Shot Through the Heart

[zephiey]

Jock and Dusty are both asses. Neither give a crap about anyone but themselves.
I like Jock normally but in this story the man is worse than a snake.
Also I can't wait until JR lowers the boom on Jock after he figures out the significance of why Jock's ex-secretary was at Southfork.

 

[CryptCreeper72]

Jock and Dusty are both asses. Neither give a crap about anyone but themselves.
I like Jock normally but in this story the man is worse than a snake.
Also I can't wait until JR lowers the boom on Jock after he figures out the significance of why Jock's ex-secretary was at Southfork.

That secretary and her visit to Southfork is going to play a very important role in explaining why JR is who he is - Gary too.

Nice job picking up on that little detail.

 

[Miss Texas 1967]

What is Dusty's game? To make himself look good by making JR look bad? Not when Sue Ellen eventually finds out about the connection

 

[Honkytonkangel]

Jock and Dusty are both asses. Neither give a crap about anyone but themselves.

Totally agree.

LOVE that JR and Bobby made plans for themselves knowing that Jerk was gonna do something shitty. And now I feel bad that I was mad at JR before.
I don't know whether it was because of Jim Davis loss that the show tried to whitewash Jock and make out he was such a great man, but I always thought he was an arsehole and a bully.
And Miss Ellie ROCKED here. I wish she'd stood up to the bastard years ago, but better late than never I guess.

And is Dusty REALLY that stupid? and more importantly does he think Sue Ellen is?.
At least here JR is trying to OWN his faults, and the way he's treated Sue Ellen badly in the past.
Dusty doesn't even see how he's no better.

And as for Ray I want him to kick 'daddy' out on his arse too.

 

[CryptCreeper72]

I don't own any of the characters in this story and no copyright infringement is intended.

This fic is an alternate timeline and features a totally different resolution to the "Who Shot JR?" plot.

The timeline breaks at episode four of season four of "Dallas."

***

Shot Through the Heart

Part Thirty-four:

***

"Bobby?'

"Hmmm?"

"Do you think Sue Ellen is right?"

Bobby shrugged out of his shirt and turned around to look at his wife. "About what?"

"About it not being a good idea for her and JR to stay here at Southfork because Jock will be back soon."

"Who knows? I tell you one thing though. She and JR seem to know a whole lot more about my parents and their relationship than I do."

"Yes. What do you think JR meant when he said looks can be deceiving when you said Jock and Ellie had always been happy?"

"No idea. I plan to ask his first thing tomorrow though."

Pam nodded and walked over to sit on the edge of their bed. "Bobby, if Sue Ellen doesn turn out to be right and Miss Ellie lets Jock come home…"

"We're out of here," he said firmly.

"Good. Because I don't want to have to try to raise a child that belongs to Kristen and Cliff under the same roof as him."

"I don't want to live under the same roof as him period," Bobby told her. "As for the baby, honey please don't get your hopes up. Sue Ellen hasn't said yes yet."

"True. But she didn't say no either. She has a good heart, Bobby. She'll do what's right by that baby."

"Probably. I just hope her and JR's marriage doesn't end up as collateral damage. That would be damn hard for me to live with."

***

JR leaned back against his pillows and watched his wife get ready for bed. "You've been awfully quiet since we left Southfork."

"I'm still processing everything," she told him honestly.

"We have to talk about it, honey. All of it."

"Yes," she agreed. "Where do you want to start?"

"With something easy. Your flowers and love note."

"They were delivered this morning. I read the note and threw it in the trash."

"How did it make you feel?"

"Angry at first. Then scared."

"Why angry?"

"Because I feel I made it pretty clear to Dusty that I was committed to you. It made me mad that he disrespected my wishes."

"And scared?"

"I was terrified you'd be so furious that you wouldn't let me explain."

"Alright. You realize now you were scared for nothing, right?"

"Yes."

"I'll take care of the cowboy, Sue Ellen. Don't give him the satisfaction of sparing one more minute of your time on him. Okay?"

"Okay, JR."

"Okay. What's next?"

"I hired a nanny."

"Did you? That's good."

"I hope so."

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"She's… well, JR she's incredibly beautiful."

"So?"

"So...you know how you get around beautiful women."

JR growled in the back of his throat. "Come here."

Sue Ellen walked to the bed and sat down beside him. "You have to understand why I'm nervous about it."

"I do. But Sue Ellen, I don't care if she's the reigning Miss Universe. There's no way she could ever be more beautiful than you. Not to me. And after these past weeks, there's nothing she could do to make me want her. I only want you, honey."

"For now," she sighed.

"For always," he corrected her. "Time is all that can prove me true though. I know that. But I promise you have nothing to worry about."

"Alright, JR. I guess I trust you."

"Good. Now what else."

"About Kristen…"

JR felt his entire body tense. "Yes?"

"I insist that she give up all rights to that child. And she had to leave town. For good, JR. And whatever money changes hands has to come from Pam and Bobby. Not from us. She can't have one penny from us."

"Alright. And you can live with Bobby and Pam raising the baby?"

"Of course. They'll provide a wonderful home for it."

"Yes. But... won't it bother you? Having a constant reminder of your sister and my affair with her?"

"I don't need a baby to remind me of that, JR. It haunts me every single day. I can only hope it hurts less with time. But none of it is that baby's fault. It deserves a good home and parents who love it. Besides...it will be my niece or nephew. I want to be a part of its life. But… I do have one other condition."

"What?"

"Cliff has to ask the DA to go easy on my mother. And you have to hire Kiefer to represent her."

"Why?"

"Because she's my mother, JR. And I still love her in spite of everything."

"Alright, honey. That it for you?"

"Yes. Your turn."

"I want to talk about what happened this morning in the kitchen."

"You want to talk about sex?"

"Yes, Sue Ellen. But not just the sex. I want to talk about why I am how I am and why you are how you are and what we have to do to fix things."

"Can we…"

"What?'

"Can you make love to me first JR? I.mean, really make love to me...not just...not just have sex with me, but love me?"

He reached up and pulled her head down to his for a gentle searching kiss. "Yes," he whispered against her lips. "Yes, I can."

***

"My God, Ray," Donna buried her face in her hands and sighed. "How long has he known?"

"A while," Ray told her. "My father...Amos Krebbs showed him a diary that belonged to my mom. She supposedly wrote all about it."

"Why didn't he ever tell you?"

"He said he didn't want to upset Miss Ellie."

"But what about you, Ray? Didn't he think you deserved to know the truth?"

"Jock Ewing isn't the kind of man who thinks anyone deserves ANYTHING from him."

"What are you going to do?"

"Go see Amos Krebbs tomorrow and have a look at that diary for myself. I won't believe it until I see it with my own eyes."

"Is Jock still at your house."

"Yes. Drunk as a skunk. I figured I'd get a room in town."

"Stay here," she invited him. "Stay with me."

"I was hoping you'd say that."

Donna smiled at him and took his hand. "Come on Ray. No more talk about Jock Ewing tonight. Let's concentrate on us."

"That's music to my ears, Donna," he grinned at her, following her to her bedroom.

***

"Feel better now?" JR whispered into his wife's ear.

"So much better," she smiled against his bare skin.

He had just made such sweet, slow, gentle love to her that she'd felt like the most cherished woman in the world.

"Feel like talking now?"

"Yes. If we have to."

"We do, honey. You know we do."

"Yes."

He pulled her closer against his chest, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. "Sue Ellen, when I married you, I was so in love. You had me wrapped around your little finger. We should have had the happiest marriage in Texas. But…"

"What, JR?"

"I was screwed up. And so were you, honey. I was raised to believe a wife was a saint. A good girl who was there to keep house, look pretty, and raise kids. Wives weren't for carnal desires. Real men respected their wife's purity and used lower women for their pleasure."

"You were raised like that? By Jock?"

"Yes," JR confessed. "There were lots of mistresses, Sue Ellen. Believe me, I saw a lot more than any kid should ever have to see."

"I knew it!" Sue Ellen seethed. "I always suspected."

"Yes. I know. And Mama knew about the other women too. She just accepted it. She never complained or fussed until she caught one of Daddy's bimbos in her bed at Southfork. A secretary. It's funny. I had forgotten all about that until just yesterday. Anyway, she was horrified that Daddy took another woman into their bed. She was even more horrified that me and Gary had walked in on them and caught them red handed."

"Oh my God, JR!"

"I never realized it before, but I think that's why I always disliked Gary so much. Because he knew. Anyway, Mama threatened divorce and Daddy finally straightened out. None of us ever mentioned it ever again. I guess I pushed it out of my memory to keep from dealing with it."

"What made you remember?"

"I'm not really sure. Maybe thinking about you and what made me hurt you so badly when I loved you so much. The thing is Sue Ellen, for the first few years we were married, I wanted you so much. All the time. But you were a lady and I couldn't ask you to... well to be dirty. But I still wanted that too. And after I started cheating, the way you reacted…"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you took it. But not like Mama did. You stopped being warm. You stopped being sweet. I resented the hell out of you for that. I figured if you really loved me, you'd just accept the way things were and like it."

