Gary Ewing Todd Foster and Dominique
Craig Byrne and Justin Stiles
Jesse Murray and Justin Stiles
Kristin Cashmere Chad Cox Karin Schill and Andy Smithers
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 Southfork Ranch
“Hey daddy,” Lucy said, walking over to her father. “How's packing going?” Gary looked up at his daughter. “Val's taking care of all of that. I'm horrible at that stuff.” “I guess I inherited that from you then,” Lucy joked. “How have you been? I feel like I've hardly talked to you. What about the development—sell many houses?” Last she heard, Gary had just placed an advertisement in the paper to sell the houses he and John Ross were building. Gary's face drooped. He had to tell Lucy. “Lucy…there's something I need to tell you.” “What?” “Those houses didn't get sold. I had to sell out.” “What? What happened? Did something go wrong?” This was the last thing Lucy expected to hear. Gary was doing so well in his business. “I'm not gonna lie to you. J.R. was behind it.” Lucy's face registered shock, although she supposed it shouldn't have. Gary continued. “Apparently the land I bought was unsafe and hazardous, but J.R. paid off a geologist to doctor reports and tell me that it was fine land. When I built the houses and put the ad in the paper, J.R. countered it with an ad that said the land was unsafe. He had reports to back it up too, since it always was bad land. No one within five hundred miles would get near the land.” “That son of a bitch,” Lucy responded. “Does John Ross know?” “Yes he does.” “Is there anything I can do? That must have been a big financial loss. I'm so sorry, daddy.” This was the tough part. “It was. Actually, that was part of J.R.'s plan. He knew I'd be in a hole, so he offered to pay me everything I had invested into this project, plus 15%. Only he wanted the 7.5% of Ewing Oil.” “Oh no. You didn't give it to him, did you?” “No, No,” Gary quickly responded. “But Lucy, I had to act fast. I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry…” “What are you getting at?” Now Lucy was starting to get a little worried. “Sue Ellen walked in, just as J.R. was making the offer. She offered me what I invested, plus 50%---I guess she has access to those funds at the Clifford Group, or whatever. I had to do it, Lucy. Your mama and I would have been bankrupt if I hadn't. Now we'll be just fine.” “What? You gave that 7.5% to Sue Ellen? MY 7.5%!?” “Well, actually, I owned it, but yes, I did. I'm sorry.” “Daddy, how could you? Why didn't you just ask me to buy it? I've always offered too---you know how much being a part of Ewing Oil means to me!” “Lucy, I did what I had to do when backed into a corner. I had no choice. Sue Ellen presented me with an opportunity that I couldn't pass up.” “Did you even think about asking me?” “That's the point, I wasn't thinking!” Gary snapped back. “It's not like you're out of Ewing Oil---it's only 7.5%! You still have John Ross's 25% to control, and after he hears what J.R. has done, he'll probably be very happy to give it to you! And look---J.R. DOESN'T have it.” “I could give a crap less about J.R.! This is about you and me!” “Lucy, all I can say is I'm sorry.” “I thought you trusted me,” Lucy said, hurt. “I do! What are you talking about? If I didn't trust you, I never would have given you control of that percentage all those months ago.” “If you truly trusted me, then you would have waited to ask ME if I wanted that piece of Ewing Oil. It may not be a lot, but it means something to me.” Lucy paused, giving a little defeated laugh. “but what should I expect? You've always made it clear that I'm not a high priority in your life.” Gary was about to speak back, but Lucy just turned and left, leaving her father very hurt and alone.
