-1AN: Sorry this took so long! I had a little writer's block for a while, and then I went on vacation. But I hope this chapter suffices (it's also extra-long to make up for lost time!)

Pam could tell from Jim's body language that he really didn't want to talk about his run-in with Todd Packer. She figured maybe they could sneak away from the group later to talk about it; she couldn't help but be incredibly curious about what had driven Jim to that point. She had never seen him do anything like that before. She looked around the small, generically "cozy" front hall of the Inn, packed with Dunder-Mifflin employees. Pam smiled up at Jim, re-shouldering her duffle bag. "You know, I'm feeling a little bit of receptionist-solidarity here."

Jim chuckled. "Yeah, especially the one that's dealing with Dwight," he gestured towards a frantic-looking receptionist at the front desk. They could hear Dwight all the way across the room.

"No! This is completely unacceptable!" Dwight pounded the desk with his fist, and the receptionist jumped.

"I-I'm sorry sir, but we're completely booked with your party, and we, we can't move you anywhere else-"

"Why can't I just room with Michael?" Dwight whined.

"No Dwight," Michael said. "I requested a single room specifically for when I entertain all of the beach bunnies. King-sized bed ladies!" he called out, laughing at his own 'audacity'.

Dwight placed both of his hands firmly on the desk and leaned forward, squinting his eyes in what he hoped was an intimidating fashion. "I refuse to room with Jim Halpert," he hissed.

Jim walked up behind Dwight as placed a hand on his shoulder, which Dwight tried valiantly to shrug off. "Uh, hey buddy, what's the problem?"

"Shut up, Jim. This doesn't concern you."

Jim ignored him and shrugged. "C'mon Dwight, seriously, it's not a big deal." Dwight pressed his lips together tightly, and said nothing. Jim retrieved his key as Pam went to the next available receptionist, and he waited for her to sign in. "So who're you with?" he asked.

Pam rolled her eyes. "Angela," she sighed. "I hope she doesn't think my pajamas are too 'whorish.'"

Jim raised his eyebrows. "Well, Pam…"

Pam gave Jim a reprimanding look but he just smiled, knowing she didn't really mean it..

"Okay guys, listen up!" Michael shouted, much more loudly than necessary. "Scranton branch, over here!" People slowly began to gather around Michael, and he seemed surprised that they were actually listening to him. "Well, um, just get all your stuff together everybody, and we'll meet in the dining room in fifteen minutes for our first group-building exercise." He clapped his hands enthusiastically, but that didn't keep people from groaning audibly. Michael's group-building exercises were infamously awful.

Jim nudged Stanley with his elbow as they headed towards the elevator. "So, are you excited for the group-building exercise?" he joked.

Stanley looked at Jim, his face the picture of boredom. "Are you kiddin' me? I'll see y'all in a little bit. I'm going to take a nap."

xxxx

Jim met Pam in the hallway outside their rooms and they rode down the elevator together, just like they did at the end of each workday. Since their branch's rooms were booked together they were all on the same floor. Once they reached the dining room, they were surprised to find all of the tables except for one pushed to the side. Pam groaned, hoping that this wasn't what she thought it was. At Jim's questioning look, she said "I think I recognize this from a school trip we took in middle school."

Before Jim could ask what she thought it was, Michael jogged into the room. Several people exchanged confused glances when they saw that Michael had changed into workout clothes. "Is everyone here?" he asked Dwight, who was taking attendance.

"Stanley refused to participate. I'll punish him for you later. Otherwise, everyone is here except for Toby-"

"Well that's fine," Michael smiled, looking around. "Okay people," he began, "a very important part of being a team is trusting each other. That is why we are going to start with the Trust Fall!"

"Oh no," Pam said, shaking her head with disbelief.

Jim looked at her, wide-eyed. "What?"

She winced. "Sixth grade flashbacks."

"I do not like the sound of this," Jim said.

"Now everybody," Michael rubbed his hands together, "one by one we are going to climb up onto this table, and fall backwards into the open arms of our co-workers! Now, I know some of you might be nervous," he laughed, "but since there are so many of us, there's no way you'll fall! This is a great way for us to build on the already great trust we have amongst us."

"I don't know if I trust Angela to catch Kevin," Jim whispered to Pam as she tried unsuccessfully to stifle her sudden laughter.

"Pam, c'mon, this is serious," Michael said, glaring at her.

Dwight couldn't help but chime in: "Yeah, Pam, if you don't take this seriously, I will have to remove you."

