Summary: According to the men at Dunder Mifflin.
Categories: Jim and Pam, Present, Past
Characters: Jim/Pam
Genres: Humor
Warnings: Adult language
Series: None
Chapters: 9 Table of Contents
Completed: Yes
Word count: 8871 Read Count: 8614 ePub Downloads: 7
Penname: Dernhelm Real name: Tonya
Member Since: November 07, 2019
Bio:
Bio:
Three little facts about me:
1) I'm a work-from-home mom from Kyiv, Ukraine.
2) I'm super late to the party, but I do my best to turn my excitement with the show into the content (hopefully, qualitative).
3) I care about Pam Beesly more than about any other fictional character in all the existent fandoms.
-
Stories
[19]
Series
[1]
Reviews
[514]
Challenges
[0]
Off-Site Recs
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Favorite Series
[3]
Favorites
[201]
Reviews by Dernhelm
[Report This] Published: February 08, 2021 Updated: February 16, 2021
Reviewer: Dernhelm Signed 
1
Date: February 10, 2021 Title: Chapter 3: Oscar
1 Date: February 10, 2021 Title: Chapter 3: Oscar
'For the record, Oscar thinks these lists are bit a trivial.' It's so, so Oscar.
I think you did a great job! I like his chapter a lot. Oscar is such a curious and underrated character, and you do justice to him here.
Oh, and the final line is awesome!
Author's Response: Thank you! Haha, I was a bit unsure on this one as I've not written Oscar before, so that's really great to hear :)
Reviewer: Dernhelm Signed 1
Date: February 11, 2021 Title: Chapter 4: Dwight
1 Date: February 11, 2021 Title: Chapter 4: Dwight
It's such a great chapter! I'm amazed by your ability to capture the voices and thoughts of characters so well. It feels like Dwight in flesh and blood, with his quirks and way of thinking.
Also, his prank on Pam - it's both cruel and silly, and I love it (even though it hurt her so much). And I'm happy that he put his friendship with Pam over his desire to irk Jim.
Can't wait to see what will be next!
Author's Response: Ah, thank you so much! That's so lovely to hear :) And yes haha, Dwight pranks are the worst...but I do love the Dwight/Pam friendship.
Reviewer: Dernhelm Signed
Date: February 13, 2021 Title: Chapter 6: Michael
Date: February 13, 2021 Title: Chapter 6: Michael
Okay, Michael might not be my favorite character, but THAT WAS SO CUTE! And, maybe, even beyond cuteness :) You wrote his affection so well, and the fact that he forgot that it should have been just three things (and that he used the different symbols for his list)... just lovely!
Thank you for writing, I enjoy your story so much!
Author's Response: Thank you so much, that's so great to hear! And yeah, Michael's affection for Pam is one of my favourite things on the show :) Thanks for reviewing!
Reviewer: Dernhelm Signed
Date: February 14, 2021 Title: Chapter 7: Ryan
Date: February 14, 2021 Title: Chapter 7: Ryan
Oh, Ryan... so arrogant, so jealous, so immature... just the perfect representation of this character! Thank you for writing!
Author's Response: Haha, thank you! And yeah, Ryan is the worst sometimes...
Reviewer: Dernhelm Signed 1
Date: February 15, 2021 Title: Chapter 8: Toby
1 Date: February 15, 2021 Title: Chapter 8: Toby
Do you know what I love about this chapter?
Everything.
I mean... oh... where to start?
You painted a portrait of a deeply unhappy yet humble and kind man. And his love for Pam... you know, when it comes to the unrequited love in 'The Office' I always think of him, not Jim, and not because Jim eventually got the love of his life. Because Toby's love was doomed from the beginning, and he was a kind of character that is too shy, too insecure, and too easily put aside. He's not a hero everyone roots for. And pretty girls in sitcoms don’t fall for these characters.
*It's the moment when I take a little break because I worry I might cry.*
And also, I love how Toby looks both at Pam and Jim and though his opinion couldn't be impartial, there are moments I totally agree with him. Like, the way Jim changed after Stamford and Philly, or how Pam forgave him everything over and over again, or the way Jim supported but not appreciated Pam's works (though the last one is double biased). It just... hurts. It hurts that there is no happiness for everyone.
