A flashing task bar on his computer screen caused Jim to look up from the TPS report the IT department had sent over. He grinned when he saw it was in the inter-office IM program notifying him that the message he’d just sent had a reply. A program he hadn’t used in a long time. Now however he realized it was going to be up and open on his desktop almost constantly, just as it once had been.

Pbees: Really? That’s your big plan? Kick Ryan back to the Annex and ignore Karen? I had such high hopes for you.
Jhalp: I never said it was a complicated plan. Question; why IM? We’re the only ones here right now.
Pbees: Cause it’s fun!
Jhalp: You are so lucky you’re adorable.
Pbees: I know. : D
Jhalp: Also, you looked quite pleased when we got in this morning and I detailed my new vision for the layout around the office.
Pbees: That was not me looking pleased, that was me looking surprised.
Jhalp: A good surprise?
Pbees: One of the best. : ) You’re back where you belong.

Pam’s message made Jim smile all the more. Even though she was only five feet from his desk and they were the only ones in the office this early, he knew she was right. This return to one of the familiar elements of their relationship had his heart glowing. Glancing up and to his right, he caught her warm smile.

The door opening had her tone down the smile as she looked at who was coming in. Jim saw her face grew worried just before Ryan came around the corner to see Jim sitting at the desk. The same desk he’d once occupied before leaving for Stamford.

“Uh, hey Jim,” Ryan started out nervously. “Um, you’re in my chair.”

“Actually, I’m not,” Jim swiveled his chair to face Ryan. “I’m in my chair at my desk. Your desk and chair have been moved to help better distribute the work load around here. See I was looking at our sales numbers for the year. After breaking them down by sales rep I saw an inconsistency. All our sales reps have maintained or grown their numbers, even with accounting for the merger. All of them, except you. So, I decided to-”

“Jim, come on man,” Ryan interrupted. “It’s not my fault every time I call a client, they hang up on me.”

“I wasn’t finished,” Jim said calmly. Ryan wisely closed his mouth, though he kept the annoyed look on his face. “So, I decided to look into this a bit more,” Jim went on. “It seems like some of the potential clients you’ve called were put off by what they called, among other things, a brusque attitude with you over the phone. I talked to Michael over the weekend and he agrees with me. Since you’re not filling all of your time getting new or keeping old clients and since there’s complaints about how you deal with customers, we’re going to relocate your work station so you can get some more training on how to deal with customers.”

Ryan’s eyes darted around the office. “Where’s that?” he asked after he didn’t see his desk.

“Follow me,” Jim told him and stood up to begin walking towards the kitchen.

“Jim! No! Come on man! Not back there!” Ryan protested as the realization of where his desk was dawned on him.

Jim just held the kitchen door open for Ryan. “After you.”

Reluctantly Ryan walked through the kitchen and into the Annex. Peering around the corner, he saw his desk in the same cubicle as Kelly’s. “This is about Friday night, isn’t it?” Ryan turned on Jim with a slight glare. “This is you punishing me for that. Well I’ll have you know neither I or Karen broke any company rules so if this is punishment, I’ll go right to David Wallace at Corporate for unfair managerial tactics.”

“This only way this is about what happened this weekend is if you make it like that,” Jim said from where he was leaning against the doorway to the kitchen. He had his arms crossed in a very nonchalant expression. “I’m not filing any disciplinary paperwork. This move is to get you the customer service training you need to be a better salesman. You’ll also be helping Kelly with her work since she’s been swamped lately. And I thought you’d welcome a change of location. Being right outside Michael’s office all day? I figured you’d jump at the chance to get away from that.”

With a sigh, Ryan dropped his coat and bag on his chair. “Fine.”

Jim returned to the main office and sat down at his desk. Several others had filed in by now. On reaching his desk, Jim noticed the IM icon was flashing again.

Pbees: How’d he take it?
Jhalp: He said me moving him back there was punishment for Friday and he’d go to David Wallace at Corporate.
Pbees: Wow! Even jumping over Jan with that one.
Jhalp: I’m not worried. If he does go to Wallace, I doubt the CFO of the company is going to raise a stink about the seating arrangements here in Scranton. I wasn’t lying to Ryan about the complaints or anything about him.
Pbees: Are you feeling okay?
Jhalp: Fine, why do you ask?
Pbees: I don’t think I’ve seen you voluntarily get into any sort of managerial thing like this since you came back is all. Just want to make sure you don’t have a brain injury or something.
Jhalp: Well, I have good reason to keep things running smoothly around here. After all I just got the best view in the office again. I wouldn’t want to change that.
Pbees: Did I ever mention how attractive I find Managerial Jim?

“What is this?!”

Further online discussion between the two of them was curtailed as Dwight arrived. Looking up Jim saw his trench coat clad co-worker stopped in his tracks by the corner of Michael's office.

“What’s what Dwight?” Jim asked pleasantly.

“The desks, they’re changed.” Dwight was glaring. “Explain!”

Jim leaned back in his chair since by now Dwight had walked forward and had blocked his view of Pam’s desk. “Just a little bit of reorganization.”

“Why wasn’t I notified! As the ranking number three in this office it’s imperative that I’m consulted before any changes are made. There could be security risks.”

“Security risks?” Jim gave Dwight a curious look. “Like what?”

“Covert listening devices, hidden cameras, false floors, drop ceilings,” Dwight explained as if he were teaching a five-year-old. “Do you know nothing of tradecraft?”

Jim was about to reply when Pam spoke up. “Dwight! A fax came in for you over the weekend.” She looked down at the sending information. “Looks like it’s from a place in Virgina. Quantipo or Quanzito or something like that.”

