What will Pam and Jim take to remember the other when Jim goes to Stamford? And who will influence their separation along the way? And why am I feeling the need for some angsty-ness?
Starts out between Season 2/3
Two AWWWWWWWWW moments for me. Switching the phone handsets and "I can't" carved on her tombstone.
Good onya
1 I love your take on the adult Jim and Pam who are still running from their past; I'm not sure they are fully matured. In Texas we have a phrase for reaching adulthood -- all growed up and haired over. In Jim's case, that's literal.
Jim's professional success and the resulting disastrous personal messes are so real. Pam's earlier personal mistake in ending it with Jim is certainly understandable given her past inexperience; it is admirable she has gone on to build her life. It seems she has yet to find her own professional niche. Together they could make one whole, self actualized person.
This story really got to me. Please keep writing on it no matter where it leads.
Jim brings Pam home for Thanksgiving.1 This is THE definitive Thanksgiving story.
1 Yep to your Chapter End Notes. Research is an underrated activity.
I love angst with a huge helping of loud laughter.
1 I'm so glad you are back! I was just thinking about Silver Wings earlier this week.
Author's Response: Glad to be back with this one, thanks.
1 I'm sorry this was tough for you to write, but I'm so very glad you toughed it out. I really liked your paragraph about General Eisenhower. From all the history I've read about him, that was a gut wrenching night for him, but he toughed it out and made the call.
Author's Response: It was just a challenge to get all the feelings right, but thanks. Glad you liked the bit with Gen. Eisenhower. I did quite a bit of research for that bit. You're right, the days and nights leading up to the moment he gave the final order were tough. Thanks for the review.
“Are you free for dinner tonight?”
“Yes.” Her reply is immediate, eager, completely certain. He sees her, truly sees her, sees her eyes taking him in and her hands clenched in her lap and her hair the same way it has been every day that he has known her.
“Then it’s a date.” It is the most important thing in the world that he clarifies this last piece of information, that she knows what she is getting into. He is almost prepared to hear her recant, to take back her single syllable and tuck it away for someone else. But she doesn’t.
Dear friends, may I present a short collection of events taking place during and after the events depicted in ‘The Job’ (S3) detailing Jim’s break-up with Karen and his first date with Pam. Get excited for some angsty monologuing from Jim, some indignant Karen and some super fluffy adorable first-date non-canon content.
1 This is wonderful from the start. You have an amazing knack for description; it flows, pulling me along.
I will never, ever eat carbonara the same way again.
1 This is the best Karen breakup scene I've read. You treat Karen with a gentleness and intelligence that she deserves. Jim's honesty with her is as gentle as it can be. I love how articulate he can finally be.
1 Your third paragraph describing Scranton is magnificent.
"This morning, phone guy comes in, and he shows Michael that our phones have a PA function... and then he just, left..."
1 Your Tales from Tech Support series was the first series I read on MTT! I was learning how to navigate and didn't/couldn't mark it as read!
I really enjoyed it.
He was never meant to end up here, to meet her, and to have his life changed forever.
1 This update is so welcomed.
Your word choices, dialogue, all sentence structures, and sociological insights take me directly to the 1860's. It's almost like you have immersed yourself in a foreign country and language and translated it for the reader.
Good onya.
Author's Response:
Thank you Once!
What a tremendous compliment! I really appreciate it and I'm thrilled you are enjoying it so much.
AU from “Negotiations”; Roy isn’t in the mood for closure. Pam suffers the consequences and rises from the ashes, while Jim tries to find his way back to her.
1 This is really, really good. Meaty, powerful writing. The inner monologues are insightful. The interactions have just enough description; the tension is almost palpable across miles and computer screens.
I wish you would finish your vision.
I love this premise. In one of the talking heads (it might have been deleted), Pam had indicated that she would make a big statement, slap someone, and storm out. You had her doing that in a Beesly sort of way.
