Falcon Crest II

[stevew]

Emma walks in the gardens cutting flowers for the house when a very handsome young man rides up on horse back in tight polo clothes, "Aunt Emma. Aunt Emma."

"Kevin, what is it?"

"Dad. An ambulance is on it's way. He's calling for you."

Emma drops the flowers and Kevin pulls her up on the horse, taking off running toward the house.



***The Falcon Crest theme song ***
Richard - early 80's
Emma - early 80's
Michael - late 30's
Kevin - mid 30's
Angela - early 30's
Christopher - late 60's


Emma holds her hand over her mouth looking on in horror as the doctor explains the procedure they're prepping Richard for as Christopher runs up and takes a hold of her. She says, "I'm sorry. This is my nephew Father Christopher. Can you please explain the procedure to him. I don't really understand."

Christopher holds her. "It's OK Aunt Emma. It's OK. Everything is going to be OK."



Down the hall a beautiful young girl walks into a private family waiting room. "What's going on?" she says to Kevin.

"Angela. I don't know. The doctor is talking to your mother right now and Christopher went down to help her."

"And your brother?"

"Michael's in Europe. He's on his way."

 

[Jock Spectre]

@stevew an interesting premise there. Another ardent FALCON CREST follower is writing a fanfic. I have read a few episodes and they are very impressive. The fan's name is John Walden. John has even created his own opening titles configuration, to accompany Bill Conti's high octane theme tune.

A meeting is taking place; in the mansion, during which Angela reclaims the wine business. Also in attendance are; Lance, Pilar, Richard, Lauren, Chao-Li and three lawyers, (a scene from season 9, 1989 - '90):

Angela's lawyer: "I have to warn you all; one last time, that what you are doing now may seem like an expedient solution but it may result in some family squabbles, down the line."

Angela laughs: "So what's new?"

Angela's lawyer: "I'm just trying to avoid any problems that may arise in the future."

Angela: "Whatever problems come up in the future will be handled in the future. It's all in the family."

Angela's lawyer: "Then I guess that's it."

He then passes a document over to Richard's lawyer, for the ownership to transfer.

Angela's lawyer: "Congratulations Angela, Falcon Crest is yours again!"

Angela: "It always was. Did anyone ever doubt it?"

Chao-Li arrives into the dining room, with a glass of white wine for each person in the meeting.

Angela: "Oh, Chao-Li your timing is perfect. Thank you! You know we have other things to celebrate, besides this agreement. The lawyers tell me that Frank is going to be released from jail, in a couple of weeks and this morning I got a letter from Emma. She's coming back to the valley this summer and she's going to bring her baby daughter with her, named Angela. Isn't that sweet?"

Lance: "I'd like to raise my glass and toast to Falcon Crest and to the children."

Everyone toasts and Angela says: "Well now I think we have a wedding to prepare."

 

[stevew]

News broadcasters discuss Richard’s situation. “Well I believe he’s in his early eighties. Honestly the Channing family is so secretive no one knows. Bring a public company, there is a plan for his succession as Chairman of Sumner Carrington. Vice Chair and CEO David Croft moves up to Chairman and board trustee Michael Channing becomes Vice Chairman. They then seek a replacement for the trustee position on the fifteen person board.”

“An illustrious board including John Ross Ewing the third, Megan McKenzie, Carol-Lynne Rosemont, Enrique Nunouz, Dia-Li Chi.”

“True. Still Wall Street is nervous. Not just regarding Sumner Carrington, but this is the Seer of ‘Cisco. No matter what crazy things happen in the markets, people took comfort and listening to him. He’s be a constant voice of reason.”

“What we do know about him has been rather, unorthodox. Raised in boarding schools in Europe, the son of Douglas and Angela Channing. He’s lived in the family’s hundred years old home he got from his mother. He’s spent a short time in prison for insider trading. Widowed I believe three times.”

“All three women from the same family. He raised his children with his sister, a widow herself raising her daughter. Richard Channing is worth about a hundred and two billion dollars, almost all of which they say will go to the Jeff and Fallon Colby Foundation and will begin to slowly be sold off.”

“He’s noted for overseeing one of the largest annual profits on record, in access of eighty billion dollars, just a few years ago, from amassing a conglomerate of primarily insurance, energy, transportation, food and beverage and media assets and literally thousands of other diverse investments. Our thoughts and prayers go out to him, as he’s lead Globe Media, the parent company of this network, for over thirty years through one national and international crisis after another, demanding nothing but honest and unbiased reporting.”

“He once said to me, fair is a child’s game and balance is the need of a delusional mind desperate for order. Grow up and learn to appreciate the chaos around you, it’s beautiful.”