"The way your mother did with Jock?"

"Yes. And you honey, your mama raised you to catch a rich husband and be a trophy wife, but she didn't show you any real love or affection. When I gave my attention to someone else, instead of fighting for me, you just…"

"I just crawled inside a bottle and gave up," she finished for him. "I...JR I was so hurt. I couldn't understand why you would need other women. And then when you started flaunting your side pieces… I was so insecure. I figured I wasn't good enough for you. I just fell completely apart."

"I flaunted other women to try to get a rise out of you. I wanted you to be angry or jealous or...anything but drunk and cold."

"That's all I could be, JR. Don't you see? I felt like a failure. No matter what I did… I couldn't please you. For so many years, I couldn't even give you a child to make Jock happy. The only thing I knew how to do was be a pretty wife. And after a while, I couldn't even manage that!"

"Sue Ellen, your mama raised a lady. My Daddy raised a bastard. We never talked any of it through and it almost destroyed us."

"But it didn't."

"It would have if you and Kristen hadn't shot me," he told her. "Strange as it sounds, me getting shot and you going on trial saved us, honey."

"Yes," she laughed lightly. "I guess it did."

"Sue Ellen, from now on, we have to be honest with each other about how we feel and what we want, in bed, out of bed, all the time."

"I know. It might be hard sometimes and I might blush a lot...but I can do that, JR."

"Good. So can I. I love you, Sue Ellen."

"I love you too."

"Let's get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be another hard day."

"Okay, JR. But I need to tell you one other thing…"

"What's that honey?"

"JR, I am a lady. But I'm a woman too. I love making love to you. I love fucking you too."

JR laughed and spanked her bottom lightly. "Such a potty mouth. I've created a monster."

"Yes you have. And you love it."

"God yes, I do," he flipped his body without warning and trapped her beneath him. "I already made love to you tonight, Miss Texas. Now I guess it's time to f**k you." He pulled her leg up over his hip and entered her without warning. Sue Ellen moaned and lifted her legs higher until they were draped over his shoulders..JR thrust hard and fast. She met him stroke for stroke, finally screaming his name as the world exploded in colored lights in front of her eyes. He moaned her name and let go of his own tension, releasing his hot seed inside her and collapsing on her in a heap of heavy breathing and sweat.

"Damn, woman."

He rolled off her and poured a glass of water from the pitcher on his bedside table. "God, I love you."

"I love you too, JR," she took the glass he offered and drank greedily.

"Thank you," she handed the class back to him and settled herself closely against his side. "Goodnight, JR."

"Goodnight, honey."

They were both asleep in minutes.

And they both slept better than they had in years.

***

 

[zephiey]

That explains a lot. Now I think it's time for Jock to get a good thrashing.

 

[Honkytonkangel]

That explains a lot. Now I think it's time for Jock to get a good thrashing.

YES and YES.

 

[CryptCreeper72]

I don't own any of the characters in this story and no copyright infringement is intended.

This fic is an alternate timeline and features a totally different resolution to the "Who Shot JR?" plot.

The timeline breaks at episode four of season four of "Dallas."

***

Shot Through the Heart

Part Thirty-five:

***

"Thank you for staying here with them."

"Of course," Mavis smiled sadly. "I just don't understand how all this could have happened."

"Me either," Pam sighed. "Jock is being totally unreasonable."

"Jock is a hard man," Mavis told her, "but a good one. I'm sure he'll come around."

Pam bit her tongue and held back her personal observation that a good man wouldn't try to force his sons to divorce their wives and abandon their families. Instead she simply gathered her purse and smiled at the other woman. "I'll be home as soon as I can."

"Take your time," Mavis told her. "Lucy, Ellie, and I will be fine together."

Pam nodded and headed for the front door. She hoped Jock would stay away. Ellie was so upset. Coming face to face with her husband right now might send her over the edge.

***

"Alright, Sly. See you in a couple of hours."

JR hung up the phone and rubbed his temples.

He and Bobby had so much to do today. Sly and Phyllis had set up office space in one of the other condos, but it was only temporary. They were going to need a new office -as soon as possible. Clients wouldn't be impressed with the Ewing boys' current accommodations.

JR and Bobby were going to have to call every client, every partner in every deal and tell them what had happened and convince them to stay with them and leave Ewing Oil.

Money wasn't an issue. The truth was that JR had accumulated a massive amount of wealth over the years. Aside from Southfork and the actual Ewing building, JR probably had more personal wealth than his father did. He and Bobby would have plenty of money to finance their deals. But his father had been in the business forever and the name Ewing Oil wielded a lot of power and influence. It was going to be hard to get people to turn away from Ewing Oil after years of loyalty and profitable deals.

"JR, are you alright?" Sue Ellen asked him, putting down her coffee and eyeing him carefully.

"Yes," he flashed her a forced smile. "Just got some business problems on my mind. What do you have planned for the day, honey?"

"Pam is coming over this morning. We're going to go to the hospital and talk to Cliff. She needs to tell him about the baby and I need to talk to him about my mother."

"I wish you didn't have to talk to that worm," JR growled.

"I have to JR. My mother…" her voice broke off and she looked down into her coffee, unable to meet his eyes.

"I know, honey," his voice was gentle. "I don't like it, but I understand."

She looked up at him and gifted him with a beautiful smile. "I love you, you know."

"Yes. I know," he winked at her.

The doorbell rang, interrupting their quiet moment. "Pam here already?" he grunted.

"That's probably Miranda," Sue Ellen told him, standing up.

"Who?"

"The new nanny."

"Oh. Right. I forgot all about that."

"Listen, JR…" she hesitated and chewed on her bottom lip, "you behave. Please."

JR laughed and stood up and walked to her. "Sue Ellen, she could be the most beautiful woman in the world, strut in here stark naked, and give me a lap dance and I wouldn't be interested."

He kissed her gently on the forehead and nuzzled her ear. "You have nothing to worry about."

Sue Ellen nodded at him and turned to go answer the door. She hoped with all her heart that JR was being honest with her. If he fell all over himself trying to seduce the nanny...it would break her heart.

***

"Headache this morning?"

Jock scowled at Ray as he poured a cup of coffee. "Hung over," he admitted with a grunt. "Where did you go last night?"

"To see Donna," Ray told him. "I needed to talk."

"You two getting serious?"

"Maybe," Ray shrugged. "Why?"

"She's a good choice for you. Classy. Not pure trash like my other daughters-in-law."

"Sue Ellen and Pam aren't trash," Ray sighed.

"Really? You read the papers, boy? The proof has been all over the front page for weeks."

Ray decided to let the matter drop. "You going back to the house today?"

"Hell no. I'm not going back there until Ellie comes to me, apologizes, and asks me to come home. I'm going to the office this morning. JR and Bobby have already started stealing my business and I need to nip it in the bud."

"Jock, you know you're welcome here…"

"Your house is too small and it's too close to Ellie," he finished Ray's thought. "I'll have my things taken to one of Ewing Oil's condos and stay there until Ellie comes to her senses."

Ray nodded and stood to pour himself another cup of coffee. "I'm going to see Amos Krebbs this morning."

"Can't say I'm surprised. Need some proof, eh?"

"Yeah," Ray said evenly.

"He'll confirm everything I told you last night," Jock said gruffly. "You're my son, Ray. I know it's a shock, but you need to square yourself with the truth. And you need to step up, be a man, and claim your legacy. The sooner the better."

***

"Clayton," Scotty Demerest pushed his plate away from him and sank back in the booth, "you know I can't talk to you about a client."

"I don't want to talk about your client. I want to talk about my son. I already know he paid you to represent Kristen."

"Yes. I suppose there's no harm in confirming that."

"What about Mrs. Sheppard? Are you representing her too?"

"No," Scotty shook his head. "At first I was, but Dusty had me drop her. And he's right. Representing her would cause a conflict. If we have to go to trial, Kristen's defense will depend on convincing a jury that Patricia was pulling all the strings. And that's all I can say, Clayton. Truthfully, I shouldn't have even told you that much."

"I'm just trying to understand why Dusty would get involved in this mess."

"Clayton, I know Kristen's reputation has taken a beating in the papers, but remember, she's the one who found Dusty and brought him back to you. Seems like you'd be grateful for that."

"Let me tell you something," Clayton's voice was low and even, "I don't trust that woman. This is all about JR Ewing for her. I know enough to know JR is a dangerous enemy to have."

"I won't argue that," Scotty waved the waitress over and asked for the check. "But that bridge is already burnt, Clayton. Dusty slept with his wife. JR isn't likely to forget that anytime soon."

"I know," Clayton agreed. "And yanking his chain about Kristen is only going to make this whole thing worse. Dusty is playing with fire and Kristen Sheppard is holding a can of Kerosene over the flames."

***

Miranda finished feeding John Ross and carried him to his playpen. He was a sweet baby. They'd been alone for a while now and he hadn't given her one bit of trouble.

