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<blockquote data-quote="CeeCee72" data-source="post: 273221" data-attributes="member: 5055">I don&#039;t own any of the characters in this story and no copyright infringement is intended.This fic is an alternate timeline where the dream season wasn&#039;t a dream. It picks up of after the last episode of season 9.***Life Is But a DreamPart 22:***JR slipped on his jacket and studied his wife carefully. &quot;Are you sure you&#039;ll be alright without me for a few hours?&quot;Sue Ellen gave him a small smile and nodded. &quot;Yes. Miss Ellie and Lucy will both be here if I need anything.&quot;JR moved to the bed and sat down beside her. &quot;I&#039;m sorry about last night, honey. I got caught up and lost track of time. I wasn&#039;t deliberately ignoring you.&quot;&quot;I know that JR. And I know all this is almost as hard on you as it is on me. But we have to stay honest with each other about how we&#039;re feeling. I have to process all those horrible memories. You have to deal with my reaction. It&#039;s not going to be easy, but we can get through it all together.&quot;&quot;Yes,&quot; he said softly, bending down to kiss her, &quot;I know we can. And we will.&quot;&quot;I hope you know that no matter what I remember, it won&#039;t change how I feel about you now.&quot;&quot;How can you be so sure, Sue Ellen? I&#039;ve hurt you so badly, so many times.&quot;&quot;Yes,&quot; she reached up and cupped his face in her hands. &quot;But, oh, it&#039;s so hard to explain, JR. When I first woke up after the explosion, I had no memories at all. I didn&#039;t even know my own name. But I felt you. Somehow, I knew you were out there, that you loved me, and that you were coming for me. I felt your love. And I still feel it. All around me. Whatever happened between us in the past, I KNOW I love you and trust you NOW.&quot;&quot;I&#039;ll try to be better to you, honey. I swear it.&quot;&quot;JR, just love me. That&#039;s all I&#039;ll ever need from you.&quot;&quot;Well, that,&quot; JR kissed her again, &quot;is the easiest thing I&#039;ll ever have to do.&quot;***&quot;And Pam is on board?&quot;&quot;I won&#039;t lie to you,&quot; Cliff said evenly, &quot;she&#039;s wavering a bit. But I&#039;ll take care of that.&quot;&quot;How?&quot;&quot;She&#039;s my sister,&quot; Cliff shrugged. &quot;I know how to push her buttons. Trust me, by the end of the day, she&#039;ll be so furious at JR that she&#039;ll be ready to jump back in with both feet.&quot;&quot;And Jack Ewing?&quot;&quot;Jack will do exactly what I tell him to do.&quot;&quot;You&#039;re sure?&quot;&quot;Absolutely.&quot;Jeremy Wendell sat back in his chair and studied Cliff&#039;s face. &quot;Alright, Barnes. Show me Pam and Jack are with you and you have yourself a deal.&quot;&quot;Good,&quot; Cliff stood and offered his hand to the other man to shake. &quot;JR doesn&#039;t stand a chance.&quot;***&quot;Alright, Clayton. I&#039;ll show the picture around and see what I can find out.&quot;&quot;Thank you, Carl. And remember, be discreet. I don&#039;t want anyone to know I&#039;m asking.&quot;&quot;Understood,&quot; the other man nodded. &quot;And in return, if I find out who he is, no one ever knows how you got the information, right? My name can&#039;t ever come up.&quot;&quot;Absolutely,&quot; Clayton agreed.&quot;I spent a lot of time and money getting out of intelligence and starting a new life. I don&#039;t want that messed up.&quot;&quot;I know. And I wouldn&#039;t ask you if it wasn&#039;t important.&quot;&quot;Yeah. I know. Someone is messing with your family. Something has to be done.&quot;&quot;How did you know…&quot;&quot;I was in the game for a long, long time,&quot; Carl reminded him. &quot;What happened to your daughters-in-law was all over the news. The explosion, the kidnapping, the dramatic rescue from an off the grid medical lab? No way Angelica Nero pulled all that off alone. I smell a cover-up by The Company.&quot;&quot;Yes,&quot; Clayton nodded solemnly. &quot;Be careful, old friend. If the CIA had secrets to keep here, they&#039;ll do whatever they have to to keep them. Watch your tail. I&#039;d hate to wake up one morning and read about your death in some mysterious car accident.&quot;&quot;Yes,&quot; Clayton sighed, &quot;I&#039;d hate that too.&quot;***&quot;It was just a dream, Richard.&quot;&quot;I know that,&quot; he snapped. &quot;But it seemed so real.