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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
- 66
- 67
- 68
Hi everybody! Sorry I left you all hanging for so long, I was having a mad case of writer's block, but I finally cured it! Here is the long awaited chapter and the final episode of this three parter! I hope you all aren't too angry with Delilah, it will all be resolved in due time. This chapter took a while but I feel is very emotional and intense. Also, Delilah has crossed over into Stubborn Love, so be sure to check it out!
I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT MY OWN ORIGINAL CHARACTERS AND STORYLINES
Chapter Sixty Seven: Dias De Los Muertos, Part Three
Just when she thought things couldn't get any worse, Delilah happened to glance down, the sight of a stainless steel and blue dial Patek Philippe Nautilus watch in the grass made her whole body go numb with trauma.
Malibu, June 16th, 2009, 10:30 am
"Open it, open it, open it!" Delilah clapped her hands together in glee after handing Billy a box wrapped in metallic blue paper with a shiny black ribbon tied at the top in a bow after he had finished reading the included card. They were at the Steverson's beach house in Malibu isince last night, spending their anniversary weekend shut out from the world in this secluded mini-mansion, and they had already started by barely leaving the bedroom.
"Alright, alright. Chill out, pretty girl."
Billy cracked a smile at how animated his gorgeous girlfriend was, and knew that she'd be further elated with the surprise he had for her. Later tonight, Billy was going to ask Delilah to be his bride, which left him both exhilarated and nervous. What if she said no? She wouldn't, Billy knew that she loved him as much as he loved her. They were meant to be together.
"I can't imagine what else you got me, the NASCAR experience was pretty bad ass, and your card was really lovely. Thank you, babe." He put his hand on the side of her face, giving her a tender kiss.
"You're welcome, but I saved the best for last. Now, open it!"
Delilah watched Billy unwrap the present to reveal a black polished wood box with a flour de leis symbol on the front before opening it. His mouth hung open slightly over the stainless steel and blue dial Patek Philippe Nautilus watch that was inside.
"What do you think? It was my father's. Along with war memorabilia, he also had a pretty large watch collection."
She had planned on giving him this gift for their three-year anniversary since she found it six months before while helping her mother clean out the attic. Christine hadn't expressed any interest and Delilah had no use for it, so she figured it would be perfect for Billy, since he loved watches and had a vast collection as well.
Billy was still surprised, unable to take his eyes off the impeccable craftsmanship of one of the best watch brands in the entire world. "Wow, Delilah… I don't know what to say…"
"Hmmm… You could say "It's awesome and you're the best girlfriend in the world and I love you."." She batted her eyelashes at him.
He chuckled and grinned, looking over at Delilah as he took the watch out of the box, putting it on. "It's incredible, just like you are. You're the best girlfriend any man could want and I love you more than I could ever say." Billy held up his wrist, flaunting the watch. "What do you think?"
Delilah beamed proudly as she held his hand before kissing the watch dial. "I think it looks perfect, it belongs on you. Promise you'll never take it off?"
He nodded. "I promise. I love you, Chickpea."
"I love you, too, Babadee. Now, why don't you show how much you love me?" She gave him a suggestive look, which made him laugh.
"You got it."
Billy grabbed Delilah and threw her down on the bed, kissing her neck as she laughed while he got on top of her…

Tyler's earlier words were taunting Delilah's mind, about how he was going to make sure everybody she loved and cared about suffered. If Billy was gone, it meant Christine was also, because everybody else was present. This whole attack had been planned, as were executing Billy and Christine, she was a little surprised that somebody hadn't made an attempt towards Rick.
The loud crying of a baby could be heard from the nursery, even though everybody was outside, and she knew right away that it was Serena crying.
"Daddy! Daddy!"
Hearing her cry for Billy set everything into perspective for Delilah. She felt herself trembling, the color emptying from her face as she slowly shook her head, fear and denial seeping through her bloodstream.
"No… no… no… NNNNOOOO!"
