𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇 (Kill Bill)

𝐈𝐈.

𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑: 𝐈𝐈

𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐤𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤. That wasn't something she did normally. The two blades typically kept their place over the sink in the kitchen. Decoration, now. She didn't have use for them anymore.

At least, that was what she thought.

Now, she needed them. Because if she didn't have them, chances were that Beatrix was going to kill her. That was just how it worked.

Danielle fidgeted anxiously in the passenger's seat of Budd's truck. He looked over at her, reaching to take her by the hand, squeezing. "It'll be fine," he said.

Danielle took a breath. "Yeah," she stated. "Yeah, it's definitely goin' to be just fine." She shook her head, pulling her hand free of his grip and running her fingers through her hair. 

She bit hard at her lip, climbing from the truck. Budd let out a sigh before he joined her.

MY OH MY CLUB said the neon blue lights on the club's roof. TOTALLY NUDE GIRLS.

Danielle didn't really know how she'd managed to get here. This wasn't where she thought she'd ever end up, twenty-six years old, an ex goddamn assassin, pregnant, of all things.

It had been good, weirdly happy, weirdly all right. It had all been fine before the Two Pines.

Now she was working at a strip club. Now she had to worry about just how she was going to pay for a baby when she and Budd hardly made any money working at the club.

But she forced on a smile as she and Budd made their way through the near-empty club.

"Late again," noted a coworker, John, from his place at the bar. "Budd, can't you tell time? If it weren't for you, Dani'd be on time every night."

Budd shrugged, looking around. "There ain't nobody in here, man."

"Is that Budd?" a voice called from the back, and Danielle let out a sigh. Their boss, Larry, pissed as all hell that they'd shown up late again. "Tell him to get his fucking ass back here!"

Danielle and Budd shared a look. She nudged him along. "You get to work. I'll be all set up here."

"You sure?"

She offered a flash of a smile. "I'm sure."

Budd pressed a quick kiss to her forehead before he made his way to the back room. Danielle watched him disappear from view before she started wiping down the bar for her shift. "I try to tell him, Larry!" she called as she poured herself a shot of whiskey. "He don't want to listen to me, though!"

She knocked back the shot, running her fingers through her hair and leaning on her elbows, gazing out at the empty club. "Is this actually my life?" she muttered.

"Afraid so," John answered her.

At the end of the bar, one of the workers, Margo, snorted. "You ain't got it half as bad as some of us here, sweetheart," she said. "Larry doesn't have you walking around this place half-naked."

"Yeah, I make myself do that," Danielle answered. She took a step back, spreading her arms jokingly to show the tight tank top and jeans she wore. "I live off of tips, that's how this goes."

She poured herself another shot, draining it without a second thought.

"You payin' for that?" John asked, and she rolled her eyes.

"Of course," she said, fishing through her pocket for a ten-dollar bill, slapping it down on the bartop.

At the sound of footsteps, she glanced up to see Budd. His hat was tucked under his arm. There was a cigarette between his lips.

"Everythin' all right?" Danielle asked.

He scoffed. Before he could answer, one of the girls, Rocket, approached. "Yeah, Budd, honey, uh, the toilet is at it again," she said, flashing a smile before she continued, "There's shitty water all over the floor."

"Okay... Rocket," Budd answered. "I'll clean it up."

She nodded. "Mm-hmm."

He glanced back at Danielle, voice low. "I'm out of work for the next week. Larry will call when he wants me back."

"Like fucking hell that's gonna happen," Danielle answered. She opened her mouth to continue, but he was already making his way to the bathroom.

"We'll talk later!" he said.