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Forever Rising Phoenix	By : ImagineLayla131 Category: S through Z > The Walking Dead Views: 7147 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH THE WALKING DEAD FRANCHISE. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY FRANK DARABONT, AMC, ROBERT KIRKMAN AND TONY MOORE. NO MONEY/PROFIT IS BEING MADE OFF OF THIS FANFICTION!

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
Hello world and my wonderful readers!
I dedicate this chapter to Phillip Seymour Hoffman, whose death has affected me tremendously. Not only was he one of my idols, but he was also on my list of thespians I wanted to work with. Such a tragic loss of such an extraordinary talent. :(
Sorry if this chapter seems really long, there is a lot to delve into with the original characters and the other situations. Also, sorry if some of the already established characters seem OOC (Out of Character), like Tyresse, Bob, and Sasha. I'm not too familiar with them, but I tried my best. AGAIN, What would be the point of FanFiction if some of the characters always resembled how they were on the shows? If you don't like my story or have a problem with my writing style, then don't bother reading it.
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH THE WALKING DEAD FRANCHISE OR JELLY BELLY,. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY FRANK DARABONT AND AMC (TELEVISION SERIES), ROBERT KIRKMAN AND TONY MOORE (COMIC BOOK SERIES), DAVID KLEIN AND THE JELLY BELLY COMPANY, RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS.
Chapter Five: Mixed Company
Delilah's hands were still on his face, making his heart beat accelerate as he gazed into her eyes. She looked a little nervous, but also amorous, before leaning in and kissing him softly on the lips…
Rick didn't even flinch, it's as if he knew it was going to happen. His body felt frozen, like he was unable to stop this young girl, but a part of him didn't want it to stop, not knowing if it was right or wrong to keep going. Surprisingly enough, he was enjoying the kiss and it was making him feel something he hadn't felt in a long time. Was it joy? Passion? Lust? All over a kiss? It was possible, and it was happening now.
Delilah dropped her hands from his face, tangling her fingers through his hair with one hand and placing the other on his chest, as she deepened the kiss, her breasts pressing up against him. She was always impulsive when it came to men, especially since she had obtained a "sex symbol" status amongst them. Except there was something about Rick's strength and vulnerability that was alluring, it left her intrigued apart from already being attracted. He wasn't like the boys back home, he was a man, and a real one at that.
Rick wrapped one arm around her waist and the other around the middle of her back, pulling her in closer. They both had their eyes closed, getting lost in this kiss. In that singular instance, it was as if the chaos in the world had come to a screeching halt to allow this moment to come about. Her lips were incredibly soft and tasted of strawberries, it must have been the lip gloss she was wearing. The combination of musky aftershave and minty mouthwash tantalized her senses. His touch and taste were turning her on, she could feel herself becoming aroused. Rick thought he was hearing things when she let a low moan escape into his mouth, which made his pants further tighten. He couldn't remember when the last time was he had gotten a reaction like that from kissing a member of the opposite sex, and that's when he realized who it was the she reminded him of.
Lori.
Rick's eyes flew open and he stepped back, breaking the kiss. Delilah was discombobulated, but as she looked at him, the guilt set in. Why did I do that?! Her expression changed from confused to saddened.
"I'm so sorry." She seemed very apologetic, but Rick felt like he should take some responsibility as well, he hadn't done much to stop it.
"So am I. I mean-" That wasn't what he had meant to say, he didn't want to come off as rude, but she interrupted him, shaking her head.
"No, no, it's fine. I shouldn't have done that." She shouldn't have, but she wanted to. In all honesty, a part of her hoped it would happen again later in time. "You're a widower with two kids." What is wrong with you?! Talk about adding insult to injury.
Her comment was a bit crass, but absolutely correct. "I'm also old enough to be your father." Rick watched her immediately blush upon that statement, clearly embarrassed. She looked away.
"Maybe we should just forget this whole thing ever happened." Delilah looked up at him, melting his heart a little with the sorrow in her big, beautiful bluish-green eyes.
"It's probably for the best." He couldn't help but wonder if it would happen again. I can't let it, it's too much of a risk.
"The last thing I want is for us to get off on the wrong foot." Even though she looked sad at first, Rick was both impressed and relieved that she had such a sudden mature turnaround.
