A/N: AND FINALLY, the last installment of "Five Times Deacon Became A Dad."

An extra special thanks to KarenES for the beta read and the encouragement to finish this one off! Enjoy! :)

5.

Fifth Time- Surprises and Sisters

They finally have the chance to do that small tour they briefly planned on ages ago: A limited string of shows in packed, intimate, dimly lit venues.

Critics rave that Rayna Jaymes and Deacon Claybourne have never sounded better. They call the sold-out tour "pure, raw brilliance" and repeatedly point out how rare it is in this day in age to see performers who are willing to forgo backup singers, costume changes, flashy sets with special effects and instead just focus on the bottom line: The music.

The crowds, night after night, are treated to a mix of stripped-down, acoustic versions of the big hits and love songs resurrected from Rayna and Deacon's long history together - somehow still performed like they were written yesterday and not almost two decades ago. There's an established setlist of course - but when a fan yells out the name of an old favorite, Rayna and Deacon lock eyes and chuckle - often unable to resist the temptation to oblige an impromptu request or two.

Touring together is just like the old days in a lot of ways, only better. Guitars are played, harmonies are sung and nights are spent tangled up in the sheets of the master suite in the back of their tour bus. But now, there's the added bonus of video chats with Maddie in their dressing room before the show, eager to play them a new song she learned. Instead of shots of bourbon or going up to the cheap seats as a pre-show ritual, they create a new one: sitting cross-legged on the dark, empty stage and writing together, just Deacon's guitar, two coffees and pens in hand.

It's hard to believe all that's changed since they first entertained the idea of getting back out on the road, just the two of them. At that point, the thirteen-years worth of unresolved feelings between them that had been left to simmer on a low heat had finally reached its boiling point and it didn't seem like things could possibly get more complicated. Needless to say, what they thought was high drama at that time in their lives now seemed almost laughable in comparison to what they were fated to muddle their way through.

But they had done it- and now, every night, before they drifted off to sleep, wherever they were, Rayna snuggled in closer to the man lying next to her and sent a silent prayer of thanks up to God - thanks that seemingly against all odds, they could finally breathe a sigh of relief. All the barriers, all the secrets were out in the open, and finally, they could just be.

Of course, those were famous last words - or thoughts in this case, because it wasn't long before a little surprise decided to throw a wrench in those best laid plans.

{***}

Deacon sat and watched Rayna restlessly pace the floor of their hotel room in downtown Los Angeles. They had come straight back there from their post-show meet-and-greet, completely skipping out on the after-party that was currently talking place back at the venue.

Rayna, still wearing the black knee-high cowboy boots and lacy red dress she had performed in, suddenly stopped her frantic lap around the perimeter of the room to fiddle with an enormous flower arrangement perched on a table in the sitting area of the expansive suite. She looked up at the fancy antique clock on the wall and sighed impatiently.

"Three more minutes," she muttered. "God, you'd think with all the advances in technology, home pregnancy tests would have faster results these days."

When she had leaned over in the car on the way to rehearsal that evening and whispered to Deacon that her period was over a week late, he'd raised his eyebrows, but quickly reassured her that it was probably just the lack of sufficient sleep and stress of being on the road.

"I don't know Deacon," she had responded quietly, letting out a shaky breath and looking out the window as their car sped along the freeway, her eyes full of worry. She'd been pregnant twice before and she knew her body well enough to recognize that something wasn't right, whether it was because of a baby or something else.

When it came to her cycle, she was usually like clockwork, though dealing with a hectic tour schedule had been known to throw her off occasionally in the past. Normally she would have dismissed it as such, but she had recently switched birth control pills and there was a slight gap in between when she went off one and on the other. The chance she could get pregnant was extremely slim, especially at her age - the doctor had told her. But she dispensed the warning to be careful just in case - a warning that Rayna had stupidly ignored - several times- over the last few weeks in the heat of the moment.

Now, she cursed herself for even taking the chance - and then Deacon - who apparently had a knack for knocking her up at the most inopportune times.

