Dallas, Texas

September 1977

"Again?"

Sue Ellen trailed soft kisses along JR's collarbone, capturing his attention almost immediately despite his earlier attempt to turn in for the night. She paused only to answer his question, then resumed her affectionate gestures.

"Mm. It'll help me relax so I can sleep."

They both knew that wasn't entirely true, if it were, she would have been asleep an hour ago. JR, never one to complain, chuckled and played along.

"Any excuse."

He turned his head to look at her, lifting a hand to stroke her cheek before bringing her face closer. She was happy, they were happy, and it felt wonderful to make that known.

JR never ceased to amaze him. Regardless of his behaviour, he always landed on his feet. He'd spent two years chasing Sue Ellen, a year treating her like a queen once she became his wife, and then six years barely giving her a second thought, only to have her back now, apparently more desirous of him than ever.

Southfork wasn't small, but it wasn't large either. In a two-storey house, sound carried. Whether Jock was in his bedroom or the study, if the house was silent because everyone had retired for the night, he could hear it. He wasn't a voyeur, but it was difficult to ignore, and his connection to the situation was beginning to feel uncomfortably close.

He knew how it could be. In the past, Ellie had been driven to out-of-character behaviours by a similar condition, which he'd never minded himself. However, the fact that he might be responsible for Sue Ellen's situation made things frustrating. JR might not be the reason for Sue Ellen's change in behaviour, but he was certainly reaping the benefits without having had to work for it.

There was, of course, the little matter of Sue Ellen being JR's wife, so naturally she was inclined to feel some affection for him over others. But Jock hadn't cared about that before, and now that he did, it was vexing.

"That's the baby's foot?"

Standing beside the pool, dripping wet, Lucy looked up at her, then back down at where her hand lay. Her niece's reaction mirrored her own the first time she had felt movement from the outside, amazed and amused.

The first movements, noticeable a few weeks ago, had felt like light fluttering. It wasn't until recently that she could share this with others, first JR, then Miss Ellie, and now Lucy.

"Or hand, I'm not sure. Whatever it is, it's the baby moving."

The movement wasn't strong enough yet to tell exactly what the baby was doing, but it was undeniable, especially when there wasn't a thick layer of clothing between her abdomen and the hand on it.

"Active little guy, is he?"

Jock approached, nodding at her and acknowledging the scene.

"They are."

"That's my boy."

He complimented his next grandchild, again referring to the baby as a boy. She wasn't sure if it was a deliberate choice or a subconscious one.

"Could be a girl."

"It'll be a boy."

She had to laugh at his confident expression. There were only two possibilities, a son or a daughter, and she'd be happy with either. Jock, on the other hand, was the father of three sons, but his first grandchild had been a granddaughter, so that didn't quite align with his apparent belief that Ewing men always had sons.

"There's a fifty-fifty chance. We'll see."

October 1977

Something strange was going on. JR Ewing had never missed paying a bill in his life, especially a medical one. Their insurance had settled payment for their specialist visits months ago when he and Sue Ellen had been discharged, him to nowhere in particular, her back to Doctor Lewis. So why had he just received a bill for administrative services and a non-face-to-face consultation?

Calling his insurance company got him nowhere. The medical biller could only tell him that the charges were from actions taken in August, but what exactly those actions were, and for whom the services were provided, remained a mystery. He was certain neither he nor Sue Ellen had made any recent inquiries.

Reaching out to their specialist's office didn't help much either. They were more specific, saying they'd spoken to a "Mr John Ross Ewing" who had requested information over the phone, except he knew it wasn't him.

It was all very odd, leaving him uneasy about what else might crop up unexpectedly. He didn't like the idea of unanticipated surprises, nor anyone besides him and Sue Ellen taking an interest in their private lives. That's why his final call on the matter was to someone who could get to the bottom of things quickly and shut it down before it got out of hand.

"Harry? It's JR."