I don't own any of the characters in this story and no copyright infringement is intended.
This is a "What if?" fanfic. What if in the season eleven episode "Top Gun" Sue Ellen had changed her mind at the last possible moment and instead of teaming up with Kimberly and Wendell to beat JR she voted her Weststar shares to make him CEO?
***
What If
Part 88
***
"What do you want?" Michelle snapped, seeing Cliff standing in the hallway outside her hotel room. "My big sister send you over here to threaten me?"
"No," Cliff responded cooly. "She sent me over here to help you."
Michelle rolled her eyes and stepped away from the door, allowing him to enter the room. "What do you want?" she repeated.
"Just to give you some advice and then maybe some help if you want it. Can I have a seat?"
Michelle shrugged and pointed to the sofa. Cliff sat down and took a deep breath. "First of all, you need to know your sister loves you. If she didn't, I wouldn't be here. Secondly, I don't care about your plots and schemes. All I'll say is this - the Ewings are dangerous people. If you force April to tell them the truth about you, you won't be able to have one minutes peace for the rest of your life. Third, there's a way out of this for you, but you have to want it."
"Really? And what exactly is that way out?"
"Get a job. I'll give you one at Weststar. Make your own way. Apologize to your sister, make an effort to repair that relationship. Stay on the straight and narrow. Your only other option is to leave town."
"Leave town?"
"Yeah," Cliff said, standing up. "You have 48 hours to decide. Understand, you make the wrong choice, April calls Sue Ellen. If that happens JR and I will be your worst nightmare."
"You?"
"Yes, Michelle, me. JR will hurt you for Sue Ellen. I'll hurt you for April. And neither of us are men of strong consciences. Think it over. If I don't hear from you in 48 hours, it's war."
***
"When did you become such a huge football fan?" Pam asked Christopher, eyeing the blue and silver Dallas Cowboy decor of his new bedroom.
"Uncle JR takes me and John Ross to games sometimes," Christopher told her. "It's really fun!"
"I don't know anything about football," Pam confessed. "You'll have to teach me so I can watch with you."
"That would be awesome!" Christopher smiled. "Do you like my room, Mommy?"
"I love it! I'm glad Uncle JR and Aunt Sue Ellen gave your own room."
"You won't mind if I sleep over a lot?"
Pam squatted down and looked into his eyes. "I'll miss you. But I'll be right next door and you and John Ross will have so much fun. So no. I don't mind at all."
Christopher's smile grew wider. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a big hug. "I love you, Mommy. I'm so glad you came home."
"Me too," Pam closed her eyes and held him tightly. "Me too, baby."
***
"Excuse me, is Mr. Ewing in?"
Sly looked up from her desk and smiled. "Which Mr. Ewing?"
"JR."
"I'm sorry. He's already left for the day. Would you like to leave your name and make an appointment for tomorrow?"
"I… I'm afraid what I have to speak to him about is very time sensitive. You said there is another Mr. Ewing in?"
"Yes. Bobby Ewing is in his office."
"May I see him?"
"One moment. I'll see if he's available. May I have your name?"
"Beaumont. Vanessa Beaumont."
***
"Hello?"
"Hi, honey. How's your day going?"
"Wonderful," April grinned, happy to hear Jack's voice. "I woke up early, but in a fabulous mood."
"Oh yeah?" Jack laughed. "Want to talk about what put you in such a fabulous mood?"
"I want to do more than talk about. Hoping to reenact it later tonight."
"About that…"
"Oh, Jack. Please don't tell me you can't see me tonight."
"I can and I will," he laughed. "But Clayton and Miss Ellie are insisting you come to Southfork for dinner. I told them you might want to have dinner alone."
"I do want to have dinner alone," April sighed, "but I don't want to tell Miss Ellie no."
"Me either. We can beg off during after dinner drinks and head back to your place though."
"Sounds like a plan," April agreed. "I'll see you at Southfork later then."