 

[stevew]

A handsome man in his late thirties walks up and into a private plan to see an older man waiting. “Didn’t expect to see you here David. I really don’t have time for this. I’m sure you heard about my father.”

“I did. That’s why I’m hear. You’ve got to prepare for his succession.”

“My father’s not going anywhere.”

“Your father is in the middle of major surgery right now. He’s already gone somewhere. He’s not returning to the chairman’s seat anytime soon.”

“I don’t want to talk about this now.”

“You don’t have any choice. Your father picked you as his heir. The company will function just fine without you doing anything anytime soon, but things are going to change for you. People will question you. They’ll dig.”

“Let them. What are they going to find? My past is a lot cleaner than my fathers. And there’s already speculation about the source of my money.”

“Your mother.”

“Cassandra Wilder. My mother was Maggie Channing.”

“I understand. Your father knew what he was doing. No one is better position than you are to handle this move, but there is more.”

“What more?”

“The money is one thing, but your father had power, real power, and that vacuum he could leave, you’d better take that seriously. There are people out there, you’d better line up your friends and steady yourself for you enemies.”

A beautiful blonde woman enters the plane behind him. He turns. “Christina.” He walks back to hold her. She holds him tight in her arms. “It’s gonna be alright Michael. I promise you.” Three young kids walk on behind her joining in on the hug







In a private waiting room Father Christoper and Emma pray the rosary together








Angela walks outside the hospital and lights up a cigarette. John Ross approaches her. “You’re still on hospital grounds,” he says.

She suppresses a smile. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Came to check on you. I’d have though you’d have found something better to cope with stress by now.”

“Go back to Texas. I’m sure your wife is waiting for you.”

“Please Angela. You know I care about you.”

“I do. And you know right now I just want to hurt someone. Anyone.”

“Even me?”

“Even you.”

“Then go ahead. I can take what ever you’ve got.”

She study’s his face and then slaps him as hard as possible. “I hate you.”

“I know. But I love you.”

“You damn liar. You love that girl they put in prison for dealing with that drug cartel and almost getting your cousin killed. Or maybe it’s your wife you love, remember her, the one getting the family discount on the nut house with her father and aunts.”

“I care about them. But I love you.”

“You left me.”

“You we’re pregnant. I had nothing but one wildcat job after another, working for someone else. That oil on South Fork was mine and I had to get at it, for our son.”

“And the women you were in love with in the mean time.”

“You left me. Remember? You disappeared. I didn’t know where you were. And with your uncles money, there was no chance I could find you or our son. What was I suppose to do. Lay down and die?”

“Why didn’t you take me with you?”

“You know why.”

“I could have help you.”

A smirk comes over John Ross’s face. “In retrospect I believe you could have. No one would have stood a chance with you there.”

“Well, you and your brother Bo, did just fine without me. You pull everything together to create Ewing Industries, with Senator Brown’s sixteen percent.”

John Ross holds her in his arms and she balls her eyes out, her face buried into his shoulder.







Kevin walks naked and high in an apartment in San Fransisco amongst a party gathering of other naked and high people. He stumbles over onto a sofa onto a very attractive man who’s receiving a blow job

 

[stevew]

A limousine arrives in front of the hospital and Michael and Christina get out of back and are bombarded with photographers and questions from news reporters as they make their way into the hospital, security holding the onslaught at bay. “Any news on your father’s condition?”



Up stairs in a private family waiting room Michael says to Angela, “What the f*** are all those people doing out there!”

“News spreads fast. People are worried. When the White House is a revolving door of idiots, the only one anyone seems to be able to rely on is Richard Channing, and they’re worried.”

“Heaven help this world if they’re relying on my father to steady the ship. How’s he doing?”

“Resting. Emma and Christopher are with him. Everything went well.”

“Thank God. Where’s Kevin?”

“I took care of him. He’s at Falcon Crest sleeping one off.”

Christina puts her hand over her mouth, realizing what must have occurred.

“And your announcement?” Angela asks.

“David has put everything into motion. We’ll announce the succession and that he’s recovering all at the same time.”

“You can handle this,” Angela says.

“I suppose I don’t have any choice.”

“You have every choice.” Angela takes his hand. “You don’t need to do this. There are people who run things. He’s not even leaving you his shares. Those will all go to charity one day, and Falcon Crest is your no matter what you do. Just go in there and worry about him as a son. Leave the business to people like David Croft. OK?”

“I know you’re right.” He let’s go of her hand and walks toward the hospital room.

When gone from sight Angela says to Christina, “He’s very good at the numbers game, but that’s not gonna help him with this. You've got to get him just to deal with the possibility that he might loose his father.”

