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2010

It started in the sandbox.

Much to their parent's chagrin, somehow, someway, two year old Kurt Schrute wound up sharing a pail and shovel with Janie Halpert.

Her little cheeks were smeared with remnants of mixed berries yogurt, his fingers were stained pink from the roasted beets he'd had for lunch.

And the rest - as they say - is history.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

2013

"She's awful - Jim."  Pam grumbled as she slammed the oven door shut, wincing as she burnt her fingers on a tray of chocolate chip cookies. 

"Damnit."  She muttered as she threw the cookie sheet down, causing half of them to scatter onto the floor. 

Jim smiled as he walked over and grabbed her hand in his.  He led her to the sink and ran her fingers under cold water.  He leaned close and whispered in her ear. 

"OK.  Seriously Pam.  Breathe."

She pulled away and glared at him.  "You breathe.  I'm telling you if she tells me one more time that if I keep dressing Janie like that boys will get the wrong idea I'm going to punch her."  She brought her hand to her mouth and sucked on her knuckles.  "She is so self righteous and judgemental and a total…"

"Tightass?"  Jim offered.

"Among other things."  She blew her hair out of her eyes in a huff of breath. "She's ridiculous."  Pam was still fuming.

He knew there wasn't much he could say to diffuse the situation until she got this out of her system.  "OK."

"Janie is a sweet, lovely little girl.  She's not a heathen destined to burn in the fires of hell for wearing a green t-shirt under her overalls.  Angela's sick Jim.  The woman has some sort of mental illness.  And he sits by and takes it.  Oh my God.  Who knew Dwight would end up so completely whipped?"

"You couldn't have called that way back when?"  Jim asked in disbelief.  "Pam.  Please.  Calm down.  You're making too much of this.  C'mon.  They're kids.  They're only five.  They're buddies.  It's not like they're going to end up married…"

Pam paid no attention.  "She had the audacity to tell me I'm "not allowed" to make cookies.  Because she was and "We can't have too many in the same category."  It's a freaking BAKE SALE for god's sake.  And I'm telling you right now.  She can take her cookies and shove them right up her…"

"Up her what Mommy?"  Janie's sweet voice filled the room as she stood by the archway to the kitchen.

"Caboose."  Jim replied, biting back a laugh.  He was caught between chuckling at his red faced and furious wife and his sweet, adorable inquisitive child.  He walked over to Jane, scooping her up easily and holding her upside down.  Her braided pigtails hovered a foot off the floor.  She erupted in a fit of giggles.

When Jim flipped her upright she threw her tiny arms around his neck and rested her cheek on his shoulder. 

"Does Kurt's mom have her own train?"  Janie asked excitedly.

"No, sweetie."  Pam sighed, finally reigning in her temper. 

"Then how can she shove her cookies up her caboose?"  Her daughter's voice was full of innocence.

"It's a figure of speech honey."  Jim replied.

"What's that mean?"  Janie scrunched her little nose at him.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead.  "You'll find out, soon enough."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

2025

It wasn't easy being someone like Kurt.  Beginning his teenaged years with an unflinchingly rigid mother and a father who had more quirks than a boatload of circus freaks.  Still he strived to be normal.  He hid Sports Illustrated under his bed like other teenagers snuck Playboy. 

When he was younger he secretly collected baseball cards instead of sci-fi action figures. 

And now, just like your typical teenager, his seventeen year old eyes were pinned on cutest girl in school.

Who happened to be none other than Janie Halpert.

They'd been in the same classes since kindergarten.  For all her popularity Janie wasn't like other girls.  She never laughed in his face or called him names. 

She would always save a seat for him in the cafeteria, even when she had been dating Doug Miller, the captain of the basketball team. 

She didn't laugh when he told her he'd never been allowed to try Jell-O. 

Although she did laugh when he told her his father called it "the instrument of the devil." 

She had sandy brown hair that curled in some sort of organized chaos over her shoulders, eyes that danced with mischief and a smile like no other.  She was perfection personified as far as he was concerned. 

He knew he didn't have much of a chance, but it didn't stop him from hoping.

And daydreaming.

The latest series consisted of him asking her to a very important dance - either homecoming or the prom.  He'd been saving for weeks, his allowance from working the beet farm over the summer, plus the extra money he earned selling the little things he'd made from scraps of wood he'd found around the barn.  He'd done a dozen picture frames last weekend and already sold half of them. 

He had quite the knack for carpentry he was finding.

The scent of raspberries suddenly overwhelmed him and he knew what he'd find when he looked up.

"Janie."  Kurt croaked.

"Hey."  She beamed at him.  "Are you coming by the office later?  We need to discuss strategy."

Janie was head of the yearbook committee, focusing on layout and art direction.  Kurt was in charge of selling the advertising.  Turned out Kurt was a born salesman.  This year they had raised more money than ever before.

They really made quite a team.

"Sure."  He nodded, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Cool.  I'll meet you at 3:30."  She shifted her bag on shoulder and blushed a bit as she walked away.

"Cool."  Kurt called after her, trying to keep his hands from shaking.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Once safely in the hallway she leaned against a row of lockers, willing her heart to stop pounding.

Janie was head over heels in love, and had no idea what to do about it.

She mentioned something about Kurt to one of her friends once.  She had laughed and made some sort of a joke, calling him a freak like most people did.  Janie didn't understand why they couldn't see what she did when she looked at him.

He wasn't conventionally handsome, his hair stuck up straight and his glasses were so old fashioned looking they were comical.  Somehow, in Janie's mind, Kurt made them seem ultra hip and retro. 

He was tall - just like her.  It was really hard for her to find a guy she didn't tower over. 

He was funny and sweet, kind and considerate.  He knew so much about so many subjects.  She was quite certain he'd be able to survive on a desert island for months. 

Not that that was very likely - but - it could happen.

He was odd, no question, but so were his parents.  And she knew that her own family wasn't exactly normal.    Her father liked to suspend office supplies in Jell-O and her parents would sometimes go days without talking to each other until usually she herself had to go out and buy a case of Coca-Cola.

With her head swirling with dreams she settled at her desk in US History and pulled out her notebook.  Tucking a stray curl behind her ear she started to doodle.  This time it was rose covered vines in the shape of a heart. 

Scrawled smack dab in the middle, in the most perfectly cursive script was the following.

Jane Schrute

Janie Schrute

Jane Anne Halpert Schrute

"Are we keeping you up Miss Halpert?"  Her teacher scolded from the front of the room.

"Sorry."  She replied and flipped the page.   She blinked furiously and tried desperately to concentrate.

Mrs. Jane Halpert-Schrute

Maybe.  Janie sighed as she began taking notes.  Someday.