...and here's the end. Again, this was based on very loose spoilers. Thanks to everyone for reading. Hope you enjoyed. :)
Rayna picked anxiously at her fingernails, fighting the urge to open the truck door and just start running down the interstate.
"Is this the fastest you can go?"
"I'm doin' 85, Ray."
She let out a heavy breath, resisting her instinct to chew through the seatbelt with her teeth if that's what it took to get out of his vehicle and be where she needed to be.
She'd been ill at her stomach for the last thirty minutes.
This twist of fate was divine, she knew. It was also sickening the way every twisted puzzle piece came together, as Maddie had all but confirmed within 30 seconds on the phone that she had been to places she wasn't supposed to go to with people she wasn't supposed to be with.
She'd felt uncomfortable in the car and a fight ensued, resulting in her walking several miles to a Franklin IHOP. In her buzzed anger, she'd left her purse in the car.
Rayna had fallen to her knees sobbing at the realization Deacon was speaking to their daughter. She'd then grabbed the phone from him, simply telling Maddie over and over again that they loved her and they were on their way to where ever she was.
Rayna now choked on the guilt rising in her throat, recalling vividly the moment she had to flag down the doctor and tell him there'd been a mistake; the moment she had to confront who may actually be laying in that bed.
She swallowed.
"What are we gonna tell her?"
He shook his head confidently.
"I just wanna hold her, Ray. The rest of it can go to hell."
Deacon plowed into the parking lot at an absurd rate of speed, much to the dismay of some late night diners. A couple scoffed, a couple more yelled at him to slow down, and he could not have given less of a shit.
He parked his truck and jumped out, running into the IHOP with no reason other than his life actually depended on it.
Rayna matched him step for step.
They both glanced around frantically, Deacon's frustration mounting at his inability to spot his daughter in the small restaurant.
I know she's here… she called from here.
He ran his hand over hair as he gave one more look around the place, exasperated.
"Deacon—" Rayna grabbed his shoulder and pointed to a small, hidden booth back by the bathroom. She took off running while he let out a shaky breath of relief and placed a hand on the wall for a second to steady himself.
If it were to be time stamped, 12:07 AM on a frigid January Sunday morning would be the single best moment of Deacon Claybourne's life. It was then he realized that his daughter was the most beautiful sight to ever grace his planet; that his entire existence was wrapped up in her; that she was his purpose.
He'd said to Rayna not so many moons ago that every moment they'd shared had been leading them here, and he'd questioned that when she went down the other path. He couldn't question it any longer—whatever he and Rayna's futures held together, he'd been right all along: they had a point, and it was Maddie. She was beautiful and intelligent and so talented and they'd been brought together, for better or for worse, to create her.
He followed Rayna's lead and quickly approached Maddie's booth, not caring for the moment about her heavy makeup or short skirt or tired eyes. It didn't matter right then—all that mattered was he thought she'd been ripped from him and so easily, almost too easily, she'd been handed back.
He pulled her close, giving a silent thank you for his answered prayer while Rayna quite literally smothered her with kisses.
"God," Maddie squirmed away, rolling her eyes. "What is wrong with you two? You're embarrassing me."
Deacon chuckled awkwardly, taking notice of the coffee and toast on her table. Quite suddenly, he was awash with the reality of the situation and his grin faded.
"Ray, you wanna get her outside? I'll take care of this."
Rayna nodded solemnly, looking over Maddie once more and asking for the 50th time if she was okay.
Maddie rolled her eyes again, assuring her mother she was fine as she was led out of the establishment.
"Why do you keep asking me that?"
Rayna held onto Maddie's arm for dear life; afraid to let her go.
"You know I love you more than anything, right Maddie? That'll never change. I don't care what kind of trouble you get into, where you go, what you do… I'm always here for you, okay?"
Maddie squirmed uncomfortably, still unable to grasp the weight around her.
"Yeah, I know. I love you too."
Rayna glanced at Deacon as he approached, unlocking the truck so they could all slide into their respective seats.
Maddie scoffed upon the realization that Rayna was climbing into the backseat with her as opposed to the front.
"Mom, seriously!"
Rayna sighed, looking to Deacon for support. He adjusted the heat before turning to face them, giving Rayna an encouraging nod.
