Austin, Texas

"Ok, that's it", re-entering the room, glaring at his mother-in-law, more angry than he had been in a long time, JR decided that now was the time to do what he should have done years ago, lay down the law. Taking a moment to check that his wife was ok and recognizing that she was mostly just shocked, not physically injured, he then turned his attention back to his mother-in-law. "You have disrespected me and my wife for years, but no more", pausing to take in the surprised look on Patricia's face, he then continued, a mixture of glee and anger in his voice as he spoke. "We came here with the intention to have a nice, calm conversation about the future, but I can see now that that was a mistake. This isn't going to work; not until you change. Because you know what? You're the problem, not Sue Ellen, not Kirstin, not your former husband or the men that only temporarily fall for your tricks, no, it's all you…" calming for a moment, he turned to his wife, running his hand tenderly along her slightly pink cheek, "darlin', perhaps you should ask Kristin to show you her diorama, it's very impressive". He didn't have much love for Kristin, but the few minutes he'd spent upstairs with her had given him a little insight into the way things were, and even without that insight, he was socially aware enough to realise that the things he really wanted to say to Patricia were probably not things her children should have to hear. Seeing how serious JR was and feeling the love and care he held for her, Sue Ellen didn't protest; she hadn't been able to get through to her mother, but JR was different, she had no doubt that with his current determination, her mother would get the message loud and clear, "you kept a project from last semester? It must be impressive. I'd like to see it", knowing that her sister wasn't stupid, but not wanting to make things any weirder than they already were, she then walked out of the room, her younger sister in tow.

"Let's have a little chat, one we should have had years ago, before all of this started. Firstly, you will never touch my wife that way again, and if I hear or see anything to the contrary, then I will not hesitate to press charges and allow the law to deal with you. Understood?" pausing for a moment and seeing the look in her eyes, he knew she did. "Now, Sue Ellen may be your daughter, but she's my wife, and most importantly, she's a human being with feelings, feelings that are easily hurt. She has been through hell over the past few years, but she's finally getting better and becoming stronger and I will be there supporting her one hundred percent of the time. Part of that support includes taking responsibility for anything I can, and if that means eliminating sources of negativity from her life, then I will do it…" Still glaring at Patricia, he paused, "let me make my position perfectly clear, no more; from now on, you get nothing. If, and I do mean if, if Sue Ellen chooses to allow you to stay in her and John Ross' life, it will be on the understanding that it is happening because you love them and want to spend time with them; otherwise, you will not be in their lives at all. I will not make that decision for Sue Ellen, but I will make my position very clear, to you and to her; I don't think you deserve to be in your daughter and grandson's lives, not after the way you have treated Sue Ellen. I don't think Sue Ellen will be seeing you in a sympathetic light anytime soon either, not until you make a real, genuine, love-driven decision, one that is completely independent from money or social status".

Taking a small pause between sentences, he wasn't the least bit surprised when her capacity for staying silent ran out and she interrupted him. "Who do you think you are? Deciding who Sue Ellen and my grandson can and cannot see; you're just as bad as what Sue Ellen thinks I am", shaking her head, she then pulled her final card, "you know, you really shouldn't threaten me. I'm sure Jock wouldn't be happy to hear that you practically threw us onto the street and Miss Ellie would never approve of a grandmother losing contact with her only grandchild…" still glaring at him, genuinely believing that her words would have an effect on him, she was shocked when he laughed, cruelly and harshly. "You really think that my family don't see you for who you are? They're polite, not blind. Sure, in principle those things would upset them, but when related back to you and your treatment of Sue Ellen, I have no doubt in my mind that their support would be behind me and Sue Ellen, not you".

Knowing that he would never quite get through to her and now feeling challenged to beat her at the threats and manipulation game, he finished speaking, "you made a fatal mistake, you underestimated me and overestimated your own abilities and now it's all coming back to you. I have no problem with generosity, in fact, I enjoy spending money, however, I don't take kindly to being used, manipulated and extorted". Glaring at her, he continued to speak, "there are a few rules I like to live by and in the spirit of giving, I'm willing to let you in on some of those rules; you're probably going to need them once Sue Ellen and I leave today". Grinning, he savoured the look of confusion and horror on Patricia's face as she mentally worked out what was happening. "Don't forgive, don't forget, and do unto others before they do unto you, and most especially, keep an eye on your friends, because your enemies will take care of themselves. Oh, and one other thing; life is a little bit like a poker game, it's good to get caught bluffing early on, because after that, somebody's going to call you when you've got a winning hand… that is of course, unless you're playing with somebody better than you". Revelling in the absolute confusion and fear on her face, he grinned; he loved winning and he knew that he had won, though from his previous experience with Patricia, he knew it would be a while before she truly conceded that he had in fact won. He was prepared for that though and he was ready for whatever argument she was going to throw at him; he enjoyed arguing, as long as he had confidence in his ability to win, and right now, that's exactly how he felt.

To be continued…

Author's Note: 'JR's Golden Rules' come from the episode The Lady Vanishes written by Leonard Katzman.