The week slipped slowly by, with things getting slightly easier for Missy.
She had a friend now, at work. A girl named Karen, who worked on the floor below. She was nice, and just the day before had asked if Missy wanted to go grab a drink after work with her and a couple of the other women from the office.
It was a Friday night…obviously a few years ago, Missy would have leapt at the chance. But she had Emily now. Her priorities had changed.
So Missy had politely declined Karen's offer, desperately hoping that that hadn't scuppered any chances she may have had of a friendship…
Now Missy and Emily walked home hand-in-hand.
Emily had fared no better at day-care this week.
She had still not made any friends and was very reluctant to join in with the other children, or so the staff had insisted anyway...
Missy knew that Emily's hearing issues were a big part of that and the children's screams and yells only drove to hurt her little ears, confusing her. Missy had wondered whether giving her hearing-aid another go, would be a good idea…but she remembered how much Emily had hated it. The little girl had cried and almost pleaded with Missy not to have to wear it, the whole situation breaking Missy's heart in two. She had vowed never again…but right now, what choice did she have?
Emily had only got quieter as the week progressed, going further and further into her shell, clutching tightly at Missy's hand in the mornings when it was time for her to leave.
So on their way home this evening, Missy and Emily had called into a bookstore on their way home, and had found one of Emily's favourite stories, reading it together.
It was story about a Mummy vampire and a Daddy vampire and their little daughter- who was a witch. Emily loved the part where the little witch would fly around on her broomstick, over the heads of her Mom and Dad.
Emily had been obsessed with this story for a while now and had been delighted on Halloween when they had passed a group of girls all dressed like little witches on their way home.
"I waw be a witsh, Mommy," she had said, her eyes full of awe.
Missy had merely smiled and stroked the top of her tiny head. "Next year sweetie," she had said gently. "We'll get you a hat and everything!"
Missy had tonight, bought the book covertly and was hiding it away to give to the Emily at Christmas.
Now the pair trudged up the long winding staircase, up towards their apartment, but the conversation hadn't strayed far.
"Wenn can I be witsh?" came Emily's quiet voice, as she looked up at Missy with wide green eyes.
Missy smiled.
"Next Halloween you can be a witch, baby…" she said for the hundredth time that month.
"But I wan be witsh now…" said the little girl looking sad, jutting out her little lip in a pout.
But before Missy could answer, the pair of them were almost bowled over by a figure flying around the corner towards them.
Missy stared up suddenly, as the person skidded to a halt.
"Well if it isn't my two favourite ladies," came the voice of Wade Wilson.
But Missy couldn't help but gasp slightly as she saw his face…
Wade was dressed, as always, in his usual sheepskin jacket, this time in a white vest and jeans, his blonde hair messy and slightly unkempt, but it was his face that had shocked her the most.
Her neighbour's cheeks were littered with tiny cuts and grazes, and across his forehead was a large purple bruise that looked incredibly painful.
Missy, without thinking, pulled Emily back towards her.
Neither of them has seen nor heard from Wade since last Friday when they had gone over to escape the cold, and Missy guessed that this was the reason why…
"Your face…" uttered Missy, her eyes wide.
But Wade merely shot her a grin.
"Oh, yeah…it's not as bad as it looks…." he said with a shrug. "And hey, if it's any comfort, the other guy came off waaaay worse…."
But that was NOT a comfort to Missy. In fact it was the opposite.
She knew that this was a bad neighbourhood….but she really never expected it right on her doorstep. If something like that could happen to a 6ft2, muscle-bound guy like Wade…what chance did she and Emily have?
She looked down at her daughter, worried she might be upset by Wade's appearance.
But to her surprise Emily was staring up at Wade….a big smile plastered across her little face.
A smile she normally only reserved for Missy…
She held her tiny mittened paw up towards him.
"I goin be a witsh!" she said in a quiet voice.
Wade immediately beamed, before coming to crouch in front of Emily on the landing.
"A witch?" he said placing a hand to his chest in faux-surprise. "I guess I'd better behave then…in case you turn me into a frog, Em-bear!"
With that he stroked her little pink cheek with his thumb, as she looked up at him delightedly.
"But not until next Halloween, baby…" said Missy in a careful voice, bending down and lifting Emily into her arms.
Wade got to his feet, standing before the pair of them, tall and grinning.
"Awww but Halloween is aaaaaaaaages away!" he said, tossing back his head and giving a mock-groan.
"Adges away," repeated Emily, suddenly leaning into Missy and pressing a sloppy kiss to her cheek.
Missy gave a laugh, as Wade cocked an eyebrow.
"Hey, if you lift me into your arms…" he said in a playful tone. "…can I have a kiss too?"
Missy smirked, rolling her eyes, but ignored him, instead turning back to Emily.
"Pleashe Mommy…I wil be good if I can be witsh…" said Emily, pushing back Missy's hair from her ear and whispering into it.
At this Missy's heart completely melted.
She gave a sigh. She supposed she might be able to rustle up a costume from an old t-shirt or something…
"Ok…let's see what we can do…" she said bouncing Emily on her hip as the little girl giggled happily.
"So if you're going to be a witch, that mean I'm gonna have to get some candy in for trick or treating?" asked Wade, cocking a scarred eyebrow up at Missy. "You two are literally eating me out of house and home at the moment, you know that?"
"Twick or tweaing?" asked Emily in the quietest voice possible, looking over at him, her mouth hanging open slightly.
But Missy just looked at Wade, the corners of her lips twitching up into a small smile.