And, by the way, Finer Things Club? I adore that! I'm firmly convinced that there should be more Finer Things Club stories, and thank you so much for a glimpse of their book discussion! (I have a prepared piece for The Element about FTC I doubted to include, but now I think I have to add it!)
I don't know what to add more, but, honestly, I love this chapter with all my heart. You're so talented!
Sorry, this review is a little erratic, and my English is messier than ever, but so are my thoughts after reading your story :)
P.S. I saved my last jellybean specifically for this chapter!
P.P.S. Haha, I wrote the name of their club wrong so I re-upload the review. That's awkward...
Author's Response:
Thank you so much! This is such a lovely review :) And yes! I definitely think of Toby when I think unrequited love, not Jim at all. Also because it was never unrequited with Jim - Pam loved him the whole time, even if she couldn’t admit it. Whereas Toby…I really feel for him. He was so over-looked. I would also like to read more about the FTC, I would love if you did a piece in The Elements! Thanks so much for reviewing, and for your last jellybean :D
Reviewer: Dernhelm Signed
Date: February 16, 2021 Title: Chapter 9: Jim
Date: February 16, 2021 Title: Chapter 9: Jim
Awww, I like this chapter so much, and I knew that Jim's would be the last one (but also I'm sad because that means that this journey is over... btw, Stanley appreciated that Pam proposed to cancel all the meetings and, maybe, he might have made some observations about Pam/Jim's relationships in Florida... just saying...)
Anyway, I like this chapter, especially the last part. It wasn't the fluffiest one, but it's so important to highlight that even the most perfect relationships need work. And it's awesome that they learned that lesson (thought the moment when Jim realized that he'd made the same mistake as Roy... ouch).
Looking forward to the ladies' chapters and thank you!
Author's Response: Thank you! And haha, I did briefly consider Florida for Stanley...but I thought most of his observations there would actually be about Jim, not Pam. I'm really glad you liked this chapter though - thanks so much for reviewing! I really appreciate it :)
Summary: 
According to the women at Dunder Mifflin.
Categories: Jim and Pam, Present, Past, Future
Characters: Jim/Pam
Genres: Humor
Warnings: Mild sexual content
Series: None
Chapters: 9 Table of Contents
Completed: Yes Word count: 7980 Read Count: 11092 ePub Downloads: 4
According to the women at Dunder Mifflin. Categories: Jim and Pam, Present, Past, Future
Characters: Jim/Pam
Genres: Humor
Warnings: Mild sexual content
Series: None
Chapters: 9 Table of Contents
Completed: Yes Word count: 7980 Read Count: 11092 ePub Downloads: 4
[Report This] Published: February 18, 2021 Updated: February 28, 2021
Reviewer: Dernhelm Signed 1
Date: February 28, 2021 Title: Chapter 9: Pam
1 Date: February 28, 2021 Title: Chapter 9: Pam
Firstly, I want to rant. It's a shame that such a lovely story ended :( I'd like it to have a few more chapters, like Erin's or Joe's or Cathy's... gosh, why there're so few women working in DM?
*Sorry, that's just me being greedy*
Secondly, I love this chapter, I love the mix of angst and sweet (and steamy) moments. You grasped that feeling that Pam truly got Jim and that despite everything, they were happy together. That's something I need right now :)
And thirdly... I hope that you'll come up with new ideas soon! I like your writing and anticipate your new stories. Thank you
Author's Response:
Haha, thank you! (And sorry, lol). So I realised the same thing when I was writing this: there are not enough women working at DM! And three of the women in this were love interests brought in for the men, which is not great. On the others - I have to say I found Erin quite grating, so am not in a rush to write anything about her character (sorry Erin). Jo’s an interesting one though, I’d not really considered that! It’s possible I’m slightly biased towards the earlier seasons…
Thank you so much for reading and taking the time to leave feedback on this, I’ve really appreciated it! And I’m really glad you enjoyed the final chapter :)
Reviewer: Dernhelm Signed 1
Date: February 18, 2021 Title: Chapter 1: Katy
1 Date: February 18, 2021 Title: Chapter 1: Katy
Yay! I'm so excited that you continue this series!
