Thank you for the feedback.
Ms Southworth, you make a good point why Jenna should let Lucas go to the race track. At least Randy is being nice to him.
I'm glad that you found so much to enjoy in the Ray and Donna update. Also I wouldn't worry about Jenna if I were you as she still thinks Ray is visiting Donna and Margaret in Washington. Still that she refuses to call him there says a lot about the state of their marriage!
You know I would love to read that list of storylines that you long to read more about that you mentioned. It would be interesting to see what's caught your interest...
Sanda, I am very pleased to hear that you still enjoy this story so much. I know Bobby and Pam are your favorite couple and you will certainly see a lot more of them in the next episode. This episode however is more centered around events that are happening at Southfork and since they are away on a business trip they are a little removed from the other plots at the moment. So this episode is more centered on JR/SE and John Ross/Melissa. However once Bobby and Pam do appear again I have a feeling you are going to be pleased with what's happening...
Okay so here's tonight's
update:
Back at the ranch were John Ross, Melissa, JR, Sue Ellen, Miss Ellie and Clayton sitting down at the outdoors table. They were drinking lemonade and eating cookies. “These cookies are really delicious Mrs. Ewing,” Melissa said politely and took a bite of her cookie.
“Thanks but I didn’t bake them,” Sue Ellen said.
“I know, Mrs. Lockwood, I was talking to John Ross’ grandma,” Melissa smiled.
“Oh,” Sue Ellen blushed, as she realized that she automatically thought of herself as Mrs. Ewing. To make matters worse JR gave her his shit eating grin.
“Thanks child, but actually it’s Mrs. Farlow,” Miss Ellie said.
“Oh I’m sorry but I thought you were John Ross’ grandpa,” Melissa looked at Clayton.
“Well he is like my grandpa,” John Ross said.
“Thanks John Ross,” Clayton smiled.
“But he sure as hell ain’t my father,” JR said.
“My first husband died when John Ross was just a little boy,” Miss Ellie explained.
“Yeah I don’t really remember him much,” John Ross said.
“I’m sorry to hear that, so how did he die?” Melissa asked and it got silent around the table as the older Ewings thought back of that awful barbeque in 1982 when they’d heard that Jock’s chopper had gone down. It got uncomfortably silent around the table as no one wanted to talk about that. It was especially hard for JR and Miss Ellie.
Eventually Clayton said, “It was a helicopter crash in South America.”
“Oh that’s horrible,” Melissa said.
“It was,” Miss Ellie nodded as she tried to push the unwanted memories away. Most days it didn’t hurt to talk about Jock anymore, but today it did. “Oh well if you’ll excuse me I think I’ll better go check if the pie I put in the oven is done.” Miss Ellie got up and left.
“Aw I think I upset your grandma,” Melissa commented. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to.”
“What do you mean she was just going to go check on the pie?” John Ross didn’t get it.
“No, John Ross, that was just an excuse to go away,” Sue Ellen said and when John Ross looked like a question mark she went on. “I’m sorry Clayton, but she still misses him.”
“We all do,” JR said. “And today’s especially hard on mama.”
“What’s so special about today?” Clayton asked.
“It’s the day they got engaged,” JR said.
“Oh, I’ll better go check on Ellie,” Clayton said.
Melissa sighed, as the older man also left the table. Because that meant that she and John Ross were stuck with only his parents and after the conversation she had overheard between them earlier this afternoon, she found that embarrassing. Just looking at the way JR and Sue Ellen glared at each other made Melissa feel uncomfortable.
Luckily his parents knew better than to bring it up as JR asked her, “So Melissa, John Ross told me that you’re originally from San Francisco. So how do you like it here in Dallas?”
“Fine Mr. Ewing, I’ve only been here a couple of weeks but I’ve already made some new friends and I’ve found myself a summer job.”
“Well good,” JR nodded approvingly.
It got silent for a moment, before Melissa started talking about the only thing she knew that JR and Sue Ellen had in common. “So your son’s really good at diving, he keeps beating me all the time.”
“Well he is a Ewing,” JR grinned proudly.
“I’d better warn you that all Ewing men have a competitive side,” Sue Ellen said.
“So was it you who taught John Ross how to swim and dive?” Melissa asked JR.
“Yes,” JR nodded.
“That’s funny, because I thought it was…Peter Richards…” John Ross spat out the name angrily. “Wasn’t it mama?” He then added to see how Sue Ellen reacted.
Unfortunately his mom got uncomfortable from the mentioning of that name, which added to John Ross’ suspicions that his dad was right. “No you remember it wrong, it was your dad,” Sue Ellen insisted, hoping to nip this conversation in the bud.
“Yeah son don’t you remember when I taught you how to swim?”
“Only vaguely,” John Ross replied.
“Well I remember it like it was yesterday,” Sue Ellen said warmly and turned to JR. “In fact I was thinking about it just the other day when I saw you in the pool with Rebecca.”
“Oh did you?”
“Yeah you’ve always been a wonderful father,” Sue Ellen acknowledged.
JR smiled, “Too bad I wasn’t a better husband huh?”
“JR don’t start again…I thought I told you earlier that…”
“Who’s Peter Richards?” Melissa interrupted, as the last thing she wanted was to listen to another one of John Ross’ parents’ perverse fights. Unfortunately her innocent question just opened up another can of worms as the tension around the table intensified.
“Nobody of importance,” Sue Ellen hurried to say. “He was just John Ross’ camp counselor at a summer day camp that he went to when he was like 5.”
“Summer camps are fun. I remember my parents sent me to one when I was 8,” Melissa smiled. “Did you enjoy yours too?”
