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<blockquote data-quote="CeeCee72" data-source="post: 226074" data-attributes="member: 5055">I don&#039;t own any of the characters in this story and no copyright infringement is intended.This is a &quot;What if?&quot; fanfic. What if in the season eleven episode &quot;Top Gun&quot; 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 IfPart 85***Ray didn&#039;t speak. He didn&#039;t even move. He was shell shocked. &quot;I&#039;m sorry to dump all this on you,&quot; James said quietly. &quot;I didn&#039;t know what else to do. I tried to plot and scheme. Tried to romance Charlie and use her as a way into your family. But in the end, she&#039;s just such a great girl, I couldn&#039;t bring myself to hurt her like that. Then I tried to figure out some angle to worm my way close to JR through his wife. But thinking about everything Charlie told me about her and how hard she&#039;s had to struggle to keep her marriage together, that didn&#039;t seem right either. My mom taught me how to lie and manipulate people. It&#039;s a lesson I learned very well. But I couldn&#039;t do it. If JR is my father, I don&#039;t want to start my relationship out with him with a scheme.&quot;&quot;James, you realize how hard this is to believe, right? My brother is a very wealthy man. A lot of people have claimed family connections to the Ewings in order to try to hop on the money train.&quot;I completely understand that, Mr. Krebbs. But, remember, I&#039;m a Brumin. My father - or whatever he was to me - was heir to a huge financial empire. We are one of the wealthiest families in the UK. When he died, I inherited everything. No offense, but the fortune I have makes what the Ewings have look like peanuts. Here,&quot; James pushed a file over to Ray.&quot;What&#039;s all this?&quot;&quot;My… Allister - the man I thought was my father - gave this to me night he died. It&#039;s years of news clippings on JR. There&#039;s also some old photos of JR and my mother during their affair. And in the very back, the results of a blood test.&quot;&quot;Blood test?&quot;&quot;Allister never believed he was my father. When I was seven years old, he had a paternity test done behind my mother&#039;s back. The results were conclusive. He isn&#039;t my natural father.&quot;&quot;But...if he knew, why didn&#039;t he divorce your mother and disown you?&quot;&quot;You don&#039;t know my mother,&quot; James laughed bitterly. &quot;She&#039;s evil. By the time he had the blood test done, she already had her hands so deep into his business that he couldn&#039;t afford to divorce her. Plus - well, given his habits towards booze, cocaine, and cheap women, she had enough blackmail material on him to keep him well in line.&quot;&quot;James, why are you doing this? If it turns out JR is your father, aren&#039;t you risking losing your fortune?&quot;&quot;Yes,&quot; James shrugged. &quot;But I don&#039;t care. All my life I&#039;ve had plenty of money. More than I could ever spend. But that&#039;s all I ever had. My so-called father was cold and resentful. My mother was cruel. I want a family, Mr. Krebbs. I don&#039;t expect for JR and his wife to accept me with open arms at first - but they seem like the kind of people who might actually give me a chance.&quot;&quot;Does JR have any idea you exist?&quot;&quot;My mother says she talked to him, but that might not be true. She&#039;s an awful liar. I promise you I don&#039;t want to cause JR any trouble. That&#039;s why I came to you, Mr. Krebbs. I knew you&#039;d help me do what&#039;s right.&quot;&quot;Alright, James. I need to talk to Jenna about all this. Then I&#039;ll have to call JR. Can you come back tomorrow afternoon? And I guess since we&#039;re probably related you should start calling me Ray.&quot;&quot;Thanks, Ray,&quot; James stood up and extended his hand. &quot;Hopefully I&#039;ll see you tomorrow.&quot;&quot;Hopefully?&quot;&quot;I have one other thing I need to take care of,&quot; James sighed. &quot;I have to contact the London police. I have a confession to make about the fire that killed my father.&quot;***&quot;This one is gorgeous, Pam! You should try it on too!&quot;&quot;Whoa, Sue Ellen!&quot; Pam laughed. &quot;My arms are already too full!&quot;&quot;I&#039;ll carry this one,&quot; Sue Ellen said, gesturing&nbsp; at the sales lady. &quot;Mrs. Ewing will be trying all these on.&quot;&quot;Yes, ma&#039;am!&quot; The sales lady smiled. &quot;Right this way.&quot;Pam and Sue Ellen followed her to the dressing area. &quot;Sue Ellen,&quot; Pam said, removing her dress. &quot;Thank you so much for understanding about dinner.&quot;&quot;Of course, Pam. I understand you&#039;re not ready for a public reveal. Plus, it&#039;s only your second night home. We need to spend it with the boys. And judging by that huge smile on your face, I imagine you and Bobby will want to turn in early anyway.