It was a Sunday afternoon, and Wade was sprawled out across Missy's living room floor, his body covered with various brightly colored Christmas bows and a tonne of sticky tape.

Two weeks had passed and since Wade's trip to the park with Missy and Emily, his presence in their lives had tripled, at the very least.

The first couple of days afterwards, he had knocked on their door the moment after they had arrived home after work and day-care. Missy had of course rolled her eyes, but invited him in for half an hour. It was just for Emily's benefit, was what Missy told herself.

Emily adored him, that was obvious, her little green eyes seemed to light up the moment she saw him and she would raise her chubby little arms and make grabby gestures at him until he picked her up into his strong arms.

But that mere half an hour, after two weeks, had gradually increased day by day.

And now, Wade had been here for the past two hours, he and Emily having far too much fun playing with the sticky tape and various other Christmas wrapping utensils Missy had fished out from a large cardboard box she had come across.

"Hey you two," she uttered, walking into the living room, a smirk upon her delicate features. "What's going on?"

Having Wade there had given Missy the time to wrap Emily's gifts from 'Santa' but now that was all done, she had come in to see what all the commotion was about.

Emily, who was busy crawling over Wade's stomach and wrapping his torso in ribbon, looked up at her mom, her tiny mouth hanging open.

Wade merely sat up, grasping Emily around the middle and giving her a gentle tickle.

"Chicken Little here, has decided that I look good enough to wrap up and leave under your tree on Christmas morning…" he said as the toddler giggled, squirming from his grasp. "You wanna unwrap me, Yummy-Mommy?"

Missy rolled her eyes, picking Emily up in her own arms, sitting down onto the arm of the couch and pulling the little girl onto her lap.

"Not. A. Chance," she said in a playful voice, jiggling Emily on her knee and looking directly into her eyes. "Mommy wants some Tiffany earrings and not an annoying neighbor under her tree, isn't that right baby?"

Wade merely chuckled as Emily wriggled from Missy's grasp, dropping to the floor and waddling back over to Wade.

"Waydee play," she said, her tiny hand immediately grasping his for his ear and giving in a small tug.

"Owwwweee," he said in a faux-pained voice, giving her an exaggerated pout.

But Emily merely lifted a bow and stuck it to his lips before giving a quiet giggle and running off to hide behind Missy's slender legs.

Wade suddenly burst into laughter, plucking the crimson bow from his mouth and getting to his feet.

He strolled over towards Missy and Emily, pretending to make a slow grab for the little toddler, who ran from the room shrieking with giggles.

He turned to Missy, who merely looked up at him, one eyebrow raised, but didn't say a word.

"And what's your problem, Miss 'Perfection in Human Form'?" he said, slowly raising an eyebrow of his own. "What's that look for?"

Missy stood, coming to stand extremely close to him, before plucking a, Christmas tree-patterned, ball of sticky tape from his white t-shirt.

"I was just wondering how many kids you have squirreled away in this city?" she asked, slipping past him and strutting into the kitchen, opening the trash can with her foot. "Because you are way too good with her to not have any children of your own."

Wade, who had followed close behind her and now stood, leaning up against the door frame, his arms folded across his broad chest, gave a smirk.

"Nope…I'm child-free and care-free," he said promptly. "But if you're offering. I'd be up for making some beautiful babies with you."

Missy laughed, shaking her head.

"Do you ever get tired of being a flirt?" she asked, titling her head at him.

But Wade sauntered toward her. "Well I only flirt with the women I like…like really like…. Like really, REALLY like."

He stood staring down at her, goadingly.

She flushed quickly, smiling and turning away from him, just as Emily ran into the kitchen.

"Ca I snak?" she asked in a quiet voice, looking up at her Mom.

"Sure you can, sweetie," Missy uttered in clear tone. "But what do we say?"

And to her delight, and for the first time since they had practiced it, Emily signed the word please with her hand.

"Good job!" said Missy loudly, stroking the top of Emily's head. She handed her two small strawberries from a dish on the counter. The little girl bit into them immediately, her mouth covered in red juice, before running back into the living room.

Missy looked back up at Wade, just as his phone beeped loudly in his pocket. Plucking it out, he gave a frown as he stared at the screen.

"Something the matter?" asked Missy, blinking up at him.

Wade paused for a moment.

"It's work," he uttered giving a small groan. "I've got a big job coming up…. and if I don't take it someone else will."

Missy smirked.

"So you ever going to tell me what is it you do?" she asked folding her arms across her chest.

