I don't own any of the characters in this story and no copyright infringement is intended.
This fic takes place during season four of "Dallas" and the timeline breaks during the episode "Blackmail."
***
The Ewings: Fathers and Family
Part Twelve
***
"JR? Mrs. Krebbs is here to see you."
JR rolled his eyes and bit back a groan. Barry would be showing up at any time with Christopher's test results. The last thing he needed was for Donna to be poking around. "Send her in," he finally snapped into the intercom.
"Thanks for seeing me, JR," Donna glided into the room and sat down in a chair across from the desk.
"Make it fast, Donna. I'm busy this morning."
"I want to talk to you about my book."
"What about it?"
"My publisher is putting a lot of pressure on me to finish. Bobby asked me to hold off until he could get through to Miss Ellie, but I'm running out of time."
"And I should care because?"
"You told me you wouldn't fight me."
"That's right. So?"
"So…JR I was hoping maybe you could talk to Miss Ellie. Try to make her understand that I'm not writing anything that isn't true and that she's being unreasonable."
"Now hold on, just a minute, lady," JR leaned back in his chair and leveled his eyes on her face, "just because I don't care about that book doesn't mean my Mama doesn't. I told you, she doesn't know the full man that my daddy was."
"I know. That's why I'm hoping you'll…"
"No," he cut her off in mid sentence. "Mama is still grieving. What you're writing may be the truth, but it's gonna hurt her. I told you I wouldn't fight you and I won't, but I won't make it easy on you either."
"JR…"
"You have to decide what's more important to you. My Mama's feelings or that damn book. You're the only one who can make that decision. And I told you I was busy. We're done."
"Coming here was a huge mistake," Donna growled, standing up.
"Obviously," JR growled back at her, "Shut your door on the way out."
***
Lucy carefully brushed out her hair and tried to organize her thoughts.
She'd talked to Muriel, and neither of them had any memory of leaving the club or how they had gotten back to the apartment.
On top of that, Lucy had a wicked headache and felt slightly queasy.
"You're just hung over," she whispered to the reflection in her vanity's mirror.
There was a sudden, brief knock at the door and Teresa's voice floated into the room. "Miss Lucy, you have a call from a gentleman named Paulie."
Lucy stood up carefully and moved to the phone beside her bed. "Hello?"
"Good morning, beautiful. How are you today?"
"I feel a little hung over," Lucy told him. "How did you get this number?"
"You gave it to me, silly. Don't you remember?"
"No… I don't…I actually don't remember much of anything about last night. How did Muriel and I get back to her apartment?"
"I dropped you off. I offered to take you all the way home, but you insisted you wanted to stay there."
"How much did I have to drink?"
"Too much. You and your friend both got pretty loaded. That's why we took you home. My cousin followed us in your car so it would be there when you woke up."
"Did anything happen? I mean did we…"
"No, Lucy. We helped you into the apartment and left. I wouldn't take advantage of you that way."
"I just wish I could remember."
"There's nothing to remember. I promise. We drank and danced and we took you home."
"Alright," Lucy nodded, absently rubbing her forehead. "Thanks for calling. I feel better."
"Good. Because I'd really like to see you again."
Lucy was quiet for just a few seconds before signing softly. "I think I'd like that, Paulie. I think I'd like it very much."
***
"What do you think, John Ross? Think your daddy will like this?"
Sue Ellen held the green silk up against her body and examined her reflection in the mirror.
She had informed Miss Ellie she would be visiting Southfork this afternoon and then decided to take John Ross out to do a little shopping. "Your Daddy always said I look pretty in green."
"Sue Ellen?"
Sue Ellen stiffened at the sound of the familiar voice. She took a deep breath and slowly turned around. "Hello, Marilee."
"That's quite a rock on your hand. I heard congratulations are in order."
"Yes," Sue Ellen said smoothly. "JR asked me to marry him and I accepted his proposal."
"How sweet," Marilee rolled her eyes. "Guess things will be back to normal at Southfork very soon then."
"Normal?"
"You know, you'll be sitting in a corner with a drink, boozed up, brooding and babbling and JR will be out chasing every piece of female tail in Dallas."
