Stubborn as a rainy day, Pam rejects Conroe's first approach. She feels betrayed and angry. "I can always find work with a fertilizer factory or a dog food producer," she tells him.
Goaded by his executive assistant and his own wife, Conroe finally puts his position in jeopardy to secure an agreement that will bring Pam back to the fold. As with almost everything else in Washington, the AG attaches a condition.
After returning to ATF, Pam faces challenges unlike any before. A nominated Assistant Director takes the job, then abandons it. Her marriage to an FBI agent falls apart. Her ATF boss fails her when the chips are down.
Pam's best friend and incoming Assistant Director Marian Wortham welcomes her return. When an incident demands ATF intervention, Pam declines to investigate it despite her reinstated authorization to do so. Instead, she sends Wortham, who actually has the primary responsibility and can benefit from the additional experience.
With Christmas just days away, a lethal bomb attack alters the festive mood and, to an extent, the futures of all concerned.