She'd met the infamous JR Ewing this morning. He'd been nothing like she'd expected. He was polite, but didn't really pay her any attention at all. He seemed to be very laid back….almost gentle. He'd played with John Ross on the floor while Sue Ellen had shown her where everything was, then he'd given his wife the sweetest kiss before leaving for his office.

She wondered if Mr. Farlow was all wrong about JR. He didn't seem to be mean or vindictive at all.

Maybe she wouldn't have to sleep with him after all. She hoped so. Sue Ellen had been so nice and welcoming to her. It would be a shame if she got hurt.

***

"JR, Phyllis and Sly did the best they could, but this isn't going to work."

The secretaries had converted a two bedroom condo into work space. They were using the living area for reception and their desks and Bobby and JR were using the bedrooms for offices.

"I know, Bobby," JR grunted. "I'm looking at real office space this afternoon."

"Good. Wish I could go with you."

"What time are you due at the jail?"

"Eleven. Scotty Demerest will be there with Kristen."

"Wonder how she afforded that?"

"No idea," Bobby shrugged. "You talk to Kiefer yet?"

"Yes. He'll be in town this afternoon and go straight to see Patricia."

"I have to pick Gary up at the airport at 3:00. I'm taking him straight to Southfork."

"I'll meet you there."

Bobby nodded. "Kind of surprised we haven't heard from Daddy yet this morning."

"Don't you worry about that," JR told him evenly. "I guarantee you Harv Smithfield will be bursting through that door any minute now with a slew of legal threats."

"I wish it hadn't come to this," Bobby said sadly.

"So do I, Bob. But Daddy made his choice and now we're all going to have to learn to live with the consequences."

***

"Are you alright, Pam?"

"What? Oh. Yes. I'm fine. Thank you, Sue Ellen."

"I thought it went well with Cliff."

"As well as it could I suppose."

"Pam...I know you're worried about the baby. But according to Dr. Michaels, it's perfectly normal and healthy."

"I know, Sue Ellen, but neurofibromatosis doesn't usually show up until later.."

"And it might not show up at all."

"I know," Pam shook her head and forced a smile. "JR had a big grin on his face when I passed him in the hall on my way to your apartment."

"Did he?" Sue Ellen blushed.

"Oh, he did. He even told me good morning and winked at me."

Sue Ellen laughed and shook her head. "He's really softened toward you."

"Yes. And I'm so glad. He and Bobby need each other right now."

"I know. Jock will do everything he can to destroy them both now."

"Sue Ellen… you…"

"What?"

"You really have no use for Jock at all, do you?"

Sue Ellen shrugged and looked away. "Like I told you, Pam, I've known him a lot longer than you. JR is what he is because Jock made him that way. It's always bothered me that everyone piles on JR for his underhanded scheming while looking the other way when it comes to Jock's problems. JR has willingly taken the blame for so many of Jock's sins over the years."

"I never knew…"

"No. No one did. Only me and only because I know JR so well. I know Ellie is heartbroken right now. But believe me….she is much better off without Jock. We all are."

***

"Do you understand the terms?"

Kristen looked up and her attorney band shrugged. "Sure. You think Bobby can really get the fraud charges dropped?"

"Yes," Scotty told her. "I already talked to all three men myself. They're willing to walk away."

"Why aren't they asking me to testify against my mother?"

"I have no idea, Kristen, but my best guess would be your lack of credibility and your proven habit of lying on the witness stand would make you useless as a witness."

"I know how to work a jury," she snapped.

"I'm sure you do, but Mr. Ewing isn't asking you for that. Now. Do you agree to his terms or not?"

"Sure," she shrugged again. "Get the boy scout in here and let's get this deal done. I want to be in a nice hotel with a nice jacuzzi and a nice bottle of wine by dinner time."

"No wine," Scotty warned her, "the terms of your care for your body while pregnant are very clear."

"Just get Bobby in here," Kristen rolled her eyes. "I'm tired of jail food."

Scotty made an annoyed face and wondered for the thousandth time if he'd made a mistake by agreeing to represent this woman. She had no remorse and no concern about anyone other than herself. He prayed to God that agreeing to be her lawyer didn't come back to bite him in the butt.

***

"You get what I asked for?"

McSween made a sour face and nodded. "Yeah. But listen, I used up my last favor with Judge Hopkins on this one. He wasn't very happy."

"He's being well compensated," JR grunted. "Get on over to the Southern Cross and take care of it. I don't want Sue Ellen getting any more unexpected gifts."

"Alright, JR," McSween stood up. "Phillips and I are meeting with Cliff Barnes this evening. You wouldn't happen to know what he wants, would you."

"He's going to tell you his shooting was an accident."

"What?"

"You heard me. He's going to swear an affidavit that Patricia Sheppard didn't mean to shoot him, that the gun went off by mistake."

"I see. Is that the truth, JR?"

"It is as far as you're concerned."

"Phillips won't buy it."

"Then let him and the new DA take Patricia to trial. No jury will convict her with the victim testifying it was an accident."

"JR, you're playing a dangerous game. You can't keep manipulating the courts like this."

"I know what I'm doing, Harry," JR snapped. "You just do what I asked."

Harry nodded and decided not to argue further. It was useless anyway. Once JR had made up his mind, Satan himself couldn't change it.

***

"At least you can both look forward to having Gary visit."

"Yes," Ellie drank her coffee and watched Lucy float in the pool. "I wish it were under better circumstances."

"Ellen, maybe you should call Jock. Just ask him to come and talk. I'm sure he'll listen to what you have to say."

"No, Mavis," Ellie said sadly. "I don't want to see him. Not now. You know Jock and I have overcome many problems in our marriage, but this time he's gone too far. I specifically warned him to stop interfering in the boys' marriages. I told him what would happen."

"I just can't believe the two of you would divorce."

"I don't want that. Not in my heart. But this time, Mavis - for once in my life I will choose my children. If that means losing my husband, so be it."


***

Ray knew it was too early for alcohol, but he desperately wanted a drink.

He's just come from seeing Amos Krebbs.

Everything Jock had told him was true.

Ray was Jock's son.

He was a Ewing.

Jock had known for months. Amos had gone to him and demanded money to keep his mouth shut. Jock had paid him to keep the secret.

Ray and Jock were close. He had always respected and admired the man. But now…

Now he wondered how he was supposed to react to the fact that Jock had known the truth and lied about it for so long.

And there was Miss Ellie to consider.

Someone was going to have to tell Miss Ellie.

Ray grimaced and decided he needed to talk everything through. He pulled over onto the side of the road and turned his truck around.

He needed to see Donna. Maybe she could help him sort all this out in his head.

***

"That it, Harv?"

Smithfield sighed heavily and shook his head. "No. But that's all I'm at liberty to share with you, JR."

"Then we're done. You can leave."

"JR, isn't there anything you can do to fix this?"

"Me? You're asking me? Harv, if someone needs to fix something, it's my Daddy, not me."

"Yes, but you know how Jock is. He won't back down...even if he's wrong."

JR sat back in his chair and leveled his eyes on Harv's face. "No. He won't back down. The thing is, neither will I. I am my father's son, Harv. You know that. He taught me every nasty trick in the book. And if he thinks I won't use everything I have to take him down, then he's delusional. This is my family. Ewing Oil is my rightful legacy. I'll fight for both. And I'll use every means necessary to win. You understand me?"

"Yes, JR."

Harv stood up and moved to the door. "There's some things you don't know, JR. Be careful."

JR watched the other man leave the room and scowled. "What things?" He wondered out loud.

He shook his head and decided it didn't really matter. Jock had made his bed. Now they all had to lie in it.

***

"How did things go with Kristen?"

"Just fine," Bobby told his wife. "She'll be out of jail by the end of the day. She'll stay in Dallas until the baby is born then leave town for good."

"How much did it cost us?"

"A million," Bobby sighed. "She wouldn't take a penny less than that."

"And she signed over all her rights to the baby to Cliff?"

"Yes," Bobby told her. "It's all done, Pam. Just as you and Sue Ellen agreed. Listen, I have to get going. Gary's plane will be landing soon."

"Alright. See you when you get back.'

Bobby leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "It's all going to work out."

"I hope so," she hugged him tightly. "God, I hope so."

***

"Well? What is it?"

Dusty grimaced and tossed the paper into his desk.

A detective from Dallas PD had just come to the Southern Cross and served him with papers. "It's a restraining order," Dusty finally told his father.

"For what?"

"Sue Ellen Ewing. I'm not to go within 500 feet of her. I'm not to call her, write to her, or send her any gifts. No communication whatsoever."

"Dusty, you haven't been trying to see her have you?"

"No. This is just JR trying to assert his dominance."

"Let him," Clayton advised. "You stay away from that woman."

Dusty didn't reply, but a small smile formed on his mouth when he thought about Miranda. Pretty soon, JR would be caught red handed having an affair with the pretty young thing and this restraining order wouldn't be worth the paper it was written on.

***

"Oh! Good afternoon, Mr. Ewing! I didn't know you were home."

"Just got here," JR told her. "Where's my wife?"

"In the bedroom getting ready," Miranda told him. "I have John Ross all ready to go."

