"Emily!" yelled Missy at the top of her lungs, fear coursing through her entire body.
This couldn't be happening.
It couldn't.
At her cry, Wade, who still had a blade pressed tightly to Scott's cheek, turned to look at her, his face suddenly full of concern.
"It's Emily," cried Missy, staring at him, her eyes suddenly brimming with tears, her breathing becoming shortened and shallow. "She's gone. She was here and now she's- EMILY!"
A couple of passers-by, clutching their coats tightly around themselves amidst the falling snow, glanced at her looking alarmed, but Missy didn't care.
Her little girl was gone. Just like that.
In this weather, and within the dimmed light of early evening, Missy couldn't even make-out in which directions he had fled in.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Wade let go suddenly of Scott, causing the dark-haired man to slip down the wall, tumbling unsteadily from his feet.
In a second, Wade had closed the gap between himself and Missy, his hand letting the knife slip to his side, his other clutching her forearm tightly.
"What do you mean she's gone?" said the merc, breathing hard, his chocolate eyes boring into hers. "Didn't you see which way she went?"
Neither of them even noticed Scott pull himself once more to his feet, and slink silently away…
Missy, her heart thudding painfully in her chest, glared at Wade.
"No, I didn't….and don't you dare accuse me…." she bared her teeth at the merc, before tugging her arm from him and pacing swiftly up the street.
"Emily!" she cried loudly once again, her heart almost tearing in two. "Emily!"
"Emily!" cried Wade, from a few feet behind her, cupping his hands around his mouth.
It was freezing now, the snow starting to swirl around them, making it hard to see anything.
Missy walked in her high heels, her feet pretty much numb, but she didn't care. Her little girl was missing. The one thing she cared most about in the whole world.
"Maybe she's gone home," she heard Wade cry from behind her, as Missy stopped at the corner of the street, looking this way and that. "Maybe one of us should try there."
Perhaps Wade was right, maybe she had gone home.
But in this weather, how would she even know the way?
The falling snow was more than disorienting, it was as if a blanket had fallen over their eyes, making almost everything indistinguishable.
Missy's heart ached.
This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't.
"Emily!" she yelled louder this time, at the top of her lungs.
But it was no use.
It was getting quieter now, the crowds obviously heading home…inside…away out of the freezing cold.
Emily couldn't be out in this. Even with a coat on, it was too cold now and only getting colder.
"EMILY!" Missy yelled again, her lungs straining to hold onto any breath.
Suddenly a hand touched her arm.
"I should head this way and you go that way," said Wade as Missy swung around, coming face to face with him, wincing against the snow, now whipping at his stubbly face. "See if we can see where she went. She can't have gone far."
He was right, she was only three and on her tiny legs it was unlikely she could have walked that far ahead of them.
But it wasn't how far she could walk that was the worry. What if someone had found her wandering alone? This city was home to some of the worst kind of people…and what if-
Missy gave a gulp. She didn't want to think about, what if.
She gave a sharp nod, staring at Wade through the swirling snow, before tugging herself away from him once again.
She began to walk….
The minutes ticked by as Missy wandered the dark, freezing cold streets calling out. He teeth were chattering hard and she could barely feel her hands or feet but she kept on going. She had to.
She didn't even know how long she was out there for, calling Emily's name….but it must have been over an hour….maybe two….
Missy, wading through almost a foot of snow now, gave a loud sob, clutching at her mouth with trembling fingers.
This wasn't the way it was supposed to be…
Two days from Christmas…
Tears slipped down her cheeks, freezing almost instantly to her face.
"Missy," came a sudden voice a few feet away.
She swung around, her heart leaping. It was Wade. Perhaps he had found her.
But as she turned, she saw the merc, jacket bundled up around him, his hands shoved deep into the pockets..….but no Emily.
Missy let out an audible sob and scrunched her hands at her sides in worry.
Wade shook his head. "I'm sorry, I tried everywhere, I just-"
He trailed off. Even Wade and his smart mouth couldn't handle this.
"We should call the police," said Missy hitching in a breath suddenly, but Wade took a step into her.
"I don't think we should," he said bluntly, causing Missy to almost instantly narrow her eyes at him.
Wade and the police didn't really mix. It was probably the numerous knives and guns he kept stashed around his apartment and the fact that his job didn't really lend itself to police intervention.
But Missy was furious….angry….
"You expect me not to call the police when my daughter is missing?" she said loudly, tears pouring down her cheeks. "This is your fault Wade! You attacked Scott….she was frightened-"
"My fault?!" said Wade, his brow furrowing. "After all the damage that guy's done to you, and what, you just expected me to stand there and let him interfere in our lives like that!?"
