A/N: I hope this chapter clears things up for some of you who were like "What?" at the end of the last chapter. As for what happens next - just so you know - I generally am at "T" rating writer. I don't expect the rating of this fic to change. Basically my rule of thumb is this. If I'm writing about a TV show I censor myself. No words or scenes we'd never see on TV.

Doesn't mean it won't be steamy - just not scorching hot. ;)

I am so incredibly busy at work it's not funny. Be grateful I'm so obsessed.

Until 7 - enjoy!

Chapter Six

"Jim…" Becky begins.

"Don't." He warns her. If looks could kill she'd be dead now.

"I was angry…and disappointed. I honestly didn't see her there…"

Her words hang in the air as he pushes past her and out the door.

Jim was greeted with an unexpected surprise. It had started to rain. Not a downpour - just that slow, misty drizzle that was just enough to require an umbrella.

Perfect. He mutters as he looks left to right until he finally spots her two doors down, huddled under an awning.

He made his way over to her, heedless of the weather. His shirt is splattered with raindrops, but he couldn't care less.

"Pam." He whispers. "What are you doing? Come back inside."

"No." She says defiantly as she stalks past him and down the street.

He sighs and races off after her. "C'mon." He pleads. "Where are you going?"

"Home." She snaps and begins to walk away again.

"To Scranton?" Jim shakes his head and chases after her. "Are you planning on walking? Pam…" He finally got close enough to snag her arm.

"Maybe. No!" She yells loudly enough to stop two passers by in their tracks. As she rips her arm from his grasp she says through clenched teeth. "Don't touch me."

He lets her go, holding his hands up in front of him in surrender. "Sure. No problem. Piece of cake."

She stares at him incredulously. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that I'm good at that. Not…touching you. I'm an expert. I've had three years practice." Jim bitterly replies.

She stops in her tracks and her mouth drops open in shock. "Don't you dare…."

He gives her an identical look. "Don't I dare what?"

"Blame me for this."

"Why? Is there something wrong?" He says sarcastically. Months of pent up anger and disappointment quickly rise to the surface. It happens before it can even register.

Pam shrugs and gives him a disinterested look. "You tell me."

It bizarre that they are here again, out in the open, having one of the most intimate conversations ever.

All the giddiness and joy he'd felt today vanishes in an instant. He looks her square in the eye as he whispers. "OK. Hmm. I don't know. If I had to guess I'd think you were…jealous."

She looks at him and rolls her eyes. "You are nothing if not observant."

Unbelievable. She's engaged for three years but has the nerve to deny him some sort of relationship. She is something else. He gazes at her, unable to believe she's got enough gall to even confront him on this - let alone be angry. "You're jealous. Of Becky? Pam the thing between she and I…"

"No." Pam cuts him off sharply - not wanting to hear it at all.

"No?"

"No." She says as she shakes her hair back. "What I am is an idiot."

Jim can hear it then, loud and clear. The tone she used to get when Roy would shoot her down. "Don't do that. I hate it when you talk like that about yourself."

"Well the fact remains I feel like an idiot. I've been looking forward to this for weeks. I was so excited to see you." She says, her voice quivering.

His gaze and voice softens at her words. "It was a great surprise."

Her eyes are full of fire in an instant, "Yeah - well - the surprise is on me I guess."

Jimcan't believe how angry she is. He says the only thing that keeps repeating in his mind at the moment.

"Stop."

Pam is good and pissed. There's no holding back now. She chuckles bitterly at how she'd dreamed this night would go. She should have known better.

"No. You stop. It must be so easy for you here with your new life and your new job and your new girlfriend."

Jim shakes his head at her. "She - is not my girlfriend."

Pain fills Pam's eyes as he reveals that bit of truth. "Oh. Nice. So you just sleep with her. You are unbelievable Jim."

He looks at her in complete and total shock. She cannot be serious. "What did you want me to do Pam? Join a monastery?"

"No." Is all she can think to reply.

Jim barely heard her. In a way it felt better to release all this pent up emotion. He reaches out and grips her arm firmly but gently. "Might I remind you that you were engaged? I had to watch you with him for a very long time. Joking, talking about what you'd do to each other when you'd get home. Get it yet Pam? Not so much fun for me."

