A/N: Ordinarily I wouldn't attempt to have two stories running at the same time, but this idea got in my head and I wanted to see if people would be interested. We don't know a lot about Virginia Jaymes Wyatt. We know she died young, probably at the hand of her husband, Lamar Wyatt. We know she was unhappy in her marriage and had a decade-long affair with Watty White, one that continued until her death. We know she likely loved her daughters very much, although we don't know why she was willing to leave them behind. We know that she was the one who inspired Rayna to pursue a career in country music and gave her her first guitar. We know she was Rayna's hero.

This story starts with Virginia, although it doesn't end with her. This is how things began for Rayna, back when she was just twelve years old. My plan is to take it to when she meets Deacon. It will primarily be Rayna's voice, with a little Tandy.

I'd love to know if you like this idea. I probably won't update as often as 'Perfect Storm', as long as that story runs, but I hope you are as intrigued with this as I am. Thanks for reading!

Prologue

1982

Virginia Wyatt was speeding through town, hoping there were no cops along the way. She kept glancing at the time on her dashboard, aware she would be cutting it close to get home before her younger daughter. She smiled to herself anyway when she thought about the reason for her lateness.

She had been leaning against the sink in the studio apartment bathroom, in an old building just north of downtown, reapplying her makeup after her quick shower. Watty had walked up behind her and kissed the place on her neck behind her ear. Then he'd pulled away the towel she had wrapped around her and she'd spread her legs for what she thought would be a quick, til-next-time fuck. It had turned into something sensual and erotic and they both had been loath to have it end. She didn't regret it, of course, but she hated cutting things so close.

Rayna was her sensitive daughter, just eleven, but with an old soul who seemed to have lived a life already filled with heartache. It would serve her well, Virginia knew, when she was older. Rayna was creative and would be an artist one day, already possessing a beautiful voice and a way with musical storytelling. But she would be expecting her mother to be home when she got there from school, so Virginia pressed a little harder on the accelerator.

Her daughters were everything to her. Tandy, her oldest, was self-sufficient already, even at fifteen. She was practical and logical, all the things Virginia was not, but she was also fiercely loyal. Virginia was proud of Tandy, proud of how smart she was and pleased with how protective she was of Rayna. Tandy had never been that big sister who didn't have time for a younger sister who idolized her.

Virginia sighed, feeling a lump in her throat. One day soon that would be a good thing. Tandy would be there for Rayna, give her some stability. Because someday – she wasn't sure precisely when – she would have to go. She'd fallen head over heels in love with and married the admittedly dashing and charismatic Lamar Wyatt, bore him two children and raised them, and graced his arm in Belle Meade society. But somewhere along the way, she'd grown disenchanted with him and with her marriage, feeling like a butterfly caught in a net. What she knew for sure was that she had to escape. As much as she adored her daughters, she couldn't stay.

She had met Watty White at one of the honky tonks on lower Broadway she frequented, when Rayna wasn't quite a year old. At first she was just an admirer of the young songwriter, who had a deft touch with lyrics and music and a voice like fine Belle Meade bourbon. As she got to know him, she felt that undeniable desire to know him intimately, not totally unlike how she'd felt about Lamar in the beginning. Within six months, she and Watty were lovers. She knew Lamar knew about the affair, although she was very discreet, but he chose not to acknowledge it. She knew it was because he valued the Belle Meade connections of the Jaymes family, even more entrenched than those of the Wyatts. And because he didn't interfere, she dutifully fulfilled her wifely obligations every Wednesday and Sunday. It was a small price to pay, in her mind.

Thinking about Lamar made her frown. When she met him she thought he was charming and debonair, quite the catch in Belle Meade society. He was thoughtful and attentive, treating her like a queen. She had never felt quite like she fit into the top shelf family she'd been born into, always searching for something else more fulfilling. But he had seemed to share her love for music, which was her passion, and had seemed enchanted with her eccentricities and her flights of fancy, and she had fallen in love with him.

As a husband, however, she'd found him controlling and dictatorial. Their interests weren't as similar as he'd led her to believe at first. He'd pressured her to start a family, something she hadn't wanted right away. But a year after they were married, Tandy was born, and while she loved her daughter with her whole heart, she had put him off as long as she could before having Rayna four years later. As much as he doted on the girls, he was disappointed not to have a son, but she closed the door on any other children. Her affair with Watty had the effect of rendering that moot, as Lamar would not risk her getting pregnant with another man's child.

