Hello everyone! I saw how empty the Nashville category was and decided to help filling it. So here comes one story which I hope will have many chapters, but it mainly depends on how you react to it, so don't hesitate to comment. For now I'm thinking of ultimately bringing Deacon and Rayna closer because let's face it: they are one damn good otp, but I'm open to any suggestions you may have.

Rayna was helping her older daughter, Maddie, with her homework when the door bell rang. She looked at her daughter with a contrite face, sorry that every time she would try to help her there would be something coming in the way. But Maddie wasn't really holding her mother responsible for it, perfectly capable of doing her homework by herself. She was just trying to spend some quality time with her when possible. If it wasn't possible, so be it.

Her mother let go of a sigh before going to answer the door. When she opened it though, she regretted not having pretended not to be there. Standing in front of her was that paternal figure she had always hated. Lamar would always be so manipulative and she couldn't stand it. Not once had he played the role of the loving and supporting father. And there was no reason for this time to be any different.

She sighed angrily and tried to close the door on him but he had the reflexe to put his foot in, and she couldn't resist long to the force he was applying on the door. She had no choice but to let him in. So he did, and not without a smug grin on his face.

"Come on, Rayna. That's no way to welcome your father."

She didn't even try to respond to that, knowing really well that nothing wise would come out of her mouth. She just snorted and it didn't go unnoticed. He pretended to be hurt by her reaction but she could see behind the mask. If he really cared about what she was thinking of him, he would act in a more considerate way towards her. He had given up on her a long time ago and she was well aware of that.

Rayna could see that this wasn't going to be a pleasant visit, after all his never were, so she decided to shorten it as much as possible.

"What are you doing here? What do you want from me?"
"Can't a loving father give his lovely daughter a surprised visit without any ulterior motives?"
"That would almost have worked... except that I know you, dad. You always have ulterior motives. Just cut to the chase and tell me what they are. That way we can both go back to things that we actually like, like helping my daughter with her homework for me, and planning how you are going to rule Nashville for you."
"I didn't know you were that cynical, but well... If that's what you want, I'll cut to the chase. I want you to drop that idea of a private tour with Deacon."

Raina's jaw dropped and her eyes widened. Her father really was unbelievable. He had always tried to control her life but lately it had reached a whole new level. He was really looking to put an end to her career and it was beginning to irritate her even more than it already had in the past.

"And who do you think you are to ask me that? I do whatever I want with my career. If I want to go on that tour, I'll go. You don't have any say in the matter."
"Actually I do. I'm going to help your husband win that election and for that I need you not to go on the road, and especially not with that man."
"Well, I'm a grown-up and I think that this is something I should discuss with Teddy and not with you. You'd better go."
"Oh, I won't go. Because Teddy doesn't know half the things I know and you'd be able to get away with it. But what if, for example, he knew who the real father of Maddie is? Do you think-"

But he didn't get the chance to finish his sentence as his daughter's hand ended up on his cheek with a surprising force. He hadn't seen that slap coming and he hadn't anticipated the violent push with which she threw him out either. He ended up on the porch, in front of a locked door with nothing better to do than to head back to his office. It might not have been pretty but at least he knew he had been heard.

On the other side of the door, Rayna was far less satisfied with what had just happened than her father. He had been bringing up the paternity of Maddie quite a lot lately and it was beginning to scare her. This was a secret she didn't want anyone to stir. But she couldn't see him divulging it though. It was not in his best interest and Lamar wasn't doing anything unless it was in his best interest. If he was to tell Teddy, they wouldn't be able to hold the image of a perfect couple in front of the electors anymore and this election would be a total failure. So logically there was no reason to worry.

But still, this visit had gone even worse that she had expected it to go and she could find nothing better to do than just slide against the door and bury her head in her knees. Tears were starting to form a continuous flow on her cheeks when she heard the small shivering voice of her daughter.

"Mom?"

Rayna raised her eyes in horror. She could see to the wet eyes of her daughter that she had heard everything her grandfather had said, or at least the end of it. The part that Rayna would never have wanted her daughter to find out. And now she was in the impossible situation she had never wanted to think about and she had nothing to say.

"Mom? Is it true?"

The tears on the country singer's cheeks were now big rivers she couldn't get rid of, no matter how hard she tried for her daughter. She shouldn't have been crying. She should have been strong and able to talk to her daughter. She should have acted as an adult and not as a little girl trapped in her own lies.

"Mom? Who is my father?"

The shaky voice and the eyes full of tears of Maddie finally set off something in Rayna, who stood up and wiped away her tears. She wrapped her arms around her daughter and held on tightly. "You shouldn't listen to what your papa is saying. You know he is always saying lots of mean things."

Maddie quickly pulled away from the embrace, so as to face her mother. "But it doesn't mean that it isn't true and after the way you reacted you can't say that it isn't. Mum, who is my father?"

"Your father is the man that raised you, and he always will be."
"But what about my biological father?"
"There are things about the past that shouldn't be stirred."
"Does he even know that I'm his daughter?"

Rayna slowly shook her head. She had always felt a little guilty about not telling him she was having his daughter. She had been afraid of what would happen if she had and she had chosen the easiest way. Or at least what appeared to be the easiest way at the time.

"It's uncle Deacon, isn't it?"

The tears threatened to come back and that's all it took for Maddie to get her answer. She couldn't face it just yet though, so she ran to her room and slammed the door behind her, before burying herself under the blankets, hoping that this whole day was just a nightmare that was going to come to an end. When she would come out from under the blankets everything would be back in order and she would be the daughter of the man she had always thought was her father.

So, what did you think? I know there is still no Deacon in it but I felt that I needed to do this before introducing him.