"So it's payback?" She looks at him in disgust. "Real mature Jim."

He feels the need to get it all out. He's done sitting here, pretending he doesn't love her, pretending he's OK.It's too much now. Knowing the truth, even finally ending it is better than this. No matter what the end result

He gazes at her, defeated. "No. It's not payback." His eyes are wild then, his voice frantic. He needs to get his point across because living like this is too torturous for words.

"You know me better than that. It's just me. Trying to do whatever I can to - Jesus...forget you for maybe like a half a second. Like that is even possible. Because when you gave me no reason to stay, I had narrowed it down to two options. Jump off a bridge and put myself out of my misery or take a new job and try and start over."

She doesn't know how to respond. All she can do is stammer. "I - I - I can't believe…I mean I really thought…"

Jim patience is razor thin. "What Pam? Spit it out. What did you think?"

She looks at him, tears spilling from her eyes as she whispers. "I really thought you'd have a harder time getting over me."

He gazes at her as he replies, his voice laced with pain. "Who said I was?"

"You are. It's incredibly obvious." Pam refuses to accept that he might still want her. It's too much, it's too painful. She looks back down the street, cocking her head towards the bar and…Becky as she adds. "She's…she's just…really beautiful, Jim."

His hands itch to touch her, but he shoves them in his pockets and takes a step closer to her. "Not nearly as beautiful as you."

Pam's off and running again, moving to another storefront further down this stretch of road. "Don't do that." She says as she rushes off.

He keeps chasing her. He can't help himself. "Do what?"

"Say things you don't mean." She spits back at him.

Jim's restraint is at a breaking point. "I never say something I don't mean. You - of all people - should know that by now." He says his voice dangerously quiet.

Pam gazes up at him, her arms hugged protectively around her. She forces herself to say the words. "You've moved on - I get it. It's…fine…."

He cannot even believe what is happening. "Are you actually doing this? Are you really making this about me?"

"What?"

Jim gazes at her - open mouthed. "Are you seriously trying to tell me that all this time you've been sitting in Scranton - waiting for me? Because I simply can't believe it. "

She blinks at him. "Why is that so hard to believe?"

His mind wanders back to that night. Suddenly he's back in the office, that fateful night, hearing those horrific words again.

I can't Jim…it's too late…Stop. I can't...I've made all these plans…You don't understand...it's been so long and I feel like I owe him…I'm sorry. I can't...He's all I've ever known….

He takes a step forward, his voice softening a bit as he answers. "Because Pam. When I told you I loved you I meant it. And you…you told me you couldn't."

"I know." She stares at her feet, unable to look at him. "I couldn't then….but…now…"

Jim can't take it anymore. She looks like she's about to collapse. His hands reach out to grab her by the elbows, keeping her steady, Just when he thinks there's a limit to how much pain he can feel he goes searching for more. "Now what? Pam huh? What? You changed your mind?"

She can't answer him directly. It's simply too much. "I - I…I needed time to think. There was so much to do. It wasn't easy for me, giving Roy up."

Images of Pam and Roy together are in the forefront of his mind now. "Yes. I know." Jim answers in mock sincerity. "Those Saturday night Monster Truck rallies are just so appealing."

Pam's back goes up, almost on instinct. "You don't like him. I get it. But don't joke with me. N-n-not about this. It was my life, he was my life - and my life was FINE. It was fine until you…."

Jim is completely exasperated now. He can't take any more.

"Until I what?"

Tears choke her voice as she gazes up at him. "M-m-made me love you."

He can't even form a full sentence as he looks down at her. "Pam."

She shakes her head in disbelief.. "I don't even know when it happened. It wasn't that night. It was way before. All I know is that it was like one day I woke up and I was out of love with him and in with you."

"I know what you mean." He says, under his breath. He pulls her closer as he whispers her name again. "Pam..."

She's moving away from him again, shaking her head over and over. "Things like that don't happen to me…you weren't supposed to happen to me…."

Jim tries to get her attention, but it's not so easy. "Pam."

Pam is still speaking, oblivious to his reaction. "It was hard but I did it. I left Roy and I waited for you. I was so sure you'd come back."

