And so the anguish continues...

"What's going on?"

Rayna turned around at the sound of his voice. Her face wet with tears, her eyes full of pain as she hoarsely whispered,

"Why did you get sick?"

Her words stabbed at his heart as he walked slowly over to the record player. Stalling for time, he gently lifted the needle, silence enveloping the room. Rayna's harsh breathing as she struggles to control her tears, shattered his composure.

"Baby, you said it yourself, we just got to stay positive." His voice wavers as he tries to remain strong for Rayna. Reaching out, he wraps her into his arms as her breath comes out in sobs.

"I'm trying to stay positive and I'm failing."

She buries herself deeper into his arms. Wanting to disappear into him and to forget everything. Deacon cups the back of her head as her tears wet his shirt. Her anguish evident as she clings to him, her whole body shaking uncontrollably as she tightens her hold on him. He kisses the side of her forehead trying to comfort her. He feels sick to his stomach seeing her like this. If he could avoid causing her this pain he would. Pulling back slightly, he wipes her tears away and gently kisses her. His eyes reflect his sorrow at causing her such anguish.

Looking into his blue eyes, deep with apologies, Rayna started silently crying again as she confessed,

"I didn't go to New York."

"Where did you go?"

"Natchez"

"Oh Ray."

Rayna crumpled to the ground in defeat as she confessed to him the details of her trip. Considering the relationship between Beverley and herself, she knew it was an outside chance that she could convince her to change her mind, but she had to try. Rayna could barely get the words out as she told him about the torn cheque. They both knew what that meant, but they avoided saying it out loud.

"I keep trying to fix it. I keep trying to fix all those years, you know. Cause when l look in my future you have always been in it. I don't know what l will do without you."Her voice was thick with emotion, her blue eyes reflecting her grief as her fists twisted in his shirt.

Deacon felt the bottom of his world give way as her words struck him. A freefalling hollowness filled him as the truth of reality wove its way around his heart. He was going to die and there was nothing he could do about it. His eyes were wide in fear as he realised that even worse than dying was the fact that he was the one bringing so much pain to Rayna. That thought, more than anything else hurt more. He would do anything to prevent that. Rayna loosened her grip on him as she pulled back to look at his face. Her fingers worried at his frown as they soothed his anguish away. Their eyes sought each other out as they both realised their worst nightmare was becoming a reality. That death was finally going to do what nothing had been able to do previously, separate them.

He could feel painful tears welling in his eyes. He didn't want to die. He had finally got what he had wished for and now it was being slowly snatched back. A sorrowful sob, deep from within, escaped as he finally registered the truth. Loud sobs of anguish escaped them both as they sought to comfort each other. Their hearts laid shattered next to each other as they felt the despair of reality weave its cold tentacles around them.

Rayna walked back into the music room after assuring the girls that everything was okay back at home. They had rung shortly after the news of Deacon's cancer had hit the headlines. They had wanted to come back home, but she assured them that everything was fine here and they should continue to have a fun time with their Dad. She found Deacon in the same spot she had left him, staring at the photos on the wall.

"Hey"

"Hey"

"Hey, don't you have a show to do?"

"I called it off"

"Why?"

His eyes glanced at hers, taking in the look of concern on her face.

"Before all this got out, I was kinda actually pretty excited, you know to think about something other than being sick. Now that everybody knows, their talking like I'm already a ghost." His voice was thick with emotion.

"You're not a ghost." Rayna whispered as she laced her fingers with he's.

"Feel like one." Deacon sighed deeply. They had both been through so much emotionally today that he wasn't sure if either of them could face another truth.

"Oh baby, I want to believe so badly there will be a Hail Mary pass… but l don't"

Leaning her head on his shoulder, Rayna whispers her confession to him.

"I don't either. But you are still here… with me."

She kissed him gently, reconfirming her commitment to him. She was going to be by his side for however long they had. He had rescued her from the depth of her despair earlier and now she was returning the favour. Together they were stronger and together they would fight the cancer with everything they had.

