EPISODE 20

"Starting Over"

 

Pamela's house

Pam began making the coffee and Sue Ellen sat at the table watching the rain beat slowly and mournfully against the panes of the bay window. “So Sue Ellen, how are you really doing? I heard you and JR are back together again,” she rolled her eyes.

Even though Pam's back was to her, Sue Ellen knew she'd just rolled her eyes. Sue Ellen laughed, “I saw that.”

“Saw what,” Pam asked innocently?

“You know very well, Pamela Ewing. I saw you roll your eyes at me.”

Pam laughed back, turning to face her friend. “Sorry Sue Ellen. I just couldn't help it. I mean JR, of all people. What is it about him that always draws you back to him? It's certainly not his people skills, his integrity, or his even his money, so what is it with you two?”

Sue Ellen looked out the window again, pensively. “I don't know exactly. If you analyze it, it's the craziest and the stupidest thing in the whole world. I mean look at me. I am an attractive, confident, self-reliant, powerful, successful and very wealthy woman of the twenty first century. But I'm sure that it appears to everyone else that I am this idiotic, co-dependent glutton for punishment,” she laughed.

“To answer your question though, there is something indescribable about JR and I. I know that no one has ever ignited the feelings within me that JR has. Even when I've hated him, and I have hated him fervently at times, a part of me still loved him. No matter what we've done to each other or whom else we've ever been with, we always end up together. All I can say is that I've decided that we both actually love one another.”

“Do you really believe that he'll treat you properly this time? I mean, will he be faithful and put you first before anything else?”

“Honestly Pam I don't know for sure. There are no guarantees in life, but this time I really think we have a chance. JR's changed tremendously. In the past several months, since we lost…” her voice trailed off again, “and since that conference center bombing, he's realized how much time he wasted by letting the oil business control him. Anyway, enough about me. What about you? How are things in your life?”

Carrying two cups of the freshly brewed coffee to the table and sitting them down, Pam said, “Honestly, I'm not sure if I'm coming or going. Christopher and I are rebuilding our relationship. He seems to have forgiven me for the past, and I'm trying to accept his future. I'm sure Bobby's told you by now that Christopher is gay, hasn't he?”

Sue Ellen nodded, “Yes, he did, but I wasn't sure how to tell you.”

“It's okay. I won't say that I'm very happy about it, but obviously I don't have any choice in the matter. I guess a mother's job is just to wish that her children are happy, and Christopher seems much happier now. It just makes me sad to think about all the problems that he'll have to face, not to mention the fact that I'll never have any grandchildren,” she said sadly, staring blankly out the rainy window.

Sue Ellen reached over and placed her hand on Pam's arm and said compassionately, “I know.” Once again, silence filled the air as the two women watched the rain, both lost deep in thought. This time, Sue Ellen broke the silence. “Speaking of grandchildren, have you heard from Becky lately.”

“No not really,” Pam said. “The last time I saw her was in Cliff's room.”

“Oh Lord, Pam. I'm sorry. I've been so wrapped up in my own problems, I forgot to ask how he's doing?”

“About the same,” she replied dejectedly. “The doctor's say that there's not much hope that he'll recover. Even if he wakes up, there's no way to know if he'll ever be the same.”

“Pam,” Sue Ellen said awkwardly, “Do you blame JR and me for Cliff being in the home?”

“I did at first, and for a long time after that I still believed that JR was solely responsible, but now I realize that it was Cliff's fault. He's the one who cheated on Afton and he's the one who took all those pills. No one forced him. He did it to himself. Cliff's always been self-destructive when it comes to failure. He just can't deal with it. He never could.”

“Thank you for not blaming me, but still I feel so guilty for the part I played. I wish I could go back and change it. Incredibly, even knowing that she slept with JR in my own bed, I still felt sorry for Afton after I gave her those pictures.”

“JR slept with Afton in your own bed,” Pam exclaimed in astonishment?

“Yep,” Sue Ellen said. “A long time ago. The day Lucy married Mitch. The first time they were married.”

