(A/N: Nina Gatsby, I dedicate this chapter to you, my dear! Thank you for the lovely reviews, they mean a lot! I always wondered how either one of the Planeteer girls would deal with a pregnancy given the nature of their job, and so I decided to delve into that with Linka, since she and Wheeler are one of my fave couples of all time! I'm glad you are enjoying the soundtrack, too, I can't write without music in the background! I do believe there is great quality music out there today, as well, you just gotta look for it :P But nothing beats the classics! Hope you enjoy the rest, let me know what you think! :)

Chapter 3 – As the Dust Settles

We were caught up and lost in all of our vices

In your pose as the dust settled around us

"Pompeii" – Bastille, from Bad Blood

Sure, living on a tropical, magical Island was great, but it wasn't the most practical thing in the world. At some point, you had to get out there and do your business as a human, so Gaia had a two bedroom apartment set up for the Planeteers in Washington, DC, near Parliament Hill. They would often go there to tend to the more bureaucratic nature of Planeteer work, and it acted as a second home to the team. Anything medical that needed resolve would also get looked after in Washington. Like the one time Gi sprained her ankle trying out new tricks on her surfboard. Or when Wheeler had the bright idea of sleeping under the hot sun all day, effectively getting heat stroke.

When Linka walked into the gynecologist's office, she became paranoid that everyone present could tell she was pregnant. So she sucked in her already flat stomach and pulled down the baseball cap she was wearing over her eyes. She still wasn't sure why she had opted for a disguise, of sorts. It was inevitable that she tried to walk as gracefully as possible when her turn for her visit came up. Just like a model. Models couldn't be pregnant! Her glance met that of a woman with a very round belly, sitting uncomfortably in a plastic chair nearby, and Linka gulped the bout of anxiety down her esophagus. Just breathe, she instructed herself, calmly. In and out, in and out… crap, what the hell was she doing? Practicing her breathing techniques for labor? Gah!

Naturally, Linka had forbidden Wheeler to come up with her to the office. That would be a tell-tale sign of her "with child" condition. It wouldn't do. No sane man would ever sit in a gynecologist's waiting area unless there was a fatally important reason. Besides, she was fine. Everything was just peachy. It would be get in, spread your legs, get out. Nothing to it!

Except that when Linka entered the office, closing the door softly behind her, she felt all air in her lungs disappearing. The place resembled an interrogation cell to her. The Russian girl collapsed on a chair facing the woman in the white lab coat, and the bulky doctor looked up at her over pretty pink frames. She was imposing, to say the least, but her face was not unfriendly.

Then, the interrogation began. Linka wanted to die at each one of the questions asked. She knew they were standard questions tied to the sphere of gynecology, but being the private person she was, it quickly turned into one of the most unpleasant ordeals she had ever faced. Not to mention the speed at which the questions came. It was like dodging The Riddler, for crying out loud! Linka felt like she was being grilled worse than a hamburger patty at a family barbeque.

("Nice to meet you, Linka. I'm doctor Lisa Wiley. Let's begin. Any problems you want to tell me about?"

"No…"

"Great. Are you sexually active?"

"Y-yes…"

"Any problems there?"

"No."

"Great. I am assuming you are using some form of contraception?"

"Uhm, yes, condoms…

"Great. How's that working out for you?"

"Uhm, fine…"

"Great. Last monthly period?"

"June 7th."

"Oh. [pause] Is your period sometimes late?"

"N-no."

"Okay. Let's have a look.")

Linka blinked her eyes against the bright sunlight as she came down the few steps of the medical building. She could think of nothing outside what had happened inside Dr. Wiley's office. Her mind was a strange combination of empty and full. She had never felt like this before. As if in a daze, a dream, onstage performing as she watched from the first row.

The ultrasound, which showed nothing but fuzzy gray and white spaces wildly distributed to the untrained eye, had confirmed that she was, indeed, pregnant. Six weeks. Unknowingly, Linka's body had morphed into a host for a tiny being for the duration of that time. Her hand rubbed over her stomach gently, wondering if she had done anything in those weeks to harm it. Lots of things that seemed innocuous made the list, and she cringed. Running, not getting enough sleep, and you know, breathing in toxins and sorting through possibly hazardous materials in her line of work. She wouldn't get nominated for the best "early" mother award, that was for sure.