Deacon absentmindedly plucked the strings of the Gibson resting in his lap. He followed Rayna with his eyes as she moved from rearranging the flowers to unfolding and refolding stray clothing strewn throughout the room.

"Ray you're making me dizzy. Just try to relax."

"Easy for a man to say," Rayna shot back, agitated.

Deacon knew attempting to calm Rayna's nerves was probably a lost cause, but he put the guitar down and held his arms out to her.

"C'mere baby. You're all worked up."

Rayna's face softened. She walked over the couch and grabbed Deacon's outstretched hands in hers, wedging herself between his knees. She stood there for a moment saying nothing, just looking down at him, her eyes filling with tears.

"Deacon - what if it's..."

"Darlin' if it is...then it is..." he said gently, trying to sound more confident than he felt.

"But we just started this tour, the girls are finally happy and secure after all they've been through. We're in an uncomplicated, steady place. I should have known it wouldn't last."

"Hey hey...darlin," he soothed, reaching up to tuck a piece of hair that had fallen into her face behind her ear. "Don't be jumpin' to conclusions just yet, okay?"

She looked at Deacon and shook her head in disbelief. "I can't help it. I mean, another baby? At our age?"

"You callin' me old?" he teased, nudging her knee, in an attempt to distract her from the uncertainty of the next few minutes.

A small laugh escaped Rayna's throat in spite of the overwhelming anxiety coursing its way through her body and she tightened her grip on Deacon's hand, grateful for the comfort of it; of him.

"Yup," she retorted, her mouth curling slightly. "You'll always be older than me. By a few years anyway."

He chuckled and tugged her down on to his lap. She straddled him, relaxing into his embrace, her nose pressed into his neck, sighing as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Babe..." Rayna whispered breathlessly as he leaned in and began to trail soft kisses up her neck, "this is how we got into this mess in the first place."

"I'm just trying to distract you," he murmured into her hair, continuing to press his lips against her skin in that painfully slow way of his that drove her crazy.

Rayna moaned and closed her eyes, leaning into the warmth of his body for a few seconds before the knot in the pit of her stomach began to vie for her attention once again. She pulled away from him, distracted, and looked up at the clock. "I think it's been five minutes. Can you go in there and look? I don't think I can do it."

Deacon nodded, gently moving Rayna aside so he could get up from the couch. "It'll be fine," he said, turning around to look at her reassuringly before he disappeared into the bathroom.

Deacon had been so busy trying to keep Rayna calm that it was only now that he noticed his own hands were shaking.

Up until this moment, he hadn't even considered what a positive result would mean for him: Being a daddy, from the beginning this time. The very thought of that scared the hell out of him but he quickly reminded himself to take one step at time.

With a deep breath, he plucked the plastic stick from the bathroom sink and brought it to eye level so he could read what was printed in the tiny window.

And there it was. Clear as day.

Pregnant.

He must have been standing there for about thirty seconds in complete shock before Rayna's voice calling to him from the other room snapped him back to reality.

When Deacon emerged, the stick limply dangling from his hand, stunned look on his face, he didn't even need to say a word.

{***}

Deacon Claybourne didn't know the first thing about babies.

He could lead a ten-piece band effortlessly, play any instrument with strings, change a flat tire in record time and expertly hunt deer with the best of em', but somehow, the thought of holding a newborn sent a paralyzing wave of fear through his veins.

Being around kids - even toddlers- had never been a problem for him. He had happily played the role of "Uncle Deacon" to the gaggle of kids that belonged to friends and fellow band members. He snuck them cookies off the catering table, read bedtime stories on tour buses and kept an eye on them when their parents were otherwise engaged. Babies, however, made him incredibly nervous. He was surrounded by plenty of them over the years, Maddie and Daphne included, but whenever they were present, he always tended to hang back and watch from afar.

