A/N: A big thanks to hazelra77, my new fanfic cohort for helping me edit and perfect the dialogue in this chapter. Enjoy

Disclaimer: I don't own the Waltons, but after the disaster better known as The Tempest, I really should.

Jim Bob was driving his jalopy with Ben, Jason, and John as they followed Curt and John Boy in his van. It was eerily silent except for the motor running as each shared one thought.

Mary Ellen

Finally, the silence was broken by the driver. "What the heck was Mary Ellen doing meeting up with David?"

"She wasn't meeting with him, Dummy" Ben said snidely. "She was supposed to meeting up with Curt. Obviously David set things up and he hurt her when she told him to bug off."

"Why would he hurt her? He was going to marry her a while ago."

"Because she dumped him for Curt stupid!" Ben retorted back.

"I'm not stupid, idiot."

"Yes, you are for asking a dumb question." Jason jumped in.

"Am not!"

"ENOUGH ALL OF YOU!"

All voices were silent as the elder Walton spoke up. "Right now, I don't care how David and Mary Ellen ended up being there. The only thing I want you boys thinking about now is how to help your sister when we get there because Curt is going to need all the help we can give him. Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir" All three sons replied flatly.

"Curt, what the hell was my sister doing there if you two didn't have plans?"

The doctor gripped the steering wheel tightly with white knuckles in order to control himself, but it was a losing battle.

"I don't know John Boy. We had a fight last night, but we made up later. I never set up any special plans for us before supper tonight because I had my patient charts to go over"

Suddenly the good doctor had another thought. "And how the hell did David know about our spot!? Huh? I've never told anyone and I sure as hell know your sister didn't."

"Are you sure, Curt? What about Nora?"

"Of course, I'm sure, damn it. Even if Nora did know, she wouldn't tell anyone. She's a good friend to both of us, even though people are talking bunk behind our backs."

John Boy needed to distract himself from thinking the worst and saw that the man driving could use the same thing. "Do you think David did all that? Start the rumors about you and Nora?"

Curt's eyes turned black as coals. "I don't know John Boy. If he did, you all will have to get behind me because I'll tear him apart. It's bad enough people are spouting gossip about me, but I can deal with it. But all that nonsense getting back to Mary Ellen makes her look like a fool for being with me"

"Curt, no one thinks that—"

"Some do, John Boy, but right now, I have only one concern and that's your sister. If I find out he hurt Mary Ellen in any way, I can't guarantee what will happen."

John Boy turned to his future brother-in-law. "She'll be all right, Curt. I know she will."

"She better be or Doc Spencer better run fast."

In the lead car, David concentrated on driving. He still didn't know how things ended up like this, but he had to put those thoughts aside along with his feelings because Mary Ellen was counting on him. However, the events of this morning continued to haunt him as he drove.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

He began to toss and turn before starting to wake up. He opened his eyes and was blinded by the sun coming in through the window. His head was pounding and he felt like something the cat dragged in. When he gained his faculties, he looked around and was instantly awake.

"How the hell did I get here?" He muttered before looking down and saw his shirt was partly unbuttoned. It was then he realized where he was.

Mary Ellen's cabin, where he accidentally saw them come together as lovers on her birthday. He was despondent after seeing that, but Erin convinced him to go the distance with her by giving him the love letters Mary Ellen saved. She said her sister still had feelings for him and to not give up even though she broke their engagement.

Bits and pieces of the night before came back as he remembered being upset about how the surprise he and Erin cooked up in the hospital courtyard blew up in his face. He couldn't understand Mary Ellen's anger because it totally contradicted what her sister was telling him. Of course, Erin wouldn't steer him wrong as she obviously knew what was going on more than he did.

He drove to the Walton's homestead and started to drink. The whiskey did its job as the only other thing he remembered was being assisted, dropped on a surface, and told to sleep it off, but he couldn't remember who helped him.

It was then he heard a lock click. Before he could stand up and make himself more presentable, he saw Mary Ellen walk in the room. The beautiful smile she wore turned immediately down when she saw him.

"What the hell are you doing in here, David?"

"Me? I just woke up here. I'm not sure when, but I think someone helped me in here last night, but I don't know who."

"Likely story, David. I know, you know"

David was genuinely confused. "What are you talking about?"