&quot;Dr. Ellis shook his head and moved closer to his patient. &quot;That woman surprised you, appearing out of nowhere and insisting she knew you. Your brain turned that shock into a very vivid dream.&quot;&quot;What happened to her?&quot; Richard asked.&quot;Her family came and got her and took over her medical care. She&#039;ll be fine.&quot;&quot;Good. For some reason, I want her to be okay.&quot;&quot;She will be,&quot; Ellis assured him. &quot;Now, I need to draw some blood.&quot;&quot;Will I be able to leave soon and start living a real life?&#039;&quot;Well, Richard,&quot; Ellis dropped his head so the other man couldn&#039;t see the sour look on his face. &quot;One day at a time. Let&#039;s see what your bloodwork says.&quot;***&quot;JR,&quot; Mark stood up to greet his visitor, &quot;I&#039;m surprised to see you here. I thought you&#039;d be home taking care of Sue Ellen.&quot;&quot;I&#039;m heading back soon,&quot; JR informed him. &quot;Just taking care of a little business this morning.&quot;&quot;I see,&quot; Mark gestured at a chair across from his desk. &quot;Have a seat. How is Sue Ellen doing?&#039;&quot;Better than anyone has any right to expect,&quot; JR told him. &quot;Glad to hear that. Can I get you anything?&quot;&quot;No thank you, Mark.&quot;&quot;Alright. Well. What can I do for you, JR?&quot;&quot;I just have a few questions about the investigation into Sue Ellen&#039;s kidnapping and Graison Research&#039;s involvement.&quot;&quot;Alright.&quot;&quot;Captain Lowell was supervising the investigation. He called Graison Research repeatedly. Did you ever talk to him?&quot;&quot;No,&quot; Mark answered honestly. &quot;The only one from the police I ever spoke to was Harry McSween.&quot;JR pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and pushed it across the desk toward the other man. &quot;Lowell called the same number almost a dozen times. Can you tell me who that extension belongs to?&quot;Mark bit back a groan when he saw the number. &quot;That extension belongs to Jerry Kenderson.&quot;&quot;Kenderson?&quot; JR snarled. &quot;Why would Lowell need to call him so much? He doesn&#039;t run the private ambulance company, does he?&quot;&quot;Not exactly,&quot; Graison shrugged. &quot;But he is my Chief Operating Officer, so in a way he is the final word on all of our companies. Maybe Lowell was calling to make sure Jerry had instructed everyone to cooperate fully.&quot;&quot;Seems like an awful lot of calls just to get cooperation.&quot;&quot;Maybe,&quot; Mark shrugged again. &quot;But those calls could have very well been of a personal nature.&quot;&quot;Personal?&quot; &quot;Look, I know you don&#039;t want to hear this, but Jerry cares a lot about Sue Ellen. Could be he asked Lowell to keep him updated.&quot;JR&#039;s eyes darkened with anger and jealousy, &quot;Kenderson is quite the lovesick fool, so that&#039;s possible I guess.&quot; JR stood up and nodded at Mark. &quot;Thanks for your time.&quot;&quot;You&#039;re welcome, JR. Please give Sue Ellen my best.&quot;&quot;I&#039;ll do that,&quot; JR growled. &quot;Just a friendly warning, she doesn&#039;t need Kenderson creeping around her. You keep Kenderson away from my wife.&quot;&quot;I&#039;ll do what I can, JR.&quot;Mark watched as JR walked from his office and shut the door behind him. &quot;Damn you, Jerry,&quot; he muttered to himself. &quot;God damn you.&quot;***&quot;Sue Ellen,&quot; Pam&#039;s voice was full of relief, &quot;I wasn&#039;t sure you&#039;d see me.&quot;Sue Ellen let Ellie guide her from the foyer to the living room and help her get settled on the couch. &quot;Of course I want to see you,&quot; Sue Ellen said softly. &quot;You&#039;re my friend.&quot;&quot;Yes. But at the hospital..&quot;&quot;Like I told you then, I know there&#039;s bad blood between you and JR. I just hope you understand now that I won&#039;t be turned against him. No matter what.&quot;&quot;Yes, I understand that Sue Ellen. And that&#039;s why I&#039;m here. To apologize to you for hurting you. And tl promise you that I won&#039;t ever run JR down to you again. I hope you can forgive me.&quot;Sue Ellen smiled brightly at her friend. &quot;I already have forgiven you, Pam.&quot;&quot;I&#039;m glad,&quot; Pam smiled back. &quot;Really, glad.&quot;***&quot;I don&#039;t care what you&#039;re doing, it&#039;s not more important than what I need you for.&quot;Cliff frowned as he listened to the reply. &quot;No more excuses. Get your ass on a plane and get to Dallas. Be here tonight. We&#039;re having dinner with Pam and Mark. You&#039;re going to tell her everything.