Teddy
He brings the girls back to Rayna's late Sunday afternoon as planned.
Daphne immediately jumps out of the car and heads for the front door, like always two steps ahead of him, happy to be back to her mother's, oblivious to everything that's going on with Rayna and Deacon.
Maddie in contrast doesn't move from the front seat, brooding, her eyes locked on the light blue truck parked in Rayna's front circle.
"You should talk to your mom," Teddy clears his throat. "It's important, Maddie. Don't hold it all in."
Maddie doesn't say a word, just rolls her eyes, opens the door and gets out. She slams it hard and stomps up the sidewalk.
With a heavy sigh, Teddy grabs their backpacks from behind the seat, and follows the girls up to the house where he used to live.
"My girls! I'm so glad y'all are home!" Rayna meets them with open arms.
"Hi, Mommy, is Deacon here?" Daphne says anxiously as she hugs Rayna. "I saw his truck outside."
"He sure is," Deacon says with an easy smile as he comes out of the living room. "Come on in the kitchen, your mom just made some cookies."
"Double chocolate chip?"
"You're favorite."
Teddy watches. He watches as Maddie stalks by Rayna and Deacon without even looking at them, and heads for the stairs, and sees the look that passes between the two of them. Rayna, worried. Deacon, hurt that he tries to hide. He watches as Daphne launches herself towards Deacon for a hug, and clings to his arm, the two of them heading for the kitchen and that promise of cookies. Once this would have bothered him, but it is reassuring now. Deacon never treats Teddy's daughter any different than his own.
It was different with Luke and Maddie. He'd seen this from the beginning. Luke might have been good to Maddie, but it was obvious what he really regarded her as- a link between Rayna and Deacon that could never be broken. Maddie had never said it, but Teddy knew she felt it, and it was hurtful.
Maddie hadn't been the only one relieved when that particular wedding was called off.
He watches his older daughter's departing figure and exchanges an apologetic glance with Rayna. "She's still real upset. I tried to talk to her, but she didn't want to discuss it and I didn't think I should push the issue."
"Thanks," Rayna says with a sigh. "We'll deal with it."
Teddy feels he should say something, or ask how things are, but he doesn't. It's not his life anymore, just like it's not his house he's standing in. He's done his part, done what he can. Really, that's all a person can do. And he knows in his heart, even with everything they've been through, Rayna would do the same for him. He hopes the best for her and the family she's trying to make.
"Well…take care," he says hesitantly, and he turns and walks out. He glances at the cell phone in his hand as he walks back down the sidewalk towards his car. He's still waiting for that yes or no call.
##################################
With a heavy heart, Rayna heads for the kitchen. All the cookies in the world won't make up for what they have to do next.
Daphne takes the news about Deacon being sick better than they expect, but not without a few tears and a barrage of questions as she sits at the kitchen counter, and they take the chairs on both sides of her.
She is quiet, thinking. "Is that why Maddie's so mad?"
"Well," Rayna says, subdued. "Maddie's just having a real hard time right now and she's pretty sad, so we're going to give her some space, okay? Until she feels like talking. But we can still let her know how much we love her."
Daphne nods, and turns to look at Deacon. "Are you going to get better?" she asks tentatively.
The look on her face just kills him, the way she's trying to be so brave, trying not to cry, but a few tears slip out anyway. "I hope so," he says honestly. "But I don't know for sure. There's a lot of doctors trying to fix what's wrong. And it makes me feel a lot better when I get to spend time with you and Maddie and your mom. That's the best thing of all."
Daphne gets a little smile on her face, but her lower lip still trembles.
"Deacon is going to stay here with us at our house," Rayna adds. "Is that okay with you? So we can take extra good care of him. And maybe sometimes we'll all stay at his house together too."
Daphne tilts her head intently, watching both of them. "So he's like your boyfriend now?" she asks. "For real?"
Rayna glances at him over her daughter's head and smiles. "Yep," she says. "For real."
"Like forever?"
Deacon's eyes burn into hers.
"Yeah," she says softly. "Forever."
As long as that may be.
###################################
After three days of the silent treatment from Maddie, they are all feeling the strain of it. While Daphne quickly becomes Deacon's little shadow, following him around the house constantly, Maddie is the opposite. She is withdrawn, distant, and nothing Rayna seems to say will reassure her. She wants nothing to do with either of her parents, and barely comes out of her room.
Rayna finds Deacon in the hallway, leaning against the wall looking at their daughter's closed bedroom door with his hands in his pockets and a distressed look on his face.
