Katherine stood awkwardly in the doorway to the ladies room of the Oil Baron's Club; lost for words. She hadn't expected to run into JR's ex-wife. Sue Ellen looked both beautiful and graceful in the dress she was wearing. Next to her, Katherine couldn't help feeling clumsy and awkward in her gold dress that seemed to try too hard. Not to mention the fact that she was displeased with how difficult her hair had been to manage. But more than anything else, Katherine had no idea what she was supposed to say. Even though she was well aware that Sue Ellen was remarried and that she and JR had a friendly divorce, Katherine was still nervous. Sue Ellen most likely knew about Katherine from her conversations with JR.
What if she still has feelings for JR? She must've seen us dancing together tonight. Is she really okay with all of this? Katherine thought to herself nervously.
Bracing herself for whatever might happen, Katherine started to speak. "Um, hi. I'm sorry about barging in like this. I didn't think that there would be anyone in here." She said nervously.
Sue Ellen smiled warmly at Katherine. "It's quite all right. I always thought that it would've been easier for there to be a small waiting area instead of the bathroom just abruptly beginning right here." Sue Ellen said jokingly. She seemed to be trying to put Katherine at ease.
"You're Katherine Wentworth, correct?" Sue Ellen asked politely.
"Yes, I am." Katherine answered with a smile.
"Oh, good. It would've been embarrassing to make a mistake like that! I'm Sue Ellen Farlow. It's nice to meet you." Sue Ellen said with genuine happiness.
"It's nice to meet you too, Sue Ellen." Katherine replied. She was relieved that Sue Ellen actually seemed happy to meet her.
"I know that given the circumstances, this meeting might feel a bit awkward, but I want you to know that I'm perfectly all right about you and JR." Sue Ellen said reassuringly.
"Really?" Katherine asked shyly.
"I really am. It's true that our marriage was not easy, but ultimately I feel very fortunate that JR and I were able to end things peacefully and even become friends." Sue Ellen said.
Katherine nodded. JR had told her that he valued Sue Ellen's friendship and still spoke with her casually, and that he even asked her for advice about things whenever they saw each other to pick up John Ross for visits.
"JR has always told me that you played a big part in helping him to deal with his problems and start growing into a better man. I want to say thank you for that. Without your help, I honestly don't know if JR would have ever been as kind to me as he is now. He is so different from how he was when I first met him..." Katherine said.
"I'm glad that I was able to help him to start rethinking his ways and changing into a more sensitive person, but ultimately JR was the one who made the decision." Sue Ellen said.
"But what made him want to change in the first place?" Katherine asked curiously.
Sue Ellen looked thoughtful. "I think it was the fact that for once in his life, he actually lost. He couldn't get me to come back to Southfork after I decided that I was ready for a divorce. JR and I hadn't been truly happy in our marriage in years. But despite that, for the longest time we were too afraid to end things. More than anything else, JR was afraid of how it would reflect on him if we were to divorce. He was desperate to win everyone's approval, especially his father's. He might not always seem like it, but JR has always been very sensitive to other people's opinions of him." Sue Ellen explained.
"Who wouldn't be after how his own family treats him, especially his mother. It's only natural that he does things in business on such a large scale. People would have to start noticing him then." Katherine said.
Sue Ellen looked a bit surprised. "You already seem to understand him a lot more than I thought that you would at this point…" She said thoughtfully.
"Really? I wonder if it's because we started out as friends?" Katherine wondered to herself thoughtfully.
"That's certainly different from how we were. But it sounds like that has served you two better in the long run for starting an honest relationship." Sue Ellen said.
"I hope you're right. I love JR, but he is also my best friend. I've never had an easier time talking to anyone else in my life, and it seems like it is been easy for him as well. Sometimes it feels like we are twins! He has helped me so much. Without him, I honestly don't know if I ever would have been this happy again…" Katherine said.
"JR needs you, too. I can tell that he loves you just from how he talks about you. I still remember how worried he was about you after your mother's death. That was when I thought that you two might eventually grow closer." Sue Ellen said.
"Do you… really think that he has changed? It's just that I've been in a situation with someone that I thought I could trust not to hurt me, and it ended pretty badly. I don't want anything like that to happen ever again." Katherine said.
