Closure [Shiloh]

[Shiloh Alexis Mindel]

Shiloh stood beside the man she'd come to care about more than she'd wanted to. She still couldn't call it love, for fear of it leading to something like her mother went through.. She didn't want that. Couldn't handle that.. Didn't want to think about it. Though for some reason she felt..she swore...a hand on the place her heart resided within her chest, and arms both soothing and somehow demanding wrapped caressingly around her.

Dimly the words Tony uttered broke through the slight haze that had descended around her, dulling all the senses she usually prided herself by keeping sharp.... Something about him expecting to see Delilah in or around the house the two had come so close to making their own. Shiloh's eyes misted as he seemed to discount that the woman who'd adored him previous to her death and beyond had all but stopped the moment her body had done the same... If he only knew just how close the woman was especially during his trying times..

"Tony.. You might not feel her here.. Specifically.. But that's because she's always around you. She didn't stop caring for you just because she is no longer part of the physical around us......uhm.. you.."

She looked at him just in time to see the singular tear escape and her heart broke. How deeply he must have cared.. Loved the woman he so hoped to see again.. Somewhere deep inside Shiloh felt the twins jealousy and envy. Secretly she wanted someone that would devote their lives to her the way Tony had his fiance. Secretly she wanted... No needed to prove to herself the world wasn't all about pain, hate, and heartache. Inwardly she sighed as she saw longing cross his face and wished silently she could make all his pain go away. What she wouldn't give to have his eyes light up in amusement.....excitement.. or something deeper, even if it wasn't toward her.

Then she heard it, a silky yet husky whisper not from the mouth of anything living. It was more like she felt it deep in her heart, though at first she resisted the knowledge vehemently for a short while. As she'd been pulled inward to listen to the words, she dimly registered her hand becoming free. Though she figured it had been because Tony had walked up the steps an into the house, not because he'd dropped beside her. The 'thump' of bone against cobblestone registered, and had her shaking herself back into the present.

A startled gasp forced through her vocal cords as the image of Tony buckled over in what looked like pain. She fell to her knees beside him, wrapping an arm as far around his broad shoulders as she could, and taking her other hand to place on his face. "Are you alright?! Where are you hurt?!!" Terror colored her face as her desperate voice urged him to answer.

Tony got to his feet, and she did the same. Yet as he took a step toward the house Shiloh was stationary not able to shake the feeling like she'd be intruding on something too private. As he entered the immaculate, though slightly dusty from non-use, house Shiloh walked quietly up the steps, braced on the last one, just in case a beggar or other not pleasant individual had happened to take up residence since no one had presumably been inside for years and had decided to try to take Tony's weakened state to their advantage.

She made her eyes scan the room from a protection stand point instead of one based on curiosity partially to give the couple (she KNEW Delilah was there with Tony) their personal time to get what they needed to past them.
She tried not to stare as Tony picked up the small box from the floor and opened it but she couldn't pull her eyes from him.. them.. Again teary, Shiloh watched as he pulled what from her view point was a collar from the box and took in the expression as he read the note within. She couldn't decide whether or not to breach the sacred feeling the house held and actually take the steps to go in to offer her support, or wait for him to show her when she was welcome.

She didn't have to wait long as he turned and told her that he was at peace. She then felt a warming of the chill that had lived in her spine since they'd come within feet of the place. The arms that had been demanding her attention instantly loosened and she heard... or felt a relieved sigh then a happy laugh. Shiloh hoped Tony had felt it also... Though she had started to suspect that for some strange reason members of the 'other world' were drawn to her.. Her mother had been sensitive to things like that and had stepped in to offer words of encouragement from the other side to people who had desperately needed it at one point or another. Maybe she'd just inherited it?

She shrugged, that part of her.. In fact, SHE wasn't what was important in the here and now. Her focus should be on the man she was with and what Delilah's spirit had imparted to her, the request she'd made. The request was a tall order for someone with Shiloh's set of ideals. Yet she made a vow, she'd do all she could to put Delilah's spirit to rest by keeping the spiritual promise she'd made. She'd give Tony as much as he'd allow her to give, or as much as he'd take. She'd take what he was willing to give, as little or as much as it were.

