A/N: Here's part three. I hope that those who are viewing like what I am posting. I think the Curt/Mary Ellen relationship got short shifted. In my imagination, he didn't die in Pearl Harbor or abandon his family while feeling sorry for himself. On the contrary, they lived to have a very successful marriage spanning many decades filled with children and grandchildren.

As stated before, this is my imagining of how the whole courtship went about to their wedding. Enjoy

Disclaimer: I don't own the Waltons...too bad

"Auuugh!"

Curt ripped out another piece of drywall during the early morning hours. He was feeling out of sorts from another night of fitful sleep and was taking out his frustrations out on the wall he was ripping out. He got so involved he had lost track of time when he heard a voice he had come to love hearing.

"Curt?"

Startled, he looked down at the messy jeans and dirty undershirt he had on for working. Before he could leave, he saw Mary Ellen standing in the hall way, shocked. "Curt! It's almost eight in the morning and you look a mess! Why aren't you dressed and ready for patients? Mrs. Brimmer is going to be here in twenty minutes"

Curt felt his back go up at his shaming by Mary Ellen. "Well, then Nurse Walton get the office ready and get Mrs. Brimmer started while I finish getting ready. It's my office and I'm entitled to be running behind sometimes!"

Mary Ellen wasn't happy with the doctor's snappy attitude. 'It's not my fault he can't keep time'. Her arms went straight down with her fists clenched. "Fine, Dr. Willard!"

When Mary Ellen left the hallway, Curt rushed to his residence side. Opening his closet, he threw out a shirt, pants, and a tie. Going to his top drawer, he threw out a pair of boxer underpants and black socks.

He hurried out of the bedroom and down the hallway to the bathroom, stripping his shirt as he got down there. After a quick shower, he filled the basin with hot water before getting his shave cream, brush, and blade. He shaved efficiently and clad only in his towel around his waist, opened the bathroom door.

As he began to walk down the hall to the bedroom, he was greeted with an awkward sight.

Mary Ellen got the office to rights but needed to make coffee for Curt since she had learned that with a cup of coffee he isn't as much of a grouch with patients or people in general. He didn't have the means to make it in the office part, which meant she had to go to his kitchen every day.

She walked over to the residence side and pushed the curtain aside. She could faintly hear the shower from the bathroom as got the items together for the vacuum pot. A short time later, the coffee was finished.

Walking out of the kitchen down the hall, she encountered Dr. Willard in only a waist cinched towel freshly showered and shaved. Both were surprised by the other, but Mary Ellen couldn't help but stare.

He was lanky in build, but with a thatch of dark hair on his chest. She could detect the faint smell of his shave cream. She felt her stomach doing cartwheels as her mind starting going places she knew were not proper. Needing a quick exit, she couldn't help her stammer. "Ex-excuse me, Curt. I was just making coffee for the office. I-I'm going there now"

Curt watched his nurse move like she was on fire. He was embarrassed as much as she was but he saw the quick interest in her eyes. It was then he remembered she was an engaged woman and may be mortified enough to quit on him. Desperate for that not to happen, he quickly got dressed and hurried to his office.

Mary Ellen was lining up instruments for a small procedure planned later in the day. She heard him walk in but wasn't ready to face him. Keeping her head to her task, she pointed to the desk. "Your coffee is ready. Made it black with one sugar like you prefer it"

Curt liked it when she was flustered but needed her to face him. Her eyes were something he had come to appreciate of late. "Mary Ellen"

"Yes, Doctor" She remained focused on her task.

"Mary Ellen, stop putting the instruments on the table and look at me"

She stopped then looked. Curt could still see she was flushed with humiliation and knew he had to tread carefully. "Nurse Walton, I'm sorry for, well, giving you an eyeful. I should have known you would have to go into the kitchen and needed to be better prepared. A young woman doesn't….need to be a situation, especially an engaged woman, where her boss presents to her less than fully clothed"

Seeing he was making an effort to be apologetic, Mary Ellen relaxed. "I'm sorry, Curt. I heard the shower and wanted to get the coffee ready for you. I was not expecting to see you…..like that"

Sensing the tension easing, Curt fell back into his usual role. "Well, you wouldn't have seen me like that if you weren't rushing me"

Mary Ellen felt relief as things got back to their normal bickering. "Well, Dr. Willard, if you were paying more attention to the time, it wouldn't have happened in the first place"

Curt walked up close to his nurse. He saw she was wearing it down only clipped back with barrettes, a style he determined was his favorite. In spite of himself, he wanted to do nothing more than to take her in his arms and smell her Drene scented hair. Realizing where his thoughts were going, he shook them off along with his urge to bite her head off. What happened earlier wasn't her fault nor was the feelings he was having.

"You're right, Nurse Walton, and thank you for my coffee" He walked over and as he was about to take a sip, he heard the unmistakable greeting of Flossie Brimmer. He heard Mary Ellen laugh as he looked at the cup forlornly before putting it down. "Well, Nurse Walton, show our patient in"

"Yes Doctor"

Mary Ellen went to go get Mrs. Brimmer and Curt laughed. "What a way to start a day"

Two days later found Curt very tired as he was driving back to town after taking Mary Ellen home. He was grateful to get to Miss Emily in time as her case of pneumonia was life threatening. If the older woman waited much longer, she wouldn't be with them in a comfortable hospital bed right now. He was also thankful for the assistance of John Boy and of course, Mary Ellen. Against his better judgment, he thought back to thirty minutes earlier.

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The doctor was at the wheel, thankful to be getting his third wind. He couldn't help himself as he looked over and saw Mary Ellen drifting off to sleep in the passenger seat. Seeing her looking peaceful and vulnerable at that moment tipped his heart dangerously close to falling off the professional plane he worked to set whenever he was with her.

Needing a temporary escape, he stopped the car to admire the mountain scenery. She followed him when he got out, surprising him. Before he knew it, he let his guard down more as he told her about where he grew up. When she asked him why he wasn't married, he gave a quick answer hopeful the subject would change soon. It did, but the next topic wasn't much better. He tried to act interested when Mary Ellen brought up Nora, but it wasn't easy. He kept the banter light when they got back into the van and drove home.

Yes, he could find another nurse, but not like Mary Ellen Walton.

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He arrived back at his residence, but he sat for a minute. Feeling out of sorts, he got up and began tearing down another part of the drywall for the waiting room. It seemed every day he got more and more restless. When the wall was completely down, he had to find another outlet for his frustrations. It was then he realized the source of his troubles.

Mary Ellen Walton

He had grown very used to having her around in his office….in his life. It was then he realized that he couldn't lie to himself anymore.

Contrary to what he told Mary Ellen, he did find the right girl. She was a young woman who knew what she wanted and practiced medicine with the same dedication that he did. She was also very beautiful, especially when she smiled at him. He thought about her body for a moment and realized that eighteen or not, Mary Ellen was built very attractively. He desperately itched to see what she had underneath, but he pushed his lustful thoughts away.

Yep, he found the right girl, but she was someone else's. Even he wouldn't try to undermine another man's relationship. Mary Ellen mentioned introducing him to her friend Nora. Maybe that was what he needed to help distract him from his young nurse.

He hoped, at least.