"You don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't I?" Marilee challenged. "We'll see."
Sue Ellen gulped down a bitter reply and watched the other woman sashay away. She turned her attention back to her son and shrugged weakly. "That awful woman is wrong, John Ross," she whispered. "This time will be different. This time, your daddy will be good to me and we'll be a very happy family."
She picked the little boy up, hugged him close, and closed her eyes. She wanted to believe what she'd said, but in her heart, she feared it was all a lie.
***
"Miss Ellie?"
"Oh, Pam!" Ellie stood up and walked over to hug her daughter-in-law. "I'm so glad you're home! How's Cliff?"
"Improving," Pam hugged Ellie back. "The doctors don't think there'll be any permanent damage."
"That's wonderful news, Pam. I know you and Rebecca must be so relieved!"
"Yes," Pam muttered under her breath. "Has Bobby already gone to the office?"
"Afraid so," Ellie sighed. "Please, Pam, come sit with me for a bit."
Pam let Ellie take her hand and lead her to the couch. "Have you eaten this morning?"
"No, Miss Ellie. I'm not very hungry."
"Yesterday you said there was something you wanted to talk to me about. What is it?"
"Oh… it…Miss Ellie, Bobby told me about Donna's book."
"Stop right there, Pam," Ellie warned her. "I don't want to talk about that. Not with you or with anything else."
"But Miss Ellie, Donna and Ray are family…"
"Yes. And Jock is the head of this family. He always will be. Being a Ewing comes with many expectations - the most important one of all is loyalty."
"But how is Donna being disloyal by telling the truth?"
"It's NOT true!" Ellie said firmly. "And I won't stand by and watch my husband's reputation be destroyed when he isn't even here to defend himself!"
"But Miss Ellie…"
"It is my job as Jock's wife to hold this family together."
"Cutting Ray and Donna off doesn't seem to me to be holding us together."
"Pam, Ray and Donna have to make their own decisions and they have to accept the consequences of those decisions. And the same thing goes for you."
"Me? What do you mean?"
"I know the history between your family and ours is horrible. I know that you and JR have never gotten along. But you have to put that behind you now."
"Put it behind me?" Pam repeated. "My brother is lying in a hospital bed because of JR!"
"Your brother makes his own decisions, same as everyone else. JR didn't make him steal from your mother and he didn't make him try to kill himself."
"I'm sorry, Miss Ellie, but you don't know what you're talking about. JR set him up! And Sue Ellen is just as guilty! She manipulated his emotions and made him believe they had a future together."
"Cliff is the one who chased after Sue Ellen. And he knew how JR would react. He has only himself to blame for his predicament."
"I can't believe you're defending them!" Pam jumped off the couch. "I won't listen to another word about this!"
"I'm sorry you're hurting, Pam," Ellie's eyes narrowed, "but JR and Sue Ellen are family and I expect you to treat them as such. I insist that you keep the peace between you."
"Insist?" Pam's voice was thick with anger. "I'm sorry, Miss Ellie, but you insist on way too much!"
Ellie made no reply as she watched Pam turn and run up the stairs. She sank back against the couch and sadly shook her head.
"Oh, Jock," she whispered. "I need you so. Everything is falling apart without you."
***
"Satisfied?"
Bobby studied the paper closely before finally shrugging and pushing it away. "Yes."
"Good," JR smiled at him. "I'll have Barry draw up papers giving me control of your twenty percent of Ewing Oil."
"You're a piece of work, JR. I always knew you were low, but even I can't believe you'd sell your own son for control of Ewing Oil."
"Don't stand there and try to be self righteous with me, Bob. Your hands aren't any cleaner than mine. You bought that boy, passed him over to Pam like a piece of meat, pressured Sue Ellen into committing perjury. You intended to keep the fact Christopher was my son all to yourself and pressure my wife to help you do it."
"Sue Ellen isn't your wife anymore."
"She will be again soon enough."
"And how do you think she'll react when she finds out you only agreed to let me keep Christopher if I sign over my shares?"
"She already knows, Bob," JR laughed.
"You think you've thought of everything don't you?'
"Yes. I have."
"What about the will, JR?"
