A/N: Here's Chapter 8! I've been doing some different things to this fanfiction, bringing in people other than in the office, but it all falls to place at the end. So, I have my reasons! Just like Jim has his 38 reasons! Haha. Enjoy!

With Jim's hand on the small of Pam's back, he guided her down stairs. What was that smile all about? Whatever the reason for it was, he could stare at it all day. It would just be more enjoyable if it were him making her smile.

Pam was still shivering from being outside on the roof, but the warmth of Jim's strong hand on her back comforted her. She thought about when Roy had his hand on her back. For one, he rarely did it, but two, when he did she never thought of it as a way of him showing his love. Maybe it was because this was the only way Jim could and she realized that. Why had she said she needed to find Roy? She'd much rather stay up there with Jim all day, even if it did cause them to get frostbite.

Jim opened the door to the office for her, and for a slight moment, with his hand on her back and the door opened for her, this felt like a moment in the future. It wasn't déjà vu. It was the exact opposite. He couldn't really fathom it in his mind, but he just knew that this moment was somehow not just reserved for today. Pam walked through the door, ending the moment for Jim. And he didn't mind. He watched the slight sway of her hips move as she walked. She stopped by his desk and stood still.

Pam slowly looked around the office and it felt as if everyone and everything was in slow motion. Her heart felt heavier like someone opened her chest and placed something large right on top of it. She found it difficult to breathe because the air felt thicker. She looked past the glass window to the conference room and found Roy exactly where he had been.

Roy looked up and caught her eye. He lifted his index finger up to Kevin, who he was talking to, and started his way towards Pam.

"Hey, babe, where ya been?" He wrapped his heavy arm around her shoulder.

"Stop," Pam murmured under her breath.

"What?" he asked turning to face her.

"I said stop." She forced through clenched teeth.

Roy dropped his arm and starred at her, "Babe, what happened? Did Jim bother you?" he whispered.

"No, Roy, that's not it! If anything, he's been nothing but truthful and kind to me! " she starred back at him.

"Whoa, hey, what I do?"

"You know goddamn well what you did, Roy!" To show her anger she poked his chest as she spoke.

"What!" he acted acquitted, throwing his hands up.

"You think I'm going to believe your innocent little game, Roy? I know you texted Jim! You can't lie to me anymore. I'm not going to let you!"

"Pammy, calm down, what are you talking about?"

"Stop." Pam wasn't going to argue with her deceitful fiancé. She turned directly around and walked to Jim.

"Can you take me home," Pam asked wearily.

He was looking down at his shoes, thinking it wasn't right to stare as they fought or argued or whatever it was. But he looked up at her with his raised eyebrows as she spoke.

"Or just away from here?" she added

"What? I mean, uh, yeah. Where to?"

"Let's just leave, we'll figure it out on the way."

"Pam!" exclaimed Roy, "You are NOT leaving with him!"

"C'mon." I whispered to Jim.

They ignored Roy and left, hoping he wouldn't follow.

"Um, sorry it's a little messy." Jim blushed as he opened his car door for Pam.

"It can't be worse than Roy's truck." she retorted. And then she thought that was the last time she wanted to talk about Roy tonight. She asked him to take her away from the trouble, away from the lies.

Jim got in the car, started it, and drove away from the office that they both deeply wished they weren't a part of. "Where to?" he asked while turning on the heat.

"I don't know. I just couldn't stay there."

"Yeah." Jim racked his brain for somewhere comfortable and warm. "Are you hungry?"

"I could eat, I guess." She replied

"I think I know a place."

"Sounds good."

They drove in silence after that, and neither minded. It was about 3:20 pm. The orange sun hung over the crystal blue sky. The air blew through the vents and engulfed the car with warmth, shielding away the bitter afternoon cold. There was a slight chance of snow today. Pam's perfume lingered under Jim's nose, leaving it hard for him to focus on the road. Such simple things that she did subconsciously made bigger impacts on him than she could guess. Trying to keep his eyes on the road, but not succeeding, he noticed the perfect curls that lay under her shoulder from the corner of his eye. His thoughts were all about Pam, so much so, that Jim almost missed the restaurant.

Jim parallel parked into a space that was right in front of the diner's door. He quickly got out and skipped over to her side to open the door for her. "Ever been here?" he asked as she stepped out.

