Hello hello! I normally write stories based on unresolved moments, the past, or spoilers related to the show. Pure speculation as a muse is something that's a little out of my comfort zone, but I'm going to give it a shot. I got to thinking to myself that the number of people who know about Maddie's parentage is getting to be a little outside the circle of trust, so I wondered what exactly would happen if that secret got out. I'm going to try and keep this as realistic as possible and hopefully it won't turn into the soap opera that I'm sure the show would turn it into. Should be a two or three-parter when it's done. Enjoy!
She drew her breath in slowly and let the sunshine fall on her face. It was a brisk morning in late February; the forecast called for nothing but blue skies and a high of 52 degrees. It was probably closer to around 44 this early, but no matter. It was still a beautiful, perfect day for an outdoor press conference.
Rayna was nervous.
Hell, that was the understatement of the decade. Her hands were clammy and shaking, her brain was running 100 MPH with all the worst possible scenarios, and she was almost certain her breakfast was going to spill in the Ryman Alley any minute, right under the newly restored, historic Tootsie's sign.
"Wouldn't that make for a fine photo op?" she thought to herself.
She'd dreamt of this moment forever—or at least from the first moment Edgehill withdrew their support of her independence and started treating her more like a cash cow on strings than an actual artist with a craft—but now that it was here, she couldn't shake the doubt. Had she done the right thing? Was she about to stand on the back steps of the sacred Ryman Auditorium and announce to everyone a venture that would ultimately cause her to fall flat on her face?
Moments earlier, she'd been standing next to the steps, watching the hubbub carefully as the microphone stand was set-up, the barricades were placed, and the Highway 65 logo was hung on the podium. That's when she lost it. Sure, she'd announced the start of the label months back at the Opry, but it was all so much more certain then. She still felt in control—and, if she had to be honest, she hadn't leveraged her entire fortune yet. She tried to remind herself that it wasn't all about money, but somehow, throwing every penny into the hat put things in perspective. She couldn't shake the fear of having to go back to bartending to support her children.
She needed to get away.
She walked quickly away from the mess and into the alley. Tootsies and Legends were gearing up for the day and Jack's was firing up the smoker. She could smell all of it, mixed in with the stale horse shit from the carriage horses on Broadway. It was familiar to her. It was so keenly Nashville. It was her home, and this is where she'd made it.
These busted honky tonks placed so eloquently behind the Mother Church of Country Music raised her and these were her people.
She couldn't let them down now, just as much as she couldn't let herself down.
"Thank you!"
Rayna waved to the throngs of reporters and the small number of fans who had shown up. Due to the limited, urban space of where she'd chosen to have the conference, it was decided to be a "press only" event. The fans were mostly tourists who'd been strolling around and stumbled upon the event.
She glanced back at Maddie and Daphne, who stood behind her on the top step with proud, excited smiles beaming across their faces. She was always reluctant to have them anywhere near where the press was going to be involved, and especially since Peggy had been shot, but she knew this was an important moment for not only her, but them as well. She also knew it was going to be personally special for Maddie, given her impending announcement and probably one of the biggest surprises of the morning. She grinned, thinking of the secret.
"Good morning," She shook her head and motioned with her hands, trying to quiet the cheers. Times like these when she was so unsure of herself and her choices, she knew the public loved her and believed in her. She found that in a larger way than she'd ever admit, it helps.
"Thank you so much. Listen, I know it's a little chilly, but I brought y'all out here on this beautiful day to let you know something real special. You may remember that I introduced my label, Highway 65, at the Opry back in May. You remember that?"
She smiled widely at the cheers.
"Well, I'm here today to tell you that Highway 65 has officially been launched."
More cheers exploded, and she looked back again at her daughters. Daphne was literally jumping, while Maddie, just one month shy of 14, gave her an approving nod.
Glancing down to her right, she caught the glances of Tandy, Bucky, and Deacon, all smiling and applauding enthusiastically.
"That's right. Now I want to introduce some special people to you to kind of get the ball rolling. First off, I am so happy to be joined today by my girls, Maddie and Daphne. The support of my family is really what's gotten me here today and I'm so proud of them and thankful for their support and belief in me that I even let them play hooky to be here with me today,"
She laughed, clasping her hands together as someone in the crowd yelled a muffled, "Best mom ever!"
"Well, I'm not so sure the school thinks so, but we'll see."
She went through the motions for a few more minutes, bringing up Bucky and Tandy to thank them for their support and clue everyone into their roles at the label. She talked a bit about her vision for the business, as well as for the future, while urging support of her and her other two artists, whom she promised to introduce momentarily.
While the morning had gone flawlessly, she found herself eaten with nerves again. What she was about to do could, while probably the smartest business decision she could make, also cause some slight upheaval in her personal life, with slight being the polite way to say it.
She couldn't fathom how Teddy or the tabloids would react, but she knew it was the right thing to do for not only herself and Deacon, but for Maddie, too.
