A/N: I started this story several months ago, when the first spoilers came out about this storyline. At first, I was really disappointed to hear this was the direction they'd decided to take. As much as I hate that they're doing this to our little family, it also struck me as a real full circle story for Rayna, and that aspect of it intrigued me. Although she didn't squash her girls' dreams the way her father did her own, in her own way she still tried to influence the direction those dreams took. And just as she was a headstrong sixteen year old, anxious to make her own way in the country music world, so is her daughter Maddie. The difference is that Rayna had someone looking out for her who had her best interests at heart, while Maddie does not. As I thought about how I might want to tell this story, I ultimately decided not to try to rewrite the premise, but to just let it play out, with Maddie staying gone from Nashville for five years. This is what happens when she finally comes home, hoping to reunite with her family.

After the initial setup, there will be one chapter for each family member, starting with their own story in the immediate aftermath of Maddie leaving Nashville and then several vignettes in their lives afterwards, focused heavily on after Maddie returns home. I'm not going to try to resolve any plot points the show puts forth, like what happens with Frankie and Cash, just how they try to make sense of that time in their lives.

Rayna was sitting at the kitchen island, reviewing some contracts, when the door opened and Deacon walked in. She looked up and smiled. "Hey, babe," she said.

He walked over and kissed her, put his messenger bag down, then leaned against the counter. "You look all dressed up," he said, with a wink.

She stood up and slowly made a turn, her arms out from her sides. She was wearing a black and silver print dress with long sleeves that skimmed her body and ended several inches above her knees. "My husband is taking me out for dinner for our anniversary," she said, giving him a teasing look. "To a very nice restaurant."

He grinned. "He is, is he?"

She put her hand on his chest. "Yes, he is. And it looks to me like he needs to change into something a little more dressed up himself." Deacon was wearing a denim shirt over his jeans and well-worn boots. She leaned in and kissed him. "How did things go today?"

He put his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. "Good. I think we got all the tracks laid down. I listened to the last couple songs and I think it works. But Daphne needs to listen to see if it was what she was expecting."

The sound of feet skipping down the stairs had them both turn to see Daphne enter the room. "Did I hear my name?" she asked. Even at seventeen she was still a ball of energy and she had regained her happy, carefree demeanor.

Deacon nodded and smiled. "You did. I finished those last two tracks for you." He patted the messenger bag. "In here. You should listen over the weekend and let me know what you think."

Daphne threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. "Thanks, Deacon. I know they'll be great," she said.

He smiled over her head at Rayna. "Well, I'm an old guy, you know, so you better check 'em anyway." Daphne laughed.

Rayna ran her hand over Daphne's back. "What do you have planned for tonight, sweet girl?" she asked.

Daphne turned to her mother and rolled her eyes. "I'm going over to Jennifer's to study." She gave her mother a look, then looked at Deacon. "Since some people think I need to actually pass math."

Rayna laughed. "You only have a couple of months of school left. Might as well get that diploma, you know?"

Daphne shrugged. "I guess. Can we finally talk about a real tour once I do?"

Rayna smiled indulgently at her daughter and nodded. "Yes, we can." She and Deacon had kept Daphne on a little bit of a short rope while she finished school, letting her record albums and do limited concert appearances. They'd both breathed a sigh of relief when she had not challenged them or strained at the gentle leash they'd put her on. But Rayna supposed that was a reaction to all the turmoil that had gone on five years earlier. Even now, when her mind touched on that time at all, she felt a visceral pain in her gut, something she thought Deacon and Daphne did as well. They'd been so broken then and she had thought, for a while, they'd never be put back together.

Deacon squeezed her hand. "Hey," he said softly, and she turned back to look at him. He could see a sadness, mixed with a still raw pain, in her eyes. The same look he sometimes saw in Daphne's eyes and that he was sure they saw in his. They'd fought hard to get back what they'd lost and were always conscious of protecting that. He smiled encouragingly. "I'll go change."

"Are y'all going somewhere special?" Daphne asked, breaking the introspective moment.