"Maybe I should try and talk to her again," he says in a hollow voice. "I know you tried, but…."
She sighs as she slips her arms around his waist. "Maddie gets a lot like you, you know," she says. "When things bother her. She just wants to be left alone to think things out. Sound familiar?"
"Yeah it does," he grumbles. "Had to give her that, didn't I?"
"Hey now, you gave her lots of good things," Rayna chides softly. "She got the best and worst of both of us, Deacon."
"Can't argue with that," his arms tighten around her as she lays her cheek on his shoulder. "She's my little girl, Ray. I feel like I'm…letting her down, you know? Again."
"Don't even think that," she says, stunned, lifting her head to look at him. "Don't ever think that."
He doesn't say anything more. He doesn't have to. She can feel his hurt. They just stand there for a long time in the hallway, tangled up in each other's arms.
Later, Rayna find him in the music room long after the girls are asleep.
She stands in the doorway and listens as he plays a sweet quiet song she hasn't yet heard before. From the first verse, she realizes it's clearly about Maddie.
Well I know one day, I'll give you away
And I'm gonna stand there and smile
And when I get home, and I'm all alone
I'll sit in your room for awhile…..
She watches as Deacon's head drops and he stops playing for a minute, and her heart aches, wishing she could take it away. All of it. The illness. The years he lost with Maddie. The years they lost together. Time is the one thing she can never give him back.
He starts playing again.
But when tough little boys
grow up to be Dads
They turn into big babies again
"Hey, you," Rayna says softly. "That's a real pretty song."
He looks up, surprised to see her standing there. "You still awake? It's late."
"Can't sleep anymore without you next to me," she says ruefully, dropping down next to him on the sofa. "Guess I'm getting used to it."
He shoots her a grin. "That ain't a bad thing at all."
"No," she says with a smile of her own, taking the guitar out of his hand and setting it aside. "It definitely is not."
Deacon pulls her down onto his lap and takes her face in his hands and kisses her long and deep, a moment that goes on and on. It is seconds that feel like forever as they melt into each other and her hands tangle in his dark hair.
He's never thought about the meaning of forever as much as he does lately.
"You didn't let Maddie down," Rayna murmurs as he rains kisses across her face and neck. "Or any of us. Okay? Please don't be thinkin' that. We love you so much."
His blue eyes look up at her with such intensity that she feels it in the depth of her soul. "You know," he says quietly. "I knew it would be good. I just never thought it would be this good."
"What?" she jokes. "Dealing with moody teenage girls… hair products all over the bathroom…. shoes and clothes taking over the house…I'm kinda surprised you haven't gone runnin yet."
"I'd take all that a million times over," he says, leaning forward to kiss her again. "To know I have more time with you and them. I love you, Ray."
Tears blur her eyes, and she kisses him back with every ounce of love for him she has. "You will," she says firmly. "So you better be ready to fight. Because I sure as hell am not giving you up without one."
His eyes crinkle into a smile, the one she's loved just about since she was a 16 year old girl.
"Oh is that so?"
"It sure as hell is," Rayna says, gazing down at him solemnly. "I was thinking about something Daphne said the other day when Teddy brought the girls home. She said forever, Deacon. And I did…and I meant it. I want you to know that."
She reaches down into the pocket of her jeans, and presses something into the palm of his hand.
"I want to do it right this time," she whispers. "Will you put this ring on my finger where it belongs, Deacon? This time I'm leavin it there forever."
His eyes burn as without hesitation he takes that silver band that has seen them through so much, and slips it onto her finger. He's been waiting a long time for that moment, seeing that ring on her hand. It is everything.
"I love you," she murmurs as she kisses him again. "And I wanna be your wife. In sickness and in health and ….everything that comes after."
She doesn't say what comes after, but he knows what it is.
Til death do us part.
I swear to god, he thinks. If we make it to the altar, they're leavin that part out.
He'd rather have forever.
##########################################
By Wednesday, Daphne has had enough of her sister's behavior. After school, she goes up to Maddie's room and flings open her bedroom door.
"Hey," Maddie says, appalled, glaring at her from where she sits on the window seat writing in a notebook. "Did you ever hear of knocking?"
Daphne stands in the middle of the room, hands on her hips, giving her sister the stare right back. "You're hurting his feelings, you know. And Mom's too."
"You wouldn't understand," Maddie mutters, leaning with her head against the window, gazing outside.
