The Final Farewell

The following morning, Vernita woke up in Bill's guest room that he set aside just for her. It took her a few minutes lying in bed to realize she was in Bill's Mexican hacienda and not in her cozy home in Pasadena lying next to her husband, Lawrence.

Vernita hadn't slept well during the night. She kept thinking about her encounter with Elle and how close she had come to slashing her throat. She had lain awake in the bed and stared at the ceiling replaying the entire scene in her mind, especially her reaction afterwards. Brimming with tears, she had sat down on the couch while Bill had calmed her down, and she finally understood why Beatrix had left the squad. In that light, Vernita wondered if her reaction was really over the top and decided it wasn't.

Wouldn't a mother—even a "normal" mother who wasn't a former assassin—want to kill for her baby if their pride and joy was being threatened? Wouldn't a mother slay an entire army if it meant saving the child that she had carried in her body for nine months? Wouldn't a mother die for her little boy or little girl?

When she thought about it like that, it made perfect sense to Vernita. She would thrust a knife through her own heart if it meant Nikkia could live another day and the rest of her life. Nobody would dare joke about her baby girl being murdered, much less actually do it, if Vernita had her way. She had so many future plans for Nikkia and the thought of losing her was enough to send her into a murderous frenzy.

She willed herself to get up, put on her extra change of clothes and then brushed her hair, letting it hang out around her shoulders. Vernita glanced quickly at her wristwatch. It was nine-thirty in the morning. She had overslept since she didn't have to wake up Nikkia or take her to school.

Or did she have to?

It was Sunday. She was getting the days mixed up.

Sunday.

Goosebumps blossomed on her skin as she flashbacked to that fateful day. Sunday was the day she had betrayed Beatrix. Of course, Sunday had other associations too. Sunday was the day Lawrence wanted Nikkia to be baptized at age three. Actually, it had been her mother-in-law's idea. Vernita remembered that she almost openly resisted the idea. Not because she was against religion or baptism, but because she didn't believe she should ever step foot into a church. Her and Lawrence had a simple house wedding, no church. Not after what she did in a church nearly three years ago at the time. She had gone to the church for Nikkia's sake and kept silent the entire time. From the the minute they walked in, she wanted to leave and it was over before she knew it.

She sighed. It was time to go and time to leave the past behind. The latter was impossible as that past was literally catching up to her as the seconds ticked by. As for the former, Vernita was ready to leave the hacienda and she would have to be careful as she made her exit. After last night, Elle was the last person she ever wanted to see.

Vernita heard her padding down the hallway. Out of curiosity, she stuck her head out the door. Elle's back was turned to her, her eye-patch—the actual piece that concealed her eye—was wrapped around the back of her head resting on her blonde hair. That was the only article of clothing she wore, that is, if an eye-patch was considered to be clothes. Or elegant a tired as B.B. had innocently phrased it. Vernita quickly shut the door thankful she didn't have to see what was left of Elle's eye socket. It was obvious she was suffering a hangover like Bill said she would. Elle must've heard her because Vernita heard her padding on the floor followed by a rapid knocking on the door.

"Go away, bitch," Vernita said. She pressed her back against the door, in case Elle had crazy ideas of forcing her way in.

"Wanted to say adios and thanks for the memories."

Vernita waited. Elle obviously wasn't leaving anytime soon. Then, as if she were bored by the whole thing, she stood away from the door. Vernita could tell because suddenly the door seemed lighter as if it had lost a hundred pounds. Elle simply standing in front of the closed door was enough to make her go into another frenzied state and this time Vernita was sure she would kill her since Bill wasn't around to stop her. Or so she thought. She hadn't heard him around the house except for an hour earlier.

"Fine then…I hope your plane doesn't crash…ya little Beatrix-loving cunt."