"Once or twice."

"With Roy", his thoughts completed her sentence.

"Well, they know me well, and they've got good coffee."

Jim opened the door to Ruby's Diner, greeted by Ruby, herself. This was another place Jim came to think. He'd read the newspaper and get himself a coffee. Ruby had started calling him a regular just a couple weeks ago. Ruby had just about all white hair, it was short and she never bothered to fix it. She opened up this diner when she was 50 years old with the help of her only son. She was now 60 years old, widowed, but didn't look a bit like a woman who had lost her husband. Ruby was a strong woman, who knew a lot about everything. Jim had learned much about her from the short time he'd been coming here.

"Well, if it isn't our Jimmy boy," She smiled, showing her happy wrinkles. (That's what Ruby called them). She said it was because wrinkles show that she's old and been through a lot, and there was no sense in being ashamed of her wrinkles, like most woman were. "At such an odd time. We never see ya at 3:30." She glanced at her watch.

Pam looked over at Jim. There was so much she didn't know about him, but so much she wanted to.

"Well, someone's got your booth, how 'bout the one next to it, then?" She grabbed two menus.

"That'll do just fine, thanks." Jim guided Pam to the booth by the big glass window. They both took off their coats and placed them by their side.

"Now, Jim, aren't you gonna introduce me to this beautiful lady?"

"Oh, sorry. Uh, Pam, this is Ruby. Ruby, this is Pam."

"This is Pam? Oh Jim, you did a perfect job describin' her! Well, hi, Pam! He's told me a lot about you." Ruby reached out her hand for me to shake it, and just like her name, her nails were painted a glossy red. Pam took her hand and smiled.

"It's nice to meet you! Well then, what can I get you two to drink?" She asked.

"I'll have coffee." Jim replied

"Uh, the same, please." stated Pam. Ruby left to get their drinks.

Pam and Jim looked at each other, wondering who would speak first.

"You've told her a lot about me?" she asked delicately.

Jim swallowed hard. How was he supposed to answer? He shrugged one shoulder, and stared at her. If he knew how she felt, this would be easier.

"I'm sorry…I just..." Where was this going? She didn't appear to be mad, but somehow sorry seemed like the thing to say.

"What kinds of things have you said about me?" Pam faintly smiled. It looked like she was trying to hide it.

"Uh, just that…well, that you get me through the day." He half lied.

Pam's smile grew. "And?"

"That's all, really." He rubbed his hands together.

"She said you described me perfectly." Pam teased.

Jim looked at her kissable lips. Her smile sweetened the air in his lungs and the corners of her lips hooked onto his heart. How could he have not described her perfectly? For one, she was perfect, and two, he had memorized the way she laughs, smiles, cries. He knew every detail of her face because how could one not want to remember all of her? He decided to be bold because he never was, and with her, he wanted to be.

"It's easy to describe someone perfectly when everything about them is so beautifully wonderful that you just can't forget one detail about them."

And then the feelings were reversed. Although Pam didn't know, she was now experiencing what it was like for Jim to love her when he can't have her. Now her heart was heavy, not because it felt like someone put something on it, but because her heart knew she was engaged to Roy even though she wanted someone else. Shame on her brain for taking so long to realize what her heart already knew. She wanted to say she loved him, but she couldn't. She wanted to say she was sorry, but she couldn't. All she could do was hold back the tears that formed.

Jim opened his mouth to somehow take it back, but Ruby came up and sat the two white coffee cups in front of them. "Now then, do we know what you want?" she said as she took her half pencil from behind her ear and the pad of paper from her apron pocket.

"We need a little more time." Jim forced a fake smile.

"Alrighty then!" Ruby walked back to the kitchen.

Jim watched Pam's face to see if he could tell what she was thinking.

"Jim, I…I don't know what to say."

"That's okay. Let's look for something to eat. I recommend the pancakes, oh, and if you like hash browns, Herb does the best job."

Pam picked up her menu, looking through breakfast stuff. She couldn't forget about what he had said, but she knew what Jim was trying to do. He was switching the subject, so she was going to let him.

"Have you tried the French toast?" Pam asked

"Oh yeah, that's great too. Ruby sprinkles the sugar on top."

