The Truth Comes Out

Walton Fan Fiction

I do not own any of the Walton Characters except my own: Amelia-Jean, Rose, Tom and other band members. I had one with the same 'what if' Robert wasn't dead right after ww1 a few years back, but it never sat right so I redid it.

WW2 is still in it's early stages and a female singer shows up with all of the Walton's way of walking, their posture and knowing all 'the ' songs. The ones only the mountain people should know. Who is she?

Scene 1

A thin veil of fog hung around her as Amelia tried to find a way out. Just as she found one a shadow of him appeared and his voiced echoed into her ear. You promised me. I gave everything I could, now it's your turn. Give me back what I lost. The jolt of the bus stopping woke Amelia up.

Amelia may have been awake, but she didn't leave the bus with everyone else. Instead she took her time getting up and dressed. His voice was still ringing in her ear and his face haunted her even in the day light hours. Oh, darling, can't you see I'm doing everything I can? Please quit haunting me. The singer really didn't believe he hadn't let go, but sometimes- when those dreams came- she couldn't help but feel his fear she'd just let go and forgot what they'd promised to each other.

Girl, I'll love you the rest of my days, everything I have is yours, but when I go you promise me the truth comes out. Promise me people will know I wasn't crazy - not totally anyway. She'd promised to find a way for his family to know -even if she had no proof for a court of law.

"Amelia!" Tom hollered from the front of the bus. "Hustle, it's almost your time to go on!"

"I'm not deaf." Amelia walked out wearing her calf-length black dress accented with silver buckles and matching buttons. A bolo tie with silver tips and clasped together with tiny sparkly diamonds hung around her neck. Somehow Tom wasn't surprised to see her wearing her gray snake-skin cowboy boots.

"You alright?" It was a question both understood as Amelia had been getting more on edge the further they went into West Virginia. The only problem was -she wouldn't tell him why.

"I'll be fine. You just play your fiddle and leave the guitar and singing to me." Taking a deep breath she walked down the bus's isle telling herself everything was going to be just fine. And it was …until she got to bottom step of the bus.

"Amelia-Jean…" Tom snapped his fingers in front of her eyes. "…Are you sure you can perform?" He didn't say it but you could tell the manager thought she might have taken something too.

"Of course, I can." Maria snapped back knowing when he used her full name it meant he was seriously considering not having her on stage. "And quit looking at me like that, I haven't taken anyone's medicine."

It wouldn't do any good for Tom to ask what had caused her to freeze like she had so, he didn't even bother. And he would have been right. Amelia knew it too, but what would she have said? I've just seen a ghost? I just saw what my husband would have looked like had he'd not fallen ill and died before our boat landed on Ellis Island? Tom would have thought she'd flipped. As far as he was concerned DeGray was a crazy paranoid ex-French soldier who had found his way to England. Ignoring Amelia's attitude Tom introduced her and was relieved to see the woman was indeed to get up in front of the people in a professional manner.

Professional or not Maria still shot Tom a glare that loudly shouted he'd better not even suggest she step down during this particular performance. As Amelia began to perform she allowed herself to lose herself in the music and live in a world where her husband still lived . The music took over and her voice rang out in strong alto range. Everyone loved the performance, but it caught the group in the far field by surprise.

The group wasn't shocked at Amelia's ability - it was in the way she held herself, the way her hands held the guitar and the way her body would move as she sang. Her whole aurora shouted I'm a Walton, I know this hills like the back of my hand, but they knew that could not be the case- someone would have surely recognized her if that was the case. If the way Amelia held herself was a shock then the way she hollered at the end of a particular fast paced folk song well-known among the mountain folk -but very seldom heard outside their homes - sent shivers down their backs. It was a cry of the past -one they hadn't heard in a very long time for it held 'his' sound in it.

"Dad, are you are sure we're not related to her?" Jim-Bob asked as the hairs on the back of his arm raised up.

"I don't recognize her name, or face. Do you Dad?" John Sr. turned and asked his father - Zebulon.

"No." Zebulon felt as if there was something he should be able to reach out and touch, but couldn't figure it out -as did Ester.

It just wasn't John's family asking the question. It was the same inquiry being buzzed around their relatives who had gathered for a family reunion. All of them thought her whole being shouted she was one of them, but none of them recognized the singer. As she bordered the bus she'd come in the only question being buzzed among the mountain people was Who is she? And how does she know our private songs?

Scene 2

"Like Rose or I would know?" Amelia rolled her eyes as she walked up the isle with the drummer's wife -who happened to play the piano. "We're musicians not mechanics." The response was given in regards to the bus not running right. "While you men are trying to figure it out we'll be in the store up yonder."

"Since when did you say up yonder?" Amelia rolled her eyes as they walked towards a little white store with the name of Godsey on it.

"Since now." Rose was the first one to open the door causing the bell to go off.

Ike was talking to John and the sheriff when the two women walked in. The subject had been the entertainment the night before, so, when they saw who had entered the store the topic got changed -fast. Rose was too busy to notice, Amelia was not. However, she wasn't in the mood to pry so she stuck with looking through the toys for her nephew back home.

"I don't suppose you have any toy cars?" Amelia asked a bit disappointed she couldn't find one. "Promised my nephew, I'd get one on this trip."

"Sorry, we're all out." Ike smiled apologetically.

"That's alright. Told him not to hold his breath." Amelia would have turned and walked out as it was the only item she'd been interested in but Rose insisted on her coming by the shelves with baking goods on them.

"Thinking to make spaghetti, garlic bread and vegetables for supper. Also I'm in the mood for desert- should I make chocolate cake or peach pie for desert?" Rose couldn't decide which and wasn't impressed when Amelia voted for fried okra, fried potatoes, fried chicken and sweet potato pie.

"You have some sort of death wish? That's too many fried foods!" Rose was genuinely shocked, but all the men roared with laughter when Amelia grinned and declared she'd at least die happy.

"Do you have any children of your own?" Ike asked as Amelia came to the counter after picking up some turnip greens in a sack. "I noticed you are wearing a wedding ring." His question was mirrored in the eyes of the sheriff and John.

"My Luke passed away three years ago, but no, we had no children. My husband lived long enough to see the statue of liberty in the distance, but that is it." Amelia -unconsciously- choked on the words and tears threatened to surface. A faint English accent laced her tongue- one of which they had not noticed before.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Ike felt like a heel for asking.

"It's okay. Not your fault." Her speech had them puzzled for along with the English accent they were now picking up on a fain southern drawl.

"Have you ever been to these parts before?" Ike asked with confusion on his face. "You seem kind of familiar and, yet, we can't figure out how."

"No, but my husband used to talk about the south all the time." That statement got the men's eyes wide and asked what his name was.

"Maybe, we know him." John asked with unhidden eagerness.

"Luke DeGray." The man's face fell -it was clear he did not know the name. And from the looks on the other two male's they didn't either.

"Guess, you just have one of those familiar faces." The sheriff picked up his hat and bid them good-bye. "Ya'll have a nice day."

"You too." Amelia waited until Rose had paid her things and started walking out only to turn and walk up to John. "May I ask you a question?"

"Sure can." John waited for the question to be asked only Tom opened the door just as she went to speak.

"Amelia-Jean, we have to go now!" Tom wasn't surprised when the gal told him to cork it that she was coming.

"Later?" Amelia mouthed as she began walking towards Tom. John nodded his head and watched as she then followed the leader of the band out the door.