"I understand, and I agree with you. Don't worry about it, ok?" He smiled at her, trying to ease the situation a little, but she looked a bit skeptical.
"Are you sure?"
Rick nodded. "Yes, I'm sure. It happens."
He's certainly writing this off easily. Delilah took a deep breath and returned the smile. "Ok, will do. I just wanted to check and see how you're doing. I'll see you guys downstairs."
"Sounds good."
Delilah walked out of the bathroom. When Rick was certain she was gone, he heavily exhaled and noticed that he still had an erection. That kiss had really turned him on more than he thought. "Damn it." He mumbled under his breath, hoping it would go away on it's own but knowing that it wouldn't. As he was about to undo his pants and relieve himself, he heard footsteps.
"Oh, Rick?"
"Huh?" He turned around to see Delilah walking back in, she had narrowly missed him taking his pants off.
"I forgot to ask you back at the house and in the car, why is Carol no longer in your group?"
Rick felt hesitant, but knew the question was unavoidable. "She killed two members of the group that were infected with the virus, one of them was Tyresse's girlfriend. Burned their bodies and claimed it was for the good of the others, but I couldn't trust her word. I gave her a car with enough supplies in it and banished her."
Delilah had unintentionally looked down at his pants and her eyes bulged from his noticeable hard-on. That's from me! I wonder what it looks like out of the cage… She quickly set her gaze back on Rick and nodded.
"Got it. Sounds like an unpredictable risk. You did the right thing. Who else knows about it?"
"Maggie and Daryl. I don't know if either one of them told Glenn or anybody else, but I told Carl not too long after we left."
"Ok. They all want to have a meeting after breakfast to discuss the next phase of finding the others. I think you need to tell them, but that's just how I feel."
He knew she was right, and although Maggie and Delilah agreed with him, what would everybody else say? Daryl wasn't too thrilled, but Tyresse would be pissed and most likely try to beat him up again. Either way, they had to know.
"You're right, I will. When it happened, Tyresse was infuriated and things turned physical. If he found out it was Carol, he probably would have hit her, also."
Delilah was taken aback that somebody would beat up Rick. He was a good guy, not some slime ball like Billy, who rightly deserved to have the shit slapped out of him. He's probably a nombie by now, I hope both of them are…
"I'm sorry that happened. Don't worry, it won't happen again. I'll be there when you break the news. If anything like that does go down, they'll have to deal with me."
She walked out of the room, leaving him wondering what she meant, and also self-conscious that she caught a glimpse of the erection in his pants…
Ten Minutes Later…
"Iron Man is totally boss, but I think the weakest of The Avengers might be Capitan America. It's so hard to pick one though."
"I think you're right about Capitan America, but nobody beats The Incredible Hulk."
Delilah laughed. "Of course not, but nobody gives enough attention to Hawk Eye." Her and Carl were sitting with Judith on one of the plush couches in the lobby, waiting for Rick and discussing Marvel Comics.
"Hawk Eye is cool, I've always wondered how he never runs out of arrows."
"Don't you know? His sling back is magic and is always producing more and more arrows."
"I wish that were real, it would come in handy for Daryl. His weapon of choice is a crossbow."
She raised her eyebrows. "Wow, that's bitchen! You're right, it would. What about Thor? It's like when his power is gone, the hammer won't magically fly to him, therefore he can't walk over and pick it up himself?" The two of them started laughing over that.
"I never noticed, but you're right! He can't!"
Delilah was thrilled that Carl was starting to come out of his shell more and more. She hoped that Jellbany would do him some good and that he'd be able to make some friends here. Rick walked downstairs to see them laughing while holding Judith. "Hey."
They stopped laughing and looked over, Delilah's face lit up. She didn't know what it was, but seeing him made her smile, and she had to do everything not to start laughing like a bumbling idiot. I haven't felt like this about somebody in so long, not since Billy… "Hey! You look different without the beard. I like it."
"Thanks." He was glad that they were past the whole kiss and acting nonchalant about it all.
"Oh, I wanted to show you something." She grabbed Judith and set her on the ground. "Judith, walk to Daddy." Delilah let her go and the three of them watched her. Judith slowly walked over, before she started to pick up the pace. Rick bent down to her level.
