A/N - Sorry for the delay! We had a big party for husband's birthday saturday, and so last week I was trying to ge the details squared away and keep the 3 year old and the 3 week old happy!! So, this story kind of fell to the side.

I'm officially calling this a filler chapter... it simply moves the story along. I have the funeral chapter up next, and I was having some trouble getting us to that point... so I am kinda worried how this chapter will be received...

Reviews will be extremely helpful for this chapter, I am anxious to see what you all think!


"This place smells like moth balls and crappy air freshener.." she thought to herself as she folded her hands softly in her lap, his much larger hands laying over hers as they sat in the funeral directors office.

"And you said you brought clothing." Mr. Moore spoke softly, with an almost fake kindness in his voice.

"Yes." Robert nodded, and Jen dutifully passed the garment bag over the desk.

"We assume you will be wanting a closed casket." Mr. Moore added, taking the garment bag.

Pam bit her lip, remembering her mother's bruised and battered face. Jim instantly squeezed her hand.

"Yes, we have an eight by ten photo we'd like to place on top of the casket if that's alright." Robert said mechanically.

"That would be just fine."

Pam glared at the funeral director, wondering how he could be so chipper. After all, he always saw people during the worst days of their life.

"So, we will plan on the memorial starting at 4 p.m, going until 8." Mr. Moore started. "We of course offer the hour before for family only, so we will have everything ready for you at three o'clock."

"Thank you Mr. Moore. We will be in touch." Robert stood and shook the man's hand before the family filed out of the tiny office.

Jim guided Pam through the small hallway, his hand on the small of her back. He knew she was trying desperately to keep it together, and wanted to get her to the car as soon as possible.

Once in the car Pam let herself cry. Jim simply clutched her hand as they drove back to her father's house, not muttering a word the entire ride.

They pulled into the driveway and parked behind Robert's truck, watching as he led a visibly upset Jen into the house.

"I'm gonna sit out here for a while, you go ahead." Pam spoke softly as Jim pulled the keys from the ignition. He nodded and headed inside.


Jim sat in the window of the living room, watching Pam sitting silent in their car. He was startled by the ringing of the door bell. He jumped up to answer it, calling out "I got it" to whoever was in ear shot.

He opened the door to a small middle aged woman, politely holding out a white casserole dish.

"I'm Mrs. Paula Ross, I live next door here." She motioned to the brick house to the right.

"Uh, hey, I'm Jim Halpert, Pam's husband."

"Oh my, Beverly always said you were handsome, but you are a looker, ain't ya young man?"

Jim stood there staring at the odd little woman, not knowing what to say. "Ummm..."

"Any hoo, I don't want to bother ya'll for long, I know you must be having a hard time getting on after such a tragedy and all, but I made some tuna casserole so ya'll have dinner tonight, it'll keep too, so feel free to freeze it, I ain't in no hurry to get this ol' casserole dish back."

"Oh, um, thanks." Jim smiled sheepishly and took the dish. "It was nice to meet you Mrs. Ross."

"Oh, call me Paula Darlin'. I'll see you at the service." She smiled and made her way down the porch.

Jim shut the door and headed for the kitchen. He barely shut the freezer door when the door bell sounded again. This time he opened the door to a tall heavy set woman in her sixties, also toting a casserole dish.

"Why hello young man." She smiled. "You must be James. I recognize you from the wedding photo." She motioned to the small table in the entry way.

"Uh, yeah." Jim nodded.

"I won't keep you, but I made tater tot hot dish. Wrote my name on the side, so you know whose dish this is. I imagine you'll have a freezer full." She smiled.

"Yeah, what is it about funerals that scream 'make me a casserole?'" Jim joked.

The woman laughed. "Food's comforting, and a little extra comfort never hurt anybody."

"Yeah." Jim nodded. "We appreciate it, it smells wonderful."

"You tell Robert we're thinking of 'em, keeping him in our prayers."

"I will do that... I'm sorry I didn't catch your name."

"Regina Nelson, I'm a few doors down."

"Nice to meet you Regina, and thank you again."

"Bye." She smiled and headed down the stairs.

Jim put the dish in the freezer, next to Mrs. Ross' offering and went back to the window.

Pam dried her eyes and got out of the car, slowly making her way up the walk. Jim greeted her with a soft hug at the door.

She tossed her purse, catching it on the coat rack. "Do I smell tuna?" She asked.

"That's what she..." Jim started, but stopped himself by quickly covering his mouth with his hands.

A smile tugged at Pam's lips. "What was that?"

"Nufing" Jim muttered through his palms.

