Married mom of 2 almost grown and flown kids who began watching The Office when her own teenager put it on. And began writing soon after.
Moving on is not easy, nor pretty.
A little over 15 years after Casino Night and Jim's move to Stamford, Pam bumps into him. (AU)
1 Getting reacquainted with this one so I can get to your latest update. Really love your Pam Dwight friendship here.
PLus I'm always up for a trip down memory lane.
Love that Angela even offered to babysit.
Even though it was Angela and Dwight, it was nice that after Jim was gone she wasn't alone.
Great chapter.
Author's Response:
So, first of all sorry I am replying to this over a year later! There is honestly no excuse.
And of course there i no excuse for the fact that it's taking me so long in finishig this story.
Anyway, there is a new chapter. I hope you like it. Thanks so much!!
1 So I usually leave reviews following every few chapters but I downloaded the whole thing as a ePub when I finally got to start it. because of that I've been reading it like a novel because frankly it reads like one.
So clever and intriguing and it's really keeping me on the edge of my seat.
I got all caught up in a few days reading until later than I planned in the evenings cause it's so good.
The dynamics you've got going with Jim and Dwight are delightful, Jim still clearly frustrated with this strange guy but I also am enjoying the slight swap of their roles.
And the love story brewing with Pam and Jim is just as much heartfelt as in show but with the added pang for Pams situation this time tied to Roy by something more than her own personal chains. This addition both adds suspense and suspicion but also makes us root even more for the Jim to protect her and sweep her away.
Can't wait to see what's going to happen next.
1 RIP Creed. Sorry that he had to go but it’s an interesting choice being that every can assume and seems to assume it was natural causes.
Ah the mystery of the journal book. It does seem very much like it was Pam. It will be interesting to see.
I happen to love Erin and it was nice to get a little bit of her story here too.
You are doing such a wonderful job of weaving tougher the mystery and the love story and keeping us all intrigued.
And then to have it end with that Roy confession. You are quite the queen of cliffhanger.
For once I don’t have to worry about being spoiled in the chat. Yeah me. And yeah you for such a great job with this chapter.
1 So glad to see this is back - and with such an intriguing chapter...
an interesting twist on things with Roy's ramblings and guilt over his involvement in a anti-Japanese hate crime - an interesting foreshadowing to the end and his own demise - Karma. Whether or not it was meant as commentary but also makes you think about the state of things in current times.
Anyway, Toby's vitriol, makes me wonder is that specifically towards Jim, is he jealous and crushing on Pam in this world too or is he just being written as if you are Michael? His attitude toward Erin leads me to believe the latter, but still holding on to the former.
Erin is just as adorable (the vision of her in the socks and shoes - so vivid)
in your telling of her and feel bad for her but why is she stealing his stuff?
Curious too what the drink was?
Sorry to see no Pam in the chapter but the ending - oh man, Jim's going to look like a suspect for sure now. Please don't leave us hanging long
1 Ok so the whole time reading this I wanted to throw up, not only because of the desperate pain he must of been feeling to take off like he did and and for all the actions he took on his journey but because of all the drinking and the churning I felt in my stomach thinking how is he even standing after all that.
And it was all a crazy dream - what a good twist and so glad for it.
The whole thing was so powerful, the pain and the imagery. I loved the the song too, adding it to my Jam playlist now.
1 Big Huge Smile On my face as I read. So glad you didn't make us wait until January - I needed this - It's been a little too melancholy lately.
SO my favorite bits -let's take it from the top: PAM is a volcano about to erupt, and anyone with even the slightest social sense would be seeking to appease her right about now. MICHAEL (not someone with even the slightest social sense):
The references to how casual they are made my smile go wider and wider as they went on until my cheeks started to hurt.
Of course, Michael trips over his own shoes...
Of course, it's Stanley. Of course, Dwight sasses him about his carb intake.
Of course, Michael's windshield wipers don't work.
No but really - this is all mastery, easier read and pictured than created.
But the best is the reveal that the talking head is at Cugino's and that they eat out now and bring Stanley back his lunch until he's cooled off- only thing that would have made me smile more is if Beth was the waitress.
And he's not done making me laugh yet - you know these are supposed to be 30-60 seconds, right?
Well done - well done - kinda like the shoes.
I love these - please keep them coming!
85
The MTT Noobs finally figured out how to collab. 10 chapters of what occurred during the hiatus of S4. Answers to Jam's First Holidays together.
1 I finally got to dive into Ultimate - lots of stuff kept me from it until now but glad I finally started it.
What a lovely vision of a first Thanksgiving together. The office part - a very Michael thing to do.
You provide some insight on what Pam ever saw in Roy - maybe a bit of her own dad. That explains A LOT. Nice touch.
