CHAPTER 4 - Home. Again.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Liam repeated. I nodded and secured my bag over my shoulder.

"Yeah. I'll be okay. The worst thing I'm in for is a lecture from a Steve," I promised before shaking my head; "Scrape that, I won't be okay."

We laughed a little before I said bye to him in the elevator, thanked him for going with me and telling him to call me, and going to my room with the bags, which I casually threw on the floor before pulling the box out of my shoulder bag.

I looked at the brown package that'd been securely sealed with so much tape it could've almost held my life together for a chance.

When we'd left, the guy by the front desk had informed me that a woman had left it for me in the nighttime. Wanting to be in private when opening it, I'd merely put it in my bag.

I got a scissor from my top drawer by my desk and managed to cut through the tape.

I threw the scissor to the floor and instead sat down on my bed to open it.

First was a folded piece of paper I quickly unfolded.

"Dear Veronica,

Thank you for coming to see me. Im sorry the visit had to be so short.

I looked through my stuff, and gathered all things from your grandmother in this box. I thought you might want it.

You two seem to have more in common than anyone could have predicted.

I know I haven't been a good mom for you, and I know it's probably too late by now, but if you ever want to catch up, please contact me at AWilkins at gmail.com.

Love, mom"

I slowly folded the paper and placed it next to the cardboard box, and instead held up the next thing in it.

A notebook. I frowned my brows and opened to the first page.

"Diary of Kate Diane Wilkins

1998"

I quickly closed it again, not feeling comfortable reading through this woman's diary.

I continued looking through the box, finding another five notebooks, all diaries from different years, before seeing a picture at the bottom of the box. I picked it up.

A black and white picture of a brown-haired woman with a wide smile greeted me. I looked at the back.

"Kate Diane

1964"

Since I didn't know the birthdate of even year of my grandmum, I had no way of knowing her age at that time, but judging on the picture I guessed between 20-25.

I put the picture between the first pages in one of the diaries to make sure it wouldn't get folded or ripped at the edges.

The next thing in the box was the contract.

She'd signed it.

I noticed a last thing in the box and picked it up.

A golden heart attached to a string in the form of a necklace.

I admired the metal in desperate need of a polish before putting it in the pocket of my jeans, the string already being too tangled for it to matter, and stood up.

"Guys, you in here?" I asked loudly as I entered the common floor from the elevator.

Greeted by a very angry group of Avengers.

"Miss me?" I tried jokingly.

"You went to see your mother?" my dad looked at me with disappointment.

"JARVIS!" I complained.

"I am sorry, miss, your command was overridden," the AI sounded. I sighed.

"You should have brought one of us," Steve stated from his seat on the couch.

"No, you shouldn't have gone at all," my dad argued and took a step closer.

"What the hell were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that hey, she's as much my parent as you are, so why not?" I asked rhetorically.

"She's never been there for you."

"Oh, but you have?"

"Okay, that's enough," Steve interfered; "Veronica, I know it's hard to not know your mom, but running away is not a solution."

"You're grounded," my dad stated.

"Can't. I have training," I replied coldly. The entire group raised their eyebrows simountaniously.

"You got her signature," Natasha stated.

"That's why you went to see her?!" my dad yelled. I looked at him.

"You wouldn't sign. What could I have done?"

"Oh, I don't know - accepted it?"

"Calm down Tony," Bruce suggested, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"No, I'm not gonna calm down!" he turned back to me; "Do you realise how much I've done for you? You have a room in one of the single greatest buildings in New York and your room is one most teenagers would die for!"

"Oh yeah, thanks for having your assistant hire a interior decorator for me once every five years, that's really great of you," I yelled back sarcastically.

"You have a brand new car standing in the garage! You haven't even gotten the keys from the reception yet!"

"Because I don't have a driver's license, dad!" I looked at him.

"You've never had to work a day in your life. You have a good life, Veronica! Stop acting out!" he complained.

"I don't WANT a good life, I just want a dad!"

I looked at my dad, the sight of him blurry from the tears of anger streaming from my eyes.

"So did I. I dealt with it, now it's your turn," he stated before leaving.

I looked at the remaining Avengers, all standing with sorry looks on their faces.

"I'll talk to him," Steve promised.

"Don't bother."

I headed to my room, told JARVIS to lock the door, and got out my STARK computer.

I quickly went onto my email and made a draft.

To: AWilkins at gmail.com

From: Veronica at stark.com

Subject: Thank you

Hi mom

Do you mind if I call you mom?

I do suppose it's a bit weird, considering the fact that we have barely spoken, so if it does make you uncomfortable, I will gladly stop. Making you uneasy was never the intention.

I received your box. Thank you.

I have looked through it, but avoided the diaries, as I do not believe it is right for me to read them without her permission, which is a bit too late for me to get now.

Would you mind maybe telling me a little bit about her? I can see the resemblance between her and I, but between the two of you as well.

I have the necklace with me in my pocket. I've only had a short chance to look at it so far, but I had it with me when handing in the papers you have signed for me.

You having done that makes it possible for me to begin my training as an official agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

If you do not wish for us to continue being in touch, I will not force you, however, if you do not mind, I would like to get to know you a little better.

Best regards

Veronica Stark