They didn't have time to call Scarlett and let her know that they were coming. With the news about Deacon's cancer out in the open, they had just wanted to be surrounded by their musical family as they dealt with the emotions of the day. They were both still feeling raw as they walked through the door. They had tried to sneak into the Bluebird without being spotted, not wanting to draw unwanted attention to themselves. Rayna squeezed his hand as Scarlett spotted them entering and announced them to the crowd. She clung to his hand as he wove them through the tables up onto the stage. She could hear everyone's well wishes as they passed by them, but she didn't trust herself to make eye contact. She was still teetering on the edge, one well-meaning sympathetic comment was liable to push her careening back into the emotional abyss Deacon had dragged her out of.

After making sure she was settled, Deacon grabbed his guitar before turning his attention to the small crowd in the Bluebird café. Rayna's whole body shook with love as the waves of affection radiating off the crowd and embraced her and Deacon. She knew Deacon felt it as well, when he gripped her hand tightly as he struggled to reign in his emotions.

"Thank you. As you know ya'll like extended family and music, safe to say has been there for us all, through some tough times. This is a song that we wrote… it's our truth."

"You haunt me when I fall asleep

You are in every breath I breathe

I still hear your footsteps down the hall"

"And I keep trying to pretend this ache for you is gonna end

But I know better than that now"

So baby please

Tell me

Why don't we

Take this time we wasted

And don't hold back let's face it

I need you

And baby you need me

We're all we've been missing

If we could just stop resisting

And give in to what's supposed to be"

Their eyes sought each other out, as the audience and the events of the day faded into the background. Deacon was right when he said that the song spoke of their truth. It was a vow between them that they were no longer going to deny themselves. They were committed to each other, in sickness and in health until death parted them. Rayna swallowed a sob that was threatening to engulf her. She was determined to embrace every moment she had left with Deacon, regardless of whether it was good or bad. Her eyes traced over his face, capturing the look of him performing. She didn't think it was possible to love him any deeper but in this moment her heart swelled until she was sure it would burst with love. They were saving each other and together they were drifting towards the inevitable conclusion, but she knew that they would survive because they had each other to lean on.

The audience were mesmerized by the performance on stage. Silent tears escaped many as the words threaded themselves with the emotions radiating off the performing couple. No one was left untouched as they witnessed Rayna and Deacon declaring their love for each other. The news of Deacon's cancer made their declaration even more poignant.

Performing together, after news had leaked not only of their relationship but of Deacon's fight with cancer, had allowed them to heal some of their pain. The overwhelming love that their musical family had shown them after the show, made them realise that they weren't alone in their fight. It was a relief in a way, to not have to hide the truth from anyone anymore. Riding high on the euphoria of performing together, they joked about writing an album together. A blanket of optimistic denial wrapped around them both. They knew within themselves the truth, but until that dark realty was upon them they were both going to continue to pretend that there was a glimmer of hope.

Leaning into each other, they sealed their unspoken vow with a kiss. They both deepened the kiss oblivious to their surroundings. A gust of cold air alerted Deacon to the fact that someone had just entered the café. Looking up he was startled to see his sister standing in front of them. Rayna was the first one to break the silence.

"Beverley" her voice betraying a possibility that the appearance of Beverley might represent.

"What are you doing here?" Deacon took a step towards his sister, still not believing that she was standing there.

"I wanna do it, I wanna help you live." Beverley stated, a stunned look on her face almost like she couldn't believe she was here either.

Deacon hugged his sister to him. His whole body shook as he thanked her over and over again. Tears bristling his eyes as he envisioned a future for him and Rayna.

Rayna stood back and watched as Deacon and his sister reunited. Her breath caught in her throat at the look Beverley gave her. Biting down on her lip, she vowed to herself to do whatever Beverley wanted if it meant that her and Deacon would be able to grown old together.

Once again thank you for the songwriters for 'Surrender'. Next chapter will hopefully be the last one that deals with Season 3, and hopefully it will be a bit more cheerful than these last couple! I plan to start a new story that helps me deal with the angst of Season 4, so hopefully you will all stick around for that. I'm sure the writers will give us plenty to deal with.