&quot;&quot;Is it that obvious?&quot; Pam laughed.&quot;Yes, it is.&quot;&quot;It was so amazing. I made all those plans to prove myself to him and be patient and then he just strolled into my bedroom and told me he loved me and wanted to try to work things out. I felt like a princess in a fairy tale.&quot;&quot;I&#039;m so very happy for you. For both of you.&quot;&quot;Thank you, Sue Ellen. I noticed that you and JR seem to be getting along alright.&quot;&quot;Oh, I put him in his place, just like Miss Ellie suggested. He still has some lessons to learn, but I have a feeling he is going to be a very attentive student.&quot;Pam burst out laughing and turned to face her friend. &quot;Well? How do I look?&quot; she asked, twirling around in one of the dresses Sue Ellen had picked out.&quot;You look lovely, Pam,&quot; Sue Ellen gushed. &quot;Just lovely!&quot;***&quot;What are you looking at, Bobby?&quot;&quot;You, JR. You look pretty relaxed and content for a guy who was afraid his wife was going to kill him a few hours ago.&quot;&quot;Well, I stuck to the plan,&quot; JR told him. &quot;She came right around.&quot;&quot;Uh huh,&quot; Bobby laughed. &quot;Just like I stuck to my plan I bet.&quot;JR shook his head. &quot;Our battle plan was a complete failure. The enemy outsmarted us.&quot;&quot;Yes,&quot; Bobby admitted. &quot;We&#039;re the ones who were divided and conquered.&quot;&quot;True, but on the bright side, I have no problem letting Sue Ellen conquer me any time she wants.&quot;Bobby threw back his head and roared with laughter.&quot;Look at this,&quot; JR said with disgust, gesturing around the waiting area of the dress shop. &quot;Look at all these husbands, sitting around and wasting their whole day waiting on their wives to buy some clothes. Trained, lovesick puppies, Bob. And here we are, just like them.&quot;&quot;We&#039;re not like them all all!&quot; Bobby protested. &quot;We&#039;re MANLY lovesick puppies remember?&quot;It was JR&#039;s turn to laugh. Bobby joined them and they laughed so hard, everyone in the shop turned to look at them. The brothers ignored the strange looks they were getting, slapped each other on the back, and joked and smiled, both content to wait on the women they loved.***Michelle paced back and forth across the carpeting of her hotel room and tried to figure out what she was going to do. Her nosy sister had found her research on the Ewings, along with some notes Michelle had made after her meeting with Marilee, and had thrown her out of the apartment immediately. April was so outraged, Michelle was sure she was probably already on the phone to Sue Ellen, spilling the entire sordid story.This was going to make things very difficult for Michelle, but all was not lost. There had to be some way to turn this around to her advantage. She just had to figure out how to do it.***&quot;You&#039;re home early!&quot; Ellie looked up from the board game she and Patricia were playing with the boys. &quot;I thought the four of you were having dinner out tonight?&quot;&quot;I&#039;m afraid we tired ourselves out,&quot; Sue Ellen laughed as the boys jumped out of their seats and ran over to give her and Pam hugs. &quot;So, we just decided to come on home.&quot;&quot;I don&#039;t know what you&#039;re complaining about,&quot; JR grumbled, coming in behind her with an armful of packages. &quot;Bobby and I are the one who had to walk all over downtown Dallas carrying two tons of junk.&quot;&quot;Just remember, JR,&quot; Sue Ellen reminded him, &quot;you volunteered.&quot;JR grunted but said nothing else. &quot;Come on, Bob. Let&#039;s get this stuff upstairs.&quot;Bobby followed JR up the stairs and out of sight.&quot;Did you buy us anything?&quot; John Ross asked with hopeful eyes.&quot;Of course we did!&quot; Pam told them. &quot;I think your presents are both mixed in with my things. Go on up to my room and Uncle Bobby can get them for you.&quot;Pam and Sue Ellen smiled as they watched their sons run up the steps.&quot;I&#039;m glad you had a nice time out shopping,&quot; Ellie said to them. &quot;I assume everything else is settled as well?&quot;&quot;All taken care of,&quot; Sue Ellen grinned.&quot;Good. I&#039;ll tell Teresa you&#039;ll be here for dinner.&quot;Sue Ellen and Pam nodded and went upstairs, stopping in Pam&#039;s room where the boys were admiring their brand new, super soaker water guns. &quot;Wow! These are so neat!&quot; Christopher said.&quot;Yeah! I bet we can drench the whole family with one shot!&quot; John Ross said excitedly. &quot;Can we go try them out?&quot;&quot;What do you think, Pam?&quot; Bobby asked.&quot;Fine with me. I&#039;ll put on my bathing suit and meet you and the boys out by the pool.