They're just five kids laughing and talking on the sand.

It was Wheeler who brought out the bottles of cheap beer, passing them around as the sun set behind them and the Hope Island air turned cool.

Gi takes a bottle eagerly, bringing it to her lips and surprising herself by enjoying the taste of yeast and hops in her mouth. A sheltered child, she's never tried alcohol before, never stayed up till midnight on a beach with friends, laughing as the stars blossomed above them. So she takes another swig eagerly, until the bottle is empty and she feels woozy on her feet.

'Easy there, ocean girl,' Wheeler warns, but he's grinning all the same and passing her another beer. He offers one to Ma-Ti, who refuses, content simply to lie back on the sand and listen to the chatter of the four older Planeteers. Wheeler shrugs, holding the bottle out to Linka instead, who eyes him warily.

'You are trying to get me drunk, Yankee?'

'Hey, I'm only offerin' you a beer, babe,' he replies easily. 'How much you decide to drink is up to you.'

Gi watches as Linka accepts the bottle with a smile, her eyes lingering on their American colleague.

'I thought you might try and get me... what is the word? Bottled?'

'Tanked,' Wheeler corrects her with a laugh. 'But nope, I wouldn't do that to you, Lin. You'd only kick my ass tomorrow.'

Kwame grins. 'Don't trust him, Linka,' he says, 'we all know Wheeler plans on stealing a midnight kiss from you.'

Gi turns to Kwame, thoroughly surprised by his playful tone. Wheeler shakes his head and gives the African a jovial shove.

'Hey, I'm a perfect gentleman,' he argues, though Linka is blushing hard.

'Really?'

'Yeah,' Wheeler takes a swig from his beer, his eyes locked on Linka. Gi finishes her bottle, reaching for another. 'You can trust me, babe,' Wheeler carries on, hardly noticing Gi as she takes a long drink from her third bottle.

Linka nods, though she says nothing.

'Besides,' Wheeler adds, 'When you finally kiss me, babe, I won't have stolen it. No, I'll have earned your kisses.'

'Kisses? Plural? You are very confident, Wheeler,' Linka says to the sand quietly.

'It's the beer talking,' Gi finally speaks, though her words are slurred, and Wheeler and Linka both look at her in surprise. Gi rolls her eyes at Wheeler. 'She's never going to kiss you, Wheeler.'

'Why not?' he asks, one eyebrow raised.

'She has too much taste for that,' Gi replies with a giggle, and Kwame frowns.

'I think Gi's had enough,' he says, all playfulness gone.

But Wheeler shakes his head, though his tone is blank. 'Nah, let her drink. God knows we work hard enough.'

He stares at Linka, who stares back.

A few more beers and Gi is lying in the sand next to Ma-Ti.

'I like this,' she breathes, staring at the stars in the sky above her.

'Yes,' he agrees.

'I could stay like this forever,' she adds happily, and Ma-Ti laughs.

'Yes. But change is in the air, you know.'

Gi frowns.

'I don't like change,' she sulks.

But Ma-Ti only shrugs.

'Where are the others?' Gi asks tiredly, digging her hands into the cool sand by her sides.

Ma-Ti points to the fire they've built, by which the long figure of Kwame sleeps soundly. He then points to the ocean, where Wheeler and Linka stand, away from the others.

'Still trying to get a kiss from her,' Gi grumbles.

'He has already kissed her,' Ma-Ti admits, and Gi sits up, staring at him.

'What?'

'In Russia, when Linka went home, and he stayed for her. That's when.'

Gi gapes at him. 'How do you...?'

But Ma-Ti sighs tiredly, closing his eyes again.

'Change is in the air, I think.'

Gi shakes her head in disbelief. Because Linka... kissed Wheeler? Impossible. A relationship between Wheeler and Linka would destroy the dynamic of their group. Linka would never do that.

Or at least, Gi hopes she never would.

She doesn't want things to change. She just wants them to go on as they are, just five kids, laughing and talking in the sand...

Linka and Wheeler are staring at one another again.

Recently, it's become more and more common, and Gi doesn't know what to make of it. Of course, there's always been something there between the two, something hidden and under the surface, out of sight and mostly out of mind, but it's never bothered Gi. Not really. The little flirtations between the Russian and the American are an endless source of entertainment and amusement to the three other Planeteers, and the inevitable fall out when Wheeler pushes Linka too far is vastly amusing.

