So Pam is still smitten by Danny, but more and more it really feels likes her feelings for Jim are coming through. Especially when she was trying to not set up Jim with Kelly. Not sure how well that bodes for her upcoming date with Danny. Jim too is really starting to have more and more thoughts about Pam. The denial is still strong with both of them though.

Good Micheal voice with the phone call. Got his sense of neediness to be seen as cool very well.

Jim is going out on a date with Kelly in the same day as a sales call with Ryan. I'm sure that's not going to be awkward at all.

Nice job bringing out those kinds of feelings.

Author's Response:

Thank you so much!

 With Pam, my thought process in writing her was 'Okay, she say doesn't want him but also doesn't want him seeing other people. And they're also not really dating so she can't act like a jealous girlfriend.'. And cue Kelly. I didn't have this in my original draft but I wanted to see Pam struggle with her decisions.

I have barely written this story so far from Jim's POV so I figured I should go inside what's going on in his head. I think with him, he cares a lot about Pam but knows her heart's set somewhere else and is convincing himself that possible feelings are just his imagination acting wild. It's funny how he agreed to go on a date with Kelly because even he knows it's a bad idea but did it anyway as a favor for Pam.

I just love writing Michael into chapters. I always imagined him as an overbearing boss if he liked a particular employee (in this case, Jim) so him worriedly calling him because he might have been kidnapped or hanging out with Josh was just absurd but something I could totally see him doing.

I loved the start of this chapter with the texts to Jim and Danny interspersed with the brownie-making - and again, I really like how you're making Danny a pretty nice/funny guy that she clearly has fun texting, but still not a patch on Jim (him knowing she's with Iz, and his encouragement with the goofy selfie, is just so adorable). And then the picture from the gym and Pam dropping the phone! Amazing. Iz is also great in this, I love her adding a bit of reality and getting Pam to actually think about how she feels, plus the throwback to the party from the flashback.

I'm so intrigued about what happened back in Philly that Jim blames himself for - and the glimpse into a more vulnerable Jim, and the subtle suggestion that he might be sleeping with so many people partially to avoid being alone. Larissa being there for him was lovely. And then Pam agreeing to stay over at his! And that final scene of her watching him sleep, and him smiling when she strokes his hand 😍 I just love this fic so much, can't wait for the next chapter!

Author's Response:

Thank you so much! Glad you're caught up.

Yeah, I'm starting to feel bad for Danny because I'm making him into this genuinely good guy, but yeah maybe I'll have him end up with Pam? (Kidding)

With Jim, yeah, he's definitely got issues that he refuses to face. And that's never a good thing. I wanted to make the fight longer but I backed out because I wanted Jim and Larissa to still be okay when they visit her in New York.

The one where she stay with him, I really hope I didn't shoot myself on the foot with that one. I was thinking to myself, "should she really do that?" But I stuck to my guns, lol. We'll see how it goes. 

Nice to see this one come back. The brownie making scene was a lot of fun. Kind of easy to see why Pam would be so distracted as to mix up the salt and sugar, texting two different guys like that.

I think Izzy has Pam pegged. Regardless of what Pam is saying, she is starting to have feelings for Jim. I think the first inklings of her really realizing that are starting to come through too.

A few more clues as to why Jim is the way he is. Seems like he's running from something and trying to fill whatever void is there with his Mr. Cool kind of persona.

Asking Pam to stay with him like that though? That's really going to make things interesting. Especially if Danny finds out about this. Though it seems that when Pam is with Jim she forgets about Danny. Nice way to build some tension that's for sure.

Author's Response:

Thank you so much!

I've been trying out baking recently so I just infused all the moments I got flustered into the story. I can safely say though that I have never made a salt and sugar mishap like Pam.

With Pam, I really think she's forcing herself to want one thing but then at the end of it, the heart really wants it what it wants. We'll see how that plays out.

With Jim, oh boy. There's definitely baggage. As to what it is, I can't wait to get my hands on it.

I really, really enjoyed this chapter. I thought you did well with balancing the two IM conversations, and exploring both Pam's interest in Danny (and why she would remain interested in him) and the contrast with the subtle, unstressed, natural rhythms of her conversation with Jim. (Also him dropping her a shirtless pic in between all the advice with Danny. Lol, Sketchy Jim.) And I love a good interfering Isabel moment.

Also some very intriguing hints at the darkness that made our Jim into this Jim, and what Larissa sees underlying his smug and slightly slimy exterior. We get to see his inner pain. AND PLATONIC BED SHARING. I am eating popcorn through all of this.

Author's Response: Thank you so much!

I’m so glad this sorry is back. Nice flashback, it helps us see that Jim is actually really nice, even if he’s a jerk to other girls.
I can’t wait to read what happens in the present day story. Hope to read more soon. This is a great story

Author's Response: Thank you so much!

Hehe, I'm enjoying the re-using of Nick here. I did feel sorry for him on the show. Jim getting totally thrown by Pam taking a bite of a breadstick, and then when she's telling them about how she 'fell' for him, are some really fun and sweet moments. And then I love that he encouraged her to do the application as soon as they got back! Especially after the last chapter with Roy. I also really enjoyed him pushing her to be the one who pressed the button: and telling her to stop calling them doodles. It feels both very Jim from the show, but also this version of Jim in your fic - encouraging her, but challenging her at the same time. And then the falling asleep on each other and not wanting to disturb each other at the end is adorable.

Author's Response: Thank you so much!

Re: Roy. I think you're on very solid ground. Honestly, he's so comically awful in canon there's a lot of room to run with him - and here Pam wises up without Jim planting one on her.

