"Now don't tell me it's the chili that's making you smile like that Ray."

Ray and Donna both looked up simultaneously to see Miss Ellie walking toward them and they both exchanged knowing glances. It was time they shared their good news with everyone. A quick scan of the crowd showed that Bobby and Pam were standing nearby with Christopher and Karen. J.R. was nowhere to be found...and hadn't been seen in nearly an hour. Come to think of it, Ray couldn't recall seeing Sue Ellen in a while either.

"Well Miss Ellie, your chili is awful good, but that's not why I'm smiling."

"Oh?"

Ray beckoned to Bobby and the others and they were soon gathered around them. "That's right. Me and Donna have something to say."

Ellie's face lit up. "Oh Donna! Ray! You're getting married!"

Donna grinned and looked her husband in the eye before looking back to Ellie, Bobby, Pam, Chris, and Karen. "No Miss Ellie, we're already married."

Pam was the only one that didn't seem shocked. "Congratulations! I'm so happy for you two! You've waited so long for this."

"Thank you Pam," both said in unison.

Finally, Miss Ellie and Bobby recovered from their shock. Miss Ellie walked forward and hugged them both. "I've waited for this day for a long time."

Bobby shook Ray's hand. "Congratulations...to both of you."

While they were talking, Christopher pulled Karen off to the side and kissed her. "I've been wanting to do this all afternoon," he said after pulling away. "Can you believe it? We're free to spend the rest of our lives together and it all starts today."

Karen smiled and rested her head against his shoulder. "I keep thinking it's all a dream, and that any minute now, I'll wake up and I'll be back in jail."

Christopher kissed her again. "Hey now, are your dreams ever this vivid? Because I don't think anyone can dream up something like this..."

"Except for maybe your mother."

"What? Oh...Yeah, my mom, the epic dreamer."

"Then I'll put it this way. If this is a dream, I hope I never wake up."

"Yeah, me neither. Let's dance..."

Near the pool...

"What!? No you cannot have me to go!" Isabel nearly shrieked as she slowly moved away from the drunken man.

"Awww, c'mon pretty babe. A little chick like yourself is just what I need. Whaddaya say we head back to my place and get to know each other just a tad bit better?"

Isabel's eyes were wide, but soon her lip turned up in a grimace of disgust. "Get away from me you drunk!"

"C'mon!" The man moved closer to Isabel and she continued to step back until she felt a bump, which was immediately followed by a loud splash. Her dark eyes widened even more when she realized what that splash meant--she had knocked someone in the pool.

Everyone who was near enough to hear the splash turned around to see what all the commotion was about and Isabel slowly turned around.

"Miss Ellie!"

"Momma!"

Pam and Bobby came to a halt at the edge of the pool and then Bobby quickly dove in. Isabel backed away from the edge of the pool and cupped her face in her hands. Raoul and Theresa both burst onto the scene and Theresa was mortified when she realized what had happened. "Isabel Alicia Rodriguez! What have you done!"

Raoul finally managed to close his mouth and it quickly turned into a grin, which he tried his best to hide. This particular pool incident ranked right up there with J.R. and Sue Ellen's wedding from years ago.

"Momma, what happened?" Bobby asked as he pulled her to safety.

Jillian, who had witnessed the entire fiasco, brought a towel and wrapped it around her grandmother. "Thank you Jillian," Miss Ellie said weakly.

"What happened?" Pam echoed.

Isabel looked into Miss Ellie's eyes and she knew right then that she was doomed. Miss Ellie would probably lock her in the basement and feed her bread and water until she shriveled up and died. "I'm...I'm sorry," Isabel apologized.

"It wasn't your fault Isabel." Miss Ellie locked her gaze on the drunken man. "I want you off of Southfork. You've had too much to drink."

The man nodded, suddenly sober and he turned and quickly disappeared.

Isabel continued to stare in disbelief. "I'm sorry," she repeated.

Miss Ellie smiled and touched her on the shoulder. "I heard what the man said to you and I was on my way over to put a stop to it...I won't have our help being harassed by the guests."

Isabel finally breathed a sigh of relief but she quickly bristled inside at having just been called 'the help'.

Pam put her arm around Miss Ellie's toweled shoulders. "Come on Miss Ellie...let's get you inside so you can change into something dry."

Nearby and later...

Jack had finished a pleasant conversation with Donna when he saw Jamie, who was talking to John Ross.

“Hey sis,” he smiled and gave her a kiss on the cheek. It still shocked him sometimes, seeing Jamie. It was she, in the flesh. Sometimes he just needed to touch her to know she was real.

“Hey,” Jamie accepted his kiss. “I was just asking John Ross where his mother was. I haven't seen her all day.”

“You read my mind,” Jack said.