"Can't wait," Jack said. "I already miss you."
"Good. Because I already miss you too."
***
"I'm home!" Cliff came through the front door and loosened his tie. "Afton?"
He glanced around and wondered if she had gone out. He hadn't warned her he would be home early. He walked into the bedroom and stopped dead in his tracks when he looked at the bed. She was there. Sound asleep. Wrapped in her arms was a tiny, blonde haired little girl. "Oh my, God."
He stumbled backwards and hit the door frame. Afton and Pammy both woke up at the noise. Afton pulled Pammy into her lap and stroked her hair to soothe her. "Cliff?" she whispered. "What are you doing home? I was going to call you and tell you…"
Cliff shook his head and tried to steady himself on his weak legs. "Pammy?" he choked out.
"Yes. Mitch brought her over earlier. She's here to stay, Cliff."
Cliff slowly approached the bed. He sat down deliberately, quietly on the edge, taking care not to startle the little girl. "I… oh, my gosh…"
Afton leaned over and kissed his cheek. "It's okay, Cliff." She shifted Pammy on her lap so she was facing Cliff. "Pammy? This is your daddy."
Pammy didn't say anything. She didn't make a sound. She looked up at her mother, back at Cliff, then settled down close against Afton's chest.
"She's beautiful,* Cliff breathed out. "Just like her mother."
***
"Hello? Oh, hi honey!" Pam said into the phone, "We had the best time over at the new house! It's beautiful and Sue Ellen…. What? They're right here. No. Bobby, what's wrong? Okay."
"It's Bobby. He wants to talk to JR. He said it's an emergency."
JR jumped off the couch and grabbed the phone. "Yeah, Bob, what's wrong?" JR was silent as he listened to the response. "Hang on. Sue Ellen is right here. She'll want to hear this. Putting you on speaker."
JR pushed the speaker button and hung up the receiver. "Okay, Bob. Go ahead."
"JR, you need to come back to the office right now. Vanessa Beaumont is here. She's refusing to leave without talking to you."
"Call security and have her ass thrown out," JR snapped.
"When I said I was going to do that she threatened to go to the press with a story about a Ewing love child."
Sue Ellen gasped and her hand flew to her mouth. She shook her head at JR. "We can't have that!"
"Did she say why she wanted to talk to me?"
"Only that she believes she has a solution to your mutual problem."
"The problem being James I suppose."
"Yes. What do you want me to do, JR?"
JR looked at Sue Ellen and raised his eyebrows at her in a silent question.
Sue Ellen looked stricken, almost sick. She sucked in a deep breath and forced herself to speak. "Tell her JR will be there in 30 minutes."
"You sure, Sue Ellen? JR asked.
"I'm sure," she replied in a shaky voice. "She hasn't given us any other choice, has she?"
***
April opened her front door and her eyes widened in surprise. "Hi. Please, come in."
Michelle nodded and moved into the apartment. "Cliff paid me a visit today.,"
"Yes. He told me."
"Did he tell you what he said to me."
"Not really," April shrugged. "He just said he tried to talk sense to you and he asked me to give you some time to think about what he said before I called Sue Ellen."
"He offered me a job at Weststar. I'm thinking of taking him up on the offer."
"Why? Decide to give up on the fold digging?"
Michelle lowered her eyes to the floor and sighed. "Yes. Cliff will probably think it's because he threatened me, but it's not."
"Then why?"
"I don't know. Just been thinking." She raised her head and settled her gaze on April's face. "I've been jealous of you my whole life. I always wanted whatever you had. First it was silly girl stuff. Dolls and bikes and clothes. Then it was Jack. Now it's success and money. It made me angry...furious really that all that money just dropped onto your lap. You didn't even have to work for it. I figured if you could live off the Ewings, I could too."