Delilah screamed as she dropped to ground. She knew he was gone, he hadn't taken that watch off in three years and he wouldn't now of all times. The rain began to pour heavier as she was lying sideways on the ground sobbing, her hair, face, and clothes becoming stained with mud.
Everybody watched, all of them wanting to comfort her but feeling frozen to the ground. Apart from the day Billy and Christine arrived at Jellbany, they had never seen Delilah so hysterical, her sobs turning into wails. Even though she had yet to say anything, they knew exactly what had happened.
Rick finally moved forward, caution in his step. He kneeled down, putting his hands on Delilah's shoulders to pull her up. "Shh, Delilah, calm down. It's going to be ok." Rick thought he heard her mumble something, but it was incoherent. "What did you say, sweetheart?"
"GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME!"
She whirled around and smacked him across the face so hard that he tumbled backwards. Rick was at least four inches taller and had about fifty pounds of pure muscle on Delilah, but she had managed to knock him flat on his ass.
Out of shock, Carl tried to run forward, but Maggie held him back. Whatever was about to happen needed to remain between the two of them, even with the surrounding crowd.
Delilah stood over Rick, her hands clenched into fists at her sides and a snarl on her face.
"This is all your fault."
He felt his stomach tie in knots over the intensity of her glare as he stood up. "Delilah, I-"
"There is nothing that you can say or do to make me think otherwise."
"But I-"
"My sister is dead, the love of my life is dead, MY NIECE AND NEPHEW ARE ORPHANS NOW, AND IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!"
Delilah let out a loud scream, crouching down as she started wailing again. When they heard the confirmation, Carol gasped, her eyes watering. Billy, her surrogate son, was dead. Although he lied to her, she had forgiven him, but death was not a fate he deserved. She bowed her head as tears trickled down her cheeks. Tara put her hand on Carol's shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. She had lost a brother in Billy, they had each other's back and he worked so hard on turning his life around since breaking off from Christine.
All Rick wanted to do was take Delilah in his arms and shelter her from the pain, but he knew it wasn't possible, not now and he didn't know when it would ever be.
"I never meant for any of this to happen. You didn't see how he looked after Daryl and I were through with him, we didn't think he'd survive. He had the shit beaten out of him and was thrown down five flights of stairs, there's no way he should have lived."
"Yeah, but he did, all thanks to that little psycho Lizzie. I knew something was off with that kid. Mika was only ten years old, an innocent little girl who didn't deserve to die! This is my place and you made a decision without me, you didn't even bother to consult Madison about this, and she's my second in command! What is it, Rick? You couldn't handle not being the leader for five minutes or are you still holding onto your officer of the law attitude to do everything right? You kept that kid at the farm prisoner for as long as you could, he even got a mock trial, what was so different about Tyler? God knows he was just as psychotic."
In her anger, Delilah had an actual point. They should have waited until she fully recovered and was able to decide Tyler's fate in a fair manner. By trying to save her, Rick had ultimately taken her power away and in her mind, belittled her position.
"This wasn't all my doing, but you need to believe me when I tell you how genuinely sorry I am."
Not even his apology could calm her down, Delilah was livid, even more so than the day Billy and Christine arrived.
"Billy was my everything and Christine was my blood. They were the only family I had left in the world!" Delilah was not about to tell Rick that she had spoken to Rachelle earlier. After what happened today, it was more than likely that she would die on the way back to the states. "You have both your kids, but I have no one!"
Madison spoke up next. "Delilah, that's not true and you know it. You have all of us."
Rick nodded. "Delilah, she's right. You're not alone, you have the twins."
"Yeah, but I'm all they have, too. I know nothing about raising children. This shouldn't have happened, maybe to her, but not him." Delilah began shaking her head. "Not Billy, not my Billy."
As he watched her cry, for a split moment, Rick started to doubt if what Delilah was going to tell him before the attack was that she was picking him over Billy. Except he forced himself to abandon such a thought, she was obviously traumatized and didn't mean most of what she said.
