Had he forgotten anyone? He hoped not, because he didn't intend on fighting the crowds again this year. It was Christmas Eve and he was ready to get home. He was happy because Ray would finally be coming back home tonight, at least for a couple of days, and Aunt Lil would be coming with him. Lucas had never met her, but had heard a lot about her from Ray.

He'd even picked up a gift for her. Ray's gift was also in his arms, along with Donna's. Sure they still didn't quite see eye to eye, but she was his step-mother and he didn't think it would go over well with his father if he didn't buy her at least something this Christmas. He'd already bought Margaret's earlier in the week, along with Charlie's, which he'd mailed.

The line moved up another couple of steps and Lucas sighed. It was then that he noticed what appeared to be a mother and her son in the line next to them.

“Mom, when are we ever going to get home?” The boy whined impatiently. “If we're late, Santa won't come! And you promised you'd make me some hot chocolate before I went to sleep!”

“We're going as fast as we can!” she snapped. “I cannot make this line move any faster! Now hush!”

The boy shut his mouth and sulked for a few seconds. “I'm sorry Momma…I'll make you some hot chocolate when we get home so maybe you'll feel better and not be so grumpy.”

The stressed look on the mother's face melted into a smile. “Oh Stephen…I'm sorry I yelled at you.”

The little boy threw his arms around his mother and hugged her. Lucas stood, watching, unaware that the line had cleared ahead of him.

“Go on up, will ya? Some of us don't have all night!” came a voice from behind him.

Lucas stepped up to the register and dropped his gifts on the counter. He realized what was missing from his Christmas—his mother. It had been three years since she died, but to Lucas, it felt more like thirty. He wasn't sure he'd ever stop missing her as badly as he still did. He knew he'd give anything to spend one more day with her, but he knew that would never happen. Did she know how much he loved her? Had he shown it before she died? He didn't think so. It was something he'd always regret.

“I said that'll be $301.58,” came the cashier's voice, for obviously the second or third time. Lucas snapped out of his daze and handed her his credit card.

“Sorry,” he muttered.

The cashier rolled her eyes and swiped the card before handing it back to him. She handed him his bags and receipt and then Lucas was finally free from the line.

The frigid night air hit him and jolted him even further back into reality, but he still couldn't stop thinking about his mother. There was nothing like the holidays to bring back memories of people lost.

Lucas located his car in the parking lot and wrestled the packages into the back seat. He leaned back into the front and started the car, but he froze when he felt a hand on his neck.

His eyes went wide. “Oh my God…”

Pam's eyelids fluttered and Bobby reached out and took her hand in his. “Pamela…Pam…it's Bobby. Can you hear me?”

Pam was silent and her eyelids were still again.

“If you can hear me, squeeze my hand…”

Pam's hand didn't move and Bobby's heart sank. The optimist inside of him told him that by some chance, a Christmas miracle would happen and Pam would regain consciousness, but all hopes for that were quickly fading away.

Bobby leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

“Bobby…”

Bobby opened his eyes and bolted forward.

“Pam?”

No. It wasn't Pam. It wasn't her voice. But it was a voice so familiar…so comforting and soothing…

“Mom?”

Jenna Wade Krebbs broke into tears as she hugged her son and Lucas was speechless. Had he fallen and hit his head? Had he died and gone to heaven?

“Lucas honey I've missed you so much. I can't believe that's you…you look so much older. You're so handsome.”

“Mom? But what…how?”

“That doesn't matter…let's just say I was granted my Christmas wish. Let's go for a walk.” Jenna opened the back door to the car and stepped out. Lucas did the same. Jenna gave him a disapproving frown. “Don't forget your coat.”

Lucas reached into the car for it without taking his eyes off his mother. He was afraid if he did for just a second, that she would disappear like before. He pulled it on and Jenna straightened his collar.

Still shaken, Lucas had to have some proof that this wasn't some kind of illusion. Sensing his intentions, Jenna stretched out one gloved hand and Lucas extended his arm and his finger met hers before he cautiously slid his hand into hers.

The moment he felt her grasp, Lucas broke into tears and then the two embraced. “I can't believe this,” he said in a shaky voice. “I don't know what to say…I'm afraid to say anything.”

“My biggest fear was that you wouldn't believe it was me,” Jenna confessed. She held her son tight, not wanting to let him go.

“I can feel that it's you…I know that sounds…I know it sounds crazy but I just know. Oh my God, I've missed you so much. All I wanted was to see you again…to have you back in my life and now that's happened. I said I'd give anything…and I'm never letting you out of my sight again…”

“Lucas…”

“Yeah?”

