Jim becomes Golden Face and Pam reminisces.
1 Wow dwangela! Wonderful story! Is this the first TLM fic written? I think it's the first one that I've read. You painted two beautiful images: Pam painting Jim and him entranced with her, and her vivid memories of childhood and family. Great job!
Author's Response: To my knowledge (and I’ve searched rather extensively), this is the first TLM fic to ever exist and therefore I am now a self proclaimed legend! I appreciate the feedback :)
Pam finds herself solo on Valentine's Day and attends a "Singles Only" party with Jim. Set pre-cameras.
1 Oh, so sweet and somewhat carefree --- at least on Pam's part. But I'm sure that won't last! But what do I know! Love this! :)
Author's Response: Well let's just say Pam can't ignore the reality of her situation forever, we'll see what she does though
Just as quickly as life can give you everything you've ever wanted, it can take it away on a dime. When tragedy strikes, will Jim and Pam's love be able to stand the tests?
Set during the summer between S2/S3.
For those of you who watched Lost or Once Upon a Time, the theme of flashbacks will be heavily played with in this one :)
Holy Moley, this is powerfully written. Can't wait for the next installment! :)
This is so amazing. I'm at work so I can't go into the detail I'd love to, but you have so NAILED this! You so thoroughly, and yet simply capture Pam's point of view with amazing detail.
But for some reason, what riveted me the most was "Though her mother and father stood side by side, hands clasped like vice grips, the fingers on Helene Beesly’s left hand were clutched around a wrist she’d never seen before."
Somehow, this struck me hard as an extremely intimate and tender image. Pam's mom is not quite close enough to Jim to hold his hand, but she sure as heck is not going to let him go anywhere.
Okay, bring on the next chapter, PLEASE! :)
Yay! They're back! I was wondering why Roy was being so sheepish. And poor Jim -- so heartbroken. And this is a new flavor of clueless Pam. But it sounds like she just got a big clue! Thanks Agian, for taking pity on my begging. You hooked me with this story!
1 I sure hope there's more, because this ends about as bleak as can be!
Author's Response: Things will get better, don’t worry. Might take a few chapters to get there but Pam & Jim haven’t seen the last of each other yet. Thanks for reviewing clover!
Wow! You capture exactly what was happening and it is . . . wow! This is a great glimpse into Pam's mind and heart and Jim's as well. It's so heavy, and yet not melodramatic. And the way it plays out makes sense. Pam's train of thought follows a logical path, particularly that of "I can't". Beautifully written BT!
Author's Response: Thank you, Clover! That means so much. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
When Roy attacks Jim in the office, it isn't his first time hurting someone. Pam acts odd during her apology to Jim, and for the first time since the merger, he can't bring himself to ignore it. A two or three part AU based around “Cocktails” (S3,E18) and “The Negotiation” (S3, E19).
This is such a bad summary, I promise the story is better!
I really wish they had fleshed out Angela's personality in the show like you did here. After all, she was supposed to be a Christian. At the very least, she could have been conflicted and kind once in a while. They did a great job with Dwight in that respect. So I really like what you've done with her. And YES, I will add my "can't wait"!
This is such a cute story -- such a fun surprise. We do like our happy endings!
Author's Response: Thank you! I kind of love it. If only it had been so easy in the show.
Rach3l, you have an amazing imagination. You take our heroes to places I could/would never dream up! And no matter how far-fetched the tale, all the great details create authenticity that I don't question. At the same time, you have a firm grasp on their sweetness, devotion and true personalities. Another great story! Thank you!
Jim, Pam, and a local diner.
Post Booze Cruise
Wow. This is amazing. Pam touches, shapes, re-shapes, handles and compounds Jim's pain like a lump of clay in her hands. And Jim just lets her. Wow.
Author's Response: Do you have some secret writing skills hiding there, Clover? Thank you so much!
1 Oh my! :)
I love that this story could have taken place yesterday! Well, maybe the kids aren't quite old enough for yesterday, but definitely fairly recently. That, coupled with the great picture of JK and current technology sets us up for a very realistic glimpse into the current day Halpert family. And it is a lovely picture indeed.
And oh my. :)
Wait, you haven't written smut in 7 years? What do you call Prank Wars?
Author's Response: I call it “repurposed material from 7 years ago” ;)
1 All the L words are very lovely.
Life as they knew it is over. Everything has been and can be taken away in the blink of an eye. Despite this, they found each other. But can they ever find home?
Inspired by A Quiet Place.
Oh, I LOVE this! Having seen the movie, I can just drop Jim and Pam into the movie sets and the basic storyline, to some degree. It helps me visualize this story. NLM, you are brilliant! Looking forward to more!
Ohmygosh, on the edge of my seat! Excellent! Love where this is going! You've got me! :)
There is so much tenderness in this story, it turns my heart to mush. Pam is smart and helpful and a bit shellshocked. Jim is even more vulnerable, but determined to protect Pam, in spite of his sense of dread. They are depending on each other more and more, with genuine caring and concern. All the little details bring so much life to this sweet, scary story.
Author's Response: Wow, you summarized my exact goals with the characters much better than I could! Thanks for reading :-)
Wow, I love the descriptions of the night skies and nature's sounds. What a wonderful by-product of this new, scary world. Ooooh, the appearance and then disappearance of the Christmas card! And sweetness and love ensues! Happy sigh! So beautiful and scary all at once.