&quot;&quot;You coming, Mama?&quot; John Ross asked Sue Ellen.&quot;Maybe later, John Ross. I have to talk to your daddy about something first.&quot;&quot;Grown up stuff?&quot; John Ross sounded worried.&quot;Yes, but we&#039;re not fighting, sweetheart. I promise. We just have a problem we need to figure out how to solve together.&quot;&quot;Okay, Mama. You and Daddy are both good at solving problems!&quot;Sue Ellen bent down and kissed her son. &quot;Go get changed, sweetheart. Have fun at the pool.&quot;Sue Ellen nodded at Pam and Bobby and walked across the hall to her and JR&#039;s bedroom. &quot;Time to talk about the bastard,&quot; she said under her breath, steeling her nerves and praying JR would be willing to listen to her and do things her way. ***&quot;Everything okay?&quot;Jack hung up the phone out in the stables and nodded at Clayton. &quot;Yeah. That was April. She had some trouble with her little sister and kicked her out. Michelle totally deserved it, but April is so soft hearted she&quot;s feeling guilty over it now.&quot;&quot;You still having dinner over there tonight?&quot;&quot;Yeah. With Cliff and that Afton character. Should be an interesting evening. Clayton, can I ask you something personal?&quot;&quot;Sure, I guess.&quot;&quot;Why did you sell the Southern Cross? I mean Dusty was still alive. Wouldn&#039;t you have wanted to keep it for him?&quot;&quot;Dusty didn&#039;t want it, and I didn&#039;t think I could keep it if I truly wanted to make Southfork my home. Why?&quot;I don&#039;t know, I guess I&#039;ve been thinking a lot about sons and legacies. My father didn&#039;t leave me anything but debt and I was so broke Jamie had to handle that. I&#039;ve been thinking about what kind of legacy I&#039;ll have for my future kids.&quot;&quot;You&#039;re doing fine work here, Jack. Ray and I have been discussing making you a partner.&quot;&quot;Oh. No Clayton, I didn&#039;t mean…&quot;&quot;I know you aren&#039;t asking. But we both feel you should be rewarded for all your hard work. You have far exceeded our expectations and I don&#039;t know what I would have done without you.&quot;&quot;Clayton, I don&#039;t need to be a partner. I am just happy you took a chance on me and gave me a shot.&quot;&quot;And I am happy you took it. As for leaving a legacy for your children, treat their mama right. Love her. Love them. Be a man. Keep your word. Always put family first. That legacy will do them more good and last a whole lot longer than any material thing you could leave them.&quot;&quot;You&#039;re right, Clayton. Thank you.&quot;&quot;Now, let me ask you a personal question. I mean with all the talk about legacies and future children, are you maybe thinking about putting a ring on April&#039;s finger?&quot;&quot;Yes,&quot; Jack grinned. &quot;Yes, I am.&quot;&quot;Excellent!&quot; Clayton slapped him on the back. &quot;Outstanding!&quot;***&quot;Mr. Brumin, I just spoke to the detective who handled the investigation into the fire. He confirms that an emergency call reporting the fire was made at a payphone two blocks from the house. So your story checks out.&quot;&quot;And you told him Miss Cooper didn&#039;t set the fire?&quot;&quot;Yes, but he said that didn&#039;t matter, considering your father died of heart failure and not smoke inhalation.&quot;&quot;What?&quot;&quot;Didn&#039;t you know? It&#039;s all in the file. He faxed over a copy if you&#039;d like to have it.&nbsp; The autopsy showed your father had been having mini heart attacks all day. It wasn&#039;t the knock on the head or the fire that killed him. It was one last heart attack. Truthfully, given the damage his heart had already sustained throughout the day, he would have died within the next 24 to 48 hours no matter what happened.&quot;&quot;The fire didn&#039;t kill him?&quot;&quot;No.&quot;&quot;I didn&#039;t kill him?&quot;&quot;No, son. And though you were responsible for the fire, you reported it and all of the property loss was absorbed by the estate you inherited, there&#039;s no crime to charge you with.&quot;&quot;You said all of this is in the file. Does my mother know?&quot;&quot;Of course. The Detective informed her of everything. She was pressing hard to have Miss Cooper charged with manslaughter. She wasn&#039;t happy when she realized that would be impossible.&quot;&quot;You said the file was faxed over?&quot;&quot;Yes. Here you go. I hope I&#039;ve been able to answer all of your questions.&quot;&quot;Oh yes,&quot; James nodded, taking the file from the other man&#039;s hand. &quot;You&#039;ve been very helpful. Very helpful indeed.&quot;***&quot;Oh, for heaven&#039;s sake!&quot; Sue Ellen seethed. She was sitting on the edge of the bed. JR was in his favorite chair, silently looking at her. &quot;Are you just going to sit there and stare at me all day or are you going to open your mouth and talk?