Author: Kerry
Rating: K
Disclaimer: Yes, I own them all. Why do you ask?
Author’s Notes: This is my first adventure into The Office fanfic, and I’m a little nervous. The stories here are WONDERFUL, so thanks for all the inspiration!    

Five Conversations Jim Halpert Never Had   

i. gambling  

Why did you do that? 

He stares at her for fifteen seconds before he has to look away. 

Do what? 

He considers just leaving. 

She narrows her eyes. 

Let her win. 

I don’t know what you’re talking about. 

Except he does. 

Of course not. 

Because Pam Beesly has smiled like that exactly thirteen times. 

And he remembers every one of them. 

Whatever, Angela. 

Not that he’s about to tell Angela that. 

Only she’s looking at him like she might just understand. 

She wasn’t bluffing. 

No. She wasn’t. 

It made her happy. 

And when she smiles he thinks it’s strangely beautiful.     

ii. idiot 

You’re an idiot. 

What? 

You’re an idiot. 

It’s still strange, to share these moments with Michael. 

Ok. Thanks. 

I told you to never, ever give up. 

However helpful they might be. 

You had three and a half years to figure out how you felt. You gave her, what, less than three and a half hours to give up everything she’d ever known and loved. And when she couldn’t, you ran. She was scared. She needed her best friend. She needed you. 

His water tastes like dry air, and he has this desperate craving for the smooth sugar of grape soda.      

iii. siblings 

Are you still in love with her? 

What?  

It’s a Friday night when she calls.  

Are you still in love with her?  

Pam has been back with Roy for five days, and he can’t remember how to breathe. 

Yeah.  

He spends the first twenty minutes telling her how amazing Karen is.  

Have you tried not to be? 

Yeah. 

She doesn’t care. 

Think that’s gonna work? 

No. 

Yeah. Me neither. 

He wonders if this is what dying feels like. 

What are you gonna do? 

I don’t know. 

Yeah. Me neither. 

He thinks that his sister has always been smarter than him.    

iv. roy  

I just thought you should know. 

What? 

He’s home for exactly three and a half minutes when he gets the call. 

I know I shouldn’t have said anything but I thought... 

Her voice is shaking and if he strains he can hear the faintest trace of tears. 

Anyway, I just, um, I just wanted you to know. 

He feels like he hasn’t heard her voice in forever. 

Um, ok. 

It’s like finally being able to breathe. 

I’m just gonna, um, bye Jim. 

He wants to tell her to wait, but the dial tone is pulsing in his ear. 

Bye Pam.      

v. toby 

So what do you think? 

What? 

He stares, trying to make sense of the tangled mess coming out of Toby’s mouth. 

He can’t. 

About me asking Pam to dinner? 

Um… 

I mean, you two were so close. 

He feels his heart stop beating. 

I know she just broke up with Roy, but I just thought- 

No. Yeah. You should go for it. Definitely 

He pretends that Toby doesn’t look happy for the first time in three years. 

Ok. That’s, that’s good. Thanks. 

Yeah. No problem. 

He walks back to his desk and tries not to feel like he can’t breathe.