EPISODE 135 - New Beginnings

 "Shawn?"  Tripp asks, startled to see his brother in his apartment.

"Oh, Tripp, hey,"  Shawn says nervously.

"Shawn, what are you doing here?"

"So, did you close your deal?"  Shawn asks.

"Yeah,"  replies Tripp.  "Yeah, I closed the deal.  Real profitable deal between Westar and McClendon Oil out of Fort Worth."

"Sounds like a real money maker."

"Yeah, definitely.  Shawn, you wanna grab some dinner?"  Tripp asks.  "We could even order in  a pizza and watch a movie."

Shawn looks at his older brother for a moment.  "Yeah.  Yeah, that sounds good. Pizza and a movie with my big brother."

Tripp smiles.  "Great.  Okay, well, I'm just gonna go change, and you order a pizza for us and pick out a movie you wanna watch."  Tripp walks to the bedroom door, then turns back to Shawn.  "Oh, and, don't forget to call Mom and let her know where you are, if you haven't already."

"Umm, yeah, I'll do that right now,"  Shawn says.

"Okay.  Be right out,"  Tripp says, going into the bedroom and closing the door.

Afton's Lounge....

"Mom, it was Jesse's decision not to reveal himself to us as Uncle Mitch's son," Pamela says.   "A decision I'll never understand."

"Neither will I,"  Afton says sadly.  "If I had known, I would've embraced him as part of this family."

"I'm sorry, Mom,"  Pamela says, embracing her mother.

Afton sighs.  "Scott Van Buren.  God, he took so much from us."

Pamela pulls out of the embrace.  "I really don't wanna talk about Scott.  Not now, not ever."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart,"  says Afton.  "I didn't mean to bring up painful memories.  Pamela, are you alright?  I mean REALLY alright?"

"Aside from being very pregnant, I'm fine."

"Darling, I don't like you being all alone with the baby.  Why don't you take Hunter and come and stay with your father and me for a while?  At least until the baby comes."

"Thank you, Mom.  I may just take you up on that.  I don't like being alone, either.  Especially not this late in my pregnancy.  Tripp even offered to take Hunter, but I refused.  He's working all day, and sometimes when he comes home at night."

"Pamela, what, exactly, is the state of things between you and Tripp?"  Afton asks.  

"Mom, I wish I knew,"  Pamela replies.  "Tripp is still so hurt over my keeping this rape and pregnancy from him."

"Well, he needs to man up and get the hell over that.  You're his wife, Pamela.  You were the victim in all of this and yet Tripp is acting like he's the victim and you're some sort of criminal."

"As angry as I am with Tripp right now, I understand why he feels the way he does.  Mom, I kept probably the biggest secret ever from him.  I was raped, and I was so traumatized that I couldn't even bring myself to tell my husband.  I'm really afraid that Tripp and I will never be able to get past this."

"Of course you will, Pamela,"  Afton says.  "You and Tripp love each other.  I have every confidence that you'll work this out."

"I'm not so sure,"  Pamela says as she begins to cry.  "I'm not so sure that Tripp could ever live with this child that I'm carrying because the child was fathered by Scott Van Buren.  And I don't know how I could live with a man who feels that way about my child.  A man who all but DEMANDED that I abort this baby.  Mom, if I had done that, I would never be able to forgive myself.  Or live with myself."

"Sweetheart, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, Mom.  I'll be okay.  Whatever happens between me and Tripp, I will be okay.  I survived that hell we went through in Canada.  I survived the loss of my twins four years ago.  I think after all that, I could survive anything."

Afton reaches out and puts her hand on her daughters shoulder, then gently touches her face.  "Oh, sweetheart, I know you can."

"Well, I have to get going,"  Pamela says.  

"What's your hurry?  I was gonna ask if you wanted to stick around here for a while.  Maybe have some dinner with me."

"Thanks, Mom, but, I'm kinda tired.  I had a doctor's appointment, and some errands to run, so I thought I'd stop by on my way home.  Tracey stayed with Hunter."

"Pamela, next time you have a doctor's appointment, call me, so I can go with you."

"I will, Mom.  I promise.  Good night."

Afton hugs her daughter.  "Good night, darling.  I love you."

"I love you, too.  I'll call you tomorrow."

Afton looks at her daughter and nods.  Pamela turns and walks out of the club.  

Dallas Police Department....

"Anderson?"  John Ross asks.  "You Punk and Mavis's grandson?"

"I sure am,"  replies Craig.  

"Okay, why was my son arrested?" Asks an angry James.

"Your son was arrested for attempted murder, Mr. Beaumont."

"Attempted murder?"  James asks. "Attempted murder of who?"

Craig looks at the two men for a few seconds before answering.  "Justin Ewing," he says.

James's mouth falls open in shock. "Justin?  That's impossible.  I want to see my son NOW."

"You're entitled.  I'll arrange it,"  Craig says.  "Come with me."

A few minutes later....

Jimmy is brought into a visitation room where James is seated at a table, waiting to see him.  "Dad,"  Jimmy says when he sees his father.

"Jimmy, are you alright?"  James asks.

"Dad, I'm scared."

"I know.  Jimmy, what the hell is this about?  That detective said that you'd beeen arrested for trying to kill Justin."

"Yeah, Amanda and I were both arrested,"  says Jimmy.

"What?  Amanda was arrested, too?"

"Dad, I don't know what's going on here.  Justin, he.. .......he claims that he remembers that I pushed him off that cliff.  But I swear to you, I did NOT push him.  I didn't.  I don't know why he's saying this."

"Jimmy, I believe you,"  James says.  "I called Jay Smithfield.  He said he'd be over here just as soon as he can."

"Dad, am I gonna have to stay here all night?"

"Son, I don't know.  We have to wait until Jay gets here and see what he has to say."

"Dad, you gotta get me outta here,"  Jimmy says, tears falling down his face.

"Jimmy, don't worry.  I AM gonna get you out of here.  Son, I believe you didn't do this.  There has to be some mistake. John Ross told me that, after the accident, Justin couldn't remember anything about what happened to him that day.  His memory must have come back, and he must've gotten the facts all confused in his mind."

Jimmy's mind thinks back to earlier that evening, when he came face to face with Justin in the police station after he and Amanda were arrested.  The look on Justin's face, almost as if he were enjoying seeing the two arrested.  Jimmy began to wonder if Justin had intentionally lied to make them suffer because he'd remembered seeing Jimmy and Amanda having sex.

"Jimmy?  Jimmy?"  James calls to his son, snapping Jimmy out of his daydream.  "Are you okay?  What were you thinking about?"

"I was thinking about Justin,"  says Jimmy.  

"Well, I'll go talk to him.  He must have what happened confused in his mind, which isn't surprising after all those months he couldn't remember anything."

"No, Dad.  Justin isn't confused.  He's lying.  And he's doing it to punish me, and to punish Amanda."

"Punish you for what?"  James asks.  "Jimmy, did something happened between you and Justin?  Or maybe the better question is.......did something happen between you and Amanda?"

Jimmy looks at his father, not wanting to answer the question, not wanting James to know about his past with his father's brother's wife.

A road heading into Dallas....

left front tire is flat.  "Damn it," she says, then begins to cry in despair.  She walks over and reaches into the car, taking out her cell phone.  She attempts to call roadside assistance, but the call fails to go through.  "No, no.  Damn, no service," she says to herself.  "So, what am I gonna do?"

Meanwhile, Justin is driving down the same road heading out of Dallas when he sees Pamela's car parked on the side of the road heading in the opposite direction, her standing beside the car.  At the first available opportunity, Justin pulls into a side road, turns his car around, and drives back to Pamela, bringing his car to a stop directly behind hers.  

Justin gets out of his car and walks over to the young woman, who is staring at her car.  "Hey.....problem?" He asks.  Pamela turns to face him and for the first time, Justin sees who she is.  "Pamela?  Pamela Barnes.....uh....McKay?  Hi.  Justin Ewing, John Ross's brother."

"Hi....ummm.....Justin.  Yeah, I have a flat tire."

Justin walks past her and looks at the tire.  "Yeah, you sure do."

"I was gonna call a tow truck, but, I have no service."

"Yeah, there's a stretch of about a mile or so on this highway where you run into a complete dead spot with no service."

"And of course it WOULD be my luck to have a flat right in the middle of that dead spot."

Justin smiles.  "No worries.  I'll change it for ya."

"You really don't have to do that,"  Pamela says.  "You'll ruin that suit."

"It's just a suit,"  Justin says.  "Don't worry, I can afford another one."  He reaches into the car and presses the button to open the trunk.  Justin takes off his jacket and tosses it into the backseat of Pamela's car.

