A/N: Hey everyone - here is Chapter 2 of AG & Katy's joint story. I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter. We're already in the planning stages of another joint story, so if you review lots we'll keep this up. Now, to your reviews from Chapter 1.
ktface3 - Thanks so much. We hope you can still see characteristics of Jim and Pam in this new environment, but there are definitely some differences. We wanted to make it believable, but fun too. This is fiction, right? Also, a PM stands for Private Message. You can go to our (or anyone else's) profile and click on the link at the top that says "send a message" (or something like that). That will send sort of like an email to the person. It's quite fun. Give it a try on our profile if you want. :)
AG - OMG! Kewl ppl cul8r. Hehe.
henantz - Thanks! Here's your update:)
literati - We're glad we've got you hooked!
Coffee - I think you'll like the way we've done this story. It's like the movie, but it definitely has it's own story line and humor. Make sure you let us know what you and/or didn't like.
dancer - Thanks! Keep coming back!
Elly - We love you:) You'll see as we post, but the story will have it's own story line while continuing to honor the movie.
Katy - I know. You're awesome. LoL.
kerber - Thank you!
Okay, here's more!
Someone was knocking on the door and his phone was ringing off the hook. He rolled from his back to his stomach and threw the pillow over his head to drown out the noise. What is the matter with these people? Don't they know its way too early for me to be up? He was willing himself back to sleep when he heard his answering machine pick up.
"Yeah, you've got Jim. Leave a message." Beep.
"Jim!" He cringed instantly when he heard the voice of his ex-wife. "Open your damn door! I know you're in there!"
He groaned and tossed the pillow off to the side. Sliding out of bed, he padded his way sleepily out of his room, down the hall, and to the front door. Scratching idly at his bottom, he opened the door and stood facing his ex-wife and his 6-year-old daughter.
All sleepiness left his body when he saw Charlotte standing at the door. A smile broke his face when she came running in, her backpack bouncing on her back, and threw herself into his outstretched arms. "Daddy!"
"Hey there princess." He wrapped his arms tightly around her and picked her up off the ground, while her arms strangled his neck. He kissed her on the cheek. "Is it Monday already?"
"Daddy," she scolded him with a smile and he saw her bright blue eyes light up. She put her hands on her hips and tilted her head in a motherly way. He couldn't help but laugh lightly. "You knew it was Monday."
He chuckled. "You're right, I did know it was Monday." He gave her another big hug and set her back down on the ground. She dropped her backpack to the floor and started running off into the cluttered apartment. "Go start breakfast, will you?" he yelled after her and his heart soared when he heard her giggle.
He turned back to the door and grimaced when he saw that Veronica was still standing at the door, her hands on her hips and her lips pursed. He took a steadying breath and said, "Good morning Veronica." He looked her up and down and shook his head. "I see you're looking quite under-dressed as usual."
She groaned, adjusted her short, red halter top and walked into the apartment, pulling papers out of her purse as she went. "I don't know why it's so hard to get you up every other Monday morning, Jim." Jim rolled his eyes and followed her into the apartment as she continued with her tirade. Here she goes again. "I mean, how hard is to remember that you just spent the last week without your daughter here? You're so irresponsible." She sat down on the couch, pushed empty Chinese takeout boxes off the coffee table to the floor and started laying out the usual papers.
Jim sank down into his lazy boy across from her, rubbed his hands over his eyes and said, "I'm glad to see you're in your usual chipper mood this morning."
She ignored him and continued on. "Here are the instructions for Charlie this week."
Jim clenched his jaw. "I told you, in this house her name is Charlotte. I do not have a little boy, Veronica."
Again she ignored him. "I'm not going to be around at all this week, and neither is Rib. He has a gig in San Francisco and since I never get a vacation I'm going with him."
"How is Ribeye doing anyway?" Jim flashed his teeth and laid on as much sarcasm as he could.
"He's fine." She pursed her lips again and added, "And it's Rib, Jim. Not Ribeye."
Jim nodded his head and said, "Right, right. Of course. What was I thinking?"
Veronica's eyes were cold as she glared at Jim. "See, this is why we are no longer married. You're so immature."
"Yes, because going out and cheating on your husband with a man who can't yet drink legally is real mature." Jim had had enough. It was like this every other week.
Veronica stood up and threw her purse over her shoulder, her eyes shooting daggers at Jim. "I need to be going. We have a flight to catch."
Jim didn't get up when she walked to the door, opened it, walked out, and slammed it behind her. He, instead, sat in his lazy boy and continued to rub his face, trying to gain some sense of calm. He was sitting there, mumbling to himself, when he felt a small finger tap him on the shoulder. He smiled. "Yes?"
"Daddy?" Jim lifted his head from his hands and grinned at his daughter. "What time is it?"
Jim glanced at the clock on the wall above the couch and suddenly realized that it was time to get Charlotte to school. He jumped out of his chair and ran into his bedroom, yelling on the way, "It's time to get going to school princess! Get your backpack on your back, grab a muffin from the kitchen and we'll go!"
He rushed into his room and grabbed a pair of jeans off the floor. As he was pulling his pajama pants down he glanced at the jeans to see if they looked dirty, assessed that they weren't and started putting them on, one leg at a time. Unfortunately, as he was putting his left leg in, he missed the hole and toppled over onto the ground, banging his head on the floor. He groaned. Oh God, that was smooth.
He stood up, pulling his pants up and buttoning them. He grabbed a long-sleeved t-shirt out of an open drawer, pulled it on over his white t-shirt and sat down on the edge of the bed to put his socks and shoes on.
After five minutes in his room, he was almost finished tying his shoes when he heard a knock on the other side of the door. "Daddy! We have to go! I don't want to be late!"
"I'm coming!" He tied his shoe tight and then stood up and walked out of the bedroom. Charlotte was standing on the other side of it, muffin in hand and her backpack on her back. Jim smiled, whisked her up into his arms and walked out of the apartment. "Did your mom pack you a lunch?" he asked as they rode the elevator down 12 floors to the busy New York streets.
Charlotte shook her head. "No, she said that you need to learn your lesson and get me something on your own." She said it as if she were quoting her mother exactly and Jim bit back a smile. Her mother may be an idiot, but she sure is adorable.
"Okay," he said and they walked quickly down the sidewalk to the right. He lifted Charlotte onto his shoulders and said, "We'll grab something at the deli on the way through."
They walked a block further and Jim lifted her back off her shoulders. They walked into the deli and Jim ordered her a turkey sandwich, bag of chips and a juice. He stood leaned against the counter waiting when Charlotte said, "Daddy, how come you own a restaurant, but you never make me lunch?"
Jim smiled at her, grabbed the bag from the guy behind the counter, picked up Charlotte again and started out of the deli. "Because," he said simply. "I own a restaurant, but I don't cook. I leave that up to the professionals."
Charlotte grinned at him and kissed him on the cheek. "Can we eat at the restaurant this week?"
"Absolutely." They were a block from the school and Jim glanced at his watch. They were late. "Let's run huh?"
Charlotte nodded and he set her down and they took off. When they were feet away from the door they saw a woman and small boy standing outside the door. Why doesn't she go in already? Jim stopped in front of the door and noticed the sign.
He looked down at Charlotte and said, "Records day?"
Well, let us know what you think. We're not going to update unless we get a certain number of reviews (but we're not saying how many), because we want to make sure you guys want to see more! So, go review!