"Michelle…"
Michelle held up her hand to stop her. "Please let me finish. I know my little scheme won't work. Even if you hadn't caught me red handed, it wouldn't have worked. You finding out what I was up to probably saved me a whole lot of trouble and heartache. April…" she struggled to find the right words,"I'm sorry. For Jack, for coming back into your life and causing so much havoc for you. I've been a selfish, petty brat my whole life. I'd like to try to change. I guess I came over here to ask you if you would be willing to give me a chance - and maybe help me along the way a little."
"You're my sister, Michelle. I love you. I'll do anything I can to help you - if you're truly sincere about getting your life together. Have a seat. I'll make some coffee. You and I need to have a very long talk."
***
"You didn't say one word during the entire drive from Southfork."
Sue Ellen turned her head away from the window and looked at her husband. They were in the parking garage at the Ewing Building, getting ready to go inside and face Vanessa.
"I guess I've just been silently gathering my courage," she finally said.
"Courage?" JR repeated.
"Is she beautiful, JR?"
"Sue Ellen…"
"Is she?"
"I don't know, honey," he sighed. "You seem to keep forgetting I haven't laid eyes on the woman in over 20 years."
"Alright. WAS she beautiful?"
JR shifted his body so that he could look her in the eyes and reach out and take her hand. "Yes. She was. That shouldn't surprise you. You know I have always been attracted to beautiful women."
"Yes," Sue Ellen whispered softly.
"Sue Ellen, what are you afraid of?"
Sue Ellen was quiet for a few minutes before answering. "JR - all the women who've come between, as hurt and angry as I was about your cheating, I was never worried that you loved them - until Mandy. She was my worst nightmare. Not because she was young and beautiful, but because you cared for her."
"And I walked away from her for you. I chose you, Sue Ellen."
"Yes," Sue Ellen laughed bitterly. "But only after quite a bit of protesting and kicking and screaming."
"You were kicking and screaming just as hard," he reminded her. "Harder, actually. I thought we agreed that Mandy was in the past and we didn't need to keep rehashing it."
"We did," she agreed, "but now…"
"What?" he pressed her.
"In your life, JR, you have only loved three women. Me, Mandy, and Vanessa. Now that Vanessa is back in your life… what if all those old feelings get stirred up when you see her? What if you see her and want her again?"
JR sighed heavily and turned away from her. He grumbled under his breath, jerked his car door open, slammed it shut, stalked over to the passenger side, and jerked open the door. "Listen here, Miss Texas," he growled, squatting down in front of her seat so his eyes were level with hers. "Stop. Just stop it. I never loved Mandy. Yes, I cared for her once, but that's been over for a long time and I told you before - I let her go, NOT you. And I have NEVER regretted that decision. Not once. Not even when we were fighting and separated."
"I know, JR, but…"
"Let me finish," he interrupted. "As for Vanessa, yeah. It's true I believed I loved her. I was young and infatuated and stupid. When she refused to divorce her husband and ran back to England I was crushed. Moped around for months. Then one night, I judged a beauty contest. I saw you honey. From that moment on, I never even thought about Vanessa again. Vanessa isn't some long lost love, honey. She's a bullet I dodged. If she had left her husband and married me I would have never met the true love of my life. Her going back to England was the biggest favor anyone has ever done for me in my life. Do you understand?"
"Yes," Sue Ellen choked out, tears welling up in her eyes. "Thank you, JR. I needed to hear you say that."
"I know you did, honey," he leaned forward and kissed her, thoroughly, but gently. "I love you, Sue Ellen. I told you once that it's always been you. I'm telling you that again now. Come on," he stood up straight and held his hand out to her, " let's go on up and get this over with so we can go home and you can let me love all your doubts away."
***
"They should be at the office by now," Patricia said worriedly. "I hope everything is going alright."
"I don't know if it was a good idea for Sue Ellen to go with JR," Pam said. "She looked so upset when they left."
"I'd be upset too," Lucy grumbled. "It's bad enough to have a grown son appear out of the blue, but now his mother too? It's a lot to have to handle. Especially considering how sick Sue Ellen has been."
