What I would give to get a dance lesson from Jim Halpert.

You and me both, sister! These little chapters make me so excited and so heartbroken at the same time, which I suppose is the point! Great stuff!

Author's Response: Thanks so much, they've been fun to write :)  Thanks for reading!

aaaaaah girl7, you never cease to amaze me. i read this early this morning and i had to decompress (especially after the last scene...whoa momma!) and let it all sink in before writing a review. i love this. i love all your stuff, really. i feel the need to tell me that when i found this site, the first author that really got to me, that really made me love this couple, was you. i read away from the cameras first, and dannnng. the rest has been history. anywho, i loved this update, especially pam blushing furiously as jim tells her that her mom is just being polite. too cute! sooo great! just the right mix of flirty and teasing. god, these two are awesome...but not as awesome as you for making them so alive on my page! seriously, my nose was like pressed against the screen by the end here. ok, annnnnnnnd scene.

Author's Response:

Wow -- thank you so much!!  Seriously, it's terrific to hear that you're enjoying this and that you've liked some of my other stuff.  :o) I had a lot of fun writing the scene with Pam's mother, and for some reason, I think Jim would be so quick to tease her if her mom ever was that blatant about Pam's feelings for him.  :o)

Thanks so much for your review!

Ok, this, this right here is exactly why I love reading your stuff. Because there’s hurt and frustration and pain and angst…and then the clouds break and you lead us to this. Guh, so great. My brain’s a little frazzled at the moment (the result, I’m sure of a vicious hangover from hell yesterday coupled with plenty of oh-so-fun LSAT studying…and now this wonderful gem of an installment), so forgive me as I bullet point the rest of this review:

1. I love the image you’ve created of Pam running around like a crazy person trying to get ready for Jim’s arrival. It’s so true—who hasn’t felt like that? Is it too many candles, not enough? Will he like her bedroom? So great. And this: As she thinks back, it strikes her that in the months since she left Roy, she's found herself thinking more and more in images; it's as if she's awakened from a long dormant phase where everything around her was black and white, and now suddenly she's seeing it all for the first time in high definition technicolor. is such a faaaaaaaabulous description of Fancy New Beesly’s journey to self discovery and self awareness. I heart it.
2. Jim talking to Jon (Hiiiii Jon!!!) about wine. Classic. That is all.
3. You broke my brain with the description of Jim in his HOTTTT white shirt. I mean jesus.
4. The kisses!!! Oh the kisses. Good luck making it three dates, Pam. We all know how your night’s going to end (right…RIGHT?!).
5. The ubiquitous bubble bath. Seriously, that stuff follows me wherever I go. But, I love it.

Seriously, girl7. Such a great update. All the heartache that came before is totally 100% worth it, and I expect Jim and Pam feel the same way.

Until next time!

PS: Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay for having the rest of the story fairly soon!

Author's Response:

Holy mother of god, Catie9, you leave the most thoughtful, awesome reviews -- seriously.  (And I so, so, so appreciate it!)  That said, I'll respond point by point (such a geek, I know....):

1. I've totally been there, done that (running around my apartment like a nut when I was single, waiting for a guy to come over).  I tend to write Jim & Pam as making dinner for each other because a) I see them being more of a stay-in type couple (at least in the beginning) and b) I love writing them as cooking together or for each other.  So much fun.

2) I needed a scene with Jim to sort of balance the opening one with Pam, and I could envision him wanting to take a bottle of wine over but not knowing what kind to get.  I also could imagine that if he were to call Jon for advice, Jon wouldn't be able to resist getting a dig in.  (And your "Hiiiiii Jon!" made me smile so big.) 

3) Listen, I blame John Krasinski for the hot white shirt descriptions -- did you see what he wore on Fuse?  For the love of all things good and holy and tall and lanky and well built...whoa.  *cough*

4) Heh, heh -- the kisses.  :o) You know, someone mentioned a looooong time ago (like, well over a year ago when we were all still posting at the Evil Empire) that the length of time before Jim & Pam have sex in my fics has become exponentially shorter.  In my first fic, they waited something like three months, I think; eventually I wrote a few wherein they just jumped each other on the first date.  :o)  My honest feeling on that is that -- lust and love and all that aside -- neither of them strikes me as the type to just jump in with both feet that quickly; they're both fairly hesitant people, and I also think that both of them (given their past) would want to be uber-careful not to screw it up.  So the night won't end in sex THIS time.... LOL.