“Lucy, Is there something else bothering you?” “Yeah. Daddy.” “Oh no, Lucy. Are you two in a fight?” “You don't know then, do you?” “Know what?” “He sold the 7.5% he owns---that I controlled—to Sue Ellen.” “No, I didn't know that. Why?” “He needed to get out of the financial hole that investing in those houses caused. She offered him a huge profit, plus what he invested, in exchange for his percentage. J.R. originally offered, she just made a better offer.” Lucy decided to leave the part out about J.R.'s dishonesty. It was clear that Miss Ellie didn't know about her elder's son's actions, and Lucy was not about to take the time to explain everything. “Well, I suppose that makes sense. Gary needed the money.” “But Grandma, he didn't even bother to ask me. He just upped and sold it to Sue Ellen. I could have given him the money!” “At the same amount that Sue Ellen was offering?” “Are you taking sides here?” Lucy asked defensively. “Of course not,” Miss Ellie touched her granddaughter's hand. “However, I know that Gary would never do anything to intentionally hurt you. You still have John Ross's 25%, right? That's a hefty percentage.” Miss Ellie sometimes got confused about who held what percentage in the company. She liked to stay out of Ewing Oil's affairs. “I know Grandma, but it's the principle…” “Lucy, me made a mistake. Did he apologize?” “Yes.” Lucy saw the point that her Grandmother was making. “Your father is not a perfect man. This financial disappointment has really hit him hard. I think he was trying to prove himself to all of us through this---even though he didn't need too—but I still think that is what he was trying to do. I think we need to be sensitive to him. Perhaps you can buy the 7.5% from Sue Ellen? But please don't be angry with your father. Not after all the years you two were apart.” Just then, as if he knew he was being spoken about, Gary walked into the kitchen. Miss Ellie smiled, patted Lucy's hand, and excused herself. Gary sat down next to Lucy. “Can we talk?” He asked. Lucy looked at her father, as her grandmother's words bounced back and forth in her head. She had a point. It wasn't worth ruining her relationship with her father over. It was only 7.5%, not the 25% that she controlled—that would be a different story. It wasn't as if she was out of Ewing Oil altogether. “Daddy, I'm sorry.” “You don't need to apologize.” “I do, though. I know that you didn't sell your piece of Ewing Oil to hurt me. I spoke impulsively. I wasn't thinking.” “I know how hard you've worked there. It wasn't right of me.” “And it wasn't right of me to lash out at you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for those horrible things I said.” “Lucy, you know that I love you. You're very important to me.” Lucy got up and hugged her father. “I know, Daddy. I love you too.”
“Janice,” Lucy pressed her intercom, “Can you get Sue Ellen Ewing on the phone for me?” A moment later, Janice buzzed into Lucy, telling her that Sue Ellen was holding on the line. Lucy picked up the phone immediately. “Lucy, how are you? I was actually just on my way over to Cally's, but I'm glad you caught me.” Actually, Sue Ellen wasn't. She wasn't too anxious to continue their conversation that they had started on Christmas Eve. Lucy couldn't help but feel more resentment toward Sue Ellen for now controlling her 7.5%. “So, when were you planning on telling me you now have some of my percentage of the company?” “Whoa, Whoa.” Sue Ellen could sense the hostility in her ex-niece's voice. “I thought Gary was going to tell you. He gave me every indication he would.” That was the last thing Sue Ellen needed—some other reason for Lucy to be hostile toward her. “He told me, and he explained why he sold it to you. I understand why he did it, and I forgave him. What I don't understand is why YOU did it. Didn't it occur to you that I might want to buy that 7.5%?” On the other end of the line, Sue Ellen lowered her eyes. She knew that this conversation was going to eventually come. “I know Lucy, and all I can say is, I'm sorry.” “What do you need Ewing Oil for? You've already got your hand in Cliff's company.” “I thought it would be a wise business decision.” She didn't dare tell Lucy the real reason. Lucy would be an obstacle in getting majority control of Ewing Oil away from J.R., an obstacle that Sue Ellen hadn't accounted for in her original plan. But it was too late to turn back now, and she was too angry to NOT get revenge. J.R. had to pay, and Sue Ellen was going to make him hurt where she knew he would be hit the hardest---Ewing Oil. She hoped that Lucy didn't get hurt along the way. “That's scary, Sue Ellen. It's so like Cliff, or J.R. to sacrifice a family member and friend for business. Wise business decision, dumb personal move.” With that, Lucy hung up the phone. On the other end of the line, Sue Ellen listened to the dial tone and realized that she had another obstacle to overcome in her revenge on J.R. She wondered if it was worth it all.