“This isn't permanent…I don't have long.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“I mean that I can't stay with you much longer.”

Lucas' face fell. “Why? Why not? You're here now!”

Jenna nodded. Her face looked so angelic in the soft moonlight. “I know, but I only have a little while to spend with you…”

“A little while?”

“Yes.”

Lucas ran his hands through his blonde hair in a gesture of frustration. What was happening? He was going to lose her all over again! “Oh my God, this is so not fair!” he muttered. “Mom, you can't leave me again!”

Jenna pulled his head to her shoulder and rubbed his back. “Let's not worry about that right now, okay? Right now, all I want to think about is that I have a while to spend with you before I go. Will you promise me that that's all you'll think about? The time we have left together? We never got to say goodbye…”

“Well…yeah. I can try, but it's hard.”

“Ok. Let's go somewhere.”

“Where?”

“For a walk, like I said.” Jenna put her arm around her son and Lucas did the same to her and they disappeared into the darkness of the parking lot.

Bobby turned around and came face to face with the angelic form of the wife that had been taken from him on their honeymoon well over ten years ago—April.

“My God…April…” Bobby's voice was but a mere whisper and it trailed off after saying her name.

April's warm smile touched Bobby's soul and he felt his worries slipping away, albeit only temporarily. “Bobby, I don't want to see you hurting…”

The initial shock was wearing away and Bobby began trying to explain it to himself. He'd been at the hospital for days on end. A dream maybe? Had he fallen asleep? Maybe a hallucination from not enough food and too much coffee? A ghost? He didn't believe in ghosts.

An angel. If there was ever a time that he needed an angel on his side, it was now.

“I never got to say goodbye,” he whispered. “I couldn't save you…”

April continued to smile. “Don't beat yourself up over it, okay? That was always your one big flaw…trying to be a hero 24/7. Not that I minded it.”

Bobby found himself smiling. The twinkle in April's eye was contagious. “You don't know how it makes me feel to see you again…you look great.” Bobby realized that probably sounded absurd…like something you might say to an ex-girlfriend that you hadn't seen in a few years.

April laughed. Music to Bobby's ears. “Yeah, well there aren't any wrinkles in Heaven.”

The two finally embraced and while holding her, Bobby asked the question that was foremost on his mind. “April, why are you here? What brought you back tonight of all nights?”

“Because you need me,” she whispered.

“I've needed you before. Why now?”

“Let's just say your prayers didn't go unheard.”

Bobby backed away and put his hands on her shoulders. “You're here to help Pam…”

April shook her head. “No Bobby, I'm not. It's not within my power to help Pam, but I am here to help you.”

April walked over to Pam's bedside and took Pam's hands in hers. “There's so much life left inside of her. I can feel it…she wants so bad to break out of this and she's trying.”

Bobby joined April at Pam's bedside. “Pamela is a fighter, but all of the odds are against her.”

“She's beat the odds before. Remember?”

Bobby nodded. “Several times.”

“Put your hand on ours…”

Bobby took his hand and placed it over April and Pam's hands and instantly, he could feel a strange sort of energy—energy that made him feel soothed.

“Can you feel that?”

Bobby couldn't nod or say yes; he was too absorbed in the euphoric sensation that he was feeling. Something in it told him that everything was going to be alright.

April pulled her hand away and the feeling faded.

“I'm so glad you and Pam found your way back together. If anybody deserves happiness, it's you two.”

“Thank you April. There's so much I want to tell you.”

“And there's a lot I want to tell you too.”

“Like what?” Bobby asked.

“Thank you for being there for my son.”

Bobby's mind went blank and then he realized she was talking about Todd. “He's quite the character isn't he?”

April laughed. “Yes he is…and he says hello too, by the way.”

Bobby smiled. “He's one I'll definitely miss.”

“He's a lot like me, in so many ways.”

“Yes he was.”

“As a matter of fact, it's scary, seeing someone so much like myself.”

“Well I wouldn't go that far,” Bobby quipped.

The two remained standing next to Pam's bedside in the dimly lit room at Dallas Memorial Hospital.

“Thank you for coming to see me tonight,” Bobby said. “I don't know if I could have made it alone. This is a miracle…and I'm holding out for one more miracle this season.”

April smiled and hugged Bobby. “Me too Bobby…I'm praying for Pam.”

“Can you stay much longer?”

April shook her head. “I'm afraid not. Being an angel is a fulltime job on Christmas Eve, but something tells me this was the most important job of the night…and the one I looked most forward to. Who knows what else I'll be doing tonight…”

“Maybe saving some guy from jumping off a bridge or something?”

