Disclaimer: I own nothing except insane amounts of The Office merchandise.

*****

"I think I ate too much pizza," Jim groaned as he ran his hand along his stomach and stretched his legs out in front of him. "I'm full."

Pam reached for a napkin and wiped her hands. "I have to agree with you, you most definitely ate too much. Did we really need to order two pizzas?"

"Hey, I hate to break it to you, Pam, but I think you're doing a pretty fine job devouring that pizza all on your own over there. So yeah, we really did need to order two."

"You're a jerk," she giggled as she took another slice from the box.

Lifting the lid of the cardboard box he peered inside, "I'll trade you my last piece of pizza for your last piece of garlic bread."

Raising her eyebrows, she reached for her bread. "I thought you said you were full?"

"I meant I was full on pizza," he explained as he waved the pizza box in front of her face. "You know you want it, look how lonely it is sitting in the box all by itself. It's saying 'Pam! Eaaat me!' Can you hear it?"

She laughed as she held her plate of garlic bread out towards him. "Wait, we need to exchange," she told him as she held her other hand out for the pizza box.

"Are you afraid I'm going to make a run for it or something?" he teased as he grabbed the remaining piece of garlic bread and popped it into his mouth. "Seriously this is so good," he told her in-between mouthfuls of food.

"Well I'm glad you liked it."

"You need to show me how to make this."

"Yeah? You like to cook?" she asked, grinning at him from across the couch. "I just didn't see you as the cooking type."

"Yeah? Well what type am I then?" he asked, clearly enjoying the look of discomfort on Pam's face.

"I don't know - urgh, stop teasing!" she scolded when she looked up and saw the mischievous look in Jim's eyes.

He leaned over and poked her arm. "Sorry, I couldn't resist."

"So, you like to cook?"

"Yeah I do. I don't get to cook as much as I used to," he sighed, "but now Ellie's starting on solid foods, so maybe I'll start again. Although there is only so much you can do with vegetables and a blender..."

She raised her eyebrows slightly. "Soup..." she thought aloud.

"Yeah, she's not quite mastered soup yet. She's more a fan of mush."

Pam shrugged as she began to tidy up. "Who can blame her?"

"Are you telling me I could have forgotten about pizza and just liquidised you a bunch of different vegetables?" he grinned, shooing her hands away from the boxes on the floor. "I've got that."

"I don't mind helping you clean up."

"I know you don't mind, but I don't want you to," he replied as he teasingly jerked the pizza boxes out of her hand. "Are you full? Or do you have room for some chocolate cake?"

Her eyes lit up as he pulled her up, "Jim Jim Jim, there is always room for chocolate cake."

He chuckled quietly to himself at just how accurate Dorothy had been; chocolate really was the way to a woman's heart.

"Follow me, my lady, and I will lead you to the cake," he said, ushering her out of the living room.

"Gracias, Se or."

"You're a dork," he insisted, giving her a wink as he turned back around.

They made their way into the kitchen, where Jim disposed of the pizza boxes and placed their plates in the dishwasher. He could see out of the corner of his eye that Pam was following his every move and the thought of that made his heart beat faster. The way she was watching him so intensely sent shivers down his spine and he found it hard to concentrate. He could almost feel her eyes burning a hole in him and he loved it.

She was standing next to the cupboard where he kept the plates, and as he bent down he was hit by the smell of her body lotion. The intoxicating mix of vanilla and some sort of berry seemed to be taking over, and for a brief moment he forgot what he was looking for. He recovered quickly, grabbing the plates they'd need for dessert and standing back up. His legs shook slightly from crouching down and he wobbled for a second.

"You okay?" she asked as she placed a hand on his arm to steady him.

He hoped to God he wasn't blushing, but he began to feel his face getting warmer and he knew then that his body was betraying him. "Yeah, my leg fell asleep," he frowned, shaking his leg and stretching it out in front of him to try and ease the pins and needles that shot down his leg and into his foot. Looking down, he noticed the concerned look on Pam's face and felt his heart speed up when he realised her hand was still resting on his arm, causing a quick blush and a quicker withdrawal.

He was about to open the refrigerator when they heard a loud cry from upstairs.

"Shit! I'm so sorry."

"Hey, it's fine. Go," Pam insisted as she took the dessert plates from his hands and pushed him lightly towards the door.

"Thanks," he called over his shoulder as he made his way into the hall. "I wont be long, the cake's in the refrigerator. Help yourself to more drink. I'll be right back."

