Chapter Text
She always came through on the same day at the same time. Always with the same easy smile and wild curly hair. She'd been coming through Diamond City on the first and last Saturday of every month for half a year. Valentine swears she reserves a special kind of smile just for his partner. How could he tell after them running into each other after just a handful of times? Danse would never know, and honestly he would just say she was being polite.
The first time he saw her she was behind the counter with Takahashi. The smell coming from the canteen had wafted through Valentine’s office and had left his desk to investigate. To his surprise, he saw Takahashi cooking with someone else behind the counter. The woman beside the robot had their hair swept up in a ponytail with a well worn apron around their waist. She had sun kissed skin with big brown eyes and friendly smile. Danse watched as her hands moved quickly and with precision to fulfill orders. It was refreshing to see a stranger who easily chatted with Diamond City dwellers waiting for their orders. Now a days there weren’t many wastelanders selling their wares with a smile.
From afar he spotted the protectron plating up something other than noodles and barbecued molerat. The wind blew the savory aroma towards him and he immediately fell in line with the rest of the interested crowd. The closer he got to the food stand he could hear the sizzle of fresh meat being put on the grill. He couldn’t pick out the spices and seasonings used from where he stood, but he feel his mouth begin to water.
After a few minutes he was standing in front of her grill and he spotted a large cut of meat glistening with juices. He pointed toward it and looked up at the stranger, “What exactly is on the menu today?” She smiled and nodded towards the makeshift menu board propped against a steel beam, “Barbeque roadstag with all the fixins, Mirelurk mac, and wild tarberry pie.” At the mention of pie a loud grumble came form his stomach. He smiled sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders, “I forgot to eat anything this morning so I’ll take the stag and a slice of pie.”
“I got something even better,” she chuckled, “I was saving this for later but it sounds like you could use it more than me.” She headed behind the partition and came back with a takeaway box and the slice of pie he ordered. Before sliding the package towards him she opened the lid revealing a perfectly charred steak with mash and veggies. He stared wide eyed at the spread before him, “That looks amazing. How much do I owe you?” He began fumbling with the change in his pocket when she slid the deathclaw steak his way. She smiled and declined the handful of caps.
"It's fresh off the grill and the last one too. 'Sides, first one's always free," she told him. Before he could thank her she waved him goodbye and was moving towards the next person. He accepted the food anyways and left a small tip on the counter. By the time Danse returned to the office and finished his meal, he realized he hadn’t gotten the cook’s name. After work, he stopped by Power Noodles with Valentine to introduce himself to the new stranger in town. But she was already gone. The quick encounter put a grin on his face for the rest of the week; hoping she'd come back soon.