Deacon watched Maddie run up the stairs. He was pretty sure it wasn't something in her eye, especially when she shut her bedroom door. His heart hurt for her; he was sure what he'd said when she asked about whether there was a chance for him and Rayna had upset her. Although everything he said to her was true, he knew in his heart that door was never completely closed. For him, anyway. But he didn't want to get her hopes up, especially since it didn't seem that Rayna was interested. He decided to leave her be for now.

About forty-five minutes later, when he hadn't heard a peep out of her, he walked upstairs. He knocked softly on the door and, when there was no response, he opened the door and looked in. He could tell she was asleep. She was lying across the bed on her stomach, her face turned towards the door. Her left hand clutched the stuffed bear he'd bought for her, close to her chin. He felt a lump in his throat as he teared up.

He walked over and sat in the chair near the bed, just watching her. He wondered how many times Rayna had done this and felt his anger rise up like bile in his throat. He'd never had the opportunity to comfort her, as her daddy, or just watch her sleep.

When she finally woke up, she looked a little disoriented. She rolled onto her side and looked up at him. "Hey," she said groggily.

"Hey." He took a deep breath. "You okay?"

She nodded and smiled a little. "I'm okay," she whispered. "Thanks for sitting with me."

He ran his hand over his mouth. "I didn't mean to upset you before," he said.

"You didn't, really. I guess I just, I don't know, was hoping for…something," she answered and looked away.

Deacon moved to the bed and pulled her up into a hug. "I think it's normal to hope for things," he said. He felt her relax into his side. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She shook her head against his chest. "No," she answered, her voice small.

He hugged her a little tighter. "You know, you can talk to me about anything, Maddie. Whenever you want to."

"Thanks, Dad," she said. She sat up and then looked down at her hand, still holding the bear. She smiled and looked back at him. "Looks like it was a good thing you got this for me."

Deacon smiled. "I guess so." He cleared his throat. "Are you still up for going out tonight?"

Maddie nodded. "Yeah. I'm excited about it."

Deacon stood and put his hands in his pockets. "We'll leave in about thirty minutes. It takes about an hour to get there from here."

"I'll be ready," Maddie said. She watched him leave her room. It had felt good to wake up and see him there. She thought of all the times her mom would be sitting with her when she woke up from a rough night or would be there when she was sad. Even her other dad had gotten to do that. But it was different now that it was Deacon. She felt safe. And loved, in a way that she'd never realized she was missing. The look on his face, even more than his words, told her how much he'd hated hurting her. But he wasn't the one who'd hurt her. Her mom had done that, and her other dad. Deacon had just waited until she was ready and then accepted her as she was. The way she accepted him.

Maddie was excited to be headed down to Columbia. Scarlett was in the back seat after insisting that Maddie sit up front. As they headed down 65 away from Nashville, Scarlett started singing and Deacon joined in. Maddie smiled as she listened to the two of them and wondered if this was what it might be like to be out on the road.

Deacon looked over at her. "I'm sorry, Maddie. We're probably singing stuff you don't know," he said.

She shook her head, still smiling. "It's okay. I love listening to the two of you." She looked back at Scarlett. "Did you sing together when you were growing up?" she asked.

A shadow briefly crossed over Scarlett's face but was quickly replaced with a smile. "We didn't see Deacon much when I was growing up. He was always out on the road. With your mama. But he'd stop by now and again and he always had a guitar and a few new songs to share."

Maddie looked over at Deacon. "I bet it was so exciting back in those days. Just singing and having fun."

Deacon nodded. "We played at a lot of places like where we're going tonight. Small venues where people really just like listening to good music."

"You know, you're really good, Maddie," Scarlett said. "I know one day you're gonna go out and make a name for yourself." She giggled. "Maybe you'll open for me one day, like I'm opening for Juliette."

"That would be so cool," Maddie said with a big smile. Then she rolled her eyes. "But I'll have to wait forever to do that." She looked at Deacon pointedly. "School."

"Aw, it's not so bad waiting until you finish school. There's a lot to learn and it always helps to have something to fall back on." Scarlett smiled. "I went to college. It sure was a lot of fun."

Maddie turned in her seat. "Where did you go?"