As she flew up the drive, she grimaced at the monstrosity of a house they lived in. But it was what Lamar wanted, a symbol of their stature in the community. She rolled her eyes. She parked the car and jumped out, then ran up the back stairs from the kitchen and reapplied the lipstick Watty had kissed off before he'd let her leave. Then she heard the door slam. "Mom! Mom!" she heard Rayna call out. She dropped the lipstick on the vanity and walked out, smoothing down her slacks, hoping her daughter didn't smell him on her.

Virginia lazily smoothed her hand over Rayna's hair, periodically winding her finger in one of her daughter's reddish-gold curls. Rayna was telling her about her day at school, about a test she'd taken and the lunch they'd had, which she'd hated. Then Rayna looked up at her, her cornflower blue eyes suddenly sad. "Why are girls so mean, Mom?" she asked.

Virginia frowned. "What do you mean, sweet girl?" she responded. "Who was mean to you?"

Rayna sighed. "Oh, that awful Betsy Mann and Mary Julian Lowe." Tears filled her eyes and Virginia pulled her close.

"What happened?" Her heart ached for her daughter. Rayna was such a lovely young girl, with a sweet disposition, and a beautiful smile. Where Tandy was all angles and lines, Rayna was smooth, rounded edges. Tandy could take care of herself, her sense of self well-formed when she was a small child. But her Rayna, she was the child who needed comfort. Virginia could see that she was starting to develop a harder shell, but she wasn't quite there yet, so it hurt her heart to see her baby hurting.

Rayna brushed back the tears, hating to show weakness, and scowled. "Oh, you know, there's going to be a solo at the spring concert, so we're all trying out." She looked up at her mother. "And they were making fun of the twang in my voice. I don't have a twang."

Virginia smiled sadly. "Of course you don't, my sweet," she said. "You have a lovely voice. I'm sure much prettier than Betsy Mann's or Mary Julian Lowe's. Plus you're so much prettier than they are." Rayna smiled up at her. She is, too. She's going to break hearts when she's older and then she'll find herself the handsomest boy in the room and he'll be so smitten with her. She just doesn't know it yet. She widened her smile. "I have a new tape. Want to listen?"

Rayna's face lit up. "Oh, yes!" she said.

Virginia got up from the couch and walked to her purse, sitting by the back door. She reached in and pulled out the cassette tape Watty had slipped in there when she got to the apartment. Some new music for you to listen to, my sweet. She had been more interested in the notes he would play on her body, but he was always surprising her with a unique mix of his favorites. This was the first time she'd played one for anyone but herself. She then slid the cassette into the tape player on the mantle and pressed play. Then she sat back down with Rayna and waited to hear what came first.

I am a poor wayfaring stranger / I'm traveling through this world of woe / Yet there's no sickness, toil, or danger / In that bright world to which I go

I'm going there to see my father / I'm going there no more to roam / I'm only going over Jordan / I'm only going over home

She felt like her breath had been stolen away. The arrangement was spare and haunting. For a half-second, she thought it actually was Watty singing, but then she realized it was not. It was still a gorgeous song. She looked down at Rayna and she could see her daughter was just as entranced by it as she was.

I know dark clouds will gather 'round me / I know my way is rough and steep / Yet beauteous fields lie just before me / Where God's redeemed, their vigils keep

I'm going there to see my mother / She said she'd meet me when I come / I'm only going over Jordan / I'm only going over home

She was surprised to see tears in Rayna's eyes, just around the rims. But then she wasn't surprised. Even at eleven, Rayna felt things deeply. She wasn't as superficial as other girls her age, girls like Betsy and Mary Julian. Rayna had substance to her, which was how Virginia knew that not only would she be special one day, but that she could overcome anything life would throw at her.

When the song ended, Virginia got up and shut off the tape. Nothing that came after was going to be as powerful, she knew. Rayna was looking up at her when she came back over and sat down. "What did you think?" Virginia asked finally.

Rayna bit her lip. "I don't know if I can put it in words," she said. She breathed in. "I wish I could write something like that. I don't know how to explain it, Mom, but it was like…." She looked a little helpless then.

Virginia nodded. "Like he was looking into your soul? Like he could see what was inside you?" Rayna nodded. Virginia put her arm around her daughter and pulled her close. "One day, Rayna, you're going to write words like that, sing words like that, words that make other people feel deeply, just like you just did."

"How do you know that?"

Virginia shrugged. "I don't know. I just do." She hugged Rayna closer, knowing it was true.