“He’s lost so much. I don’t know if he can handle this. And the business.”

“There’s nothing to handle. He’ll control the voting rights to the shares, but the Jeff and Fallon Colby Foundation will own the shares and begin a immediate, and gradual sell off. Long term he won’t have the iron grip on the company Richard has. And, I doubt he’ll be able to advance to the chairman seat without that. After Richard’s shares, there’s Dia’s Xian Feng Group, the Moldavian Sovereign Fund, Carol-Lynne Rosemont’s White Water Fund, Enrique Nunouz, John Ross Ewing. They’ll all be vying for control. They might even split the company up. Even if Richard walks out of here. You’ve got to get Michael to step away and focus on something else. This fight, it isn’t worth it. And Richard would be the last person to advise him to engage in it.”

“I agree with you. It’s not worth it. I’ve seen my family torn apart to the point no one talks to each other anymore.”

“They all talk to you. It’s what you do. Do it for Michael. He’ll listen to you.”

 

[stevew]

Angela walks into the bedroom of a hotel suite and whips open the curtains.

Kevin, his naked body twisted up in the sheets of the bed, squirms, utters grunts of discomfort.

“Get in the shower.”

“Go away.”

“Look it Kevin, you can do this on your own, or I can have you dragged in there and cleaned up.”

“Leave me alone.”

“If you wanted to be left alone, you should have joined a monastery. Now get moving. Richard needs us there, so does Emma.”

“Richard Channing doesn’t need anybody.”

“And Emma Channing? How you think she’d feel knowing where you were and what you were doing?”

Kevin starts to cry, balling his eyes out into the pillow.

Angela stands over him. “I’m not my mother, so don’t expect me to coddle you. Get this over with and get cleaned up.”




“Mrs. Channing,” a young man in a distinctly French accent asks Christina in the private hospital waiting room, “is there anything I can get for you?”

“No. Thank you, Camille.”

“Miss Channing?” he says turning to Emma.

“No thank you,” Emma replies, holding up her tea in a paper cup.

Michael enters the room, “He’s out of surgery!”

Both Emma and Christina run over to him, ecstatic, hugging him. Father Christoper makes his way over.

Angela and Kevin come in the room next. Angela asks, “Good news?”

“Yes, he’s out a d well,” Michael answers.

“Of course he is.”

Michael hugs Kevin. Then Emma hugs Kevin. “See your father isn’t finished yet. He’ll be here to take care of us for a long time.” Then Christina hugs Kevin. Then Kevin and Camille exchange an uncomfortable glance before Father Christoper hugs Kevin.





Angela walks outside of the hospital and lights up a cigarette. Behind her John Ross appears. “I heard the good news.”

Cool and steady, without turning to face him, Angela says, “Still things aren’t going to be the same.”

“No. Recuperating will be difficult, I imagine.”

“You’ll be headed back to Dallas now, I’m assuming.”

“No. We’ve got a board meeting. We’re putting in place the succession plans. We’ll need a new member. Interested?”

“Oh God no. What about Marion McKenzie?”

“The former Attorney General?”

“Yes.”

“Why him?”

“There are few people with such an upstanding reputation when it comes to the law, making it or enforcing it.”

“Or judging it. But, if you’re recommending him, I have to assume you’ve got something on him to use when you need it.”

“Don’t be so cynical.”

“He’s a friend of my Uncle’s.”

“I know.”

“I’ll bring it up.”

“You do that.”

 

[stevew]

The board of Sumner Carrington gathers in a long corner room with floor to ceiling windows looking out onto the city of San Francisco. David takes the table at the head of the table. Michael sits to his right. David calls for order and the secretary, to his left, takes attendance, mentioning first Richard and stating his absence. He calls each of the fourteen other names, all but one chair full. He says, “Carole Lynne Rosemont,” and the woman next to John Ross, at very center of the long side with her back to the window says. “Here.” Other names he calls are, “Enrique Nunouz and Dia-Li Chi.”

Michael says, We’re here for one reason only, to approve the succession plan my father out into place and we all agreed to. I make a motion to remove Richard Douglas Channing from this board. I also make a motion to elevate David Allen Croft from Vice Chairman to Chairman and retain his designation of Chief Executive Office. In addition I motion that I, Michael Douglas Channing be appointed to the then vacant Vice Chairman position.”

David says, “I second all three motions and call for a vote.”

Carole Lynne says, “I appreciate your desire to make this run smoothly and to report such to the market, but this warrants some discussion.”

David says, “Please, go ahead.”

“What you’ve stated was set into motion by this board to be automatic and interim. You’re calling to make this permanent and we don’t have a full board. We need first to replace the empty chair. You’re positions can remain temporary until that point. Do you have any one in mind?”