5) I am a self-proclaimed bubble bath whore; seriously, we have this huge cabinet in our bathroom that's floor to almost ceiling, and with the exception of the first shelf, it is full of nothing but my bubble baths, lotions, & hair products.  When I showed it to a girlfriend of mine, she turned and gave me this incredulous look and asked, "Good god, how long did it take you to amass all that??"  Hee.  I love it, too, though -- can't help myself!

All right, thank you so much -- again -- for such a great and thoughtful review; you rock!

"I'll see you guys later. Pam...you coming?"

Oh, girl7, you are such a tease....All I have to say is that she better be!

Obviously this is just all kinds of fantabulous. I mean, seriously! Effing awesome!

While this entire chapter had me with a GIANT smile on my face, I have to point out two parts that absolutely made me giddy:

1. She waits for him to finish, and when he doesn't, she teases, "Why, Jim Halpert...do you miss me?"

"I did not say that." He retorts indignantly, listening for her laughter; when he hears it, he adds, "Okay, so...yeah, I miss you. There, I said it."

She's smiling from ear to ear, her cheeks again feeling a little warm, but still she can't help herself. "Awww...did you cry?"

He grins, doesn't skip a beat. "Quietly on the side of my bed every night, yes, but I don't see what that's got to do with anything."

This exchange just pinpoints the reason I love Jim and Pam so much...and it also points out just how amazingly well you know them.


2. Still, he can't help but tease Pam just a little. "Uh...yeah, I open doors; sometimes I close them, too. Oh, and you should totally see how I outsmart a baby gate."

This had me seriously cracking up. Classic Jim Halpert.


Also...the little hot steamy banter at the end--"Keep talking like that, and your brother's on his own."--Wow. I squeed and freaked out and love love loved it!!!

So yeah, I'm going to need you to update, like, yesterday...but if these are the kinds of chapters we get from you...then take your time! So great, girl7!

Author's Response:

First: God, I love your reviews!  :o) Second: In a week, I'm going to have some time off, and I have every intention of reading and reviewing some of your stuff!  (I've read great things about you in the recommendations thread, you know.  :o) )

That last line wasn't planned; or rather, I hadn't intended originally to end the chapter with that.  But then I just looked at it and thought...eh, why not?  lol

I must confess: the whole sobbing-quietly-on-the-side-of-my-bed line is yet another thing I've stolen shamelessly from my husband; he busted that one out on me when we were dating, and I thought it was just the funniest thing. 

As for the opening doors/baby gate thing -- I had so much fun writing that exchange!  Perhaps I've been lurking too much lately in the fanfic pet peeves thread, but I'm suddenly very conscious of trying not to write them as overly sappy or dramatic, so a lot of the lightness in this chapter is a reflection of that, I think. 

I'm hoping to get the next chapter posted later tonight -- have to edit it first (and tone it down, believe it or not -- how's that for a tease??  lol).

Thanks, as always, for such a detailed and thoughtful review!

Seriously, no worries on the delayed update. Your output is worth the wait. I may not always appear patient, but when I know that the end result of my patience garners something like this, HOLLER! It's all good. There are not a great many writers in whom I have absolute confidence in their delivery, but you're one of them, sister, so rock on!

Now, on to the latest chapter. Loved it. That should not come as a surprise, but I wanted to say it anyway and as this is my review I'll praise you if I want to.

Such a sweet follow up (with a NICE insertion of steam...I'll never see that CN wink in quite the same way again. I'm *very* ok with this :D) to the HOLYFUCKTHISISAMAZING awesomeness of chapter 19. You've managed to write the after sex with as much authority and skill as you wrote the before and during sex, and that's not easily accomplished.

Ok, onto my favorite parts:

1. He grinned at her, slinging a dish cloth over his shoulder as he leaned against the counter. "Hmm...because it started breathing faster and moaned my name?"

I'm sure you're not surprised to know that I loved this line, but I think it's great in terms of capturing their teasing nature as a couple. It's great to see that they haven't lost the ability to play with each other despite the fact that they, you know, play with each other now. Awesome.

