It was Friday afternoon, and Katherine was at Pam's house for coffee. As usual, Mark, Cliff, and Afton were also there. Katherine never really knew what to think about the house Pam had only recently moved into. It had originally been their mother's house from when she had still been living in Dallas. After Rebecca had died, Pam had discovered that the house had been left in her name. At first, this had made Katherine feel extremely hurt and jealous. After all, Rebecca hadn't left their old house in Houston to Katherine. Instead, she had sold it almost immediately after her husband's death, without even asking Katherine if she had wanted it. But after her first visit to the house, Katherine realized that it really just felt more alien to her than anything else. Rebecca had only started living in the house after Katherine's second return to New York. Katherine had never even visited her mother while she had still been living there. There was no sense of Rebecca's presence anywhere in the house. It might as well have belonged to a stranger before Pam had moved in. Also, it wasn't as if Katherine was the only one who hadn't been left a house in her mother's will. Nothing like that had been left to Cliff, either. However, Katherine thought that this was due more to the fact that Cliff was all too content to remain living in what Afton referred to as his "blue cave" of a condominium that he had purchased last year. But what had surprised Katherine more than anything else was seeing Pam's reaction to receiving the house the first time she'd come over for a visit.

"It's like she just assumed that my marriage to Bobby was going to end! When you consider the fact that I was still living at Southfork when she died, this almost seems insulting." Pam had said.

Katherine could empathize with her sister, especially when she considered just how Rebecca would have taken it if she had had the chance to know that she was in a serious relationship with JR now.

"-and that was all there was to it. But there are still a few minor details to work out. So, how about it?" Pam asked Katherine with a smile after she had finished talking.

Katherine didn't know how to respond to her sister. But that was due to the fact that she hadn't been giving her full attention to the conversation. Her mind kept drifting to her much anticipated date with JR that would take place the next day.

"I'm sorry. What?" Katherine asked Pam in embarrassment.

"I was asking if you'd like to come with Cliff, Mark and I to help start redecorating my office over at Barnes-Wentworth. There is this lovely new café that just opened up around there that we thought you might like to go to afterwards, Katherine." Pam explained.

"I'm sorry, Pam. It does sound fun, but I can't go because I already have something planned for tomorrow." Katherine said apologetically.

"Oh? What's that?" Pam asked casually.

"I have a date with JR. It's actually our first date, and we're both really excited!" Katherine explained happily.

Cliff immediately snapped to attention after hearing JR's name. "I don't think so. No more Ewings. They are nothing but trouble! Just look how well things ended up turning out between Pam and Bobby! And now, after she's finally away from that mess and starting over again in a good relationship, you pull this with JR, who actually makes Bobby look like a pretty decent guy!" Cliff said firmly.

Pam's eyes looked like they could have shot lasers at Cliff. But before she could say anything, Katherine spoke up.

"You think that you can tell ME what to do!? Now that is too funny! And just how does a last name have any impact on how a person will act? I am so tired of hearing everyone go on about who is a Ewing or a Barnes! You don't see me always bringing up my last name. It makes no difference whatsoever. I love JR because he is JR, not JR Ewing!" Katherine said.

Cliff looked tired. "I don't want to go through this again..." He said almost to himself. When he started to speak to Katherine again, it was in a much calmer tone.

"Look, I understand that it can be easy for women to find JR charming. But there are a lot of things that you don't know about him. I'm only trying to look out for you." Cliff said.

"I appreciate your concern, but things are different this time." Katherine said. She was actually touched by Cliff's concern, even though he was wrong about JR. Cliff hardly ever seemed to try to be an older brother to Katherine.

Cliff looked desperate. He looked at Pam, Mark, and Afton. "Come on, guys! Back me up here!" He pleaded them.

"I've already told Katherine my opinion on this matter. There's nothing more I can say." Pam said.

"Wait. You knew about this!?" Cliff asked in disbelief. He turned to Afton and Mark.

To Katherine's surprise, Afton looked uncomfortable. She had expected her to immediately voice her opposition. Instead it took her a few seconds to reply.

"Well… I agree that it is probably a bad idea, but I don't think there's much that we can say to change her mind." Afton said awkwardly. Her gaze immediately fell to the floor after that.

Katherine turned to Mark; desperate to find an ally.

"Honestly, I think that you can do a lot better for yourself." Mark said almost coldly.

As Katherine looked at everyone's disapproving gazes towards her, she began to get angry. Who were they to judge her like this!?

"What is this!? Why are you all looking at me like that!? You don't see me criticizing you guys about who you have chosen to be with! And none of you even really know JR!" Katherine said in frustration.

"Oh, don't we!? Either way, like I said, he's a Ewing, and they can't be trusted! Just look how JR and Bobby flew off the handle at the ball!" Cliff complained.

"Cliff, I really wish that you would stop bringing Bobby into this. He was only trying to help defend his own brother." Pam said.

"Oh, was punching me in the face a part of that?" Mark asked sarcastically. Katherine was surprised. Usually, Mark was so easy going.

"Well, you hit Bobby yourself!" Pam accused Mark.