"Good," JR mumbled at her. "Thank you." He glanced at his watch and bit back a groan. They were going to be late again. "Can you go check and see if she's ready?"

"No need, JR," Sue Ellen walked from the bedroom. "I told you I wouldn't make us late today."

JR looked up and smiled at his wife. "Good girl," he grinned at her. "You look pretty as a picture."

"Thank you, JR," Sue Ellen smiled at him. "You can go, Miranda. Thank you so much for all your help today."

"Of course, Sue Ellen," Miranda smiled back at her. "I'll see you in the morning. Mr. Ewing," she nodded at him as she bent to pick up her purse.

"You can call me JR," he told her, never talking his eyes off his wife.

"Thank you, JR," Miranda nodded. She walked through the condo and out the door, leaning against it once she was on the other side.

JR and Sue Ellen Ewing seemed nothing like what Mr. Farlow had told her they were like. Sue Ellen had been kind and sweet to her. And JR…

He didn't seem to be a womanizer at all. He seemed completely smitten with his wife.

She had agreed to help Mr. Farlow for the money, but also because he'd told her JR was an evil man and an abusive husband.

But…

It didn't seem that any of that was true.

And money or no money, Miranda wasn't in the habit of breaking up happy homes.

***

"Ray, I'm not trying to butt into your business, but I really think someone needs to tell Miss Ellie before she finds out some other way."

Ray looked up at Donna and shook his head. "No. I told you. I need to talk to Bobby and JR first."

"Ray…"

"Ellie is their mother," Ray reminded her."If Jock doesn't intend to tell her the truth then they should be the ones to do it."

"Maybe you're right," she sighed. "Speaking of Jock, you know he'll be furious once he finds out that you talked to Bobby and JR."

"Yes. And I don't care. Jock Ewing isn't the man I thought he was. He's a liar and a manipulator. He's known the truth for months. He paid Amos Krebbs to cover it up. He never would have told me if he hadn't had a falling out with JR and Bobby and come up with the insane idea that he could replace them with me."

"Just be careful, Ray," Donna warned him. "Jock Ewing can be a very dangerous enemy."

"So can I," Ray told her, his voice low and even. "So can I."

 

[zephiey]

Jock is about to reap what he has sown.
As for any secrets Jock has I have a feeling JR knows all of them, including about Ray.
JR isn't known for letting anything slip by him.

 

[CryptCreeper72]

I don't own any of the characters in this story and no copyright infringement is intended.

This fic is an alternate timeline and features a totally different resolution to the "Who Shot JR?" plot.

The timeline breaks at episode four of season four of "Dallas."

***

Shot Through the Heart

Part Thirty-six:

***

"JR?"?

"Hm?"

"Are you alright?"

They had been sitting in the car in the driveway at Southfork for more than a few minutes. So far, JR had made no move to get out.

He turned his head and gave his wife a small smile. "Yes. I'm fine. Truth is I guess I'm not looking forward to seeing Gary again."

"I know it will be difficult, but try to remember that Lucy and Ellie both really need him right now."

"Yes, I know," JR sighed. "I promise to be on my best behavior. It's just…"

"What, JR?"

"I don't know, honey. Since I started remembering things from when we were kids it's been getting harder and harder to blame him for being the way he is. I guess I just feel guilty about how I've treated him over the years."

"JR...maybe the same is true for you."

"What?"

"Jock made Gary what he is. He also made you what you are. It's nice that you're softening toward Gary. Maybe you need to give yourself a break too."

He reached out, took her hand, and brought it up to his mouth for a quick kiss. "I love you, Miss Texas."

"Love you back," she smiled at him.

***

Gary stared out the window, dreading his return to Southfork.

"Lucy is really excited about seeing you," Bobby told him.

"I'll be happy to see her too," Gary grunted. "JR on the other hand…"

"He won't cause any problems for you," Bobby assured him. "He promised Lucy to behave."

"JR's promises have never been worth a thing."

"In the past that was true," Bobby agreed, "but JR is trying to change. The shooting and the trial gave him a really harsh wake-up call."

"It won't last," Gary frowned. "JR is his father's son."

"I won't deny that," Bobby sighed. "Gary...JR seems to know things about Mama and Daddy that I don't know."

"What things?"

"About their marriage. About it not being as happy as it appeared to be."

Gary turned his head and studied Bobby carefully. "You are the baby," he finally said. "You didn't see the things we saw. You were too little."

"What kind of things?"

"Why don't you ask JR?"

"I have. He doesn't want to talk about it?"

"Is that right?" Gary growled and turned his head away. "Well guess what, Bobby? Neither do I."

***

"This is a nice hotel suite."

"It will do," Kristen told him. "For now anyway. What are you doing here?"

"I came to check on you. See if there was anything you needed," Dusty told her.

"How sweet," Kristen laughed. "You really do have a hero complex, don't you?"

"Miranda is on the job," Dusty changed the subject. "She called me this afternoon asking if I was sure JR and Sue Ellen were unhappy. Seems like Ewing is putting on a real show about being a loving husband. She's getting cold feet."

"You know as well as I do that it's only a matter of time before JR starts mistreating my sister again."

"Yes. I told Miranda to keep with it and she would see for herself what a snake that man truly is."

"Good. Because the sooner she goes to JR's bed, the sooner Sue Ellen will wake up and leave him for good. She deserves a man who loves her, don't you agree?"

"As long as I'm that man, yes."

"You will be," Kristen told him. "Listen, since you're here, there is one other thing you can do for me."

"What's that?"

"Well, it concerns my mother."

***

"I don't understand. Why one earth would JR hire an attorney for me?"

Kiefer looked at Patricia and leveled his eyes on her face. "Because his wife asked me to."

"I see. And did his wife also convince Cliff Barnes to tell the police that I didn't mean to shoot him?"

"As far as I know, Mr. Barnes gave that statement to the police of his own free will."

"What happens next?"

"Tomorrow morning I meet with the DA and use Mr. Barnes statement to try to get the charges against you dropped."

"And if he refuses?"

"Then we go to trial. And we'll win."

Patricia sat back in her chair and dropped her eyes to the table."And the baby?"

"Baby?"

"My youngest daughter...what happens to her baby?"

"I don't know," Kiefer told her truthfully. "I have no involvement in that."

"That baby is in danger as long as Kristen is in control. I'll accept you as my attorney. I'll accept JR Ewing paying your fees. But only on the condition that my grandchild is removed from Kristen's custody the moment it's born. Tell JR I want that guaranteed in writing."

Kiefer sighed heavily and stood up. "I'll pass the message along. Be back in the morning after I speak with the DA."

Patricia made no reply as she watched the guard escort him from the visitor's area. She knew her demand had annoyed him. And she didn't care.

That baby was being born into a snake pit. Someone needed to make sure Kristen couldn't destroy that child the way she destroyed everyone and everything else she touched.

***

Sue Ellen and Pam sat together on the couch, both extremely tense.

Lucy and Ellie had had a touching reunion with Gary, but he and JR had barely spoken to one another. Bobby tried repeatedly to engage the two men together in conversation, but both had stubbornly refused.

"JR looks positively miserable," Sue Ellen sighed.

"Yes. Gary too."

"Jock may not be here, but his presence hangs over this house like a lead balloon."

"Do you still think Ellie will let him come back?"

Sue Ellen shrugged and took a sip of her club soda. "Yes. She loves him."

"I know - but after all he's done to her family…."

"Pam, you don't understand. You've never had the man you love deliberately hurt you or make your life hell on earth. I hope with all my heart that's something you never have to experience."

"But you have," Pam said softly.

"Yes," Sue Ellen said sadly. "And I stayed. Time after time, I stayed."

"But JR is a changed man now," Pam reached out to pat her hand. "He won't ever do that to you again.*

"I hope you're right," Sue Ellen smiled at her. "I believe in my heart you're right. But my point is that Jock has hurt Ellie deeply before, and she's always stood by him. I don't see any reason why she won't do it this time too. I'm sorry, Pam. But I truly believe our husbands are going to have to choose between their wives and their parents...BOTH of their parents."

"Oh, Sue Ellen…"

Whatever Pam was about to say interrupted by the ringing doorbell. A few seconds later, Bobby reappeared in the living room with Ray Krebbs.

"Sorry to interrupt," Ray said sheepishly. "I didn't realize you were home, Gary."

"Just for a visit," Gary told him. "Good to see you again, Ray."

Ray nodded at the other man then turned to face Bobby. "I came to talk to you and JR. It's important and it can't wait."

"We'll go into Daddy's study," JR told him, setting his drink down.

"Gary, this actually concerns you too," Ray told the other man. "Maybe you should hear it."

"I'll pass," Gary said firmly. "But thanks."

The others watched as Bobby, JR, and Ray left the room.

"I wonder what that's all about?" Lucy asked her father.

"No idea," Gary answered. "But I tell you one thing; I came here to visit you and Mama. I'm not getting sucked into whatever drama is getting ready to be stirred up."

***

"You're sure?" Jock barked into the phone. "Thanks. Keep me posted."

