Chapter 2 – Winding Roads

And all the roads we have to walk are winding,

And all the lights that lead us there are blinding

"Wonderwall" – Oasis, from What's the Story, Morning Glory?

Linka felt the bright light on her face even before opening her eyes. As anticipated, the curtains had not been pulled shut the night before, and glorious sunshine was pouring in through the room. She blinked, scanning her surroundings groggily. Piles of clothes were littering the floors and sneakers were thrown about, mismatched. Definitely not her room, she thought, blinking again. It was also strange that the sun was so high up in the sky. Usually, she would be up at dawn to jog around the Island as a workout, but her muscles felt sore as if she'd already exercised today.

The blonde girl tried to switch position, but her body was locked in place. It took her a moment still to realize that Wheeler was circling her waist from behind, her back against his solid chest. His breathing was rhythmic against the back of her neck, and a little sigh escaped her lips before realizing it. It suddenly hit her like a summer storm that she was comfortable and happy. She moved the blanket aside, her smile fading when she looked down at her body intertwined intricately with Wheeler's. She was also very naked. Her face felt on fire as she took in this new detail, and she turned the information over in her mind. What happened last night… last night… oh, God! A gate opened and memories came flooding through, one by one, bringing the blush on her cheeks to unimaginable shades. Linka's mouth felt dry as she silently relived every touch, every kiss she had shared with the Yankee. She waited to feel anything other than the perfect happiness she was experiencing. Nope, just sheer joy so far. And she was very, very sure Wheeler had enjoyed himself as well.

Even though no one was able to see her, she covered the big smile on her face with one hand, as if wanting to relish the secret a bit longer. Okay, so they hadn't planned on making love (it definitely hadn't been simply having sex, for Linka could recall every strong emotion behind every little gesture and glance), but she had the right to be spontaneous every once in a while, right? It's not like she had to be vigilant about every single thing that went on in her life. She could go with the flow. Yeah. And that's what she'd done last night. Emotions and needs had transported her far away, to the land were logic was an unwelcomed guest. It still felt strange to Linka, new, but she could not say she regretted anything that had happened. What had been generated between them had been genuine, authentic; it had felt natural and incredibly good.

Linka shook her head and disentangled herself from Wheeler gently. She could not explain the slight sense of embarrassment she felt in being naked in his arms, in his bed, and she dealt with it the best way she knew how. She got up and paced around the room, throwing furtive glances at Wheeler, who continued to sleep undisturbed. Now that her brain was fully awake, she felt nervous. Running a hand through her disheveled hair, she drew a deep breath and tried to think of those girlie quizzes Gi often forced her to take on those ludicrous magazines, hoping for a standard answer on how to proceed.

You just spent an amazing night of L-O-V-E with your boyfriend, your first one together. It's the morning after. You:

a) jump his bones and see if he's up for Round 2

b) get online ASAP to change your status – there must be something on there about gettin' lucky last night. Everyone must know!

c) fret and worry about where you "are" now in your relationship

Linka cringed. C, definitely option C.

The still naked girl ran to the bathroom, and turning on the shower to its highest setting, she jumped in, hoping that the water would soothe her racing thoughts. Linka let the jet run down her face, closing her eyes against the mixed feelings raging on inside her. She knew she was just freaking herself out, she was very good at that. A pro, really. The first time Wheeler had kissed her, she'd become a nervous wreck. They had been out to see a movie, and when the American had leaned in to give her a casual kiss on the lips, she had become frozen for the duration of the movie. She had not paid any attention to what was happening on the big screen and she had not shifted position for the 90 minutes of the film, sitting rigidly as a statue, except to blink. She had actually jumped when Wheeler had taken her hand to help her stand at the end of the film.

The blonde girl sighed, wishing she could be as carefree as other girls in her situation. It wasn't always fun to be so intense about everything, and she figured it was part of the reason why she felt so attracted to Wheeler. His spontaneity and relaxed attitude seemed like such a treat, a breath of fresh air. It was rare that anything affected him too deeply; his mind must be so wonderfully empty, unlike hers, which felt like an attic filled to the brim with old relics.

When the shower door opened, Linka was so lost in her preoccupations she did not take note. And when a pair of arms circled her from behind, she actually screamed.

"Chill, babe!" Wheeler was laughing in her ear, holding her wet body against his. "Someone's watched Psycho one too many times!"