I see Pam all about the holiday music too - and what is it about Last Christmas that is both so representative of radio-played holiday music and yet so IMHO slightly off-putting. I mean I have it on my holiday playlist but I am somewhat fatigued by it too and Jim - nope, not for him.
Really nice end with the wishbone.
1 Well this was just adorable. I especially enjoyed how Pam fakes out Jim in the capture the flag game but all of it was delightful fun.
You really did a good job with the ensemble characters and Michael is so true to his character. The mentos and coke was classic. The using of them for Toothpaste and the explosion.
I even felt hungry when there was no dinner and cold through the whole story so great job setting the scene.
Thanks for the fun trip.
1 This was a really sweet chapter but what else would I expect from you - ahem -maybe angst now that you've turned over to the dark side with Picture. But I enjoyed the fluff and stuff of this first Valentine's day.
By the way 20+ years later and my husband still doesn't load the dishwasher correctly and now my kids don't either. It must be that pesky Y chromosome.
Nice job with this one.
1 This whole chapter was lovely but most of all it was the "what do you want" that stood out. What a powerful way to show the difference of Roy and Jim but also of Pam when with a partner who supports her and hears her (and wants to hear her not just supplicate her from time to time).
Well done.
1 I saw what you did there. Brought a little math into your story. We are a pi day celebrating family so I appreciated that. Great use and characterizations for the ensemble too.
Loving this ultimate collaboration.
So that was fun and totally brought me back to celebrating ST. Paddy's day at college and in my post college days in city.
Oh and I'm so with Pam - I LOVE Taco Bell, my go to - guilty pleasure junk food.
The closing line to this story was perfect. You did a great job closing up this story. The rooftop picnic was so sweet and so was getting caught in the rain. Bubbly on my jam playlist and such a song Pam would love.
Thanks for sharing your spring fever story.
1 Very cute and very much what might have really happened on The Office.
I loved the last bit especially, I could see the two of them so well having this last conversation.
Author's Response: Thank you! I happened to be on Google Maps and I couldn't get this out of my head, so I'm glad it came across as plausible!
1 I've been enjoying more of this story and I'm so swept up in the story. This chapter in particular was a lot of fun. I like reading about these four friends. The dynamic of Isabel and Jim regarding Karen - really digging that. Something in the way she grabbed his phone nope don't need that tonight. Loved that. Love this spunky chick and her insights. But I also thought the thing with mark was a great but. Really getting a sense of the dynamics and history of this group and you paint s really fun picture of their fun spring break.
This whole thing feels like a movie. So good.
Author's Response: Ah thank you so much - that's so amazing to hear! I'm so pleased you're enjoying it :) And really glad you liked this one - I had a lot of fun writing Isabel and Mark in this, and their backstory in college. I also wanted Isabel and Mark as a sort of counterpoint to Jim and Pam and their inability to say what they actually felt, lol. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave feedback on this, I really appreciate it!
What a wonderful way to wrap this up - going back to the past with a reminder that it will be revisited 10 years out...but still with the bits of humor they share too...
I may or may not have finished my lit paper.”
“The guy from Jaws who shot the shark?”
then in the present the way it comes full circle and they talk about the one night from the past and then think another 10 years forward - seems like they'll get what they really want this time.
This was such a well written and entertaining story. Thank you for sharing it.
Bravo!
Author's Response: Thanks so much! I'm glad you liked the Jaws line too haha. Thank you so much for taking the time to review this - I've really enjoyed reading your feedback, and I appreciate it so much :)
I've been reading through and didn't get a chance to stop and write a review until now.
Let me begin by going back a bit - yikes all that waiting until the right time so they could spare her feelings and then to have her find out that way - way to pile on the angst and make them both (Pam and Jim) look so much worse in fact quite the opposite they've been. I hate that Karen has so much venom for Pam - it was all their faults including her own...and that she doesn't take ownership in the follow up chapters during her rows with Jim and their more calm discussions shows she's gained nothing in perspective and will only be become like Jan (which I love how you make her become professionally - since it lines up to who she will be in her love life too).
Ha Michael here is a lot of fun in the exit interview and I love how Jim gets to stick it to Ryan before he leaves (although he may be doing him a favor - he and Kelly mfeo - and the bits about HR person nice nod - on and i like how it's Holly without ever saying it is
As for the Pam and Jim storyline - I'm glad you had her go - nice twist that it is Paris (since she is already in NY) but it makes the ending that much bigger of a "Jim Gesture". I wasn't expecting that but I did love it.(Are you a fan of SATC by chance).
Can't not mention the comic book - another canon bit that was nice to see tied in here.
Well done! A very entertaining story from start to finish...now onto the epiologue.