“What did you do?”

“Oh you know the old Sue Ellen. I just went out and bought new bedroom furniture,” she laughed.

Pam returned her laughter, “I remember that. I helped you pick it out. Now I know you're crazy for taking him back. You must really love him. Either that or the sex is incredible,” she laughed.

Sue Ellen took a sip of her coffee and without breaking a smile said, “The sex IS incredible. That's one thing at which JR always excelled.”

Pam laughed heartily for several minutes. “I cannot believe you just said that. I always heard he was a Dallas legend. I guess now I know the legend was factual,” she said continuing to laugh.

Sue Ellen just raised her eyebrows and smiled. After regaining her ability to speak, Pam said, “Why'd you ask about Becky? Has something happened to her?”

“I don't know,” Sue Ellen replied. “We had lunch the other day, and I found her in the ladies room about to take some cocaine. I managed to stop her and I tried to reason with her, but I haven't heard anything from her since. I'm really worried. I don't want her to make the same mistakes with this baby that I made with John Ross,” she said choking up again.

“Well, I'm sure that if you and JR would lay off pressuring her, then she would be fine.”

A Home in Arkansas

Upon arriving at the home, Ellie and Mavis were greeted by Mr. Chase, the manger who had contacted Ellie to let her know of Amanda's death. Mr. Chase explained that because there was no immediate family who had come forward to collect Amanda's things he had contacted them and would allow them to go up to her room.

After ensuring that Ellie was the closest thing to a relative of Amanda's, he left them alone in the room. They looked around, everything seemed so cold and clinical, almost like a prison cell, not a place someone had called home for the vast majority of her life.

“I'm glad we left Thomas at the guest house, this isn't a place for a child. How lucky we've been to live the lives we have,” Ellie said.

Mavis nodded in agreement, “ So what do we do now?”

Ellie opened a drawer and found a shoebox.

“I don't really know. I'm not sure what I'm looking for really. I guess I'm hoping for conformation that Amanda's life wasn't wasted. I wonder what's in here,” Ellie said, opening the box.

Upon opening the box, they found some old letters dated back to the late twenties, most of them from Jock. Ellie felt tears in her eyes. “At one point, they must have loved each other very much,” Ellie, said sadly. “I can feel that in the tone of these letters. Why did it go wrong? Was it because she was ill?” Searching further, she found the marriage certificate and then the notification of the divorce. Finally, she came across another piece of paper, a birth certificate for a boy born in 1928. Ellie looked closer at the paper and realized that the father had been Jock.

“I don't believe it, they had a child,” Ellie said.

“What,” Mavis replied in shock?

“Jock and Amanda had a child together,” Ellie said incredulously, as she found another piece of paper. Reading it carefully, she realized it was a record of adoption.

“The child was given up for adoption,” Ellie said.

“When did you meet Jock,” Mavis asked?

“Late November 1929,” Ellie said. “He must have divorced Amanda after she became sick, but why would he abandon his son?”

“Maybe he didn't know,” Mavis said.

The two women looked at each other in shock.

The Seasons Restaurant

Bobby and Madeline sat in a cozy corner table, oblivious to the surrounding people, deeply entranced in their own conversation.

“So Bobby, I want to know about you. It must have been fascinating growing up in big, wild Texas.” Madeline said with a girlish smile.

“Well I guess you could call it fascinating.” Bobby chuckled. “With a family like mine, it was anything besides routine.” They both laughed and Bobby continued.

“Let's see, my daddy, as you know, was all about oil. He pretty much ate, slept and breathed oil. He was what was called back then a wildcatter, meaning he did what he did without the backing of a major petroleum company.

He was a self-made man and very proud of what his hard work had brought for him and his family. My oldest brother, JR, he was by daddy's side constantly learning from him, and along the way, I think he kind of lost sight of some things. After Daddy died in South America, JR and I ran the business together but then JR made some very bad decisions and we lost Ewing Oil.”

