The Telepath's Daughter

Follow the Leader

Reid did a good job of shielding his worries during dinner.

That is, he managed it right up to the point where a casual glance at Ana clued him in that, by the looks of her, she had some sudden worries of her own. He reached out a gentle, telepathic tendril and immediately drew back. Ana was shielding herself with a vengeance. When Reid finally achieved eye contact, he raised inquisitive brows at her. Her gaze traveled around the table from guest to guest. She gave her head a small, sharp shake and let a tremulous smile tell her husband that whatever troubled her wasn't anything too dire.

Later...she mouthed the word at Reid.

Without the mental touch he associated with her, Spencer felt a small, sorrowful gripping in his heart. He'd grown so used to Ana's remarkable presence. He found himself wishing that dinner was over and he could huddle his little family together upstairs in Millie's quiet, overstuffed room. Sometimes the company of others, even if they were close friends, was a bit overwhelming. Immersing himself in Ana and Melinda was the best of remedies.

To distract himself from worrying about his wife, Reid made a small study of each of his fellow diners. Millie was glowing. Fresh company and compliments worked on her like a tonic. And the prospect of having Ana's company for a few days, if not weeks, until her baby was born added to Millie's joyful aspect. Rossi was garrulous and charming. A few hours spent playing in the kitchen allowed him to feel right at home in the bed-and-breakfast. Julio was a close match for Rossi. The Palero priest laughed often and conveyed a quiet, but deep contentment with his life in this tiny, remote village. Every once in a while, he'd glance at Melinda with a bemused expression that told Reid nothing of what his thoughts might actually be. And Hotch. Hotch also darted glances at Melinda, but the slight furrow creasing his brow conveyed anxiety.

When the meal had meandered to its conclusion, Millie suggested they all move to her parlor for coffee "with maybe a little bit of something stronger for the gentlemen," she added in a coy tone. It was a moot discrimination, since of the only other females present, one was a child and one was pregnant, so the only people likely to take Millie up on the offer were men, but everyone let their little hostess enjoy her mannered expressions. Being surrounded by Millie's Victorian décor made it all seem somehow appropriate.

Reid took advantage of the mass movement from dining room to parlor to draw Ana into a corner. Sweetheart, what is it? What's wrong?

I'm not sure. Her eyes darted from side to side as though she were trying to discover something sly. A trickster in the room perhaps. I can hear thoughts!

Of course you can. That's how we speak to each other. You , me, Mellie...

No! Spencer, I can hear everyone.

Reid's eyes widened. Normally, if 'normal' could be applied to such a talent as telepathy, Ana could zero in on his and Melinda's thoughts. If he helped her, she could hear other people's mental processes, but it was like having to communicate through a translator. Now that he thought about it, Reid realized he hadn't been helping Ana when they'd been walking back to the bed-and-breakfast with Julio. He knew she could hear the old doctor, but he assumed that was a power the physician had developed over his extremely long existence.

Is that why you're blocking so hard?

Yes! I don't want to hear all that! It's too much. How do you stand it?

Reid shrugged. I'm used to it. It's just white noise, but I can parse it out if I want to and listen in on separate trains of thought. But the only ones I like listening in on are you and Mellie. I wonder if you're hearing stuff just 'cause we're here. You know...that boosting effect in our abilities that the doc was talking about. Or maybe...