"Come on, sweetheart, you can do it." Judith giggled and walked a little faster until she reached Rick. The three of them started clapping and cheering as Rick picked her up and gave her a kiss. "You taught her all this in a month?"
Delilah nodded. "Yep. I was around when Dominick was first learning to walk and talk, so I helped Caitlin out with him. I guess I just have a natural maternal instinct. Come on, everybody is waiting to meet you guys." They followed her out of the offices.
LEISURE ZONE
"Ok, everybody. Remember the plan." Madison said as she ran back into the cafeteria after seeing Rick and Carl walk up with Delilah. Once they walked into the cafeteria, the entire room stood to their feet, clapping and cheering. Rick and Carl looked surprised while Delilah was grinning from ear to ear, and joined in the cheering.
"Come on, you guys can be louder than that!" Sure enough, the volume went louder for another few seconds as Rick and Carl walked in. Even the members of their own group were taking part in the applause, they really had settled in with the others. The applause died down.
"DELILAH!" The younger kids ran over and practically knocked her to the floor as they all started jumping on her. Carl laughed.
"You're pretty popular, Delilah." Rick smiled as she got to her feet with all the kids hugging her all over, she was laughing herself. This was certainly different from what she described earlier. These people really cared about her, she did have a family.
"I guess kids love me. Alright, settle down, monkeys." She hugged them before getting serious. "Ok, rug-rats, stand attention!" The kids all stood up straight and saluted her. Delilah turned back to an amused Rick and Carl. "It's a little game we have." She turned back to the kids. "Alright, you guys. This is Officer Rick Grimes and his son, Carl. They're Judith's father and brother, respectively. State your names when I point to you if they don't know who you already are." Delilah started pointing to all the kids.
"Taylee!"
"Dom-Dom!"
"Lucas!"
Taylee was holding Dominick's hand, they both looked exactly alike with a fair complexion and brownish-auburn hair with green eyes, except Taylee had freckles. Lucas was tanned with black curly hair and hazel eyes and was a little shorter than Taylee. Rick and Carl smiled at them.
"Nice to meet you all."
Delilah looked at the kids. "Whenever you see Officer Rick or Carl, I want you to always have the utmost respect for them, ok? They're superheroes." They both had to restrain the giggles as the kids marveled. Delilah turned back and nodded. "Yep. Ok, disband! Eat all your breakfast and don't forget it's a school day, so turn those brains on!" The kids all walked off. "Lizzie, Mika, wait." The two young girls stopped and turned around. Delilah turned back to Rick and Carl. "If it weren't for these two, I don't know where Judith would be right now."
The sisters stood proudly in front of Rick and Carl. "I made sure to grab her, it was our job." Words could not even express how thankful they were to the girls, they had rescued Judith.
Rick smiled at them. "Thank you again, you were very brave."
"Yeah, thanks so much." Carl used to find the two sisters annoying, but they had really grown since the last time they saw each other.
Lizzie nodded. "You're welcome."
Mika looked at them. "Rick, do you know where Carol is?"
Rick and Delilah looked over at one another nervously. The two of them and Carl knew the truth, how were they going to break it to the girls? "Uh, well-"
"She's the next one we're going to find! We're meeting after breakfast to discuss it. Run along now, lessons start in thirty minutes, ok?"
"Ok!" They smiled up at Delilah and ran off. She thought they were very sweet girls, and they reminded her a bit of how she and Christine used to get along at one point. Lizzie eerily looked very similar to Christine, something that gave Delilah the chills. She turned back to Rick and Carl.
"I'm sorry, I know it wasn't right to lie to them, but I couldn't risk telling them the truth. What if they said something to one of the adults from your group? I think they need to know about Carol before we break the news to Lizzie and Mika."
Rick nodded, she was right. What if Tyresse caused a public scene in front of everybody? It was better this way. "We'll tell them all."
"I know. Alright, I'll introduce you to everybody else."
The Grimes followed Delilah over to her group. "This is Ivan and Brandi Hendricks and Baby Cadence." Ivan was short and stocky with wavy reddish-blonde hair and squinty ice blue eyes. Brandi was a little bit taller than him with brown to blonde ombre hair and brown eyes and very thin, almost skeletal like. Baby Cadence looked just like Ivan but with almost white blonde hair.