"I really appreciate this,"  says Pamela.  "I thought I was gonna be stranded out here for a while."

"Good thing I came along.  Always glad to rescue a damsel in distress, especially a beautiful one,"  Justin says as he walks around and opens the trunk.

Pamela manages a slight smile.  "Well, you certainly have John Ross's charm."

"Thanks,"  Justin says, taking the jack and spare tire from Pamela's trunk.  "I guess that was a compliment.  But trust me.......my charm is where my similarity to my brother ends."

"That's good,"  Pamela says.  "One John Ross is more than enough."

Justin takes a tire iron and begins to loosen the lug nuts from Pamela's tire.  "I almost forgot.  You were married to my brother for a while."

"Yeah.  I was.  Seems like a couple lifetimes ago."

After loosening all the lug nuts, Justin places the jack under the side of the car, near the front left tire and begins jacking the car up.  As he does so, he looks at her.  "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize that you were pregnant.  Congratulations."

"Thank you,"  Pamela says sadly.

"You and your husband must be real happy,"  Justin says.  "I know about your miscarriage when you were pregnant with Christopher's twins."

Pamela lowers her head.

"I'm sorry,"  Justin says.  "I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

"No, it's fine.  You didn't.  I mean, I think about the babies I lost every day, whether someone mentions them or not."

Having the car jacked off the ground,  Justin removes the flat tire from the car, then, as Pamela watches, he replaces it with her spare.  Within a couple of minutes, Justin has the spare tire on, the lug nuts tightened, and lowers the car.  "There, all done," he says, standing to his feet.

"I can't thank you enough,"  says Pamela.  "I never thought that when I needed help, it would be a Ewing to come to my rescue."

Justin smiles.  "Well, it's the least an ex-brother-in-law can do.  Listen, your spare tire is a little low on air, so, why don't you let me follow ya home, just in case?"

"Thanks, but that really isn't necessary.  I'm sure you have better things to do."

"To be honest, no, I don't.  Nothing, that is, but goin' home to an empty house."

"I know the feeling,"  Pamela says, her tone very sad.

"So, I'll follow you and make sure ya get home safe."

"You're a regular knight on shining armor.  I would appreciate it."

"Fine,"  Justin says.  He smiles at Pamela, then picks up her jack, tire iron, and flat tire and places all three in Pamela's trunk.  He then gets into his car as Pamela gets into her.  A few seconds later, Pamela drives off toward Dallas, Justin following.

Meanwhile....Katelyn Spencer's apartment

Katelyn is sitting in a chair by the window of her apartment that evening, having waited for Jimmy for more than an hour.  Every few seconds, she looks out the window into the parking lot, hoping to see Jimmy's car pull in. She looks at her watch.  "Damn it, Jimmy, where ARE you?"  Again looking out the window, Katelyn sighs deeply.  Tears begin to fall down her cheek.  "Who am I kidding?" She asks herself.  "He's not coming.  I should've known better than to get my hopes up."  Katelyn stands, walks over to the sofa and takes a seat.  After a moment, she lays her head down on the arm rest and begins crying, unaware of the real reason for Jimmy missing their dinner date.

Pamela's apartment....

Lucy is talking on the phone in the foyer at Southfork the next morning as Lucas and Heather come down the stairs for breakfast.  They stop at the bottom of the stairs and listen to Lucy's end of the conversation. "Oh my God, Bobby,"  Lucy says.  "Is everyone okay?  Well, what about Emma and her baby?  Oh, that's wonderful.  I know Ann must be thrilled.  Bobby, Lucas is right here.  Do you wanna talk to him?  Okay, here he is.  Lucas, Bobby wants to talk to you."

Lucas takes the phone from his cousin.  "Dad, what's going on?"  Lucas asks his father.

Lucy and Heather head into the dining room for breakfast while Lucas is on the phone.

"Lucy, what was that all about?"  Heather aks.

"Well......there was a little hostage situation last night at Falcon Crest, which is where Ann is visiting Emma, near San Francisco."

"A hostage situation?" 

"Yeah.  Bobby didn't really fill me in on all the details.  I'm sure he'll give Lucas the details, but from what I could gather, Ann, Emma, and Emma's boyfriend Kevin and his family were held hostage for several hours last night."

"Oh my God, are they alright?"  Heather asks.

"Yeah, everyone's fine.  Christopher and Courtney left last night.  I'm not real sure why, but, Christopher had to take some money to Bobby."

"Wow, that's absolutely crazy,"  Heather says as John Ross and Krystina walk into the room.

"What's crazy?"  John Ross asks, he and Krystina taking their seats at the table.

"Bobby called,"  Lucy replies.  "It's a long story."

"That must be Bobby Lucas is talking to on the phone,"  says Krystina says.

"Yeah, it is,"  says Heather.

"Heather, where's Michael?"  Lucy asks.

"He doesn't have school today.  Teacher's conference, so, I let him sleep in this mornin'."

"Well, if y'all wanna hear somethin' crazy, here it is,"  John Ross says.  "James's son, Jimmy Beaumont, was arrested yesterday.  He spent last night in jail in Dallas."

"Jimmy was arrested?  Why?"  Lucy asks.

"For tryin' to kill Justin."

"John Ross, what are you sayin?"  Lucy asks.  "Jimmy tried to kill.....Justin?"

"Well, Justin finally remembered what happened the day he had the accident that landed him in that wheelchair last year.  And, accordin' to him, Jimmy pushed him off that cliff."

Krystina sighs.  "I still can't wrap my head around that."

"Neither can I.  But that's the only surprise.  Amanda was arrested, too.  Seems Justin believes his wife and our nephew were in on this together."

"But why?"  Heather asks.

"Itn't it obvious, darlin'?"  John Ross asks.  "My slut of an ex-wife was screwin' around with Jimmy, and the two of them wanted Justin out of the way so they could be together."

"John Ross, I find that really hard to believe,"  Lucy says.  "I mean, I don't really know Jimmy or Amanda that well, but, from what I do know of them, I just can't believe that either of them would want Justin dead."

John Ross looks at his cousin and smiles.  "Lucy, because of that codicil in my Daddy's will, my baby brother became a very rich young man.  Amanda came from nothin', and you'd be surprised at what people will do when money is involved."

Lucas comes to the doorway of the dining room.  

"Lucas, what'd Bobby have to say?"  Heather asks.

"Well, everyone is okay,"  replies Lucas.  "But, he said that Ann and Emma and some of the Channing family were taken hostage last night by a guy named Josh McQueen."

John Ross looks at his cousin.  "You said Josh McQueen?"

"Yeah.  Apparently, McQueen was the prime suspect in the explosion that killed Ann's brother Mark Smith and two other people at Emma and Kevin Channing's wedding.  McQueen was arrested."

"Good,"  Krystina.  "I hope he goes to prison for a very long time for what he did."

"So Ann and Emma are okay?"  John Ross asks.

"No one was hurt,"  Lucas says, taking his seat beside Heather at the table.  "But, Emma went into labor and had her baby right there in the middle of all this."

"What, you're kidding,"  Krystina says.  "That's great.  What'd she have?"

"She had a boy,"  Lucas says, a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Well, I'm very happy for her, and I'm sure Ann must be on cloud nine.  Thank God Emma and the baby are alright."

As Lucas lowers his head, Heather looks at her husband, wondering if the reason for Lucas's sudden shift in mood after the mention of his former girlfriend is because Lucas still harbors some feelings for Emma.

Queen Of The Valley Hospital, Tuscany Valley, California....

As Bobby puts his cell phone away following his conversation with Lucas, Ann comes down the hall and walks up to him. "Did you call Southfork?"  She asks.

"Yeah, I did, I just spoke to Lucas,"  replies Bobby.  "How are Emma and the baby?"

"Emma's sleepin'.  The doctor gave her somethin' to help her sleep.  And the baby is just fine.  The doctor wants to keep both of them for a few days for observation."

"That's good.  Thank God, they're both okay, and thank God YOU'RE okay, Annie.  I don't know what I would've done if anything had happened to you last night."

"I'm fine.  Still shakin' like a leaf after that whole ordeal.  Bobby, I was so scared.  Not as much for myself as I was for Emma."

Bobby embraces his wife.  "It's over now, honey."

"I know,"  Ann says.  

"Y'know, I keep thinking about what Katherine said.  She congratulated me on my second grandchild.  Why on earth would she say somethin' like that?"  Bobby wonders.

"Well, Bobby, you ARE Emma's stepfather,"  Ann says nervously.  "So, in a way, this baby is your second grandchild."

"I dunno.  Somethin' about the way Katherine said that bothers me.  Almost as if she were hinting at somethin'."

