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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!

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Hi everybody! Sorry I've been M.I.A., a lot has happened! MY San Francisco Giants won the World Series for the 3rd time in 5 seasons! Woo-Hoo! My niece Penelope Sava was born on October 28th at 8:21 pm, 8 pounds, 2 ounces, and I am absolutely in love with this little munchkin, she's precious! So lots of good things to happen! Please, please PLEASE check out Stubborn Love, my new Walking Dead story! It's a modern/AU love story revolving around Gareth, my original character Melody, Rick, and Lori. It needs some love, so read and review and follow and spread the word! Love you all! :)
Thanks again to my beta reader texasbelle91, bluecrush611, Hey01ig, SilverSun09, RebornRose1992, and Znon, you guys are the best! :) Check out Hey01ig's two awesome Walking Dead stories, she's a shining star! :)
Chapter Sixty-One: Paso Doble
All Delilah knew was that she just wanted to be as far away from Rick and Billy and everybody else as possible. She walked off, leaving the others at a loss for words. Rick and Billy solemnly looked over at each other. They had allowed themselves to fall between the lines of sanity and reality, with mayhem ensuing. It may have cost both of them their chance of being with Delilah, and it hit them so hard that they were knocked off their feet and into a whole mad season.
Carol was the first one to break the silence. "Let's get you both out of those clothes. You were just in that pool and it's raining, you're going to catch a cold. Come with me, Billy." She walked up and gently guided him away from Rick, with Tara and Scott following.
Madison glanced over at her. "Whatever you need will be in Inventory Range. Clothes, first aid supplies."
Carol nodded at her. "Thanks." The four of them walked inside as Madison looked back at Rick.
"I'll bandage you up, let's go."
Rick nodded, knowing that neither he nor Billy would be able to shake what just happened. Things had really gone too far, and why hadn't he used better judgment? It was like a higher power had invaded his well being and taken over. He hadn't even thought about Delilah or what this would do to her if she found out, all he saw was rage that she really had been with Billy. Had he been that oblivious, or was it better this way? Were they broken up for good or was she on a hall pass? Did Delilah really mean what she said about not being with either one of them? She couldn't have, they had been through so much together…

"I think my nose is broken." Billy said, tampons stuffed up his nose, beach towels wrapped around his shoulders and waist, and a homemade icepack on his eye. From what Scott had deduced to the best of his knowledge without relying on machines, two of Billy's ribs were cracked, a mild concussion, and his wrist was fractured, which unfortunately was the same hand as his fractured thumb from when Delilah accidentally slammed it in her car door, and he had to wear a splint. At this point, who knew when he'd ever play basketball again, not like there were many opportunities nowadays. Luckily, the cut on his forehead only needed a butterfly bandage over actual stitches, but his vision was a little blurry. Judging by the last glance he stole of Rick before going inside, Billy assumed the damage was equal for both of them.
Carol took the icepack and looked closely at his face. "It just needs to be set back into place." She put both of her hands on Billy's nose and shifted it, causing a loud "cracking" sound.
"Ahh!" He winced in pain but stopped when he felt that his nose was back to normal, albeit swollen. "Wow, you fixed it. How'd you learn to do that?"
"The internet. It was better than telling an E.R. nurse that I fell down the stairs for a third time."
Billy's face fell in sadness as Carol got the Neosporin and bandages out. There was so much of Carol that reminded him of Rachelle, they had both been in abusive relationships and even though they both had disastrous endings, they emerged stronger than ever, but he knew there would always be a damaged part within them. He put his hand on Carol's shoulder, causing her to look up at him, a hint of forlornness in her expression. "I'm really sorry that you went through such a violent period in your life, you and your daughter. You really are stronger for it though, and if you ever forget, I'll always be here to remind you."
She let out a small smile. "Thanks, hun. Same goes for you. You went through hell and back with that monster, you're a survivor."
He shrugged. "I try."
"Ok, I've got clothes for you, Billy." Tara walked back over to the end of Inventory Range carrying a clean shirt, sweatshirt, pair of jeans, underwear, socks, and sneakers, setting them down on the chair next to Carol.
Billy smiled over at her solemnly. "Great, thanks so much, Tara." He stood up, rubbing his hair with the towel that had been around his shoulders. The other towel was tied around his waist, he was completely naked underneath. Tara felt her face heat up as she nervously gulped. She was into girls, always had been, yet she was still getting a funny feeling from watching him slide the boxer briefs up under the towel before completely taking it off. The V cut in his pelvis and the outstanding definition of his upper body was a magnificent sight to see, even Carol caught herself gawking.