Author's Response: That was something that struck me about the movie, so many zombie/post-apocalyptic movies are purposefully gray and dingy but AQP was actually quite colorful and beautiful, so I want the character in this to occasionally notice and appreciate that. The card was a little brain burst as I wrote that scene and I'm glad it fit well.
The silencer name reminded me of The Walking Dead, in that different groups of people have different names for the Walkers. So although that name was not used in the movie, it totally makes sense that there would be different names by different people.
Author's Response: Yes, that's a little touch I really like on TWD and I actually had that exact thing in mind for this fic, that every group would have their own names for them. And yes we'll be meeting others soon and they're have their own unique names for the monsters ;-)
Oh NLM, this is just exquisite. I feel so bad that I hounded you -- it was so totally worth waiting for. My heart just swells while I read it -- you paint such gorgeous pictures of their quiet relationship. You say so much in moments that don't have a lot of action. But now, you are right, it will be torture to wait through this cliff-hanger. Letting out a deep breath . . . . love this story even more now. :)
Author's Response: Don't worry about hounding me, I need lots of nudges, but knowing you're enjoying reading is also great motivation, I hope I continue to live up to expectations!
This story is just magical for me. With each new chapter I am able to completely submerge myself into it --- the perfect combination of the tenderness of A Quiet Place and the tenderness of their all-consuming love. This exchange really got me: "And you lost your home," Pam signed, her chin trembling. Jim placed his hand on her shoulders and shook his head again. "The only thing that made that place home was you," he signed. He pointed to her, then touched his chest with his palm and with fingers gathers tapped his cheek and then his jaw. "You're my home." He was blurry in her vision now but Pam could see his small smile. She took a step forward and lifted her arms to put around his shoulders. His long arms wrapped around her middle and pulled her up and into his chest. "You're my home too," she whispered.
And then of course, there was this: He pointed to his heart, then crossed his forearms over his chest and finally pointed to her.
You're killin' me NLM! So good! Can't wait to see Dwight. And Angela? :)
So happy to see our friends again and find out what they're up to. Love how the sign language allows them to communicate privately, without Angela and Dwight knowing what their saying. It heightens their intimacy. Love the MeeMaw reference! Just giggled when I read "I still think a 1 in 6 chance of getting murdered, but if it happens they'll be nice about it." Your attention to detail, the cat, the goats, the child's drawing, the sound-proofing to the garage, the clawed sign and solar panels, Dwight's detailed contract, all those details paint a beautiful, vivid picture! And this chapter is fun! I smiled through so much of it, visualizing our beloved characters (including D and A) in this familiar, but altered setting. I love how you keep the characters true, regardless of what they are doing.
Still smiling, thinking about the chapter to come! Love it all! :)
NLM - in order to review this, I have to acknowledge your existence, meaning acknowledging that there is an author, meaning that I am reading something that is not actually happening. I haven't arrived there yet. As soon as I do, I will write a review. :) Preview:
NLM, the way you let us join Jim and Pam on their journey of discovery is so natural. You don't hit us over the head with anything: So they are married, they just don't wear rings while working, Jim thought walking to the Night Time room, that's understandable. But they also clearly slept in separate bedrooms, and there was definitely a distance when they interacted. Jim had a feeling the boy Angela was holding in the picture in the basement had something to do with that. So wistfully sad!
The references back to canon are delightful:
"Then we must be staying at The Embassy Beets," and "It's called Sing,". You elicit a familiarity and the warmth of our recognizable friends.
The hot stuff is pretty darn hot (how's that for stating the obvious - ha!). And it ends with fun stargazing, that is easy to picture in the mind's eye of Schrute Farms.
You clearly research so many details . . . it adds to the sense of adventure, and in this chapter in particular, the sense of danger has fallen away to the distant background.
Okay, I have to go back to the kitchen at the Farm to wait for the next chapter. I hope they don't sleep too long --- I am anxious for the next day! :)
NLM, reading your stories so completely sucks me in that it leaves me incapable of reviewing. It truly creates such a 3-D picture in my mind, that I find myself just sitting there, looking upstream, watching for the fox, peering to see what Jim is up to in the stream . . . it is literally difficult to leave and write a review. I had to read this chapter three times before I could extricate myself enough to write this. As much as I LOVE JAM, (and I do), this little paragraph is such a perfect example of the exquisite detail you use to paint a glorious picture:
Sitting back on her heels, she wiped her cheeks and nose and looked across the pond to see two shiny dark eyes looking back at her. It was a deer, completely frozen save its big ears rotating around its head. Pam didn't dare move, and the deer tilted its head for a drink from the pool. There was another movement and Pam gasped slightly when she saw it, a fawn, all spindly legs and lightly dotted with white. The mother lifted its head and began licking the fawn's nose, and when the fawn squinted its eyes Pam felt a smile break out, imagining a small child scrunching up their face and pouting as their mother tried to clean smudges off their cheek.
Such quiet beauty, and I swear you share exactly what Jim and Pam feel for each other. It is so soft and warm and joyful and tender. Just amazing. Sigh.