"Katherine Wentworth is unstable, Bobby.  I wouldn't put any stock in anything that woman says."

"I know, you're right,"  Bobby says.  "Anyway, enough talk about Katherine.  Honey, I'm afraid I have some news.  Sue Ellen was arrested for the murder of Brittany Ewing.  Christopher told me last night."

"What?"  Asks a surprised Ann.  "Arrested?  Bobby, are you serious?  Poor Sue Ellen.  She must be going through hell right now."

"Yes, I'm sure she is, which is why I think I should head back to Dallas today."

"Yes, of course, Bobby, you should go back to Dallas to be there for Sue Ellen.  I would love to come with you, but, I don't wanna leave Emma right now.  At least not until she and the baby are out of the hospital."

"I understand, honey, and you should stay for a while.  Your place is with Emma right now," Bobby says as Christopher and Courtney walk up to them.

"Hey, guys,"  Christopher says.

"Hi, you two,"  greets Bobby.

"How are Emma and the baby?"  Courtney asks.

"They're just fine,"  replies Ann.

"Can I see the baby?"

"Of course.  Follow me.  You fellas comin'?"

"You two go on ahead,"  says Christopher.  "I need to talk to Dad about somethin'."

As Ann and Courtney turn and head down the hall to the nursery, Bobby turns to his son. "So what's up?"

"Dad, Courtney and I are on our way to the airport," Christopher says.  "Since we're already in California, we're gonna head on to L.A. and see Courtney's son's adoptive parents, Adam and Jennifer Reed."

"Alright,"  Bobby says.  "How long do you suppose you'll be in L.A.?"

"Not sure.  But as long as it takes.  Hopefully when we confront the Reeds on Caleb's illegal adoption, we can avoid a long and ugly custody battle."

"I sure hope it doesn't come to a custody battle,"  Bobby says.  "I'm gonna be heading back to Dallas later today.  I really wanna be there for Sue Ellen, but at the same time, I really hate to leave Ann right now."

"Dad, Ann will be fine,"  says Christopher.  "She said that Emma and the baby are okay, and as soon as they're out of the hospital, I'm sure Ann will be home."

"You're right, but, even though Ann puts on a tough act, I know she's still very shaken by what happened at Falcon Crest last night.  And by being around Katherine so much the last few days.  I'll just feel a lot better when my wife is safe and sound back at Southfork.  I also hate the thought of Emma living in the same house with Katherine, especially now that she has the baby."

"Dad, do you really think that Katherine is still dangerous, even after all these years?"

"You bet I do,"  Bobby says.  "Katherine wants everyone to believe that she's changed.  That's she's a pilar of the community and no longer a danger to others, but I'm not buyin' it.  I know that woman better than probably anybody else, and I know she's the one who had Naldo Marchetta murdered and then framed Jenna for it all those years ago, and I'm not gonna stop until I find some proof to back it up."

"Dad, you're talking, what?  32 years ago?"  Christopher asks.  "The man who killed Marchetta died in prison, so it'll be next to impossible to prove Katherine was involved after all this time."

"There has to be some way,"  Bobby says.  "And I'm gonna find it."

"And what about Amanda?"  Jimmy asks.

Jay and James exchange looks.  "Jimmy, what about her?"  James asks.

"I want her out of that jail, too.  Who's gonna pay her bail, Jay?  And if you don't represent her, then who will?"

"Jimmy, I don't know, I can't answer that,"  Jay replies.

"Then why aren't you helping her, Jay?"  Asks Jimmy.  "Why aren't you trying to get her out of there?"

"Jimmy, listen to me.  Your father called me to represent YOU."

"Alright then, I wanna hire you to represent Amanda,"  Jimmy says.

"I don't think that's a very good idea,"  Jay says.

"And why not?"

"Because after what you told me, and given the charges against both you AND Amanda, I think it would be a conflict for me to represent both of you."

"Why is that, Jay?"  James asks.  "You think it could make them look more guilty?"

"Yes, I do, absolutely.  Jimmy, you confessed to me that you and Amanda slept together and that Justin saw the two of you, only a night or so before he took the fall from that cliff, which you and Amanda are accused of orchestrating."

"But that's NOT what happened!"  Jimmy says adamantly.  "Justin fell.  It was an accident."

"Jimmy, I believe that,"  says Jay.  "I just cannot believe that you and Amanda had Justin's accident planned or that you pushed him.  But for some reason, Justin says that you did. Now he's had amnesia for the past several months and he was paralyzed, so it's possible that he was so traumatized by what happened, maybe he remembered seeing you and Amanda together that night, and he has this whole thing confused in his mind."

"No, that's not what's happening here.  Justin is LYING about what happened.  He's doing this to punish me and Amanda."

"Jimmy that's a very serious accusation,"  James says.  

"It certainly is,"  Jay says.  "Jimmy, look, just go home.  Get some rest.  I'll be in touch."

"Jay, what about Amanda?"  Jimmy asks.  "Justin isn't gonna get her out, and he's not gonna hire a lawyer for her."

"The court will appoint an attorney for her."

"That's not good enough.  I'm not gonna leave her in jail.  Her father is God knows where, and her brother left town not too long ago.  She doesn't have anyone else here in Dallas.  Jay, please.  I'll hire you right now to represent Amanda."

Jay looks at the young man, then sighs.  "Okay, I'll tell you what I can do.  I'll find out when Amanda's arraignment is, and I'll represent her and try to get her the lowest bail I possibly can.  After that, I'll recommend a colleague of mine to her.  That's the best I can do."

"Alright.  When bail is set for her, let me know what it is.  I'll pay it."

"Jimmy......"  James says.

"Dad, don't try to talk me out of it.  I didn't do anything and neither did Amanda."

"Take him home, James.  I'll go and find out when Amanda's gonna be arraigned."

"I will Jay,"  James says.  "Then I'm gonna pay my brother a visit and find out exactly what's going on......whether he honestly believes my son pushed him off that cliff."

"I'll see you both later,"  Jay says, then walks away from them as James and Jimmy head to James's car, parked on the street.

Justin and Amanda's home....

Justin walks into his living room holding a bottle of beer.  He opens the beer and takes a seat on his sofa.  He reaches over and picks up the remote and switches on the TV just as the doorbell rings.  Putting his beer down, he mutes the TV and walks over to the door.  Opening it, he's surprised to find Pamela on his porch.  Justin smiles.  "Pamela," he says.  "Hi.  What are you doin' here?"

"I brought your jacket,"  Pamela says, handing the jacket to him.  "You left it in my car last night."

"Oh, thanks.  But, you didn't have to drive all the way out here just to bring me this jacket."

"I also wanted to thank you, for last night,"  Pamela says.  "If you hadn't come along and stopped with me, I don't know what I would've done.  I didn't know any other way to get in touch with you, but to drop by.  Your number isn't listed."

"No, it's not.  How'd you get my address?"

"Wasn't hard.  It was listed online."

Justin smiles.  "Please, come in."

"I really should be going."

"Aww, come on.  Least I can do for you since you drove all the way out here to bring my my jacket and to thank me, is invite you in and offer you a drink........non-alcoholic, of course."

"Thank you,"  Pamela says with a smile.  "That would be nice."

"Come in."  

Pamela walks into the house.  Justin closes the door, turns to her, and smiles.

Braddock High School...

"Uh, yeah," Shawn replies.  "John Ross invited me to spend the night and hang out with the family."

"Yeah, I know,"  says Alex.  "But what I don't understand is......why?"

"Why what?"

"John Ross seems to be taking a pretty big interest in you.  I was just wondering why."

"I don't know, bro.  Maybe your Dad just likes me."

"You sure that's all?"  Alex asks.  "You sure there's nothing else going on between you and John Ross?"

"Like what?  Dude, what could be going on between me and John Ross?"

"I dunno, Shawn.  You tell me.  I saw you coming off of Southfork the other morning when I passed by the ranch on my way to school.  And John Ross drove out behind you a few seconds later."

"Alex, you're mistaken, bro,"  Shawn says.

"No, I'm not.  Shawn, I SAW you."

"Alex, come on, bro,"  Shawn says.  "Nothing is going on.  John Ross is just kinda helping me.  My Dad died not long ago, and John Ross has really been there for me.  He's helped me, and listened to me when I needed someone to talk to.  He's just trying to be like a father figure to me. That's all.  Look, man, the other morning, I was just going through something that I need to talk about, with someone older.  So, I called John Ross and asked if I could talk to him."

"Why couldn't you talk to your older brother?"  Alex asks.  "I thought you and Tripp were kinda gettin' close."