"Give me until six o'clock and I'll make sure I have some candy in…" he said to her, stuffing his hands into his pockets and sliding past the pair of them, flashing them a charming smile. He pointed to his beaten up face. "And if we're doing costumes, I can be the selfless hero who got himself beaten up, and you can be the super-sexy nurse next-door that takes care of him…I'm hoping you already have the outfit stashed away somewhere, right?"
Missy shook her head disapprovingly at him, but couldn't help but smile.
"Six o clock," she merely repeated, shooting him one last curious look, before turning back to Emily and climbing the rest of the stairs, disappearing off out of sight.
It was 6pm and Missy was knelt in her bedroom, Emily standing in front of her, the little toddler spinning around on the spot.
Whilst Emily had been eating her dinner of spaghetti and meatballs (with numerous vegetables hidden inside the sauce), Missy had been hard at work, cutting open a large black t-shirt to make a cape and taping together a couple of pieces of black cardboard to make a large pointed hat.
Missy had then put Emily in some red and black stripy leggings and her little red jumper to complete the outfit.
The little girl had squealed and run around excitedly as soon as she was in the costume.
"So you like it?" Missy asked her, as Emily stared at her appearance in the mirror, standing on her little pudgy tip-toes.
The tiny toddler gave a nod.
"Can I hav candy fram Wadee now?" she asked in a hushed voice, coming to clutch at Missy's hand with her own sticky one.
Missy chuckled.
Wade really had had quite an effect on Emily. Usually the little girl never paid any other adults any attention, apart from Missy of course…so for Wade to have had this much of an impact of her, really was something.
"Sure…shall we go and see if he's home?" asked Missy biting her lip, and brushing back Emily's mousy-brown hair from her face.
Missy knew that she couldn't put that much faith in Wade….after all, everyone else in her life had let her down, so why should he be any different? But the way he lighted up her and Emily's life…even just that tiny bit…
But Missy gave an inward sigh, getting to her feet.
He was probably just trying to be nice…it would only be a matter of time before, he too, proved he was just the same as the rest of them, and that there would only always be Missy and Emily…
Taking the little girl by the hand, Missy led her over to her wardrobe, pulling out a little orange shoulder bag. Missy had bought it years ago, and never used it anymore, but the colour and size would be perfect for trick or treating.
She handed it to Emily.
"Now you hold that, and shall we see if you can scare Wade into giving you some candy?" she asked wrinkling her nose.
But Emily had been looking down into the empty purse, and hadn't heard her.
Missy gave a couple of blinks, before squeezing Emily's hand and repeating herself.
The time the little girl gave an enthusiastic nod, causing Missy to smile, leading her out into the hallway landing and over to Wade's door.
"You want to knock?" asked Missy, leaning in towards Emily, who had instantly gone shy, cowering behind Missy's legs.
The toddler shook her head silently, causing the cardboard, pointed hat to slide about.
"I'll do it then," said Missy looking down into Emily's wide green eyes. "You just get your best scary face ready for when he comes out."
And with that Missy rapped neatly on the wooden door.
Less than a second later it was hurled open.
But the sight that met their eyes, caused both Emily and Missy's faces to curve up into wide smiles….
For stood there, was Wade, grinning back at them with a pair of plastic, pearly white vampire fangs stuffed into his mouth.
"Vam-ire!" said Emily, quickly appearing out from behind Missy's legs and pointing up at Wade. She looked back and forth between Missy and Wade excitedly. "Vam-ire!"
"Yuh-uh, ansh yoush ar-"
Wade made a sudden face, stopping mid-way through his sentence to take out the teeth. "And you are?"
"I WITSH!" said Emily, bouncing up and down excitedly, causing her hat to almost topple off.
"A witch!?" said Wade in a faux-terrified voice. "A vampire is no match for a witch, I guess you'd better take some of this candy I've been hoarding inside my castle!"
Wade reached inside, grabbing for a large bag of unopen candy that he had blatantly just bought from the store on the corner, and crouching before Emily.
Tipping the bag upside down he emptied the entire contents into the Missy's orange purse as Emily stared up into his face, her mouth opening slightly.
"You like Daddy vam-ire…." she said, suddenly reaching up and touching his bruised cheek with her pudgy finger. "An Mommy is Mommy vam-ire…"
Wade smiled instantly, his eyes glancing up towards Missy who immediately felt herself redden.
"Well…I guess we can't argue with that…" smirked Wade, his eyes never leaving hers. "Question is who gets to suck who's blood first?"
Missy, pursed her lips together, trying as hard as she could to stop herself from smirking back, shaking her head dismissively.
"Alright now, baby…" she said, ignoring his comment and looking down at Emily. "you say thank you to Wade, and let's get in to get you into the bath and ready for bed."
Emily smiled shyly, before looking up at Wade once again.
"Fanku Wadee," she said, her sticky hands grasping at her red jumper.
Wade looked absolutely enamoured with her, staring at Emily like she was the most precious thing he had ever seen.
"Can I get a bath and get put to bed too?" he asked finally, giving a pout and staring at Missy, as he got slowly to his feet. "I look super cute, butt-naked and covered in bubbles, y'know?"
This time Missy did smirk, bending down and clutching Emily's hand in her own, without looking at him.
"In your dreams…" Missy said curtly, although she wasn't able to stop her cheeks turning pink.
Wade merely leant up against the doorframe, as the pair crossed the hallway heading back over to their front door.
"Well maybe another time…...Mommy vampire," he said in a cheeky voice, causing Missy to glance back over her shoulder at him one last time.
She shot him a look, before letting out a small smile and heading inside…...shutting the door closed behind them.
Thanks so much to kaayrakoi, Legolas girl 31, RandomFandoming, dancindonna, Guest, EmeraldFoxTails669, starrat and theschuysthelimit for reviewing the last chapter.
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