"I can't say that I know for sure that things will work out between you and JR, but I do believe that it is possible. JR has changed. Besides being more open with his feelings, he has started doing things differently in his life. Things that he used to consider beneath him. He's a much better father to our son now, and he's not too proud to ask for advice when he feels like he needs it. He needs someone like you, Katherine. For years, I never communicated with him properly, and by the time I did, we both no longer had those feelings for each other. And you have something very important in common with him. JR may not place Ewing Oil above the people he cares about anymore, but it is still a very important part of his life. I know that you have that same kind of drive when it comes to business as well. JR never let me into that part of this life, and it didn't help that I wasn't very interested in those things myself. But you are able to understand that part of him. I really don't think that you have anything to worry about, Katherine." Sue Ellen said.
"Thank you for taking the time to talk to me about all of this, Sue Ellen. You've been very kind." Katherine said sincerely.
"Don't mention it. Even though I've moved on now, I still want JR to be happy. So feel free to talk to me again whenever you like." Sue Ellen said kindly.
"Thanks, Sue Ellen. I will." Katherine said gratefully.
She was so much nicer about this than I thought that she would be. How could JR have ever wanted to cheat on someone like her? Katherine thought to herself.
At that moment, the door to the restroom swung open, and Jenna walked in. Katherine groaned silently to herself.
"Sue Ellen, it's been so long since I've seen you! You look wonderful!" Jenna said, purposely ignoring Katherine.
"It's nice to see you again too, Jenna! It really has been a long time." Sue Ellen said.
"I heard that you got married again. Congratulations!" Jenna said.
"Thank you, Jenna." Sue Ellen said politely.
"What is your husband's name again? I heard from Bobby, but I forgot." Jenna said.
"Dusty Farlow. He's a famous rodeo rider. Although now I would say that he's happier with a less turbulent lifestyle these days." Sue Ellen said thoughtfully.
"Well, I would imagine that spending time with you is ultimately more favorable than that!" Jenna said.
"He only goes to the rodeos a couple of times a year now. It was hard at first, but we worked it out. Dusty likes to joke that in the end, I helped him to finally grow up!" Sue Ellen said warmly.
"I guess it's just hard for me to imagine you without JR. I always thought that you two looked perfect together." Jenna said. She cast a quick glance at Katherine.
"Well, "looked" was the keyword. We were able to deceive a lot of people into believing that we were happy together. But JR has been very happy these days, thanks to Katherine." Sue Ellen said.
"So I've noticed. He hasn't let go of you for almost the whole time since we've been here! I'm amazed that he even let you come in here!" Jenna joked to Katherine.
"Yes, well even JR has to wait for me to solve this emergency!" Katherine joked as she pointed to her hair. As usual, Katherine's naturally thick hair had been giving her problems. It hadn't helped that the one salon in Dallas that had been a favorite of hers had decided to close up shop. Mr. David's had been shut down, and the owner had left town without any explanation.
"So, what about you, Jenna? I heard you were in Europe for a while. How was it?" Sue Ellen asked.
"It was great. While it lasted, that is. I'm glad to be back, but it's hard to get use to the change of lifestyles. I guess I still think that I'm an heiress sometimes!" Jenna said.
Katherine couldn't help letting out a snort of laughter, which earned her a dirty look from Jenna.
All of the sudden, the door to the restroom opened again, and Pam and Afton walked in. Pam stopped short when she saw Jenna.
"Hello again, Jenna." Pam greeted Jenna with the same slightly forced tone she had used earlier. An awkward silence fell over the room.
"Well, it's good to see that we are all being so civilized about this!" Jenna said.
"Really? I would say that this actually seems pretty awkward." Katherine commented with false innocence in her voice.
Jenna turned around to face Katherine. "And just what is that supposed to mean?" She asked Katherine.
"Oh, come on! It doesn't take a genius to see how much you're enjoying gloating to yourself about being here with Bobby. It's written all over your face! So you got Bobby to be your date for tonight. Big deal. In case you haven't noticed, Pam has moved on." Katherine said. Even though she knew that Pam had not really moved on at all, Katherine didn't want her sister to have to deal with these kinds of games.
"I've had just about enough out of you! Just what is your-" Jenna started to say furiously.
"You guys! That's enough already!" Afton interrupted.
"Katherine's right. I have moved on. So there really is nothing else to discuss." Pam lied.
"Well, then I guess that's that. So why don't we all head back to our tables now?" Jenna said. She then left through the door before anybody else could.
