Denison, Texas

"How is he? Is everything ok now?" worriedly looking at his wife, JR was relieved when she nodded and then gave him a small, sympathetic smile. "Yes, he's fine. He's asleep now. I think he was just overstimulated by the new environment and since we did cut it a bit close to his usual naptime, he was probably very tired by the time we got back here. His fussiness continued as I changed him, but he calmed down a little when I closed the curtains, then when I gave him his bottle, I think that's when he finally began to relax, because I didn't even have to sing or read to him after that, he didn't even finish his bottle before he fell asleep". Explaining the events to JR, Sue Ellen understood his worry and relief; it was painful to see their son so clearly upset, but it was definitely reassuring to know that nothing was seriously wrong. The fact was, he was a baby who had a set routine and didn't do very well outside of that routine; now that they knew that though, they wouldn't repeat the same mistakes again.

"Good, I was starting to worry", speaking in a vulnerable manner, JR let out a relieved sigh and then looked at his wife, she was a wonderful mother and John Ross was lucky to have her. Seeing his pain, Sue Ellen walked toward her husband and hugged him, "I know, but he's fine now, everything's ok, you can relax", pulling away from him a little, she looked him in the eye as she finished speaking, "you're a great father, you do know that don't you?" Understanding his thoughts and feelings when it came to his father and him being a father to their son, she felt the need to comfort and reassure him. In business, he was a strong, powerful man who wasn't shaken easily, but when it came to his family, he was a little more vulnerable and cared a little more about what people thought. She loved his strong, powerful persona, but she also loved his softer side and she absolutely encouraged him to show that side every so often. It wasn't good for him to keep his feelings inside him and when they communicated their vulnerabilities to each other in order to gain support and strength, it really did improve their marriage. "Thank you darlin'. You know that goes for you too don't you? You're a wonderful mother. That little boy upstairs is the best thing we ever did and no matter how difficult or painful some of the situations we face as parents can be, I can't wait to spend the rest of our lives together, as a family". Feeling sentimental, JR expressed feelings about them as a family, and deep down, he hoped that in time, she would consider reinstating their relationship as more than just parents. He really did love her and he really was sorry for his actions and all of the pain he'd caused her in the past, so he genuinely hoped that she could find it in her to forgive him and give their marriage another chance. All he needed was an opportunity to show her that he could be the husband she deserved.

Hearing the sincerity in her husband's words and being in such close proximity with him physically, Sue Ellen's feelings for him and feelings about the situation as a whole started to come together, and willing herself not to cry, at least not yet, she spoke a few words, words that were music to JR's ears. "Thank you… I… I think I'm ready to talk now. About us, about our marriage and our future", looking him in the eye as she spoke, she felt vulnerable but also happy about the clear joy that JR felt at hearing her words. They needed to talk, she needed to listen to his apologies and forgive him for the things he was genuinely sorry for and genuinely wanted to change, and she was ready to do that now.

Dallas, Texas

Walking out of the elevator and into the reception area of the Ewing Oil offices, Bobby Ewing paused and looked around before making any further moves. It wasn't that really he thought anybody else was there, the office was closed on the weekends and with JR out of town and his father working the ranch with Ray for the day, there was no possibility of his visit being interrupted, however, there was nothing wrong with being cautious. Hearing nothing, as expected, he quickly and quietly made his way down the hallway to his father's office. Using the extra set of keys he had 'borrowed' from inside the locked drawer of the desk in the office at Southfork, he then unlocked the door to his father's office and entered. Feeling both guilty and ashamed as he closed the door behind him, he put those feelings aside for a few moments in order to do what he needed to do, or what he'd convinced himself he needed to do. It was clear that something was going on between Jock and JR and whatever that something was, it had a lot to do with not only them, but Ewing Oil and JR's family too; what that something was though, he really had no idea and that bothered him. No one would tell him anything, but from the small snippets of information he'd heard and pieced together, he felt as if he really was missing out on information that affected him in some way and he didn't like that. Sure, he didn't hold as high of a position in Ewing Oil as his father or brother did, but he was still a Ewing and he still put a lot of time and energy into building Ewing Oil up, so if there was something going on in the company that would affect him, he wanted to know about it. Unlocking his father's filing cabinet, he suddenly realised that despite being a man on a mission, he really had no idea what he was looking for and no idea where to start. Sighing to himself, he took a step back to think about it and as he did, he suddenly felt silly for not considering the obvious facts to begin with; the files marked John Ross Ewing, Sr. and John Ross Ewing, Jr. may not hold all the answers he was looking for, but they were probably a good starting point. His father and brother were hiding something and he was determined to find out what it was.

To be continued…