"Well of course I did! I wasn't going to just take that without fighting back!" Mark said bitterly.

Katherine interrupted before things could get too out of hand. "Look, your opinions aren't going to change anything, so we might as well not discuss it anymore." She said firmly.

It wasn't long after Katherine had ended the argument that she left Pam's house.

It doesn't matter if they don't like JR. Eventually, they will see just how much he loves me. Then they will change their minds. Katherine tried to convince herself mentally. Truthfully though, she knew it would be a lot harder than that.

The next day, Katherine stood in front of her house, eagerly awaiting JR's arrival. It had taken her hours to get ready for today. While it wasn't unusual for Katherine to take a long time getting ready every morning, what with her impossible hair and extensive makeup routine, this was different. It was her first date with JR and she wanted to make sure he noticed all of the extra effort that she had put in for him. This had included buying a brand-new dress and shoes yesterday. The dress made Katherine feel a bit uncomfortable. It was a sleeveless sundress that came down a bit shorter compared to the ones she usually bought. Katherine didn't normally like to wear clothes that didn't cover her skin more because she had a fair complexion that sunburned far too easily. She also purposely dressed like that just so that there would be less for men to leer at. Not that it really seemed to stop them, though. Since this was JR, Katherine decided that it would be nice to wear something a little more light this time. She had resorted to wearing even more sunscreen than usual and bringing a bottle of it in her purse. She only hoped that JR hadn't planned for their date to be outdoors.

A moment later, all of Katherine's worries vanished from her mind when she saw JR arrive. After his car had pulled up to the side of the road in front of her, JR got out and came to a stop in front of Katherine. He was wearing that same astonished expression that he had had when he first saw Katherine in her dress for the Oil Baron's Ball. His face then broke into a gentle smile.

"You are beyond gorgeous, Katherine. That dress especially looks great on you because you have the most beautiful skin. Did I ever tell you that?" JR complimented Katherine as he slowly traced his hand down her arm; leaving a trail of heat on her skin.

"Thank you, JR. But since the sun isn't very kind to it, I don't wear things like this very often." Katherine admitted ruefully.

"And yet you went all out for me!" JR joked.

Katherine laughed. "Well, you're a special case!" She said.

"Don't I know it!" JR said with a grin.

Just you wait, JR. Eventually, you will get to see a lot more skin than just this! Katherine thought to herself slyly.

After a short drive, JR pulled up in front of what looked like a small café. But what struck Katherine was that there was a small flower garden directly outside of it complete with an outdoor eating area with small tables and chairs. Katherine saw a sign reading "Floria" next to the entrance.

"This place opened up not too long ago and I thought that you might like it. What do you think?" JR asked somewhat nervously.

"It looks wonderful… Thank you, JR." Katherine said softly. This had been just the sort of place that Katherine had been dreaming of going to on their first date. Nothing too fancy, but thoughtful all the same.

JR looked relieved. "Good. I didn't think that you would want anything too extravagant for our first date because I know you wouldn't like it if it looked like I was trying too hard to impress you. Not that I don't plan on spoiling you more at all, but I also know that you have already seen quite a lot in your life. A bit of ordinary is always nice, too." He said.

"Well, you always seem to have me completely figured out before I even say anything! What more can I ask for?" Katherine asked.

After they had both taken their seats at a booth inside, Katherine searched through the menu. All of the choices were foods and drinks that were sweet. Cake, sundaes, even flavored coffee and tea… Floria was a dream come true for someone with a sweet tooth, and Katherine loved it. But she couldn't help worrying that JR might be a little embarrassed to be in a place like this. He was sensitive to how others viewed him, and there was something very feminine about the restaurant.

Katherine's worries were eased when they ordered. JR seemed quite happy with asking for a slice of chocolate cake and some cinnamon flavored coffee. Katherine ordered a fruit parfait and a cream soda.

"I guess that we both have a sweet tooth!" Katherine joked.

"I will admit that I do enjoy something like this once in a while!" JR admitted.

"The way I see it, we've talked about a lot of things, but we haven't really gone through all of the fun little facts about each other like the one we just found out. And that is what these dates are for! So, are you ready for a lot of question and answer sessions for us?" Katherine asked happily.

"I most certainly am. I guess I'll get the ball rolling first here. And don't laugh at how basic this question is! I feel like it's almost traditional to start with this one. So, what's your favorite color?" JR asked.

Katherine laughed. "I see that someone is serious about covering the basics! As for your answer, it's blue. And yours?" Katherine asked.

JR smiled in embarrassment. "Well, I honestly never really had one before, and you are probably going to laugh or just think that I'm trying to flatter you when I say that it has been blue for a while now. Ever since I started getting lost in those amazingly beautiful eyes of yours, that is." He admitted.

"While I wish I could say I chose blue for the same reason, only with your eyes of course, I'm afraid to say that that particular preference of mine was made long before I met you, JR. But thank you. You really are the sweetest guy I've ever met. No pun intended, considering where we are right now!" Katherine said.

"Okay, it's your turn this time. Let's see if you can come up with a question that's a little less clichéd and embarrassing than mine was!" JR joked.