He'd been so caught up in her words the last time they spoke that it never occurred to him. "I'm sorry..." He began.

She didn't hear him. Tears are pouring down her cheeks now. "A-a-and you never did. You were just…gone…you barely said goodbye."

"I know. I just…I didn't know how." He whispers softly.

She gazes up at him, her eyes wide and full of hurt. "I waited for you. I was right here. This whole time.."

"Shh." He says softly trying to comfort her. " I'm sorry."

Pam wasn't about to stop. She couldn't keep herself from going on. "I didn't think I'd have to tell you. I was so sure you knew. You would look at me sometimes like you could see right through me. I thought you had to have known. I should have told you I guess - I just…"

Jim is so relieved he almost smiles. His arms begin to pull her close again. "Shhh." It's OK. Tell me now…"

It's easier than she'd imagined to finally say it. "I love you…" She whispers as she inches closer.

His arms are around her and her face is buried in his shoulder. He presses a kiss to her temple as he whispers. "There it is. Finally. "

"I'm sorry." She sobs, letting go at last.

Jim hugs her tighter as he replies. "Me too." .

They stand there, entwined in the muggy rain, holding each other close. They are both beyond exhausted but there is still more to be said. Jim lips form a smile as he quietly pleads. "Do me a favor? Say it again…"

It get easier still the second time. "I love you." Pam inches closer and buries her face in the crook of his neck, hugging him tight.

Her mouth roams over his face and she presses her lips to his desperately, his arms tightening around her, her body perfectly fitting into the contours of his. He can't even believe it. It's like they've gotten a chance to play the scene over, but this time the result is far different.

When he comes finally up for air he smiles against her lips as he whispers. "Just so you know…I'm never going to get tired of hearing that."

He eases back a bit and runs a hand gently over her cheek, brushing away her tears. "I love you too. I always will. I really tried to forget you." Jim says sadly as he dips his head again and kisses her deeply. His hand rests at the small of her back, slowly inching up under her sweater, unable to tell what's softer, the fabric or her skin. "I…just…couldn't…"

He didn't need to try half this hard. Pam can't be more responsive. She rises on her toes and sinks into him, their mouths are still joined in a fervent kiss. It's like three years all lead to this moment, the moment the lies fall away and all that is left is truth.

"I know…" She whispers as her hands reach up to thread through his hair, effectively keeping his lips on hers.

It should feel more weird, it should be more uncomfortable. Jim is shocked that there isn't a voice in his head screaming. This is Pam…it's Pam for God's sake. Get a hold of yourself.

But it was no use, because he knew, deep in his heart that he'd been waiting for this moment his whole entire life. To have it within arms reach was almost more than he could bear. And now - he fullyintends to never let her go.

He can feel her relax as he smiles down at her, joy replacing the numbing pain he'd felt for the last four months.

His mouth seeks hers and he kisses her furiously, as if one taste will never be enough.

Pam's head spins, she cannot even believe this is happening. She clings to him, her nails digging into his shoulders. More. She silently pleads to him as she kisses him back, her passion rising minute by minute. Take me home with you. NOW. I want more.

"Please." Is all she can manage as she pulls away. If she doesn't move from this spot soon she's sure her knees will give out.

"Oh my God. We just left them…" Pam finds it hard to catch her breath when Jim looks at her like that. She's out of luck, because he doesn't even know he's doing it. "We need to say goodbye." She thinks desperately as she realizes that they've been away for quite some time.

"They'll get over it." Jim replies as he tugs at her hands and moves towards his car, which as luck would have it is parked a few feet away.

"Jim." She says breathlessly as he twirls her around, pinning her up against the door.His mouth gently assaults hers, his intent perfectly clear.

"Still want to say goodbye?" He whispers against her lips challenging her.

"No." She sighs.

"Good." He flashes her a grin before helping her into the car. His hands shake as he attempts to start it three times before he can actually turn the ignition.

Her hand reaches over and gives his a squeeze and all his doubts disappear instantly.

"Ready?" He says softly, the one word charged with endless meaning.

Despite her anxiousness she hears herself reply. "As I'll ever be."