A/N: Once again, thanks for all the reviews and kind words. I know a lot of you are having trouble with Deacon reacting the way he has to the news of the pregnancy - but keep in mind that a young(and drunk) Deacon was so very troubled - the news of his young girlfriend being pregnant was probably the last thing he wanted considering all of his inner demons and the way he was raised. Despite how he felt about Rayna. But I promise, he comes around and we do address that in this story. :)

Chapter 3

8 months later

Deacon stood beside the hospital bed next to Rayna. He was waiting for it to be time for her to start pushing. The labor had snuck up on them quicker than anyone expected considering most first time pregnancies go past their due date, but Rayna had been having Braxton Hicks contractions for weeks now and at her last appointment she was already dilated to 2.5 centimeters. The baby was coming, a baby that Deacon wasn't still sure if he was ready for. He was trying to do the right thing for himself, Rayna and their baby. He was working 3 jobs constantly to try and provide everything they needed, plus help Rayna with her music.

"Look y'all, she's gonna start pushing any minute now and it's just gonna be me and her in here. All I ask is that you all please go wait in the waiting room." Deacon couldn't stand Lamar and Tandy but he did like Virginia but he was not about to bring his child into this world in a room full of people who resented him for getting Rayna pregnant in the first place.

"Like hell, I'm going outside. That's my niece or nephew." Tandy snorted,

"Yeah, you are. You didn't have a thing to do with makin this baby. You don't get to be in the room. This is my baby and hers, not yours. You can come back later." Deacon stood his ground,

Tandy stood at the foot of Rayna's bed and crossed her arms, "It may be your baby but you didn't want to have a thing to do with her or this baby pretty much the whole time she's been pregnant."

"I came around. I just needed some time and I'm trying to do the right thing by both of them."

"It's not your decision on who's in the room, Deacon. It's hers." Lamar interjected the two of them,

Before Deacon or Tandy could say anything back to one another, Rayna interrupted them with a loud groan. "Everyone shut up or I'll make you all leave the room." She yelled out in pain,

"Rayna, take the epidural."

Rayna shook her head a few times and gripped the side of the bed tightly,

"Just do what you want. You already have anyway." Deacon groaned and walked out fo the room.

Rayna closed her eyes and breathed slowly through another painful contraction. She was sick and tired of all the fighting between her and Deacon and her family and Deacon. She knew that none of them were thrilled when she found out she was pregnant at 17 and they definitely weren't thrilled when she informed them all that she would be keeping the baby. Lamar vowed to not go after Deacon for statutory rape after months of convincing from Rayna and Virginia both. It wasn't entirely Deacon's fault that she had gotten pregnant, she was as much of a willing participant in the act that landed herself in this hospital bed as Deacon was.

"Tandy please, I've already ruined his life and he hates me for it and for keeping this baby. Let him have this." Rayna pleaded with her, over the last 4 months Deacon really stepped up when it came to the baby. She knew that he still wasn't happy that she wouldn't get rid of it, but he really was trying to do right by her.

"Fine, I'll go." She kissed her on the top of her head and left the room with Lamar and joined Virginia in the waiting room.

Deacon walked around the Labor and Delivery unit of Saint Thomas for what felt like forever before he walked back to Rayna's room. Dr. Thompson was there checking Rayna's cervix one more time to see how things were progressing. "All right, you are at 10 now. Time to start pushing." She smiled at her, "Dad, I'm gonna need you to stand up by her head and hold her leg back for her. "

Deacon nodded and stood behind Rayna and did just as the doctor told him to. He looked down at her and smiled faintly, "You ready?" He asked and Rayna nodded in response. He used his free hand to hold hers while they waited for her to begin pushing.

It took roughly 20 minutes of pushing before the room was filled with cries and their baby boy was born. Rayna laid back on the bed, exhausted and breathless as the nurses cleaned the baby up before Deacon cut the cord. The swaddled him up and laid him on Rayna's chest.