Rayna turned to her and smiled. "We are. Sperry's. And Deacon's actually going to wear pants that aren't jeans and a shirt that's not flannel. Or denim." She winked at him as she ran her hand down his chest. "Five years," she said. "It's actually been five years."

She didn't say it had been five years since they'd been a complete family, before everything went so very wrong. It hadn't been a given they'd get to five years. Back then it wasn't even a given they'd get to one. But here they were and they never lost sight of what it had taken to get to this point. Every minute was precious now and they had resolved long ago to never forget that.

The doorbell interrupted them and they all frowned just a little. No one rang the doorbell who they weren't expecting. It wasn't as though random people could get through the gate and the fence that surrounded the property. No one was expected either.

Rayna walked out of the kitchen and into the foyer. When she opened the door, her breath caught in her throat. The person standing there was someone she never thought she'd see again, someone she'd willed herself not to think about, at first, and now was someone she'd largely erased from her life. And even though the young woman standing there didn't look so different than she had five years earlier, there was something fragile and broken in the way she looked now.

"Hey, Mom."

For a moment, Rayna just stared at the familiar stranger standing in front of her. She could scarcely breathe, her heart feeling twisted in pain. She took in the dark circles under Maddie's red rimmed eyes. She was thinner than Rayna remembered and her hair draped over her shoulders was back to its old familiar brunette. Her clothes were plain and non-descript; no more fashion-forward looks and designer shoes. Rayna registered the deep sorrow in her daughter's eyes and the defeated look about her, without feeling any emotion. She looked nothing like the defiant, angry sixteen year old who had walked out of their lives, filled with venom and revenge for imagined wrongs. She looked nothing like the person who had purposely destroyed them all and then left them to try to pick up the pieces.

She swallowed hard. "What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice flat and emotionless.

"I made a mistake. So many mistakes. I didn't know how to tell you that and I knew you were so angry….." Maddie's voice was quivering with emotion, tears rolling down her face.

"Why are you here?" Rayna demanded, her voice ratcheting up in volume.

Maddie started to cry. "I need you. I'm in trouble and I need you."

Rayna didn't know what to say. She thought she'd finally gotten past the devastating hurt Maddie had caused, had stopped thinking about it every day long ago. But it all came back in a rush, painfully, as she stood and watched this person, who used to be her beloved daughter, standing before her.

Maddie looked past her then and Rayna turned to see Deacon and Daphne standing at the entrance to the foyer, summoned by the voices. Rayna looked first at her husband, as he stared at Maddie with a mix of heartbreak, pain, revulsion and sadness. Maddie took a small step forward, not quite into the house.

"Dad," she said pleadingly. "I'm so, so sorry, for everything. I know that's not enough, but I really want to make it up to you. Please let me explain."

Deacon just stared at her and Rayna could see the tears in his eyes. He shoved his hands in his pockets and then, closing his eyes for a moment, shook his head. Then he turned and just walked away.

Daphne watched Deacon walk off, then turned back to her sister and took several steps forward. "I can't believe you came back," she said.

Maddie tried to smile. "I missed you so much…," she started.

Daphne frowned, holding up her hand. "Don't," she said. "You walked out on all of us. You ruined all of us. You didn't want to be connected to me, didn't want your stupid little sister hanging on to your coattails. You pushed me away, made me feel like nothing. Told me to let you go. So I don't need you and I don't want you." She ran off in the same direction Deacon had.

Rayna turned back and looked at Maddie, whose face had fallen, dejected. "Please, Mom, I really need to talk to you. I really want to explain what happened. I know Cash and Frankie were trying to hurt Dad and I never meant for all that to happen. I wanted to tell you a long time ago, but I was so embarrassed…."

Rayna shook her head and then spoke as though she hadn't listened to a word Maddie had said. "You destroyed all of us, but mostly you destroyed your father. You destroyed him emotionally and you destroyed his spirit. You pushed him nearly to the edge, to the point where he almost gave up on everything he'd worked so hard for. You nearly broke us, all of us. I walked away from the only man I ever loved because of you. I walked away from my daughter because of you. You destroyed me. And I'm not sure I can ever forgive you for that." She took a deep breath. "I never dreamed I'd say these kinds of things to my own flesh and blood, the child I gave birth to and loved so much for all those years, but I can't stand to even look at you right now. You tried to destroy me and your father and your sister, on purpose! I don't know how you think any of us could just welcome you back. I can't do this, Maddie. I just can't." And then she closed the door, slid down to the floor and sobbed.

