I'm so very sorry that i changed this chapter, i just thought the other beginning wasn't as appealing. This one has more action and more drama! which i love. I'm sorry again for changing it up, but keep in mind i have some really cool and drama- filled chapters that i would love to share with you all! i didn't get much feedback on the last one... actually i didn't get feedback at all. :( So I really hope this one is more fulfilling. Please let me know how you like it?

I really recommend listening to music while reading any story! it makes everything so much more dramatic and interesting. I got this idea from BuckytheMadHatter (who's story is kinda like amazing!) Go check his out as well!

Here is the song that got my mood going for this chapter.

I know we're cool- Gwen Stefani (Don't judge lol!)

Chapter 1:

Not-so-Daddy's-girl

September 23rd, 1975

Valentina stared at the chocolate cake sitting in the middle of the table with the 18 candles sitting on top waiting to be lit. She rested her chin against her hand and waited, each time the clock struck another hour she would take a deep breath and then look at the door. Nothing.

"He'll be here soon" her mother said walking into the kitchen. The teen let out a sarcastic laugh and then smacked the balloon that floated right above her head. "Yeah, you said the same thing at my school graduation"

Her mother scrubbed the plate under the running water, "Honey, he promised you, didn't he?" Valentina shook her head, but barley meant it. Her eyes were fixed on the knife she twirled around in between her fingers, and when the clock struck 9 pm she looked at the hanging sign above the window that read 'Happy birthday' in big colorful letters.

Another hour later, the clock struck 10. Her mother sat in the living room reading a book and Valentina stayed seated exactly where she had been planted for 3 hours. Right on her dining room chair. She watched the happy birthday banner that she managed to hang up fall right off from the bad tape she used.

Reality set in.

Her father wasn't gonna show up. She could tell herself over and over that he was gonna come home early from work for once in his life, so he could make it to his daughter's birthday….. but he wasn't. Her mother who had been reading had fallen asleep, so Valentina walked over and turned off the lamp before she left to her own bedroom.

Tears blurred her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away angrily. "Why couldn't you just care for once?" she mumbled, sliding down against the edge of her bed and then finally sitting down. She wouldn't let herself cry again.

The next morning, the bright sunlight broke through her window waking the teen up from her deep sleep. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, rolling her neck around and inhaling the strong smell of her mother's Sunday bacon and sausages.

Stumbling out of bed, she walked to the bathroom; brushed her teeth, washed her face walking and then walked into the living room.

"Good morning" Her mom smiled from the kitchen. She filled a cup of orange juice and set it on the table next to a plate she made for Valentina. Everything she typically made on a Sunday morning for the family; sausages, pancakes, bacon, and her special oatmeal.

Valentina looked around for her father, but just like she thought, he wasn't there. "Morning" she slurred. Taking a seat at the empty table, her mother walked over and placed a small shining box beside the teen's breakfast.

"What's that?"

Her mother smiled, "Open and see"

"Who's it from?" Valentina's words were cold—as if she already knew exactly who It was from.

"Your father" her mother smiled bigger this time, trying to ease her daughter's anger.

Valentina looked up at her mother and then back down at the silver box that had a beaded pink bow tied around it. "No thanks" She pushed the box away and picked up a piece of bacon from her plate, "He's not gonna buy my forgiveness with that" She took a bite and then furrowed her brows, dropping the bacon back onto her plate and rubbing her hands together, "I'm actually not hungry"

"Valentina" her mother sighed, "You have to understand your father's job is very….." She hesitated, making sure to pick out the right words. She put the little box on the table and took a seat,"It's very Important to him. He's always very busy and you know that"

Val scrunched up her face—not falling for her mom's protective words over her dad, "Mom, what kind of job has your employee staying at an office organizing boxes of papers until 3 in the morning?"

"Your father's job" her mother lied. Of course she wasn't going to tell her 18 year old daughter the truth about her father's job and what he really did. "Valentina, your father loves you very much but his job-"

"What? Comes first?" the teen interrupted. She shook her head, biting on her bottom lip "Yeah I've caught on" It sunk in, that she's been right. Her father didn't care about her, like he cared about his job. For so long, she asked herself why her dad was never home, but it was clear now.

"Of course not, that's not what I was going to say Valentina"

Val lowered her eyes. "You know, when I'm with my friends and their dads are home, I ask myself, why is my dad never home? Why doesn't he want to show up to anything that's important to me; I mean he's missed I don't know how many of my birthdays, my graduation, my college acceptance dinner" She raised her voice, "I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up missing my funeral"

"Valentina" her mother began but the teen shot up her hand and shook her head, "It's alright, mom It's all very clear now, you don't have to make any more excuses for him."

