Dr. Maeve Whitehall read over the file on Andy as she sat outside. This was one where she felt more information in the file would have been helpful, but even then, it paved the initial road in therapy better. Energy vampirism and electrical manipulation were strong powers to possess for a young person.

_______________________________________

The office Andy would set foot in held neutral tones in light brown, white, and gray. The sitting area had three chairs, two armchairs and a sofa. The coffee table had a pot of coffee on it, freshly brewed, with two cups and some coasters. There was a stuffed sloth animal on the sofa. The walls held various black and white photographs of landmarks like the Eiffel Tower or the Sydney Opera House. There was also a water fixture on the side that made the sound of a light waterfall.

Maeve sat in one of the armchairs as Andy came in. [color=968dd5]“Hello Andy. My name is Dr. Maeve Whitehall, but you can call me Maeve or Dr. Whitehall, whichever you prefer. Please, take a seat wherever you like. Help yourself to some coffee if you want, or I can get some water if that’s better.”[/color] Maeve had her own coffee cup in front of her and she sipped it while Andy got comfortable.

Upon entering the room, Andy’s eyes darted around it. Taking in the set up and art. She smelled the coffee and it had already had her attention before Dr. Whitehall had mentioned it. [color=b71d5d]”I like coffee.”[/color] She said, picking up the cup and sat down in one of the armchairs. She sipped on the coffee, tasting it. She let it linger for a moment before sighing. 

[color=b71d5d]”Before we get into stuff, I have a question. When I was...little there were always rules around things like therapists and confessionals. Confidentiality rules. Could you clarify them for me?”[/color] Andy had established that talking about being from the past would probably be fine from Zari, but she wanted to make sure. 

Maeve gave a warm smile as Andy sat and enjoyed the coffee. [color=968dd5]”I love coffee also. Quite literally cannot start my day without it.”[/color] To fine that point Maeve picked up her own cup and sipped.

[color=968dd5]”I am happy to clarify that with you and I am very impressed. You are one of very few people I have spoken to that knew that at the start. So, confidentiality means that what we talk about in this room will stay in this room. Despite Coulson’s request for these sessions, I will not share with him what we talk about. That is unless you give me permission to and even then I will share only what you give me permission to. There are some stipulations to that confidentiality clause that, if they occur, I may need to break confidentiality. Those include if there is any desire to want to seriously harm yourself or someone else, if there is child abuse or vulnerable adult abuse, or if the authorities get involved and ask for my records. Even if that was the case with that last one I would fight them on it. Other than that, this is a private space. Does all of that make sense?”[/color]

[color=b71d5d]”Yes. Thank you.”[/color] Andy nodded and took a sip of her coffee. [color=b71d5d]”I know that this is supposed to be focused on the recent incident. And I do suppose I should talk about that. But I need to talk about something else.”[/color] Andy considered what she wanted to say. She had been fretting over it but the doctor's comment about abuse made her pause. She wondered what sort of statute of limitations there was on that. To give herself a moment she took another sip of her coffee.

[color=b71d5d]”I was born in 2004. I time traveled to get here. I can't say I don't know anyone but as far as anyone knows I've been missing or dead for the last seventeen years.”[/color] She said it all in almost one breath and sucked in another when she finished. Andy hadn't said that to anyone yet. Zari and her parents knew, obviously, but she hadn't told anyone. 

Maeve nodded as Andy opened up with some information she had not been made aware of. Granted, that was by her own request. Still, it pleased Maeve that Andy was open to this. [color=968dd5]”We can talk about whatever it is you want. The situation with Arcade may have been the starting event that got the ball rolling, but I am here to help with whatever it is you need in the moment.”

“So you time traveled here from 2004? How was that experience for you? I imagine it was somewhat of a shock. And a revelation to those that knew you in 2004 and then 17 years later. Did you share this with anyone? Parents? Siblings? Friends?”[/color]

[color=b71d5d]”My girlfriend is aware.”[/color] That was an understatement. [color=b71d5d]”My mom is too. I never knew my biological Dad and I haven't spoken to my adoptive dad about it. I kind of left without saying anything. I don't have any siblings, that I know of. My mom very likely has had other children. As for friends, that's complicated. It turns out one of the friends I've made now is the son of one of my friends from before.”[/color] Andy was not ready to give details about who her family was and that she had been on Genosha.

[color=968dd5]”That’s a lot to handle. Still, it is nice to hear you have some support from others. Friendships can be complicated at the best of times, though I imagine your particular situation makes that different. How has all of this impacted your time at school? With the coursework and the contest amongst other events, as previously mentioned, a typical student would be understandably stressed.”[/color]

[color=b71d5d]”I didn't have the most complete education before and the seventeen year gap has not been an easy hurdle. I feel like I have to study four times harder than the others to catch up to what I should have been.”[/color] Andy was honestly very stressed with trying to get a handle on all of that. [color=b71d5d]”I've gotten some help at least. From a couple of others. The contest itself sounds...magical. When I left, mutants were hated. It was a mess. Shortly after M-pox.”[/color] Shortly after the Drummonds deaths. [color=b71d5d]”There was a lot of hatred and resentment. And then I came here and Mutants are just,”[/color] she waved her hand encompassing the school and everything. 
Maeve of course knew of the hatred of mutants. It was a topic of discussion during her time at school as well as her own experiences. [color=968dd5]”Yes, growing up I heard stories of mutants and how they had to be feared. Harder still having ones power manifest. Things have gotten better thankfully and schools like this have done their part in that progress.”