"I'm very worried about how Sue Ellen is going to handle it all," Patricia sighed. "She's been so fragile lately."
"Sue Ellen isn't fragile," Ellie finally spoke. A small smile came to her lips as she watched John Ross and Christopher aim their water guns at Cayton, who was unsuspectingly walking from the kitchen onto the patio. She didn't warn him, and within seconds he was soaked to the bone. She burst out laughing when he ran to the edge of the pool, grabbed both guns, and turned them on the boys who dove under the water to avoid the assault.
"Sue Ellen will be fine," she said, turning her attention back to the other women. "She will rise to support her husband and protect her children, as she always does. You should all have more faith in her. She's put her past weaknesses behind her and has grown into the strongest woman in this family."
"Except for you, Grandma," Lucy smiled at her. "You'll always be our rock."
"Yes. But I won't always be here," Ellie said softly. "And when I'm gone, I know it will be Sue Ellen what holds you all together. Don't sell that woman short. She is a force of nature. And whatever happens at Ewing Oil this afternoon, she'll handle it with strength and dignity. I have no doubt about that. Not one single doubt."
***
"I wasn't expecting you to bring your wife, JR," Vanessa complained. "You and I need to speak in private."
"We speak in front of my wife or we don't speak at all," JR said firmly.
Sue Ellen quietly studied the other woman. She was lovely, but nothing like Sue Ellen had imagined. There was no spark at all between Vanessa and JR.
"Do you want me to leave and give the three of you some privacy?" Bobby spoke up.
"No," JR answered. "Stay right where you are. Vanessa, my patience is limited. You insisted on this meeting. Get to your point and get out."
"Fine, JR. I understand you and James are going to be having a paternity test done and that you chose the doctor who will be doing it."
"How did you know that?" JR demanded.
"It doesn't matter how I know," Vanessa laughed. "What matters is that you can control the results."
"What?"
"Tell your doctor that James can't be your son. Make sure he manipulates the results if necessary."
"If?" JR repeated. "Your husband has already been eliminated as a possible father. How is there an "if," Vanessa? Were you sleeping with another man in addition to me and your husband?"
"What possible difference does that make, JR? The fact is that a blood test done all those years ago may be inaccurate. Allister could be James's natural father. As I told you before, paternity doesn't matter. Allister is the only father James has. This insistence on finding a truth that doesn't even matter will destroy his life; more importantly, it will destroy my life."
"What do you mean?" Sue Ellen spoke to her for the first time.
Vanessa turned her gaze on Sue Ellen and narrowed her eyes. "There's more at stake here than my son's fantasy about being in a "real" family. A fortune is on the line. If it turns out that James doesn't belong to Allister, my brother-in-law will see that James and I both are left penniless. James is free to make that choice - he's already made it so far as I'm concerned. But I won't allow him to make that choice for me." She turned her eyes back to JR. "You make sure the paternity test comes back excluding you as the father."
"And then what?" JR asked.
"Then this all ceases to be your problem," Vanessa shrugged.
"If he's my son I want to know."
"Fine. Let the doctor tell YOU the truth. But James can never know. Let me be clear, if you are interested in a happy family reunion, just put it out of your head. Do as I've asked. If you don't, I will personally make certain that your pretty wife over there has to endure the biggest scandal in the history of Texas. It will be in all the papers, JR. How you forced yourself on a poor, naive married woman. How she ran away in fear and hid from you for over twenty years. How you forced your way back into her life by claiming paternity of her son."
"None of that is true," JR shot back.
"The truth doesn't matter and you know it," Vanessa laughed. "The only thing that matters is what sells papers; and my little story will sell a ton of them."
"And what about your son?" JR asked incredulously. "What about how all this affects him?"
"James has given up the right to have me give even the slightest damn about what happens to him. He's on his own."
