Christopher stood silently staring at Sue Ellen and Jenna, not knowing what to say. He always wanted be a real blood Ewing, even if he never was going to be, he had always felt like an adopted puppy, now he felt worse. He'd heard stories about Kristin, about how conniving she was, now after all those stories, she's his mother.

"Christopher, oh my God......I-I'm sorry-"

"No it's ok Sue Ellen, at least I know who my parents really are now....." Christopher interrupted as he turned around and walked out of the hospital waiting room.

"Christopher wait!" Jenna called, trying to think of what to say to him. When she finally caught up to him near the elevator.

"Christopher I'm sorry we didn't mean for you to hear us."

"Yeah I gathered that much, look it's ok really, I just need some time to myself, ok?"

"Look Christopher," said Jenna realizing that he and Sue Ellen should talk alone, "I'm going to go home and freshen up why don't you go talk to Sue Ellen."

"Yeah I guess." Christopher said, defeated.

"Thanks Christopher, I'll be back soon," Jenna said happily as she hugged Christopher.

He watched Jenna get on the elevator then walked back to the waiting room where Sue Ellen was.

It was 8:00 in the morning and Karen still felt like the floorboard of a well-used cab, she couldn't sleep it off, and she couldn't get her stomach to settle down for anything. Then, a loud knock on the door broke the silence and serenity of the quiet room.

"Dad, if it's for me tell them to go away," she said, laying on the bed holding her stomach.

"Yeah who is it?"

"I need to speak to Karen."

"She doesn't want to talk to anyone, go away!"

"But..."

"Didn't you hear me? Go away!" There wasn't another sound from the other side of the door.

"Honey, I really need to go out for some food, do you want anything?"

"No I'm just going to lay here and try to get better."

With that, he opened the door, temporarily blinding Karen, and left. She actually enjoyed the seclusion, getting away from all the problems with John Ross and the Ewings. Then, just as she was almost asleep, there was yet another knock at the door.

Half asleep, she yelled, "Leave me alone!"

"No, I have to talk to you!"

This had better be good, she thought to herself as she got up, only to fall back down again, too dizzy to stand. "Hold on!" She made one more attempt at standing and held onto the wall to steady herself. She grabbed the door handle and opened the door, it was Pamela.

"What're you doing here? Come in I'm not gonna stand in the door all day." Karen said impatiently, her headache growing worse the longer the door stayed open.

"You know why, we both have a claim on John Ross, I'm carrying his baby but he loves you. I'm going to tell you now, I never wanted to take John Ross from you, it was just a one time thing. I don't think we even liked each other that much, I just came by to tell you that he's yours. It's going to be kind of complicated, because after all I am carrying his baby..."

"No, it's not going to be complicated, because I don't want anything to do with John Ross. So if you want him, he's yours. Of course, if you want to keep him interested I think you're going to have to raise your prices a bit." Karen replied sarcastically to Pamela.

Pamela's stared at Karen in shock, she had thought that this could be resolved responsibly, but she was wrong. She raised her hand and slapped Karen across her face, knocking her back on the bed. She turned around and slammed the door, giving Karen a splitting headache.

"Bitch."

"So dad, what're we gonna do? You said we were going to war, so what now?" John Ross said as they drove down the road to town.

"Well son, first I gotta get in touch with Ratigan, have him do a couple checks, see what Beam's been up to lately. Then we take it from there."

"Do you want me to call him? Ratigan I mean?"

"Oh no I'll do that." J.R. picked up his Motorola cell phone and dialed Ratigan's home number.

"Yeah?"

"Ratigan, J.R. here, I need you to do a couple checks on Beam, see what he's been up to."

"Hehe, so you wanna get rid of him now J.R.?" Ratigan asked, since after all it was J.R. who asked him to setup the whole scheme with Alan Beam.

"Yeah I'll talk to you later, hear?" J.R. said quickly, trying not to raise John Ross' suspicions.

"Alright son, it's done now we just wait until tomorrow."

"Dad, can I meet you at the Oil Baron's Club later? I have to do something first, it won't take long. I have to go alone."

"Sure son, I'll wait for you there, don't take too long now."

"Can I help you sir?" the hostess asked as Cliff walked in the restaurant, looking like a lost kid in a supermarket.

"Yes ma'am I'm meeting someone here...wait, I see him."

"Ok, enjoy your meal sir."

"Thanks."

Cliff walked over to the table where Carter McKay was sitting, sipping a glass of wine.

"Isn't it kind of early Mac?"

"No Cliff, it's never too early for a little wine. Do you want to order first, or discuss business?"

"I'd like to order first, I'm a little hungry," said Cliff calling the waitress over.

"Yes sir, were you ready to order now?"

"Yeah I'd like the pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs, and a cup of coffee."

"And for you?"

"I'll have the same."

"Alright, coming right up." The waitress smiled and took the menus.

"Now, back to business...."

"Sue Ellen, was Kristin really as bad as everyone said she was?" Christopher said to break silence.

"Well, she had her moments, she could be nice when she wanted to, I think she was just consumed with hatred caused by J.R.. I never hated Kristin, I just never knew what our relationship was going to be like from one day to the next," Sue Ellen said while she stared at some far off object, reminiscing over the old days.

"I wish I knew where my mom was, Pam I mean. I want to find her, find out what she's doing, if she's alive. Do you think that's too stupid?"

"No, I think it's a great idea, it might help put your mind at ease."

"Hey you two, everything ok?" Jenna asked, looking refreshed, new clothes and fresh makeup on her face.

"Yeah everything's fine, I have to go, I have alot of things to do. Thanks Aunt Sue Ellen, for your help." Christopher smiled and hugged Sue Ellen then walked away toward the waiting elevator.

"So everything went well here, I guess?"

