I don't own any of the characters in this story and no copyright infringement is intended.
This fic begins immediately after the events in "Conundrum," the last episode of the original "Dallas" story. It disregards both the TV movies and the TNT continuation.
With this story, I am hoping to give JR, Sue Ellen, and the entire Ewing family the ending I think they deserved.
"After All"
Part 51
*"*
"The explosive device was handmade. We found some Instructions in her hotel room. Looks like she copied them from a book in the local public library."
JR looked at McSween with disgust. "Every cop in Texas was looking for her, but she still managed to sashay into a library in downtown Dallas, figure out how to make a bomb, buy all the materials, rent a hotel room, and get into the hospital. Doesn't inspire much confidence in law enforcement, does it?"
"JR," Bobby warned under his breath. "What about her accomplice? What about the nurse?"
"We apprehended her boarding a bus to Houston. She's being questioned now."
"Alright, Harry," JR growled. "Keep us posted. I had better get back to Christopher…."
JR stopped in mid sentence when a nurse barged into the room without knocking. "Yes?" He snapped.
"I'm sorry. I was just checking to see if Mrs. Ewing was in here with you."
"She's in the bathroom with another nurse getting cleaned up," Bobby told her.
"No," the nurse shook her head. "Not THAT Mrs. Ewing. The OTHER Mrs. Ewing..Mrs. Lockwood."
"Sue Ellen? She's in her room…"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Ewing, but no she isn't," the nurse interrupted JR. "We...we can't seem to find her…"
"What do you mean you can't find her?" JR's voice was full of panic. "Harry! Could Katherine have had another accomplice? Could they have Sue Ellen?"
Harry took a deep breath. "Calm down, JR. Sue Ellen is fine. I know exactly where she is."
"What?"
"I guess I'd better tell you everything. God help me and everyone else involved because you're not going to like it one bit."
***
Lucy ended the call on her mobile phone and shook her head. "He's going to kill us all."
"How much longer until we get to the hospital?" Jack asked. "Sue Ellen is fading pretty fast back here."
"5 minutes," Ray answered, glancing at Jack in the rearview mirror."
"McSween said go straight to the ER. There's a medical team waiting for her there," Lucy sighed. "And JR is waiting for us."
"Hope you guys have your wills in order," Ray grunted. "Because we might not be alive much longer."
***
"Dr. Richards?"
Peter reached out and pressed a button on his intercom. "Yes?"
"Your next appointment is here."
"Send her in."
"Yes, doctor. Also Michelle Stevens called again. I have told her repeatedly that you can't speak with her, but she claims it's an emergency."
Peter sighed heavily and shook his head. He had referred Michelle to another psychologist so it would be highly unethical for him to talk to her. "How did she sound?"
"Hysterical," came the short reply.
"Fine. I'll call her after my next appointment."
He knew he really shouldn't speak to her, but given the news of the explosion at the hospital this morning and the death of Cliff Barnes, it might be dangerous to ignore her.
***
'Do you understand what I've told you, Christopher?"
Christopher looked up at his father with wide eyes. "Yes. Uncle Cliff is gone. He died saving your life."
"Yes," Bobby kissed the top of his head.
"I want to see Mommy."
"Are you sure you're ready for that?"
"Yes. Please. I need to see her."
"Okay, son. I'll have a nurse bring her to your room."
"Thanks, Daddy." Christopher relaxed in his father's arms. "Is Aunt Sue Ellen okay?"
"Yes," Bobby couldn't help but laugh. "But Uncle Ray might end up in the hospital too once JR is done with him."
***
"Mr. Ewing! Please back away so we can treat her!" The doctor was losing patience with both JR and Sue Ellen. "And Mrs. Ewing, stay still and let us look at you."
"No!" Sue Ellen snapped and twisted out of his reach. "No one is touching me until I talk to JR!"
The doctor growled and backed away.."Fine. You have two minutes."
JR waited until the doctor and nurse left the cubicle and closed the curtain. "If I didn't love you so much I'd wring that long, sexy neck of yours! What were you thinking, Sue Ellen?"
"You listen here, JR!" Sue Ellen snapped back at him. "I did what I had to do! Beau is safe and Mandy is handled. There was no other way!"
"It could have waited, Sue Ellen."
"No it couldn't have!"
JR clenched his jaw and silently counted down from ten. He was furious. But...he was also proud.
He let his eyes study her carefully for a moment. She was incredibly pale. Her breathing was heavy and it was clear that she was in a lot of pain. "We'll talk about it later, Sue Ellen," he finally said. "You let those doctors take care of you now."
"No," she growled. "Not until you promise me you'll leave them alone."
"Them?"
"Ray and Lucy and Jack. I mean it JR."
JR smiled in spite of himself. He bent down over her bed and brought his face down to hers, so close their noses touched. "I know damned well who is to blame here, and it's not them. I promise I'll leave them alone. But as soon as you're feeling better, I may have to give you a spanking for scaring me so badly."
Sue Ellen let out a labored giggle and nodded. "I'll consider that a promise, JR."
***
"Michelle," Peter soothed, "I'm sure if you make an appointment with Dr. Guthrie, she can help you work through this."
"No!" Michelle cried. "I don't like her! She makes me uncomfortable! I feel like she's…"
"Like she's what?"
"Judging me."
"I can refer to a different doctor if you'd prefer but…"
"No! PLEASE doctor Richards! Cliff is dead! And I had to talk to James today about his wife and kid…"
"James?"