&quot;Cliff listened for just a moment, then snapped. &quot;Get here Cantrell. Now!&quot;He slammed down the phone and took a gulp of his whiskey.Pam was wavering. She needed a fast...and brutal reminder of how disgusting of a man JR Ewing really was.And Matt Cantrell was exactly the person to get the job done.***Sue Ellen held the glass of water up to her lips with shaky hands. She took several sips then handed it back to Pam.&quot;Better?&quot; Pam asked her.&quot;A little,&quot; Sue Ellen said in a weak voice. &quot;It was all just so… vivid.&quot;&quot;I&#039;m so sorry, Sue Ellen. Of all the memories you have of us together, I don&#039;t know why that one had to be the one to come back.&quot;&quot;I&#039;m the one who should be sorry, Pam. How awful I was to you!&quot;&quot;You were very upset, Sue Ellen. You lashed out at me because…&quot;&quot;Because JR had hurt me so badly and I took it out on you,&quot; Sue Ellen finished for her.&quot;Sue Ellen, back then… you and JR…&quot;&quot;I know, Pam. I remember. Our marriage was so awful. I thought a baby would make things better between us. But since he refused to even touch me…&quot;&quot;It was a long time ago,&quot; Pam told her. &quot;JR loves you desperately now.&quot;&quot;I loved her desperately then too,&quot; a deep voice came from the foyer behind them. &quot;Hello, Pam,&quot; he nodded at her, walking into the room and taking a seat across from where they sat on the living room couch. &quot;Honey?&quot; he asked Sue Ellen in a gentle voice. Sue Ellen looked over at him, studying his face intently for a moment before dropping her gaze to the floor. &quot;I tried to buy a baby. You stopped me.&quot;&quot;Yes,&quot; he confirmed softly. &quot;We were so unhappy.&quot;&quot;Yes,&quot; he said again. &quot;I couldn&#039;t…&quot; he glanced at Pam and hesitated.&quot;I should give you two some privacy,&quot; she started to stand, but Sue Ellen reached out and put a hand on her arm to stop her. &quot;Please stay. I need my friend.&quot;&quot;Do you want me to leave you alone?&quot; JR asked her.&quot;Yes,&quot; Sue Ellen told him, a single tear leaking out of her eye and onto her cheek . &quot;Just for a little while.&quot;JR sighed, stood, and walked over to her. He squatted down in front of her and gave her a quick, soft kiss. &quot;Come get me when you&#039;re ready.&quot;Pam watched him walk from the room, shaking her head. &quot;I actually feel bad for him.&quot;&quot;Yes. It&#039;s hard. He and I have worked through all this before. Now we have to do it again.&quot;&quot;Oh, Sue Ellen. I wish there was something I could do to help you.&quot;&quot;There is. And you&#039;re already doing it. Just sit with me a while. Please?&quot;&quot;Of course,&quot; Pam reached out and took Sue Ellen&#039;s hand. &quot;I&#039;ll stay as long as you need me to.&quot;***&quot;Now what?&quot; Ray&#039;s voice was little more than a frustrated groan. The prison&#039;s phone logs didn&#039;t reveal any new information at first glance.&quot;Now we talk to the detective handling Lowell&#039;s death, see what he has, and figure out if he knows anything we can use.&quot;&quot;How are you going to do that without raising suspicions?&quot; Ray asked. &quot;He&#039;s going to want to know why you&#039;re asking questions.&quot;&quot;I&#039;ll tell him it&#039;s my own curiosity,&quot; McSween shrugged. &quot;After all, Lowell was my commanding officer for years. Stands to reason I&#039;d want to know what happened to him.&quot;&quot;Just be careful,&quot; Ray warned. &quot;If anyone gets too curious…&quot;&quot;I know,&quot; Harry sighed. &quot;Believe me, I know.&quot;***Richard was so frustrated he was tempted to punch the wall. They&#039;d told him he was ready to be released, to have his own apartment, to get a job, and live a normal life. But then they&#039;d said there were new &quot;abnormalities&quot; in his blood work, so they&#039;d brought him back to a hospital. Dr. Ellis was poking and prodding him as frequently as he ever had. And no one could or would tell him exactly what was wrong with him or what they were looking for.He wondered for the millionth time why no one had come for him. He understood that his family had been killed in the car accident that had injured him, but it was unbelievable to him that there wasn&#039;t one friend, one co-worker, one distant relative that wondered what happened to him.Dr. Ellis and his counselors had told him he and his family had been living in Europe for