A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers. The song used in this chapter is There'll be Peace in the Valley by Elvis.

Chapter 21

"Alright, are we all ready for this?" Bucky asked. All the artists of Highway 65 were gathered at a studio for a photo shoot.

"We're ready for this, Buck." Rayna fixed her earring and adjusted her low cut top.

"Are we sure that we are ok with what Deacon is wearing?" Bucky questioned.

"Buck, don't go there. It was a fight to get him not to wear his flannel." Rayna begged him.

Deacon wore a black button up shirt under a black vest with his jeans and boots. "Hey, we have gotten lucky that Jayme hasn't gotten me with one of his geysers yet. If we don't get this over with soon he still might." He looked over to where Tandy was keeping an eye on the boys.

"Deacon, for God's sake don't worry about them I've got them." Tandy assured him.

"Ray, how do you wanna do this? Group pictures first or individuals?" Bucky asked.

"Let's do group pictures first and then we will handle individuals." Rayna said after thinking it over.

"Alright, come on everyone, let's get this over with." Bucky rounded everyone up.

"Deacon, stop acting like you hate every minute of this and act like you like me." Rayna hissed at him through her teeth.

"I don't just like you I love you, but we have been at this for awhile, babe." Deacon replied. He leaned his forehead against hers and stared into her eyes.

"I love you too." She brought her hand up and rested it against his cheek.

"That was perfect. You guys are done." The photographer called out to them. Neither of them had realized that he was taking the picture and he had caught them in their natural state.

"Thank God," Deacon took her hand and laced their fingers together.

"It wasn't as bad as you're making it out to be." She laughed at him.

"Hey, Ray, that was great. Those are really gonna look good on the website. As soon as I get the proofs I'll send them to you for final approval. Also Luke messengered Will's contract over and I have it for you when you want it." Bucky reported.

"Buck, I'm on maternity leave for two more weeks. I still have to head over to the Opry and see how things are going for that concert tomorrow night. After that I won't be back in the office until I'm off maternity leave. And did you take care of what I asked you to take care of?" She reminded him.

"I know, but it's just better to get that out of the way. Yeah, I handled it." He assured her.

"Did you look over the contract? What do you think of it?" She asked. Deacon broke away from them and went to tend to his sons while they talked business.

"I looked it over and it seems very straightforward nothing in there to be worried about." He took it out and showed it to her.

"Bring it by the house later and I'll sign it then you can give it to Will to sign." She sighed.

"Alright, I can handle that." Bucky replied.

She walked over to where Deacon was fussing over the boys.

"Come on, Jayme, burp for daddy. You're not gonna be a happy camper if you don't." He had Jaymes laying over his shoulder on a burp rag.

"How are they doin'?" Rayna asked.

"They just had a bottle and the king here is refusing to burp for me." He reported.

"Give him here, sometimes it just takes the one of us who hasn't tried yet you know that." She put the burp rag over her shoulder and took Jaymes from him. She patted his back gently and he burped for her without a problem. "That's momma's good boy."

"You want us to go over to the Opry with you?" He asked.

"No, you go ahead and take them on home and I will meet you there later." She kissed him and handed the baby back to him.

"But don't say it's over I'm gonna fix what I've done gonna lay down beside you gonna lay down my gun. The struggle ain't over but I hope you will stay 'cause I'm quittin' at the end of the day. I'll be quittin' at the end of the day. Yeah, I'm quittin' at the end of the day." Maddie and JC finished the run through they had done of one of Rayna and Deacon's songs.

"Wow, you guys, I'm impressed as hell." Deacon said from the doorway of the music room.

"Dad, I didn't know that you were home yet. Daphne is doing her homework. Mine is already done. JC just came over to work on some songs. We were really just playing around." Maddie explained quickly.

"I had nothin' better to do and Maddie invited me over to write I hope that's ok." JC added.

"Relax, it's fine. I thought that sounded pretty damn good. I'm partial to the original myself, but for a couple baby artists that wasn't bad at all." Deacon grinned at them.

