This is basically my take on the important parts of season 3 episode 15. If you haven't watched it, you might want to stop now, as it does contain spoilers.

Rayna tightened her grip on the steering wheel as she impatiently waited for the slow moving car ahead of her to decide to turn at the last moment. Grinding her teeth as she slammed her foot down on the accelerator, she sped past the now stationary car. Silently fuming, she allowed her mind to wander back over the events of last night. This just added to her bad mood, upgrading it to pissed off. Three days ago she had decided that she was sick of the way her and Deacon were skirting around each other. She was going to force the issue, especially since he seemed determined to ignore the fact that she had gotten rotten drunk and ended up in his bed. The final push for her was Maddie accosting her about Deacon. She allows a brief smile to grace her face as she casts her mind back over the events of three days ago.

She had been planning on introducing the girls into the Opry ever since she was first approached about her own anniversary. The recent issue with Jeff Fordham just brought to the forefront that she needed to step in and gently introduce those two talented girls of hers into the industry. The Opry really was like family, the members would support you through the highs and the lows, and she was so excited that she was going to be the one to bring her girls into that circle. Watching their faces go from disbelief to realisation that they were going to be performing at the Opry made her heart swell with pride. Knowing that at her own anniversary she would get to usher in the next generation, to bring them into her music family. Maddie was always the one who was able to cut through all her buff and get straight to the point. Tonight was no different as she went straight to the core of who Rayna considered family.

Looking at her mother, Maddie sighed to herself as she prepared herself for her mom's predictable response "What about deacon?"

"He's an important part of it too"

"Is he going to come?"

"I don't know."

Rolling her eyes at the slick way her mom had so far avoided the real issue, "please don't say this is complicated."

"Well it is complicated"

Maddie's patience finally reached breaking point, "You can't even be on the same stage as him anymore? You hate him that much?"

"Honey…that is so not the problem", squeezing Daphne's and Maddie's hands, Rayna smiles widely at her girls, as she struggles to stifle the sadness that always seemed to engulf her whenever she thought about the mess between her and Deacon. "I will ask him, but let's focus on the fact that the Conrad Sister's are going to be joining the Opry."

Blocking Daphne's non-stop excitable chatter out, Maddie plucked at the bed covers as she contemplated how frustrating her parents were being. Clearly they were both in love with each other, but their own stubbornness was getting in their way. Her dad always seemed to have a cloud of sadness surrounding him lately. At her most recent guitar lesson, he was reluctant to talk about anything that seemed even remotely associated with her mom.

Packing up her guitar after the lesson, Maddie chewed her lip as she debated with herself about whether to ask her dad or not. She had asked before but both of her parents were so good at deflecting her... Building up her courage, Maddie decided the worse that would happen is she would get the standard 'it's complicated' response from him….again.

"So, what's going on with you and mom?"

"Nothin"

"Nothin"

"Nothin all right… I haven't even seen her in weeks."

"Exactly…know that's what so weird, it's like you guys are avoiding each other or something."

"Maddie, it's complication okay."

"It's over with Luke. You don't have a girlfriend…it's so simply to me

"It's not simple…"

Exasperated by the run around responses Deacon was giving, Maddie demanded "Are you guys fighting?"

"No we're not okay…it's…"

"What?" effectively cutting him off before Deacon stated 'it's complicated' again.

"After all that's happened lately we just need a little time, okay?…that's all…"

Losing patience, Maddie finally asks the question that she already knew the answer to, "But you still love her don't you?"

"Till the day I die" Deacon says in a voice heavy with sadness. He knows that that particular end date was closer than he thought ever possible. Struggling to push the overwhelming thought that he was shortly going to have to leave behind the love of his life, Deacon failed to notice the smug knowing grin that was lighting up he's daughter's face.

Rayna paced the floor in her bedroom. She had already straightened all the items on her dressing table, rearranged the throw pillows and picked at the imaginary fluff on the bed cover, anything to avoid picking the phone up and laying open her heart. Taking a deep breath Rayna picks it up and stares uncertainly at the name on the screen. Pressing call before she could talk herself out of it, Rayna lifts the phone to ear and holds her breath.

Picking up the phone, Deacon hesitates before answering "Hello there"

Rayna's face unconsciously brightens upon hearing his voice "Hey, its me."

"Ye I know, your name comes up on my phone….so mystery solved" Deacon answers with an uneasy laugh.

Deacon's apprehension hits Rayna down the line. Rolling her eyes at how they are both behaving like nervous teenagers. Emitting a small laugh to break the uneasiness Rayna plunges on, "I wanted to let you know tomorrow night is the 10th anniversary of my Opry induction."

"God almighty has that been 10yrs already?"

"Ye I know its crazy….anyways, so I just can't imagine…having that night without you being there." Sensing the rejection that is about to come back at her Rayna rushes on, "and Vince is going to be there, and a lot of the guys are coming back."