“I don't understand,” Madeline said. “Don't you still own Ewing Oil?”

“It's a very long story.” Bobby said. “I promise to tell you when we have a lot of time to spare.” Bobby laughed jovially with Madeline joining in.

“Tell me about Pam, if I may ask, of course.”

“That's another long story,” Bobby smiled. She was the love of my life, or so I thought. We met and married despite the fact our families were consumed by a feud that has continued on for decades. We thought our love could survive everything our families could put us through, and we did have a few happy years.

We also had several turbulent years, until Pam was involved in a horrible accident, which left her terribly disfigured. She chose to leave Christopher and I and we eventually divorced. It was almost fourteen years before she eventually returned to Dallas.”

The waiter arrived and took their orders and the conversation continued.

“I did remarry after Pamela, to a wonderful woman, April Stevens.”

“What happened to her?” Madeline asked.

“She was killed in a gun battle in Paris on our honeymoon,” Bobby said, taking a healthy drink of his scotch.

“Oh Bobby! I am so sorry. It….it was none of my business.”

“It's okay, Madeline. I don't mind, really.” Bobby reached across the table and grasped her hand as their eyes met. “Don't be sorry. In a way it's nice to finally talk to somebody about all this stuff. It gives me a change to help put it into better perspective. In fact, in a lot of ways you remind of April, of the women she could have become if she hadn't….”

“Well I will take that as a compliment,” Madeline smiled. “Thank you. So what happened with Pam?”

“Honestly, I don't know. I guess all the years' apart effected things and then the family feud raised its ugly head again, this time involving my son. Things got out of control and, in the middle of it all, our relationship just fell apart. I don't think either of us realized how the years apart had changed us until we were faced with a crisis. Our relationship was just too fragile to survive. So, what of you? What is your story,” Bobby asked, trying to move the subject away from Pamela? He really didn't want Madeline to ask him how he felt about her now.

“I was born in the USA. My parents moved to Australia when I was around five. We lived in a little outback town in the South called Coober Pedy. My dad was a worker in the opal mines and that's all there is really. I had a wonderful childhood. I have a younger sister. We both grew up and met local boys that we married. You know, your typical story.”

“So what happened? What brought you back to the States?”

“Like you say it's a long story. I have two children, a boy and a girl who are both grown up now. They left home to go to college, and then after my parents had passed away. I think after the kids were gone, I had empty nest syndrome. Frank, my ex husband, well he is a good man but I think when we both looked at our lives and realized that we weren't really happy. We had grown apart over the years and there wasn't much left except friendship.”

“So you decided to leave?”

“No, I am not that brave. Frank met somebody else, which was fine, I mean almost inevitable I think. So I moved to Sydney to be near my daughter and that's were I began to study about the environment. That's what eventually brought me back to the States and here I am!”

“Well whatever it was that brought you here, I'm very glad it did,” Bobby smiled, lifting his glass.

Madeline returned his smile and the couple clinked their glasses together.

Cedar Ridge Reserve, Dallas

“Well,” JR said as he approached the bench where Becky was sitting and waiting for him, “it's about time you decided to meet with me.”

“JR, I just want you to know that I'm not scared of you.”

“You should be little girl,” he said sarcastically, as his immense hatred began to seethe out of him. “You are the reason that my son is dead, you little tramp.”

Becky reached out and slapped him as hard as she could. Grabbing her arm at the wrist, he said, “On top of that, you have no idea the kind of man I can be.”

“Oh after living at Southfork, I think I have a pretty good idea just the kind of an insect you can be. As much fun as this is,” she said sarcastically, “I didn't come here to exchange insults with you.”

“Why did you drag me out here in the middle of the day,” he asked venomously?

“I called you out here to tell you that I've decided to take you up on your offer. I've decided to sell you the baby.”

“Is that a fact,” JR said suspiciously, trying to hide his extreme joy. “I'm glad you finally came to your senses.” He reached inside his jacket and pulled out some papers. “All you have to do is sign these and I'll give you a cashiers check for ten million dollars.”