several years and had only recently returned to the states. Richard had accepted that explanation for a while, but now… now it just didn&#039;t ring true anymore.No matter how few friends he had, how new he was in the country, he&#039;d had a job. He knew people. Someone had to wonder where he was - especially when his family was killed and buried and he wasn&#039;t.It suddenly dawned on him. He didn&#039;t know why he hadn&#039;t thought of it before. But it made perfect sense.If no one from his life was looking for them - it&#039;s because everyone thought he was dead.He closed his eyes and concentrated on the memory of the woman in the hallway.The look on her face. It was pure shock - it was as if she were seeing a ghost.&quot;I DO know her,&quot; he murmured, suddenly sure of that fact in his heart. &quot;And she thought I was dead.&quot;***JR sat alone in what had been his father&#039;s study, his eyes closed and a scowl of his face.Jerry Kenderson.Why had he talked to Captain Lowell so many times during Sue Ellen&#039;s kidnapping?Even if Graison was right, and it was because Kenderson wanted updates for personal reasons, that was way too many calls. Hell, JR was her husband and he hadn&#039;t gotten near that many updates from the police.Angelica planted the bomb. JR had no doubt about that. But she couldn&#039;t have possibly known which ambulance was carrying Sue Ellen to the hospital.But Kenderson would have known. JR was starting to believe that Sue Ellen&#039;s accident and abduction were two separate crimes.Angelica was responsible for the first. He wondered if Jerry Kenderson might be responsible for the second.***&quot;Are you alright?&quot;Jack looked up from his burger and shrugged. &quot;I guess. She&#039;s in the ground now. I guess it seems more real now.&quot;&quot;I still can&#039;t believe she&#039;s gone,&quot; April said softly.&quot;I know. It&#039;s so surreal. Everytime the phone rings, I half way expect it to be her.&quot;&quot;Are you going to stay in Dallas?&quot;&quot;I don&#039;t know,&quot; Jack said thoughtfully. &quot;I have family here. But you know me, April. I&#039;m a rolling stone.&quot;&quot;Yes,&quot; she grumbled under her breath, &quot;I know that all too well.&quot;&quot;Why are you here?&quot;&quot;What?&quot; She asked, momentarily confused.&quot;You said you were on your way to see me even before you knew about Jamie. Why?&quot;&quot;Oh,&quot; she dropped her eyes to her plate of food, &quot;not now, Jack.&quot;&quot;Why not?&quot; The funeral is over. May as well spill it and he it over with.&quot;&quot;Jack….&quot;He studied her face carefully as he watched her struggle with her emotions. &quot;I tell you what,&quot; he finally said. &quot;I&#039;m going to Southfork this evening to see Miss Ellie. Afterwards, I&#039;ll come by your hotel room and you can tell me all about it.&quot;She looked up at him and smiled faintly, &quot;Alright, Jack.&quot;&quot;Let&#039;s just enjoy our lunch,&quot; he said, taking another bite of his burger. &quot;Don&#039;t worry about telling me whatever you have to tell me. I know you, April. If you were coming to see me, it wasn&#039;t about anything I want to hear.&quot;***&quot;Can I come in?&quot;JR looked up and smiled at the sight of his wife standing in the doorway. &quot;Of course you can, honey. Did Pam leave?&quot;&quot;Yes,&quot; Sue Ellen nodded and moved fully into the study. &quot;I remembered a lot of things while she was here.&quot;&quot;Really? Anything good at all?&quot;&quot;Yes. Right before you and I reconciled,she and I took the boys to the park. I told her I loved you and was coming back to you.&quot;&quot;Oh?&quot;&quot;She wasn&#039;t thrilled. But she was happy for me in her own way. She knows how much I love you and that I can only be truly happy if I&#039;m with you.&quot;&quot;I want to make you happy for the rest of our lives.&quot;&quot;I know,&quot; Sue Ellen smiled at him. &quot;And I believe you will.&quot;JR stood up and pulled her into his arms. &quot;I will,&quot; he vowed, dipping his head to capture her lips in a soft kiss.&quot;Sorry to interrupt,&quot; Clayton cleared his throat. &quot;Carl Castle is here. He has some information for us.&quot;&quot;What kind of information?&quot; JR asked, reluctantly releasing Sue Ellen.&quot;About the man who called Angelica from the hotel.&quot;&quot;I&#039;ll go upstairs and see if John Ross and Tony want to go out to the pool,&quot; Sue Ellen kissed JR on the cheek and walked gracefully from the room.