"Southern Mississippi. They have a really good music program there. I wanted to go to Belmont, but it was too expensive, but Southern Miss has a great reputation." She winked at Maddie. "Plus it's a fun school. Lots of things to do. And not too far from the beach."

Maddie sighed. "But I'm ready to get started on my career now," she said.

Scarlett shook her head. "Don't rush it, baby." She had a wistful look on her face. "This business is so much harder than you know. Most people spend a long time working at it. I was lucky because Mr. Watty White saw me and Gunnar right away, and then your mama signed me to her label, but it's still not easy doing this." She looked out of the side window. "It's a hard life," she said quietly.

Maddie frowned. "Are you sorry you're doing this?"

Scarlett shrugged. "It all happened kind of fast for me. And I like being quiet, not having to be 'on' all the time. I'd truly be happy playing at The Bluebird on Sunday nights for the rest of my life. I really like the writing part and I love to sing, but it's not easy doing this night after night."

Maddie turned to look at Deacon. "Was it hard for you?"

"Well, I've never been the one out in front, Maddie. Not in a big arena or stadium. I was always in the band, so it's not the same. And singing at these smaller places is easier. Still is."

Once they were seated and placed their orders, Maddie looked around curiously. "Did you play here, Dad?" she asked.

Deacon shook his head. "Not at this location. This is pretty new. But I did play at the Puckett's in Leipers Fork, which is the original. Not long after I came to Nashville, actually."

"Does it feel like such a long time ago?"

Deacon shrugged. "Sometimes. But I had a lot of fun back in those days. I miss that sometimes."

Scarlett leaned in and bumped Maddie's shoulder. "I think that's why he still plays The Bluebird. He can't let it go." She smiled. "I know you've seen your mama up on stage in those glittery outfits, playing in front of thousands of people. But this, right here, this is the real thing."

Maddie looked at her thoughtfully. "But you're going out to Seattle tomorrow and you're going to be playing all these big arenas with Juliette. Isn't that what you dreamed of?"

Scarlett shook her head. "Actually no. I didn't come here to do this at all. I came to support Avery. All I did was write poems. It didn't really occur to me to even put them to music until Gunnar encouraged me." She sighed. "I always liked to sing, but I never planned for this to be my career. I probably would have been happy just writing for other people, but you never know where life will take you. Your mama heard me sing and thought I could do this." She smiled shyly. "I have to make her proud."

Maddie snagged a fried green bean and munched on it silently for a moment. Then she turned to look at Deacon. "I always thought I wanted to be like Mom, but I think I'd rather be like you," she said.

Deacon smiled broadly, touched that she would say that. "Well, thanks, Maddie. That means a lot to me." He reached for her hand and squeezed it, while she smiled at him.

Just then their food came, along with the band Buck Sixx, who was playing that night. As they watched the band, Deacon kept his eye on Maddie, watching her excitement. He felt emotional thinking about sharing what he loved with her. He hadn't expected to connect with her so quickly, to find these common bonds and touch points, but there they were. And he wanted to soak them up and enjoy them. He wasn't going to have enough time with her; they'd lost so much time already. But he was determined to make the most of the rest of their lives as father and daughter.

He felt proud of her, even though he hadn't had much to do with the young lady she was becoming. But she was so much like him; he could see that in her. He had been afraid of that, but it turned out that it made him feel more like her father to see the ways in which they were similar. He'd seen her grow up and had loved her, as a good family friend would. But now he loved her as a father loved his child and he was grateful to have been given this chance. Rayna had done a wonderful job of raising her. And Teddy too, he had to admit. It pained him to acknowledge that, but he guessed he should be grateful that he had loved her in spite of the fact that she wasn't his daughter.

Deacon loved watching Maddie watch the band play. He could see the excitement in her eyes. She barely ate anything as she took it all in. It occurred to him that she had never really had this kind of experience before and it gave him a warm feeling inside to know that they were creating their own memories. At the end of the night, she had thanked him for bringing her, her face lit up with joy. She had hugged him and he hugged her back. It felt good.

The next day Rayna watched through the window for Deacon to drive up. When he did, she hurried out the back door. Maddie got out of the truck and looked surprised to see her mom approaching. "Hey, Mom," she said.

Rayna smiled. "Hey, sweet girl. How was your weekend?"

