A/N: I know I already have like a million stories that I need to finish, but I couldn't help it I had to write to this one. I love playing around with AU Deyna. I promise that this is setting up for Deacon and Rayna to eventually be together, they just have to go through a little angst first. Anyway I hope you guys like it.

Chapter 1

Rayna sat in her SUV outside of Deacon's East Nashville home. She was waiting for Maddie to be done with her guitar lesson before she went inside. The conversation she had to have with him was better off if she did it without prying ears. Their daughter was already asking too many questions that neither of them had the answers to. It was understandable given the fact she'd just found out that Deacon was her father, but still it pulled the scabs off of wounds and opened them back up.

She stared at the piece of paper that was the reason for the conversation she had to have with Deacon. It wasn't like they were talking about anything other than Maddie, not since she'd told him that they were going to have to save themselves and not fall back into the cycle of dragging each other down. This piece of paper changed everything though, it would have them even more involved with each other than they already were. It would also entail a deeper level of involvement than she wanted to think about at the moment.

A level that she wasn't comfortable with anymore or at least that's what she told herself. There was a reason that she made herself wait out in the car for Maddie when she had her guitar lessons. It technically wasn't her week with Maddie, but it was better if she took her to Deacon's and didn't let Teddy do it. That would only end in a fight that wouldn't help matters any at all. She squeezed the steering wheel so hard that her knuckles turned white and then she released it.

Deep down she knew that she didn't have to be nervous about this. It was Deacon and he would be happy once he got over the shock. She debated the merit of telling him at all, but she knew she had to. Not telling him things he needed to know was how they got in this position to begin with She couldn't do this to him a second time no matter how easy it would make her life.

She stared at the piece of paper again and groaned inwardly. She had to tell Deacon that she was once again pregnant with his baby. There was no question in her mind that he was the father or that she wanted this baby no matter how it had come to be. She laughed bitterly, now that she could actually be with him and raise this child up together they weren't in a place that was possible. There was too much hurt and anger between them for that to happen right now. Plus, she wasn't sure that it was safe for her to open herself up to him again. Not long ago she had almost died from the accident they were in.

She looked up and she saw Maddie and Deacon standing together on the front porch. She grabbed her purse out of the backseat and put the papers in it. She got out of the car and walked across the street.

"Hey, mom," Maddie greeted her mother.

"Hey, sweetie, how was your lesson today?" Rayna put a smile on her face. She didn't want her daughter to know that anything was amiss.

"It was good," Maddie replied.

"She plays guitar like she's a Claybourne or somethin'." Deacon added.

"That's good. Maddie do you think you can hang out here for a minute? I have to talk to Deacon." Rayna asked her.

"She'd probably be more comfortable out back." Deacon offered. He looked a little uneasy. He wasn't sure what he and Rayna could possibly have to talk about.

"That's right you do have that nice little area back there." Rayna nodded. "Maddie, go on out back. Everything is fine I just have a couple of things to talk to Deacon about." She smiled again to reassure her.

"Ok," Maddie looked between her parents before doing as she was told.

Deacon slipped his hands into the back pockets of his jeans. "What is this 'bout, Ray?" If she had something she was pissed at him about he would rather she just bitch at him and get it over with

"Can we go inside? This is a sensitive matter and I wanna discuss it away from prying ears and eyes." Rayna told him.

"Of course, come on in. I just thought you may be more comfortable outside." Deacon opened the door and gestured for her to go inside.

"Thanks," Rayna smiles and walked inside the house. She looked around and took in the house. It seemed just like yesterday she'd moved all her stuff out. In her mind she could lay out the nursery for their new baby without even having to walk down the hall.

"What's all this about?" Deacon took a seat on the couch.

Rayna didn't answer him verbally at first. She pulled a wrapped package out of her purse and handed it to him. "Open that and then we will talk."

Deacon took the package with a confused look on his face. "Ok," he shrugged his shoulders and tore into the package. He was even more confused when he saw a grainy black and white photo inside a silver picture frame. "What is this?" Deep down he knew what it was, but his brain couldn't put that information together at the moment.