&quot;&quot;Maybe I was hoping if I sat here long&nbsp; enough, I&#039;d get another strip tease,&quot; JR chuckled.&quot;JR, I swear…&quot;&quot;Alright. I&#039;m sorry, Sue Ellen. I guess the truth is I don&#039;t know where to start.&quot;&quot;If I were you I&#039;d start with how you found out and how long you&#039;ve known.&quot;JR took a deep breath and told her about Afton&#039;s phone messages, about how he hadn&#039;t believed what she&#039;d said when he and Lucy had gone to visit her in the hospital, about how he&#039;d sent Harry to Switzerland, about how Vanessa had called him at the office and told him James never heard of him, and about how Afton had passed Information to Cliff that had exposed Vanessa&#039;s assurances as lies.After he finished spilling the whole story, she stood up, walked over to her vanity, pulled out a couple of tissues, and wiped at her tear filled eyes.&quot;JR,&quot; she said, her voice shaking, &quot;your lie was more than one of ommission. You lied to my face about why Harry was in Switzerland.&quot;&quot;Yes, I did,&quot; he confessed. &quot;And I&#039;m so sorry, Sue Ellen.&quot;&quot;And you made Lucy an unwilling accomplice in your deceit.&quot;&quot;Yes. I did that too.&quot;&quot;JR, you hurt me. You&#039;ve hurt me very badly.&quot;He couldn&#039;t bring himself to look at her. &quot;I know, honey. And I hate myself for it.&quot;&quot;You hurt me, JR,&quot;&nbsp; she repeated. &quot;Don&#039;t do it again.&quot;&quot;I won&#039;t, Sue Ellen,&quot; he finally raised his eyes and locked them on hers, *never again. I swear it.&quot;&quot;You&#039;re promises aren&#039;t worth a lot right now, JR,&quot; she said cooly. &quot;I suppose time will tell whether or not you mean it this time. But make no mistake. I won&#039;t run. And I will fight for you and our marriage, just as I promised I would. But I meant what I said to you this morning; if this happens again, next time I will NOT be so forgiving.&quot;&quot;I understand, Sue Ellen.&quot;&quot;Good. Now, this is what I want. Number one, you are going to call Harv Smithfield tomorrow and redo your will. John Ross will CLEARLY be named the sole heir of your shares of Ewing Oil, Southfork, and our new home and property. You will also stipulate that neither you or any heir that isn&#039;t John Ross have any claim on any of my personal assets, including my shares in Weststar.&quot;&quot;Alright, Sue Ellen.&quot;&quot;Number two,&nbsp; you are going to call Harry McSween and have him arrange a meeting between yourself and James. I will be present at that meeting and at any meeting or phone call between the two of you until paternity has been established.&quot;JR nodded his agreement. &quot;Number three, you will NOT communicate with this Vanessa woman under any circumstances. Not in person, not on the phone, not through mail, not even through a carrier pigeon. Are we clear?&quot;&quot;Yes, Sue Ellen. We&#039;re clear.&quot;&quot;JR, if you have even the SLIGHTEST reservation about any of this, you need to tell me right now. Don&#039;t keep your mouth shut to make me happy then try to pull a fast one on me later.&quot;&quot;I won&#039;t,&quot; he shrugged. &quot;i don&#039;t have any problem with any of it. You&#039;re doing exactly what you should be doing, protecting our son and protecting our marriage.&quot;&quot;And it doesn&#039;t bother you that I&#039;m forbidding you to even communicate with that woman? It doesn&#039;t make you feel like I&#039;m trying to control you?&quot;&quot;Actually, that part is kinda sexy. Turns me on that you&#039;re jealous.&quot;&quot;JR, please be serious!&quot; she snapped &quot;Okay, honey. No it doesn&#039;t bother me. Like I said, you&#039;re protecting our marriage.&quot;&quot;Do you love this woman, JR?&quot;&quot;What?&quot;&quot;She was your first love. She may have given you a son. Do you love her?&quot;JR couldn&#039;t help but laugh at her question.&quot;This isn&#039;t funny, JR!&quot; she stamped her foot at him.&quot;Oh, come on, Miss Texas! It&#039;s very funny. I haven&#039;t seen the woman in over 20 years. Did I think I loved her back then? Sure. But I didn&#039;t. Not then. Not now.&quot;&quot;How can you be so sure?&quot;&quot;Well. For one thing, when she left me, I was sad and angry - but not enough to chase her. See, when I love a woman, I fight for her. When she leaves, I chase her down and bring her back. I marry her and make her mine. I never accept another man having her. So, no Sue Ellen. I have only ever truly loved one woman in my entire life. And you know damn well that woman isn&#039;t Vanessa Beaumont.&quot;&quot;Is that right, JR? I know who that woman is? How exactly do I know?