Arlington, Texas

"…well, he said he'd go, but the jury is still out on whether that means he's one hundred percent on board with the idea or whether he just recognized that this was important to me and didn't want to cause any further problems for us. I don't believe that he actually means to upset me, I think he just doesn't completely consider how his actions will affect me before he does them, so in this instance, when I made it clear that I had a strong need and want for us to do this and his refusal would upset me, he understood and agreed. Still though, understanding, agreeing and not wanting to cause further problems doesn't necessarily equate to truly wanting to be involved. I'm going to give him a chance to prove himself though, because I know that if I question his motives right now, he'll get defensive about it and try to talk his way out of going. All I want is for him to attend with me and for us to work through our issues together; I want us to strengthen our marriage, and if staying silent right now is what will get him to the appointment and into the correct mental space to really make progress, then that's what I'll do". Finishing her brief overview, Sue Ellen took a sip of her iced tea, looked at Paula with wide, expectant eyes and waited for her response; her friend was sure to tell her exactly how she perceived the situation, she was very honest and direct like that.

"Men…" shaking her head as Sue Ellen finished speaking, Paula mumbled to herself, paused for a moment and then looked directly at Sue Ellen. "I've met JR and I've heard a lot of stories about him, so I know that even getting him to agree to this must have been a huge achievement for you. I'm proud of you for not giving up on what you wanted, that shows that you are strong and you are just as much an important part of the relationship as he is; it's wonderful to hear that you even got this far with him. Now, I think your concerns about his motives are probably correct, because in my experience and from my understanding of your relationship, men like JR Ewing weren't raised to talk things through in such a calm way, not with their wives and especially not with a therapist. Because of that, if he has agreed to do this, even just because he loves you and doesn't want to lose you, not because he actually wants to get a third party perspective on the whole situation, then that's still a start. I can't tell you that it's going to be perfect or that he'll just automatically see the light when you get there, because he probably won't, however, with your determination and his slight willingness, I think you can do it, and I really hope that you can do it, together". Deciding not to be too critical of Sue Ellen's marriage, especially when she seemed to need support, not complete brutal honesty about JR's possible negative or selfish motives, Paula patted Sue Ellen's hand and smiled at her; JR Ewing could be a louse sometimes, even when he didn't mean to be, however, it wasn't really helpful to emphasise that. Feeling a little better about the situation, but still knowing that it was what it was and she couldn't necessarily control any more than she already did, Sue Ellen smiled at her friend and thanked her; it was nice to get confirmation that her feelings were valid but all hope for the future wasn't lost.

Dallas, Texas

"JR", motioning his eldest son into the downstairs office, Jock Ewing's expression remained impassive; he and JR needed to have a serious talk, but that didn't mean the rest of the family and staff needed to know that that's what they were going inside to do. "Daddy", closing the door behind him, JR walked over to the drinks cabinet and poured two drinks, it was a customary and almost automatic action, especially in rooms that were designated as offices. Thanking JR as he handed him the drink, Jock cleared his throat and then spoke, "JR, I'll make this quick because it's the weekend and we all have our own things to do, but I want you to give me some answers before we leave this office. Understood?" Not entirely sure what exactly he was supposed to be agreeing to and giving answers about, JR simply nodded and confirmed that he understood, "yes daddy", arguing with his father was not something he wanted to do, especially not now, not with the tenseness in their relationship. "Good. Now, I'm sure you're well aware, but John Ross is only three and a half months old, there are still another eighteen years until the time comes where it will be acceptable for him to move out of this house, temporarily of course, for college, not because he's taken after his uncle and disgraced the Ewing family…" Getting lost in annoyed thoughts about Gary, he paused for a moment before continuing, "…from what I understand of the situation between you and Sue Ellen right now though is that all is not well in your marriage. Now, I don't disagree that she has reason to be sleeping in the guest room, your actions were particularly despicable and your wife is not the only one that is disappointed and angry that you acted that way, however, I know that's in the past and you've supposedly changed, so I'll let that go for now. What I want to know though is how you plan on getting your wife back in your bedroom, your marriage back on track and stopping any possibility of Southfork losing John Ross as a resident. Your mother informs me that the law would be on your wife's side if she decided to leave you and take John Ross with her; I know we're Ewings and I know we have a lot of connections and we're not afraid to use them, but frankly, I want to stop any of this before it gets to that point. You've lost your wife and son once before and I do not wish for any of us to go through that again. So, as I said before, I want to know what your plan is to get Sue Ellen back in your life as your loving, supportive, loved and supported wife and I want to know it now. No 'I'm working on it' vague statements, I want to know your concrete plan", looking directly at his eldest son, Jock finished speaking and waited for a response.

More than slightly annoyed by his father's bossy, demanding tone, JR found himself replying in a harsher tone than was probably wise or normal for their interactions, "I have the situation under control, but thank you for your concern", sneering the word 'concern', he continued speaking. "Sue Ellen and I will be getting professional help for our marriage and I intend to make good on the promises I've made her, because I know what I did was wrong and hurtful, but I have changed and I do want to make things better. As for John Ross, neither he nor Sue Ellen will be leaving Southfork any time soon. I can't give you a concrete plan, because it's not all up to me, Sue Ellen and I are equals, but believe me, I know what I'm doing; I'm listening to my wife's needs and wants and I think it will be good for us. I'd appreciate if you would just trust me on this though; I know I messed up and I know that I have a lot of work to do to make things right again, but I don't need constant reminders of that, so I'd appreciate a little space to work things out". Finishing his statement more calmly than he had begun, but still remaining firm, he finished his drink and waited for confirmation that their conversation was over, for now. "You make sure you do just that…" not elaborating on the deeper motivations behind his statement, Jock nodded and accepted JR's response; he'd replied in a somewhat rude manner, however, if he was fired up about this, then that held promise that he was motivated to actually get the job done and make things right. There would be no more chances after this, but if JR insisted that things were on their way to working out, then he had to trust him, just this once, he didn't really have any other choices right now.

To be continued…