The keeper of the wind ring stopped her aimless walk when she noticed Wheeler sitting on a bench by a small fountain, waiting for her. There was a little makeshift "park" area close to the medical building, but the benches were empty in those mid-morning hours. The redhead was leaning forward in his seat, seeming deep in thought. Miles away. Linka could tell he was nervous by the way he kept fidgeting with his fingers while jiggling his foot up and down. He seemed very young to her then.

Linka took in a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. Her task seemed monumental in that instant, and for a fraction of a second, she panicked. Like real panic. Her words were going to change Wheeler's young life forever, just as hers had been altered moments ago. She was no longer the same Linka. But if she had to be honest with herself, she could detect no traces of sadness within herself; it was mostly fear for how things were going to play out. Confusion. Shock. The rest she could not make out; it was like everything was happening on the spin cycle, round and round and round it went.

Wordlessly, she took place beside Wheeler, who nearly jumped with the motion.

"Babe!" the surprise in his tone caused his voice to come out higher, and a little bird who was sitting by the fountain jumped before flying away at the offensive sound.

Finally, Linka let her eyes meet his. They looked at each other for a fraction of a second, but it could have been five whole minutes to Linka, who was understandably having problems with space/time that day.

Neither of them was speaking, but she could see the pressing query in Wheeler's eyes, the most imperative one, and with a small breath, she nodded her head yes, slowly. Wheeler's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. His expression could have been wildly entertaining had it not been for the current situation they were facing.

Linka heard his sharp intake of breath, and after a moment's pause, he tried his voice again.

"You're… you're…"

The shock in his voice had paralyzed his logic, apparently. Linka folded her hands in her lap, neatly and uselessly.

"Pregnant," she whispered, finishing his sentence for him, trying out the word for the first time. She began to worry once she noticed that Wheeler's ability to speak still hadn't returned. He was probably horrified, Linka guessed, her shoulders slumping as she played with her Planeteer ring in order to keep the tremble in her hands under control. When she had anticipated Wheeler's reaction, she hadn't been sure what to picture, actually. Linka knew he loved her, but he was probably light years away from planning a future with her. Marriage, children, well, they weren't things she usually associated with the carefree American. Sure, someday maybe, but definitely not at this stage in his life. Wheeler was young and he enjoyed his freedom, made good use of it.

Linka blinked back what was threatening to come waltzing out, and she took a deep breath. She tried telling herself now was not the time for emotions, but to be logical and practical. She studied her hands and avoided Wheeler's eyes, for fear of what she would see there. Now was the time to speak like adults and put the rest aside.

"We have… options, of course," the blonde girl tried to inject her tone with as much maturity as possible, cutting out any emotionality that might get in the way. If Wheeler wanted nothing to do with this situation, then they would have to make a choice together about how to proceed. It wouldn't be fair of her to pressure him into things he was obviously not ready for.

"Options?" Wheeler's tone was laced with confusion, robotic almost, as he mirrored the vague word back at her.

"We could consider… adoption, for example," Linka bravely put out there, and it felt like her heart was breaking in different parts as the words came out. But this child was only 50% hers, mathematically speaking, and she couldn't decide for its future alone. Linka bit her lip and examined her hands closer, praying for strength. What she was going to say next was a million times worse, and she wondered if she could actually vocalize it.

"Or…"

"I don't even wanna hear you say the other option, let alone consider it, " Wheeler cut her off instantly, and the strength of his tone caused the Russian girl's head to snap up. His jaw was set in a firm line and he let his eyes meet hers. Linka was filled with relief at his words. She already knew that ending the pregnancy was something she would never be able to do. They really had no right to end what fate had created, anyway.

Wheeler took her hand, and she watched as their hands linked together. Hers was small and felt cold in his warm one. Wheeler was gently lifting her chin upwards with his fingers, effectively forcing her eyes on his. He cleared his throat a little, and attempted speaking once more.

"Isn't there an option where we… I don't know, raise the baby together? I mean, is that…? What do you think? I know this is probably not how you would have planned things, but… I don't know, I just wanna do the right thing."

Wheeler's eyes were beautifully transparent and Linka felt moved by his words. She blinked up at him and shook her head a little.