&quot;He already get an ID?&quot; JR asked, following Clayton out of the study and into the living room.&quot;Yes. It didn&#039;t take long at all.&quot;Clayton introduced the two men and they all sat down. &quot;Tell us what you know, Carl.&quot;Carl leveled his eyes on JR&#039;s face. &quot;As Clayton knows, I spent a lot of years in intelligence. I&#039;ve been out of the game for a while, but I still have a few contacts. I showed his picture around. Didn&#039;t take me long to find someone who knew him.&quot;&quot;Well?&quot; JR snapped. &quot;Who is he?&quot;&quot;A very bad man,&quot; Carl warned lowly. &quot;Former special forces, a commando. A part-time mercenary. A full-time bully and enforcer for the CIA. Look, if he&#039;s involved, best thing you can possibly do is walk away.&quot;&quot;I can&#039;t do that,&quot; JR said.&quot;No,&quot; Carl sighed. &quot;I guess you can&#039;t.&quot; He handed a manilla folder to JR and sat back in his chair. &quot;Everything my contact knows about him is in there.&quot;&quot;What&#039;s the guy&#039;s name?&quot; Clayton asked.&quot;Calhoun,&quot; Carl answered, &quot;his name is B.D. Calhoun.&quot;***</blockquote>

[QUOTE="CeeCee72, post: 273221, member: 5055"] I don't own any of the characters in this story and no copyright infringement is intended. This fic is an alternate timeline where the dream season wasn't a dream. It picks up of after the last episode of season 9. *** Life Is But a Dream Part 22: *** JR slipped on his jacket and studied his wife carefully. "Are you sure you'll be alright without me for a few hours?" Sue Ellen gave him a small smile and nodded. "Yes. Miss Ellie and Lucy will both be here if I need anything." JR moved to the bed and sat down beside her. "I'm sorry about last night, honey. I got caught up and lost track of time. I wasn't deliberately ignoring you." "I know that JR. And I know all this is almost as hard on you as it is on me. But we have to stay honest with each other about how we're feeling. I have to process all those horrible memories. You have to deal with my reaction. It's not going to be easy, but we can get through it all together." "Yes," he said softly, bending down to kiss her, "I know we can. And we will." "I hope you know that no matter what I remember, it won't change how I feel about you now." "How can you be so sure, Sue Ellen? I've hurt you so badly, so many times." "Yes," she reached up and cupped his face in her hands. "But, oh, it's so hard to explain, JR. When I first woke up after the explosion, I had no memories at all. I didn't even know my own name. But I felt you. Somehow, I knew you were out there, that you loved me, and that you were coming for me. I felt your love. And I still feel it. All around me. Whatever happened between us in the past, I KNOW I love you and trust you NOW." "I'll try to be better to you, honey. I swear it." "JR, just love me. That's all I'll ever need from you." "Well, that," JR kissed her again, "is the easiest thing I'll ever have to do." *** "And Pam is on board?" "I won't lie to you," Cliff said evenly, "she's wavering a bit. But I'll take care of that." "How?" "She's my sister," Cliff shrugged. "I know how to push her buttons. Trust me, by the end of the day, she'll be so furious at JR that she'll be ready to jump back in with both feet." "And Jack Ewing?" "Jack will do exactly what I tell him to do." "You're sure?" "Absolutely." Jeremy Wendell sat back in his chair and studied Cliff's face. "Alright, Barnes. Show me Pam and Jack are with you and you have yourself a deal." "Good," Cliff stood and offered his hand to the other man to shake. "JR doesn't stand a chance." *** "Alright, Clayton. I'll show the picture around and see what I can find out." "Thank you, Carl. And remember, be discreet. I don't want anyone to know I'm asking." "Understood," the other man nodded. "And in return, if I find out who he is, no one ever knows how you got the information, right? My name can't ever come up." "Absolutely," Clayton agreed. "I spent a lot of time and money getting out of intelligence and starting a new life. I don't want that messed up." "I know. And I wouldn't ask you if it wasn't important." "Yeah. I know. Someone is messing with your family. Something has to be done." "How did you know…" "I was in the game for a long, long time," Carl reminded him. "What happened to your daughters-in-law was all over the news. The explosion, the kidnapping, the dramatic rescue from an off the grid medical lab? No way Angelica Nero pulled