What else could happen today? Pam felt her nerves rising again as she knelt in front of Jim. She reached out to hold his hands and looked up at him. Jim however, had perked up and looked in the direction of the door.

“Danny Cordray? Really?”

“Please don’t be mad,” she pleaded. “I swear I didn’t invite him over here tonight.”

Jim looked back down at her. “No, I believe you. You don’t want him here, though right?”

Pam vigorously shook her head. “Not in the slightest.”

“Okay then.” Jim stood up and helped Pam to her feet as well. As softly as he could he walked back to the entryway where he’d left his coats and shoes.

“Jim!” Pam hissed while following him. “What are you doing?”

When he turned back to her she saw a very familiar glint in his eye. “I’m going to head out the back door. Go ahead and answer the door, but keep your phone on you. I’ve got a feeling your Mom might be calling soon.”

With a wink Jim slipped his shoes back on and walked back through the living room Silently, he opened the slider door that led to a common grassy area behind her apartment. She watched him go for an instant before another series of knocks came from her door. Looking around she wrapped her old bathrobe around her and grabbed her cell phone before making her way back to the door.

“Danny,” she said calmly when she opened the door. “What are you doing here?”

“I was in the neighborhood.” He flashed her a thousand-watt smile, his voice dripping with charm. “I remembered that you never called me back for that next round of drinks so I figured I’d stop by and show you a good time.”

Internally Pam gagged. Ugh! First of all, you never called me back, and even if you had I would have told you I needed to wash my hair. “Yeah, well I think I lost your number.”

The corner of Danny’s mouth turned up and he reached a hand out to lean against her doorframe. “Then me stopping by is fortuitous then. How long will it take you to get ready?”

She was about to reply when she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. Jim that better be you. Reaching for the phone she held up a finger as she flipped it open. “Excuse me just one second.”

“Of course,” Danny grinned back.

Pam turned slightly away from her uninvited guest. “Hello?”

“Hey honey, it’s Mom,” Jim’s voice came from the speaker. Even though he was doing his best woman’s voice imitation, the sound, instantly caused a wave of relief to pass through Pam. “Just calling to see how you’re doing. I know you had that rash you were worried about.”

Their years of being pranking partners stood her well. As much as she wanted to burst out laughing, she held it together. That’s how you’re taking this? Game on. “Yeah, Mom, thanks for calling. That rash cleared right up. The cream made going to the bathroom feel kind of weird but that’s all taken care of.”

Glancing up at Danny with an apologetic look, she saw his smile had faltered a touch. She held her hand over the speaker. “Sorry it’s my Mom.”

Danny recomposed himself. “Don’t worry about it take your time.”

Giving Danny a thankful look she lowered her hand again. “No, I really appreciate you calling me. Thanks for checking in. I was actually going to call you. I got your email about Daddy. Why didn’t you tell me he’s having more flashbacks? Last time he went on a rant about how war made him paranoid and he thought his Agent Orange was acting up again. I mean we got the charges dropped last time, but I don’t think the judge is going to be as lenient again. And think of Penny! She hasn’t been on a date since the incident either.”

On the other end of the line she only heard Jim’s laughter at her story. Looking back up at Danny, she was quite pleased to see his former confident smirk now had a touch of nervousness to it as he swallowed deeply. She decided to keep going. “Oh, Penny’s dating again? Is it that guy she met, what’s-his-name, the guy who’s the enforcer for the Scranton Penguins?”

Jim’s continuing laughter gave her the confidence to continue. “I don’t know. Maybe. Hold on let me check.” She put her hand over the speaker again and faced Danny directly. “I might be willing to go get drinks tonight. You don’t mind half off-Bud Light pitcher night at Pizza by Alfredo do you? We’ll have to share a booth with Penny’s new boyfriend. He’s missing a couple teeth, but according to my Mom, Penny says he’s a sweetheart.” She rolled her eyes for a moment before going on. “I mean he is leading the team in penalty minutes, but good for us his most recent suspension means we could double, right?”

Danny was starting to take a few nervous steps backwards. Inwardly, Pam felt a surge of justification when she saw the nervousness was gone from Danny’s eyes, replaced now by fear. “I, um, actually, just remembered I have a sales conference early tomorrow.”

“Oh? You’re going?” Pam said with an almost hopeful tone.

Danny pointed a thumb over his shoulder and started to turn away. “Yeah, I mean,-ooff!”

Barely avoiding slipping on the walk that had a dusting of snow on it, Danny turned to face what he’d run into. “Excuse you,” Jim told him with a calm voice and raised eyebrows.

“Sorry, I was just, I mean, I uh...” Danny stammered as he struggled to regain his composure.

“You were just what?” Jim asked in a friendly tone. When Danny didn’t reply Jim continued. “Because it looks like you were just talking to my girlfriend, which is odd considering I know she didn’t invite you over tonight. Do you normally make a habit of that? Just randomly showing up to women’s houses, alone, and uninvited?”

Danny looked quickly back and forth between Jim and Pam. “Girlfriend? I’m sorry I didn’t know!”

Jim had walked around the other man to stand at Pam’s side. He snaked an arm around her waist. Pam put her own arm around Jim’s waist as well. “Maybe you should have thought of that before you just decided to show up here without even bothering to call first,” she said. “I mean do have any idea how much of a sleezeball you look like right now? You didn’t call me back last summer. Then out of nowhere you just appear at my door and say we’re going out on a date. I’m half tempted to go down to the police department and swear out a restraining order against you for stalking.”