She looked up at him again, her eyes almost red. "You shouldn't feel bad though, because this is what you wanted, right? Billy out of the picture so you could have me all to yourself. I mean, it's why you tried to kill him, it's why you called his children bastards." Delilah smiled evilly at him, a look he had never seen on her before, and it gave him the chills.
"I didn't mean it, I regret my words and actions-"
"Save it, Sheriff. Besides, don't feel so guilty, I don't blame just you." Delilah brushed past him, swiftly marching up to Daryl. "I blame you, too. You white trash, honky tonk, impulsive motherfucker! What, you think you're such hot shit because your weapon of choice is a crossbow?! Who gives a fuck!"
Daryl stepped forward and glared down, towering over her. "You better watch who you're talking to. I ain't like Rick, I will put you in your place."
"Ha, I'm not afraid of you or what you think you can do to me. You're not a real man, Daryl Dixon. A real man would have killed that twisted son of a bitch. Nothing in my life has been the same since you two dickheads got back together again. YOU RUINED EVERYTHING! I HATE YOU! I HATE- PUT ME DOWN!"
Daryl had lifted Delilah up and threw her over his shoulder, where she continued to scream and punch while the others watched. She kept screaming until they were in her room.
"PUT ME THE FUCK DOWN RIGHT NOW, YOU ASSHOLE!"
Daryl threw Delilah down on her bed, still towering over.
"LISTEN TO ME-"
"GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!"
Delilah slapped him across the face, lunging at him until he was on the floor. This continued for a moment, them rolling around, Delilah trying to slap him further until his large hands finally grasped her small wrists, but she still struggled.
"Shut the fuck up and listen to me! You have no idea what you're saying, you've lost your damn mind! Cock hopping spoiled princess bitch, going from one guy to the next! Tyler may have been messed up, but you're beyond fucked, you don't even know which guy you want, how the hell do you think you could run this place on your own?! You need the brat knocked out of you and some sense knocked into you!"
"FUCK YOU!"
Delilah finally opened her eyes to find Daryl's gaze boring into hers. Once their eyes locked, they both seemed to calm down a bit, their breathing less labored than it had been seconds before. For the first time, Delilah saw how blue Daryl's eyes really were, how his musky scent was so potent yet intoxicating, how she felt underneath his strong, muscular body.
There was no denying that there was an intense attraction between the two since the day they met, with lascivious glares and snippy comments. Both of them knew that nothing could ever be acted upon, but maybe one moment could be allowed… They found themselves leaning in, Daryl more than Delilah, wanting a simple taste of sweetness to satisfy the craving. Just as their lips were about to touch, she turned away, knowing this couldn't happen.
"I'm sorry, Daryl…"
"I know, I'm just as much to blame, but nothing happened."
"This is one of those rare moments where refraining from acting on impulse really was the better decision. I'm sorry about everything. I'm not in a good place right now." Delilah finally looked into his eyes, their sadness mirroring one another's.
Right now, she wasn't sure if not acting on impulse was what she needed. In a sick way, she felt like she needed Daryl to rip her clothes off and fuck the pain away, he certainly looked more than capable of performing the task. Except by them not doing anything, it would be more beneficial in the long run. She had lost one love and pushed away another, she couldn't get involved with again.
"I understand. I meant what I said, but I shouldn't have been so rough with 'ya. Timing was all wrong. Just get yourself together, shit needs to be cleaned up, I'll try ta' help out how I can."
"Thank you." Even though Daryl was a handful, he was always honest. Any other guy in this situation would have taken complete advantage of Delilah, but she was glad that he respected her enough not to, even though he was frustrated.
TWO HOURS LATER
"I could leave with her. No matter how many people are on watch, we can't sleep with her and Judith or the twins under the same roof."
Delilah shook her head. "No, I can't allow that. You've really come a long way in the past month. I consider you a valuable asset and a trustworthy confidant to have around. Besides, Daryl wouldn't let you leave, either." This was true. Since her arrival, Delilah had really warmed up to Carol, her first impression before meeting completely dissolved. Carol, although tough and strong, did have a sincere and compassionate interior, being a mother figure to all those that needed one.