You're deeply disturbed. He's like your son!
Billy glanced over at them as he slid the jeans on. "Everything ok? You two got awfully quiet."
Tara shook herself out of the daze. "Huh? Yeah, everything's cool, bro."
He had to do everything he could to hide the smirk that was threatening to pop up. "Gotcha."
Carol nodded. "Just lost in thought is all. How did this whole fight start?"
Billy pulled his shirt on and sat down, grabbing the socks and sneakers. "Like I said, I saw Rick leaving Christine's room last night. I wanted to talk to him about it, started off by saying that his kids are great and that I hope there weren't any hard feelings with whoever Delilah ended up with."
"That was really mature of you. What happened next?" Tara asked.
"He freaking hauled back and punched me in the face! I didn't even do anything, and then he tackles me, I had to fight back."
She nodded. "Why didn't you tell me you slept with Delilah last night? You're such a dog, Blly." Tara teased, trying to find a little humor in this.
"It was personal, but now that it's out of the bag, I'll tell you right now it wasn't sex and it wasn't fucking. We made love."
Carol snorted, causing the two younger adults to look over at her.
"What's so funny?"
She shook her head, lightly snickering. "You're still a baby, Billy. You don't know anything about making love."
Billy raised an eyebrow. "On the contrary, Carol, I am quite the experienced lover. Before Jennifer and Delilah, I went through a bit of a cougar phase, so I really did learn from the best. Wanna give it a go and I can put my skills to the test?" He shot her a wink and a sly smile, causing Carol to roll her eyes and elbow him affectionately, which he returned.
"Yeah, right."
"I'm almost thirty years old, I better know what I'm doing." He snickered before his smile disappeared. While the tension had definitely let up some, Billy couldn't get Delilah out of his head. "She was so dismayed and livid, it's like we took two steps forward and twenty steps back. This is all my fault. I did everything I could to protect her for five years, and when we needed each other the most was when I lost sight of everything. It only takes one moment to lose it all, and I screwed up so immensely, I'm surprised she's even giving me the time of day. Like I told you last night, I don't think I'll ever be forgiven entirely." Tara and Carol watched Billy's eyes tear up and his voice kept cracking, he couldn't even look at them, he was looking down at the table. "She's not the same Delilah that was left behind a year ago, she's stronger than ever, but I still see an essence of her old self. Old or new, I don't know what the future holds. I just wish that there was a way to let her know that no matter how much I want her to pick me, even if she doesn't, I want her to be happy. Except I know deep in my heart that she'll never fully be mine again." Silent tears streamed down Billy's face. His earlier words to Delilah were coming back to haunt him, he was the one that couldn't let it go, but did he deserve the privilege? Billy would have to live with what he did for the rest of his life, there was no getting around it.
Tara put her hand on his shoulder to comfort him. "Don't be so hard on yourself. If it's anything, I think everybody here knows that you're genuinely sorry and that Christine was behind this all. I'm not sure if I buy her whole forgiveness act, either. That, and this fight wasn't entirely your fault."
"I agree. It takes two to tango, and as much as I love him, Rick threw the first punch and you fought back. You're both equally responsible."
Billy nodded, feeling a little bit better that there were two people in this whole place that sincerely cared about him. "I know, you're right. I just don't know what to do now though."
"The only thing you can do is give her time, she'll come around."
He heavily sighed. "I hope so." At that moment, he remembered something. "Oh, shit. The twins, they're still with Delilah." Billy looked at Carol, doubt evident in his face. "I'm the last person she wants to see, I'm sure. Carol, is there any way…?"
She nodded. "Yes, I will."
"Thank you."
Although she was a little hesitant at first, Carol going to retrieve the twins was for the best, Delilah wouldn't lash out at her.

"What started all this, man?" Daryl asked as Madison cleaned Rick up. Mac had looked him over, and he had sustained a busted lip, a broken nose, and a black eye. Unlike his fight with Tyreese, Rick had to get six stitches under his jaw from when Billy karate kicked him, his ribs and back were sore. Both of his hands were in black splints and he had a black rubber brace on his knee. The only thing that could be done was to ice it with homemade icepacks and put Neosporin on the facial cuts.
"Billy approached me, saying he knew what the kids were going through, hoping there'd be no hard feelings between us but that it was ultimately up to Delilah which one of us she went with. I could just tell that something was different about him. That kid has been moping around here for over a week, today he's finally in a good mood, and I just knew he slept with her."