“It’s not like that!” Danny waved his hand at them.

“Then what is it like?” Jim asked.

Danny was again stuck for an answer since he’d been completely thrown off his game.

“Come on Jim,” Pam said with one last glace at the Danny. She turned to move back into her apartment. “Let’s go back inside.”

“Glady,” Jim agreed. “See ya around Danny.”

Together they walked back inside and shut the door. As soon as the latch clicked Pam launched herself into Jim’s arms. “That was great!”

Jim playfully rocked her from side to side before leaning back to look at her. “You were great. All that about your Dad, and the hockey player!”

“We were great!” Pam amended while smiling up at him. “Just like we’ve always been.”

“You’re absolutely right,” he agreed. Jim’s smile faded and he hung his head a touch. “Can you ever forgive me for doubting that?”

“Hey,” she said softly and tilted his chin back up. “Of course, I can. Just as long as you can forgive me. I was just so scared after everything last spring. That’s one of the reasons why I never called or anything. I was sure the last thing you wanted was to hear from me.”

“Oh Pam,” Jim pulled her back into a close hug. “Of course, I forgive you.”

“Thank you,” she whispered into his shoulder. If there was any pain or fear left lingering from the last few months, it completely melted away as he held her. Leaning back from the hug she waited while he took his shoes and coats off again. Once more she led him to her couch and snuggled in next to him.

Jim rubbed his hand up and down her shoulder. “I lied to Karen tonight.” He said softly.

“About what?” she asked without looking up at him.

“When she accused me of just using her as a rebound relationship. I told her it wasn’t, but really it was.”

Pam took a deep breath. “We all make mistakes Jim.”

He squeezed her shoulder. “I know. But on the way over here I starting thinking about that whole concept, rebound. In basketball if you get a rebound it means that someone screwed up because they missed their shot. Depending on who gets the ball back, you have two choices. Run away from the basket, or post up and take another shot and try and score. I’m done running. If this is my rebound it’s high time I posted up. But this time it’s you who’s giving me the chance to take another shot. Thank you so much for that.”

“I only did, because of you,” she admitted.

“What do you mean?”

“I was hurting all summer long Jim.” She sat up to look at him. “After Casino Night, I was lost. I mean it’s safe to say you completely shook up my world that night and afterwards after you left. I was sad, hurt, and most of all mad at you. You gave me this wonderful glimpse of what life could be like, but I was too scared to grab it. Then you just left. I knew I had hurt you just as much as you hurt me. That’s the other big reason I didn’t call. After I called off the wedding, I thought you might say something. When you didn’t, I thought the Jim I’d come to know and love was gone forever. Especially when I’d read in the monthly company newsletter how much Stamford’s numbers were improving and them giving you all the credit. The Jim I knew didn’t throw himself into his job like that. Then something changed and I felt the first glimmer of hope again.”

“What was that?”

She looked down for a second before looking back up again. “When you sent Dwight that gaydar.”

He admission cut a lot of the tension that had built up between them. Jim felt his face breaking into a smile at the memory. “That’s right! I almost forgot about that.”

“It was great.” Pam smiled too. “At first I was kind of sad. I mean you’d always told me about your pranks before you did them. To not know it was coming at first reminded me of everything I’d lost with you. But then I realized that if you could still pull off pranks as good as that, the Jim I fell in love with was still there somewhere. I felt the same thing when you’d send Dwight those faxes from his future self.
“When he got that first one about the poisoned coffee is when I started the CIA prank. If you could prank him, well so could I. Then when you came back I, and especially after we sicked Andy on each other I knew I had to let you know about the CIA thing. Even after you told me you were dating Karen; my Jim was still in there somewhere.  It hurt again when you at first rejected it, but then there you were again. Leaning over my desk like always. I didn’t plan on telling you what I did, but I couldn’t say anything else.”

“I’m so glad you did,” Jim pulled her close to him again. “I never stopped loving you.”

Jim’s words were music to her ears. She closed her eyes tight and buried her face into his chest again. If being that impulsive can lead to this, then the hell with it. “Would you like to stay the night?”

She felt him stiffen up in surprise. “Umm, wow! I mean I’d have to go home for an overnight bag-”

“No,” She cut him off gently and looked back up him. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. Clothes stay on, or underwear at least, but I just don’t want you to leave tonight.”

He leaned down and kissed her softly. “Of course, I’ll stay.”

They decided to table any further discussions for the next morning. Pam insisted they start their sleepover, as she called it, by curling up under a blanket and watching Miss Congeniality. After the movie she led him to her bedroom and they stripped to their underwear. Jim clad only in boxer briefs, Pam in a white cami and black panties.

She traced the bald spots on his chest where the paramedic had earlier shaved him while they got settled under the covers facing each other. “You look kinda funny like this.”

He smirked back at her. “Well don’t get used to it. It should grow back soon. Though I am glad of one thing about being shaved like that.”

“What’s that?” she smirked back.

“I have definite proof I don’t have a broken heart anymore,” he said with a grin.

Pam shook her head at him. “Such a dork.”

“But I’m your dork.”

“Hmmm,” she hummed. “That sounds wonderful.” She was quiet for a few seconds before a new thought came to her. “Jim?”

“Yeah?”

“What are we going to do on Monday at work? I mean Ryan and Karen will still be there and everything. That’s going to be real awkward.”

“Don’t worry Pam,” he said confidently. “I’ve got a plan.”