Chapter Twenty Nine – A New Beginning

Ray sighed deeply as he sank down in the rattan chair outside his and Donna's house. Another day had gone by without incident or accidents. Ordinary days, he cherished them nowadays because they seemed so rare. It had been almost four days since Bobby and Pam went off to Hawaii to be one their own and he was so happy for them. Lucy seemed to be taking her broken marriage and divorce with countenance, even though she had had a few days where she didn't want to do anything else than feel sorry for herself. Sue Ellen had gotten home and was recuperating nicely lying coped up next to the pool. Usually she was reading some fashion magazine or watching John Ross taking a swim. J.R seemed to have changed somehow, slightly for the better, it looked like he was caring for his wife, but then of course with J.R one could never be sure. Ray didn't doubt for a second that he would make Bobby's life hard when he got back or that he would hit the roof when Ellie decided to introduce Clayton to the family. If he hadn't happened to be in the vicinity and found Ellie and Clayton together he wouldn't have believed it himself but he was happy for them, that they seemed to get along so well with one another. Miss Ellie really needed someone to talk to after all that had happened. It had been so much lately and the family really needed some time to reflect and to rise again.

"What's on your mind, Ray, you seemed to be miles away," Donna said as she sat down opposite him.

"I was just thinking," he replied thoughtfully. "About everything that has happened lately", he added.

Donna sighed, her features darkened by the mere thought of what had transpired. She patted his sweaty shoulder and handed him a beer. "It's over, Ray, let it go," she said and handed him a bear.

"It's not that easy, Donna. I know what J.R is capable of, I just didn't expect this nightmare," he returned, unscrewing the cap of the bottle.

"You know, I'll forever have an image of you lying in the dirt back at the ranch and I will never forget the dread and despair I was feeling then," Donna said seriously as she locked eyes with him. "Ray I thought you were dead," she added deadpan.

He looked away, out over the vast acres of land, not needing to see the pained look on Donna's face.

"Ray, I don't know if I could bear losing you. I just want to put all the horrors behind me; you almost being killed off, Pam's crashed Porsche, Bobby ripping all his stitches at the hospital, Sue Ellen's beaten body, Miss Ellie almost falling apart…I just need to…, I don't know," she trailed off and glanced at her husband. "Ray, just hold me," she begged.

Without a word he moved over to her, he carefully embraced her and felt her arms sneaking around him, holding him tight.

She never wanted to let go, never wanted to leave him alone out of fear that he might be hurt again or worse; killed. Ray meant the world to her, yes he was too darn stubborn at times and inflexible, but he was kind and warm, always wanting peoples best, and for that her love towards him grew stronger for every day. Donna couldn't imagine how life would be without him.

OOOOO

One and a half week later

Doctor Anthon Prescott took a deep breath as he waited for the elevator to arrive at the ground floor of the Ewing Oil building. He briefly wondered if it had been a mistake coming over as the doors opened in front of him. He stepped in and pushed the button for the 35th floor, the executive floor. He couldn't for the world figure out why his long lost sibling had suddenly wanted for him to inherit his little oil company after his death, and to be frank, he had no idea what to do with it. Then he had come to think about Pamela Ewing and her husband Bobby, who he had treated not too long ago. Somehow he didn't believe Mr. Ewing was a man involved in dirty dealings but as for his brother he really didn't know where the line was drawn. The press had been hard on the Ewing's lately. Now he just hoped that Bobby Ewing was in his office and had little time over to tell him what to do.

The doctor casually walked out of the lift and headed over to a blonde, good looking woman, sitting at a small desk just outside the two glass doors to the office.

She smiled politely at him. "Hello, can I help you, Sir?" she asked kindly.

"I am looking for Mr. Bobby Ewing," he said as he read the nameplate standing on the desk.

"Do you have an appointment?" the receptionist named Kendall wondered.

"No, ma'am," he answered truthfully.

"Okay, why don't step in and talk to Phyllis, she is sitting to the right," she suggested. "It's Mr. Ewing's secretary," she added.

Phyllis glanced up at the man approaching. "Hello, I understand you're looking for Bobby?" She said softly with a smile.

"Yes, that's right, my name is Dr. Anthon Prescott," he introduced himself.

Phyllis studied him for a moment before she opened her mouth again, her polite smile and cheerful mode replaced by what looked like concern. "Dr. Prescott is there something wrong with Bobby?" she wondered, not really expecting him to answer.

"What? No, at least I hope not, I'm here to talk business, oil business," he said reassuringly.

"Forgive me for asking," she said and he could see the relief in her face.

She double checked the calendar lying in front of her. "He is supposed to be out the entire day, he's down at Ewing 33 to supervise some changes. Perhaps I could take a message or have him call you?" she offered.

He glanced down at his watch as voices from the reception filtered through the glass doors.

"Bobby, what are you doing here?" Kendall asked her voice slightly teasing, knowing that he and Pam were going to attend a banquette in a couple of hours.

"Actually I asked myself that question a couple of minutes ago," he replied with a half serious grin as he walked further into the office.

"Dr. Prescott?" he acknowledged surprised as the man turned around to face him.

"Mr. Ewing, I came to have a few words with you but…" he was interrupted by Bobby.

"Well then come into my office," Bobby suggested.

"Bobby, don't forget…" Phyllis hollered after him.