"No offense, but if she turned on her own blood, there's no chance that she'd spare you, either. You wouldn't be able to make it on your own with her. Madison cleared out her room to make sure she didn't have any knives or other kinds of weapons, but she found a shoebox full of mice. Maggie asked if she was the one who fed the walkers at the prison, and it was. I've seen this before, when I took child psychology. It's called Conduct Disorder. She can't be around other people, especially small children."
"I don't think there's any other way around this, Delilah…"
"No, there isn't. Think of all the people we lost. Tyreese, Eugene, Prudence, Christine, Billy, Mika. I've never had a good feeling about that girl, all the times she would talk back and how she treated her sister. How did we miss him this whole time?" Delilah heavily sighed, crouching down and burying her face in her hands.
Over the past few months, Delilah really took Mika under her wing and looked out for her. The one time she turned away was the time that she had let the little girl down, and the only way to make things right was by doing something totally wrong.
"What I suggested at first, I don't want to do it. I still don't, but you're right, Carol. There's nothing else that can be done, not after all the damage today. No amount of talking would help, perhaps she was like this long before the turn."
The damage done to the gate and Inventory Range was all superficial, it could be easily fixed in a month somehow, but nothing would bring back the lives that were lost today.
Carol put her hand on Delilah's shoulder. She felt like she could relate to Delilah, they had both been through hard times and suffered tremendous losses, they even had a mutual one now with Billy, but they were also thick skinned and tried to do what had to be done, even if it wasn't always the right thing. "It's just how she is. I didn't see it, not until it was too late, and I should have. There's no way she can be helped, Delilah. I know you're wracking your brain with any possible solution, but there isn't one."
Delilah looked up to see that they were both teary eyed. It had been a very long, exhausting day, and it was only going to get worse for the rest of it. They had a major flight risk on their hands that needed to be immediately eliminated, for the sake of everybody at Jellbany. Delilah grabbed Carol's hand, which somewhat surprised the older woman.
"Carol, we can't allow ourselves to be consumed by guilt over this. It's not ethical, but look around you. There are no ethics or morals anymore. People now are not what they used to be, and we can't allow what happened today to occur again, history cannot repeat itself. We might not be lucky to make it out alive next time."
Carol nodded, knowing Delilah was right, regardless of the sinking feeling in her stomach. "She can't be around other people."
"Then you know what needs to be done."

The rain had finally stopped for the past hour or so, the sun now battling to push it's way past the grey clouds. Lizzie walked ahead of Carol, having a pep in her step, almost skipping.
"You should pick some flowers for Mika and Christine for the service." Once she had calmed down, Delilah and Madison had discussed with Scott about performing a funeral service for the loved ones they lost and cremate the bodies, which the rest of the council agreed with.
Luckily, one of the only things that had miraculously remained intact following the steamroller was the flower garden; it hadn't even been slightly affected by the downpour of rain. It made Carol think of the tale Daryl had told her surrounding the Cherokee Rose. The plants were sturdy and strong, grown by fallen tears. She couldn't help but wonder if there would be a whole patch of them in the morning for all those lost.
"Yeah, she'd love that. Christine will come back, I didn't see her or else I would have tied a rope around her so she wouldn't leave. She was my best friend."
Her statement, along with the cold gust of wind blowing, gave Carol the shivers. The fact that Lizzie had such admiration for Christine should have been enough of a sign that something was wrong. Yes, while Christine had made major efforts to redeem herself, what had been done would never be forgotten.
"What is it?" Lizzie asked as she stopped walking, her eyes filling with tears. "Are you mad at me? Am I in trouble? Is that why you wanted to talk to me?" Her voice cracked and she was almost shaking over Carol's stoic look. "Tyler promised me if I helped him that everybody would finally understand what I've been talking about, that the walkers are just like us and that Delilah needed to understand what she did to him wasn't right."