"I think you owe Delilah an apology, don't you agree?" Madison asked while dabbing Neosporin on him, to which Daryl scoffed.
"Why the hell should he have to apologize? This was a long time coming, you saw them in the factory. They both knew it and were both prepared for the most part, there ain't nothing to apologize for. It's Delilah's fault anyway. You pay the price by being a cock hopper, Maddy."
Rick looked over at him, slightly annoyed. "Daryl…"
"Daryl, that's pretty harsh. You guys are being very small minded, you have to open your damn eyes and see the bigger picture. I talked to Delilah earlier, she is really discombobulated over all this. She loves both Rick and Billy with her whole heart, as impossible as it may sound, I actually believe her. This fight made her finally snap, and it also scared her. You need to step back and accept the consequences. Y'all brought it upon yourselves when you punched him and he punched back. You were too consumed by frustration and rage over her feelings. Quite frankly, you and Billy need to apologize to her, and that's all there is to it."
Rick knew that Madison was right. He had been downright cruel to Delilah with some of the things that he said. No matter how angry he was, he should have conducted himself better. "I know, Madison. We do. That's something that's going to have to happen separately, and I'm not sure when it will. All I could think about was that I finally opened up and fell for somebody new, my first big relationship since Lori died and my second love, and how it was being taken away from me. I didn't really think of why it was happening or Delilah's feelings. I can't really blame her, but I just can't grasp it all. At this point, after how I've been, I don't think she'll pick me, either. If I don't get her back, I don't think there will be a third chance for me to fall in love again." He looked down, his frustrations were getting in the way of being rational.
Madison put her hand on top of his. "I think she will, just give her time. I mean, she even told you she doubts she'll go back to Billy. You both have one ups in your own right, but you have to show her how much she means and what she does to you."
There were so many things that Delilah did to Rick, all he could do was be honest, but when would he be able to? Had he gone too far?

Delilah had finally calmed down, but it had taken a very long time, her rage was so intense she was worried she might have given herself a heart attack. She looked down at a picture of her and Billy at Game 5 of the 2010 World Series. Papie had pushed Delilah's application for being an ESPN Junior Correspondent to the top, which was how she got to go to the World Series. Thanks to Papie, ESPN provided Delilah and Billy with tickets to all seven games, including tickets for Rachelle, Christine, and Jennifer, but Jennifer couldn't get the time off of work and Christine simply refused to go. She had an absolute blast, meeting her sports heroes and being part of the backstage action. Delilah remembered how she and her mother were holding onto each other and Billy in anticipation, watching as Brian Wilson struck out Nelson Cruz in the bottom of the ninth, winning The San Francisco Giants their first World Series since 1954. Delilah had jumped up on Billy and kissed him fiercely, the fans around them in black and orange were screaming and crying as the team raced out onto the field, jumping up and down and hugging each other. She smiled to herself at how she got to go into the locker room to interview the players with the rest of the press and it had been during the "champagne rain", which everybody got soaked in. Pablo "Panda" Sandoval was so overjoyed that he actually picked Delilah up off her feet and spun her around in a circle, causing her to laugh wildly. It had been such an incredible day, and the victory parade was even better, it was the only time Billy had ever been a San Francisco Giants fan. They looked so happy in the picture, who would think that two weeks later they would break up and then two weeks after that he'd sleep with Christine?
Despite everything, before Daryl brought Carol and her group back, Delilah really had made peace with Billy and Christine abandoning her, for she was truly happy and had moved on. She picked up her iPhone and started looking through it. A few days before the guys left to get the supplies for the gate, it had been an exceptionally boring afternoon at Jellbany. Delilah came up with the idea to goof off, making her and Carl look like creepy monsters with her special effects makeup before sneaking up on and scaring Rick. Of course, he had heard their laughter behind him, but had chosen to act oblivious. She laughed at the selfies of her and Carl, making silly faces, crossing their eyes and sticking their tongues out. The next couple of pictures were ones that Madison took of Rick holding Judith as Delilah jumped up on his back and Carl had jumped up on her back, Rick trying not to lose his balance, and then another picture of the four of them after the makeup had been washed off and everybody was looking like their normal selves again. Carl was holding Judith and Delilah was kissing Rick on the cheek. They were all smiling and laughing, looking like the perfect, normal, happy little family. Seeing these pictures made Delilah's guilt set in all that much more, how things had been torn apart in a week thanks to conflicted feelings, especially when coming across a picture that she didn't remember taking. It was one of her and Rick kissing on the lips, his arm was wrapped around her waist, her hands were on his shoulders and her right foot was popped. Madison must have snuck taken it when they weren't paying attention. Delilah really missed everything about Rick, but things would never revert to what they once were. There was so much animosity between her, Rick, and Billy, how was it going to be resolved?