A shining light crossed her peripheral vision in the shape of a young woman who seemed to have an everlasting smile recently placed on a face now relieved from pain. A sharp intake of breath is the only indication Shiloh let play across her features, not knowing if it had been her imagination or not. She felt if she'd brought it up to Tony at that point it wouldn't have helped matters.. Or would have made her look like an utter fool. She didn't know how he would have taken that little piece of information, so she kept it to herself.

Finally looking back to Tony she noticed his face seemed even the tiniest bit more relaxed than she'd ever seen it. This made her heart soar.. An ecstatic smile crossed her lips before she spoke. "I'm not sure what exactly happened here.. Or how I fit into it.. But something... I'm assuming it was Delilah's spirit reached out to me and asked me to promise her something.. What it was I won't tell, I can't tell you.. I don't know what or how your feelings are concerning me, us.. But I want to tell you I care for you.. More than I first wanted to." she confessed her feelings partially, holding back slightly until his feelings were voiced or shown. The last thing she wanted to do was push this new part of her life away.

[Tony Dedrian]

Tony looked over at Shiloh as she stood there, a strange look on her face. A look he was waiting for... His strength returning, he reached out and took her hand as she spoke... about making a promise to Delilah. Then, his knees grew weak. Delilah spoke to her? She was... here? Here! Tony looked around, but realized something. It must have been a message only for Shiloh.. meaning...

"We... we have her blessing..."

He muttered the words in awe, realizing that Delilah must have waited for him... awaited him to move on... so she could leave him in peace... He closed his eyes, and looked at Shiloh, realizing that this... this was it.

He closed his eyes again and slowly pulled her into the house, smiling.

"Welcome... to my home." he said quietly.

The house was grand, despite it's looks from the outside. The main hall had separated due to a set of stairs that led up, and doors were on either side of the hall, the left leading into a kitchen, the right into a den. Furniture, covered by plastic, sat undisturbed in the den as Tony walked in, waving his hands as the plastic vanished. There was a couch, a loveseat, and a tea table in the middle of them, made of what looked like mahogany. A blue carpet dressed the floor, the walls an eggshell white, with a nice sized fireplace on the far wall. Tony wandered around like a child just learning the world again, trailing his fingers on the couch. They had sat here once... talking. Delilah and Tony had a serious talk that night...

This is our house... can you believe it?

I don't know, Tony... It seems... quick, don't you think?

Tony looked at Delilah and raised an eyebrow.

What? Delilah, we've been talking about his house for months. Heh.

I know, Tony, but... I just want you to know... I'm glad to have been with you.

Delilah...

He couldn't believe his ears. It's as if she was thinking something would happen.

That night, they would spend together, their true first time... but only a week later, when they were going to meet and move into the house officially, that fateful night, Tony's life changed forever...

"...This was the last place I saw her alive." he said quietly. "We... stayed together here one night, and then I left for office duties, and she left for her job in Diagon Alley- a waitress..." he shrugged lightly.

"I guess you take things for granted... all I could think about that day was looking forward to seeing her again, knowing we would meet in front of the second sidewalk restaurant... not knowing that the last time I would see her awake would be right here..." he tapped the couch and looked up.

He looked at Shiloh and walked over to her, leading her to the kitchen. He waved his hand as the dust went into a ball in the middle of the room and then sailed out of the window. He walked over and ran his fingers across the stovetop, looking over at Shiloh.

"So, wanna know how good us french can cook?" he said, smiling as he turned and waved his hand, the stove lighting up as several pans came out of the cupboards. Tony rubbed his hands together and snapped his fingers, several cans of tomato sauce appearing on the counter, with, somehow, a whole chicken, some noodles (shells), and various spices.

After a moment, he looked at Shiloh and held out his hand.

"Come on. I'll show you how to make Chicken Shell-sghetti."