When he had showed up to meet a four-day-old Scarlett over twenty-one years ago, his completely exhausted sister had - without warning - dumped the sleeping infant in his arms so she could take a shower. Before Deacon could protest, his sister was already gone and when he looked down at Scarlett, he was suddenly overwhelmed by how tiny and fragile she was. His heart thumped in his chest as she squirmed against his body, her tiny foot pushing up against his ribs through the blanket she was wrapped in. He stood completely still, worried any move would result in him dropping her and causing permanent damage.

That memory had resurfaced recently. He'd be holding his own newborn baby in a few short months, and the thought equally excited and terrified him.

Maybe it was the innocence and vulnerability in a baby that scared him so much - the fact that his own innocence and vulnerability as a child had been quickly blown to smithereens by an abusive father and the mother who was too worn and too weak to ever really protect her own children. Perhaps it was why a large part of him was grateful that Maddie had been raised by someone a hell of a lot more stable than he ever was.

The pressure of being in charge of a human life was enormous to someone like him. As far as Deacon was concerned, it's the people that raise you who determine what kind of person you become. He had spent the majority of his life fighting a desperate fight against that very thing, and the possibility of screwing things up with his own child the way he had been screwed up was the most terrifying thing he could think of.

He'd voiced his fears at several AA meetings since he'd found out Rayna was pregnant, but never to her. The last thing he wanted was Rayna worrying about him going off the deep-end or losing confidence in his sobriety.

He had to be the supportive, steady man that she needed. The man that she deserved. The man he wished he had been fifteen years ago.

{***}

"What about this?" Rayna picked a tiny, light pink romper off the rack. She took it off the hanger and held it up against her belly.

They were at a fancy baby boutique in Green Hills because Rayna had suddenly decided that not a single one of the hundreds of outfits their unborn daughter already owned were worthy enough for her to wear home from the hospital. Deacon, who would have normally fought tooth-and-nail against an excursion of this sort, took one look at an extremely pregnant and miserable Rayna and quickly grabbed his car keys.

"Uh..." Deacon scratched his face and shifted his feet uncomfortably. "It's nice. Whatever you think Ray."

"Well, I'm just wondering if it's going to be warm enough. I mean, it is the summer, but they say you should always dress newborns with an additional layer." Rayna picked up a tiny white hat with a pink rosebud embroidered on it, examining it carefully."Maybe we should get this for her too."

Deacon nodded distractedly, taking in the sight of the tiny clothes, life-size stuffed animals, strollers and endless shelves of baby blankets surrounding them. He felt like the walls were closing in on him.

Rayna studied the uneasy expression on his face. "You okay babe? You look a little pale. And sweaty."

He ran a hand across his forehead wiping the beads of sweat that had pricked there. "I think it's just hot in here." Deacon looked toward the front of the shop. "You know... I just need to get some air. I'll be right back."

Concerned, Rayna watched him walk briskly to the door and push it open. For a minute she debated following him, but decided it was probably best to leave him alone for a few minutes. She finished her shopping and when she exited the store, she found Deacon sitting on a bench outside, chin in his hands.

Rayna dropped her bags on the ground and slowly eased herself down next to him.

"What was that all about?" she asked softly. "You hittin' your limit with all this shoppin' for little girl things?"

"No," he said quietly, his head pointed downward, a guilty look on his face. "I guess...I'm just a little overwhelmed. I'm sorry. I know I'm supposed to be supportin' you, not freakin' out like this. But…it's just..." he hesitated for a moment, his eyes drifting up to her swollen belly, "This baby is comin' soon and I'm just scared Ray."

"You're not the only one babe," Rayna admitted.

Deacon looked surprised. "You? That's crazy. You're an amazin' mama. Me on the other hand, I don't know a damn thing about takin' care of a baby. Hell, I'm still figurin' out how to be a father to a fifteen year old."

"Just because I've done it before doesn't make it any less scary, believe me. Sure, maybe you have a better idea of what to expect, but every child is different. I mean, for all I know, this one could be a complete terror."

Deacon smirked. "Probably will be. It's half mine, remember?"

They laughed.