John Ross found the room number and knocked on the door. He noticed the DO NOT DISTURB sign on the door but paid no attention to it, he knocked again, louder.

"Come on open the door, I know you're in here! Karen!"

The door knob jerked quickly, and the door flew open. Alan Beam was standing there. "Get out of here, don't you see the sign?" He pointed to the blue and white sign hanging from the doorknob as it swung back and forth, as if to tell John Ross that he should've paid attention to it the first time.

"I have to speak to..."

"I don't give a damn who you have to speak to, get out of here." Alan Beam interrupted angrily, his face turning a light shade of pink.

A thin figure appeared in the darkness behind Alan, Karen stood in the doorway, waving her father back into the room.

"It's ok Dad, I need to talk to him alone." She waited for him to leave then she stepped into the hallway and closed the door. "Listen, I don't want to see you ever again, I mean it. Here's your ring back." She slipped off the engagement ring and put in his hand.

"No you aren't leaving this quickly Karen."

"I mean it, I don't want to see you."

"Look I'm sorry for what's happened but I really love you. I don't care about Pamela, that was a one time thing that happened at a difficult time in my life. I know I screwed up badly and I'm really sorry."

"And that's supposed to make everything all better? Just kiss the wound and it magically disappears? I don't think so."

"I know that doesn't change the fact that I was wrong, but I love you and I want this relationship to work. It's gonna take time but I'm gonna prove that I'm worthy of your love."

"John Ross..."

"No I'm serious Karen, I've never felt this way about anyone but you, and I mean that. I'm sorry I don't want to take up all of your time, I hope you feel better soon."

Before she could do anything he leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek, then took her hand and put the ring back on. Then he turned around and walked down the long, barren hallway to his car.

"I love you Karen."

"Oh John Ross...." she replied, frustrated, she wanted to be mad him, never speak to him again for what he did, but she couldn't deny her feelings for him. Finally she just gave up. "John Ross, I love you." she whispered as tears welled up in her eyes, she wiped them away and walked back inside.

"Ok Mac, we don't have anything to consolidate so I think we're gonna have to take out a loan to get this company up and running the way we want."

"What are we going to call it? Surely not Barnes-McKay or McKay-Barnes, we need a new name. Something to make people sit back and notice." Mac said, thinking out loud.

"Hey! How about...," Cliff raised his hands in the air as if he was picturing it in the sky, "NorthStar Oil. What would J.R. and the Ewings say to that? Let's name it NorthStar just to spite that bastard. I can see it.....NorthStar Oil-Leading the way. I like it! How about you?"

"Well, it's better than anything I could come up with, I think we should inform the press of this new company, get a little free publicity. I think this meal is over, how about you?" McKay said, reaching for his cell phone.

"Yeah, we got work to do."

It was 10:00 in the morning and Lucy was sitting out on the patio reading when a squad car pulled in the driveway. She put the book down beside her and got up, knowing full well that they were here about Sue Ellen's mom.

"Can I help you officers?"

"Um yeah, you live here?" The first officer asked matter-of-factly not wasting any time.

"Yes I do what can I do for you?"

"And you were here the night Ms. Patricia Sheppard fell down the steps?" the second police officer asked, as if they didn't hear either of her questions.

"Yes I was, why?"

"Well we need to ask you a few questions."

"Ok."

"You saw the whole thing correct?"

"Yes, I was in foyer when she fell. It looked like she was pushed from my angle."

"Ok do you think you can come down to the station and help us out some more? All of the evidence is there, of course we aren't charging you with anything, we just need to get some facts straight."

"Sure," said Lucy seductively. She said as she followed them to the brown sheriff's car, looking at the second officers butt as she followed.

Christopher walked down the stairs, duffle bag in one had, a backpack in the other. He passed the phone and went out on the patio, where he was met by his uncle J.R. on the phone with someone.

He thought instead of interrupting, he'd just wait until he was done to tell his where he was going.

Then he accidently heard some of what J.R. was saying.

"How hard can it be to get information on Beam? You brought him here, why can't you find out something from somebody in Pennsylvania or wherever the hell he's living now?" A long pause then, "I don't care how, I just wan to get rid of him, I didn't want it going this far, I only wanted to break John Ross and that imbecile's daughter up. Yeah you do that." J.R. retorted then hung up. He turned around and saw Christopher standing there.

Christopher dropped his bags on the ground. "You mean you set that WHOLE thing up? I hate to say it, but you're a low-life. How could you do that to your son? Are you that heartless?"

"No Christopher, you don't know this man and his daughter, she's no good for him."

"Who made you the judge of that? You can't run John Ross' life forever. Anyway, I'm leaving for a while, I left my explanation in this envelope for my dad, and ONLY my dad to read." He handed the sealed envelope to J.R. to give to Bobby. "Now I've got to get to the airport." Christopher picked up his bags, threw them in the car, got in and drove off.

It was 5:45 and the family was gathered in the living room, the ritual resumed again, waiting for dinner to start. Everyone sipping a drink, the TV softly playing in the corner. J.R. sat in the high-baked chair near the unlit fireplace, sipping a glass of iced tea, thinking what to do about Alan Beam when he noticed Cliff Barnes' face flashed on TV.

"Hey, someone turn that up!"

John Ross leaned over and turned up the volume.

"-Energy Czar Cliff Barnes and former head of well-known WestStar Oil, Carter McKay, announced their partnership in a new oil company, NorthStar Oil, said to 'change the oil industry as we know it today....'" Then a picture of Cliff Barnes came up on the screen. "In other news-"

John Ross switched off the TV. J.R. sat there silently, almost dropping his tea. Then he let out a loud laugh, "Let those two idiots try to compete with J.R. Ewing!"

Credits Roll

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