"Deacon, you aren't dumb. You know what this is." Rayna put her hand on her stomach and patted it. Even though she was mad at him she still wanted the way she told him about their baby to be special for him.

Deacon's eyes went wide and his jaw fell open in shock. "Oh my God, you're pregnant."

"I'm pregnant," Rayna nodded her head in confirmation. "You're gonna be a daddy again." Her eyes teared up, but there was a small smile on her face.

Deacon didn't say anything for a moment. Finally, he stood up and pulled her into a big hug. "We are havin' another baby."

Rayna let herself relax in his arms and hug him back. "We are. It complicates things, but I'm happy about it. I hope you are too. This baby survived against all odds, so obviously it was meant to be."

"I'm very happy. This is everythin' I have ever wanted with you. We are gettin' a chance to do this together like we shoulda done with Maddie." Deacon gently kissed her forehead.

"Yeah we do. Now it's more important than ever for us to work through this crap and save ourselves before we try to save each other." Rayna pulled back from him. She didn't want to give him false hope that they were suddenly going to be together.

"I know I messed up, Ray. I ain't the only one though. I ain't gonna give you no reason to keep this baby from me though. I wanna be there every step of the way. I wanna be involved with everythin." Deacon told her firmly. He stared into her eyes as he spoke, so she would know that he meant it.

"I know you may not believe me, but I promise you that I would never keep this baby from you. Now that you know I wouldn't keep Maddie from you either. You're a good daddy to her and I know you will be to this baby too." Rayna took his hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

Deacon smiled his thanks. "Thanks, Ray." He blushed a little. "How far along are you?"

"I'm like six or seven weeks. That means you probably got me pregnant on that tour bus. I think God must really want us to raise a baby together." Rayna let out a chuckle.

"When are you gonna tell the girls? I wanna be there with you when you do." Deacon told her.

"Well, they will be back on Sunday. So, maybe we can have family dinner and tell them then." Rayna suggested:

"That sounds good to me. Just let me know what I can bring." Deacon replied. He was excited and terrified at the same time.

"I will let you know." Rayna nodded her head.

Deacon crossed his arms and looked around unsure what to do or say.

Rayna could sense the awkwardness that he was feeling. "If Maddie is anythin' to judge by, this is gonna be one amazin' kid."

"She is very special. We are older and wiser now. I think if Baby Claybourne is half that special we can consider ourselves extremely lucky." Deacon smiled.

Rayna couldn't help smiling too. She loved the way that sounded. "Baby Claybourne, huh?"

"Yeah, Baby Claybourne. I don't wanna call our child an it. Just give me time and I will think up a good nickname." Deacon reached his hand out like he wanted to touch her belly, but he hesitated he wasn't sure that she would like that.

"Why not Baby Jaymes?" Rayna teased him. "Go on, that's your baby in there. You can touch my belly all you want." She took his hand and placed it on her still flat stomach.

Deacon caressed her belly lovingly. He didn't know if it was love for her or their unborn child. It was probably a little bit of both. Despite what she had been him through he would love her until the day he died. "'Cause that baby is a Claybourne just like their older sister."

"Baby Claybourne it is. And I think if you're gonna be all in with this baby that we need to think 'bout how you need to be Maddie's daddy too." Rayna brought up a subject they hadn't broached yet.

"I don't wanna hurt her or have her feel like I'm forcin' her to be with me and only me 'cause I'm her real father." Deacon explained himself.

"You know you would be well within your rights to do so. I just am concerned she is gonna feel left out with the new baby on the way and you gettin' to make such a fuss over it." Rayna replied.

Deacon pinched the bridge of his nose. "You know that I would love nothin' more than that. I feel like I'm nothin' more than an extra parent here. I feel like an outsider who gets to visit with her every now and then, but doesn't have any actual authority as a parent. I wanna be her daddy. I want her to have my last name."

"Why don't we try to work somethin' out between the two of us? We can do that and then gradually work our way up to the big stuff." Rayna bargained with him. Now that he knew about Maddie and they had another baby on the way there was no way that she could expect him to be just a part time father to one of their children while he got to be fully involved with the other. It would be messy and complicated, but she owed him that much. Even if they could never be together again she didn't want his relationship with their children to suffer.

