Starting Over

Chapter 2: The Princess Bride

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Wow thanks for all the fab reviews! They totally make my day! You'll be able to tell from this chapter that I'm switching the POV's back and forth—this chapter is Jim's.

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Jim exhaled deeply and collapsed onto his couch. As strange and taxing as his day had been, he couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips. The smile that was reserved for her. Thoughts zoomed around his head so fast he could barely make sense of them, but the one standing out from the rest was she didn't marry Roy.

He couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that he hadn't known. He thought if something like that happened he would have sensed it. His smile grew as he thought of why she might have called it off. He couldn't help but think it had something to do with him. After all, she'd been engaged to Roy for three years and right when she's about to walk down the aisle, she decides he's not right for her. You can't fool me Beesly.

He thought back to Casino Night and felt a pull at his heart that he'd managed to ignore for awhile.

His elation as she kissed him back, his horror and disappointment when she brushed it off as a drunken incident between two apparently sober people. The sad realization that he wasn't enough to convince her not to marry Roy.

He'd come home that night, completely crushed, but at least with some semblance of closure. He would never look back and wonder what if?

He sat down and set out to do before he saw her standing at his desk. He explained himself.

Pam,

I know what you're thinking – a letter is incredibly lame. But please, just go with it.

Believe it or not I didn't start this night thinking I was going to pour my heart out to you. I needed to tell you something else. I'm transferring to Stamford. Jan offered me a promotion and I've decided to take it. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner.

I didn't say it earlier, but you have no idea how much your friendship means to me too. Even though I'd hoped we could be more, being with you these past few years has made Scranton bearable. Beyond that – enjoyable.

I know you're going to marry Roy, and I'm okay with that, as long as he makes you happy. Don't be mad at me for saying this, but don't give up on your dreams. It's not too late and you have too much talent to waste sitting behind that desk. I know you know it too. I don't want you to ever look back on your life and wonder what could have been if you'd only taken a chance. I know, I know – I'm not one to talk, but I'm trying.

So, remember to ignore Michael, torture Dwight, and maybe give me a call sometime. Be happy, Pam. I'll miss you.

Love,

Jim

He'd done it. He'd said his final peace and could now only hope that he could move on with his life. Or at least move.

He'd dropped the letter on her desk long before anyone would come into work. That was the last time he walked into Dunder Mifflin Scranton. His transfer was processed, he took two weeks off to move, and when he arrived in Stamford a box of his belongings from the Scranton office were waiting for him. He wondered who'd packed them.

He'd thought about her every day; imagined her kiss every night. But more than that—he just missed talking to her.

Stamford was fine. It was normal. Boring. Serious. He actually worked hard all day, came home to a sparsely decorated apartment, and he was happy. Lonely, but happy.

Then she called today and he realized how much he'd missed her. He thought that with the distance he'd idolized her and she wasn't all that great. Who was he trying to kid, of course she was. And now she was single.

What did she expect him to do with this knowledge? Why hadn't she told him in the first place? His heart sank as he thought that maybe she just really didn't want to be with him. He couldn't be too upset about that, he had moved away.

He wondered if he'd stayed if things would have been different. Knowing his luck, she would have ended up marrying Roy and he would have had to stand by and watch their newlywed bliss. It was a smart move to transfer. In the long run, he knew he couldn't count on a future with her and accepting the promotion was the only sensible option.

God he missed her.

He flipped on the TV, flipped a couple channels and groaned. Of course, he thought. The Princess Bride. It was one of his all time favorite movies, but now every time he saw it all he could think of was actually watching it on a desert island with Pam.

He thought of the hundreds of times he'd thought of her or something she'd like that he wanted to share with her but couldn't. There's nothing stopping me now, he thought. No Roy, no engagement.

He smiled and picked up the phone. The excitement welled within him as he waited for her to answer.

"Hello," she said.

"Channel 47. Right now. You don't need to thank me."