“Don't look at me,” John Ross put up his hands. He looked at Jack. “You see her more than I do.”

Jack wondered if there was hostility contained within that statement. John Ross had never seemed to disapprove of their relationship before. Still, Jack rationalized, maybe it was the whole ordeal with Melissa and T.J….

“We're both in the same boat then,” Jack said.

John Ross excused himself, while Jamie turned to her brother. “I've spoken about seven words to Cliff since we've gotten here.”

“Where is he?”

“Probably off schmoozing, with Eric. I don't even know. He's not here, that's for sure.”

“He's probably just doing business stuff.”

“Then why doesn't he have you help him? You work with him after all.”

“He's the boss man. Jamie, what's wrong? Did you guys get into a fight?”

“If we talked enough to get into a fight.”

“Things are cold then.”

“I don't understand what happened. Everything was going so well. I don't know if something is bothering Cliff, if he's lost all feelings for me, if there was something I did, what.”

“Why don't you ask him.”

“Yeah, if I could find him.”

Jack wanted to say the same thing about Sue Ellen.

Pam was looking for her brother. It had occurred to her that she hadn't seen Cliff all day and at a Ewing Barbeque, that usually meant trouble. As she was walking, she spotted Jamie.

“Jamie, hey! There you are, I've been looking all over for you and Cliff.”

“Well, I'm here, but if you're looking for Cliff, you're asking the wrong person.”

A look of concern passed over Pamela's face. She and Jamie had be friends during the early years of Jamie's marriage to Cliff. Pam knew only too well that the only reason he had married her was to get his hands on part of Ewing Oil that Jamie had owned. Since Jamie's return, Cliff continually told Pam that his feelings for her were genuine and he wanted to make up for the past. She hoped for the best, but knowing Cliff, Pam was just waiting for things to fall apart.

Pam patted Jamie on the shoulder and tried to sound reassuring. “You know how Cliff is Jamie, I'm sure he is just off trying to close in on a business deal somewhere…” Pam tried to smile, but even she didn't believe her own words.

Jamie managed a weak smile in return, “Thanks Pam. If you find him, will you tell him I'm looking for him?”

“Sure.” Pam headed off again in search of Cliff.

“Cliff! There you are! I've been looking all over for you.”

Cliff glanced over at his sister. “You found me.”

He quickly turned his attention back to the businessman he was talking to. “… I'm telling you Walter, if you just give the Clifford Group a chance, I'm sure we can come up with something much better than Ewing Oil.”

Pam touched Cliff on the arm. “Cliff, I need to talk to you.”

It was clear that Cliff wasn't interested in talking to anyone else right now. But 'Walter' was looking for an excuse to end their conversation. “Mr. Barnes, I certainly don't want to keep you from this beautiful woman. If you'll excuse me…” And he moved away.

“No wait! She's just my sister!” Cliff shouted after him in exasperation. Then he turned to Pam. “This had better be good, that was an important deal you just lost for me.”

“Cliff, every deal is important to you, and from the looks of things I didn't have anything to do with your losing it. Anyway, we have something much more important to talk about. I've just seen Jamie.” Pam looked at him expecting a reaction.

“Yeah… Okay, you saw Jamie. What?”

“Cliff, she's miserable!”

Cliff looked at his sister, a look of utter confusion on his face and then, “Ewings! I knew I shouldn't have brought her here today… what did JR say to her?”

Pam took a deep breath and tried to be patient, but she was certain that Cliff would have tried even Mother Theresa's patience. “Cliff, you can't blame this on JR. It's you.”

“Me? That's crazy! What have I done but give her a place to stay, food, clothes… she didn't have one thing when she came back here.”

Pam shook her head, “Cliff, it takes more than just room and board to make a happy marriage.”

Cliff was getting irritated now, “Who made you an expert on marriage?”

Pam sighed, Cliff could be so bull headed. “Cliff…”

“No. My marriage is my business and when I need help from my baby sister, I'll ask for it!”

Pam had had enough. It was a hot Texas day and being pregnant just made her feel even hotter and more irritable. Cliff was obviously in a mood; she knew there was no talking to him when he was like this. With resignation in her voice she turned to go and said, “Fine Cliff, we'll talk about this later.”

Before she could leave, he grabbed her by the elbow and she quickly spun around. “While we're talking about the great 'Ewing Hospitality' why don't you tell me why I saw my daughter running out of here in tears a little while ago!”

“Well I don't know Cliff, you're her father, why don't you go ask her.”

“I don't need to, I can tell you exactly what happened. JR or his son probably said something rude to her and she was crushed. Just like Jock did to Digger at that Barbeque right after you married into this family of vipers!”