April laughed. “Na, I doubt it.” April hugged Bobby again and then pulled away. “You'll be fine. You're a strong man and Pam is a strong woman. If she's got you by her side, there's nothing she can't beat. Now lie down beside her and close your eyes…”

Bobby felt compelled to do so. He was so tired all of a sudden. “Goodbye April.”

“Damn, I hate goodbyes!” April whispered. Out of nowhere came a clap of thunder and April looked to the ceiling. “Sorry…”

Bobby's last vision of April was one of her smiling at him…and crying.

“Don't you remember?”

“Remember what?”

“When I'd bring you here when you were just a baby. We'd have picnics right down there on the grass,” Jenna said, pointing to a grassy spot beneath a willow tree. Several ducks were nested beneath it. “When you got old enough to walk, you tormented those poor ducks. All you wanted to do was catch one to take home. You were young, but it didn't take you long to figure out that you could use bread to lure them to you…”

Lucas' lost look faded and was replaced by a smile. “I remember…vaguely.”

“Then one time you had a run-in with a goose and tried to catch him, but he ended up chasing you. Judging by the look on your face, you would have thought you had one of the Southfork bulls right on your heels…” Jenna broke off into a laugh and Lucas joined in.

“How could I forget? And I remember Dad coming with us one time…we fished in the lake…”

Jenna's smile faded and she was reminded of one of the reasons why she came back. “Lucas…there's something I have to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“It's something I regretted not telling you before…” Jenna looked down toward the lake. “And tonight I have a chance to make it right and tell you the truth.”

“What is it Mom? You can tell me.”

“Ray Krebbs is not your father.”

Lucas was dumbfounded. “What? Of course he is.”

Jenna shook her head. “No. He was in every sense of the word, except for biologically. He raised you…provided for you…loved you like his own.”

“Are you joking?” he said, matter-of-factly.

“No. I wouldn't do that to you.”

Lucas went quiet, absorbing what she'd just told him. Finally, a new question popped into his head and found its way to Lucas' lips. “If Ray isn't my father, then who is?”

“Bobby Ewing is your father.”

Once again, Lucas went quiet. This was almost too much to comprehend in one night. “Uncle Bobby?”

Jenna nodded. “Bobby is your father.”

“Does he know?”

“Yes, he knows.”

“Why hasn't he told me?”

“I didn't want him to.”

“Why?”

“I thought it was best for you at the time, but now I know I was wrong. I should have told you from the beginning.” Jenna took her son's hand in hers. “I'm sorry.”

“This is a lot to absorb.”

“I know, but I wouldn't have told you if I didn't think you could handle it.”

Lucas looked away. “All those years. Bobby was my father and I had no idea.”

“I had to tell you Lucas.”

Lucas went quiet for almost too long for Jenna to bear. Finally, he spoke. “I'm glad you did.”

“You are?”

“I wish you'd told me a long time ago…but I'm glad you had a chance to tell me now.”

“Bobby Ewing is a good man,” Jenna said, reminiscing. “He wanted to tell you, but I thought it was best if you didn't know.”

“That's in the past now.”

Jenna smiled and hugged Lucas. “Lucas, my time here's almost over.”

“This soon?”

Jenna nodded. “I'm afraid so. I told you I didn't have long.”

“I don't want you to go…”

“I don't want to leave you either, but I don't have any choice. I want to be here for you over these next few months…so badly it hurts.”

“Why the next few months?” Lucas asked.

“Your life isn't going to be easy.” She was talking faster and faster, trying to tell him as much as she could before her time was up.

“Why not? What's going to happen?”

“You're going to have to find yourself again Lucas.”

“What?”

“You may already know, but I'm not sure…I can't tell you exactly what it is.”

“Why not?” Lucas asked, getting frustrated.

“I'm not allowed to.” Jenna's voice was getting short and raspy. “But always be true to yourself and go by your own judgment…don't listen to anyone else. That's so important over the next few months. I think you'll be fine…I have so much faith in you.”

“Mom, what are you talking about?”

“There's someone else in your future that will make you so happy. You'll feel whole again…I love you Lucas…”

Lucas looked down to the ground, trying to figure out what she was talking about, but when he looked back up, his mother was gone. Again.

Lucas looked up toward the stars and tears raced down his cheeks. “Goodbye Mom…”

“Thank you Karen.” Miss Ellie greeted them all with hugs and Raoul took their presents over to the tree.