A knock at her door pulled Delilah from her thoughts. "Delilah? It's Carol. May I come in?"
Delilah looked confused, why would Carol come here?
"I'm here to get the twins."
Whoa, that was creepy. Was she reading my mind?
Delilah glanced over at the twins, who were peacefully playing in the Playard. She walked over, opening the door to see Carol on the other side with her sad, solemn look that Delilah had decided was her trademark.
"Hello, Delilah. How are you doing?"
She shrugged. "My two loves are at each other's throats, how would you be?" Delilah inwardly winced, she hadn't meant to be such a bitch, Carol didn't do anything wrong. "I'm sorry, that was very uncalled for. I'm angry and devastated all in one." She nodded her head to the side. "They're over here."
"Thanks." Carol walked into the room. "How are they?" She asked as she peered into the Playard.
"They're good. They were asleep earlier, now they're just hanging out."
Santino looked up from playing, smiling as he saw Carol. "Ca-ro, Ca-ro." He pointed to her and started giggling.
Carol smiled down at him as she reached into the playpen. "Hey, sweetheart. Did you have a nice visit?" While she wouldn't allow herself to get emotionally attached to anybody, Carol already had with the twins. She had helped take care of them for the past three months, and they had a special bond, just like with Judith.
Serena sat up and started bouncing. "Ca-ro! Ca-ro!"
"I've got you, too, little one." Carol leaned in and picked Serena up, having a twin on each hip. She glanced over at Delilah, who was looking away. "Thanks for watching them."
"No problem, I love those two. Even though they're the product of betrayal and somewhat rape, they're my family. I'll stop at nothing to protect them, no matter how much their parents irk me."
Carol nodded. "That's very admirable of you, Delilah."
"Yeah, well, I do the right thing and I still manage to fuck up not only my life, but everybody else's as well."
She really did feel bad for Delilah, but she felt like she was being a burden. "I'm sure you'll figure it out, you're a smart girl." Carol turned to leave and was about to open the door when Delilah stopped her.
"Carol, wait."
She stopped in her tracks, turning around and facing the younger girl. "Yes?"
Delilah looked so sad and lost. With a deep breath, she began to speak. "I don't know what to do. I take the blame for all of this one hundred percent, and everything that's been said is one hundred percent merited, too. I didn't ask for any of this. I love Rick, dearly, but a part of me is still in love with Billy. As much as I hate to say this, I think a part of me might always love him. I'm so torn between them and now this fight has made things worse. I'm angry at them for fighting, but was the writing on the walls all along? I don't want anybody to think I'm some kind of manipulative tease, I'm not. I've only ever been in love with two men in my life, I know when it's real, and I know that right now I have no idea what the hell I'm doing. I also know that you and I aren't on the best of terms, but as of now, you're the only one here besides the kids that doesn't hate me." Carol tried to speak, but Delilah cut her off by holding her hand up, tears in her eyes and her voice cracking. "You're also very wise from what I've heard. I don't know what to do, and I just need somebody to listen. I don't have my mother, you're honestly the next best thing, but really, I don't know if she would know what to say either." She started softly crying, which made Carol feel bad. "I don't want you to coddle me and tell me it will be ok, I just want you to tell me the truth. Can you do that? Please, Carol?"
This wasn't the intimidating leader or the fierce, vengeful warrior, this was a broken girl whose life was crumbling, and maybe she could help. Delilah was an emotional wreck, and a mother figure was exactly what she needed at the moment. "Alright, I can do that." She set the twins down and walked over to the night stand, grabbing some Kleenex and handing them to Delilah, who seemed kind of shocked.
"Thank you." She delicately wiped her eyes. "I don't know what to do."
"Why don't you try sitting down, for starters?"
Delilah nodded. "Ok." They sat down on the bed as she finished wiping her eyes. "I do love them both, unconditionally, and at this point, I can't picture the rest of my life without either one of them. I know I probably shouldn't have jumped the gun and slept with Billy last night. While it was in the heat of the moment, it was the one thing that's felt right for the past week. I should have known that Rick would find out somehow, I never meant to hurt him. I don't know what I should do, the way they were so savagely beating each other, that final punch that Rick threw to Billy, it just… left me stunned and terrified. I've never seen him like this before, I really thought he was going to hit me, he was so angry. It's all my fault, me and my stupid emotions. What am I going to do? How am I going to choose between them?"
