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Description
The first thing that Peggy noticed as her mother pulled into the freshly paved parking lot was that the building was definitely very modern. Fancier looking and more aesthetically pleasing that Dr. Barnabas’s clinic. The walls were sleek and shiny like they were made of plastic, and had a light teal color to them that looked rather soothing. There was also a large garden out from with a plethora of different colored flowers and plants growing out of moist soil.

Mother parked the car and got out. She let Peggy unbuckle herself, which was fine for her. After they both got out of the car, they began walking towards the glass double doors, but first they had to take a trip through the garden because the walkway cut right through it. Peggy was overcome by the soft smells of healthy vegetation, as well as amazed by the variety in colors that surrounded her. Mother noticed her smiling brightly, and couldn’t help but smile too. They both could silently agree that maybe flowers in front of a building were distracted, but definitely a nice touch.

They entered the lobby of the building; their attention immediately grabbed by the soft music that played out of the overhead speaker. Peggy noticed that the place was just as decorated inside as it was outside: the seats all had clean leather cushions that lined up around a fireplace made of old fashion brick. There were paintings that dotted the nice orange colored walls as well as even more potted plants that sat at each corner. The biggest painting of all was the large portrait of Dr. Good that sat directly behind the front desk, showing off his nice big smile to all who entered.

The woman behind the desk greeted the two with more excitement that Peggy would have ever seen coming out of their last therapist. “Welcome! Thank you so much for coming to the United People’s Independent Clinic. You must be Ms. Sovereign, right?” She asked, cheerfully pointing her the pen in her hand at Mother.

Mother stared at her with an open mouth for a moment. She looked over at Peggy who was just as surprised and back. “Uh yes...actually. Should I sign her in?” She asked.

The receptionist rolled her chair back to the computer and got to typing immediately. “No need! I’ll just input you in while you are speaking to Dr. Good. His office is at the very end of the hall. He’ll be expecting you so bring your nicest smile! Hope you have a wonderful day!” She chided, happily tapping away at the keyboard while keeping direct eye contact with Mother.

Peggy’s mom was obviously uncomfortable about the situation but in a good way: like she wasn’t used to this much friendliness coming from a bureaucratic worker. She turned to Peggy and calmly said “I...guess we should go see him then.”

Peggy nodded and followed her down the hallway to the left. Even from the lobby, she could see the shiny gold plaque that was placed eye level on the door at the end of the hallway. It simply read “Good” in big capital letters. The whole situation was so abstract: Peggy wished that she had gotten used to the Doctor’s bizarre antics but this was just getting ridiculous. She wasn’t sure what to think anymore, and she had no idea what her reaction would be when she saw him again. Even as her mother was turning the doorknob, she still didn’t know what it would be like to see the man again: the spokesperson for an organization that ruled the world. A man who she saw shoot down a soldier right in front of her. Her mentor and, as of now, her therapist. How was she supposed to react to him now?

Mother pushed the door open, giving Peggy a few view of the room. It was a nice room: smaller than Dr. Barnabus’s office, but nicer. With bookshelves that lined the walls, posters decorating the spaces that weren’t covered up, a neat little mahogany desk with two mahogany chairs that sat in front of it. And behind the desk was a large window where Peggy could clearly see the top of the Capitol Building poking out from over the treetops in the distance. But that wasn’t what drew her attention: it was the man sitting between the chair and the window.

“Greetings. It’s great to see you two. I take it that you must be Ms. Sovereign. It’s great to meet you.” Said the man who outreached his hand to Peggy’s mother. A light bulb necklace hung from his neck, reflecting the faces of Peggy and her mother in it’s tiny glass shell. The Doctor’s smile was as big as could be, and welcoming enough for Mother to feel comfortable with walking over and shaking his hand.

“It’s nice to meet you...Dr. Good?” She asked.

He nodded. “That’s right. Expert Psychoanalytical Physician. And you must be...Margaret. It’s a pleasure to meet you as well.” He said, turning his gaze to Peggy.