And the first story is lovely. I'll be honest, the first thing on the list felt a little like a punch in the gut for me (but that's my own problem — I don't like very much imagining JAM in a bed with other people). But the second and third one — delightful! Katy is nice and deserves better than she had with Jim (and I'm so glad she got it!)
I'm looking forward to the other chapters! (And sliiiightly dreading Karen's...)
Author's Response: Thanks so much! And haha, I'm with you on the not wanting to imagine JAM with other people: but I sort of felt like sex might have played a fair role in Jim and Katy's relationship, as I'm not sure they had a lot in common otherwise...I definitely agree that she deserved better though, I think she was quite a sweet person. I will try not to make Karen's too painful, lol. Thanks for reviewing! :)
Reviewer: Dernhelm Signed 1
Date: February 19, 2021 Title: Chapter 2: Meredith
1 Date: February 19, 2021 Title: Chapter 2: Meredith
I giggled reading this :)
And Meredith has a point — it's a shame that Jim wasn't leaning at reception anymore. I guess not only Meredith would appreciate the view...
Thank you!
Author's Response:
Thank you! And yes haha, it occurred to me that he’s standing there with his back to the rest if the office every single time he goes up to talk to Pam...
Reviewer: Dernhelm Signed 1
Date: February 20, 2021 Title: Chapter 3: Angela
1 Date: February 20, 2021 Title: Chapter 3: Angela
It makes all the sense in the world that Angela knew a little about Jim, and in every single point about him, she mentioned Dwight. I'd like to think that it's her display of loyalty to him (which is cute).
Which is NOT cute is the whole 'Pam-the-office-mattress' thing. I mean, seriously??? Did Angela look into the mirror before calling Pam like that??? There are moments in the show that made me sad or uncomfortable, but this is the one that made me furious.
*Feel an urge to give Pam a title of a saint even though she's definitely not one of them*
Anyway... I adore how you chose to underline all that Angela thought about Jim, that he was a dog person. That's genius!
Looking forward to the next one, and thank you :)
Author's Response: Thanks so much! And yes haha, Angela’s hypocrisy on the office mattress point is...something. Pam definitely deserved a sainthood for putting up with it lol. And yeah, I thought the dog thing would pretty much sum up Angela’s views on Jim (I just love that scene on the show where Pam tells her she’s a dog person, and Angela’s reaction). Thank you again for reviewing!
Reviewer: Dernhelm Signed
Date: February 21, 2021 Title: Chapter 4: Phyllis
Date: February 21, 2021 Title: Chapter 4: Phyllis
Awww, I like this chapter. Mainly because I have mixed feelings about Phyllis (I can't get rid of suspicion that behind an image of 'good aunty' hides quite a sly and calculating woman), and you painted her as a person I'd like her to be.
Her friendship with Jim was endearing, and I'm glad it was mutual. The basketball game was such a lovely touch! And the wedding preparations... oh, that was lovely too, but at the same time, it stung...
Thank you!
Author's Response: Thank you! And haha, for what it’s worth - I always saw Phyllis as fundamentally quite sweet and simple, but not above moments of pettiness (which I think is the same for Jim and Pam sometimes), rather than being sly or calculating. And I feel like Michael and Angela treat her so badly sometimes that I enjoyed her moments of sass on the show. So I may be slightly biased when I write about her, lol...but yes, I also love her friendship with Jim!
Reviewer: Dernhelm Signed
Date: February 23, 2021 Title: Chapter 5: Jan
Date: February 23, 2021 Title: Chapter 5: Jan
Oh, it's such a sad chapter to me... I want both to raise my 'Sainthood for Pam' banner and pity Jan. I feel that there's a (slightly) broken woman who lost so much and whose character only worsened by these losses. And Jim... well, he was always correct and respectful of her, but Jan was obviously biased here.
You capture her state wonderfully!