Carol watched Delilah with the same sad, solemn stare. She really did feel bad for her, even though it was an unusual predicament considering the times. Putting her hand on Delilah's shoulder, she took a deep breath as the girl looked up at her. "I've never been in a situation like this before, but from what I've observed, it isn't easy at all. I also don't really know what to say, because you've probably heard it all before, but I'll try my best. You can't help who you fall in love with, nobody can, and you've happened to fall for two good guys. Damaged, yes, but still good. They've both done some dreadful things, but they both are contrite, which is a rare trait to come by in a person even long before the outbreak. Although I don't condone fighting, and as insane as this may sound, the fact that they did shows how much you mean to them. I talked to Billy earlier, and from what I've overheard from Rick, they both still love you. You're not being one sided and are taking responsibility, which shows how much you care, too. My suggestion would be to weigh out the pros and cons for each of them, but in the mean time, I think you need to talk to Billy and Rick, get their sides of the story, but do it separately."
Delilah was touched by Carol's advice. Along with being heartfelt and honest, it opened her eyes to the fact that if Billy wanted to repent himself for his actions, Rick would too for the things he said to her. Maybe now that some time had passed and the aggression was let out, he'd be ready to have a rational discussion regarding all of this, but could she ever forgive him for Christine? He hadn't actually slept with her, but why would he let her in his room in the first place? Delilah turned to Carol and nodded. "You're right, and I think I know what I need to do. Thank you so much, Carol." She took the older woman by surprise with a gentle hug.
Although hesitant, Carol felt herself returning the embrace. It had been so long since she had filled a motherly role towards a young girl, and it came with some mixed emotions. On one hand, it reminded her that she would never be able to have these kinds of discussions with Sophia, but on the other hand, this discussion in particular seemed to have helped Delilah, and that felt good. While Delilah was obviously troubled, Carol thought she was a strong girl with a very big heart. Perhaps a bit misguided and disoriented, but a sweet girl overall. "You're welcome, Delilah. I'm glad I could help."
"Me too."
MIDNIGHT
The rain had been on and off for hours, all day and long into the night, but the sky was finally clear with only a few stars on display and a chill in the air. After getting Santino and Serena back from Carol, Billy took them and spent the rest of the day in their room, playing with the twins and thinking over how he was going to get Delilah to speak to him while Rick isolated himself to think over what exactly he was going to say to her. Like the day before, Delilah once again did not leave her room, rather, she spent the day falling in and out of sleep and pondering what she was going to say to both Rick and Billy. After much deliberation, she decided it was the best decision to speak to Rick first. Wearing a pair of purple and white checked pajamas that were way too big, a long sleeved purple shirt with thumb slits, camo UGGS, and her long army green canvas coat, Delilah hugged her arms as she walked out of Home Base. She already knew that he'd be on guard duty with Abraham, but was still a bit nervous as she approached them. The guys looked to be engrossed with their conversation. With a deep breath, Delilah spoke up from a couple feet away. "Excuse me, Abraham?"
The two men turned around, looking over. Delilah could feel Rick's eyes on her, unsure is if it was melancholy or sorrow.
"What's going on, Delilah?"
"Not much. Do you mind if I steal Rick away for like an hour?"
He shrugged. "Sure." Abraham turned back to Rick before he could cut him off. "Give her a chance, man. She loves you. Whatever you do though, don't be a pussy." He gave Rick a pat on the shoulder before walking off. Smiling, he pulled Delilah in and gave her a kiss on the head. "Catch ya later, Little Bird."
"Thanks." Delilah felt herself blushing over his sincere action. They had only known each other for two days, but he had instantly become a father figure to her, and it felt nice. She looked over at Rick, the tension and awkwardness was rising. "Hi."
"Hi.'
"Can we talk?" Delilah looked up at him with her big, aquamarine doe eyes that were filled with longing and hope.
Rick was glad that she had approached him, but he still felt uneasy.
Don't keep running.
"Yes."
YES! THEY'RE GOING TO TALK, WOO-HOO! CHAPTER SIXTY TWO WILL BE COMING SOON! PLEASE VOTE IN THE POLL ON MY PROFILE ABOUT WHO IS BEST SUITED FOR DELILAH AND PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AND SPREAD THE WORD! NO FLAMES!
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Forever Rising Phoenix