"What will?"
"Daddy's will. Eventually, Mama is going to have to accept that Jock is dead. When that happens, his will comes into play. That little paper you're making me sign won't mean much when Daddy's will makes these shares moot and splits the company between us. What are you gonna do then, JR?"
JR's eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. "Daddy would never take the company from me."
Bobby threw back his head and laughed. "He did it before, JR. You can have my shares. But this is temporary. Once the will is read, you'll lose control again. And I'll still have your son. After all, Sue Ellen might approve of your little scheme, but Mama certainly won't."
JR watched Bobby leave his office and carefully turned the conversation over in his mind.
He hated to admit it, but his brother had a point. If Jock's will did split the company, JR would be stuck. Worse, Bobby would be able to hold the agreement turning Christopher over to him for 20 shares of Ewing Oil over his head for the rest of his life. Once those papers were signed, JR would never be able to tell his mother the truth.
But, as always, Bobby had made a mistake. He should have kept his thoughts about the will to himself - instead, he'd tipped his hand to JR.
Sue Ellen was right after all. There was no way JR would be able to control Bobby forever - especially not once Jock's will was read.
JR reached for the phone and dialed the number from memory. "Mrs. Chambers," he barked into the receiver, "this is Mr. Ewing. I need to speak to Mrs. Ewing right away. She what? When? Thank you."
He hung up the phone and snarled. "Damnit, Sue Ellen! I told you to stay away from Southfork today!" He dialed some more numbers and waited for someone to pick up the line.
"Hello?"
"Mama? Is Sue Ellen there with you? I need to talk to her right away."
"I'm sorry, JR, she won't be here until later this afternoon. She said she was going to town to do some shopping before she came to Southfork. Is everything alright?"
"What? Oh. Yes. I just…I just need to talk to her. About the wedding. Everything's fine. Listen, can you have her call me as soon as she gets there?"
"Of course, JR."
"Thanks, Mama."
JR hung up the phone and sank back into his chair.
"Well, well, Miss Texas," he muttered under his breath. "Seems like Bobby isn't the only one I'm gonna have a hard time controlling."
***
This fic takes place during season four of "Dallas" and the timeline breaks during the episode "Blackmail."
***
The Ewings: Fathers and Family
Part Twelve
***
"JR? Mrs. Krebbs is here to see you."
JR rolled his eyes and bit back a groan. Barry would be showing up at any time with Christopher's test results. The last thing he needed was for Donna to be poking around. "Send her in," he finally snapped into the intercom.
"Thanks for seeing me, JR," Donna glided into the room and sat down in a chair across from the desk.
"Make it fast, Donna. I'm busy this morning."
"I want to talk to you about my book."
"What about it?"
"My publisher is putting a lot of pressure on me to finish. Bobby asked me to hold off until he could get through to Miss Ellie, but I'm running out of time."
"And I should care because?"
"You told me you wouldn't fight me."
"That's right. So?"
"So…JR I was hoping maybe you could talk to Miss Ellie. Try to make her understand that I'm not writing anything that isn't true and that she's being unreasonable."
"Now hold on, just a minute, lady," JR leaned back in his chair and leveled his eyes on her face, "just because I don't care about that book doesn't mean my Mama doesn't. I told you, she doesn't know the full man that my daddy was."
"I know. That's why I'm hoping you'll…"
"No," he cut her off in mid sentence. "Mama is still grieving. What you're writing may be the truth, but it's gonna hurt her. I told you I wouldn't fight you and I won't, but I won't make it easy on you either."
"JR…"
"You have to decide what's more important to you. My Mama's feelings or that damn book. You're the only one who can make that decision. And I told you I was busy. We're done."
"Coming here was a huge mistake," Donna growled, standing up.
"Obviously," JR growled back at her, "Shut your door on the way out."
***
Lucy carefully brushed out her hair and tried to organize her thoughts.
She'd talked to Muriel, and neither of them had any memory of leaving the club or how they had gotten back to the apartment.
On top of that, Lucy had a wicked headache and felt slightly queasy.
"You're just hung over," she whispered to the reflection in her vanity's mirror.