Author's Response: Thanks so much! I definitely also felt for Jan: I’d like to think this chapter is at the peak of her breakdown and she gets better/calms down after it. I think she did always genuinely quite like Jim though. Thanks for reviewing!
Reviewer: Dernhelm Signed
Date: February 24, 2021 Title: Chapter 6: Holly
Date: February 24, 2021 Title: Chapter 6: Holly
Wow, I didn't expect Holly's chapter, but it's fantastic! I like her a lot, her delicacy mixed with craziness, and here is a glimpse of both of her sides (I consider her wild affection to Michael as slightly crazy, whoops). And it's nice to see her observation, as someone who didn't spend a lot of time with our faves and could look at that at a different angle (her notice that Jim and Dwight were pretty hostile to each other, for example; I like it that she didn't pick a side in that rivalry as it did the rest of us). And the fact that sometimes she didn't get some inside jokes (jello! jello! such a cute nod to canon!) I found it very sweet.
Thank you for such a lovely chapter!
Author's Response: Thanks so much! And yes haha I agree, I think Holly needed to be a little bit crazy to be the one for Michael...and the outsider perspective is always quite interesting lol. Thanks for reviewing, I'm really glad to hear you liked this one :)
Reviewer: Dernhelm Signed
Date: February 25, 2021 Title: Chapter 7: Kelly
Date: February 25, 2021 Title: Chapter 7: Kelly
Awww, Kelly is so Kelly, turning '3 things about Jim' into the ode to herself and her relationship with Ryan. And I love it! And her observation about 'love is blind' was so sweet... even if she didn't realize it :)
Author's Response: Thanks very much! And yes lol, I didn't think Kelly's observations on anyone else would be complete without several monologues about herself and/or Ryan...
Reviewer: Dernhelm Signed 1
Date: February 26, 2021 Title: Chapter 8: Karen
1 Date: February 26, 2021 Title: Chapter 8: Karen
Beethoven's 5th Symphony started to play in my head as soon as I saw the title of this chapter. The long dreading part was here. But... I like it. I love it. It's really, really great.
The thing I love the most is its honesty. I feel endless tenderness toward Jim, and sometimes this affection makes me think of him better than he was. And. in those cases, I need Karen to remind me that he still had faults. And not even about how he treated her, but about his laziness and cowardliness (I still don't want to admit that, but... yeah, apparently he had a little bit of these traits).
And I want to quote the whole paragraph because I love it very much:
"She's heard people who have seen the documentary talking about Pam needing to find her courage. Which Karen thinks is a bit rich, and a bit unfair on Pam, because it wasn't just Pam. She doesn't know if the documentary has somehow edited that out, but it definitely wasn't just Pam. "
It perfectly summed up my opinion on the earlier JAM relationship.
I'm grateful to you for writing this chapter. Thank you!
Author's Response: Haha, I'm really glad this wasn't as bad as you were expecting! I do think that that was one of the great things about Karen - she was very honest, and she did see Jim (including his flaws) pretty clearly. And yes, I do think the courage was a two-way thing for Jim and Pam: and that actually Karen might have felt that more acutely for Jim, as she was on the receiving end of some of his cowardice. Thanks so much for your review, I'm really glad you liked this chapter!
Summary:
Categories: Jim and Pam, Present, Episode Related
Characters: None
Genres: Angst, Fluff, Married
Warnings: None
Series: None
Chapters: 5 Table of Contents
Completed: Yes Word count: 4771 Read Count: 4065 ePub Downloads: 0
I kept writing and dreaming till my words ran out
And I stared at this blank page
'Til finally I wrote
Five letters Jim has written to Pam throughout his time at Dunder Mifflin.
Categories: Jim and Pam, Present, Episode Related
Characters: None
Genres: Angst, Fluff, Married
Warnings: None
Series: None
Chapters: 5 Table of Contents
Completed: Yes Word count: 4771 Read Count: 4065 ePub Downloads: 0
[Report This] Published: February 22, 2021 Updated: February 26, 2021
Reviewer: Dernhelm Signed 1
Date: February 22, 2021 Title: Chapter 1: Dear Tomorrow
1 Date: February 22, 2021 Title: Chapter 1: Dear Tomorrow
Aww, this chapter is so sweet!