The call had been made, and J.R. sat back at his desk and smiled. The paper had been called, and J.R. had been very careful about who he leaked the story to. Soon, it would all be over for Donna.
Sue Ellen decided to walk down to the guesthouse to surprise Cally. It wasn't worth going back to the car and driving. As she quietly approached the house, she saw that Cally's car was not in the driveway. She was about to turn around when something else caught her eye. A blond woman, very beautiful. She was on Cally's doorstep, and she was doing something to Cally's mail. But she was definitely not a mail woman. And she was acting very suspicious. To avoid being seen, she ducked behind a bush. Unfortunately, it also blocked most of her view. However, she saw that the woman was leaving, and decided to follow her. This might explain Cally's odd behavior of late. If anything, Sue Ellen's curiosity got the best of her. As Dominique got back to her car, and prepared to drive to Ewing Oil for a quick conference with J.R., she had no idea that Sue Ellen followed her.
“Bathroom I guess. Who the hell was that woman you just had in here?” Sue Ellen hadn't actually seen the blond woman go into J.R.'s office, but she trailed her to the Ewing Oil building, and watched the elevator monitor when the woman stepped on the elevator. She got off on J.R.'s floor. “What the hell are you rambling about woman?” J.R. gave her a disgusted look as he walked over to the door and shut it. “You know damn well what I'm talking about.” “What makes you think you can just barge into my company?” “Our company. I hold a sizable percentage, don't forget.” “Sizable? You got 15.5% of this company. Big deal.” Sue Ellen had not made public the fact that she now owned Christopher's 2% and Jack's 7.5%. As far as J.R., or anyone else knew, she only owned 15.5%----Todd's 8%, and Gary's 7.5%. She figured it would be easier to get control of Ewing Oil away from J.R. if he was unaware of how much of the company she actually controlled. But that was beside the point. “Stop trying to change the subject. Who was that woman? Or better yet, why was she at Cally's?” “Who? I don't know what you're talking about Sue Ellen. You're as crazy as Cally.” “Oh, and why would you say that? Had any interactions with Cally lately?” J.R. had spoke too soon. He had to play dumb in knowing anything about Cally's deteriorating mental state. “I've heard you talking. I've heard mama talking. I don't miss much in this town.” “Which is exactly why I want you to tell me who that woman at Cally's was.” “I don't know what you're talking about, and I certainly don't know anything about a woman.” J.R. walked back over to his desk and sat down. “Now I got a lot of work to do before the holiday. Sly can show you out.” Sue Ellen slammed one palm against J.R.'s desk and pointed an accusatory finger with the other hand. “Play dumb. I know your game, J.R., but now its time you knew mine. I know you, and I know you're up to something. So watch out or back off. Take your pick.” With that, Sue Ellen turned around and stormed off. J.R. silently damned his ex-wife. He'd have to be more careful from here on in.
All over Dallas, delivery trucks dropped off the latest edition of the Dallas Evening News. Walking from the restaurant that they had an early dinner in, Pam and Bobby passed a small newsstand selling the paper. When they saw the headline, they stopped dead in their tracks. As Todd walked in his apartment building, the doorman handed him the paper. Todd took one look at the headline, and his jaw dropped. Purchasing the paper from the small store in the lobby of his office building, Cliff gasped once he saw the writing sprawled across the top of the paper. In his office, J.R smiled. At the supermarket, Ray Krebbs saw the headline and ran for the phone, eyes still bulging. And in her office, Donna took one look at the headline and screamed. Her scream drowned out the phones that were ringing off the hook, and masked the sound of the newspaper slamming against the hard floor. There, lying visible for all to see, was the headline that read:
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