That was the last straw. “I wouldn't worry about Pamela Rebecca, Cliff, from what I've seen, she's more that capable of taking care of herself. I don't know how she had the nerve to show her face here to begin with!” Pam's eyes were flashing; her temper was rising fast.

Cliff gawked in mock amazement. “She's your niece! Or doesn't that matter to you anymore. I don't know why I'm surprised, you always take the Ewing's side.”

Pam was furious. “You are so thick! Can't you see how Pamela Rebecca has schemed, how she's hurt Christopher and Megan?”

“All I see is the Ewings trying to take something away from the Barnes' again!”

“You talk about Megan like she's an object, she's a little girl, Cliff!”

But Cliff wasn't listening; he was too swept up in his own anger. “It's the same thing all over again, just like when Bobby took you away!”

Pam rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Let it go Cliff! That was years and years ago. I don't understand why you think I can't still be your sister and be Bobby's wife too.”

“Because you are a Barnes. You were born a Barnes and if you're a Ewing, then you are denying your own family.”

Pam was tempted to remind him that she wasn't really born a Barnes, but decided against it. They didn't need any more distance between them just now. “I'm going to do the charitable thing and assume that you're drunk. And as for being a Barnes or a Ewing, you'd better get over it Cliff, because whether you like it or not, Megan is both – by blood!”

“Well that doesn't mean I have to like it. Maybe I can keep her from becoming too much like the Ewings since she lives with Barnes'.”

“Cliff you can't be serious, she's better off with Christopher. As much as you hate the Ewings, you must see that!”

“Better off? Oh, sure, she's better off with a kidnapper for a mother!”

Pam was close to slapping him. She almost didn't trust herself to speak. Finally, she said through gritted teeth, “You'd better get used to the idea of her being here if you want to keep her in your life.”

She stormed off, leaving Cliff speechless – for once.

The Basement

“This is ironic, you know,” Sue Ellen said.

“Why's that?”

“How quickly they forget. You're memory for business is impeccable, J.R., but otherwise…” She shook her head.

“What? Is it your birthday or something?”

“It would have been our twenty-ninth anniversary, had we stay married.” She paused. “The first time, that is.”

“Oh.” J.R. inexplicably was humbled.

“I know.”

“Here's to old times,” J.R. tipped his Stetson.

“I wouldn't exactly cheer to them.”

“Oh come on Sue Ellen. We had some good times.”

“Lots of bad ones too.”

“We had a damn good marriage.” He realized that perhaps he spoke too soon and too foolishly.

“Oh, yes. Cheating on me, committing me, accusing me of shooting you. Barrel of laughs.”

“If I recall, honey, you're not exactly St. Sue Ellen of Southfork. You ran off with my boy to that cowboy. When you were drinking, I had to be mother and father to John Ross.”

“Ha!”

“It's true. You went out and stole that West Star stock to get the company from me. You bought Valentine's just to rile me up…. you weren't exactly the perfect wife either.”

“And it did rile you up. And you loved it.” She smiled. Was she flirting? J.R. wondered.

“Not to mention that Nicholas Pearce or Peter Richards,” J.R. continued. “C'mon Sue Ellen. The boy was half your age.”

“And who you set up on drug charges,” she said condescendingly, a trace of faux shock registering in her voice.

“Okay, it wasn't the perfect marriage.”

They were both silent for a moment. J.R. finally spoke. “But when it was good, it was damn good. You can't deny that.”

Silence. “No. No I can't.”

“Better than Don, that's for damn sure.”

“J.R., please.” It was a genuine request. His teasing had struck a nerve.

“What happened Sue Ellen?” He was sincere. She was silent. “Tell me.”

After a moment, “I can't.”

“Why? I'm not gonna bite you.” She remained silent. “You never told me what happened.” Another pause. “Tell me.”

A tear welled up in her eye. “He cheated on me.”

“He's a damn fool.”

“Is he? I'm the fool. I don't know why I expected anything to be different.”

“Than what?”

“Than with you,” she snapped back. J.R. looked confused. “First marriage, you cheat. Second, you cheat. Don cheats. Cliff leaves me for Afton. Jack cheats with that French woman….”

“It's not your fault.”

“Well I'm the common denominator here, aren't I?”

“Don't take that crap then,” J.R. said adamantly.

“That did not just come from you,” Sue Ellen said as she looked at him in shock.

“Why not? Don't take it honey.” He looked away for a moment, motioning his hand as if to search for something. “What's that thing Jillian always says? 'Kick him to the curb.'”

“Like I did to you.”

“I guess so. I made some mistakes. I'm man enough to admit that.”

“Oh you are?”

“I'm Jock Ewing's boy, aren't I?” He flashed his killer smile.

And Sue Ellen flashed back to her wedding day twenty-nine years earlier and saw the man she fell in love with.

J.R. did the same.

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