But there's been less of that recently and more of... something else.

Gi isn't exactly sure what's going on; she can't quite put her finger on the problem. All she knows is that the atmosphere between the fire and wind planeteers has changed, and that she doesn't like it. Not one little bit.

She's hanging out with Wheeler in the common room, playing a video game, when Linka walks in. He's winning the game, in fact kicking Gi's virtual ass quite spectacularly, but as soon as he hears the blonde enter the room his eyes immediately drift from the screen to watch her.

Gi strikes in that moment, ending his character with five easy moves he would otherwise deflect quite easily.

'Ha! Got you,' Gi smirks, and Wheeler turns back to her, looking at her with blank amusement.

'Hey, that's not very kind, Gi,' he says, but she can hear the distraction in his voice.

'You snooze, you lose,' she remarks with a shrug, but she might as well be talking to thin air.

His eyes are already back on Linka.

'You okay, Lin?' he's asking, and at the concern in his voice, Gi quickly looks up and over to her Russian friend.

Linka is staring at Wheeler, winding a lock of hair around her finger, biting her lip in thought.

'Yes,' she says calmly, though Gi can tell she isn't feeling calm at all. There's an agitation to her movements and a small amount of stress to her beautiful face. 'What are you doing?'

'Gettin' my ass kicked in Tekken,' Wheeler says with a sigh. 'Though I gotta dash. Promised Kwame I'd fix the geo-cruiser before night fall. And you girls know what he's like when I fuck with his schedule,' he adds, with a roll of his eyes.

'Oh,' Linka says blankly. 'I was hoping to talk with you.'

He stares at her. 'Okay,' his voice is soft. 'After dinner, yeah Lin?'

She nods, still winding her hair around her finger, and he nods too, still staring at her.

They're having a moment, Gi realises.

'Hey, Wheels,' she abruptly says. 'You seeing Trish this weekend?'

At the mention of his girlfriend, his head turns rapidly towards her, and he gives Gi a strange look.

'Maybe. Why?'

'Oh, just wanted to know where everyone's going to be, is all,' Gi replies. 'Linka's probably going to be seeing Greg, right Lin?'

But Linka's already left the room

Gi finds her later in her cabin. She's dressed in a pair of dungaree shorts, rubbing suntan lotion onto her legs.

Gi flops onto her bed, and Linka rolls her eyes at the mess she's making of her sheets.

'So,' Gi starts. 'How are things with Greg?'

Linka startles, before quickly recovering and shrugging. 'He is fine.'

Gi frowns. 'You're still with him though?'

Linka shrugs again, still looking at her legs. 'Why would I not be?'

'I don't know,' Gi replies. 'You haven't talked about him much recently.'

'We have been busy,' Linka replies absently.

'I like Greg. He suits you.'

'So people keep telling me.'

'It's been good, these last few months,' Gi carries on. 'You and Greg, Wheeler and Trish... we're all in a good place.'

Linka looks up at that. 'You should find somebody for yourself, Gi.'

But Gi shrugs. 'Me? No. Not interested. You know me, I don't like -'

'- change,' Linka finishes for her, with a smile. 'I know.'

Gi closes her eyes, hugging one of Linka's pillows. 'I'd be happy if things stayed just as they are forever.'

Linka laughs at that. 'Sometimes change can be a good thing.'

Gi watches as Linka's eyes drift towards her window, looking out and up to where the geo-cruiser is parked.

'Sometimes change can be a very good thing,' Linka says again, her eyes still lingering outside.

Gi feels fear spark inside her. 'What do you want with Wheeler?'

'Hmm?'

'You said you had to talk to him earlier.'

'Oh,' Linka blushes, and Gi feels another dart of fear. 'It is nothing. I only want his advice on something.'

'Which is...?' Gi presses.

Linka rubs some more lotion onto her legs. 'Oh. It is do with Greg. Nothing worrying, so you do not need to fret.'

The fear subsides slightly, and Gi nods.

Later, over dinner, the atmosphere is decidedly frosty. Wheeler mostly glares at Linka, while she looks down, picking at her food.