(Well, except the last line, it felt like a punch in the gut. Especially that he threw the letter away, ooof)
But this young, heart-eyed Jim is adorable, and I like how quickly he fell for Pam.
Also, I love the five things genre, so I'm definitely looking forward to more (though other chapters will break my heart, I guess...)
Thank you for writing!
Reviewer: Dernhelm Signed 1
Date: February 23, 2021 Title: Chapter 2: Dear My Someday
1 Date: February 23, 2021 Title: Chapter 2: Dear My Someday
Oof that hurts. That really and truly must have felt like a sort of betrayal.
Poor Jim, for suffering like that. Poor Pam, for suffering too. Poor Kelly who caused that avalanche of suffering... but I love that you chose that moment. It needs more attention indeed.
Be damned forever that person who first decided that the comedy of situation is something funny!
I'm both anticipating and dreading the next chapter!
Reviewer: Dernhelm Signed 1
Date: February 24, 2021 Title: Chapter 3: Dear My Never
1 Date: February 24, 2021 Title: Chapter 3: Dear My Never
Ooooh, I'm glad so much that I know how his interview turned out. Otherwise, I'll be a sobbing mess right now.
But who am I kidding? There's a lump in my throat right now as I'm writing this.
"he's possibly moving to New York with his girlfriend, finishing the chapter in the book that was Jim and Pam." this line hurts so much.
And the letter... realization of how close Jim was to giving up and letting himself go hits hard.
Fantastic writing, Aly. I hope you'll give us some fluff too, won't you?
Reviewer: Dernhelm Signed 1
Date: February 25, 2021 Title: Chapter 4: Dear Tomorrow II
1 Date: February 25, 2021 Title: Chapter 4: Dear Tomorrow II
No thoughts, head empty.
There are only a stupid green on my face and 'awwwww's in my lungs.
Thank you so much for this chapter!!!!
Reviewer: Dernhelm Signed 1
Date: February 26, 2021 Title: Chapter 5: Signed, Yours Truly
1 Date: February 26, 2021 Title: Chapter 5: Signed, Yours Truly
Awww, this is the sweetest thing! I like this version of the teapot letter, and thank you for sharing it with us!
Summary: Jim and Pam were soulmates but this journey for each other treaded through many broken hearts. This is one Karen story who just landed in wrong place at the wrong time.
Categories: Jim and Pam
Characters: Jim, Jim/Pam, Karen, Pam
Genres: Angst, Drama, Fluff
Warnings: None
Series: None
Chapters: 5 Table of Contents
Completed: Yes Word count: 3346 Read Count: 3926 ePub Downloads: 2
Categories: Jim and Pam
Characters: Jim, Jim/Pam, Karen, Pam
Genres: Angst, Drama, Fluff
Warnings: None
Series: None
Chapters: 5 Table of Contents
Completed: Yes Word count: 3346 Read Count: 3926 ePub Downloads: 2
[Report This] Published: March 01, 2021 Updated: March 09, 2021
Reviewer: Dernhelm Signed 1
Date: March 02, 2021 Title: Chapter 1: Chapter 1- The Risks
1 Date: March 02, 2021 Title: Chapter 1: Chapter 1- The Risks
Oh, Karen... I feel so much for her here, and it pains me to think that she's going to be hurt (even though I can't stand Jim and Karen together, I like her a lot). Especially since she thought she calculated the risk and, in reality, she was deceived — both by Jim and herself.
I'm curious to see the next chapters!
Author's Response:
Thank you so much for your words. Yeah, its very interesting how we could still sympathize with her character since she was a major wedge between Jam. But she wasn't all that bad, just a bit oblivious perhaps.
I hope you like the new chapter :)
Reviewer: Dernhelm Signed 1
Date: March 05, 2021 Title: Chapter 3: Chapter 3 - The Promised lies
1 Date: March 05, 2021 Title: Chapter 3: Chapter 3 - The Promised lies
It's a little weird, but Karen here, with her thoughts and persuading herself, reminds me so much of Pam in her relationship with Roy — the feelings are gone, but both tried desperately to clutch to deceive and save that they could. And I feel sorry for her here. I've never hate Jim, but this is the moment I like him the least.
