From across the hallway

Part 32

The year had whipped by before Missy and Wade's eyes, and before they knew it, they had crept past Summer, Halloween (with Emily going out 'trick or treating' for only the second time in her life), and had slipped into late Fall.

The nights were growing colder, and a chilly wind whipped around the city. Missy had made sure that every day Wade remembered to dress Emily in her warmest little boots, scarf and mittens if they went out anywhere.

But as the nights drew in, it seemed as though a bell was tolling for Missy, getting louder and louder with every day that passed.

It would soon be December, and Missy still had not found a job.

She had one more interview at the end of the week for an secretarial position in the newly-built Stark Towers, working for a government agency called SHIELD.

She highly doubted she'd even get through to the interviews, but after much thought, she had decided to apply. What was the worst that could happen? She'd get rejected? And well, that was nothing new.

Missy gave a sigh as she turned the key in the lock and pushed open the door to her apartment.

The place was empty, and flicking on the light, she saw that there was no sign of either her three year old daughter or her mercenary boyfriend.

After having just the most perfect ten months together, both Missy and Wade were more in love than ever before. There was no denying it. She had fallen for him completely, and so had Emily. The toddler was besotted with Wade.

He was now such a constant in her life she barely remembered a world in which he wasn't there.

Missy placed her keys back into her purse and closed the front door behind her, strutting through the empty room, almost tripping over a pair of Wade's crocs as she did so.

"Ugh," she said, kicking the blue monstrosities aside with her patent high-heeled foot.

Despite Wade still keeping his old apartment across the hallway, his presence in Missy's life, in her home, had also become a constant. He practically lived here with them. He had a spare key and only really slept at his place when he returned battered and bloody from a late-night job.

For that at least, Missy was grateful.

Blood was a bitch to get out of white sheets.

Missy tugged off her beige trench coat and flung it over the back of the couch, before heading into the kitchen and pulling open the fridge door.

She had leftovers she could cook for dinner tonight and that would save her preparing anything at least.

The caramel-blonde woman, grabbing a carton of orange juice and a glass from the drainer, poured herself a drink, just as she heard the front door swing open.

Suddenly there was a loud rustling and the sound of something (Wade most likely) bashing into her hallway side-table, knocking what sounded like a stack of magazines and a pillar candle or two, to the floor.

Missy gave a frown, placing down her glass, and padding back into the living room.

"What the-?"

Missy gaped at the sight that met her eyes, for piling through the door was Emily, followed by Wade, who was currently carrying a ginormous Christmas tree over his shoulder.

The merc looked up at her suddenly, flashing her an award-winning grin.

"Hey there, Yummy-Mommy," he said in playful tone, giving the tree behind him a tug, trying to squeeze it through the front door. "Thought we'd bring you back a Christmas surprise."