Linka smacked his arm and took in a deep breath to calm her beat-boxing heart. The blood was rushing in her ears at the speed of light.

"You scared me, Yankee!"

She had tried to channel annoyance through her comment, but it hadn't worked. Her brain was slowly losing common sense once she fully realized that Wheeler's hard body was pressed up against hers. All muscles and desire and… Linka bit her bottom lip and kept her eyes straight ahead, urging herself to read the instructions on the shampoo bottle in order to calm down. Some good old 'Lather, rinse, and repeat if necessary' would still her crazed breathing, yeah. Why did they need to keep printing that on the bottles, anyway? Was there anyone in the civilized world that did not know how to use shampoo? It was such a waste of ink, and she hated waste!

Those ludicrous thoughts fled from her mind like birds from a tree when Wheeler's lips moved against her neck. She closed her eyes and instinctively leaned into him a little. It should be illegal for him to elicit attention that way; he should be put away for a long time, really.

"Well, you scared me when I woke up and didn't find you next to me," Wheeler whispered in her ear, his hands moving up the curve of her hips, slowly tracing her shape. "You're kinda prone to fleeing, babe."

"I am not!" Linka felt the need to reply, indignantly, but bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smirking. He was totally right, of course, but she did not want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that she knew that.

She sighed once she fully realized how it had looked from his point of view. Bad, that's how. Wheeler had expected to find her in his arms, cooing and giggling about what had happened between them last night. Instead, he'd woken up to a cold, empty bed, and probably panicked about what she was thinking. It had taken a ridiculous amount of time for him to get her to admit that she, indeed, had feelings for him, just like he did for her. She certainly could not blame Wheeler for still being a little touchy about that.

"I am so sorry," Linka replied so quietly she hoped the jet of the water had not washed away her words. Guilty as hell was how she was feeling. She turned her head so that she could meet his eyes briefly, and was surprised to see no traces of anger or disappointment there. There was only something like immense love reflected in Wheeler's eyes, and she bit her lip again for being so foolish. He was looking at her like she was the greatest treasure ever discovered. Leave it to her to ruin everything.

"Just tell me you don't regret anything that happened, Linka," Wheeler nearly pleaded, and his tone came close to leaving a crack in her heart.

Linka called on all her courage and, slowly, she turned around in his arms. Her breasts were crushed against his strong chest as the water fell over them both, and she blinked her green eyes up at him.

"Of course not," she shook her head a little, her voice infused with truth, and Wheeler gently gripped her chin in his hand before kissing her lips.

"So last night was… okay?" The apprehension in his voice was still present, and Linka wished she could smack herself for thinking earlier that Wheeler had no cares in the world. It seemed that she gave him lots to mull over and worry about! Surely, she drove him nuts with her crazy moods! Of course, she would be the one to break his carefree streak!

"Last night was not okay, it was… wonderful." The Russian girl could not believe she had found the nerve to express herself so truthfully and freely! Usually, she was painfully more guarded than that. Oh, but it was so worth it to see that grin spreading over Wheeler's face. In that moment, she realized there was no reason to not be happy. It was easy like breathing, and only a fool would obstruct it. And her Grandmother had raised no fool!

Linka's will wavered and her thoughts melted when Wheeler's mouth captured hers in a deeply passionate kiss. Their bodies became welded together, possessed by desire, and she moaned as his hands caressed her in all the right places. She surprised herself by returning his gestures, feeling exceedingly sure of herself, and everything that followed was wonderfully dream-like.

But the woman was still a Planeteer, and she did not forget to turn off the water as they made love languidly in the shower.

A month and some days went by. It had been a blissful month. Gaia had thankfully started to perceive that the caseload she was dishing out was too heavy for her young Planeteers to take on. Therefore, the missions had been more evenly distributed, with some days intended for relaxation here and there. The five friends devoted some time to the beach, or in the case of Linka and Wheeler, to get better reacquainted with their huts. The indoors were suddenly very interesting to the young lovers.

Linka hadn't yet told Gi about the developments in her relationship with Wheeler, plus it was great fun sneaking around. The Russian girl wanted to guard her intimate secret a little longer, a little closer, before talking about it with anyone. Gi had recently told the young couple how in love they seemed, but that had been the extent of her observations.