Jock slammed down the receiver and rose to make himself another drink. He slammed it back in one gulp and made another.

So, the prodigal son had returned. No doubt JR and Bobby planned to use Miss Ellie's weakness for her middle son to manipulate her into keeping Jock off the ranch.

And now Ray was there with them. Jock suspected that the cowboy's ridiculous sense of honor would force him to tell the family his secret.

And that was fine so far as Jock was concerned. Saved him the trouble of having to deal with Ellie's hysterics when she found out.

He rubbed at his temples absently and growled. The headaches were getting worse. As much as he hated to do it, he probably needed to talk to the doctor about it.

But not tonight. Tonight he had plans to make.

He walked back to the phone and dialed a number from memory. "Harv? Get over here. The cat is climbing out of the bag. No. Not tomorrow. Now."

He hung up the phone and shook his head.

His family might be trying to circle the wagons, but it wouldn't do them a damn bit of good. He was still holding all the cards and it was time to lay them on the table.

***

 

[Honkytonkangel]

Headaches? ....... please don't tell me Jerk has a tumour he's gonna be able to use as an excuse for his vile behaviour.
Dusty and Kristen need to BOTH piss off and leave Sue Ellen alone.

Feel bad for all the Ewings boys at the moment. I really want them all to talk and try and build good relationships.

 

[CryptCreeper72]

I don't own any of the characters in this story and no copyright infringement is intended.

This fic is an alternate timeline and features a totally different resolution to the "Who Shot JR?" plot.

The timeline breaks at episode four of season four of "Dallas."

***

Shot Through the Heart

Part Thirty-seven:

***

"It's important to me that both of you know I don't want anything from Jock Ewing."

Bobby and JR were both in shock. Ray had told them about Jock revealing his true paternity and had brought them his mother's diary to read.

"Ray…" Bobby breathed out, "you…"

"Don't Bobby," Ray sighed. "I already told you, I'm not after anything. I just wanted the two of you to know the truth."

"How long has Daddy known?" JR asked, closing the diary and tossing it to the side.

"Months," Ray answered. "He paid Amos Krebbs quite a tidy sum to keep his mouth shut."

JR's eyes narrowed and he stood up and walked to the window.

"JR?" Bobby asked in a soft voice. "What are we going to do?"

JR didn't turn around. He just stared out the window and tried to organize his thoughts.

"Listen, Ray," he finally said in a tightly controlled voice, "this is quite the bombshell you dropped on us."

"I know, JR and I'm sorry. I had to tell you."

"Yes, I know. Eventually we're going to have to deal with all the implications of this. But not right now."

"JR, surely you're not suggesting that we keep this from Mama!" Bobby protested. "She has the right to know."

JR turned around finally and settled his eyes on Bobby's face. "We'll tell her. As hard as this is going to be for all of us, this actually could work in our favor."

"What are you talking about, JR?" Ray asked.

"This is the line he never should have crossed," JR told them matter of factly. "This is the way we get Mama's support once and for all."

"Now wait just a minute, JR!" Ray protested. "I won't be used to hurt that woman!"

"I'm not going to hurt her," JR replied flatly. "Daddy has already taken care of doing that. But I'm gonna make damn sure she finally sees him for what he really is. This could save Ewing Oil, Ray. This could save us all."

He paused and walked away from the window. "Are you with me, Bobby?"

Bobby sighed heavily and ran his hand through his hair. "Damnit, JR," he grumbled. "I don't like it one bit. But yes. Yes. I'm with you."

"Ray?"

"I told you the truth," Ray told him. "That's the end of my involvement. But I won't stand in your way."

JR nodded and turned back to the window. He felt sorry for his mother. But what he was going to do needed to be done.

And he was the only one strong enough to do it.

***

"Jock, if you do this, there's no going back."

Jock rolled his eyes at his lawyer and shrugged. "Good. There won't be any going back for JR either."

Harv sucked in a deep breath and forced himself to remain silent.

When Sue Ellen had first been charged with shooting JR, Jock had hired a PI to investigate every corner of her life. The PI had interviewed a former ranch hand who Ray had fired for stealing and had uncovered some very disturbing information."I just want to warn you that JR may not react to this the way you think he will. Jock, he may side with her over you."

"JR is my son," Jock remenknd him. "I know him like the back of my hand. My other sons are weak, but not JR. When he finds out the truth about that slut he married he'll drop her so fast she won't know what hit her. He'll be back at my side before you know it and the rest of them can go to hell."

Harv dropped his eyes to the papers in front of him and decided not to argue. "Alright, Jock. Everything is ready. The custody suit is ready to be filed. All we need is JR's signature."

"He'll sign as soon as I speak to him."

"When will that be?"

"First thing in the morning," Jock smiled.

"Alright. Don't forget about your doctor's appointment tomorrow afternoon. You need to keep it."

"You just worry about your business," Jock snarled at him. "And stay the hell out of mine."

***

"Are we going to tell him?" Bobby nodded his head at Gary.

Ray was gone. Gary and Lucy were sitting on the other side of the patio talking to Ellie. JR and Bobby had gathered their wives and told them about Ray's revelation.

"Not yet," JR answered his brother's question. "I need some time to think about the best way to approach Mama. I'll worry about Gary later."

"This is all so awful," Pam sighed. "Poor Miss Ellie will be crushed."

JR sat silently as Bobby and Pam talked about how this would affect Miss Ellie. His eyes were on his wife. He expected her to be upset by the news of Ray's paternity, but she hadn't said much at all. Her eyes though...her eyes were sad and scared.

At first it had crossed his mind that she was worried about sharing the Ewing fortune with yet another heir, but he quickly dismissed that idea. That might have been the case in the past, but she didn't seem to be particularly worried about protecting his inheritance anymore.

Maybe she was worried about how he was going to react to the news that he had another brother. She knew him so well. She probably figured his subdued reaction was only the calm before the storm.

"Sue Ellen?" He said her name softly. "Are you alright?"

"What?" Her head jerked up and her body tensed. "Oh yes. I guess I'm just in shock."

"We all are," Bobby sighed.

JR grunted but didn't say anything else. He noticed she didn't seem to be able to look him in the eyes.

He knew this woman. Something was wrong.

"Collect John Ross," he told her. "We're going home."

"What?" She sat up straight. "So early? You haven't even spent any time with Gary."

"He'll be here for days," JR told her. "I need to get off this ranch and be alone with you for a while."

"Alright, JR," she stood and headed into the house.

"JR, I know you need to sleep on all this, but we need to tell Mama as soon as possible. It won't take Daddy long to figure out Ray told us the truth."

JR looked over at Bobby and nodded. "Agreed," he said flatly. "I'll call you in the morning."

He stood up and made his way over Ellie, Lucy, and Gary to say his goodbyes.

He knew he should be focused on the situation with Ray, but something about Sue Ellen's behavior was gnawing at his insides.

She seemed…

Guilty.

And he needed to know why.

***

Ray was sick to his stomach.

Miss Ellie was going to be devastated.

That woman had been good to him. She didn't deserve the heartache she had coming.

And Lucy…

Ray almost vomited. He's had sex with his neice. And not just once, but over and over.

And Sue Ellen…

Jesus…

He'd slept with his brother's wife.

JR would kill him if he ever found out.

"Calm down," Ray said to himself.

After all the only two people in the world who knew about that one night stand were him and Sue Ellen. And she sure as hell would never tell JR.

Would she?

And would Lucy?

He couldn't hold it down anymore. He ran to the bathroom and barely made it to the toilet on time.

***

Sue Ellen needed a shower. She felt so... dirty.

All these years, she and Ray had pretended their tawdry night of drunken sex had never happened.

But now…

She knew she could never tell JR. But God help her, she was scared to death that the weight of the secret would destroy her.

"You gonna tell me what's bothering you?" JR asked her finally. She had been silent and sullen all the way home from Southfork. When they'd gotten into the condo, she'd taken John Ross straight to the nursery and put him to bed without speaking one word to her husband.

"I just…"

"What?"

"JR, maybe we shouldn't use this against Jock. I mean, we all have made terrible mistakes in our past. Should we have to pay for every sin for the rest of our lives?"

"It's not about the past, Sue Ellen. It's about the present. This isn't about a long lost bastard showing up. It's about the fact that he knew it and he lied to Mama about it."

"Yes...but maybe…"

"What?" JR snapped.

"Maybe he didn't want to tell her because he wanted to keep her from being hurt."

"I doubt that," JR laughed shortly. "But even if it's true, it doesn't excuse it. Sue Ellen you know as well as I do that secrets and lies are destructive to a marriage."

"Yes," she said softly. "I do."

"Honey, what the hell is going on in your head? Please tell me."

"I…" she took a deep breath and turned away from him. "I need a shower, JR. Then we'll talk, okay?"

"Sue Ellen…"

"Please," she whispered. "I just need to clear my head. I have something to tell you. I promise I will. But I need a few moments to myself first."

"Alright, honey. Whatever it is...remember that I love you."

Sue Ellen reached out and gently touched his face. "I know, JR. And I hope you always do."

JR said nothing as he watched her walk away from him toward the bedroom.