2. He'd tossed the dish cloth to the side, pushing away from the counter to step forward and catch her around the waist, pulling her toward him. For some reason this line struck me as very very image heavy. I could see this, see them there, and this line is what made me *see* them as a couple with the back story you've presented them and the new take on old episodes. I heart this line.

Ok, enough from me. In conclusion, awesome!

Author's Response:

Gah, you and your awesome, detailed reviews; I swear if there were a Dundie for Most Thoughtful Reviewer, you'd win it!

Honestly, your kind words about this being worth the wait meant a lot, particularly as I've so neglected this story these last two chapters.  Between writer's block, chaotic real life, and my own pickiness, getting this thing finished has been a little difficult. 

It's always a pleasure to hear that a reader finds something "visual," because that's exactly what I'm going for.  (And I cannot write a word if I can't envision the scene myself -- though, of course, my seeing the scene and my translating it for the reader are two very different things....)

Thanks, as always, for your review -- the new chapter is done, just needs to sit for a day or two (still not pleased with the tone -- something seems off), but I'll be updating soon!

Ooooh girl7! (By the way…I feel like I start off every review w/ some sort of ridiculous overly dramatic sigh…FYI, I mean this in a good way, as in a release of the emotions you’ve just brought out in me.) First thing’s first: you get complete amnesty re: Mariah Carey. The second CD I ever bought (yep, right behind Ace of Base) was the one and only Mariah. So, that being said…


Phenomenal as always! I love that you’ve made this about Pam realizing that Roy’s wrong for her—that Jim’s part of her realization, but he’s not the whole thing. That’s SOOO important. It’s a huge distinction. It’s vital. Pam cannot make the dissolution of her relationship w/ Roy wholly about Jim or that relationship is doomed. So props on having her realize that Roy’s just wrong for her, plain and simple, Jim or no Jim. Pam needs to understand and accept that she deserves more than what she has, and you’re pushing her there.

Holla! I enjoyed this immensely. And you go ahead and be hard on Roy, girl. After your reminders, he totally deserves it!

Author's Response:

Okay, so I may or may not own the Ace of Base CD...also from high school.  :o)

I totally agree with you that it's tremendously important that Jim not be the primary catalyst for Pam's break up with Roy; as much as I'd have loved for them to have ridden off together in the sunset after Casino Night, when you really think about it, the events unfolded exactly as they needed to in order for them to have a solid foundation for a future together.  I just think there's no way they could've made it work had she run straight from Roy to Jim.

Your "Holla!" made me giggle, BTW.  :o)

Thanks, as always, for reviewing!

I'm taking a deep breath. I love this. And I find Pam's freakout to be warranted, even if it is frustrating. I've always thought that she'd have to take her sweet time. She's got to process, and while her body is obviously screaming at her, it's going to take a hot minute for the rest of her to catch up. Thank god Jim's who he is, or he could have peaced out. But, I have faith that while he might be pissed and hurt and annoyed beyond belief, when it comes down to it, and Pam's nestled safely in his heart (and his bed), he'll get it. Great stuff, girl7!

Author's Response:

I feel like I'm being so repetitive in these responses, but it really is good to hear that you found her reaction to be warranted because it was one of my primary concerns about this chapter.  And yeah, I think she'd be realllllly slow to come to terms with something like this.  I also think that Jim - for better or worse - loves her so unconditionally that even when he knows he needs to move on, he just can't.  And I also think that even if she were to jerk him around like this (which we've seen a brief, brief glimpse of on the show with GWH), he'd still find himself clinging to the hope that she'd be brave enough eventually to just face it head on.

Thanks so much for reviewing!!

Guuuuuh! That was great/sad/amazing/tragic/frustrating/maddening/fabulous...should I go on? You have an incredible ability to elicit like 9000 emotions from me at once, which is awesome! Your Jim is just so utterly heartbreaking and hopeful at the same time. I just want to hug him and...well, I won't go into that. But let's just say that if Pam doesn't get her act together soon (and it's you, so I know she will), I'm free. Seriously, Jim, anytime.


No, but in all seriousness, this was great. You write Pam to be so realistic. I can't imagine having to end a ten year relationship--one that's headed straight for marriage--would be anything close to resembling easy. It's not just the comfort factor, either. There are so many factors going into why it would be difficult for Pam to leave Roy, and you've articulated each and every one of them so beautifully.