"Howdy, Rick, Carl. Great to have you with us." Ivan greeted them with a big smile and a firm handshake while Brandi could barely shake their hand. Their personalities and attitudes contrasted one another hugely. Two pit bulls walked up and started nuzzling Carl.
"Pey-ton! Duke! Get down!" Brandi scolded the dogs, making Carl and Rick a little uncomfortable.
"Brandi, it's fine. They're becoming acquainted with Carl and Rick. Let them." Peyton was a shorter pit, a "pocket pit", and was brown and white while Duke was entirely tan. They both had their mouths open, panting and wagging their tails while they sniffed all over, proving to be very sweet for pit bulls.
Delilah turned to the next couple. "This is Caitlin and Mark, Taylee and Dominick's parents." The kids looked exactly like Caitlin with their hair and eye color and complexion. She was a couple inches shorter than Delilah and thin with a big smile, she looked similar to Emma Stone. Mark was a few inches taller and lean with tanned skin and dark hair and eyes. Caitlin was very enthusiastic about meeting the boys while Mark was more subdued. Rick couldn't help but think that maybe they should do a spousal swap.
"Javier and Matt." Javier was Hispanic and about Rick's height as well as lanky with brown eyes, curly brown hair, a gap in his teeth, while Matt was taller and buffer than Rick with thick black hair and green eyes. He looked a lot like Clark Gable. Javier held out his hand to Rick in a very feminine manner. "Officer, what a pleasure to meet you. My, my, what a hottie-patotie you are! They sure know how to grow them in Georgia!" Rick tried to shake his hand but Javier bent down and air kissed him on both cheeks, along with Carl. They were immediately uncomfortable and obviously not used to this kind of flamboyance, Delilah noticed their tension.
"Javi, he's straight, and your boyfriend is standing right there." She folded her arms and nodded toward Matt, who was smirking, obviously used to Javier's behavior. Javier just looked over and scoffed.
"What-evah! I'm free to look around the candy shop until Mr. Hot Shot over here puts a ring on it. Whoa-oh-oh!" Javier snapped his fingers in a zig-zag line and bopped his head in the same fashion. Rick and Carl looked over at each other, not knowing what to say or even think.
Matt extended his hand. "Don't mind him, he thinks he's really funny and cute, still holding onto his drag queen stage persona. Nice to meet you guys, heard a lot of awesome things about you." He seemed to have relaxed them a bit.
Javier put his hand on his hip and flipped his hair. "I AM really funny and cute! Nobody talks smack about Lady Butterfly, hon-ey!" He pouted.
Delilah just rolled her eyes before turning back to them. "See, I told you that Madison wasn't the wackiest member." She turned to the next couple. "Caroline and Vince." Caroline was short and African American with black hair and brown eyes with black rimmed glasses and a lovely smile, while Vince was Mexican with buzzed brown hair and cobalt blue eyes and well-built. They were both very friendly towards Rick and Carl. The next group looked to be around Carl's age, two boys and two girls. Delilah started pointing to each one.
"Kaki, Savannah, Brock, Jason." They were all smiles. Kaki and Savannah were identical twins with sandy blonde hair and light green blue eyes, they had a light dusting of freckles and were a few inches taller than Carl with cute figures. Rick wouldn't be surprised if Carl set his sights away from Delilah and onto one of the twins, if not both of them. It would prevent him from having a talk about Delilah. Brock was taller than all of them and looked a little like Howdy Doody with red hair hidden behind a San Francisco Giants baseball cap, spaced out teeth, and brown eyes, one looked a little to be like a lazy eye. Jason was about Carl's height with spiky blonde hair and hazel eyes.
"Whoa, dude! Carl, how rad to meet you, lil buddy!" Brock grabbed his hand and shook it, almost lifting Carl off the ground.
"Yeah! Finally, another guy in the group! We'll make it three's company!" Jason high fived him.
Carl was a little shocked but immediately adjusted to their reactions and high fived them back. "Looking forward to it."
Both Rick and Delilah were thrilled that this introduction had gone well. Delilah turned to Madison.
"Mads, Mac hasn't returned yet? His Harley is still in the parking lot."
Madison shook her head. "He took one of the trucks, he should be back soon if not tomorrow."
