Dallas, Texas

Watching Sue Ellen lift John Ross when he held his arms up to her, JR chuckled to himself as he noticed her facial expression changing, her initial reaction confirmed when she suggested, "let's go freshen up, shall we?"

"Excuse us", glancing at him and Jenna, she left the patio and walked into the house.

Following his wife and son with his eyes, he then glanced over at Charlie and Lucy who were happily practicing handstands and cartwheels on the grass, their minds seemingly far from the recent tragedy and subsequent solemn mood.

Satisfied that the two girls weren't paying any attention to them, he asked Jenna something he'd been meaning to ask her since she'd arrived, "so, have you spoken to Bobby?"

"Not since the funeral, he doesn't want to see me", shaking her head, Jenna's answer surprised him. Of course Bobby didn't want to see her, he was grieving, but in the past she'd never let Bobby's feelings interfere with her behaviour.

"He's like that with everyone right now", thinking about the past week, he confidently reassured her that she wasn't the only one Bobby was shutting out. He didn't live in the same house as his brother anymore but anytime he had been at Southfork recently Bobby had been either absent or silent.

"Can you blame him?" questioning him, Jenna's tone was difficult to read.

"Well, no, he did lose a wife and a son", considering how distraught he knew he'd be if he lost Sue Ellen or John Ross, he empathised with his brother, but that wasn't to say he couldn't take a step back from the situation and think forward to how things were going to be from now on.

"Yes, he did, suddenly too. I know how that feels", watching Charlie play, Jenna sounded distant. She'd lost both her mother and her father suddenly, but that was years ago now; obviously the feelings of loss were still there when she was reminded of them though.

"She was a sickly girl, I can't believe it was entirely unexpected", knowing what he did of Pam's many medical specialist appointments and previous hospital admissions from accidents, the news of another hospitalisation hadn't surprised him, what had surprised him was the scene waiting for them when they'd arrived at the hospital. The loss of his newest nephew saddened him, and he felt for Bobby losing a wife and son, but he did wonder whether it was actually a surprise to Bobby. If he'd known something was wrong weeks ago when he'd first hinted to Jenna that Bobby might soon be in the market for a new wife, surely Bobby himself had known something was wrong.

"Bobby's reaction says otherwise", keeping her gaze fixed on Charlie, Jenna didn't sound at all convinced that he knew what he was talking about.

Frowning, he explained away his brother's mood, "he's in shock".

"Yes, he is, which is why I don't think it was expected. Pam and the baby didn't die after a long illness, they were taken suddenly and that's shocking", turning to look at him, she showed far more emotion than he'd expected her to. He knew she'd never much liked Pam, but the reality of her life and maternal experience being cut short had obviously struck a nerve. What he was looking for from her was concern for Bobby's wellbeing now, not finally being able to put herself in Pam's shoes.

"I expect soon he'll be angry", moving away from talk of the past, he raised the topic of what was ahead.

"You know your brother", shrugging, she accepted what he had to say, without adding any of her own thoughts.

"You do too", bringing her back into the conversation, he began to tire of her lack of enthusiasm for their discussion. He'd always been able to count on her as an ally when it came to what was best for Bobby, except now, the time he truly needed someone close to him to lean on.

"What are you saying?" refusing to play along as she usually did, she demanded a clear explanation from him.

Annoyed he had to, he laid out the situation he saw ahead, "I'm saying, after he's moved from silent to angry there's going to be a brooding, depressive stage and he's going to need a friend".

"You think that's me?" stating the obvious, she again added nothing to the conversation.

"I do", nodding, he confirmed her assumption. Their family had been caught off guard by Bobby's impulsive decision-making once already, the last thing they needed was for it to happen a second time, and it wouldn't if he had anything to do with it.

"I'm here for Bobby, whenever and however he needs me, he knows that", sincere, her response was what he wanted to hear.

"Good", pleased, he took a drink. They hadn't gotten very far, but it was something.

"Yes, but you didn't need me to tell you that. So, what else is on your mind?" shaking her head lightly, she didn't make things easy for him.

"One day things are going to start to look brighter for Bobby and he's going to crave the love of a good woman. If you want that woman to be you then I'd start paying attention to him now, otherwise we might all be surprised by the news of a second elopement and we wouldn't want that, would we?" Not particularly fond of the way Jenna was making him work for something that would ultimately benefit her, he still couldn't resist telling her what he thought, although he left his comment hanging as a reminder that she didn't have Bobby yet and a warning of what could happen if she didn't pay attention.

Looking at him as if he'd suggested something far more distasteful than he actually had, she answered him, responding in a defensive tone, "I'm not even thinking about replacing Pam".

"Not right now, but someday", looking at her, straight-faced, he dared her to deny it. Naturally, he hadn't ever planned for Pam to become Bobby's former wife through death and he understood how serious and sad it was that things had turned out that way, however, he refused to pretend that just because Bobby was now a widower instead of a divorcé things were really that different for the women that would come after her. Bobby would marry again someday, there was no doubt about that, and while he'd like it to be to Jenna, if she wasn't going to help herself then perhaps he would just have to welcome whoever Bobby chose himself, things surely couldn't get any worse than him bringing Pamela Barnes home.

"JR, I like you, but right now I don't like the way you're speaking, it makes me feel dirty and uncomfortable to project so far into the future, to plot my life as Mrs Ewing when the first Mrs Ewing is barely cold", finding her empathy again, Jenna's talent for making things dramatic was emphasised too. He wasn't suggesting she try to get Bobby down the aisle by fall, just that if she wished to be the one he next said 'I do' to, she might need to start laying the groundwork now.

"Then don't, I'm just saying, Bobby is single again, you have an opportunity in front of you that, knock on wood, won't appear twice", tapping on the patio table, he thought he made his point clear. Jenna had been given a rare opportunity to reunite with a man she should have married years ago and unless she was on top of the situation now, she might be left waiting for a divorce or another untimely death before she had another chance.

"I hear you, but I don't like it. Please, just don't mention it again", uncharacteristically bashful, her previous intentions were difficult to believe true now.

"As you wish", nodding, he was satisfied that she understood him, even if she wasn't keen on taking his advice.

To be continued…