"You did good." Deacon kissed her forehead and looked down at the baby on her chest, "He looks just like me."

Rayna cradled the small boy against her bare chest and cried as she looked down at the absolutely perfect being that they had created and she had carried within her body for the last 9 months. There was no doubt in her mind that she hadn't made the absolute right choice by keeping him. He was perfect in every way imaginable.

"He's perfect, D." Rayna smiled and looked up at him, "Absolutely perfect."

"Can I hold him?" He asked and waited for Rayna to nod in response before he picked him up and held him close. "Well here you are." The baby looked around and up at Deacon, the pair stared at each other for what felt like hour but it was only minutes. Deacon wished he could feel more for the child in his arms. He had hoped that once the baby was born he would feel secure in the decision that he had reluctantly agreed to just so Rayna could be happy and have her way - but he didn't. He still wasn't ready to be a father.

"What do you think?" Rayna asked,

"I think he looks just like me and I still think this is a mistake. We should give him up, Ray."

Rayna laid there in the bed and looked at him sadly. She had hoped Deacon holding their baby and seeing the baby would make him change his mind. "I can't do it. I've told you that for the last 9 months. I've carried him in my body. I've felt him move, kick and dance inside of me at the sound of my singing and at the sound of your voice. He's our baby. I love you and I want to raise him with you, D - but I understand if you can't commit to that but I'm keeping him."

Deacon listened to her talk as he stared down at his son. He loved her and he wanted a life with her - even if that meant that he had to raise this boy before he was ready. "What are we gonna name him then?" He asked as he continued to stare at the baby,

"You pick."

"Deacon John Claybourne Jr,"

Rayna smiled, "It's perfect. Like him."

Deacon kissed the baby's head and swayed him back to sleep. Rayna watched him with their son and felt her heart swell about 10 sizes in love for Deacon. She never knew it was possible to love someone so much until she met him and even then she never thought she would end up loving him even more than she did at the young age of 16.

"What does this mean for us? We should probably figure out how we are going to split time with him." Rayna spoke softly,

"I"m not splittin time. You can just move in"

"I don't think your place is big enough for all 3 of us plus, Vince and Shelby."

"I won't be away from him, Rayna."

"If you want us to move in then you need to get a place without Vince and Shelby and we get our own place with a bedroom for him. I know that's not really what you want though."

"I can't afford that place or another place without Vince and Shelb."

"I'll pay for half of it. We can figure it out,"

"I can't miss out on this boy's life. I won't be my daddy. Promise me that you won't keep him away from me if we don't live together."

"I told you that when I got pregnant that I wouldn't keep the baby from you if you wanted to be a father. I meant it. You are the one that didn't want me to have this baby and tried to get me to get rid of him the whole time and still just told me to give him up."

"I just really wanna be free" He shrugged, and sat in the chair next to the bed and looked at her.

"Well, then why did you just tell me to move in if you want to be free. What does that mean for us? For him?" She asked confused.

"I don't know, Ray. I love you but this all just happened so fast."

Rayna nodded her head slowly. "Why don't you go get some food and think about what it is you do want because this isn't just about us anymore, Deacon."

"Yeah, I know that - Rayna." He sighed and laid the baby down in the bassinet next to the bed and grabbed his jacket. "I'll uh, I'll be back." He smiled a little before leaving the

hospital.

While Deacon was out getting food and some air to think. Tandy, Lamar and Virginia came into the room to meet the newest addition to the family. Rayna was grateful to see them all and was praying that Tandy and Lamar both would keep their comments to theirselves about Deacon and Rayna's decision to keep the baby. Tandy was the first to walk over to the bassinet and peered down at the sleeping boy.

"Oh Rayna - he is absolutely beautiful." Tandy cooed.

"He is isn't he?" Rayna replied and smiled sleepily,

"And to think you almost got rid of this perfect angel." Virginia chimed in,

Lamar looked down at the boy who reminded him so much of Rayna when she was a baby. While he didn't much care for Deacon Claybourne and wasn't entirely sure what his baby girl saw in him. He was trying to do right by his daughter. "Don't tell Deacon I said this but I don't blame him for feeling the way he did about the pregnancy and the baby. But I hope that now that he is here - he's going to change his tune and be there for you and his son."