"This is what we resorted to because writin' wasn't gettin' us anywhere." JC sighed.

"Yeah, we gave it a try and we missed big time." She chimed in.

"I'm gonna tell you two what I tell every country song writer. I just told Sadie this not long ago. Writing country songs is nothin' more than three chords and the truth. That song ya'll were just singin' was written on a tour bus after Ray had bailed Vince and me outta jail in San Antonio for gettin' in a bar fight. Obviously not all of those lyrics are true, but all great country songs tell a story." Deacon coached them.

"You and my daddy did your share of hell raisin' didn't you?" JC asked.

"We did I guess it's safe to say that comin' from Vince and me you and Maddie come from a long line of losers." Deacon shook his head.

"But you finally got it right, dad." Maddie reminded him.

"I did, 'cause I had your momma to set me straight." Deacon smiled. One of the boys cried out from the other room. "I'm gonna leave you two to the writin' my duty calls." He left them to go tend to the twins. He was still in the living room with the boys when Rayna came in a little while later.

"Hey, babe, did they give you any problems?" Rayna leaned over the back of the couch and kissed him.

"Nope, not at all they were angels as always. I checked on Daphne and she's doin' homework up in her room. How were things at the Opry?" He asked her.

"They were good. Things are just about ready for tomorrow night." She was a little puzzled that he hadn't mentioned Maddie, but she let it go.

"Ray, I have somethin' I want you to listen to. Just listen to it all the way through before you say anythin'." He pulled out his phone and played the song that he'd walked in on Maddie and JC singing. He'd recorded it on his phone. He'd been standing there longer than they'd realized.

"Oh my God, is that Maddie? And who is that singing with her?" She asked after she'd listened to it all the way through.

"That's Maddie and JC. I was blown away when I walked in here and heard that. She's ready, babe. We are here to protect her, but she's ready." He confirmed.

"You're right, we do this now where we can control it and protect her. We can't fight it or she will become just as rebellious as I was and we can't lose her, Deacon. I'll say this no one else ever needs to cover that song again. That was absolutely incredible." She agreed with him.

"What do we think of him?" He asked.

"I think he's a very gifted musician. I want hear something that's his though. He definitely made your part of that song his own, but he's got a story to tell. You can hear it trying to break through. I have an idea just give me some time to talk it over with Bucky and Tandy before I bring you in on this. That was a good catch, babe." She praised him.

"Thanks, Ray, I got lucky that I walked in when I did that's all. Babe, you talk over whatever you need to talk over with Bucky and Tandy. As the talent scout I did my job." He smiled at her.

"Deacon, baby, love of my life, didn't it concern you at all that our hormonal teenage daughter was alone in the house with a hormonal teenage boy?" She asked him after giving it some thought.

"Daphne was here with 'em and I don't think it's like that with them. They are just friends that's all." He replied. He didn't see what she was getting at.

"When we were their ages what were we doing together?" She tried a different approach with him.

His face paled and he gulped. "Well, you were sneaking me into Lamar's house until he kicked you out and we sure as hell weren't just writing songs together. After that we pretty much lived together."

"So then, we agree there need to be rules for there being boys in the house when we aren't here?" She scrunched her face up.

"Yeah, we need to have rules." He agreed.

"That's what I thought. Now give me one of those boys I haven't got to snuggle them all day. Bucky will be here soon to drop somethin' off for me. Tandy will be with him obviously and I can run my idea by them then." She took Little Deacon into her arms.

"They were right there with us and I missed 'em too. I kinda like havin' them right there with us at work though." He cuddled Jaymes to his chest.

"I like that too. I could get used to that in a hurry." She agreed with him.

"Hey, little men, how are you doing? Uncle Bucky didn't get to talk to you earlier he was working." Bucky waved at the boys when he came in.

"Nope, I had them all to myself earlier." Tandy said from behind him.

"Buck, you're welcome to hold 'em." Deacon offered.