She swallowed the lump rising in her throat, washing down with it the bitter memories of the bidding war she had to get into to keep Deacon in her catalog.
She smiled anxiously and, after naming herself and Scarlett O'Connor as the first two artists on Highway 65, called Deacon Claybourne up as the third.
"Mom! That was awesome!" Daphne squealed from her place beside Tandy, still jumping in place.
"Thanks honey. What'd you think?" She eyed Maddie, grinning.
She had kept it from Maddie that she was signing Deacon, not so much for any bigger reason than she just wanted to surprise her.
"It was great, mom."
Rayna smiled, fully receiving her daughter's arms around her neck. While it was still much to Teddy's disapproval, Maddie and Deacon had continued to form their relationship. Maddie herself had spoken with Teddy and assured him that he was not being replaced, that he was her father, and she loved him with all her heart. She had asked him for support of her relationship with Deacon, explaining that she was curious and wanted to get to know him, adding that she did have a connection with him and she didn't see the problem in having two men who loved and supported her.
What she got was a silent nod, while Rayna got a verbal lashing and even more pushback.
It was at that point Rayna decided to give Maddie and Deacon the go ahead to go all in.
She continued to hold onto Maddie while Daphne rambled on to her aunt about pancakes and Deacon approached from the small group of reporters that had surrounded him immediately after the conference. She grinned at him, allowing Maddie to slip to her side.
"How ya feeling?" She asked, slapping him lightly on the shoulder once he was close enough.
"Kinda weird, honestly. For a second I almost told the camera people they had the wrong guy, 'til I remembered they didn't."
Maddie laughed softly.
"What's so funny?" Deacon asked, watching as Rayna stroked Maddie's hair. He was unsure exactly what feelings the sight brought, but whatever they were, he couldn't stop beaming.
"Nothing. It's really awesome. Congratulations." She reached over and hugged him tightly; probably the tightest she'd hugged him since she'd been seeing him.
He tentatively squeezed back, grinning shyly at Rayna as he did so.
"Thanks, sweetheart."
Rayna smiled at the two of them.
"Hey, I think Daphne's pretty hungry and I know all this excitement has really given me an appetite. What do you guys think of Pancake Pantry for lunch?"
Maddie turned around excitedly.
"Can Deacon come too?"
Rayna looked at him, giving off what he saw as the slightest bit of hope in her eyes. Hope for what? He wasn't sure. Hope for his career, maybe? Hope for them? Or maybe just hope that he'd join the family for pancakes.
"He's invited, if he wants to."
He never broke his gaze at Rayna, perhaps foolishly relishing every second of it.
"I do love me some Pancake Pantry."
"Good," she said, smiling genuinely. "Everyone in the car, then. Meet us there?"
He was just opening his mouth to answer, when an obvious reporter began walking in their direction. He nodded in that direction.
Rayna turned, instantly recognizing the familiar face.
"Steven! Hi!"
The man waved.
Steven Lee was a long time, well respected writer for the Tennessean. He had covered Rayna's career from pretty much the beginning, taking great care to leave all the tabloid fodder at the door. Not that there had been much of it, minus her obviously shotgun wedding to Teddy and their subsequent divorce at the hands of rumored affairs.
He was a good man, she knew, as well as a good journalist. Any exclusives she had for the Tennessean went to him.
"Hey Rayna, Deacon," he nodded to them both, his thick drawl shining through his words. "Might I have a word with ya both?"
They stood at the edge of the parking lot.
There was no one around, and for the umpteenth time that day, Rayna's nerves were slowly gnawing at her insides. When he'd first asked to speak with them, she assumed it was for his piece on the label, as anyone would. When he'd asked for somewhere private, she grew confused. When she placed her kids and sister in the car and the space outside was still not private enough, she become full on concerned.
"What's this about, Steve?" Deacon asked, seemingly confused.
"Look guys, I really wish I could say this was about what went on today. It's really a great thing you're both doing and I promise you'll get the paper's full support on it, but—"
"But what?"
Rayna was growing impatient, and her nerves were wearing thin. She knew in her gut what was coming; she'd dreaded it for so long and she always felt that her actions would come back to bite her in the ass. She just needed to hear it from him; from this respected, storied reporter who had never done anything to jeopardize her career or her family. She needed him to tell her that it was all over.
"Do you know Joey Katz?"
Rayna closed her eyes. Of course she knew Joey Katz. He was the Walter Cronkite of tabloid trash journalism. He'd spread the speculation that she was pregnant at her wedding. He'd also been the one Peggy sold the divorce to.
She nodded grimly.
"Well, rumors are circulating that he's got a tidbit. I don't know why, but he's sitting on it. That ain't normally his style, but he seems to actually be trying to find a halfway decent source. I just wanted to let you know that if he gets his source or anything close to it, he's running the story."
Deacon stared at his feet, clearly fearful of what was coming next.
"And," Rayna choked. "And what might this story be?"
Steven stared at Deacon.
"That Maddie Conrad is Deacon Claybourne's daughter."