She sat there for a long time, breathing in deeply. Seeing Maddie again had brought up powerful emotions and devastating hurt. She finally pushed herself up off the floor and walked up the stairs. She felt a little bit like she was in a fog as she headed for the far end of the house, the place where she thought Deacon would be. When she opened the door to the music room, she discovered she was right. He was sitting on the couch, his head in his hands. She could see his shoulders shaking and she both hurt for him and felt rage towards the daughter who'd caused this. She went and sat next to him, putting her arms around him and leaning her head against his.

He finally stopped shaking and his tears dried up and he sat up and looked into her eyes. "Why?" he whispered.

She shook her head. "I don't know," she said. "She said something about being in trouble, but I don't know."

His face got dark. "Any trouble she's in, she can damn well get herself out of it," he said, his voice harsh.

She nodded. "I know." She took his hand. "I told her how much she destroyed us. Destroyed you. I couldn't let it not be said."

He raised his eyebrows. "I don't know what she wants, but I can't do it, Ray. I don't think I can ever look at her again." His face crumpled then and she put her hands on his cheeks and leaned in to kiss him softly.

She had tears in her own eyes, as she looked at him, the sorrow she felt about pushing him away back then feeling fresh again. "I'll protect you, babe," she whispered. "I'll be right here, I promise." He nodded and she leaned in and laid her forehead against his. She took a deep breath. "We can stay home tonight. Go out another time."

He sat back and shook his head. "Nah. She ain't spoiling our lives like that. I ain't letting her have power over me or you, ever again." He put his hands on her waist. "It's our anniversary and we fought to get here. We're celebrating."

She looked at him carefully and moved her hands to his arms, rubbing them gently. "Are you sure, babe?" she asked, wrinkling her forehead. "We really don't have to. It doesn't have to be tonight."

He shook his head again. "I'm good, baby." He breathed in. "We need this. Especially now."

She smiled hesitantly. "Okay then. We'll go. I'm going to go check on Daphne and I'll meet you downstairs."

They got up and walked to the door. Then he took her hand. "I love you, baby."

"I love you too, babe." She smiled and then they walked out of the music room together.

Rayna stood in Daphne's door. Her daughter was lying on her stomach on her bed. She remembered how hurt Daphne had been when Maddie had told her she didn't want to be stuck singing with her sister, singing baby songs. The way Maddie had broken Daphne's heart the night of the FosterMore benefit. She and Deacon had been shocked at Maddie's seemingly sudden desire to hurt everyone in their family. One of the things she'd worked so hard at, over the years, was making sure her girls were close. She and Tandy had always been close growing up and she wanted that for her daughters. And they had been, even through trying times, like when Maddie had found out Deacon was her father and when Teddy had gone to prison for embezzlement. Until a snake in the grass had twisted Maddie's perspective and turned her into someone none of them knew. It had hurt her to her core to watch how Maddie had destroyed that relationship with her sister.

What made it worse was that Daphne was at that awkward pre-teen stage and Maddie had played on every one of her sister's insecurities. She told Daphne she was too fat for the clothes she wanted to wear, told her she was silly, and called her songs childish. It had taken a long time for her youngest daughter to feel confident again. One of the things that had warmed her heart the most, in the past five years, was the close relationship Daphne had formed with Deacon. He'd needed a daughter and she'd needed a father and they had developed a tight bond that still held.

She walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, laying her hand on Daphne's arm. "Sweetie, are you okay?" she asked softly.

At first Daphne said nothing. Then she turned over onto her back and frowned. "Why did she have to come back, Mom?" she asked. "She ruined everything and she'll just do it again. Everything was fine without her. Why?"