"Here are those papers, Ray. Take a look at those while I say hello to these guys." Bucky handed her the contract and kneeled down in front of Little Deacon and Jaymes who were in their swings. "You have to be Jayme look at that big smile on your face because someone is talking to you." He picked Jaymes up.

"How'd you know?" Tandy asked him.

"I got down in their line of sight and he started smiling. Deac is as antisocial as Big Deacon. Look at how he's brooding. I never thought I'd say it looks cute." Bucky replied. He'd been as crazy about the girls as he was the boys. But, Rayna was family to him.

"Bubba, tell Uncle Bucky it's not nice to pick on you." Deacon told his son.

"Deacon, it's not picking on him if it's true. Deac does brood like you and Maddie do." Tandy backed Bucky up.

Rayna scrawled her signature across the bottom of the contract. "Speaking of Maddie there is something that you need to hear. And you need to hear it live. Deacon, have them come in here."

"Hey, Maddie, JC, come on in here a minute and bring your guitars with you." Deacon called out to the teens.

Tandy arched her eyebrow and looked at her sister when the pair walked into the room together.

Rayna shook her head and rolled her eyes as if to say I'll tell you later.

"What did you need, dad?" Maddie asked.

"I was hopin' that you would play for them what you played for me earlier." Deacon told her.

"Yeah, we can do that." JC agreed. "Ready?"

"Ready," Maddie nodded at him and they both started to play. "Quittin' the bottle at the end of the day want to be there for heaven let it open the gate. I'll give up the lyin' if you're gonna stay. I'll be quittin' at the end of the day."

Rayna watched her daughter with pride in her eyes.

"But don't say it's over I'm gonna change what I've done gonna lay down beside you gonna lay down my gun. The struggle ain't over but I hope you will stay cause I'm quittin' at the end of the day." Their voices melded together perfectly.

"Done with the cheatin' that drove you away, but you'll give me forgiveness if I promise to change. I told you it's over so what else can I say. I'll be quittin' at the end of the day." Maddie really made the song her own.

JC cast a glance over at his duet partner as he played. "But don't say it's over I'm gonna fix what I've done gonna lay down beside you gonna lay down my gun. The struggle ain't over but I hope you will stay. Cause I'm quittin' at the end of the day." Maddie locked eyes with him as they sang.

"Hold on a couple more hours I'll be home ready to lay in your arms don't change your mind." They didn't even notice that they moved closer to each other as the song progressed.

Rayna sent Deacon a look that said see what I mean?

Deacon nodded his head he could see her point.

"But don't say it's over I'm gonna fix what I've done gonna lay down beside you gonna lay down my gun. The struggle ain't over, but I hope you will stay 'cause I'm quittin' at the end of the day. I'll be quittin' at the end of the day. Yeah, I'm quittin' at the end of the day." The teens looked away from each other quickly after they'd finished.

"That was some really good guitar work, JC. I liked that extra chord you added in at the bridge." Deacon praised him.

"That was just 'bout the most intimidatin' thing I've ever done in my life. The extra chord was for that extra long note that we held." JC laughed nervously.

"I don't have words for how good ya'll sounded. It takes a lot of courage to do an artist's song in front of them like that. I'm just really impressed." Rayna told them.

"Thank you," JC looked down and blushed.

"Thanks, mom," Maddie smiled. All she really wanted to do was please her mother and make her see that she was mature enough to handle this.

"Ya'll go back in the music room and have fun. I just wanted them to hear that." Deacon winked at them.

"Come on, JC, let's go." Maddie said.

"I'm with you." JC followed her back into the music room.

"Ray, I know how you feel about signing the girls, but you need to sign him before another label figures out how good he is." Bucky advised her.

"There was a reason I wanted you to hear that. There is something that I wanted to run by you and Tandy. I was thinking of doing something like an apprenticeship contract for the girls and for JC. Because I agree he's good, but he could be great." Rayna replied.

"I would have to iron out the details with you, but that sounds like a great idea to me." Tandy agreed with her sister's course of action.