David says, “Former U. S. Attorney General Marion McKenzie. I’ve reach out to him and the members of the nomination committee. He’s agreeable and so are the members of the committee.”

“The committee you chair as Vice Chairman of this board, but you are no longer acting Vice Chairman. Michael is acting Vice Chairman and should thus be acting Chair of the nominating committee. Then once this potential nomination has been throughly discussed and if it is approved, then we can vote as a board. And, then we can determine if your proposal here should go from temporary to official. Frankly, there’s a lot to discuss going forward and we’re not there.” Carole Lynne stands and walks out. Over half the rest of the board hollow, leaving David, Michael, John Ross, Enrique and Dia-Li.”

Enrique looks at David and Michael. “Carole Lynne intends to split this company apart. As soon as rumor starts to spread around Wall Street, Sumner Carrington plummeting share price will sky rocket. The sum of its parts being with more, much more. And apparently she’s got the votes to do it.”

Michael says, “So she thinks she’s just going to rip apart everything my father put together.”

Dai-Li says, “Make no mistake, your father has no sentimental value assigned to this company. This isn’t Falcon Crest. This is just a tool to him. What she intends to do will make that tool that much more valuable. And your personal share that much more valuable. That’s all this is.”

“My father isn’t dead. And when he recuperates and finds out what happened . . .”

Enrique interrupts, “He’ll be considerably richer than he is now.”




In a parking garage Carole Lynne gets into the back seat of a limousine to face Angela. “I’d like to act surprised but I’m not.”

“We both know what you’re attempting to do.”

“Do we?”

“You’re looking to replace my uncle as the Thirteen, The Cartel, The Elucidate, or what ever they call themselves now, looks for a candidate.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“My grandfather sold his son for his position and my uncle sold his soul for his. You’re gonna have to do a lot better then offer up the butchered carcass of Sumner Carrington.”

Carole Lynne, an older black woman, polished and regal, well into her seventies, studies the young woman and then says, “Believe me, I’ve already done it. But, Richard has worked hard to protect you all from the ugly things that make this world function. Christopher’s cloistered in the church and Lance on his own little modest vineyard in South America, and the three of you have Falcon Crest. Learn to be happy with that and you’ll be much better off.”

“We’ll thank you for the advise, but you know I have no intention of doing that. Oh and, the Agretti House is Michael and Christina’s. And the Gioberti House is Kevin’s. Falcon Crest is mine, every vineyard, every winery, all of it. Because I earned it.” Angela steps out of the car.

 

[stevew]

Angela walks out the front door of Falcon Crest and greets and hugs a beautiful young 16 year old boy. “Jay. You’re not suppose to be here. You’ve got school.”

“I heard about Uncle Richard on the news. Why didn’t you call me?”

“Nothing’s going to happen to Richard. He’s just fine.”

“You can lie to a lot of people, but you can’t lie to me, momma. You’re scared.”

“Did you travel all this way here to insult me?”

 

[stevew]

Christopher puts his hand on Emma's shoulder to wake her, slumped over in a chair in the large room where Richard slept in a hospital bed. "Emma, you really should head home and get some sleep."

"I can't leave him. I promised him that I'd never leave him."

"You're not. I promise, I'll stay until you get back."

"Did you get a hold of Lance?"

"I did. He's in the middle of dealing with some fungus taking over his crop. He said to call the second he had to rush up."

"And Julia?"

"I did. But, you know she can't come and see Richard, or you for that matter."

"I should go see her."

"You will. Just go home and get some rest. The car's down waiting for you. I'll stay here. I promise, I won't leave the room."

"You know what it's like to be abandoned, don't you?"

"I do. I won't leave him."

"He loves you so much Christopher. He loves us all." Emma starts to cry.

"And he's going to get to love us all for a very long time. He's got four grandchildren. In fact I heard Jay's at Falcon Crest. Go. See him and then get some sleep."

"Jay," Emma's face lights up. "I knew he'd some. Angela said not to call him, but I did. Richard is a like a grandfather to him. Is John Ross still in town?"

"How did you know John Ross was here?"

"I have my ways."








The Falcon Crest winery, lit up at night, a quite buzzing as work goes on inside, suddenly it explodes, the windows flying out in shards, flames through the roof and then the walls collapse.



Emma gets out of the back of a limousine in the front of the house. Horror strikes her face. Angela comes running out the front door with Jay. "Oh my God," she exclaims. Jay holds onto his grandmother, helping her to sit on the steps to the house, frozen in fear.




In the study of Falcon Crest, in the early hours of the morning Michael says, "What the hell is this a warning?"

David replies, "That would be my guess."