Having Jim going to the ends of Pennsylvania, subjecting himself to slaps from the other Beesly women, and groveling to her dad to try to find Pam is a nice touch. That could lead to a nice realization from Pam if that is where you were heading.
It's been a while since you updated. Are you planning on continuing? I hope so.
1 Since I'm a new reader here, I'm loving this. Pam in the big city. Granted as a baby sitter for Ryan 2.0 Jim.
Any plans for an update?
I'm so glad you are continuing! I really like that even in an AU, Jim and Pam have kept their core values.
I'm also quite glad the phantom guitar from the show is showcased.
1 Who knew punishing sex, make up sex, and first time sex could all be rolled up into one? Damn, woman.
"But her heart broke that night, too. She lost her partner in crime, her best friend, and the man she loves because she was too scared to screw everything up. "
Jim finds Pam crying in the hallway instead of Dwight, he tries to figure out what's wrong but she doesn't want him to know that he's the problem.
1 This was good, honest angst. NEVER be ashamed of angst.
It's obvious you have affection for both Jim and Pam. Being balanced is so hard.
I really like how you have Pam (Fancy New Beesly) bring up demonstrable actions that Jim has done; there's no denying them; she's not being judgmental. I also like how you give Jim a chance to tell Pam what he doesn't want from her and how shredded he was with the way they were, a second
Casino Night, if you will.
Pam is definitely Fancy New Beesly telling Jim to go talk to Karen. Strong woman. Good onya
"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.
1 This paragraph is perfection. "He would be there. With her. And this was her purgatory."
Author's Response: Thank you so much!
1 You've written this alternate scene well.
Like you, I loved the Pam/Dwight interaction. I think Dwight pulling off his coat was intended to drape around Pam, but that was just a step too caring for Dwight. I was amazed he could retrench so quickly to come up with being hot; Dwight does not think fast on his feet. He's the rules and regulations guy.
I thought this was Pam's lowest point in all of Season Three. I like your alternate take; this could have brought Jim's decision point forward by months, but we would have given up Pam's beach scene and lost seeing her tangible growth. Jim's agony would have been far more acute, and he'd already been through Casino Night. I think the show writers thought enough is enough for Jim. It is an ensemble cast after all; JK had already shown he was the breakout star.
Your last sentence “And suddenly her grin and her life stopped being so forced.” walks that fine line between nadir and hopeful. Good onya
"She had always loved Christmas."
Perfect bookends.
Author's Response: Thanks!
Jim returns to Scranton from Stamford in a world where Karen doesn't exist. Pam wants to pick up where they left off on Casino Night but Jim tells her he's done all the pursuing so far, and he'd like be pursued (read: seduced). "Give me a reason to come back."
Inspired by the Taylor Swift song "I Think He Knows".
This story deserves to be on my bookshelf for this line alone.
“Pam, I want you to seduce me.”
I'm so glad you are back on this. I did have to go back and re-read from the start. Please don't take that as a complaint; it's not. The last line in this chapter had stopped all cognition so I had forgotten all of Isabel's great lines in Chapter 3.
Two months after her husband dies, Pam receives a gift from him that helps her in more ways than she could ever imagine. Now it’s four years later and she’s finally ready to start dating again, but just like everything else in her life, it gets a little messy.
AU based off of The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks. If you’ve read the book, this plotline will be pretty similar while still incorporating characters/references/small plotlines of The Office as well as possibly my own little twists.
You have an outstanding insight into dog behaviour from sleeping positions, conversationalists, and character judges. Always trust the dog.
1 What a wonderful introduction. Mark was a wonderful guy urging Pam to continue living. Friends haven't been that lucky.
1 First, I need to start with an apology. I read this when I was in the throes of reading as much as I could as fast as I could. I didn't leave any reviews; that's why I'm sorry. I now see the writers here as real people, not just binary code.
I like your fluff. You keep their back and forth at an age appropriate level. You also did an amazing job of getting sex in without ever fleshing out a sex scene. Good onya