"It's certainly not easy," Rayna said, a dreamy look taking over her face, "but it's the most wonderful thing in the world. And there's nobody else I'd rather experience it with."

She grabbed his hand and took it in hers. They sat there for a minute in silence, just gazing at each other. Suddenly, Rayna grimaced. She dropped her free hand down to her stomach and inhaled sharply.

"You okay Ray?" Deacon asked, his eyebrows rising in concern.

Rayna nodded, rubbing slow circles on her abdomen. "Yeah. Someone is running out of room in there so she's kicking the crap out of my internal organs as protest." She smiled at Deacon. "Personally I can't wait for her to be out here so you can carry her around for a change."

"It's the least I can do," he replied, scooting closer and planting a kiss softly on her cheek.

Rayna rested her head on his shoulder. "You're going to be an amazing daddy Deacon. You know how I know that?"

"How?"

"Because you already are."

{***}

It was 4:30 AM when Maddie's phone buzzed persistently, waking her.

Her eyes still half-closed, she felt around on her nightstand until she located her cell. She sat up in bed squinting at the soft glow of the screen as a text from Deacon popped up that said: Congrats big sis!

There were two pictures attached: One was of her mom, looking exhausted but beautiful, holding a tiny pink bundle in her arms. The second was a close-up of the newborn, peacefully sleeping. Maddie couldn't help but smile, thinking to herself that she and her baby sister definitely had the same nose. She adjusted her pillows and continued to stare at the image, until she dozed off, phone still clutched in her hand.

When, about six months ago, her mom and Deacon offered to take Maddie to lunch one Saturday just the three of them while Daphne was at a friend's house, she hadn't thought much of it.

They brought Maddie to her favorite Mexican restaurant, and when the waiter left to put in their orders, Rayna smiled brightly at Maddie and began to talk, drawing out her words in that nervous way of hers when she was unsure of the reaction they were going to get.

"So..uh...sweetheart.." she started, pausing to glance at Deacon knowingly.

"What is it mom?" Maddie took a sip of her root beer, eyes widened in anticipation.

Rayna cleared her throat and started again. "Well honey, we have some news and we wanted you to be the first to know." There was another long pause and then the words suddenly gushed out like a busted fire hydrant. "Deacon and I are having a baby."

After a short silence, Maddie raised her eyebrow. "Aren't you guys a little old for that?"

Rayna laughed nervously, caught off guard, as Deacon grabbed her hand and laced his fingers through hers.

"Don't be callin' your mama old," he said, mock-sternly.

Maddie pursed her lips. "Did you plan this?"

"Not exactly darlin'," Deacon told Maddie, "but some things are just meant to be. Like me finally gettin' to be part of your life as your dad. And me and your mama of course." He and Rayna smiled at each other.

While she was surprised at first, the prospect of a new sibling actually didn't bother Maddie at all. In fact, for the first few months after they told her about the baby, she was relatively unaffected, even excited about it, often joining in Daphne's exuberant joy at the upcoming addition to their family. But then, as the months passed and it became more real, there were moments when the jealousy ate away at her.

She knew it wasn't Deacon's fault, but she couldn't help but feel angry when she saw how he doted on her mom, the way they mooned over every new ultrasound picture or the huge smiles on their faces the day they came home and announced that the baby was a girl. One night, she was right outside their bedroom, about to walk in to say goodnight, when she heard the faint, but familiar sound of Deacon's voice. She stopped short when she saw him, laying stomach down on the bed, his head bowed, singing softly to Rayna's belly. Sometimes she couldn't help but think that this baby was their chance to have the happy family that they never got to have together - that they never got to have with her.

While Maddie had started to develop mixed feelings about the new member of their family, she couldn't help but anticipate the day she'd meet the little person who was created by the same people who made her, with equal parts uncertainty, anxiousness and excitement.

