From across the hallway

Part 30

"So....what shall we get your Mommy for her birthday?" asked Wade as he and Emily strolled hand-in-hand through the park on a warm, breezy afternoon. "I hope you've got some bright ideas Chicken Little, because I've got nothing....nada....and if we don't find something by the end of today, I've got a feeling your favourite mercenary is going to be well and truly, in the doghouse."

The two year old peered up at him with wide eyes.

Wade knew it was unlikely she had heard him, but he still liked to chat to her anyway. He gave her a reassuring smile, letting her know that everything was A-OK.

"Mommy biwfday tommowow," said Emily matter-of-factly, giving a tiny nod of her head.

"Yeah, that's right," said the merc grinning. Every time the two year-old spoke, it made his heart feel like it was fit to burst.

Wade had had a pretty rough time of it lately. He'd had two jobs go badly, and currently the merc was sporting a large purple eye and a couple of cuts around his temples, from where he had had a glass smashed over his head in a bar.

But despite his roguish, haphazard appearance, Emily didn't seem to care. She today, looked as perfect as ever compared to him, in a little navy coat, matching shoes and some leggings with giraffes on visible underneath. Her hair was, as always, tied up in a little red bow.

" I made Mommy pikshur," she said triumphantly.

But Wade gave a grumble, narrowing his eyes in jealousy.

"Alright, Little Miss Perfect," he retorted in a playful voice. "But remember you could puke on her and she'd still love you... I, on the other hand, don't quite have that same charm. So that's why we need to come up with something good."

The pair came to a stop by a bench, Wade bending down and lifting Emily so she could sit down, before he came to rest beside her.

"So what do you think? Earrings?" he asked the two-year-old.

But Emily instantly shook her head.

"Noh Mommy has lotsa earins," she said, giving a disproving frown.

Wade leaned forwards, looking at the toddler, linking his fingers together.

"Alright alright, then how about...some perfume? It's a classic, right?" he said confidently. "Or how about some super-sexy underwear?"

He waggled his scarred eyebrows at the little girl, who merely huffed back at him.

"Noh," she uttered sternly.

Wade gave a long sigh.

"Then I'm stumped," he said defeated. "I give up. I'm going to just try and blag it and go for a big bunch of flowers. You think she'd like that?"

But Emily, who stood up on the bench and waddled over the edge to peer over at a large white pile of pigeon poop, shook her head.

"Noh..." she murmured disinterestedly. "Waydee, I need to go potty."

She looked up at him, batting her green eyes, and Wade Wilson melted right there and then.

He gave a sigh as Emily waddled over to him, trying to climb onto his lap.

"Potty it is," he said placing his hands beneath her arms and lifting her, as he got to his feet once more. He balanced her on his hip easily. "But this doesn't let you off trying to help me find a present for your Mom, alright?"

Emily gave a giggle, placing her fingers into her mouth.

"Awlrite," she answered, tucking her head beneath his chin as they walked.