Sweet Dreams

She feels as if she's forgotten something.

She can't tell where she is. It's dark and so quiet, but there's an insistent, nagging feeling that she's missed something very important.

Pam tries to open her eyes, but she's too tired. The effort of lifting her eyelids seems too much at the moment. She decides not to fight it. She'll just stay still and sleep for a little while longer.

She's worried she might oversleep but knows Jim won't let her. She knows he's like her own personal alarm clock. It had always been quite annoying to her actually, the way he was so chipper, so eager to meet the day. She was convinced he'd never mastered the art of slowly transitioning from slumber to wakefulness. She's always trying to get him to be a little lazier. He's forever bounding out of bed before her eyes even open.

Jim. Jim in bed. Jim in bed with her. Pam was sure that nothing in the world was better than waking up with him right next to her.

She sifts through her memories, latches on one she's particularlyfond of.

With those thoughts filling her head a smile tugs at her lips as she sighs - and starts to dream.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

It looked like a tornado had hit their room. Sheets are tangled, shoes cast off into far corners, and various items of clothing are hanging from the furniture.

Pam sat on the floor with her back against the footboard grinning madly.

"That shirt - looks great - on you." He whispered, kissing her neck between phrases.

She flapped her hands in front of her, the sleeves seeming to swallow them whole. "You think?"

"Mmm hmm. I also think." He hands began to toy with the buttons, expertly slipping two open before she can catch his hand in hers. "It also looks quite good on the floor."

"Stop it." She weakly protested, laughing as she turned her face towards his.

She kissed him deeply, sighed as his hands resumed their task. "You're trying to kill me aren't you?" Despite her choice of words she nearly purred as his fingers glided over her skin, followed quickly by his mouth.

Her muscles became lax as she slid, as if boneless to the floor.

He moved over her, effectively pinned her down as one of his knees nudged its way between her own. "Never..." He whispered against her skin, his lips moving slowly, patiently downward. "Ever…"

"JIM." As he lazily made his way her eyes fluttered closed and she could swear she saw stars.

And then as she shifted to give him better access, she actually did.


Her head rapped sharply against the end of the bed. "Ow!"

His laughter bounced off the curve of her hip.

"Not funny." She threaded her fingers through his hair and tugged none too gently.

"Ow!" He laughed louder as he rested his chin on her stomach.

"Serves you right." She pouted as he pushed himself up.

Pam sat upright, her hand rubbing at the knot that was quickly forming on the back of her head.

"I'm sorry." He bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing. "C'mon. Let me look at it."

She frowned at him and scrambled further away.

He followed her, his fingers gently running through her hair. "Ooo. Ouch." He winced when he felt the bump there. "I think you're concussed."

"Is that your expert opinion?" She grumbled as he started laughing again.

"Hey. I think I know something about concussions. Remember Dwight?"

She threw daggers at him with her eyes. "Yes. I remember. And you may want to move away from me or I might just puke on you."

"And then start to stare off into space, switch personalities." He laughed louder.

"That really hurt." She rubbed her head again as she pouted. "And you're not funny."

He moved closer, picked her hand off her head and placed a soft kiss where it had just laid. "I'm sorry. What can I do to make it better?"

She couldn't believe she was complaining when she thought about the circumstances that had caused her to bump her head.

Still it was always fun to tease him. It seemed to always work out in her favor in the end.

She stared back at him, feigning annoyance. "Quit laughing and get me some ice."

"OK. Will do." Jim said as he bent down, tugged a sheet from the floor and wrapped it around his waist.

"Don't do that on my account." She tried to suppress her laughter as she watched him.

"I know it's…" He walked next to the nightstand and used his foot to turn over the clock that had fallen to the floor. "…three a.m. but I'm not going out there without anything on."

He went to the dresser and picked up an ice bucket as Pam shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Thankful that the ice machine was right outside their room, Jim filled the bucket and then quickly moved back to the door.

He knocked gently. "Pam?"

"Who is it?" She asked in a sing-song-y voice.

He shifted and moved to hitch up the sheet. "Pam. C'mon. Open up."

"My mother told me never to open the door to strangers." She replied sweetly.

"PAM." He hissed through clenched teeth. "Let me in." His eyes flew opened wide as he heard the elevator ding.

"Please go away before I have to call hotel security." She said, her voice quivering. "I told you. I can't pay you. You should have told me when I hired you that it would be eighty dollars an hour!"

