There have been almost zero new Office fics in the last few days! Why is that? Come on, people, get writing!
This was written in the aftermath of last night's epsiode, Branch Wars. I knew that things would be interesting once Karen got involved, and the episode certainly didn't disappoint. So here's my two cents on it, becuase I'm a fanfiction writer and it's my prerogative.
Three hundred words this time!
Regret
Why had he done it?
He could have, should have called a cab from the roadside. Then he wouldn't have gotten caught in a warehouse uniform in the Utica parking lot. He wouldn't have had to sit in Karen's office like a little boy getting scolded by the principal, or listen to her (completely justified) bitterness and pain.
So why had he gone?
Because he hated to admit it, but he had wanted to see her, a little bit. He'd been curious; he wanted to know how she was doing, how she'd dealt with his swift exit from her life. She was a complex person – would she accept it and move on, dismissing him as not worth it? Would she put him down in her own mind, vilify him, hate him? Would she go on to look for happiness herself, or would she get hung up on it, with the same dangerous passion she channeled into her work?
He'd been a little bit scared and a little bit nostalgic and he'd wanted to see her somewhere deep down, because though he'd never loved her, he had genuinely cared for her, and that wasn't something he could turn off.
Pam asked him, quietly, "Why'd you go?"
Jim had never been good at hurting people, at breaking up. He had a feeling he'd botched this one worse than usual; but as Pam wrapped her arms around him and rested her head against his chest, he knew that if he hadn't done the right thing, at least he'd done the best he could.
All he could do was hope for Karen's forgiveness, maybe even someday for her friendship…
He'd buy her a new industrial copier for her birthday.
He answered Pam's question, "Someone had to try and protect Utica from Michael and Dwight."
The End. Review, please!