all that off alone. I smell a cover-up by The Company." "Yes," Clayton nodded solemnly. "Be careful, old friend. If the CIA had secrets to keep here, they'll do whatever they have to to keep them. Watch your tail. I'd hate to wake up one morning and read about your death in some mysterious car accident." "Yes," Clayton sighed, "I'd hate that too." *** "It was just a dream, Richard." "I know that," he snapped. "But it seemed so real." Dr. Ellis shook his head and moved closer to his patient. "That woman surprised you, appearing out of nowhere and insisting she knew you. Your brain turned that shock into a very vivid dream." "What happened to her?" Richard asked. "Her family came and got her and took over her medical care. She'll be fine." "Good. For some reason, I want her to be okay." "She will be," Ellis assured him. "Now, I need to draw some blood." "Will I be able to leave soon and start living a real life?' "Well, Richard," Ellis dropped his head so the other man couldn't see the sour look on his face. "One day at a time. Let's see what your bloodwork says." *** "JR," Mark stood up to greet his visitor, "I'm surprised to see you here. I thought you'd be home taking care of Sue Ellen." "I'm heading back soon," JR informed him. "Just taking care of a little business this morning." "I see," Mark gestured at a chair across from his desk. "Have a seat. How is Sue Ellen doing?' "Better than anyone has any right to expect," JR told him. "Glad to hear that. Can I get you anything?" "No thank you, Mark." "Alright. Well. What can I do for you, JR?" "I just have a few questions about the investigation into Sue Ellen's kidnapping and Graison Research's involvement." "Alright." "Captain Lowell was supervising the investigation. He called Graison Research repeatedly. Did you ever talk to him?" "No," Mark answered honestly. "The only one from the police I ever spoke to was Harry McSween." JR pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and pushed it across the desk toward the other man. "Lowell called the same number almost a dozen times. Can you tell me who that extension belongs to?" Mark bit back a groan when he saw the number. "That extension belongs to Jerry Kenderson." "Kenderson?" JR snarled. "Why would Lowell need to call him so much? He doesn't run the private ambulance company, does he?" "Not exactly," Graison shrugged. "But he is my Chief Operating Officer, so in a way he is the final word on all of our companies. Maybe Lowell was calling to make sure Jerry had instructed everyone to cooperate fully." "Seems like an awful lot of calls just to get cooperation." "Maybe," Mark shrugged again. "But those calls could have very well been of a personal nature." "Personal?" "Look, I know you don't want to hear this, but Jerry cares a lot about Sue Ellen. Could be he asked Lowell to keep him updated." JR's eyes darkened with anger and jealousy, "Kenderson is quite the lovesick fool, so that's possible I guess." JR stood up and nodded at Mark. "Thanks for your time." "You're welcome, JR. Please give Sue Ellen my best." "I'll do that," JR growled. "Just a friendly warning, she doesn't need Kenderson creeping around her. You keep Kenderson away from my wife." "I'll do what I can, JR." Mark watched as JR walked from his office and shut the door behind him. "Damn you, Jerry," he muttered to himself. "God damn you." *** "Sue Ellen," Pam's voice was full of relief, "I wasn't sure you'd see me." Sue Ellen let Ellie guide her from the foyer to the living room and help her get settled on the couch. "Of course I want to see you," Sue Ellen said softly. "You're my friend." "Yes. But at the hospital.." "Like I told you then, I know there's bad blood between you and JR. I just hope you understand now that I won't be turned against him. No matter what." "Yes, I understand that Sue Ellen. And that's why I'm here. To apologize to you for hurting you. And tl promise you that I won't ever run JR down to you again. I hope you can forgive me." Sue Ellen smiled brightly at her friend. "I already have forgiven you, Pam." "I'm glad," Pam smiled back. "Really, glad." *** "I don't care what you're doing, it's not more important than what I need you for." Cliff frowned as he listened to the reply. "No more excuses. Get your ass on a plane and get to Dallas. Be here tonight. We're having dinner with Pam and Mark. You're going to tell her everything." Cliff listened for just a moment, then snapped. "Get here Cantrell. Now!" He slammed down the phone and took a gulp of his whiskey. Pam was