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I like that Pam is still gaining things from the non-booze cruise days. Some thing I always think about watching The Office is Pam’s lack of good female friends - which seems pretty natural given her relationship with Roy. Jim really is her best friend, I wonder if she will talk to him about this repeating of her days at all... I keep thinking that if it were me, I would have a few friends that I would trust enough to talk to them about what was happening (even if they thought I was insane, I know/hope(?) they’d still listen). I kind of feel for Pam reading this - she considers talking to her parents, but in a way I feel like it highlights that she doesn’t really have anyone to go to... (except maybe Jim). On another note, I apologize for turning this review of your lovely chapter into my ramblings!

Author's Response:

Thank you! I agree firmly about Pam's lack of female friendship, and we will see some improvement in that in this fic (I suppose we already have with Melanie). Also, I think she's going to be very chary about telling Jim about this because I think Pam is more self-contained than that: but certainly, he's going to be the only one she does talk to, and it will probably happen in the next few cycles.

Never apologize for ramblings! I really like hearing what you're thinking about where this story is going, should go, might go...so I enjoy reading whatever you have to say. 

I can’t even begin to tell you how much I loved this chapter... but I’ll try! I’m so glad Pam finally found a way to end things with Roy & have it stick. I wondered how you would deal with that, considering it was clear in earlier chapters that Roy was not going take it lying down. I found it a pretty natural fix - I can see Pam turning it around like that grinding Roy’s gears & making him think it was more of his idea. That logistical nightmare solved & we’re on to the good stuff! I adored the more confident, says what she’s really thinking version of Pam in this chapter. Plus, the Jim in this chapter was just a delight. I loved how you used Michael to save them from the Booze Cruise. Oh, and the inclusion of the art class/Melanie as part of the day was also great to see. I know you’re setting up for a happy ending, but boy oh boy am I nervous after that last line!

Author's Response: I'm really glad you loved it! This was a chapter that took me quite a bit of time to write, so I'm glad that the solutions I presented seemed to work for you. Thanks for reading!

I’m both delighted (for Pam) and distressed to hear we’re towards the end of this story! It’s been a rollercoaster of just about the full spectrum of human emotion... This chapter was a joy to read! I lost it when she told Jim the truth & he so readily believed her - & then to use it to prank Dwight, perfection. I also very much enjoyed having Larissa back on board. The turmoil of groundhog-ing aside, I’m very jealous of Pam’s ability to have her credit card reset each day...

Author's Response: I'm so glad you've been following along and enjoying here! I also envy Pam that, but I think I'll take accumulating debt for also being able to tell the person I love that I love them and have them remember ;) Thanks for reading!

I’m always down for a good movie montage. I’m actually pretty grateful not to see angry Roy over and over again. Poor Pam. At this point, I have no idea how you’re going to have her break up with Roy without it ending in disaster... I have no doubt that you have conjured up a way to make it all work out in the end though!
That whole Pokémon exchange was very cute, & put my childhood knowledge base to good use. Even though this cycle/s was about the Roy breakup, it was nice to have Jim injecting some levity into the situation (as Jim tends to do). I hope Pam has some success with everything she is setting out to achieve in the next cycle...

Author's Response: Yeah, I wanted to spare myself writing that again and again, so I'm glad you also enjoyed not having to read it ;). I'm glad to see someone else's spare trivia was also being put to use by the pokemon content. Pam will get there--but it might take a little while...thanks for the review!

Boy, oh boy! What a chapter! Penny was a very welcome addition. I loved how you made her the measured opposite to Pam - forcing Pam to answer it all for herself in a very logical way. Not to be that person, but I’m going to need the next update ASAP! I think/hope Pam’s going to find out some very agreeable things on the next Booze Cruise edition...

Author's Response: Thank you! One of the things I'm enjoying with this format is the chance to toss in whatever characters I want because I can conjure them up from Pam's changed actions. Penny was fun to play with. I hope you enjoy the next chapter!

It’s nice to see Pam digging deeper into everything happening during the Booze Cruise - especially what’s going on with Jim. I’m hoping the unexpected source is Larissa back on board? But that’s a wild guess at best. I love that the highlight of all her repeating days is the prank on Dwight. That itself is telling enough (to everyone except Pam apparently...) I wonder if the Jim stuff will pique her curiosity enough to repeat a Booze Cruise day instead of an activity from her brochure pile? I’m sure the next update will answer that one for me.

