At first, Pam thinks she won't go. She likes walking, but she lacks balance, and the few hikes she's been on with Roy have almost always included a few moments of terror: her foot slipping on a steep, rocky incline while the voices of Roy and his brother faded away up the trail ahead of her. But Michael is very insistent, and she remembers her recent decision to be braver, to fight old habits, and to do things that scare her. She writes her name on the first line under "Pinchot Trail Hike" and tries not to think about it too much.
"See, even Pam's going!" says Kelly, looking at Michael's clipboard at the reception desk later that morning. "Please, Ryan? It'll be fun."
The set of Ryan's jaw is unhappy. "I didn't think you even liked outdoor stuff," he says.
"I don't. I like you. And you like hiking," says Kelly, taking both of his hands in hers, her tone wheedling. "So will you come with me? Protect me from bears?"
Dwight snorts as he picks up the clipboard, his scorn obvious. "With what, chapstick?" He cocks his head at Ryan. "You don't need him, Kelly. If you see a bear, you'd be better off near someone who knows their way around firearms."
"The potato gun?" says Ryan. "That'll just enrage the bear, Dwight."
The corners of Dwight's mouth curl derisively. "Which is why I'm bringing my cousin's bolt-action shotgun, and not my spud gun," he says. "Your ignorance would be amusing if it wasn't so commonplace." He writes his name with a flourish, returns the clipboard to its place, and goes back to his desk.
Ryan stares at him for a moment, and then quickly adds his name to the sign-up sheet. Kelly squeals. "I'm so happy," she says. "We're going to have the most awesome time!"
Her enthusiasm isn't universal. As Pam walks back to her desk after lunch, she hears part of a whispered conversation between Karen and Jim.
"...practically every day with these people. Why the weekend, too?" Karen is saying.
Jim's reply is indistinct.
"No, we don't," says Karen, her voice sharp. "Or if we do, it's not because of me."
"I thought it sounded fun," says Jim. "I'm sorry," he adds, in a voice that isn't sorry.
Pam puts her purse back in its drawer and sits down. When she glances back in their direction, Karen is no longer sitting on the edge of Jim's desk. "You do what you like," she says.
Jim sighs. "I won't go if you aren't."
Karen shrugs, and walks away. Jim watches her go, then looks over to Pam. He raises his eyebrows and mouths an "Oops!" at her, and she answers with a quick and sympathetic smile. For a moment, it is two years ago, and everything is easy.
---
Michael has promised them perfect weather, and, against precedent, his optimism is rewarded. Saturday morning is bright and clear. When she pulls into the gravel parking lot, Pam finds Michael, Dwight, Angela, Kelly, and Ryan already there.
"We're just waiting for Phyllis and Bob," says Michael. "And Toby," he adds reluctantly, as Kelly frowns slightly. When the next car to arrive is Toby's, he heaves an audible sigh.
The vehicle behind Toby's is not a Vance Refrigeration truck. Pam recognizes the car. "It's Jim!" says Kelly. "I thought he wasn't coming."
"He wasn't," says Michael. "Jimbo!" he calls, as the door opens. "You made it after all! No Karen?"
Jim shakes his head, pulling on a heavy jacket as he walks toward them. "No, she had a thing. So, can I still come along?"
"The more, the merrier," returns Michael cheerfully. His face falls as Toby jogs up. "Anyway, that's the theory," he mutters.
---
"Wait... for Phyllis!" Michael's face is bright red, and he is wheezing slightly.
Phyllis smiles as she and her husband catch up to the group. "Oh, I'm fine, Michael, thank you. I'm just going to go at my own pace, and Bob's with me, so you guys go on ahead."
"I won't hear of it, Phyllis," says Michael. "We'll all stick together. Are you sure you don't need to sit down for a bit?" he adds hopefully.
She shakes her head. "No, I feel just great."
"Well, slow and steady, gang," says Michael. "We don't want anyone having a heart attack." He pats Phyllis on the shoulder and takes a long sip from his water bottle. "Forward!"
