A chalk outline and a puddle of blood greeted Taylor and John Ross as they walked into the Mexican hotel room. John Ross had asked that only the two of them be let in first, disregarding the protests from his mother, uncle, and cousin. This was his business, and the rest of them could go to hell. Taylor immediately felt sick when she saw the scene, the color draining from John Ross's face as he sagged against his fiancee. Tears began rolling down Taylor's face, John Ross's jaw hardening as Taylor buried her face in his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her, trying to keep his own emotions under control. His father, his daddy, was gone, and had died in this seedy hotel room. It was all he could do to keep from falling in the floor and crying like a baby.

The police seargent stepped over to them, looking at the couple with an emotionless face. "We believe it was a petty robbery that turned into a homicide." John Ross glared ferociously at the woman. "You mean to tell me my father was just robbed and happened to be shot?!" Even Taylor cringed at the rage in his voice. The policewoman looked a little shaken by his outburst. "Sir, you have to calm down." That really set John Ross off. Pulling himself up to his full height, he towered over the woman, pegging her with a death glare. "You have the audacity to tell me to calm down when my father just died five days ago and you're standing here telling me it was a robbery?! How about you shut the hell up and solve the damn case!" The seargent's face got stern. "Mr. Ewing, I realize you're upset, but I'm going to have to ask you to calm down or you will be escorted out." Taylor took his hand in hers, begging him with her eyes to calm down. "John Ross, why don't we go? Carlos Del Sol arranged for us to go back to Dallas. Come on, we'll go home to Ross. Being back at Southfork will help us clear our minds so we can find out who did this."

Finally he gave in to her, letting her lead him out of the room. They didn't stop until they were outside and away from everyone else, and then John Ross buried his face in his fiancee's neck and cried like a baby. He had been through hard times before, painful situations, but nothing had ever prepared him for something like this. He felt like his heart had been ripped out of his chest and stomped on. The one thing that he was grateful for was Taylor. He couldn't have dealt with this alone. She had silently stood by when he threw nearly everything breakable in their apartment at the wall and then cleaned up after him. She knew when he wanted to be alone, and she knew when he needed her beside him. And she let him cry on her, just like he was doing now, let him know she loved him, and let him know that there would be justice for J.R.

Taylor Clayton had a plan.

The couple sat still as stones as the family took turns speaking about J.R., John Ross clasping Taylor's hand so hard in his that her rings were leaving imprints in his palm. She didn't dare move it for fear that he would completely fall to pieces. The unshed tears were shining brightly in his eyes, as well as hers. Ross slept comfortably in his mother's lap, one of her arms wrapped around him. John Ross's eyes kept darting to his two week old son, his thoughts turning to how proud J.R. had been when he saw Ross for the first time at the hospital. And now all the plans he had for J.R. to teach Ross the oil business, the perfect life he had planned for his family, it was gone. His father had been his entire world. And now to see this pine box before him, knowing his beloved dad was inside it, made it hard to breathe. He looked over and saw Taylor's lip trembling, and he knew this was tearing her apart as well. Sliding an arm around her shoulders, he pulled her close to him, the tears beginning to spill down her face, a sob escaping her. John Ross briefly thought of his sister, who had completely broke down and attempted suicide when told of their father's death, and who was now in the ICU at the hospital recovering. Jessica had never been good at dealing with her emotions.

A burning rose in his chest, the burn of anger and hatred. He knew that when he found out whoever had done this, he'd put them through the same hell he was being put through.

They would pay.

Bum had gotten to the bottom of the box, finally pulling out an envelope. "Taylor, this is for you." Taylor looked a little shocked, but she took the envelope and opened it, taking a step away from the family to read J.R.'s final words to her. His writing covered two pages, Taylor sitting in one of the leather office chairs as she began to read.

Dear Taylor,

Since the first time John Ross introduced me to you, I knew you were the one for him. I just want to thank you for staying by him through all of this mess. He's just like me, he's got a passion for women. But you've been a calming force to him, and you'll never know how thankful I am for that. You've been like a daughter to me, and you will always have a special place in my heart. All the time and energy you've put into this oil business has made me confident in your abilities to keep my plan going. Take care of my son and my grandson, Taylor. I want Ross raised to be an oilman, like my daddy raised me and like I raised John Ross. That little boy has too much of me and my son in him to be anything but the best. Teach him the tricks of the trade, and make sure you tell him about me. And I hope that you and John Ross have an easier marriage than me and his momma did. You remind me of Sue Ellen, and of my momma Miss Ellie too. You're a special woman and I see how happy you make my son. But there's one last thing we need to cover before I wrap this up.

I know who you are. I had Bum do a little background investigating on you, and he found out that Wes Clayton is your daddy, but Salma Clayton isn't your momma. With a little digging and some careful dealing, I found out that you're the daughter of Wes and one of my old and dear friends, Sylvia Lovegren. Sly always was a special woman in my world. She almost matched me in dirty dealing, and I see that she passed her skills on to you. Maybe you should sit the family down and tell them about your family. Introduce them to Taylor Marie Lovegren-Clayton, not Taylor Clayton. You might be surprised where that gets you. But above all else, Taylor, keep your eyes on the prize and your hand on the steering wheel. Control the direction you go in. And always remember that you can always get what you want, no matter what you have to do. Playing dirty is always more fun.

With love from your father-in-law,

J.R. Ewing

As she finished the letter, tears began to build up, but then her sadness turned to rage. She looked up just as Bobby beckoned Bum into the sitting room outside his office. The redhead stomped into the room with Bum, shoving her way past Bobby as he tried to shut her out. She immediately was on the warpath, cornering both men as her face turned as red as her hair. "Tell me right now who's behind this. I know you know!" Bum pulled a piece of paper from an envelope. "I believe Cliff Barnes and Harris Ryland were behind the shooting." Taylor snatched the paper from the PI, her hazel eyes scanning it in disbelief. Her fist crushed it into a ball, her eyes boring into Bum as she stepped closer. Her voice was icy when she spoke.

"You pay off whoever you have to so that everyone continues to believe this was a robbery gone wrong. I'm going to find out how Barnes and Ryland are involved in this, and I promise you, they'll regret the day they decided to mess with my family. I'll be damned if they don't pay for their sins. They'll wish to God that they had never been born when I get ahold of them."