Angela sits down behind Richard's desk, feeling the fine wood top as she stretches her arms out. "Good."

"Good? Michael says. "Someone blows up the winery and is threatening our lives and you're saying good?"

"Richard said to me once that I should never threaten anybody. It looks weak. Only people who don't want to do what they're threatening bother threaten. The strong just do it. Threatening us is a sign of weakness."

"Rosemont isn't weak," David says. "Don't make that mistake."

"No, I'm not. But maybe you're making the mistake that she's the only saying something. There are a lot of people smelling blood in the water with Richard laid up. And everyone of them, including Rosemont, is terrified to make a move, incase Richard doesn't die."

David scoffs, "You would be too. The man's motto is there are worse things than death."

"There are." Angela thinks. "They're not threating us."

Michael says, "What are they doing?"

"They're testing us. They know what Richard would do. They want to see what we will do."

"So what are we going to do?"

"Well we're certainly not going to make threats."

Christopher walks in the front door and noticing them into the study. "Where's Emma?"

Angela says, "She's up stairs. Aren't you suppose to be with Richard?"

"I feel asleep. When I woke up he was gone."

"Gone? How can he be gone?" Michael shouts.

Angela rushes out of the room and up stairs saying, "Maybe my mother knows something."

Michael looks at David and David says, "I don't know anything. The only people I can think of that Richard would confide in would be Emma and Father Christopher."

"I certainly don't know or I wouldn't be here."

Angela runs down the stairs. "My mother's gone."

They all look at each other. Angela says, "We're all assuming Richard just got up and walked away. What if that's not the case?"

"What do you mean?"

"What if someone removed him. And my mother?"

"Who could get into Falcon Crest to remove your mother? This place is sealed tighter than Fort Knox."

"So is the hospital," David says. "So no one got at Richard or Emma. One of them, probably Richard is behind this."

Emma and Michael phones buzz. They look at it. Angela says, "Lance?" and then reads, "There's nothing to worry about. Richard and Emma are safe with me. Do what you have to do. We'll be waiting."

Michael says, "What we have to do?"

"There are seven people dead and more hurt. That explosion isn't a test from Richard. But this is. Richard wants to see how we handle this situation."

"What situation? What happened?" Christopher asks.

"You didn't hear? It's been all over the news. The winery blew up last night."

"What? Here? the Falcon Crest Winery."

Michael says, "It's nothing but a pile of rubble. And it certainly was no accident."

"Oh my God. Who did it?"

"We don't know, yet," Angela says. "But we will. In the mean time, can you help us?"

"Certainly. Anything."

"Can you help us with the families. We want to do what's right by them, funerals and hospital stays. We'll of course cover all the costs. Can you represent the family and take care of things for us?"

"Certainly."

"Spare no expense. Settle what every the cost as well," Michael says.

Angela adds, "And your mother. Do you think she'd come out of retirement to help us? We'll need an extortionary wine-maker."

"I don't know I can ask. You're rebuilding?"

"Of course. Exactly like it was. Better in fact. But we'll leave that for those Richard left to run the operation. This place pretty much takes care of it self. What we've got to do is to figure out who to respond to."

 

[stevew]

Angela and Michael find Kevin passed out over his laptop in a dimly lit, almost dungeon like, study. "What a mess," Angela says, looking around. She then picks up an envelop, looks in side, reads the papers and says, "It's a DNA test."

"Of who?"

"Kevin. It just ways his biological father was Chase Geoberti. But we already knew that."

"I thought so. Why would Kevin have DNA testing done?"

"He didn't. This was sent to Richard."

"Why would Richard have DNA testing done on Kevin?"

"Perhaps he thought there was a chance he was Kevin's biological father."

"But that would mean, oh. I suppose so."

Angela says, "I really wish he wasn't such a tortured soul. I mean I guess it makes him a brilliant writer, but he could do with a little less brilliance."

"Well, his life hasn't been easy, loosing our mother and then Lauren."

Angela tenderly wipes his hair out of his face. "His heart's been broken some many times. We're not all as lucky as you are."

"Lucky?"

"With Krystina I mean and your three children. We all don't get to find love like that. Richard's counting on us, not just for him, but for Jay and Kathy, Maggy and Ricky. It's up to us what happens next."

"Why do you think I'm relatively OK and Kevin is so miserable?" Michael asks. "Because he's gay."

"He's not gay. He's bisexual. And, I suppose that has something to do with it. He's been in love with women only to have his head turned by men and visa versa. I can't imagine it's been easy on him. I don't know. Some of us are just stronger than others. Look at my mother and Aunt Julia. Yet with all your father's been through, I don't know if you could find a stronger man. Oh God Michael, no matter what, one day we won't have him and then what will we do?"