Another tear poured down Missy's cheek, but she swiped it away furiously.
"You threatened him with a knife Wade, in front of our daughter!" she cried loudly, jabbing him in the chest with her perfectly polished fingernail.
But Wade scowled. "Whose daughter are we talking here? Yours and mine…or yours and his?" he snapped, his jaw clenched tightly. "Why the hell didn't you tell me he'd come to see you? Huh?"
Missy gave a gulp but glared back at Wade, feeling defensive.
"I was scared, Wade…." she said in a quiet voice, her tone wavering.
"Fucking Christ, we're supposed to be a team!" he yelled loudly.
By the now the snow was falling hard once again, coating both their shoulders in a heap of white. But right now neither of them even noticed…both their eyes were on the other's glaring….angry….
It was their fault…both their faults and they knew it….
There was a heat between them…..a raging anger…..and the kind of tension you could cut with a knife.
But it wasn't a knife that finally cut through the silence that seethed from them.
It was instead a beeping coming from Wade's pocket, causing both of them to jump, and for Missy to turn and begin to walk away.
She couldn't deal with this right now…any of it.
It was too much.
She pulled her purse off her shoulder and began to root around inside for her cell phone.
She was calling the police. She didn't care what Wade said.
Wade was angry.
After everything she'd said to him about Scott…..all that stuff she'd told him…..and then for her to just turn around and meet with him behind his back…
He knew that right now she just needed someone to blame…..but it shouldn't be him. It should be that asshole. The asshole that thought he could just interfere in their lives…..ruin everything they had built up together. But the worst thing about all this was, that he had succeeded.
And at so much of a cost.
Wade glanced at the screen of his cell.
'Weasel calling…'
The merc lifted the phone quickly to his ear.
"Weasel, I've got no time for-" he began in strained voice, but his barman friend cut across him.
"Emily…I know. She's here, Wade," he uttered hurriedly.
Wade's eyes widened and he looked directly at Missy, who had just pulled her phone from her purse.
She glanced back over towards him, her face unreadable.
"She's there?" said Wade loudly, pacing over towards the caramel-blonde woman as she turned her entire body towards him, her breath catching.
Wade felt his heart leaping inside his chest.
Puling his cell from his ear, he placed on speakerphone, leaning down, to speak. "Give us ten minutes and we'll be-"
"Wade," uttered Weasel, suddenly, breaking through the merc's sentence once again. But his tone now sounded urgent…..serious. "One of the regulars found her outside in the alleyway, she was hiding behind one of the dumpsters…..s-she looked like she'd been out there for at least an hour, maybe two…."
Missy clutched at her mouth, stepping back and giving a sob of fright.
Wade felt his heart thudding loudly in his ribcage.
"She was soaked through when they brought her in and she was freezing cold and wouldn't stop crying," said Weasel, his tone sounding pained. "Vanessa and I are taking her to the hospital right now, so you should meet us there. You should come as quick as you can…w-were trying to keep her conscious…"
Missy gave a cry of pain, clutching at herself.
"No, no, no" she murmured, shaking her head.
Wade ended the call as quickly as it had come, and it took a few seconds for the merc to properly react. To take all this in…
All those times he had been amongst the midst of the action….with people hurt or dying all around him….but this…this was somehow worse. To have this happen to someone you love….
Missy however, despite her pained reaction to the news, seemed to spring into action far quicker than Wade did, lifting her arm and hailing a nearby cab.
She seemed shaken and scared.
Wade could see her visibly trembling, and he wasn't entirely sure that that was because of the cold…
A yellow car pulled up beside them and Missy hauled open the door.
"I'll come with you," the merc uttered, taking a breath.
But Missy turned to him, her face set.
"No, Wade," she said, her eyes tearful and furious, and her shoulders tense. "She's my daughter….n-not yours. Just stay away from us right now…"
And with that, Missy slipped inside the cab and slammed closed the door.
It was only a mere second later that the car pulled away….
….leaving the merc stood there alone on the freezing cold street…as the snow fell all around him…..
Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter: Queenbeee222, Legolas Girl 31, TheHappyKitty, Raging Raven, petite yoyo, AngiMK, srosal1, dancindonna, ChibiSpyStuff, Guest, TheDayDreamAway, jonstar1034, Smaug the golden, Bella Fantasia and Guest.
Don't hate Missy. I think people cope with trauma in different ways….What do you think?
I hope that was ok though. More to come very, very soon…..
Please review