It was early morning, and Missy lay in bed listening to the lightest sound of snowfall against the darkened window pane.

She had her eyes open, her head resting on the palm of her hand, just staring…

December had flitted by so quickly and today it was the 22nd, just a few days before Christmas and more importantly, the last day of Missy's job.

She still had not heard anything about the SHIELD position and since it had been weeks, she presumed she had definitely not got the job.

She had applied for a few more things in the interim, but hadn't even received a call back from any of them.

But this wasn't what was keeping Missy up, stopping her from sleeping soundly…

Scott's presence in her life, after all this time, had definitely taken its toll on her.

He had come here to taunt her…to mess with her. That was still easy for him.

She hadn't mentioned his visit to Wade, but she knew that the merc, who currently sleeping soundly beside her, could tell that there was something wrong.

Missy, due to worry, had been skipping meals, barley having any appetite at the moment. She had been snappy and had restless nights' sleep.

The worry that Scott would come back, was getting to her…grinding her down….in a way she thought she was finally free from.

The caramel-blonde woman blinked a couple of times, before pulling the sheets from her warm body and sitting up.

He eyes, in the hazy early morning light, flickered to Wade. The man who had been there for her, protected her, loved her…

But for some reason, she just couldn't find the right words to tell him how she felt at the moment….

Missy slipped out of bed, grasping up her robe from a chair and shucking it over her bare shoulders.

Padding quietly from the room, she pulled the door shut behind her, before heading next door into Emily's bedroom.

Even in the near-darkness, Missy could make out the tiny figure of Emily curled up beneath brightly-coloured unicorn bedsheets (that Wade had chosen for her, of course!).

Words couldn't even express how much Missy loved her daughter, she was perfect in every way, and how Scott couldn't see that was a mystery to her.

How perfect was his other daughter, in that case? Did she talk better? Walk better? Listen better? What was it that made her so much better than Emily? So much more perfect?

Missy was angry and frustrated, but did she have a right to be? What kind of person was bitter at a one year old child she'd never even met? Maybe that was what the problem was? Maybe it wasn't Emily at all? Maybe it was Missy herself? Maybe everything she touched was poison? Maybe that was why Scott resented her…. Hated her… Would Wade go the same way?

Perhaps he would end up the same as Scott….hoping for more….

And why wouldn't he?

Emily wasn't his…

And neither was Missy really. They weren't married or even engaged.

It might only be a matter of time. Perhaps that was the reason Wade hadn't proposed. Maybe he never would.

Maybe she nor Emily were perfect enough for him… for anyone…

Missy pursed her lips, wiping at her eyes, as silent tears slipped down her cheeks.

"Mommy watchu doin' in ma rwm?" came a sudden tiny voice, breaking Missy quickly from her thoughts.

In the dim light she could just about make out two round green eyes staring up at her concernedly.

Missy gave a sniff, putting on a smile.

"It's ok, baby. Go back to sleep," she said kindly, but Emily was already wriggling herself out of her bedcovers.

"Noh, I noh shleepy noh mor," uttered the toddler, getting to her unsteady little legs and turning around on the spot. "I got bad dweams."

Emily picked up her stuffed bunny rabbit, before turning back around and holding it out towards Missy.

The caramel-blonde woman reached out, gently stroking the three-year-old's cheek.

"A bad dream? Oh no," she said in a sympathetic tone. "It's alright though it was just a dream, Mommy's here now."

"Yesh, therr werr monshturs and dey wer taykin' mee away," said Emily shaking her head, but looking almost nonplussed. "I noh lik it."

The toddler crouched down, clambering off of her bed, one leg dangling.

"I go see Waydey," she continued. "I wan' tell 'im"

But before the little girl could move, Missy had grabbed her around her middle, pulling her up into her arms and balancing her on her hip.

"No, Wade's asleep right now, sweetie," said Missy in a gentle voice, titling her head as she surveyed her tiny daughter. "How about we go get some breakfast instead?"

Emily looked up into Missy's face, about to question her, but a sudden voice from behind them made both of them jump.

"I could go for some breakfast too if you're offering?"

Missy turned, to see Wade stood in the doorway, bare-chested and grinning.

She was suddenly very aware of the tears that still lingered on her cheeks, but Wade's attention seemed solely on Emily, who was reaching out for him, her arms stretched out.

"Daddy, I got bad dweam!" she said in a pouting tone.

But at his words both adults stopped, dumbstruck.

What had she just said?

Had she just-?

But regardless or not as to whether it was a slip-up or not, Wade's face suddenly cracked into a wide, beaming smile, the corners of his eyes wrinkling.

And Emily was right after all. Wade pretty much was her Dad now. He played with her, took care of her, fed her… probably better than any biological father would do! And what was the difference really? Just because they weren't blood, didn't mean that they didn't love each other, undeniably.

Wade reached out, his fingers slipping beneath Emily's spotty, pyjama-clad underarms, and he lifted her to him, pulling her tightly into his chest.

"Awww baby-bear," he said, his voice filled with love. "You want me to sing you a song, take your mind off it?"

And with that, Wade broke into an off-key rendition of Careless Whisper.

But he only managed a few bars, before Emily broke it's fits of giggles, her chubby fingers reaching out and closing his lips tightly shut.

"Noh, Daddy, don' do dat!" she cried, in between giggles. "You ish' silly."

Missy stared at the pair of them, totally and utterly in love.

Had she really though for even a second that Wade would turn out to be another Scott?

He would never ever leave them like that. Of course he wouldn't…

He wasn't that type of guy…

As Emily continued to giggle, Wade's eyes drifted up to Missy's, looking at her for what seemed like the first time this morning.

Crap, would he see that she had been crying?

Missy turned away, under the pretence of making Emily's bed, but covertly wiping her face as she did so.

A second later, she stood up straight once more, turning around and flashing the merc a genuine smile.

He immediately shot her one back, his chocolate eyes warm and caring.

God she loved him and nothing, NOTHING would change that.

Missy stepped forward, her hand absent-mindedly slipping into Wade's free one, their fingers immediately entwining.

And with that, she wrinkled her nose, before pulling him from the room.

"Come on, Daddy," she purred into his ear. "Breakfast."


Thanks so much to jeffhardyluvsme, Natasha, dancindonna, QueenBeee222, Legolas Girl 31, petite yoyo, srosal1, MusicalPersephone, Guest, jonstar1034, Guest, TheHappyKitty, AngiMK, THE JUDGE OF FICS and Smaug the Golden for reviewing the last chapter. It really means a lot that you would take the time out to let me know what you thought of it.

Next chapter coming soon, and I've got a feeling that that wasn't the last we've seen of Scott…

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