A/N: A reminder that this story may be slightly A/U. Enjoy

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

"Curtis Willard you idiot! Good for her for not accepting your proposal!" Nora said as she packed up supplies.

"I see how this works. I give you supplies for your patients up in the Blue Ridge and as a thank you I get insulted"

"You should be insulted. That wasn't a marriage proposal, it was a demand. Mary Ellen isn't too keen on those. I could have told you that"

"Well, I'm sorry, Nora but I'm not Shakespeare. I don't put on airs and I say what I mean. Mary Ellen is all too willing to let me kiss her or help herself to me when she feels inclined. I've asked her to marry me every day since I got back from Richmond and she still tells me no. She's being a pain."

"I will admit that I do enjoy kissing you, Doctor Willard. However, I'm not going to answer yes when a man asks me 'Are you going to marry me yet or what?'"

Curt and Nora turned to see Mary Ellen entering the examination room. "I was almost to Ike's when I realized I forgot one of the statements that I prepared this morning" Mary Ellen turned to her friend. "Good to see you, Nora. How was your date last night?"

"Very promising. How about I tell you while you walk over to mail those statements?"

"Sounds good" Mary Ellen turned to Curt. "I'll be back shortly, Doctor"

When the ladies left, Curt slapped the stethoscope on the table. "Stubborn woman is driving me crazy, but God help me I love her"

One week later, Mary Ellen was at the office preparing statements to mail out. Curt was making house calls and would be gone for the rest of the day. She went into the residence part to make some coffee as the day was unusually chilly.

As she was waiting for the vacuum pot to finish, she pulled milk out of the refrigerator. She found a cup and saucer in the small drain rack. She had just poured and mixed her coffee when she heard a voice.

"You seem very familiar in here, young lady"

Mary Ellen turned around and was stunned as she saw Mrs. Spencer standing there with a look on her face that had her quaking in her shoes. "M-Mrs. Spencer, what can I do for you?"

"How could you, Mary Ellen? How could you toy with my David's heart?"

"I loved David, Mrs. Spencer, but we wanted different things in life. It wouldn't have been fair to him or to me"

"We offered you all we had to give, young lady. How do you repay us? You make my son look like a fool by having a relationship with another man and then humiliating him at your wedding rehearsal"

"I was always faithful to David. I was never with another man"

Mrs. Spencer came closer. "That's not what I've heard young lady. You were so happy to marry my David but then this new doctor, an older man with more experience came to town. He hired you as his nurse when you should have concentrated on your wedding. Suddenly what my son could offer wasn't good enough and you found this Doctor Willard a better choice. What was it, Mary Ellen? Does he offer you more excitement than my steady and dependable David? The only reason a young, unmarried woman roams around the residence of a single man, her supervisor, is because she is familiar with him in a way that is not proper"

"Mrs. Spencer it's not like that. I make coffee here because there is no kitchen in the practice. Right now, I'm the only one here because Curt is tending to patients in the Blue Ridge"

"So it's Curt instead of Doctor Willard. I see how you are young lady. Use my son until you get what you need while having an illicit affair with another man. You two were betraying my son right under his nose. You're nothing more than—"

"I would stop that sentence if I were you, Mrs. Spencer"

Mrs. Spencer and Mary Ellen turn to see Olivia standing there with a basket full of crocheted blankets and sweaters. Slowly, she came forward and put the basket on the table. "Sorry to interrupt, Mary Ellen. I just wanted to drop off the blankets that Grandma, Mrs. Brimmer, and I crocheted for the patients Curt said needed more warm clothing."

Olivia stood in front of the other woman. "Mrs. Spencer. I'm sorry for what happened with our children. You seem to be a good woman looking out for her son and it's admirable as long as it's not misguided. I am also a mother who looks out for her children"

She took one step closer. "My daughter is a good girl and what she did took real courage. It would have been easy to marry David and avoid hurt feelings. However, each wanted different things and their love would have grown to anger and discontent. That is no way for two people to live a life together. She does love your son, Mrs. Spencer. She loved him enough to do the right thing by both of them and I think you know that deep down, too"

Olivia breathed for a moment. "With that said, you need to listen to what I have to say because I will not repeat again. If you ever speak about or to my daughter like you just did when I came in, I will come to Richmond personally. I will find out where you are and I will rip every hair out of your head. I'm a Christian woman, Mrs. Spencer, but I will not tolerate anyone tearing down my children. This visit today will be your last, do you hear me?"

