A/N: I hope you all will bear with me. I know this is very similar to what happened on the show. This really isn't about changing what happened to Emma but more about a different take on how Bobby and Ann deal with it and maybe the relationship that might develop between Ann and Emma. Again reviews are appreciated.
Bobby arrived home that afternoon to find Sue Ellen's car there and another he didn't recognize. He entered the house to find Sue Ellen heading down the staircase.
"Sue Ellen, what's going on?" He asked
She reached the bottom of the stairs and exhaled, "Bobby, I went with Ann to see her daughter and it didn't go well. The girl told her she never wanted to see her again. She almost collapsed and I got her back to the car. I called her doctor from the number on the fridge. He's with her now."
Bobby rubbed his hand over his face and sighed, "So she doesn't know what happened to her?"
Sue Ellen shook her head, "No."
Bobby walked into the office off the foyer taking a set at his desk and Sue Ellen followed, taking a seat in one of the chairs across from the desk, "Bobby, I know you're angry with Ann. That's why I went with her. But she needs to know what happened to her daughter. She needs your help."
Bobby nodded slightly knowing she was right. There would be a time to deal with his feelings later.
"Look." Sue Ellen said, "There is something you don't know and she'll probably be angry at me for telling you…but Harris wouldn't tell her where Emma was unless she turned over to him a tape she had of him admitting to blackmailing me and money laundering."
"What?" Bobby snapped, "Ryland threatened her?"
"Yes, so she gave him the tape." She explained
His fury growing, he banged his fist on the desk, "Damn it!"
"Excuse me Mr. Bobby." Carmen appeared in the doorway, "Miss Ann's doctor needs to talk to you."
"Okay, Carmen." He turned back to Sue Ellen, "Thank you for being here. I'll get to bottom of this, Sue Ellen."
"Bobby, I think Harris knows more than he's saying." She replied, "Let me know if I can help in any way."
"Thanks." He said and as she left he headed upstairs
"Mr. Ewing." Dr. Palmer said as he entered their bedroom, "I gave your wife a sedative. She'll hopefully stay asleep for a while."
"Thank you, doctor."
He closed his bag and got up to leave, "Call me if you need anything else."
Bobby nodded and sat gently down on the bed watching his wife sleep.
Oh Annie, I'll find out exactly what is going on. I promise.
/
He sat smugly at his desk mulling over what must have been his ex-wife's reaction to seeing their daughter. He would have given anything to have seen it in person.
"I don't know why you insisted on bringing Emma here to see that horrible woman." He looked up to see his mother, Judith, standing in the doorway
"I had my reasons, Mother." He replied clearly annoyed
Judith Brown Ryland stood an elegant five feet eight inches tall barefoot. Her long blonde hair swept up in a classic bun. At seventy, she was still striking, "You realize the risk you're taking. It was easy to paint a picture for Emma but now she may get curious, despite how she reacted today."
"I can handle it." He insisted, "Who do you think Emma will believe?"
"Harris, I know it gave you, and frankly me as well, satisfaction, to imagine how Ann must have felt. But be careful. This is our daughter we're talking about. We don't want that woman influencing her. Now do we?"
"I know, Mother, I know."
"Good." She responded, "Don't let your vengeance have the opposite affect and backfire on us."
/
He had gone back downstairs to let her sleep but around dinner time he had Carmen make her a tray and he took it up, hoping she was awake. He opened the door to find her sitting up in bed looking through some things in a box he'd never seen.
She looked up at him her uncertain eyes meeting his, "Oh Bobby, I was wondering where you were. I thought you might have…well that you weren't coming home."
He came around the bed and sat the tray in front of her and she moved the box and its contents to the side, "I thought you might be hungry."
She nodded and smiled slightly, "A little. Thank you."
He glanced at the box, "What's all this?"
She took a bite of the soup Carmen had made, "Its pictures of Emma and a few other things. I was just looking…" She trailed off
He sat down on the side of the bed, "Sue Ellen was here when I got home. She told me what happened with Emma. I'm sorry."
"Thank you." She averted her eyes
"She also told me what Harris made you do to find out where Emma was." He explained
She almost started crying again, "I'm…I'm sorry I should have told you but after…well…I just…I'm sorry."
He'd never seen her quite this vulnerable, now was not the time to be angry about her not telling him about Harris, "Annie, I'm going to find out what happened to your daughter. Who took her and why. I've got Derek working on it. But as far as you and me, I just can't promise anything."
She nodded slightly, "I understand. Thank you for helping me."
He smiled a little and nodded too, getting up off the bed "Now, eat up. You need to keep up your strength. I'll check on you later, okay?"
She looked up at him, smiling, and those blue eyes never able to hide anything, "Okay."
/
The next afternoon Bobby walked to the door and opened it to find Derek standing there, "Hi Derek, come on in."
"Thanks, Mr. Ewing." He replied stepping inside
Bobby led him into the office and they took their seats, "So have you got anything for me?"
"I do but you're not gonna like it." He said
"What do you mean?" Bobby asked
"Well, all we had to go on was the address you gave us so we went out there in an unmarked car and plain clothes so not to spook anyone. We had the picture of Emma but no one really knew her except one guy who knew the horse she rode."
"And?" Bobby asked again
"The horse is owned," He paused, "by Harris Ryland."