"He will be a good dad, Lamar." Virginia added,

"He will be. I've always felt that he will be a good dad, I just wish he saw it." Rayna sighed, "I know this isn't an ideal situation. It never has been, we were barely dating when I got pregnant and we hadn't been having sex for too long. I don't want anyone to blame Deacon for this happening because it is partially my fault too. I wasn't nearly as experienced as he was but I still knew what the consequences of unprotected sex was - I should have been more firm in making him wear one but I was impressionable and I didn't questions it when he explained why it would be better without one - all I wanted and want to do is make him happy."

"We are glad that this baby is here. It will all work out the way it is supposed to. Daddy and I will always be here to support you, Sugar Plum." Virginia kissed her head gently,

Tandy was sitting in the rocker with the baby when Deacon came back to the room to find a sleeping Rayna and baby in Tandy's arms.

"Hey, I can take him if you wanna go." Deacon spoke as he walked into the room and sat down,

"I told Rayna, I would stay for a little while." Tandy handed the baby over to him and sat there and watched Deacon with the baby closely.

Deacon sat in the chair and cradled his new son agains this chest tightly and stared down at him. He could feel Tandy's eyes burning a hole in his skin while she watched his every move like a hawk. "You don't have to look at me like I'm gonna drop him."

"I wasn't. I was just trying to figure out how you two are going to do this."

"They are gonna move in with me that's how." Deacon snorted,

Tandy sat in the chair a little shocked by his response. "You think that's is smart? You don't really have the space for that in your two bedroom apartment that you share with your friend and his girlfriend."

"We will make do. I won't not see him every day."

"And if she gets pregnant again?" Tandy hated asking the question because she hoped that Rayna had learned her lesson from this entire experience but she also knew the statistics on teen mothers becoming pregnant again within the first couple of years. Not to mention, Deacon had already proven to them all that he has a clear dislike for condoms and practicing safe sex.

"She won't."

"Why are you so sure?"

"I just am," Deacon rocked his son and never took his eyes off the baby,

Tandy shook her head by his cockiness, "Like you were before this happened? Like you were so sure when you convinced a 17 year old to have unprotected sex with you?"

Deacon sighed, "Look it was one time - that I didn't get out in time. Which it ain't entirely my fault bout that either - I don't want to fight with you, it would be nice if we could get along. Make no mistake this is my son and you won't cut me outta his life by trying to scare Rayna into not moving in with me."

"I'm just trying to understand how you managed to talk her into it. Mama and myself have preached safe sex to Rayna for as long as we could remember. It was never a really problem until she met you and came home and told us that she wanted to give you her virginity. It doesn't help the fact that you are so much older than she is and she had to beg Daddy not to have you thrown in jail for rape."

"So, I'm the problem? I didn't force her to do anythin and I damn sure didn't rape her."

"It's still illegal for you to have sex with a minor."

"She's 17. She can consent. She did consent."

Tandy shrugged, "You know daddy doesn't see it like that."

"I'm not gonna be threatened or steamrolled here. I didn't do anything wrong except not use something that makes me uncomfortable."

"All I am saying is, she doesn't need another baby."

"I don't want another one."

"Then wear a condom."

"She's getting on the pill"

'Well, I guess we will see about that. I bet she's pregnant by the time he's one."

Deacon shook his head, "No, she won't be. I don't want this one much less another one."

"I guess only time will tell. All I know is you better be good to her and to this baby. No more drama, Deacon. She needs you. They both do."

Deacon sighed and nodded his head slowly. The realization that Rayna's family was going to constantly be in their business for the rest of his life was finally starting to set in. He knew deep down that Lamar and Tandy merely tolerated him for the sake of staying on Rayna's good side - but he feared just how far they would go now to keep her and DJ away from him.