He made his way up to Ellie's room quickly, taking the stairs two at a time. As much as he was enjoying himself with Pam and slowly beginning to accept the idea that this was a date, the moment he heard his baby crying for him, the events of the evening were pushed to the back of his mind. There was only one girl that mattered at that moment, and that was Ellie.

He carefully scooped her out of her crib and placed a kiss on her warm forehead. He brought his hand up and moved it in a semi circle motion in front of his face, ending with his fingers closed near his chin. "Hi beautiful," he cooed, rocking her gently in his arms. "What's the matter, baby?" he signed, knowing she didn't have her aids in. She threw herself back in his arms and he had to use his right hand to hold her still. "Tell Daddy what's wrong."

In between sobs, she banged the index fingers of both hands together beside her ear several times.

Grabbing her blankie from her crib, he made his way down the stairs. "It's okay, sweetheart," he whispered soothingly to her. He was fully aware she wouldn't be able to hear him, but the soft vibrations of his voice rattling through his chest always seemed to calm her down.

"Shhh, come on. It's okay," Jim murmured as he brought a squirming Ellie closer to his chest and made his way into the kitchen, where Pam was meticulously cutting two slices of cake and ensuring that they were both even.

Pam looked up as he entered the room, and smiled sympathetically. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, she's just teething and it's giving her an ouchy ear," he explained, cringing slightly at the use of the term ouchy. He'd gotten so used to talking like that around Ellie that it had become second nature to him now. He noticed Pam trying unsuccessfully to hide her grin and he realised that maybe he hadn't embarrassed himself at all. Maybe despite all of the freaking out he'd done, Pam actually accepted him for who he was - somebody's father. Not every girl thought baby talk was endearing.

"Beep beep," he said, as he pressed Ellie's nose in a futile attempt to make her smile. He scooted past Pam, and opened the refrigerator door taking out the Infant Tylenol. "Hey, can you do me a favour?"

"Hmm, me?"

"No, the guy behind you. Yes, you," Jim nodded as he offered her the bottle of medicine along with a tiny syringe. "Can you fill it up to there?" he asked, pointing to a little line in the plastic.

"Uhm."

"It's easy, you just stick the syringe tip into the bottle and pull up the plunger until you have what you need."

"Yeah, I don't know..."

"I can do it if you want."

"Okay."

"But you'd have to hold Ellie for me," he said, holding out the screaming youngster and smiled sweetly.

She shook her head and held out her hand, "I think I'll take the medicine if that's okay." She filled the syringe and handed it back to Jim. As it passed between them, Ellie followed it with an open mouth.

"My mom says I don't know how lucky I am... between the person who invented the kid syringe and the guy who decided to make the stuff taste like strawberries, she says it's too easy to give a screaming baby medicine now. Personally... I'm all for giving them medals!" He placed the syringe into Ellie's mouth and watched as she eagerly swallowed the cool liquid. "There you go, sweetheart," he said, kissing the top of Ellie's head and nestling her close to him.

"I'll uh, I'll go wait in the other room," Pam told him as she hooked her thumb over her shoulder and pointed towards the living room.

"We'll join you," Jim replied, tilting his head towards the door as he began to follow her out. "Hey, don't forget the cake."

"Oh, right." She sighed dramatically for effect while turning around and grabbing the plates before following him into the next room.

Pam got comfortable on the couch and watched as Jim aimlessly walked around the living room with Ellie in his arms. It had taken ten minutes, but she'd eventually calmed down and was pretty much silent now except for the odd hiccup. He tenderly stroked the little girl's back, his large hands engulfing her and making her look almost doll like in his arms. He hummed quietly as he paced the room, smiling apologetically at Pam. "I'm really sorry about this," he whispered. "She'll fall asleep again in a minute."

"Stop apologising."

"Sorry."

Crossing her arms, she gave him what was intended to be a stern look, but she had to take a deep breath to stop herself from laughing. Pulling a strand of hair behind her ear she sighed, "Jim, seriously. Stop saying that word."

Surrendering, he held a hand out in front of himself. "Okay, I think we're good," he said as he shifted Ellie in his arms.

"Uh, Jim."

"Yeah?"

"She isn't asleep. She's looking right at me."

"Are you kidding?" he asked, pulling back slightly to see what she was talking about. Ellie was wide-awake, sucking her fingers, happily snuggled against Jim's chest and looking at Pam with innocent eyes.

"Wow, that stuff usually knocks her out." Giving up, Jim walked towards the couch and plonked himself down next to Pam. As he sat down, Ellie rearranged herself on his lap and sat up slightly so she could see what was going on around her. She looked at Pam and then promptly buried her face in her Daddy's shirt. "She's a bit shy. She's not really been around many people other than my mom and me."