There was a sudden, brief knock at the door and Teresa's voice floated into the room. "Miss Lucy, you have a call from a gentleman named Paulie."
Lucy stood up carefully and moved to the phone beside her bed. "Hello?"
"Good morning, beautiful. How are you today?"
"I feel a little hung over," Lucy told him. "How did you get this number?"
"You gave it to me, silly. Don't you remember?"
"No… I don't…I actually don't remember much of anything about last night. How did Muriel and I get back to her apartment?"
"I dropped you off. I offered to take you all the way home, but you insisted you wanted to stay there."
"How much did I have to drink?"
"Too much. You and your friend both got pretty loaded. That's why we took you home. My cousin followed us in your car so it would be there when you woke up."
"Did anything happen? I mean did we…"
"No, Lucy. We helped you into the apartment and left. I wouldn't take advantage of you that way."
"I just wish I could remember."
"There's nothing to remember. I promise. We drank and danced and we took you home."
"Alright," Lucy nodded, absently rubbing her forehead. "Thanks for calling. I feel better."
"Good. Because I'd really like to see you again."
Lucy was quiet for just a few seconds before signing softly. "I think I'd like that, Paulie. I think I'd like it very much."
***
"What do you think, John Ross? Think your daddy will like this?"
Sue Ellen held the green silk up against her body and examined her reflection in the mirror.
She had informed Miss Ellie she would be visiting Southfork this afternoon and then decided to take John Ross out to do a little shopping. "Your Daddy always said I look pretty in green."
"Sue Ellen?"
Sue Ellen stiffened at the sound of the familiar voice. She took a deep breath and slowly turned around. "Hello, Marilee."
"That's quite a rock on your hand. I heard congratulations are in order."
"Yes," Sue Ellen said smoothly. "JR asked me to marry him and I accepted his proposal."
"How sweet," Marilee rolled her eyes. "Guess things will be back to normal at Southfork very soon then."
"Normal?"
"You know, you'll be sitting in a corner with a drink, boozed up, brooding and babbling and JR will be out chasing every piece of female tail in Dallas."
"You don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't I?" Marilee challenged. "We'll see."
Sue Ellen gulped down a bitter reply and watched the other woman sashay away. She turned her attention back to her son and shrugged weakly. "That awful woman is wrong, John Ross," she whispered. "This time will be different. This time, your daddy will be good to me and we'll be a very happy family."
She picked the little boy up, hugged him close, and closed her eyes. She wanted to believe what she'd said, but in her heart, she feared it was all a lie.
***
"Miss Ellie?"
"Oh, Pam!" Ellie stood up and walked over to hug her daughter-in-law. "I'm so glad you're home! How's Cliff?"
"Improving," Pam hugged Ellie back. "The doctors don't think there'll be any permanent damage."
"That's wonderful news, Pam. I know you and Rebecca must be so relieved!"
"Yes," Pam muttered under her breath. "Has Bobby already gone to the office?"
"Afraid so," Ellie sighed. "Please, Pam, come sit with me for a bit."
Pam let Ellie take her hand and lead her to the couch. "Have you eaten this morning?"
"No, Miss Ellie. I'm not very hungry."
"Yesterday you said there was something you wanted to talk to me about. What is it?"
"Oh… it…Miss Ellie, Bobby told me about Donna's book."
"Stop right there, Pam," Ellie warned her. "I don't want to talk about that. Not with you or with anything else."
"But Miss Ellie, Donna and Ray are family…"
"Yes. And Jock is the head of this family. He always will be. Being a Ewing comes with many expectations - the most important one of all is loyalty."
"But how is Donna being disloyal by telling the truth?"
"It's NOT true!" Ellie said firmly. "And I won't stand by and watch my husband's reputation be destroyed when he isn't even here to defend himself!"
"But Miss Ellie…"
"It is my job as Jock's wife to hold this family together."
"Cutting Ray and Donna off doesn't seem to me to be holding us together."
"Pam, Ray and Donna have to make their own decisions and they have to accept the consequences of those decisions. And the same thing goes for you."
"Me? What do you mean?"
"I know the history between your family and ours is horrible. I know that you and JR have never gotten along. But you have to put that behind you now."
