Hello, So I've had this chapter almost done for nearly a week and had big plans to have it up and posted by Tuesday. As you can see that didn't happen. I've been come so frustrated with trying to finish it, it's become a little rushed and I'm not entirely happy with the latter half of it. I wanted to get it up so I could move on to some Pamela/John Ross moments. Next chapter is my twist on the talk in episode 2x09. A preview of which is at the end.

Sorry its not that great and yes I know John Ross is still absent but I promise to have some John Ross/Pamela stuff next to make up for it.

Deep calming breathes, in and out, in… and out.

Anger surged through Pamela although she couldn't quite decide who her anger should be directed at, the mismatched twosome upstairs, who had just given her a dressing down, or her father, who was obviously up to something behind her back. Her phone was out and dialing a familiar number before she'd even gone down five floors in the elevator.

She skips all greetings and opens the conversation with a rather abrupt. 'I need your help.'

'Ok.' There's no pause, no hesitation sometimes it scares Pamela that she can call up and ask anything of her friend.

She explains the afternoons events how having found some oil leases she went to John Ross hoping to rejuvenate their business relationship only to find herself confronted by an angry John Ross, Christopher tag team.

' I take it you'll be doing your own digging as well ?'

´Yes.' Pamela has never been one to sit around and twiddle her thumbs.

' What are you going to do when you get the answer?'

Pamela smiles at the voices confidence, it's a matter of when, not if she gets the answer.

'I don't know.' She lies, they both know it's a lie.

'Is this about your feelings for the Ewing boy.'

'No.' Pamela lies again, 'This is about fixing a business partnership, a successful business partnership.' She doesn't know who she's trying to convince more.

'Right, its always about business.' Maddie's voice adopts a sudden cooler tone, as if she disapproves but Pamela's not sure what of.

'I call you when I have some news.'

She shouldn't be surprised when she gets a call later that evening, she's always pleasantly surprised when people come through for her, even if it is one of oldest friends.

'I take it you know what I know.' The voice sounds awfully confident.

'That delightful Ms Jones wishes to start a political career.' There's no emotion to Pamela's voice, its almost robotic.

'Indeed.I'm guessing you don't need me to tell you who will be bankrolling that.'

'Cliff Barnes.' Pamela answers and she can't help but feel disappointed with the confirmation that her father seems to have very little trust in her.

'The one and only. I don't know why you needed my help, you obviously knew what I was going to tell you.'

'I needed someone I could trust to confirm my answers for me, besides finding out people's deep darks secrets is what you do right?!

' Always nice to be invited into the Pamela Rebecca Barnes circle of trust. Starting to thinking my membership had been revoked.' A slight hint of sarcasm laces her voice.

It wasn't a barb intending to be spiteful or hurtful to Pamela but it's a gentle reminder to how closed off she's become to those she once trusted. A reminder that's those walls she built, they have cracks and only those who are truly worthy seem able to push past through them.

Maddie's voice breaks Pamela from these thoughts. 'What are you going to do now?'

Pamela lets out a rather frustrated sigh. 'I don't know.' She whispers.

'Is this tied to your feelings for the Ewing boy ?'

Pamela rolls her eyes. 'His name is John Ross.'

'I know his name.' There's a pause in the conversation and Pamela swears she can almost see the smile creeping up on her friends face. 'So this is to do with your feelings ?'

'I uh….not entirely.' The confession feels like a small weight has been lifted.

'I know.' Pamela knows from the tone of voice that Maddie understands.

'Things these past few months have been…' she tries to find the right word, strained, confusing.

'He slept with someone else.' The confessions out before she can stop herself.

'Right.' There' a loud sigh before Maddie speaks next and Pamela thinks she can detected a hint of frustration in her voice. 'An this matters because?'

Maddie already knows the answer, she just wonders if Pam does to.

'It doesn't matter,' a pause, a sigh and then the truth, 'It shouldn't matter.'

A soft voice comes down the other line. 'But it does.'

'But it does.' Pamela repeats with a defeated sigh.

There is one of those comfortable silence that's happens every so often between the two of them. Pamela is trying to deal with her hormones and the realisation that she can no longer carry on ignoring her growing feelings for John Ross and Maddie ?! Well she's stuck halfway round the world listening to her best friends very own soap opera play out, wondering what possible advice she could give to make that situation just that little less complicated…..

There's none. She thinks

'I think. I, I think,' Pamela stammers unable to find her words. 'I think I've missed him.' There is pause and Pamela lets out a breath she didn't realise she was holding, suddenly feeling ten times lighter.

'It's just so quiet here.' She whispers.

From down the other line Pamela hears a muffled bang, she imagines its Maddie dramatically collapsing on the bed, as she did when they were teenagers.

'You're about to have twins you should be savouring every moment of quietness you have. There will be no quiet times once those two arrive.'

Pamela laughs out loud.

'You know,' Maddie's voice suddenly adopts a different tone. 'I was thinking I'm kind of getting tired of all this travelling and well ending up in the middle of god knows where.' Pamela chuckles. ' It's just getting to much all this travelling, think it's time to just settle in one place for a bit and I was thinking that maybe I could come stay with you in Dallas. '

Pamela can hardly contain the smile that breaks out on her face. 'I'd like that.'

'Oh good cause it wasn't really an option for you to say no, plans have already been made. You might want to treasure that quiet time you have. So what are you going to do about John Ross?'

Pamela sighs, this delightful fun conversation has now turned back to its original emotionally conflicting topic.

'I have to tell him what I know.'

'That's very brave of you.' Maddie sounds almost proud.

'I not sure telling John Ross about my father's deal with Ms Jones can be counted as brave.'

'Oh.' Pamela knows that tone, it's thinly masked disappointment. 'I thought you were… Good luck with that.'

They talk some more before Maddie yawns one too many times and Pamela feels guilty for keeping her up, they say their goodnights.

Pamela thinks about going to bed, it is pretty late but this John Ross situation is playing on her mind. She grabs her coat and keys and heads out the door.

1 hour later….

He's not sure how his evening ended up like this, it's certainly not how he planned to end his evening. But here he is standing here, feeling like an absolute fool. He brushes a hand through his hair, John Ross does not like feeling like a fool. But somehow that's exactly what Pamela Rebecca Barnes makes him feel like.