A Relative Situation
Summary: Linka received some news from home that has her worried, but a certain American is only too willing to step in and help.
A/N: I thought you might like something to read… I'm going to aim for weekly updates on this one.
Disclaimer: I do not own Captain Planet, I'm just borrowing it and will make no money whatsoever from these stories.
Chapter One
The American exited his cabin and stepped out into the night, letting the door swing closed behind him. He looked up at the moon and sighed, ran one hand through his already tousled red hair and, still half asleep, headed towards the kitchen.
Wheeler stopped on the threshold, surprise crossing his face as he saw the room was already occupied. "Hey Babe, what're you doin' up at this hour? You okay?"
The lovely Russian shot up out of her chair, immediately on the defensive. "I do not think that is any of your business!"
"Whoa, Linka Chill!" He put his hands up in a defensive position.
She dropped back down onto her chair and crossed her arms in front of her. "I am not in the mood to flirt."
Wheeler slammed the kitchen door as he started across the room, heading to the cupboards for a bowl and some cereal, his favourite late night snack.
"Jeez Linka, 'Are you okay' is not exactly a pick up line you know!" He was half yelling. "It happens to be something one friend asks another when they're looking the way you looked when I walked in!"
The American slammed everything he could find as he made his way around the kitchen, finally coming back to the table. It was then that he realised she was crying.
"Hey." He said softly, kneeling down beside her and reaching up to wipe away her tears, his food left forgotten on the table. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make it worse."
Linka gave him a weak smile. "You did not. I am sorry too."
"You wanna talk about it?" He let his hand fall to her upper arm, rubbing it gently with his thumb. "Is it your grandmother?"
Looking surprised Linka shook her head. "What would make you think that?"
Wheeler released her and returned to his chair. "You got a letter this… well yesterday morning." He picked up his bowl and deliberately kept his eyes on it as he added. "Your shields have been up ever since."
"My shields?" She sounded more confused than annoyed so he decided to explain.
"Something you withdraw into to protect yourself… you act like everything is okay but there's a distance that's not normally there." He gestured vaguely with his spoon as he struggled to describe how it felt to him. "It's like dealing with a recording of you, all the responses are correct but the feelings are locked up somewhere else."
At first she looked like she might start shouting, but then she slumped against her backrest. "You were not supposed to notice."
"I figured." His voice was still soft as if he was trying to cushion the blow.
The silence stretched on and he had begun to think he would have to try again, when she said. "My brother is getting married."
Wheeler's spoon paused halfway to his mouth as his brain tried to work out all the reasons why that might be a bad thing.
"I did not even know he was dating that… that…" Linka took a deep breath. "Her."
Understanding dawned in the American's eyes. "Does he know you don't like her?"
"He should do!" Her voice was raised again as she turned flashing eyes towards him, but then she calmed herself and looked away. "I would have at least thought he would know her reputation."
Raising an eyebrow her friend said. "Well maybe does, maybe he just doesn't buy it."
"It was not rumour Wheeler, it was fact." The Russian glared at him as it if was his fault. "And she was a bully."
"Okay… then maybe he just doesn't care." Wheeler shrugged. "When you fall in love with someone you'll forgive just about anything."
There was something in his voice when he said that last that suggested irony and Linka experienced both indignation and guilt in the seconds before he continued. "Look at my Mom, she put up with years of being beat on in the name of love."
Linka's cheeks reddened slightly but she put her embarrassment aside and pressed on. "Then you agree that he should not disregard her past."
"That depends." The fire planeteer shrugged. "How bad was her past and has she changed?"
Looking sulky, it was Linka's turn to shrug. "I do not know if she has changed, I am not sure it is possible and even if it is, I do not want to be related to her. She was a year above me in school and she was not just a bully, she ran the bullies. Plus, there were very few of the boys she did not know intimately, though the stories about the teacher might have been made up."
"Are you sure it wasn't all made up Babe?" Wheeler grinned. "That sort of reputation usually is."
Again Linka shrugged. "What sort of girl tells stories like that about herself? If one of the boys upset her she would humiliate them by saying they were not any good, they never denied it either, even when they tried to make excuses."
"Because for a teenage boy, not having done it is worse than being bad at it." Wheeler grinned at her. "Not that I had to worry about either."
"Is that supposed to impress me?" She glared.
Sighing, the American shook his head and took his now empty bowl over to the sink.
"It does not change the fact that Svetlana is a nasty piece of work!" Linka complained. "How can Mischka even think of marrying her?"
Wheeler returned to the table. "I don't know Babe, I guess I'd have to meet her before I had a hope of even guessing at that…."
Seeing his hesitation, Linka gave him a wary look and asked. "What?"
"You're not going to say anything to Mischka about this, right?" He sounded nervous.
"Of course I am!" Linka seemed shocked. "I cannot let my brother go into this blindly."
Wheeler closed his eyes. "He won't thank you for it, even if you're right about her, if he's really in love with her he's not going to listen."
"Then what do you suggest I do?" She demanded. "Remain silent and wait for her to ruin his life?"
It was a brave man that argued with Linka when she was in that sort of mood. "Firstly, you don't know that's going to happen. Secondly, if you say something now you'll cause an argument and he'll just end up resenting you."
"What do you know?!" Linka stood up furiously and stormed past him, heading for her cabin without another word.
The Fire Planeteer sighed and, after a few minutes, pushed himself to his feet and returned to his own room, sure that he wouldn't get back to sleep now that he had one more thing to worry about where Linka was concerned.
To be continued...
