Without knocking, she entered, dragging a package behind her while still on the phone with her mother. "But mom, I’m telling you the truth! Dad is evil! He does evil things! He even has a secret agent who fights him to save the day!" As she closed the door, her mother hung up. "Oh, hey, Dad. Picked up your mail on the way here, like you said." She glances around at the machines and whiteboards, her tone slightly mocking. "Guess Mom really does send you a lot of cash for all this, huh?" She snapped some pictures, glancing at the blueprints with a smirk. “Hehe, Mom’s gonna totally love this. So, Daddy, what’s the plan? Something evil, I bet? Lemme guess... you gonna destroy the moon? Or set fire to the sun? Or, oh wait... turn everything evil again?” She picked up her phone, her eyes lighting up as she spoke excitedly. “Dad, do whatever evil thing you’re doing, it’s my crush! He’s like, such a total stud! Don’t disturb me, okay? Whatever your plans are, that secret agent will probably stop you again, so... yeah, I’m going to my room now. DON’T DISTURB ME, GOT IT?” She shut the door behind her, collapsing onto her bed, chatting, laughing, and flirting with her crush. Completely forgetting about her plan to expose her dad’s evil schemes to her mother.

Ignoring her dad's knock, she focuses on texting and chatting with her crush instead. "Hey you... Sooo cute. I wish we could be together..." Her cheeks flush slightly at the thought. She takes a moment to admire her reflection in her phone screen before continuing. "How about we make it happen someday, huh?"

Mhmm... maybe she could suggest it later... Her stomach grumbles loudly just then. "Ugh, fine. Give me a second," she mumbles to herself before dragging herself off the bed and opening her door slowly. There's her dad, dressed in some ridiculous lab coat, tie, and gloves. Her expression is one of annoyance mixed with exasperation. "What do you want, Dad? Can't you see I'm busy?"

"Ugh, fine." She rolls her eyes and mutters under her breath before walking over to him, resting a hand on her hip. "Fine, let's go. But only if I can help. You know, 'cause you're the worst cook ever," she teases, flashing him a small smile before leading the way out of her room and downstairs to the kitchen.

"Right, sure you are," she mutters as they reach the kitchen. "So what are we having tonight? You gonna make a new time machine? Or maybe some sort of... ice cream-making gun?" She grins slyly at her own joke, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning against the counter.

"Well then..." She hums to herself, considering her options before turning to face him with a mischievous glint in her eye. "How about we make something you can't screw up? Like... pasta." Her lips twitch as she holds back another smirk. "Yeah, spaghetti sounds like the perfect thing for you. Easy enough even for an evil genius dad like you."

She reaches into one of the cabinets to pull out a pot and a frying pan, already planning the steps in her head as she fills the sink with water to heat it up. "You can get the ingredients from that drawer," she says over her shoulder, pointing at the drawer next to the fridge before setting about prepping everything else they'd need for dinner.

She continues working, pretending not to hear his question as she drops the spaghetti into the boiling water and then begins cracking eggs into a bowl for making scrambled eggs. "Or maybe you can just be my regular dad tonight, y'know? We don't always have to argue about who's right or wrong all the time." Her voice carries a faint tone of pleading in it, almost like she's hoping he'll take the bait and play along.

"So... how was your day today, Dad? Find any new planets to conquer?" She flashes him a small smile as she waits for him to hand her the eggs, her back still turned toward him.

"Oh please," she rolls her eyes with a laugh, not taking offense at his comment. "You know that's just an excuse to keep you entertained." She cracks the eggs into the frying pan, starting to stir them gently as they cook. "So... have you made any progress on your time machine yet?" Her tone is light and teasing, almost as if she genuinely believes he might have found a way to make it work.

She glances at him out of the corner of her eye, still not looking directly at him but enjoying this brief moment of connection nonetheless. It's not often that they could just be father and daughter without all the baggage of their past weighing them down.