Linka was pretty damn ecstatic about her relationship with the Yankee, in fact. They were in a grand place. Wheeler made time to listen to her and open up about a lot of things, and she softened considerably around him, putting to good use her sense of humor. They understood each other like never before. Physically speaking, there was incredible chemistry between them. Like, wow. Linka often caught herself smiling absentmindedly at the recollection of their bedroom antics. No amount of cheesy quizzes could have prepared her for that kind of loving! Not to mention the sappy, sweet ways her Yankee was acquiring when it came to her. It secretly pleased her to no end. Just the day before, Wheeler had made it a rule between them that they should never end a day without saying "I love you" first. Linka did, in fact, feel very much adored and cherished those days. Giving them a chance as a couple had been the best decision she had made in her young life thus far.

So what could possibly rain on this happy parade? Virtually nothing. But, a little rain cloud had taken residence inside Linka's brain since seeing Gi in the morning. The boys were out servicing the vehicles, while the girls were left with the task of writing up the monthly reports of their activities. Linka had taken a little break from the computer work and started on laundry, when Gi had popped her head in to ask for some tampons. The Asian girl's face had looked anything but sunny. It was a known fact that she became a bit of a tigress when on her period. Linka had told her friend where she could find some in her room, and Gi had nodded her thanks before wandering off.

From that moment on, an annoying little seed of doubt began to plague the blonde girl. She could not remember the last time she had had her period. Somehow, it seemed like a long time ago, considering that hers took place once every three weeks. Punctual like a Swiss watch. It had been like that since the beginning. If she wanted to, she could joke that even her period was anal, ha-ha. Although, Linka did not feel like laughing at the moment. Instead, she checked the little calendar in her room to be sure she wasn't delusional, and her hands shook when she discovered she was exactly seven days late. It might as well have been a month! Never had it been so late before! Now was the time to think "bozhe moi"!

Linka took a deep breath and sat down on her bed, while reminding herself calmly that panicking wasn't going to lead anywhere. She breathed deeply through her mouth and was surprised when her hand rested on top of her flat stomach. A delicate gesture. She shook her head to clear it. No, there had to be a logical explanation behind the madness. There just had to be an explanation.

"There has to be an explanation," Wheeler readily concurred when she pulled him aside after dinner. They were in her hut, leaving the others to clean up after Ma-Ti had served them his legendary homemade empanadas. Linka had not been able to really enjoy them, worried as she was, and Wheeler had readily took note that she wasn't eating. Her brain was overfilled with all kinds of crazy thoughts.

Wheeler mimicked her actions and sat beside her on the bed. He took her hand in his, holding it firmly, and that little gesture made her feel a lot less alone.

"You don't think…? I mean, we're being careful," the redhead offered, running a hand quickly through his hair as if to clear his thoughts.

"We were not so careful the first time," Linka voiced in a tiny voice, avoiding his eyes. "Nor the second time."

The finality of her words hit home, and they both sat in silence for what seemed to Linka endless minutes. She tried to steal peeks at Wheeler under her eyelashes, in order to decipher his facial expression, but it was so neutral she deduced next to nothing.

"Should you go to the doctor's, then? Get some tests done or something?" Wheeler nodded, a little to himself, before turning to her. She could tell he knew not how to proceed. It was surely uncharted territory for him.

"That is probably a good idea," Linka replied robotically, not knowing how to make sense of her thoughts. So, there was a chance that she might be…

She shook her head to clear it, not intending to fully run the sentence through. It was too much for her twenty-year-old brain to work through. And it was probably too much for Wheeler's twenty-two-year-old brain to accept. For God's sake, he still held burping contests with Ma-Ti and was proud of it!

Wheeler surprised her yet again, however, when he lovingly wrapped an arm about her shoulders and pulled her closer. His touch was reassuring, warm like always. She was not sure why she had almost expected an angrier reaction from him.

"Don't worry, babe. It's probably a false alarm. Doesn't this stuff happen to girls, like, all the time?"

Linka wanted to reply that it didn't happen to her, but she chose to remain quiet. She rested her head on Wheeler's shoulder and closed her eyes. She was not sure what to think anymore. Nor did she want to frighten him, alarm him, or drive him away somehow. She knew Wheeler was a better man than that, but she was insanely scared. Of losing what they had, of losing him. It would be too much for her to bear. If she were a newspaper article right now, the headline would read: "Stoic Russian girl has a weak spot!". Quite the scoop, really! It was Wheeler, their love had become her raison d'être.

Fear paralyzed Linka and rendered her useless for the remainder of the night.