"Don't worry Phyllis, he assured as he closed the door behind the doctor and headed behind his desk.

"I have to say, this is a little surprising," Bobby offered lightly.

Prescott sat down opposite him, not knowing how to begin. "To tell you the truth, I'm no less surprised," he admitted. "A long lost relative of mine died recently and he obviously thought I could use a small oil company," Prescott finished.

Bobby frowned but said nothing.

"I don't know anything about the oil business and I am feeling a little too old to learn. I want to sell it," he explained.

Bobby couldn't help but chuckle hopelessly. "Well if you are any vaguer than that, I don't know what to tell you. How big is the company, what kind of market shares are we talking about and what kind of holdings are there?" he asked curiously.

The doctor reached for his briefcase and retrieved a stack of papers, handing them over to Bobby. "This is all I was given but what I can gather it's a fairly good, but small company," he replied.

Bobby skimmed the papers with a satisfied look on his face. "If you want, Dr. Prescott, I could have my departments go through it properly and make you a fair offer" he suggested.

"I would appreciate that," the physician replied.

"Thinking about setting up your own practice again?" Bobby wondered, breaking up into a bright smile.

The doctor chuckled. "Maybe I am, Mr. Ewing," he said with a wry smile.

"Well then," Bobby said as he rose from his chair and extended his hand. "Give me a couple of days and we'll see what I can come up with," he said.

Prescott shook his hand, relieved that he had done the right thing by coming over. He studied the oil magnate for a while. "You look much better now than the last time I saw you," he said with a twinkle in his eye.

Bobby snorted. "I guess that's not very hard."

"Say hello to your wife for me," Prescott said.

OOOOO

Clayton stepped out of his car at the Southfork driveway and did a double take as Miss Ellie walked up to him, clad in the most beautiful dress he had seen. They were only friends he tried to tell himself as she walked up to him.

"Clayton," Miss Ellie acknowledged happily.

"Miss Ellie," he said and reached out with his arm for her to hold on to, like a real gentleman.

"Where is everybody?" he asked, suddenly aware that the house looked deserted.

"J.R and Sue Ellen is away on some social party, Bobby and Pam went over to Donna and Ray and Lucy is away, I'm not quite sure where," she explained and gave him a dazzling smile. "I am glad you are here to take me out for a while," she added.

"I'm glad to hear that, tell me, would you like to go to a newly opened little restaurant in the city?" he asked charmingly. "I happen to know, it has some of the greatest European food dishes in the district," he added.

"Well, when you put it like that, how could I resist," she replied fondly.

Miss Ellie felt good in Clayton's company, he didn't try and pressure her, he just took her for who she was and she felt she could talk about almost everything with him. Maybe Mavis was right, maybe she should let go of Jock and let it become something more than friendship between her and Clayton.

OOOOO

Afton pulled a few strands of hair away from her face as she bent down to retrieve the food from the oven. Sighing she glanced up as the door bell started ringing.

"Cliff, could you get that?" she hollered.

Afton suddenly heard padded steps coming down the small stairs and turned around to see Cliff in loafers, suit pants and a white shirt that had been hastily put on. He reached for the door and opened it, revealing his aristocratic mother who looked slightly amused at his appearance.

"Hello, I'm sorry, I'm a bit late," he excused himself and let her in.

Rebecca nodded and walked over to the kitchen. "Hello, Afton," she said warmly.

"Hello," Afton acknowledged in a neutral voice.

She had been told that the Ewing's where to blame for everything but she knew better. The trouble was that the Ewing's and Barnes' where alike. She wondered how Pam could live the way she was, always caught up in between. Afton really loved Cliff but sometimes he was hard to live with and hard to understand, she accepted his mother, even liked her, but there were times when she couldn't see eye to an eye with her. Afton may not approve of the fighting between the families, she would keep a low profile, and today she hoped it wasn't going to be brought up at all, today they were going to have a small family dinner, just Cliff, Rebecca and her.

OOOOO

One month later

Dr. Anthon Prescott glanced up as his two nurses walked up to him. The older one of them beamed at him.

"It's been a wonderful first day at the clinic, Dr. Prescott," she said happily and squeezed his shoulder lightly.

He nodded, as he glanced out over the spacey reception and smiled tiredly. "You know, when I had to stop working on my own and apply for a job at Dallas Memorial all those years ago I never thought I could manage something like this again," he said sincerely.

"But you did, and we are proud of you," the other, younger nurse said cheerfully. "By the way, I have been meaning to ask you; yesterday at the grand opening party, I couldn't help but to notice you talking to a handsome couple," she added, giving him a hint that she wanted him to tell the rest.

"I'm sure there were many handsome couples along my friends," he countered teasingly.

"It was Mr. Ewing and his wife, wasn't it?" she pushed.

Anthon Prescott watched her seemingly amused. "Yes, it was Bobby Ewing and his wife Pamela," he confirmed.

The oil company he had briefly owned had been incorporated into Ewing Oil and given him the money to start fresh. Mr. Ewing had then contributed with another couple of millions that he didn't want to be known. Prescott owed Bobby Ewing many thanks but he had no trouble with that, he was living his dream again.

The End

/Thank you so much for reading and a special thank you to those of you who let me know what you thought about the story. Take care everybody; this is my one and only Dallas story ;)