"Jacob, I do not want you to feel pressured to do anything you do not feel like doing. I mean, I am scared and still in shock, so maybe I am not thinking clearly right now… I do not know…"

"All I know is I love you," Wheeler remarked, effectively shutting her up with a kiss. Linka softened and allowed her lips to return his gesture. Everything inside stilled for a moment and things didn't feel blurry.

Wheeler sighed a little and cupped her face in both his hands. "Linka, I know you don't see me as responsible enough, or mature enough, but you're all I've ever wanted since the day I met you. I'm ready to show you that I'm capable of taking care of you… if you have faith in me? I mean, I'm not gonna lie and say I'm not freaked out. A baby is a big step. But then I think, nothing that was conceived in such love can be that scary, and so I want us to do this, babe. Together, you an' me."

Something broke inside her at his speech, and tears started rolling down her cheeks faster than Linka could wipe them away. She felt more like laughing and throwing her arms about him, but her body was receiving the inputs from her heart all wrong. It was like there was a virus in her software.

"Baby, don't cry," Wheeler fretted, interpreting her release all wrong as he dried the saline streaks down her face. There was pure desperation in his eyes at her reaction, and Linka knew in that instant that this boy would readily jump off a cliff for her. No doubts about it.

Still crying, she threw her arms around his neck and sought out his mouth, kissing him for all she was worth. She could taste a little of the saltiness of her tears in the kiss and a lot of Wheeler's love. The Russian girl was aware that it wouldn't be all sunshine and roses or a walk in the park, but knowing that Wheeler would stand beside her made everything more bearable, lighter somehow. They could prevail. It hadn't been planned, sure, having a child so early on in life, but it did not have to be such a catastrophe. If they took it on with the right attitude, half the battle was already won.

Linka was breathless but a lot less anxious one Wheeler had finished thoroughly returning her kisses. Her heart was beating crazily still, but for different reasons now.

"So, we're gonna have a baby?" Wheeler whispered with a sweet smile, carefully examining her reaction as if his life depended on it.

"Da," Linka nodded with a smile of her own, gently stroking his cheek.

"And you're happy, babe? You won't regret it in five, ten years from now? I know you wanted a chance to pick up school again…"

"It does not mean that I cannot do that later on," Linka shrugged, surprising herself with her reasoning. Now that she was sure Wheeler was on board, she was feeling less afraid to face parenthood. It did not have to be something that limited her future; many people were able to accomplish so much while raising young children. She would manage somehow, they would make it through.

She kissed him briefly to reassure him further, then smiled a little before speaking again.

"You know, Yankee, a baby is a lot of work. You will not be able to play videogames all day and sleep all night, or play your music too loud, or…"

Wheeler's laughter interrupted her "loving" speech. "Hey, you tryin' to change my mind?"

"Nyet. I just want to make sure you know what you are getting yourself into. I do not want you to have any regrets later on, either."

"I'll be fine as long as you're patient with me," Wheeler revealed with a precious little smile she could only cherish.

"We will learn all we need to know together."

"Yeah, but you're way smarter than me so you'll have to wait until I catch up."

"Jacob, that is not true," Linka readily frowned up at him. A habit of his she was forever trying to tear down was his skewed self-perception. Wheeler rarely allowed himself any praise, and she figured it was a sad carryover from his childhood. She ran a hand over his head in a brief caress and glanced into his eyes.

"I may be able to teach you a lot of things, but the things that you do so well are things that cannot be taught. How loved you make me feel, and how easy it comes to you. How selfless you are, and the speed at which you would face danger in my place at any given time. Your honesty and your sense of humor. Your ability to forgive my bad temper. If our baby takes half these things after you, I will be the proudest mother alive."

"Babe…" Wheeler's voice broke with something like emotion and his eyes softened, and he pulled her closer to give her a fierce hug. Linka let him absorb her words in silence, gently rubbing the back of his neck with her free hand. She hoped that it would always be like this between them, with no walls or barriers erected from either side.

The beauty behind their emotions made for a perfect portrait of a young, hopeful couple who was holding on to love as their guide.

And so the lovebirds had gathered the rest of the Planeteers in the Commons Room on Hope Island in order to break the big news. Linka felt more nervous telling her friends than anything else she had faced up until that point. She was not one hundred percent sure they would fully support her decision, and for once in her life, she could not wait to be wrong. There were monumental consequences to her actions, and the incredible power she held in her hands suddenly paralyzed the blonde girl. She suddenly wondered if a surprise party would have been the better option to break the news. She and Wheeler wearing party hats, jumping out of a cardboard cake shaped like a pram or a pacifier. It could have been kinda funny and there'd be real cake, too, of course. It was hard to stay upset when cake was involved.