Maddie gave her a perplexed look. "It was good," she said slowly, wondering what her mom was doing out here.

Rayna gave her a little shrug and a wink. "I want to talk to Deacon for a few minutes."

Maddie frowned. That meant she wanted to talk about her. "I want to stay," she said.

"Maddie, I need to talk to Deacon alone," Rayna said. Deacon had gotten out of the truck and walked up to the two of them.

"I know it has something to do with me, so I want to hear it," Maddie said stubbornly.

Rayna reached for Maddie's arm, but she scowled and snatched it away. "Please, sweetheart, go inside."

Maddie looked pleadingly at Deacon, but he shook his head. "Go ahead inside, Maddie. It's okay," he said. Maddie scowled at the two of them, but finally turned and walked towards the house. Rayna crossed her arms and looked down, Deacon put his hands in his pockets and took a deep breath. "What's going on, Ray?" he asked.

She looked back at him, sadness in her eyes. She gave him a tiny smile. "I drove up to the cabin yesterday," she said.

He raised his eyebrows. "Why? I told you I wouldn't take her up there."

Rayna shook her head. "Not for that. For me. I needed to do some thinking and that seemed like the perfect place to do that." She smiled again. "It hasn't changed much at all. That surprised me."

Deacon shrugged. "You know me. I'm not much into redecorating."

She smiled at little more at that. "Well, not these days, right?" He gave her a ghost of a smile. "Anyway, I thought it would be a good place to get away. And I was right." She took a deep breath. "I remember when you first took me there. It was the most beautiful place I'd ever seen."

He nodded. "It was exactly the place you described as your dream house."

"It was. It is." She raised her eyebrows. "Everything still looked the same as I remembered. I looked in the windows."

"Like I said…."

"Yeah, I know." She looked away. "It brought back a lot of memories. A lot of good memories."

Deacon looked at her. She still took his breath away. Her hair was falling in soft waves down her shoulders and her back, the way he liked it best. She was wearing a flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows and a pair of well-worn jeans along with her cowboy boots. As stunning as she looked on stage, he always thought that she looked her best when she wasn't all glammed up. He cleared his throat. It wasn't a good idea to go down those roads these days. "So what happened up there?" he asked.

She looked back at him. "I did some thinking. About all of this. About you and Maddie." She sighed. "Deacon, I'm just not ready yet. I think we need more time."

Deacon scowled. "There's never going to be a perfect time, Rayna. Hell, we could be doing this little dance until Maddie's a grown up."

Rayna's eyes flashed with irritation. "I'm not saying we wait until Maddie's a grown up. But it can't hurt to give you both a little more time without the spotlight on you. This is still so new. With her spending more time with you and all that."

Deacon looked at her with annoyance. "This is about you thinking I'm going to fall off the wagon again," he said harshly.

Rayna shook her head. "No, that's not what I mean." Although she knew it was exactly what she meant and she couldn't look him in the eye. "I just want you to have more time to figure all of this out."

Deacon huffed and turned slightly away. Then he turned back. "I've waited for fourteen years, Rayna. Granted, for most of that time I didn't know I was waiting, but I'm done waiting. God help me, Rayna, if Maddie hadn't found out, we might never have known this at all. I'd still be thinking I was just her 'Uncle Deacon'."

"You don't know that." Rayna's voice cracked with emotion.

He smirked and shook his head. "Well, it's all water under the bridge now. What's done is done." He looked back at her. "So you drove all the way up to the cabin to decide you don't want to go public after all?"

"No, that's not what I said. I just think we should give it a little more time, to be sure that we are all solid. What could it hurt to wait a little longer?" Deacon just shook his head. Rayna looked down at her feet. "You know, I didn't just go up there to think about that." She breathed in and out slowly. "I made a mistake, Deacon. I was twenty-seven years old and scared and I didn't know what to do. I got bad advice and made a bad decision, but I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I know," Deacon said quietly.