"Lock him down, Ray, whatever way you think is best, but he's a young Deacon meets Will Lexington and we want him. I know that it's about what you want to say with our brand, but he can do that and make us money." Bucky pleaded with her.

"Buck, we are gonna make a statement with the brand and make money it's ok." Rayna assured him.

"Wow, what is this? The Conrad Sister's new sound?" Rayna walked into Maddie's room and found Maddie and Daphne having a jam session.

"Yeah," The girls answered her in unison.

"So, you girls know that tomorrow night is the tenth anniversary of my induction into the Opry. I Still remember that night you were just a little bitty thing." She pointed at Maddie. "And I was breastfeeding you backstage." She laughed at the face Daphne made.

"Mom, that's gross." Daphne complained.

"You're the one that sits in the same room as her while she nurses the twins. I don't see why you think it's gross." Maddie pretty much refused to be in the same room as her mother when she was nursing the boys.

"It's a natural part of life, Maddie, you'll get used to it. Anyway my point is the Opry was my family long before either of you were thought of and I thought it would be nice if ya'll would join me and sorta bring it full circle." Rayna smiled.

"What? Seriously? Like join you on stage?" Maddie asked excitedly.

"Yes, I want you two to make your Opry debut I think you're ready." Rayna confirmed.

"Oh my God, this is so exciting I have to go call everyone I know." Daphne rattled and rushed off to grab her phone.

"That is so awesome, mom." Maddie was ecstatic.

"Maddie, while your sister is busy you and I need to have a talk about boys in the house. Dad and I we want to trust you we really do. So, if you want to have boys in the house while we're not here there are rules. Rule one no boys on the second floor. Rule two Daphne has to be in the house two. Rule three let us know that he's gonna be here. I think that those are all reasonable rules." Rayna leveled with her.

"Ok, I can agree to that. I promise that there is nothing going on with me and JC though." Maddie didn't put up a fight surprisingly.

"Sweetie, I know that I really do, but you don't have the best track record." Rayna arched her eyebrow.

"I promise to follow the rules if you and dad both promise to try and trust me." Maddie bargained.

"You have a deal." Rayna was willing to work with her if she could be respectful.

Deacon had both the boys' tubs in the tub in his and Rayna's bathroom. "Alright, let's get you two stinky boys bathed. Momma frowns upon it when you both smell like a foot." He stripped them both out of their onesies and diapers.

"I'm not too late for bath time am I?" Rayna asked from the doorway.

"You are right on time. I just got them naked." He lifted one boy into the tub and then the other.

"You two are so handsome just like your daddy." She kneeled in the floor beside him.

"They are even good lookin' naked." He grinned. He grabbed a washrag and the baby soap.

"They get that from their daddy too." She kissed his neck quickly.

"Ray, I'm a time bomb waitin' to go off. Don't tease me." He warned her. His eyes darkened with lust. He started washing the boys to distract himself.

"The doctor cleared me for sex." She whispered in his ear.

He turned to look at her. "Really?"

"Really, I was thinking that tomorrow night after the thing at the Opry we could leave the boys for a couple of hours and head up to the cabin for some momma and daddy alone time." She suggested to him.

"That's a damn good idea. Who is gonna watch the little bits?" He asked.

"Your momma is comin' in town for the show and she would love to spend some time with her grandkids." She nuzzled his neck.

"You just thought of everythin'." He chuckled.

"That's what you keep me around for, babe." She grinned. "Now, let's get these two boys cleaned up."

"Hurry up with those pajamas, daddy, these two little frogs are getting cold." She was sitting on the bed with both the boys wrapped up in towels. She ran a soft brush through both of their dark hair. They really did look just like Deacon.

"Here I am." He walked in carrying two sets of pajamas. He handed a set to her and he put the other on Little Deacon. "There you go, you're not cold anymore all dressed and warm." He kissed his cheek and was rewarded with a big smile.