Peggy’s mouth hung open, but she had no words to push out of it. She just stared at the smiling man silently. Thankfully, her mother spoke for her. “She prefers to go by ‘Peggy.’” She pointed out.

“Is that so? Would you rather I call you Peggy, Ma’am?” Dr. Good asked.

Peggy lightly nodded. “Y-yes sir...” she murmured quietly.

“Alright, we’ve gotten that out of the way. Now please: both of you sit down. These are new chairs after all. Haven’t even been used yet.” He said.

Both of them took a seat, noticing immediately how oddly comfortable the chairs were despite being made entirely out of wood. But they were carved in such a way to fit them perfectly. Dr. Good folded his hands and set them on the desk in front of him, leaning in a bit to speak. “I’ve studied Peggy’s records much since she was transferred over to here. I understand that though she may have overcome her depression, she is still at risk of falling back into it if the proper steps aren’t taken to avoid such an event. Luckily, I have all the tools and training at my disposal to keep that from happening.” He explained.

“That sounds great. The last thing I’d want is for my dearest Peggy to be depressed again. Though...I have noticed as of lately that she’s been acting a bit stranger. More unpredictable, sometimes even rebellious. Could that be a sign that she’s already back to being depressed and we just don’t know it yet?” Mother asked cautiously.

Dr. Good shook his head. “No, of course not! Though it may not seem that way, Peggy is exhibiting positive behavior. Her sudden change in behavior show that she is not only out of the depression stage, but that she’s moving forward to a brighter future! I assure you that.” He said.

Peggy thought about it for a moment: in truth, she hadn’t noticed yet, but she really wasn’t depressed anymore. At least, not the way she had been. She didn’t feel so powerless anymore even though she knew that there were still many things that held her down. But at least she knew deep in her heart that she wasn’t afraid to be a little bit defiant against the things that controlled her. So maybe he was right: maybe she wasn’t depressed anymore. Not everything was fine with her, but things had improved since she first met him.

Mother was a bit uneasy about this news. Peggy could tell that she wasn’t used to someone telling her that teenagers were meant to be independent thinkers. “Well...I mean...children have to be disciplined. That doesn’t change, right?” She asked.

“Well, it is important to keep boundaries for a teenager to stay within. But it’s also important to give them a bit of space to move around in. After all, without any free space, a child has nothing to grow into.” The Doctor explained.

Peggy couldn’t agree more, but Mother still wasn’t on board. “I...I’m not sure I’m following you, Doctor.” She admitted.

“That’s fine. I’m sure you’ll learn in time to. Because a few things are going to be different from now on. For one thing, you’ll be coming to see me every Friday. I’m sure that Dr. Barnabas told you that. Secondly, once a month I’d like for both you and your mother to join me in my office so we can have a collective discussion. After all, it’s important that a parent is supportive in a child’s development, and also so that you and Peggy can negotiate any troubles that you are sharing. Communication is a necessity that so many people live without.” He replied.

“I...I guess so. Though I’m not entirely sure if that is all necessary.” Mother replied.

The Doctor nodded. “Oh trust me, it is.” He replied.

After that, Mother and Dr. Good discussed a few more things. He went over some of the stuff they would be talking about as well as a few exercises that Peggy could do at home to help improve her outlook on life. Then they started talking about finances which is where Peggy zoned out. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to understand what they were talking about anyway. She was still trying to understand the Doctor’s plan. Why was he getting mother involved all of a sudden? What was the point of coming of the shadows like this? Peggy knew that now she didn’t have to hide the fact that she was meeting this man from her mother, but now she also knew that she’d have to continue lying about the other secrets that the Doctor may keep hidden from her mother. Not unless he was going to come out and tell her all about the Light and Peggy’s place in it. Peggy even considered that as a possibility and waited anxiously through the conversation to see when he’d make the big reveal and drag Mother into the same twisted reality that Peggy was in.