"We are.  But, I still can't talk to him about some things.  He might tell my Mom.  Look, dude, if my looking up to John Ross as a father figure bothers you, or makes you feel uncomfortable, then, I won't go to him with my problems anymore.  In fact, I won't even come over to Southfork to spend the weekend."

"No, bro, it's cool.  Really, it is.  I'm glad John Ross is there for you.  I just didn't know what was going on."

"So, I can still come over tonight?"  Shawn asks.

Alex looks at his friend and smile.  "Dude, you'd better," he says as the bell rings.  "Hey, we better get to Mr. Parker's class."

"You go on ahead.  I wanna get some water."

Alex nods, then walks away.  Shawn closes his locker and breathes a sigh of relief, hoping that Alex had bought the story he had told him.  

Stone Oil....

Brad's secretary, Brenda Pruvis, is sitting at her desk at Stone Oil when the phone rings.  Brenda immediately answers. "Good afternoon, Stone Oil," she says.  "Yes, Mr. McKay.  One moment, please."  After a very brief pause, Brenda buzzes Brad's office.  

"Yes, Brenda?"

"Mr. Stone, Tripp McKay is on line one,"  Brenda says.

"Thank you,"  Brad says.  He picks up his phone and presses the '1'.  "Tripp, what's up?"

Meanwhile....a street in Dallas....

"Brad, we need to talk,"  Tripp says.  "I'm on my way back to my office right now from a business lunch, but are you free in about an hour?"

Stone Oil....

"Sure,"  Brad replies.  "What's this all about?"

"I'll tell you when I get to your office.  But, I can say that, I have a deal for you that, if successful, could be a way for us to finally bury Ewing Oil."

"Well, in that case, I look forward to seeing you in an hour, brother-in-law." Brad hangs up his phone and smiles.

Dallas County Courthouse....afternoon

"Yeah, it sure does,"  says Amanda.  "Jay, thank you SO much for getting me out."

"You can thank Jimmy for that, Amanda.  He retained me to represent you at your arraignment, and he paid your bail, against my advice."

"Against your advice?"  Amanda asks.  "Why, Jay?"

"Because, Amanda, this whole situation between you, Jimmy, and Justin is very.......explosive, to say the least. Jimmy has been charged with the attempted murder of your husband, his UNCLE, and you've been charged as an accomplice.  That little one night stand you and Jimmy had is GOING to come out in court, and when it does, any association you and Jimmy have or had will look very bad. Amanda, I would gladly serve as your attorney, but James already hired me to represent Jimmy, and my representing you, too, would be a conflict.  Now I advised Jimmy not to pay your bail because it looks as if the two of you are still involved."

"We never were INVOLVED, Jay."

"You slept with him, Amanda.  THAT is involvement, even if it only happened once."

"So what am I gonna do?"  Amanda asks.

"I'll ask my Dad if he'll take your case.  In the meantime, what do you plan to do about a place to stay?"

"Honestly, Jay, I have no idea,"  Amanda replies.  "I haven't even given it much thought.  Since my brother left town, I have no family left here, and no friends, really.  Why is Justin doing this to me?  If only I could talk to him....."

"No,"  Jay says.  "Absolutely NOT, Amanda.  Both you and Jimmy need to stay away from Justin at all costs."

"So, am I supposed to just leave all my stuff at the house?"

"You can send for your things."

"And take them WHERE?  Jay, I don't have any place to go.  Like I said, I have no family in Dallas, and since I haven't been talking to Katelyn Spencer, I don't even have any friends here."  Amanda begins to cry.  "I just have no idea what I'm gonna do, Jay.  I'm sure that Justin has already cut off my credit cards."

"Alright, look, it's gonna be okay,"  Jay says, putting his hand on her shoulder.  "Here."  Jay reaches into his back pocket and brings out his wallet.  He takes some money out and hands it to Amanda.  "Here, take this.  It'll at least get you a hotel room for a few nights until you can figure out what to do."

"Jay, thank you, but I can't take that."

"Amanda, you said you don't have any family here in Dallas, but that's not true.  We ARE family."

"Yeah.  Your wife is my husband's sister.  The same husband I'm accused of trying to kill.  I doubt Jill is still gonna consider me family after this.  Same with the rest of the Ewings. None of that family ever really liked me, anyway."

"Just take the money,"  Jay says.  "I'll talk to my father, and have him get in touch with you either this evening or first thing tomorrow."

"Thank you, Jay.  Thank you for being a good friend."

"You're welcome, Amanda.  Can I drop you off somewhere?"

Amanda sighs.  "Yeah, umm, my car is still parked at the Chamber Of Commerce."

"Okay, come on,"  says Jay.  "I'll drop you by there."  He and Amanda head to Jay's car parked on the street.

Stone Oil....

"Brad and I are both very curious and very interested to see what kind of a deal this is you have in the works," says Cliff.  "Whatever it is, I'm all for it if it'll help us bury the Ewings and their company."

"You want a drink, Tripp?"  Brad asks.

"Sure.  Scotch."

"So come on, tell us,"  Cliff says.  "What is this deal?"

"Tripp's right,"  Brad says.  "I think it's definitely worth a try to make an offer to Wentworth for this new drill.  But, because of the history that both Cliff and I have with the Wentworths, even though they ARE family, I think you should be the one to make the offer, Tripp, and without telling cousin Austin that my company is involved."

Tripp smiles.  "Alright.  I'll set up a meeting with Austin Wentworth as soon as I get back to my office."

"Well, I think that we should make a toast,"  Cliff says, raising his glass.  "To the continued success of our little partnership, and to the eventual downfall of Ewing Oil."

"I'll certainly drink to that,"  Brad says as he and Tripp raise their glasses with Cliff in the toast.

Los Angeles.....late afternoon

Christopher and Courtney drive up in front of the Reed home in Los Angeles that afternoon and come to a stop across the street.  Getting out of the car, Courtney pauses as she looks at the Reed home. She sighs deeply.  

"Courtney, you okay?"  Christopher asks.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replies quickly.

"Nervous?"

"Nervous doesn't even begin to describe how I feel right now,"  says Courtney.  

"It's gonna be okay."

"And what if it's not?  Jennifer Reed was so adamant that Jacob isn't my son last time we were here."

"But we know that he is, Courtney.  Jacob is YOUR child, and we have evidence that the Reeds adopted Jacob illegally.  Now if they're smart, they won't wanna drag this into court."

Courtney nods.  

"Are you ready?"  Christopher asks.

"Yes.  I'm ready."

"Come on, then."

Courtney braces herself, then she and Christopher walk across the suburban street to the Reed home.  After a brief pause, they walk onto the porch and Christopher rings the doorbell.  A moment later, Jennifer Reed opens the door, and she is not pleased at seeing Christopher and Courtney at her home again.  

"What the HELL are you two doing here again?"  She asks angrily.  "I told you to never come here again."

"Mrs. Reed, we need to talk to you,"  Christopher says.

"I'm calling the police,"  says Jennifer.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you,"  Christopher says, he and Courtney walking into the house.  "This is important, and it's about Jacob."

Jennifer pauses and looks at the two.  "What do you want?  Why can't you leave me and my family alone?"

"Because I know that Jacob is my son,"  Courtney says.  "And you know it, too, Mrs. Reed."

"Alright, so what if it is true? You gave that child up and my husband and I adopted Jacob.  We're his parents now."

"You and your husband adopted the child illegally, Mrs. Reed,"  says Christopher.

"You're out of your mind.  Jacob's adoption was perfectly legal."

"No, it wasn't,"  Courtney says.  "And we can prove it."

Before anyone can say anything else, the sound of the backdoor of the house opening and closing can be heard.  Jennifer's husband, Adam Reed, a young man in his early 30s, walks into the room.  He stops short when he sees Christopher and Courtney.  "Hey," he says.  "Honey, what's going on?"

"Adam, I wasn't expecting you home so early,"  Jennifer says.  

"Yeah, I got off early,"  Adam says.  "So who are your guests?"

"They were JUST leaving,"  says Jennifer.

"I'm Christopher Ewing, and this is Courtney Wapner. We came here to talk to you and your wife about your adopted son, Jacob."

"Oh?  And what about Jacob?"

"Mr. Reed, Jacob is my son,"  Courtney says.  "I'm his biological mother."

"What, is this some kind of sick joke?"  Adam asks.

"It's no joke, Mr. Reed,"  replies Christopher.  "Courtney and I have been searching for her son for months, and our private detective traced the child to you."

"So?  So, what if you ARE the boy's mother?  My wife and I adopted him."

"And you did so illegally,"  Christopher says.  "We can prove it."

"Okay, it's time for the two of you to leave,"  Adam says.  "I want you OUT of my house."