"I'm not a baby. I know what cancer is."
Maddie jerks her head up in surprise. "They told you?"
"Yeah," Daphne says. Her eyes look sad. "And I think you're being really mean, Maddie. And selfish. Families are supposed to stick together when things get hard. Not turn their backs on each other."
Maddie doesn't say anything, but a lone tear creeps down her cheek.
"Whatever," Daphne says, disgusted. "But if it were my dad that was sick, I'd want to spend all my time with him that I could, not hide out in my room and act like a spoiled brat and be mad at everyone."
When she gets no response, Daphne turns with a heavy sigh to leave the room.
"I'm not mad," Maddie says quietly, making her sister stop and turn back. "I'm just really, really scared."
Daphne slowly crosses the room and sits down next to her. "Me too," she whispers.
Maddie lays her head in her little sister's lap, and cries.
####################################
Later that night:
They are snuggled up in Rayna's bed, the three of them among the blankets and pillows. Daphne has a huge bowl of popcorn in front of her, and supreme command of the remote as she picks out a movie on the tv.
"Don't pick a scary one," Rayna says as she reaches into Daphne's bowl for another handful of popcorn. "Or I won't sleep all night."
"I like scary," Daphne says, with an impish grin.
"Me too," Deacon says with a smirk. "Two against one, you're outvoted, Ray."
"Thanks a lot, Babe," she grabs a throw pillow and whacks him on the arm. "Traitor."
Maddie walks by the open doorway then, head down, phone in her hand.
"Hey, sweetheart," Rayna calls. "Why don't you come join us?"
She half expects Maddie to just keep on walking, and her heart leaps when she hovers uncertainly in the doorway for a second, and Rayna can see it. She wants so bad to be a part of it.
"Come watch a movie with us, sweetie," she says again.
Maddie shakes her head. "I have homework." She fibs, keeping her eyes averted.
"It'll wait."
Deacon doesn't say anything, but his eyes look sad. He knows they've both agreed it is best to give her space, but it hurts so damn bad, watching her shut him out.
And still, Maddie lingers.
"Suit yourself," Daphne says with a shrug. "I was just about to pour garlic powder on the popcorn anyway."
Deacon hides a smile, watching Rayna's youngest daughter take matters into her own hands.
Maddie wrinkles her nose. "Don't do that, it's awful. Did you put on extra butter?"
Before she can change her mind, she crosses the room and takes the shaker out of her sister's hand, and then sits down on the bed next to her and snares the remote. "What movie did you pick out, anyway?"
"Zombies in L.A," Daphne says cheerfully. "Fun, huh?"
"That sounds disgusting."
"You get the final vote, Maddie," Deacon says from behind her. "Zombies or chick flick."
Maddie glances back at her dad, and a hesitant smile crosses her face.
And in that moment, Deacon knows it's gonna be okay. He has his little girl back.
"I guess I can close my eyes for the gross parts," she says reluctantly. "Just once."
"Alright," Deacon says with a grin. "Zombies it is."
Daphne raises her arms in victory.
Maddie notices the ring on her mom's hand then, and her eyes widen though she doesn't say a word. But she also doesn't stop smiling.
Behind their backs, Deacon and Rayna exchange a long look with each other.
Told ya she'd come around.
She reaches for his hand, and he squeezes it hard.
For now, at least, things are back to the way they're supposed to be.
###################################
2 days later
"Good morning," Rayna says as she comes into the kitchen and hits the start button on the coffee maker. He's sitting at the kitchen counter, and she leans over and presses a kiss to his cheek.
"Mornin'."
"Everything okay?" she asks, taking notice at the way he's staring at the phone in his hand.
"Dr. Abbott's office called," he says in a low voice. "She wants to meet with us this afternoon."
Rayna pauses in pulling milk out of the fridge. The girls will be up shortly, and it always gets temporarily crazy until they are out the door and off to school. "About what?" she asks carefully, relaying this information in her mind. It has to be the test, she thinks. She hopes it's the test, and not some kind of awful news. Since he's been home from the hospital, he's been real careful to do everything he's supposed to, and she's been real careful not to hover over him like she promised, and it's been an adjustment, having him here with them, finding a new "normal".
It's also made her the happiest she's ever been. She looks at that ring on her hand about a hundred times a day. She'd dreamed about this once, them being a family, making a beautiful life together.
Now they have it. And Rayna is damned determined to keep it.