"I like the sound of that." Deacon nodded in agreement.

"If we could keep this just between us until after we tell the girls that would be great. I don't want someone who shouldn't to overhear or anythin' like that." Rayna told him.

"Ok, I can do that." Deacon offered her a small smile.

"I mean you can tell Scarlett, of course. Just hold off on tellin' your family in Mississippi." Rayna smiled back at him.

"Sure thing, my granddaddy is gonna be happy. He was when I told him 'bout Maddie." Deacon sank back down in his chair completely relaxed.

"He was pressurin' us to have a baby together years ago when we were still together. I'm glad that he's gonna get a chance to meet Maddie and this one we have on the way." Rayna felt herself relax too. This had gone much better than she'd thought it would.

"My momma will start knittin' now and not stop 'til this kid is thirty." Deacon laughed.

"Tell her not to get too carried away." Rayna just shook her head. "I should get goin' and get Maddie back to Teddy." She went to open the door to the back yard.

"Of course," Deacon let out a small sigh. "Hey, Ray," he called out to her.

"What?" Rayna turned around to look at him.

"Thank you for tellin' me 'bout the baby. You have no idea how much that means to me." Deacon said gratefully.

"Deacon, I never had any choice. I made that mistake once. I damn sure wasn't gonna make it again. You're gonna make a great daddy." Rayna reasoned with him.

"I'm gonna try my best." Deacon swore to her.

"Hey, Deacon, come on in." Rayna greeted him Sunday afternoon when he showed up for the dinner they were having with the girls.

"I brought a pie." Deacon handed the pie he had bought to her.

"You really didn't have to do that. I told you, you didn't have to bring anythin'." Rayna accepted it with a smile.

"Yeah I did. I got your favorite. How are you feelin'?" Deacon inquired about the baby.

"I'm feelin' normal. Things are a little rough in the mornings sometimes, but it's not as bad as it was with the first two." Rayna informed him.

"Where are the girls?" He asked. He was surprised that he didn't hear them.

"They are up in their rooms. They should be down any minute. You can help me finish dinner if you want to." She led him into the kitchen.

"Yeah, I guess I can help ya. I wouldn't want you to overdo it or anythin' like that. Just tell me what needs to be done and I'll do it." He teased her.

"I'm growin' your baby here you better be sweet to me." She bumped her hip against his playfully.

He looked to make sure neither of the girls were around before he put his hand on her belly. "Hey, Baby Claybourne, you be good for your momma. Daddy can't wait to meet you."

She put her hand on top of his. "Your momma can't wait to meet you either." She rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand in a familiar gesture. Their eyes met and she pulled away from him before she could let herself get lost in his eyes.

"So, what can I help with?" He cleared his throat. It was obvious that the spark of electricity was still there between them.

"If you can still make spaghetti sauce like you used to you can do that." She put him to work.

"I can do that." He got to work.

"Good, it seems like it's been forever since I've had your spaghetti." She replied.

Deacon diced up tomatoes and put them in a pot. "So, what is goin' on with you?" he tried to make conversation to keep from falling into awkward silence.

"Now that I finally bought my way outta Edgehill I'm working on buildin' my label up. As you know Scarlett is gonna be goin' out on the road with Luke Wheeler, so that's somethin' good. Other than that I'm pretty borin' right now." Rayna sat at the counter and watched him work.

"I'm workin' on gettin' back to playin' at full strength like I used to before I hurt my wrist. So far so good. I think I've got a label interested in me as a front man, so we will see how that goes. I'm just really enjoyin' spendin' time with Maddie and formin' that father-daughter bond with her." Deacon talked to her while he minced up garlic.

"That's good I'm glad you're gettin' back to playin'. It would be a shame if you could never play again. The world is a brighter place when you play your guitar." Rayna complimented him.

"Thanks," He smiled at her over his shoulder. "Givin' Maddie lessons is really helpin' with my recovery. She's so good that she pushes me to want to be on the top of my game to teach her how to be better. I would really love to work with her two days a week instead of one. Hell, I'd work with her every day if I could. Those two hours a week just don't feel like enough."