Delilah huffed, a little annoyed, but composed herself. "I wanted to do this all at once, but whatever. It's fine. Anyways, this is Tyler, the crazy one of the group."
Tyler was also tall and lanky with messy brown hair and honey colored eyes. He seemed to be a bit fidgety, but when Delilah walked up to him he was very excited. "Delilah! Finally! I missed you, honey pie!" He swept Delilah up in his arms and pressed his lips to hers in a hard kiss. Delilah let out a surprised squeal while trying to push him off of her. Rick and Carl looked over at each other, both having the same thought but not sharing it. Who the hell is this guy to her?
Delilah stomped on Tyler's foot and shoved him off of her. "Damn you, Tyler! What's your problem?!" She was clearly annoyed, and secretly panicked about what Rick and Carl now thought about her, especially Rick.
Tyler seemed unfazed by her reaction. "Sorry, doll." He turned to Rick and Carl. "Sherriff and Son! I knew my girl would find you!" He playfully punched Rick in the arm a little too hard and flicked off Carl's hat as he wrapped his arm around Delilah, who squeamishly shifted away from him.
"I'm not your girl! What kind of way is that to greet somebody?! Apologize to them, now!" Delilah was very irritated with Tyler, who cowered under her words. Who the hell does he think he is manhandling me?! He bowed his head down, ashamed.
"Sorry about that, I'm just excited is all. Name's Tyler. Good meeting you."
Delilah turned around to see Carl looking a little hurt and Rick looking at her skeptically, with one eyebrow raised. Fuck. I REALLY have some explaining to do. She took a deep breath and smiled. "Thanks for apologizing. Sorry I ripped your head off, Tyler, but you know better." She patted his shoulder, which made him loosen up. "Ok, everybody, let's eat!"
45 Minutes Later…
After breakfast, the kids went upstairs for their lessons. Some of the adults went outside to garden, the rest went upstairs. Rick was glad that Carl had quickly bonded with Brock and Jason. They seemed to be exactly what he needed, and Rick hoped that these newfound friendships wouldn't be tragically cut short like Sophia and Patrick. After Caroline and Caitlin took Judith up to the nursery, Rick found Delilah waiting for him. She looked lost in thought, she hadn't been the same since the interaction with Tyler. He pondered on whether or not he should ask about it. Delilah looked over and snapped out of it as Rick walked up to her.
"Everybody is in Inventory Range. It's away from the kids and gives us some privacy. Your group is already waiting, I asked Ivan to come along as well. Ready?"
"Yes." He decided against asking, it wasn't his place or any of his business. Rick followed her outside, and they walked in silence until Delilah abruptly turned around.
"I saw the look on your face, and Carl's. Tyler is not my boyfriend, despite what he says. We made out a couple of times but never had sex. He's a nice guy but he's too rambunctious for me to be with. I'm not some loose piece of tail and I didn't want you to think less of me." For the second time that day, she looked guilty. Rick already knew that nothing was going on, but felt better that she had confirmed it. Had he actually been jealous? He looked at her and shrugged.
"It's not a big deal, nor is it any of my business. I wanted to make sure there wasn't a problem with him. I suddenly feel protective over you."
Delilah blinked, not expecting that reply at all. He saw her as a child, not as a woman! She wasn't one of his kids, she was a hot and sexy babe that wanted him in more way than one. You're thinking like a crazy person, Lilah! Get a grip! Don't let this crush get in the way of being rational! Calm yourself down and now! She wasn't sure if Rick could tell if she was flabbergasted or not, but she pulled herself together.
"I'm not a child. Look, there's some things I want to discuss with you. Can you meet me later?"
Rick hesitated, Delilah was becoming a temptation and he had to control it before things got out of hand and something good became ruined. "I don't think that's a good idea."
"Please? It would really mean a lot to me. At least say you'll think about it, I just want to talk." She looked up at him with pleading eyes. This girl is trouble, the good kind and the bad kind. What am I going to do?"
"Ok, I'll think about it." He watched as she smiled at him. There was something about Delilah that Rick found a hard time saying "no" to her, which was odd considering they just met. Due to the situation they were in, things like destiny, fate, and love at first sight were no longer applicable, but could an instant attraction be at all possible? Maybe it was time to explore something new, if he allowed himself. The feelings were obviously mutual, perhaps they should discuss it all.