"I don't know Rayna….you know I'm not sure I'm ready for that just yet…"

"Yep I get it….also you should know the girls are going to play their Opry debut and I can tell you what, they would be over the moon if you played with them, that whole full circle, sort of deal."

She knew that she sounded desperate, and she was. She needed to break through that barrier that Deacon had recently erected around himself. If she was being honest with herself, she knew that she was to blame for the way Deacon was being careful. She had taken his love over the years and stomped all over it. She had broke his heart so often and then changed her mind, usually after seeing him with another woman and invited him back into her life only to do it all over again.

"Can… I think about it and… you know get back to ya?"

"Ye, of course. I appreciate it...for what its worth I think it would be really amazing."

"Ok, then …I'll let you know."

"Ok."

Hanging up the phone, Deacon allowed the pain he kept locked away to surface. After finding Rayna drunk in his bed and waking up next to her the next morning, Deacon had avoided thinking about their situation. Rayna on the other hand would have talked herself into pretending that it never happened, or so he thought. However, listening to her asking him to join the Opry anniversary, it was obvious that Rayna knew exactly what she was doing and she hadn't forgotten. She was scratching and kicking at his defences, determined to make her way through to get to him. Every fibre of him wanted to say yes, but he knew the strength of the gravitational pull of Rayna. Once he was in that orbit again he wouldn't have the strength to escape. He also knew that if he did play at the Opry, there would be no way to keep Rayna out of his life and he would no longer be able to keep his cancer diagnosis a secret.

Maddie looked up from her phone at the knock on her door. "Hey."

"Hey. Just wanted you to know that I called Deacon, and asked him."

"What did he say? Is he going to come?"

"He's thinking about it." Maddie's face lights up at this news.

Smiling back at her daughter, Rayna begins to make her way out of the room, "Tomorrow is going to be a big day…good night"

"Mom…."

"Ye."

"You still love him…don't you?"

"I'll always love deacon…ye"

"No like you.. L-O-V-E… him…don't you?"

"Sweetheart…I know you want us to be together."

"So bad" Maddie whispers.

Looking at her daughter's sad face, Rayna wants to be honest with her. But her and Deacon's relationship was complicated and woven with so much history that Rayna often couldn't make sense of it." I just…I'm…not…sure what that looks like just yet. But I think for the two of us to be together again we both have to be ready… really ready."

"When do you think that will be?"

"I don't know." Rayna gives Maddie a small smile of encouragement as she heads out of the room "Love you"

"Love you." Maddie automatically responses back to her mom, her mind working through everything she has learnt from her parents in the last couple of days. With a hopeful smile on her face, Maddie turns off her bedside light off feeling better about the prospects of her parents being together in a long time.

Outwardly no one would be able to tell that either Daphne or Maddie were nervous or excited. More reserved than both Daphne and Rayna, Maddie was use to keeping her emotions close. Daphne was normally a ball of energy, but the enormity of tonight had hit her when they arrived. Excitement was written all over her face but butterflies of nervousness had brought down her level of energy. She was grateful that she would be performing with her sister. Her mom led them both to their dressing room, entering into that room both her and Maddie allowed the excitement to wash over them.

"Someone here need a guitar player?"

Squealing in excitement Daphne rushes towards the voice "DEACON "

"Dad, I'm so glad you came," Maddie smiles as she walks towards her father.

"Wouldn't have missed it for the world" hugging both girls tightly, he locks eyes with Rayna and exchanges a hopeful smile.

Rayna walks out to a cheering crowd to introduce her girls to the Opry family. Overcome with emotion while talking about her girls, being able to also introduce Deacon alongside with them makes her heart swell with emotion. All her loves, on stage together, she couldn't be prouder of any of them. Hugging her daughters and whispering a final wish of luck, Rayna didn't see Deacon sneak past her to take his spot on the stage.

Standing off stage, Rayna was amazed at how both Daphne and Maddie seemed to not be nervous at all. Seeing them up there on the stage, the realisation that her babies were growing up hit her. Casting her eyes over to Deacon she could see the look of pride on his face as well. He has loved her girls all their lives, and since finding out about Maddie he has loved them both equally as his daughters.

The rousing applause that they had received after their performance was still ringing in their ears as Daphne and Maddie rush off stage into the open arms of their proud mother. Deacon's smile couldn't be wider as he watches the loving embrace between all his girls. Tearing his eyes away from them, he makes his way over to some old friends hoping to distract himself enough to be strong enough to withstand the pull of Rayna.

Realising that Rayna was about to go on stage, quickly looking around and not seeing her Deacon slowly makes his way to the stage edge. Seeing Vince Gill head out on stage, Deacon leans against the stage equipment to listen. Vince was always so encouraging to both Rayna and Deacon early on in their careers, always quick to praise and to offer constructive criticism. Deacon felt a familiar tingle run up the back of his spine, without turning around he could tell that Rayna was standing next to him.