&quot;JR growled, jumped up out of his chair, stalked over to her, swept her up in his arms, and laid her on the bed. He crawled on top of her and settled the weight of the body between her thighs. &quot;There&#039;s only been one woman I ever went after when she left me. Only one woman I ever married. Only one woman I can&#039;t possibly ever live without,&quot; he lowered his head and ran hot kisses down her neck. &quot;It was never Vanessa Beaumont,&quot; he began removing their clothing, &quot;or Mandy Winger. Or Kimberly Cryder. Or any other damn woman.&quot; He rolled over onto his back and positioned her naked body above his. &quot;It&#039;s you, Sue Ellen. There have been a lot of lovers in my life, both before and after I met you, but you are my love.&quot; He thrust himself inside her and pulled her head down to his. &quot;You are my first love. My last love. My only love. Only you, Sue Ellen.&quot;Their lips met in a desperately passionate kiss as their bodies moved together in a frantic rhythm until they climaxed together.When it was over, JR laid beneath her, struggling to catch his breath.&quot;JR?&quot; she said his name, snuggling against his chest.&quot;Hmmmmm?&quot;&quot;I love you, too.&quot;***</blockquote>

[QUOTE="CeeCee72, post: 226074, member: 5055"] 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 85 *** Ray didn't speak. He didn't even move. He was shell shocked. "I'm sorry to dump all this on you," James said quietly. "I didn't know what else to do. I tried to plot and scheme. Tried to romance Charlie and use her as a way into your family. But in the end, she's just such a great girl, I couldn't bring myself to hurt her like that. Then I tried to figure out some angle to worm my way close to JR through his wife. But thinking about everything Charlie told me about her and how hard she's had to struggle to keep her marriage together, that didn't seem right either. My mom taught me how to lie and manipulate people. It's a lesson I learned very well. But I couldn't do it. If JR is my father, I don't want to start my relationship out with him with a scheme." "James, you realize how hard this is to believe, right? My brother is a very wealthy man. A lot of people have claimed family connections to the Ewings in order to try to hop on the money train. "I completely understand that, Mr. Krebbs. But, remember, I'm a Brumin. My father - or whatever he was to me - was heir to a huge financial empire. We are one of the wealthiest families in the UK. When he died, I inherited everything. No offense, but the fortune I have makes what the Ewings have look like peanuts. Here," James pushed a file over to Ray. "What's all this?" "My… Allister - the man I thought was my father - gave this to me night he died. It's years of news clippings on JR. There's also some old photos of JR and my mother during their affair. And in the very back, the results of a blood test." "Blood test?" "Allister never believed he was my father. When I was seven years old, he had a paternity test done behind my mother's back. The results were conclusive. He isn't my natural father." "But...if he knew, why didn't he divorce your mother and disown you?" "You don't know my mother," James laughed bitterly. "She's evil. By the time he had the blood test done, she already had her hands so deep into his business that he couldn't afford to divorce her. Plus - well, given his habits towards booze, cocaine, and cheap women, she had enough blackmail material on him to keep him well in line." "James, why are you doing this? If it turns out JR is your father, aren't you risking losing your fortune?" "Yes," James shrugged. "But I don't care. All my life I've had plenty of money. More than I could ever spend. But that's all I ever had. My so-called father was cold and resentful. My mother was cruel. I want a family, Mr. Krebbs. I don't expect for JR and his wife to accept me with open arms at first - but they seem like the kind of people who might actually give me a chance." "Does JR have any idea you exist?" "My mother says she talked to him, but that might not be true. She's an awful liar. I promise you I don't want to cause JR any trouble. That's why I came to you, Mr. Krebbs. I knew you'd help me do what's right." "Alright, James. I need to talk to Jenna about all this. Then I'll have to call JR. Can you come back tomorrow afternoon? And I guess since we're probably related you should start calling me Ray." "Thanks, Ray," James stood up and extended his hand. "Hopefully I'll see you tomorrow." "Hopefully?" "I have one other thing I need to take care of," James sighed. "I have to contact the London police. I have a confession to make about the fire that killed my father." *** "This one is gorgeous, Pam! You should try it on too!" "Whoa, Sue Ellen!" Pam laughed. "My arms are already too full!" "I'll carry this one," Sue Ellen