This is better, Gi thinks. Things are more or less back to how they should be. Whatever her friends spoke about this afternoon, it's made them less friendly with each other. Gi likes that. The norm is infinitely preferable to change, after all.

But by the time they're cleaning up Wheeler and Linka are screaming at one another, and Gi can't help but grin.

'He's calling her 'Blondie' again. They're having one of those nights,' she remarks to Kwame as they leave the kitchen, and by default, Linka and Wheeler's shouts.

The Earth Planeteer does not reply, so Gi turns to Ma-Ti, and -

And she stops, staring at him.

Because Ma-Ti is looking strangely at Wheeler and Linka, and when he turns to face Gi, a grin begins to spread across his face.

'What is it?' Gi asks, almost annoyed.

But Ma-Ti shakes his head, shoving his hands into his pockets.

'Change is in the air,' he says calmly. 'A good change, I think.'

Instantly, Gi feels a small beat of panic. 'No, no, I don't think -'

Ma-Ti smiles, resting his hand upon her shoulder. 'Change can be good, my friend,' he tells her.

'I don't like change.'

'I know,' he nods, giving her an understanding look. 'But it will happen all the same. Life is not static, Gi. You need to learn to let things go.'

'I'm never letting some things go,' Gi instantly replies, and Ma-Ti smiles.

'Just think about it, okay Gi?'

He walks away, still smiling, but Gi frowns, lost in thought.

So lost in thought, in fact, that she doesn't notice that Wheeler and Linka's shouting has stopped, and that the island deathly quiet once more...

Wheeler and Linka are fucking, Gi's nearly certain of it.

It's two in the morning and Linka's just snuck back into their hotel room. The air still smells faintly of smoke from the recently extinguished forest fire, and Gi's been tossing and turning all night, unable to get comfortable. So when Linka opens the door, tiptoeing back into their room, Gi sits bolt upright in bed, her gasp making Linka jump.

'Oh my God,' Gi stutters, taking in Linka's appearance. 'What happened to you?'

Linka's skin is scratched to pieces and her arms bear tell-tale finger marks, while her neck is covered in bites. The tea dress Gi had picked up for her earlier from a thrift shop is ripped in places, and the wind Planeteer's lips are bruised and swollen.

'Nothing,' Linka says quickly. 'I tripped.'

Gi raises an eyebrow at her. 'Yeah, right. Tripped straight onto somebody else, did you?'

Linka blushes. 'Umm...'

Gi stares at her. 'Was it that fire fighter... from earlier today?'

Something flashes in Linka's eyes. 'Yes... fire...' she says slowly. 'Yes... he helped fight the fire, I suppose.'

Gi thinks of Wheeler instantly, her eyes narrowing.

'He was rough with you,' she says coldly.

But Linka shrugs, pulling a towel from the cupboard. 'It was nothing I was not party to, Gi.'

Gi's yet to have sex. She can't see the appeal, in all honesty. She doesn't know what to make of herself for that. She just isn't attracted to the concept, she tells herself. She isn't attracted to sex, or to men, or to women. Not to anyone.

So she can't understand Linka in this moment. Can't understand why she would willingly let any man touch her and bruise her and mark her in the way Wheeler clearly has.

'Linka -'

But Linka shakes her head. 'Just leave it, Gi. Please.'

And the Wind Planeteer steps into the bathroom, leaving Gi to clutch at her bedsheets, wondering what the hell is going on while Linka showers all evidence of her lover away...

She catches them having sex just once.

They obviously think they're alone, in a clearing by the beach on the opposite end of the island. Gi isn't spying, not as such, she certainly didn't intend to find them as she has. She's just curious, she tells herself, only wondering where they went is all. Watching them sneak off together, Wheeler grinning as he pulls at Linka's hands, Gi can't help but follow them a few minutes later.

By the time she catches up to them the moans are startling, loud and clear in the tropical air. They're lying in the sand, Linka on her back with Wheeler on top of her. Her hair is a golden mass around her shoulders, and he has her hands pinned above her head. He's kissing her neck, his movements demanding and frantic, and Linka tilts her head to give him more access. Gi watches, unable to look away, as Wheeler pulls Linka's shirt over her head, moving his mouth to hers before pulling on the strings of her bikini.