Rayna could feel the warmth radiating off Deacon and she could smell the sweet musky scent of him. Keeping her eyes on the stage where Vince was singing her praises, Rayna reaches out her fingers and slides her small hand into the larger one next to her. Feeling the callused familiarity encase her hand, Rayna raises her eyes to Deacon's. Allowing their eyes to say everything they want to say but are afraid to, they continue to stare at each other, totally unaware that at that exact moment their daughter is looking at them with a big smile over her face.

"Come sing with me" Rayna whispers loud enough for only Deacon to hear, before she heads out onto stage. Deacon looks at her as she walks out, a combination of love and fear covering his face.

"Oh my goodness, y'all! Vince, thank you so much for being here tonight. You are an amazing friend and it just means the world to me and I appreciate you so much. And it was just….beyond moving to see my girls up here tonight for the first time and accompanied by Deacon Claybourne. Can we give Deacon a big hand, please. I mean he's been with me from the very beginning, in one way or another…"a cheer from the crowd interrupts Rayna, as she smiles back at them. Smiling to himself at Rayna's words, Deacon glances backwards and nods knowingly to the stage manager.

"I'm so grateful to him too, and he's been such an important part of my life…" the frenzy of noise that the crowd makes prevents Rayna from continuing, realising that it wasn't her speech causing their reaction Rayna turns to see Deacon striding purposely towards her. Not breaking eye contact, they wrap their arms around each other, both sighing at the realisation that they have found their way back to each other. Cocooned within their embrace not willing to let go, the audience is forgotten as they take comfort in each other.

Maddie and Daphne hugged each other in unbridled happiness as they watch the uncensored emotional reunion on stage. Rayna and Deacon slowly untangle their arms and quickly adopt their professional personas.

Without any fanfare they launch into 'The Rivers between us'. They had first sung it at Rayna's induction to the Opry. Just like 'No one will ever love you', it was a dangerous song for them to sing. Both of those songs featured on the 'banned song list' that existed between them. The songs brought to the surface emotions that could never be controlled. The resulting argument Rayna had with Teddy as the result of that performance, was one of the worse they had ever had. In hindsight, Rayna realises it was that performance which finally made Teddy realise that she was still in love with Deacon and would always be.

Looking into each others eyes, they feel the sweet embrace from the melody wash over them as the lyrics caress them with its honesty. Drinking in the love shining in each others eyes, the audience fades away till it is just them singing to each other. The pain that they had inflicted on each other melting away until all that is left is pure love. As Deacon strikes the final cord, the protective bubble that they had stepped into bursts and the overwhelming noise coming from the audience comes rushing at them.

Blinking away the last traces of emotion they turn and smile at the audience. Not ready to disconnect from each other yet, they wrap their arms around each other again. They can feel each others heart beating frantically as they tighten their arms overwhelmed with emotion. Smiling Rayna turns back to the audience, overwhelmed Deacon uses this opportunity to leave the stage. Sensing the loss of her soul mate, Rayna watches as he leaves her alone on stage, with a voice croaking with emotion "Deacon Claybourne."

The rest of the night passes in a blur for Rayna and the girls. Looking around at the after party, Rayna searches for Deacon. She needed to talk to him. She can still feel his arms around her, both of them shaking with the enormous emotional wave that crashed over them. Finally finding Maddie, Rayna asks her daughter if she had seen her dad. Shaking her head, Maddie notices the hurt look over her mom's face. She quickly gathers her stuff up and gets Daphne, she can tell that her mom needed to get out of here and find Deacon.

On the drive home, Maddie stole a quick glace at her mom. Even thought she was trying to put on a happy face, Maddie could see the immense sadness that had settled on her. The excitement of the evening had tired Daphne out and she headed up to bed straight away. Even though Maddie was exhausted, she wanted to make sure her mom was ok. Finding her mom starring at the photo of all four of them, her eyes glistening with tears, Maddie sides up next to her and hugs her.

"He probably had a good reason to leave like that."

Laughing through her tears, Rayna brushes Maddie's hair back off her face and kisses her forehead. "Oh sweet girl…Thank you. It's late, you should go to bed." Seeing Maddie's concerned look, "I'll be ok. This is just what it's like between us…I love you"

"I love you too mom and I'm so proud of you" Maddie gives her mom one last tight hug before heading off to bed.

Rayna's fury had abated somewhat on the drive up to the cabin, though that was more do to with the distance rather than forgiveness. Sitting in her car she took a couple of calming breaths before she got out and headed up to confront Deacon.

*** All rights to the songs mentioned belong to the wonderfully talented writers and ABC