Pam apologized quietly, then glared at Jim. He smiled sweetly.

Michael organized everyone so that they were facing each other in two lines that were perpendicular to the table. Once everyone was lined up, he called out "Okay, now who would like to go first?"

"Why aren't you going first, Michael?" Kevin asked.

"Well, Kevin, I need to help facilitate the process first."

"But why don't you go first to show us you trust us?" Meredith said.

"Meredith, just- I- just don't question me, okay?! Part of good teamwork is leadership, and I am the leader of this ship." Meredith just rolled her eyes, and Michael asked again, "So, who is going to go first?"

"You guys have nothing to worry about," Dwight said seriously, "because if all else fails, I have the ability to catch a 300-pound pig from a 20 foot drop."

Michael groaned. "Dwight, how do you even know that- just, just shut it, okay? Now, who's going first?"

After a few moments of silence, finally Creed said, "Okay, I'll do it."

"All right, Creed!" Michael cheered, clapping. "C'mon!" he said, motioning for the other office members to join in to cheer on Creed, and they clapped half-heartedly.

Creed climbed up onto the table with surprising spryness and stood with his heels at the edge of the table, his arms crossed across his chest. With no warning, he threw himself backward, his eyes closed and his body as stiff as a board. "Oh, God!" Michael cried out, shocked, but the office mates just managed to catch Creed just in time and lower him to the ground.

"Okay," Michael said weakly, breathing heavily. "Uh, I forgot to mention that uh, before you fall, there's usually a countdown. You know, you say you're ready, we say we're ready, then you countdown. Just some warning. Is good." He put his hand to his chest, as if to calm down his heart. Creed stood up, calmly brushing off his suit. "Uh, okay," Michael said, trying to rebound. "Who's going next?"

Jim raised his hand. "Jim!" Michael cried, excited at Jim's sudden participation, but Jim shook his head.

"Uh, no. But, um, Pam mentioned to me that she's done the trust fall before, and I know she really has a lot of faith in her co-workers, so…" Jim grinned at Pam, who simply looked at him in horror.

"Yes! Pam!" Michael cried. Pam shook her head mutely, waving her hands to emphasize how much she did not want to do this. "C'mon, Pam, this is about faith, and trust! We promise to catch you! Just give us some warning." Pam was about to refuse again, but then she remembered how Michael had really spoken out against Todd Packer when it counted. She knew how much he actually cared about the office, and he really loved the idea of them working together as a team.

She sighed. "Okay."

Michael pumped his fist into to air and shouted "Okay! Alrighty, let's do this thing-thang!"

Pam walked to the edge of the table, and Jim followed her. "Do you need a hand up?" he grinned, looking satisfied.

Pam narrowed her eyes. "I hate you," she said, but her words held no real venom.

Jim laughed. "C'mon Pam, it's time to build trust in your office-mates." He offered his hand, as if escorting her into a carriage. She took it, and his grip was dry and firm.

"You better catch me," she warned him.

"Always," Jim said and though his tone was light, the seriousness in his eyes made Pam's heart clench. She quickly looked away, no matter how much she didn't want to. She and Jim…they were just friends. Always had been. And even though- even if she wanted something more, she was with Roy. And besides, Jim was such a great guy, he deserved better than her. Someone braver than she was.

She shook her head, as if to erase the moment, then started to climb onto the table. Jim placed his other hand, the one that wasn't holding hers, on her waist to steady her and she couldn't help her sharp intake of breath. She pushed her skirt down nervously as she finally found her footing on the table and walked to the edge. She'd always hated trust falls.

"Okay Pammy, you ready?" Michael called as Jim rejoined the other office members. Pam sighed, thinking, God, I think I die a little inside every time either Michael or Roy calls me Pammy.

"I'm ready," Pam said, turning her back towards the edge of the table, and crossing her arms.

"All right guys, are we ready?!" Michael asked, as the office mates grudgingly murmured their assent. "Okay, Pammy!"

"Okay, one…two…three!" Pam shut her eyes tightly, and her stomach flopped as for a brief moment, she fell through space. Before she knew it, she was being buoyed up by the arms of her co-workers. She opened her eyes, and Jim's face was the first she saw. "Hi," she whispered.

He smiled, almost shyly. "Hi."

Then, Pam felt a hand slide slowly down to her ass. "Kevin!"

"Sorry," Kevin muttered.

AN:

There once was a girl from Boston,

Who wrote about "The Office" quite often,

The more reviews she got, the more that she thought,

And she updated fast like a dolphin!

Um, yeah. Review!