"All the secret meetings with my sister you ass! You have been leading her on so you can win me back. Well it's won't work. I love Curt and I am marrying him next Saturday"

Her facial expression changed to one of realization. "Curt was supposed to meet me here, but he isn't is he? You forged the note and left the flowers"

David was smart enough to know when to fess up. "Mary Ellen, yes, I've been meeting with your sister, but I don't know about any flowers or meeting here. The last note I wrote was at the h—"

"You lying bastard! How could you hurt Erin like that? She has a crush on you and she's young and vulnerable"

"But Mary Ellen—"

"Just stay away from me, David!"

When she turned to leave, David was off the couch. "Mary Ellen, you don't understand—"

The young girl broke into a run, which got faster as she was chased by her ex-fiance. "Leave me alone, David!"

"Mary Ellen, stop! I need to talk to you" He yelled as he continued to follow her.

In an effort to get away, Mary Ellen jumped off the trail into the woods part, heading towards a large rock. "Get away from me, D-AAAAHHHHhhhhhh!" She screamed as she suddenly disappeared from the doctor's view.

"MARY ELLEN!"

David yelled as he raced over to where she disappeared. He didn't see where he was going until he tripped over a rotted board and fell. When he looked around, he was horrified when he saw an open hole. Looking down, his worst fear was confirmed.

Below, Mary Ellen sat at the bottom of what looked like an old well, her left leg bent at an unnatural angle. The top third of her body was leaning against the well wall, but it was the fact that she was not moving that scared him.

"Mary Ellen, wake up! Mary Ellen!" David looked around frantically. "Help! Someone help me!"

Adrenaline and his instincts kicked in as he looked around. Finding the path, he ran towards what he hoped would be his car. He knew he looked like a mess, but didn't care.

The only that mattered was he needed to get help for the woman he loved.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

David came back to reality as the turn-off came into view. Quickly he moved the car into it, followed by the others. He got out and was looking into his trunk for what was needed when he was accosted by an angry Curt.

"Where the hell is she David?"

"I'll tell you in a moment, but we need rope and something that can act as a stretcher. You've got one in your van, right Curt?"

Curt didn't answer him as his body shook with rage while being held back by John Boy and Jason. "What the hell did you do to Mary Ellen!?"

"I didn't do anything, but she needs our help." He turned back to his vehicle but his search yielded no results. "Damn, does anyone have a rope in their cars?"

Putting his anger aside for a moment, Curt turned to the others. "Jim Bob, grab the rope in my van. Jason, John Boy, get the stretcher and my bag" He saw the looks of concern. "I'm fine, just get the stuff" He turned to the other man. "David, where is she?"

When David saw the boys returned with the needed items, he led the way. "Follow me."

As they headed down the path, John spoke up unable to hold back. "David, what the hell were you doing down her with my daughter?"

"I don't know, sir. I was drinking last night but somehow I was here"

John wanted to ask more, but he knew that his thoughts had to be put aside for the time being. When they got near the boulder, David pointed down. When they arrived, each looked down and what the men saw made their stomachs drop.

"My baby" John said. Snapping back, he looked to his sons. "Jim Bob, give me that rope"

"John, what the hell is this thing? It looks like a well." Curt asked as John handed him the rope end.

The elder Walton began unwinding rope. "It must be one of the old water wells. Pa said that during the war, the Rebels would use these as booby traps for the Yankees. The purpose was to have a soldier fall in. If someone was stuck down here, they would probably die of exposure. He said that over the years the family came through and covered them up, but this must have been missed or loosened with the rain."

As Curt tied the rope around his waist, Jim Bob spoke up. "I'm smaller, Curt. Maybe I should go"

The good doctor saw the worry in the teenager's face. He wanted to reassure him, but wouldn't talk down to him. "Sorry Kid. I've had experience with getting miners out of the ground. I might have to do some first aid down there before coming up. Besides I need you up here helping your brothers and David"

He looked down to see Mary Ellen who was still lying still at the bottom. Suddenly, a crack of thunder shattered through the air before a hard rain pelted down on the men.

"Damn it. We have to get her out now before she drowns down there" Curt said. "Get this around the tree first and hold tight. I need the strongest in the back. David get in the front to help secure her when we come up."

John took up the rear with his sons in the middle as the other doctor moved up. When the rope was coiled, David wrapped his hand with the rope and dug his heels in to the ever increasing mud as each said a prayer for the injured woman and the man going down.

When all was secure, Curt began to lower himself inside the well. As he got closer, he couldn't help but notice the water inch up to around his fiancée's waist. When he saw her leg, he knew immediately it was broken, but the fact that she didn't wake up with the water pelting her had him scared. Forcing himself into doctor mode, he shook off his fears as he continued to go down.