"We know about the attorney you used, Mr. Reed,"  Courtney says.  "David Sanders, an attorney who specializes in illegal adoptions."

"That's it, I'm calling the police,"  Jennifer says.

"Why don't you do just that, Mrs. Reed?" Asks Christopher.  "I'm sure the police would be very interested in Jacob's adoption, and the proof we have that the adoption was illegal."

"No, this can't be happening,"  Jennifer says.  "Adam, tell them.  Tell them that there was nothing illegal about our son's adoption.  Adam.....tell them."

Adam looks at his wife for a moment.  "I can't, Jen."

"What?  Adam, is.........is what they're saying true?  Was David Sanders........."

"Sanders is a baby broker, Mrs. Reed,"  Christopher says.  

"Adam, you told me that Jacob was ours......LEGALLY ours,"  Jennifer says as she starts to cry.

"Jennifer, I'm sorry,"  Adam says.  He turns and looks at Christopher and Courtney.  "We had gone from one adoption agency to another.  One told us we'd have to wait as long as two years to adopt a child.  Two other agencies turned us down flat because of........stuff from my past.  My family and some of our associations.  Jennifer had suffered three miscarriages and after being told she would never be able to carry a baby to full term, she was desperate for a kid.  But after being turned down by every agency, she had lost hope.  So, I decided that I was gonna get her a kid any way that I could, by any means necessary.  So a friend of mine suggested David Sanders.  I never told my wife that the adoption wasn't legal."

"Oh my God,"  Jennifer gasps.  "I don't believe what I'm hearing."

"Jen, I'm sorry,"  says Adam.  "You wanted a child so much......and because of me and my family, you couldn't have one."

"Look, Mr. Reed, I can certainly understand your desperation,"  Courtney says.  "Believe me, I can."

"How the hell can you understand ANYTHING?"  Adam asks.  "You were able to give birth to a kid, and you didn't want him, so you gave him away."

"I was 15-years-old when I got pregnant with Jacob.  I was in no position to raise a child at that time."

"And you're saying that you are NOW?  Is that why you're here?  You want our son back?"

"Jacob is MY son,"  says Courtney.  "And yes, I want my son."

"No way in HELL will that ever happen!"  Says an angry Jennifer.  "You are NOT taking Jacob away from me."

"Look, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way,"  Christopher says.  

"We're not doing this at all,"  says Adam.  "No way are you just gonna watz in here and take that little boy away from us.  I want the two of you out of my house.  You're not getting your hands on my kid.  We'll fight you."

"You'll fight us?"  Christopher asks.  "Reed, you don't have a leg to stand on.  You adopted Courtney's son illegally, and there's not a court in this country that would let you keep Jacob after that, and especially not if your family's ties to organized crime come out, and your previous drug conviction."

"What?  Drug conviction?"  Jennifer asks.

"Another secret you kept from your wife, huh, Reed?"  Christopher asks.

"Get the hell out of my house."

"Not without my son,"  Courtney says.  

"Jacob isn't here,"  Jennifer says.

"Then where is he?"  Christopher asks.

"Some place safe, where you'll never get your hands on him."

"I'm calling the police,"  Courtney says.

"If you do, then I can promise, you'll NEVER find out where Jacob is.  If anything happens to me or my wife, and that includes us being arrested, you'll never see Jacob because the person he is with has instructions to disappear with him."

"You're lying,"  says Christopher.

"You wanna try me?  Now get out of my house or I'll have you both arrested for tespassing and threatening me and my wife."

"I'm not going anywhere without my son!"  Courtney says.

"Courtney, come on,"  says Christopher.  "Alright, Reed, you wanna play?  We'll PLAY.  As soon as we leave here, I'm phoning my attorney, and in a couple days, you can expect to be served with a court order demanding that you produce Jacob, or go to jail.  And don't even think about leaving town, because I can promise you.......we WILL find you, no matter where you go because maybe you haven't heard of my family, the Ewings.  As in Ewing OIL of Dallas.  My family's very rich and very powerful, and Courtney and I will WIN.   And we will be back, and when we are, Courtney's son had better be here."

"GET THE HELL OUT!!"

Christopher looks at Adam, and at Jennifer.  Then he and Courtney turn and leave.  After they are gone, Jennifer looks at her husband.  "Why, Adam?  Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"Because I didn't want you to worry about this, Jennifer."

She begins to cry.  "Oh my God.  We're gonna lose him, Adam.  We're gonna lose our little boy."

"No, we are NOT,"  Adam says, putting his hands on his wife's shouldes.  "Listen to me.  We are NOT gonna lose that little boy, I promise you that.  Honey, have I ever let you down?  I promised you that we would have a child and we got Jacob.  And I'll do whatever I have to do so that we don't lose him."

"Adam, I'm scared,"  Jennifer says, embracing her husband.  

"I know, honey.  I know.  But I'm gonna take care of this."

Southfork....that night

Bobby and Lucas walk into the den at Southfork that evening, Bobby heading straight to the bar to pour himself a drink.  

"So is Ann okay?"  Lucas asks.

"Oh, yeah, she's fine. Thank God, nobody was hurt."

"And, what about Emma and the baby?"  

"They're okay.  Hopefully in a couple days Emma and the baby will be out of the hospital and Ann will be able to come home."

"I hope so,"  Lucas says.

"I just felt like I needed to come home and be here for Sue Ellen after her arrest and all."

"Well, there's been a couple more interesting developments since you and Ann have been in California,"  Lucas says.

Bobby looks at his son curiously.  "What do you mean?"

"Jimmy and Amanda were arrested late yesterday.  I didn't find this out until after I talked to you on the phone this morning."

"Jimmy and Amanda arrested?  For what?"  Bobby asks.  

"For the attempted murder of Justin."

"What?"

"Apparently, Justin's memory came back, and when he remembered what happened that day he fell from that cliff, he said that Jimmy pushed him. And that Jimmy and Amanda had been having an affair, and they conspired to kill him."

"Good Lord, that's crazy,"  says Bobby.

"Yeah, tell me about it.  But, in all this craziness, there IS some good news."

"Well come on, tell me.  After all the bad stuff I could sure use some good news right now."

"Well, not only has Justin's memory returned, but, he can walk again,"  Lucas says.

"That really IS good news.  I think I'll go over and see him first thing in the morning before I go and see Sue Ellen.  Son, I'd appreciate it if you'd reach out to him, too.  I'm sure with everything happening, Justin can use the support of his family."

"Sure, I'll do that,"  Lucas says.

"Good,"  says Bobby.  "Well, I am gonna go upstairs and freshen up a little before dinner, and maybe call Ann."  Bobby finishes off his drink, puts his glass down, then leaves the room.

Southfork....the next morning....

Shawn is enjoying a hard workout in the exercise room at Southfork early the next morning.  As he does a set of lifts on the powerline machine, John Ross walks into the room.  

"Well, mornin', Shawn,"  John Ross says.

"Morning, John Ross."

"You're up early.  Alex still asleep?"

"He was just waking up when I left his room,"  Shawn says.  "I like to work out early.  Alex said he'd be in to join me as soon as he wakes up good.  Your son definitely is no morning person."

John Ross laughs.  "No he sure is NOT.   Guess he gets that from his Mama's side of the fam'ly.  So, you have fun last night?"

"Yeah, I sure did," replies Shawn.  "I really wanna thank you for inviting me."

"Sure, it's no problem.  Glad ya enjoyed yourself, and enjoyed the movie.  I also wanna thank you for all the work you been doin' for me."

"You're welcome.  I hope it helps."

"Oh, it's definitely helpin', and you will be amply rewarded for all your efforts."

"Thanks, John Ross,"  Shawn says.  "And you know if there's anything else I can do, just let me know."

"As a matter of fact, there is a little somethin' else you could do for me."

"Just name it,"  Shawn says.

"Your brother had a meetin' yesterday with Brad Stone.  The two of them are workin' on some big deal together, and, I need you to pump Tripp for information about that deal.  I need to know exactly what they're up to."

"John Ross, you really think my brother's gonna confide in me that much detail about his business?"

"Find a way to make it happen.  Get closer to him.  Make your brother feel like he can REALLY trust you.  And if that duttin' work, do a little snoopin'.  Buggin' Tripp's office and his home has helped me keep tabs on him when he's in those two locations, but, that meetin' yesterday was at Stone's office.  I need to know what went on there.  I don't care how you do it, just do your best to get that information for me, and you'll be rewarded with a real nice bonus."

"I'll do my best,"  Shawn says as Alex walks into the room.  

"John Ross?"  Alex says, surprised to see his father in the exercise room with Shawn.  

"Alex, my man,"  John Ross says.  "Up early for a Saturday."

