A/N: Hmmm… what started out as a short story is taking on a life of it's own, but I know where I'm going with it now, it's just going to take a little longer to get there.

Chapter Three

After Wheeler had stormed out of the common room, Kwame had launched a tirade at Gi for being so inconsiderate towards the fire planteers feelings, completely oblivious to any effect his words about Wheelers 'great affliction' might be having on Linka, the cause of it.

After Gi had run to her bedroom in floods of tears and Kwame had excused himself to go to his own room, Ma-ti looked at the wind planeteer and asked "Are you okay?"

Mustering every last bit of self control, Linka managed to hold in her emotions, "Of course Ma-ti, but I think I will finish this in my room so that there will be no more disturbances."

Ma-ti wished her good night and after she too left, settled back to watch the rest of the film. "I wish she would let me in Suchi! It is obvious she is unhappy but for all I can pick up with my ring, she might as well not have any feelings at all."

Linka was already crying when she got to her hut. Closing the door and putting her books on the chair, she curled up on the bed for a while, until the worst of her sobs subsided. "Durak," she said quietly to herself, "If you keep on like this, over every little thing, you will be next to useless in no time!"

Feeling exhausted, Linka nevertheless changed into the shorts and top she wore for bed. The beautiful blond Leaned back, propping her pillows up behind her and drawing her knees up almost to her chin, to form a writing desk, before retrieving her journal from the bedside cabinet.

Dear Matthew,

She wrote a brief account of the nights activities and then added…

I know you weren't jealous, you were amused to start with. Though if I am honest, I wish you had been, at least it would mean you still care. That's selfish of me I know, but if I have not even the hope that we will be friends again someday, what do I have?

Gi wasn't watching you, but I was, you are far more appealing to me than any actor. Just for a moment everything felt as it used to, our eyes met and you smiled at me and it was relaxed and as it should be. Then you looked back at the screen and… it was as if you recognized him, which is strange because

There was a knock at the door and Matthews voice followed it. "It's me Lin, I need to talk to you."

Feeling a little disorientated as if she had woken from a dream, Linka, suddenly dry, licked her lips and tried to swallow. After a moment she called out softly, "Of course Wheeler, please come in." Then fumbled with the draw to her bedside cabinet, trying to hide away her journal before he saw it and asked any questions.

Mathew entered looking extremely uncomfortable, but he closed the door behind him and sat facing Linka, beside her on the bed.

Too close, too close, too close, the lovely Russian's mind screamed as he accidentally brushed against her. She had to fight the urge to simply throw herself in his arms and beg him to forgive her. As usual, she hid it well.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry," he began, "and explain why I reacted the way I did."

The beautiful blond shook her head in response, "There is no need, you did not say anything wrong."

"I know, but I still shouldn't have stormed off like that. I guess I'm still more sensitive to you than I realised." He shook his head, "But what I have to say is more important."

Linka nodded for him to go ahead and listened patiently. "Sebastian Cavel… I know him. Actually I went to school with him! He might be a brilliant actor but that accent is a phoney as they come."

"I did wonder if you had recognised him from somewhere," Lin said, still looking surprised, "But I did not guess…"

Wheeler nodded, "We were rivals… kind of."

"Kind of?" she prompted gently.

The red haired American shrugged, "He seemed to think we were, he always had to beat me at everything. I didn't care at first, I'm not that competitive, besides his family had more money so it seemed useless to try."

"He was jealous of you." Linka said with conviction, as if it was all perfectly clear.

Her companion snorted with amusement, "Yeah right! He had the latest everything, he got better grades, the girls were falling at his feet… What's left? I'm damn sure he didn't envy my home life!"

Instead of trying to answer him directly, Linka said, "I think you did alright for girls too Yankee, unless you have been making up stories?"

The American laughed at that and forgetting himself for a moment, lent towards her suggestively, "I don't need to make up stories Babe." Then recollecting himself he immediately drew away again, "But even I couldn't compete with him, he took several girls off my hands just by looking at them."

"I'm not jealous!" he said suddenly meeting her eyes, "I never loved any of them and as far as I was concerned, if they didn't want to be with me I'd just move on to the next, no problems, no strings attached."

Until I met you! He added silently, not wanting to make her uncomfortable.

"But they felt the same way about me you know? So it was cool and we stayed friends. He wasn't like that. He'd tell them whatever they wanted to hear to get what he wanted, I would never treat someone like that! He used them, he cheated on them, I think he stopped short of physical abuse, but I can't swear to that."

He got up suddenly and ran his hands through his hair, "Sometimes it seemed like I was the only one who could see it! He'd break the heart of some poor girl, and the next day her best friend would be going out with him saying 'Oh but it's different with us.'"

Coming back to sit down beside Linka, maybe even a little closer than before, Matthew took her hands in his. Her heart was beating fast and she felt a little short of breath, but she wouldn't object, in fact she found herself clinging to the moment.

"I couldn't bear to have anyone I really care about treated like that, you do understand don't you?" he pleaded.

She nodded, still unable to speak. Wheelers eyes were searching hers, looking for confirmation and forgiveness, and it was the look of desperation she saw there that finally drew an answer from her. "I understand Matthew honestly, and I will speak to Gi. I do not think either of us would be so easily taken in, but I respect your opinion in any case. I believe you."

The openness of her response seemed to give him some peace, as he looked relieved. "Thank you."

They sat there like that for a few more moments before the embarrassment set in and with half finished sentences such as 'it's getting late', and 'I ought to' followed by a quick goodnight, Wheeler made his way to his own room.

Linka watched him go, waiting for the light in his hut come on, before turning off her own. Then in complete confusion, the over-wrought planeteer slid down the bed and turning over, buried her face in the pillow to muffle her sobs.