Author's Response: You'll 100% see Larissa again, but I'll be interested to see what you think of Pam's mystery confidante. Thanks for reading!

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I am very excited about Pam overhearing the save the receptionist line! I can’t wait for her to figure that one out... Oh Roy. Truthfully, I think deep down he means well. He just hasn’t “evolved” from his teenage form as much as Pam has. But, this whole engaged without setting a date doesn’t count thing is very unfair to Pam. Looking forward to seeing where Pam makes it to in the next installment.

Author's Response:

She will definitely think about it and figure it out...eventually ;). Next installment is a little bit of a vacation from her actually figuring things out, but she will be back at it in chapter 9 for sure. Thanks for the review! 

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I’m loving that she’s doing things a little differently with each re-do of the day. That line in Ch 2 from Jim about Roy not seeing pretty faces was just perfection - I’m still thinking about it after reading two more chapters. I’m glad Pam has gotten a glimpse into Roy’s true colours. I’m loving all the subtle ways that you’re revealing that Pam is very in love with Jim, even though she doesn’t realize it in those moments. Can’t wait to see how her next re-do pans out!

Author's Response: Thank you! I'm hoping to be at least a little subtle with this even though we all know where it's going, so I appreciate hearing that it's working!

Yes, yes and yes. An enthusiastic yes to everything about this chapter. I very much loved that Larissa was back, & that she’s a bold & lovely version of Larissa. Although, I’m itching for Pam to have some of these conversations with Jim himself. I’m still dying for the “save the receptionist” line to be overheard in a little more context. It was nice to see Pam helping out her colleagues - sweet little twist there with Toby & Brenda. I’m sure her being absent would dull down the Michael factor every so slightly. As per usual, I can’t wait for the next installment.

Author's Response: Thank you thank you thank you! I assure you we will get more save the receptionist, and generally more JAM as things go forward!

Oh. My. Plot twist.
That was so very unexpected. Roy. Roy. Roy talking about “his” girl back home. Up until that moment, I thought how sweet, how serendipitous that the plane Jim is paired with is a reminder of Pam. I should have known from the fact it was Pammy - that should have been a red flag. Oh boy. Roy.
I now have questions (that I fully expect to be answered by the story at some point, but I’m putting them out there anyway). Does Jim know who he’s meeting? Roy would have no idea, obviously... Although, I feel Jim’s picture will point that out to him at some stage. I can’t remember if Pam ever told Jim Roy’s full name. I feel there’s potential he can piece together from the other information regardless.
I hate that Roy is still calling Pam his girl. That does not bode well...
I was fully prepared to spend this review giggling over Dwight’s reappearance and feeling for Jim over the harsh reality of war that’s he’s having to deal with in his slightly battered plane. But here we are...
Roy. Roy? Roy. Oh no...
What a wonderful update!

Author's Response: Remember way back in those Thanksgiving chapters? I did mention distraction being a powerful tactic. Works great for a writer too. Thus the re-introduction of Dwight, the feelings of foreboding, and lets face it probably a good amount of excess description. Still it was fun to finally bring this plot element to light. I'll save you the time from having to go back. No, Pam has never told Jim Roy's full name. Meemaw mentioned it once though. Remember Conroy back at Thanksgiving? So at this point, nope, neither one knows who the other is. Which could make this a lot of fun. Always glad to hear from you.

Warrior, I have to say I’m a little bit worried going into this chapter... I feel like we’re getting into the action & I don’t want anything to happen to Jim!
Only reading is going to answer these questions for me...

My heart was in my throat during the action! Which is obviously an indicator of some good action. I have to tell you, when Jim’s hand were locked on his instruments & the sweat was stinging his eyes I had a flicker of fear that maybe he hurt & it was something more. I’m glad it wasn’t. I’m also glad that having Pam there, albeit in picture form was enough to start to settle his nerves & ground him once again. Lovely imagery there.

I actually don’t hate this version of Roy. Huh. How about that. I feel like him & Jim get on okay without Pam in between them (even though, she kind of is, but they don’t know that...)
I liked that you had Jim lose it a little back on ground. All that high stakes adrenaline has got to go somewhere... It’s a lot to process.