"You might want to prepare yourself for disappointment then, JR! What's your zodiac sign?" Katherine asked.

JR looked highly amused. "While I don't tend to think much of astrology, I would say that the moon is in Ewing, with JR ascending. Or something like that. And I'm a Leo." He said.

Katherine laughed at JR's joke. "As fitting as all of that is, I'm afraid that you're going to think even less of astrology when I tell you that Leos aren't supposed to be compatible with Scorpios like myself!" Katherine joked.

"But you and I are both extraordinary enough to go against the rules of the planets, my dear!" JR said teasingly.

"Of course we are." Katherine said with the same sly smile that JR wore.

The rest of the date proceeded in much of the same fashion. Katherine and JR both took turns asking and answering random questions, and they both took every chance they could to stroke each other's egos. Katherine loved how JR made her feel that she was the center of the world. Before she even realized it, hours had already passed by.

A waitress came up to the table. "Umm… We have to get ready to close soon, so…" She said awkwardly.

"Oh! It's that late already!? We're sorry! We'll be out of your way in a minute!" Katherine apologized. She was a little flustered that she hadn't been paying attention to the time.

"Yes, we're sorry about that. Thanks for waiting on us today. Everything was perfect." JR said politely.

"Yes. Thank you. I'm going to have to tell my friends about this place!" Katherine said.

"Thank you very much. You can take your check up to the counter. Please come again soon!" The waitress said with a smile.

When they reached the counter, JR turned to Katherine. "This place lets you buy candy and flowers from the garden out back to take home. Both of which you will be getting for me, of course!" He said.

"Wow. I can see that they know what they're doing here! Thank you, JR. This is all wonderful." Katherine said.

"You're welcome." JR said softly.

Usually, Katherine hated it when JR paid the bill for her when they went out to eat. But now that they were actually dating, Katherine expected JR to pay. Since he was trying to win her over completely, Katherine believed that JR should spare no expense if he wanted her to feel like a lady.

After paying their bill, JR bought Katherine some chocolate that came in a small lace bag tied with a ribbon and some lilacs in a small beautifully made glass vase.

"A lovely lady deserves equally lovely presents. Although there isn't anything that actually is equal to you!" JR said.

Katherine was too flustered to speak. When JR turned on his romantic side, it was all she could do not to get lost in his eyes all day.

Not long after they had left Floria, JR parked his car in front of Katherine's house so that he could say goodbye to her before he left.

"So, how did I do?" JR asked.

"You outdid yourself, JR. That was the most wonderful date I've ever been on. Thank you…" Katherine said quietly.

"I feel the same way..." JR said.

Without another word, JR and Katherine started kissing each other. Katherine moved over to the driver's seat so that she was straddling JR's lap. Their bodies were pressed tightly against each other as they kissed passionately. JR's hands stroked Katherine's arms and back. Katherine was suddenly very glad that she had chosen to wear her sundress. The touch of JR's hands on her bare skin was electric, and it was all Katherine could do to remember the boundaries that she intended to stick to during the early stage of their relationship.

Before things could get too far out of hand, Katherine gently pulled away from JR; ending their heated kiss.

"And here I thought that you wanted us to take things slowly! Is that still the plan?" JR asked in a seductive tone that was just barely above a whisper.

It took every ounce of willpower Katherine had to resist the temptation that she was feeling. A part of her was more than ready to invite JR inside, or to even start having her way with him right there in his car. And she knew that he would go right along with it. But at the same time, Katherine was afraid that venturing into that territory this early on would make it harder for them to focus on learning more about each other and sharing more experiences together. Plus, she didn't even have any kind of protection against what might happen if they decided to take things further. After all, Katherine had only planned for them to have a nice first date, not a baby.

"Sorry. But not tonight, JR. I wasn't trying to tease you. I just got a little too caught up in the moment." Katherine apologized in embarrassment.

JR laughed lightly. "Don't worry. I enjoyed that very much! So feel free to do that either way." He said.

"I should head inside now, though. I guess I'll see you tomorrow then, JR." Katherine said.

"Okay. I love you, Katherine." JR said.

"I love you too, JR." Katherine said.

After a short kiss, Katherine got out of the car and watched as JR drove off. Katherine felt like the luckiest woman in the world. Not only did she have a career that she had always dreamed about having ever since she was a child, but now Katherine also had the man that she had once only believed existed in fairy tales.

Author's note: Sorry that it took so long for me to write this. This chapter was hard to write, but I also had a lot fun with it, too. I've been revising a lot of things in my head, and it can get a little exhausting to figure out exactly how and when some scenes should play out. Your reviews have helped me decide on what I should and should not do sometimes, so thanks to everyone who has been doing that! I think I may have overloaded on the fluff in this chapter, but I liked how it turned out so much that I don't care! I enjoy making JR and Katherine into a sort of arrogant couple who crave and expect compliments and attention from each other. And just for the record, I don't know what their actual birthdays were on the show, or if they were ever even mentioned. So the zodiac signs probably weren't accurate. But since this is an AU story, I don't think it matters that much. Thanks for reading!