wavering. She needed a fast...and brutal reminder of how disgusting of a man JR Ewing really was. And Matt Cantrell was exactly the person to get the job done. *** Sue Ellen held the glass of water up to her lips with shaky hands. She took several sips then handed it back to Pam. "Better?" Pam asked her. "A little," Sue Ellen said in a weak voice. "It was all just so… vivid." "I'm so sorry, Sue Ellen. Of all the memories you have of us together, I don't know why that one had to be the one to come back." "I'm the one who should be sorry, Pam. How awful I was to you!" "You were very upset, Sue Ellen. You lashed out at me because…" "Because JR had hurt me so badly and I took it out on you," Sue Ellen finished for her. "Sue Ellen, back then… you and JR…" "I know, Pam. I remember. Our marriage was so awful. I thought a baby would make things better between us. But since he refused to even touch me…" "It was a long time ago," Pam told her. "JR loves you desperately now." "I loved her desperately then too," a deep voice came from the foyer behind them. "Hello, Pam," he nodded at her, walking into the room and taking a seat across from where they sat on the living room couch. "Honey?" he asked Sue Ellen in a gentle voice. Sue Ellen looked over at him, studying his face intently for a moment before dropping her gaze to the floor. "I tried to buy a baby. You stopped me." "Yes," he confirmed softly. "We were so unhappy." "Yes," he said again. "I couldn't…" he glanced at Pam and hesitated. "I should give you two some privacy," she started to stand, but Sue Ellen reached out and put a hand on her arm to stop her. "Please stay. I need my friend." "Do you want me to leave you alone?" JR asked her. "Yes," Sue Ellen told him, a single tear leaking out of her eye and onto her cheek . "Just for a little while." JR sighed, stood, and walked over to her. He squatted down in front of her and gave her a quick, soft kiss. "Come get me when you're ready." Pam watched him walk from the room, shaking her head. "I actually feel bad for him." "Yes. It's hard. He and I have worked through all this before. Now we have to do it again." "Oh, Sue Ellen. I wish there was something I could do to help you." "There is. And you're already doing it. Just sit with me a while. Please?" "Of course," Pam reached out and took Sue Ellen's hand. "I'll stay as long as you need me to." *** "Now what?" Ray's voice was little more than a frustrated groan. The prison's phone logs didn't reveal any new information at first glance. "Now we talk to the detective handling Lowell's death, see what he has, and figure out if he knows anything we can use." "How are you going to do that without raising suspicions?" Ray asked. "He's going to want to know why you're asking questions." "I'll tell him it's my own curiosity," McSween shrugged. "After all, Lowell was my commanding officer for years. Stands to reason I'd want to know what happened to him." "Just be careful," Ray warned. "If anyone gets too curious…" "I know," Harry sighed. "Believe me, I know." *** Richard was so frustrated he was tempted to punch the wall. They'd told him he was ready to be released, to have his own apartment, to get a job, and live a normal life. But then they'd said there were new "abnormalities" in his blood work, so they'd brought him back to a hospital. Dr. Ellis was poking and prodding him as frequently as he ever had. And no one could or would tell him exactly what was wrong with him or what they were looking for. He wondered for the millionth time why no one had come for him. He understood that his family had been killed in the car accident that had injured him, but it was unbelievable to him that there wasn't one friend, one co-worker, one distant relative that wondered what happened to him. Dr. Ellis and his counselors had told him he and his family had been living in Europe for several years and had only recently returned to the states. Richard had accepted that explanation for a while, but now… now it just didn't ring true anymore. No matter how few friends he had, how new he was in the country, he'd had a job. He knew people. Someone had to wonder where he was - especially when his family was killed and buried and he wasn't. It suddenly dawned on him. He didn't know why he hadn't thought of it before. But it made perfect sense. If no one from his life was looking for them - it's because everyone thought he was dead. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the memory of the woman in the hallway. The look on her face. It was pure shock - it was as if she were seeing a ghost. "I DO know her," he murmured, suddenly sure of that fact in his heart. "And she thought I was dead." *** JR sat alone in what had been his father's study, his eyes closed and a scowl of his face. Jerry Kenderson. Why had he talked to Captain Lowell so many times during Sue Ellen's kidnapping? Even if Graison was right, and it was because Kenderson wanted updates for personal reasons, that was way too many calls. Hell, JR was her husband and he hadn't gotten near that many updates from the police. Angelica planted the bomb. JR had no doubt about that. But she couldn't have possibly known which ambulance was carrying Sue Ellen to the hospital. But Kenderson would have known. JR was starting to believe that Sue Ellen's accident and abduction were two separate crimes. Angelica was responsible for the first. He wondered if Jerry Kenderson might be responsible for the second. *** "Are you alright?" Jack looked up from his burger and shrugged. "I guess. She's in the ground now. I guess it seems more real now." "I still can't believe she's gone," April said softly. "I know. It's so surreal. Everytime the phone rings, I half way expect it to be her." "Are you going to stay in Dallas?" "I don't know," Jack said thoughtfully. "I have family here. But you know me, April. I'm a rolling stone." "Yes," she grumbled under her breath, "I know that all too well." "Why are you here?" "What?" She asked, momentarily confused. "You said you were on your way to see me even before you knew about Jamie. Why?" "Oh," she dropped her eyes to her plate of food, "not now, Jack." "Why not?" The funeral is over. May as well spill it and he it over with." "Jack…." He studied her face carefully as he watched her struggle with her emotions. "I tell you what," he finally said. "I'm going to Southfork this evening to see Miss Ellie. Afterwards, I'll come by your hotel room and you can tell me all about it." She looked up at him and smiled faintly, "Alright, Jack." "Let's just enjoy our lunch," he said, taking another bite of his burger. "Don't worry about telling me whatever you have to tell me. I know you, April. If you were coming to see me, it wasn't about anything I want to hear." *** "Can I come in?" JR looked up and smiled at the sight of his wife standing in the doorway. "Of course you can, honey. Did Pam leave?" "Yes," Sue Ellen nodded and moved fully into the study. "I remembered a lot of things while she was here." "Really? Anything good at all?" "Yes. Right before you and I reconciled,she and I took the boys to the park. I told her I loved you and was coming back to you." "Oh?" "She wasn't thrilled. But she was happy for me in her own way. She knows how much I love you and that I can only be truly happy if I'm with you." "I want to make you happy for the rest of our lives." "I know," Sue Ellen smiled at him. "And I believe you will." JR stood up and pulled her into his arms. "I will," he vowed, dipping his head to capture her lips in a soft kiss. "Sorry to interrupt," Clayton cleared his throat. "Carl Castle is here. He has some information for us." "What kind of information?" JR asked, reluctantly releasing Sue Ellen. "About the man who called Angelica from the hotel." "I'll go upstairs and see if John Ross and Tony want to go out to the pool," Sue Ellen kissed JR on the cheek and walked gracefully from the room. "He already get an ID?" JR asked, following Clayton out of the study and into the living room. "Yes. It didn't take long at all." Clayton introduced the two men and they all sat down. "Tell us what you know, Carl." Carl leveled his eyes on JR's face. "As Clayton knows, I spent a lot of years in intelligence. I've been out of the game for a while, but I still have a few contacts. I showed his picture around. Didn't take me long to find someone who knew him." "Well?" JR snapped. "Who is he?" "A very bad man," Carl warned lowly. "Former special forces, a commando. A part-time mercenary. A full-time bully and enforcer for the CIA. Look, if he's involved, best thing you can possibly do is walk away." "I can't do that," JR said. "No," Carl sighed. "I guess you can't." He handed a manilla folder to JR and sat back in his chair. "Everything my contact knows about him is in there." "What's the guy's name?" Clayton asked. "Calhoun," Carl answered, "his name is B.D. Calhoun." *** [/QUOTE]

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Who played Sue Ellen in Dallas?

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