"Mary Ellen, wake up!" He yelled to no response

When he got to the bottom, the water was mid-calf but his fiancée's chest level. Carefully, he shook her to prevent any possible neck injuries from being worse. "Nurse Walton, wake up!"

When she finally stirred, Curt almost cried in relief. "About damn time. Come on, Honey we have to get you out of here"

"Curt?" Mary Ellen said groggily.

"It's me, Sweetheart. Come on, if we don't get out of here, we're gonna drown. Did you hit your head?"

Mary Ellen moved her head slightly, grimacing. "Yeah, my head hurts."

"You broke your leg, too but we don't have time to get you a splint down here. Now let me lift you."

Curt was careful as he could, but Mary Ellen screamed when she felt a searing pain through her leg. "Oh God Curt, my leg!"

"I'm sorry, but you just have to hold on a little bit longer until we can get you to my van. Now, hang onto me."

When he got Mary Ellen almost standing, a wave of dizziness hit her. "Oh, Curt, I'm really dizzy"

Curt did a quick assessment and felt a large bump on the back of her head. "Yeah, I'm sure you are from this goose egg."

"I don't feel so good, Curt."

"Get sick on me if you have to, but we have to get out of here now." Curt commanded just as the water from the rain reached past his waist. "Put your arms around my neck. Good. Now hang on tight."

When he had a secure grasp of her, he yelled up. "Ready!"

On top, David was talking while assisting the others in pulling the couple up from the well.

"Mr. Walton, I have no idea why Mary Ellen came here. I just woke up here. I wouldn't hurt-"

While David was talking, John Boy slipped on the ground in the mud, but recovered and got himself back up.

"You all right, son?" John yelled, ignoring the other man.

"Yeah, just trying to keep from falling in this stuff. Just glad we wrapped the rope around because it's starting to get wet and slippery"

Jim Bob was pulling near the tree and was horrified when he saw the rope begin to fray. "Dad, the rope's breaking!"

John took charge. "Jim Bob, move up with Ben. John Boy move up a bit. I have to get behind you to pull. David, put some muscle into it! Let's go before this damn rope breaks!"

David's arms were burning with fatigue. He wasn't used to this kind of labor growing up in Richmond, but he tried. "I'm doing the best I can." He continued to pull, but his muscles were about to give out. "John Boy, you know I would never hurt your sister, right?"

By then, the oldest Walton child had enough of the other man's excuses. "David, shut up so we can help Mary Ellen!"

Chastised, the young doctor went back to his job. "They're almost here! Almost up!"

As they were slowly being pulled up, Mary Ellen clung onto her fiancé before vomiting. "Curt I'm sorry." She slurred

"You've got nothing to be sorry about, Mary Ellen. We can definitively now give you a diagnosis of a concussion." He said in a bad attempt at humor.

"Only you would try to make me laugh right now, Curtis Willard" Suddenly, she felt her hands getting slippery. "Curt, I'm falling!"

The doctor's arms were in agony, but he was determined. 'God I know I'm a pain in the butt, but let me do this one thing right. Please help me!'

Suddenly, he found more strength as he ignored his pain and held on tighter. "I've got you Mary Ellen. I won't let you fall, do you hear me? It would too much of a pain for me to train another nurse"

"I'm kind of sleepy, Curt"

"Don't go to sleep, woman! We'll be out before you know it"

When they reached the top, Curt called out for one of the guys. "Ben, help David get your sister!"

As the two men got her onto the stretcher, David started a quick splint. The other assisted Curt in getting out, but not before Jim Bob almost fell in when he slipped in the mud. When they were all safe, they ran to check on Mary Ellen, whose splint was almost done. They could hear David yell at Ben.

"Ben wake her up! She can't go to sleep"

Curt took charge. "Jason, you and Jim Bob run ahead and get my van open. Everyone else, help me with this"

As carefully as they could through the heavy rain, the men walked Mary Ellen, who was barely conscious and moaning in pain to the van before getting her in. When settled, Curt turned to John. "John can you drive my van? I need to stay with her in the back"

"Yeah" Before John got in, he turned to his sons. "Boys, go back to the house and get your mother and sister. Grab Elizabeth at Ike's. One of you stay at the house if Grandpa isn't back. Meet us at the hospital."

"Curt what can I do?" David said.

The doctor's nerves were shot and the other man's presence was about to rip the last one. "Nothing. Just find something to do that's away from me. I don't have time for you now." He turned to his future father-in-law. "Let's go John."

Everyone got into their cars including the one Mary Ellen used and left to their designated areas, except David, who merely stood for a minute contemplating what to do. When he knew, he got in his car and drove away.