Linka and Wheeler walked into the room hand in hand, taking place on the smaller sofa facing the others. Gi looked bored as she mindlessly leafed through a fashion magazine, while Ma-Ti was playing with an old Rubik's Cube that was only solved on one side. Kwame was the only one seating neatly, waiting for the two friends to speak, giving them his undivided attention.

Wheeler tried speaking first, but he wasn't quite able to get the words out. He would start, then kind of drift off before changing his mind and starting again. After a few tries, Linka rolled her eyes heavenwards, and retrieved her hand from his. Did a girl have to do everything around here? Sheesh!

"I am pregnant," Linka spoke up, her tone unwavering but her heart beating at ten thousand miles per hour. She figured it would never get to be an easy revelation to voice. Three pairs of eyes turned on the young couple as if aliens had invaded their bodies, and the room went silent. Graveyard silent. Gi and Ma-Ti's things dropped on the floor, but no one bothered to pick them back up.

"Are.. are you sure?" Gi could only think to ask, looking at Linka's stomach as if a protruding bump would suddenly materialize magically.

"It has been medically confirmed, if that is what you mean," Linka replied, shrugging her shoulders a little and letting out a somewhat shaky breath. Gi's eyes had become saucers in her face, and no more words came out of her mouth.

Ma-Ti seemed shell-shocked, even though he was way past the phase where he saw girls as cootie-carriers. Being the only teen left in the bunch, he was probably wondering how Wheeler was going to get out of this one.

"We wanted to tell you guys before we announce it to Gaia," Wheeler nodded, scanning each one of his friends' faces. "We thought…"

"How is this possible?" Kwame's voice sounded boomingly loud in contrast to the soft tone Wheeler had been using. Linka saw the pallor rise in the redhead's face once he took note that Kwame sounded furious. Never a good sign. Kwame was what you would describe as cool and collected ninety-five percent of the time. But the other five percent, well, let's just say Linka did not doubt his stories about killing wild animals with his bare hands back in the village.

"Kwame, I thought we already covered how babies are born," Gi tried to joke, but her feeble attempt to lighten the mood failed miserably, and Kwame shot her a dirty look. Gi most definitely bit her tongue after that.

The African leader stood up violently and pointed his finger at Wheeler. His eyes were blazing. "How could you do this?"

Linka straightened her shoulders and turned her eyes on Kwame, visibly annoyed.

"Bozhe moi, Kwame, calm down! I know this is shocking, and huge, but the least we can do is talk about it in a civil manner, nyet?"

"Oh, you want me to calm down, do you?" Kwame shot back unkindly, pacing the room with the pent up rage of a tiger. Linka recoiled a little at the cold tone of his voice. She had imagined that they would be upset at first, sure, but she hadn't been prepared for such a rejection. She looked over at Gi who was biting her lower lip, uncertain, while Ma-Ti continued to be blown away by the news.

"I expected something like this from Wheeler, but never from you, Linka. What the hell were you thinking?"

Faster than Linka could process things, Wheeler was out of his seat and all up in Kwame's face. Muscles tense and testosterone pumping freely. The Wheeler they all knew pretty damn well was making an appearance.

"Don't you dare speak to her like that ever again, Kwame. I'm warning you," Wheeler let out dangerously, inches from the black man. Ma-Ti jumped up from his seat to stand between the two friends, effectively breaking them up.

"Hey, guys, come on now," the youngest Planeteer voiced, tugging on Wheeler's arm in order to get him to calm down. "Fighting will get us nowhere."

Linka wanted to die. Kwame was looking at her in such a way as to break her earlier resolve, and she felt small. Very small. Wheeler was pissed off, and none of the others had even congratulated her or anything! What a disaster!

"What will you do?" Gi asked, breaking the awkward pause, finally moving to take place next to Linka.

"Gaia will have to find a replacement for me," Linka let out calmly, and Gi nodded, although she was not all present behind her chocolate colored eyes.