"Yeah, I told Shawn I'd work out with him. What are you doing in here?"

"I didn't know  anybody was in here.  I was gonna work out, but, I'll let you two have it, and I'll just come back later."  John Ross smiles, then walks out of the room.  

"Okaaaay,"  Alex says.  "That was weird.  So you wanna tell me what was going on, Shawn?"

"No idea what you're talking about, bro,"  Shawn says.

"What was John Ross doing in here?"

"You heard the man.  He wanted to work out."

"Come on, dude.  John Ross doesn't WORK OUT.  So what's going on?"

Shawn stops his work out and stands to face his friend.  "Alex, you're just being paranoid."

"Paranoid?  This is the second time I've seen you and John Ross meeting in secret like this, and I'd like to know what the hell is going on between my Dad and my best friend."

"I told you.  NOTHING is going on,"  Shawn says.  "Now just DROP it."  Without saying another word to his friend, Shawn walks over to the weight lifting bench, lays down, and begins lifting as Alex watches him, curious about what Shawn and John Ross were up to.

"I waited here for over an hour and a half for you to pick me up the other night, Jimmy.  Where the hell were you and why couldn't you have called me?"

"I was in jail," replies Jimmy.  "I was arrested day before yesterday, and I spent that night in jail."

"You were arrested?  For what?"

"Justin claims that I pushed him off that cliff months ago.  I was arrested for his attempted murder."

"You were WHAT?  Jimmy, my God, that's crazy."

"Damn right, it's crazy,"  Jimmy says. "Amanda and I we both spent the night in jail."

"Amanda?  What does Amanda have to do with this?"

"She was arrested as an accomplice."

"And accomplice?  YOUR accomplice?"  Katelyn asks.

"Yes."

"So Justin thinks that you and Amanda both wanted him dead, huh?  I'm not surprised.  After all, it was no secret that you and Amanda had very strong feelings for each other.  And then, suddenly, her husband takes a near fatal plunge over a cliff while on a camping trip with you."

"Katie, what are you saying?  You think I pushed him?"

"Did you, Jimmy?"  Katelyn asks.  "Did you push Justin?"

"Of course not.  I can't believe you would even ask me that."

"You're in love with Amanda."

"I had feelings for Amanda, yes,"  Jimmy says.  "But I did NOT push Justin off that cliff.  Justin is.........WAS........my best friend.  Not only that, he's my father's half-brother.  I would never hurt him."

Katelyn nods.  "I believe you, Jimmy.  I believe you too kind and too gentle a person to ever hurt anyone."

"Thank you.  Thank you for believing me."

"I care about you, Jimmy.  A lot.  And, if you want, we can have a do-over of the date we missed the other night."

"I'd like that.  How about tonight?"

"Tonight would be great,"  Katelyn says with a smile.  

"I'll pick you up, around 6?"

"Yes, that's fine."

"I really am sorry for standing you up."

"It's okay,"  Katelyn says.  "I suppose being in jail is a good excuse."

"I'll see you tonight, then."

Katelyn nods, then Jimmy walks out.  Katelyn closes the door behind him and smiles.  

Justin and Amanda's home....

"Justin, why are you doing this?"  Amanda asks. "You can't honestly believe that Jimmy and I tried to kill you."

"Is it really that big of a stretch of the imagination, Amanda?  I never believed that my wife and my best friend would have betrayed me by having SEX on my livin' room floor, but, hey, it happened.  So I don't think it's too far fetched to think that same wife and best friend wanted me out of the way so they could be together."

"Justin, that's not what happened.  Jimmy and I made a mistake.  A horrible mistake....."

"A mistake, Amanda?  A mistake is puttin' salt in your coffee instead of sugar,"  Justin says. "A mistake is forgettin' to set your alarm in the mornin'.  But havin' sex with your husband's nephew........that's not a mistake.  That's a conscious choice that you and that son of a bitch Jimmy made.  You both betrayed me.  But you're real good at that, aren't you, Amanda.  One thing I can say about you is you sure like to keep it in the fam'ly, don't you?  You slept with both Christopher and me while you were married to my brother.  And then you had sex with my nephew while married to me.  You really like the Ewing men, don't you?  So which one were you plannin' to move on to next?  My cousin Lucas?  He's about the only one in our generation you hadn't slept with yet.  Or maybe you HAVE slept with hjm."

"You bastard,"  Amanda angrily says in tears.  "You really hate me that much?  Enough to accuse me of something you KNOW I didn't do?  Something that could send me to prison?"

"Whatever happens to you, you brought on yourself, Amanda.  Now get whatever the hell it is you need here and get outta my house."

"You know, Justin, I always thought you were the kindest, most decent man I had ever met. But I was wrong.  I never met J.R. Ewing, but I've heard enough about him to last a lifetime.  And looking at you right now, I don't see the man I married.  I see your father.  A man who strikes back hard when he's hurt."

"Y'know somethin'?  You're right, Amanda.  I AM my father's son.  Which means that I deal with my enemies."

Amanda begins to cry.  "Justin, please.  You have to tell the truth.  You know that Jimmy and I never conspired to hurt you.  What happened to you on that cliff was an accident.  It was you who tried to kill Jimmy, not the other way around."

"That's not how I remember it.  I remember standin' outside that window and watchin' my wife and my best friend naked on my livin' room floor goin' at it hot and heavy, like neither one of you even remembered that I exist.  I remember Jimmy coaxin' me into goin' campin' up at the Smithfield cabin the next mornin', and you naggin' me to go.  And I remember when I got up there, Jimmy pushed me off that cliff because he was in love with my whore of a wife.  And with me outta the way, you two could be together."  Justin walks over to her.  "Now, I want you to get the hell out of my house."

"Fine, I'll go.  As soon as I get my things."

"No,"  Justin says as the doorbell rings.  He walks over and opens the door to find Bobby there.  

"Hello, Justin,"  Bobby says, surprised to see Amanda.  "I'm sorry.  Am I interrupting somethin'?"

"No, Uncle Bobby.  Please come in.  Amanda was JUST leavin'."

"Justin......"  Amanda says.

"Get out, Amanda.  And don't come here again.  I'll send your things.  I'll send 'em to Jimmy's place.  I'm sure that's where you'll be."

"Don't bother,"  Amanda says.  She shakes her head in frustration, then walks past Bobby and out of the house.

Justin closes the door behind her, then turns to Bobby.  "Can I get you a drink or somethin', Uncle Bobby?"

"No, thank you, Justin, I'm fine.  It's really good to see you up and walking."

Justin sighs.  "Yeah.  Thanks."

"Son, are you alright?  It looked like I interrupted somethin' really intense between you and Amanda."

"No, you didn't interrupt anything,"  says Justin.  "I'm glad you showed up, actually."

"Then it's all true?  What happened?"  Bobby asks.

"Ya mean that my wife slept with my nephew and supposed best friend?  Yeah, it's true."

"I'm sorry, Justin.  I know how much this must hurt."

"It's fine,"  Justin says.  "I finally found out just what kinda woman I married."

The Wentworth mansion....

Austin Wentworth is sitting on the patio beside the pool at his home that morning when his maid, Helen, comes out and approaches him.  "Excuse me, Mr. Wentworth?"  She says.

"Yes, Helen?"  

"Tripp McKay is here to see you."

"Thanks, Helen.  Tell Mr. McKay he can come on out."

"Yes, sir,"  Helen says, then heads back to the house.

A moment later, Tripp walks onto the patio and joins Austin by the pool.  "Morning, Austin," Tripp says.

"Tripp.  Have a seat,"  Austin says.

"I wanna thank you for agreeing to meet with me, especially so soon.  I am kinda surprised you wanted to meet at your house on a Saturday morning, though,"  Tripp says.

"Well, sometimes business is better conducted in  a peaceful setting, away from the normal hustle and bustle of the business week.

"Very true."

"Tripp, I'm really surprised that you even called me,"  Austin says.  "It wasn't that long ago that I approached you about possibly doing some business together, and, you wanted nothing to do with me or my company.  And now, all of a sudden, you change your mind?  I'm guessing this has something to do with Wentworth's new WJ-1 drill.  Westar is interested in the drill, huh?"

"Yes we are,"  Tripp replies.  "Westar is willing to pay top dollar, and even above market price."

"If you're willing to shell out that kinda money, you must've done some research on the WJ-1."

"I sure did.  Wentworth's new drill will revolutionize the oil industry, and Westar wants to be the first company to enjoy the benefits of its use."

"So why should I do business with you after what you said to me that day at the gym?"  Austin asks.

