After another successful day, J.R. heartily chuckled on his drive home from the office complex he had temporarily rented. In pursuit, J.R. could practically feel Alan Campbell's initial resolve decay and the subsequent power surge was like electricity in his palm. It would only be a matter of time before his acquisition put Ewing Oil back on top. Intoxicated by his recent string of success, he accidentally caused the front door to slam behind him and his wife's body shook awake. He dropped his briefcase to the floor and rushed forward when she bolted upright on the sofa, "Hell, I'm sorry, darlin'! I didn't mean to wake you."

Sue Ellen steadied her heart rate and yawned, "It's alright." What had been an intended twenty-minute nap had actually been almost two hours of well-deserved slumber. She shook the sleepiness from her head, bemused by how easily her body succumbed in the slightest position of comfort. The pregnancy consumed every unit of energy her body produced. "You're home early."

Jaded streams of sunlight outlined the room, as Sue Ellen rose to her feet and started to collect the various toys left behind in John Ross' wake. "Well, daddy always did tell me to quit when I'm ahead!" His eyes diverted into the kitchen, "I see you haven't started dinner. What d'you say, we eat out tonight?"

"Well, actually, I didn't plan on you being home until, at least, 7 tonight," she replied. "Haley's babysitting John Ross for a few hours, so you and I could have dinner." As always, Sue Ellen had decided to be the bigger person. The undue stress to their unborn child due to her constant monitoring of his actions simply wasn't worth the baby's health. She decided to strive the normal family her children deserved.

"Haley?" J.R. scowled, "You don't mean that little girl who lives in that shrivelled old cabin, do you? Honey, she's a stranger."

"Haley is a 32-year old woman, with a daughter of her own, and that shrivelled old cabin is actually kind of sweet. Not everyone has the kind of money the Ewing family do," she reminded him, surveying their extravagant chalet with an eye-roll. "She's become a good friend in the short time we've been here and she offered to look after the baby while you and I discussed things." The boredom at Southfork was nothing compared to the boredom in Alaska which rendered Haley an incredibly attractive option, especially when Haley mentioned her own mother had been the original Miss Texas 1936 before marrying her father and moving to Alaska.

"Well, what is it we need to discuss? Sue Ellen, I don't feel comfortable with you leaving our son in the hands of a woman we barely know," J.R. growled. He also didn't relish the inevitable tongue-lashing from his wife with regards to their marital problems, or rather an endless list of his wrong-doings throughout the years.

Sue Ellen's temper flared, "I may not have known her long but I would like to think myself a good judge of character - though, marrying you certainly speaks to the contrary." She was half-tempted to retrieve John Ross and abandon her plans for a potentially romantic night alone. "J.R., please, it's a couple hours and we have plenty to discuss, not least my baby sister."

His exterior slumped, a sign of relent, "Alright."

Within an hour, J.R. had freshened up and Sue Ellen had almost completed dinner preparations. Her nerves shook with contemplation of how their conversation would end; there had been multiple offences in their marriage and no apology could possibly rectify the damage inflicted on one another. J.R. set the table, his eyes often darting to his wife. Sue Ellen furtively glanced at her husband, once he devoured his first bite. "Well, what do you think?"

"It's good," he grinned, his forehead lined with a frown. "What the hell is it?"

Her eyebrow rose, "Steak au Poivre." He was clueless and Sue Ellen straightened the napkin on her lap. "It's a French dish. It's the first recipe I leaned to prepare." Mild-mannered conversation continued concerning John Ross and Southfork before she breached the topic of her sister. "Have you received any word on Kristin's whereabouts?" She had listened in on his every phone call and, to both their irritation, Kristin had remained under the radar. His eyes portrayed all the innocence he could muster and Sue Ellen scowled, "Come on, J.R.. You know I know you've been tracing her, and I know you know something."

J.R. almost choked on his mouthful before dabbing the corners of his mouth with his napkin. Her newfound frank approach was difficult to adjust to, "McSween hasn't had much luck but he's expecting to find her in the Las Vegas area. Once the baby's born, it won't be so easy for her to hide."

"What happens when the baby is born? Are you gon' let her raise your child, God knows where? You know, she'll hold it over your head for the rest of your life."

"Well, I don't have a whole lot of choice, Sue Ellen." He didn't bother to request permission to bring his child home to Southfork. Regardless of Sue Ellen, his father may have been too old to tan his hide but he would surely receive a mouthful. "She'll receive her monthly payment. She'll stay in line, I'll be sure of it." He partially doubted the paternity of Kristin's child but the woman had been privy to too many business discrepancies and J.R. couldn't risk exposure.

"You mean, you wouldn't send her to jail for what she did to you? Raise the baby without her," her eyes narrowed, suspiciously.

"I would not," J.R. shook his head.

"Why not?" The memories of her arrest vividly haunted Sue Ellen and her calm resolve shattered immediately. "It was sure as hell what you had planned for me." She couldn't hide her distress, "How could you do that to me? How could you doubt me like that?"

"Doubt you? You did all but confess to shooting me!" In his heart of hearts, J.R. pondered if his decision to allow his wife to rot behind bars had been punishment he wished to inflict himself, or another attempt to please his father, who had been adamant Sue Ellen pay for the crime. "Listen, honey, it's all over now -"

"How can you possibly expect forgiveness, if you don't offer me the same courtesy?" She lowered her voice, "I've forgiven your every mistake, J.R.: the affairs you were discrete about and the ones you weren't; when you drove Rita out of town; your dismissal of me all those months I was pregnant; your dismissal of John Ross; your affair with my sister." Sue Ellen deepened her gaze, so much so that her hazel eyes had darkened into a chocolate brown with the intensity of emotion. "Did you forgive me for my indiscretions? Did you attempt to understand my affair with Cliff? Did you even want to hear my side of things, when you thought I had shot you?"

"Darlin' -"

"I know you so well, J.R., and I know how hard you've worked to please your daddy. Every decision, good or bad, was for him." He averted from her eyes, embarrassed to be so predictable. "You are so much like Jock, in many ways. Some might even say you're smarter in business. You have a cunning streak nobody could match." There was an ounce of pride for J.R. and Sue Ellen smiled, "But there's one thing your father excels at, one thing you haven't quite mastered - women."