"You mean my father?"

"Yes. Right now he's still alive. Right now we can still count on him to help, but what happens when we can't" She falls into his arms and buries her face. "I don't want to think about it."

Michael holds her. "It's OK. We've got each other."

 

[stevew]

6 months later . . . . .

Michael and Krystina walk through a solid door down a back alley and up a black lit staircase toward the source of thumping music.



In a huge, dark chamber, young people sit around on sofas and up at a bar, a cavern filled with loud techno music and an archway off to the side opening up to a packed, strobe lit dance floor. Around a large square coffee table Krystina shouts, "Why did Kevin want us to see this place?"

Angela answers, "Because he bought it. Well half of it. I guess it's in his new book."

Jay says, "This place is freaking awesome. And my Uncle Kevin is an owner."

"I don't know if I'd say awesome, Michael responds.

Jay adds, "There were a bunch of guys snorting coke in the bathroom."

"And that's awesome?" Angela asks.

"I'm not saying I would. What the hell. But I mean pretty awesome to watch," Jay laughs.

Kevin approaches. "So what do you think."

Angela says, "Jay thinks it's awesome. The dancing, the music we have to yell over, and of the guys in the bathroom snorting coke."

"Yeah it's a pretty wild scene. People gonna do what they wanna do."

"Can I get anyone something to drink?"

"A very dry martini," Angela says.

"Not sure we've got what it takes. Not that sort of place."

"I'm not surprised. Jay and I'll have soda water with a lime. You can do a lime, can't you?"

"We can manage. Michael? Krystina?"

"I assume it would be out of the question to get a scotch worth drinking so what ever whisky you have."

Krystina says, "I'll have a soda and lime too."

"Be right back."

"He seems to happy," Michael says once Kevin has walked away from them.

"He does," Angela agrees. "Makes me worried about what comes next."

"He does have some big swings. But maybe he'll be better now. He seems happy.

They look over at him order drinks at the bar, his arm around a much older gentleman, kissing his lips and grinning from ear to ear.

Michael says, "Do you think he invited us to introduce us to his daddy issue?"

"Michael doesn't have a daddy issue. Maybe a mother issue, loosing both his other and Lauren, but not a daddy issue."

"I wasn't insulting our father," Michael says. "We were very lucky to have Richard as our father and really to have Emma as our mother. We all were. But that guy's old enough to be his father."


Kevin returns with the older man and the two pass out drinks. Kevin says, "I'd like you to meet my partner, Brian Cunningham. Brian this is my brother Michael and my sister-in-law Krystina and my cousin Angela and her son Jay."

Brian says, "Nice to meet you all. Kevin has told me a lot about you and his two nieces, Kathy and Maggie and nephew, Richard, Ricky. Welcome to The Golden Mushroom."

"Where'd that name come from?" Angela asks.

"It's a long story," Kevin answers.

"So you've had some experience owning clubs, down state and in Miami and Brazil and Spain."

"Yes I have."

"Divorced, father of two," Angela continues. "Your oldest, Molly, she's like just a few years younger then Kevin."

"A few."

"And her biological father is Gary Ewing."

"You certainly know a lot about me."

"More than you be comfortable with."

"Angela, that's enough," Kevin says. "I just wanted you to meet Brian, not investigate him."

"I've got to say, I'm impressed," Brian says, "But I'm an open book. I stopped keeping secrets a long time ago. You want to know something ask. But if you think I'm going to hurt your cousin, well, your investigation didn't do a very good job and summing me up."

Angela studies him and smiles.

"Well now that you meet my family, including Angela, I get to meet your family?"

"A deals a deal. Though there's no one like Angela in my family, my mother's a bit much to handle."

Angela says, "She was married to Senator Sumner, wasn't she?"

"A long time ago, but yes. As well as Gary Ewing. I hear you know the Ewing's." Then looking at Jay he says, "You're a Ewing."

Angela looks at Kevin with contempt.






The next afternoon Kevin walks out of the Falcon Crest pool in a speedo leaving behind two girls playing in the water behind him. Angela walks out onto the pool deck and says, "You can send them away. We've got business to discuss."

"Business? What business. Publishing. The night club."

"Family business. So send them away."

Michael walks up next, looking surprised and puzzled as Kevin sends the girls to the house to change, but he doesn't say a word.

Angela says, "I've got our response."

"Who are we responding too," Michael asks.

 

[stevew]

In the empty club, busy and brightly lit, Carole Lynne watches as employees clean and restock. Brian approaches and before he can get a word out she says, “I’m puzzled, why would you cut me out of this deal?”

“It wasn’t like that. Kevin cut me in.”