Pam turned to Katherine. "I appreciate you trying to stick up for me, Katherine. But you really went too far. It probably would have been better if you hadn't said anything at all." She said.
"Yeah, I think you've been hanging around JR too much!" Afton half joked.
"Maybe. But she was just so annoying that I couldn't take it anymore." Katherine said.
As Katherine exited the bathroom along with the others, Sue Ellen stopped her with a touch on the arm.
"I can tell that you and JR are going to be just fine!" She said with a knowing smile.
When Katherine finally found her way back to the table she shared with JR, he gave her an amused smile.
"Back in a minute, huh? If you weren't a woman, I would have actually started to wonder why you were taking so long!" JR joked.
"I'll tell you about it later. But right now, I want to see who's going to win!" Katherine said with nervous excitement.
Katherine had already heard more than enough from Cliff about the nomination. He seemed convinced that he would win, going on and on about how this would be "their" year. Katherine fervently hoped that he was wrong. More than anyone else, she believed that JR deserved a victory.
"It looks like they are about ready. Here comes Punk!" JR said.
"Punk!?" Katherine asked skeptically.
"Punk Anderson. He was a good friend of daddy's. Of course, that's not his real name." JR explained.
"I should hope not!" Katherine said. She had heard more than enough weird names since she first came to Dallas. JR laughed lightly at her response.
"I'd like to thank everyone here for coming tonight. I know that Jock would have been happy too. This event was always a favorite of his, as I'm sure you all know. So without further delay, it is now time for me to announce this year's Oil Baron of the Year!" Punk said. He started to open the envelope he was holding.
Please, let it be JR! Katherine thought to herself.
When Punk looked at the piece of paper, his expression turned to surprise.
"Well, this is a first!" Punk said with an expression that almost looked amused.
It might be JR then! Katherine thought excitedly.
"For the testing of the Tundra Torque, as well as the overall recent success in production at Wentworth Tool and Dye, I am proud to announce our first ever Oil "Baroness" of the Year! Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to announce that the winner of this year's award goes to Miss Katherine Wentworth!" Punk announced.
The audience burst into applause. Katherine couldn't believe it. How was this even possible?
JR turned to Katherine. "Go on up there! Hurry!" He urged her excitedly.
Still feeling like she was in a dream, Katherine made her way to the stage. After Punk had congratulated her and handed her a trophy, Katherine faced the audience and started to speak.
"Thank you, everyone. I can't even begin to tell you how honored I am to receive this award. As I'm sure many of you are already aware, Wentworth Tool and Dye was just the starting point in business for my late father, Herbert Wentworth. Eventually his success led to the formation of Wentworth Industries, and we've continued to thrive ever since. I wish he could be here to see me tonight, because more than anything else this victory is for him. I wouldn't be up here right now if it hadn't been for everything that he has given to me over the years. So, wherever you are, thank you daddy." Katherine said emotionally. She had to pause for a moment because tears had started to form in her eyes.
"I would also like to say thank you to Mr. JR Ewing for helping us test the Tundra Torque by letting us use his oil field in Alaska." Katherine said. She looked at JR to see him smiling radiantly at her.
"Once again, thank you everyone." Katherine said. She bowed to the audience before thanking Punk again and heading back to her seat with her trophy.
"You did it! I'm so happy for you, Katherine! Congratulations!" JR said as he pulled Katherine to him in a tight embrace.
"Are really okay with this? I feel like I've kind of ruined your chance at winning! You should've been up there, JR. Not me." Katherine said.
"That's not true. You have worked hard, and you deserve this more than anyone else here, Katherine. As much as I would've enjoying winning, I still would rather have this outcome." JR said seriously.
"Thank you, JR. But you're wrong about not winning. I never would've gotten this far without you, so we both won tonight." Katherine said softly.
Just when it looked like they were about to kiss, a small crowd of people came up to Katherine and JR. Both of their families had come to congratulate Katherine.
Eventually, Cliff started to speak. "Well, I gotta say that even though this wasn't how I expected things to turn out, it's nice to see that someone else in this family won! Congratulations, sis. I know I haven't really said it, but I am proud of you." Cliff said. To Katherine's surprise, he actually sounded like he meant it.
"Thank you, Cliff. That was really nice of you." Katherine said sincerely.
"I bet you are sad that it wasn't you! Huh, JR!?" Cliff taunted.