But he didn’t. The Doctor and Mother shared a bit more about finances and about plans for the future before their session was up. Mother stood up from her chair, stretching a bit as she did so. “Well, it was nice meeting you, Doctor. Though I’m not sure if I entirely agree with your therapy strategies, Dr. Barnabas did recommend you and I have faith that you’ll be just what Peggy needs. Now let’s go, Peggy.” She said as she made her way towards the door.

Peggy was about to get up, but then the Doctor spoke. “Actually, Ms. Sovereign, I’d like to speak to Peggy alone. If that’s alright.” He said.

Mother stopped and glanced over her shoulder. “Alone? What for?” She asked.

“I just want to talk a bit with her. You and I spoke for the better part of an hour and now I’d like to speak with the person I’ll be working with. And in my field of study, I’ve come to notice that afflicted teenagers tend to be less open with therapists if their parents are in the same room. So you should just wait in the lobby and I’ll send her out shortly.” He said.

Mother didn’t budge; a look of uncertainty stained her cheeks bright red.

“It’s okay, Mom. I’ll be fine.” Peggy said to her.

She looked down at Peggy, and then back to the Doctor who only flashed her a calm grin. After a moment of thinking it over, she decided to trust the Doctor. “Alright...I...I guess I’ll wait outside. Behave yourself, Peggy.” she said before closing the door.

There was a moment of silence as the two listened to the clicks of her high heels begin to fade as she wandered back down the hallway. Then the Doctor spoke again.

“So we meet again, Pangea. I must ask you this: how are you liking the new clinic?” He asked.

The change in tone was just what Peggy was waiting for. She had been practically holding her breath, waiting for the time when he’d drop the act and revert back to his usual self. Millions of questions rocketed through her head, but to save time, she went ahead and asked the one that she needed to know the most.

“...Why? Why do any of this? What is your plan here?” She asked, a bit louder than she had hoped it would come out.

Dr. Good was unphased. “Lucky for you, the walls of this building are soundproofed now. To answer your question: this is simply the next step. I was being truthful when I told your mother that some things were going to change. But I didn’t tell her all the things that would. I want to be more involved in your life: after all, you have grown a lot since I first met you. Very quickly too. I will admit that I am impressed.” He said.

Peggy felt her cheeks grow red: she wasn’t used to compliments, or replying back to people who gave them. She lowered her head and softly said “uh...y-yes sir...thank you...” she murmured.

“Though there is still a lot left to do. In the past month, you successfully told several people ‘no’ at least once. Somehow, I don’t think you’re ready to be handed the keys to the World just yet. But we’re getting there. In time, I can turn sweet little Peggy Sovereign into the fearless leader Pangea the Great Uniter. Like I said, it may be difficult for you to see now, but for me it is as clear as the sun rising in the horizon.” He said.

“I...I am still not sure if I’m ready to be a leader yet. I mean, for one thing, I was nearly killed by Pathogen. How often does that happen to members of the Light?” She asked.

He shrugged. “Not that often. Granted, every one of us has had our fair share of run-ins with other secret organizations. But like I said, they’re really all the same. And you can bet your life on the fact that they will never succeed. Nobody can defeat the Light because the Light is always in control. As for the other members, they would be impressed to know that you survived a run-in with Pathogen and you’re barely an apprentice yet. That’s quite the acolyte.” he said.

Peggy guessed it was just something she’d have to get used to. After all, there was still a lot that she didn’t know about the Light anyway, or the people who were working against it. She didn’t even know any other members. Her thought process took her back to the memory of her last therapy session with him.

“Wait, wasn’t I supposed to meet another member of the Light last friday? What happened to him, or her?” She asked.

“We had to cancel the meeting, unfortunately. Though he was very eager to meet you, especially after learning that you helped us locate and take down a Pathogen covert cell. I’ll have to schedule the meeting for some time in the future. After all, most members are very busy on a weekly notice. Me, I have my own issues but I’ll always have time to teach my acquaintance. And I’ll continue to do so.” He explained.

