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"Shea ith her and she tookShea put her hands around my arm Her face was so solemn I can still remember what she said ‘I’ll make it better, Grace’ And she did At least temporarily"
"Wow, that’s heavy," Decker said "It’s incredible what the two of you can do"
"As I got older, I was able to focus my ability more Direct it I don’t kno to explain it, really I could be a great distance from someone, but if I had a connection to them, I could still heal theh Shea’s connection to Nathan"
"It’s no daet their hands on you," Terrence said in a somber voice "The possibilities are endless You’d be of vital interest to the roup"
"An unstoppable fighting force," Diego interjected "Soh a psychic link Boo her head before he even finished "I’m not psychic I mean I can’t predict events, tell the future I’m not a hts It’s…different I’m telepathic, which just means I can communicate mentally I can heal remotely, telepathically I suppose you’d say"
"So you canSod ?t read our thoughts?" Browning asked
Of everyone, he seemed to have the keenest interest in her abilities He’d rehout the conversation, his brow etched in concentration
"Not unless I connect to you"
"Can you connect to just anyone?" Decker asked "Shea said her abilities were random"
"I could at one time," she said softly "I’m not sure I can anymore"
They all looked inquisitively at her An uncoet it back"
Grace turned to see Rio standing behind the couch just over her shoulder
"With the proper care and reconditioning, you’ll get it back"
"I hope you’re right" She sighed and her shoulders slumped as she turned back around She remained sideways just a bit so she could still see Rio while including the others in her sight "I used to think that I didn’t want ift That it would be easier--my life would be easier--if my head was silent If I couldn’t hear other people If I couldn’t heal"
"And now?" Diego prompted
"Iin her chest as she thought of losing that link to Shea "This past year has been difficult She’s tried to keep co too ainst me or to draw me out"
"How did you lose it?" Decker asked "I don’t understand What happened?"
Grace went numb as memories of all she’d endured cah her joints and muscles The voices in her head screa, she’d lifted her palms to her teo away
"That’s enough," Rio said in a terse voice "It’s tith up"
She sed, realizing that Rio had just bailed her out where before he hadn’t and she’d recognized the i so damn weak all the time The past couldn’t hurt her Memories couldn’t hurt her Only the present and the future had that ability She had to stop fearing the ghosts
They were all still staring at her She cleared her throat and pushed away the lingering shadows
"When they…" She took another deep breath Pull it together, Grace This isn’t a big deal "When they made me heal all those test subjects, it hurt me Not just physically but mentally When I heal someone, I take on their injury or illness It becoht froo away free, recovered I have to then recover myself
"Soreeaker until I was sure I would die I severed the link to my sister because I didn’t want to beco it I never wanted her to see er her"
Terrence scowled fiercely Diego was frowning as hile Decker and the others still wore puzzled looks
"You just severed it? You can do that?" Decker asked
Grace nodded, tears crowding her eyes "It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life She was…she was a part of htened And slowly dying"
"Ungodda to prove? That they could kill you? Hoould your death benefit them at all? If they wanted to use your powers, why the hell wouldn’t they take better care with you?"
Grace wiped at her cheek in an offhand manner, relieved to find no trace of tears there "I don’t think they understood How could they? I think they thought I was acting because I didn’t want to perform to their expectations It wasn’t until…"
She shook her head and clao there It still shah she kneasn’t her, that she hadn’t had any control
Rio cleared his throat "That’s enough Coratefully over, this ti him to rescue her She pushed herself fro hands into the pockets of her jeans to disguise how traumatized she still was by the past weeks
To her utter shock, Terrence stood, towering over her briefly before he pulled her into a huge bear hug She stood there plastered against the big man’s chest, mouth open as he squeezed the breath from her
Touched by the show of support, she slowly put her ar hand down her back and then patted her aardly on the shoulder as he pulled away
"You’re a tough nut, Miss Grace," he said gruffly "Don’t ever let anyone tell you different"
She smiled up at him "Thank you, Terrence You’re very kind"
"Let’s go eat Rio cooks soood stuff when he’s home in his kitchen"