"Put it behind me?" Pam repeated. "My brother is lying in a hospital bed because of JR!"
"Your brother makes his own decisions, same as everyone else. JR didn't make him steal from your mother and he didn't make him try to kill himself."
"I'm sorry, Miss Ellie, but you don't know what you're talking about. JR set him up! And Sue Ellen is just as guilty! She manipulated his emotions and made him believe they had a future together."
"Cliff is the one who chased after Sue Ellen. And he knew how JR would react. He has only himself to blame for his predicament."
"I can't believe you're defending them!" Pam jumped off the couch. "I won't listen to another word about this!"
"I'm sorry you're hurting, Pam," Ellie's eyes narrowed, "but JR and Sue Ellen are family and I expect you to treat them as such. I insist that you keep the peace between you."
"Insist?" Pam's voice was thick with anger. "I'm sorry, Miss Ellie, but you insist on way too much!"
Ellie made no reply as she watched Pam turn and run up the stairs. She sank back against the couch and sadly shook her head.
"Oh, Jock," she whispered. "I need you so. Everything is falling apart without you."
***
"Satisfied?"
Bobby studied the paper closely before finally shrugging and pushing it away. "Yes."
"Good," JR smiled at him. "I'll have Barry draw up papers giving me control of your twenty percent of Ewing Oil."
"You're a piece of work, JR. I always knew you were low, but even I can't believe you'd sell your own son for control of Ewing Oil."
"Don't stand there and try to be self righteous with me, Bob. Your hands aren't any cleaner than mine. You bought that boy, passed him over to Pam like a piece of meat, pressured Sue Ellen into committing perjury. You intended to keep the fact Christopher was my son all to yourself and pressure my wife to help you do it."
"Sue Ellen isn't your wife anymore."
"She will be again soon enough."
"And how do you think she'll react when she finds out you only agreed to let me keep Christopher if I sign over my shares?"
"She already knows, Bob," JR laughed.
"You think you've thought of everything don't you?'
"Yes. I have."
"What about the will, JR?"
"What will?"
"Daddy's will. Eventually, Mama is going to have to accept that Jock is dead. When that happens, his will comes into play. That little paper you're making me sign won't mean much when Daddy's will makes these shares moot and splits the company between us. What are you gonna do then, JR?"
JR's eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. "Daddy would never take the company from me."
Bobby threw back his head and laughed. "He did it before, JR. You can have my shares. But this is temporary. Once the will is read, you'll lose control again. And I'll still have your son. After all, Sue Ellen might approve of your little scheme, but Mama certainly won't."
JR watched Bobby leave his office and carefully turned the conversation over in his mind.
He hated to admit it, but his brother had a point. If Jock's will did split the company, JR would be stuck. Worse, Bobby would be able to hold the agreement turning Christopher over to him for 20 shares of Ewing Oil over his head for the rest of his life. Once those papers were signed, JR would never be able to tell his mother the truth.
But, as always, Bobby had made a mistake. He should have kept his thoughts about the will to himself - instead, he'd tipped his hand to JR.
Sue Ellen was right after all. There was no way JR would be able to control Bobby forever - especially not once Jock's will was read.
JR reached for the phone and dialed the number from memory. "Mrs. Chambers," he barked into the receiver, "this is Mr. Ewing. I need to speak to Mrs. Ewing right away. She what? When? Thank you."
He hung up the phone and snarled. "Damnit, Sue Ellen! I told you to stay away from Southfork today!" He dialed some more numbers and waited for someone to pick up the line.
"Hello?"
"Mama? Is Sue Ellen there with you? I need to talk to her right away."
"I'm sorry, JR, she won't be here until later this afternoon. She said she was going to town to do some shopping before she came to Southfork. Is everything alright?"
"What? Oh. Yes. I just…I just need to talk to her. About the wedding. Everything's fine. Listen, can you have her call me as soon as she gets there?"
"Of course, JR."
"Thanks, Mama."
JR hung up the phone and sank back into his chair.
"Well, well, Miss Texas," he muttered under his breath. "Seems like Bobby isn't the only one I'm gonna have a hard time controlling."
***