I don't usually like song fics, but for some reason this came to me, and I thought it felt right.

##

Rayna sat at her piano aimlessly pressing the keys in no particular order while she stared off into space. She heard the doorbell, but didn't make any effort to get up and answer it. She didn't really feel like talking to anyone.

Tandy was there though, and she didn't have the strength to stop her from racing over, so soon she and Bucky were walking through the door. They were joking about something in that flirty way they do. Rayna looked at them and smiled a little. It was so easy for them, no drama, no secrets, just two people who enjoyed each other's company and spent time together when he wasn't on the road and she wasn't taking over a multi-million dollar corporation.

"Have you picked a song yet?" Bucky asked.

"What song?"

"For tonight. For the Willie Nelson 80th birthday extravaganza. Remember? Everyone's supposed to pick their favorite Willie song.

"Oh shoot, I totally forgot about that Bucky, can't I just cancel? I'm sure there will be plenty of other artists there to pay tribute."

"It's being televised Rayna, and you've been promoted as one of the acts. I know Jeff is kind of sweet on you, but he'll be livid if you cancel. I already talked the label out of you and Deacon doing the Willie/Dolly Parton duet Everything's Beautiful, but I can't tell them you're going to cancel."

"Well there's no way Deacon would have agreed to doing a duet with me anyway. If you haven't noticed, he's not only not talking to me, he's making sure it's in writing. "

Rayna thought back to the last time she saw Deacon three weeks ago. It was in his lawyer's office. They were discussing custody/visitation rights regarding Maddie. They'd agreed that she would stay at Deacon's every other weekend that Rayna had custody of her. If the custody negotiations hadn't been bad enough with Teddy, throwing a third person into the mix was no picnic. At least they were officially divorced now, so it was easier to deal with the Deacon part of it without Teddy getting too involved.

Just as they were wrapping up the paperwork Deacon interjected.

"Just one more stipulation I want to add."

"What's that?" Rayna's lawyer asked.

"When Maddie comes over Tandy drops her off and picks her up. I don't ever want to have to see Rayna again if I don't want to."

Rayna was shocked and hurt. She knew that he was still mad at her, but never seeing each other again was a different story.

"Deacon, what are you saying? I know you're mad, but this is ridiculous. You don't honestly think that we could ever not be in each other's lives?"

"I just don't think we're good for each other Ray, and I think it's best for both of us if we just go our separate ways."

Rayna shook her head in disbelief. "We've been together 26 years, even when I was married to Teddy we were never really apart. We're a part of one another.

"We separated after you fired me, when I was on the road with the Revel Kings."

Rayna laughed. "For three weeks, and that's the longest we've ever gone without talking. And now you're saying you never want to talk to me again? Deacon, you can't mean that."

Rayna was feeling a bit desperate. She saw the steely look in Deacon's eyes, a look she'd never seen before, at least not directed at her, and for the first time she thought he might be serious, and it shook her to her core. What would she do without him? Could she really survive not having him in her life? She didn't really want to find out, but was scared that she was about to.

"I'm not a fool Rayna, I know we'll run into each other at the occasional industry event, round the halls of Edgehill, hell, you're repping my niece. I just want to know that if I don't ever want to see you again, I'm in control of that."

Then Deacon turned to his lady lawyer. "Just put a line about it in the contract."

Rayna's lawyer put his hand on her arm attempting to show her some support. "Is this ok with you Rayna?"

Rayna looked around the room towards the window trying to hide the pools of water starting to fill her eyes. She felt so tired and beaten down, and the one person she always turned to whenever she needed lifting up was the one exhausting her. "OK, whatever he wants."

The lawyer wrote the line in, and pushed the paper towards Rayna to sign. Unsteadily she took the pen and looked up at Deacon. The cold glare still hadn't left his face. She took a deep breath and scribbled her name on the document, then she pushed the paper towards Deacon. Deacon signed the paper and walked out.

She hadn't seen him since. It was Sunday though, and Maddie was at his place now. She'd probably be home in an hour or two, that's what Rayna was thinking about when Bucky had walked in the door.

"Rayna, so what song are you going to do?"

"I'm sorry Buck, give me another hour or so, I promise I'll come up with something."

"OK, but I need to know by 5:00 so the house band can prep."

"I promise, by 5:00. Oh, who did they get to sing the duet?"

"Oh, Juliette and Blake Shelton. Miranda's sick so they paired the two of them together."

"Juliette and Blake? Singing "Everything's Beautiful?" That's going to be interesting. Maybe I will enjoy tonight."

##

It was 4:30 and Rayna still hadn't picked a song when Maddie walked in the door with Tandy.

"How'd it go honey? Did you have fun with Unc…er, your dad?"

"We had a blast. Deacon and I rehearsed the song he's playing tonight, then he was showing me how to start riffing a little so maybe I could start writing my own songs."

"That's great honey, there's nobody better to learn song writing technique from than Deacon."

Rayna was happy that Maddie seemed so excited, but if she had to admit it to herself she was also rather jealous of her oldest daughter. It wasn't too long ago that she was spending the weekend locked up in Deacon's house writing songs together, and truth be told, she sorely missed it.

She must have let the thought linger a little too long on her face because all of a sudden Maddie turned serious.

"What's wrong mom?"

"Oh, nothing sweetie, I'm just glad you had a good time."