said, gesturing at the sales lady. "Mrs. Ewing will be trying all these on." "Yes, ma'am!" The sales lady smiled. "Right this way." Pam and Sue Ellen followed her to the dressing area. "Sue Ellen," Pam said, removing her dress. "Thank you so much for understanding about dinner." "Of course, Pam. I understand you're not ready for a public reveal. Plus, it's only your second night home. We need to spend it with the boys. And judging by that huge smile on your face, I imagine you and Bobby will want to turn in early anyway." "Is it that obvious?" Pam laughed. "Yes, it is." "It was so amazing. I made all those plans to prove myself to him and be patient and then he just strolled into my bedroom and told me he loved me and wanted to try to work things out. I felt like a princess in a fairy tale." "I'm so very happy for you. For both of you." "Thank you, Sue Ellen. I noticed that you and JR seem to be getting along alright." "Oh, I put him in his place, just like Miss Ellie suggested. He still has some lessons to learn, but I have a feeling he is going to be a very attentive student." Pam burst out laughing and turned to face her friend. "Well? How do I look?" she asked, twirling around in one of the dresses Sue Ellen had picked out. "You look lovely, Pam," Sue Ellen gushed. "Just lovely!" *** "What are you looking at, Bobby?" "You, JR. You look pretty relaxed and content for a guy who was afraid his wife was going to kill him a few hours ago." "Well, I stuck to the plan," JR told him. "She came right around." "Uh huh," Bobby laughed. "Just like I stuck to my plan I bet." JR shook his head. "Our battle plan was a complete failure. The enemy outsmarted us." "Yes," Bobby admitted. "We're the ones who were divided and conquered." "True, but on the bright side, I have no problem letting Sue Ellen conquer me any time she wants." Bobby threw back his head and roared with laughter. "Look at this," JR said with disgust, gesturing around the waiting area of the dress shop. "Look at all these husbands, sitting around and wasting their whole day waiting on their wives to buy some clothes. Trained, lovesick puppies, Bob. And here we are, just like them." "We're not like them all all!" Bobby protested. "We're MANLY lovesick puppies remember?" It was JR's turn to laugh. Bobby joined them and they laughed so hard, everyone in the shop turned to look at them. The brothers ignored the strange looks they were getting, slapped each other on the back, and joked and smiled, both content to wait on the women they loved. *** Michelle paced back and forth across the carpeting of her hotel room and tried to figure out what she was going to do. Her nosy sister had found her research on the Ewings, along with some notes Michelle had made after her meeting with Marilee, and had thrown her out of the apartment immediately. April was so outraged, Michelle was sure she was probably already on the phone to Sue Ellen, spilling the entire sordid story. This was going to make things very difficult for Michelle, but all was not lost. There had to be some way to turn this around to her advantage. She just had to figure out how to do it. *** "You're home early!" Ellie looked up from the board game she and Patricia were playing with the boys. "I thought the four of you were having dinner out tonight?" "I'm afraid we tired ourselves out," Sue Ellen laughed as the boys jumped out of their seats and ran over to give her and Pam hugs. "So, we just decided to come on home." "I don't know what you're complaining about," JR grumbled, coming in behind her with an armful of packages. "Bobby and I are the one who had to walk all over downtown Dallas carrying two tons of junk." "Just remember, JR," Sue Ellen reminded him, "you volunteered." JR grunted but said nothing else. "Come on, Bob. Let's get this stuff upstairs." Bobby followed JR up the stairs and out of sight. "Did you buy us anything?" John Ross asked with hopeful eyes. "Of course we did!" Pam told them. "I think your presents are both mixed in with my things. Go on up to my room and Uncle Bobby can get them for you." Pam and Sue Ellen smiled as they watched their sons run up the steps. "I'm glad you had a nice time out shopping," Ellie said to them. "I assume everything else is settled as well?" "All taken care of," Sue Ellen grinned. "Good. I'll tell Teresa you'll be here for dinner." Sue Ellen and Pam nodded and went upstairs, stopping in Pam's room where the boys were admiring their brand new, super soaker water guns. "Wow! These are so neat!" Christopher said. "Yeah! I bet we can drench the whole family with one shot!" John Ross said excitedly. "Can we go try them out?" "What do you think, Pam?" Bobby asked. "Fine with me. I'll put on my bathing suit and meet you and the boys out by the pool." "You coming, Mama?" John Ross asked Sue Ellen. "Maybe