"Because you're a good business man, Austin, and because I don't think you'd let your personal feelings stop Wentworth Industries from making a huge profit on this new drill.  And, if that isn't enough, despite any differences you and I may have, or you and my wife's family may have, this deal could be the biggest in Wentworth's history.  The WJ-1 is the biggest innovation in drilling since Wentworth developed the Tundra Torque back in the 80s."

Austin smiles.  "The Tundra Torque.  Wow, that's going way back.  You've really done your research on my company."

"Well, Pamela's grandmother, and your grandmother, did own Wentworth at one time, so naturally, I am interested in the company.  Look, Austin, there is another reason why you should do business with Westar.  Well, two reasons, actually."

"Oh?  And what are those reasons?"

"We have a common enemy,"  Tripp says.  "The Ewings and Ewing Oil.  With that new drill, Westar will gain an incredible edge over Ewing Oil.  Maybe even enough of an edge to bury that company once and for all.  And the second reason......you and I may not be each others' favorite person, but our families are connected.  And wouldn't you rather do business with a relative, especially one who controls a powerful company like Westar?"

"You make a good point,"  Austin says.  

"Then can we do business together?"  Tripp asks, reaching into his pocket and pulls out a piece of paper.  "Here......Westar's proposal."

Austin takes the paper, unfolds it, and looks at it.  He nods.  "This is a VERY impressive offer.  Are you sure that your board will agree to this?"

"Absolutely sure.  While yes, this will be a huge expense to Westar at first, in the long run, this new drill will be worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Westar in revenue.  It will allow us to surpass all our competition."

"I'm gonna need a couple days to think about this, and I'll bring your proposal to my board."

"Good.  I can promise you that neither you, or your board of directors, will be sorry."

Austin looks at him and nods.

The Krebbs Ranch....early afternoon

"You okay, Dylan?" Conner asks.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure?  You really don't look fine right now.  Did you get any sleep last night?"

"No, I didn't."

"Dylan, what's goin' on?"  Conner asks.  "Talk to me."

"I'm good, man.  Really," says Dylan.  "I just have a lot on my mind, that's all.  But nothing I need to talk about, and it's nothing you need to worry about."

"Okay.  But, you know that, if you need to talk, I'm here. That's what big brothers are for, right?"

"Yeah, right.  It is."

"Hey, umm, I have an idea,"  Conner says.  "Why don't you and I go out tonight?  We could go see a movie or something.  Just you and me.  Some brother time.  We haven't spent a whole lotta time together lately, except workin' here on the ranch.  And I know I've been spending a lot of time with C.J.  But you know you're always welcome to come hang out with us any time.  C.J.'s your cousin, too, and I know he'd love to get to know you."

"Yeah, maybe sometime."

"So, tonight?  A movie, just you and me?"  Conner asks.

"Sounds, uh, sounds great,"  Dylan replies.  "I'd like that.  I'd like that a lot."

Conner smiles.  "Awesome.  Well, I don't know about you, little bro, but I am gettin' pretty hungry, so let's finish loading this hay so we can break for lunch."

As Conner walks away from him and back to the hay, Dylan again reaches into his pocket and pulls out his flask. With Conner's back to him, Dylan opens the flask and takes a big sip, then quickly replaces it into his pocket.  He then walks over to help Conner continue loading the hay onto the trailer.  

Los Angeles....early afternoon

"Court, you okay?"  He asks.

"I'm really not sure,"  Courtney replies, continuing to look out the window.  "I'm worried, Christopher."

"Worried?  About what?  Courtney, before I went to take my shower, I was on the phone with Drew Demarest, and as we speak, the Reeds are being served with papers ordering them to produce Jacob. You're gonna get your little boy back."

"Courtney, you're the only one who can answer that. You're the only one who can decide that," says Christopher.  "But I'm not sure how stable a home Jacob has with the Reeds. Adam Reed didn't even tell his wife that Jacob's adoption wasn't legal. And Jennifer had no idea that her husband's family has ties to organized crime.  If he's kept things that important from his wife, then, who knows what other secrets this guy is keeping.  Are you having second thoughts about pursuing custody?"

"No.  Of course not,"  Courtney says.  "I want my son back.  I'm just afraid of how all this is going to affect him.  And what if the Reeds do fight us?"

"They don't have a case, Courtney.  They adopted that little boy illegally through a baby broker attorney.  Is that all that's bothering you?  Or is there something else?"

"I'm also worried about you,"  Courtney says.

"About me?"

"Yes.  Christopher, we are in such a good place in our relationship right now.  And I know what you said to me before.  That you would be there, and stick around.  If I get custody of Jacob......."

"You WILL get custody of Jacob,"  Christopher interrupts.

"Alright.......WHEN I get custody........Christopher, that's a huge responsibility you're taking on.  Before it was just me.  Now, you've got not only me, but a whole lot of baggage, including a 9-year-old boy who may have a lot of adjusting to do."

Christopher takes Courtney's face in his hands.  "Now you listen to me, Courtney Wapner, and you listen good.  I love you.  I've been in love before, but I've never felt the kinda love and connection that I feel with you.  I've only met Jacob one time, and only for a minute, but already, I love that little boy because he's part of you.  Courtney, I wanna build a life with you, and with Jacob.  Don't you want that, too?"

"Of course I want that,"  Courtney replies in tears.  "More than anything."

"Then let's do it,"  Christopher says, taking her by the hand.  "Courtney Wapner, will you marry me?"

Courtney smiles as she looks at him through her tears.  "Yes, Christopher Ewing.  I will marry you."

"Today?  This evening?"

"What?  You wanna get married this evening?"

"Sure, why not?  If we're gonna go into this, and if we have to fight the Reeds over Jacob, then why not start out  the right way.......as husband and wife?"

"Christopher, that's crazy,"  Courtney says.  "I would think you'd wanna get married at Southfork, with all of your family."

"Yeah, well, I already tried the big Southfork wedding and it didn't work out so great," says Christopher.  "Besides, most weddings that begin at Southfork usually don't last long or end that well.  Maybe somebody should've warned Lucas and Heather before they decided to tie the knot there."

Courtney smiles.  "You sound like you're superstitious.  Like you believe there's some curse on Southfork weddings."

"Well, there's plenty of history to back it up.  My Grandma and Clayton Farlow were probably the only couple who married at Southfork and ended up happily til death did them part.  All the others......J.R. and Sue Ellen, TWICE, Lucy and Mitch, TWICE, my mother and father, J.R. and Cally, my Dad and April Stevens, me and Pamela.  John Ross and Pamela........none of them lasted or were very happy."

"What about Bobby and Ann?"  Courtney asks.  "They're very happy."

"My Dad played it smart the third time around.  He and Ann were NOT married at Southfork."

"Oh, I see."

"So how about it?  Marry me?"

"Christopher, we don't have a license, or rings, or witnesses or anything."

"The license and the rings we can take care of,"  Christopher says.

"It's Saturday, remember?"  Courtney asks.

"So?  I'm a Ewing, remember?  Which means I can get things done.  So obtaining a marriage license and a ring this afternoon won't be a problem.  And as for witnesses, and a place to have our wedding.......my Uncle Gary and Aunt Val live here.  All I gotta do is give them a call, and I'm sure they wouldn't mind an impromptu wedding at their house."

"This all sounds wonderful."

"Then there's no reason why we shouldn't do it.  So how about it?  I get dressed, I call Uncle Gary and then make a couple calls to get us a marriage license.  And we do this."

Courtney smiles.  "Yes," she says happily.  "Yes, let's do this.  Yes, Christopher, I'll marry you."

Happily, Christopher kisses Courtney, then embraces her.

Klyde Warren Park in Dallas....afternoon

"I didn't think that was such a good idea,"  Tripp says.

"You've only been back to the apartment a couple of times since you moved out.  Why, Tripp?  Why would you rather meet me at the park to pick up our son than to come to our apartment?"

"Because it's hard for me, Pamela."

"And you think this whole thing hasn't been hard on me, too, Tripp?"  Pamela asks.  "It has.  My husband left me when I needed him the most."

"And you know why, Pamela."

"Yes, I do know why.  Because I refuse to abort this baby that I'm carrying."

"Scott Van Buren's baby.  The man who raped you and tried to kill us both."

"This child had NOTHING to do with what that monster did,"  Pamela says.  "This baby is a part of me, and if you can't accept that, then you can't accept ME anymore."

Tripp looks at her for a moment.  "I'm sorry, Pamela.  As much as I love you, I.....I can't accept this.  I would not be able to raise that child without being reminded of Van Buren and what he did to you.  To US.  I'm sorry, I just.......I just can't."

"And if I give this baby up for adoption after it's born.....then what?"  Pamela asks.  "Would you be able to come home, then?  Would you be able to try and put our marriage back together again?"