They read in silence until Ruby came for the order.

"Alright, how 'bout now? We ready?"

"I think we are. I'll have my usual." Pam guessed his usual was the pancakes with hash browns and sausage. That's what he recommended, so he must like it.

Ruby jotted down on the paper and looked up at Pam.

"I'm going to get the French toast with bacon." Jim smiled when they were alone again.

The man that was sitting in Jim's normal spot got up to leave, and the mom, dad, and little girl that was seated across the room just left, leaving it just Jim and Pam in the entire place. They were both on their second cup of coffee, they had eaten, and all the tension was gone. Come to find out, Pam had ordered Jim's usual, which gave them a good laugh. They were back to their normal selves, laughing and having a good time. She almost forgot about the whole thing with Roy, until she looked down at her hands, which were being warmed by her mug, and saw her ring. Pam sighed heavily.

"You okay?" Jim's smile faded away.

"Uh yeah, I just don't want to go home. What time is it?"

"It's...5:36."

"We've been here for two hours!"

"Wow. Time flies when you're having fun."

"It never "flies" when I'm with Roy."

Jim looked up at her. Okay, that was serious. What did that mean? "What exactly do you mean?"

I can't believe I'm saying this, Pam thought. "I just mean, like, when I'm with you, we laugh all day and we forget what time it is. When I'm with Roy, it feels like time is slower, almost boring. If that makes sense."

"I get it. Why do you think it feels like that?"

"Because I don't think I know if I really love him."

WHOA. I was NOT expecting that. Did I hear that right? Wait, did she mean that she loves me? No. No, that's not what she means. Okay, calm down. Say something. Why did she tell me that? Okay. Okay. Speak. What do I say?

"Oh." Great Jim. "Oh."

"So, let's see, the office is probably just now leaving, or they already have. Roy I'm sure has called me a million times, but my phone is in your car. Oh shit! My phone is in your car! He's gonna get the wrong idea."

"Oh, uh, should I take you home?"

"Yeah, if you could."

"No problem."

They grabbed their coats, Jim paid the bill, they said goodbye to Ruby and Herb, and left the diner.

"Sorry." Jim said as he opened her door.

"For what?" Jim got in on the other side.

"It just seems like I should say sorry. For, well, a lot of things." For making you faint before, saying what I did in the diner, keeping you out later than you should, for…being in love with you.

"Don't be sorry, thanks for taking me away from the office. Think we'll get in trouble with Michael?"

"It's sort of like two teenagers ditching school, but nah, I doubt anyone even noticed." He started the engine, and pulled away.

"I would have liked to know you as a teenager." smiled Pam.

"Oh no, I was the tall geeky guy who somehow made it on the basketball team."

Pam laughed remembering Jim cream her fiancé in basketball down in the warehouse. "You're good."

"Thanks." Jim realized he didn't know where he was going. "Uh, where to?"

Pam gave him directions, and then began the silent drive again. This was a very different way to go home to. She couldn't help but smile and be sad at the same time. Normally, she'd be in Roy's large truck. There was usually two old, half empty beer cans filling the cup holders, and instead of t-shirts, cans, and magazines in the floor board, Jim only had two gum wrappers and an empty water bottle. And not just the environment was different, of course. Just the fact that it was Jim driving her, made her heart flutter. This was such a nice alteration.

Before she knew it, they had arrived.

"Well, thanks for the wonderful evening. It was definitely better than the party."

"Oh, right! I forgot about that."

"So…"

"So." He repeated

They both knew what "So" meant. It meant they were trying to stall, that they both didn't want this to be the end. They were silently asking each other, "So, where do we go from here? What's next?" Neither of them knew, so neither of them answered.

Pam just got out of his car, hopefully not for the last time, and walked to her door.

Jim watched her go inside, and hoped that Roy treated her right, that he wouldn't yell or hit her. That's what Jim feared most of all. He was just worried about her safety, and her happiness, and just worried about her. Because he loved her. And it seemed like he couldn't do anything but hope for everything.

As he pulled away from Pam's drive way, snow flurries began to hit his windshield.

I hope you liked this chapter, let me know in a review, please! And thanks to all who have stuck with this story. You won't be sorry in the end. :)