She took a deep breath to regain her composure. It was extremely difficult especially when she heard him say, "Hey. How's it going?" to whoever had come off the elevator.

"Aww. Poor guy! Good luck!" She heard someone call back to him as they made their way down the hall.

Embarrassed beyond belief and sure he was now crimson from head to toe, Jim laid his forehead on the door and begged. "Pam. Seriously. Game's over. Let me in."

"I don't know if I can even remember how to open the door." She said with a giggle. "I'm severely concussed."

"PAM!" He knocked again. "Enough."

He jiggled the door handle desperately, nearly falling head first into the room when she finally opened it.

She stood there barefooted, clutching the shirt closed with one hand, the other covering her mouth as she laughed uncontrollably. Her cheeks were pink, her hair curling wildly around her face.

Despite how irresistible she looked he set the ice bucket down with a bang.

His eyes were murderous as he glared at her. "SO NOT FUNNY."

"Who are you and what are you doing in my room?" She blinked up at him with a face full of innocence.

"NOT. FUNNY." He took a step towards her. She sidestepped him and ran to the other side of the bed.

"My husband will be here any minute." She brought a hand to her mouth and nibbled on her nails worriedly. "Wait? Am I even married?"

"If you are it may not be for long." He threatened. "If there were ever grounds for divorce…"

"Jim?" She blinked, as if suddenly remembering. " Jim? Is that you?"

"OK. That's it." He took two strides, crossed the room and lunged. "You'd better watch out. You are so going to get it now."

She squealed as he snagged her waist, lifted her up and threw her in the center of the bed. He loomed over her with a menacing look on his face.

She sighed as she looked up at him. "Promise?"

He didn't reply, simply covered her mouth with his.

She laughed as he pulled away and gently ran his hands through her hair. He gazed down at her, his face full of concern. "Hold on. Wait a second. Seriously. Is your head OK?"

Pam's heart melted as she saw the look in his eyes. Leave it to him to still be concerned even after she'd just tortured him.

She laid a hand on his cheek and nodded. "Don't be silly. I'm fine." She promised as she pulled him back towards her.

"Happy Second Anniversary." She whispered as his lips touched hers again.

He pulled away slightly and grinned, his eyes twinkling. "Oh. Yes. It certainly will be."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

She feels as if she's walking through a fog. As if mist is swirling around her and she's lost for a second. She can't see more than two feet in front of her face.

The fog slowly lifts and she begins to remember. How she'd nudged him in the middle of the night, watched him scurry around, grabbing an empty suitcase and then pulling out of the driveway before she could even get in the car.

She remembers laying a hand on his knee at an intersection, squeezing gently as she implored him to calm down and drive slowly.

She remembers him kissing her softly and sweetly as they waited near the nurses station for them to bring her to a room.

She remembers him holding her hand, telling her to breathe, rubbing her back and feeding her ice chips.

She remembers yelling at him in return. Telling him he owed her and she remembers how he just stood there and smiled, which had seemed to infuriate her more.

Then she remembers hushed voices, a sound so loud and insistent it hurt her ears - like a siren. She remembers a crash and his hand being torn from hers even as she cried his name.

And then all she remembers is darkness.

Her eyes open and she gasps. Without even realizing it her hand squeezing his so hard that it startles him awake.

"Pam?"

She can't find her voice, can barely see him now through her tears.

"Oh. Pam." He whispers as he leans forward, brushing a thumb across her cheek.

"Where?" She finally manages. Her throat is so dry it comes out like a croak.

"The hospital." He replies, still clutching her hand in his. "Shh. It's OK. It's all over now." He brings a glass of water to her mouth and she roots for the straw, taking a long sip.

She's half asleep, but knows something's changed. As he moves the glass away she sobs and shakes her head. "Oh no. Jim. Baby." She shuts her eyes, braces herself for the worst.

She thinks she hears him laugh as he brings her hand to his lips, kisses it gently. "Oh that's right. That's why we came here. The baby." His voice sounds dreamlike and far away.

She's almost sure she's gone under again when she hears him add. "Yeah. Wait till you see her. She's beautiful."

Pam opens her eyes, doesn't dare hope as she stammers. "S-s-she?"

"Yeah. She. Is. Beautiful." He shifts closer, resting his chin on their joined hands before kissing hers again. "Just like her mother."

"She's OK?" She asks, her voice trembling. "You're sure?"

"Oh yeah. I'm sure." Jim moves his face a breath away from hers as he nods back at her. He kisses her softly as he replies. "She's absolutely perfect."