I love the dynamic with them here with Pam freaking out and Jim strangely unperturbed... and the breadsticks-are-like-crack reference. And then they shared a breadstick! It's the JAM version of the Lady And The Tramp!

I love this scene of them in the apartment, and them finally starting to fully establish a genuinely good dynamic. And them falling asleep on the couch (in front of Anne Hathaway!) is wonderful.

I was always a fan of Nick, so I'm happy to see him show up here... and that Jim *still* doesn't know his name. Although his last name being Scott feels ominous. Also, the Larissa as a nicer, more successful version of Kelly works for me.

Yikes, Jim. Way to have this go wrong in the most predictable way possible. (I really want to know which minor character threw a drink at the Halperts now.)

Author's Response: Thank you so much!

This was such a great (/sad) flashback! I loved the remixing of canon - including jealous Jan, lol, but the way it actually ends up helping Pam - and the introduction of other Pam. Jim listening to her crying in the stairwell is so heart-breaking. But then him giving her a win, and the chips, is incredibly sweet. And I really liked her various attempts to start a text to him, before she gives up (especially the way she swings between a full-on apology and trying to put some distance between them again). Great chapter!

Author's Response: Thank you so much!

The other Pam! Now there's a character who could use more fic love.

As always, a lot of fun canon remixing here. Poor Pam - doing a lot of projecting about who has her best interests at heart and wants her to make something out of her life. (Lot of projecting in that relationship in general right now.) And I love the mix of pre- and post-breakdown Jan and how her jealousy ends up both making her suspicious of Pam *and* leading her to be helpful to Pam.

Ugh. Awful to notice the dates on this and realize she still has YEARS to go with Roy after this fight. It's a really interesting twist on The Fight, though.

4,000 words of flashback very much enjoyed. Looking forward to the next chapter!

Author's Response: Thank you so much!

ELIZABETH SIGHTING!!!!! Nice touch there. (Did you see the deleted scene where she tells Pam she's not going to be a stripper forever because she's going to art school and tells her she would hate being a receptionist?)

There really is a lot going against them here. The fact that Pam ends up serving as confidante for Jim's soon-to-be-exes can't help but cast him in the worst possible light.

You worked in a lot of good canon bits here! Pam's glasses, remixing The Client, him making her dinner, it all worked well.

I love her having Jim's voice in her head in spite of the date going well. (Also, is this a reference to Danny claiming she talked about Jim the entire time on their date?) And I adore Jim's love for Anne Hathaway and that he's still the most supportive person of her art.

I think having the Pam-Danny kiss be good was the right call. Making him a genuine romantic alternative adds tension to the story.

Author's Response: Thank you so much!

1

I like how Jim is being more sweet now but I'm still can't like Danny even if he seems less douchy than show Danny!

Author's Response: Thank you so much!

Just to let you know, it seems like you double posted this chapter. I got to the end of Jim and Pam's rooftop discussion and then it went right back into the flashback.

Moving on. Interesting use of Threat Level Midnight. Rather than just a table read they're actually doing auditions. Michael's right, Jim and Pam to have chemistry. And he's even sweet enough to make her grilled cheese. Very cute. Though the fact Roy doesn't text her back seems very in keeping with him and gives some clues as to why they're not together in the non-flashback scenes.

Not gonna lie I was kind of hoping things with Pam and Danny wouldn't go as well as they did. Not that it would be bad, mind, you. Just no spark. But that also wouldn't really follow how this story has been progressing. Anyone would be lucky to go on a date with Pam and this Danny does seem like a decent guy. Guess time will tell.

Then the discussion with Jim on the roof had tons of callbacks to canon. The fact they're really good friends and can talk about pretty much anything. They're still eating his famous grilled cheese. I do find it interesting the long silence there at the end. Pam enjoyed her date with Danny and it seems her head is telling her to keep something going with him. However there on the roof it felt more like her heart is starting to tell her something else about Jim. Seems like there's still more tension to be brewing.

Nice work.

Author's Response:

Thank you so much for pointing it out! I should have noticed when my word count suddenly went to 50k. My bad.

I was initially going to use the table read for TLM but I already mentioned in Pam's first day that Michael made her review the script so I figured to just have an audition. I've been watching so many Office bloopers that I got so inspired to make it into a story where everyone was trying to make Pam laugh.

Roy, I mean it's inevitable that they'd break up. I hope I'm not going overkill with how unlikable I'm turning him into but... *shrugs*

With Pam and Danny, I was having an internal debate on how well this date would go. The JAM fan in me of course wanted it to be a dull one but you're correct in that not feeling a spark will probably mean Pam won't be as open to having a second (and more) dates. So it pained me to write a 'perfect' date for them but it had to happen. Now as to how someone like Jim can compete with that, time will tell.

I just knew I wanted to end this chapter with the rooftop. And the Booze Cruise long stare. And with Pam, the denial is strong with her even if the tension is so obvious, it's practically screaming at her face. Then again, this Jim who's always been so cocky also doesn't seem to know what to do. We'll really see where it goes from here.

I'm loving this so much. Kelly continues to be hilarious in the flashback, and I really like how you've flipped some of the stuff from canon like the hot sauce and the 69 noodles to make them slightly more antagonistic for this fic (but still cute). And the iceskating scene was so sweet. (Also, Roy stealing the 'get you in the tub' line, which I always found a bit gross, is genius). And then so much happening in the present day! Larissa is fantastic here, I really enjoyed this glimpse into her and Jim's relationship. And then the deal!! And Jim buying Pam lingerie, and Pam buying him the birthday cake he actually wanted - plus the comic book and his genuine joy about both of them. Just so great. I really can't wait to see how the next 6 weeks pan out...

Author's Response: Thank you so much!