"I cannot believe this!" Kwame exploded once more, filling the silence. He ran a hand through his short curly hair, and he stepped away from Wheeler, nearly in disgust. "Am I the only one who thinks this was utterly irresponsible of you two? Does your commitment to the team mean absolutely nothing?"

"Sometimes things just happen, Kwame," Wheeler piped up, and Linka could see his fists balling up at his sides. "We can't all be perfect like you!"

"Wheeler, do you have any idea how you've impacted Linka's future? Or are you too selfish to even see that?"

Ma-Ti had to step in again since the two friends were edging dangerously close again. The tension saturated the air like smoke at a barbecue party.

Kwame was beside himself. "She is twenty, for God's sake! Twenty! She's going to throw away her bright future because of this!"

"Enough!" Linka stood up, anger travelling through her at his words. "Do not talk about me as if I am not here! I am done listening to you patronizing me, Kwame! Now, I am sorry that you are upset, but no one except me is going to choose how to run my life. So you better respect the fact that we are having this baby and that the team will have to change a little as a consequence."

Linka was shaking a little with her outburst and Gi reached for her hand, pulling her back down on the sofa in an attempt to calm her down.

"I am very disappointed in you," Kwame shook his head at Wheeler, who took a step closer to him. The redhead was wired; he really was hopeless at hiding the turbulence behind his feelings.

"Guess what? I don't give a damn!" Wheeler shot back, and they both stormed off in opposite directions. It was quite theatrical, really. No one dared to follow them, since Earth and Fire would both need some serious time to cool off.

Ma-Ti was left standing in the middle of the room, and he drew in a deep breath. He was the one most likely to be upset over any fighting, and Linka was distressed that he'd had to witness that.

Her eyes must have reflected her state of mind, because M-Ti walked over to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. It was a warm gesture, like him.

"I am sorry, Linka. They will come around."

He too, left, and the blonde watched the empty space the young boy had left behind.

"Are you mad at me, too?" Linka sighed, turning to her best friend sitting beside her. She desperately needed some reassurance from the Water Planeteer that things would not be as disastrous as they seemed.

"Yes," Gi voiced, and Linka was not sure how much more stabbing her heart could take that day. One hand flew unconsciously to her stomach, almost as if wanting to draw strength from the miniature being inside.

Linka was about to reply something, but Gi cut her off.

"I'm not mad because you're pregnant! I'm mad because you kept from me that you and Wheeler were doing it! God, how long has that been going on between you two? You owe me major details!"

For the first time in what seemed like a long time, laughter bubbled out of Linka. When she looked over at Gi, the Asian girl was smirking, her arms akimbo, waiting.

"Not as long as you think, Gi! I think I got pregnant the very first time we were together," remarked Linka, hoping she was not blushing but knowing full well that she was.

"You're kidding!" Gi all but squealed, before letting her hand rest delicately on Linka's stomach as if she could feel something. Her imagination was running away with her, apparently.

"How far along are you?"

"Six weeks."

Gi whistled. "I bet it's been a good six weeks." She winked exaggeratedly at the shy Russian girl, then laughed at her embarrassed reaction.

"Regrettably, I don't have a sex life right now, and since you owe me for excluding me out of yours, just tell me how amazing it is so I can live through you."

"Nyet!" Linka was fully laughing now, taking her friend's hand affectionately in hers. "You know it is… difficult for me to talk about these things."

"Come on!" Gi was pleading, laughing herself. "I'm not gonna want little details. We can talk about big things, if you want!"

"Gi! Bozhe moi!" Linka's face colored considerably at her friend's shameless innuendo, and she covered her face with her hands.

"You're blushing, so it's true!" laughed Gi, triumphantly clapping her hands. "Lucky you! Wow! So is it like those quizzes that we always snicker through? Like with the multiple thing in one night?"

Linka peeked at her friend through her fingers and nodded ever so slightly. But she could not help the smile that came to her lips, and it was useless trying to cover it up, because Gi was already squealing with delight.

"I'm so done crying over my ex! That never happened to me! Time for a new man!"

The two friends giggled together and laughed some more until Linka reached over to hug Gi. She knew that things were going to be all right between them. The Wind and Water Planeteers were too close to let anything endanger their beautiful friendship. Linka knew that the incomprehension between them all would dissolve with time, and she was ready to bet that no other baby would ever be so loved.