This chapter gave me so many problems, thus the delay. Sorry! Hopefully the next few aren't too bad. It seems like I can get out a good chapter here and there, but some fall flat…ugh…headdesk

Comical

def'n: so amusing that it elicits smiles or laughter

By the end of the weekend, Karen and Mark had faded out of conversation. Saturday evening, Pam had driven home and called Jim the moment she made it through her front door; their exchange lasted into early Sunday morning when they both fell asleep, the other still on the line.

By silent agreement, they spent Sunday apart, pretending they were okay with not seeing the other. When Monday morning rolled around, however, they realized spending a day apart may not have been such a good idea.

Pam greeted everyone as they entered the office; Stanley, Kevin, Dwight, Angela, Ryan and Kelly, Oscar, Phyllis, Toby, Meredith, and Creed. Michael wandered in-ten minutes late-and made his way directly to his office. She was beginning to wonder where Jim was when the door opened and he sauntered in.

There wasn't the smile she expected on his face; instead, he looked almost angry. He took off his coat and hung it on the coat rack without looking at her.

"Morning, Jim," she said quietly.

He looked up at her, but instead of smiling, he looked like he was going to cry.

"What's wrong?"

He shrugged and nodded towards the break room. She nodded and waited for him to make his way to the door before she got up. He was standing next to the vending machine when she got there. He didn't look up at her, but sighed loudly.

"Seriously, Jim, what's wrong?"

He looked up, but not at her. He looked around the break room and then towards each door before leaning down and kissing her gently on the lips. He smiled and looked her in the eyes, "Nothing's wrong." He walked past her back into the office, missing the shocked expression on her face.

He was sitting quietly at his desk when she returned minutes later. She didn't look at him, but made her way quickly behind her desk, sitting down as if nothing had happened. When she knew he wasn't paying attention, she reached up and removed the candy dish from the counter, placing it next to her monitor.

Pam didn't notice Jim leaning over the counter until he cleared his throat. "Can I help you with something?"

"Did we forget to put the candy dish out this morning, Pam?"

"No." She looked back down at her computer screen, ignoring him.

"Then, where is it?"

"No candy for naughty boys," she said, just above a whisper.

"What is that supposed to mean?" He leaned over the counter slightly, trying to get her to look at him. She refused.

"I don't give candy to bad boys."

"Well, what do you give them?" He was struggling to keep a straight face as he said the words.

Pam finally looked up at Jim, giving him a stern face that could only be compared to that of Angela. The look made him lean back away from her, but he didn't leave the counter. He drummed his fingers on the counter until she responded, "I give bad boys what they deserve, but not on company time." She turned back to her computer stone-faced.

Jim had just opened his mouth in rebuttal when Michael strolled from his office. "Oh, ho, ho. Don't tell me, Pammy's holding out on you Jimbo."

"Um." Jim turned towards Michael, shooting a quick look at the camera. "We're not together."

"Well, maybe you should be." Michael was trying to be subtle about his intensions; however, subtlety was never one of Michael's strengths.

Pam looked at Michael with distain, attempting to keep her smile hidden. "Michael, that's inappropriate."

"Not if it's true."

Pam looked at the camera over Michael's shoulder with an "oh man" kind of look and then sighed. She looked back over to Jim though he wasn't looking at her. He looked like he could punch Michael in the face-not something she was expecting.

"Michael-seriously, drop it. I just broke up with Karen. I am not dating Pam." He didn't lie. He and Pam weren't dating-he was waiting for her to be ready so they could-no. He had to not think about things like that.

"Well, pfff. BFD. Seriously, you two need to get together already."

"Jesus." Pam got up from her seat and, grabbing her coat, left the office. She couldn't take Michael being that way any longer. Even though she was happy that he thought she and Jim should be together, there was something about the way he was expressing it that made her angry.

She stopped when she reached the cold January air. She breathed in and pulled her coat around her small body. She didn't turn when she heard him come out the front door, but instead walked around to the side of the building where they would be away from peering eyes. His arms encircled her waist when they reached the side of the building; pulling her close to his warm body.