"I'm sorry, it's his fault, not mine, but he's not around, so now you're mad at me." Lizzie cried as she walked off, staring down at the flowerbeds of daffodils and tulips. Carol remained silent, watching her. Lizzie was continuing to twist things and turn them around on Delilah, who hadn't done anything at all.
"I love you, Lizzie." This was true, she had come to love the Samuels sisters, which is why her heart ached and her stomach was twisting, sharp pangs stabbing all over her body. "And everything works out the way it's supposed to."
"I'm sorry. Please don't be mad at me." The young girl continued to cry and gaze at the vibrant flowers, the only brightness that remained in the fog of this day.
"Just look at the flowers, Lizzie." A part of Carol wanted to grab Lizzie and shake some sense into her, but nothing could be done. Even Freud would have given up. "Just look at the flowers." Another part of her thought perhaps Lizzie knew what was coming next, that she would be meeting her untimely fate.
Raising her trembling arm and cocking her gun, the world crashed down on Carol. Back when the world was sane, she would without a doubt sentence a child murderer to the death penalty, but now she would be one of them. She wasn't sure if the others would see things the way she and Delilah did, but there was nothing else that could be done.
"Look at the flowers."
Pulling the trigger, Carol gasped as she watched Lizzie's body drop with a 'thud' to the ground, a single tear rolling down her cheek. In her eyes, she was no better than anybody else she had come across in the apocalypse, she was now one of them.
What Carol didn't know was that Delilah had been watching the entire scene from her room, which also brought her to tears. She never thought things would get this far, that such unspeakable lengths would be reached to protect those she cared about, but it couldn't be erased now, nor would it ever.
She wasn't a little girl, she was a monster.

The clouds had managed to hide the sun once more as the service commenced. Starting out with Kate Beckinsale's techno cover of "Amazing Grace" reminded everybody of the already somber mood.
Abraham and Rosita were first, talking about how Eugene was so intelligent and intuitive, thinking quickly on his feet. There wasn't a single word uttered about his betrayal, it had all been put behind them. Abraham was a bit drunk off of some bourbon that survived in Inventory Range, most likely to ease the pain, he was even teary eyed. Michonne and Sasha were next, saying how Tyreese was such a pillar of strength but that he didn't always need to be Mr. Macho Man, both of them cutting their speeches short because they were so distraught. Carol spoke of how sweet Mika was and how she considered Billy the son she never had.
In between watching the others speak, Rick looked over at Delilah, trying to figure out a way to talk to her, knowing he was the last person she wanted to speak to. Yes, she really lashed out, but she had a point. Why hadn't he waited until she woke up? This probably could have been prevented…
Delilah stepped up next, looking down at the sheet covered bodies. Since there was nothing to bury of Billy and Christine, pictures would have to suffice. She had selected one of her and Christine when they were little, the other was the picture of her and Billy that she had gone back for that day in Mamie's room. A small part of her wanted to believe that perhaps they were still alive, that they managed to escape somehow, but it just wasn't possible, not at all.
"Eugene, I'm sorry that I ratted you out to everybody, it wasn't meant to be malicious. I understand why you did what you did, it's not easy to live in a world where you're not always accepted or where you're feeling insignificant. You never were though. Even when you were hated, you were still held in high regard. I only knew you for a short time, but your brainpower was just fascinating, enviable by many. You didn't deserve this at all.
Tyreese, while you had the tough guy façade, I always knew there was more than that. You were such a big teddy bear, especially with Judith. Mika," She took a couple shaky breaths, feeling the tears once again and forcing them away. "Mika, you were the little sister I always wanted, and I know we both valued our unbreakable bond. I just wish that I had been your real sister, because I never would have done what she did. We both got screwed over in the big sister department, but it's also what brought us together, too. I know that wherever you are, that you'll be shining, my sunflower girl. Christine, my actual sister-"
Delilah was interrupted by the sounds of snide whispering, knowing that people were literally talking behind her back. She didn't give two fucks as to what they were actually saying, but she knew that she wasn't going to tolerate it.