"She didn't say. Just said it was important. And both of us. I been doing good, right?" Deacon says, thinking out loud. "I mean….taking those damn Nexa-whatever pills….eating what I'm supposed to and all. Going to the appointments, having those scans every week."
They wanted him to do something called Embolization. Rayna knows this because she's had plenty of conversations with Dr. Abbott he doesn't know about. She doesn't like going behind his back, but she doesn't like that there is things he isn't telling her either, like the fact that he's still resisting a few very valid other forms of treatment.
"Yes," she says, coming over to wrap an arm around his waist. "I'm sure it's nothing bad, just an update."
"Yeah," he says, rubbing his eyes wearily. "I'm sure."
He says it. He just wishes he could believe it.
#################################
They wait for the doctor, anxiously, silently, Deacon holding Rayna's hand tightly in his lap, his thumb running lightly over the ring there.
"I wanted to talk to you about some test results that finally came back this week," the doctor says.
He is almost afraid to ask. "Is it getting worse?"
It had been two months since he'd found out in Memphis he was sick. Two months out of the six month time limit for a transplant they'd given him had slipped away. That fact isn't lost on him.
It isn't lost on Rayna either. More than once he's caught her flipping through the calendar. More than once he's caught her stopping herself in the middle of saying "maybe next year…."
"It's progressing," The doctor says without mincing words. "But not any faster than we expected. All your scans from last week came back the same. This is about the other test results."
Rayna draws in a very noticeable breathe.
He stares at the doctor. "What other tests?"
"Well," Dr. Abbott says carefully. "Quite a few people have come forward to be tested, Mr. Claybourne. Including Rayna."
Deacon turns to her, his mouth turned down into a frown, accusing. "Dammit, Rayna, I told you I didn't want you doing that! And who else knows? Nobody was supposed to know."
"Deacon," she says patiently. "The only people as far as I know are Scarlett and Tandy. And well…Teddy."
"Teddy! Why the hell would you tell your ex-husband?"
"That day Maddie was upset, I had to tell him something!"
He gives her a look that says he is not pleased. At all.
"I've been thinking," Rayna says cautiously, turning back to the doctor. "Is there any way we could have people volunteer to be tested….without knowing it was Deacon?"
"We're not doing that!"
"Deacon, maybe we should," she says hesitantly. "We know a lot of people, the chances might be higher of finding someone that way. It's only a blood test. If they're not a match, they wouldn't even know it was you."
"It's very possible," Dr. Abbott says. "It would be difficult, but manageable if you could convince someone to volunteer without knowing much of the details, at least for the first round. But it's also possibly not necessary. Of all the people tested so far, two are already a match."
Rayna stares at her. "What? I thought just Scarlett and I had been tested, and Scarlett is a no. Does that mean I'm a match?"
Deacon swears under his breath. Of course Scarlett also had gone against his wishes. He wonders what else Rayna and his niece were up to behind his back. "It doesn't matter. I don't want to know who it is, because I told you, I don't want anyone I know putting themselves at risk. I'd rather take my chances on the registry."
"Well, I do," Rayna says firmly.
He rubs his hand across his eyes. "Rayna. I love you, but…."
"Deacon…," she says quietly, reaching out and laying a hand across his face. "Just listen to what she has to say, okay? For me. And for the girls."
The pain in her eyes, the pleading look she gives him melts away all his anger.
She's pretty damn good at that.
With a sigh, he turns back to the doctor, who waits patiently.
"Alright," Dr. Abbott says briskly, glancing down at her charts. "Of the four people who've asked be tested, your niece Scarlett is not a match, but Rayna is, and also Tandy Hampton, Rayna is that you're…sister, correct?"
Rayna and Deacon both stare at the doctor like she's grown an extra head.
"What?" Rayna manages to ask. "Did I hear you right? Tandy was tested?"
"Were you not aware of that?"
"No," Rayna says, glancing at Deacon. "Honestly. I had no idea."
Judging from the shock on her face, he believes her. And for the life of him he can't figure out why Rayna's sister who has barely ever given him the time of the day in 26 years would do something like this.
And he says so. Bluntly. "Your sister thinks I'm a jackass."
"Oh, she does not," Rayna interjects. "She's just….overprotective."
He raises his eyebrows. "Is that what you call it?"
Dr. Abbott seems to be quite amused by the entire conversation. "Well the fact remains that you and Tandy are both a match," she continues, "so I'll leave it up to the two of you how you want to proceed. There's no guarantee. There's several rounds more of testing that need to be done, so the more matches, the better. You should keep asking other people."