Author's Response:
Thanks so much! And yeah, not great timing for Jim and Pam lol...I'd like to think that Karen will eventually gain some perspective, with time. But I have some sympathy for her for not immediately being in that place when she feels like she's been cheated on/played for a fool. I think I would probably be bitter for a quite a while too. But yes - she is definitely not blameless in this.
Glad you liked the exit interview, and the Ryan/Kelly and Michael/Holly! You're right though haha, might not end up being the worst punishment in the world for Ryan...
I've actually never seen SATC! But if there are big romantic gestures in Paris then I maybe need to get watching. I did want a Jim gesture at the end - especially as I felt like making Pam the 'Jim' character earlier in the story meant she was doing more of the work. Really glad you liked the comic book too!
PS my email tells me I've got a message from you on Discord, but I seem to have disabled my account (I'm not entirely sure how...) - but just to say: YES on the heavy breathing. I have much sympathy with Karen here. Drives me crazy. But I also don't think I'm the quietest sleeper. So.
Okay Lady - you have got me on a super twisty, loop-de-loop roller coaster with my feelings about and for Karen...and Pam and Jim.
Hate her, then feel bad for her, then really hate her then feel really bad for her, then feel like she's the biggest fool (even more than Michael who hard to do here)
in that she does not see Pam as a real threat and then feel like no she can't be that self important and think that high of herself she's just being manipulative - she knows her time with Jim is numbered so she'd playing the pity card and then no back again, she really doesn't have clue.
Anyway - want to scream at Pam and Jim both for being the caring nice people they are since it comes at their own cost (but hey this is so true of them - both spent 3 years not being with each other, her because of obligation to an outgrown relationship and him becasue of his respect for that relationship). Wish they would just rip off the Karen band aid - cause like Jim says - "there’s never really going to be a right time.”
Aside from all that angst between them - the whole bit with Michael so on the nose and entertaining. I especially like how Dwight says "“Oh no. That’s my nemesis.”
Speaking of Dwight - the stockroom scene with Monkey and the realization they (Pam and Jim) are about to witness something they DO NOT WANT To unless they make some noise. All fun stuff.
Hoping the "week" goes fast".
Author's Response:
Thank you so much!
And haha, so I think I have written Karen to be pretty awful here, but: a lot of this is not helped by Jim and Pam's long-standing inability to communicate how they feel. So I did sort of feel for Karen while I was writing it too. She doesn't help herself - but there's also an element of Pam not ever putting herself forward before this, which is part of why Karen's never seen her as a threat. And Jim has basically been lying to Karen (and himself) for years, however well-intentioned.
But yeah: I agree on there never being a right time to rip the band aid off!
I'm glad you enjoyed the Michael scenes hehe, I really enjoyed writing them. And I liked the idea of Dwight and Michael competing if they didn't actually work together. I also loved writing the stockroom scene, lol. I feel trying to have secret conversations in the stockroom does carry the risk of running into a Dwight/Angela hook-up...
Thanks so much for reviewing!
Another perfect twist - with Pam telling Jim about her crush but saying she was long over it.
Glad she called him out on Athleap but even more glad with how this chapter ends. Can't wait for the next one.
Author's Response:
Thanks so much! So this scene is pretty much where I started with the idea for this fic: I wanted to sort of mix the scene from Something Borrowed where she admits to her crush from college, with a swapped Jim/Pam from The Secret. It just took me... many chapters, to get there. But I’m really glad you enjoyed it, thank you! And yes, I did feel like she needed to call him out on the Athleap lol. Get it together, Jim.
Thanks so very much for your feedback!
Very in character, with Pam and the drawing of the naked man - at least that part of him - I really appreciate you touching on that.
But I am happy to see her being encouraged to enroll in an art program.
Cute call to Jan and her assistant (His name happen to be Hunter? Hee Hee)
Seems Karen is finally onto Pam and who she is interested in. Never saw her as competition before perhaps well bad on you Karen.
I still find this Isabel Hysterical - Stab Karen with a fork - not a crime...
Love seeing Michael here and very funny that Jan had given his about half hour before he will do/say something that will make her have to send him home. The conversation with Ryan is too good.
Great twist to get thme up to the roof - and with champagne instead of grilled cheese or pizza - love it.
Author's Response:
Thanks so much! And glad you enjoyed Pam and her drawing, haha. I can confirm Hunter may be the name of Jan’s assistant 😏 I always sort of liked the idea in canon of Pam and Hunter both being assistants to slightly crazy people, and was sad they never interacted...
I had a lot of fun writing Isabel in this (and her not very subtle hatred of Karen) so really pleased you liked it!
And yeah, I did want a bit of Michael lol. Although I’d say even half an hour is generous, knowing Michael.
Thank you so much for reviewing!
1 I am so enjoying this story - it really is its own unique tale and yet hitting on so many elements we know and love from the show we love.