"E-NOUGH!"
Delilah whipped around, the frustration cancelling out the grief with a glare.
"I don't want to hear a word out of any of you, got it? I know there's a lot that don't agree with the final decision regarding Lizzie, but it had to be done. Let's put it this way, it was either her… or any of you."
The accuracy and venom in her words shut everybody up, intimidated by her newfound demon. Rick watched, not knowing if or when things would ever be normal for anybody. His group, hers, but especially his own relationship with Delilah. He loved her so much, but could he save her from herself a second time around? Time might be the only thing that would help.
With a deep breath, Delilah turned to the pictures again. "It's kind of ironic, don't you think? You tried to kill me, and here I am burying you. I don't know what to feel right now. Relief that you'll never be able to hurt me again, anger for leaving right when things were getting better for us, or maybe you were lying once again. No matter what you did to me, and you were pretty awful, I always loved you. I couldn't help it, you were my big sister and all I ever wanted was for us to have a great relationship."
"Billy, from the first time I saw you, I knew it wouldn't be the last. I also knew that we'd end up together. I suppose the saying "be careful what you wish for" is the most fitting, because who the hell would think that you'd ever conspire with the person that hated me the most in this world? More than anything, I wanted to hate you, even go as far as killing you, but like I said, my heart is stronger than my vengeance. I loved you, I never stopped and I'll probably always love you, no matter who I choose."
This all made her second guess her decision to choose Rick over Billy. Maybe if she had, he'd still be alive, but she couldn't think that way. There was no room for second guesses or second chances, at least not now.
"I wanted to recite this poem by W H Auden, it's called "Funeral Blues"." Having heard the poem in a movie once, she thought it seemed very fitting for this moment, saying good bye to love.
"Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.
Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message 'He is Dead'.
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.
He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.
The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood;
For nothing now can ever come to any good."
Although he tried not to be, Rick couldn't help but feel insulted over her speech. She wasn't even going to choose Billy, yet she acted like she already had.
Cut her a break, she's in mourning. She'll come around… I hope.
Delilah took a shaky breath, once again looking at the pictures of her with Billy and Christine. It was apparently bad luck to burn pictures, but there was nothing else she had of them personally, and she wasn't going to burn the watch.
"I hope you're able to dream of paradise, wherever you are."
Pressing "Play" on the portable stereo, synthesizer music began playing, followed by strings and piano chords. While she looked up at the sky, the thunder beginning to rumble again. Looking over at Scott, she nodded to the questioning look on his face as Chris Martin began to sing the lyrics to "Paradise", handing her the lighter. It had been one of the last Coldplay songs to be released before the apocalypse, about a girl who wanted so much out of life but not quite getting there, only finding solitude in her dreams. At first, Delilah thought she was that girl, but now it was Christine. She and Billy would both be dreaming now, closing their eyes and flying away into the stormy sky.
"And dream of para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
(Oh oh oh oh oh, oh-oh-oh)
She'd dream of para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
(Oh oh oh oh oh, oh-oh-oh-oh)"
As the chorus played, Delilah looked up, watching the rain fall down, not even blinking and oblivious to how the stream was making the blaze of the fire burn, the pictures turning to ashes in a matter of seconds, captivating everybody else. On impulse, she looked over at Rick, the empathy on his face. Out of everybody else there, he knew how she was feeling, but she couldn't be around him right now, and so she walked on by, ignoring the calls around her and feeling the overwhelming urgency to be alone. It was then that she realized the exact day it was. Dias De Los Muertos.
Day of the Dead.
Whoever Tyler planned this with had some perfect, twisted timing.
At this point, Delilah really was alone and everything was gone. Her first love and big sister were dead, the twins had become orphans, and she might as well give up any hope that her mother would come back at all.
Maybe I was always meant to be alone.
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Forever Rising Phoenix