Jim returns to Scranton. Spoilers through The Merger.
All kinds of awkwardness.
Hmm. Interesting. Is this supposed to be not caught by cameras or Alternate Universe (or whatever that AU stands for?) In any case, I'm wondering what happens next.
I found the first chapter difficult, mostly because I found much of The Merger Jim/Pam stuff difficult (kick you in the gut difficult). So your chapter left me with the same unsettled feeling as the Parking Lot of Death scene in the Merger. Painful! If only Pam had said, "when I said coffee, I really meant it as kind of a ... date".
As a Jim/Pam fan it's difficult. Actually, that's why I didn't review the first chapter when I first read it. I just ended it with that horrible end of The Merger feeling and couldn't....even...aargh, it's happening again. (I think it's my grief bone.)
I feel somewhat better about things in general now, but the end of The Merger was such a low, horrible point for Jim and Pam. Just talk, you idiots! (Or kiss. Kissing would have helped.)
Like many other people, I am way too invested in these two characters. Somewhere in my little brain I am convinced they are real.
Oooh. If you REALLY REALLY want to know about the future episodes, you have to go to the spoiler threads on TWOP. There's spoilers only, spoilers and speculation, and Jam spoilers and spec.
And I feel slightly better about now, because we've seen some good and some bad, and I think (/hope) they will get together eventually. I think (/hope/have some reason to believe based on spoilers) that the Karen thing has an expiration date.
Have you seen the deleted scenes for Business School (NBC.com)? If not, go look. There's a JEALOUS!Karen moment.
Postmarked June 10th. I'm curious now...
maryuc, you are making me smile with the sweetness while you're kicking me in the grief bone since Jim didn't get the card before!!
However, I can imagine some happy possibilities in this kind of scenario, so you're forgiven for the whole grief bone thing.
Continuing? I hope so.
No! Jim should not answer the phone unless he can say, "It's my Mom" or "Hey, Mark!" For Karen (if it was her), flip the phone shut. She'll call back. (Like a bad penny, Karen will always show up.)
Maryuc, please watch out for my grief bone in future chapters. We need some hope to offset all the misunderstanding and angst on the real show!! (Well, I do anyway.)
Nice writing, though.
Note to any guy: If it's Mom on the phone, say "Hi, Mom", so the love of your life doesn't think it's your skanky, psychotic girlfriend.
Aargh! Maryuc, what about my grief bone? You are totally ignoring my grief bone. I am just going to have to keep reading this and yelling about my grief bone. This is all your doing.
Yay!!!!! My grief bone is dwindling, almost non-existent, in this chapter. See, isn't this nice? I don't have to yell at you, we can be happy? This is a happy place. Happy thoughts.
Of course, Jim is an amateur with colors. Pam should really see his apartment on Sunday and then they should go paint shopping. That is totally what should happen.
Aww, they have identical color schemes!! It's been so long since I've seen this story, now I don't remember if he's still with Karen. I'd better go check!
I love that they'll need to spend all this time together!
hes still sort of with karen - but its not too too serious.
I really like this. It's so sad and tragic, though, just like all three of these characters right now!!!
I really like this 3 POV at the same moment, and your words flow so beautifully. I would definitely like to see more of these.
Really nice so far...
Looking forward to more.
Before I go on to the next chapter (and this one certainly choked me up a bit), just wanted to compliment you on this sentence: "Each time, he let go of more of the pride that held him back from letting Pam fill that one piece of his life that would finally make him feel whole." I'm assuming this is you and not Austen; I've never read that book!
On to the next chapter - hooray!
Oh, this is so nice. I LOVE the part about the picture. If Jim and Pam actually get together, maybe the Parking Lot of Doom can be renamed the Parking Lot Where it All Began.
Author's Response: I had to make a picture mention. Thanks!
4 Wow. This is all kinds of fun. The last paragraph of the pillow thing? The binoculars? Buffy? The diaper making your ass look fat? This is excellent Krazy!Karen.
Hey, Alex - sleeping, better than not. Gotta get your whole ... REM cycle going (shoulders bob in a dorky manner).
Seriously, it's late where I am - I have to get to bed!
I really really like this. This is the best ... ass-kicking Pam story ... of all the ass-kicking Pam stories. Okay, I think it's the only ass-kicking Pam story, but it's still awesome.
I love the last paragraph, the fact that Pam took care of the first aid and everyone else just sat, Pam swearing, and "Roy is a big dude."
Just lovely. Thanks for this.
Once upon a time, Prince Charming plucked you out of shy teenage obscurity, and you expected to live happily ever after.
I like this. It works for me!
Author's Response: Perfect! Thank you!
I love that Jim just had to go check on Pam, even though Karen said Pam wouldn't want to see him. I like the change to Jim's POV at the end and "you shouldn’t have had to say it" and “Just try not to get yourself killed, okay?”
I'll await more!!
Um, YES, you should continue working on this. You may stop for sleeping (better than not), and drinking (bottled water if you're evolving, grape soda if you're not), and... well, when you have a chance, I'll happily read more and review.
SO interesting that you had Pam call Karen. And... it seems Karen might have some trouble getting Jim back home with her. I sense some fun (for us) brewing...!
Ugh! Roy, she said it's over!!! Poor Pam, has to dump him AGAIN? (And she'd better say no, wingwoman!)
In reality, Karen and Jim are broken up, and Pam and Roy are broken up (I think she said this is over and he said this is SO over), Jim would probably hang out at Pam's a bit longer that night. Maybe not stay over yet, but they are both single and in the same town - I think they'd at least bask in each other's glow for a while. (I actually don't mean that in a smutty way necessarily.)
I'll watch for the next chapter!
The Packer thing was amazing.
I'm enjoying this story and I look forward to more. Hooray for Jim at the window!
"It’s so much easier to just let go when she pulls you down towards her." - I'm enjoying this story, and this line is just really nice.
I think you did pretty well with the voices. I didn't see any problems with them, and I generally notice that sort of thing.
I am loving these post-Cocktails stories. I just can't get enough of them. I look forward to more.
I like it. In fact, all this great post-Cocktails fic is really helping me through the hiatus. Thank you for being part of this self-help group.
This seems very realistic to me: "He wanted his feet to be back on the ground, but his entire body felt like it was somewhere else. What was about to take place in his car was important, there were very real feelings at stake, but his heart wasn't there anymore. His heart was waiting for him in Scranton. He looked at Karen and knew. It was over, he was gone..." I liked your (too brief!) message from Pam. If Pam said she (still) has feelings for Jim, he could be off like a shot.
Thanks for this.
I'm so glad you liked it! I'm also relieved to hear that Jim came off realistically. S3 Jim has been so hard for me to wrap my head around. (Um, TWSS?) Its hard for me to tell what he's thinking lately, and I think this is just one of the many ways he could potentially respond to hearing something like that from Pam.
And I agree, all the wonderful new fanfic is totally holding my hand through this hiatus.
Oh, WOW. Your twist ... so perfect. Things like that can happen when you least expect them.
I love how Karen reacts; she's going to feel like crap after hearing Jim's last line. Like he doesn't have enough to worry about with his Dad dying, and she's immediately sulky and swearing at him.
Ooh, I am interested in reading more.
Wow. Great start! Now I'm on pins and needles, and GreenFish is under the gun!
Was your Kelly wink a purposeful call-back to Kelly in Boys and Girls (2nd base?). That Kelly knows what she's doing...
Thanks for this.
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