Mrs. Spencer sensed that Olivia was not bluffing. "Fine, but I never want to see you again, Mary Ellen Walton"

Mary Ellen started crying when the older woman left. Olivia put her arm around her daughter and walked her to the table. "Thank you Momma for helping me there"

"Well, she was only being a mother, but she was wrong about you" Olivia took her daughter's hand and squeezed it. "Don't you believe any of that trash Mrs. Spencer said you hear me? When you marry someone, it needs to be with your whole heart. If you can't, then you need to set that person free to find someone who can. You did the right thing, Mary Ellen, and don't you ever forget that"

"I love David, Momma, but I want to finish school and be a nurse"

"And also marry Curt Willard" Mary Ellen looked up stunned at what her mother said, but Olivia continued. "You loved David, but you are in love with Curt."

Mary Ellen was in shock. "How did you know, Momma? All we do in front of people is argue about, well, almost everything."

Olivia laughed. "A mother knows, Mary Ellen. Someday you will understand that. Besides, a person would have to be blind to not see that Curt loves you deeply, too, even though he acts ornery more times than not. The problem is you both are proud, headstrong people. Love is wild, exciting, dull, comfort, but sometimes, it's also compromise"

"Momma when he kisses me I feel something I've never felt with anyone else, not even David. Was it the same with you and Daddy?"

"It was, Sweetheart. After that first kiss, I knew John Walton was the one"

"Curt calls it chemistry. Chemistry doesn't build a future, though Momma"

"You're right….it doesn't build a future, but it makes one heck of a head start. I want you to be happy, Mary Ellen."

"I want to be happy too, Momma but I won't settle. If Curt wants to be with me, he needs to tell me how he feels, not just kiss me and ask when I'm going to marry him almost every day like it's a chore I won't do"

"Oh no, he doesn't?" Seeing her daughter nod her head, Olivia laughed and pat her daughter's hand before getting up. "Stick to your guns, Mary Ellen. If it's meant to be, it will happen. See to it that Curt gets those blankets, will you?"

"Sure Momma" The smile Mary Ellen had on her face disappeared when her mother left the residence. Mary Ellen took her lukewarm coffee and dumped it in the sink. Her lingering embarrassment from Mrs. Spencer warmed her enough as she walked back to the practice.

Curt came out of a patient's room in the hospital in Charlottesville but his mind was on Mary Ellen.

For the last two days, she was quiet and always lost in her own thoughts. He could handle it when she was annoyed with him, but not when she was sad and barely talking. When he asked her, she reassured him that she was fine, but he didn't believe it. He knew that she was scheduled to work tonight and hoped to talk to her before her brother picked her up.

As he was working on a notation at the nurses' station, he heard his name. When he looked up, he saw Jason. "Hello, Jason. What can I do for you?"

Jason looked around to make sure his sister wasn't nearby. "Can we talk for a minute?"

"Sure. I am assuming it's important for you to show up early to take Mary Ellen home" The men walked down to a lounge. When Curt shut the door, he looked at the other man. "What can I do for you?"

Jason knew he was breaking a confidence, but something had to be done to get his stubborn sister and an equally stubborn Doc Willard to move forward. "Doc, do you love my sister? I mean do you love her enough to spend the rest of your life with her?"

Curt sat his chart down. "Not that it's any of your business, but yeah, even when she's being a pain, I love her. I don't want to marry her just to be married. I want to build a life and a family with her. I'd die of boredom if I married anyone else."

"Does she know that?"

"Does she know what, Jason?"

"Does she know that for you it's not just chemistry?"

"Of course she does" As he finished speaking, he realized that Jason had a reason to ask that question. 'She knows how I feel about her, doesn't she?'