"Are you sad that Deacon is still mad at you?"

"Oh, Deacon isn't mad at me, we're just taking some time apart. "

"Mom, I'm 14, I know he's not speaking to you, and that awful lawyer he hangs around with Kayla keeps encouraging it."

"Was she there this weekend?"

"She was leaving when I came on Friday after school. I don't know why he listens to her, she's a real bitch."

"Maddie! Don't use that word…even if that's what she is."

"I know you miss him mom. Why don't you make him forgive you? I was mad at you, and you convinced me to forgive you."

"I know sweetie, but my relationship with Deacon is a little different than my relationship with you. He doesn't need me the way you do."

"I know, but I still think that if you really wanted to you could get him to forgive you. I mean, I know he still loves you."

"Oh, and how do you know that?"

"Because he gets that same far away look in his eyes when I talk about you, like you get when I talk to you about him."

Rayna smiled. It was nice to know that the two of them spoke about her, that she wasn't being cut out completely from their relationship.

"Well, thanks, maybe I will take your advice. Now you go up and get ready to go to your other dad's, I have to call Bucky. I promised him a song."

Maddie ran into her room and Rayna picked up the phone.

"Hey Buck it's me."

"Well, did you pick a song?"

"Yep, I'm going to sing Always On My Mind."

"Are you sure that's the one you want to sing Rayna? That's a pretty emotional song, especially considering what you've been going through lately."

"I know, and I'm sure."

Rayna hung up and went into her closet to get ready. Normally for an event like this she'd wear a sparkly number, but tonight she thought understated was the way to go. She pulled on some jeans, a silk shirt, and her favorite pair of cowboy boots. For the first time in months she felt optimistic, she felt like herself.

##

Everyone was buzzing around the auditorium. Live events were always very structured. The Edgehill artists were going on early in the show, and Rayna was wrapping up the first set of songs before the break. To Juliette's dismay she and Blake opened, then Deacon singing On the Road Again. That was perfect for him, there's no one she knew who belonged on the road more than Deacon. She'd pictured him singing the song earlier in the day with their daughter and it made her smile.

Rayna stood by the side of the stage mesmerized. She hadn't seen him in weeks, and if she was being honest with herself she was aching for him in a way even she wouldn't have expected. He looked so normal up there on stage, in his element. Just like she always remembered him. She could almost picture him coming off stage, smiling at her, and giving her a kiss.

Of course when he finished he glanced off in her direction then quickly exited the other side of the stage. She saw him take his seat next to Bucky in the 2nd row as she prepared for her number. She was a little nervous. Not to sing, but for what she was about to do.

She walked out on stage when they called her name and sat down at the piano. She'd requested that it just be her and a guitarist out there. Maybe that was a little too symbolic, but she didn't care. She was putting it all out there tonight, so she might as well go all the way with this.

She looked out at the audience, then at Deacon, then took a deep breath.

"Tonight I'm going to sing one of my favorite Willie Nelson songs and I'd like to dedicate it to my best friend and rock of more than 26 years. We've been going down a bumpy road lately, but I wanted to let him know how much he means to me."

Deacon couldn't believe his ears. Did Rayna just say that? Even when they were kids singing their love songs to each other at the Bluebird they never openly discussed that the songs were about them.

"Oh no, I'm not sticking around for this." Deacon started to rise and Bucky pushed him down.

"Sit down, you know how awful it's going to look if you get up and walk out on live TV. Everyone in this room knows she's talking about you, hell everyone in America knows she's talking about you."

"I know, that's why I don't want to be here."

All eyes in the room turned to Deacon as he settled back in his chair. Bucky was right, it would just make him look bad if he walked out when Rayna was pouring her heart out on live TV. Damn Rayna.

Rayna looked at the guitarist and started to play the piano.

Maybe I didn't love you, quite as often as I could have. Maybe I didn't treat you, quite as good as I should have.

If I made you feel second best, Boy I'm sorry I was blind. You were always on my mind. You were always on my mind.

Deacon shifted in his chair. He knew this song, knew it well, had sung it to Rayna before in the past from his perch at the Bluebird. There was nothing new about it, but hearing Rayna singing it up there, so vulnerable it was getting to him in a way he wished it wasn't. Rayna's eyes were boring into him, and he felt like if he looked back she would be able to see into his soul and maybe melt away some of that anger he'd been feeling.

Maybe I didn't hold you all those lonely, lonely times. And I guess I never told you, I'm so happy that you're mine. Little things I should have said and done, I just never took the time, but you were always on my mind. You were always on my mind.

Rayna had been trying to keep her composure, but when she hit the bridge she couldn't hold it together anymore and tears started to stream down here face and drip onto the keys of the piano.

Tell me, tell me that your sweet love hasn't died, and give me, give me one more chance to keep you satisfied. I'll keep you satisfied.

Deacon could feel the tears starting to come as well and he fought them back the best he could. He couldn't believe she was doing this, private Rayna declaring her feelings for him like this, in front of the whole world. It was something that he would have given anything to see six months ago, but now he was filled with all sorts of confusing emotions.

Little things I should have said and done, I just never took the time, but you were always on my mind. You were always on my mind. You were always on my mind. You were always on my mind.

When Rayna hit the last chord Deacon ran out, but before he bolted out the side door she saw the tears running down his face the same as hers, and for the first time since the accident she knew there was hope for them.