When the doorbell suddenly rang, they both stopped talking. "I'll get it" Val said angrily standing up and walking across the living room to the door. Her mother stood up as well, grabbing the plate and cup Val had barely touched and then walking back into the kitchen to wash it.

Val looked through the peep hole and saw two men who she didn't recognize. "Who is it?" Her mother called from the kitchen. Val shrugged and opened the door, revealing two men like she had seen. "Hello" One of them greeted with a smile.

Val barley greeted them back, instead she looked at each one from head to toe. They were both tall and built. The one to her left had raven black hair neatly jelled to the side and two pair of dark brown eyes and the other had a light buzz cut with blue eyes. "What can I do for you?" She asked leaning against the door way.

"Is your father here?"

Val nodded, "Nope, sorry."

"Do you know when he'll be home?"

She shook her head again, her face clearly showing signs of annoyance. Opening the door a little, she scratched her forehead "Look, my 'dad' uh didn't even show up to my birthday, so to answer your question I honestly have no clue if he'll even show up here today"

They both nodded, and she noticed the guy on her right looking into her home, his eyes curiously checking out her place. "Is anyone home?" He asked. Val thought for a second, not knowing whether to tell them her mother was or to tell them to just come back next time.

"No, nobody's here" she crossed her arms.

"Oh that's alright;"

Val looked at both men again. There was something wrong about those two, she could feel it. They were dressed too proper and acting to nice. "Why are you looking for my dad again?" She asked squinting her eyes in curiosity. Both men hesitated to answer the question, but the one on the right with the buzz cutt answered "Just some business talk."

He smiled at Val, but she knew it that exact second that it was a fake smile. She did it everyday so she would know a fake one from a real one. These men were looking for her dad and they weren't telling the truth about something.

"Would you mind answering some simple questions for us?'

She hesitated. "Uh yeah sure I guess" rubbing the back of her neck, she closed the door behind her. "What kind of questions are these exactly?"

"Just uh.." he cleared his throat, "Some home security questions"

She looked suspiciously at them, "Alright then"

"So who lives in this home other than yourself?" He asked. The other man took out a pencil and a small notepad to right the answers.

"My mom and dad"

"Okay and what do both your mother and father do for a living?"

She shrugged, "Uh my dad works in an office and my mother works in the city"

"Doing what exactly?"

"I don't know- what it is with these questions-" The door behind her suddenly opened. Her mother rushed out and pulled Val towards her, "Get. Inside. now" her voice was low and husky. That was the first time Val had ever heard her mother speak like that. She stopped and stared at her mother, "NOW!"

She walked back inside, looking back to see what her mom was going to do. Her eyes suddenly caught something black tucked into her mother's waistband. She saw it perfectly, until her mom fixed her shirt and covered the gun. Val's eyes almost bulged out of her eyes and her heart felt like it was going to jump out of her chest. What was her mom doing with a gun!?

She closed the door and leaned up against it, closing her eyes and running her hands down her face. "What the hell is going on?" she thought to herself.

Elizabeth looked out through the corner of the window and saw the two men talking to her daughter. She knew a good person from a bad person, and those two were clearly not good. They looked all too familiar as well. Quickly walking into the kitchen, she opened the cabinet under the sink and grabbed the loaded 9mm locked against the sink wall.

She stuffed the gun in the waistband of her pants and walked to the door. She took one last peak through the peep whole before swinging the door open. Val spun around, her eyes watched her mom in fear- like she had just been caught doing something bad. Elizabeth grabbed Val, pulling her away from the two men, "Get. Inside. Now"

Val's eyes widened. She was beyond surprised with her mom's sudden voice change and aggression. She stood there, watching her mom until she yelled at Val "NOW!" Then she fled back into the house.

"Who do you think you are?" Elizabeth's eyes scanned over the two men.

"Mrs. Ross, we are from-"

"Bullshit" She scowled. "You two listen to me" she pointed her finger at them, her eyes as dark with anger. "You stay away from my family, you hear me?"

The two men didn't argue or try to trick her, instead they smiled, this time is was less of a fake smile. It was a sinister smile. "Keep your eyes open, agent" One of them said walking back down the pathway. Elizabeth watched furiously, deep down she was worried that they would return.

She knew they would.

When?

She had no clue.

OH my Word!. So i guess you can say both of Val's parents aren't who they say they are? I'm telling you people, this story is only going to get more intense and dramatic from here! Next Chapter, we get to meet Val's Father who hasn't shown up, and we get to meet the famous genius Anthony Stark. Does Val start to finally catch onto her parent's lies?

Please i need to know whether you are liking it? or not?

Poor Val is only going to get more and more lost in her own life as chapter's keep on coming.