JR entered Cliff's office without knocking and found him still slumped on the floor surrounded by photographs. JR stood in front of Cliff and smirked.

"Barnes you really are a feeble wretch. Knocking you down is getting easier the more the years progress."

Cliff looked up with pure hatred on his face.

"You are the biggest bastard ever to have worked this earth. I am going to kill you."

As Cliff tried to stand up and lunge for him, JR was too quick and connected his foot with Cliff's face sending him back on the floor with blood pouring from his nose. The shock of the collision and the events that had occurred became too much for Cliff and he lay defeated at JR's feet.

"You really are pathetic. If you were a dog they would put you out of your misery. Anyway as entertaining as this floor show is, the reason I am here is to let you know that I have some documentation that I think you will be interested to see. With this JR threw a photocopy of the contract which he got from Katherine giving him 50% of Barnes Oil.

 

 

Margaret lay in her room with her headphones on listening to 50 cents on the loudest
volume she could bear.

As her mind wandered, images of a darkened room and a shadowy figure stood in a doorway filled her mind. As Margaret tried to blank out the image, she threw her head back and forth on her pillow and began to chant along to the beat of music.

As Margaret continued to listen to the music, Ray knocked on the bedroom door. It had been at least two hours since Margaret had got home from her shopping excursion and she had been locked up in her room ever since. Finally tired of knocking, Ray opened the door and stepped into the room. Out of the corner of her eye, Margaret spotted Ray's shadow at the doorway and let out a scream. Ray's body jolted at the sound of Margaret's cry and he stepped further into the room.

"Margaret it's me, I'm sorry if I scared you."

Margaret quickly recovered her composure and slipped off the headphones.

"Oops sorry you surprised me, I was a million miles away."

"Are you sure you are okay honey, you haven't come been down for supper?"

"Sure daddy, I'll be right down."

"Okay then, I'll expect you in 5 minutes."

 

 

Sue Ellen turned round towards the voice and what she saw made time freeze. Standing before her was John Ross dressed in his best suit looking pretty much like he did the last day she saw him.

"So Mother, you think that it's okay to forget about my death and those that are responsible?"

Sue Ellen only stared, unable to speak or move.

"I was 22 years old and had everything to live for and that was taken away from me and I want retribution for that. I wanted to live and make a life for myself that was good, unlike the first lousy years that you provided me with."

Sue Ellen winced at her son's word and tried to speak.

"John Ross…"

"No Mother, I don't want to hear your excuses or your pathetic apologies."

"How many times did you tell me it would be different? How many men? How many hangovers? How many homes did I have? Each time you chose booze over me and I was left without a mother for months on end. Then when you conquered your addiction you made it your goal in life to punish my father and take me away from him. Nicholas Pearce, Don Lockwood….. you chose them over me, dragging me halfway around the world away from my family to pursue yet another love affair! How was I ever to have a normal happy life when I carried all your baggage around with me? You failed me in my life and now in my death you are still only thinking of yourself and how bad you feel. What about ME!" John Ross shouted.

"I am sorry, I am so sorry." Sue Ellen wept.

"Well sorry isn't good enough. I want you to pull yourself together and do whatever is necessary to avenge my death and make sure the bastards who put me where I am pay for it."

"But how, we don't even know who is responsible?"

"Then make each and everyone of them pay and that way you will be guaranteed to hit the jackpot. For once think of someone but yourself. Put me first and do this for me. Make them all sorry they ever messed with me."

 

The young John Ross appeared at Sue Ellen's side and clasped hold of her hand.

"Ignore him Mama, his words are poison. Listen to what I have said. Let all the vengeance leave you. Forgive yourself and all the others. Allow yourself to heal inside and you will find peace and you will connect with me again."

"I want retribution for my death. You owe me that!" The adult John Ross screamed.

"But so many people are going to be hurt John Ross, Remember who you were, who you can be again" Sue Ellen said and gestured towards the man's younger image. I know you and inside you are a good person. You are not your farther, you have compassion.

John Ross moved towards Sue Ellen.

"Had mother, remember had not have. I am dead and everything I had and didn't have are gone just like me. John Ross's face contorted in anguish and anger. He seemed to glide towards Sue Ellen and with a flick of his arm he dispersed the figure of his younger incarnation and grabbed for Sue Ellen and began to shake her.

"It is to late for me now Mother. I can't change. I just am as I am now and forever. What I want is to live, but I can't, so all I have now is to see that I have revenge. You owe me this, you owe me."

As he spoke he continued to shake her and clasp a hand around her neck. Sue Ellen began to feel light headed and her body began to give way and darkness encircled her.

Ray closed the door and left Margaret alone again in the room.

Margaret put her head in her hands and closed her eyes and for a few seconds, sat in silence with her eyes shut. Slowly, she began to rock back and forth and pull at her hair. She could hear a rushing sound in her ears and although her eyes were closed, she could she lights and flashes in front of them. As the noise in her mind became unbearable, Margaret pulled the headphones out of the stereo filling the room with the thumping of the music. Standing, she walked into the bathroom and taking out a razor from the cabinet, Margaret rolled up her sleeve and slowly began to cut into her upper arm all the time staring at herself in the mirror with a blank expression as blood began to stain the white of the basin.

Cliff could not believe what he was reading; the contract in front of him gave JR equal footing in his company. He looked up at JR with an incredulous look on his face.

The two men stared at each other for a moment, the anger and hatred tangible in the air. JR then began to laugh.

"Well Barnes, looks like it really isn't your day at all. First you loose that two bit saloon singer of a wife and now your company."

"You've only got 50% JR, I still hold my share."

"Yes, but by the time I finish with it, this company will be worth less than that cheap watch on your wrist! I know you have always been a few light bulbs short of a chandelier, so let me spell it out for you. Barnes Oil, as of today is no more. I am going to destroy it. I am going to hold up all your deals, ruin all you present businesses and make you the laughing stock of the oil world. Its over Cliff, you are over and by the time my grandbaby is born I will have your daughter and her child at Southfork with me and you will never see that child."

As he turned to leave, JR picked up one of the photographs on the floor and gave a chuckle.

"And I think that by what I can see in this picture, you are going to have a small problem in finding another lady as well, so it looks like you better get used to being alone."

JR laughed out loud and walked out of the office. With the sound of JR's laughter ringing in his ears, Cliff sat silently on the floor his face still bloodied. Suddenly he stood up and in a fit of rage, upturned his desk and began to systematically rip apart his office.