Dallas, Texas

Getting ready for bed, after another awkward evening in the Ewing household, the conversation between Jock and Ellie Ewing inevitably turned toward the eldest Ewing son and his marital problems. "…they're adults Jock, you have to let them work things out on their own, which in their own, backwards way, they are, I'm sure of it. Sue Ellen has an appointment with Doctor Williams tomorrow and from my own personal experience observing her after those sessions, that man has a way of calming her and bringing a little bit of clarity to her life. I don't like their sleeping separation and distant relationship any more than you do, however, I do understand why she's acting this way and I would much prefer that they stay in separate bedrooms across the hall from each other than have to come to terms with the fact that she's left Southfork, or worse, Dallas. Sue Ellen loves John Ross and I know for a fact that it's written into Texan conservatorship law that the mother is the favoured primary caregiver, therefore, if she did leave JR and this ranch, so long as she filed the right paperwork, the law would be on her side and there wouldn't be much we could do about it. Now, I'm not saying that that's going to happen, and I truly hope that it doesn't, because it would break my heart to see that little baby taken off Southfork, I know it would, I still remember the pain of losing Lucy and even that was only briefly…" Getting lost in her sadness for a moment, she then snapped back into reality and continued, "…this isn't about Lucy though and as much as I would hate to see John Ross leave Southfork, I will not stand for a repeat of that situation".

"All I'm really trying to say is that JR and Sue Ellen are both adults and until a point in time comes where the situation is so dire that mediation is needed, or they ask for assistance, I believe that we should stay out of their issues. I know it's not entirely fair for me to say that, I know that I was heavily involved in their last separation and I know that JR probably never would have made the moves to fix things the way he did then if you hadn't spoken to him, however, things are different now. Sue Ellen is a stronger woman now than she was back then and I truly believe that although JR's past actions are catching up to him again and it's disappointing that he acted that way in the past, he's also a different man now, and together, they're well capable of communicating and solving their own issues. Us getting involved right now may be more counterproductive than productive and I don't want to risk our efforts backfiring; not having Sue Ellen or John Ross in our lives would be a horrible consequence and it's not a risk that I'm willing to take. Give it a little time, it's only been three days, the shock and confusion is still fresh for Sue Ellen, but as I said, she has a therapy appointment tomorrow and I heard her talking on the phone to her friend, arranging to see her sometime next week. I think she just needs a little time to come to terms with everything and make up her mind about how she feels, but I'm sure once she does, she'll realise that their relationship has been wonderful over the past few months and this situation is truly a consequence of JR's old life, not his new one". Finishing her somewhat pleading spiel of thoughts and hoping that he had actually been listening and considering what she was saying, Miss Ellie then waited for her husband to respond.

"Old JR…" muttering under his breath as his wife finished speaking, Jock's thoughts were a mixture of questions regarding JR's recent behaviour and worries about the possibility of not having his first and only grandson living on Southfork. Upon finding out about the possible consequences of JR's infidelity and misbehaviour, he had initially been very angry and ready to take almost immediate action against his eldest son; the only thing that had stopped, or paused, his actions was his wife's worried explanation and insistence that they wait until they had all the evidence to make a decision. Luckily for JR, the child hadn't been his and through ashamed explanation, he had managed to convince his father that when he recommitted to Sue Ellen months ago, he had been being truthful and had been faithful to that promise ever since, and if allowed a little time to make things right, he would do just that. Jock could tell that JR was worried about the morality clause in his contract, however, something in the way he spoke about Sue Ellen and John Ross convinced him that he truly did regret his past actions and had had best intentions when hiding the latest development from his wife, so for now, he was holding his final decision.

In addition to trusting that JR was telling the truth, that he had been doing his best and would continue to work hard to rebuild the trust in his marriage, Jock was also holding off making any moves on enforcing the contract for his and Ewing Oil's benefit. He couldn't deny that he needed JR at Ewing Oil, he was a skilled businessman and in the current economic climate, his different form of thinking was necessary; Ewing Oil was thriving under their joint leadership and he wasn't stupid enough to make a hasty decision and break that partnership. As well as in business, he didn't particularly want to deal with the personal ramifications of cutting ties between JR and the future presidency and ownership of Ewing Oil. He didn't want to have to explain the details to his wife, he didn't want to cause even more problems in JR and Sue Ellen's marriage by raising questions about JR's attitude and fidelity in recent months, he didn't want to risk losing John Ross and he didn't want to sit through any more awkward family meals. So, for now, because of his own concerns and after listening to his wife beg him to stay out of it, at least until it was necessary to get involved, he would do just that; his interference wouldn't be worth its consequences right now. That being said though, there was nothing stopping him from having a strong word with JR. "Fine, I'll give them a little time to sort it on their own, however, if I so much as suspect that things are worsening and there's a chance that Sue Ellen is considering leaving this ranch with John Ross, do not expect me to stand by and do nothing. I do not approve of married Ewing men behaving this way and I will not have my grandson being raised anywhere but Southfork…" not expanding on his threat, he ended their conversation as he finished speaking, nodded and then walked into the bathroom to brush his teeth. He would be watching JR even more closely for now on, but for now, his eldest son was safe.

To be continued…

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