Peggy liked the sound of that. She was already helping the Light out, even if it wasn’t intentional. And that was earning the respect of the people who would eventually become her co-workers in a club that oversaw the events that made world history.

The Doctor got up from his chair and walked around the dark red desk. Peggy stood up out of her chair, eager to meet him halfway. They stood a foot from each other, locking eyes. He put his hands on her shoulders, smiling down at her. “They say that the meek will inherit the Earth. Though in this case, the meek will have to grow stronger first. But even though now you may just be a little girl who couldn’t feel any less in control of her life, you have something deep down inside of you. A strength that nobody else possesses. Power that you never thought you could have. And one day you will be able to use it to help benefit the whole world. I believe that wholeheartedly, and I believe in you, Pangea.” He said calmly and affirmatively.

As Peggy stared into the deep gray eyes, she had a moment to reflect on what had been and perhaps what will be. Though a future where nothing was the same and she had more power than she could possibly imagine was outside of her field of insight, she could see in her life where she had grown. She remembered a time where she wouldn’t have been able to say “no” to Riley, or sneak out of the house on Mother. It wasn’t too long ago that she would have put up with Fawke’s constant bickering and pointless complaining no matter what. She could even remember a time when her feet hurt every day because she didn’t even have the courage to tell her friend that she didn’t like to wear a pair of shoes.

But that had changed. Peggy could stand up for herself. She could tell someone that she didn’t like to get out of her life. She didn’t have to hang out with someone just because they allowed her to sit at the same table as them. She could handle a problem as big as an angry Senior in a thick leather jacket and afflictions. She wasn’t afraid to defy the rules of her mother if it meant she might learn something. And she could even handle a problem as big as being kidnapped and nearly electrocuted.

After all, Peggy may have been small and quiet at first, but that was the past. She knew that it would be a while before she would be able to truly be “Peggy the Great” but she’d get there eventually.

One day soon, she would have it all. All she needed to know was how to get there.

Luckily, there was someone right there to teach her that.

Description
The first thing that Peggy noticed as her mother pulled into the freshly paved parking lot was that the building was definitely very modern. Fancier looking and more aesthetically pleasing that Dr. Barnabas’s clinic. The walls were sleek and shiny like they were made of plastic, and had a light teal color to them that looked rather soothing. There was also a large garden out from with a plethora of different colored flowers and plants growing out of moist soil.

Mother parked the car and got out. She let Peggy unbuckle herself, which was fine for her. After they both got out of the car, they began walking towards the glass double doors, but first they had to take a trip through the garden because the walkway cut right through it. Peggy was overcome by the soft smells of healthy vegetation, as well as amazed by the variety in colors that surrounded her. Mother noticed her smiling brightly, and couldn’t help but smile too. They both could silently agree that maybe flowers in front of a building were distracted, but definitely a nice touch.

They entered the lobby of the building; their attention immediately grabbed by the soft music that played out of the overhead speaker. Peggy noticed that the place was just as decorated inside as it was outside: the seats all had clean leather cushions that lined up around a fireplace made of old fashion brick. There were paintings that dotted the nice orange colored walls as well as even more potted plants that sat at each corner. The biggest painting of all was the large portrait of Dr. Good that sat directly behind the front desk, showing off his nice big smile to all who entered.

The woman behind the desk greeted the two with more excitement that Peggy would have ever seen coming out of their last therapist. “Welcome! Thank you so much for coming to the United People’s Independent Clinic. You must be Ms. Sovereign, right?” She asked, cheerfully pointing her the pen in her hand at Mother.

Mother stared at her with an open mouth for a moment. She looked over at Peggy who was just as surprised and back. “Uh yes...actually. Should I sign her in?” She asked.

The receptionist rolled her chair back to the computer and got to typing immediately. “No need! I’ll just input you in while you are speaking to Dr. Good. His office is at the very end of the hall. He’ll be expecting you so bring your nicest smile! Hope you have a wonderful day!” She chided, happily tapping away at the keyboard while keeping direct eye contact with Mother.