Pam nodded and smiled at the little girl in Jim's arms. "Hi, Ellie."

"She doesn't have her aids in," Jim explained as he lightly tapped Ellie's arm so that she looked up at him. He then pointed at Pam and waved. "Say hello, Ellie." She rested her head back against his chest and removed the hand from her mouth and waved. She then looked at them both and giggled as if she'd just done the funniest thing.

"She's so cute," Pam gushed as she held her finger out to Ellie. Pam gasped as the little girl grabbed hold of it with her own chubby little hand.

Jim pulled Ellie's hand back and wiped it on his shirt before letting her reach for Pam again. "Sorry. I should have done that first."

"Honestly, it's okay," she assured him.

The medicine had obviously worked as Ellie was back to her usual self and clearly not ready to go back to sleep. Jim watched his little girl as she looked at Pam, then at him and back to Pam again. He realised that she must be feeling brave in her Daddy's presence when she leaned over and held her arms out to Pam.

"You wanna go to Pam?" he asked, his fingers moving carefully as he signed. She bobbed her head and was already attempting to crawl off of his lap and over to Pam. "I think someone wants to say hi," he laughed, helping Ellie manoeuvre the small distance between them on the couch, the cushions were not easy terrain for a not-yet-one year old.

"I'm not really very..." she stuttered nervously, "good with kids, they don't usually like me."

Jim reached over and stroked Pam's hand with his finger. "Hey," he said, getting her attention. "Honestly, I don't think you have anything to worry about here, Ellie seems to really like you. She doesn't just go to anyone."

"I guess - it's just that I don't really know what to do with them," she admitted, resting her hand awkwardly on Ellie's back.

"You really don't have to do anything too exciting. Look, she finds pretty much anything funny at the moment," he explained, sticking his tongue out and wiggling his hands about in front of his face. Ellie to threw her head back, letting out the sweetest little giggle. "See?"

"You're so dorky," she teased. "Oh hey, can you teach me how to sign that? That is definitely something she needs to learn as soon as possible." Pam's face lit up as Ellie reached out and ran her hand over the charm of her necklace, enthralled by the pretty colours and the way the light reflected off of the stone. "I think she likes my necklace."

"I can tell. That child is going to cost me a fortune in jewellery when she gets older," he grinned, shaking his head softly as he extended his hands in each direction to demonstrate just how expensive his little girl's future would be.

Placing the thumb of one hand, with her fingers open, up to her forehead, Ellie knocked it lightly against her head several times until Jim responded. "Yes?"

"What did she just say?"

"Daddy," he explained as he tickled the sole of Ellie's foot.

Touching the necklace around Pam's neck once more, Ellie looked over at Jim and waved her hand in front of her face in a half moon shape, eliciting a smile from Jim.

"What?" Pam asked curiously. "What's she saying?"

Jim cleared his throat and ran his hand over his jaw. "She thinks your necklace is pretty." He could feel the blush spreading over his cheeks as he realised that his daughter had beaten him to the compliment. It was daunting how easily that little girl deflated his self-confidence sometimes.

"Really?"

"Yep, really."

"Can you teach me to say thank you?" she asked eagerly.

"Sure. This one's easy. Just imagine you're blowing a kiss... bring your hand up to your mouth, like this," he demonstrated, "and then bring your hand out and away from you."

Pam copied what he was doing and he could tell that she enjoyed learning the small gesture. He was honoured that being able to communicate with Ellie was so important to her. Just thinking about that made him all warm inside.

Once Ellie was bored of the necklace, she offered her blankie to Pam. She then made herself comfortable on Pam's lap, trying to find the best position to rest her head.

"Thank you," Pam smiled once again, using the sign she'd just learned and gently draped the blankie around Ellie's shoulders, placing her in a little cocoon. "She's so cute, Jim."

Jim thanked Pam using the same sign, giving her a wink as he brought his hand away from his face.

Jim loved seeing Ellie wrapped up in Pam's arms. He couldn't help but think that even if nothing came out of this, if they don't work out and take this any further than friendship, that maybe she could still be an important part of Ellie's life. His mom was amazing with her, but he knew how important it was for a girl to have a mother figure in her life. Ellie needed someone she could trust and rely on and... wow wait, what? Did he just think of Pam as a mother figure to his child? He really needed to tell his brain to slow the hell down. He couldn't help but look at the two of them together and not panic that Pam may have all of a sudden developed the skill to read his mind.

"You're a natural," he pointed out, watching Ellie snuggling closer to Pam as she began to get sleepy once again.

