"Let's start the next episode."

Pam agreed whole-heartedly.  The next "episode" (it was definitely still weird to apply that word to their lives) was the Christmas Party where Jim had bought her that beautiful teapot.

The first part was a general Michael moment with the way-too-tall tree.  Then, Pam got the special treat of seeing Jim tell the crew all about her gift. "I have to say, this was the second-best present I ever got."

Jim put one hand to his heart, "Ouch, second best?"

Pam wiggled the fingers on her left hand, indicating her stunning engagement ring.  "Yes, second-best."

"Well, if it's so great, how come you never use it anymore?"

"I use it!  Just..not for tea,"  she got up with an exaggerated sigh and walked to her side of their closet.  She reached up high and pulled down the teal ceramic teapot.  Jim smiled.  He knew where she kept it, of course, but he had been trying to distract her from that embarassing speech he just gave about Christmas being the time to say your true feelings.  Yikes.  And it worked, by the way.  By the time she sat back down, the show had moved back to the much more comfortable topic of Michael's stupidity.

"See," Pam declared proudly, pulling the top off the teapot.  "Here's the yearbook picture, you dork, and the boggle timer, everything.  Plus some stuff I've sort of...added to it."

"A price tag?"

"From that lamp we bought during the fun run."

"Oh, you mean that ridiculously heavy lamp I had to carry around all day?  And...a dried up flower?"

"A pressed flower from the bouquet you bought me on our first date."

"Ah, and what's this receipt?"

"Um, from our shopping trip to Sav-On that time we thought Kev had skin cancer, and you bought fabric softener."

Jim's grin grew as he realized the time line on that.  She had been collecting stuff in that teapot since before her and Roy had broken up.  She must have known what he was thinking because she suddenly blushed and focused her attention back on the TV.

I only care about you a home-made oven mitt's worth.

"Oh no, here's when Michael started White Elephant."

"It's called Nasty Christmas."

"No, Jim, Todd Packer crashing your party is called Nasty Christmas."

To think that my gift for Pam will be used for that, it's a little too much to handle.

"Aw, what a jerk," Pam whimpered.

"What? Who, me?"

"Me.  I let Dwight take my teapot!"

Jim shrugged, "It worked out in the end, though, right?"  he said.

Pam nodded, knowing he didn't just mean this one Christmas.  She held the gift in her lap, absently drawing circles over the lid with her finger as they continued watching.

Yeah, I think I made the right choice.

Jim visibly tensed and Pam's jaw dropped open slightly as on-screen Jim slyly pulled the mysterious white envelope out and slid it into his pocket. Pam hit the pause button.  "What was that?"

"What?" Jim tried sounding innocent.

"That!  What did you take?"

"Oh, uh..." he tried to come up with a casual way of saying it, "just, you know, another failed attempt to...declare my love for you?"

Pam laughed slightly, "Oh another one of those, huh?"

"Yeah, it seemed to be a pattern back then."

"So..."

"So?"

"So what did it say?"

"You know, just the usual.  Nothing special really."

"Jim, I won't quit until you tell me."

He raised his eyebrows to see if she was bluffing.  At last, he sighed as if to say "okay, you win."  He got up and went to his side of their closet this time, reaching to the highest shelf where he knew Pam couldn't get to, and pulled down a tattered envelope.  It had coffee stains splattered on it and was bent at the corners, but it was still sealed tight.  He handed it to her, remaining standing as if afraid of her reaction.  Pam cocked her head slightly as she sat up and tore it open.  After all this time, how could he be nervous about a card? It was a very basic card; it had a holly leaf on the outside, where it said "Merry Christmas".  The inside had the words "And A Happy New Year," printed on it, though the words got lost in the sea of Jim's chicken scratch that literally covered every inch of the inside.

Pam, it began simply, don't forget to open the lid for your bonus presents.  Each item is something that has a great memory, something we shared together as friends. Pam could see the writing get more and more rushed, more and more desperate as the note continued. Choosing the card was definitely the hardest part.  You know that there are three kinds of greeting cards, right?  There's the kind that try and fail to be funny, the kind that try and fail to be sentimental, and the kind that don't even try at all.  I ended up getting the kind that has quit trying at all. Because, well, that's kind of how I think of you.  That sounds harsh.  Sorry.  I don't mean it to be rude. The writing was barely legible at this point, What I mean is, you're so great Pam.  You are brilliant and creative and hilarious.  But I don't think you realize it.  And every time I see you, I just want to make you wake up and see how absolutely wonderful you are.  I love you Pam.  I...I really love you.  I'm in love with you.  And I definitely didn't plan on saying that in a christmas card, but I think I may never get the courage to otherwise.  I love you, and I never want you to stop trying, because you deserve the best.  I don't know what I expect you to do with this, but please...just...I don't know.  Whenever you use this teapot, I hope you'll remember what I said.  Never stop trying, never give up.  You deserve the world.  All the love in my heart, Jim, he ended, snagging a line from what he knew was Pam's all-time favorite movie.

Pam's cheeks were soaked in tears by the time she finished.  She got off the bed and threw her arms around Jim's neck, pulling him down into a kiss.  They never did finish watching that episode.