"Not at all. Katherine has worked hard for this, and I'm happy for her. She preserved her father's legacy, and that means everything to her." JR replied calmly.
Cliff narrowed his eyes. "That's more than you can say for yourself, JR. Because you can believe that if I had won tonight, I would've told everyone here the real story about Jock Ewing and Digger Barnes! How Jock was nothing but a thief and a liar who stole-" Cliff started to say loudly.
Before Cliff could finish talking, JR leapt from his chair and punched Cliff in the face. Cliff countered with a punch of his own, and the two men were soon fighting.
"Hey! What do you think you're-" Katherine started to yell furiously at Cliff before Pam quickly pulled her away from the fight.
Before Katherine could even make sense of what was happening, a small crowd of men joined in the brawl. Some of them were attempting to help JR, while others simply started fighting each other. It was total pandemonium.
When Mark joined in to try to help restore some order, Bobby punched him in the face furiously. "Stay out of this, Graison!" Bobby yelled at Mark. Katherine was confused and appalled by Bobby's reaction. He had moved on to Jenna, so why should he have any reason to be angry with Mark? One thing was for sure, Katherine knew that Mark certainly did not deserve to be hit like that.
After a few more moments of chaos, an angry voice rang out. "Knock it off, boys!" Punk yelled angrily as he pulled JR away from Cliff. The fighting finally stopped after that.
"Just what is the meaning of this!?" Punk demanded furiously.
"JR was provoked, Punk. Cliff insulted our father." Bobby explained.
"Be that as it may, I don't want to see any more of this foolish roughhousing! Your daddy would've been ashamed to see you brawling like this in public! You can believe that!" Punk said in irritation. He then stalked off, muttering to himself angrily.
Katherine rushed over to JR. "Are you alright?" She asked him gently.
"I'm fine. Trust me, this is nothing unusual!" JR said with a wry laugh.
Katherine practically stomped over to Cliff and gave him a hard slap across the face. She didn't care if it was unladylike. Cliff had hurt JR, and no one got away with that on her watch.
"Oww! What was that for!?" Cliff complained.
"How dare you go after JR like that! He was trying to be polite to you, but you just had to provoke him like that!" Katherine said furiously.
"Oh, sure! Go ahead and side with your boyfriend over your own family!" Cliff shot back.
"You're damn right I am, Cliff! And you better not pull anything like that again!" Katherine warned.
Without another word, Katherine turned around and walked towards JR.
"Come on, let's get out of here. I've had all I can take of him." Katherine said to JR.
"I couldn't agree with you more! JR said. He seemed to understand that Katherine was just as eager as him to escape any lecturing from their families about the fight. People were already starting to leave the ball, and Katherine didn't want to get caught in the crowd. Not to mention the fact that a ton of reporters were swarming around them.
After the short drive back to her house, Katherine stood in the driveway with JR so that she could say goodnight to him before he left.
"Despite all of the excitement, I really had a wonderful time, JR." Katherine said quietly.
JR laughed softly. "Trust me, that kind of excitement is nothing out of the ordinary here! I had a great time, too. More than I've had in years. It was a special night for us both, and that was what I had hoped for. Thank you for coming with me tonight, Katherine." JR said.
For a moment, neither of them said anything to each other. Then, Katherine kissed JR gently on the cheek.
"Get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Katherine whispered.
"Okay. Good night, Katherine. I love you." JR said meaningfully.
After JR had left, Katherine still stood in the driveway; thinking to herself. The night's events had left her completely exhausted, but tomorrow she decided that she would finally confess her true feelings to JR. Even though a part of Katherine was still afraid of being in a relationship again, she now knew that the only way to start getting over her fear would be to actually start moving things forward more. More than anything, she knew that she loved JR, and that she was finally ready to start a new chapter in her life with him.
Author's note: This chapter was also based off of the episode, "The Oil Baron's Ball." And now, I am finally done with this whole Oil Baron's thing! Thank God! I don't why, but this was the hardest part of the story for me to write so far! If Katherine seemed a bit too mean in this chapter with the whole powder room scene and slapping Cliff, it's mostly because I'm trying to keep her in character, and also to show that she is a different kind of woman than JR is used to being with. And like JR, her mouth can sometimes get her into trouble! Things should be easier for me to write from here on out now that I've gotten past the hard part of writing this story. Thanks for reading!