"Oh, Miss Texas," he sighed to himself, "what the hell did you do?"

***

 

[Miss Texas 1967]

Awful parenting deliberately pitting brother against brother. Typical angry Jock lol

Is there any chance John Ross is Ray's son? It didn't happen very far off when she and Cliff were together and as the blood test wasn't DNA based but blood type and something else then Ray and JR sharing a common parent may make things messy there.

 

[CryptCreeper72]

Awful parenting deliberately pitting brother against brother. Typical angry Jock lol

Is there any chance John Ross is Ray's son? It didn't happen very far off when she and Cliff were together and as the blood test wasn't DNA based but blood type and something else then Ray and JR sharing a common parent may make things messy there.

I hadn't thought about that at all. Gonna have to address it now. Thanks!

 

[CryptCreeper72]

I don't own any of the characters in this story and no copyright infringement is intended.

This fic is an alternate timeline and features a totally different resolution to the "Who Shot JR?" plot.

The timeline breaks at episode four of season four of "Dallas."

***

Shot Through the Heart

Part Thirty-eight:

***

Sue Ellen took a deep breath and forced herself to look into JR's eyes. "Say something. Please."

JR stood up and walked to the kitchen. "I need a drink," he finally said, pulling his stash of bourbon out of the top cabinet.

"JR..I was drunk. It was a mistake."

"It was a mistake alright," he snapped angrily. "Go to bed, Sue Ellen."

"JR, we have to talk this through!"

"No, we don't," he told her. "If we talk about this right now, I'm going to say some things I won't ever be able to take back. Just go to bed."

"JR .."

"I mean it, Sue Ellen. Get out of my sight. Please."

Sue Ellen sobbed deeply, but stood up and walked into the bedroom as he had instructed her.

"God damnit," JR tossed back a whole glass of bourbon. "Damn it all "

***

"I'm telling you, Bobby, she was acting strange."

"Well, she's probably scared JR will go off the deep end. Truth be told, I'm a little worried about that myself."

"I don't know," Pam said doubtfully. "Sue Ellen looked sick. Maybe she wasn't feeling well."

"Maybe," Bobby sighed. "I'm feeling pretty nauseous about all of this myself."

Pam kissed him on the cheek and settled her body against his. This was all so awful. Bobby and JR had no time to deal with their own emotions about finding out Ray was their brother. The both were focused on Miss Ellie and Ewing Oil.

And Sue Ellen…

Pam couldn't shake the feeling that there was something bothering Sue Ellen that had nothing at all to do with either her mother-in-law or the company.

She promised herself she would call Sue Ellen first thing in the morning, then closed her eyes and tried to force herself to sleep.

***

The sun was coming up.

Sue Ellen sat up and looked at the empty space in the bed beside her.

She climbed out of the bed and walked to her vanity and sat down, studying her own face. Her eyes were swollen from all the crying and her lip from the chewing.

JR hadn't come to bed last night. She'd had to fight every instinct in her body not to go to him.

"Get out of my sight. Please."

She felt tears leak from her eyes and down her cheeks as she remembered his words.

He would never forgive her.

Not for this.

Not ever.

***

Harv drank his coffee and looked out over the beautiful scene of the Dallas skyline as the sun came up.

He hadn't slept a wink last night. Jock Ewing and his family had weighed too heavily on his mind to allow him to sleep.

He had been Jock's lawyer for so many years. But Harvey considered Jock to be more than just a client - he was a very dear friend.

Jock was a hard man. But he'd always loved his family, especially Ellie.

And JR..

JR had inherited the worst qualities of his father. It was now time to see if he had inherited the best of his father too.

He stood up and retrieved his briefcase.

He knew what he was about to do might very well destroy his career and get him disbarred.

But if he could save Jock Ewing from himself, it would all be worth it.

***

JR took a deep breath and opened the bedroom door. The bed was empty, but he heard water running in the bathroom.

He walked to the closet and pulled out a fresh shirt and a clean suit. He laid it across the bed and walked to the bathroom door. He steeled his nerves, opened the door, and gasped when he was hit smack in the face by a wave of hot steam.

He could barely see, the steam was so thick. He suddenly noticed the floor was wet. His eyes went to the bathtub and he saw it was so full that water was running over the side and soaking the floor.

Then he saw her.

She was lying, sprawled on the bathroom floor in front of the toilet.

He moved to her immediately, sinking down onto his knees and gently shaking her. "Sue Ellen," he whispered frantically. "Honey! Wake up!"

He suddenly noticed the blood on the floor. He examined her closely. He saw the wound on her head, right over her right ear. There was so much blood. Her hair was soaked and matted with it. "Oh Jesus!" He picked her up, carried her to the bed and carefully laid her down. He picked up the phone and quickly dialed 911. "I need an ambulance! Now! My wife hit her head, she's bleeding badly, and I can't wake her up!"

***

Miranda rolled over and groaned in protest. It wasn't even 7 a.m. yet. Who in the world could be calling so early. She reached out, picked up the phone, and brought it up to her face. "Yeah?"

"Miranda?"

"Yeah," she said again, her voice thick with sleep. "Who is this?"

"Pamela Ewing. I'm sorry if I woke you. Sue Ellen has had an accident. An ambulance took her to the hospital. JR went with her of course. I'm at the condo with John Ross. I hate to ask, but I was hoping you could come to work early so I could go to the hospital."

"Of course!" Miranda sat up straight in the bed."I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Thank you," Pam sighed with relief. "See you soon."

Miranda hung up the phone and quickly dialed Dusty's number. "It's me. Yes I know it's early. I just thought you'd like to know that Sue Ellen had some kind of accident. She's at the hospital. No, I don't know what happened. Listen, I have to get over there to babysit John Ross. I'll call you back as soon as I know anything else."

She hung the phone up, threw the covers off, and jumped out of bed.

She hoped Sue Ellen was okay. She seemed like such a nice lady. It would be a shame if something bad happened to her.

***

"Poor Sue Ellen. Are you sure we shouldn't go to the hospital? Lucy asked.

"You heard Bobby," Ellen sighed. "JR doesn't want anyone there but Bobby and Pam."

"Maybe I should go to the condo and check on John Ross then."

"Pam called the nanny," Gary told her.

"Well, the nanny is brand new. I'd feel better if I took care of him myself. I can't just sit here and do nothing!"

"If JR wanted our help, he'd ask for it," Gary said bitterly.

"JR is probably too upset and worried to know what he wants!" Lucy pushed her chair away from the table and stood up. "You guys can sit around here on your asses if you want to. I'm going to help!"

"Let her go, Gary," Ellie warned him when he stood up to go after her. "She and Sue Ellen have become close. She needs to handle this in her own way."

Gary sat down and bit back a growl.

It was the same story at Southfork as always. JR was in control and he was shut completely out.

He shouldn't have ever come back here.

It all had been a huge mistake to come home.

And now he couldn't wait to get the hell away.

***

"Mr. Ewing?"

JR shot off his chair and walked swiftly to the nurses desk.

"Yes?"

"Dr. Franklin wanted me to tell you that he would be out to speak to you in a few minutes. Your wife is being admitted for some tests and you can see her as soon as she is settled into her room."

"What kind of tests?" He demanded.

"The doctor will explain everything to you."

"Is she alright?"

"Mr. Ewing, just have a seat. Everything will be explained to you by the doctor."

"Is she alright?" JR asked again. "Please! Tell me something!"

"JR," Bobby took him by the arm and pulled him back to the waiting area, "come sit down. She can't tell you what she doesn't know."

"This is my fault," JR told his brother, letting him lead him back to a chair to wait. "We had a fight last night. I told her to get out of my sight."

"JR, all married couples fight. She fell. It was an accident."

"You don't understand, Bobby," JR's voice was anguished. "I was so cold to her."

"She'll be fine, JR, and when she wakes up you can tell her you're sorry."

"Oh, God, Bob," he ground out. "I AM sorry. So deeply sorry. She has to be okay. She just HAS to be."

***

 

[Honkytonkangel]

Goddamn it, WHY couldn't JR control his mouth, and why does he always come to see how much he fucked up when it's too late.
He needs to remember Kristen, and GROVEL for forgiveness.
I really hope Sue Ellen is ok.
And PLEASE don't let Dusty near her. He doesn't deserve her.
Lucy is such a sweetheart. Love that she wants to help so much.
Can't help feeling Gary is being a bit childish, but I still want him and JR to find a way to be brothers and get on.
Can't wait to see what Harve has up his sleeve.

I still really hate Jock.

 

[CryptCreeper72]

I don't own any of the characters in this story and no copyright infringement is intended.

This fic is an alternate timeline and features a totally different resolution to the "Who Shot JR?" plot.

The timeline breaks at episode four of season four of "Dallas."

***

Shot Through the Heart

Part Thirty-nine:

***

"Mr. Ewing? I'm Dr. Franklin."

JR stood up and wrung his hands together. "Is she okay?"

"She fainted. She hit the side of her head on something sharp - maybe the corner of the bathroom sink I admitted her for testing and observation. I want to run a CT scan on her brain to check for serious damage. It's a bit troubling that she hasn't regained consciousness yet."

