One year later:

'Hey, baby. You nearly ready?' Deacon asked cheerfully as he walked into their bedroom. He'd just dropped Maddie off at pre-school as Rayna had complained she was tired and wanted a few more minutes in bed.

Rayna had been living with Deacon for almost 7 months now. She was the first to admit she had never seen him as happy as he had been these past few months. Having Rayna and Maddie in his life, living with him, having the opportunity to be the family he had always wanted with her had been like a dream he didn't know existed. Although he had dreamt about it on more than one occasion, it was far better than he could have ever imagined. Rayna had filed for divorce from Teddy the day after she had stayed the night at Deacon's six months ago. Teddy had come looking for her, knowing she wasn't at Tandy's and threatened to destroy her, take Maddie away and ensure she would never see the little girl again. That had been the final straw. Rayna had already been unhappy for months, feeling trapped and suffocated and ultimately looking for a way out. Teddy had given it to her.

It hadn't been easy. It was extremely painful for both Rayna and Maddie. Of course Maddie didn't understand what was going on with their parents. Many nights Rayna had spent comforting her sobbing daughter who missed her Daddy. Deacon had been their rock. Rayna honestly didn't know what she would have done if she didn't have Deacon in her corner, supporting her through the messy ordeal. Teddy certainly hadn't made it easier for either of them, court hearings, appeals, aggressive phone calls and other horrible things that made Rayna question whether it was all worth it. But when she would walk through the door to Deacon greeting her with a gentle kiss and a soothing hug, she knew that all of this was worth it. That despite all of the pain, heartbreak and suffering in the past few months, getting to be a family with him made her the happiest she'd ever been too. It still wasn't over, the divorce was made official 3 months ago, and the thought of getting Rayna down the aisle was never far from the forefront of Deacon's mind.

It also hadn't been hard for Deacon to adjust to living with a child. He adored Maddie, loved her like she was his own and the bond was reciprocated. Often Rayna would find herself left out at bath and bedtimes when Maddie specifically asked for Deacon to play with her bath toys, or read her a bedtime story. Because according to Madddie, Uncle Deacon does the best impression of Sebastian in the Little Mermaid. Rayna didn't mind one bit. The warmth in her heart as she leaned against the door frame to Maddie's room that Deacon had painted and furnished himself, watching Madde snuggle into his side while she drifted off to sleep was sometimes overwhelming. Rayna had to settle for joint custody of Maddie, with Teddy having Maddie every other weekend. She hated that time when Maddie was away but she also knew Teddy loved Maddie and she wasn't in any danger. Seeing Deacon with Maddie also made her consider the possibility of thinking about having a baby of their own. She hadn't voiced this to Deacon. She felt it maybe too soon, or he wouldn't be ready, only having a few months to adjust to Maddie. But she knew this was what she wanted. It astounded her the transformation in mindset that she was in a year ago where she was so unsure about the idea of having another baby, but specifically with Teddy, to now where she relished the idea of carrying Deacon's child and raising a son or daughter with him. The subject had been mentioned a few times in conversation, nothing definite, he didn't want to put her under that kind of pressure after the year she'd had, they just let the idea circulate and when the time came, they knew they were both going to be ready. It was not a case of if, but when.

However, that concept may have come a lot sooner than she expected when she realised she was 5 days late for her period last week. Rayna was never late. Initially, she'd brushed it off, attributing it to stress of the divorce, but as the week progressed, she'd started having odd sensations in her stomach, her breasts were tender and she was put off by the smell of lavender, which was in the living room in the form of a candle. Her usual favourite. Three days later, she'd discovered the little plus sign on the white stick that confirmed what deep down she already knew. Her and Deacon were having a baby- she just hadn't told him yet. At first, it had taken Rayna a while for it to sink in. She knew this was what she wanted, but she hadn't expected it to happen so soon. She thought it would be a case of having the conversation with Deacon and agreeing to try for a baby, not it happening of its own accord. However, she also wasn't surprised considering the amount of times they'd gotten so carried away the idea of birth control went completely out of the window. Once she had thought about it, she had fully expected it to happen before now! But once the shock had worn off, nothing had brought her greater joy than the thought of carrying Deacon's child. Getting to be with him right from the beginning, sharing every single experience with him from doctor's appointments to picking out names and feeling the baby kick. It almost made her giddy with excitement and she couldn't wait to tell Deacon. She just wanted to do it at the right time.