Peggy’s mom was obviously uncomfortable about the situation but in a good way: like she wasn’t used to this much friendliness coming from a bureaucratic worker. She turned to Peggy and calmly said “I...guess we should go see him then.”

Peggy nodded and followed her down the hallway to the left. Even from the lobby, she could see the shiny gold plaque that was placed eye level on the door at the end of the hallway. It simply read “Good” in big capital letters. The whole situation was so abstract: Peggy wished that she had gotten used to the Doctor’s bizarre antics but this was just getting ridiculous. She wasn’t sure what to think anymore, and she had no idea what her reaction would be when she saw him again. Even as her mother was turning the doorknob, she still didn’t know what it would be like to see the man again: the spokesperson for an organization that ruled the world. A man who she saw shoot down a soldier right in front of her. Her mentor and, as of now, her therapist. How was she supposed to react to him now?

Mother pushed the door open, giving Peggy a few view of the room. It was a nice room: smaller than Dr. Barnabus’s office, but nicer. With bookshelves that lined the walls, posters decorating the spaces that weren’t covered up, a neat little mahogany desk with two mahogany chairs that sat in front of it. And behind the desk was a large window where Peggy could clearly see the top of the Capitol Building poking out from over the treetops in the distance. But that wasn’t what drew her attention: it was the man sitting between the chair and the window.

“Greetings. It’s great to see you two. I take it that you must be Ms. Sovereign. It’s great to meet you.” Said the man who outreached his hand to Peggy’s mother. A light bulb necklace hung from his neck, reflecting the faces of Peggy and her mother in it’s tiny glass shell. The Doctor’s smile was as big as could be, and welcoming enough for Mother to feel comfortable with walking over and shaking his hand.

“It’s nice to meet you...Dr. Good?” She asked.

He nodded. “That’s right. Expert Psychoanalytical Physician. And you must be...Margaret. It’s a pleasure to meet you as well.” He said, turning his gaze to Peggy.

Peggy’s mouth hung open, but she had no words to push out of it. She just stared at the smiling man silently. Thankfully, her mother spoke for her. “She prefers to go by ‘Peggy.’” She pointed out.

“Is that so? Would you rather I call you Peggy, Ma’am?” Dr. Good asked.

Peggy lightly nodded. “Y-yes sir...” she murmured quietly.

“Alright, we’ve gotten that out of the way. Now please: both of you sit down. These are new chairs after all. Haven’t even been used yet.” He said.

Both of them took a seat, noticing immediately how oddly comfortable the chairs were despite being made entirely out of wood. But they were carved in such a way to fit them perfectly. Dr. Good folded his hands and set them on the desk in front of him, leaning in a bit to speak. “I’ve studied Peggy’s records much since she was transferred over to here. I understand that though she may have overcome her depression, she is still at risk of falling back into it if the proper steps aren’t taken to avoid such an event. Luckily, I have all the tools and training at my disposal to keep that from happening.” He explained.

“That sounds great. The last thing I’d want is for my dearest Peggy to be depressed again. Though...I have noticed as of lately that she’s been acting a bit stranger. More unpredictable, sometimes even rebellious. Could that be a sign that she’s already back to being depressed and we just don’t know it yet?” Mother asked cautiously.

Dr. Good shook his head. “No, of course not! Though it may not seem that way, Peggy is exhibiting positive behavior. Her sudden change in behavior show that she is not only out of the depression stage, but that she’s moving forward to a brighter future! I assure you that.” He said.

Peggy thought about it for a moment: in truth, she hadn’t noticed yet, but she really wasn’t depressed anymore. At least, not the way she had been. She didn’t feel so powerless anymore even though she knew that there were still many things that held her down. But at least she knew deep in her heart that she wasn’t afraid to be a little bit defiant against the things that controlled her. So maybe he was right: maybe she wasn’t depressed anymore. Not everything was fine with her, but things had improved since she first met him.

