Okay, this chapter popped up and forced itself onto me. But trust me it is just a slight detour before we return to our loving couple. I think Bucky is an under used character, he has been by Rayna's side for so long that he must know so much about their relationship. This is a glimpse into part of Bucky's relationship with Rayna. Hopefully you enjoy this insight into their relationship :)

Rayna allowed herself to gently lean into Deacon, welcoming his reassuring strength. Closing her eyes, she struggled to smother a yawn. She felt, more than heard, the silent laugh coming from Deacon. Kissing the side of her head he whispered,

"Almost there, babe"

Rayna prised her eyes open and watched silently as Bucky once again punched the elevator button. Smiling tiredly at him, she righted herself up as the elevator binged. Upon entering the elevator, Bucky leaned against the wall and watched Deacon wrap an arm around Rayna, tucking her snuggling under his arm as he guided her into the elevator.

Clearing his throat, he broke the aura of intimacy Deacon and Rayna had created in the lift.

"Early numbers from album sales tonight are higher than they have ever been. Think that impromptu duet you did tonight has a lot to do with it"

Deacon and Rayna both smiled, knowing that regardless of the potential sales tonight, performing together again had felt like coming home. Reaching up, Rayna cupped his face and gently pulled it towards her. Kissing his lips softly, she pulled back enough to murmur against his lips, her thanks. Bucky smiled at the display of affection between them. He sent up a prayer of gratitude, that these two people had finally found a way back to each other.

He had been by Rayna's side since the start. Watty White first introduced him to Rayna, and the rest as they say was history. Bucky, while not having a musical bone in his body, did however recognise talent when he saw it and he had seen it in Rayna when he had first seen her perform. Her voice, while lovely, was still in its infancy and he had loved seeing her find her own voice and style over the years. Her talent expanded exponentially the moment she had met Deacon. Bucky had always been in awe of Deacon's wealth of talent. But where Rayna had the confidence to stand in the spotlight, Deacon was never comfortable having all the attention on him. Watty had recognised that in him. He had seen the potential Deacon had and felt that Deacon would be able to assist the burgeoning talent of a young Rayna while developing his own song writing potential. Bucky had been there as their love blossomed and bloomed into an all-consuming love. He had seen Deacon's dark demons rise up and consume him, and had held Rayna's hand as they waited in many hospitals waiting rooms, praying that Deacon would make it through the night. Bucky was also the one who had held a hysterical Rayna as she cried all night after she had taken Deacon back to rehab for the fifth time. By this stage, Bucky would define their relationship as volatile. The tension between them often outweighed the love they had for one another. Sometimes the tension, the result of them both avoiding talking about their underlying issue, was so thick that Bucky had felt the pain they both were trying to hide.

Bucky was always amazed that even amongst all the tension, their love was able to find a way to the surface. Some days when their fighting was so bad, the only time their love shone through was when they were on stage. Seeing them perform, there was no denying that their love was a once in a lifetime affair. The stress of Deacon's drinking and occasional drug taking, had started to eat away at Rayna. She wasn't sleeping, constant worry about Deacon wouldn't let her relax enough to sleep for long periods. She was short with her band, barely socialised with them and when she did, her eyes would dart around the room trying to locate Deacon. She had stopped eating and her drawn appearance was beginning to be the focus of many magazine articles. The day before Deacon went to rehab for the final time, Rayna had spent the day alternating between throwing up and crying on Bucky's shoulder. She was exhausted to the point that she could barely stand. Even then, she was second guessing her decision to send Deacon away and cut all ties with him. Between crying spells, she confessed to Bucky that Deacon was deep in her blood, that she couldn't imagine living without him, that if she didn't know better, she would say that he was her drug. She craved him and without him she was nothing.

Hearing her talk like that scared him, like he had never been scared before. He knew what a strong independent woman Rayna was, and to see her reduced to a shell of her former self, shocked him. Unlike her family, Bucky knew that when Deacon was clean, he was the best person for Rayna. They complimented each other, with Deacon giving Rayna a strong base from which she could shine, all while never resenting her or trying to claim the spotlight for himself. The first week after Deacon had entered, what turned out to be his last stint in rehab, Bucky had watched as Rayna retreated further and further into herself.