This particular morning had been a rough morning for Rayna. Her head felt like it was being picked at with tiny little axes from her forehead, running down the centre of her skull. Thus far she had been ok for morning sickness and other pregnancy-illness related symptoms and she was surprised at how good she felt considering her issues with Maddie. However, she had probably spoken too soon. She didn't have the urge to be sick, but there was definitely a peculiar feeling in the pit of her stomach that was making its presence known.

Rayna had awoken when Deacon had that morning, 8.00am on the dot. They had a system going where they alternated getting up and dressed ready to take Maddie to pre-school while the other made breakfast. It was her morning to take Maddie but she couldn't seem to keep her eyes open for more than a minute, her head pounding and stomach churning. Deacon had noticed that Rayna looked more tired than usual and offered to drop Maddie off. He had decided to buy her a cinnamon bagel with a latte from the coffee shop down the road where they usually spend Saturday mornings eating breakfast. She had promised him she'd be awake and ready to head out to their recording session when he returned. When Deacon walked back into the bedroom he found Rayna fast asleep in bed with a cool flannel resting on her forehead. He frowned slightly, not recalling her feeling hot when he had kissed her before leaving. He hoped she wasn't getting sick, they had a week of gigs lined up in the next couple of days that would really help boost her new album.

Deacon placed the bagel and coffee on the kitchen counter, not knowing if Rayna would want to heat it up in the microwave, or he'd probably end up making her a new one. He cleaned the kitchen, something he hadn't taken much notice of and cared for before Rayna had moved in, that had definitely changed. He never thought he'd see the day, Deacon Claybourne- Domestic Goddess, but now he didn't mind putting on his rubber gloves and making that sink sparkle. How times had changed. It was closer to an hour later when Rayna appeared, her hair ruffled, wearing one of his flannel shirts that she spent more time in recently than him. He didn't mind one bit though, she looked sexy as hell. She wore a shy smile as she padded over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, her head leaning against his chest. She did actually feel a bit better, certainly not as tired. And she wasn't sure whether it was the apprehension of having to tell Deacon or a case of morning sickness without the sickness that was bubbling away inside of her. She couldn't understand why she was so apprehensive given brief conversations they'd had in the few months where he made no attempt to hide his joy at the prospect of having a baby with Rayna.

'You ok, sweetie? You were completely out of it,' Deacon asked softly into her hair as his chin rested lightly on top of her head.

'I'm sorry. I was so tired when I woke up, I couldn't keep my eyes open. I don't think I slept very well last night. But you were dead to the world, as usual,' Rayna gibed playfully, poking a finger into his perfectly toned stomach.

He chuckled, grabbing her finger and kissing it tenderly. 'Well you wear me out, baby. I need all the rest I can get with you and Mads running riot in the house.'

'You love it, babe,' she snuggled closer into Deacon's chest, wanting to be as close to him as possible. She hoped this feeling would never go away, the feeling of not being able to get enough of him, wanting him with her all of the time.

'I do. I wouldn't have it any other way. My two favourite girls,' He placed his finger under her chin, lifting her head slightly so he could lean down and kiss her sweetly on the lips. As with many of their kisses, it soon became heated and resulted in Rayna sitting on the kitchen counter, Deacon between her legs unbuttoning her shirt.

They absolutely loved their little morning routine. With the tour being over and Rayna's album charting well, they found themselves with some much appreciated alone time in the mornings after they had dropped Maddie off. As much as they adored spending time with her, they didn't mind admitting these few hours where they could lounge around in their sweatpants, or in Rayna's case, Deacon's shirts, watching TV, taking a leisurely stroll to the park, and having sex… a lot, were precious and what they lived for. It did cross Rayna's mind how long they would be able to do this for. Being pregnant wasn't all fun and games and she knew for sure their simple, relaxing mornings would be few and far between with a newborn. But at the same time, she was really looking forward to sharing this experience with Deacon and couldn't wait to see him hold their baby.

After their little impromptu love-making session on the worktop, Rayna infomed Deacon she was going to take a shower, aware that their recording session was being put on hold due to her lie in. She did have to warn him not to join her as she caught him sneaking towards the bathroom with her, reminding him they wouldn't be getting anywhere any time soon if that was the case. She would have to take him up on that later though.

Half an hour later, Rayna returned to a freshly made cup of coffee and the bagel with cream cheese on a plate. A sudden wave of nausea overcame her as the smell of cinnamon overpowered her and it took her all her strength not to run straight to the bathroom. If she had made her discomfort at the food obvious, Deacon hadn't picked up on it as he busied frying himself some eggs and bacon.