Becky laughed sadistically. “Ten million dollars? Is that all your grandchild is worth to you? A measly, ten million dollars. No, no,” she hissed, “I'm afraid I want more than that.”

“How much more money do you want,” he asked coldly?

“Oh I don't want your money, Mr. Ewing,” she sneered evilly.

“Then what do you want,” he asked glaring powerfully at her while flexing his jaw angrily.

Returning his hate-filled glare, she replied nonchalantly, “Ewing Oil.”

“Ewing Oil,” JR exclaimed? “Are you still taking that cocaine, honey,” he spat at her, “cause I know you have to be on something to ask for that.”

“No, I am not high,” she replied, giddy with her newfound power. “I want Ewing Oil in exchange for your grandchild. You sign over Ewing Oil and I'll forfeit all my rights to this baby,” she said rubbing her stomach. “Those are the terms, and they are non-negotiable. Take it or leave it.”

“That's not a decision I can make in five minutes, you lowlife white trash little slut,” JR said with all the hatred he'd ever felt.

“Flattery won't get you anywhere,” she replied mockingly, “but to show you I'm a good sport, I'll give you three days to make up your mind. Today is Thursday, so I'll come by your office around three o'clock on Monday for your answer. Have the papers ready then and I'll sign them,” she said turning to walk away. “And JR,” she smiled sweetly “have a nice day.”

JR sat down on the bench and watched her walk away. “Ewing Oil,” he scoffed. “Is she crazy or just plain stupid,” he laughed out loud. “The day a Barnes owns anything Ewing is the last day I have breath in my body.”

Pamela's house

“Excuse me,” Sue Ellen said, a little stunned by the change in tone of the conversation.

“Oh don't play dumb with me Sue Ellen. I know what lengths JR will go to in order to get that baby away from her. I, of all people, know how ruthless the Ewing's can be. Why don't you just leave her and the baby alone? You must know that by leaving them alone that finally this feud can come to an end.”

“Pam you haven't the first clue what you're talking about. That baby is all I have left of my son. A son I raised, nurtured and loved with all my heart. A son who would still be alive if it hadn't been for your son's stupidity. Maybe if you'd stuck around to help raise him, things might've turned out differently,” Sue Ellen hissed angrily, rising out of her chair.

“Who the hell are you to judge me? You drank yourself into oblivion while your husband cheated on you repeatedly and treated you like common trash. I'm not the one who spent years denying the fact that you were responsible for your own life and your son's life. I'm not the one who was unsure of the father of my child or rejected my son for the first several months of his life. Maybe if you'd been a better parent, your son would still be alive,” Pam spat back venomously.

“Maybe if you hadn't disappeared for so many years, your son wouldn't be queer.”

Slapping Sue Ellen hard across the face, Pam yelled, “Get out of my house Sue Ellen. You coming here was a mistake, you are not the person who I counted on as a friend. I use to think it was JR's influence that made you be the way you were, but I see now that you are every bit as bad as he is. You two deserve each other. As far as I am concerned our friendship is dead and if we never see each other again that is fine with me.”

“Believe me honey,” Sue Ellen said with sarcastic anger, “the feeling is mutual. JR really was right about you all these years. Bobby never should've married you. You really are nothing but plain and simple trash wrapped up in a nice neat package.”

“Go to hell, but before you do let me promise you one thing. I will do everything in my power to ensure that you get Becky's baby over my dead body.”

“Whatever it takes Pamela, anyway by the look of your appearance that day is closer than you may think or is it just that the light is particularly harsh?”

Sue Ellen turned on her heels and stormed out leaving Pamela standing and shaking with anger as she slammed the door behind Sue Ellen and then pounded her fist angrily against it.

Lutheran High School of Dallas

Margaret had about as bad a day as she had feared, and she was becoming increasingly pissed off with Dean. She'd left numerous messages and had gotten no reply. She was getting ready to go to her final class. As she walked aimlessly towards the class, she decided at the last minute to ditch it, sneaking out the side entrance and walking around looking for a place to sit out of sight. As she walked around towards a particularly desolate looking spot, she saw a girl dressed completely in black.