"You're welcome. I'm sure that she would love that. I will see what we can work out about you two gettin' more time together. I've heard her play and she obviously doesn't get that from me." She replied.

He had to chuckle at that. "She most certainly does not get that from you." He added a few more spices to the pot.

"Hey, be nice to me." She pointed a threatening finger in his direction.

He picked up a spoon and stirred the ingredients together. "I am bein' nice to you. You invited me over to dinner and I'm the one cookin'."

"You know I'm supposed to be relaxin' as much as possible in my state." She teased him.

"Yeah, I know you are. You didn't hear me argue when you asked me to step in." He laughed a little.

The girls came down the steps at that moment.

"Deacon, what are you doing here? I didn't know that you were coming over." Maddie asked.

"Mom, you didn't tell us that Deacon was coming over." Daphne said.

"Deacon is here because we have something that we want to talk to y'all about." Rayna answered.

"And because apparently she needed me to cook dinner." Deacon tried to make a joke.

"Talk to us about what?" Maddie asked.

"Why don't you two take a seat? It's better to just get this out in the open and over with." Deacon turned the pot on simmer.

Both girls sat down at the counter.

Rayna turned around and took both of their hands. "First and foremost I want y'all to know that I love you very much and nothing will ever change that." She nodded at Deacon for him to continue.

"Well, it turns out that your momma and I are havin' another baby together. It happened when we were together before any of us knew that I am Maddie's father." Deacon explained to them.

"Seriously? We don't have enough going on? We have to bring a baby into this." Maddie scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Hey, Maddie, I know that it's a lot and you get to feel however you need to feel right now. no one is gonna blame you for that. I just ask that you keep the lines of communication open and don't take my mistakes out on this baby. This is your baby brother or sister the same way that Daphne is." Rayna knew that she wasn't going to take it well.

"You and I are just gettin' started I know that. We don't really have that bond established yet, but I promise you that I won't feel any differently about this baby than I do about you." Deacon swore to her.

Maddie nodded, but she crossed her arms over her chest.

Daphne looked down sadly. "I'm not gonna belong anywhere anymore. Dad and Peggy are having a baby. Now you guys are having another baby and I'll just be left out."

"That is not true. You and Maddie are sisters the same way you always have been nothin' will ever change that. You're gonna have an important new job as big sister." Rayna tried to cheer her up.

"You kiddin' me, Squirt? You ain't gonna be left out there was a whole reason I wanted to be here when your momma told you. This whole thing is complicated, but I promise you that Maddie will always be your sister and this baby will always be your sibling too 'cause y'all come from your momma. I wouldn't ever do anythin' to come between that. I want you to know that I'm always here for you the same way I am Maddie and the baby if you ever need me." Deacon tried his hand at talking to her.

"Ok," Daphne nodded meekly.

Rayna sent a grateful smile in his direction she couldn't have said it any better herself. He was really taking to being a father like a duck took to water.

They made through dinner with the girls without any incident. Deacon stayed behind to help Rayna clean up the last thing he wanted was her being on her feet anymore than she had to be. If he could take something off her he was going to do it. He'd meant it when he said that he wanted to be there for everything.

"Well, I don't think that that went as terribly as it could have." Deacon commented.

"It didn't go nearly as bad as I thought it would. Part of that is thanks to you. I don't know how you know how to handle those girls so well, but you do. I'm so thankful for that." Rayna replied.

"I'm startin' to think that we are gonna be able to pull this off. And that maybe we are gonna be able to once again recover from the damage we've done to each other. I know it's still a little soon, but I actually think we just may work our way back to each other." He didn't know where that burst of optimism had come from.

She sighed. "Deacon, there is somethin' that I need to tell you."

"You can tell me anythin'. That ain't changed just 'cause we ain't in the greatest place right now." He tried to put her at ease with whatever it was she had to tell him.

She took a deep breath and just plowed ahead before she could change her mind. "I'm kinda sorta seein' Luke. It's not anythin' serious. It's fun and uncomplicated. I need that right now. I hope you understand. I'm not sayin' that we will never be together again. I'm just sayin' not right now."