'You know what babe, I'm not really very hungry. You can go ahead and have this if you want,' Rayna told Deacon pushing the plate away trying not to gag.

'Oh, you didn't eat much last night either. Is everything ok, baby? You had that flannel cloth over your forehead when I walked in. I hope you're not coming down with something, sweetie.'

'No I'm fine, I just don't really have much of an appetite. It comes and goes in phases,' she lied, not wanting to tell Deacon just yet. She didn't have a plan of when and how she was going to tell him but she wanted to find the right moment. She wanted it to be special.

'Ok, well let me know if you don't feel well and we can come straight home,' Deacon said, sitting down opposite her with his breakfast.

One thing Rayna had been extremely impressed with living with him is his ability to cook which was a blessing for her. She couldn't recall him being a pro in the kitchen when they were together before, although anyone would be considered pro compared to her. He had told her he wanted to learn so he could make proper meals instead of living out of cans. Secretly hoping he'd get to use his much improved culinary skills on Rayna one day, low and behold, here they were.

After breakfast, Deacon and Rayna made their way to meet Watty for a recording session of a song they'd written a few weeks ago. Rayna had moved a lot of her stuff from her music room into Deacon's out building which they had converted and used as their space to write. Of course, Maddie had taken ownership of half of the room, not wanting to feel left out but they found that on those particularly stressful days, they ventured into their little safe haven and shut the world out, delving into the captivating and raw lyrics that they produced. They certainly hadn't lost their touch when it came to being able to write those beautiful love songs, all come from the last 4 years when they weren't together. Whenever Deacon and Rayna recorded a song, it almost always inspired them to write… again. Just the sheer action of gazing lovingly into each other's eyes singing sparked a desire to spend the rest of the afternoon brainstorming ideas and putting those ideas to paper. They had written close to 20 songs in the past few months. It wasn't uncommon for both Deacon and Rayna to get emotional whilst coming up with lyrics. They both felt an equal amount of pain from the time they spent apart, but that's what made the music so strong. It touched every nerve ending and back again. 'The Best Songs Come From Broken Hearts' had been their latest triumph. A song they had written in less than half an hour, which was extremely quick for them considering half way through Deacon's hand would somehow find its way into Rayna's underwear, sheets of paper crumpled as he brought her to breath-taking orgasms. Everything was finally coming together for them both and Rayna was so excited about this little baby and how it would solidify their relationship.

Rayna had decided after their recording session that she was going to tell Deacon through a song. She thought it was the most fitting way to announce her surprise, and Deacon wouldn't suspect anything until they got writing. After the suggestion of writing, Deacon had taken Rayna back to their little hideout. As it was past lunch time, they ordered a large pizza and some garlic bread for Rayna and took to their notepads.

They were situated on the floor nestled in blankets and pillows , feet stretched out underneath the table that held their food.

'What's this idea you've been thinking about, baby?' Deacon asked Rayna after taking a large bite out of the pizza, covering his chin in tomato sauce which Rayna happily licked clean.

Rayna had already come up with the verse in her head in the car on the way back from the session. 'So I've got some lyrics in mind that I've mused over. I thought I could sing them for you now and see what you think?'

Deacon nodded, taking another bite out of the pizza and placing his guitar on the floor. As the sound of Rayna's singing filled the room, he was mesmerized by how alluring her voice was. It always had been and always would be the sweetest sound he'd ever heard. The way she was able to draw people in with her honesty and beauty never failed to dazzle him. He was so captivated by her he almost missed her last lyric.

'The sound of tiny pitter pattering along the floor will fill us up once more, as we become a family of four.'

His heart practically stopped as he witnessed the smile form on Rayna's face as she finished that last line. Was she saying what he thought she was saying? It maybe wouldn't have been so obvious if not for the giggle that emitted from Rayna's mouth as he sat frozen for a few seconds. His eyes not moving from hers. The feel of Rayna's hand on his cheek pulled him out of his trance.

'Ray, are you…? Are you saying you're…?' He couldn't bring himself to say the word in case he had made the wrong assumption and she just felt like writing a song about becoming a family of four. Although he doubted that was true.

'Yeah… we're having a baby, Deacon,' The gigantic grin that formed on Deacon's face was enough to send Rayna into a puddle of tears. The emotions she'd been hiding the past few days finally catching up with her. A mixture of relief and pure elation at Deacon's reaction to her news.