She silenced him with her hand before he could continue. "Oh please, I'm really not. I've never been good with kids. I'm an only child; all my cousins are at least five years older than me, so I've always been the baby. I've never even babysat before."

"Well trust me, you are a natural."

Pam looked down at the sleepy little girl in her arms and smiled. Ellie was sucking her thumb, and using the corner of her pink blankie to stroke her face as she sat there quietly fighting to keep her eyes open.

"I'm not, but thank you."

"Are you doubting my powers, Pam?"

"Your powers? Dare I ask what those may be?"

He closed his eyes and sighed, pretending he couldn't believe she had no idea what he was talking about. "It's a special power granted to dads the minute their babies are born. It lets us see who the naturals are and who's just a pretender..."

Pam raised her eyebrows. "A pretender?" She asked sceptically. "I think you're making this up."

Jim held up his hand to quiet her. "Are you really going to argue with me here, Pam? A dad? A man with special super powers?"

She couldn't stop the small laugh from escaping, and brought her hand up quickly to cover her mouth. At the same time they focused their attention on Ellie - both shocked to find her fast asleep.

"I hate to say I told you so... but, I told you so."

"Is she really asleep?" Pam asked.

"No, she's pretending." He teased, " Yes she's really asleep. She's out for the night now, nothing will wake her - I can vacuum her room while she's asleep and it doesn't bother her. I swear, she'd even sleep through an earthquake. Hey, want to help me put her to bed?"

"Sure."

Jim stood up and held out his arms, ready to take Ellie from Pam. "I've got her, it's okay," she told him as she wrapped the blanket more securely around the sleeping child and stood up.

They crept up the stairs quietly and once they were in Ellie's room, Jim scooped her out of Pam's arms and brought her up to his chest. Smoothing down her unruly hair, he placed a kiss on the top of her head and laid her down gently in her crib. He spent a couple of minutes rearranging her bed, tucking her in and making sure she was comfortable. Once he was satisfied that she was okay, he nodded his head towards the door and they left and made their way back towards the living room.

Once they were back on the couch, Jim turned and playfully poked Pam's arm. "So, you definitely can't argue with me about being a natural now, hmm?"

"No, I can't," she laughed, resting her head against the back of the sofa. "But I reserve the right to argue with you next time - magic dad powers or not."

He leaned his head back so that he could see her better "Oh, so they'll be a next time, huh?" He asked her, clearly enjoying the safety net they've created when bantering with each other.

"Of course. How else am I going to learn more sign language?" she replied in a teasing tone.

"Ah, I see how it is, you just want me for my..." He cleared his throat quickly and stopped himself from continuing, too embarrassed at how that sounded.

He could tell Pam knew how uncomfortable he felt, and was grateful when she finally broke the awkward silence between them.

"You know I don't just want you to teach me sign language, right?" she assured him, reaching over and patting his leg.

Jim gulped loudly at the feel of Pam's warm hand on his knee. He laughed silently to himself about how pathetic he was - How could a simple touch turn him on so much?

She glanced over at the clock above his fireplace and groaned. "I should go," she said, pulling on the cardigan she'd taken off earlier on in the evening.

Jim nodded his head and stood reluctantly. "I've had a really nice time this evening," he admitted, shoving his hands deep in to his pockets. He'd noticed he'd been doing this a lot around Pam recently; it was as though his brain didn't trust his hands around Pam.

"Me too."

They made their way into the hall silently and he watched as Pam slid on her on flip-flops and fished her car keys out of her oversized purse.

"So, tonight was fun," she said. "I really enjoyed myself."

"Me too... I'm sorry if..."he motioned toward the stairs, and immediately returned his hand to his pocket, "her waking up made you uncomfortable or anything."

"She didn't make me feel uncomfortable at all. Stop worrying about that, okay, promise me?"

"I promise." He grinned, as he opened the front door.

Pam turned towards him and rested her hand on his shoulder; leaning up on her tiptoes she placed the gentlest of kisses on his cheek. He shivered. It was almost as though a bolt of electricity had been shot through him.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said. It was obvious that neither of them wanted to break eye contact first.

"'Kay," he mumbled, unable to say anything more - he felt as though she'd paralysed his voice.

She ran her hand down from his shoulder to his hand. She squeezed it quickly before turning and making her way towards her car. "Oh and Jim?"

"Yeah?"

She hesitated for a moment, looking at her shoes before she initiated eye contact with Jim again. She slowly raised her hand to her chin and brought it away from her, utilising the 'thank you' sign she had been taught earlier.

To Be Continued

*****

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