Pam is the one who can always get through those defenses.
Simillar with Pam. How she's not letting things get to serious with Paul. Easy dates, a few kisses, but that's really it. Deny it all she wants her heart still longs for Jim.
It's really felt like something needs to break and if feels like that's happened with Roy's drunken encounter here. Nothing like the heat of a moment to make things clear. Paul doesn't know her, Jim does, and it's finally in Jim's arms that she really feels safe. Hopefully she remembers that despite all the margaritas. I know I loved the fact that she finally feels safe in Jim's arms.
Speaking of that confornation, loved that as soon as he sees what's happening, Jim's at her side. Rage and agony as you say, but he's there. And in front of both Karen and Paul. The next chapter should be really interesting to read. Nice job with this one.
Author's Response:
Thanks so much for such a detailed review!
I always felt it was quite clear to both of them suring S3 that all the feelings were just right there but they judt didn't know how to go about it.
Hope you like where this is going! Thanks for reading.
Lots of emotions all over the place here. I feel like they're both giving each other hugely mixed signals through everything. Hugging, kissing, are we friends, do we want more, what are they trying to tell me. They're both all over the place.
Now in the general timeline of JAM this fits. In canon this is one of the lowest spots of their relationship. So in that sense you've got their emotions spot on.
I have no idea what's gong to happen from here on out. You're doing a great job at keeping people guessing that's for sure.
Author's Response: Thank you so much for reading and staying with this. I am glad the emotions are coming off right! :)
Yes, all sorts of angsty here. Both of them trying to move on, both of them still having thoughts wrapped up about the other one. From where I sit, they're nowhere near over each other. Even as they tell each other they are and want to be, the heart knows what the heart wants.
Each time I see an update I wonder if this will be the chapter they'll finally get together. Looks like we still have a little more to go in that regard.
"The veil of complacency that she had worn for a decade had fallen from her eyes and she now saw everything anew."
A series of episode related oneshots taking a look at what was going on in Pam Beesly's mind.
Writing that packs a punch to be sure. Great way to have Pam have her "come out of the fog" moment there as she walks into the house with Roy. Lots of spinning feelings screaming around till she realizes she's not the girl she was anymore.
The scene there at Jim's place seems just heartbreaking. She had the courage to leave Roy and tell that to Jim face to face before he leaves. then probably something even harder than leaving Roy, she lets Jim go too. I mean it hurts, but it also sets her up to be who she is for herself. Just Pam not 'Pam and Somebody.'
Like I said even if it's not the happiest thing to read, the writing is phenominal. Looking forward to seeing where we go from here.
Author's Response: You are spot on with your analysis and yes, there has to be growth before she can get the where she needs to be. Thank you so much!