Rayna gazed at him, a sad look crossing her face. "I wanted to marry you back then. I wanted us to be Maddie's parents, to raise her up together. But you couldn't do that for us. And I was so young and I didn't know enough to make my own decisions. I let other people make them for me." She reached out and grasped his arm. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

He looked down at her, her eyes filled with pain and sorrow. The feel of her hand on his arm was like an electric charge. His heart was breaking over what might have been. "I know," he said again. Tears glistened in his eyes. She finally dropped her hand and he inhaled deeply. "I need to go," he said. "We can wait. A little while. But you know it's going to disappoint Maddie."

She nodded. "I know. I'll have to work it out with her."

He stepped back. "I'll see you later." He turned and walked back to his truck. When he got in, he looked at her still standing there, her face a mask of sadness as she looked at him, as though she were willing him to understand. He reluctantly tore his eyes away from hers and backed out of the driveway.

Rayna watched him go, her heart in her throat. She had never thought she'd feel this distant from Deacon. It occurred to her that as scared as she had been fifteen years ago, she was even more scared now. What she wasn't completely clear on was whether she was scared of what could happen or scared to break down the walls she'd built to see what was still possible.

Maddie stood at her bedroom window, looking out over the driveway. She had watched her parents talking and knew it hadn't gone well. Her dad had looked stiff and uncomfortable and, at times, angry. Her mom had looked sad and beaten down. She felt tears well up in her eyes. This was not what she wanted. Her stomach hurt from the pain of watching the two of them turn away from each other. As her dad backed out of the driveway and her mom seemed to have the weight of the world on her shoulders, Maddie stepped back from the window and went and laid down on her bed, curling up on her side, tears streaming down her face.

Deacon got back to the house and picked up a guitar and carried it outside to the backyard. The conversation with Rayna had been unsettling and disappointing. He'd been surprised to find out she'd gone up to the cabin. Although considering how long it had been since she'd been there, it still felt like she was part of it. When she'd told him she'd wanted to marry him all those years ago, to raise Maddie with him, it had felt like a knife to his heart. He wished things had been different then. That he hadn't been so messed up that she had felt forced to make the choices she'd made. He understood her desire to lay low a little longer, to give them all a chance to settle into this new normal, but he also knew Maddie would be disappointed. Hell, he was disappointed. It still felt like Rayna was trying to keep it all under wraps. As though that part had never changed.

He idly ran his fingers over the strings of the guitar. He picked out various pieces of melodies. Then he found himself playing the chords for a song he'd written years ago.

Nothing goes as planned/Everything will break/People say goodbye/In their own special way/All that you rely on/And all that you can fake/Will leave you in the morning/But find you in the day

Oh, you're in my veins/And I cannot get you out/Oh, you're all I taste/At night inside of my mouth/Oh, you run away/'Cause I am not what you found/Oh, you're in my veins/And I cannot get you out

He'd written this song for Rayna. About Rayna. She'd been married to Teddy then for about four or five years. He'd been back in her band for most of that time and they were finally settling in to a more comfortable friendship. But he had still missed her then. His body ached for her every night, he wanted to touch her. She was a very touchy-feely person and whenever she'd bump against him or nudge his shoulder, grab his arm or his hand, it was like an electrical charge running through him.

Everything will change/Nothing stays the same/Nobody here's perfect/Oh, but everyone's to blame/Oh, all that you rely on/And all that you can save/Will leave you in the morning/And find you in the day

Oh, you're in my veins/And I cannot get you out/Oh, you're all I taste/At night inside of my mouth/Oh, you run away/'Cause I am not what you found/Oh, you're in my veins/And I cannot get you out

Those days had been tough. It had tried his commitment to sobriety more than once. He thought about Maddie in those days, how comfortable he'd felt with her when he hadn't wanted to. But those were also the days when he'd started feeling like Rayna belonged to him again, at least when they were rehearsing and writing songs and on stage.

Everything is dark/It's more than you can take/But you catch a glimpse of sun light/Shining, shining down on your face/Your face/Oh your face

Oh, you're in my veins/And I cannot get you out/Oh, you're all I taste/At night inside of my mouth/Oh, you run away/'Cause I am not what you found/Oh, you're in my veins/And I cannot get you out

Yes, he'd been in a dark place back then, when Rayna found out she was pregnant. Especially before that last time in rehab. He understood why she'd finally had enough. But she had always been it for him and, deep down inside, he knew she still was. Even if she never let him back into her life, she was his heart. He wondered if it was hard for her to deny him or if it had been as easy as she'd tried to make it seem. She was good at hiding her feelings, although not usually from him, but this time she seemed to have really boxed him out.