Without meaning to he looked absolutely crestfallen. "I understand. I don't have to like it and I don't, but I do understand. I just know that you and I are bonded in a way that can't nothin' come between." He shrugged his shoulders helplessly.

"The only thing that matters is Maddie and this baby are so loved and they came from a place of love. The rest will sort itself out." She put her hands in her back pockets.

"Well, I guess I should get goin'." He wanted to get out of there before things got anymore awkward than they already were.

"Did you wanna say bye to the baby before you go?" She offered him an olive branch.

He didn't hesitate, he walked over and put his hand on her belly. "Bye, Baby Claybourne, daddy loves you and he will talk to you again soon." He left before she could see the tears brimming in his eyes.

Rayna pulled up in front of Luke's house. She couldn't put off telling him about her pregnancy. If they were going to do whatever it was they were doing together then she had to be honest with him and let the chips fall where they may.

"Well, hey there, Stranger. To what do I owe the pleasure of gettin' to see you?" Luke greeted her happily. He couldn't believe after years of pining away for Rayna that he was actually with her. He didn't think in a million years he would be able to break the spell that Deacon had on her.

"I came 'cause we need to talk." Rayna gave him a half smile.

"That sounds ominous. What is this about?" Luke asked. He could tell by the look on her face that he really wasn't going to like whatever it was she had to say.

"There's no easy way to say this so, I'll just say it. Luke, I'm pregnant." Rayna crossed her arms in front of her protectively.

Luke's eyes went wide and his face paled. "I thought we were careful."

Rayna held up his hand in a sign for him to let her finish. "We were, this isn't your baby. It's Deacon's baby. And I would totally understand if you didn't wanna keep doin' whatever it is we're doin'. I know that this complicates things."

Luke rubbed his hand across his jaw and took a moment to collect his thoughts. "I'd be lyin' if I said I was thrilled about this. But, I would also be stupid to walk away from whatever this is between us. I don't know about you, but I feel like this could be somethin' real."

Rayna nodded her head. "I would understand if you needed to take some time. This is a less than ideal situation and I can't ask you to go along with that if it's not somethin' you really wanna do."

Luke reached over and took her hand. "I've wanted a chance with you since the minute I met you. I would be a fool to throw that away just 'cause things may be a little complicated. If you choose to stick with this good ol' country boy then I promise you I ain't got no problem lovin' any child that comes from you."

Rayna smiled and squeezed his hand. "Thank you, you have no idea how much it means to me to hear you say that. Unplanned and complicated as it is, I'm very happy about this baby."

"It shows. You're glowin' more than you normally do. I have to say that there is nothin' more beautiful than a mother to be." Luke poured on the charm. He leaned in and pecked her lips.

Rayna genuinely smiled at that. "Oh stop it, I'm a mess right now. I honestly forgot what it was like to have all these hormones goin' through my body. I am a crazy person right now." She didn't know why she was trying so hard to make things work with Luke. Every cell in her body was telling her that this was her and Deacon's chance to come back from the hell they had caused each other. She was just scared of all the hurt and pain that was still there. It was too soon for her to even think of that. They only thing that mattered right now was focusing on the baby.

"Have you eaten today? If not we can go in the house and I can fix you somethin'." Luke showed genuine concern for her.

"I'm not gonna turn down food. I don't remember bein' this hungry with the girls. I want to eat all the time. It'll be a miracle if I don't gain a hundred pounds with this baby." Rayna replied.

"You eat however much you want and don't worry about it. Growin' a baby is hard work. Maybe it means you're havin' a boy this time." Luke led her into the house.

"I wouldn't even know what to do with a boy. I'm so used to havin' girls." Rayna sat down at the counter.

"It could be a new adventure for ya." Luke teased her.

"Don't you go teasin' me. I'm an emotional mess. It doesn't take much for me to burst into tears these days." Rayna shot back playfully.

"Alright, I'll leave you be. You just tell me what you want to eat." Luke relented. He'd be damned if he wasn't happy about this. He liked the way she was leaning on him in her moment of need.

A/N: Here is the first chapter I hope you guys enjoyed it. There are just so many possibilities with a story like this and I'm gonna have fun with it and I hope you guys do too. Let me know what you think. Until next time please review.