"Is that what you're planning to do?"  Tripp asks.  "Give the child up for adoption?"

"Just answer me, Tripp.  If this baby were out of the equation, would that change things between us?"

"It might.  It would at least give our marriage a fighting chance, without the baggage."

Pamela looks at him for a few seconds and shakes her head.  "No, it wouldn't.  Because then we'd just be trading one kind of baggage for another.  The baggage of your resentment toward my child and toward me for my decision not to have an abortion.  And I don't think that I could ever live with that anymore than you could live with this child knowing how he was conceived."

walks over and kneels down, kissing her son on the head.  

"Bye, sweetheart," she says.  "I love you, and I'll see you day after tomorrow."  

Without another word to his wife, Tripp walks away from her with the baby, as Pamela watches, tears falling down her face.

Meanwhile, nearby, Justin is enjoying a run through Warren Park, something he is taking more pleasure in than ever since his recovery from his paralysis. As he turns a corner in the park, he sees Pamela walking nearby.  Justin stops for a moment and looks at her.  He can see, even from a distance, that she's sad and has been crying.  He watches as she heads away from him.  Finally, Justin jogs to catch up to her.  "Hey, Pamela!" He calls.  "Pamela!"

Hearing her name, Pamela stops and turns around as Justin jogs up to her.  

"Hey,"  Justin says.

"Justin, hi."

"Fancy runnin' into you here."

"Yeah, I just had to bring my son for his father to pick him up.  Hunter is spending tonight and tomorrow night with Tripp,"  Pamela says.  

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"No, don't be.  It's fine.  So, what are you doing here?"

"Well, it's a beautiful Saturday afternoon,"  Justin says.  "And after all those months I spent in a damned wheelchair, I felt like gettin' out and runnin'.  I can't tell you how good it feels to be able to run on my own two feet again."

"I can only imagine,"  Pamela says.  "I'm just surprised that you're here.  I mean you have that ranch and all that land of your own to run on, so why come all the way into Dallas to run at the park?"

Justin smiles.  "I just needed to get out of my house and away from my ranch for a while.  Besides, what better place than to meet beautiful women?"

"Beautiful women?  You ARE still married, right?"  Pamela asks.

"Technically......for now.  At least until I can file for divorce from that lyin', cheatin' little slut first chance I get."

"Wow.  She cheated on you?"  Pamela asks.  

"Yes, she did."

"I'm sorry, Justin."

"It's okay.  I've actually known for a while that she cheated, and I've had time to deal with it.  To feel the sadness and the anger.  Now, I don't really feel anything for her."

"I know exactly how you feel.  It was the same for me when I found out John Ross was cheating on me with Emma."

"I'm sorry,"  Justin says.  "I didn't mean to bring up bad memories for you."

"No, you didn't,"  says Pamela.  "I was over that a long time ago."

"Pamela, you said your husband just picked up your little boy, right?"

"Yeah, he did."

"So, since you don't have your son, would you like to maybe go grab a bite to eat?  Or if you've already eaten, a coffee, maybe?"

"Actually, I haven't eaten,"  Pamela says.

Justin smiles.  "Good.  Neither have I.  So how about it?"

"I would love to."

"Great, then," Justin says.  

Pamela smiles at him as the two walk away together.

Southfork....that evening

Alex and Shawn walk into Alex's room at Southfork that evening.

"Oh, man, that was a fun day," Shawn says.

"Yeah, it was,"  Alex agrees.  "You tired?"

"More hungry than tired.  You?"

"Same.  So, I'm gonna go take a shower and then we can get ready to go to dinner with John Ross and Krystina."

"Yeah, sounds good, dude,"  Shawn says.

"Listen, if you want, you could go and use Christopher's bathroom downstairs to take a shower.  He's in California this weekend."

"Yeah, I'll.....I'll do that."

"Great.  I'm gonna go take one,"  Alex says.  He walks over to his dresser and opens the top drawer, taking out a pair of boxers and a pair of socks.   "Okay, be back in a few."

"Sure.  I'll go downstairs and grab a shower,"  Shawn says as Alex leaves the room.  Once his friend is gone, Shawn walks over and closes Alex's bedroom door.  He then goes over to where his things are on the floor near the bed and picks up his bag.  Taking out an envelope of cash John Ross had given him earlier, he opens the envelope and begins counting the money.  Shawn smiles as he counts five one hundred dollar bills.  As he finishes counting and closes the envelope again, he is startled when Alex suddenly bursts back into his room.  Shawn quickly shoves the envelope back into his bag.  

"Sorry, bro, didn't mean to startle you,"  Alex says, walking to his dresser.  "One of these socks has a hole in it and my big toe sticks out."  He looks through his drawer for another pair of socks.  "Damn it, most of my socks have  holes."

"Yeah, I have that same problem,"  Shawn says.  "Mine usually come in the heels."

"Ah, found a pair,"  Alex says, turning to face his friend.  "Aren't you gonna go take a shower?  Krystina said we were gonna leave for dinner by 8."

"Yeah, I'm goin' right now,"  Shawn says.  He zips his duffle bag and looks at Alex.

After a brief hesitation, curious as to why Shawn is acting so nervous, Alex looks at him, then leaves the room. Once Alex has left again, Shawn opens his duffle bag, takes out a pair of boxers and clean socks, zips the bag again, and stuffs it under his sleeping bag out of sight.  He then leaves the bedroom. 

 As Shawn heads down the hall toward the stairs, Alex opens the bathroom door and looks out.  He watches as Shawn goes down the stairs, then he quietly walks back into his bedroom next door to the bathroom.  He hurries over to Shawn's sleeping bag on the floor near his bed.  Reaching under it, 

Alex pulls out his friend's duffle bag.  "Shawn, what did you have in here that you didn't want me to see?"  Alex quietly asks to himself.  He unzips Shawn's bad and opens it.  Pushing back some clothes, he finds the envelope and takes it out.  Alex opens the envelope and hetakes out a hand full of cash.  "What the.... Shawn, how did you get all this?" Alex begins counting the money.  "Five hundred bucks?"  

Alex is startled when the door opens and he sees Shawn walk into the room.  Shawn stops quickly upon seeing Alex with his money.  "Alex, dude, what the HELL?  Why are you goin' through my things?"

"Why don't you tell ME, Shawn, why you have five hundred dollars hidden in your bag, and where you got it?"  Alex asks.  "Did John Ross give you this money?  And if he did, why?  And I want the TRUTH this time, Shawn.  Just what the hell is going on between you and my father?"

Shawn looks at his friend, not sure of how to answer the question, and afraid to be caught in another lie.

Gary and Valene Ewing's home....Knots Landing, California....that night

"Do you, Courtney Lucille Wapner, take this man, Christopher Mark Ewing, to be your lawfully wedded husband?"  The minister asks the bride.  "To have and to hold, from this day forward?  For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness, and in health, forsaking all others and keeping yourself only unto him until death do you part?"

"I do,"  replies a smiling Courtney.

The minister turns to the smiling groom.  "And do you, Christopher Mark Ewing, take this woman, Courtney Lucille Wapner, to be your lawfully wedded wife?  To have and to hold, from this day forward?  For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness, and in health, forsaking all others and keeping yourself only unto her until death do you part?"

"You bet I do,"  Christopher replies.

"Then by the power vested in me by God and by the state of California, I do now pronounce you husband and wife.  Christopher, you may kiss your bride."

Smiling ear to ear, Christopher happily kisses the new Mrs. Ewing as the others look on.  After a moment, the two pull out of the kiss and look happily at each other as Gary, Val, Bobby II, Betsy, and Daniel offer their congratulations.  

"Courtney, welcome to the family,"  Gary says, offering the bride a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you, Gary."

"Now, maybe you'll finally tame this wild cousin of mine,"  Bobby II says.  

Courtney looks at Christopher.  "I would never wanna fully tame him," she says lovingly.  "I like his wild side, to an extent."

Christopher turns to his bride and looks at her.  "I love you so much, Mrs. Ewing."

"And I love you."

"Damn,"  he says.

"Christopher, what's the matter?"  Courtney asks.  

"I just realized something,"  Christopher says.

"What's that?"

"The date of our wedding.  Today is the anniversary of the day that my parents got married for the first time."

"Oh, wow, what a coincidence."

"Maybe it is, or maybe it's just fate,"  Christopher says.  "Whichever......it makes our wedding even more special."  He looks at his new bride for a couple of seconds, then kisses her again as the new Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Ewing look forward to beginning a new life together, exactly 39 years to the day that his parents, Bobby and Pam, were looking forward to their lives together, but under far more stressful circumstance....