Elle sauntered away until Vernita couldn't hear her footsteps anymore. Even then she waited. The only sound was the hands on her watch making a soft ticking noise. Vernita knew how to tell if someone was in the room with her even with her eyes closed and she could certainly tell when someone had completely removed themselves from a closed in area. After ten minutes, she made sure she had everything she came with, made the bed, and left the room, closing the door softly behind her. She thought about making a quick breakfast, but then thought better of it. She didn't want to stay around longer and run into Elle who was probably still wandering around with her eye-patch on backwards. Vernita went downstairs with her luggage and headed for the front door.

When she opened it, she was surprised to find Bill on the other side.

"Beat me to the punch, eh?" Bill asked; a sly grin on his face.

Vernita stepped outside as Bill opened the door for her.

"I just came back from dropping B.B. at church. I may not believe in the guy upstairs...but I'm not one to deny B.B. to get to know who He is…she has every right to make her choice to go to church, even if she's just there to sing some songs and pray for an hour or two. That's fine by me...and that's where I've been." He pointed at her luggage. "I take it you're ready to go."

"Yeah, I am."

Bill went to the passenger side and opened the door for her like a gentleman. Chivalry; the antithesis of cruelty. He definitely has a charming side; Vernita thought as she got in. She waited for Bill as he ran back into the hacienda for something. Probably to kiss Elle good morning. Ugh. Vernita didn't like to think about it. Hopefully he was telling her to throw some clothes on. Bill came back outside and hopped in his car.

Moments later, they were down the road as he drove to the airport. Vernita watched the scenery fly by as Bill drove over seventy miles per hour. He always was a fast and risky driver. Some things don't change, she figured.

"How's B.B.?" She asked, finally breaking the silence.

"She's good…quite energetic in the mornings." He glanced at her, meeting her eyes. "She asked for you."

A small smile lit up Vernita's face. "Did she?"

Bill nodded. "I told her you have a little girl too…and that, that little girl is missing her Mommy, so Mommy has to go home. I believe I told her you had a lovely young lady the same age…but you know, sometimes they forget." He chuckled. "Hell, look at me…I'm really getting up there in age…I forgot if I told my little girl about your little girl."

"What'd she say afterwards?"

"She wanted to know when you're coming back."

Vernita leaned back in the leather seat as Bill made a sharp turn into the airport and drove around the huge maze-like parking lot. Bill had turned out to be a pretty decent father. It was intriguing considering he used to be a cold-blooded killer or as he liked to put it "a murdering bastard." That was another thought that had plagued her mind last night.

She came to the conclusion that people such as her and Bill were capable of the cruelest violence, but were also capable of showing utmost love and compassion. Or was it the other way around: people capable of showing kindness were also able to act out the opposite extreme, destruction? Vernita wasn't sure, but she had been able to do both in her roles as an assassin, a mother, and a wife. As far as being a parent was concerned, she wasn't too bad. There was no learning manual when it came to being a parent, but she was doing the best she could to provide for Nikkia and she knew Bill was too where B.B. was concerned.

"I'd love to come back, but…"

Bill found a parking space. He turned off the car and turned to her. Reaching for her hands, he held them in his own and met her eyes. "Vern, whatever you do…don't go out like a fucking light. I trained you better than that…and we both know it." He closed his eyes as if meditating and then reopened them. "You're still a force to be reckoned with after all these years. I saw that last night. Those killer instincts haven't died out. If you have to use it to defend your family against Beatrix…then by all means do what you must."

She swallowed nervously. Now at the airport and after what Bill just said, the reality of Beatrix Kiddo coming to kill her seemed more real than before. She felt as if Bill was sending her to the execution chamber and not home. Then Vernita scrunched her face. I'm not gonna sit here and whine, fuck that. When that bitch comes for me, I'll be ready for her. Ready and waiting. Bill released her hands and opened the car doors.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"I am."

Silently, Vernita and Bill got out and retrieved her luggage from the trunk.

"Bill…"

His eyebrows rose in response.

