A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing, I'm glad you're all enjoying it!

Chapter Four

On the morning of her birthday, just like any other morning, Linka got up at six and went for a run along the beach. Kwame would normally be preparing breakfast by the time she'd showered and made her way to the kitchen, and the others would put in an appearance some time later.

Even knowing that Wheeler and Gi were planning something for her, the wind planeteer's surprise when she entered the kitchen was genuine. All four planeteers and their simian sidekick were waiting for her with their presents arranged in a circle around her breakfast, "Surprise! Happy Birthday!"

The Russian laughed with delight and hugged each of her friends in turn as she thanked them. Wheeler was the last to greet her and if their embrace lasted a few seconds longer than the rest, even Gi knew better than to comment. The American sat down beside the birthday girl to watch her open her presents, with his hand resting on the back of her chair as if trying to reduce the distance between them.

Linka exclaimed over their gifts and hugged each of her friends again in turn. When at last they turned their attention away to make their own breakfasts, Wheeler leant closer and touched his finger to the CD she was still inspecting. "I'm sorry it's not special or anything… but we have more planned later."

"Yankee!" The wind planeteer shook her head at him, her tone affectionate. "You remembered that I wanted it, the thought makes it special enough, you do not need to do more."

Their heads were still close together meaning that all they could see was each other, though Kwame – happening to catch the way they were looking at each other – was sure that they wouldn't have seen any more if they had been across the room.

"I like doing things for you." Wheeler replied.

"Good, then you can listen to this with me." Linka's eyes gleamed with mischief knowing that he hated the sort of music she listened to.

The American groaned and slumped back in his chair. "Babe that's cruel!"

She pouted prettily. "You will not?"

"You know I will, that's why it's cruel." Wheeler moved the hand that was still on the back of her chair to gently rub a finger along her cheek, making her face flush. He smiled at her letting her know he didn't really mind, though she also knew it wouldn't stop him complaining.

The others came back to the table and the moment was over. Wheeler went to make his own breakfast while Linka tried hard to concentrate on hers.

"Isn't it a bit early to be dressing up to go out?" Linka asked, turning so that Gi could do up her dress for her.

The Asian girl grinned at the back of her friend's head but her amusement could be heard in her voice. "Not where we're going."

"Which is where exactly?" The Russian looked at her self appraisingly in the mirror. The long blue dress she had bought for the conference brought out the colour of her eyes and hugged her figure flatteringly. It also it flared just below her waist giving her plenty of room to move, or dance.

"Nice try." Gi was still grinning. "Do you need help fixing your hair?"

The lovely Russian sat down at her desk and smiled up at her friend. "Nyet, thank you Gi, you had better start getting ready yourself."

Nodding, clearly excited by the prospect of an evening out, the water planeteer hurried away to her own cabin.

Linka left her long hair down around her shoulders, only curling it slightly to frame her face and adding a blue headband to match her dress. Normally she would have pinned her hair up to dance in, in fact she nearly always had her hair tied back in one way or another, but she reminded herself that despite being told to wear her new dress, she knew nothing of where they were going, and therefore her choice to wear it down was random and certainly could have nothing to do with the fact that Wheeler seemed to prefer it that way.

But he does! She admonished herself. If I cannot be honest with myself, how am I to be honest with him?

Linka had thought a lot about what Kwame had said to her and had resolved to try to be more open with her feelings, but she was so used to hiding them that she automatically thought of ways to protect herself in case someone commented. I want to please him, I want him to notice me, I want him to be himself tonight, the way he is when we are alone…

Linka glanced in the small mirror on her desk and smiled at her reflection. It was a start.

The birthday girl had just finished putting the last touches to her make-up when there was a knock on the door. "Come in."

She had expected it to be Gi, though if she'd thought about it she would have realised that it hadn't been nearly long enough. Wheeler stood in the doorway and gaped at the elegant vision before him.

Laughing self-consciously under his gaze, Linka stood up and turned around, asking shyly, "Do you like my dress?"

"Yeah," he swallowed. "You look erm… wow."

Blushing prettily the Russian girl said, "I will take that as a compliment. You um, clean up nicely yourself. New suit?"

It was indeed a new suit and if the fire planeteer hadn't been so distracted by his friend's appearance he might have noticed how appreciative her gaze was of his new look. Beneath the tousled ginger locks was a handsome young man in a black suit and white shirt open at the neck. In his hand was a blue tie.

He coughed and held up the tie. "Yeah, I was hoping you knew what to do with this? I'd have got one with elastic but Gi insisted on this one."

Moving forward to take the tie, Linka chose not to point out what she was sure had been on Gi's mind… the fact that it matched her new dress.

"Stop fidgeting." She admonished him after a few moments, adding a teasing, "You are not usually this uncomfortable about being close to me."

Wheeler grinned down at her. "You aren't usually trying to strangle me."

"I have threatened it a couple of times." She raised her sparkling eyes briefly to his before looking back at her task.

Encouraged, Wheeler slipped his arms around her waist. "See? I have reason to be frightened."

"There." Linka smoothed the tie out down his chest, apparently content to stay where she was. "You look very handsome Yankee."

"Yeah well, I couldn't show you up could I." His usual boasting was just for show and a genuine compliment tended to make him uncomfortable. "You don't want people saying 'What's a girl like that doing hanging around with that beach bum', right?"

"Trust me Yankee, however girls react to your cheesy pick-up lines that is not what they are thinking when they look at you." Blood rushed to her face at a speech that was a little more honest than she'd intended it to be.

Wheeler raised an eyebrow and let out an embarrassed, and even sceptical laugh. "You wanna explain that one Babe?"

She was saved from answering by Ma-Ti who was impatient to be gone. "Is everyone nearly ready? Laura will be waiting for us!"

Linka and Wheeler were quick to move back away from each other before the young South American came level with them.

"We're ready Ma-Ti, maybe you should go and check on Kwame." The Heart Planeteer nodded and hurried off again, "Jeez, anyone would think it was his birthday."

Linka picked up her tippet and purse, draping the former around her arms, and the pair of them moved out onto the walkway. "He is just excited to see Laura Talbot again, it was nice of you to invite her."

"Gi's idea, to even up the numbers." Wheeler grinned down at her and waggled his eyebrows. "She said some things are more fun in pairs."