She laughed, a small gasp and then, "The Princess Bride! Yes!" she exclaimed.

"Oh so you've seen it?" He joked.

"Maybe once," she quipped back. "You seriously just saved me from a night of QVC. I don't think I could have handled that…again."

He laughed as he pictured her sitting on her couch, channel surfing. "Well it's the least I can do after inadvertently outing you to the entire office."

"Yeah, now because of you I'm going to have Michael asking me every day if my girlfriend is going to visit and if we'll make out," she said, mock angry.

He laughed, trying to suppress that image. "Actually, let me know if that happens 'cause I'm gonna want to visit that day," he said, only half kidding. "Only to protect to from Michael of course."

"Of course," she laughed. "Well if that's what it'll take to get you to come visit I might have to consider it," she said, her tone slightly more serious.

Woah. Jim thought He didn't know whether to make a joke or keep going with this. He decided to do the latter. "You know I'd come for a lot less."

Somberly, she replied, "I know."

A silence drifted between them, making Jim contemplate if she was just making a joke, or if she really did want to see him.

"Oh!" he said, changing the mood. "This is my favorite!" He put on his best Spanish accent. "My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!"

Pam's laugh filtered through the telephone and Jim was relieved they'd managed to lighten the conversation.

"Seriously Jim, you could take your impressions on the road. You're a true performer," she said, her voice laced with laughter.

"Yeah I'll get right on that. Come on Beesly, you know you're the one with all the talent. You're the one who should be out there." When he realized what he said he back pedaled immediately. "I'm sorry. I know that you don't need…that I shouldn't push you," he apologized.

"No, it's okay," she said, sounding more nervous than upset. "Actually, I've started taking art classes."

"Wow! Pam that's great!"

"Yeah, thanks. I really like it."

"That's really great," he said earnestly. "What kind of class is it?"

"It's an introductory graphic design class. I um, talked to Jan and she recommended that I take it so maybe I can apply for that internship. A new session starts in October," she said, her excitement bubbling through.

"Wow, Pam, that's awesome. You'd be so great at that. I'm so happy for you." She's finally taking a chance on herself, he thought.

"Thanks Jim. I um, I just wanted to…" she hesitated, "Oh I love this part!" she said, ignoring the sentence she'd started.

Jim turned his attention to the screen as Westley and Buttercup tumbled down the hill. He chuckled a little. "Yeah, me too." What was she going to say? He couldn't help but wonder.

He heard a distant knock over the phone. "Oh—that's my dinner. I ordered Chinese."

"General Tso's?" he asked.

"What else? Ok I gotta go, but thanks for the movie. Talk to you soon?" she asked.

"As you wish," he replied.

She laughed. "Bye Jim."

"Bye Pam."

He hung up the phone and reflected on their conversation for the second time that day. What was she going to say? He had a feeling it was something big.

He was so happy she was taking art classes. She really was talented. Not that he was any great judge of art, but he knew she was good. And more than that, it was something she loved to do. He could picture her face, smiling and lit up as she told him about the class.

He got up and crossed the room to a box he'd still yet to unpack. He opened it and pulled out a sheet of copier paper. He grabbed a piece of take and tacked it up on the wall. It wasn't much, just a pencil sketch of a park you could see from the roof of their office, but he'd always liked it—and the memory it brought of sitting up on the roof with her.

He stared at the sketch. He liked the step they'd taken today. They'd pretty much picked up right where they left off—as friends. As happy as he was about that, he was frustrated with himself that even after moving 150 miles away, he still couldn't shake her. Was this just how it was going to be? He knew what would end up happening. He'd fall in love with her all over again, never move on, and then be crushed when she got a new boyfriend and disappeared from his life.

He couldn't read her over the phone. Although with the way he had misjudged the situation in person, maybe that was a good thing. Still, he couldn't help but remember the way she kissed him back. There was something there, he just knew he had to let her make the first move.

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TBC…? Review!