The way you've role-reversed so much is a fun twist. I noticed a lot here in this chapter - Pam's bored, Pam pretending not to know how to use copier, Pam being the one to want to prank Dwight and Andy. However, having Andy call her Tuna, that's just wrong (JK, it was actually pretty funny but I do hope it doesn't stick, not a pretty nickname for a girl).
Fun stuff that you've brought over the Call of Duty game and the prank was just genius - all the stuff...Dwight's reaction to the unicorn was classic Dwight.
Pam still very perceptive in knowing what was happening between Dwight and Angela and you've got me viscerally hating on Karen (but I guess that is the point).
So much good stuff.
Ah, thank you so much! :) I'm really glad you're enjoying the role reversal, it was a lot of fun to write. I have to admit that I may slightly have stolen the video game idea from a prank I played on my brother when were were younger (which I thought was hilarious, but he...didn't). It turns out it's actually very hard to come up with original Jim-level prank ideas though, so I have no idea how the show did so many. And haha, I apologise for the visceral Karen hate...
Thanks so much for reviewing!
So what do you have against ED Sheeran? Things I felt in this chapter- Karen really has to lighten up - Jim's line about threesomes was funny, too bad she's too uptight to find the humor there.
Athlead (or Athleap, here) - wow you are managing to get it all in here and still in such a natural way - I like that a lot.
Jim and Karen, they are not a good fit...especially since she is so insecure (yes, I read her as insecure which is why she acts they way she does, not sure if you intend it that way but in my experience most bullies lash out as a defense mechanism and Karen here certainly acts like a bully, a very possessive bully). Not that I feel bad for her because she is just so mean, even to Jim who she is supposed to love.
You've really reversed the Pam and Jim roles here by having Jim stay with her so long - that's just genius.
Hahaha, I'm sorry. I can't stand him. I know he has many fans though. I think I might like him more if they played him a bit less...hearing Shape Of You in every single bar, every single time I turned on the TV, and on every radio station for months was the final nail in the coffin for me. And there was genuinely a period where Thinking Out Loud was the first dance at *every* wedding I went to.
I'm really glad you liked the Athleap though, and the threesome line lol. And no, that's exactly how I meant for Karen to come across on the insecurity, so I'm really pleased she did! I wrote it with the idea that her behaviour gets worse the more insecure she's feeling. There's a reason she was at her nicest when she a) wasn't in a relationship with Jim, and b) when Pam wasn't around. And at this particular point in the story, she's had weeks of Jim living in Stamford with her acting like he doesn't really want to be there, plus a couple of small hints that Pam might maybe like Jim a bit too much. But yes, still not really acceptable behaviour...
Thank you so much for reading and taking the time to review!
1 Hey - so I started this when you first posted and then I don't know what happened, my bad because this is really so entertaining.
I began again when the noms for Dundies were out - wanted to read enough to be able cast my vote.
I'm reviewing here - this chapter reminded me so much of my college experience (a long time ago) I feel I was a lot like Pam in many ways.
This chapter played like the scene to a movie- that missed moment that will replay over and over throughout.
I'm so excited I have the rest of this story to look forward to reading (without having to wait for the next chapter to post when it gets real good and anticipatory - as I know it will)
Author's Response: Oh thank you so much! Yeah, I could definitely relate to Pam at several points while I was writing this. Thanks so much for reading and taking the time to leave feedback - I really hope you enjoy the rest!
1 I hear a Taylor Swift song playing - You Belong with Me-
Nice play making us think Pam and Jim were together.
Nice callbacks throughout - Chilis waitress and the shredder and all the party and all the rest.
SB - I read the book ages ago and saw the movie and seeing John play Jim was very interesting so I could see where the inspiration comes from.
Enjoying it so far and looking forward to where it goes.
Author's Response: Haha, the title is actually from another Taylor Swift song (The One), but You Belong With Me totally makes me think of Jim/Pam/Karen. Thanks so much for reviewing - really glad you're enjoying!
Poor Pam. First Danny and then Ryan and all she wants is Jim who somehow is still with that capital B. (In the show I didn think she was so bad but the way you've written her she is).
This chapter started out with a great line. Commuter town ...pretending. Yeah there's a lot of reasons I thin Jim prefers Scranton. Just wish he'd realize.
I could so see this whole story playing out as a movie from the way it is framed and written. Love what you are doing.
Author's Response:
Ha agreed - I was a fan of Karen in the show. I think I've done her a pretty big disservice here...she's not really like this on the show at all. (I just needed a terrible girlfriend for Jim, and was a bit too lazy too invent a whole new character). And lol yes, no offence to Stamford.
That's so amazing to hear, and really kind of you to say - I'm really glad you're enjoying it! Thanks so much for reviewing :)