"You totally said..." Pam jumped as Jim quickly covered her mouth.

"Shhhh, no I didn't." He shook his head.

Pam couldn't help it; she broke into laughter, pulling away from Jim's grasp. "Oh that's hilarious!"

Jim smiled; he hadn't seen her smile in two days, seeing her doubled over in laughter, albeit at his expense, made him feel a little better.

"Oh yeah yeah, its just sooo funny..." He teased.

Pam stood up and leaned into his chest, still shaking from laughing so hard. "Oh god Jim, I needed that." She sighed.

Jim simply smiled and kissed her forehead. "Mrs. Ross, I think it was, brought tuna casserole, and Mrs. Nelson brought tater tot hot dish."

"God, throw the tuna out, Mrs. Ross is kind cuckoo." Pam shook her head. "She moved here from Georgia a few years back, my mother tolerated her, but secretly she thought she was annoying."

"Tuna casserole will be 86'd then." Jim smiled.

"Actually, I could go for some of that tater tot hot dish though, Mrs. Nelson is an amazing cook."

Jim simply smiled and led her into the kitchen, delighted she actually wanted to eat something other than toast.

Pam sat at the table and watched as Jim quickly served up the food and poured them each a glass of milk.

They ate in relative silence, one occasionally commenting on the food.

Jim washed the dishes as Pam found her way to the old tire swing in the yard. She carefully threaded her body through the tire and spun herself around slowly.

As he dried the dishes he watched her through the window. He quickly wiped a tear from his eye as the vision of a little girl with red hair and fair skin swinging in the backyard filled his mind.

He shook his head and turned to put the dishes away.


Jim carefully cut the tag board into a tri-fold as Robert hauled out the photo albums from the closet. Pam and Jen sat on the floor, already going through a box of loose pictures.

"Oh my god Pam, look at your hair!" Jen laughed holding up a photo for Jim to see.

"Good God!" Jim laughed.

"Hey! I was 10 years old, and I was going to New Kids on the Block! All the girls did their hair like that!" Pam quipped.

"Your bangs have to be like, 7 inches high!" Jim laughed as he sat down.

"Oh shut it..." Pam whispered, quickly holding up a picture of Jen's first bath. "Look at that little red butt!"

"Give me that!" Jen snatched the picture from a laughing Pam.

"Here it is!" Robert smiled, pulling an old ratty photo album from a box.

"That looks ancient dad!" Jen looked up at the worn leather and yellowed pages.

"This is our wedding album." He smiled.

Jen and Pam quickly moved closer to their father, eager to see the pictures. Jim joined them as they huddled around, looking at the old photos.

"There she is, isn't she beautiful?" Robert asked as he pointed to Beverly, standing at the alter with her father.

"That's mom?" Jen asked, squinting at the picture. "God Pam, I never realized how much you liked her."

Pam smiled and carefully ran her finger over the picture.

"She is beautiful." Jim agreed, patting Robert's shoulder.

"She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. I knew from the moment I laid eyes on her, I wanted to be with her."

"That's shallow dad!" Jen shook her head. "Just because she was pretty?"

"No." Robert said firmly. "Look at her eyes... She had the most beautiful eyes... they were so caring, so warm... I knew she was a good person just by looking into her eyes."

Pam and Jen both wiped a tear from their cheek as they listening to their father.

"And, I was right." Robert smiled. "Your mom was the most caring, compassionate person I've ever known. She'd give you the shirt off her back. She was the salt of the earth."

Jim looked down at the picture; he teared up as he realized Pam had her mother's eyes. The same compassionate, warm, loving eyes.

"It rained the morning we were married, we didn't think the clouds would ever let up." Robert shook his head. "The clouds parted and the sun came out just as the guests started arriving at the church. Your mother rushed out and insisted the photographer take this picture." He said turning the page.

Pam's mouth opened as she saw the picture. A rainbow was stretched across the sky, seeming to end right at the roof of the church.

"I told your mom she was my pot of gold at the end of the rainbow." Robert smiled.

Pam looked up at Jim, it sounded like something he might say to her. She grinned as she watched him staring at the picture in awe.

"That's beautiful daddy." Jen whispered.

"I'm gonna go grab some coffee." He said suddenly, passing the book to Jim.

The girls went back to their box, silently waiting for their father to collect himself in the kitchen.

Robert appeared a few moments later, a giant smile on his face, holding a cup of coffee. "Let's get back to these pictures huh?"

They group gathered around again, anxious to hear more stories of years gone by.


Warning... we will be getting to the beginning of the angst in the next chapter! (Finally!)