She laughs softly, shaking her head as she continues stirring the eggs. "Yeah, I can see why that'd be pretty hard to do. But hey, at least you always give it your best shot." There's an awkward pause before she adds, "You know... sometimes I wish we could just go back in time and fix things without all the fancy machines and plans." She glances up at him from under her eyelashes, her expression serious for a moment. "We were kind of a mess as a family, you know?"

Her hand returns to stirring the eggs, even as she wonders if he's even hearing what she's saying. It wouldn't be like him to listen to something so emotional or vulnerable. But maybe... just maybe there's a chance.

"I know, Dad," she murmurs softly, her voice hoarse with emotion. "It's just... sometimes I wish things could have been different." She glances up at him again, searching his face for some sign of understanding or connection. "But hey, we can make the most of today, right?"

With a faint smile on her lips, she turns back to the stove, scraping the eggs onto a plate before setting it aside to cool. The spaghetti is done by now, so she drains it and transfers it to another bowl as well, then serves up plates for them both with a sprinkle of grated cheese on top.

"There you go," she says brightly, carrying the two plates over to the table and setting one down in front of him. "Spaghetti dinner, just like old times." Her voice wavers slightly on the last words, betraying her emotions despite her best efforts to hide them. "So... what do you want to talk about while we eat?"

"Um... sure I guess," she says hesitantly, taking a bite of her spaghetti before continuing. "His name's Justin. He's in my class at uni, but we met outside of school. And... he's 20? Maybe 21?" Her cheeks flush slightly as she talks about him; it's obvious that she really likes this guy. "He's really sweet and thoughtful. A little shy sometimes, but once you get to know him, he's a lot of fun." She smiles, her eyes lighting up at the memory. "We've been talking for a while now... almost every day since we met." Her voice trails off as she takes another bite of pasta, savoring the taste and the company even if it is just for tonight.

"What about you?" she asks after swallowing her food. "You ever think about finding someone special? Maybe settling down or... I don't know, trying to be a better dad?" Her tone is light-hearted and teasing, but there's an undertone of sincerity that can't be ignored entirely.

Well, you could start by trying to understand me instead of treating me like a kid. Like, just because I'm your daughter doesn't mean you can boss me around and tell me what to do all the time. You know? And honestly... Justin isn't that much different from any other guy I know. He's just... normal, I guess. Maybe if you gave him a chance, he could be someone good for you too." She pauses, considering her words carefully before continuing with a soft smile, "I mean, it's not like he'd beat you in arm-wrestling or anything, but that doesn't mean he's not worth getting to know."

She laughs softly, looking away for a moment as she bites her lip to hide the sudden sting of tears in her eyes. "It's okay, Dad," she says quietly. "You've always just wanted what you thought was best for me. And... I suppose this is me wanting what's best for me too." Her voice wavers, and she has to clear her throat before continuing. "But maybe we could try being a family again? Like... not with Mom if that makes you uncomfortable, but just us two?" There's an almost desperate hope in her eyes as she searches his face for any sign of understanding or agreement.

Maybe they can make it work this time. Maybe they can find some sort of balance where they can both be happy and still have a relationship despite their differences. Or maybe this is just another foolish dream, doomed to end in failure like all the others before it...

She hesitates, biting her lip as she processes the news. "Oh... really? I didn't know that." There's a flash of hurt in her eyes before it's replaced with understanding and acceptance. "Well, I suppose if they make each other happy then more power to them. It just meant we could be our own family too, right?" Her smile is soft and hopeful now, reaching out toward him despite the pain she knows must still linger in her heart.

"So... let's try again? Just you and me?" She reaches across the table, her hand tentative and gentle as it rests on his forearm. "We can give it another chance, Dad. For both of us."

Mmm... I'd rather not rely on your inventions for that, but it's nice to know you have my back. Just promise me one thing though: if he ever hurts her or makes her unhappy, you'll let me know so we can help her find someone better suited for her. Deal?