"Terrific." She turned on the ball of her feet and walked into the factory as he followed. They walked in to see Maggie, Glenn, Tyresse, Sasha, Bob, and Ivan all standing around a raised table with a map on it. Rick walked over to them as Delilah looked at Maggie. "Maggie, can I speak to you for a minute?" She nodded to the door.
"Sure." Maggie walked over and the two of them went outside. "What's up?"
"Rick told me about Carol and the reason why he banished her. He said he only told you, Daryl, and now Carl after they left the prison. I was curious if you told anybody and what you think about it?"
Maggie shook her head. "No, I didn't tell anybody else. I think it was a just decision."
Delilah nodded. "So do I, he did the right thing, it was very selfless and necessary. I told him that I personally think he should tell them, but that it was my opinion and ultimately up to him."
"I agree, it's time they knew. I'm sure he also told you how Tyresse handled the news last time?"
Delilah loved how her and Maggie thought alike on so many things, she was not only a powerful ally, but a great leader and friend.
"Yeah, he told me. It won't happen again, I'm making sure of that, but it doesn't mean I'm not worried it will." Delilah hugged her arms and looked down. Maggie could sense that maybe Delilah was feeling something towards Rick, but shook it off as her wanting to be protective over everybody.
"It won't. We should get back inside."
"Yes, we should. I'm glad we found him, I hope the next one we find is your sister. It seems like you guys are close, and after everything that happened, you should be together again." Delilah meant every word of what she said, and it made her think of Christine, how they were close long ago.
Maggie smiled. "Thanks, Delilah. You're a strong leader and a good friend, I can tell you have a huge heart." Both girls smiled as Maggie wrapped an arm around Delilah, walking inside.
INVENTORY RANGE
Delilah walked up to the raised table where the map was and placed The Beacon down. "Ok, let's get to work." Everybody gathered around the table and looked down at the map. It was filled with tiny red X's and blue circles, representing places already searched and future locations, respectively. There was a green star by Douglasville with "Glenn, Judith, Kids Bus" written on it. Delilah grabbed a green marker and spoke as she wrote. "Rick and Carl, Peachtree City." and put a star next to it before turning to Rick. "We found you in Peachtree City, which is an hour away from here but almost three hours from the prison. That means that everybody else could have scattered out as well."
"Where we looking next?" Bob asked.
"Greenville and Orchard Hill. They're past Peachtree on 75, but they're worth a shot." Glenn said.
"Ok, we'll put it down." Delilah circled said cities with a blue marker. "We've tried all the cities around the prison, maybe we should venture out farther. Columbus, Macon, Augusta, Savannah. What do you think, Rick?" She turned and looked at him.
"They couldn't have gone that far unless they took a car, but everybody ran in different directions. Maybe Daryl found one up the road and hotwired it, but I thought I saw Michonne go off eastward. What about re-searching the cities closest to the prison?"
"Maybe, I have a feeling Beth would stay close, but I don't think she'd go back to the farm." Maggie stated.
"What about farther, out by the 575? Jasper, Dawsonville, Ball Ground?" Ivan inquired.
"Yeah, we'll put it down." Delilah circled them. "Don't forget, we already have Mac looking in the westward cities."
"Do you think they could have gotten down to Fort Gaines?" Sasha asked.
"Or even Fort Benning?" Tyresse piped in.
Delilah shook her head. "Fort Gaines is too far down, Fort Benning is most likely a ghost town by now. Again, not without a car."
"Or a horse, maybe Michonne was able to catch Flame." Rick thought back on Michonne's horse, hoping that he didn't have the same fate as the horse he took to Atlanta or any of the horses on the farm, but it was probably inevitable that he had.
"Don't forget Carol." Tyresse spoke up. Maggie, Delilah, and Rick all froze, with the girls looking up at each other. Delilah leaned into Rick.
"Rick, it's time. Tell them." She mumbled and looked into his eyes assertively. He had been dodging this for so long. He looked over at Maggie, who nodded. It had been long enough.
"What's going on?" Sasha asked.
Everybody else looked confused. Rick heavily sighed, dreading what could possibly transpire.