They stood there silently for a moment, Pam leaning back into Jim's embrace. His laugh caused her to turn to look up at him. "What's so funny?"

"Michael trying to set us up. He's terrible at it."

The corners of her mouth curled up as she began to giggle. "God, he is, isn't he?" She leaned her head down on his chest as she began to laugh openly.

"I wouldn't put it past him to keep going with this when we get back up there."

"Oh man, this is going to get so much worse."

"Well," he said, leaning back to look at her, "You do have a boyfriend I would have to deal with."

"He's pretty great. And he could probably kick your ass.'

"We'll go with that. Or we could screw with Michael."

"That's what she said." She laughed loudly at her joke as he shook his head at her in disgust.

"You are terrible."

She smiled and leaned towards him, gently pressing her lips to his. When she pulled back, she gave him a half smile and a shrug. "We should go back."

"Yeah. How do you want to play it?"

"Just follow my lead." She pulled away from his embrace and walked towards the building.

When they made it upstairs, she gave him a quick look before opening the door and speaking up slightly, "Jim, I have a boyfriend and I don't think its right for you to be coming after me like that."

"I was just making sure you were okay."

She placed her coat back on the coat rack and made her way back around her desk, not sitting, but placing her hands flat on the desk in front of her. "It's not that I don't appreciate the gesture or anything, but you need to give me my space."

"Okay, fine. I just wanted to know you were okay."

"I am. Don't worry about me, I'm a big girl."

"Sorry." He turned and walked the few steps to his desk, sitting down without looking at anyone.

Pam sat down, glancing at Michael who was standing at his window, watching the exchange. She gave him a look as to say "butt out." He closed the blinds and she looked down at her computer, opening an IM session with Jim.

PBeesly: So, that didn't go too bad.

JHalpert: Well, Phyllis is giving you the eye right now.

Pam looked up to see Phyllis smiling slightly at her. Pam smiled back and looked back at her computer.

JHalpert: I think Michael will leave us alone though.

PBeesly: Yeah, but this isn't working.

Jim tensed up in his seat.

JHalpert: WHAT?

JHalpert: Pam, what do you mean?

JHalpert: Did I do something?

PBeesly: Whoa!

PBeesly: Chill out Halpert.

PBeesly: I mean this whole not telling people. We can't hide it for too long.

JHalpert: Jesus…you scared me.

PBeesly: You don't have to worry. No angry typingno problem.

JHalpert: "angry typing"?

He turned in his chair to face her. She looked up at him before she typed a response. She hit the keys slightly harder than necessary to get her point across.

PBeesly: ANGRY TYPING. No caps lock mind you…all shift key.

JHalpert: you know…I think I love you a little bit more now.

PBeesly: good. I may have to break up with that boyfriend of mine so we could go out…I mean, if you love me now and everything.

JHalpert: just for the record, I never stopped loving you

She looked up at him, tears in her eyes. It took him a moment, but with no response from her, he turned and smiled at her. She smiled back knowing she officially loved the man who happened to be her best friend-not that she didn't before, but it was official now.

The rest of the day dragged on. No one approached Jim or Pam about the happenings from earlier, but the cameras sure seemed to find nothing more interesting to watch than Pam playing solitaire and Jim making sales calls. They avoided talking-in person or in IM-for that reason alone. They could always talk later.

And talk later they did. All night in fact-for the next week. Even with Pam's concern, Jim convinced her they could keep their relationship under wraps for a while at least. They rarely saw each other outside of the office for a week and a half, but that seemed to make it easier for them at the office. They had "patched up" their friendship and had explained to Michael that he needed to not get involved in their love lives. He agreed, but they both knew that meant nothing.

Comical

def'n: Michal's attempts to set Jim and Pam up & ANGRY TYPING

Please let me know what you think. Your comments and criticism really make it better for me to know what to write. Without your reviews I would be nothing…well, that's not true, but I would be review-less and sad.