Mother was a bit uneasy about this news. Peggy could tell that she wasn’t used to someone telling her that teenagers were meant to be independent thinkers. “Well...I mean...children have to be disciplined. That doesn’t change, right?” She asked.

“Well, it is important to keep boundaries for a teenager to stay within. But it’s also important to give them a bit of space to move around in. After all, without any free space, a child has nothing to grow into.” The Doctor explained.

Peggy couldn’t agree more, but Mother still wasn’t on board. “I...I’m not sure I’m following you, Doctor.” She admitted.

“That’s fine. I’m sure you’ll learn in time to. Because a few things are going to be different from now on. For one thing, you’ll be coming to see me every Friday. I’m sure that Dr. Barnabas told you that. Secondly, once a month I’d like for both you and your mother to join me in my office so we can have a collective discussion. After all, it’s important that a parent is supportive in a child’s development, and also so that you and Peggy can negotiate any troubles that you are sharing. Communication is a necessity that so many people live without.” He replied.

“I...I guess so. Though I’m not entirely sure if that is all necessary.” Mother replied.

The Doctor nodded. “Oh trust me, it is.” He replied.

After that, Mother and Dr. Good discussed a few more things. He went over some of the stuff they would be talking about as well as a few exercises that Peggy could do at home to help improve her outlook on life. Then they started talking about finances which is where Peggy zoned out. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to understand what they were talking about anyway. She was still trying to understand the Doctor’s plan. Why was he getting mother involved all of a sudden? What was the point of coming of the shadows like this? Peggy knew that now she didn’t have to hide the fact that she was meeting this man from her mother, but now she also knew that she’d have to continue lying about the other secrets that the Doctor may keep hidden from her mother. Not unless he was going to come out and tell her all about the Light and Peggy’s place in it. Peggy even considered that as a possibility and waited anxiously through the conversation to see when he’d make the big reveal and drag Mother into the same twisted reality that Peggy was in.

But he didn’t. The Doctor and Mother shared a bit more about finances and about plans for the future before their session was up. Mother stood up from her chair, stretching a bit as she did so. “Well, it was nice meeting you, Doctor. Though I’m not sure if I entirely agree with your therapy strategies, Dr. Barnabas did recommend you and I have faith that you’ll be just what Peggy needs. Now let’s go, Peggy.” She said as she made her way towards the door.

Peggy was about to get up, but then the Doctor spoke. “Actually, Ms. Sovereign, I’d like to speak to Peggy alone. If that’s alright.” He said.

Mother stopped and glanced over her shoulder. “Alone? What for?” She asked.

“I just want to talk a bit with her. You and I spoke for the better part of an hour and now I’d like to speak with the person I’ll be working with. And in my field of study, I’ve come to notice that afflicted teenagers tend to be less open with therapists if their parents are in the same room. So you should just wait in the lobby and I’ll send her out shortly.” He said.

Mother didn’t budge; a look of uncertainty stained her cheeks bright red.

“It’s okay, Mom. I’ll be fine.” Peggy said to her.

She looked down at Peggy, and then back to the Doctor who only flashed her a calm grin. After a moment of thinking it over, she decided to trust the Doctor. “Alright...I...I guess I’ll wait outside. Behave yourself, Peggy.” she said before closing the door.

There was a moment of silence as the two listened to the clicks of her high heels begin to fade as she wandered back down the hallway. Then the Doctor spoke again.

“So we meet again, Pangea. I must ask you this: how are you liking the new clinic?” He asked.

The change in tone was just what Peggy was waiting for. She had been practically holding her breath, waiting for the time when he’d drop the act and revert back to his usual self. Millions of questions rocketed through her head, but to save time, she went ahead and asked the one that she needed to know the most.

“...Why? Why do any of this? What is your plan here?” She asked, a bit louder than she had hoped it would come out.

