Disclaimer: I don't own Nashville and never will. No copyright infringement intended.
Warnings: Infidelity
The second Teddy saw Deacon in the airport, he knew he had just lost Rayna for good. He wasn't sure why the man was there, but did it really matter? Rayna loved him, but she had always loved Deacon more. And there was the big secret that Deacon didn't know and was probably going to be furious about when the truth came out. And it was definitely going to come out at some point and a lot of people were going to wind up being hurt by this entire situation.
"Can we go eat somewhere, Dad?" Maddie smiled at him, and Teddy's heart broke. He was going to lose her and he knew it. How could he compete with Deacon? She had always been attached to him and had followed the man around, something he and Rayna had tried to actively discourage. He was honestly surprised that Deacon hadn't figured it out yet considering Lamar knew (but then again, his father-in-law knew everything).
He shook himself out of the depressing thoughts and tried to smile at his daughters. "Sure we can. Let's go, girls." He followed the two of them out of the airport and into the car.
And after his paranoia got the better of Teddy, he drove over to Peggy's that night after making sure that Maddie and Daphne were being taken care of by the nanny. He rang the doorbell and his ex-girlfriend gaped at him when she opened the door.
"What the hell are you doing here? You just took a big risk. You're lucky everyone's gone." Peggy wrapped her arms around herself and tried to pretend that she wasn't thrilled to see Teddy there.
"I had to see you. Rayna and I are over. We have been for a long time and just didn't want to admit it. You almost kissed me the night I won the election. Why?"
She shrugged and then sighed. "I still love you, Teddy. I tried to pretend that I didn't, but I know why I helped you with the money situation. The fact that we're both married and you have kids is what kept me away."
He smiled despite the pain in his chest that had settled there since the moment he realized his marriage was over for good. "I love you, too. You should have kissed me that night, by the way." And then Teddy leaned over and kissed her.
Peggy pulled him into the house so no one would see and they continued to kiss for a few minutes before pulling apart. "Should we take this in the bedroom?" she questioned breathlessly.
He nodded and followed her into the bedroom. Teddy sneaked quietly into the house the next morning and tried to tamper down on the guilt that was threatening to overwhelm him. He and Rayna weren't getting back together and it was only a matter of time before she decided to file for divorce. He just wasn't going to come clean with her because she didn't need to know (probably wouldn't even care) and he didn't want to hurt her.
Teddy and Peggy continued their affair for several more weeks, making sure to meet only when the girls were in school or sleeping and when her husband was gone. Neither of them wanted to get caught, but they liked the thrill of it all. Teddy had even stopped feeling guilty because he rationalized to himself that Rayna was probably sleeping with Deacon and would finally decide to end their marriage once her tour with Juliette was over.
But when Rayna returned, she didn't mention a divorce or much of anything about the status of their marriage. She and Deacon were back to avoiding each other, and it got harder and harder for Teddy to meet up with Peggy. They made it work, however, and still continued to have sex.
And then he walked in on Rayna and Deacon fighting. Neither one of them saw Teddy, so he hung back and eavesdropped on the conversation. "You know you're not happy with him, Ray! Why are you still trying to make it work? I love you and I know you still feel the same for me."
"It's not that easy, Deacon! We've been together for twelve years. We have kids together. Throwing that away isn't something I want to do. Getting a divorce is a big decision. And I do love you, but I love him too. He's my husband."
"All I know is that you responded to that kiss in the elevator and you approached me that night. We made love and don't you deny it. I'm clean now and I'm not relapsing. I want to be with you so much that it hurts, Baby." Deacon sniffled and tried to pretend like he wasn't crying.
Teddy had known it deep down, but he still felt his heart break when he heard Deacon confirm that he and Rayna had slept together. He wasn't surprised, but it still hurt. How could Rayna do that to him if she loved him that much and hadn't wanted to give up on their marriage?
Rayna sighed. "I know exactly how you feel, but there are a lot of people involved here. And I want to be with you so bad that I have dreams about it most nights, but Maddie and Daphne are my everything. I don't want to screw up their world and disrupt everything they've ever known."
Teddy had had enough. He was furious now, a feeling which had overtaken the hurt, and he swung into the room to confront them. "What the hell is going on there?
Both of them were crying and they visibly flinched. "Nothing. We're just upset over something that happened with an old friend." Rayna hoped he bought it, but doubted he did.
Teddy rolled his eyes. "Don't lie to me. I just overheard every word you said. And you know what? It doesn't even matter anymore. But how could you fuck him while you were still married to me? Did our marriage mean that little to you? And guess what? We are going to divorce. I don't care who files, but it's going to happen." He was proud of himself now. He had taken control of the situation and asked for the divorce, and that was all that mattered.
Rayna and Deacon just gaped at him. "I'm so sorry, Teddy. I really am. And you're right. We weren't happy. I'll file the papers with my lawyer tomorrow."
"You do that." And then he walked out to leave the two lovebirds alone to sort out their issues. He didn't care what they did now, but he was going to fight like hell for his daughters, especially Maddie. Teddy went straight to Peggy's house to see her, not even caring that it was daylight. He needed her comfort.
The divorce papers were filed the very next day, after the girls were told, and Teddy and Rayna's unhappy marriage finally started to come to a close. Rayna was furious when she discovered Teddy had cheated on her too, and accused him of being a hypocrite. They fought, but ended up peacefully terminating their marriage.
Both Rayna and Teddy were a whole lot happier with their lives now that they weren't stuck in a marriage that hadn't been good to either one of them in a long time. Rayna had Deacon and the girls, and he had visiting rights with them. His relationship with Peggy didn't work out, however, and a scandal ensued when the affair was discovered. He lost his job as mayor, and Coleman ended up with the job.
Things had worked out for the best, however, and that all was all anyone could ask for.