JR's entire body sagged. "When can I see her?"

"After her scan is finished. You'll be glad to know that the baby seems to be fine."

"Baby? What baby?"

The doctor's eyes widened in surprise. "You...you did know your wife was pregnant?"

"Pregnant? Sue Ellen is pregnant?"

"Yes...Mr. Ewing...I'm sorry. Mrs Ewing is several weeks along. I just assumed…"

"I didn't know," JR told him.

"I should get back and make sure she gets that scan. A nurse will come to get you as soon as she's back in her room."

JR watched the doctor walk away and let out a ragged sigh.

"Sue Ellen is tough, JR," Bobby put his hand on his brother's shoulder to comfort him." I'm sure she'll be just fine."

JR turned, walked back to a chair, sank down, and buried his face in his hand. "Why didn't she tell me, Bob? Why would she keep our baby a secret from me?"

***

"Oh!" Pam has opened the front door of JR and Sue Ellen's condo and almost run smack into Harv Smithfield.

"Good morning, Pam," he nodded to her. "I'm sorry I startled you. I came to see JR."

"I'm sorry, Harv, JR isn't here. He's at the hospital with Sue Ellen."

"Sue Ellen? Is she alright?"

"She fainted and hit her head this morning. She hasn't woken up yet."

"Oh no. I'm so sorry to hear that."

"I'm on my way over there now. I'll tell him you stopped by."

"Thank you, Pam. Please tell him it's very important."

"I will," she promised, "but I doubt he'll be interested in anything you have to say until he knows Sue Ellen is going to be alright."

"Understood. I'll walk you to the elevator."

Pam nodded and followed him down the hall. Harv pushed the button, stepped inside with her and wondered to himself how he was going to convince Jock Ewing from dropping his bombshell this morning.

One thing was sure; if Jock went after Sue Ellen while she was hurt, JR would never forgive him - and there would never be any peace in the Ewing family ever again.

***

Dusty hung up the phone and bit back a curse.

Sue Ellen had hit her head and was in the hospital.

Miranda had overheard Lucy and Pam talking and apparently JR had told Bobby that he felt guilty because he and Sue Ellen had some sort of argument last night.

Dusty was pleased to know they were fighting, but he was worried to death about her condition. Miranda said she hadn't woken up yet.

"JR did it to you again, Sue Ellen," he muttered to himself. "So help me God, he will never get the chance to hurt you ever again."

***

"Ray?"

Ray lifted his eyes from the newspaper and looked at Donna. "Yeah?"

"Are you going to the hospital?"

"Now why would I want to go and do something as stupid as that?"

"JR is your brother," she reminded him.

"A fact he only found out about last night," Ray told her. "He has enough to deal with without having to put up with me being there."

"Alright," she said softly. "I guess I just thought that maybe since you guys are family, you ought to start acting like it."

"I'll go check on Miss Ellie later," Ray said. "But I'm going to leave JR and Bobby alone until they want to see me. They need time to accept the truth. I refuse to push them."

***

"You really don't have to stay," Miranda told Lucy. "John Ross and I will be fine together."

"Yes. I guess you will. You're very good with him."

"He's a wonderful baby," Miranda smiled. "Why don't you go on to the hospital. That's where you really want to be, isn't it?"

"Yes. But JR said he only wanted Pam and Bobby there."

"That's strange. Why wouldn't he want the whole family there for support?"

"JR and Sue Ellen...they've had it rough in the past. I guess he just wants to keep the drama down to a dull roar. But I'm so worried. About her. And about him. He...he loves her so much. If anything happens to her it will kill him."

"Go to him, Lucy. He probably needs you and just doesn't realize it."

"You know what? You're right. Thanks, Miranda."

Miranda smiled and nodded at the other women then turned her gaze back to John Ross.

Pam and Lucy had spoken about a fight between JR and Sue Ellen. But they both had also talked about how much he loved her.

She wasn't going to waste any more time trying to figure out what was between the Ewings. She was tired of sneaking around and reporting back to Me. Farlow.

It was time to put JR Ewing to the test. If he passed, then she would leave him and his wife alone.

If he failed? Then Mr. Farlow would have everything he wanted and Miranda could leave Dallas with enough money to start a brand new life.

***

"Mr. Ewing?"

"Dr. Franklin?" JR looked up to see the doctor standing over him. "How's my wife?"

"Awake and alert," the doctor smiled at him. "And I must say, very anxious to see you."

"The scan?"

"No major damage. She's going to be just fine. We'll keep her overnight for observation, but it's really just a precaution. She's a bit dehydrated, which is probably what caused the fainting episode. She…"

"Yes?"

"Well, Mr. Ewing, apparently she didn't have any idea she was pregnant. I didn't tell her I'd already told you. I figured I'd leave it up to you to either let her know you knew or let her tell you so you could act surprised."

"She didn't know?"

"No clue."

"How did she…" JR struggled to find the right words. "What was her reaction?"

"Appropriate. Shocked. Happy but apprehensive."

"Apprehensive how?'"

"Mr. Ewing, many women feel some fear when they first learn they're pregnant. As I said, her reaction was very appropriate. Would you like to see her now?"

"Yes. Yes. Absolutely. Please lead the way."

***

Harv sat in his car and gathered up his nerves.

He would give anything to avoid having to do this, but there was no choice.

He couldn't go to JR now; not with Sue Ellen in the hospital. It was out of the question.

He'd thought about speaking with Bobby, but the youngest Ewing boy was completely cowed by his father. Telling him the truth wouldn't lead to badly needed confirmation that would put an end to Jock's nonsense.

No.

There were only two people in the world who had enough strength to stand up to Jock and put him in his place. Since he couldn't go to JR…

He had to go to Ellie.

There was no choice.

***

"Sue Ellen?"

Sue Ellen turned her head toward his voice and winced in pain. "JR…" she moaned softly.

JR walked fully into the room and gasped when he saw her. She looked just awful -pale and weak. Her eyes were sunken in and surrounded by black circles. Her bottom lip was split and swollen. There was a huge white bandage on her head that ran from her forehead to just above her right ear. "Oh, honey…"

Tears spilled out of her eyes and she turned her head away from him. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" He asked her softly, sitting down in the chair beside her bed and taking her hand.

"I didn't do this on purpose."

"Of course not! Why in the world would I ever think that?"

"We...we were fighting. I didn't want you to think I did it to get attention…"

"Sue Ellen, sometimes you get a little crazy," he chuckled, "but I know you're not crazy enough to hurt yourself just to get me to pay attention."

She nodded and winced again.

"Does it hurt bad, honey?"

"Yes," she told him truthfully. "But I can't have anything for the pain because…"

"Because why?"

"The doctors said ibuprofen would be enough," she mumbled, unable to meet his eyes.

JR's eyebrows shot together, but he didn't push her. "Your doctor said they need to keep you overnight. I'll have Pam bring you some things."

"John Ross?"

"Miranda is with him for now. I'll have Pam or Lucy take him to the ranch later."

Sue Ellen nodded and studied him carefully. "What else did the doctor tell you?"

"Just that you were dehydrated, fainted, and hit your head but that you're going to be fine."

"JR…" she hesitated and took a deep breath.

He pulled her hand up to his mouth and kissed it softly. "What is it, honey?"

"I…" her tears started flowing again. She wanted so badly to tell him about the baby. But she couldn't - not yet. They still needed to work through her one night stand with Ray. She needed to know if he could forgive her and still love her as deeply as he had before he knew. If she told him about the baby now, he'd stay with her for that reason alone, regardless of how he really felt. "About Ray…"

"Look, last night I found out I had a brother I never knew about and that my wife had slept with him. You should understand why I reacted the way I did."

"Of course, JR, but…"

"But nothing," he cut her off. "You're hurt and you need your rest and I don't want to talk about it right now."

"JR, we HAVE to talk about it!"

"Yes. But not right now. I mean it, Sue Ellen. Drop it."

Sue Ellen closed her eyes and sank back into her pillows.

He was still angry.

He hadn't forgiven her yet.

And part of her was terrified that he never would.

***

 

[Honkytonkangel]

I have to be honest I'm still not very happy with JR, but I will give him the benefit of the doubt that he is avoiding the Ray issue because she is hurt, and not dragging it out in his anger to punish her.
But they need to deal with it, and soon.
They love each other and they've fought too hard for their relationship lately to let this blow it apart.
And then there's their kids who are innocent, and the new bubs doesn't deserve to come into the world the way their big brother did.

Still really hate the saddle tramp. He doesn't love her and with all she's going through, she doesn't need his bullshit on top of it.
I want his blood.

And I want Jerk's too.

And maybe a bit of Ray's, this wouldn't be happening if he had kept his pants on and not taken advantage of a distressed drunk woman.

I really hope everything can be worked out, cos I'm sad now.

(You can't see them but I am making puppy eyes right now).