"Should we sing rounds?" Dwight asks, as they move off down the uneven path again. "Does everyone know 'Grün Sind Alle Meine Kleider'?"
---
Their unhurried pace means that even at mid-day, Pam is not tired, and finds that she is better at the steep sections than she remembers. She loses her balance briefly, when a tree root she is using as a foothold suddenly gives way, but Toby is at her elbow and she gratefully steadies herself with his offered arm. The air is crisp and delicious, and the trees whisper gently to each other on every side.
She falls into step beside Jim and Toby. "I never come out here," she says. "I should do this more often." They walk for a few minutes in a comfortable silence. "Was Karen mad you decided to come by yourself?" she asks Jim, sneaking a sideways look at him.
He grins without humor. "She'll be okay," he says. "I handled it badly, is all."
On the trail ahead of them, Kelly stops and points into the trees. "Look, Ryan, a deer! Oh, isn't it cute?"
Dwight shrugs off his enormous backpack and starts rummaging inside. "Cute and chock full of protein," he remarks.
"Dwight," says Angela coldly, "you are certainly not going to shoot that beautiful creature." Catching her eye, Dwight pauses in his search.
"Run, little deer!" yells Kelly. "Run away!" Raising its head, the animal regards them calmly for a moment before trotting off into the underbrush.
Tobey leans toward Pam. "Does Dwight have a gun in his pack?" he murmurs.
"Yeah, I think he does," she whispers back.
"Oh, for pity's sake." As they continue down the trail, Toby begins a hushed discussion with Dwight that lasts for several minutes.
Pam takes a deep breath. "Listen," she says to Jim, as Toby's gentle tones gradually fade behind them. "I sort of need to talk to you."
"What about?"
She hasn't planned this, and she isn't sure what to say next. "Things have been so weird for so long. And then the whole Roy thing." He nods, and she knows she doesn't have to explain. "I just -- I'd really like for us to get back to where we were a few years back. But it's all so awkward now."
"I know," says Jim. Ahead of them, Kelly looks over her shoulder at them, and then whispers excitedly to Ryan. "Case in point," Jim mutters, smiling ruefully. "What do we do about stuff like that?"
He pulls a tree branch aside for her, and follows her through a narrow section of the trail as she considers the question. "I think they all kind of just pick up that we've been dancing around each other for a while," she says. "Maybe if we sort of took the lead, the rest of the office would relax about it too."
"That'd sure solve a few problems for me," says Jim, with another crooked grin.
She lets his words slip past her, speaking quickly to fill the quiet. "At some point, you know, I'm going to be bringing someone new to company events. I'd really love it if people weren't dropping all these obnoxious hints all the time. I can see that the jokes wear Karen down a little."
"You've noticed that, have you?" he says a little bitterly, and then looks thoughtful. "Maybe the key is to be the joke-er, and not the joke-ee, if you know what mean."
"In what way?"
Michael catches up to them at this point, and Jim's only reply is to drop her a surreptitious wink. "Jim and Pam!" puffs Michael, his face still a little blotchy, "together at last!" He gives Jim a playful nudge. "While the cat's away, am I right?"
"You've caught me," says Jim. "I was just asking Pam if she'd like to play doctor in those bushes over there."
"You... heh... what?" Michael visibly deflates.
"If you'd warned me, Jim, I could've packed the tongue depressors," replies Pam. "Now we'll have to improvise."
After a startled pause, their boss's face cracks into a huge smile.
"You guys!" he laughs indulgently. "You had me for a second. A little raunchy, a little off-color, but you know I like the edgy stuff!" He lowers his voice. "I'd be careful with that around Toby, though. That man has no sense of humor." He bounces away down the path, in search of Ryan and Kelly.
Jim looks at her. "You think?" he asks.
"Could work," she says. "Worth a try, anyway."
Story Notes:
This is nearly identical to the original version of Open, which I removed a couple of months ago. I have tinkered with it slightly so that I could re-post it here (there were a few sections that I'm using for a non-fanfic project).
Please don't worry about leaving feedback, unless the spirit particularly moves you; many, many heartfelt thank-yous to those who reviewed the original.
---
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