“Kevin Channing. Seems like he’s more a silent partner.”

“He is, but this was his idea. So, he provided the funding. Where with you, you provide the loans. We’re not really partners.”

“You think your financial troubles won’t extend to me going after your share of this place, you’re mistaken.”

“I didn’t say that. But I am keeping up with the payments.”

“Just barely. Your partner know about your debt?”

“He doesn’t need to know. We don’t have that kind of relationship.”




Michael walks with Kevin from the pool to the house. “I don’t get it. Why introduce us to Brian the other night?”

“We’ve gotten pretty serious about each other.”

“And those girls?”

“He understands. It’s not like they have anything to do with how I feel about him.”

“And you’re in love with him.”

“Very much so. I know he’s older, but he’s more a kid then I am. We have a good time. He knows everybody.”

“You mean like celebrities.”

“Yea. They all come into his clubs. Everybody does. He’s very successful. Did it all on his own too. No body helped him.”

“The world doesn’t work that way. Somebody helped.”

Up at the house Kevin tells the girls to wait in the car while he changes.


By the pool Angela eats lunch.





In a park in London, silent bullets take out five grown men scattered about and two children are picked up and carried into the side of a van, with a young woman cashing after them, obviously upset, getting in as it speeds off.

 

[stevew]

Out to sea, on the far back deck of a mega yacht Dia-Li says to a large, older, Eastern European man, “You can’t possibly think that if Richard Channing’s seat becomes available there’s anything you can do to get it. Those positions belong to Americans and their greatest allies.”

“But maybe Dia-Li from Hong Kong?” the man says with a heavy Russian accent.

“Maybe. But certainly not Vicktor Sechin from Russia.”

“Maybe they need to reconsider. While the Ukrainian issue sits up in the air, they managed to bring Moldavia into the fold.”

“And you’re taking credit for that? Richard Channing’s daughter-in-law is the sister of the Queen of Moldavia. I’d bet that has more to do with it.”

“Except the other side of the coin was distracting Russia.”

“Proving useful isn’t going to get you in. In fact you proved useful to Angela Channing. You made her look capable. She forced out of your hand documentation regarding Russian meddling in American’s elections. You had to hand her the heads of some very powerful American politicians, not to mention proof that the Russian has been engaged in a subversive attack on the United States.”

“I still don’t know how she was able to pull it off. But I do know it leaves her own son vulnerable.”

“John Ross Ewing the forth is anything but vulnerable and you know it. In face his father might be the one to replace Richard.”

“Or Carole Lynne Rosemont. I wonder, was she the one who helped out Angela Channing?”

“I doubt it. The Channing’s are trying to prevent her from ripping apart Sumner Carrington. They’re not exactly on the same page.”

“That’s all for show. You know as well as I do, what ever rivalries the Americans have, they set aside to work together when the opportunity presents itself.”

Dia-Li looks to be considering something before he says, “Which brings up the point, how did the opportunity to just walk away with your grandchildren present itself?”

“Someone inside. I don’t know who yet. But I’ll rid myself of who ever it is, even if I have to purge the lot of them.”

“That could be more disruptive to Russian cohesion than anything we’ve seen since the fall of the Soviet Union.”

Vicktor looks on what Dia-Li just said as if he’d revealed a most important truth.

 

[stevew]

The Channing’s walk out of church with everyone one bright Sunday morning. Father Christopher shaking hands. “Where is Kevin this morning?”

Angela answers, “On one if his rants against the church.”

“Well, I look forward to the discussion over dinner tonight.”

“Sarcasm?” Michael asks.

“No I really enjoy the opportunity to defend my faith.”

Michael’s three children hug Father Christopher on their way out.

“Jay go back k to school?”

As the last one out the door, Krystina answers, “Early last week.”

 

[stevew]

Enrique sits with David in his office, a huge space with two walks of windows looking out into the city, sofas facing each other. David says, “There’s nothing secret about Richard’s will. About a dozen charities will share his stake in Sumner Channing.”

“But I want to know the conditions.”

“They’re required to sell off those shares equally, everyday they market is open over the course of ten years.”

“So a slow sell down.”

“Exactly.”

“And so there’s nothing to prevent Carole Lynne from breaking the company up regardless of what you and Michael have to say?”

“We’ll there’s the board. And . . . the various charities won’t get actually hold the vote, that will be held by myself, John Ross Ewing and Angela, that is until until they are sold.”

“Really. You’ve left that piece out.”

“It’s not a secret. Not is that Angela inherits the house and the winery of Falcon Crest, and that Angela and Kevin have rather large trust funds. Nothing like Cassandra Wilder left to Michael, but still about half a billion dollars. Michael gets his father’s ship, the Margret Mary Mae, and Kevin gets the island in Hawaii.”