"My… I loved him. But JR broke us up and now…"
"JR?"
"Yes. James is his son. And now I'm afraid I'm starting to have feelings for Jack. He was married to my sister…"
"Another Ewing?"
"Yes. Please. It's all so complicated and I really need to talk to you so you can help me sort it out."
"Alright, Michelle. I have an opening at 4:00. Can you get here then?"
"Yes! Of course! Thank you so much!"
Peter hung up the phone and sank back into his chair. He was getting ready to commit a serious breach in ethics. Michelle sounded desperate. She needed help...and she needed help quickly.
Plus…
She seemed to have multiple connections to JR Ewing. He would help her, but he saw nothing wrong with using what she could tell him to find a way to get close to Sue Ellen.
This might end up being quite the blessing in disguise.
***
Ray eyed JR carefully as he watched the other man emerge from the treatment area of the ER and come fully into the waiting room. "Here we go," he whispered to himself under his breath.
Lucy stood up and nervously approached her Uncle. "I know you're mad as hell, JR, but please let us explain…"
"There's nothing to explain," JR cut her off. "I know exactly what happened. Sue Ellen used your love for her and your guilt to get you to go along. You," he pointed at Jack, "just got caught up in it all by mistake and are too damned dim to have stopped it. But you, Ray…" he narrowed his eyes on his brother's face, "you knew exactly what was going on. You know how dangerous it could have been to sneak Sue Ellen out of here. You knew how damn mad I would be. You did it anyway."
"Yes," Ray admitted with a shrug.
"Yes," JR repeated. "Thank you."
"Wait…. What?" Lucy asked, stunned. "You're thanking him instead of killing him?"
Ray chuckled and JR nodded.
"See Lucy," JR told her, "Sue Ellen Ewing is the most stubborn woman who ever lived. She made up her mind she was going to do this. Ray knows if he'd said no she would have called a cab, or hell crawled across broken glass to get where she wanted to go. This all could have ended very badly. Ray helped her so he could keep an eye on her."
"That's right, JR," Ray agreed.
"Jesus," Lucy groused. "This whole damn family is nuts."
"Excuse me. Ray?"
Ray felt his whole body stiffen at the sound of the soft and familiar voice. He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. "Donna?" he finally breathed out.
"Yes," Donna gave him a weak smile. "I got here as fast as I could."
***
"Mommy? Is that really you?"
Pam sucked in a deep breath when she saw Christopher. He was sitting up in his hospital bed. He looked so big, so grown. He wasn't the baby she had left behind so long ago.
"Yes, Christopher. It's really me."
Bobby watched in silence as the nurse pushed Pam's wheelchair fully into the room and parked it directly across from Christopher's bed. He wasn't sure this meeting was a good idea, but it was what the boy wanted, so he had agreed to let it happen.
"Uncle Cliff.." Christopher's voice broke off into a sob.
"I know, baby. And I know Uncle Cliff had some problems, but he loved you very much."
"I know. I loved him too."
They talked quietly for a long time. Christopher made no move to hug her, or even to touch her and Pam didn't push him. Bobby sat quietly in a corner and prayed that Pam would give their son the time and space he needed to heal.
***
"She bought herself a few more days in the hospital, but no real damage done," the doctor said to JR. "She's back in her room, resting comfortably. We have given her morphine for the pain so she may sleep a while."
"Thank you, doctor."
The doctor nodded and walked away. JR turned his attention back to his niece. "You had better get on to the airport. Mitch will be landing soon. I'll see you when you get back."
"I'm not coming back in," Lucy told him. "I'll drop him off and head back to Southfork. John Ross has been alone with Teresa and Raoul all day. I need to get back to him."
"You're not going to stay and help Mitch with Afton?"
"Afton isn't my problem," Lucy answered shortly. "And neither is Mitch."
JR nodded but made no reply. He wondered what had happened between Mitch and Lucy that inspired so much bitterness in her.
He finally stood up and stretched. "I'm going up to Sue Ellen's room. Tell John Ross I love him and I'll call him later." He bent down and placed a light kiss on her forehead. "And I love you too, girl."
"I know," Lucy smiled at him. "Love you back."
***
"Where are you staying?"
"The Carlton," Donna told Ray. "I don't expect to be in town very long. I really only came because we couldn't get any verifiable information and I needed to see for myself that you were okay."
"Am I supposed to be touched that you care?"
"Of course I care, Ray. You're the father of my daughter."
"Seems to me like you're more content with Senator Dowling filling that role than me."
"Ray.."
"You can see I'm fine, Donna. Go back to DC. You aren't needed here."
Donna watched him sadly as he turned on his heels and stalked down the hallway. Coming to Dallas had been a huge mistake.
***
JR jumped at the sound of the ringing phone. Sue Ellen had been asleep for hours and he had drifted off himself. He reached over, snatched the phone off the bedside table, and brought it up to his ear.
"JR Ewing. Yes. Yes, I understand. Do you need...is there anything I can do for her? The funeral expenses or...anything at all? Alright. Yes. Talk to you then. And James? I am truly sorry. Really."
He hung up the phone and closed his eyes tightly. Cally was gone. Sue Ellen would be so upset. John Ross would be devastated.
And there were still no DNA results. JR had suddenly become the sole legal guardian of a son he had never even laid eyes on.
***
I am a wreck every time I see them and I LOVE IT.
you delusional whore.
shit has hurt my girl it's iron time.