"Look at your brother, Jayme, he doesn't smile like that for anyone but daddy. You're both crazy about daddy, but I think he's worse than you are." She dressed Jaymes. He looked at her and yawned. "Goodness, that was a big yawn for such a little boy. Ask daddy if he's ready for night-night song."

"Daddy is ready for night-night song and so are the boys." He laid the baby in one of the bassinets that were in their room.

She laid Jaymes in the other.

He grabbed his guitar and started picking out a tune.

"Oh well I'm tired and so weary but I must go along 'til the lord comes and calls, calls me away. Well morning's so bright and the lamb is the light and the night, night is as black as the sea oh yes." Rayna sang softly.

"There will be peace in the valley for me someday. There will be peace in the valley for me oh lord I pray. There'll be no sadness no sorrow no trouble, trouble I've seen. There will be peace in the valley for me." They sang together. As usual the boys were out by the time they finished the first chorus.

"I love doing this with you every night." She wrapped her arms around him.

"I love it too. Momma sang that song to me and Bev every night unless she was battlin' with Paul." He kissed her softly.

"I remember you singin' Maddie to sleep on the bus to that song when you would keep an eye on her for me. She demanded it even when she wasn't on the road with us." She smiled.

"Momma was an Elvis fan if you can't tell." He laughed.

"I think I got the hint when you named our dog Elvis." She winked.

"Hey, I will have you know that that's my dog. We weren't together when I got him." He protested.

"We were so together when you bought that dog. We just weren't sleeping together and I was engaged to another man." She buried her face in his chest.

He ran his hands up and down her back. "If you are gonna count like that then we were together when you accepted his proposal."

"I'll compromise we were officially back together the night I picked you up at the hospital. If that doesn't work for you then we were back together the night I bought out your contract from him." She leaned up and kissed him.

"I will agree with the night that you picked me up at the hospital. That was the night you let me know that you wanted me to fight for you." He agreed to her compromise.

"I love it when you give me my way." She chuckled in her throat.

"I only do it because I know how giving you can be when you're happy." He pulled her flush against him.

"You are such a man." She shook her head. "I talked to Maddie."

"How'd that go?" He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her down in his lap.

"It went surprisingly well. She agreed to all of the rules and she didn't put up a fight. It makes me wonder who she is and what she did with our sullen, moody daughter." She laid her head on his shoulder.

"She's been a lot better since we have been goin' out for regular drivin' lessons and since I showed her that baby book. She's been more hands on with the boys and her attitude has improved. I'm really proud of the young woman she's becomin', Ray." His chest puffed up with pride.

"I think you have had a lot to do with her change in attitude. She's been more respectful and happier. Keep up the good work, daddy. I think you understand her in a way that I can't you two are so similar." She just loved the life that they had built together.

"I make her talk. I don't let her be a little me." He kissed her shoulder.

"I'll tell you what her and JC together remind me of us at that age. They are a natural fit together. I don't think that there is anything going on between them that we have to worry about though." She stifled a yawn.

"I don't think so either and they remind me of us too. They sang that song and it didn't sound like a cover it sounded like they took it and made it their own. If I had him for a little while he I could turn him into a guitarist instead of just a guitar player." He mused.

"You're gonna need a band for when you start playing gigs at places other than the Bluebird you should take him under your wing. If I haven't told you lately I love what you've done with Sadie. You've really helped her reach her potential." She yawned again.

"That's enough shop talk for one night. Baby, you're so tired you're barely keepin' your eyes open. We've had a big day today and we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow. Let's crawl in bed and get some sleep before the little Outlaw and the little Rebel wake up to be fed." He moved her off his lap and pulled back the covers.

She crawled under them without any hesitation. "Which one is the outlaw and which one is the rebel?"

"Deac is the outlaw and Jayme is the rebel. I love you, baby." He got into bed and took her into his arms.

"I love you too, babe." She tangled her feet up with his and closed her eyes.

A/N: Here is the next chapter. I'm on a roll so you're getting two chapters in one day. Until next time please review.