Gi knows she should look away. Knows she should give them the privacy they've so clearly craved. But still she stays, her eyes wide as Wheeler lowers his head to suck at Linka's breasts and Linka... she... she's actually encouraging him, Gi realises with shock. She's arching her back and clutching him to her and pulling at his shorts all at once, and Wheeler stops to cup her face and kiss her hard. Gi hardly breathes as she watches the couple rid themselves of the last of their clothes, and her mouth drops open when she sees Linka push Wheeler to the ground, taking the hard length of him into her mouth. Gi's heart pounds fast while she stares at them, at the normally pristine Linka on her knees with Wheeler's hands in her hair, and at Wheeler, whose eyes are closed, his mouth set into lines of undisguised pleasure.

'Lin, Lin, Lin,' he's breathing out, and Linka stops, crawling up his body and lowering herself onto him.

Gi winces, expecting to hear a cry of pain from her friend. But Linka throws back her head, a smile on her face, as she moves against Wheeler's body. She lowers her face to his and the two kiss, a surprisingly gentle touch amongst the frantic movements of their bodies. Gi can just hear the whispers between them, Linka's soft Russian and Wheeler's breathless moans, before Wheeler rolls Linka onto her back. It's messy and obscene and by the time Wheeler starts thrusting into Linka, Gi turns away, feeling slightly sick. The moans fade to yet more loving whispers, and Gi leaves.

She's dazed while making her way back to her cabin, and Ma-Ti, spotting her from the common room, waves to her with a smile.

She can hardly wave back and he frowns, coming towards her.

'Gi, are you okay? You look so pale.'

Gi stares at him, her hands shaking, and he stares into her eyes intently.

'Ah,' he says slowly. 'You know.'

'Do you?' she immediately snaps back. 'Did you know?'

'Yes.'

He keeps looking into her eyes, and she wonders if he can see the image that haunts her. That of Wheeler and Linka, fucking in the sand. Briefly, Gi wonders why Gaia doesn't put a stop to it, because it's sacrilege surely, for them to do... to do that here, of all places, and -

'Gi,' Ma-Ti says slowly. 'They love each other. Gaia understands.'

'But they... they...'

'They love each other,' Ma-Ti says again. He takes one of her hands, sighing as he looks at her. 'Change is in the air, I think.'

'They're going to ruin everything,' Gi hisses, and Ma-Ti shakes his head.

'By loving one another?'

'They're going to ruin everything,' Gi says again, her hands clenching into fists. 'Everything's changing and they... they don't care...'

'No,' Ma-Ti says gently. 'No, Gi. Take a deep breath.'

He watches her as she gulps down air, using the balmy warmth of Hope Island to soothe her fractured soul. Perhaps it's Ma-Ti's presence, or perhaps it is the calming breaths she is forcing into her lungs, but she feels the pain within her ease. Still, the image of Wheeler and Linka, locked together on the beach, lingers behind her eyes.

'They aren't going to ruin everything,' Ma-Ti offers quietly. 'They are meant to be, I think.'

'You're just a kid,' Gi complains. 'What do you know?'

He shrugs. 'When I think of them, I feel happiness. When I see them together, I feel content. It is a good change for them, Gi.'

'I don't like change.'

'I know,' he says kindly. He kisses one of her clenched fists, and the move surprises her. 'You have a good heart, Gi, and you love us all. But you need to accept that people will change, and circumstances with it. They love one another. They are not hurting anyone. Let this go, Gi, and move on.'

'But they...'

'They are in love,' Ma-Ti says again, and he squeezes her hand. 'This is just the...' he pauses, clearly searching for a word. 'The natural evolution of their relationship,' he decides eventually.

Gi swallows. 'If they split up, they'll ruin everything.'

Ma-Ti closes his eyes, and Gi knows he's looking forward, searching through the ether for answers, asking the spirits for guidance. He frowns slightly, a crease forming between his eyes, and Gi leans forward.

'What do you see?' She asks.

But when Ma-Ti opens his eyes, he shrugs. 'Everything and nothing,' he says easily.

Gi's eyes narrow. 'You've seen something bad-'

He shakes his head. 'Nothing is ever set, Gi. That's not how this works.'