 

[Miss Texas 1967]

1. JR needs to remember he repeatedly slept with Sue Ellen's sister and only got lucky not having been the father of the baby she's carrying
2. JR mistreated Sue Ellen for a long time before the Ray thing but right before the incident he literally abandoned her and told her he'd get her a puppy for affection
3. Ray holds some responsibility here too, not just Sue Ellen
4. There's no doubt now about who the father of Sue Ellen's baby is. Time to do as you've been saying and be the husband and father Sue Ellen, John Ross and little bump deserve
5. Somewhere out there James is floating around, the son Vanessa conceived while married, putting JR in Ray's shoes but worse. Let's not talk about that

 

[CryptCreeper72]

I don't own any of the characters in this story and no copyright infringement is intended.

This fic is an alternate timeline and features a totally different resolution to the "Who Shot JR?" plot.

The timeline breaks at episode four of season four of "Dallas."

***

Shot Through the Heart

Part Forty:

***

"Are you finished?"

"Yes," Kiefer eyed the DA suspiciously. There was something about the other lawyer's demeanor that was making him nervous. "I'm sure you'll agree with me that given Mr. Barnes' sworn affidavit that Mrs. Sheppard didn't mean to shoot him, you have no case."

"I could see how you might think that," the DA told him cooly. "But you'd be wrong."

"Excuse me?"

"Mr. Kiefer, I know your reputation. You're a damn fine attorney so I won't play games with you. Mr. Barnes is a liar. As soon as he is able to leave the hospital, I'm charging him with perjury for filing a false affidavit."

"What are you talking about?"

"This," the DA pulled a cassette tape from his top desk drawer. "It's an audio recording of the shooting. Feel free to keep it. That's only a copy."

"Where did you get this?"

"Came special delivery to Detective Phillips. No return address."

"What's on it?"

"You can listen to it yourself. Let's just say it's clear that your client did intend to shoot Cliff Barnes and that she intended to kill him."

Kiefer picked the audio cassette up and put it in his briefcase. "I'll be in touch."

"One other thing, Mr. Kiefer. You and the Ewings made a pure mockery of our court during Mrs. Ewing's trial. I know JR is paying you to defend his mother-in-law. If I find out JR or his wife had anything at all to do with Barnes lying to the police, I'll prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. Do you understand me?"

"Yes," Kiefer replied shortly. "I understand just fine."

***

"Can I get you anything else Harv?"

"No, Miss Ellie. Thank you for the coffee."

"Of course. What can I do for you?"

"Miss Ellie, I am getting ready to end my career. I'm going to break attorney/client privilege. I hope you understand that I would never do such a thing if I thought there was any other way to handle this."

"Handle what?"

"Miss Ellie...there are things….things you don't know and things that are going to be very difficult to hear and hurt you very deeply. I would never say these things to you unless I absolutely had to.

"What's going on, Harv?"

"Ellie. Jock isn't... well. And I'm afraid his condition is causing him to make reckless decisions that are going to destroy your family forever."


***

"Wonder what they were fighting about?"

Bobby looked at Lucy and shrugged. "Who knows? The truth is that JR is under an incredible amount of stress right now. Maybe he finally just snapped and took it all out on her."

"We're all under a lot of stress. JR needs to suck it up like the rest of us."

Pam and Bobby exchanged knowing glances but said nothing. Lucy didn't know that Ray was Jock's son or that JR had taken it on himself to tell Miss Ellie.

JR had come out to the waiting room, told them Sue Ellen was alright and resting, and that they should all go home.

"Lucy, can you stop by the condo and get John Ross?" Pam finally broke the awkward silence. "I want to stick around here for a while."

"Sure," Lucy shrugged. "But you heard JR. He doesn't want us here."

"That's just too bad," Pam replied. "Sue Ellen is obviously very upset over whatever happened last night. She hasn't even told him about the baby yet. I'm going to stay and see if I can get her to talk to me."

"Suit yourself," Lucy stood up. "But be careful. Getting in between JR and Sue Ellen during one of their battles is a good way to make yourself collateral damage. I'll see you guys back at Southfork later."

Bobby watched his niece stand up and walk away then turned back to his wife. "She's right you know. It's not a good idea to interfere with JR and Sue Ellen's marriage."

"I just want to talk to her, Bobby," Pam defended herself. "I told you last night there was something wrong with her. She obviously isn't comfortable talking to JR about whatever it is. She hasn't even told him she's pregnant!"

"About the baby, Pam," Bobby said softly. "Are you okay?"

Pam smiled sadly and nodded. "Sue Ellen is my friend. I love her and I'm very happy for her. Yes, it's hard knowing I can't have my own child, but that doesn't diminish my joy for her."

Bobby leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Pam."

"I love you too," she smiled back at him. "So very much."

***

"What now?" JR snapped, closing his paper and tossing it onto the floor.

"Nothing, JR," Sue Ellen sniffled.

"Nothing?" He mocked her. "Then why the water works again?'

"You know why!"

"Oh for God's sake," he growled. "Sue Ellen, you're driving me insane! I don't want to talk about it! I just don't!"

"We can't ignore it, JR!"

"Do you think I don't know that?" He raged at her. "Do you honestly think I'm sitting here thinking about ANYTHING else?"

"If you're thinking about it, then why not talk about it?"

"Because I don't know what I'll say! I don't even know how I feel. And I know if you force me to do this before I've come to terms with it in my mind that I'll say something that will do lasting damage to our marriage that I won't be able to take back!"

"I'm starting to think lasting damage has already been done, JR."

"Has it?" He snarled. "You tell me."

"JR…'

"Mrs. Ewing?"

Sue Ellen turned her head and frowned at the nurse who had just come into her room. "Yes?"

"Are you alright? Your blood pressure and your heart rate both just went through the roof."

"I'm fine," Sue Ellen mumbled and turned her head away.

"Listen, Sue Ellen," JR stood up. "I'm going to leave you alone and let you rest. I'll be back later."

Sue Ellen said nothing as he brushed past the nurse and left the room.

"Can I get you anything, Mrs. Ewing?" The nurse asked her.

"No," Sue Ellen held back her tears and waved her hand dismissively. "Please just leave me alone."

***

Ellie walked out to the patio and sat down beside her son.

"Mama? Are you alright?" Gary leaned forward and took her hand. "You look like you've seen a ghost!'

"I'm…" she shook her head and took a deep breath. "I'm fine, Gary. Can you please do me a favor?"

"Of course," he told her, his voice full of concern. "Anything."

"Call the hospital. Tell your brothers they have to come home right now. Call Ray Krebbs and get him over here too."

"What's this all about Mama?"

"The future of this family," she said evenly. "I need to talk to all of you at once before your father destroys us all completely, once and for all."

**"

"What do you think she wants?"

JR had come storming into the waiting room right after Gary had called the hospital and told him Miss Ellie needed him and JR to come home immediately.

"I don't know," JR grumbled. "But we may as well tell her about Ray while we're there."

"You sure JR? I mean with Sue Ellen being in the hospital, wouldn't you rather wait?"

"No. We have to tell her before Daddy does. It's the only way to make sure she sees it from our side instead of his."

Bobby nodded but didn't reply. The truth was he was very worried about his brother. It wasn't like him to be so willing to leave Sue Ellen when she was hurt. And he seemed...angry. Very angry.

Bobby had no idea what JR and Sue Ellen were fighting about, but he had a sneaking suspicion whatever it was was very serious. He prayed for JR's sake - for everyone's sake - that they figured out some way to work it out.

***

"Can I get you anything?"

Sue Ellen turned her head away from Pam and stared out the window. "No. I'm fine. Thank you."

Pam sighed heavily and sank down into her seat. Something was very wrong with her friend.

JR has made her swear she wouldn't tell Sue Ellen that he knew about the baby and so far, Sue Ellen hadn't brought it up. She should be bursting with joy, but instead she was silent and sullen and she kept crying.

Pam forced herself not to push. Sue Ellen was in a lot of pain and couldn't have anything strong for it. She didn't want to make the situation worse by forcing her to talk if she didn't want to.

Still, she couldn't help but to wonder what JR had done this time. Sue Ellen was obviously devastated by whatever had happened. It wouldn't surprise her one bit if JR Ewing was up to his old tricks.

***

"What's this all about Gary?" JR demanded, moving to the bar and making himself a drink.

"I have no idea," Gary told him. "All I know is Mama told me to get you two and Ray over here and that she wanted to talk to us about Daddy."

"Ray?" JR spat the name. "Ray is coming over here?"

"Yeah," Gary shrugged. "He's on his way."

Bobby moved close to JR and whispered in his ear, "You think Mama already knows?"

JR didn't answer. He slammed back his drink and poured himself another.

"I got here as soon as I could."

JR looked up just in time to see Ray enter the living room. He put his drink down and strode over to the other man. "You son of a bitch!"

Without warning, JR brought up his fist and delivered a brutal blow to Ray's head, right below his left temple. "I'll kill you!" JR snarled, jumping on the other man and delivering punch after punch.

Ray fought back and Gary and Bobby ran over to separate them.

"STOP IT!" Ellie screamed from the doorway. "All of you! Stop it right now!"

***