"We won't be looking for Carol. I banished her from the group. She's the one behind Karen and David's deaths. She claimed that she killed them for the good of the group, but she's an erratic hazard for the rest of us and could no longer be trusted."
The looks on their faces went from confused to shock and horror, unable to register the news they had just received. Delilah and Maggie both looked solemn and stoic, not saying a word. Rick's heart was beating out of his chest from the silence.
"Who else knows?" Sasha whispered.
"Maggie and Daryl, I told Carl after the riot and Delilah this morning. I would have said something sooner but I didn't get the chance."
Tyresse was heaving mad, the anger building up, and his body was trembling. He glared at Rick and slammed his fist down on the table.
"YOU FUCKING SON OF A BITCH BASTARD!"
He raised his other fist up to hit Rick, Sasha screamed and tried to grab him, but he was too strong. As his fist was about to meet the side of Rick's face, Delilah reached up and caught it in her hand, a loud smacking sound filled the factory. Maggie gasped, and everybody else went wide eyed. Only Rick, Ivan, and Glenn were able to see the pained expression on Tyresse's face, while Sasha, Bob, and Maggie saw Delilah. Her face was turned up in an enraged glare, her eyes narrowed angrily and she gripped his fist tighter.
"Put. It. Down. Now." She hissed at him. It was the first time she had exhibited anger in front of them, but Tyresse had gone too far in attempting to punch Rick. He reluctantly put his arm down as she released her grip, her eyes still narrowed at him.
"I don't know what the hell you think you're doing, but I will not tolerate that kind of behavior. Rick did what had to be done, he saw a risk and took initiative before things got worse, and it was all for the good of the group. Don't you dare ever lay a finger on him again, or there will be consequences for your actions. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!" Delilah was semi-snarling and seething mad, but she didn't yell like she wanted to. The entire room went silent and Tyresse actually looked terrified of her. Rick was surprised by how she rose to his defense so quickly and in such an aggressive manner. She was gallant, but Rick couldn't help but think to himself if she would have done it even if she wasn't attracted to him?
Tyresse nodded. "Yes, I understand."
"Good." Delilah turned back to the map. "We're only looking for Michonne, Daryl, and Beth. We'll see what happens when Mac returns. Tyresse and Ivan, I want you to take Brandi and cover the 575. Glenn," She looked over at him. "Are you feeling up to going with Maggie?"
He nodded. "Absolutely, I'm feeling one hundred percent better." Mac had stopped at nothing to make sure that Glenn and the others were back in good health, he was a Godsend.
"Ok, good. You'll take the 75. Bob and Sasha, go back up by the prison and search the area again. Rick and I will tackle Columbus and Fort Gaines. I want Ivan, Tyresse, and Brandi to go as soon as Mac gets here, granted he hasn't found anybody, then Bob and Sasha. I can't risk having too many of you out at the same time, so we'll be taking shifts. After you come back, Rick and I will go. No matter how long it takes, we will find the rest." She stuck her hand out in the middle of the map and looked at the others, waiting for them to join in. Rick placed his hand on top of hers and she instantaneously felt a spark as their eyes met. The moment was cut short when one by one, the others put their hands in as well. Delilah looked around.
"I promise. I've more than proven I'm good to my word. Meeting adjourned." They raised their hands up and went their separate ways, Delilah looked down and saw that The Beacon had been smashed when Tyresse slammed his fist on the table.
"Shit." She mumbled under her breath, loud enough for Glenn and Maggie to look over and see the damage.
"I can probably fix that, Delilah. I'm pretty good with tools." Glenn offered, remembering how Dale used to teach him to work with his tools. She smiled as she handed him the broken gadget.
"Thanks, Glenn. You're a really good guy. Maybe it needed to be fixed so it won't be so glitchy." They had a short laugh, easing some of the tension.
"I'll try my best." Glenn grabbed Maggie's hand and they walked out. Only Rick and Delilah were left in the factory, she could feel his eyes on her, and wasn't sure whether to feel stimulated or worried. She turned around to face him and was met with an awkward silence for about a minute, they just looked at each other staidly, not saying a word.
"Why did you-"
"I suddenly feel protective over you."
She brushed past him and Rick turned to watch her walk out of the factory. Was she mocking him from earlier? Of course she was! Wasn't she? No, she meant it, just like he had. He didn't know what it was, but for the first time in probably twenty five years, Rick Grimes was fascinated by a girl.