“Hey, if you're ditching, come and sit down already or else you'll get us both caught.”

Margaret hesitated for a moment and then moved over to the girl, sitting beside her.

“I saw that scene with little Ms. new tiddies this morning. Very cool. Anybody who can shut that bitch up for a few moments has got to be okay, I think.”

Margaret smiled “What's her problem anyway?”

“Like a lot of people here, she comes from a rich oil family, always treated like a princess, huge inheritance coming her way, etc.”

“Well, I guess everybody at this school come from money. I mean the fees are not exactly cheap, are they?”

“Let me guess, you're from a rich oil family as well.”

“What if I am, that doesn't make me anything like that crowd.”

“Hey hands up, my mom's a business women also. She shipped me off to boarding school straight from the womb. I don't think a kid quite suited her power hungry 80's life style.”

“So how come you're here then? What happened to boarding school?”

“I got kicked out of so many, that eventually, I agreed to not be such a delinquent as long as she'd let me go to school locally.”

“What's so great about being in Dallas?”

“Well not a lot, but it still beats the crap out of a 9.00pm curfew and of course co-ed is a bonus, or so I thought, but it seems to be slim pickins around here.”

“Tell me about it,” Margaret laughed, starting to warm to this girl.

“So what's with the whole Ally Sheedy Breakfast Club thing that you have got going on,” Margaret asked?

“Well if you met my mom you would get it. Other than getting hooked on smack or getting pregnant, this is the best way I can irritate her while causing myself the least harm.”

Margaret laughed. “I am Margaret, Margaret Krebbs.”

“Well hello Margaret Krebbs, Saffy here nice to meet you.”

“Saffy, what's that short for?”

“Well my mom is not only a class A bitch, she also has no taste, my actual name is Sapphire Stone believe it or not. So I think Saffy is a decent enough nickname.”

“It's cool.”

“So you want a cigarette or what?”

Margaret smiled and took a smoke from Saffy and they sat in companionable silence.

 

Song plays over the final scenes

Click HERE to lsiten to song

 

Madeline's Apartment

“ I think if we had stayed any longer they would have thrown us,” Madeline laughed.

“Well if I want to spend the best part of the day with a lovely lady then I will and if that means I have to order again I will!” Bobby replied

Upon arriving at Madeline's apartment, Bobby walked her to her door.

“Would you like to come in for one more coffee, Bobby?” Madeline said with an inviting smile.

“Sure. That'd be nice.”

Madeline opened the door and turned the light on.

“This is a lovely place you have, Madeline. I must say that you have exquisite taste.”

“Thank you, Bobby. Make yourself comfortable and I will fix us a drink.”

Bobby sat on one end of the sofa and looked around the room. Madeline poured the drinks and brought them over.

“Thanks.” Bobby said.

“No, thank you for such a wonderful day. I can't remember when I've had a better time. Come to think of it, that's the best time I think I have had in quite a while.”

“Good company always makes for a pleasant experience.” Bobby said as he took a sip of his drink.

He and Madeline looked deeply into each other's eyes. They both moved closer to each other and began to kiss. Bobby stopped for an instant. He looked at Madeline. “You are an extremely beautiful woman,” he said to her.

“You're quite handsome yourself. Like I said before, I had a wonderful day. Maybe,” she said, playing with his tie, “we can make it an extra special evening.”

Bobby stared at Madeline for a moment. His body was telling him one thing, but he didn't want to make the same mistake he had with Holly. “Madeline, I think maybe we should wait. You are a wonderful, beautiful, sensuous woman and I am very flattered, and just as attracted to you. But, well the situation with Pam is still too raw; I need to know 100% that I can commit to this before we move it along to the next stage. You are too special a person for me to risk hurting. I hope this doesn't sound to old fashioned but…”

Madeline pressed her index finger to his lips and said, “Bobby, you make me feel things I haven't felt in a long time and I am quite happy to wait for as long as it takes.”