He couldn't stop smiling as he took Rayna in his arms, kissing the top of her head several times before pulling away, placing gentle kisses on her forehead, cheeks, nose and finally her lips. Her hands were gripping onto his tightly for support as she was so overcome with joy and happiness.

'You're pregnant?' Deacon asked in disbelief, needing confirmation that the love of his life, his soulmate was carrying his child. If he thought he'd had everything he wanted before, this was the icing on the cake.

Rayna nodded enthusiastically, giggling some more whilst stray tears fell onto her cheeks. 'I'm pregnant, you're going to be a Daddy,' That word caught him off guard, in a good way. His own tears appeared and it was Rayna's turn to kiss them away as they fell graciously down his face.

'Wow, that's just… God, I love you so much, baby,' He was struggling to form the words to say to her, everything on the tip of his tongue but his brain which was fogged with a complete state of euphoria wouldn't let him speak.

'I love you too, Deacon. So much,' She leaned in to kiss him and she felt his hand slide from her waist, resting on her stomach. The stomach that concealed their baby. Now he'd never been happier than he was right at the moment.

'Marry me,' he blurted out unexpectedly, even shocking himself.

'What?'

'I want you to marry me, baby. Before the baby is born. I want us to become a proper family. You, me, Maddie and our baby. I've been waiting for the right time to ask you, and it doesn't get much better than this,' He released Rayna from his body and knelt on the ground on one knee. 'I know I don't have a ring yet, but you will by this evening. I've never wanted anything more in my life than I want you and our family. It feels like I've been waiting a lifetime for this and I've finally got everything I want. And this baby..' he gestured to her stomach, moving her top up slightly so he could cover her belly with his strong hand. 'This is the beginning of the rest of our lives.'

'Yes,' Rayna whispered, her turn to be in disbelief. It was not as though she didn't think they would, but like the pregnancy, she didn't expect it to happen so soon. But admiring the most wonderful, kind, perfect human being that was knelt before her, she concluded that now was the perfect time, they'd already wasted 4 years why wait any longer. Like Deacon, this was everything that she had wanted too. Those 4 agonising years with Teddy, masking the overpowering feelings she still harbored for Deacon, it was all worth it just for this moment right now.

'Yeah?' Deacon questioned, not sure whether he heard her correctly and Rayna was actually accepting his proposal.

'Of course I'll marry you,' Deacon finally let out the breath he'd been holding in waiting for her reply. He took her hand and placed soft kisses on her finger where a ring would soon be. The ring that cemented their future together, as a couple and as a family.

Rayna immediately pulled Deacon into her, letting her tongue find solace in his mouth as they exchanged a rousing kiss. She suddenly felt her legs being raised off of the floor, Deacon lifting her into his arms, not breaking the kiss. Rayna wrapped her legs around Deacon's waist, her hands on either side of his face whilst his hands rested on her bottom. He walked them over to the sofa and carefully sat down, Rayna straddling him, their mouths still not breaking contact. Deacon moved his hands from her bum to the hem of her t-shirt, lifting it ever so slightly to reveal the baby soft skin of Rayna's stomach. He proceeded to lift it higher until the t-shirt was fully over Rayna's head and thrown in a pile on the floor. As their kisses increased in intensity, Rayna could feel Deacon growing against her, coupled with his large hands cupping the underside of her breasts initiated a desire to pool in her stomach, running down to her centre. Expertly, Deacon unclasped Rayna's bra, throwing it on top of her shirt on the floor and let out a gasp at the sight of her beautiful breasts, which he already thought had gotten bigger and he fucking loved it. Although he didn't know whether that's because he now knew. He took one in his hand, kneading it the way Rayna liked before taking her nipple in his mouth and grazing it gently at first. Rayna could feel a mix of pleasure and pain as Deacon increased the pressure on her nipple that were hyper- sensitive at this point. She had no desire to pull him away though, grabbing his head and pushing it towards her, encouraging him to continue. He moved his attention to the other, pleased at his handiwork as he bit down on the hard nub causing Rayna to moan.

Rayna could feel her core burning at the sensations of Deacon working on her breasts and knew she wouldn't last long once he was inside of her, which she wanted right now. She reached for his zipper on his jeans but he caught her hand before she could release him.

'This is about you, baby. Let me take care of you first,' She almost came in that very moment listening to the sexiness of his voice. His eyes filled with a clear appetite for her.