Alex, hey? That was a bit of a surprise. Nice way to bring him into it. You’re including just about everyone to ever appear in canon in this story it seems. That’s an impressive feat.

Aww, Dwight, and one of my very favorite lines from canon. And, wow, way to make a very dramatic entrance there...

Oh Jim. That letter from Pam came at the perfect moment. The day ended a whole lot nicer than it really was.
All in all, this was an epic update!

Author's Response:

Jenna! Thank you for this wonderful review. I'm ecstatic you enjoyed it so much. I'm glad the scenes of Jim dealing with the adrenaline of combat worked for you. I was basing some of those scenes on first hand knowledge. 

I'll admit it's kinda fun to write Jim and Roy as friends rather than Roy mostly clueless and Jim hating his guts from afar. There's a bunch of Pam and Karen friendship fics out there. I figured I'd try to explore what would happen if Jim and Roy were more friendly.

Thus far there's only a few non-canon characters. Bringing in Alex to paint the plane nose art seemed appropriate.

Dwight in a confined space filled with smoke? How could I not use those lines.

I always intended to end this chapter with a letter from Pam. Just like in the air, her letters are going to be what Jim holds onto when the going gets tough. I have a book filled with first hand account of real 8th Air Force flight crews and many of them said that's what letters from home would do for them. Kinda fun to put in some real history too.

Like I said, I'm glad you liked this chapter. Thank you so much for your constant support of it.  

Interesting to see that Ryan promotion/dislike of Jim coming to life in this world too. How very Season 4 of you.
“without any crosses on the kill board” is Ryan not making a sale all over again. Very fitting.

It’s hard to review as I go once we get into the thick of battle, because reading on far outweighs pausing to write anything down...

No, no, no. I don’t like that. Out of ammo and planning to ram the incoming Germans. Nope. No thank you.

Aww, Dwight complimenting Jim fills me with joy. That’s definitely the kind of thing that Dwight would view as honorable. So very lovely to have him acknowledge it.

Roy calling Jim sir non-ironically kind of makes me chuckle. I like that Jim has a little bit of status in this world. Although, I suppose it’s not all that dissimilar from warehouse worker v. office worker...

Oooh, it’s nice to see Ryan get his comeuppance! He certainly turns from smug to feeble under the truth. And to top it off with the introduction of Andy... This ought to be interesting.

Well, there’s a nice crossover twist! It’s UK Jim!

Author's Response:

I always look forward to hearing from you. Mainly because you quite often pick up exactly what I'm going for. Yes, no kills is supposed to equal Ryan not making any sales. My way of translating the show into this AU. 

Dwight has been a lot of fun to write with this one. Despite all his oddness, Dwight is a good and honorable guy at heart, so it's fun to bring that out. Even if it means using a line he said to Pam and having him say it to Jim this time around.

It's also military protocol for an enlisted man to refer to any officer as "sir," but it's also another way to translate the show to the military. Warehouse/enlisted vs Office/officer. That being said it's also fun to make sure Jim is on a higher standing than Roy.

Same with taking Ryan down a peg or two. Why rewrite some of the best bits from the show?

Yup UK Jim making an appearance. We'll have some fun with him next chapter. I have a feeling you'll really like it.

Thanks as always. 

This is exactly the sort of interaction I’d imagine Roy’s mother having with Pam’s mother post their break up. I think you nailed it. Helene, still polite and Marge abrupt and short seems completely in character with the very little we know (assume?) from canon.
I really liked the contrast between Roy and Jim and their letter sending habits. A very simple, but effective way of highlighting the differences of character between the two. Obviously Helene values family so it’s interesting to see this as a bit of a catalyst for her to let go of some of her Jim hang-ups. The contrast between Jim and Roy in the early mornings on the farm also felt very true to character. I can imagine Roy grumping his way around the place as William silently rolled his eyes.
I loved the declarations of serious intentions in this chapter. Jim handing over his wings was so lovely.
Looking forward to seeing what plot points you delve into in the next installment...

Author's Response: Thanks Jenna. I'm glad all the effort worked for you. Earlier drafts had a lot more conforntational tones with the Helene/Marge interactions. Other than that I'm glad you picked up on just about everything I was trying to include here. Thank you as always for the great feedback.