1

That breakup scene was rough and so very realistic. Very nicely done. And I couldn't help but love Jim's daydream at the beginning. It was lovely.

1

I know this is an oldie, but I love it! Not enough fic came from season 9 but you took a GREAT concept and fleshed it out nicely. I’m a sucker for parallel storytelling and this did not disappoint!

1

Oh this is lovely! That image at the very end was great. Something about the simple statement that he took a breath before unbuckling was so telling in a small wonderful way. Great piece

Author's Response: <3

1

Very nice and very sexy. Cute ending, too!

1

Oh my. These two idiots get me every time...

Author's Response: Same, same. :) 

1

I can’t. I can’t with this. Seriously. I think of all these little moments when she would “take a memory picture” of him post-marriage. Ah, this one is fabulous. And so in character! Bravo!

Author's Response: Thank you (yet again)! This one was a real pleasure to write, and I'm so glad you enjoyed it! 

1

Great storytelling with dialogue only! That’s impressive!

Author's Response: Thanks! I like to do these little challenges for myself sometimes, and all-dialogue can be fun. :) Glad you enjoyed it! 

1

Lovely! That ending was just something. A real surprise but done in such an understated way. Very nice.

1

I absolutely love this story. But that bit at the end with the crabs?! Ugh. Fabulous.

Author's Response: Aw, thank you. <3 I latched onto the crab thing because, like Jim, crab is my favorite food. (Not soft shell--King Crab is my personal favorite, but all crab is good crab, as far as I'm concerned.) 

Oh, Shutterbug. I get excited to reread fanfiction once it is complete. Don't get me wrong, I love to follow WIPs (I so enjoy the anticipation of what will happen next), but I know there will be things that I missed with each update, and rereading let's me absorb some of those details since I know how it ends. Occasionally, there are moments when reading a WIP that make me so excited about the end because I want to see how it all ties together. (THAT'S NOT SAYING I WANT THIS STORY TO END OR THAT I DON'T LIKE IT. I LOVE IT. If you write 75 more chapters I will soak all of them up like a greedy puppy.) This chapter did that for me though. I am a fan of the Ultimate JAM Happy Ending and will endure some angst to get there, but your beautiful writing and the imagery you paint and the emotions you evoke (in the whole story, including this chapter) drive me to shelve some of that sentimentality. Because, god, reading this made me Feel Something.
I've read this chapter three and a half times now. Once in the waiting room of a doctor's office in an "Oh, goody! An update!' frenzy. Then again in a "Wait, did I read all of that the right way?" The third time I only read it halfway. I decided to go back to Chapter 1 and reread Jim-on-the-road scenes (not his lovely memories) and finish with this chapter.
I broke at "Mom's proud of me" in Chapter 7. Drippy tears, sniffling nose, lumpy throat. *Agh! It's starting again while I'm thinking about it and writing this review!* The end of Chapter 8 had me still shaken (although that chapter alone was a doozy for me) now that I know where this is going.
I think writing anything--ANYTHING--is a vulnerable process, but thank you for taking that a bit deeper by sharing your personal experience. I imagine this was very difficult to write.
I so look forward to where these next few chapters go. Absolutely lovely story (even through all the rough and painful parts).

Author's Response:

Whew, so much to respond to! Firstly, thank you for taking the time to write all this and give me all of this feedback. I really appreciate it. Secondly, I'll try to tackle all this in order! 

I'm so honored that you're re-reading some of this, even if it's just some parts of it--that's so incredible. I filled this story very deliberately with small details that I've brought back here and there, and I expect those to get missed, partially because it's taken me so long to write it, but it always thrills me when people go back and read things over again! I'm so glad you enjoy piecing together details like that and seeing not just how each section unfolds but how the entire story works together. That's so great. :) 

I have to tell you that, honestly, I adore happy endings and am a huge, huge sap. But this was an important story for me to tell. I felt very compelled by it, even though I knew there would be very sad moments. I don't, however, consider it a "sad" story, overall. I hope you'll see what I mean in the final installment (yet to be written, but I DID just update the story with the second-to-last chapter). And, as you say, regardless of how readers view the story and its ending, I hope they Feel Something. 