"Yes," Rayna says firmly. "Whatever we need to do."
Deacon doesn't look as willing at that thought.
"I think that's really all we have to discuss for today, unless you have any other questions."
"Who else was tested?" he asks. "Beverly?"
Next to him, Rayna takes a sip out of her bottle of water to hide her displeasure at the mention of Deacon's sister. God bless Beverly, and she is Deacon's sister, but the last thing right now they need is Beverly riding back into town and spreading her drama around.
Dr. Abbott looked down at her chart again. "No, it looks like besides the three of you, there was a few donors who wished to remain anonymous, and our own Mayor Conrad was also tested."
Rayna chokes on her water.
"Uh…what?" Deacon asks in disbelief. "That must be a mistake, right?"
"It's not a mistake. I have his name right here. But he's not a match."
"Well," Rayna says, clearing her throat and trying to regain her dignity. "This day is just full of surprises, isn't it?"
"I don't even know what to call it," Deacon mutters.
"What I would call it," Dr. Abbott says with a genuine smile. "Is lucky. Deacon, you are very lucky to have all of these people around you who obviously care about you. Just keep that in mind."
He can't even find the words, his mind reeling.
Why the hell would either of them do that, he thinks.
"Yes," Rayna says softly. "We're both lucky. Thank you, Doctor. We'll be in touch."
############################################
Rayna drives on the way home, both of them rather in a daze, trying to digest all that had just happened. Not speaking. Just thinking.
Tandy is there with the girls, helping them with their homework in the dining room.
"Hey," she says cheerfully. Her smile fades when she sees Deacon and Rayna's faces. "What's wrong?"
"Girls," Rayna says faintly. "Can you take your homework upstairs, please? We need to talk with Aunt Tandy for a little minute."
Maddie shoots a look at them. "Is this about Dad? I want to hear too."
Maddie's coming back around. Watching her give Deacon a hug this morning before she went out the door to school brought tears to Rayna's eyes.
"Hey, I'm not leaving if she isn't," Daphne protests.
"Upstairs, please," Deacon says. "Both of you."
Grumbling, they gather their books and head for the stairs.
Tandy almost knows what they're going to say before they say it. She can tell by the look on her sister's face.
"You're a match," Rayna says slowly, dropping her purse onto the table. "And so am I."
"You?" Tandy says, surprised.
"She's not doing it, so it doesn't matter," Deacon interrupts before Rayna can protest. "I'm sorry Ray, but I won't let you take the chance. If something happened…the girls…I could never live with myself. There's too much risk."
"I think I can make that decision on my own, thank you very much," Rayna says, annoyed. "And that's not the point here. The point is that Tandy you're a match. Why didn't you tell us you got tested?"
Tandy looks relieved, and guilt-stricken at the same time. "Listen, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you, but it seemed like the right thing to do, and I didn't want to get your hopes up until I knew either way."
Deacon is leaning with his hands against the back of a kitchen chair, still trying to comprehend the fact that Rayna's sister and ex-husband were suddenly on some god-fearing unknown mission to try and save his life.
"Why?" He asks quietly.
"What?"
"Why'd you do it?" He echoes, directing his question towards Tandy.
"I don't have anything to lose," Tandy said, and tears are visible in her eyes. "No husband, no kids…And the two of you have everything to lose. And maybe…well, maybe I thought if I could help, it would make up for some of the sins of my past, my sins with Daddy…"
Rayna's got tears in her eyes as she hugs her sister. "You don't have to make up for anything, don't you know that? We're family, and we love you."
Tandy shakes her head. "I do. I did so many awful things working for Daddy, and tried to justify them…And you. If it weren't for me pushing you to marry Teddy, maybe you two would have been married 15 years ago."
Deacon is real quiet, standing there trying to get his thoughts in order.
"Please," Tandy says earnestly, looking at the both of them. "I'm doing this for all of you. Let me."
He feels Rayna's hands on his shoulders.
"Let's just think about it, okay?" She says softly. "Tandy wants help, maybe we should let her."
"I'll think about it," he manages. "That's all I can give you right now."
Tandy's face wavers, and Rayna's heart lifts considerably. From Deacon, this is everything.
For the first time, there is hope that they'll get their forever after all.
The song I used is Tough Little Boys by Gary Allen. My apologies if some of the medical stuff is a little off. I tried to make it fairly accurate, but I'm a writer, not a doctor :) Thanks for reading!