"What a woman."
LEISURE ZONE, 10:00 PM
"Ok, everybody, it's 10 o'clock! Leisure Zone is closed for the night! Head back to Home Base, bed time is in one hour! See you in the morning!" Brandi announced over the loud speakers, which still worked. Everybody began filing out, but Madison, Delilah, Caitlin, and Caroline had clean up duty. Delilah saw Rick walking with Judith and grabbed a leather CD case holder.
"Rick, wait!" She ran up to him as he turned around.
"Yes?"
"Have you decided about meeting me? All I want to do is talk." She looked into his eyes earnestly. Rick wanted to say that he decided against meeting her, but he found himself nodding.
"Yes. When and where?"
She had a little grin on her face, trying to not to seem overly excited but still keeping her cool. "After everybody's gone to sleep, so midnight. In the hallway."
"Ok, I'll be there." He couldn't believe he was going through with this, but what would be the harm in talking? It wasn't entirely giving into temptation.
"Perfect. Hey, Carl!" Carl looked over at them, excusing himself from the other teenagers. "Catch!" She threw him the CD case and he caught it perfectly. "Nice catch, buddy!"
"Thanks, what is it?" He unzipped the case and flipped through the CDS.
"Just a little welcome present of all my favorite CDS. I put all the classics in there, including The Who. Listen to "Baba O'Reiley/Teenage Wasteland" and "My Generation", but don't forget The Beatles' White Album, that one is golden."
Carl looked very enthusiastic. "Wow, thank you! I'll listen to all of them."
Delilah smiled, she knew he'd like the CDS. "I gotta get back to clean up duty, the girls are waiting for me." She lowered her voice. "I'll see you at midnight, Officer Grimes." She winked at him, trying to be discreet, as she bent down and kissed Judith on the head. "Good night, little angel." Delilah walked away as Rick turned around to see her walking up to Carl. "Good night, Carl. Happy listening. I expect a full report in the morning!" She ambled off as Carl stood, watching dreamily, which made Rick feel all the more guilty.
HOME BASE, MIDNIGHT
Rick watched the clock strike twelve, and heavily sighed as he grabbed a T-shirt to wear with his drawstring pajama bottoms. He usually slept in boxer briefs, but he wasn't going to show up to meet Delilah like that, it would be improper. Different emotions were flooding through him. Excitement, curiosity, guilt. Curious to find out what she wanted to talk about, guilty because he probably shouldn't be meeting with her, and excited to see her again. Delilah could be something more, except he had to be cautious and think with his head instead of his heart, or in this case, instead of his groin. After checking on Judith and closing the door of Carl's room, Rick walked out into the hallway as the same time Delilah walked out of her room.
They stopped and looked at each other for a moment. She was no longer in the outfit she was wearing all day and now wearing a black camisole tank top that rode up a little and black satin shorts. Rick gulped as he took in every single curvature of her body that was bathed in blue moonlight. Delilah was a bombshell, every single part of her was toned from her hyperextension legs to her breasts, she was the kind of girl men overseas would fight to come home to if there were ever a war. He watched as she sauntered over to him and didn't say anything, their eyes did the talking. Delilah held out her hand to him. Rick hesitated, but placed his hand in hers, having a feeling that she wanted to do more than talk. The spark from earlier had now ignited when their hands touched. She lead him down the hall and inside her bedroom, closing the door. They thought this was a secret meeting, but they didn't know that someone had been watching the whole time…
OOOO! WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN BEHIND THE CLOSED DOOR?! WHAT DID WE THINK OF THIS CHAPTER AND THE ORIGINAL CHARACTERS? WHAT ABOUT TYRESSE' REACTION TO CAROL AND DELILAH DEFENDING RICK? WILL RICK TAKE A CHANCE ON HER? THEY ARE OBVIOUSLY ATTRACTED TO ONE ANOTHER! WILL CARL EVER FIND OUT ABOUT THE KISS? FIND OUT ALL THE ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS AND MORE IN CHAPTER SIX, COMING SOON!
BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE STORY FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!
PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AND SPREAD THE WORD! NO FLAMES!
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Forever Rising Phoenix