She didn't say a word as he lifted her and placed her against the pillows on the sofa so she was lying on her back. Deacon made his way up to her neck, kissing, sucking and biting on her sensitive spots before swirling his tongue around them to soothe them. He moved from her neck, placing wet kisses on her heavenly breasts which were red and swollen due to his ministrations. Rayna could feel her breathing become erratic as he advanced further down her body, stopping and smiling once he reached her stomach. His calloused fingers grazed over her belly button, rubbing his thumb in circles before adding sweet kisses all around her stomach. He lifted his head to see her chest rising and falling in rapid succession, her hair splayed out on either side of her, her face flushed with desire. She was the fucking sexiest woman he'd ever seen and he could not believe he was the guy about to marry her. He could tell she was getting impatient as she gripped his hair, tilting her pelvis towards him letting him know what she wanted. He began to unbuckle her belt before unzipping her jeans and slowly removing them from her luscious legs that went on for days. His eyes widened as his eyes came into contact with her silk, pink underwear that had an obvious symbol of arousal in the centre. He proceeded to trail his fingers on the inside of her thighs, his arousal levels also increasing as he felt the heat of her core against his hand and he hadn't even removed her underwear. He replaced his fingers with kisses, moving his way to the hemline of her underwear. He could hear Rayna groan above him and he knew if he didn't get a move on he would be in trouble. As much as he loved teasing her and making her beg, he wanted to give her what she needed. They had plenty of time for playing games later.

His thumbs hooked into the inside of her underwear before eliminating the item of clothing that was preventing him from pleasuring her most in her most desired area. Deacon let out a low moan as he lowered his head to her centre, his tongue feather-lightly licking her wet folds. He closed his eyes and breathed in the delicious scent that circulated his nostrils. He was so turned on by how wet she was it took him all of his willpower not to rip off his jeans and bury himself inside her to release his tension. But he held back, wanting to give Rayna the special attention she deserved. He settled his forearm under Rayna's right leg and lifted it so it was over his shoulder, allowing him better access to her. Her grip on his hair tightened even further as he finally pushed his tongue deep inside her, lapping her up hungrily like he'd been deprived for weeks. Rayna's head flew back against the cushions at the circles of pleasure that were already forming, letting out frequent moans whilst Deacon buried his tongue in her depths. The sight of Deacon fully clothed, with his head between her legs was enough to send her over the edge.

As she felt the concentric waves of pleasure form, Deacon removed his tongue, replacing it with his fingers, sucking on her clit. Rayna shouted Deacon's name as he plunged his fingers into her without warning, hitting all of the right spot. She almost went light-headed at the feeling of Deacon sucking on her bundle of nerves, becoming desperate for release. Deacon could sense she was on the edge, so he curled his fingers inside her, knowing exactly where the spot was that was her undoing. The moan emitted from Rayna's mouth as he felt her pulse around him was so fucking hot that Deacon could feel moisture seeping from him in his jeans. He continued to suck and lick her clit whilst maintaining the ministrations of his fingers while she came down from her high. He slowly removed his fingers and licked the substance clean, he crawled up to Rayna and kissed her passionately, allowing her to taste herself on his lips and tongue.

'Deacon,' She breathed out, having to take deep breaths to try and calm herself. She had experienced the talent of Deacon's fingers and mouth before; she didn't know whether it was because she was pregnant or the intensity of emotions she had this afternoon heightened the sensations she felt exponentially.

'You're so beautiful, Ray,' He said as his eyes roamed her naked body. She had never had a man make her feel so attractive and worthy than Deacon did, no matter what state she was in, she could always rely on him to make her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. Which she was to him.

'That was something else. I'm going to want multiple repeat performances, you do realise?'

'I think there's plenty more where that came from, baby,' He kissed her once more, but this time it was slow and tender.

When they finally pulled away from each other, Deacon saw a change in Rayna's eyes, a mischievous, flirtatious look. The look that she gets when she wants his dick. It took her all of 5 seconds to get his belt and jeans and boxers thrown onto the pile of discarded clothing. She took his dick in her hands and pumped in teasingly, after he couldn't take it any longer, he pulled her legs apart, hooking them over his hips before entering her powerfully, never getting enough of how inviting Rayna felt.

It had been a painful and tumultuous year, but they had managed to overcome everything life had thrown at them. With everything now in the past, they were able to focus on creating the family they had always wanted. Everything had worked out for them in the end, and they were so excited to start the next chapter in their lives together. No matter what came next, they knew they were going to be ok. Because they had each other.