"It is about time, young man.  Dwight Kurt Schrute the Fourth.  Where have you been!?"  Angela said accusingly.

"Hey Mom."  He sighed when he caught her disapproving gaze.  "Sorry.  I mean.  Hello Mother."

"My question hasn't been answered."  She replied, tapping her foot.

Kurt put his coat away and sidestepped Princess Fluffington, who meowed loudly as she wound her way around his ankles.   He brushed the hem of his khakis.  Their house was meticulously clean but his clothes were forever covered in cat hair.

"I stayed late at school.  Yearbook."  He picked up Mr. Whiskers and petted his head softly.

Angela made a sound of disgust.  "With Jane?"

He shrugged.  "Of course.  She is head of the yearbook committee."

"That's not all she is."  Angela grumbled.

Kurt knew better to talk back to his mother, though it took all he had to bite his tongue.  He knew she tended to take her opinion of Jane's mom out on Jane herself.  As far as he was concerned, it wasn't at all fair.

"Mom.  Question.  What did Mrs. Halpert ever do to you?"

Angela waved a hand at him and turned back to the stove.  "It's not just her mother.  Her parents are nothing but conniving troublemakers.  Pranksters.  They do nothing but waste time."

He'd asked her before - and always got the same answer.  Didn't sound all too bad to Kurt.  He knew there was probably much more to it but tonight he was too happy to try and find out.

He should have known better.  Time-wasting was high on the list of things his mother vehemently disapproved of.

Even she couldn't spoil Kurt's mood at the moment.  He'd spent two glorious hours in a room with Janie.  She'd sat next to him, so close their shoulders kept brushing.  He could still hear her laugh, soft and bell-like as it rang in his ears.  And he could still see her smile.  When he looked at her mouth all he could think of was what she must taste like.

He knew for a fact she always smelled of raspberries.  He'd spent hours wondering if her lip gloss was the same flavor.

He was roused by the clipped sound of his mother's voice.

"Dinner will be ready in an hour and your father will be home soon.  Why don't you start on your studying in the meantime?" 

Kurt knew it was an order thinly veiled as a suggestion.

"Sure."  He nodded and dropping the cat gently to the ground he made his way upstairs.

As he did he vowed to himself.  He couldn't live like this forever.  One day he was going to summon the courage to actually make some sort of move with Janie. 

And when he did - his parents were just going to have to deal with it.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

"Hmmmph.  What!"  Pam sat bolt upright on the couch.  Jim stood beside her and laughed.

"JIM!  You scared me."  She clutched a hand to her chest and tried to bring her breathing back to normal.

"I'm sorry."  He tried to reign in his laughter as he sank onto the couch beside her.  "I thought you might want to know I was home."

"I am - just…"  Pam finally smiled and smoothed back her hair as she leaned towards him for a kiss.  "I was so sound asleep."

"Welcome home."  She whispered as she held his gaze.  "I'm sorry.  I tried to wait up.  Are you hungry?"

"I'm OK.  I ate at the airport."  He replied as he kissed her again.  "What's new around here?"

"Jimmy lost his basketball game.  I "suck" as a stand-in coach apparently" She said with a frown.  "He told me you're never allowed to miss another one."

"Duly noted.  And I'm sure you didn't suck.  Their defense has been crappy lately.  I warned them at the last practice this would happen.  It's fine.  Keeps them from getting to cocky."  He brushed a stray curl off her cheek. 

"OK.  What's that look?"  He asked suspiciously.

"Huh?"  She feigned innocence.

"You have that look."

"What look?"

"The…"Jim's not going to like what I have to say" look."

"Well.  You're not."  She said matter-of-factly.

"Ohhhkay."  Jim braced himself for the worst.  "What is it?"

"Before I tell you - for the record - I don't like it much either except…"

"What?"

"Despite it all he's really a good kid."  Pam shrugged.

"Who?"

"The object of our daughter's affection."

Jim's heart began to beat a little faster.    He'd been dreading this day.  It's not like this was the first crush Janie had had but there was something in his wife's voice that gave him pause.

"Who?"

Pam's eyes sparkled and a grin tugged at her lips.  "Kurt."

"Kurt."  Jim repeated, as if it was the first time he'd ever heard the name.  "You mean Dwigt and Angela's Kurt?"

"The very same."  Pam replied.

He made a face.  "That's impossible."

"Oh no.  It's absolutely possible.  She's totally ga-ga."

"Don't ever say that again."  He really thought she was kidding, but now wasn't at all sure.  "Pam.  Stop it."

"I'm serious.  She's way gone."

"For Dwight's kid?"  Jim could barely speak.

She thought his reaction was hilarious.  She fought to keep from laughing.  "Yes."

He narrowed his eyes at her and his voice became soft and serious.  "OK.  Level with me.  Who else have you been sleeping with?"

Pam nearly choked.  "Excuse me?"

"She can't be my child."

Pam rolled her eyes.  "Jim."

He shook his head.  "Seriously.  Who else were you with?  Was it that guy from your art class?  I bet it was.  What was his name again?  Antonio something?"

Her mouth hung open.  She punched him none too gently.  "Oh my God.  I cannot even believe you.  That was almost eighteen years ago.  How many times do I have to tell you this?  Antonio was involved with someone else."

He winced and rubbed his arm but was undeterred.  "So what?  I remember it like it was yesterday.  You used to go on and on about how dreamy he was.  And you two would go out for "coffee" after class all the time."  He looked at her pointedly.

"All true.  But you're conveniently forgetting that his someone else's name was Larry."  Pam smiled back at him.  "Hate to break it to you but you're stuck with her Jim.  Someone's DNA made her nearly six feet tall and it sure as hell wasn't mine."

"Agreed."  He laughed as he pulled her closer.  "Dwight's kid?"  He asked, still disbelieving.

Pam nodded.  "She hasn't come right out and said it but it's in what she doesn't say.  I speak from experience."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."  She giggled as she tilted her face up to his.  "They spent some time together today after school and she came home walking on air.  She's trying to be so casual about it it's painful." 

She kissed him softly and sweetly as she added.  "I can see right through her.  It's exactly the same way I used to talk to my mother about you."