'But-'

He looks at her kindly. 'They are in love,' he says again. 'That should be enough. Let your fears go, Gi.'

But Gi frowns.

She doesn't like this, not one little bit. She doesn't want Linka and Wheeler to be fucking by the beach. She wants things to go back to how they were, when they were just five kids, laughing and talking in the sand...

Ma-Ti is dead, Wheeler is a mess, Linka is his unending shadow, and Gi sneaks away in the middle of the night.

She's going to fix this. She is.

She doesn't know how. She doesn't know what she can do.

All she knows is that she can't leave things like this.

Kwame sees her leave, she's certain of it. Or maybe he feels her absence, or the loss of the heart ring, which is safe inside her pocket.

Gaia told them she would return when the heart ring had chosen a new bearer.

Well, Gaia can go fuck herself, Gi thinks vehemently.

There won't be a new heart ring bearer, Gi decides.

She's going to fix this. She is.

And then they can go back to the way things were.

Just five kids, laughing and talking in the sand...

She goes home to South Korea, to her parents with their worried expressions and tired eyes, who piss Gi off by constantly shooting each other looks of concern.

She gets a job as a waitress, something bland and inconsequential, where she doesn't have to think. Somewhere she can bide her time while she comes up with a plan. She carries the heart ring in her pocket, rubbing it when she feels lost or sad, and she becomes obsessed with looking at it at night, praying that it doesn't light, praying that it stays dead and still, that a new ring bearer has not yet been chosen.

'You need a boyfriend,' her mother tells her at one point, after yet another argument about Gi's future, and Gi rolls her eyes.

Still, she picks up a boy from the restaurant where she works and goes back to his place. She lets him kiss her and undress her and she can't help but picture Wheeler and Linka in her mind, fucking in the sand.

It's a last ditch effort at a normal life, Gi knows.

But she feels cold throughout the whole experience, and when it's over, she goes home and packs her bags.

After months of drifting, she knows now where she has to go.

And soon- soon, soon, soon, she prays - she can go home, and be just another kid, laughing and talking in the sand...

Barbara Blight isn't surprised to see her, which in turn surprises Gi.

She thought there would be shock.

She thought there would be trouble.

But Blight welcomes her with open arms, a smile on her bright pink lips.

'Baby,' she purrs at Gi. 'So it's you, the water brat,' she muses, looking at Gi for a long time. 'Strange, I thought it would be the firebug who snapped first.'

'What?' Gi asks.

'Oh, nothing baby, don't you worry.'

'Where's MAL?' Gi asks at the word 'baby', remembering Blight's pet name for her A.I companion.

But at MAL's name, a shadow crosses Blight's face. 'Gone,' Blight says with a shrug. 'But never mind Baby... I have you now, don't I? And you and I, baby, are going to help each other out.'

'You'll... you'll really help me?' Gi asks, almost fearfully.

'Oh yes, baby, of course I will. Of course, you'll have to help me too.'

'What do you want?' Gi feels, for the first time, a tremor of fear.

'Nothing you're ever going to miss, don't you worry baby,' Blight replies brightly.

'What?' Gi presses.

Blight gives her a long look. 'Just that pesky Captain Planet, baby. That's all.'

'You want Cap?'

Blight shrugs again. 'Sure thing, baby. Got a plan in mind and I need him to help me out with it,' she stops and stares at Gi momentarily. 'You aren't... aren't having second thoughts, are you baby?'

Gi tries to remember Captain Planet. Tries to remember Gaia's hero. Tries to remember the good things he did.

But all she can see is Ma-Ti, and so she shakes her head slowly.

'No,' she says coolly. 'No, I'm not having second thoughts.'

'Good baby girl,' Blight smiles. 'Now, let's get you settled in. I think you and I are going to be together for a long time, baby.'

'A long time?' Gi swallows.

'Sure, baby. You can't rush a good thing, you know? Gotta plan it to perfection and time it right.' Blight holds out her hand to Gi, and momentarily, Gi stares at it.

But then she nods.

She takes Blight's hand.

Soon, she tells herself.

Soon she'll be away from here, and back where she belongs.

On Hope Island, just another kid, laughing and talking in the sand...