Dwight turned on a dime to look at Pam. He had an expectant look on his face. “Do you mean Quantico? Home of Marine Corps Base Quantico, home of the FBI Training Academy?”

“Uhh, sure,” Pam said in a slightly confused way while holding the fax. “Do you want it or not?”

Stalking over to the reception desk, Dwight swiftly grabbed the sheet from Pam. Casting suspicious glances over the rest of the staff, before slipping away through the kitchen doors. Jim watched Dwight leave before turning his attention back to Pam. The smug grin on her face had Jim getting up and travelling the familiar path to her desk. He leaned over the counter and snagged a few jelly beans.

“Care to share the reason for the grin with the rest of the class Ms. Beesly?”

Pam gave him a wide toothy grin. “Well, since the CIA isn’t interested in Agent Beets anymore, I figured the FBI could come calling next.”

Jim smiled back at her. “You are simply amazing.”

“Thank you,” she smiled back. “Now off with you. I have to print off the entry form for that art contest I told you about.”

“Would you like some company today during lunch when you drop it off?” Jim thumped her desk as he straightened up.

“Only on two conditions. One, that said company leaves my desk so I can get this form filled out,” she said without looking away from her monitor. “And two, said company also buys lunch in the form of fries and a Frosty from Wendy’s.”

“I’m sure that can be arranged,” he smiled back before turning back to his own desk.

It’s so good to be back, he mused before tossing aside the useless TPS report and pulling up the day’s cold call sheet.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Jim! Where are you? This is the biggest news in the history of ever! Pam was just shy of bouncing in her seat. The previous month had been the best of her life. After Karen had transferred to a position at Corporate there was decidedly less awkwardness in the office. The fact she and Jim hadn’t told anyone they were dating made their relationship sweeter in her mind. They’d been able to heal their various emotional hurts without having to worry about nosy co-workers. Now she had news that would put the final icing on the cake. Finally, her wish was granted as Dwight and Jim returned from the sales calls they’d been on. Just as she knew he would, Jim waited for Dwight to walk past to deliver the new contracts to Accounting.

“You look happy,” Jim said while leaning over the reception desk.

She couldn’t keep the grin off her face. “The school called back today about the contest.”

Jim’s eyebrows raised in what Pam always thought was the most adorable way. “Yeah?”

“I won,” she said simply even though she was beaming.

“Pam!” Jim’s face lit up with joy as he walked around the desk. “That’s amazing!”

She was only halfway out of her chair when she felt his arms around her as he pulled her up into a warm embrace. “Thanks,” she said into his chest as he rocked her back and forth.

What she really wasn’t expecting was the short, but still sweet kiss he planted on her lips. “This is a big deal,” he said after he leaned back. She met his blazing smile. That is until Michael’s voice cut in.

“No way!”

Instantly Pam felt her face flame as she and Jim remembered where they were. Looking across the office, every eye was on them. The urge to cove her face with the nearest set of faxes was strong, prevented only by the reassuring feel of Jim’s arm around her waist.

“You guys are together?” Phyllis asked.

Pam didn’t think she’d be able to form a coherent response. Fortunately, she was saved from speaking since Jim piped up instead.

“Umm....yeeep,” he drawled out. “Yes, we are.”

Later Pam realized the reactions to Jim’s news were nothing less than what she could have expected from her co-workers. Dwight and Angela both made what they thought were cutting remarks. Phyllis grinned broadly. Michael went on some crazy speech with her only remembering something about eagle’s nests. Kelly’s high-pitched squeak of delight and demands to know every detail did prove a bit much on reflection. Fortunately, by now it was past three so she and Jim only had to endure less than two hours of work before they were free.

“My place or yours?” he asked as she finished shutting down her computer once five o’clock rolled around.

“Yours,” she said while setting the phones to voicemail. “Can we just pick up some take out on the way back?”

“No problem.”

A half hour later, Thai take out boxes in hand, they were kicking their shoes off in Jim’s entryway.

“What do you want to do tonight? Watch TV? Maybe a movie?” she asked as she flopped on to the couch and set her box of food on his coffee table.

“I actually had an idea about that on the way over here. Wait here for a second,” Jim smirked. He disappeared up the stairs. Pam heard him rummaging around in a closet before he returned to the living room.

“In honor of the elementary kids who have such fine artistic sense, I propose an old school night of classic video games.”

Jim set down the box he was carrying in front of her. Peering inside, Pam felt a bubble of laughter escape her. A Super Nintendo system with a variety of games rested within the box. “You’re such a dork,” she teased back at him.

“I’ve never tried to convince you otherwise,” he said proudly. Reaching into the box he pulled out the console and controllers. “Go ahead and pick out a few games while I get this set up.”

The typical titles were there. Super Mario World, Mario Kart, Donkey Kong Country, Legend of Zelda, Star Fox. It was a rather obscure title that caught her eye though. She pulled it out to examine the cartridge and caught Jim’s eye as he finished plugging in cords.

“This one first,” she handed him the game.

“Really?” he looked questioningly at the label.

She smiled sweetly at him. “If we’re going to have an old school game night, nothing says old school like a game based on a cheesy Sylvester Stalone movie.”

Jim was grinning as he pulled the game out of its sleeve and blew on it for good measure. “Great choice,” he grinned back as he plugged in the game. “Hope you’re ready to get blown away Beesly.”

“Bring it on Halpert,” she challenged as the title came on the screen.

CLIFFHANGER!