JR sucked in a deep breath and shook his head. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He turned his eyes on his wife and tried to gauge her reaction to Vanessa's threat. He wanted to tell Vanessa to go to hell, but she might be so terrified of a public scandal that she'd want to give in. Plus, as horrid as Vanessa's plan was, it would get both her and James out of Sue Ellen's life for good. Her face was totally blank and she hadn't moved a muscle. He had no idea what was going through her mind.
"Sue Ellen?" he finally said her name, his voice soft and questioning.
She looked up at him, studying his face for a moment. "No," she finally said, her voice strong and determined. "No, JR."
She stood up, squared her shoulders, and leveled her eyes on Vanessa. "What a horrible woman you are!"
"Excuse me?" Vanessa's eyes widened with shock.
"No wonder James is so determined to get away from you! What kind of mother is so callous about her own son?"
"You have no right to speak to me like that?" Vanessa protested.
"I have every right!" Sue Ellen seethed. "Who do you think you are, waltzing in here and threatening my husband? You can tell whatever wild stories you wish to whomever you wish. It won't change a thing. I don't know if JR is James's father or not. At this point, I'm not sure it even matters! That poor boy, growing up with a sociopath like you for a mother! No wonder he is so desperate for a real family!"
"Listen, you bitch…"
Sue Ellen laughed out loud. "Bitch? You haven't even scratched the surface of how bad a bitch I can be when someone threatens my family. As for James, he is welcome in mine and my husband's lives. We will NOT lie to him about the paternity test. And no matter what, we'll try to help him get over the trauma of having you as a mother! Now get out!"
"JR, have you no control over this...creature? Vanessa asked, outraged.
"You heard my wife, Vanessa. Get out. Before I throw you out."
Vanessa narrowed her eyes and stood up. "Your choice, JR. Enjoy the fallout when every news outlet in Dallas prints details of your rape of a married woman." She turned and left the office, slamming the door behind her.
"Wow," Bobby ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "How do you guys want to handle this?"
"I don't know, Bob…" JR began.
"I'll tell you EXACTLY how we're going to handle it," Sue Ellen cut in. "Bobby, call Harv Smithfield. Tell him JR is getting ready to be falsely accused of rape in the press. We need to get our story out first. Get Ray on the phone. Tell him he is to bring James straight to Southfork when they land tomorrow. JR, we need to go home and prepare the family for his arrival. Bobby, you need to talk to Pam and make her understand that the four of us need to talk to both boys together tonight to explain what's happening."
"Alright, Sue Ellen. I'll go call her now, then I'll take care of Harv and Ray. See you two at Southfork later."
When he was out of the office Sue Ellen let out a frustrated growl and stamped her foot. "That woman is vile, JR. Just absolutely vile!"
"Yes," JR agreed, trying not to grin at Sue Ellen's reaction.
"Come on, we need to get home and talk to the family."
"Alright, darlin'. I'll call a family meeting for after dinner."
"I don't want to wait until after dinner!' she stamped her foot again.
"Well, you're going to have to," JR chuckled lowly and moved to take her into his arms and pull her tightly against his body. "Feel that, Miss Texas?" he whispered against her ear, grinding his arousal against her body.
Her eyes grew wide with shock, "JR, how could you be horny at a time like this?"
"Seeing you jump up and defend me the way you did. Protecting our family. Even sticking up.for James, a young man you've never even met… can't help it darlin'. It turned me on." He captured her earlobe between his lips and sucked on it gently. "I love you, Sue Ellen," he said, moving his mouth down to nuzzle her neck. "Everyday you give me a new reason to love you more. Let me take you home and make love to you. I need you. I need to show you how much I love you."
He pressed her even more tightly against him and claimed her mouth in a deep, desperate kiss. "I need to make love to you, Sue Ellen. Will you let me, honey?"
"Yes," she breathed hotly against his mouth. "Let's go home, JR."
***
Beaumont and what needed to be done, and how she remained so classy doing it cos I would've knocked the hag out.
at JR's reaction to Sue Ellen putting the hag in her place. The horny old sod.