Wade gave a grin. "Nope," he said popping the 'p'. "I guess I'll just have to keep being tall, dark and mysterious for you."

He raised an eyebrow playfully, as Missy smiled back.

"Well my guess is you've either got a god-awful job, you don't want anyone finding out about…..OR you're one of those superheroes you see on TV…with some sort of secret identity."

She shot him a teasing look as Wade stared back at her happily, giving a sigh.

"And what does that make you? The damsel in distress?" he asked taking a step towards her and titling his head.

But Missy merely flashed him a coy smile, strutting past him.

"I don't need rescuing…" she said smoothly, nudging him with her hip as she walked by.

Wade gave another, this time shuddering, sigh, as he watched her go, a wide grin forming across his features.

Missy pursed her lips, bending down to pick up the mass of sticky tape that had been balled on the floor by Emily, as Wade watched her.

She could feel his gaze on her, as she tidied up her tiny living room, placing all the festive bits and pieces back in the box.

"So you a bit of a Christmas Scrooge, huh?" asked her blonde neighbor after a brief moment of two, causally leaning up against the kitchen door frame.

Missy looked up at him questioningly.

"Christmas decorations…." he uttered gazing around. "No tree….and what's it today? December 14th?"

Missy shrugged her shoulders, placing the small box down onto her dining table.

"We don't have any…" she said her eyes suddenly falling to the floor. Her voice was different now. Quieter. She gave a gulp, turning away from him and plucking one of Emily's stuffed animals from the couch and placing it into the toddler's basket of toys in the corner of the room. "We…..er….used to….but…um…."

She scratched her head, placing a hand to her hip and staring up at him. "…I haven't got around to buying any this year…."

Wade stared at her for what felt like the longest of moments, his eyes roving across her delicate features, the smallest hint of a frown between his brows.

A silence pierced the room. A silence where Missy could almost hear her heart plunging into her stomach and that feeling of panic and fear start to rear its ugly head once again.

"Well lucky for you I have a tonne of terribly tacky decorations in my closet you can have..." said Wade suddenly, his face forming into an easy grin once again. "Each one more ugly than the last…"

Missy smiled before she could help herself, and gave a small laugh, relaxing a little, and tucking her long caramel hair behind her ear.

Biting on her lip, she looked up at him, almost shyly.

"That would be great…thank you."

Wade beamed just as Emily ran back in the room, her face covered in strawberry juice.

The toddler waddled up to Wade, pressing two green, gooey strawberry stalks into his palm.

"Wow," said Wade instantly, crouching down before the little girl and holding the stalks aloft. "Jeez, these for me?"

Emily nodded, her little mouth hanging open, staring up at him.

"Well I'm going to treasure them forever," he said giving her cheek a small stroke with his free hand, before getting to his feet once more.

"You got to go?" asked Missy, who had been watching the pair interact, smiling as she did so.

Wade glanced her way.

"'Fraid so…." he said, strolling towards the front door as Emily followed behind him. "But I'll be back later with those Christmas decorations. ….I promise."

Missy chewed on her lip as Wade glanced down at Emily.

"Pwomish?" the toddler repeated, her little words slightly slurred. She had obviously been listening intently to every word he had said.

Wade grinned.

"I promise, Chicken-Little," he said tugging open the front door.

He shot Missy one last look, before leaving and pulling the door closed behind him with a snap, the two strawberry stalks still safe in his hand….

Missy stared at the front door long and hard for what was at least a minute or two after Wade had gone, before Emily ran towards her.

"Waydee gonn?" she asked, staring up at Missy with wide-green eyes.

Missy gazed down at her tiny daughter before giving a laugh and staring at her strawberry-juice covered face.

"Wade's gone, but he promised he'll come back and see us later, OK?" said Missy bending down at lifting Emily into her arms. "But I think you, young lady, need a bath….look at the state of you!"

But Emily shook her head, poking her little tongue out, giving a giggle.

"Noh baff…" she said shaking her head naughtily.

Missy laughed again, balancing Emily on her hip and taking her little chubby hand in hers as they walked towards their bathroom. "Yes you do."

"Noh," said Emily again.

"Yes."

"Noh…"

"Yes."

"Noh, Mommy…"

Missy laughed.


Thanks so much to Wellisarne, dancindonna, RomansBride, TJWadeTJ, starrat, Raging Raven, Legolas Girl 31, srosal1, AngiMK, AwesomeFangirlOtaku01, kaayrakoi and LilyMyDeer for reviewing the last chapter.

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