“With the pressure of catching up on not only schoolwork, but really society as a whole, what do you do to take that stress off? The contest can be a nice distraction but that comes with its own share of stress.”[/color]

[color=b71d5d]”The contest is fine. I don't mind being part of it. It isn't driving me or anything. I have no idea about modern social media. I've been meaning to try to figure it out but haven't had the time. I started reading the Percy Jackson series. A friend lent them. I like it. Kind of wish I had read it back when it was more age appropriate.”[/color] Andy pauses to take a sip of her coffee. [color=b71d5d]”I've honestly been so swamped between the two that I can't even find time to do something else. I suppose with the grade promise Coulson gave us will make it a bit easier.”[/color] She looks down at her coffee. [color=b71d5d]”That's why we were doing the extra training in the Framework. We all felt the pressure.”[/color]

Maeve nodded, making further mental notes. [color=968dd5]”I know about that book series. And don’t worry, I still enjoy a young adult book now and then. The Hunger Games? Still a favorite. I think responding to that pressure in the way you all did is valid. It was a way to get extra help in preparation for something a lot of you were looking forward to and wanting to work hard at. You especially are in a unique situation having been from the past and making decisions for yourself knowing you have to take extra steps and put in more work to be where everyone else is. Do you find it makes it harder to relate to your classmates and, by extension, those on your team?”[/color]

That last question drove home. Andy had on a whim decided to abandon her time to follow Zari. Zari was sometimes impossible to understand but she still wouldn't change that choice. Zari kept her grounded and happy. However, there was so much boiling inside her.

[color=b71d5d]”Yeah.”[/color] She answered simply. [color=b71d5d]”I also...since they were all born around the year I left. There is this feeling that I'm not seventeen. I've only lived that long but I should be, if I hadn't time traveled, in my thirties. I was friends with some of their parents, who think I am dead. Heck, one of their grandfather's adopted me. I think she hates me sometimes because of that. Then they all have seventeen years of pop culture and history and I was never great at it back in my own time with that stuff. I only got interested in b- movies about a year ago, relatively. And that was because of the Drummonds, who were murdered in a horrifying fire right after Christmas by some Purifiers, anti-mutants, and then m-pox happened and I was just fumbling from one thing to the next. For me that was just months ago. Not seventeen years. Then I joined this group and we stopped M-pox. When we woke up from that months later we were on Genosha. There I found out who my biological mom is. Then she turns around and tries to kill everyone and I just left. I didn't even think about it. Zari asked me and I followed. Started coming to this school, which by the way if you remember from 17 years ago how horrible mutants were treated going to a mutant school was a massive fear. But I'm here and I don't want to just keep stumbling between crises. I need to be prepared. And I'm not. Eventually people are going to come looking for my mom. And if I can't keep her out of their hands the world will be in danger again.”[/color] Everything came tumbling out. She hadn't wanted to say all of that but it was like an avalanche once it started. Her hands were shaking. She looked down at the coffee and drank half the cup. She really hadn't wanted to get into who her mom was. Discussing that couldn't be a good idea.

[color=968dd5]”It sounds like a lot of pressure on you, both one you're willing to take on and one you had thrusted on you. I get the sense talking about your mother spiked your emotions. While I am happy to address that area I want you to know you do not need to during this first session. But I am here to talk about it.”

“While I do not know about time travel and being displaced like you are, I think everyone experiences those feelings of unknown in who you are compared to others. Yours is on another level to be sure, but I will go out on a limb and say there are probably others who have similar feelings. This is why it is important to have a support network of people who want the best for you. But it is also important to know your own boundaries and what you want to share and when.”[/color]

Andy's hands tightened around the mug. The coffee didn't feel warm anymore. And there wasn't much left anyway. She finished it off then set the cup down. 

[color=b71d5d]”I have to take it. No one else could protect people from mom like me. I haven't told anyone new. They think I'm weird and old fashioned. I don't know how to socialize with them. I miss the ring and fighting and knowing a person from how they fight. I miss the Drummonds. And I miss thinking I'd be safe.”[/color] If Andy was honest with herself she hadn't really felt safe since she had been eight. But the death of the Drummonds had sealed away any hope of that. 

[color=b71d5d]”If I get strong enough to protect Mom then I'll be safe. No one else will protect me.”[/color] Except Zari. 

[color=968dd5]”I am going to assign you some homework. This isn’t like school where you will be graded nor are you obligated to do this. I will sometimes assign homework if I feel it is in my client’s best interest and I think it will help. This is, assuming of course, you want to make this a regular thing. If you do, then for next time, I want you to sit with yourself in those feelings. The need, the desire to want to be strong to protect yourself. Allow yourself to feel all the emotions attached to that desire. Write them down if you want. Then, I want you to take a step back and think about allowing others in. Friends, family, other loved ones and other supports. Even if briefly, allow yourself to feel what it would be like to allow others in to help. Write that down too if you want.”

“Even if you do not want sessions to continue, I would still encourage this. And even if after this session if you do not want to come back, know that I will be a support for you in whatever you need it for.”[/color]

[color=b71d5d]”I'll try. I am willing to continue meeting too.”[/color] Andy said. [color=b71d5d]”Thank you. I've been needing to talk about some stuff. And I've only scratched the surface of that.”[/color] Andy stood up sensing that this was the end of the session, and left the room. She felt better. [color=b71d5d]”Oh![/color] She poked her head back in, [color=b71d5d]”Do you do family therapy?”[/color]