Kissing her very passionately once more, Bobby said, “I guess I better get going now before my body clouds my mind completely. Thank you again for a wonderful evening,” he continued, rising to his feet.

“Will you call me later this week?” Madeline asked breathlessly.

“I guarantee it.” Bobby replied, as Madeline watched him disappear out the door and down to his Mercedes. As his car vanished around the corner, she closed the door. Leaning against it, she let out a disappointed yet contented sigh and smiled.

 

Donna sat alone looking at a picture of Ray she slammed her fist down on it cracking the glass.

 

Ellie sat on her bed in the hotel room looking over the papers she had found earlier and trying to think what she should do next.

 

Pamela responded to a knock at the door, walking over and opened it, finding Brett standing before her.

“You okay? You said it was urgent,” he said.

Without talking, she pulled him towards her and kissed him passionately.

 

Lucas ran over to Margaret's car and asked her for a lift home, she reluctantly agreed. From a distance, Leanne looked on intrigued.

 

Becky drove down the highway, suddenly she felt a sharp cramp in her stomach. As the baby began to move around again, she pressed her hand to her belly as tears welled up in her eyes.

JR and SE's bedroom, Southfork

Breathlessly, JR held Sue Ellen tightly, and whispered, “That was amazing.”

“It was, wasn't it? For all the problems we've ever had, our sex life was the one thing that always worked,” Sue Ellen, replied, snuggling closer to him.

“You know Sugar, I've often wondered something. When our marriage was good, we were like rabbits, hot for each other all the time. I've often wondered why we never had more children.”

“It's called contraceptives, JR.”

“But you didn't use any when our marriage was good, did you?”

“Not in the early years, but in the later years, yes.”

“Why,” he asked, looking at her in astonishment? “I know you wanted more children.”

“I told you. I couldn't stand the thought of putting another child through what John Ross had to put up with from us. Poor boy,” she said sadly, “it was a miracle how well he turned out.” Silence filled the room, as they both recalled their own memories of their son.

JR took a long, deep inhalation of breath and gritted his teeth, forcing back his tears. Sue Ellen could sense what he was feeling. She was feeling it too. “God I miss him,” JR said. “I miss him so much every day.”

“Me too,” she whispered as tears flowed freely down her cheeks.

“The worse part,” JR said as he almost completely lost control. He paused for a minute, swallowing hard and taking another deep breath to somehow suppress his emotions, “is knowing that it's my fault. If it hadn't been for me and my obsession with Ewing Oil and Westar,” he gritted his teeth harder, “my little boy would still be alive.” JR put his hand to his eyes to hide the tears that were now uncontrollably rolling from his eyes into his hair.

Sue Ellen hugged him tighter, gently whispering, “You can't blame yourself for this. It wasn't your fault. Wendell was just crazy, the bombing proved that.”

Several minutes passed before JR regained control of himself and spoke, “I guess I forgot to tell you that I spoke with Becky, didn't I?”

“Yes, you did. When did you talk to her?”

“Earlier this afternoon. I met her up at Cedar Ridge. She's agreed to sell us the baby.”

“Really,” Sue Ellen replied, shocked? “How much money did she ask for?”

“None. She said she didn't want money,” JR said softly.

“Then what does she want,” Sue Ellen asked suspiciously?

“Ewing Oil,” he replied in a deep sigh.

“What,” Sue Ellen exclaimed, sitting up in the bed?

“She said she wants Ewing Oil, lock, stock and barrel.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I don't see that I have much choice,” he replied. “I want that baby. It's all that I…we have left of our son. It's the most important thing in our lives.” JR let out another sigh, “Hell, maybe it's time I got out of the oil business anyway.”

“Are you serious,” Sue Ellen asked in disbelief?

“I don't know,” he replied, staring blankly at the ceiling. “All I know is that I want that baby and I'll do whatever I have to in order to get it.”

JR smiles as the screen fades to black….

 

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