Paper Thin (Jim Halpert/The Office Fanfiction)

Chapter Twenty

"I know, Mom. I'll call you tomorrow. Yes, I promise." I walk out of the courthouse, phone in one hand, Jim's arm in the other.

It's been one week since Casino Night and everything has changed. The day after the assault, I got a call from my mother in California.

"We thought you were dead," she said, crying into the phone.

"I'm sorry, Mom," I had said. I haven't spoken to them since October and it was a relief to hear her voice.

"I always knew that Christian was no good," she said. Well then why was she so enthusiastic about our wedding? Why didn't she say something?

"I know Mom," I said. I promised to visit her soon and make up for lost time, but I think I will wait a while. Too many ghosts in California.

Christian is in holding at a prison back in California. According to my lawyer, Mrs. Feliz, he may get as many as 20 years in a federal prison for his crimes. She's very hopeful about the outcome of the upcoming trial. They found definitive proof of his money laundering, fraud, and even found emails of him hiring 7 different people to search the country for me. I didn't read them, but apparently they are very disturbing. My lawyer is slightly worried that Christian will plead to insanity, lessening his sentence. She thinks that he has bipolar disorder. I wouldn't be surprised. The thought of him getting a lesser sentence worries me, but Mrs. Feliz ensures me that he still won't be allowed to come near me. All there is to do now is wait for the trial.

Jim and I haven't returned to work yet. He's still recovering and Michael gave us several days to recouperate. It's Thursday now and we will be returning to work on Monday, surely to a million different questions. Who was that guy? Why did he hurt Jim? Why were you and him so close? Are you dating?

Things with Jim and I have been better than ever. With the weight of Christian's advances off of our shoulders, the past week has been wonderful, after the first day or so when I was so traumatized all I could do was lay in bed. We've gone to restaurants in town, no longer afraid of who will see. We are still planning to keep our relationship on the down low, though, because people in the office tend to overreact to office romance.

"Hey, do you wanna grab some food?" I ask Jim. He smiles and nods at me. We continue down the steps of the courthouse, my heels clicking on the pavement. Today is a great day. I just signed the papers; I am officially divorced.

I get to the car, which is parked at a meter outside the justice building, and turn to unlock it. For the first time in a long time, I feel entirely at peace. Happy, even. I turn around to tell Jim something, and am shocked to see him down on one knee.

"Oh my god," I say, covering my mouth with my hands.

"I um...I bought this a week after we started dating," he says chuckling, holding a black velvet ring box. Tears start to well up in my eyes. "I'm sorry this proposal isn't anything fancy and I know that you are very freshly divorced but...I just couldn't wait." He opens the box to reveal a beautiful ring with a solitary diamond on a white gold band. "Marry me, Rachel," he says softly.

I lean down and kiss him over and over again, throwing my arms around his neck.

"Is that a yes?" he asks, laughing into my neck. I pull back.

"Yes. Oh yes," I say.

"Yes!" he exclaims, pumping his fist. I giggle. I hold out my hand to him, and he places the ring on my finger. It's a perfect fit. He stands up and hugs me tightly, his hands gripping the small of my back. He presses his lips to mine, smiling into the kiss. I grab his face with both hands and kiss him back eagerly. He presses me up against the car and slips his tongue in my mouth gently, and I start to remember that we're in public. I break away from his kiss and we hurriedly get into the car, ready to go home.