later, John Ross. I have to talk to your daddy about something first." "Grown up stuff?" John Ross sounded worried. "Yes, but we're not fighting, sweetheart. I promise. We just have a problem we need to figure out how to solve together." "Okay, Mama. You and Daddy are both good at solving problems!" Sue Ellen bent down and kissed her son. "Go get changed, sweetheart. Have fun at the pool." Sue Ellen nodded at Pam and Bobby and walked across the hall to her and JR's bedroom. "Time to talk about the bastard," she said under her breath, steeling her nerves and praying JR would be willing to listen to her and do things her way. *** "Everything okay?" Jack hung up the phone out in the stables and nodded at Clayton. "Yeah. That was April. She had some trouble with her little sister and kicked her out. Michelle totally deserved it, but April is so soft hearted she"s feeling guilty over it now." "You still having dinner over there tonight?" "Yeah. With Cliff and that Afton character. Should be an interesting evening. Clayton, can I ask you something personal?" "Sure, I guess." "Why did you sell the Southern Cross? I mean Dusty was still alive. Wouldn't you have wanted to keep it for him?" "Dusty didn't want it, and I didn't think I could keep it if I truly wanted to make Southfork my home. Why? "I don't know, I guess I've been thinking a lot about sons and legacies. My father didn't leave me anything but debt and I was so broke Jamie had to handle that. I've been thinking about what kind of legacy I'll have for my future kids." "You're doing fine work here, Jack. Ray and I have been discussing making you a partner." "Oh. No Clayton, I didn't mean…" "I know you aren't asking. But we both feel you should be rewarded for all your hard work. You have far exceeded our expectations and I don't know what I would have done without you." "Clayton, I don't need to be a partner. I am just happy you took a chance on me and gave me a shot." "And I am happy you took it. As for leaving a legacy for your children, treat their mama right. Love her. Love them. Be a man. Keep your word. Always put family first. That legacy will do them more good and last a whole lot longer than any material thing you could leave them." "You're right, Clayton. Thank you." "Now, let me ask you a personal question. I mean with all the talk about legacies and future children, are you maybe thinking about putting a ring on April's finger?" "Yes," Jack grinned. "Yes, I am." "Excellent!" Clayton slapped him on the back. "Outstanding!" *** "Mr. Brumin, I just spoke to the detective who handled the investigation into the fire. He confirms that an emergency call reporting the fire was made at a payphone two blocks from the house. So your story checks out." "And you told him Miss Cooper didn't set the fire?" "Yes, but he said that didn't matter, considering your father died of heart failure and not smoke inhalation." "What?" "Didn't you know? It's all in the file. He faxed over a copy if you'd like to have it. The autopsy showed your father had been having mini heart attacks all day. It wasn't the knock on the head or the fire that killed him. It was one last heart attack. Truthfully, given the damage his heart had already sustained throughout the day, he would have died within the next 24 to 48 hours no matter what happened." "The fire didn't kill him?" "No." "I didn't kill him?" "No, son. And though you were responsible for the fire, you reported it and all of the property loss was absorbed by the estate you inherited, there's no crime to charge you with." "You said all of this is in the file. Does my mother know?" "Of course. The Detective informed her of everything. She was pressing hard to have Miss Cooper charged with manslaughter. She wasn't happy when she realized that would be impossible." "You said the file was faxed over?" "Yes. Here you go. I hope I've been able to answer all of your questions." "Oh yes," James nodded, taking the file from the other man's hand. "You've been very helpful. Very helpful indeed." *** "Oh, for heaven's sake!" Sue Ellen seethed. She was sitting on the edge of the bed. JR was in his favorite chair, silently looking at her. "Are you just going to sit there and stare at me all day or are you going to open your mouth and talk?" "Maybe I was hoping if I sat here long enough, I'd get another strip tease," JR chuckled. "JR, I swear…" "Alright. I'm sorry, Sue Ellen. I guess the truth is I don't know where to start." "If I were you I'd start with how you found out and how long you've known." JR took a deep breath and told her about Afton's phone messages, about how he hadn't believed what she'd said when he and Lucy had gone to visit her in the hospital, about how he'd sent Harry to Switzerland, about how Vanessa had called him at the office and told him James never heard