Karen gently set Grace on the floor and Grace immediately made a bee-line for the tree, but Christopher caught her at the last minute. “Hold on there Speedy,” he said, grabbing her and playfully slinging her over his shoulder.

“Grandma Ellie, can we open presents now?” Austin pleaded.

Cole soon piped in. “Yeah, there's lots of presents under that big tree.”

Ellie smiled. It was so wonderful to have the house full for Christmas, but she wished Bobby and Pam could be here. “We'll get to that soon enough boys.”

“Can we at least find ours and set them aside so we'll be ready to open them?” Austin asked.

“I don't see any harm in that,” Ellie responded. “Go ahead.”

Both of them blazed a path to the tree where they began to dig through the mound of gifts. Megan wasted no time in joining them.

“This one is for me!” Cole shouted happily. “There's yours Austin…mine's bigger, haha!”

“Yeah, well I bet mine was more expensive,” Austin retorted. “Here's one for you Megan…”

Ellie, Christopher, and Karen watched them all with wide smiles, but then noticed that Grace was getting restless. “Wanna go too,” she cooed.

Christopher carried her over to the tree and sat down with her and the kids to help sort through the boxes.

“How is she doing?” Ellie asked Karen. “Without Pam I mean…”

“It doesn't seem to be affecting her that much, but kids are usually that way. She seems to really be enjoying staying with me and Chris and the kids.”

“Your house must be about as full as Southfork is!”

Karen laughed. “Sometimes it seems that way!”

“Santa's here!” came a voice from behind them. Lucy and Neil walked into the living room and added more gifts to the already Everest-sized stack. “Where's everybody?” Lucy asked. “I thought this party started at seven?”

Miss Ellie looked at her watch. “Sue Ellen, Ray's Aunt Lil, and Donna are in the kitchen helping Theresa and I think Jillian and Margaret are still upstairs. J.R.'s in the study finishing up some business for Ewing Oil, as usual, John Ross is upstairs, Lucas hasn't shown up yet…I think he was still Christmas shopping. Who does that leave? What about Val?”

“She flew back to California to spend Christmas with Dad, Betsy, and Bobby,” Lucy answered. “Aunt Lil is here?”

Ellie nodded. “Yes. Ray brought her back to Christmas. She's feeling better now and Ray maybe be coming home to stay.”

“That's great.” Lucy's mind drifted back to her days with Mickey Trotter, but she was snapped out of it when J.R. entered the room.

“Well! Nothing like a little food on the table and gifts under the tree to bring in the family that wouldn't visit for any other reason…” he said while straightening his tie.

“Merry Christmas to you too J.R.!” Lucy shouted, making herself seem more cheerful than she really was. Neil's deteriorating health was also weighing heavily on her mind.

Margaret, Jillian, and John Ross followed down the stairs and the room was suddenly a hub of activity like it hadn't been in years.

J.R. was more than surprised when Wade and Sly showed up at Southfork, but he asked no questions. Wade seemed to be one of the few people that he got along with lately and he was keeping an eye on Carter McKay to make sure he didn't pull anything on his Momma…and J.R. was grateful to him for that.

Lucas was the last to arrive and Miss Ellie noticed that he looked distraught, but she supposed last-minute shopping was enough to make someone distraught and she brushed it off as nothing. As soon as he took his seat with the rest of the family in the living room, Ellie stood up and set her glass of eggnog on the fireplace mantle, beside Jock's painting.

She looked over at the Christmas tree as she began to speak. “It almost doesn't seem right to follow through with this tradition, when the woman that started it can't be here with us tonight, but if I know Pamela, I think she would want us to continue it and that's what we're going to do tonight…to remember each and everyone of the Ewing family as we hang these special ornaments on this tree. In a way, it will bring us all together…even the ones that we've lost over the years.”

Ellie took another sip of eggnog and reached into the box and came out with two Christmas balls, intricately decorated with the glittering names of Ellie and Jock.

“Jock and I were given these so many years ago and we'd forgotten about them until Pam gave them to me a few years back…along with ornaments for each of you. Through the years, some were removed and many have been added, but the tradition is the same.”

Ellie took the two ornaments and hung them together near the top of the tree. “I know Jock is watching over us tonight…and I know he's watching over Pam.” Ellie went back to the box and took out Clayton's ornament and hung it on the other side of hers. “Merry Christmas Clayton,” she whispered. Ellie backed away from the tree. “J.R…”

“Thank you Momma.” J.R. took his ornament and hung it near Jock and Ellie's. He reached back into the box and pulled out Justin's and memories of his youngest son came rushing back to him. He wished Justin could be with him this Christmas. He hung Justin's ornament near his and then he brought out James', Debra Lynn's, and Jimmy's and hung them there as well. J.R. hesitated before hanging Cally's ornament on the tree. “Sue Ellen…”

Sue Ellen joined him at the tree and hung her ornament, but much to J.R.'s chagrin, it was nowhere near his.