"We talked after church the Sunday that you dropped off the letter Erin burned. I told her that I saw something between you two. She said 'he called it chemistry'. When I asked her what she was going to do about it, she said that you can't build a life on chemistry"

Jason could see the light bulb go off over Curt as realization washed over his face. "What I'm saying Doc, is that if you want a life with Mary Ellen, you need to show her that she's more than just chemistry to you. You've probably noticed how she's been of late"

"I have"

"I guess David's mom paid a visit to your office a couple of days ago while you were gone. From what I heard Mary Ellen and Momma talking about early this morning, she accused the two of you of sneaking around on David. Momma had overheard Mrs. Spencer and sent her back to Richmond with her tail between her legs. Mary Ellen didn't say it, but I think it shook her up pretty good."

'No wonder Mary Ellen has been upset. If I find out David knew about this, he's getting a swift kick in the pants and teeth' Curt thought before speaking. "For crying out loud, Dr. Spencer went home whining to his momma to fight his battles for him?"

"Not sure, but just so you know, he's sent her a letter and left her a couple of messages here. She hasn't returned the calls because she's sweet on you, but if you keep dragging your feet, she may change her mind. I like you, Curt and would hate to see that happen."

Seeing Curt pumped up, Jason moved in. "Say, how about you take her home tonight? Tell her I was asked to work at the Dew Drop at the last minute and called you."

Jason turned and walked towards the door. He was about to open the door when he turned back to Curt. "'Stage Door' is playing in Charlottesville for the next couple of weeks. Mary Ellen loves Ginger Rogers' movies. It's just a thought. Have a good one." Jason walked out and shut the door. He began whistling to himself. 'That'll get their behinds in gear'

Curt stood in the lounge thinking and then smiled. "Mary Ellen Walton will marry me by fall, or I'll die trying."

Nine o'clock came and Mary Ellen was briefing the night nurse. When done, she went to the student lockers to get her sweater and purse. When collected she walked out of the hospital and was surprised to see Curt waiting on the bench outside with a newspaper in his hand. "Curt, I thought you left a couple of hours ago?"

Curt smiled. "I was done a couple of hours ago, but decided to wait for you. It was a clear night tonight so I had a nice way to pass the time"

"Well, Jason is coming to get me. Speaking of which, where is he?"

"He got called in to work at the Dew Drop at the last minute. Called and asked me to take you home tonight"

Mary Ellen's excitement to see Curt was overshadowed by sadness over Mrs. Spencer's words. "Thank you, Curt. I'm just sorry you had to wait for so long."

"For you, I don't mind. Come on" The couple got into the van and left the hospital. After a few minutes, Curt knew he needed to say something. "I know what happened with Mrs. Spencer when I was gone last week"

Mary Ellen could only look down in her lap. Curt pulled over onto the side of the road. After he cut the engine, he looked over at the young woman. "Mary Ellen, why didn't you tell me about it?"

"There's nothing to tell, Curt"

"Bull, Mary Ellen. I know that there are some gums flapping around town that we may have been improper before your wedding rehearsal. However, we know that nothing of the sort happened short of one kiss before you broke things off with David. Why has it upset you so much that you couldn't tell me?"

"I don't know, Curt"

Curt had an idea. He was sure why because he had the same feelings. "Do you feel guilty because you started to have feelings for me after you became engaged?" Her silence confirmed his hunch. "Mary Ellen, do you think you're the only one that feels bad? Don't get me wrong. I'm not sorry I met you, but I'm sorry about how it hurt someone. Sure, it would have been nicer to meet under different circumstances, but sometimes, life is messy. You take what you get and make something out of it. If we're lucky, it turns out for the best."

Mary Ellen smiled and took Curt's hand. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it, Curt. I thought if I didn't talk about it, I would get over it. I felt like I had no right to be upset and I guess, I wondered if deep down Mrs. Spencer was right about me."

"Mary Ellen Walton, Mrs. Spencer is a twit, and so are you if you buy that hooey"

Mary Ellen laughed. "You're right and I'm not a twit, thank you very much!"

Curt responded to her smile, grateful to see it after the glum of the last couple of days. "Good thing. I was afraid I was going to have to find another nurse"

Curt started the van and pulled back onto the road heading back to Walton's Mountain.

'You couldn't find another nurse to put up with you Curtis Willard'

'I could find another nurse, one more agreeable, but it would get too quiet after a while. Besides, you would be bored without me'

'Whatever Doctor Willard'

'You know I'm right. Life's more fun with me, Nurse Walton'