of him, and about how Afton had passed Information to Cliff that had exposed Vanessa's assurances as lies. After he finished spilling the whole story, she stood up, walked over to her vanity, pulled out a couple of tissues, and wiped at her tear filled eyes. "JR," she said, her voice shaking, "your lie was more than one of ommission. You lied to my face about why Harry was in Switzerland." "Yes, I did," he confessed. "And I'm so sorry, Sue Ellen." "And you made Lucy an unwilling accomplice in your deceit." "Yes. I did that too." "JR, you hurt me. You've hurt me very badly." He couldn't bring himself to look at her. "I know, honey. And I hate myself for it." "You hurt me, JR," she repeated. "Don't do it again." "I won't, Sue Ellen," he finally raised his eyes and locked them on hers, *never again. I swear it." "You're promises aren't worth a lot right now, JR," she said cooly. "I suppose time will tell whether or not you mean it this time. But make no mistake. I won't run. And I will fight for you and our marriage, just as I promised I would. But I meant what I said to you this morning; if this happens again, next time I will NOT be so forgiving." "I understand, Sue Ellen." "Good. Now, this is what I want. Number one, you are going to call Harv Smithfield tomorrow and redo your will. John Ross will CLEARLY be named the sole heir of your shares of Ewing Oil, Southfork, and our new home and property. You will also stipulate that neither you or any heir that isn't John Ross have any claim on any of my personal assets, including my shares in Weststar." "Alright, Sue Ellen." "Number two, you are going to call Harry McSween and have him arrange a meeting between yourself and James. I will be present at that meeting and at any meeting or phone call between the two of you until paternity has been established." JR nodded his agreement. "Number three, you will NOT communicate with this Vanessa woman under any circumstances. Not in person, not on the phone, not through mail, not even through a carrier pigeon. Are we clear?" "Yes, Sue Ellen. We're clear." "JR, if you have even the SLIGHTEST reservation about any of this, you need to tell me right now. Don't keep your mouth shut to make me happy then try to pull a fast one on me later." "I won't," he shrugged. "i don't have any problem with any of it. You're doing exactly what you should be doing, protecting our son and protecting our marriage." "And it doesn't bother you that I'm forbidding you to even communicate with that woman? It doesn't make you feel like I'm trying to control you?" "Actually, that part is kinda sexy. Turns me on that you're jealous." "JR, please be serious!" she snapped "Okay, honey. No it doesn't bother me. Like I said, you're protecting our marriage." "Do you love this woman, JR?" "What?" "She was your first love. She may have given you a son. Do you love her?" JR couldn't help but laugh at her question. "This isn't funny, JR!" she stamped her foot at him. "Oh, come on, Miss Texas! It's very funny. I haven't seen the woman in over 20 years. Did I think I loved her back then? Sure. But I didn't. Not then. Not now." "How can you be so sure?" "Well. For one thing, when she left me, I was sad and angry - but not enough to chase her. See, when I love a woman, I fight for her. When she leaves, I chase her down and bring her back. I marry her and make her mine. I never accept another man having her. So, no Sue Ellen. I have only ever truly loved one woman in my entire life. And you know damn well that woman isn't Vanessa Beaumont." "Is that right, JR? I know who that woman is? How exactly do I know?" JR growled, jumped up out of his chair, stalked over to her, swept her up in his arms, and laid her on the bed. He crawled on top of her and settled the weight of the body between her thighs. "There's only been one woman I ever went after when she left me. Only one woman I ever married. Only one woman I can't possibly ever live without," he lowered his head and ran hot kisses down her neck. "It was never Vanessa Beaumont," he began removing their clothing, "or Mandy Winger. Or Kimberly Cryder. Or any other damn woman." He rolled over onto his back and positioned her naked body above his. "It's you, Sue Ellen. There have been a lot of lovers in my life, both before and after I met you, but you are my love." He thrust himself inside her and pulled her head down to his. "You are my first love. My last love. My only love. Only you, Sue Ellen." Their lips met in a desperately passionate kiss as their bodies moved together in a frantic rhythm until they climaxed together. When it was over, JR laid beneath her, struggling to catch his breath. "JR?" she said his name, snuggling against his chest. "Hmmmmm?" "I love you, too." *** [/QUOTE]

Verification

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