Seeing Rayna curled in a ball on the bed that she had once shared with Deacon, hugging his worn t-shirt to her breast with a vacant look on her face, had shaken Bucky to his core. He would never forget the feeling of helplessness as he shook her, pleading for her to recognise him. Her blank eyes refused to focus on anything other than the passing world on the other side of the window. Bucky knew that he needed help if he was ever going to pull Rayna back from the edge. Bucky knew that Tandy was the one person who might be able to get through to Rayna.

Under the cover of darkness, Tandy whisked her sister away, back to the one place Bucky knew she never wanted to return to, but he also knew it was the one place where she would be protected from the press. Bucky had always been thankful that Lamar had never said anything against Deacon those first couple of days when Rayna had returned to her childhood home. Slowly, Rayna had allowed herself permission to heal, had forgiven herself for needing to put Deacon back into rehab. It was also while under Lamar's roof that Rayna learnt that she was pregnant. Rayna had confided in Bucky, that while there was a chance the child was Teddy's, she knew in her heart that it was Deacon's. She knew she had to leave her childhood home, she had to get control once again of her life, especially now she was going to be a mother. Together they planned how to move her out of her father's home, away from his disapproving looks and his efforts to control her once again.

Bucky could see the change in Rayna the moment she learnt she was pregnant. She knew that she had to take care of herself, had to learn to put the heartbreak that was her and Deacon's relationship aside and focus on the life growing inside her. The pregnancy gave Rayna life, she had her sparkle back and a new found energy. Bucky had never seen her like that. It was only after the birth of Maddie that he had learnt that Rayna had used her pregnancy to push her feelings about Deacon deep inside her, knowing it was the only way forward for her.

Teddy, along with Tandy and Lamar, had unified to undermine Rayna's new found strength. No amount of arguing from Bucky would get them to ease off on Rayna. Tandy made constant comments about Rayna being an unwed woman and how it could impact on her career whereas Lamar would tut his disappointment at her choices. Teddy, never one to be confrontational, would always be there to give Rayna a sympathetic shoulder to cry on. They slowly wore her down so that four months into her pregnancy Rayna finally agreed to marry Teddy.

Bucky could see the sadness in her eyes as she walked down the aisle, her flowers strategically held to hide the slight bump of her pregnancy. Her smile failed to reach her eyes the entire ceremony and she was unnaturally subdued for a newly wedded woman. Right up to the birth of Maddie, every time Bucky witnessed Rayna and Teddy together, he would watch as Rayna pasted on her stage smile and push down the parts of her personality that conflicted with the old money society that her marriage to Teddy forced her to socialise with. Once Maddie was born, there were moments when Bucky could see the old Rayna surface. These were usually moments when there was no one else around, when she felt safe enough to let those long-hidden feelings about Deacon come to the surface.

Walking into the studio, draped in dark shadows, Bucky would never forget the sound he heard coming from Rayna. It was the sound of a heart breaking. Rayna was holding Maddie close to her heart, slowly rocking as though she was soothing her, but Maddie was fast asleep unaware of her mother's tears falling on her. The solid feel of Maddie in her arms was the only thing that was preventing Rayna from descending into hysterical sobbing. She was alternatively gasping for breath and whimpering Deacon's name. Whenever Maddie fussed, Rayna would tenderly kiss her back to sleep and begged her for forgiveness, whispering I'm so sorry Maddie. Wordlessly Bucky wrapped Rayna in his arms and let her mourn the loss of Deacon.

"Buck... I can't... I can't do it anymore."

"I know Ray"

"It... hurts...too much"

"Shhhh, it will be okay"

Smoothing his hand over her head, Bucky fought back tears as he listened to Rayna silently cry.

After a while, sniffing back more tears that threatened to fall, Rayna raised her head off Bucky's shoulder. Giving him a weak smile, her eyes portrayed her gratitude.

"Deacon got out of rehab today" her voice was so small, almost like she was afraid to speak his name out loud.

Nodding, "yeah, I got a call from Cole"

"What am I going to do?" she frantically whispered.

"What do you want to do Ray?"

Her eyes, glistering with unshed tears, pleaded with him for help.

"I am here for you, no matter what you decide, I am always going to be here for you Ray. But you need to make that decision. Only you know what's right for you and little Maddie"

Her bottom lip quivered as she nodded at his words. Looking down at her sleeping child, her finger softly caressed her small button nose.

"She looks so much like him."

Looking up at Bucky, her warm smile was the first one he had seen in a long time that was real. Her whole face suddenly was aglow with love as she looked back down at Maddie.

"She needs to know who her father is... its not fair to keep them apart, but"

Biting her lip, she contemplated her next words carefully.

"I can't put her through that life. I don't want her to see her dad like that, its not fair to her. She doesn't deserve that life. Teddy is so good with her. He loves her so much. He is safe and I know he would never hurt her... us...but... I know my life has become calmer since my marriage. Teddy is such a great father, and Tandy and Daddy love him. I can't go back to living like that. I was so tired Buck, I can't live like that, not knowing if he was dead lying in a ditch somewhere, not being able to depend on him" her voice frantic begging him to understand.

Squeezing her hand, Bucky silently told her he understood. He had been by her side on many of those sleepless nights, not knowing where Deacon was or if he was alive.

"But its Deacon. He is in my blood. Him and music, there is no difference. He gives me strength... I don't think I can do this without him by my side."

"Rayna, I know you think Deacon is your strength, that you need him but you are the strongest person I know. I know you will make the right decision for Maddie and for yourself. You just need to trust in yourself."

Smiling her thanks to Bucky, Rayna gave a gentle laugh at the soft mewing noises her daughter was making. She had managed to get her hand free of her wrapping and was sucking on it, voicing her hunger.

"Think little Miss is ready for a feed."

Squeezing Bucky's hand, "Give me a moment to feed her, and I be right out"

"Rayna, take as long as you need. There is no rush for you to get back into the studio, you should go home and spend some time with Maddie. You aren't expected to be back two months after giving birth."

"I know Buck, but I want to be back. I feel ready to be back, besides the studio is like home for me... I need to be here, it helps."

Standing up Bucky places a kiss on her downturned head. He understood her need to be close to the music. Music was the one connection to Deacon that she allowed herself. Her family had pressured her into denying that Maddie was Deacon's, and he knew that Teddy was also insisting on her replacing him in her band. He knew that she needed to preserve that bond with Deacon, even if it was in an abstract way.

"I know it does Rayna."

Bucky had always known that Rayna had a tremendous amount of inner strength but watching her commit to her relationship to Teddy, for the sake of her daughter, had awed him with the depth of her strength. She had sacrificed herself for the love of her daughter, knowing that everyday she would live with the constant ache of her broken heart. He had watched as she had slowly let Deacon back into her life, always careful to keep him at arm's length, afraid to get too close lest she get burnt in the flames that was their all-consuming love. He knew she invited Deacon back into her band as a way to let Maddie and Deacon into each other's lives, so that they could have a relationship, even if it was one based in deceit. He knew what she faced every time she went home after being in the studio with Deacon. The silent accusations that Teddy threw her way, questioning her faithfulness to their marriage, forced her to push her true self further into herself. For years to appease Teddy she smothered her true personality, only allowing it to surface when she was on tour.

The constant pressure of juggling what Teddy wanted from her and the duelling guilt and love she had for Deacon would wear her down over the years. When this occurred Bucky would often find her huddled in a darken corner of various studios, tears careening down her face as she silently wept for the life, she gave away to ensure that her daughter always felt safe. It took it all it had in him, not to scream at Deacon whenever he accused Rayna of losing faith in him. Deacon would always throw that accusation at Rayna when they fought, knowing that was the quickest way to wound her. But Bucky knew that she had never once lost faith in him, and he knew what it cost her to forgo loving Deacon.

Thanks for reading, I promise next chapter we return to Deacon and Rayna and what they get up too on Rayna's day off *wiggling of eyebrows*