In conclusion, Pam has finally had a taste of what she really wants, of what she really deserves, and I have faith that she'll eventually come around to the fact that the only thing scarier than going after Jim is not going after Jim.

Author's Response:

Your first paragraph just had me laughing -- I imagine you shaking your hand beside your ear and mouthing, "Call me" at Jim.  Hee. 

I'm really glad that you found Pam realistic -- I mentioned in a previous response that while it's easy for us to see so clearly that she'd be INSANE to marry Roy and let Jim slip through her fingers, we have to bear in mind that Roy's been a constant in her life for ten years.  The longest I ever dated a guy before Mr. Girl7 was four years, and it was a man with whom I had NOTHING in common (he was a lot like Roy, actually, though a bit less boorish).  Still, when it was time to walk away, I had a really difficult time -- felt incredibly guilty and insecure.  And that was after only four years with a man I knew I didn't want to marry.   So I can only imagine how it would be for Pam.

(That was a TMI tangent -- sorry 'bout that.)  :o)

Really, though, I'm so glad to hear your thoughts on this chapter, because what you expressed is exactly what I was trying to convey -- that it'll be incredibly difficult for her (read: messy and not quick), but now that she's had a taste of what it could be like with Jim, there's just no way she's gonna be able to stand still. 

(And BTW, the last sentence of your review was just lovely.)  :o)

Thanks for reviewing!!

Yay!!! Sorry it's taken me so long to review. My computer hates me and had to go to the shop. Sorry, friend.

Onto the review:

Pam! There is something bigger than you governing your actions! It's called L-O-V-E. Yes, I sound ridiculous, but I don't care. This is all kinds of wonderful! I cannot wait! to see what happens when they enter the enclosed space of Jim's bedroom. And I love his younger brother! Also...so sorry for your husband, though I must admit that I'm STILL laughing about seeing into the soul...


Great stuff, girl7, and I anxiously await chapter 5!

Author's Response:

Hey there!  I'm so glad you're enjoying this -- and yes, putting them in enclosed spaces is one of my favorite things to do.  Heh, heh, heh....  Glad you're enjoying Josh as well; Zach Levi/Chuck is such a doll, I swear.

Oh my husband laughs about the story now, but he says that when it happened, he was so stunned afterward that he actually sat down after she left and watched some horrible movie (Anaconda or something like that).  Hee.

Chapter five's up -- hope you like it!

Thanks for taking the time to review!

I'm diggin it. I love the last little punch in the gut of Pam taking the ring off...like it hadn't been a thought until just then. Now her finger is naked...and so shall she be, soon, with Jim! Holla! I'm ready for the fest and will try to be reviewing as much as I can during the NCAA tournament...which will take over my life for the next few weeks! But awesome stuff, girl7!

Author's Response:

Okay, I laughed out loud at your comment about Pam's finger being naked, just as she will be soon!  (But, uh...I suspect you might just be right about that one.  *evil Kevin grin*)  And might I say that I'm jealous of you for your love of basketball -- this time of year always makes me wish I got it, but seriously...I don't get it.  :o)

Thanks so much for reviewing -- and enjoy the March Madness!

Sweet sassy molassey! I LOVED this! I love the raincoat incident...especially the way Pam looks at him like she doesn't understand what he's doing. And, I guess in a since she doesn't. Roy didn't do things like that for her, and I love the way the words I'm in love with you just sort of fell from her lips. Because she knows how she feels...I don't think that's ever really been the problem with these two. So it seems so natural and so right that she'd show him her hand, all her cards (well, not ALL her cards...but we are going to get that, right? Right?!), at such a small gesture. Awesome job!

Squeeee! That's the only thing I can think of to properly describe my excitement right now! This was so great and just lovely. I love that you use the word beautiful rather than perfect. I think it describes the way Jim feels about Pam so much better. Wowwwwwwww!

Author's Response: I will totally accept squee as an acceptable and coherent thought. Thanks! I'm so glad you liked it!

Author's Response: I will totally accept squee as an acceptable and coherent thought. Thanks! I'm so glad you liked it!

This is just sooo great! I love it, and I love the image of Pam with her celery cigar hanging out of her mouth!

Author's Response: Thank you!