1983

Virginia was feeling restless. Watty was out on the road and she missed him terribly. Things were deteriorating with Lamar and she wasn't sure how much longer she could hold out. She wasn't sure anymore if she were running towards something or just running away from something. She just knew she felt trapped in her life and she wasn't sure how much longer she could hold on. At least Lamar was headed out of town for a few days and she could take a breath and figure out what was next.

She glanced out the window. It was a gorgeous early spring day, late winter really, but it was warm in Nashville. She thought for a moment about what to do. Then she heard the sound of Rayna, trying to play the guitar she'd given her. She smiled to herself. It's a good thing that girl has the voice of an angel, because she sure can't play that guitar to save her life. She chuckled a little. Even with lessons, she's going to need a guitar player to stand on stage with her. Virginia had dreams for her daughter, dreams she knew Rayna was starting to share.

She ran out of her bedroom and down the hall. She stood at the doorway to Rayna's room, where her daughter sat on her bed, with her guitar. She was trying to pick out the chords and struggling. Virginia could see the frustration on her face. "Rayna," she said, and her daughter looked up. "Let's go out to the river. You, me and Tandy. It's such a pretty day. We can take a picnic and just have a nice afternoon."

Rayna jumped off her bed immediately, tossing the guitar on the cover. "I'll go get Tandy," she cried.

Virginia pointed at the guitar. "Bring your guitar, sweetheart," she said.

Rayna pouted. "Oh, Mom, I'm so bad."

Virginia shook her head. "Now, don't let me hear you sound so defeated, young lady. You just need to keep working on it. You're going to need that, even if it's just to help you write songs one day." She raised an eyebrow. "Are you working on anything?" One of the things she'd told Rayna when she gave her the guitar was that she could use that to help her work on her music. She thought it might be a good outlet for her daughter.

Rayna sighed with annoyance. "Oh, all right," she said, turning around and going back to pick up the guitar. Virginia noticed she hadn't answered about whether she was working on anything and just let it go. Her daughter was intensely private about some things and she knew not to pry. Rayna would let her know when she was ready.

Virginia smiled. "I'll get your sister. You meet us downstairs in the kitchen." And then she turned and walked down to Tandy's room.

It was the perfect day to be on the river. The sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. There was a very light breeze. The three of them sat on the rocks overlooking the river, after they'd finished their picnic lunch. Tandy turned back towards Rayna and squinted her eyes against the sun. "Sing for us, Rayna," she said.

Rayna made a face. "We can all sing together," she said. "I don't know why you don't think you can sing, Tandy."

Tandy laughed, a rich, full laugh. "Because I can't, baby girl. If I had to sing for a living, I'd be living on the streets." She turned to look at Virginia. "Tell her, Mom."

Virginia smiled. "Well, sweet girl, you're better than you think, but Rayna does have a beautiful voice." She was grateful Tandy wasn't jealous of Rayna's gift. Tandy had her own talents that Rayna didn't share and Virginia knew they would balance each other perfectly. She felt a sudden lump in her throat and looked away, out over the river. She knew the day was coming, sooner rather than later, and she knew she couldn't take her girls with her. She hoped Lamar would let her have them, once she got wherever she ended up, but she knew he might not.

Rayna sighed and then she picked up the guitar. She put her fingers on the frets and the strings and bent over, trying to work out the chords. Virginia could see the frustration on her face. "Rayna, sweetheart, don't try so hard," she said softly.

Rayna sighed again and stopped, putting her palm over the sound hole. Then she started to sing.

I don't know why I keep on believing you need me / When you've proved so many times that it ain't true / And I can't find one good reason for staying / Maybe my leaving would be the best for you

But these rose colored glasses / That I'm looking through / Show only the beauty / 'Cause they hide all the truth

Virginia closed her eyes as she listened to the song. It was one of her favorite songs and one that Rayna loved to sing for her. She smiled to herself as she listened. She heard Tandy join in, very softly.

And they let me hold on to the good times, good lines / The ones I used to hear when I held you / And they keep me from feeling so cheated, defeated / When reflections in your eyes show me a fool

These rose colored glasses / That I'm looking through / Show only the beauty / 'Cause they hide all the truth

She loved hearing her girls sing together, even though Rayna's was the stronger of the two voices. She loved these times with her girls and she could feel the tears behind her eyelids as she dreaded the day when she would leave them. They were her life and she loved them more than she'd ever believed she could. They had kept her here far longer than she would have thought she could stay, but she was losing herself, a little bit every day, and she could no longer do this.

She opened her eyes then and brushed at the tears. Rayna stopped singing. "Mom, why are you crying?" she asked. Tandy turned to look at her with concern.