“Lucy kids.”

“We’ll let’s not pretend this is a system based on merit.”

“My grandfather worked the fields of Falcon Crest and by today’s standards my great grandfather was an illegal immigrant.”

“And look at what people like you and Douglas Channing had to do make a fortune to set up your family. The stories of people like Jock and JR Ewing. Or the middle managers like my family, all to willing to justify your generations of wealth for a few bucks right now. Not what the idealists dreamed of when reading the Wealth of Nations, is it?”

“While I get your point, Richard is giving away almost everything.”

“He’s giving away the crop to protect the land but those that follow him have the keys to the shed where they keep all the seeds. Make no mistake, what they have is far more valuable than cash in hand. Don’t underestimate any one of them.”

 

[stevew]

Michael undresses in his very large and beautifully decorated bedroom while talking to Christina in the next room. “I just don’t feel comfortable with what we did.”

Christina calls out, “You gad children kidnapped. Their security killed. How are you suppose to feel comfortable about that? I just don’t understand. It’s not like Richard’s leaving you Falcon Crest.”

“The explosion had nothing to do with the ownership of Falcon Crest. It’s an attack on the family of Richard Channing while he’s vulnerable.”

“it’s all anyone’s talking about. But no one’s saying it was your family. The need had it as internal fighting among Russian oligarchs. My brother called and we got talking about it.”

“Adam?”

“Yes.”

“You didn’t tell him anything?”

“Of course not. But he’s talking about the Russians fighting each other not about the Channing’s being involved.”

“Senator Adam Carrington, who never just calls you, calls you and just happens to talk about the Russians with you . . . He’s fishing.”

“I suppose.” Christina walks out in her night gown, stunning, all silk and lace, a formal affair she wears as casually as Michael does his boxers and T-shirt.

“Anyone else bring it up?”

“Amanda.”

“The Queen of Moldavia. When’s the last time she called you?”

“I get your point. Fallon calls all the time.”

“Did she bring it up?”

“No. Neither did Steven.”

“Who also calls all the time. Adam and Amanda were fishing.”

“We’ll I didn’t tell them anything.”

“I bet Amanda had people listening in. And what you don’t say can be just as revealing as what and how you do say.”

Getting perturbed, “I don’t get it. Why not just let Angela handle this. If someone’s going to do something, isn’t it more likely they’ll do it to her son?”

“John Ross Ewing’s son? He’s probably as capable and will as Richard Channing.”

The two slide into the silk sheets of their plush king sized bed.



Kevin lays his head on Brian’s chest, laying in bed together. Brian asks while stroking Kevin’s hair, “Are you ok?”

Kevin tensely replies, “Of course. Why?”

“You seem on edge about something.”

“No. I’m fine.”

“You know you can talk to be.”

“I know. It’s just family business.”

“Everyone says your father is doing well.”

“I know. The sooner Richard Channing is back in charge the better.”






John Ross sits with Richard Channing out on the terrace of a mountain estate over looking a vast vineyard in Argentina. “I’m glad to see you’re doing well.”

“Thank you. Just taking my time to enjoy smelling the flowers.”

“We’ll you’ve earned it.”

“I’m not sure anyone earns such a thing but I get your point. Listen, let’s cut to the heart of the matter. I called you down to tell you, you’re on the short list.”

“The short list?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

“And Angela?”

“She’s not qualified.”

“Why not.”

“The position skips a generation. She’s my niece.”

“Oh I see. Plus we’re looking for someone new. Your father and grandfather paid your dues.”

“My grandfather?”

“Jock Ewing gave up his life to work on the Venezuelan issue. And through DeLaVega your father’s contacts expanded on his work.”

“I don’t understand.”

“When your father found out Jock Ewing was actually alive and working for the CIA on Venezuela, he got involved. Allowing DeLeVega to even take over Ewing Oil. Things got out of hand for him for a while, but he managed to hide out in that nursing home for a while. They did what was needed, when it was needed.”

“My grandfather lived from the crash in Venezuela?”

“I’m afraid so. Yes. Jock Ewing grew up jumping box cars. He believe power was something you bought. Then when he had the money he realized it was something you’re given. But it wasn’t. Soon he figure out it was something you take.”

“I’ve heard all this.”

“But you can’t take it either.”

“Real power is something earner. But like my father, and my Grandfather, Jospeh Geoberti, you can’t earn it for yourself. You earn it for those who follow you. Like you and me. If you succeed me, your son will be in a unique place, both qualified as my great nephew, and disqualified as your son. Reminds me a bit of Aldrich’s grandson.”

John Ross studies Richard as Richard studies the vast land before them.