"Sweetheart, I need you to listen to me—"
"Mom, can this please wait 'til tomorrow? I really just wanna go home."
Rayna shook her head.
"No, honey. I'm sorry. I need to tell you what happened tonight."
Maddie backed off, raising an eyebrow.
"Um, there was an accident. Right in Arrington… Ryan Frizzell's Audi. Do you know him?"
Maddie nodded.
"He's friends with a couple of girls I know. I left my purse in his car. Is that how you got my phone?"
Rayna nodded slowly.
"Yeah. Sort of. Sweetie, it was a really bad accident. Since your stuff was in the car they thought it was you, so they called me…"
Maddie blinked hard, focusing her gaze on her mother.
"Is he okay?"
Rayna shook her head, placing a hand on Maddie's knee. She gave Deacon another glance.
"No, baby. They took him to Vanderbilt but he didn't make it. There was someone else in the car, they thought it was you—"
"TALIA?!"
Maddie shrieked; her eyes begging Rayna's to deny what she knew.
Rayna's eyes welled as she looked to Deacon for answer.
"Yeah, sweetie." He choked. "It was Talia."
Rayna shut the door behind her after letting Teddy out.
His plane had landed right about the time they got Maddie home, which allotted him a few minutes with her before she cried herself out and fell asleep. He'd then finished a glass of bourbon while Rayna and Deacon filled him in and they discussed the next course of action.
There would be consequences, of course, but the main concern was getting her through her best friend's injuries.
Talia had suffered extensive head and facial trauma in the crash and even had to have a portion of her skull removed to allow for brain swelling. They'd determined this was a large reason why the state troopers and doctors had failed to make the connection in regards to proper identity, relying instead on Rayna to make the identification upon realization that Maddie was in fact unharmed.
As it stood, Talia's recovery (assuming there would even be one) remained to be seen. Maddie was begging to see her, but the three of them had agreed it may be beneficial to hold off until some of Talia's physical wounds had healed.
Rayna sighed, locking the deadbolt and chain lock out of habit.
She turned around, somewhat startled to still see Deacon sitting in her den.
"What? You scared of me now?"
She grinned and walked to the chair opposite him, rubbing her face.
"No, it's just been a long day. Kinda forgot you were here, if I'm being honest."
He chuckled and took a sip of his water.
"We were just talking like 30 seconds ago."
She nodded, grinning shyly.
"You know," she began. "I never thought I'd see the day when you, me, and Teddy could all sit down, share a beverage, and talk rationally about the girls, or anything. I swear this whole day has been from the twilight zone."
Deacon sighed.
"Yeah, well. The three of us talking ain't the worst that could happen."
Rayna shook her head, picking at her fingernails.
"No. I'd better—"
"I'm sorry, Rayna."
She glanced up, confused.
"For what?"
He brought his eyes to hers, the weight of the plastic water bottle crinkling beneath his nervous grip.
"All of it. Everything. 20 years ago, one year ago, five months ago, today… why are we still doing this?"
She swallowed the chunks in her throat and innocently looked down at the hardwood floor as if she were inspecting a single spot that needed the utmost attention when the cleaners came next.
"Doing what?"
"God," he stood, walking towards her with a healthy, albeit confusing, cocktail of confidence and apprehension. "I told you before that I think every good time and bad time and time in between for us has been for a reason, but you walked away. Then you came back and said the same thing and I shut the door in your face."
Rayna avoided his gaze, trembling beneath the inertia.
"You did."
He knelt to her level in the chair, tenderly placing a hand on her cheek.
"I call a truce. Both of us stop running."
"Deacon—"
"Rayna, listen to me. I thought our daughter was gone today. We both did. We didn't know which way was up and at the end of it when we found her… all I could think about was Talia's parents having to get that message and know that there is no second chance coming—she's not gonna call them from an IHOP."
Rayna blinked away tears, still careful to avoid his gaze.
"This is still how it's supposed to be. You and me. The girls. You're all I want. I never should have shut that door. I saw that today."
Allowing the tears to finally spill, Rayna wrapped her arms around his back, pressing every bit of herself into his strong physique and clutching for dear life.
She'd envisioned this moment; wanted it. She'd cherished it on the rare occasion it would visit her in a dream. She never wanted it to manifest like this, but at the end of the day their family was all that mattered.
How it was built couldn't be up to them.