Rayna took Daphne's hand and squeezed it gently. Her youngest daughter had been like a swan over the last few years, coming out of the awkwardness of the early teen years to become a lovely young lady. Her voice had matured and she sang every bit as well as Maddie ever had. She'd stayed signed to Highway 65 and when she turned sixteen, had released an EP that had done very well. She'd been content, mostly, to play at the Opry and the Bluebird and other listening rooms in Nashville and surrounding areas, always on the weekends when Rayna and Deacon could go with her. She was ready now, though, to go out on her own, to show what she could do. It was the lesson Rayna had learned from the whole Maddie situation – she was determined to not let Daphne feel like she was being held back. She hoped Maddie's return didn't set her daughter back. "I don't know why she's back, Daphne," she said finally. "Maybe we'll find out."

Daphne eyed her mother suspiciously. "You aren't going to let her come back here, are you?"

Rayna shook her head. "No. I don't think it's a good idea for her to come here." She was already considering whether she should at least hear what Maddie had to say, but she wasn't ready to fully go there yet and she didn't want to upset Daphne or Deacon with the idea, at this point. She smiled at her daughter. "Are you still going to Jennifer's tonight?"

Daphne made a face. "I don't know. I don't think I want to now."

"I think you should. It might help." Daphne looked skeptical. "Deacon and I are still going out. I think you should too. I know it was pretty emotional having Maddie stop by like that, but I think we need to stay busy, not dwell on it. I think it would better if you didn't stay at home by yourself."

Daphne sighed and then sat up. "Okay. You're probably right."

Rayna thought Deacon tried too hard at dinner. He laughed too loud, he talked more than he usually did. But she let it go. She knew seeing Maddie had affected him more than he'd let on. As she lay next to him in bed later, her head on his shoulder and her leg stretched across his, she wondered what he had really thought when he'd seen her. She knew he would tell her most of it, but he still kept things close to the vest. He still had a hard time with the really emotional stuff, which had been part of what had torn them apart when things had gone so terribly wrong with Maddie. It was what had always made things messy and complicated and tumultuous between them.

They had both struggled to talk to each other back then, as the allegations grew more and more sinister. When Frankie and Cash had launched their campaign against Deacon, it had been confusing and frightening, leaving both of them grasping for any sense of reality. She felt her breathing quicken. Thinking about all of that still set her nerves on edge. When she'd finally found out what the two of them had done, both together and separately, and understood the depths of their plans, she'd had to fight to get Deacon back, as her husband, and to keep him off the ledge, as he teetered towards a relapse.

She ran her hand gently over his chest and he stirred, but didn't wake. They'd fought so hard to be together and then had almost lost each other in the end, because of someone else's rage and jealousy and misplaced agenda. She could feel the bile rise up in her throat and she swallowed hard. She'd fight as hard as she needed to, to protect Deacon and Daphne. And herself. She hoped Maddie had someplace else to go, because she certainly wasn't welcome in their home.

~nashville~

Maddie stood staring at the door, gasping for breath. It wasn't really that she'd expected to be welcomed with open arms, but she hadn't been prepared for the cold chill of her mother's eyes, for the outright rejection by her father, and the harsh words from her sister. She probably should have been, but she just wasn't. She felt the tears that coursed down her cheeks, but didn't raise her hands to wipe them away. She felt a knot in her stomach and a pain in her heart that nearly drove her to her knees.

Juliette had tried to prepare her, as gently as she could. Although she'd encouraged her to seek out her family, she'd also tried to help her understand it wouldn't be easy. And although Maddie understood that in her head, her heart had hoped that, once they saw her, they would listen. She stood staring at the closed door, hoping it didn't mean they were shutting her out forever.

Finally she turned and walked slowly back to the car Juliette had loaned her. She felt a little bit like she was in a dream sequence – or more accurately, a nightmare sequence – as she got in the car, put the key in the ignition, and then slowly drove out through the gate onto the road. After a few minutes of driving, she pulled over onto the side of the road and buried her face in her hands, overcome with sobs as well as the feeling that she would never be able to put this right. When she finally stopped crying, she reached in her purse and pulled out the bottle of pills. She opened it and tapped it on her palm, until two pills rolled into her hand. She popped them in her mouth and swallowed hard, tilting her head back. Now, at least, she would feel better.