Virginia shook her head and smiled. "I'm listening to the voices of two angels. Why wouldn't that bring me to tears?" she said.

Rayna's light was on and Virginia stepped into her room. "You aren't asleep yet, sweetheart?" she asked.

Rayna shook her head. "I should be tired but I'm not," she said.

Virginia walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Why not?"

"We try out for solos tomorrow. I think I'm just too nervous." She sighed. "I don't know if I want to do this."

Virginia frowned. "Oh, honey, you need to. You have a gift, Rayna." She smiled at her then. "It's your responsibility to share that with people. I love watching you do that and nothing makes me happier than seeing you share that gift."

Rayna smiled back and then sighed. "I want to be a singer, Mom."

Virginia took her daughter's hand. "You will be, Rayna. I'm sure you're going to be picked for a solo."

"No, I mean that's what I want to be when I grow up. I want to stand on a stage and sing country music. Even if I have to have someone else play guitar for me." She smiled a little shyly. "That's my dream."

Virginia breathed in deeply, then smiled at Rayna. "I believe you will, sweet girl. I believe you're going to be the Queen of Country Music one day. I believe in you."

Rayna beamed. "Thank you, Mom. I want you to be proud of me."

"I already am."

She waited until Lamar left the house, headed for Louisville. They'd had a horrible fight and he'd thrown her affair with Watty in her face. Accused her of disrespecting him and their marriage. She'd told him she was leaving him, a split second decision to do it that night, and then went to the closet to pull out her suitcase. He had told her before that if she left, she would never be welcomed back home, would never see Tandy and Rayna again, and he reminded her of that again. That had tugged at her heart, but she'd always known this day would come, and she didn't back down.

He left in a huff and she had watched out the window until she saw the Cadillac wind down the driveway and out to the street. Then she had turned back and thrown clothes into her suitcase. She carried it down the back stairs and out to her car, putting it in the trunk and gently closing it. The girls' rooms faced the back of the house, so she went back upstairs to see them.

Tandy was in Rayna's room and they were giggling over tabloid magazines. "What are y'all doing?" she asked, trying to keep the anxiousness out of her voice.

Tandy slid the magazine under Rayna's pillow. "Just keeping up with all the celebrities," she said. She frowned. "Are you going out?"

That Tandy didn't miss a thing, Virginia thought. Too smart for her own good. She cleared her throat and smiled. "Actually I need to run pick up something for the Symphony Gala," she said. It was a good thing that event was coming up. She actually hated the idea of missing it. It was one of the few society events she really enjoyed, but it could not be helped. She simply couldn't stay in this cage for another moment. "I shouldn't be gone too long. You girls be okay?" She needed to go. She wasn't sure she could keep up this charade for much longer.

Tandy smiled then. "We'll be fine."

Virginia walked over and hugged them both, probably a little longer than would have seemed normal. She breathed in the smell of them, though about how much she would miss them. It was the only thing that gave her pause. When she let Rayna go, her younger daughter looked concerned. "Are you okay, Mom?" she asked.

Virginia put on her best smile. "Of course. I just love you girls so much. Always know that." She turned and headed for the door, then turned back. "Be good," she said. They nodded, then huddled back together over the magazines. She stood and looked at them for a moment, their red heads practically touching. Farewell, my darlings. I hope to see you again very soon. As the tears welled up in her eyes, she turned and walked away swiftly.

When she got out of the city, it was dark. It always surprised her how dark it was even just twenty minutes out of Nashville. She had stopped at a pay phone and called Watty, then got back in her car to head to the place he'd told her about. River Road had no street lights and few houses, so she could see the clear dark sky and the stars. She had been crying since she'd driven away from the house and she breathed in deeply, trying to settle her nerves. She glanced in the rearview mirror, brushing away the tears, and that's when she noticed the car lights behind her. This was a pretty deserted road, so the presence of another car, especially one that seemed so close, was unnerving. She sped up a little and the car behind her kept pace. Her heart started beating hard. Is someone trying to carjack me? Is it some drunk under the influence? Some kid just driving too close? She wished the road was more than a two lane road and that the guardrails weren't so close. She wanted to pull over and let the other car pass.

Suddenly the car was right behind her, turning its bright lights on. She made a strangled noise in her throat. She was terrified now. When the car tapped her bumper she screamed. She kept looking from the mirror to the road in front of her and then all of a sudden she saw guardrail and, in that split second, realized she was going to crash. All she could think about was her girls as the car behind her rammed into her and pushed her forward. Then everything went black.