Dr. Good was unphased. “Lucky for you, the walls of this building are soundproofed now. To answer your question: this is simply the next step. I was being truthful when I told your mother that some things were going to change. But I didn’t tell her all the things that would. I want to be more involved in your life: after all, you have grown a lot since I first met you. Very quickly too. I will admit that I am impressed.” He said.

Peggy felt her cheeks grow red: she wasn’t used to compliments, or replying back to people who gave them. She lowered her head and softly said “uh...y-yes sir...thank you...” she murmured.

“Though there is still a lot left to do. In the past month, you successfully told several people ‘no’ at least once. Somehow, I don’t think you’re ready to be handed the keys to the World just yet. But we’re getting there. In time, I can turn sweet little Peggy Sovereign into the fearless leader Pangea the Great Uniter. Like I said, it may be difficult for you to see now, but for me it is as clear as the sun rising in the horizon.” He said.

“I...I am still not sure if I’m ready to be a leader yet. I mean, for one thing, I was nearly killed by Pathogen. How often does that happen to members of the Light?” She asked.

He shrugged. “Not that often. Granted, every one of us has had our fair share of run-ins with other secret organizations. But like I said, they’re really all the same. And you can bet your life on the fact that they will never succeed. Nobody can defeat the Light because the Light is always in control. As for the other members, they would be impressed to know that you survived a run-in with Pathogen and you’re barely an apprentice yet. That’s quite the acolyte.” he said.

Peggy guessed it was just something she’d have to get used to. After all, there was still a lot that she didn’t know about the Light anyway, or the people who were working against it. She didn’t even know any other members. Her thought process took her back to the memory of her last therapy session with him.

“Wait, wasn’t I supposed to meet another member of the Light last friday? What happened to him, or her?” She asked.

“We had to cancel the meeting, unfortunately. Though he was very eager to meet you, especially after learning that you helped us locate and take down a Pathogen covert cell. I’ll have to schedule the meeting for some time in the future. After all, most members are very busy on a weekly notice. Me, I have my own issues but I’ll always have time to teach my acquaintance. And I’ll continue to do so.” He explained.

Peggy liked the sound of that. She was already helping the Light out, even if it wasn’t intentional. And that was earning the respect of the people who would eventually become her co-workers in a club that oversaw the events that made world history.

The Doctor got up from his chair and walked around the dark red desk. Peggy stood up out of her chair, eager to meet him halfway. They stood a foot from each other, locking eyes. He put his hands on her shoulders, smiling down at her. “They say that the meek will inherit the Earth. Though in this case, the meek will have to grow stronger first. But even though now you may just be a little girl who couldn’t feel any less in control of her life, you have something deep down inside of you. A strength that nobody else possesses. Power that you never thought you could have. And one day you will be able to use it to help benefit the whole world. I believe that wholeheartedly, and I believe in you, Pangea.” He said calmly and affirmatively.

As Peggy stared into the deep gray eyes, she had a moment to reflect on what had been and perhaps what will be. Though a future where nothing was the same and she had more power than she could possibly imagine was outside of her field of insight, she could see in her life where she had grown. She remembered a time where she wouldn’t have been able to say “no” to Riley, or sneak out of the house on Mother. It wasn’t too long ago that she would have put up with Fawke’s constant bickering and pointless complaining no matter what. She could even remember a time when her feet hurt every day because she didn’t even have the courage to tell her friend that she didn’t like to wear a pair of shoes.

But that had changed. Peggy could stand up for herself. She could tell someone that she didn’t like to get out of her life. She didn’t have to hang out with someone just because they allowed her to sit at the same table as them. She could handle a problem as big as an angry Senior in a thick leather jacket and afflictions. She wasn’t afraid to defy the rules of her mother if it meant she might learn something. And she could even handle a problem as big as being kidnapped and nearly electrocuted.

After all, Peggy may have been small and quiet at first, but that was the past. She knew that it would be a while before she would be able to truly be “Peggy the Great” but she’d get there eventually.

One day soon, she would have it all. All she needed to know was how to get there.

Luckily, there was someone right there to teach her that.