And thank you for mentioning specifics! Some of those parts you mention were tough for me to write because I knew how the whole story played out. I knew how those meanings would change for readers once they reached this chapter. For me, all of the memories are even more powerful, knowing the entire framework of the story, so it's really gratifying to read your feedback about all this. It's what I was hoping would happen with some readers. :) 

Thanks again, Duchess. What a wonderful, lovely comment.  

I read that Camus quote and the tears started. Geez, here we go...
-Darryl and Jim are a great duo. You wrote that pair spot-on. Can we pleeeease get someone to write a Full House AU with Darryl, Jim, and Dwight? Please? Someone?
-That pool memory was funny but can we talk about Pam's "accidental" encounter with edibles!? Because that whole image was amazing and that upholstery comment was perfection. I feel like Jim's pointed 'Artists pay attention' was Pam's day-after explanation that he resurrected in this conversation? Maybe not, but I could see it.
-Oh, man. Why did I read this in Starbucks? That Christmas present bit... I just love this appreciation of her for something simple but so important AND still very in-character to be Pam. I feel like Pam "in canon" is a good gift-giver.
-"The sun sets..." all the way to end ~ I think the college girls studying at this community table are worried about me. I'm fine, I'm fine.

Oh, Shutterbug this whole story was a wonderful journey. I will say it again, thank you for sharing a very personal experience in a way that conjured so many emotions. But also, you did it in a way that was so respectful to characters who we love and feel connected to. I can't wait to have the time when I can sit down and reread this from the beginning. I know I will have an even deeper appreciation for the beauty of this story; it might even knock me on my ass. ;)

Author's Response:

I'm sorry it took me so long to respond, OMG, but--BUT--thank you, as always, for leaving such a long and thorough review! It means so much to me, especially because I know you were invested in the fic and were really following along. :) 

And to respond, point by point:

- I LOVE Darryl. Love. Such an underrated character. He does not appear in fic nearly as much as I'd like to see him. Him and Dwight, honestly. They're my favorite, other than Jim and Pam, to write. And a Full House AU is up for grabs for anyone to write--I have already dove into a new long fic (that sadly does not feature Darryl much, but does feature Dwight quite a bit), so I don't have room for this one on my radar, but I hope someone takes it up, because it would be cute. 

- I actually have a one-shot or two about edibles that I'll get around to writing one day. I live in Colorado and my only experience with pot has been the edible variety, so...you know, I feel like it's natural to write about it. 

- Pam is 100% a great gift giver. The comic book convinced me of this. (For what it's worth, I think Jim is a fantastic gift giver, too, but only to people who he pays close attention to. But I think Pam does this to everyone.) 

- You are totally fine. ;) 

Thank you again for reading along and leaving me such incredible comments. I always looked forward to what you had to say. If you DO reread this, please let me know what you thought of the whole series, knowing what you know now. I truly appreciate your feedback and, again, thank you so, so much for taking the time to leave me such long comments. 

I'd love to write a fic for you. Email me and we should talk about what kind of fics you'd like to see. :)  

1

HOW does this not have more reviews?! I loved the suspense and the flirtation and Bossy Jim was aye aye aye! And I live that sweet fluffy ending. But all the “activities” getting there were just wonderful. Thank you for this!

1

I absolutely love how you painted such a vivid picture of Stamford and their reunion there without making it long and drawn out. It was the perfect amount of pain and hope and a spectacular parallel to present-day Jam.

Man, AG, Pam WOULD have this wave of guilt and intensity at this point. And you wrote Jim's response just perfectly. So many little word choices really show us how hopeful they both are in a very scary situation. I keep scrolling back through to find an example of this and then I just get caught up each time in how perfectly it's all written.

I know this story is likely starting to wrap up but I REALLY hope we get to see Penny again. (I really love how you wrote her in this story.)