“No a damn child-shrink recommended me to go there,” John Ross said bitterly.
“Oh come on don’t be like that, I remember you loved that summer camp. You even wanted to spend time with Peter in your spare time, so your dad invited him here to play with you,” Sue Ellen said.
“Are you sure he wasn’t here to play with you?” John Ross asked bitterly.
Sue Ellen tensed, “Of course not, darling. Peter really liked you,” Sue Ellen insisted.
“Sure but I bet he liked you more mama,” John Ross insisted.
Sue Ellen gave JR a look that could kill and JR cleared his throat, “John Ross that was uncalled for. Peter was here to spend time with you. I mean to think that a college boy like that would be interested in your mother is absurd.”
“But if that’s so absurd, why did you accuse mom of having an affair with Peter the other day?” John Ross asked and Melissa and Sue Ellen both shifted uncomfortably.
JR sighed before he said firmly, “Never mind what I said. I shouldn’t have mentioned him. It was a long time ago and really between your mother and me.”
“I’m confused, so did you or didn’t you have an affair with Peter?” John Ross asked.
“It wasn’t an affair. It was just a mistake…” Sue Ellen said.
John Ross frowned, “I don’t understand…”
“She means it was a misunderstanding,” JR clarified. “Your mother spent some time with Peter and I got jealous. That’s all.”
“Really?” John Ross asked relieved.
“Yeah,” JR lied. “So I don’t want you to hold what I said against your mama, ok?”
“Okay dad,” John Ross said. “I’m sorry Mama. I should have asked you about this before instead of giving you the cold shoulder.”
“It’s quite alright John Ross, let’s just forget about the whole thing,” Sue Ellen gave JR a grateful look, as she reached out to squeeze his hand as to say thank you.
Melissa frowned when she noticed the gesture.
“Good, so can you forgive me for what happened earlier today too?” JR asked. “I know I came on too strong.”
“Well as long as you won’t do it again, I suppose I can,” Sue Ellen said.
JR smiled gratefully, “I won’t.”
“What happened earlier today?” John Ross asked.
Since Melissa really didn’t wanna talk about that she hurried to change the subject, “John Ross, I’m sorry but, did I hear you right when you said before that you went to a child-psychologist?”
“Yeah,” John Ross sighed.
“Why did you do that?”
“I don’t remember,” John Ross replied. “Maybe you can answer that question?” John Ross looked at his parents who look at each other.
Then Sue Ellen said, “Well I thought it would be good for John Ross to get some professional help. You’ll see he was pretty traumatized after the fire.”
“You were involved in a fire?” Melissa’s eyes widened.
“Yeah, it was awful. I would have died if it wasn’t for daddy and my uncles. They saved my mama and me,” John Ross remembered.
“They did,” Sue Ellen agreed, as she gave JR an appreciative look.
“Wow! So you’re almost like a hero then Mr. Ewing,” Melissa said.
“Well I don’t know about that,” JR smiled. “I just do whatever I have to do to protect my family,” JR brushed it off. “I remember when I noticed the house was on fire all I could think of was to save my wife and son, because life isn’t worth much without them.”
His words touched Sue Ellen more than she would like and she hurried to remove her hand from JR’s. Sue Ellen then said nervously, “I was asleep when the fire started, so I don’t remember much from it. But our part of the house was totally destroyed.”
“I’m sorry,” Melissa said. “I can’t imagine how horrible it must be to lose all your stuff in a fire.”
“Thanks,” Sue Ellen said. “But at least we all survived and that’s what’s most important. Stuff can always be replaced, people can’t.”
“That’s true,” Melissa said thoughtfully.
They went silent for a while before Sue Ellen said, “Well this has been nice, but I think I’m gonna go in and try to call Don now.” Sue Ellen got up. “Besides I’m sure you two would rather wanna be alone,” she then added. Sue Ellen walked inside the house.
JR picked up a newspaper and said, “And I think I’ll just read the paper for a bit.”
John Ross and Melissa exchanged a glance and John Ross said, “Daddy do you have to sit here?”
“Oh I’m sorry, of course not son,” JR said and also got up and left.
Once he had disappeared upstairs John Ross turned to Melissa and said, “So alone at last.”
“I thought they’d never leave,” Melissa smiled.
“I’m sorry for my parents I know they can be a little much.”
“Well they do seem a little strange,” Melissa said.
“So does that mean that I am strange too?”
“No,” Melissa shook her head. “I like you.”
“I like you too,” John Ross smiled and leant forward and kissed Melissa. JR grinned as he was observing them from the balcony where he’d got a front row seat to everything that happened down at the pool.
I really think that Jenna and Charlie should have worked out a way for Lucas to get to go to the racetrack! 
Poor judgement on their part, IMO! 
And I especially hold Jenna responsible, since she's Lucas' mother! Why couldn't Jenna give her son a (perhaps) once in a lifetime experience? :bang: Lucas could just watch and didn't have to drive at all! 
). Randy, let me give a piece of advice! You need to man up and take a stand! 
That little boy needs you! 
Stop letting Charlie bully you around! :mo: Grow some hair in your chest!!! :hair:
:wink@
One of these days, I'm going to have to make a list of all the storylines that have us longing for you to speed this up! :thinks: I have a feeling that the list is going to be long! 
Like I said the other day, JR is "hauling" her in - inch by inch - and loving every minute of it! 
Will she "witness" more future interaction between Sue Ellen and JR (that no one else knows about)? 
Go figure why Melissa at this point thinks that John Ross' parents come across as being a little strange! :lolo:
