A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.

Chapter 12

Five Years Later

"It's about time you got down here. We have an event that we can't be late for." Rayna stood at the foot of the steps tapping her foot impatiently.

Deacon came down the stairs carrying Maddie in one arm and an infant in the other. "Sorry, the girls and I were goin' as fast as we could. Maddie misplaced her shoe. I had to find Daphne's socks and she had one hell of a rank diaper. It was a battlefield."

"Language, daddy," Scarlett called him down before Rayna had the chance to.

"Thank you, sweetheart, between the two of us maybe one of these days we will get him to clean his damn mouth up." Rayna rolled her eyes.

"Momma, that's a bad word." Maddie gasped and put her little hands over her mouth.

"I know it is, I'm sorry." Rayna apologized.

Daphne clapped her hands and squealed.

"Come here, Stinker. Thank you for savin' the bad diaper for daddy." Rayna kissed both her cheeks.

"Momma is always doin' somethin' else when there is a really stinky diaper to be changed." Deacon kissed the top of Rayna's head.

"If we don't leave right now we are gonna be late." Scarlett stressed to them.

"Bug, we are leavin' right now. You know that your momma is always late." Deacon shifted Maddie on his hip.

"Let me have Maddie and I'll get her in her car seat that way you don't have to do that and then get in the car." Scarlett took her baby sister.

"She didn't used to be this sassy did she?" Deacon pursed his lips and looked over at his wife.

"I'll readily admit that she gets it from me, but no she used to be timid." Rayna wrapped her free arm around his waist.

"You sure you don't wanna give me that son I've been askin' for?" Deacon laughed softly.

"I'm still thinkin' 'bout it, babe. Daph took a lot outta me. You love all three of your girls and you are the best daddy in the world. They are so lucky to have you." Rayna dodged his question.

By some miracle, they were on time for Scarlett's academic awards' ceremony.

"I always knew she was smart, but I never dreamed she was this smart. I am so damn proud of her." Rayna leaned over and whispered to Deacon. Daphne was on her lap and he held Maddie on his.

"I'm pretty damn proud of her too. We've raised a very good girl." Deacon whispered back.

"Let's hope we do this well with the other two." Rayna squeezed his knee affectionately.

"Dada, dada," Daphne babbled and clapped her hands.

"I think I'm bein' paged." Deacon smiled at his youngest. "Maddie May, go see momma Sissy wants daddy." He handed Maddie off to Rayna and took Daphne. He settled her on his knee and bounced her up and down.

Daphne continued to babble happily.

"Deacon, don't get her all wound up." Rayna whispered harshly.

"I ain't gettin' her wound up. I'm keepin' her calm, so she don't throw a fit." Deacon retorted.

"Deacon John, behave yourself." June scolded him.

"Sorry, momma," Deacon apologized.

"Give me that sweet girl. I can keep her calm without her makin' that noise." June took Daphne from him. She took a cookie out of her purse and gave it to the baby.

"Mr. and Mrs. Claybourne, I was hoping that I could get a minute of your time." Scarlett's school counselor Mrs. Kline approached Rayna and Deacon after the ceremony was over.

"Sure, we have a minute." Deacon handed Daphne off to June. "You go with mawmaw and your sissies for a minute. Momma and daddy have to talk."

"What is this about?" Rayna asked.

"As I'm sure you know, Scarlett is a very bright girl. She's headed to high school next year and I was hoping that you would talk her into taking a few advanced classes. She is so smart, but she is so shy. I want her to do something to come out of her shell a little bit." Mrs. Kline answered.

"Would these classes be puttin' too much on her?" Deacon questioned.

"No, I don't think so. I think she can more than handle these classes." Mrs. Kline assured him.

"We will talk to her and see what she thinks." Rayna smiled politely.

"Alright, I won't take up anymore of your time then." Mrs. Kline smiled back and walked away.

"Deacon, how the hell did we raise a kid that smart?" Rayna turned to her husband.

"I don't know. We did somethin' right let's not change a thing. We are killin' it at this parentin' thing." Deacon high fived her.

"Hell yeah, we are kick ass parents." Rayna agreed with him.

"I try my best, but no matter how old these two get I'm not gonna be able to take 'em out in public." June stared up at the ceiling and muttered.

"Come on, ya'll. I'm takin' all my girls to dinner." Deacon put his arm around Rayna and Scarlett. He glared hard when he saw a boy looking at Scarlett.

"When are you gonna get that boy you've been wantin'?" June teased him.

"Ask your daughter-in-law. She just had to take time off with havin' Daph and it's gonna be awhile 'fore the label is cool with her not tourin' again." Deacon shrugged his shoulders.

"June, don't encourage your son. He will start in on me again soon enough." Rayna laughed off the comment. The truth was she didn't know how she was going to work having another baby into her schedule.

June just shook her head. "Let's go get some food."

"Daddy!"

"Uncle Deac!"

Maddie and Roy ran across the parking lot to where Deacon was leaning against the front of his truck after they got out of preschool.

"Hey, ya'll," Deacon scooped Maddie up in one arm and Roy up in the other. "Did you have a good day at school?"

"I did," Maddie kissed Deacon's cheek.

"I did too." Roy added.

"Come on, let's get in the truck. Daphne is waitin' on us and I'm gonna feed ya'll 'fore we drop her off with mawmaw." Deacon fastened them both into the back of the truck on either side of Daphne's car seat.

He took the kids to McDonald's and fed them before he dropped Daphne off with his mom.

"Where are we going now, daddy?" Maddie asked.

"You'll see when we get there." Deacon winked at her in the rearview mirror.

"Will my daddy be there?" Roy asked.

"Your momma and your daddy are both there." Deacon winked at him too. He drove them to the Opry. "Alright, let's get you two outta here." He took them out of the backseat and led them into the building.

"Look, whose back and he brought company." Vince stood up from his drums and put the sticks in his back pocket.

"Daddy!" Roy went running into Vince's arms.

"I fed 'em and I dropped Daphne off with her mawmaw. They should be good to be entertained backstage for a little while." Deacon reported.

"Come here, my girl." Rayna held her arms open to Maddie.

"Momma!" Maddie lifted her arms to be picked up.

Rayna picked her up and kissed her cheek. "Were you good for daddy?"

"I'm always good for daddy." Maddie smiled.

"That is such a lie. Daddy lets you girls do whatever you want and he would swear that you were angels no matter what you did." Rayna sat her back on her feet. "Babe, did you maybe forget 'bout one of our daughters?"

"No, I don't think so. I took the little one with me to pick up the middle one from preschool then after I fed 'em I dropped the little one off." Deacon looked confused.

"I'll be easy on you, since I forgot too. Scarlett had a half day today and I had to go pick her up." Rayna finally clued him in.

"We are horrible parents sometimes." Deacon chuckled.

"She's backstage amusing herself. We aren't horrible parents, that girl is just so quiet that it's easy to forget things." Rayna corrected him.

"That doesn't sound much better, babe." Deacon shook his head. "Alright, you monsters, head backstage and ask Scarlett to keep ya company. We have some work to do." He chased the two little ones off.

"Look at him taking control of the situation. I'm still amazed when he has it together like that." Amy teased.

"I have moments like that too. Then I remember he grew up and became a daddy. Maddie saved his life. He's dependable and a really great house husband when he needs to be. He no longer drinks like a fish." Rayna piled on.

"Alright, ya'll that's enough. Leave me alone." Deacon actually blushed.

"This is a big show. We really ain't got time to be messin' 'round." Vince added.

"Right this is only someone's Opry induction. I don't know why she isn't bein' more serious 'bout this." Deacon arched his eyebrow at his wife.

"I ain't bein' more serious 'bout this because if I were I'd lose it. I'm nervous, babe." Rayna wringed her hands.

"Ray, you're gonna be great." Deacon put his arms around her.

Rayna laid her head on his shoulder and let out a loud sigh.

"Ok, I think we need a few minutes." Deacon took Rayna's hand in his.

"Take your time. I know the set list just as well as you do." Vince waved them off.

Rayna and Deacon ran off the stage holding hands.

"Dressing room or utility closet?" Deacon asked.

"Utility closet," Rayna answered.

They ducked into the first open closet they could find. They were making out like a couple of teenagers.

"Don't forget to lock the door." Rayna breathed heavily.

Deacon flicked the lock on the door. He hoisted Rayna up on the counter and began to undo her jeans. He pulled them and her panties down her long legs. "I learned that lesson the hard way." He fused his lips to her neck.

"We have scarred poor Bucky for life." Rayna undid his belt and worked his erection out.

"And a couple of others." Deacon slid into with a satisfied sigh.

They had a long history of not being able to keep their hands off each other. They had been caught on the tour bus and in numerous venues across the country. They never seemed to learn their lesson.

Rayna threw her head back her mouth open in a silent moan. She was doing her very best to stay quiet. She threaded her fingers through Deacon's hair.

Deacon grunted quietly as he thrusted in and out of her.

Five minutes later they returned to the stage.

"We good to go now?" Vince arched his eyebrow.

"Yeah, everythin' is gonna be just fine." Deacon picked up his guitar.

Amy walked over to him and straightened the button on his shirt. "Now everythin' is gonna be fine." She laughed. "It's one thing that we all know what you're doing when you sneak off it's another thing for you two to leave proof."

"Don't act like you and Vince are innocent. You two have been caught in the act just as many times as we have." Rayna scoffed.

"Let's just get this set down." Deacon started playing before they could get into it any farther.

The rest of the rehearsal went off without a hitch.

"Babe, we have a few hours to kill before your big show what do you wanna do?" Deacon asked her.

"I can't think of a thing I rather do than spend some time with you and our girls." Rayna wrapped her arms around his waist.

"That sounds pretty damn perfect to me too." Deacon kissed the top of her head.

"Ray, you absolutely killed it up there tonight." Bucky greeted Rayna at the side of the stage after she'd finished.

"Thanks, Buck, I really appreciate it." Rayna smiled at him.

"No thanks needed. You're my best client." Bucky hugged her.

"Come here, monkey," Deacon scooped Maddie up into his arms. "What did you think of the show?"

"You played so good, daddy." Maddie threw her arms around his neck.

"Thank you. I think you might be daddy's biggest fan." Deacon tickled her.

Maddie giggled. "You're my favorite."

"Maddie, everybody knows that your daddy is your favorite person." Tandy rolled her eyes.

Deacon put Maddie down after he kissed her cheek. He put his arms out to Daphne who was in June's arms. "Come see daddy."

Daphne clapped her hands and reached for him.

"Look at how happy and wide awake you are. There's gonna be no gettin' you to sleep tonight." Deacon kissed both her little cheeks.

Daphne made a face when his whiskers brushed against her skin.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I know how much you hate that." Deacon laughed. "Bug, did you enjoy yourself?" He asked Scarlett.

"Dad," Scarlett complained.

"Deacon, you're not supposed to call her that in public." June reminded him.

"It still slips sometimes." Deacon shrugged his shoulders.

"It always slips when it ain't supposed to." Scarlett groaned.

"Deacon, she's a teenager, babe. You know better." Rayna mock scolded him.

"I obviously just live to embarrass her." Deacon grinned.

"Let me see my baby." Rayna reached for Daphne.

Deacon started to hand her over.

"Ray, you gotta talk to Edgehill before you get comfortable." Bucky reminded her.

"Of course," Rayna sighed. "Give me a minute, babe. I gotta take care of business before we can get out of here."

"I'll get my gear packed up and be waitin' for you when you're ready." Deacon stole a kiss from her.

"Thank you, babe, you are the best." Rayna kissed him back.

"Only the best for you, babe." Deacon winked at her.

A/N: Here is the next chapter I hope you guys enjoyed it. Sorry for the long wait I just lost my muse on the direction I wanted this story to take, but I have it figured out now. Until next time please review.