"I wouldn't trust your daughter with her…not Beatrix, but Elle. She—"

Bill shook his head violently. "You need not worry Vernita…because she knows…as we both know…that if she so much lifts a finger against my baby girl, I'd cut off all ten. She'd have to find a new way to eat food and sign her name. She would suffer…far worse than Beatrix ever did…and I'd make certain her heart stopped beating. There would be no leftovers. What I'd do to her…or anyone for that matter if they ever dared harm my B.B.…would make what I did to Beatrix look like a walk in the park."

Vernita nodded. She felt better knowing that Bill was extremely protective of B.B. Not that he wasn't already; but she didn't want Elle's sugar sweetness to completely fool him. Maybe Bill wasn't fooled after all, she thought, but she didn't want to entertain the thought of Elle being with Bill and vice-versa. At least he wouldn't think twice about pulling the plug on that warped bitch, Vernita thought. Some parents put their boyfriends or girlfriends before their child, but Bill was definitely not the type to do so.

"Don't worry too much," Bill continued. "Elle can think whatever she likes about whatever she wants. In regards to B.B…she knows better than to act out. On the whole, she's been alright with her…she takes her out sometimes, buys her a toy here and there, a little summer outfit…that much I appreciate." He took a deep breath and looked at the airport building. His eyes caught sight of an airplane taking off into the air and then he met Vernita's concerned eyes. "Don't worry, my baby will be fine." He forced himself to smile. "Thank you for the concern. I know it's well-meaning…and I know you understand…now that you have your own little one to watch out for."

She nodded. "Give her a hug and kiss for me."

"I will. You do the same for Nikkia."

"Will do."

Vernita was amazed at how much fatherhood had transformed Bill. It had brought out a sweet tenderness in him that she never knew existed. Was Beatrix aware of this "sweet side" of Bill? Probably. She realized that Bea would be surprised to find that Bill was a decent father, who really took care of their child with supreme love.

Maybe if Beatrix had known…maybe then she wouldn't have run away. Maybe if Bill knew the baby was his from the get-go, Vernita thought as her mind ran away from her, maybe he wouldn't have shot her in the head…and none of us would be going through this now.

"I guess this is it…" Bill said. Then he spoke in his narrator tone. "And now Vernita Green goes back to living the American Dream. She's the devoted wife to the good doctor Lawrence Bell…and dedicated mother to the adorable Nikkia Bell when she takes on the alias…Jeannie Bell."

Vernita gave him an uneasy smile. "Couldn't resist the jab, huh?"

Bill's face wilted. "It wasn't a jab…it's like you're morphing back to Jeannie Bell just like Superman goes back to being shy and insecure Clark Kent."

"I gotcha now, Bill." Now she understood where he was coming from. He was trying to ease the tension in the best way he knew how.

"You know my passion for comics." He sighed, and thrust his hands in his pockets.

Vernita looked at the ground and then at him. He was letting her go, she knew. He wouldn't walk her into the airport or to the terminal where she would catch her plane back to California. In the end, it was best like this. She didn't want him to escort her in, there was some strange finality to it and he sensed this too.

Bill took a step towards her and she did the same. She set down her luggage and embraced him, her chin on his shoulder. His arms came around to embrace her and he felt her tears on his shoulders. Vernita hugged him tightly and Bill returned the same warmth.

"Thank you…for everything, Bill."

"Yes…you're…" Bill found he couldn't complete his thought. He definitely wasn't one to be sappy and show his emotions, but this was too much for him to accept. First O-Ren went down and soon Vernita would, unless she beat Beatrix at her game. "You'll be in my thoughts, Vern."

Vernita nodded. Wiping her tears away, she took a deep breath, regaining her composure. "This is it."

Bill nodded. They stared at each other for a long time, not saying anything. Finally, she picked up her luggage and headed towards the building. Only after she was a good distance off, did she turn around to see if Bill had left. He was still there, standing in the same position like a statue, watching her leave. Then she continued forward until she was inside the airport.

Without saying it, they both knew that today would be the last time they'd see each other.

Alive.