He took a deep breath as he contemplated those words he'd written so long ago, thinking they were still true today. She was still in his veins and he couldn't get her out.

Oh, you're in my veins/And I cannot get you out/Oh, you're all I taste/At night inside of my mouth/Oh, you run away/'Cause I am not what you found/Oh, you're in my veins/And I cannot get you out

Megan quietly walked back in the house. When she had gotten there, Deacon wasn't inside and she'd seen him sitting on the patio. She had walked out the back door and stood there for a moment, listening to him sing. Although she'd lived in Nashville since college, she hadn't been the biggest country music fan. It was hard to escape it here, though, and she had developed an appreciation for it over the years. She enjoyed listening to Deacon. He had a rawness to his voice and his words that spoke of heartache and pain and love and hope, and he had touched her. As she had listened to the words, it slowly dawned on her that this was a song about Rayna. She'd never heard it before and didn't know if it was something he'd written long ago or if it was new, but the pain in his voice as he sang it told her that it meant something today.

She'd felt hurt when she realized that. Because she'd been his attorney after the accident, she'd known a bit about his complicated history with Rayna, and she had, of course, done her own research later when she'd started dating him. He'd told her a fair amount about his long-term relationship with Rayna, but not about the years they'd been apart. She knew about Maddie, of course, and she wondered at times about what had led to Rayna not telling him he'd had a daughter. She wondered from time to time what Deacon's feelings were about Rayna, but he'd been carefully circumspect about that. But listening to the pain in that song, she knew, without a doubt, that he still loved her. Maybe they would never be together again – Megan knew that Rayna was in what seemed like a pretty serious relationship with Luke Wheeler – but Deacon still loved her. She wondered what that would mean for them and their future together. It left her feeling unsettled.

She was slicing vegetables and getting fish ready for the oven when Deacon walked back in the house. "Hey, baby," he said, a little surprise in his voice. He came over and wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned in to nuzzle her neck. "I didn't know you were here yet."

She smiled and leaned back into him, still working on the food. "I just got here a few minutes ago. I saw you outside and thought you might be writing, so I left you alone. I thought I'd get dinner ready." She turned her head slightly so that she could look in his face. He looked peaceful, a smile on his lips. "How was the weekend? How is Maddie?"

"She's good. It was good." He let her go and turned to lean back against the counter next to her. "I took her guitar shopping and she and Scarlett and me went down to Puckett's in Columbia to listen to some music. We had some good time together. She's on spring break this week and Rayna's taking her and Daphne out to Seattle to see Scarlett and Juliette open Juliette's tour."

Megan looked up at him and smiled. "That'll be nice for her. You told me she and Juliette are close."

Deacon chuckled and shook his head. "Yeah, apparently so. I would never have thought Juliette could have a soft side, but it seems that she does. At least where Maddie is concerned."

"So, are you hungry?" Megan asked, as she finished up the vegetables and put them in a roasting pan.

Deacon leaned in and kissed her. "Not really," he whispered. "Not right now."

She looked at him shyly. "I can put it away for now."

He smiled. "Why don't you do that?" He watched her put the dishes in the fridge and then he grabbed her hand, pulling her back to the bedroom.

After Deacon drove away, Rayna slowly walked back in the house. These conversations with him were so hard, so filled with emotions and memories and hurt. When she looked at him these days, actually when she'd looked at him for most of the last fourteen years, she'd seen the man she'd always wanted to see. Deacon sober was sexy and intriguing and made her laugh and enjoy life. Being intimate with a sober Deacon for the short time they were together before the accident had been all she'd ever dreamed it could be. But when he'd found out Maddie was his daughter, instead of going to her and telling her he loved her and was proud to be her father, he went and got drunk. That was always her biggest fear. But was she being fair? He'd found out the worst possible way; she should have been the one to tell him, to have been there to help him through the hurt and anger and betrayal. But she wasn't, so maybe it wasn't surprising that he'd turned to the only place he knew to bury all those feelings, the bottom of a bottle. It didn't make it right, but maybe it wasn't the sign she'd wanted to make it be.