Christopher and Karen followed, each hanging their own and then Christopher hung Bobby's, Pam's, and helped Megan and Grace hang theirs. Cole and Austin followed, both in awe of the new Ewing tradition and the fact that their names could be put on a Christmas ball and hung on a Christmas tree in a place like Southfork.

Miss Ellie handed Christopher and Karen two more ornaments, brand new ones with the names Savannah and B.J. painted on them. “I had them made this week…I know they're not here with us right now, but we can hope for the best for next year…” Christopher hung the two of them on the spruce tree and walked back to his chair.

Lucy went next and while holding hands, she and Neil hung theirs. Neil then hung his daughter Tiffany's and Lucy hung the ornaments for Gary, Val, Betsy, and her brother Bobby.

When Lucy and Neil took their seats, John Ross walked up to the tree and hesitated as he held Melissa and T.J.'s ornaments in his hands. He tried to hide the tears from his family, but he knew they knew they were there. “I love you Melissa and T.J. I always will.” John Ross put them both on the tree and both J.R. and Sue Ellen put a comforting arm around him when he made it back to the couch.

Jillian hung her ornament and imagined Manny's hanging next to hers. She hoped that someday it would happen…she cared about him so much. Then she opened up a small box that she'd carried to the tree with her and pulled out another ornament. “Grandma…I hope you didn't mind this. I had one made for my mother.” Miss Ellie hesitated and looked at Sue Ellen for a reaction, but there was none. “Of course I don't mind. That's what this tradition is for…”

Jill smiled and hung up the ornament with Mandy stenciled on it.

Donna and Ray went next, each hanging their own. Margaret and Lucas joined them and Margaret hung hers near Donna's while Lucas hesitated. Finally, he hung it nearer to Bobby's than Ray's and wondered if anyone noticed and wondered why. But then again, everyone knew. He was the only one that didn't.

From a far corner of the room, Jenna Wade watched him as he hung her ornament and Charlie's next to his. “I love you Lucas…I'll be watching out for you,” she whispered.

Lucas stared at Jenna's ornament momentarily and thought about his night with her—and about losing her again, but he realized he had his Christmas wish. He'd had a chance to see his mother again and to say goodbye. He smiled and re-joined the others.

“Well, that's all of em,” Ray commented. “How about we go in there now and make short work of that Christmas turkey?”

“No Ray, that's not all…not yet,” Ellie said. She brought out a small white box. “There's something I need to tell all of you and I can't think of a better time to do it than now. It's time to welcome four more into this family…”

J.R. looked at Sue Ellen. “What's she talking about? Who?” he muttered.

Sue Ellen shrugged.

“Only two of the four could be here tonight, but I want to welcome them all. The first of which is my nephew, Wade Sawyer…”

Ellie pulled out Wade's ornament as the news settled over the living room full of people. “Momma, there must be some kind of mistake. How the heck is Wade your nephew?” J.R. asked.

“His mother, Helen, is Garrison's daughter. I have her ornament too.”

“Oh my God,” Sue Ellen whispered. “Miss Ellie, we had no idea! How long have you known?”

“Not very long.” Ellie pointed to the ornament and motioned for Wade and Sly to come forward. Wade felt terribly awkward, but he did it for Ellie.

“Thank you Miss Ellie,” he said, taking the ornament from her.

Ellie also handed one to Sly. “Sly, I know you and Wade aren't married and we're not trying to pressure you, but I know how close you two have grown and you've been a big part of Ewing Oil for twenty-years now.”

“Oh Miss Ellie, I didn't expect this…but thank you.” Wade took Sly's arm in his and they both hung their ornaments on the tree, along with one each for Helen and Amelia. After completing the tradition, the room was quiet.

J.R., most notably, was now absent.

Ray looked around the room and sensed Wade's discomfort. He had been in the same boat so many years ago and he knew exactly how it felt to be new to a family like the Ewings. He walked over to Wade and shook his hand. “I wanna be the first to welcome Wade to the family…”

The ice now broken, the others nodded in agreement, but before many more pleasantries and greetings could be exchanged, the phone rang.

“Southfork Ranch,” Ellie answered. She went quiet for a moment and then she dropped the phone to her side and turned to the family. “It's about Pam…”