Even though she was only four-and-a-half when Daphne was born, the first time Maddie met her little sister was one of the most vivid memories of her childhood. She remembered walking through the hospital corridor holding her Aunt Tandy with one hand and clutching a soft pink bunny in the other – a gift for the new baby she had proudly picked out herself at the toy store that morning.

Rayna and Teddy had worried Maddie would suffer from the typical new sibling jealousy, but the minute she charged into the hospital room full of enthusiastic energy and demanded to, "Hold her baby," their concerns were quieted.

As it turned out, Maddie didn't resent no longer being the center of her parents' universe at all. Instead, she was completely fascinated by the new little member of her family. She blossomed in her role as big sister, always willing and eager to help, whether it was handing her parents clean diapers, retrieving pacifiers, or distracting Daphne with funny faces so Rayna could bathe her.

Now, ten and a half years later, as Maddie made that same walk down the hospital hallway she wondered what would happen when she saw her newest baby sister for the first time.

Would she love her instantly? Would she resent that this baby would have Deacon as her father from the very beginning?

When Maddie arrived at Rayna's hospital suite at the end of a long isolated hallway, she peered into the room and immediately spied Deacon sitting in the glider next to the bed, his cowboy boots up on the ottoman, reading a book. Right beside him was a little white bassinet - that contained, she assumed, her new little sister.

"Hey," she said quietly, awkwardly lingering in the doorway.

Deacon's eyes lit up at the sight of his oldest daughter. "Hey darlin'," he said, beckoning for her to come on inside. He put his book down on the chair and rose to his feet.

Maddie walked inside and shrugged off her backpack. Deacon wrapped his arms around her, bending down to kiss the top of her head.

"I thought your aunt and your sister were comin' too?

"Aunt Tandy is parking the car. Daphne had dance class after school, but she's getting dropped off in a little." Maddie looked around the room, suddenly noticing the empty hospital bed. "Where's mom?" she asked.

"Taking a shower. She's sure gonna be glad to see you. You wanna meet your little sister? C'mere."

Deacon led Maddie over to the bassinet and she peered into it curiously.

Maddie couldn't deny that she was looking at one of the most beautiful babies she had ever seen. She stood there completely fascinated by her baby sister's tiny features: the plump little cheeks, bow shaped lips and wisps of reddish blonde hair dusting the top of her head. She ran a finger slowly across the sleeping baby's velvety soft skin, toying with the fingers on her right hand.

"I can't believe how little she is," Maddie said breathlessly.

Deacon smiled. "You wanna hold her?"

Maddie nodded and turned to sit in a nearby chair.

Deacon looked toward the bathroom door where the shower was still running. "Your mama is gonna kill me if I wake her up, but I think I'm willing to get in a little trouble." He winked at Maddie as he gingerly lifted the baby out of the bassinet, trying not to rouse her. He adjusted the big green pacifier in her mouth. "She spent all night exercising those very healthy lungs of hers," he said, looking down at the baby, "didn't you?"

Deacon walked over, cradling the newborn close to his body. He bent down and carefully settled the bundle into Maddie's arms.

"Does she have a name yet?" Maddie asked, unable to take her eyes off the tiny being snuggled against her chest.

"Nope. You're holding little baby no-name there. By the time your mama and I finally agree on something, she'll probably be in first grade."

Maddie laughed, but her face quickly turned serious. "I'll bet you were glad that you were there when she was born," she said quietly.

Watching his daughter come into this world was one of the most amazing things he'd ever experienced, but a bittersweet moment, knowing that he had missed that opportunity with Maddie.

Up until now, he'd managed to keep his emotions in check for the most part, but he felt himself getting choked up hearing Maddie acknowledge what was one of the biggest regrets of his life.

Deacon swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to blink back the tears that suddenly sprang to his eyes. "I know I wasn't there when you were born, and I know I didn't get to be your daddy when you were young," he said, "but you know you'll always be my first baby, right?"

Maddie nodded, still completely spellbound by her little sister.

Deacon put his hand on Maddie's shoulder and squeezed it, looking down at his two girls.

In that moment, he realized he had never felt more like a dad.