Also, I don't like what Karen did with Pam's flyers, but I can understand that.
And, I really like this line — 'that's the only Italian (food) he can tolerate.' It hurts. She's already known that things went terribly wrong (and we knew how much Jim is passionate about Italian food!) but still can't stop watching this trainwreck.
Thank you for writing, I'm morbidly curious about her thought on 'The Negotiation' revelation.
Author's Response:
You are such an intuitive person and keen observer. You made my day by noticing that little foreshadowing which I though was perhaps too subtle for anyone else to notice - Italian food. What she did with flyers was really sad, it must be something she may have regretted looking back. What she had become in this relationship which was clearly turning into a train wreck like you said.
I love your feedback. You always take time to say such positive things and help me feel supported to continue writing. Thanks again for your time.
Reviewer: Dernhelm Signed 1
Date: March 02, 2021 Title: Chapter 2: Chapter 2 - J for Jinx
1 Date: March 02, 2021 Title: Chapter 2: Chapter 2 - J for Jinx
Oh, you described it right - happy little bubble Karen is inside. It seemed like she still has no idea about Jim's backstory (that totally makes sense) and Pam's tight smile she took as a sign of disapproval and not as a sign of a heartbreak.
I feel really sorry for her because she looks like a content person, and she's about to lose her peaceful state :(
Author's Response:
I am so happy you caught that little thing about Pam‘a smile. Yeah Karen really had no idea because why would she. She is definitely gonna lose the peace of mind , more than just peace actually.
thanks for the comments. They are my little motivators (not sure if that’s a word)
Reviewer: Dernhelm Signed 1
Date: March 06, 2021 Title: Chapter 4: Chapter 4 - It was coming
1 Date: March 06, 2021 Title: Chapter 4: Chapter 4 - It was coming
Again — I feel sorry for Karen so much. In my own experience, I know how horrible it is — to be in the twilight zone, and the worse thing is that the light made everything look even more desperate and depressing. That made all the sense in the world that Karen's (mild) sympathy for Pam was gone, and she thought of Pam badly (and I like your little touch 'she turned out to be more than that.')
And, of course, Karen would fight. She's a fighter, after all. The thing is, it seemed to me that her fighting mood is no more than a desperate attack of a wounded animal. Because she has never had this ease with Jim... and Pam has.
I'm curious about the last chapter very much. Thank you for writing!
(Also, thank you for your answer to my previous review, you're very kind!)
Author's Response:
Thank you for your feedback. Again I love it when you catch on to my little Easter eggs. Thanks for sharing about your personal feelings regarding the twilight zone. My writing also comes from reflection of my own experiences and it feels like a connection when it resonates to readers. I hope and wish you overcame that part of your life. Wishing you best for being stronger than before:)
I hope you like the last one too. Looking forward to your comments, as usual.
Reviewer: Dernhelm Signed 1
Date: March 10, 2021 Title: Chapter 5: Chapter 5 - The truth(s)
1 Date: March 10, 2021 Title: Chapter 5: Chapter 5 - The truth(s)
Oh.
Well, everything was leading to Karen having her dream crushed, but still... of course, Karen was eager to deceive herself all the way, but I don't like that all her hard work and sacrifices turned into dust like that. And I'm not fond of Jim at all for using her as a living shield from his own ghost.
"small city full of..unimportant people, insignificant memories and…..unfinished feelings." - this summed up Karen's attitude toward Scranton perfectly.
"She was everything (but that)." - again, a great glimpse of the canon here!
It was a tremendous and completed story, but I wouldn't be mad if you added a bonus chapter (with a happier Karen, perhaps?)
Thank you for writing!
Author's Response: I love this Dernheim when you catch my little canon parts. I am glad you liked that sentence. It means a lot that writers like you take out time to appreciate work of someone so new. I have thought of a bonus chapter too, waiting for it to come to me. I hope you enjoy the other story as well.