When she walked into the kitchen, Daphne was standing there, looking cross. "Where have you been?" she asked, frowning.

Rayna raised her eyebrows and took in a breath, her eyes twinkling. "I don't think I have to tell you everything I'm doing, young lady," she teased.

Daphne crossed her arms, still looking stern. "But I need you. I'm trying to pack and I'm not sure what to bring."

Rayna gave her a saucy smile. "Well, I'm here now, so why don't I come help you figure it out?"

"Um, yeah," Daphne responded, using a tone she'd heard her older sister use when she was annoyed. Rayna tried not to smile. "Let's go!" She grabbed her mom's hand and dragged her over to the stairs and up to her room.

When Rayna had finished helping Daphne, she walked down to Maddie's room. Her door was closed and Rayna knocked softly. When there was no answer, she walked in to find Maddie asleep on her bed. She walked over and leaned down, putting her hand on Maddie's shoulder. "Maddie," she said softly. "Maddie," she repeated. Maddie's eyes slowly opened. Rayna smiled. "Hey, sweet girl. Can we talk?"

Maddie nodded and sat up, moving over a bit so that her mom could sit next to her on the bed. She watched Rayna cross her legs at the ankles and felt her slide her arm around her to pull her close. "Were you and Deacon talking about me?" she asked quietly.

Rayna took a deep breath. "Sort of." She pulled Maddie a little closer. "I've been doing some thinking about you. And Deacon. And what's next." She reached over and smoothed Maddie's hair off her face. "I know you're anxious to tell the world that Deacon is your father, but I'd really like for all of us to give it just a little more time." She could feel Maddie tense up. "I know that's not what you want to hear, but I just want to give you two a little more time, privately, to work on your relationship, before the whole world has to know."

Maddie huffed. "I knew it."

Rayna shook her head. "Listen to me, Maddie. I'm not saying never. I'm just saying wait a little longer. This is a special time for you and Deacon, getting to know each other and spending time together. I want you to have the opportunity to do it more privately for a little while longer."

"But I don't want to wait," Maddie whined.

"Why is it so important for you to do this? Why right this very minute?"

Maddie thought about that. "I guess I just don't want to pretend."

"Pretend to who? You're not pretending with me, or your dad, or Deacon, or Daphne. Or Aunt Tandy." She sighed. "People can be so hurtful. People that don't even know you. And they can make things seem ugly when they're not. I don't want that for you."

Maddie sighed. "But it's hard not to say things or have to try to remember when to call him my dad and when not to."

Rayna nodded. "I guess that's true." She hugged Maddie closer. "I always tried to make sure that you had a relationship with Deacon when you were growing up. I guess that was my way of making sure that he was in your life. And I get that it wasn't enough, especially now that you know he's your father. You know he always loved you, Maddie, even without knowing you were his daughter. And now that he does know, and you know, I want y'all to be able to create a different relationship without everyone in the world watching you do it. Can you understand that?"

Maddie shrugged. "I guess."

"I'm not trying to hide it. And I'm not doing this because it will make me look bad. I'm doing it so that the two of you can develop the best relationship you can. And the strongest one. Because I love you and I want you to be happy and I don't want you to be hurt. By any of this."

Maddie looked up at her mom and gave her a small smile. "I get it."

Rayna leaned down and kissed her daughter on the forehead. "I love you, sweet girl. I just want the best for you."

"I know."

Rayna got a teasing look in her eye and smiled at her daughter. "So, I just finished helping Daphne pick out her wardrobe for the trip. Can I help you too?"

Maddie smiled back. "As long as you don't make me wear something too little girly."

Rayna pretended to look shocked and hurt. "Me? I would never do that."

Maddie laughed and rolled off the bed. Rayna followed her into her closet and they picked through her clothes, laughing together as they decided on just the right outfit for her to wear to the concert.

A/N: I took a little poetic license with the original Puckett's in terms of when it first opened. It would have been a perfect early place for Deacon to play, so I made it a little older.

The song Deacon sings in his backyard is "In My Veins" by Andrew Belle. Interestingly, he features Erin McCarley on the song, who played Rayna's lady guitar player in season 1. He's not a country artist, but he did apparently spend some time in Nashville, and I could see this song being "countrified". Plus the words were perfect.