Dallas, Texas
July 1978
"This has been going on too long. I think I'm going to call Doctor Danvers and see if he'll come and check on you," JR called out through the closed bathroom door. He hesitated, torn between wanting to see Sue Ellen's expression and respecting her privacy, preserving the image of her he held in his mind. She'd been unwell for days, and while she'd initially refused to talk about it, she was finally starting to open up, largely due to his persistent questions.
"There's no need. Morning sickness is expected," she replied.
"Morning sickness?" JR's eyes widened as he pushed the door open. He found her standing at the sink, splashing water on her face.
She took her time, grabbing a towel and patting her face dry before answering him. "Yes, you got what you wanted, JR. We'll have two children before Bobby and Pamela even have one. In fact, we'll have two children before John Ross turns one."
JR blinked, stunned. She was expecting again, so soon, and so unexpectedly. "How?"
"How do you think?" she replied dryly.
"But… seven years. I don't believe it."
"Tell me about it," she said, her voice tinged with irony.
It all made sense now, why she'd been feeling sick. She'd had morning sickness last time too, but the fact that it was happening again so soon, without any planning or intervention, was hard for him to wrap his mind around.
"You're unhappy?" JR asked, his voice softer.
"I'm not ready," she admitted. "Our son was only three months old when this happened, and you know how I felt about having more children a few months back. I haven't changed my mind."
Her eyes revealed everything she wasn't saying. She wasn't happy, and it was obvious.
"It'll be different this time," JR said, attempting reassurance.
"I'm not sure about that. It took me a while to adjust to John Ross," she acknowledged without apology, simply stating a fact.
"But the important thing is, you did," he reminded her.
"Only after I almost lost him," she murmured, her sadness evident.
JR tried to lighten the mood. "Shall I arrange a kidnapping for this one too?"
Her eyes widened in horror. "JR!"
"That was a joke," he clarified, stepping closer. He reached out, hoping she'd meet him halfway, bridging the gap between them.
"It doesn't feel like it," she said, staring up at him. "We never did find out who took John Ross."
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "No demands, and what was essentially abandonment didn't leave us many leads. What's important is we have him now, and we have this one too."
Despite his attempt at comfort, a flicker of guilt passed over his face. He'd never figured out who had taken their son and then returned him, unharmed, hours later. It was a mystery that continued to bother him, one he hadn't managed to unravel despite increasing security.
"I don't want to think about that," she whispered.
"You don't have to," he assured her, rubbing her back gently. He tried to calculate how far along she might be; they'd only recently returned to sharing a bed.
"I wish it were that simple. I'm sure Pamela suspects, and your daddy was leering again earlier," she said, pulling away.
The mention of his daddy made JR's jaw tighten. Pamela's recent miscarriage made the situation delicate, but it was his daddy's behaviour that truly concerned him. It had happened before, and he knew she wasn't exaggerating. "I'll have a word with him," he promised.
"Will you really?" she challenged. "Because you never spoke to him about why we considered putting a lock on the door."
The reminder of their last awkward encounter stung. His father's inappropriate behaviour couldn't continue, especially not now. JR nodded. "I'll speak to him."
Sue Ellen looked like she was about to respond but instead shook her head and pushed him back toward the door. "Don't come back in," she warned.
Confused, it took him a moment to realise what was happening. Then he heard it, the familiar sound of her retching. Morning sickness, he thought bitterly. The name was misleading; it could strike at any hour, as he'd learned from being married to Sue Ellen.
Taking her cue, he left the room, giving her more privacy than she needed. He headed down the hall, determined. There was no time like the present to have a difficult conversation.
Holding a sleeping John Ross in his arms, Jock strained to hear what was happening across the hall. Spotting JR through a crack in the door, moving purposefully, Jock seized the opportunity. He tried to lay the baby down in the crib, but little John stirred, whimpering. Changing his plan, Jock left the nursery and headed toward JR and Sue Ellen's bedroom.
"Knock, knock," he announced, stepping inside and looking around. The room was empty. "I have someone here who'd like to see his mama," he called, walking toward the closed bathroom door.
"Sue Ellen?" he knocked gently.
"Not now," came her muffled response.
Accepting her answer, Jock took a seat on the end of the bed, rocking the baby gently in his arms as little John wasn't fully settled.
He glanced around, taking in the signs of life scattered about, a stark contrast to the tidy scene Teresa crafted each morning. JR's abandoned tie hung over the closet door, while Sue Ellen's jewellery and discarded eveningwear were left out, waiting to be put away. From these small details, he could piece together how their evening had unfolded, his mind wandering to what might come next.
The sound of a flush pulled him back to the present. The reality wasn't as glamorous as what he'd pictured. Sue Ellen emerged, stopping short when she saw him. Her expression was hard to read.
"Jock? Where's JR? Why do you have the baby?" she asked, approaching quickly and scooping little John from his arms. She bounced the boy gently, soothing him.
"I don't know where JR is. Our boy was fussing, and I thought he might need his mama," Jock explained.
"I'll take him," she said curtly, walking out without another word.
He watched her leave, surprised by her abruptness. He followed her as she settled the baby back in the nursery, but she didn't acknowledge him, not when she left the room, and not when she returned to her bedroom.
Her behaviour bordered on rudeness, and if it were anyone else, he might have reprimanded her. But this was Sue Ellen, she'd given him John Ross Ewing III, and she was carrying his newest grandson. She was probably hormonal; women tended to be like that when expecting. So, he decided he ought to be gentle with her, and he would be.