Just another flashback that ties into Rayna being pregnant w/ Daphne. Definitely going to have a chapter after watching tonights episode (which was amazingly beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time)! Keep letting me know what you think!

"Thank god! I cannot wait to just crawl into bed and get the heck out of these heels," Rayna groaned as they walked off the stage after their concert in Chicago.

"Hell of a show, Ray. I don't know how you're doing it, especially now, considering….." Deacon trailed off.

He could see the extra toll the last leg of the tour was taking on her now that she was pregnant. She was wearing looser clothing on stage, she had this subtle glow to her skin, and he could see the slight increased definition in her curves. He doubted this was noticeable to anyone else, but he was more attuned to Rayna than he was to himself. He knew every single part of her and could sense even the slightest change in her behavior.

"Well, thanks, Deacon. I just can't wait to finish up this tour. It's been amazing and everything, but I just wanna be back home, in Nashville, ya know?"

"Yeah, I do," Deacon said, but it was a lie.

Nashville wasn't his home and when he went back after the tour, he'd go to a silent house and an empty fridge. This tour, being on stage with her, that was home. And he wasn't in any rush to be exiled from it again.

"Ugh, you know what I miss the most? The food! My god, I just want some fried chicken from Hattie B's right now. Oh! Or the burger and fries from that one place in East Nashville, you know the one I'm talking about, they have they best milkshakes! I'd kill for one right now," Rayna gushed.

"You always did love those. You know, there's that place just around the corner that's open pretty late. You could probably use something to eat after that show and I doubt another night of hotel food is that appealing," Deacon offered.

Rayna bit her lip and contemplated it. They'd been really doing so well together, she wondered if this was crossing a line or if her saying no would ruin the progress they'd been making. She really could use a good meal and she'd missed just talking to him like this. He was her bandleader and still her good friend. One dinner out on tour couldn't do much harm.

"I'd love to," Rayna responded.

They made their way over to the place and were happy to find that it wasn't very busy. If anyone recognized them, they didn't bother to make it known.

Rayna ordered a hamburger with extra bacon, a side of fries and a chocolate milkshake with whip cream. Rayna spied Deacon grinning as the waitress left after taking their order.

"What's so funny over there?" Rayna asked.

"Nothing, nothing I swear."

"Are you shaming a pregnant woman for eating?" Rayna joked, making sure no one else was within earshot as she said it.

"I would never!" Deacon said, holding up his hands in defense.

She smiled and laughed. It'd been a long time since they'd just joked around like this. Since they had a conversation without feeling like they were walking on eggshells or broken glass.

The conversation flowed easily and naturally. They mostly discussed music, new artists they'd been listening, song ideas that'd been on their mind. They reminisced about the early days out on the road and talked about their mutual friends who they hadn't seen in awhile.

"Do you remember that time a skunk got into our tour bus?" Deacon said.

"Oh my god, of course I do. We were out only God knows where in Alabama."

"You walked into the bathroom and I swear I will never get that high-pitched little scream you did. You came storming out of there all flustered hollering 'Help! Deacon!' I think the whole state of Alabama heard you!"

"Oh I remember quite clearly. I also remember the smell! They claimed it was all cleaned out but that stench never quite went away."

"Those were some crazy day weren't they?"

"Yeah, they sure were."

They sat in silence for a moment and there it was. They'd managed to keep it away the whole night, but it still crept up on them. They gone just a little too far down memory lane, just towards the edge of the valley that went down 15 years of history deep.

"It's late and we have an early morning. We should probably start heading back," Rayna suggested.

"Yeah, you're right."

"I'm glad we did this, Deacon. I needed it."

He smiled back with a mix of joy and sadness. He'd wondered if he'd seen it too behind the mask she wore. If he'd heard it in her voice behind the guard she'd kept it up. If maybe what she'd really meant, but what she couldn't say was "I needed you."

"Me too, Ray."

They headed back out and walked slowly in silence. It wasn't the awkward kind that sometimes came as baggage with their past. Instead, it was the kind that old couples had. When they'd already had said it all, when words weren't needed but instead the comforting absence of words that were just not adequate.

Suddenly as they rounded the corner towards their hotel, a mob of paparazzi and cameras flashes bombarded them.

"Rayna! Rayna! Are you and Teddy separating!?"

"Are you leaving your husband for former flame Deacon Claybourne!?"

"Is the tour just like old times Rayna!?"

"Where's your husband?"

"Who's getting custody of Maddie?!"

Deacon instinctively wrapped his arm around her waist, trying to shield her. They were completely surrounded and barely able to push through. Rayna had put her head towards his chest and was trying to block her face with her hands.

"This was ridiculous, they were practically being attacked. They were shoving camera lenses in their faces. She was pregnant for Christ's sake! They needed to back off," Deacon thought to himself.

One reporter reached out and grabbed Rayna's arm. Without a second thought, Deacon pushed the guy hard away from her and onto the ground.

"Get your hands off of her!" he shouted.

They quickly made their way through and finally into the safety of the hotel lobby.

"I'm sorry, Rayna. I mean, that guy just grabbed you and I reacted. It was just instinct. Are you okay?"

"It's okay. I'm fine. That was…..just a little intense that's all. And thank you. It's not the first time you've taken someone down for me," Rayna joked, trying to lighten the mood and shake off the sense of intimacy that had come over since they'd been so close together.

"Old habits die hard, I guess."

"I'm sure the press is going to have a field day with that one," Rayna mused.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Hope I don't get you in too much trouble at home."

"Oh, it's fine. The press always finds something to talk about. They can make a story out of anything. I mean did you hear the things they were shouting? They're gonna believe what they want no matter what I do, so I just gotta live my life and ignore them."

"You sure you're fine? With the….baby and all?"

"Yes, I am. Thank you, Deacon. I should probably give Bucky and Teddy a heads up, just in case it hits the media soon."

"Yeah, yeah of course. I'll see you tomorrow, Ray."

"Goodnight, Deacon."